Union Street Grill and Grotto in Courtenay

It was one of those spur-of-the-moment road trips when my wife and I decided to drive 90 minutes from Nanaimo to Courtenay to visit the Union Street Grill and Grotto.Our purpose: The Walnut Mushroom Burger. A vegetarian burger made with roasted walnuts, mushrooms & garbanzos, topped with sautéed mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, & garlic herb mayo. As vegans, the mayo had to go. My wife added avocado slices.When it came time to order, I told the server that I wanted what my wife had but I wanted the yam fries not the regular ones. Both upgrades were extra in costs.This burger is not the normal burger making the rounds in other restaurants as a vegan burger, it is advertised as a vegetarian burger so some modifications may be needed to achieve what you may be used to at other venues.My wife added the avocado slices, something we have both done in other restaurants, but somehow I did not get that option and neither was I charged for it. But, it does make a difference, so consider it when ordering.Its a burger, so I would like to see a vegan cheese and mayo option as well. As far as the bun, we never enquired but we were told the meal was veganOk. Other remarks.We arrived later in the evening and the restaurant looked full. We were quickly greeted and seated at a table for two in a corner. It was a little tight, but otherwise ok.My wife was disappointed in one of the community washrooms because there was water on the sink counter and she had no place for her purse. She put it on top of the paper towel dispenser and after grabbing some paper towels to wipe up the water, her purse fell in the floor.In this day and age were all concerned about germs and these washrooms are used by all genders, so a hook or two may be helpful.The overall experience was enjoyable and the staff friendly. My only complaint was the $7.00 charge for two sodas, though I guess we could have sat there longer and drank more.Would we return - absolutely. Were vegan, so the choices are limited, but they do have a gluten free menu.

We were here around 430 on a Saturday. The front staff seemed more interested in talking to each other than serving our table. THere was only 2 other small tables with people at them so it wasnt busy. Took 20 minutes for someone finally to come get our order. The Food was good and came with great sides. Kids menu was also good and reasonable priced.

We stopped into the US Grill for a light late lunch. We suspected each plate might be a generous portion so we decided to share. We ordered the rock fish linguini with the grilled Ceasar salad. It was amazing. Very tasty and satisfying. Our waitress was kind, efficient and accommodating. The music was excellent, because the wrong music can spoil a meal experience. Highly recommend this place.

Quaint little place with excellent food and service. I went there for a rendezvous with my partner and a family member who I hadnt seen in over 20 years. We appreciated the fact that they werent trying to rush us out.I ordered Thai Prawn salad, simply delicious. My partner ordered pork ribs for an appy and fish and chips; I tried one rib (thats all hed share with me, loland it was scrumptious. Definitely will be going back there next time in Courtenay. 😋

The service was fast and friendly! We were a large group and the staff managed to keep everyone’s order straight despite us moving around. I had a Caesar Salad which was delicious with the right amount of dressing. The tap list was very small but the brews they did have were great choices.

Ordered prawns and tortellini... It was supposed to come with garlic sauce... It was more like a garlic liquid it ran off the tortellini and wouldnt stick. Also there were noodles mixed in with the tortellini so that was weird. Husband ordered fish and chips. it came with one small very flat piece of fish that was not what you would expect for fish and chips. Disappointing, and I almost forgot the HALF a breadstick that came with my pasta. Wondering where the other half went! Sorry but 3 stars for this meal was generous.

Great service. No cheese in my quesadilla - maybe the vegetarian option doesnt come with? Chocolate dessert was a bit dry - needed more raspberry coulis.

I bought penne chicken pasta, the sauce was essentially water, and had absolutely no flavour.The salad i had ordered, about 1/3rd of the lettuce was old and browning.The inside of the grotto area was disgusting with thick layer of cobwebs under the bench seats we had sat on.The only redeeming factor of this resturaunt was the waitress who was super nice to us.

