John’s Lunch

Only the best seafood in Canada. Been eating at johns since I could peddle my bike to woodside the fish is great the clams fantastic and the scollops are just heavenly

Pretty sure this place only has a deep fryer. And that is awesome. Everything on the menu is deep fried.
Fresh, fast, tasty, and great service.

This is the quintessential mom n’ pops fish n’ chips joint. It was so good, we came back the very next day! Big flavour and even bigger portions! Can’t wait to go back to Hali.

Another amazing fried haddock tip and calm plate! Today I brought my friend who believe it or not has lived in Halifax 35+years and never been to Johns.
Long story short, she had the 1pc fish and chips and we shared what can only be described as «The Best Gravy in Halifax»
She and I both wanted to drink the gravy, lol. But aside from that the Service is Wonderful!!! Everyone is so helpful and friendly.
Thanks to All the Staff and Management of Johns Lunch your a Nova Scotia Gem

First off my review is two stars based on how I felt the business is just run down in general. The food was bland the fries were cold and when I left I realized there was no dipping sauce for the chicken strip meal. I mean how much money are you trying to save by skimping out on sauces such as sweet and sour and tartar especially after dishing out nearly 40 bucks. The exterior of the building has holes in it which must be leading to inspects inside the inside is from the 60’s which is fine but the place was filthy. Also when paying for my order there was a .50 debit transaction fee which is illegal. I’m a business owner and I pay .05 a transaction per customer having a debit machine is the cost of doing business today. All and all the place is just cheap I won’t go back.

Fast friendly service. Food was amazing!!! Fish was very tasty and coleslaw was good too. Local food set to a tee. A big thumbs up

Been listening to my boyfriend for weeks before he brought me here to visit was shocked how small it was but the food was amazing will def not be my last visit

Seriously amazing fish. So meaty and fresh. Great batter too.
Not a lot of space inside to sit and was super full. Ended up waiting outside for our food and taking it home, which was no problem.
The place isn’t really anything to look at, really dark and small. Pretty dated but the food is so amazing.
The fries we’re anything to run home about. They were pretty average and clearly frozen.
BUT THAT FISH!!!

This is a great place to get an old fashioned plate of fish and chips. With the 60’s original diner and hole-​in-​the-​wall style place, you really feel like your part of something halifax brewed, except for the fact it’s in dartmouth.
The fish is without a doubt, the heart and soul of this place. Perfectly battered and full of mouth watering flavour. However, the fries are just the basic frozen fries you could grab from Costco. If they had homemade crispy fries instead, I would have given them a 5 star rating. I ordered the haddock tips which is a plateful of bite-​sized lightly battered, tender, nicely seasoned pieces of fish.
Their service is great, we had our meal within 10 minutes of ordering and we were checked on frequently to ensure we were happy :)
There isn’t very much room in the restaurant so it can quickly feel crowded in the entrance if there is a lineup, however that definitely makes it feel quaint. I only wish there was a little background classic rock playing in the background to complete the experience.

It’s no secret I’m a big fan of small diners.
There are a few clear cut reasons I’m always smiling when I leave John’s:
— The fresh and tasty fish is always on point.
— The service is classic diner (read: matter-​of-​fact waitress with a rich laugh and kind eyes)
— The portions are mighty.
–The nostalgic vibe (built in ’69, original counter stools).
Sure, it’s not all homemade (i.e. frozen fries, tartar). And sure, you may have to wait a minute to sit. But John’s feels like home. There’s a level of pride in the simple laid-​back atmosphere of this neighbourhood staple that’s oft left off the menu at other joints. Overall, a gem. And a great place for greasy spoon fix.
Recommend: clams, fish and chips, and haddock tips (lighter batter). Also heard the pizza is pretty good.

After living in Halifax for the majority of my 40 years, I finally went to John’s Lunch today for their famous fish and chips. While I knew all the hype was mostly hyperbole, I left with a great feeling of disappointment.
The fish was two standard size pieces that were way over battered and without much flavor. The inner side of the coating was mushy, and the fish bland.
The fries were obviously off-​the-​shelf frozen fries and the tartar sauce was pre-​packaged Kraft garbage.
For $ 10, I expected a lot better. There are too many quality fish and chips places in Halifax for anyone to waste their time and money at John’s Lunch. You’re only paying for the nostalgia of what once was, not what actually ends up on your plate.

I’m temporarily deployed to the NSH for work and I’ve been here twice since I’ve started working there. I’ve enjoyed both times!
I came here a few weeks ago and kept it simple with an order of chicken strips and fries. The chicken strips were high quality, battered white meat chicken with a HUGE mound of fries. I ordered gravy with it and ended up sharing it with the other nurses at work because there was no way I could possibly finish it. It came to about $ 13. Would get again.
I’ve heard great things about their pizza so I decided to try it. They have weiners as a topping. Having not had hot dogs on a pizza since I was about 6, you better believe I ordered them on my ‘za. And they worked. The pizza was phenomenal with a perfect amount of toppings/​sauce. The crust was PERFECTLY done and I even had to take a second to admire the perfect golden brown bottom. Not to mention the server was great. A 9′ pizza with 5 toppings, a can of pepsi and tip is $ 17.
I’m not awarding 5 stars because I found the prices a tiny steep, but I guess the portion sizes balance that out. Overall, you must try this staple of Pleasant St!

I’ve been hearing my co-​worker rave about Johns Lunch for about 6 years (I’m not kidding) so when my partner suggested going there for a lunch Saturday afternoon I was so game!
We arrived between 11 – 11:30am and ordered take-​out, we wanted to have a picnic in the park! We received our food fairly quick;y. We both got the scallops and haddock tips (me with fries, him without!) Because he didn’t get any fries, he got extra scallops and haddock — score!
He didn’t miss out on the fries anyway; they were obviously made from frozen. When he asked what I thought of them I replied — they’re average, and they were.
You and certainly given a big portion of food. The scallops had me saying ‘Mmmmm’ with every bite and the haddock tips were battered and seasoned perfectly as well. But, I was left feeling disappointed about two things. 1. They don’t make their own fries and 2. They don’t make their own tartar sauce!
I would have totally let the fry thing slide if they made their own tartar — or at least didn’t give me little packages of it.
This place has a great word-​of-​mouth reputation, but, my guess is it use to be better… back in the day?

I have been the many times over the past 20 years. Food always consistent. Takes fried seafood to the next level. The place is a hole in the wall, but don’t let that stop you from experiencing the best I’ve had ever anywhere.
One time I went there as a teen with my father and there was a crew there filming a documentary for Martha Stewart! What does that tell you. I must add I have a palette for fine food, both parents cooked professionally.