Denny's - Coquitlam

I've got a soft spot for Denny's. It's the kind of unpretentious, unambitious restaurant that reminds you of an earlier time. Unlike White Spot, which has aspirations of grandeur, there is something also a little timeless about Denny's, because it seems the same as it's always been. The service is always friendly and the servers aren't the cookie-cutter types that you find at other chain restaurants.

The Coquitlam location is very central, right on the corner of Austin and North Road. The decor is earthy and warm, with lots of wood and cushy booths. We arrived in the morning, so we opted for breakfast. There is lots of choice for breakfast, and you can easily add your own components to your breakfast with their 'grand slams'.

I choose the Belgian Waffle Slam, which came with two eggs, two sausages, two strips of bacon, and a large waffle. Ok, the waffle isn't exactly Cafe Medina standard (far from it), but it was crispy and tasted all right with the syrup. The sausages weren't that great because they were strangely soft, but the bacon was cooked well. I'd requested eggs 'over medium', but they arrived actually soft (many places seem to get this wrong for some reason).

Shane got the Fabulous French Toast Platter, with 3 slices of French toast, along with 2 slices of bacon and 2 sausages. The French toast was quite good--the slices were very thick and had a nice buttery flavour, with a slight touch of cinnamon. They could have been a little more eggy, but each slice was crisp and golden on the outside and tasted great.

In terms of breakfast, Denny's is quite standard; it certainly doesn't stand out because of the food. Instead, it stands out because of its relaxed and friendly atmosphere. It's the kind of place that allows you to linger over a cup of coffee and the daily paper. There is something pretty special about that.