How long would you wait in line for food?
If you ask my partner, it would be about five minutes – and even then she’d be pacing. (Don’t mess with her if we make a reservation and the table isn’t ready.)
Others are more patient – mainly because what they’ve waiting for is so, so worth it.
The longest lineups (on many nights, especially weekends) for a restaurant in Burnaby are at Anton’s Pasta on Hastings in the Heights.
How many times have I driven by and seen 30 people all lined up in the rain to get food. I’m old enough to remember the old Anton’s location near Gilmore that was about one-third the size. The place was so small that people lined up around the block to get in. So, Anton’s found a much-bigger location, but the place still has long evening lineups.
So, why are people willing to wait?
Well, the pasta is made fresh, the sauces are delicious and the portions are gigantic. Like, really huge – most people can’t actually finish a meal there and so they get a take-home container that will feed them the next day. And maybe the next day after that.
That is a secret to success.
The second-biggest lineups for a restaurant in Burnaby are on weekend mornings at OEB in the Amazing Brentwood.
The Calgary-based breakfast spot known for its creative and crave-worthy brunch eats set up shop at Burnaby's Amazing Brentwood.
OEB, which stands for Over Easy Breakfast, is all about that all-day breakfast lifestyle. They feature some seriously over-the-top creations, too, including their signature "Soul in a Bowl." They've got potatoes fried in duck fat, breakfast poutine, all the epic pancakes and French Toast you can imagine, as well as more traditional straightforward brekkie and lunch fare, too.
“We care about where the food comes from and what happens to it before it hits the table,” said Mauro Martina, owner and founder of OEB, in a media release.
The 2,200-square-foot space, which seats 72 inside and 25 on the patio at full capacity, still can’t accommodate the breakfast lovers who have fallen for their meals.
As they say, good things come to those who wait.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
