John's Place Restaurant

We stumbled upon this spot for brunch and were absolutely blown away. Everything we ordered was incredibly tasty—from the first bite to the last. Huge portions that had us happily full (and maybe a little smug about skipping lunch). Great flavors, cozy atmosphere, and a menu that delivers. Loved every minute of it! The restroom was clean, which we appreciated, but felt a bit outdated. A little renovation could elevate the overall experience even more. Still, we’d definitely come back!

We have never been a huge fan of heavy breakfast or brunch as we have tried a couple highly reviewed restaurants before and rarely enjoyed any of them. John's place is special. From the moment we arrived to the restaurant, the vibe was awesome! The food was great. Every thing we got was so tasty and the portion was huge. It was so good that we had to visit back to back in our short trip. The place is child friendly as well. There is crayon and menu for kids to draw on.

John’s Place is THE place. It has old school vibes where the walls are absolute plastered with souvenirs, memorabilia and assorted pop culture history. It’s a bit of a blend between a well-lit friendly neighborhood bar and a clean version of your grandparents garage. The people are kind, the service is quick, the menu is no frills and the servings are MASSIVE. The pancake was bigger than a dinner plate at other restaurants. And they don’t sacrifice quality for the quantity. This is a great spot with real personality. We would definitely come back.

Holy cow - amazing find for interesting and classic breakfast and lunch choices. Apparently featured on a TV show and for good reason. Meatloaf and Eggs? Yes please. Coffee is great too!

Such a cheerful and welcoming brunch spot! The owner is always so warm and friendly, which makes every visit extra special. This time, I had the veggie frittata, and it was absolutely delicious! I also tried their homemade cherry pie—so good! It had the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. It had been a while since my last visit, but I was just as happy this time. Can’t wait to come back again!

We had the absolute best service from Paris today! I noticed her beautiful smile as we waited out front this morning and saw how busy and well organized she was and always smiling to her customers. Brunch was out of this world delicious. Best waffles with decadent maple cream cheese. Nice fresh fruit garnish. Eggs perfectly cooked. Great Americano. A fantastic place to enjoy a great meal and outstanding service.

I only try to write good reviews, and this is just to help travellers to manage their expectations ☺️ This is a solid 3.5 star spot! We had a quick stop in Victoria and chose this place based on the google reviews. This is an old establishment with some fun history if you enjoy historical dinners. The food was quite average and not tasty. We ordered a Florentine Benny and it was a unflavoured watery spinach served with quite tasteless eggs. We also got chicken Shawarma which was chicken,but nothing to do with Chicken shawarma which is a specific type of cook. The barley and beef soup was just some barley and meet in some broth and tasted like canned soup at best.

Loved the atmosphere inside and all the waiters were extremely friendly! I ordered the catch 22 and I had slightly higher expectations for the food considering all the great reviews. I did find the platter a bit sparse and dry. A small garnish or some fruit on the side would have really brightened it up and added a nice balance..my friend ordered the odd couple and that one came with a lot more fruit for some reason

Great community feeling, busy but worth the wait. We loved it so much we ate 5 of 7 mornings during our vacation.

We came on New Year's Day expecting there would be a line at 9am because every time we pass by this place it's packed and ppl are waiting. I guess New Year's morning people were sleeping in... but while we were finishing our meal, the tables got pretty packed quickly. Ordered a full salmon Bennie and also the senior portion of the meatloaf. It's soooooo juicy and with the gravy it tastes like the comfort of home. The eggs Benedict was so good. As a protip we ordered all the sauces on the side (mushroom gravy for meatloaf, hollandaise sauce for eggs). I like to control the amount of sauce I have with each bite and it made my meal very pleasant. Overall would for sure dine in again! Great fun vibe and we got to see John's collection close up - we sat next to the autographed photo of the friends cast! Even gave us fancy cups with lemon when we wanted hot water. service was amazing especially for a diner! Would gladly dine here again!!!

