Prophouse Cafe

I love this place, the atmosphere of the café is the kind of place I enjoy.
Though I’m sad to say that the prop house has been closed all the time and is looking for a new spot to call home. I hope they find a good location and reasonable rent somewhere around here!
Oh I noticed it says they accept credit cards, but they don’t. They accept debit cards and cash only.

Despite not living in the vicinity I have been to Prophouse several times in the past few years. Admittedly I had been drawn more by the atmosphere and less by the quality of the coffee, but it did make a nice quiet spot to sit and read etc. in the afternoon. The open sitting area is full of interesting artifacts and old books, as well as numerous panther-​themed items. I had especially liked the small private room with couches and vintage lamps. Food was pretty good from what little I remember, and I also recall having enjoyed whatever pastries I had decided to sample in the past.
Recently though, I had decided to do some work there with a friend since we were in the area, only to find that they were closed. No hours were posted on the door and we found it odd that a café would be close in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday. Some people on bikes came up and explained that Prophouse was more of an evening live performance venue these days and that they opened later in the day. Presently a man (presumably the owner) opened the door and let the bikers in. When I asked about shop hours and whether he would be opening at all that day, he told us no, and that he would be playing hockey since it was such a lovely sunny day outside. We found it incredibly unprofessional, and perplexing that if this man was running such a successful business that he could afford to fuck off for an entire day, then perhaps he should also be able to hire a barista to watch the shop if he so desired? It’s a shame to have lost a lovely place to spend a slow afternoon but on account of the seemingly inconsistent hours, we will never be back.

This place is the BOMB! Not, however, for its coffee or food offerings which were pretty mediocre, but for what my guy said is «so much atmosphere it threatens to incinerate us upon reentry.» Records for anyone to play, a million and one gorgeous lamps, vintage pieces of furniture, instruments, props galore. The only thing missing is a resident Persian cat. The staff was great, in particular a lovely blonde chick who was well connected and stayed late to play us the accordion and organ while my boyfriend tried not to lust after her too obviously. Avoid downtown, find this place and then buy some homemade salami at the other sandwich place whose name I can’t recall that’s a couple of blocks downhill. I live about a 60-​hour drive away but I bet I’ll be back.

If you were running a small theatre company, you would probably want to come here and get inspired by the décor. This place greeted me with Irish singers and 70s chairs.
The coffee is divine and the bathroom allows you to write random thoughts about life on its chalk board. Look for my witty commentary on the Olympic games in Sochi.
I love dragging my friends here for the look of surprise on their faces and the hundreds of pictures that get taken.
The only negative is what other Unilocalers have said before, the lack of food options. Though my friend has had the apple pie and was a big fan of it. So I may just have not given it enough of a chance.
And I actually really liked the owner. He always has interesting things to say and has just the kind of right personality that this place needs.

This is one of Vancouver’s gems. Definitely a funky place where you will never get bored.
Great place to get some work done or hang with a friend.
Plus I love the Veggie Burgers!

This place is vintage, literately vintage from wall to wall. Books magazines, paintings, mirrors, lighting fixtures, lamps, furniture, you name it. And Panthers! a hell lot of them. Overall this place has the hippie commercial drive vibe going on.
They don’t have much options for food. I tried their minty brownie, which was OK, a bit too sugary.
There was live Irish music on the day I went there. I can’t say much about the other performances but really enjoyed this particular one.
Interesting place I must say.

Please don’t ever go here. I would give it zero stars if that was an option. Not only is the service terrible, but I also I saw a mouse. This is incredibly disgusting and I really wished I had seen this before I ate my (mediocre) sandwich. Go somewhere else on Commercial Drive — there are so many places which have great service and clean restaurants. Unfortunately Prophouse has neither of those things.

Vintage lamp awesomeness!
This place is great! Spacious, laid back, fair prices and a chill manager.
There are also some trad Irish jam sessions on most Sunday afternoons which is pretty cool.
The bathroom was pretty gag-​tastic… Could definitely use a little Vim action!

If your grandparents were funky hipsters their whole lives, this would be like hanging out in their attic. Otherwise, you’ll just have to be someone who appreciates kitsch, LP records, and good coffee to want to sit around with someone here. It doesn’t take much really, with their excellent service and pleasant atmosphere.
I have always run in to a familiar face here, despite not knowing about the restaurant until they recently hosted a performance. The food looked great, and the staff was extra friendly and patient with those that showed up a bit too tipsy. Commendations for café staff! The bathrooms have funky chalkboard, so you don’t have to worry about bringing your own sharpie!

What they lack in vegan friendly foods… they make up for in charm and atmosphere. This place is so beautiful!
I have started coming here to do school work and am really enjoying my new life choice. Way to go me! They play good music, have free wifi and the staff are all so friendly and helpful! I love all the vintage tables and chairs too.
The coffee/​tea is pretty standard I would say… I am also not some sort of coffee aficionado. More like an aficionado of awesome. AMIRITE? They have almond milk AND soy milk for those of us that like choice.
Oh right. All the rad props that are everywhere. Take your time and walk around and look at everything before settling in. Guaranteed you’ll see something you missed the first time.
Also, chalkboard in the bathroom. FUN.

Oh Prophouse, dear Prophouse… 2 minutes away from my den, this place offers the most eccentric atmosphere ever. The décor is… well, just odd. The owner is the most casual guy you’ll ever meet behind the counter, however he takes his job seriously. Coffee is market priced, at $ 3.50 for a medium latte. However, if you’re after a good espresso drink, go to Bump and Grind or Prado or Continental. Come to this place for their Egg Rosco on Sundays ($ 7.95), their baked goods, perhaps their drip, friendly conversations of the owner, and the interior. Go sit in the back room and play the guitar, or chill in one of the sofas, or just touch everything. There is also some weird board games lying around that you can play, though good luck fitting them on the itty bitty tables.
Go to Prophouse. Not for the highest quality, but the most sincere café feel.

