Vancouver Premium-Casual Restaurants

The Keg, Cactus Club, Browns, Earls, Boathouse, Milestones, Moxies, JOEY, and Tap & Barrel are popular casual-style chain restaurants in Vancouver.

Each of these places has anywhere from three to close to 20 locations in the Lower Mainland. They’re all similar but slightly different. They’re all in the casual and premium-casual dining categories. At the higher end is the Keg. At the slightly lower end, arguably, is Tap & Barrel (which is still great but more pub-style).

How do these different restaurants compare? Continue reading to find out.

Note: To learn about really nice non-chain restaurants in Vancouver, see our articles about places like Tutto (for Italian), P2B Bistro & Bar, and the H2 Kitchen + Bar. A couple of other interesting places are Havana and Boteco Brasil. For a more comprehensive list of places to check out, see our article about Vancouver Restaurants. And to learn about restaurant specials in the Lower Mainland in January and early February, see our article about the Dine Out Vancouver Festival.

This article includes descriptions of the following brands:

Click any of the above places to jump to a specific description, or continue reading to learn about all the brands.

The Keg, Cactus Club, Tap & Barrel and Other Chain Restaurants

Many people love casual dining chain restaurants. You know what to expect, and there are no (or very few) surprises.

At the Keg, Cactus Club and other similar establishments, you can expect a variety of steaks on the menu, including at least one served with seafood. There are also burgers and a few fish entrees. In BC, it’s rare for places like these not to offer salmon as a main and cheesecake for dessert.

Most (but not all) casual-dining chains serve at least a couple of different pastas. Many places also offer Asian-style dishes, such as stir-fried noodles, sushi, or Thai curry. Some serve prime rib, many offer fish & chips, and most have barbecued ribs. All have Happy Hour specials. Most have special kids’ menus, but not all. Some have outdoor patios while others don’t.

H2 KITCHEN + BAR

Instead of going to one of Vancouver’s regular chain restaurants, consider places like the H2 Kitchen + Bar, especially if you like barbecued meats. Located in Coal Harbour at the Westin Bayshore Hotel, the restaurant’s rotisserie chicken and other smokehouse-style menu items are exceptional! To learn more about the restaurant, see our article about the H2 Kitchen + Bar.

How do Vancouver Restaurants Compare?

How do the Keg, Cactus Club, and other casual dining venues compare? You can either visit them all or review the following descriptions of each. Got your own opinion about some of these places? Then submit your comments at the bottom of this article (but nothing too negative or flagrantly promoting your own franchise, please).

Some of the brands in this article originated locally but are now owned by large corporations based elsewhere. A couple started here and still maintain head offices in Metro Vancouver, so they remain truly “local.” A couple originated in Alberta, and more than one of the restaurants and their founders are related. Several (but not all) also participate in the Dine Out Vancouver Festival, which in 2026 ran from January 21st to February 8th.

See below for details about the different places.

(Note: Menu items, prices, Happy Hour times, and other details provided below are subject to change. Menu details can also vary slightly between locations within the same chain.)

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar

The Keg is a Canadian-owned restaurant that’s famous for its steaks, prime rib, and upscale ambience.

Compared with similar chain establishments, the Keg is on the premium side and slightly more expensive. For example, during the 2026 Dine Out Vancouver Festival, other restaurants featured in this article offer three-course dinner specials priced between $40 and $50. The dinner special at the Keg, however, is $58.

The Keg’s menu is slightly more limited than some competitors’ and focuses primarily on its steaks and prime rib. There can be as many as 10 options for those meats alone. Folks can choose to add crab, shrimp, and lobster to their meat dishes.

In addition to its steaks, The Keg also offers burgers, chicken, seafood, and ribs. Don’t expect to find much in the way of pasta, though. The place is called “The Keg Steakhouse” for a reason. You go there for the meat!

The Keg Restaurant History

The chain has 18 locations in BC including ones in Abbotsford, Coquitlam, Langley, Maple Ridge, Richmond, Surrey and West Vancouver. Within Vancouver, there are restaurants on both Alberni Street and Dunsmuir Street in the downtown core, as well as in Yaletown and on Granville Island. There are also a couple of Kegs in Victoria, one in Whistler and a couple in the interior of the province.

