Mervo’s. I dig the name, don’t you? I wanted to come here because it looked SO old school. The menu is small, but crazy. From pancakes and sandwiches to perogies and pad thai??

Pancakes and Coffee ($4.09) with a side of sausages ($1.70)

Lately, I’ve found myself out and about quite often in the early hours of the morning. So naturally I’ve been hitting up a lot of diners and...well anything I can find that opens before 8am. The Roadhouse is located in Savona, BC. A colleague had a fantastic time with an omelette here recently, so I promised myself I would stop for a meal the next time I went through Savona.

I’ve wanted to try this DDE for a long time. I think Starhouse used to be called Bill Ma’s or something like that. Looks like a classic movie truck stop diner. I’m so intrigued! Starhouse serves western Chinese cuisine in the village of Cache Creek. I made reference in my Crush post about sweet and sour chicken balls. Since then I couldn’t get the thought of those orbs out of my head.

I drove by this tiny diner early one morning and I was attracted to it purely because of the name: Sleepy Hollow Diner. Cozy, with only a few tables and a bar stool seating.

**UPDATE: Taylor's Breakfast Nook is now April's Bistro.**

On occasion I find myself in Ashcroft's downtown core. I noticed a hand painted window for Taylor's Breakfast Nook several weeks ago. I finally found myself back on Railway Avenue this afternoon to try it. It's definitely a nook! The restaurant houses less than 10 tables with a cozy open kitchen. This small home-style diner is run by a lovely couple.

Hungry Herbie’s is a dusty DDE in Cache Creek, that I have wanted to try for a long time. I drive past the billboards featuring their Monster Burger frequently. Ironically, it was not their burgers that ultimately drew me in. I have become very curious about their soft serve...word on the street is that it's magic.

We decided to take a road trip this summer. We geocached our way through the Kootneys and found ourselves in small towns like Trail. I had not planned on blogging about any of our meals but I found two in particular that I felt needed to be shared.

**UPDATE 2014: New owners and now called the Hot Spot Diner**
**UPDATE August 2013: The Spot is up for sale.**

I try not to blog about things back in the old neighbourhood, but I wanted to slide this one in. Back in my UBC years we use to eat brunch or breakfast in various diners along this stretch of 4th Avenue all the time. Ahhh, the memories... Joe's Grill has a few locations, this one is in Kitsilano. I live for breakfast foods. I can eat eggs and hashbrowns any time of the day. Joe's Grill is your typical greasy spoon, but with great non greasy food. The food here is solid; the prices are cheap compared to other decent breakfast/brunch places.

Weekend Special: Boerewor Breakfast ($8.95)

We drive by Chum's Family Restaurant quite a bit and notice that it seems to be busy during the breakfast hours. Chum's has been a DDE to me for quiet some time. It's located right at the junction of highway 1 and highway 97c (the turn off to go to the 'Loop.)

Y'know those restaurants that you drive by on some road trip, and you think to yourself, "Argh, I wonder how is the food there?" (often assuming it's bad...) or "Seriously, does anybody eat there?" The places when even if you're starving after driving for hours (and skipping a meal to make better driving time), you think, "um...hellz no, I'm not eating there!"

These places are Double Dare Establishments. For the purposes of this blog I will make an effort to pull over and try some of these places and blog about them. Don't get me wrong I do have a genuine curiosity about these places, and I am looking forward to seeing what they have to offer.