Really Good Nachos - can it be?

[waver]

So the other night I was at a hockey game and the people in front of me had the really yucky (yet secretly kinda appealing) stadium nachos. You know, bright orange sauce, blob of sour cream bigger than my foot, strange coloured meat crumbles. So, no, I didn't reach over and grab one, or even get my own order. What restraint. But now I am craving a really good, not gourmet though, plate of nachos, preferably with a decent beer alongside. Not authentic (does that even exist?) but with good cheese and salsa and maybe crumbled meat, jalapenos et al. Is there somewhere in Vancouver that makes this?

BTW Canucks lost and my son cried : (

[brokentelephone]

There is a new place called Chronic Taco's on Broadway just east of Cambie. It's a chain from California and while I thought the burritos were a bit gross, I did have the best plate of nachos I've had in Vancouver. The cheese was really excellent and stringy and there was ample amounts of the stuff!

The place is sort of fast food (think Chipotle run by skater/stoners) but they have loads of TVs and a bar. I think that little person from Jackass owns the chain...

[bill_n_opus]

Love your writeup. "... think Chipotle run by skater/stoners ..." I lol'd.

The "little guy" from Jackass is "Wee Man" Jason Acuna and according to Wiki he's an "investor" with some fame/cachet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_...

[betterthanbourdain]

FWIW, I had a decent -good nacho's at the Rouge(gastown brew pub). They have a decent-good selection of beers. Would recommend to watch the game there. Better than most pub food. Oddly I has nacho's quite a few times recently. And the Rouge's been the best thus far. I think it helped that the chips were still warm(ie prob just deep fried that afternoon) and there was too much cheese. It does come with option to add chilli, beef and chicken iirc. I had it with the chilli, which was just ok.

[lanneq]

Nachos Supreme at Topanga Cafe on West 4th.

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Topanga Cafe
2904 4th Ave W, Vancouver, BC V6K1R2, CA

[fmed]

Yes of course! (Topanga is caught in some sort of timewarp.)

[waver]

Wow. Good one. Remind me, are they licensed?

[eatrustic]

"are they licensed?"

Yep.

[LotusRapper]

For alcohol ...... yes.

I didn't even know Topanga is still there, I figured with all the new developments along Fourth they'd be long extinct. Guess not !

'Nother spot I nacho'd way back when was Fogg N' Sudds. The beers had to wash down something. They still have two locations (Robson, Richmond). Haven't been since the ....... mid '90s !

On that note, do Pepitas and Las Margaritas offer nacho platters like what we're talking about here ?

[farman]

Topanga Cafe was going to be my recommendation as well. Get some chocolate cake to go along with it.

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Topanga Cafe
2904 4th Ave W, Vancouver, BC V6K1R2, CA

[devott]

Pepitas on 4th & Burrard makes great nachos. However, I usually get the ingredients to go and bake them at home. You get chips, grated cheese, salsa, guacamole, black beans (never understood how you could have nachos without black beans), chopped tomato, and chopped green onion, all in separate containers, Heat the black beans first, then layer the chips, black beans and cheese in a baking dish, bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, then top with the chopped tomato and green onion, and you've got the best nachos around.

[LotusRapper]

I happen to be a non-black beans on nachos guy :-) But I gotta have:

grated cheese
salsa (verde preferred)
sour cream
guacamole
refried bean (if no ground beef)
green onion
cilantro

Different strokes for different amigos, eh ?

[devott]

Ahh! I should have written "refried beans", don't know what I was thinking. And I might add, the best refried beans I've ever had, period! Also forgot to add sour cream to the list of ingredients they give you at Pepitas on 4th. Sorry 'bout that: first post :)

[fmed]

(Something jogged my memory this weekend about nachos...) Subeez has decent old-school nachos. I remember sister restaurant Wazubeez (closed) having them.

[LotusRapper]

Back (emphasis on back) in the days, The King's Head on Yew had good nacho platters. At least by my standards of the day. The Galley Patio & Grill has a mondo nachos platter, but at $16 it's a bit steep:

http://www.thegalley.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=9

Original Joe's at Cambie/Broadway has an interesting one where you can get pulled pork on top (mmmmm):

http://www.originaljoes.ca/ir/documen...

[betterthanbourdain]

been a while since i've ordered or had good nacho's. i do remember the kings head and galley nacho. iirc the galley was a generous portion. the kings head was reasonably priced. over the years with the increase of cheese prices most places started skimming on the cheese i've found. even at $16 there isnt as much profit in nachos as you would imagine.

sorry the Canucks made your son cry.

[LotusRapper]

Adding to that, it's been a long time since I've seen meat as an optional topping on nachos. I only saw the pulled pork option at Original Joe's cuz I was standing at the bus stop by their entrance on Cambie and was looking at their menu, it somehow stuck in my mind.

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Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar
500 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Z3Y6, CA

[waver]

Well, fair enough, I guess it is a bit of "back in the day" kind of thing. The KIng's Head? Holy cow, does it still exist? Interesting about the Galley, its served on big pizza pans, right? Maybe I'll defer til summer: $16 is worth the view.
I'll have a look at Original Joe's, that's new to me.

In the meantime, maybe I'll make some for the Superbowl party I've just been informed Iwe're hosting... (no, our household doesn't get emotional over football).

[LotusRapper]

Yelp allows for multi-word search, this is what I got for "best nachos":

http://www.yelp.ca/search?find_desc=best+nachos&find_loc=Vancouver%2C+BC

Darby's Pub menu yielded a "potato chips" entry:

http://www.darbyspub.ca/menu-lunch

Go figure, eh.

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Darby's Pub
2001 MacDonald St, Vancouver, BC V6K3Y2, CA

[kinnickinnik]

I was just at Darby's for a burger and beer tonight. Never had their "nachos" but they look like a gooey but tasty mess. Lots of meat and other toppings on (homemade?) potato chips.

Gotta second the Galley's. Can't say there's any thing super special about them but it's a generous portion and a perfect accompaniment to a pitcher of beer on the patio :-)

[grayelf]

Ya know, making your own is deffo the way to go but that's prolly a topic for another board. I certainly haven't come across nachos on any menu in the last two decades I'd order again :-). Good luck with your superbowl party.

[jrj830]

Fogg 'N' Suds 10720 Cambie Rd Richmond, BC Inside the 'Holiday Inn Vancouver Airport'
Good plate of nachos n beer...