The Keg is the original West Coast premium dining group of franchised restaurants. Founded by George Tidball in North Vancouver back in 1971, it is now owned by food giant Recipe Unlimited (which also operates Montana’s, Swiss Chalet, New York Fries, and other chains). Today, The Keg has over 150 locations across North America, with its head office in Richmond.

Years ago, the Keg offered free dinners to people on their birthdays. Nowadays, if it’s your birthday, you receive a free dessert (which is still better than nothing).

A restaurant chain created by former Keg employees over 30 years ago is Kelly O’Bryan’s. It has locations today in New Westminster and Kitsilano. At Kelly O’Bryan’s, you can still get a free entree if you eat at the restaurant on your birthday with at least one other friend. Few places still offer that kind of deal.

To learn more about the Keg, see our article about the Keg Steakhouse.

Coal Harbour Cactus Club Restaurant — Cactus Club Coal Harbour

The Cactus Club Cafe

The Cactus Club is a popular restaurant with 33 locations across Canada and 2 in the United States. Like The Keg, it also originated in North Vancouver. Still Canadian-owned, the first Cactus Club opened its doors in 1988.

The restaurants are usually quite kid-friendly, though they don’t offer children’s menus online. Friends of ours enjoy higher-quality places, have young children, and love this chain. Even when their kids make a mess, the servers say “not to worry” and don’t complain!

The Cactus Club is very much a West Coast-style restaurant. Typical menu items include sushi, chicken wings, burgers, barbecued ribs, Asian-style rice bowls, a couple of pasta options, and sirloin steaks. The restaurant also offers a selection of both vegan and vegetarian options.

Most of this chain’s venues are located in high-traffic areas. Cactus Clubs at Jack Poole Plaza by the Convention Centre and by the beach at English Bay are the envy of every other restaurateur.

Cactus Clubs have previously been regular participants in the Dine Out Vancouver Festival (where hundreds of places offer special three-course menu deals). However, in 2026, they did not participate.

To learn more about this chain, see our article about Cactus Club Restaurants in the Lower Mainland.

The Shipyards in Lower Lonsdale — Tap & Barrel in North Vancouver

Tap & Barrel

Compared to other restaurants in this category, Tap & Barrel is more pub-style and casual. As its name suggests, its focus is on its beers.

This chain is a little smaller than some of the others we list in this article. There are seven Tap & Barrels in the Lower Mainland. There are three in Vancouver, and one each in North Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, and Langley.

Where are the Tap & Barrel Restaurants?

Tap & Barrel has four venues in Vancouver and on the North Shore. Each has an impressive waterfront location. This group of restaurants is all about location, location, location (and beer and pub-style food).

One of the restaurants is at Vancouver’s Olympic Village. A second is at Jack Poole Place, at the northwest corner of the Vancouver Convention Centre. The third is on Granville Island, in the building that formerly housed Bridges Restaurant. There’s also a Tap & Barrel at the bottom of Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver’s Lower Lonsdale District. There are few pieces of land in the Lower Mainland better than these locations for a restaurant!

Since 2022, three new Tap & Barrels have opened their doors. One is on 152nd Street in Surrey. Another is at The Amazing Brentwood Mall in Burnaby. The newest location is inside Willowbrook Shopping Centre in Langley.

What to Expect at the Tap & Barrel

Tap & Barrel venues are large, pub-style restaurants with first-rate outdoor patios. They are slightly less expensive than some places and can sometimes be a bit noisier due to their more bar-like atmospheres. The restaurants offer excellent views from their patios and offer a wide selection of beers and wines on tap. They are more fun than intimate.

The venue at North Vancouver’s Shipyards, in particular, has the look and feel of a beer hall. It’s similar, perhaps, to the Brewhall or Craft Beer Market in Olympic Village. Tap & Barrel’s other two locations are similar but more like large, modern, pub-style restaurants rather than beer halls.

Typical menu items at Tap & Barrel include chicken wings, quesadillas, burgers, fish and chips, sirloin steak, a couple of pastas, and pizza. Also available are children’s menus with items such as macaroni and cheese and chicken strips for children under 13.

Happy Hour takes place every day at Tap & Barrel between 2:00 pm and 5:30 pm (except on Mondays) and then again between 9:00 pm and closing (every day). As of the last time we checked (early 2026), drink specials started at only around $5 or so. During regular hours, a 16-oz beer on tap starts at about $9.

