Noshwellmenu

[rating: 2]

Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe on West 4th is a Kitsilano institution. Its trademark kitschy decor and uncharacteristically long line ups for the otherwise sleepy West 4th neighbourhood are a well established weekend tradition.

(Above: Egg white omelette with generic toast.)

Once you make it passed the oversized fork and knife pillars, you’re on your way to a brunch complete with vintage garage sale ambience. The cramped, yet cozy dining room with Coke bottle lined bannisters and somebody’s attic thrown on the wall as decor, is brightly lit and bustling with activity.

Case and I sat down for a straight forward weekend brunch in the spacious, well worn booths. I had the Spanish omelette — zesty (tomato paste-y even), herb-infused tomato sauce stuffed in a surgically folded, but overcooked omelette and served with crumbly Wonderbread quality toast and a side of smashed up, hand cut hasbrowns.

(Above: Kitschy, kitschy, yeah yeah yeah yeah.)

Case was happy to see an egg white option on the menu, which she ordered plain. It arrived in a similarly meticulously folded manner (and similarly overdone), alongside the same forgettable toast and hashbrown combination.

(Above: Spanish omelete, which basically looks like a more golden version of  Case’s dish.)

Our meal came to a modest $26 including tax and tip and two cups of coffee, which felt borderline expensive. The service was so so, the menu predictable, but the execution was consistent across the board (the good and the bad). We’re consistently amazed by the lineups each time we pass by, but forget the lack of breakfast options in the area. Unless you really enjoy the queue, we’d suggest heading Eastwards for something better.

Perfect for: Kitschy family breakfasts and a lesson in patience.

The Details

2095 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver
604.732.6810
sophiescosmiccafe.com

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