Bear Joey - Victoria

I had a wonderful brunch at Bear Joey. The ambiance is not only visually appealing but also quite comfortable, and the staff were exceptionally friendly. I was eager to try the “grain bowl” I had seen on the online menu, but to my disappointment, it was absent from the in-restaurant menu, replaced by a roasted vegetable salad. As I was looking for something savory, I wasn't thrilled by the other vegetarian options available, so I opted for the avocado toast instead. Fortunately, I ended up really enjoying it! The avocado was incredibly fresh, and the eggs were cooked perfectly, with jammy yolks rather than runny ones. The addition of salsa macha elevated the dish from simple avocado toast to something fun and exciting. The sourdough bread was a bit tough to cut but of excellent quality. I also tried a butterfly latte made with coconut milk, which was delicious! I highly recommend opting for coconut milk, as its aroma complemented the floral notes of the butterfly pea flower beautifully. Plus, it looked stunning! Others in my party ordered the eggs on toast and the granola bowl, which featured key lime panna cotta with poached peach and rhubarb. I didn’t sample the eggs on toast, but I tried a bit of the granola bowl, and it was fantastic! That said, I must point out that while the avocado toast was delightful, charging $20 for just two regular-sized slices with one egg seems quite excessive. Overall, nothing on the menu is particularly affordable, and the avocado toast stands out as the most overpriced option. Despite this, it was a pleasant experience, and I believe we made a solid choice for our only meal during our day trip to Victoria.

We noticed a line outside, so we decided to give this place a try. The atmosphere is lovely, although it can get quite noisy. The presentation of our food was beautiful, but the taste was just okay, particularly the hard toast. The main issue that affected our experience was that there were peanuts in the sauce on the avocado toast, which wasn't mentioned on the menu. I'm allergic, and while my reaction wasn't life-threatening, it could be for someone else. When I brought this to the staff's attention, they didn't seem concerned at all.

I’m rating the service at 3 stars because the server wasn’t particularly friendly during our visit yesterday. She placed the bill on our table before we asked for it and immediately brought the payment machine after we finished our food. We were there for less than an hour and didn’t feel comfortable staying any longer, even though there were only a couple of other tables occupied. I was disappointed to feel pressured by the server on my second visit, especially since I really enjoyed the food and atmosphere at this restaurant.

It's a nice place with tasty, healthier seeming food. I do wish they had just a few more options on the menu though. Be aware, they don't make their own drinks here, but the bottled/caned ones they do use are still pretty good.Vegetarian options: Most of the meals do not come with meat, so I think this is likely a friendly place for vegetarians.

My 1st visit was very eventful I was locked in their bathroom til the Fire Dept rescued me. They showed genuine concern, and gave me a gratuity as a customer appreciation. Once I was able to enjoy the coffee and muffin I ordered very savory tasty. I'll be back?