Only Seafood, The | Icon | A once-upon-a-time diner of legend at 20 East Hastings Street. Opened in 1917, the eatery – with its beautiful neon seahorse signage and horseshoe lunch counter making it especially iconic – had its heyday in the middle part of the 20th century. The facade remained a draw even after the Downtown Eastside institution was closed for good in 2009 (following a police raid that turned up a lot of cocaine and heroin on the premises), but since the sign was removed in 2015 the exterior no longer hints at the location’s storied past.

Usage: “It’s a real shame that The Only Seafood isn’t around anymore. That place was terribly amazing…”