Java Jack's Restaurant & Gallery

The restaurant is located at a beautiful spot and offers some amazing views. We went to this resturaunt for their dinner time which begins serving at 5 PM. Before that, they are closed and usually only accept reservations for dinner (can be done through the website). Food was good, however, super over priced for the amount that you’re getting. For example, the mussels (categorized under Starters) were $16 and the portion was HUGE. However when we got the main popular dish - “seafood bubbly bake” which when asked, we were told by the server that it was “huge” and that 2 people can definitely share it, was super small in comparison. The food is delicious and fresh, however, the portion and price did not make sense to me at all. If given the choice again, I would probably dine at a different place.

Came here for dinner after hearing good things about this restaurant. I don’t know if it was an off night, but aside from the seafood chowder, I can best describe everything else as being aggressively bland tasting. Very little (or boring) flavours across the board. It was an extremely surprising dining experience. All that aside, the service was great with a comfortable dining atmosphere.

This is the best food that we’ve had in Rocky Harbour. We regret not visiting Java Jacks sooner in our visit as we’d have kept coming back for the duration of our stay. The Moose En Croute dish was incredible. The pesto mussels were fantastic and the Irish soda bread was a great extra. Service was impeccable. The young man was very attentive, accommodated us with no reservation and was helpful when we were deciding on which menu items to order. Highly recommend Java Jacks!!

The food here is amazing! If you are just by Rocky Harbour, come here for dinner! Seafood is so fresh, tasty and delicious! We ordered the seafood bake, cod, scallops and mussels. Everything was 100%!

We stopped here for lunch in our way north, good thing we did, the food was delicious. We ordered the seafood chowder, the mussels and a garden salad. The chowder was the best I’ve had, I would say ever, with chunky pieces of fish and seafood, perfectly seasoned. Loved it. The mussels were in a pesto sauce, very unique and tasted perfect. The only comment is that wish it came with a plain dinner roll or a piece of bread. The service is excellent, and prompt. The restaurant is so cozy, very clean and beautifully decorated.

I had the seafood bake with was pretty good but very overpriced at and my wife had the cod which look oddly squarish and was very bland (kinda small)...I would not recommend as the sign indicate...the waitress seemed put off and not receptive...a little bit disappointed on 1st day in NL...

This was a fantastic place to eat. The decor was adorable, the service quick and our server was just lovely. I had the cod au gratin and will be thinking about it for a long time! Absolutely delicious! Oh and it was reasonably priced, especially when compared to other restaurants in the area.

What a gem! We had such a wonderful experience at JavaJax. The homemade food was not only absolutely delicious, but there were plenty of great gluten-free options—which we really appreciated! We especially loved the seafood chowder, and the moose stew with the biscuit on top. Everything was rich in flavor and clearly made with care. What made the visit even more special was chatting with the owner. She’s incredibly hardworking and genuinely cares about every customer, especially those of us who need gluten-free choices. You can feel the love and personal touch in every dish. Highly recommend stopping here—you’ll be well-fed and warmly welcomed.

+.5 for service Passed by this restaurant on my way back to the hotel and saw the recommendation from The Lonely Planet, so my family decided to give it a try. The restaurant was inside this cool little house that looks like it was converted. Dinner menu options were quite good, with options ranging from seafood to rabbit. I had the seafood chowder to start, followed by the cod. My dad also ordered the lobster linguine tutto mare, so I was able to share a couple of large plates. The seafood chowder was pretty good here. I'd still give the slight edge to Buoy and Arrow though, I really loved their seafood chowder there. The cod, however, was amazing. Probably the best one I had that entire trip. The lobster tutto mare was also very good, the lobster pieces were obviously fresh from the waters nearby. Service was excellent here. Definitely worth the recommendation in my opinion.