Victoria is known as the brunch capital of Canada. We were able to squeeze in some brunch here. Street parking is available. We went on a late morning Monday weekday and there was no wait. Inside the walls are lined with pictures and memorabilia. It really gives you that casual diner vibe that's comforting for a homey meal. The servers are nice and in good spirits. They're engaging and do a great job of checking on you. We ordered the "BAT OUT OF HELL" MEATLOAF 'N' EGGS That order alone was enough to feed the two of USA Two slices of Southwestern meatloaf made from ground beef and pork with mushroom Marsala gravy and two FREE RUN eggs any style. Served with your choice of toast, English muffin, sesame bagel or house made savoury cornbread and your choice of seasoned home fries or fresh tomato, or grilled tomatoes

Visited this location again this month to find that the food quality has gone down, but still had a pleasant experience here. Came in for a milestone birthday breakfast and was told by the host we could order breakfast or lunch. I got the Polish breakfast which was a mix of eggs with pierogies, sausage and green onion with fried potatoes and choice of a bread - got the sesame bagel. The eggs were all right, half of the potatoes were hard as a rock and the bagel seemed like it was toward the end of its life. Fresh cream cheese was good. Friend had an omelet with the same rock hard potatoes and an English muffin. Everyone but us was served bread, so we asked for some. It never arrived. When the server came with the check, I asked if I could buy a loaf of bread. I was given a loaf for free, which was really kind, and they wouldn't let me pay for it. I told them that I had strong memories of how good it was when I was here before in 2011. Welp, we were both so sad to see that it was hard and plain white bread without much taste. Still appreciate the gesture for sure.

Service was great: the food came out hot and quick. Typical old diner food as you would expect. Filling and good coffee refilled consistently.

I only wish I could give this place six stars. This is a perfect breakfast spot in downtown Victoria. My wife and I had breakfast here this morning, a Saturday. Around 9 am. It was busy but we lucked out and got a table. The space is cramped with tables and memorabilia from sport stars and movie/TV stars. One local, a regular, said Ching and Ching were there not too long ago. We had the meat lovers hash with Hollandaise sauce. It was awesome. The cornbread was delicious and we got a side of fruit which was fresh. The coffee was excellent with plenty of folks coming by to top it off. Our waitress was awesome and she recommended, and I obliged, to get a piece of strawberry rhubarb pie to go. Which is delicious. Go here. Run!

Review Template === 1. VERDICT/VALUE So John's may not have the top food quality of other establishments, but it's not competing on that front. As far as greasy spoons go: this is one of the joints that was featured on TV (Food Network) and it does not disappoint with value and decor! === 2. FOOD "Bat Out of Hell" Meatloaf & Eggs ($20): Beef and pork meatloaf covered with mushroom sauce with two eggs your way and a choice of starch - great option! Blueberry Lemon Zinger Pancakes ($18): Only available during special or holiday weekends - you get two of these with cream cheese or maple syrup - a delight! Vlady's Frittata ($19): It looks more like a personal-sized thin crust pizza: eggs, tomatoes, onions, sausage, and cheese, along with a choice of starch - not bad! Coffee seemed to be included (or they missed billing us). === 3. SERVICE A lady who seemed to be in charge served us and she was great. We could tell she was pressed for time to get tables (including ours) turned over for a the many waiting guests; however, she was always patient with us and our little one, answering all of our questions (including the history of the place - look for John in some of the pictures!). === 4. ENVIRONMENT It's older, a little dimmer, and really meant to feel like an old cozy spot to enjoy heart-warming (or heart-stopping?! ;) ) meals - the walls are adorned with sports memorabilia / photos. Groups of 4 or less are ideal; you could get a larger group up to 6 perhaps. Not sure I would want to bring Mom in her wheelchair or our baby stroller in here - not much space. Parking is also a crap shoot - it's either metered street parking or a parking garage nearby for your chariot!

