Vancouver's new restaurant is so affordable you can do a multi-course date night for under $100

We won’t beat around the bush: Vancouver’s newly opened Ray’s is offering plenty of affordable bites on its menu. But just how affordable is it? Well, you could order enough to enjoy a three-course night out with your special someone for exactly $100 (before tax and tip) — and that includes drinks.

So, what exactly does that include? During our visit to the new eatery, we ordered two appetizers, two mains, two house cocktails, and one dessert to share for under $100 — something we’d be hard-pressed to find at other restaurants in the city, especially when it includes drinks.

At Ray’s, the menu is focused on familiar, nostalgic favourites. Think double-patty smash burgers, cheesy pastas, and soft serve ice cream sundaes.

As for the specifics of what we ordered for $100, we started with appetizers like the Smashed Avocado ($12.50) — hand-crushed avocado, lime, feta, jalapenos, and mango chipotle seasoning, served with house-made corn chips — and General Wow Chicken ($13.25), which is crispy chicken tossed in a sweet chili glaze served with wonton strips, cucumber, green onion, and toasted sesame seeds).

From there, we also grabbed two of Ray’s house cocktails. Those looking for something a bit more sophisticated would do well to order the Pho King Sour ($15), made with 1800 Reposado tequila that’s infused with pho spice and mixed with triple sec, lime juice, and ginger syrup. However, those who have more of a sweet tooth will be very happy with the Orange Julius Marg ($14.50) made with Ray’s secret Julius mix.

From there, we moved onto our mains. You won’t find anything too pretentious on this menu at Ray’s, just your classic, tasty comfort fare.

We’d happily return to enjoy The Uptown ($14.75) — a classic burger with a double smash patty, American cheese, tomato, lettuce, red pepper relish, garlic aioli, and house beer-battered onion rings to finish it off. And before you ask, yes, it did come with a side of fries.

If you’re not feeling a handheld, Ray’s also offers a selection of specialty salads and pastas, too. Particularly, the Truffle Spaghetti and Meatballs ($18.75) were a favourite at the table. Once again, there were no surprises here. House-made meatballs, pomodoro, herb ricotta, truffle oil, and Parmesan cream combined for one bowl of comforting goodness.

If you’ve been following along, that puts us at $88.25, coincidentally with just enough money for dessert.

Ray’s is offering a selection of soft serve sundaes on its menu, each coming in at $11 (aside from its $23 Super Sundae, which is a behemoth of a dessert served with a plethora of toppings on the side to customize your dessert to your liking). We opted for the Peanut Butter Haze, made with peanut butter mousse, dark chocolate, caramel crunch, and pretzel crumble.

Everything included, we’re at $99.75, just shy of our $100 max. But that’s not to say you can’t treat yourself when at Ray’s either. For example, it offers a selection of steaks on its menu, including a 40 Oz AAA Black Angus, coming in at a whopping $225. Pair that with the Super Sundae, and you’re in for one heck of a meal.

Ray’s is open Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Ray’s

Address: 1131 Mainland St., Vancouver

Instagram

Still hungry? Discover Dished Vancouver on TikTok