To learn more, see our article about the Tap & Barrel.

Tap & Barrel in Coal Harbour — Enjoying a Drink at the Tap & Barrel

Browns Socialhouse

Browns Socialhouse, commonly referred to as just “Browns,” is another Canadian-owned chain. Like the Cactus Club, Browns restaurants are generally modern and upscale, with lively atmospheres.

Browns Restaurant Group also owns several other places, including Liberty Kitchen and Browns Crafthouse. The company’s headquarters is located at 3540 West 41st Avenue in Vancouver.

The first Browns location opened in 2004 in North Vancouver by Scott Morrison. Yes, that’s right, the same as the Keg and Cactus Club, it too originated on the North Shore! Morrison actually previously founded the Cactus Club and now owns the Browns Restaurant Group.

There are just under 70 Browns Socialhouse locations in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. Browns is an exclusively Canadian chain (at least for now). The parent company, however, also operates restaurants in the United States under different brand names.

The Browns menu is reasonably diverse and features staples such as nachos, burgers, fish and chips, and calamari. The restaurants also offer Asian-inspired items such as poke bowls, sushi, and ramen. One notable item missing from the menu when we last checked was barbecued ribs. It also only had one steak option (so far fewer than other places in this category) and only one type of Italian pasta.

Instead of a Happy Hour, Browns has its “Social Hour.” It is similar to Happy Hour in that it offers special deals on food and drinks, but under a different name. The Social Hour menu is limited and available at select locations from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm and/or from 9:00 pm to close.

To learn more about this restaurant, see our article about Browns Socialhouse.

Browns Restaurant — Browns at North Van’s Lynn Valley Village

Earls Restaurants

Regarding its menu, Earls is similar to the Cactus Club. The restaurant was founded by an American father and his son after they moved to Alberta. The first Earls was located in Edmonton.

To this day, Earls is a family-owned chain. Of its more than 70 locations across Canada and the United States, 13 are in the Lower Mainland. The Earl’s head office is also in downtown Vancouver.

There are Earls restaurants in the City of Vancouver on Robson Street, Hornby Street, Mainland (in Yaletown), and West Broadway (a block from Granville Street). There are also locations in Burnaby, Langley, Port Coquitlam, Richmond, Surrey, West Vancouver and Whistler.

Typical menu offerings at Earls include Caesar salads, chicken wings, and yam fries. Asian-inspired dishes include sushi, crispy tofu rolls, gyoza, and Japanese fried chicken karaage. The restaurant also offers a reasonable selection of vegan options, burgers, seafood, and noodle dishes. Steaks typically include sirloin, filet mignon, and ribeye. It’s a fairly diverse menu with something for everyone.

Unique to the chain is the Earl’s Test Kitchen. This restaurant is on Vancouver’s Hornby Street. It features new, chef-created dishes alongside the restaurant’s normal menu. After each trial period, new dishes are either scrapped or released to the group’s many locations.

Earls Restaurant in Ambleside — Earls Near Ambleside Beach in West Vancouver

The Boathouse

The Boathouse is a smaller chain. It started in Vancouver and has since expanded to four locations across the Lower Mainland. All four are waterfront, which makes sense given the brand’s name and focus on seafood.

Boathouse restaurants are in Kitsilano, Port Moody, New Westminster, and White Rock. The Vancouver location is right at Kitsilano Beach. The others are at Rocky Point Park in Port Moody, near the Quay in New Westminster, and by the beach in White Rock. Similar to Tap & Barrel, Boathouse restaurants are located in exceptional settings.

As part of its commitment to locally sourced and sustainable seafood, the Boathouse is an Ocean Wise partner. This means that at least some of its seafood menu items are sustainably-caught.

Compared with other casual dining chains, the Boathouse is on the pricier end. Entrees at the Boathouse range from around $30 to $55 (as of early 2026).

In addition to its specialty seafood items, the Boathouse offers burgers and at least two steak options. Most menu items, however, are seafood-focused, ranging from fish tacos and fish and chips to seafood pasta, pan-seared fish, crustacean-stuffed ravioli, and even king crab legs.

Boathouse locations offer a kids’ menu for children ages 10 or younger. Children may choose one drink, one entree, and one side from the available options. Choices include things like burger sliders, noodles and cheese, chicken strips, and fruit.

