Eating on the cheap in Victoria

Victoria locals never pay full price for a dinner for two at the James Bay Inn. That's one of the things you learn after you've lived here for a while. The JBI has two adjacent dining facilities — a pub and a restaurant — that share the same menu in different settings. The food is OK, and you can get satisfying pub grub and a pint. What you won't know as a tourist is that you can easily find coupons that let you get a second entree for $2 when you buy one at full price. The coupons usually run in the Friday TV book in the Times Colonist and in the free tabloids like Monday Magazine you can pick up around town.
The entertainment.com book for Victoria has JBI coupons, too, as well as lots of others. Typically you'll get two-for-one offers at local restaurants and attractions such as Butchart Gardens. If you're going to be here for more than a day or two, it might be worth ordering it early, so you'll have it when you come.
Another secret: Some restaurants in the more touristy areas have a "local menu" they'll give you if you ask for it. Presumably the prices are lower, although I can't vouch for that. One that advertises its local menu in the Times Colonist is Chandlers on Wharf Street, right on the harbour. They offer good seafood in an attractive setting. Ask for the local menu and see what happens; just leave the bermuda shorts and straw hat back at the hotel.