Really great service Really good food Pancakes were a little small Maybe order two .........................

We decided to try John's Place for brunch. It's a few doors down from Nubo Japanese Tapas and ENe Raw Food and Sake Bar. We dropped in on a packed Monday (11:00am). Go inside to put your name on the waitlist. We waited about 25 minutes for a table. Service was terrible; we had the unfortunate luck of getting a server in trainee. We waited 20 minutes to order and another 30 minutes to pay, after asking for the bill twice. The servers don't work together, instead ignoring customers that aren't part of their section. We were given the lunch menu (on weekdays, the brunch menu switches out at 11:30am). We had to ask if we could order off the brunch menu. - Bread - they brought out a basket on the house for the wait. - Café latte ($5.50 double) - at least they don't charge extra for oat milk. Standard latte. - Catch 22 ($18.00) - B opted for the gluten free waffle and half classic benny. She subbed for a gluten free bun ($1.50). They charged full price for the bun, even though it was a half order. Waffle was excellent; fluffy inside, crispy outside. The house made cheese syrup was okay. Benny was standard. - Cloudy with a chance of meatloaf ($19.00) - carrots weren't cooked enough. Grilled onions didn't have any flavour. Mashed potatoes were bland. Meatloaf was tasty and the sauce wasn't too rich. Can't get over how brutal the service was at JP. Never coming back.

The food was good, nothing too crazy though. The ambiance was nice and so was the service. I would go there a second time, but I don't know that it's a place that would come to mind first to recommend to someone that was inquiring.

First time in Victoria BC and I had the best brunch experience at John's! I can't explain how amazing their eggs bennys were. The roasted tomatoes on the sides I love so much! Don't miss it when you go on your trip to Victoria!

Crazy busy. Long wait, almost an hour. Crazy tight seating inside. Really tight. So tight the server's butt will skim you. Crazy wall to wall of celebrity yesteryear photos. And while you look around you see others looking around too which makes a strange scene of folks turning heads. The hostess ~ awesome. Young person with such poise & professionalism. Impressed. Service ~ A bit busy tone. Pushy to order add-ons and giving hints of regretfulness when declining the suggestions. Really pressured by the server with her repeat question if we are finished yet. One time we had food in our mouth. Yeah there is a line of folks waiting, but we are each bite until we cleaned our plates for this $60 breakfast for two. Heavy, creamy, sweet, salty. All delish.

This is the second time me and my husband have gone to this restaurant since coming to Victoria. We had forgotten about it however, when checking in with the hotel staff, they recommended this café as it was a place that had a great bunch. This restaurant is about 5 to 10 minutes from most of the hotels near the Victoria BC Harbor . The exterior of the building is very unassuming, and you would never know by the sign that it has excellent food. There are all kinds of photos of sports stars, television stars, actors in paintings of the local area all over the walls. It's got a special kind a need for the area. We had been up since very early in the morning and had already eaten breakfast, but was looking for something in between breakfast and lunch. The thing I remember most about this restaurant was how fresh the eggs were, and how orange the yolks appeared. Having raise chickens in my past, in order to get yolks like that, they're typically from a open range scenario for the chicken and they get to eat pretty much whatever they can get a hold of. That being said, it creates a wonderful tasting egg, and you'll never go back to eating regular eggs again. I ordered the 222 which included a Belgian waffle, a choice of sausage, bacon, ham, or Italian, turkey sausage and two eggs. My choice was link, sausage and eggs over easy when the waitress brought the dish over and included a hey beautiful Belgian waffle to link sausages to eggs served with cream, cheese syrup and fresh butter. My husband had a Classic eggs Benedict. He describes the hollandaise sauce as homemade and fresh eggs were poached to perfection. The ham and English muffins was fresh. There were home fries on the side. The food came out very quickly. The waitress was awesome. The was excellent. The Belgian waffle had a crispy texture to it, and after you've put the butter and the cream cheese syrup on there, there's nothing like it. The eggs were so fresh and so flavorful no leftovers were coming back to the hotel with us. I highly recommend this café if you're looking for a quick awesome breakfast, check them out .

