Save-On-Meats Come-On!
Save-On-Meats is a throw back to Vancouver’s past. Located at 43 West Hastings, it comes from a time long before the crack trade arrived to the Downtown East Side. Inside you will find a butcher, a convenience shop selling most basic items and a diner. Today it was our breakfast destination.From the moment you walk in you are greeted by butchers carving some of the finest cut loins the city has to offer. A few steps further you find yourself whisked away into a convenience shop painted in the brightest of yellows. There, you will find a great selection of spices, canned goods, pastas and sugary treats including “Zebra Cookies” and “Christmas Trees.” Looking through the row of sugary treats one begins to see the form of the diner take shape.

The diner, at the back of the building, has held up pretty well given its age. Booths have been removed in favor of u-shaped formica tables - an oddity at first but once the conversation gets going you cannot help but think how brilliant they are.
The menu was simple and offered standard fare breakfast items. Although, I heard mumblings that it was possible to have the chefs cook the meat purchased from up front as well.
Our orders included eggs cooked a variety of different ways, toast, sausage, bacon, ham, t-bone steaks, french fries and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Save-on-Meats traded quality for quantity. The portions were huge. Unfortunately though, a thick grease permeated all the foods. My t-bone steak and french fries were drenched in an oily liquid. My heart quivered with each bite. In fact, by the time I finished my breakfast, I could feel my bad-cholesterol count increase 10-fold.
Based solely on its visual appeal, Save-on-Meats gets the following Ghettobreakfastclub.com rating:
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Editor’s note:
The following movie is a Save-on-Meats Rap sung by our favorite DTES poet. If you encounter him around Vancouver, he will ask you to select a any word in the dictionary whereupon he will break into freestyle that will end with the selected word. This guy is really talented and we recommend a minimum donation of $5.
Tags: Breakfast, Breakfast Review, downtown eastside, dtes, french fries, Ghetto Review, Ghettobreakfast event, Ghettobreakfastclub event, Ghettobreakfastclub review, greasy, neon, Save-on-Meats, steak, three toasts, Vancouver, vancouver bc diner, vancouver history




6 comments
Category:






July 30th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Did you ever suggest the word apocalypse?
July 30th, 2008 at 7:34 am
I’ve asked:
juxtaposition,
coca-cola and
band-aid
July 30th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Very commercial.
As for the Save-On-Meats’ breakfast, discovering a whole nutha grocer just around the corner gives it an extra toast from me!
August 14th, 2008 at 7:16 am
i’d like to suggest bon’s for our next outing!
August 14th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
it’s definitely time for a new poll!
*hint hint*
October 31st, 2008 at 11:00 am
bonus points for the massive Sunspun tins of ketchup visible behind the counter! gives it that nostalgic fallout shelter feel.
5 toasts! (but definitely DRY toasts…*shudders at the butter*)