Quick food in Richmond means two different things. The mall food courts, Aberdeen Centre, Yaohan, Parker Place, Richmond Centre, Lansdowne, are where most of it happens, and the stalls there are largely independent operators serving Hong Kong-style plates, Taiwanese rice bowls, Japanese curry and Korean fried chicken rather than national brands.
The chains are out on the arterials: Bridgeport Road, No. 3 Road, Steveston Highway and the Ironwood cluster, where drive-thru lanes catch highway and bridge traffic. Sea Island adds the airport counters that open before dawn. Both kinds are listed with their hours, so the search works whether you are on foot in a mall at noon or driving Highway 99 at midnight.
A small family-run Hawaiian spot in the Bayview block near the Steveston waterfront. Plate lunches, kalua pork and loco moco come out fast and cheap, with rice and mac salad on the side. Limited seating, so many orders head out to the boardwalk.
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A Vietnamese counter off McClelland Road baking its own baguettes for banh mi, with pho simmered from beef bones, ginger and toasted onion. Sandwiches are made to order and cheap; the pho and French pastries make it worth sitting down for.
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A no-frills Moncton Street chip shop that regulars rank against the wharf stands. Halibut, cod and salmon come battered to order with hand-cut fries, plus chowder and burgers. Small dining room, steady takeout trade, and less of a lineup than the waterfront.
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The chip shop at the Garry Point end of the village, frying sustainably sourced fish with hand-cut chips, plus burgers, poutine and salads. Open every day until early evening, which makes it a sensible takeout stop before a walk out to the park.
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A quick-service bowl shop in the McClelland Road towers doing grain bowls, salads and cold-pressed juice. You order at the counter and it is out in a few minutes. A lighter option in an area otherwise dominated by hot pot and barbecue.
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A tiny Cantonese barbecue counter in the Superstore plaza on No. 3 Road, long regarded as one of the best in the region. Char siu, crackling-skin roast pork and soy chicken are chopped to order over rice. Small space, quick queue, and it sells out early.
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A Hong Kong style barbecue counter hidden in the parkade below the No. 3 Road Superstore. Roast pork, soy chicken and char siu over rice, sold to a line-up most days. Tiny seating, no atmosphere, and one of Richmond's worst-kept food secrets.
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Steveston's barbecue joint, smoking brisket, ribs and pulled pork in house with Kansas City-style rubs and sauces. Craft beer taps and TVs in the dining room, and it takes reservations seven days a week. Good for a group that does not want fish.
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Steveston's barbecue joint, smoking brisket, ribs, pulled pork and chicken in house with rubs made on site. Order at the counter, grab a craft beer, and watch the game on the big screens. Burnt ends and cornbread are the sides people come back for.
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A small Malaysian takeout on No. 3 Road turning out laksa, nasi lemak, chicken rice and roti. It runs mainly on pickup and delivery with limited seating. Portions are generous, prices are low, and the sambal carries real heat.
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A waterside eatery tucked behind the Bayview shops, best known for burgers and a brunch that runs all seven days and stretches to crab cake benedict, cabbage rolls, borscht and chowder. Casual and rustic, and easy to walk straight past.
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Persian and Mediterranean cooking on the Steveston boardwalk, with charcoal kebabs, lamb and vegetarian plates plus a fish-and-chips option for anyone who wants the classic. Waterfront seating and later closing on weekends.
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Steveston's Mexican spot on Chatham Street, with tacos, enchiladas and margaritas served indoors or out on the patio. Open seven days with a mid-afternoon happy hour, it is an easy stop after walking the dyke or browsing the village shops.
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A wonton noodle and congee house on the Alexandra Road restaurant strip. Shrimp wontons in clear broth, beef brisket noodles and slow-cooked congee are the staples. Fast, inexpensive, and a reliable stop when you want something light and hot.
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An Osaka-style curry house on No. 1 Road in Steveston, blending more than twenty spices for its roux. Katsu is breaded and fried to order, and the curry ramen is unusual enough to be worth trying. Counter ordering, quick service, generous portions.
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A Steveston institution since 1985, Pajo's serves fish and chips from a float at the bottom of the wharf ramp. Order at the window, then eat at picnic tables over the water while the fishing boats unload. Casual, outdoors, and dogs are welcome.
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The casual burger counter at River Rock, serving smash burgers, buttermilk fried chicken tenders, fish and chips and poutine. It keeps casino hours, which makes it one of the more reliable late-night bites in Bridgeport.
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A Korean noodle and dumpling shop on Westminster Highway that makes its own mandu and sells them frozen by the bag. Bibimbap, japchae and kimchi stew round out a short menu. Small, cheap and fast, with a steady weekday lunch crowd.
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A halal northwest Chinese kitchen off Saba Road doing cumin lamb and lamb, beef or fish dumplings boiled, pan-fried or served in soup. Portions are big and prices modest. One of the few halal options within walking distance of Richmond Centre.
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Known well beyond Richmond for elaborate, very expensive specialty pizzas built on lobster and caviar, alongside straightforward classics at normal prices. It is a takeout counter on Moncton Street rather than a dining room, open daily 11 to 9.
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A takeout-first pizzeria on Moncton Street known for going well past pepperoni, with seafood, steak and truffle pies at prices to match. Thin crust, made to order, and a short menu of classics if you'd rather not spend big. Expect a wait on weekends.
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A neighbourhood takeout sushi counter on No. 1 Road, open since 2001. Rolls, nigiri and bento made to order, plus premium boxes from the Kyoto Takenoko kitchen next door. Mostly a pick-up-and-go operation for locals.
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A Hong Kong-style noodle shop in the strip mall across from Richmond Public Market. Wonton soup, beef brisket noodles and congee arrive fast and cost little. Plain room, quick turnover, and a long-standing local pick for a solo lunch.
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From the blog
Guides and roundups written for Richmond, with the businesses linked inline.
Nothing on Alexandra Road is a hidden gem. It is just in a strip mall with bad signage and no patio, which is why visitors never find it. Here is how I actually use Richmond's plazas and food courts, which specialists are worth the drive, and when not to bother.
The West Dyke Trail is about five and a half kilometres of flat gravel between Terra Nova Rural Park and Garry Point, and I ride it most mornings. Here is what is actually at the north end, which way to walk so the wind is on your side, and why winter is the better season for it.
I live four blocks off Moncton Street, so this is the Steveston I actually use: where to park before the Bayview lots fill, how to buy fish straight off the boats at the wharf, the honest answer to the Pajo's versus Dave's question, and why the history here is not decoration.
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