Traveling to this area for the first time can be challenging, trying to figure out what your restaurant options are. Rocky Harbour is fairly small, and it has no chain restaurants at all. That's a good thing! We stayed three nights within a mile of this restaurant, and we tried it out first for a lunch. We split the seafood chowder and (warm) Irish soda bread, which were both amazing. I had the big garden green salad, and I can tell you that all the ingredients were so fresh it tasted like it came right out of their garden... which they actually do have onsite. The lemon garlic vinaigrette dressing was homemade, too. On top of all that, the second floor dining room has some great seats by the window overlooking the bay. The wait staff was impeccable as well. That's my review for lunch. This place was so good, we came back a night later for dinner and then followed that up with our morning of checkout by dropping in when they opened for breakfast. Dinner entrees here are simply over the top. In such a small little town, I was shocked at the freshness quality and even the presentation. For my dinner, I had the pan-seared cod. This came with tomato confit, garlic mashed potatoes, fresh seasonal grilled vegetables, and the icing on the cake... a nice slab of house-made lemon dill butter melting on top of the perfectly grilled cod. While my dish was as five-star as it gets, my wife's lobster linguine was one of the best seafood dishes I've ever tasted. See my photos! On our last trip to Java Jack's, we arrived right at opening time. Both of us had one of the amazing muffins, which we had to wait just a few minutes as they came right out of the oven. Worth the short wait! This is some of the very best brewed coffee in town, too. Get the dark roast, you won't regret it. If you are staying in Rocky Harbour for a couple of days, by all means hit this place up more than once. It was by far our favorite place in town.

Great place to grab a breakfast sandwich and coffee and then head to the beach for the view. Great service with great local tips for where to go.

Delicious! We had the seafood chowder & salted cod fish cake. First time trying Irish Soda bread & i'm hooked. Our waitress was fantastic - trying the sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Definitely coming back b/f we leave this charming town! We love NL!!

Stopped here for breakfast during our visit to Gros Morne. Food and service were great. Beautiful patio and great gift shop with reasonable prices. Regular coffee was great. Only negative was the Café Americano really wasn't good but other than that I highly recommend this place.

Best food we've had in NL. The garden salad was so fresh and well dressed. The tomato basil soup tasty. The cod was better than other places.

We enjoyed dinner here twice and for coffee and sandwiches once. All three times were wonderful. For dinner I had the lobster linguini. It is fresh and cleanly presented. It is also delicious. The cod was equally delicious. My dinner companion had the rabbit in puff pastry. For desert. Fruit crisp and vegan pavlova. It was a hit and a pleasant surprise. I would gladly dine here again

Food is over rated. Not sure what everyone else is raving about. Service: I'm sure someone else will have a different service experience but we had a different waiter touch our table twice (after a long period of waiting or with clean plates) before our actual waiter touch our table a second time after seating. Not great. Food: We ordered cod tongues, mussels, cod main and rabbit en croute. The rabbit was our favourite. It's basically a chicken pot pie but with pulled rabbit. It is definitely delicious. The cod large plate was listed as "black bean crusted" but was clearly only crusted with breadcrumbs. It came with confit tomatoes. Which were quite cold, typically anywhere else these are served to atleast room temperature. The fish was cooked fine, but didn't feel special for the price. It was placed on a bed of mashed potatoes which were bland. Felt unseasoned, if it was supposed to be plain then it's a huge disappointment for $35.50, you can atleast toss in some garlic or parsley, or any herb. Both large plates came with these vegetables that did nothing for the plate. There were these very sad, steamed veggies that detracted from the meal. Bland, felt previously frozen, definitely unseasoned and was barely warm. Honestly felt like someone reheated those precut frozen mix veggies in a bag. Cod tongues were a strange attempt of elevated cooking (see pics). They had clearly trimmed the fat off, but this leaves the tongue relatively 1 dimensional and lacking it's signature soft chew texture in contrast to the flesh portion. The crust was too salty and the sauce didn't do much for it either. At $17 you get 6 tongues. In St. John's and Petty harbor (of the four other) restaurants you'd get much more for less. Disappointing. Mussels were okay. These apparently change everyday so your mileage may vary. Although if you're reading this, I'd hope you've decided otherwise. Our mussels were cooked with a herb and spiced butter sauce. Very salty, cook was fine. Anyway, spent about $120. Left hungry for ice cream we got across the street.

