After a long stroll along the seawall on a cloudy but warm Vancouver day, Gluten Lips and I were feeling peckish. We decided to take a detour to Granville Island to pick up some snacks at the market before it closed. Unfortunately it had closed early, but the delicious aromas wafting from the nearby restaurants were calling our names. So, we decided to drop in at Sandbar Seafood Restaurant, which is located on Granville Island at 1535 Johnston Street.
We were graciously greeted by the host, who advised that there would be a wait of about 20 minutes for a table for two on the rooftop. Mind you, this was a day in June at around 6:00pm, and during COVID-19 when Vancouver was literally inaccessible by the usual throngs of international tourists. So, the fact that there was still a wait time says volumes about the popularity and staying power of this restaurant.
Luckily, Sandbar Seafood is located in a lovely and interesting area of Vancouver, even for locals like us. It is right on the water and in a very walkable area. So, the wait time was put to good use walking around and taking in the sights. Among other things, there is a charming old fishing boat at the back of the restaurant which has been permanently retired there by Sandbar Seafood. There is also a nearby square where buskers often come to belt out some tunes.
After about 20-30 minutes of exploring the area, we received a call from Sandbar advising that our table was ready. We made our way back and were escorted up to our table on the rooftop, which has some lovely views of the water and downtown Vancouver. The restaurant was busy and bustling, but we were promptly waited on and the service was excellent.
We had mixed feelings about the ambience on the rooftop. While the view is lovely, the acoustics of the largely metal and glass construction on the rooftop seem to amplify the sounds of people talking and the activity at the rooftop bar – making it a loud and somewhat garish experience. Given that the rooftop was only half packed due to social distancing, we imagine that it would be even louder on a normal evening. If you are looking for a quieter experience, we would recommend sitting at one of the interior tables.
To start, Gluten Lips and I ordered the signature wok squid to share ($15.50). It was exceptional and we loved it. I had assumed it would be unbreaded given that it was gluten-free, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had found a way to achieve the best of both worlds. It was prepared with a cornstarch breading, which made for a delicious and crispy coating when fried. It was nice and crispy and the squid wasn’t too chewy. It was garnished with fried green onion, garlic and ginger. It also came with a small side of aioli sauce, which had some paprika and, as a result, a gentle heat to it. The squid was the highlight of the experience and we would definitely have it again.
We also ordered a couple of mocktails. I had a raspberry lemonade mocktail ($5.50) while Gluten Lips had a cucumber spritzer ($5.50). Both were very refreshing and had only a slight sweetness, which is great. Mine was a mixture of raspberry puree, lemonade and soda water, while the other was a combination of mint, cucumber, simple syrup, lemon juice, lime juice and soda water. This made for a great combination with just the right level of sweetness. Sometimes mocktails tend to be overly sweet, so this was a refreshing change.
For our main courses, Gluten Lips had the salmon burger ($19) and I had the seafood hot pot ($29). The seafood hot pot had fresh fish, prawns, and scallops, with wild mushrooms, broccolini and a warm coconut red curry broth. The hot pot was not served with any carbs, so the waiter recommended adding a side of rice or bread to soak up the curry broth. I didn’t feel like having rice, so luckily the kitchen was able to cut up a gluten-free pizza crust (Sandbar makes pizzas as well – we’ll be back for those next time) so I had a plate of gluten-free flatbread to use for dipping. The gluten-free flatbread was very nice – a good balance between crunchy and chewy and nicely favoured with cracked pepper and herbs.
The seafood hot pot was rich – it had a nice, thick and creamy coconut curry sauce. I thought the curry sauce could have been on the spicier side, but I appreciate that the kitchen probably aims to keep it on the lower end of the spiciness scale to accommodate everyone, and perhaps also because they fear that upping the spice level would drown out the flavour of the seafood. I love spice, so, if I had this dish again, I would likely ask the kitchen to ramp up the heat just a bit. I think that doing so would make this dish more interesting without taking away from the flavours of the seafood – to the contrary, I think it would better complement the seafood.
The hot pot was reasonably portioned. It was flavorful, and the seafood tasted fresh and tender, not chewy. It was also quite soupy, which made it great for dipping with the flatbread. However, I felt like the flavour of the broth was a little bit lacking. At the end of the day, I enjoyed this dish but wasn’t “wowed” by it. I would probably not have it again.
The salmon burger had a Lois Lake steelhead fillet, house-made tartar sauce, crispy capers and red onion. It also came with both a side salad and fries (you can get both for an extra $1). The salad was sizable and hearty – plenty of leafy greens with sliced radish, cucumber, spinach, carrot, and tomatoes, all tossed with a delicious vinaigrette. The fries were crispy and not too salty, although there could have been more of them.
Gluten Lips enjoyed the salmon burger. He found the salmon very juicy, nicely charred and flavourful. Although the burger was very simple, that simplicity worked well. The flavour of the salmon was nicely balanced with the onion, house-made tartar sauce, iceberg lettuce and capers. Gluten Lips commented that the burger was deceiving in that it seemed smaller than it was.
I couldn’t get through my entire main, so I handed the last bits to Gluten Lips, who, as usual, made short work of them. However, even if he couldn’t finish the flatbread, so we had that packed up for breakfast the next morning. We both left feeling full and satisfied and tried to work it off by walking home along the seawall.
Overall, we had a good experience. We would rate the service as 9/10, the food as 7/10, and the ambience as 5/10. We expect the ambience would have been better had we chosen one of the more intimate tables in the interior of the restaurant. In addition, we expect the food would have been a bit better had the curry sauce in the hot pot been a bit more flavourful. That said, the signature wok squid was exceptional and we plan to be back to enjoy that again, perhaps together with some of their pizza.
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If you enjoyed this article, you might also like to read about our other culinary adventures sharing our gluten-free and dairy-free experiences such as Folie Crepes French Food Truck, Dairy and Gluten Free Cones at Rain or Shine Cambie, and Healthy AF Bowls Takeout.
