Our Favourite Port Alberni Restaurants

While Port Alberni is far from having an amazing restaurant scene there are definitely some amazing places to eat in this small little town. And because I don’t eat gluten or dairy I was scared it would be a challenge to find places I could eat. Here are 16 Port Alberni restaurants we’ve tried and gone back to multiple times for amazing food and great service.

16 Port Alberni Restaurants

Best Brunch – Pescadores

When I first flew out to Port Alberni for an interview I asked our real estate agent for the best brunch in town. She immediately responded with Pescadores. Then I found out they also offer gluten-free toast so I was sold. This L shaped restaurants has around 8 tables in it and lovely service from the ladies that run the place.

Best Tacos – All Mex’d Up & Porto Taco

For a town of around 20,000, I was surprised there were two taco joints in town. All Mex’d Up is located down at Harbour Quay and Porto Taco is just up the street on Argyle.

I can get corn tortillas at both places. I love the shredded beef, chicken and pulled pork tacos at All Mex’d Up and the prawn and halibut tacos at Porto Taco. If you ask for corn tortillas and grilled prawn and halibut instead of breaded then you can get them gluten free.

Best Fish & Chips – The Starboard Grill & Bare Bones

Ok, this is a toss-up. While we’ve had great fish and chips at Bare Bones. The last few times when ordering takeout the fries were overdone. We’ve had such great meals in person so I didn’t want to take them off the list. We’ve had great meals at The Starboard Grill and they offer a tempura batter which I can eat. We love heading down to Harbour Quay ordering take-out from them and walking out on the pier with the twins.

Easy Pub Food – Boomerangs

Boomerangs is a really fun cafe that offers standard restaurant/pub food but also really unique Australian specialties. We’ve ordered takeout a few times from here and have gone in for brunch as well. They also offer gluten-free toast with brunch.

Pizza Options – Panago, Pizza Factory, Boston Pizza, and Dimitri’s

So I’ve been on the hunt for a great gluten-free dairy-free pizza. I started out ordering from Pizza Factory but my go-to has actually been Boston Pizza! Their crust actually tastes like normal crust and they use a vegan cheese that’s not too salty. Unfortunately, both Panago and Pizza Factory use Daiya cheese which is too salty for me.

My husband’s go-to pizza place is Dimitri’s. You can find it at the Redford Motel on Redford Street.

Fancy Meal – Brie & Barrel

I would say Brie & Barrel is the fanciest restaurant in town. We love eating here and while it’s on the pricier side the food is amazing. This summer they built an amazing patio out back and now have booths inside to satisfy COVID protocols. I’m obsessed with the mushroom calamari and the steak frites.

Sushi – Sehmi

You’d think that there would be more sushi restaurants since we’re living on the west coast but there are only 2 places in town. My favourite place is Sehmi Sushi. It’s located in the Timberlodge motel on the way into or out of town. I love their salmon or tuna maki and the green dragon roll.

Microbreweries – Twin City Brewery and Dog Mountain Brewing

We discovered Dog Mountain this past summer and would go for drinks on the rooftop patio after work on Friday. The view is the best in town. We’ve only gone to Twin City a few times but definitely love it as well. I can only have one thing off the menu at Twin City (lettuce wraps) but they are still great.

Coffee Shop & Bakery – Wildflower Bakeshop & Cafe

Wildflower bakeshop and cafe opened up on Argyle street beside Brie & Barrel this summer and I’m so happy. They serve great coffee and always have a full display case of goodies. While they’ve had a few gluten-free options they aren’t consistent and some days I go in and can’t have any treats. Which my figure is thankful for. I’m obsessed with the Tuna Poke bowl and pretty much order that every time we go. My husband loves the breakfast brisket sandwich.

Healthy Fast Food – Noodlebox

There isn’t a lot of healthy fast food options in town. So when Noodlebox opened up I was a frequent flyer there for a few weeks in a row ordering the pad thai or ginger beef box. It’s located in the shopping mall off the main highway in the same complex as the Starbucks.