It's a 3.5 star (generous 4). I came here during a trip to the Gros Morne National Park. We ordered the cod tongue and seafood chowder as appetizer. The chowder was okay but not wowed. The cod tongue was so yummy. It was my first time ever having cod tongues. It's a must try experience when you travel to Newfoundland. For the main course, I ordered a cod dish which was okay quality and I had a tart for dessert (decent but nothing too special).

Great to be back at Java Jacks after five years. Great coffee and a delightfully fresh cod fish cake. The restaurant is quite cozy and had a simple but varied menu. Lots of homemade dessert mixes, sauces, and fruit spreads.

We had breakfast, lunch and dinner here. Food was fantastic and great coffee! We had egg bagels for breakfast, chicken wraps for lunch. Rabbit en croute is so delicious! Top notch food and service! Highly recommended!

This is an excellent choice for anyone visiting the Rocky Harbour area. What makes it a five in my mind is it's broad offering of vegan and gluten free options. There are several choices of each and more that are listed as adaptable. And after a short discussion with the waitress, we discovered that there are even more options if you're willing to be flexible, like substituting rice for pasta. Of course, this alone won't make you a five. The facility is clean and nicely decorated with local art. Service is very friendly and the food is excellent. Everything has a home, rather than restaurant feel, from the tablecloths to the traditional-ish menu. A great choice for anyone, but probably the best place in town if you have any food restrictions.

A let down for me. Was told it was on the expensive side but good and worth the money. I ordered the grilled salmon with mixed veg. The salmon was a previously frozen block of meat and not fresh caught as I expected for the price. The peach glaze was nice but not exceptional and wasted on the filet that was left cooking too long. It wasn't burnt or dry, just too firm and missing the flavor of a perfectly cooked fish fillet. The carrots, string beans and peppers were of varying doneness. All in all if this restaurant had earned a good reputation that chef did not prepare my meal.

Java Jack's is great! We were a group of 9 and ordered boxed lunches for our hikes (excellent choices and delicious). We had a delicious dinner with an assorted menu with lots of choice including gluten free. We'd return again for lunches or dinner and we'd recommend the food to anyone. All the best for 2023!

3.5 stars. Got take-away. Only place in town that serves non-fried meals, so that's definitely a bonus. Food was good, although a bit bland. $60 for an appetizer salad and vegetarian meal - decent portions, but a tad on the expensive side.

Great place! Enjoyed two cold beers with our amazing entrees. The Cod, which was pan fried and served with roasted potatoes and steamed veggies, which was a nice change from deep fried fish. The Rabbit pie was also so good and flaky! Service was excellent considering we didn't have a reservation and the place was packed! Definitely book a reservation, you don't want to miss this place

The service left a lot to be desired but it was early in the season and perhaps our server needed a few days to adjust. The cod meal was excellent but the lobster linguine needed something? It was tasteless. Quantity yes, quality no. Order the cod.

Vegan lasagna, other great seafood choices. Cute interior. We were in Gros Morne National Park hiking and stayed in this small town, not expecting any fancy restaurants, but Java Jack's surprised us. This restaurant is located in a small house, so it's easy to pass by, but it's a very cozy cafe/restaurant combo. Surprisingly they also had vegan lasagna and other healthy options instead of the usual fish and chips around the area. The lasagna I had was one of the best I've ever eaten and the seafood that others ordered seemed to be good too. If you're looking for good food after a long day of hiking, this is your spot.

We visited this place because it was well reviewed online and for the most part it was a solid 3.5 star experience. The food is mainly seafood although there were some meat and vegetarian options. We started off with a bowl of the clam chowder and cod cakes. For our mains we had the cod and the lobster arrabiata. They were both solid but a little uninteresting. Overall, our meal, along with two beers was about $130 with tip. The lobster pasta itself was $38 and definitely not worth the price. The cod was $26 and also a tad overpriced. While the ambiance was nice, I probably wouldn't return because of the cost of the meal. If you do decide to come, I would recommend making reservations.