great casual diner for breakfast/brunch. we put our name on the waitlist for a party of four, around 11:55 am on tuesday and was told it was going to take about half an hour, so we checked out the thrift stores. nearby. john's place is covered with photos of sport teams, banners, celebrities, and caricatures. we ordered and enjoyed the southwest tofu hash for vegans, john's free run traditional breakfast, belgian waffles and half an order of the eggs veggie benny with grilled tomato, avocado and savoury potato pancake. the hollandaise sauce was rich and creamy, and the seasoned home fries were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. we thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast and felt satiated.

I do not know which is cooler, the ginormous menu, the friendly wait staff or the plethora of posters, pictures and albums covering the walls. So much to look at and enjoy. I know the first thing to talk about is the break fast and boy have we done breakfast in Victoria. John's Place is cookin'. We all chose different menu items. A very large buttermilk pancake, a fruit and cottage cheese plate that came with delicious warm banana bread, and lastly a veggie omelette. Large portions but our plates were cleaned! Just excellent service, fun music. We will be back.

The food is great! We ordered the eggs benedict and chicken and waffles. Flavors were about average you find anywhere, nothing special. Their menu has a wide variety of breakfast food and burgers. The atmosphere is nice, has a ton of memorabilia on the walls. The hostess was nice and sweet, but our waitress was completely rude! She rushed the ordering and her comments were not pleasant. I know they were busy, but I always say it, if you cannot handle the stress, then get a new job! She is the person that makes or breaks the business because she deals with the customers. Because of her, this place will get a bad review. However, I witnessed her later, and such a big change of attitude when she was less stressed.

Ok let me start with it's Sunday around 10:30 and there was a crowd outside waiting to hear their name called. I put my name on the list, and I have to say the wait wasn't bad, maybe 30 minutes. I'm told if you do t like waiting you should come after 11:00. Or maybe during the week. I didn't mind the wait, and everyone was really nice and thanked us for waiting. Once seated the service was great, friendly, and our food came without to long a wait which surprised me considering how busy they were. The atmosphere is really fun with the alls covered with pictures of famous people. Great music playing in the background. But let's talk food. I got one of their specials with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. The hollandaise was the best I've had. And the poached eggs, OMG!!! Whoever is cooking their poached eggs is masterful. Beautiful pouches with a firm white and a yolk, that when I pierced it, it burst open and let the yolk flow out. Never have I had such a perfectly cooked pouched egg. I almost cried.

After a 5.15am ferry ride our first stop was John's place for an early breakfast. Almost every inch of the walls are covered with photos flags and other memorabilia. The staff is very friendly. When asked about the ingredients in the veggie patty we were also shown a book written by hand which had all the ingredients listed out! I got the classic eggs benny and swapped english muffin for potato pancakes. Love that there was plenty of side salad. Got the lavender latte good taste but temperature wasn't as hot and it got cold pretty quick. The show stealer of the day was the cream cheese sauce that came with the waffles. We spent a good amount of time trying to figure out the ingredients!

We always come back here every visit and it's always delicious! The classic Benny, pancake, and home fries. My husband had the corned beef hash. Recommend everything as we've never had a bad meal. So glad to see the servers and crew. They always take great care of us!

You definitely gotta eat here! John Catucci is right about John's Place Restaurant. Upon entering the restaurant I was in awe with all the pictures on the wall of celebrities and family of John. We knew this diner has a special history which I can tell why local patrons keep coming back. The menu is extensive; it was hard to decide what to order. We had: - The Belgian Waffle - as seen on "You Gotta Eat Here!" - The "Odd Couple" - The Classic Eggs Benny (1984) - as seen on "You Gotta Eat Here!" added cornbread - Omelette special for the day Generous portion and the flavours are outstanding. We were so full we needed to walk it out. The staff was so attentive and great. We will definitely come back again to try out other dishes. You gotta eat here again and again.

