The Chuffin Café (Parksville, BC)

JT and I have been lamenting for years that, with the loss of Sodas Diner (which used to be on 33rd and Dunbar), we’ve basically lost our beloved 50s diner-style restaurant. Diner-style restaurants have a lot of meaning in his and my world, because our friendship grew as our visits to Sodas Diner were more frequent, and thus it holds a lot of sentimental value for the both of us.So you can imagine my excitement when I found ANOTHER 50s-style diner. The only little caveat? It’s on Vancouver Island, in Parksville (BC).

But the decor is not only what makes it fun. The staff is fantastic. Owned by a team of Mom and daughter, the Chuffin Café provides your basic diner-style staples. And yes, the daughter does look like Marilyn Monroe! You can check for yourself. We (Mom, daughter and myself) had a fantastic time and talked for a long time about the history of Parksville, why restaurants close early, how they built the Chuffin Café, etc.

I wasn’t really hungry so I only ordered a hot dog and a pop, but I looked at their menu and it seemed like a very nice place to have comfort food. While I chatted with the owners, a number of visitors came by and had dinner, so it’s definitely a popular place. Hopefully I’ll have dinner there again next time, when I come to Parksville for Uncorked!