My husband found Java Jack's while our for a run in Rocky Harbour. He noticed a lot of cars there for lunch...a good sign. We weren't disappointed. He had seafood chowder, Lobster Linguini and seasonal fruit crisp topped off with a large decaf latte. Everything was excellent. The menu notes V and GF choices so I was happy. Since I wasn't hungry I had a Roasted Beet Salad with goat cheese, mixed greens, walnuts and honey-Dijon dressing and Cod Fish cakes with great Java Hack's relish. Delicious. Our server Heather was friendly and provide excellent service. She recommended the Roasted Beet Salad.. great recommendation.

Good foods and excellent services! We ordered Chef Inspired Mussels, Cod main dish, Rum cream pie which were great!

Coffee was fine, however, we couldn't get any real food! We stopped in around 11, and apparently they don't offer food from 11-12, as it's in between breakfast and lunch. The guy at the register was incompetent, as he didn't even know what a pour over was, and seemed to doubt it was on the menu when we ordered it. The lady preparing the coffee was kind enough to refer us to the Treasure Box a few doors down, which was perfect. We would have loved to try this place during our visit, but what little service we had there was disappointing.

Excellent meal at Java Jack's in Rocky Harbour. Wonderful server (daughter of the owners) and great food. The prices are a little higher but match the quality and service of the restaurant. Ordered the pork tenderloin with cranberry apple Chardonnay chutney, whipped potato-rutabaga and season vegetables. The bread to start is delicious and you must save room for their famous sticky toffee pudding! Note: the have a cafe on the first floor with take out wraps for hikes around Gros Morne. Also, scones, muffins, cookies and coffee to go!

Probably the best restaurant in town. Great menu, fresh food, cozy atmosphere, friendly staff. Reservations are a must. The cafe offers terrific wraps and bagged lunches for hikers (order and pick up the night before if you're leaving before 8:30am) and their tea and coffee is most welcome after a cool day on the trails.

Has a wonderful dinner here tonight with my sister and brother in law while on vacation in Newfoundland. It was surprisingly good. The mussels and the seafood chowder were excellent. Our main courses of cod, salmon and pork were all terrific, well prepared and beautifully served with potatoes (or rice) and fresh vegetables. Dessert was a mixed (local) berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Amazing! All of this topped off by our server, Jillian, a terrific young woman. The three of us agreed that this was a great find, and highly recommended.

We had dinner here in August 2014, and was recommended by friends. We were not disappointed. Beautiful view, delicious cod made with unique flavours and lovely service. After a long drive to Rocky Harbour, it was an oasis in Newfoundland. They have their own garden, making the flavours fresh, and the cod tasted like it was caught that morning. We feasted with our eyes too. The decor had a lovely Newfoundland charm and so did their dishes. Make sure you take it slow because that's what traveling in Gros Morne is about, and you should sample the flavours of the dishes slowly.

Java Jack's was the best meal we had in Rocky Harbour. The service was friendly and the food was good. We had the mussels, cod tongues and a salad, all of which were very tasty. The seafood chowder was on the thin side which isn't my preference. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a good meal in town!

What a great find. We drove into town after the boat tour at Western Brook Pond and got the last table for the second evening sitting without a reservation. Great service and we loved looking at all the local art on the walls while we waited for our food. We started by sharing a plate of cod tongues. They were very good with a lovely creamy sauce. My wife has never been to the island or had cod tongues so these were a good intro for her. I had the Rabbit en crute and she had the Cod. The Rabbit pie was very good although probably could have used more meat. It was seasoned beautifully and was covered with a flaky puff pastry. It came with glazed Brussel sprouts and carrots. Very yummy. My wife's cod was crusted with a black bean spice and the side was oven roasted baby potatoes which were a little underdone. All in all though a really good meal and very pleasant atmosphere.

Went there for lunch on Wed Aug 28. I got Fish cakes which were good. My son got pulled pork wrap. It was cold and dry and tasted like it was out of a vending machine. Curry dip was good. Service was fine. Avoid pulled pork wrap and you should be fine

We decided try Java Jacks today for Mother's Day lunch. The meal was delicious Very tasty and well presented. The deserts were Delicious also. Very friendly owner and staff . It was indeed a good choice go Java Jacks. We will be dining there again in the near future.

