Northern Cafe & Grill: Serious Hole-In-The-Wall Diner Eats

I’ve been known to frequent hole-in-the-wall joints. In fact, some of my favourite places to visit are down-to-earth eateries where the owners love what they do and are unpretentious about it. Well, I’m happy to say that I’ve found a new place that meets these standards. I suppose “found” really isn’t the right word as Northern Cafe has been around since 1949. But I can hardly be blamed for not visiting until now… tucked away on the second floor of a building supply store – you seriously are not going to come across this place unless you were intentionally trying to find this place (or if you happen to work in the trades).

Hilltop Diner – Blast From the Past

As someone who lives and works around Vancouver/Burnaby, I don’t usually find myself out in the sticks very often. Okay, Fort Langley isn’t exactly the sticks… but I did get the whole small town rural vibe going on as I got closer to my destination.

Big 6 Restaurant – Greasy Spoon

Now, don’t get me wrong… I’ve got nothing against a greasy spoon dive… as long as the food’s good. For example, the 5 Point Cafe in Seattle is a perfect example of a greasy spoon dive where the food’s great and you’re still slightly afraid to go to the bathroom.

Denny’s (Bellevue) – Greasy Spoon Diner

Okay, there was really no good reason for our visit to the Denny’s on 116th Ave NE in Bellevue other than the fact that we were planning on heading out early for a trip down the Washington/Oregon coast.