Gray Olive Cafeteria: Local brunch spot in Burnaby

The Gray Olive Cafeteria is a cute brunch place in Burnaby. They describe themselves to be “seasonal comfort food with a twist”, with a full day breakfast menu and other brunch items such as sandwiches.

This review is based on their breakfast/brunch menu.

Interior

The Gray Olive Cafeteria’s interior is polished with a hipster retro vibe. Their orange plush seats, greenery and mirrored walls make the overall atmosphere very bright and cheerful.

Despite the picture, the space is very small. There is limited seating so if you are bigger than a group of 4, expect an even longer wait (I recommend only coming as a table of 2). Every time I have visited the Gray Olive Cafeteria, there has been a wait to be seated. Ordering is cafeteria style so if you are ordering take-out, it’s not so long.

Drinks

Thai iced tea ($4.50)

I love red Thai iced tea! Think of it as a sweeter version of Hong Kong milk tea. The thai iced tea they make at Gray Olive Cafeteria is quite yummy and not overly sweet. You can substitute non-dairy in your thai iced tea for an additional 70 cents.

Brunch

The kitchen sink ($17)

This is my go-to menu item and their #1 most popular dish. I think they call it the kitchen sink because it’s a bunch of yummy breakfast goodies dumped into a bowl – eggs any style, sauteed vegetables, green onions, sausage, bacon, cheese and hash browns.

I usually choose my eggs to be poached and the yolk mixes well with the sauteed veggies and cheese. It is a rich breakfast so if you enjoy starting off your day with lighter meals, this may not be for you. But for me, I love the heavy savoury taste.

Pulled pork benny ($17)

They offer a few different eggs bennies, but we try the pulled pork benny. It comes with 2 eggs poached, slow roasted pork shoulder, cole slaw, hollandaise, cornbread and a choice of side. For sides, you can choose between fries, hash browns, daily soup, fruit or green salad. We choose hash browns because I can’t get enough of potatoes.

The eggs and hollandaise sauce are cooked to standard. The pulled pork is soft and tender. My boyfriend describes the taste to be slightly sour, which is surprising because hollandaise sauce is usually sweet and not sour. They don’t use a biscuit for the bottom of the eggs benny but instead, cornbread which gives it a different texture. Notice it is easier to cut but also easier to fall apart.

Final thoughts

The Gray Olive Cafeteria is a fun and yummy local spot. The only downside is their small space/waiting time. As a local business, I hope they grow and expand to other locations. Aside from this, it is definitely a delicious brunch restaurant that is always coming up with different daily specials and creations.

Definitely check out the classic kitchen sink (basically a breakfast poutine!) and their red Thai iced tea.

Sincerely, Loewe