Heard good things about Java Jacks so thought we woukd give it a try. I had the pasta with lobster at market price which was $42! Pasta dish very bland, had lobster pieces and LOTS of chopped carrots, topped with lobster tail. Wasn't impressed with the lobster tail, it had a powdery texture. No sauce, just plain noodles, onion, carrots, a couple of pieces of tomato and of course some lobster. As I said absolutely no flavor. Had sticky toffee pudding for desert, just ok. Probably would not eat here again.

Excellent restaurant. This place is definitely worth a detour. Even though the restaurant was fully booked, they let us sit down in the cafe to enjoy our dinner. The food was amazing. We ordered salmon, cod and lobster pasta. The fish was incredibly fresh and the dessert which followed (sticky toffee pudding, fruit crumble and coconut sticky rice) was delicious. Our server was attentive and made sure that we always had everything that we needed. The cafe is very cozy and the walls are covered in gorgeous artwork which is for sale. There is also a shelf holding goodies to purchase such as lotions, books and preserves. Overall the experience was unforgettable and we wished we had eaten at Java Jack's every day during our visit.

Spontaneously stopped here for dinner. They do three seatings a night; it was no problem to show up a few minutes before the 5 pm seating and get a table. We had the mussels (pesto cream broth; varies by evening) and the cod, and a beet salad with unique (in a good way) dressing. Fantastic! Really friendly and courteous service. And a lot of nice local art for sale on the walls.

We ate here three times in two days. Does that tell you anything? Java Jack's is a real treat - part of the "Ohmygod-ness" of this part of the world. We were visiting Gros Morne (and Newfoundland, as well) for the first time. We were on our way to the boat tour of Western Brook Pond (HIGHLY recommended!) and my wife's Lonely Planet Guide suggested this place as somewhere to score some good sandwiches for the trip. They weren't kidding! I got a wrap that was full of (pardon my French) really yummy morsels of chicken, and stuffed with the equivalent of a wonderful mixed-green salad! How good was it? Good enough to stop there for dinner on the way back to Woody Point. My sweetie's Thai Shrimp Noodles were very flavorful, and my Bubbly Bake (forgive them the name - but if you like fresh seafood - and lots of it - covered in a light Alfredo sauce, then this is for you) was outstanding! Their dessert menu was not original, but by far the best you'll find in the area. My wife's Chocolate Torte was superb, and my Berry Crisp was the best I had in Canada. (...and that's saying something!) Yes, we did stop there AGAIN for breakfast on the way out of town the next day. Yes, we were staying at a B&B that provided breakfast, and Java Jack's was almost an hour away, but... you get the idea. If you're ever in this part of the world, you owe it to yourself to try Java Jack's. (...and say "Hi!" to Sinead for us!)

Went here while in NL on vacation for my 30th birthday dinner. Dined with family, including my 2 year old nephew. I loved everything about this place. The restaurant is colorful but not chintzy, bright and sunny, has a view of the water, and they were playing Sarah Harmer (my personal favorite) during dinner. We had made a reservation and our table for 6 was ready right away My nephew was ever so slightly cranky but the server was friendly and patient throughout, and helped us by taking his order first and his food appeared almost immediately, which made the little guy pretty happy. Even the adults in our group were admiring his tasty looking grilled cheese. For appetizers several of us ordered the smoked arctic char with potato salad. My husband is not typically adventurous with fish but loved the flavor and texture of the fish. It was served with a warm, light salad and a creamy, light dill dressing. I will dream of this dish. One of our group had the chowder which got no complaints. For our mains, we ordered cod, scallops with super yummy almond romesco, and salmon with a fruit salsa. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the tender fish and great flavors. If I had to choose just one thing I'd go back repeatedly for the arctic char appetizer! Dishes seemed to fly out of the kitchen at a great speed. We went half an hour after dinner service started, and the place was full by the end of our meal. They would not take reservations for groups less than 6, and I can see why because the place was bustling (mid-August). Would give more stars if I could!

