Review: Chewie’s Coal Harbour serves up Southern-style food, only fancy

Chewie’s Coal Harbour | BCBusiness

Taking the original Southern-style eatery up a notch with downtown Vancouver digs

Celebrating its first anniversary in November, the Chewie’s Coal Harbour location is in prime business lunch territory. Restaurant owner Richard Chew—known as Chewie—opened this spruced-up, but still rustic, younger sibling of the original Kitsilano Southern-style eatery to bring his brand to an upscale lunch crowd.

In the kitchen is chef Greg Edwards, who hails from Toronto, where he manned the stoves at a large seafood restaurant. Now under the menu guidance of true Southerner chef Tyrell Brandvold (at the Kits location), he’s busy preparing plates of gumbo, jambalaya and—everyone’s guilty pleasure—Southern fried chicken.

Inside, high ceilings coupled with floor-to-ceiling windows create an airy feel, with the added options of seating in the more energetic lounge area or quieter tables toward the back. For fair-weather days, grab a spot on the 60-seat patio, which opened this summer (chewies.ca).

BEST TABLE: Any of the tables that line the windows opposite the open kitchen should do. For a slightly quieter spot, ask to be seated right at the back. The larger lounge tables are perfect for bigger groups looking to brainstorm in a relaxed setting.

MUST-TRY ORDER: If you can sleep off lunch, go all-out with chicken-fried gator or pork belly cracklin’. Otherwise, pick oysters on the half shell or lobster salad. The spicy remoulade served with fried green tomatoes may have you licking the plate.

DRINK UP: While there’s fun to be had with the cocktail list—oyster shots, bacon-infused vodka Caesars—the wine list has the real deals. With several excellent selections in the $50-or-under range, you can impress clients without blowing the budget.

INSIDER TIP: Pushed for time? Chewie’s aims to get all orders out in 12 to 15 minutes of ordering. That steal-of-a deal wine list? It’s half-price all-day Monday—you will struggle to find a better deal in town.