TAF'S CAFE offers gourmet chopped salads that are tossed to order. Try our great signature low-fat dressings. Different freshsoups are available every day, along with assorted sandwiches, and delicious homemade baked goods. Check out our LunchSpecials. Try our appetizers in our feature menu great signature low-fat dressings.more...See more text
Nestled in between Robson and Smithe Streets on Granville Mall, Taf’s Café is a mainstay of Vancouver’s downtown culture. Founded in 1988, it’s an establishment with staying power, remaining popular through big changes—first among them the transition from Theatre Row, as it was once called, to the current glitzy Granville Entertainment District.
Owner Ardy Shakerirad and his brother Rod have maintained the integrity of their business through decades of ups and downs, and today the café stands as a piece of city history as well as a place to grab cheap drinks and great food. In a city that’s always in transition, on a strip of downtown that’s gone from being the home of movie houses and arcades to the centre of Vancouver’s night life, Taf’s has kept on.
“It used to be movie theatres here, so we had more people come into this area,” says Ardy. He fondly recalls the movie houses that used to line downtown Granville. “We had Capitol 6, Granville 7, Vancouver Centre, The Plaza, The Caprice.” Different days, to be sure: now peak times are weekends, with traffic from the club scene as well as the usual diehard regulars.
The food was inedible, the burger patty looked like left over meat. Had a chemical taste. The bun was soggy had a taste of the freezer. The chicken sandwich was chewy, the sangria tasted like soda and juice and the as for the beer it was at room temperature.
I love Taf's. It has a Berlinesque feel to it and is one of kind. Such a relief in this franchised world! AND There are not TV's in every corner annoying the patrons. The art and music adds a unique atmosphere which is very pleasurable. It has an underground feeling with cozy seating upstairs. I always go to TAF's when I'm Downtown.