I don't think I could say enough good things about John's Place. Awesome atmosphere with all the photos on the walls, fantastic service and somehow the very nice lady knew exactly what we wanted! Food was wonderful and I won't need to eat again until tomorrow!!! If you are in Victoria, hungry, give John's place a try, you will not be sorry

10/10 recommend tastes as good as it looks. For as busy as the restauraunt was service was EXCELLENT. Constantly had servers asking me if I needed more water and coffee. Didn't feel neglected at all. Will be coming back here next time I'm in victoria

Good food But not the best place around its to simple Service is nice and everyone in the area is so nice

We love this place for breakfast in Victoria! We have visited multiple times and have never been disappointed. The staff are friendly and fun, and every time we come there is a line - worth the wait! This time I had the Polish frittata and it was my favorite breakfast there yet. The menu is extensive and you can design your own omelette too. Make sure to order their homemade cornbread. Delicious!

Very cool place with a great atmosphere. Both our breakfasts were great. Seems to be a local hangout which I like and not a tourist trap. They actually brought us bread to start! Nobody does that anymore! Friendly employees. Prices are better than other places around. What's not to like?

Love love love this place. A staple and a must for my visitors. Have yet to have a bad meal, bad service or messy story. Atmosphere is so much fun with the wall plastered with photos & memorabilia

Great breakfast place in Victoria and not a far walk from the harbor. Our server was sweet and friendly. Food was delicious. Who new cream cheese syrup would taste so dang good! My SIL was super happy about the GF options.

I had the huevos ranchers, and it definitely earned my "big yum" award. Service from our beautiful server Mattie was top drawer as well. Highly recommend!

This one is our go-to for out of town visitors as well as regular dining when we just need some comfort and warmth. The specials sheet is always varied and incredibly creative, and of course we both have our own favourites off the extensive regular menu. The variety of delicious bottomless soups and freshly baked herb bread keep me coming back, and I have never imagined a simple pancake could have so many mouth-watering variations as they are presented here...Lemon Zinger Blueberry Pecan?...lets go!!!!

This is one of the best brunches I have ever had. It was definitely quality ingredients and freshly cooked food. This is not a greasy diner - the food is wholesome and satisfying, without relying on massive portions or oil. The meatloaf was delicious, I definitely recommend them with grilled tomatoes. The waffle was light and buttery, and paired well with their housemade cream cheese syrup. This place is a must try!

What a disappointment. With all the raving reviews, we had such high hopes. Showing up just as the doors opened, we still had to wait until they filled our entire section of the restaurant before an annoyed server took our order. It seemed they were short staffed, which quickly led to a big crowd in the small waiting area, while the majority of the tables were empty. The place is old. The walls are covered in photos and memorabilia, none of it recent. If that's your jam, this is the place for you. The coffee is... well... brown and wet. Everything was so bland and uninspired. The eggs Benedict (with turkey sausage) were cooked fine, but the hollandaise sauce was truly flavorless. So was the sausage. So were the country potatoes. Everything had to be augmented with salt, ketchup or hot sauce. The waffle plate with bacon (two thin strips bordering on transparent) were along the same flavorless vein. . The star is for the waffle and waffle only, though be sure to stir the frosting they give with the waffle. Mine came out in a big gloop. For a million times better breakfast experience, grab a hot and fresh breakfast sandwich at Hey Happy coffee shop a few blocks down. It was AMAZING.

Kudos to variety of breakfast entrees and the many photos and characteures on the wall...I can see why this place is popular, but the omelettes were over cooked. Both mine and my husband's were dry. We both got a custom one,,,mine with homemade meatloaf and cheddar cheese and his with feta, spinach, and cheese. I got home made cornbread which was not as good as the sourdough toast with butter. I had side of crispy potatoes, which were generous, and he had tomatoes. My daughter had fruit salad off kid's menu which looked great!