Reviewing for service, food, and establishment. So first off the waitress we had was really quiet, not a big deal she was polite and went out of her way to grab my child some toys and such. Now the establishment is very hipster but it was for the most part lacking. The tables were sticky, it looked like they have never deep cleaned it or kept up with it in general, and that was in the childrens area. They had throw pillows on the bench that were worn out and floppy, the benches were literal benches you would sit on when taking your shoes off and I was very confused on why they had an "order here" sign when there should have been waitresses taking orders. Also behind that "order here" area there was seldom any waitress. I thought the food had might have been pretty great considering we waited a half an hour for it, but we were let down! I ordered the chicken pasta and instead of a garlic cream sauce it was garlic water, my daughters chicken parmesan was also watery. Now she loves pasta but she literally gagged and spit it out, and now onto the best one! My boyfriends chicken burger and Ceasar salad! The burger looked alright but the salad? It was literally 5 long pieces of iceberg lettuce with big long crutons, and I tell you now the lettuce was warm and the ends were already wilted and discolored. Honestly it was not worth the 53$ that we spent!!

The food was tasty and flavourful, and the staff friendly. Order took quite a long time due to a large party. All In all OK. However, I ordered the tuna burger and have never had such a small portion of fish in my life. I would gladly have paid a few more dollars to see to proper sized portion served. The bun was less than 50% filled. Tasty, but we left hungry and finished our meal elsewhere.

This was the best food. The Tortellini was fabulous. I overheard our server last night say they were short handed however it didnt show and she did a great job. If in Courtenay do stop in.

Wow, made the right choice coming here, and it was the menu I checked out online, that got me through the door, and then the super easy flowing service that followed, topped off with one of the most well composed pastas Ive ever had, comprised of delicious ingredients, and then most amazing helping.Im sold, this is my new go to when im in town for a few days at a time.Amy.... you came through, my day improved....See ya tomorrow....

Despite having reservations to give them a fair heads up on the group size, the service was slow and scattered at best. The drinks took over half an hour to get, and food took an hour and a half to arrive to the table:- the food wasn’t very tasty or warm- the lettuce was slimy, going bad, and just served as a whole leaf- the pops were out of syrup so were just bubbly water- the plate was hotter than the food.- the drinks and cutlery were dirty- the beef burgers were undercooked- unorganized and uncertain of who ordered what, so many orders were mixed up as were the billsI’ve been here before, but this experience was bad enough that the whole group refuses to ever come back.

I ordered the enchilada here. It came with salsa and sour cream. The salsa was so runny that it made the sour cream watery. Please dont put the sour cream and salsa together if they mix into a watery mess. I tried dipping the enchilada into the sour cream and all the veggies came out of it. I looked inside and there was no cheese holding it together, just a tiny bit of cheese at the end, why is it not spread out? The point of an enchilada is that the cheese holds it together. My wife told the waitress and the waitress said that the enchilada is supposed to be just mostly vegetable. I agree, i wanted lots of veggies. However it still needs to stick together. I dont appreciate excuses from the staff when we provide honest feedback. The yams inside the enchilada were still crunchy too which i thought was strange. I thought it was strange that yams were inside the enchilada in the first place but i am open minded. Overall, i did not appreciate the service or the food.

Great meal (we had lunchand fun atmosphere and fantastic prices. We thought our bill was wrong as it seemed low for our table of 8. Definitly would eat here again if ever in town.

Good food, lovely atmosphere and pleasant, courteous staff. The decor was excellent, and added a great touch of colour to the well appointed restaurant. I should mention the food was delicious and very reasonable priced. Will return the next time Im in town.

Creative munu and an obvious "foodie vibe". Great service too! I had pulled pork tacos from fresh sheet and my wife had a shrimp taco. Portions are a bit wee for my tasters but overall excellent.

My daughter and I had dinner there, my daughters order (Steak & Prawns)was to be dairy free but arrived floating in butter. The replacement Steak was overcooked. I ordered West Coast Shellfish 5 of the Mussels were under cooked so could not be eaten. It was not a good experience.

My family and I (three adults, two kidscame here for an early dinner on a Sunday around 4:30 pm. It was nice and quiet and we had our order taken and food served promptly. I got the mushroom walnut burger and it was the best veggie burger Ive ever eaten. It looked, smelled and tasted incredible! I will easily travel down island to eat here many more times. There was at least four other dishes on the menu I wanted to try and thats rare for me having dietary restrictions! Which by the way... They cater too! Vegan, gluten free... Eat here!

We wanted a quiet, middle market restaurant with good food that didnt involve a bun or a burger. The Union St Grill delivered with a great sea food linguine and a home made cheesecake, with a nice local Pinot Grigio. All delivered with great service. Nothing not to like!