This is a very cool place, interesting stuff in there. But the day we went there was a weird old smell in there. Lots of seating and an interesting private room in the back.
The staff was cool, friendly and helpful. My latte tasted burnt, the beans seemed over roasted, made Starbuck’s burnt taste seem normal. The Apple crisp was quite nice, and came recommended.
An interesting place, but the smell and my burnt latte made give 2 stars. Hate to say, the other reviews seemed kinda high for this place, after all, I came for the coffe and something to eat.

This is probably the most hipster place I have been to in a very long time. It’s also encouraging to know when one of the staff (no names) tells you the owner is «bat-sh!t crazy».
Parking is available around the side streets.
The inside (back room) is basically one giant vintage lamp and panther statue collection, to put it lightly. There are HUNDREDS of these things all over. You’d think you were in a 1950s Home Depot (if it existed) lighting section. There are also piles of vintage equipment for your enjoyment. The «jukebox» consists of a turntable with hundreds of old vinyls, and yes, a working 8-​track player. This is seriously amazing.
They have a shelf full of old school board games that nobody has ever heard of. Special mention goes to Smokers Wild (1978), which teaches kids like you and me about how smoking is bad. The game was so cheesy and dated, my friend and I couldn’t stop laughing. Good times.
As for the coffee itself, it was pretty decent. They have different types, so if you’re a connoisseur (which I am a total wannabe), there is something for everyone. If you’re not a coffee drinker, there are many tins of tea as well.
This is a good place to educate your friends about the ways of the Hipster.

Best kept secret ambiance in Vancouver.
Was waiting to get picked up and was invited in to just ‘take a look’ at the décor, no pressure to order. It had the feeling of a house so that I was able to pick up my cell and make a call to a friend to come meet me without feeling rude to the room.
Lots of space for poetry or music jam, excellent nooks. Perfect place for writers.
A bit dark, so not a patio place, but there is comfy café tables and chairs with a reasonable view of the mountains and downslope Venerable.
Peeked at homemade pie. Will review food as soon as I’m not broke.

* Nice vibe, average food *
I like the feeling of this café — very eclectic. Literally like a prophouse with all sorts of random goodies to explore everywhere. (I would hate to have to dust the place though!)
The sandwich was just ok though. They gave a nice choice of toppings, but when it all came together it was rather commercial tasting. Take supermarket quality bread, add dijon mustard, thinly sliced supermarket quality turkey, a very thin slice of havarti cheese, and a smattering of veggies, and you have got this:
I would consider going back to try the coffee, and to sit there to read with a big drink. But I likely wouldn’t order the food again.

Yes, the servers would keep you waiting sometimes while they chit chat, yes the coffee is not tip top, every once in a while the sandwich bread would be stale.
First things first, it is very unique and cool, comfortable. Reasonably priced, the staff is very sincere, smiley and awesome. Real people, real café feel, rather than simulated with scientific facts or super technical coffee making with state of the art machines. You know, good old coffee.
To me that’s the essence of a real café, comfort, people and a decent cup of joe. I like the romance a bit more than practicality. These guys are just themselves, as is, no fake attitude or over the top customer service, which I hate.
Awesome job prophouse! I am a fan.

This place is really unique. It’s a feast for the eyes. There’s so much to look at that you’d probably have to make multiple visits to see it all.
Lots of retro quality goodness, from the glass box of 8-​tracks, to the couch on the wall, to the vintage stereo, to the myriad of chandeliers and colourful lights above you, keep looking and you’ll see even more.
One would never expect this from the outside appearance.
The downside for me is that the coffee is a little disappointing. The americano here is overpriced for a double shot ($ 2.75), and the espresso itself tastes a little burnt. The café also has a musty smell from all the old stuff and dampness within.
2 stars for my coffee.
+1 for the crazy décor.

I came for the décor! Is it ok to admit that? I would give this place another 2 stars solely based on that. It was like a kitsch collectors heaven. I took a few photos, sent them to the boyfriend, who responded with a ‘Wow!’ text, which is saying a lot from him ;) I would also bump it up a notch for the friendly lady who greeted me.
But alas, I give it 3 stars for the latte, which is partially my own fault. I was asked how many shots I wanted in it, and fearing a Starbucks level of strength latte, I said 2. This in turn made the latte pretty dark underneath that initial layer of foam, and way too strong and bitter for my poor little taste buds. But it really is my own fault. Perhaps I should return for the 1 shot. I loved the unique mugs at least! And the cheap, home made cookie was *lovely*. Also, having someone else with me would have helped, to enjoy the interior together!
I would give it 3 and a half stars for now if I could!

Thank you Unilocal,for the recommendation!
Wanted a cool coffee shop, and this place seemed to fit the bill. Adorable little shop off commercial, with cool quirky props and knicknacks all over the place. All the chairs are different, and they have colouring books! (when was the last time you coloured?). We had the apple pie, a couple of coffees, and enjoyed the cool atmosphere and a chat with the owner. THe bathroom has a chalkboard where people have written all kinds of notes, and the whole place just has a cool boho indie vibe.

Not a huge fan of having to wait forever to be served. It’s one thing if the place is super busy, but when the counterstaff is too busy chatting and goofing around to even pretend to notice you — I’m not sure why I stayed really.
Finally did get served and the coffee and food was just average.
For some reason they hadn’t taken our money when we ordered so I had to go through the same agravation on the way out. I could have just left without paying, that’s how little attention they were paying to me standing there, standing there, standing there…
As much as I like to give places a second chance, I might not bother…