One of the biggest patios in Steveston sat mostly empty through the spring after Good Co. Bar quietly shut down back in February.
That waterfront space has a tenant again, and this one is built around slow-smoked Texas barbecue.
Wharf & Flame Smokehouse + Lounge opened in mid May at 120-4020 Bayview Street, taking over the former Good Co. Bar unit in the heart of Steveston Village.
The pitch is straightforward, and the owners spell it out on their own website.
Locally owned, family-run, and smoked in-house.
They are upfront that this is not a franchise, just a family business built on a love of barbecue and a patio they want to feel like a home away from home.
That patio is the headline.
Wharf & Flame calls it one of the largest and most talked-about outdoor dining spaces in Richmond, with tables looking straight out over the water.
It is also dog friendly, which makes it an easy call for a sunny Steveston afternoon with the whole household along.
Steveston in summer is patio country, between the boardwalk, the fishing docks, and the steady weekend crowds, so a big outdoor space facing the water is a real draw.
The food side leans into barbecue cooked low and slow, with brisket and other house-smoked meats anchoring a menu that also runs through handhelds, bowls, sides, and desserts like chocolate lava cake and crème brûlée.
As a lounge, it is built for cold drinks on the patio, whether you are in for a family dinner, a game night, or an afternoon with friends.
The team frames the whole thing around hospitality, the idea of treating every guest like family and giving the neighbourhood somewhere to gather, relax, and stay awhile.
It is the kind of roomy, sunny-day spot that tends to fill up fast in the area once the weather turns warm.
Good Co. Bar held this corner for three years, so the unit had been dark for a couple of months before the smokehouse moved in.
Wharf & Flame joins other recently opened Richmond food spots like Dear Garden, Taiwan Bento 101, and DollarBoba.
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Address: 120-4020 Bayview Street, Richmond, B.C. (Steveston Village)