Although originating in Vancouver, the Boathouse is now owned by Landry’s Inc., a large dining, hospitality, entertainment, and gaming corporation based in Houston, Texas. Landry’s owns dozens of restaurants, including Morton’s Steakhouse and the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. The corporation also owns the Golden Nugget chain of hotels and casinos in the US.

Milestones Restaurants

Milestones is known for its classy but kid-friendly restaurants. The place offers traditional chain-dining dishes such as burgers, pasta, and steak. Like its competitors, Milestones also offers a daily Happy Hour menu.

Like the Keg, Milestones is owned by Recipe Unlimited, a large Ontario-based Canadian company (formerly called Cara Operations). The restaurant’s first home, on Vancouver’s Denman Street, opened in 1989. Recipe Unlimited acquired the brand in 2002.

Milestones has over 40 locations across Canada. In the Vancouver area, there are restaurants in West Vancouver (at Park Royal) and Surrey (at both Guildford Town Centre and Southpoint). There are also ones in Tsawwassen (at Tsawwassen Mills Mall) and in Coquitlam, Langley, and Abbotsford.

The original Milestones home on Denman Street as well as all other former City of Vancouver locations, however, have since closed.

Milestones is a family-friendly place. Its kids’ menu features classic items such as grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken fingers, and mini burgers.

Overall, the food at Milestones is slightly less expensive. Most entrees are priced between $25 and $35. When we last checked (in early 2026), the priciest item on the menu was the 16 oz. Rib Steak at $58. Milestones also offers a competitively priced “Happier Hour” menu, available from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm and from 9:00 pm until close every day. On the Happy Hour menu, food ranges in price from around $12 to $30.

For more information about this chain, check out our Milestones Restaurants article.

Seafood Sirloin EntrÃ©e at Milestones — Seafood Sirloin at Milestones

Moxies Restaurants

Founded in Calgary in the mid-1980s as a small delicatessen-style diner, Moxies is another premium-casual Canadian restaurant chain. Today, there are over 60 locations across all Canadian provinces except PEI and Quebec, as well as in the southeastern United States.

There is just one Moxies within the City of Vancouver as well as one each in Langley and Richmond. The Vancouver restaurant is at 180 West Georgia Street.

Most locations offer lounges for adults-only dining. All main dining areas, however, are child-friendly. The restaurants offer kids’ menus with smaller portions, desserts, and unlimited drinks for children under 12. They also provide colouring activities and high chairs for little ones.

Moxies offers a separate menu section for vegetarian and plant-based items. Diners can also view a gluten-conscious menu. If it’s your birthday, you’ll also get a free dessert.

Typical appetizers include nachos, calamari, and chicken wings, priced from around $12 to $27. Main courses include chicken, salmon, barbecued ribs, steaks, pastas, tacos, and burgers. Unlike most of its competition, don’t be surprised if there isn’t cheesecake on their dessert menu.

Happy Hour is a bit different. At some locations, it goes from 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm and again from 9:00 pm to close every day of the week. At other Moxies, it runs from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, then from 9:00 pm to closing.

For more details about this chain, check out our article about Moxies.

Dinner at the Shipyards — On the Patio at JOEY Shipyards

JOEY Restaurants

JOEY is a local Canadian success story with its first location in Calgary, Alberta. The chain is family-owned and a popular choice among the premium-casual dining options. Its venues have classy interiors, separate bar areas, and lively atmospheres.

In the Lower Mainland, there are five locations. There are two in downtown Vancouver and one each in North Vancouver, Burnaby, and Coquitlam.

The restaurant’s menu is primarily composed of classic staples such as pasta, salmon, burgers, and steak. Notably missing items, however, include nachos and calamari. Prices are standard, ranging from around $22 for a burger to around $73 for a 14 oz. Prime New York Strip. Some of the more distinctive items on the menu are Asian-inspired, with a dedicated section for sushi.

Menu items across JOEY locations vary more than at most other chains. The menu options are similar but not identical.

The restaurants are generally kid-friendly, though there is no official kids’ menu (or at least none available online). However, items on the regular menu can usually be modified to a more child-friendly version.

Happy Hour at JOEY’s is the same as at its competition. It runs daily from 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm, from 9:00 pm to close on Sundays to Thursdays, and from 10:00 pm to close on Fridays and Saturdays.

To learn more about this chain see our article about JOEY Restaurants.