Joey: Happy hour
Old news but still good news, Toronto raptors won the NBA championships this year and even though I have never watched basketball in my life, I did watch these games.
I watched several games at local sports bars after work, which is why I am writing this post highlighting Joey’s happy hour menu because I ate here a lot during the games.
Joey is a western Canadian premium casual restaurant chain based in Vancouver. They have locations all across Canada and the US. Their cuisine is mostly west coast pacific with inspiration for certain Asian dishes. Their happy hour menu changes depending on the location. This review will be on the Burnaby location and happy hour menu.
Drinks
Real peach bellini ($4.50)
I wonder what a “fake” peach bellini is.
Anyways, if you’ve never had a bellini before, just get one because they are delicious. It doesn’t matter if you’re a guy – just get 1. Or maybe get 2 if happy hour is about to be over.
Joey’s peach bellini is a bit stronger than bellinis I’ve had at other places. They use paper straws which is cool cause of the environment but also not good when it starts to get soggy over time.
Food
Yam fries ($4.50)
So I have a big bag of frozen yam fries in my freezer from Costco that I can pop into my Philips air fryer but I will still come here and order yam fries for like $5. They are yummy, what can I say? Their spicy aioli sauce is a great pairing.
Sliders royale duo ($9)
We only ordered this once as we were disappointed that there are only 2 sliders – we expected there to be 3. The sliders have cheese and certified angus beef patties. They use a “secret sauce” which kind of tastes like spicy mayo.
Pesto shrimp flatbread ($10.50)
The flatbread itself is cooked quite nicely. Size is reasonable and they put a lot of shrimp and pesto for toppings so the value is here. The only thing I was disappointed about was that the chipotle aioli they spread on top is way too spicy for me after one or two pieces.
Lettuce wraps with chicken or shrimp ($13.50)
This sounds stupid because it is a lettuce wrap but this is one of my new favourite happy hour items.
The “stuffing” for your lettuce wrap inside the mini skillet contains wok vegetables, peanuts, crispy noodles, hoisin oyster sauce and cilantro. You can choose to add chicken or shrimp for an additional $3. If you ask me, the chicken is better than the shrimp.
This stuffing uses Asian sauces and tastes similar to lettuce wraps you get as part of your peking duck meals (except without the duck meat and there are crispy noods instead). The lettuce us always crispy and fresh and this dish in general is actually really filling. Also it has so many vegetables and makes me feel like a healthy adult making good decisions.
Spaghetti pomodoro ($13.50)
This pasta dish uses calabrian chili spiked tomato sauce, whipped ricotta, fresh basil and parmesan. Presentation for this dish is quite pretty and appetizing. The tomato sauce is a little spicy but flavourful. Portion size is reasonable – enough as a dinner entree.
Mashed potato spring rolls ($5.50)
So this isn’t really a happy hour menu item. In fact, it’s not on any of their menus. TA DA it’s a secret menu item.
This is basically a spring roll with mashed potatoes inside, topped with little bits of bacon and sour cream like a perogy. Ask your server for this and you will not be disappointed. If you are a potato lover like me, you need to get this.
Final thoughts
I always thought Joey was another one of those basic white restaurants (ex. Milestone, Cactus Club, Boathouse, etc.), but recently I find myself preferring Joey over these direct competitors. I find their quality of food to be higher than the rest.
Some of my favourite entrees from their dinner menu is their katsu chicken peanut salad and their ravioli with lobster cream & seared prawns. Their happy hour menu is by far my favourite, with lots of drinks and food options to choose from.
Specifically at this Burnaby location, they have a really nice indoor-outdoor style patio with heat lamps and fireplaces. Their patio seating is very comfortable and large, perfect for our approaching summer days and patio season in Vancouver.
Guess I’m just a Joey’s girl now.