Been coming here for a long time. Nice to see its still open. Came from Alberta to visit. Our meals came on time and were hot and delicious. Service was good. No complaints here.

Oyster app very good, Prawn noodle salad 7 out of 10. Atmosphere nice, server totally accommodated our time constraints & was great. Worth returning.

Quinoa salad with walnut burger. Compliments to the chef.

WOW!!! We go to Courtenay once/year & have come to the Union Street Grotto the last 2 years & again, WOW! Great food, Great prices. Great service. Fantastic gluten free options too. If I could give them 6 out of 5, I would.

Pleasant enough environment. The food was not particularly memorable but the rather brusque greeting certainly was. It felt like we were keeping the servers from closing for the day, and it was only midday on a weekend. Maybe we arrived at a bad time.

Very welcoming casual atmosphere. Kind, friendly customer service. Unique variety of classic pub favourites on the menu (I say "unique variety" because they have things like a delicious walnut-based veggie burger or a tasty lamb burger. The only negative thing to say is the food was relatively slow to come out so might not be the best choice if you are in a rush, definitely a great choice if you are not in a hurry though!

Nice little lunch stop; food was good! Service took a while and so did the food.

Nice plate. Relatively small and intimate, but excellent food and a nice change from most of the stuff on offer in the area. If you are looking for a unique and high-quality dining experience when visiting Courtenay, definitely check this place out.

We were on a us/canada roadtrip so get to taste a variety of food. This is our first review of the holiday. Its a worthy one too. We were very hungry and were told it was $2 dollars off tapas. We were going to choose mains but went for the taco option. My wife wanted seafood and chose the tuna, fish tacos and oysters as the tapas. Wow......double wow...and we are super fussy and rarely write reviews. The ribs and tacos were fabulous as was the mushroom risotto. ....would come back in a heartbeat. Great service too the hostess was amazingly honest and great.

I ate here 3 times over a 3 days. I love it! The menu is gluten free and 9 of my friends who can eat anything loved it here and some didnt even know. Gluten free can taste good.Dairy free can also be accommodated.Great service. Great food. Great atmosphere. There are two sidea to the restaurant as well. I came back for lunch two days in a row to the grotto.They make a delicious coffee. Offer to-go food. Serve booze. And have some beautiful art displayed on the wall.This place is a must on the meal plans!

Very tasty food in a cool room. Their are lots of good local seafood dishes. My twelve year old nephew tried mussels for the first time thought they were good.

Wonderful! My husband and I really enjoyed the meal, the service and the lovely decor. Our server was very attentive, but not just the right amount. Serving sizes perfect. Desserts were delicious! We will come back for sure.

I cant even remember what the service was like because the food was so unimpressive. I believe I got the enchiladas. I think this was a classic example of a chef who designs a dish but never ever tastes it. Ive been known to make some bad picks from time to time. But if something is that bland, why have it on the menu.

Fantastic meal as always, all the staff are super friendly and very easily accommodating for different dietary concerns and what not. And as a parent, I love the play area, makes waiting for our meal to come so much easier.

Food was decent however the Screamin fries we were advised to get were really nothing too special, normal fries with some spicy salt sprinkled on them. Prices could be lower for the fare but not terrible. I would recommend it on a whim.

Friendly service. Slooooow to receive order. Must’ve been short staffed.Recommended but not high up on the list.I did appreciate the seafood and plant-based options; however, and would recommend to anyone who wants more than typical fare.

I dont know why Id never gone to Union Street Grill before. Excellent locally-sourced food, an entire separate gluten-free menu, and a delightful atmosphere. Comparable prices and good service as well. Definitely worth a visit.

The menu/website does not give you much reason to expect the extraordinary food we were served. For example, one in our party ordered a hamburger which was perfect cooked but just one of the little touches was that it was all held together with a thin piece of reed with a knot tied at the top, not just the typical toothpick. If someone will go to that trouble for a hamburger, it was not surprising to see other dishes which were as deliciously prepared plus have visually appeal. The bar is seperate from the restaurant but it was attractive as well. We definitely will return for more of Union Streets culinary expertise and friendly service.

