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New Fraser Neighbourhood Pub: The Eastwood

New in Fraserhood is a neighbourhood pub, The Eastwood, which opened this past December at 4245 Fraser Street.  The Eastwood is a refreshing addition to the area which has been popular for coffee aficionados due to Prado Café and Bows & Arrow Coffee Roasters.  The concept behind The Eastwood is a laidback, local bar where people can come to enjoy comfort foods, have a few drinks and watch a hockey game on one of their many flat-screens.  I was recently invited by The Eastwood to learn more about their story and their menu offerings.

Disclosure:  I was invited for a media tasting.  All food and drinks in this review were complimentary.  Opinions are my own.

the eastwood fraser street east van

The owners of The Eastwood, Alex Kyriazis and Ari Demosten, built and designed The Eastwood’s interior.  Kryiazis owns a design and fabrication company and has manufactured reclaimed-wood furnishings for restaurants like MeeT on Main.  The dining area has a capacity for 60 people and is mainly of steel and salvaged wood.  The room feels like it has a lot of character but with a rustic kind of feel.

the eastwood fraser street east van

The Eastwood Menu

The dishes served at The Eastwood have Tex-Mex and Asian influences.  For starters, there are classics like nachos, wings, tacos followed by some trendier items like tuna poke.  Fries lovers will be impressed by The Eastwood’s variety of fries options by Spuds including Fraser Fries, Chili Cheese Fries, Lemon Pepper, and poutine.  Side dips and additional toppings are available.  As for mains, you’ll find salads, sandwiches, Ocean Wise seafood, steak, pasta and more.  Their handheld items range from The Basic B to some Asian-fusion options like Crispy Chicken Banh Mi and Waffleburg.  They use 100% Canadian certified meat.

What I Tried  

For my media tasting, I was able to choose what I wanted to try and I went with the following:

  • Beergria ($11)
  • Nachos ($16) with yam fries ($+2)
  • Crispy chicken banh mi ($15)
  • Waffleburg ($15)

To start, there was the Beergria, a beer cocktail made with Kronenbourg Blanc, peach ciroc, orange juice and lemon juice.  It was the first time that I had a beer cocktail and I quite enjoyed it.  The taste was more on the beer side than cocktail so kind of citrusy beer.

the eastwood fraser street east van

The nachos were a cheesy hot mess of three cheeses, black olives, picked jalapeno, green onion, tomato, sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole.  I thought the portions of other ingredients versus chips and cheese were good.  Most of the bites were chips, cheese plus a little bit of something else rather than just chips and cheese.  The guacamole, in particular, was excellent: rich, creamy, fresh, tangy and nicely flavorful.

the eastwood fraser street east van

the eastwood fraser street east van

the eastwood fraser street east van

The Waffleburg is a new addition to their menu and it stood out to me.  I missed the now-closed Miura which was famous for their waffle burgers.  The waffle burger had a 6 oz waffle patty and bacon with melted cheese overtop and then sandwiched between two waffle buns.  On the side, bourbon maple syrup for some extra drizzle.  I found it easier to eat by cutting up the waffle and patty into smaller pieces and eating them together rather than taking one big bite.  The waffle bun was light and fluffy but the patty could be more moist and juicy.  One of the surprises to the meal were just how good their yam fries were just.  I don’t find myself usually raving about yam fries but the ones at The Eastwood were wonderfully crispy, well-seasoned and super addictive.  I would recommend the upgrade for them.

the eastwood fraser street east van

Another unique menu offering at the Eastwood was the Crispy Chicken Banh Mi – a handheld with a sort of twist.

the eastwood fraser street east van

Rather than a traditional French Baguette, this banh mi uses ciabatta.  The ciabatta had a crispy crust and then soft and airy on the inside.  The crispy chicken was pleasantly “crispy” and had a nice additional Asian flavours from the miso dijon aioli and daikon slaw.  My only feedback would be perhaps to reduce the thickness of the ciabatta.  It’s just a lot of bread proportionately speaking in my opinion.

the eastwood fraser street east van

Overall Impression

I see potential in The Eastwood in becoming a favorite, local watering hole.  Their menu is interesting with classic comfort foods but also some trendier, Asian-fusion options.  I also enjoy the fact that their seafood items are Ocean Wise.  Rating: 3.5/5

The Eastwood Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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