Raffles Inn - Prince Rupert

I've walked by Raffles countless times now and have always joked about the advertised $4.99 breakfast special. Anyway, I finally decided to check this place out to satisfy my morbid curiosity. When you come to Raffles, you do need to know what you're stepping into. Once upon a time, this was a decent hotel in the 1970s, but it has evolved in the last few decades. That is to say, Raffles now doubles as a shelter of sorts for those with very little or no income. I mention that because it provides context for the in-house restaurant.When you walk into the dining room (and Raffles generally), you immediately get the sense both visually and mentally that you're not about to have a fine dining experience. The dining area is very dim and dark (perhaps a bit of a metaphor?), and the chairs are so old and worn that you probably wouldn't be wrong if you thought they were from "day 1". The windows are grimy and, admittedly, the tables aren't cleaned all that well.Anyway, I probably looked kind of homely when I walked in, because the hostess asked if I "lived here" (ha!). Raffles menu, on paper, looks decent enough, but it has such a wide array of offerings that you know they probably don't do any one thing exceptionally well. For example, you can get everything from your standard soup, chicken wings, to chow mien, seafood, steak, turkey dinner and casual items like burgers and sandwiches (see the attached photo for an illustrative example).I ordered breakfast: 3 of Raffles pancakes and bacon, with orange juice, all for the whopping price of $6. And, well, you get what you pay for: a very basic pancake(s) with bacon. It wasn't bad, but it didn't stand out, either. But again, you need to recognize that Raffles now exists to serve a very specific clientele. So, this is budget food and it serves a purpose: to feed those less fortunate than most. And for that, I commend Raffles.Would I come back? Maybe. Probably not. I mean, I wasn't scared away or anything!

I frequent this restaurant more than any other place and I particularly enjoy their delicious side dishes.

I ordered takeout from this restaurant after seeing mixed reviews, and I have to agree that the fried chicken was bland. Although it was fried well, it lacked any unique or special flavors.

I have only visited this restaurant once, but I was very impressed.