Howie’s Bistro and Bar - 3 Stars
2830 Bainbridge Ave. at Lougheed Hwy., Burnaby, BC, Phone: (604) 415-0006.
If you want to go to Howie’s you better make it soon. This location has been notorious as a revolving door for restaurants and I don’t think Howie’s will break the trend. We went for a weekday lunch and during the hour or so we were there, I counted a total of 6 other diners. That’s not quite enough to keep their dance floor disco balls rotating.
The food was passable but not stellar. I had the “fire roasted chicken” with seasonal veggies and yam fries. The chicken was crispy and moist and was served with Frank’s hot sauce on the side. The seasonal veggies were essentially a Chinese stirfry of mostly bok choy and orange peppers. Cooked nicely but not much flavour. The yam fries had some sort of starchy coating (cornstarch?) and were pretty but not delicious.
My companion had the St. Louis BBQ pork ribs with the same veggies and mashed potatoes. The rib meat tasted previously frozen. The sauce was tasty and the mashed potatoes were okay - if not quite warm enough.
The rest of the menu consists of a variety of appies - potato skins, calamari, coconut shrimp for example, soups and salads, steaks and prawns, and a few desserts.
The service was friendly and attentive, albeit the waitress was not taxed by the number of diners.
Price for two including two soft drinks, tax and tip was under $35.00.
In general, Howie’s was not a standout. Any bets on how long they’ll last?