The last days of Heirloom in South Granville were among the formerly vegetarian restaurant's most colourful. Now, its owners have embarked on a new venture with a new concept in the same location, called Lucille's West Side.
After announcing its impending and "unavoidable" closure in mid-January, Heirloom remained open through April amidst a flurry of eyebrow-raising exchanges with the public on social media and a few curious moves by its owners. The prolonged closure followed a 2023 court ruling that found Heirloom's owners ordered to pay a former employee over $27,000 as a result of discrimination.
Heirloom embraced then moved away from identity as "vegetarian"
Heirloom started in 2012 at 1509 W 12th Ave to give Vancouver locals and visitors alike a healthier dining option. The restaurant wound up leaning into its vegetarian and vegan menu offerings, ultimately becoming known as "Heirloom Vegetarian" and made popular for its brunch dishes.
During its tenure, Heirloom branched out to add a nearby juice shop on Granville Street and a short-lived West Vancouver Heirloom location at Ambleside (now home to OEB Breakfast). Heirloom Juice Co. closed in the summer of 2023 and Heirloom - the restaurant - dropped "Vegetarian" from its name (though, to this day, terms like "veg" or "Vegetarian" remain tied to its branding and name usage online).
The tension was exacerbated into 2024 as Heirloom lobbed back at some online detractors who posted unfavourable reviews. A former patron named Deborah became the face of Heirloom's closing campaign, as her online feedback inspired operators to seemingly lay the blame on her for their closure, using her name in signage and on their website. "Heirloom is now closed permanently. Thanks a lot Deborah. You lil' rascal." declares Heirloom's site. The "contact" info is given as merely "@Deborah" without any links.
As Heirloom shuttered following the Easter long weekend, operators hinted they were at work on something new: "Keep an eye out for something in the near future," they said online.
Sure enough, the Heirloom social handles and physical restaurant soon took on a new - and pink - identity as Lucille's West Side. All of the content, including the wars of words in the comments, was scrubbed from the @heirloomvan Instagram, with just one image of a martini glass posted on May 17 with the caption: "Find the classics you’ve been missing @lucilleswestside."
Lucille's West Side opens with dishes from Heirloom's brunch and dinner menus
Lucille's opened up with no fanfare beyond the announcement on Heirloom's Instagram and some signs outside the South Granville restaurant.
Diners can expect to find many of the same offerings as Heirloom in a lightly revamped space.
Initially, based on a June 12 visit, the brunch menu was virtually identical to Heirloom's with some small changes. It featured several vegetarian and vegan options as well as dishes with meat, like the burger. Lucille's, as Heirloom did, calls it a smashburger; the patty is too thick to meet the standard definition of a smashburger, but it is an enjoyable burger, served with fries and house-made ketchup. There was also the Truffle Mushroom Benny, the pancakes with raspberry and lemon, the Kale Caesar, and the Big Sur Sandwich.
However, menus posted online in mid-June by the restaurant show some changes already from what was being served during Lucille's initial opening weeks.
The updated opening brunch menu shows some of the same items with some fresh additions to the roster, like the Cubano-style Key West Sandwich. The Ratatouille Hash got a new name ("Provencal") and there's no more Truffle Mushroom Benny though the Forager's Breakfast has some similar components (truffle, mushrooms, poached eggs). The popular pancakes with raspberry and lemon are still on offer though the menu no longer indicates they are "vegan pancakes."
The dinner menu has several changes and some returning Heirloom dishes. Lucille's has Coconut Shrimp, Prawn Cocktail, and Chicken Satay, and reworked versions of the pappardelle pasta with braised beef and mushrooms (renamed the Forager's Pappardelle) and the schnitzel alongside other dishes that are the same.
The restaurant has coffee and tea beverages as well as cocktails but does not have any other soft drinks (i.e. iced tea or pop) available. Service on my visit was friendly and warm and the pace of the meal was on point.
Lucille's website indicates the restaurant is open Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is closed Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday are currently unaccounted for, though I did visit them on a Wednesday for a midday brunch so diners may wish to check with the restaurant to confirm hours or keep an eye out for further updates as Lucille's launch continues.
V.I.A. reached out to Lucille's West Side in May and June to learn more about the change of concept and did not receive a response prior to publication. The restaurant responded via email on June 19, acknowledging our "interest in learning more" about the new restaurant. Operators indicated Lucille's is in a soft launch phase and said they would reach out closer to its "hard launch," adding: "Remember — when life gives you olives, make a dirty martini!"
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