The Pantry - Coquitlam

The Pantry is one of those chain restaurants that's been around for quite a long time. We don't come here very often, but sometimes it can be interesting to visit and experience quite the throwback to an earlier time.

The restaurant is located at the Best Western on North Road, and it has the feel of a motel restaurant in a small town.

The decor is very 1980's, with plushy, wildly patterned booths, and pictures of happy, smiling people. Very 'family restaurant'.

We arrived in the morning, so Shane ordered the Pantry's Special Breakfast (around $10) with 2 eggs, bacon, sausage, shredded hash brown, and two pancakes. The meal was pretty comparable to what you would get at Denny's or IHOP. It's lots of food that tastes okay, but not necessarily of the best quality.

As I recall, the Pantry used to have a great Clubhouse ($9.95), so I opted for that instead of breakfast. The sandwich was pretty good. My only criticism was the turkey. Although it definitely was real turkey, it wasn't the roasted and carved type of turkey which is best, in my opinion. However, the bread was nicely toasted without being so hard that it cuts your mouth (this characteristic I call 'stabby'), and the bacon was really well cooked and still had a slight chewiness. The fries were pretty standard, but good.

It was an average meal, though the atmosphere is friendly and fun. Plus, the conversations you overhear are pretty fascinating--about people on the road, their plans for the day, and where they're from. Interesting.