If you want “proper” fish and chips in Vancouver, you’ve got to earn it — either by braving the line at The Fish Counter, or by beating the crowds at Granville Island for Go Fish…Or you have to get out of Vancouver, and make the drive to Steveston, or head to Cockney Kings in Burnaby. Rumble Fish is here to change all that. Opening soon in Hastings-Sunrise, this new counter-service seafood spot is all about bringing local, seasonal fish to the neighbourhood. No long haul necessary.

Behind Rumble Fish is owner/operator Tyson Reimer, a veteran of Vancouver’s restaurant scene (Cobre, Deacon’s Corner, Peckinpah), known for his down-to-earth hospitality and years of experience. His longtime friend and business partner, Mike Coyne — who he met in 2002 while working at West Coast Resorts in Tasu Sound — offers behind-the-scenes support, drawing from his background in guiding, resort management, and independent ventures along the Coast. With Reimer at the helm, Rumble Fish is setting out to redefine what a neighbourhood seafood joint can be.

The space was mid-renovation when I stopped by last week — nothing major, though, just a refresh of table tops, counters, and lighting. Boxes, tools, and supplies were scattered everywhere, but in the middle of it all, one thing stood out: a striking mural of a Siamese fighting fish, by artist Noemi Kozikowska. Bold, elegant, and impossible to miss, it demanded an explanation.

“I wanted to call it Outsiders at first because we started as a food truck outside a cidery,” Reimer says, when asked about the name. “That got me thinking about Rumble Fish (both are SE Hinton books). I thought it worked.”

The restaurant, which takes over the space at the corner of Hastings and Garden (across from Dachi and beside Church’s Chicken) once home to Red Wagon Cafe, spans just over 1,500 square feet. When all is said-and-done, it will have more than 40 seats – although none at the bar, of which there is none, yet… A liquor license is in the works.

The menu at Rumble Fish will offer a mix of old-school and new-school seafood, anchored by high-quality local fish. Expect fish and chips done right, alongside prawn rolls, chowder, fish tacos, poke, and ceviches – adding up to about ten dishes in total. The goal? To move away from the standard farmed salmon, basa, and tilapia in favour of something closer to home, that’s a genuine reflection of BC.

Rumble Fish is set to open mid-March. Planned hours are 11am to 10pm, seven days a week.

Rumble Fish

Neighbourhood: Hastings Sunrise

2296 East Hastings

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