Wonderful little restaurant. Salads were great, chowder was good, fish cake was good. Sauce for fish cake was great as was the molasses butter for the roll that came with the chowder. Service was very prompt and friendly. It was very busy at night but we could walk in at lunch. It is a small place with maybe 12 tables. Came back for dinner. Soup and special pasta is great. Wait was much longer for food - about 30 minutes for entree after the salads. Drinks and ambiance made it worthwhile. Sticky puffing with ice cream for dessert- made in the restaurant and delicious.

Went to this restaurant because it was receiving some quite complimentary reviews. Unfortunately the food was somewhat uneven in quality. The service was excellent, with very knowledgeable and helpful waitstaff. Some of the dishes, notably the cods tongue, and desserts were excellent. However, the rest of the food seemed a little lacking in flavor, or improperly seasoned. Moreover, the seafood in general was overcooked.

We just had a great dinner here. Everything was made with a thoughtful touch. The fishcakes were good and fish was seasoned just right. Great location with beautiful view of Rocky harbor.

This was one of our favorite restaurants in Newfoundland, we liked it so much we made it a point to return again when returning from St. Anthony on the northern end of the peninsula. The mussels were to-die-for, and I also really enjoyed the salad - so nice to have some healthy options while traveling! My second time dining here, I had the pork only because I'd been eating some type of fish/seafood every night for 2 weeks, and it was amazing too. Hope to go back again someday.

Our party of four had a very good lunch here recently with the exception of the truly awful Mediterranean plate. That was not tabouli. The beer choices weren't good but the food was excellent and the service outstanding. The place is tiny at lunch, upstairs was closed, so arrive early or be prepared to wait.

Very tasty food and specialty drinks. On the pricier side with most entrees being $25-30. The view of the water is great.

It's a cozy cute cafe and restaurant. They have a dinning area and a cafe. They are bumping on a Saturday night so you may want to make reservations in advance to get a table. They are self-professed fried free zone. I ordered the vegetarian lasagna with a cesar salad. It was not what I expected more deconstructed but interesting interpretation of the classic Italian dish. But it had vegetables unlike most of the other places in the town. Like most of the places we visited in Newfoundland it seemed like even when vegetables were on the menu they didn't really know what to do with them. The service was good and the staff were very friendly. Came back for breakfast another and it was satisfactory.

We arrived during full dinner rush and they very kindly still managed to find seating in their cafe for our family (with two kids). The food was excellent and the staff were very friendly.

Looking for dinner on Sunday evening and we found this little place. It was the perfect stop for dinner! Java Jack's has a very cozy and quiet dining atmosphere. Our servers were so sweet and the food was fantastic. I have a gluten allergy and the chef happily accommodated my dietary restrictions, while making my meal taste just as amazing as if I didn't need any substitutions (in fact I would order their gluten free versions even if I didn't have an allergy). I had a decadent lobster risotto (originally was linguine) and cod tongue fried with corn starch instead of flour. The desserts also looked so good but we were insanely stuffed (not an easy decision to pass on it). Highly recommend. :-)

Thumbs down. Read some good reviews and had high hopes, but just didn't care for any of the food we had for lunch. Added a star because the baked good were still warm from the oven, and tasty.

Fantastic place! They do coffees, baked goods and to-go sacks for hikers. Offers a sit down dining room as well (those entrees can be a little pricey though). The cost is absolutely worth it. They have a garden out front so you can see where the greens come from :)

We arrived between breakfast and lunch but there was still lots to pick from. They would not serve lunch but the wraps and muffins were great. Everything is made on the premises (including the curry mustard. Oh sooo good) Great lattes!! Has there own garden out front and was making their pickles as we sat there Pesto (homemade) on the wrap was excellent

I ate here based on the Frommer's guide and was disappointed. I had the $30. Lobster dish which the menu said was creamy. It was watery and boring. My $11.00 lobster pound lobster in Maine was much, much better. Perhaps I ordered the wrong thing because my friend had the scallops which he enjoyed. However, he had fish cakes at lunch which were mostly potato. A local told us to go to Jackie's(?) which had a huge menu, huge servings and was half the price. I enjoyed it much better. Try them!

This is hands down the best fish chowder I have ever had. A welcome delight after climbing Gros Morne mountain. Charming service. Not to be missed.