ROAR

Dining at Roar was an incredible experience—fun, flavorful, and absolutely worth it! From the moment we walked in, we were treated to top-notch 5-star service by Camie, who welcomed us with a warm smile and never missed a beat. She checked in on us regularly, introduced the menu with enthusiasm, and made sure we had everything we needed. Her attention to detail truly elevated our dining experience. We went with the Beef Bourguignon (I think that’s what it’s called?), and wow—what a dish! The portion was generous, the flavors were rich and comforting, and it was cooked to perfection. The Seafood Boil was just as impressive, loaded with a great mix of seafood that was fresh and flavorful. This is a good option if you want to order something light for the evening. And the cocktails? Absolutely a must! Every drink we tried was expertly crafted and on point. Whether you’re here for the food, the drinks, or the vibe, Roar delivers on all fronts. Highly recommend, and we’ll definitely be back!

Lovely service and great vibes at this hotel restaurant. However, the food was a big disappointment. The kids chicken fingers were over-salted to the point of being inedible. The coleslaw with the lingcod has mush peas in it which was a strange flavour combo. The slaw would be much better with a vinaigrette instead of the creamy dressing on it. The burger was a solid choice but it came with a mountain of soggy fries. At this price point, I was hopeful for more thoughtful flavours.

Had the west coast 75. (Terrific) Seafood Risotto (awful) Succotash (bizarre) Bananas Foster cheesecake (no real counterbalance) Chocolate torte (good) Our waitress was good, gracious quick and kind (Tammy) The restaurant ambiance was fun. I’d go for drinks but not for food. The only thing fancy or memorable were the scallops themselves atop the risotto. I make risotto at home and I was flummoxed at how tasteless and unflavoured the stock appeared to be. Instead of creamed goodness this was tough, oatmeal like, and it just felt like it tried to be things at the end. We waited over an hour for our food, were told they were sorry for the wait- which I didn’t mind. My table and I agreed that if you order risotto you don’t expect it to show up in ten minutes. I drove a long way at night for this and it was just awful. I was so excited when I booked because I’d seen the restaurant pop up several times on my feed as I planned the trip and thought I should do it. No no. It was ambient. If you must go, it looks like the burgers are good. I wouldn’t waste my time planning to go here though. For the price? Not great. I could have done this at home and fed 40 My advice the the restaurant it to cut out the corn and use more butter and onions and boil Down your prawn stock more. Stock should include more depth and umami On the succotash? Adding all hot spice and no counter just overwhelms all the ingredients. I couldn’t place the heat (jalapeño seeds ground up- level) but there wasn’t any high note. It just burned and overwhelmed the dish. For any vegan eating it, they might enjoy it is punishing your tastebuds is part of their ritual.

We spent $235 for two people on Christmas night and, unfortunately, the experience did not meet expectations—especially given the price point. Our reservation was for mid-evening, yet we felt rushed from the moment we were seated. The restaurant felt quite chaotic, with staff running around, and we were initially served the wrong appetizers. During our first round of food, we also found hair in one of the dishes. While the kitchen did replace the dish quickly, it was disappointing that nothing was adjusted or removed from the bill. The food itself felt pre-cooked and mushy, lacking the quality we expected for a special occasion meal. Additionally, we ordered a half bottle of wine to share but were only served a single glass. Overall, it was a poor experience compared to other similarly priced restaurants in Tofino. For context, we dined at Long Beach Lodge on Christmas Eve, paid about $20 less, enjoyed drinks, apps, mains, and dessert, and felt genuinely well taken care of. In our experience, Roar did not offer value for the price. For a special occasion, I would recommend considering other options in the area.

The atmosphere and staff were great. The food was honestly mediocre. I had the steak/frites and it was cooked properly but the cut of meat wasn't great. Friends had burgers and both said they were very dry with not much flavour. The cocktail were tasty but upwards of $17. Was worth a visit but for the price I feel there are better options.

We have been hitting up Roar since it opened and always have a great family style dinner here, exceptional cocktails and great sharing menu of fish and steaks all done on Their open fire grill. Staff always super friendly, thanks Emily!!!!

Alright service, staff ignored us when we went into the restaurant, there were 8 tables that weren’t occupied and our server said “she’ll be with us in two minutes” We proceeded to wait 10 minutes while they set up the table. The food was alright, the charcoal hashbrowns were very good but the poached eggs in the smoked salmon benny I ordered were inconsistent, one of the eggs was runny and the other one was hard. Our server was really nice but the were not organized.

