Sandspit Inn Restaurant & Pub

Busy Friday night in this restaurant and we three were all very happy with our meals: Quinoa Salad with scallops and shrimp; fish tacos and homemade soup; hamburger with calamari appetizer. Could have been a better selection of beers (I prefer a darker beer and so may micro breweries to select from in BC), but settled for a BC Cider. Good family restaurant. Darts to play.

Clam chowder was very good. Lots of clams in every spoonful. Grilled Hallibut burger is another good choice.

This is the main restaurant in 'town', and serves good food to locals and tourists. The chef is imaginative with the cuisine, as she's never sure of the availability of ingredients that have to be brought in from the mainland. All said, I had her seafood chowder several times, because it was so good. Other seafood dishes were great (as you'd expect from the location). The side vegies were what surprised me, as they were fresh and well prepared. The staff is enthusiastic and well managed. Overall, a good experience for us, after a half dozen meals.

The Sandspit Inn (or the Inn at Sandspit, whichever you prefer) has been serving the community for about 30 or so years. It has seen Sandspit ebb and flow over the decades: from a booming logging town in the mid-late 1900s to one struggling to find its footing in an economy relying less and less on the primary sectors. In fact, the Sandspit Inn, in many ways, can serve as a microcosm of the community itself because it has also seen highs and lows. It has switched hands a number of times: Beban, West Coast Resorts (non-Haida owned), West Coast Resorts (Haida owned) and, more recently, the Sandspit Community Society (2014). In between transfers of ownership, the Inn was often shut down for extended periods – even years at a time. In that way, much like the community of Sandspit, the Inn has experienced depressions.I have visited the Inn a number of times over the years, beginning in the 1980s to the present day (though, admittedly, visits have often been very spread apart). While the food and food quality has varied greatly from one period to the next, one thing has remarkably remained constant: The Inn continues to serve as the social focal point for locals. During the logging boom noted above, loggers would often de-camp at the Inn before heading out to the logging bases; as such, the bar at the Inn typically did very good business. When the logging industry collapsed, so too did business at the Inn, with some even questioning if the place was relevant anymore. Once the fishing resorts took over around 2008, the Inn once again became something of a focal point. Fishing guests would de-plane at Sandspit Airport (YZP), be de-briefed at the Inn (and encouraged to buy food/drinks) before heading out. Once the fishing adventure was done, guests would often wait for their flight at the Inn – the only place open to get food or beverages outside of the (overpriced) Brady's Bistro in the airport. While business was decent and the fishing lodges attempted to run various promotions to encourage more use of the Inn, it was deemed a financial liability in an already depressed economy. That's when the Sandspit Community Society took over in 2014. The group, which is made up of community volunteers, recognized the value of the Inn to the community and decided to keep the doors open. Under their mandate, profits generated from the Inn (restaurant and motel) are put towards tourism-related projects that benefit Sandspit and its residents. For that, the group deserves many a kudo. As for the food, I personally felt it was only ever OK before West Coast Resorts took it over in 2008. After they began working their magic by renovating the space and hiring first-class staff, food quality jumped up exponentially. It was so good, in fact, that I remember making many a ferry trip across the inlet with dear friends and family just to go have dinner. As I recall, the steak and prawn dishes were absolutely amazing; the specials were superb (lobster bisque, anyone?); and the staff were exceptional. The atmosphere was incredibly relaxing: a quiet space offering decent views of the ocean and "busy" Sandspit airport. It was a nice place to unwind. When the lodges withdrew around 2012 or so, I was initially disheartened because I thought it would likely mean the end of first-class cuisine and an end to a GOOD alternative to the bistro in the airport. And then the Sandspit Community Society took over operations in 2014. The Inn was once again serving customers delightful breakfast, lunch and dinner options.Unfortunately, due to having spent significantly less time on the Islands and the inconvenient ferry schedule, I haven't sampled the dinner options of the "new" Inn; however, I've had lunch a few times. Overall, I would say it's still really good (though not quite up to the quality of previous times):the fish and chips is kind of a letdown (once burnt, once rather oily); the chicken wings are still excellent, as is the Caesar salad. A new item on the menu (well, since the Society took over, I mean) – the seafood chowder – is, in my opinion, the star: hearty, awesome flavour, and FULL of wonderful seafood items like scallops, jumbo tiger prawns, baby clams, halibut and mussels. It is easily one of the best seafood chowders I've had. It was so nice not having to dig around to try and find the seafood in the chowder!Do I miss the resorts-run Inn? Sure. Many a good and memorable time was had there; however, the Sandspit Community Society is doing one and all a great service by keeping the doors open in the present day. Thanks to them, residents and visitors to Sandspit have another dining option and, if need be, a nice convenient and cozy place to stay. Thus, the Inn remains ever the social center for YZP.FOOD: 3.75/5SERVICE: 3/5VALUE: 3.75/5RECOMMENDATION: Sandspit has limited breakfast and lunch options, with the Sandspit Inn being one of the two. Personally, I would recommend the Inn because the food quality is far better than the competition across the street; the setting is cozier; and monies taken in go towards community improvement. Service can be a bit slow at times, but with such limited staff that`s to be expected. The seafood chowder is a must try!

Nice local atmosphere. Good varied menu with some great local fresh options. They offer free pool and darts too. It is really the only good eating option in Sandspit. Worth going to for sure. We ate there three times and had great meals, and great service each time.