My pasta dish was horribly mediocre at best and wasnt worth the money. However, my husbands burger was decent and they served up probably the best fries either of us have had in ages. Would go back to the grotto side for the casual and comfortable ambience and for an order of fries.

Good quality slightly upscale food and dining experience but still friendly towards kids with a kids menu. Everyone loved their meals here. Prices were great too.

Went there last night with my family and family that were visiting, there were 12 in our group. Our server Alexa was amazing! Her bubbly personality, such professional top notch service was so appreciated by all of us. Also the food was exceptional, so delicious, thank you to all in the kitchen who prepared our meals. The dining experience was fantastic, right down to the wonderful atmosphere of the restaurant. Highly recommend, great time had by all. You rock Alexa!

We came here for a quick bite with our baby when it was downpouring. It was definitely a welcomed oasis! The food was tasty and the atmosphere is fun. We ate on the fast/casual side.

Awesone lunch! We enjoyed the BBQ beef tostada with green. Very flavourful! The gluten free enchilada with chicken had a nice spice to it Staff friendly and great service. Great lunch stop!

We love that Union Street has two sides, to it: the formal dining area (the "Grill"), and then the more casual dining area (the "Grotto"). The Grotto is where we go most often, because it is so incredibly kid-friendly. Although the Grotto contains regular restaurant seating, there is also a kids play area, with cushy armchairs clustered around a low table, which is very welcoming for parents. Older kids can play chess, or any game of their choice, which they bring along. The philosophy of the Grotto is TRULY that the customer comes first: I have never felt pressured to hurry-up and leave, if we find ourselves in the middle of a chess game which is taking an hour longer than intended! In addition to this wonderful, welcoming atmosphere, the Grotto boasts live music on a regular basis, and an identical menu to the "Grill" side of the restaurant: which includes "tapas" (smaller-portioned meals, meant to share), along with regular-portioned meals (like pasta and steak), local beer on-tap, a reasonably-priced kids menu, and a large selection of gluten-free options, if that is your need. I cant say enough good things about this great place.

My cousin and I came for late lunch, was surprised how busy it was. Our waitress was phenomenal as we both had food allergies, and she pointed us to food we could have and what to avoid.The food was hot and phenomenal.Would love to win a night out.Will be back for sure.

Ive been a couple times over the last few years and havent been disappointed yet! Had a staff dinner here a few years ago and they were very accommodating - the food and service are great and I would love the opportunity to dine here again.

Awesome food and great service over at Union Street. They offer a diverse menu that includes a full, delicious gluten-free menu, and source out fresh ingredients from local producers.You wont be disappointed dining at Union Street!

We were there about 2pm Dec 27, 2015. Many things went wrong with the services and food.We had 6 people but there were no seats for us to sit together. We sat in a two and four seat tables.Before we were ready to order, we were told there was an injured staff who didnt come to work, so there would be a long wait for food. I was not pleased we were not told at the earliest time possible. Also, no explanation was offerred to my sisters table.While we were waiting for our food, many tables became empty but our server nevered tried to arrange us to see together. I had to turn my back to talk to my sister.Also, two people from our group in differet tables ordered a meal with soup. They were told todays soup was clam chowder but they both complained there was no clam. Then, later on one of them heard the server told another table the soup was potato chowder.The food was not what we expected. They were small and lack of flavour. My sister said this was her first time finishing her meal but not feeling full. And she is the kind who usually eats small quantity at a time.When I was paying the bill. I only gave 10% tips because I was not impressed. I cannot believe what happened: the cashier threw my recipt at me. What the... I immedinately regretted that I gave the tips. I gave tips because I didnt want to ruin the holiday sprit...I dont recommend anyone to this restaurant!!! If you go, you do so at your own risk.

Accommodated to my extremely restrictive dietary needs! - I couldnt eat any salt due to a test, and it didnt even phase them. I learned all of their burgers have 0 salt! they were so lovely with me, and they didnt make me feel like a burden at all. food was delicious, service amazing, i will be back and recommend you try them out!

Ive lived in the Comox Valley for 17years and have ALWAYS had a great meal any time Ive been to Union Street Grill! My favorite is the Pork and Feta salad and in recent years they have launched a FULL Gluten free menu. I cannot tell you how amazing it is to be able to enjoy deep fried, yet wheat-less foods again! What a treat! :)