Cheerful and inviting bar/restaurant nestled in the lobby of Hotel Zed. Menu has an extensive wine/bubbly list, with a collection of nifty cocktails that evoke the Pacific Northwest feel of Tofino. Most of the food menu items are centered around the "Roar" flame-roasted theme, with the charcoal fries center stage and an absolute must. Ordered them 3 times overall, and if you're staying at the hotel - are an excellent choice to crush after a night out. Wish I tried more of the seafood menu, like the sea-cuterie board and the oysters. More of a reason to return!

We enjoyed this place! Wonderful service, great portions, nice plant based and vegetarian options. Beautiful open kitchen. Thoughtful menu. The ambiance is clean and bright, nice for a comfortable yet elevated dinner to catch up with friends or loved ones. We'll definitely be back.

So stoked to be able to eat at Roar finally. We stayed at a Hotel Zed in February 2022 and the days of the week that we had stayed there meant that the restaurant was not open surprisingly. We were greeted very quickly and sat down at a nice booth. The aesthetic of the whole hotel, as well as the restaurant is so unique, warm and quirky. We had already down so much coffee in our hotel room that we ended up just ordering breakfast but we were not disappointed whatsoever. I ended up ordering the bacon cheddar waffle with soft, poached eggs and my husband got the breakfast sandwich. My eggs were cooked to perfection, and tasted so delicious on the waffle. What an ingenious idea to make a savoury waffle. And man, those potatoes are something else... I'm not always the biggest fan of cubed and pan fried potatoes, but they were crispy and had the best seasoning on them. My husband really enjoyed his breakfast sandwich That had a slightly sweet jam in it that meshed really well with everything else going on in there. The next time we're in Tofino, we will be making a dinner reservation for sure, as the food was exquisite.

Went in for their happy hour on a Friday afternoon. Sat in the sunken lounge and had a great experience. Bartender/server was amazing, very attentive, knowledgeable, friendly and welcoming to all who came. Had a couple cocktails each and shared some fresh shucked oysters. Really cool spot and we would go back.

Amazing service and one of the best steaks I've ever eaten. Definitely recommend the 34 oz steak!

Great atmosphere and a wonderful bar staff. Roar is one of my favourite spots to eat. Unfortunately, for some reason they seem to have changed many of the best items on the menu recently and I've been left very disappointed with my last few meals. Even their town famous charcoal fries are suddenly disappointing, they are now thick cut and nowhere near as good as usual. Hopefully they switch them back and rethink changing very successful dishes. Still a great place to grab a cocktail!

Five stars PLUS. We had our anniversary dinner at Roar which is at the Hotel Zed. First of all the Hotel Zed in Tofino BC is like stepping into a Time Machine to the mid 20th century. Think Mad Men. Anyway it was super cool. On to the restaurant. Roar is also themed like mid century modern. Especially the bar. We were seated right away and they let us in one hour before our reservation. Through a wormhole in the space-time continuum we wound up there an hour early. They have a decent menu with options for everyone. We chose one of their meals to share and an appetizer. The appetizer was a charcuterie with cured meats and pickled vegetables with these multigrain crackers that I could have eaten by themselves. We also ordered their 34oz ribeye platter to share. Out comes this wooden board with the meat sliced up, a vegetable medley with mushrooms, broccoli, and tomatoes. All fire roasted. There was arugula salad with radish slices and some kind of vinegar dressing. There were grilled onions and fingerling potatoes too. I cannot describe how good everything was. It was incredible. The presentation, the quality and taste were off the charts. They treated us right there. Everyone was friendly. We wound up in a conversation with a couple sitting behind me. They were a hoot. I recommend this place all the way. One thing I have to say though is it was not free. We were close to $300 Canadian after tip but if you follow me at all you know I don't mind prying open my wallet ( insert proper jokey comment here) when I get a good quality meal. The entire experience is top notch and oh, I got Mama tipsy on wine so yeah you know.....

Very good food, stellar service, and good atmosphere. We had the Ling cod special and the Short Rib from the menu; both were excellent. Mike is a phenomenal server; one of the best we've ever had. The whole team contributes in the service though, helping one another out, so shout out to all of the staff. Fun property for our son to explore afterward. He enjoyed the secret arcade and tearing it up on the disco floor. We recommend Roar.

