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This property has identified as Women-owned.
About
We are a small family-run diner specializing in fresh deep-fried seafood, Fish & Chips, tasty diner meals, homemade burgers, sandwiches and amazing pizza. Our fish has won "Best In Canada" by Canadian Living Magazine as well as 'Gold Awards' from The Coast Halifax for Best Seafood, Best Fish and Best Diner and multiple tripadvisor "Certificate of Excellence" awards. Come visit the one and only "JOHN'S LUNCH" and be a part of our family! Like our Facebook page to catch our updates!
PRICE RANGE
US$4 - US$18
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
CUISINES
Pizza, Seafood, Diner, Canadian
FEATURES
Outdoor Seating, Highchairs Available, Takeout, Parking Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Digital Payments, Accepts Credit Cards, Free off-street parking, Non-smoking restaurants, Gift Cards Available
Reviews (764)
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759 results
Traveller rating
457
182
58
35
27
Traveller type
Time of year
LanguageEnglish
Traveller rating
457
182
58
35
27
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All reviews clams seafood fries haddock fish n chips pizza the east coast large portions halifax johns canada ferry takeout gravy
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Reviewed October 8, 2023

By the time you read this review, John's Lunch may have closed! Sad..an institution in the greater Halifax area for 60 years. Great haddock and chips fairly priced. Indoor and outdoor seating...I did the latter and chatted with a group of locals who were making...what they imagined to be their final visit.More

Date of visit: September 2023
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 25, 2023

Such a disappointment! I’ve been coming to Johns Lunch since I was a kid and now that I don’t live in NS anymore it has always been in my top three things to do while I’m home. Family, the ocean and visit John’s Lunch for...clams. I hadn’t been home in a few years and I’m not sure if ownership has changed but the clams were overdone, soggy and they were definitely not fresh- I’m pretty sure they had been frozen. Not the plump, juicy deep fried clams that they used to serve. I won’t be going back and it’s sad because it has been a family tradition for many years.More

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed July 31, 2023 via mobile

I never write reviews but I felt like I had too! Omg it was the worst food ever!! I ordered fried clams, and when I put one in my mouth, I had to spit it back out.will never go again. I much say the staff...was very pleasant.More

Date of visit: July 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed July 3, 2023 via mobile

Ordered clams and fries. Don’t let the appearance stop you, it has been here for a long time and it shows. Two visits this year first visits in over 30 years. Neither meal disappointed. Nice light batter on clams. If you like fried clams, John’s...Lunch is well worth your visit.More

Date of visit: July 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed July 1, 2023

We all had the fish and chips which were generous portions with homecut fries and coleslaw. We all enjoyed tremendously! Picnic tables outside

Date of visit: June 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 16, 2023

After 15 years of waiting to go I was deeply disappointed in the food. It was very greasy . The fish inside the batter was good though. I had the Calamari and it was so greasy and fishy tasting not enjoyable at all and the...batter fell off it and was in a grease pile in the take out container. I spent $110 in a cab to get there and will never eat there again:((More

Date of visit: June 2023
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed February 12, 2023 via mobile

Good fish and chips. Very large pieces of fish. A little disappointed, the tartar sauce wasn’t home made. I will say hard to imagine being hungry enough to eat a three piece fish meal. While very good, the fish was, for my taste, a little...heavy on the batter. I have eaten the clams and chips here a few times and they are always great.More

Date of visit: February 2023
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed January 16, 2023

Stopped by for a take out pizza after going to the old car cruise in next door. Pizza was hot & very tasty- better than most!

Date of visit: June 2022
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed October 27, 2022 via mobile

After reading the other reviews and I was really excited to try this local restaurant. I wanted good, fresh fish and chips on a quick trip to the East Coast. Unfortunately the take away was very disappointing. I get that it is difficult to serve...food piping hot with take out, but not only was the fish and chips room temperature, the chips were undercooked and tasted like raw potatoes. The fish was okay, a nice large block, but overcooked and dry. The final disappointment, both orders arrived with no tartar sauce. Tartar sauce was not listed as an extra on the menu, so why wasn’t it included? Hoping I just got a bad night, but I won’t bother trying again on future trips, there are too many wonderful restaurants in Halifax/Dartmouth to waste another meal here.More

Date of visit: October 2022
Helpful?5  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed October 6, 2022 via mobile

Great diner with the best deep fried seafood you’ll ever have. The clams are to die for. Large portions, expect to pay $30/person. A staple of Dartmouth. Everyone should go.

Date of visit: November 2021
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed September 7, 2022

There's a reason this place has been so popular for so many years. We stopped here during our recent visit to the area for dinner. My wife had the fish and chips, which she said were excellent. I had the clubhouse platter, which was also...very good. Decent prices, friendly staff and always good quality. Right now they are only offering take out service, so my wife and I just ended up eating in our car. A really awesome restaurant where you can get some excellent diner food.More

Date of visit: September 2022
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 21, 2022 via mobile

Came here based on a local's recomendation who raved about this place. Was also inspired to eat here after seeing that it had been voted best fish and chips several times. Weirdly, I didn't find the food to be anything special, as it was comparable...to what I can find in countless other places. Maybe I was having an off day, given that many people have positive views of this eatery. However, my experience was that the food was average.More

Date of visit: August 2022
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 8, 2022

Without a doubt, the best fish and chips ever !!!! The haddock tips were out of this world also !!!!

Date of visit: August 2022
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed July 31, 2022

I visited here with my husband and 4-year-old. My husband and I shared the seafood platter with scallops, haddock tips & shrimp. Everything was delicious. My daughter had the haddock tips kid's meal and loved it. You could easily order the kid's meal and be...plenty full! We sat at the restaurant on a picnic table outside. The food was awesome and really reasonably priced. I recommend.More

Date of visit: July 2022
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed July 19, 2022

Been five years since my first visit and no disappointments this visit. My wife and I had the Sea Food Platter and it was a beauty to dive into! So fresh! Staff were terrific and called out the walk up window to make sure all...was good with our order! I even got a Johns Lunch mug to take back to Ontario with me!! Look forward to another visit someday!More

Date of visit: April 2022
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Questions & Answers
Ask a question
HarvMontreal
September 15, 2022|
Answer
Response from anonymousintheknow | Property representative |
At the moment, we are still serving takeout only. There is sidewalk access to the front of the building to order and pick up. Once we open fully again though, there is a small ramp into a rather small and congested diner... More
0
Votes
Connector784149
August 25, 2018|
AnswerShow all 9 answers
Response from B S | Reviewed this property |
Also have seating
0
Votes
CC C
April 5, 2017|
AnswerShow all 13 answers
Response from irenebM3348DH | Property representative |
Our location has not changed we are still by the Woodside Ferry. Can't wait to see you in September!
0
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JOHN'S LUNCH, Dartmouth - Updated 2023 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about John's Lunch

Yes, John's Lunch offers takeaway services.

John's Lunch is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4.5
  • Atmosphere: 4