East Vancouver’s flourishing Fraserhood will welcome another restaurant this month once the Eastwood opens its doors at 4245 Fraser Street.

Located steps away from Prado Café’s third outpost and Victoria’s Bows & Arrow Coffee Roasters, which opened earlier this year, the 1,300-square-foot bar has been under construction since June. It’s slated to open its doors to the public on December 26.

Speaking to the Straight during a recent tour of the space, owners Alex Kyriazis and Ari Demosten share their hopes for the Eastwood: a local watering hole that will serve up casual comfort food like moules frites, “Tex-Mex meets Asia”–marinated chicken wings, and housemade ice-cream sandwiches, where residents of the ’hood can come to unwind or to catch a hockey game on one of the restaurant’s six flat-screen TVs.   

“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel by any means,” says Kyriazis. “It’s just kind of what we like and that’s what we’re trying to relay to customers.”

Kyriazis, who owns a design and fabrication company, has manufactured reclaimed-wood furnishings for local spots such as Red Truck Brew Pub and MeeT on Main. His mark is clear at the Eastwood, which he and Demosten, who also comes from a background in construction, have built entirely by hand.

Decked out in steel and salvaged wood, the 60-seat room is anchored by an oak bartop that extends from the front to the back of the restaurant. Copper lighting further warms up the space, while the bar front is decorated with black-and-white patterned tiles.

The venue has no relation to Vancouver’s Eastwood Cycle Sanctuary. Rather, Kyriazis plans to incorporate nods to actor Clint Eastwood on the restaurant’s walls in the near future.

Behind the bar will be approximately 20 beers, eight on tap and at least 12 in bottle form. Diners can expect both B.C. craft brews and imported suds, including San Miguel Beer, which pays homage to the Eastwood’s former site as a Filipino grocery store. Small wine and cocktail programs will also be offered.

“Handhelds with a twist”, such as club sandwiches and tortas, and OceanWise seafood will be on the menu, too. The majority of items will be priced at no more than $20.

“We wanted to build a place that everyone could kind of identify with,” says Kyriazis. “A place that almost feels familiar, that you’ve been there before. That’s kind of what we got up to.”

The Eastwood will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends for brunch service.

The duo notes that they’re excited to open in the area, which is currently lacking in similar bar concepts. (Other casual eateries like Crowbar, Los Cuervos, and Black Lodge are situated 12 blocks north in the Fraserhood’s “golden triangle”.)

“We’re definitely hoping to fill that void,” says Demosten, “just because it’s something that we enjoy. And hopefully, everyone else will enjoy it, too.”

Scroll through the rest of the images for a peek at the soon-to-open Eastwood.