Everything we ordered was delicious! The shortrib Boeuf Bourgignon was especially remarkable, being "out of this world" good. Service was just the right amount of attentive, thanks to Emily and Joe. In January 2025, the website pictures didn't do Roar's evening ambiance justice; the lighting in the high-ceilinged room was cosy but bright enough to add a sense of community to the fun of the decor and interest of the open kitchen! One really had a sense of being welcomed - and we will return for more memorable experiences!

Nice atmosphere in a super unique retro Motel. This place just happened to be across the street. We only had cocktails so I can't comment on the food.

Service was great! Our gal greeted us promptly, was super friendly with our 5 year old, and knew what she was talking about with the specials. The food was super disappointing! It looked amazing, coming out of the kitchen, but the flavors were bland and the halibut (their special tonight) was undercooked. What bummed me out the most though was their 'focaccia' - it was super dry, sliced vertically and basically white bread toast. Expensive, and not worth it. If only the food was as authentic as the service.

the ambiance, in my opinion, is annoying and cluttered with every retro trendy gimmick possible. I was not exci9ted to learn the restaurant was in this hotel that seems so out of place in tofino that it's mind boggling. I guess it's "fun"? anyway.... the restaurant serves amaZing food. it's funny how a good meal can change your mind about a place! I would def go back for the food (not for the decor or insane ambiance) I think families and kids would love the atmosphere more-so than myself. Excellent service & food!

My boyfriend and I waited at the entrance of the restaurant for about 15minutes with no host in sight... the servers kept looking over at us and then looking away and no one offered to seat us so we left.

On February 12/24 my wife and I enquired at the restaurant's reception if we could order takeout. We were advised that this was possible and that it would take a maximum of 20 minutes for a burger and rissotto order. After 25 minutes the order was not ready and when we inquired about the status we were told it would be at least another 10 minutes as they were "short staffed". After 40-45 minutes we were advised that they had given our order to someone else! It seemed very strange that someone else had the exact order! At this point we had the impression that staff were not being straight up with us. Finally, after 55 minutes we received our order, sans disposable cutlery which we were promised. Throughout the ordeal staff appeared flippant and did not offer to reduce our bill, other than offering a free drink which was of no use since we were driving. I made a comment that for this terrible service we also had to pay an 18% gratuity for pickup! Staff did not offer to reduce or eliminate the gratuity. I understand that many restaurants are struggling to fully staff, but at the outset we should not have been "over promised" a maximum 20 minute wait. If staff had been more upfront we likely would have gone elsewhere rather than wait for an hour. Once received, the food was decent, but the poor service has left us with a sour taste and we will not be patronizing this restaurant in the future. David and Maria Taylor

Got give props for bold cocktails. We tried 5 and loved 4. Respected the 5th for its creative daring. The food was very good. Kaila (Kayla?) was awesome: friendly, helpful, personable... We sat outside, where it wasn't crowded. Will totally be back next time we're in town!

Came here for dinner on New Year's Eve with my boyfriend. Shared the pork belly salad to start, and had the brisket for main. Absolutely delicious. One of the best meals I have had in Tofino, which is saying a lot.

It was casual comfortable dining with really good food and excellent service. The prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is casual, especially on the beautiful patio deck. By all means, go here instead of the pointe, a restaurant nearby.

Wow is the only thing I have to say about this place, we ate here 2 weekends in a row and at first we thought it couldn't get any worse but it sure did. do you like dry chicken bones and curry powder mash, this is the restaurant for you! could not have been more disapointed.

Delicious food, yummy cocktails, fabulous service! Our family of 4 (including two little kids) really enjoyed our dinner at Roar. I have never had "open fire" cooking before and it was delicious! Our server, Russel, was super friendly and provided excellent service. All of the staff we interacted with were great. I loved the two cocktails I had and the meal was wonderful. My kids even loved their food, and that's saying something because they are very picky.

Delicious restaurant located in Hotel Zed. The menu is not huge but there is a variety of interesting options for starters, main courses, and desserts. Everything we had was well-balanced and flavorful. Staff was friendly and attentive.

Ordered the tomahawk steak and the seafood antipasto board for takeout and the food was just ok. Most likely better if we had dined in. The staff was amazing though in taking my order on the phone, packing the food and helping bring the food to my car. They didn't need to but it was top notch service.