Restaurants in Delta

It’s hard to tell what’s more awe-inspiring: a 150-inch high-definition TV screen ablaze with a heated sports game or a 6-ounce beef burger patty towering with bacon, danish blue cheese, and blue-cheese mayo. Great Bear Pub lures patrons into its dark-wood restaurant with both of these treats, along with four other signature burgers, more than 20 craft beers, and a slate-stone outdoor dining area lined with televisions of its own. Patrons dig into internationally inspired eats, such as jamaican steak bites and cheese-stuffed pierogi, or stop in for a quick lunch that's prepared and presented in less than 10 minutes. The sophisticated pub also hosts live entertainment six nights a week, and sits alongside its own liquor store to ensure dry pint glasses don’t stage political revolts.

Part sports bar, part restaurant, Desi 2 Go Pizza & Curry’s amalgam of East and West is the brainchild of Chef Jazz Grewal. Trained in restaurants and hotels in India, Grewal draws upon his experience to oversee a vast menu of familiar Indian eats served amid the glow of flat-screen televisions and flowing taps. The roster of 12 beers on tap includes Stella, Sapporo, Guinness, 1664, and their own house brew called Desi Lager. From a British flag to a large drum tantalizingly out of reach on a shelf above, the interior emanates an ambiance of worldliness.

Since May 1986, the Chronakis family has crafted authentic Greek cuisine at Minoas Greek Taverna. Dinner platters teem with Hellenic morsels such as grilled chicken souvlaki, creamy hummus, and the rice-stuffed grape leaves of dolmades. The wait staff also serves entrees à la carte, so diners can dig into plates of steaming moussaka and avoid jealous struggles with the pastitsio, which would only get tomato sauce all over the pristine white stucco walls. Lush ivy winds up the walls and traverses the ceiling, tablecloths in the cobalt blue of the Greek flag dot the interior, and traditional folk music drifts through the air, transporting diners to the Mediterranean without requiring a gas-guzzling teleportation device.

Dressed in denim and leather, short hair spiked to a rebellious peak, Kayla Dhaliwall—aka the Dragon Chef—might not embody the usual image of a French bistro chef. But her unique style and passion for cooking have earned her praise from the Stevenson Insider—and have led her to a spot on Top Chef Canada. In January 2013, Dhaliwall brought her talents to the kitchen at Tapenade Bistro as its newest executive chef.

Founded a decade earlier by Vince Morlet, Tapenade Bistro began as an effort to blend French culinary traditions with a unique West Coast influence. Today, Vince's small harbor-side eatery holds true to this original intent with a focus on seasonal, local, and sustainable ingredients.

Chef Dhaliwall builds on this mission, improving on the Ocean Wise–approved menu with her own ideas, much like a hotshot mechanic who improves his tricycle with an ejector seat. Dhaliwall conjures platters of mussels and clams, pickle-battered fish ’n’ chips, yogurt-fried chicken and waffles, and Angus steaks. She also curates a local charcuterie and cheese platter, as well as makes her own blue-corn tortillas and ricotta cheese.

Complementing her dishes is a list of wines from small, independent BC producers—some of whom appear in the restaurant during Tapenade Bistro’s Winemakers Dinner Series.

A gentle breeze blows across the bay, travelling to an outdoor patio where it tousles the hair of patrons sharing tapas and lounging atop chic black-and-white couches. This scene embodies Mandalay Lounge & Steakhouse, a restaurant whose staff aims to seamlessly fuse globally inspired cuisine, trendy decor, and serene ambience. The eatery's chefs seek balance between Asian and European culinary influences as they top their succulent steaks in demi-glace and craft rice bowels. These multicultural influences seem to echo the dining room's decor, which blends the familiar glow of chandeliers with Southeast Asian adornments, such as decorative elephants that sound their trunks and ask for a bite at each dish's arrival. Upstairs, staff refill wine glasses in a private dining room that overlooks the water.

At Hog Shack Cook House the pit masters smoke their meats for 6 to 24 hours to bring out the tangy flavour that characterizes authentic Kansas City barbecue. Though taking its cue from KC, the menu plays host to a wide variety of dishes including Cajun chicken penne and pulled pork tacos. Traditional beef ribs and house-smoked brisket keep things classic as servers dish out heaping portions and bartenders fill glasses with one of more than 70 craft beers. By keeping the suds flowing, sauces slathered, and tuning the TVs to the big game or ultimate infomercial reel, the barbecue gurus foster a festive environment while adhering to the sensibilities of Southern and Midwestern hospitality.