Food was great as to be expected with a reputable diner. Where I have an issue and this is entirely our fault, we ended up order a "deconstructed" large breakfast. This is only because we started by ordering a smaller breakfast, then adding the parts as my partner and I, usually share one large breakfast dish. Our waitress could've taken the initiative to advise us but she didn't. What should've cost us in the low $30's ended up at almost $50 with tip. I'm not trying to be a cheapskate here, just pointing out that you should be mindful in your ordering process.

I came to John's in the morning for breakfast while visiting Victoria for a couple of days, since it was only a short walk from our hotel. Man, the french toast blew my mind! Glad the serving portion was well-sized. Luckily we chose a good time of day too, since it seemed like it could get pretty busy. I didn't mind the wait for the food, as it wasn't terribly long. If I could, I would love to eat here again :]

John's Place is as wonderful as ever! The gluten free selections are great and the Eggs benedict especially so. Wonderful staff, John and his son still run it, and run it well! Expect a wait to get in, but it's well worth the wait to experience eating here and a food haven for the gluten free!

I saw postings online mentioning how great John's place was. When we arrived, we were seated right away. We ordered our drinks right away and food about 10 minutes after. Our drinks didn't come until 30 minutes of being there and then another 25 minutes for our food to come. The food was not bad, but the service was horrible which did not make the food as enjoyable. There were people who came AFTER us, who received drinks and food before us or at the same time as us. We will not be coming here again and recommending to others.

Came back for my long awaited return to John's place and was not disappointed, food is great. Their specials were very good. Service was great as always, and the atmosphere is always aweosme. Can't wait till my next return.

Very friendly service food was decenthanks, large portions. Fresh bread is always a hit! It was nice. They had some vegan options. I don't always eat bacon but sometimes I just want something a little cleaner. So that was nice. The tofu is very good

This place us just straight up legend. Amazing ambiance. Great food ridiculously large portion sizes, unique offerings are what make this place truly one of a kind. It's hard so say anything about this place that has not already been said. Featured on "You gotta Eat Here" the word is definitely out on this legacy location in the heart of Victoria. I am happy to say it has only gotten better since my time in university 20 years ago.

This was the last place I dined at before leaving Victoria. Friends and I had a great brunching experience here. It's like they knew where to take me, cause the food kept me full until my next journey into the US.. From the wait staff, to service and food, everything was incredible! Even their pies were delicious!

This place is a great hole in the wall. The Valentino (smoked salmon eggs Benedict) was so good I forgot to take a picture. The chicken and fries are great as well. Would recommend this place for a breakfast or lunch.

Haven't been lately, but was great in the past: good food/great service! Had a tough time choosing what to order but was delicious!

The service was great: casual, friendly and kind all while being prompt. Likewise, the food was good too. You have the option of getting three pancakes for a very good price ($14), making it an excellent choice for brunch. However, I went for their Belgian waffle which was lighter, along with bacon and eggs. I would recommend this restaurant for its good pricing, but also for its relaxed nature and personality which you would hardly find elsewhere.

Nice staff, interesting place. Good food, big enough serving. I recommend their homemade cornbread. Their poached egg is cooked just right!!!

Food was great, and this was probably the best caramel iced coffee I've ever had. Service was very friendly and felt like a ma and pa joint which was refreshing! Restaurant is decorated with tons of signed photos and cool things which helped with that home feel. Definitely worth a visit!

Absolutely delicious, our group tried the polish frittata ( pictured) pierogies and omelet, the pancakes, and and corned beef hash, all good. And my toddler loved his little eggs and bacon plate as well.

Oat milk, gluten-free, and veggie options. The service was quick and they offer a " catch 22, which has both a waffle and Benedict together!

A disappointing breakfast, with chipper service and mediocre food/ coffee. The decor is fun, though.

The place was busy on Sunday morning but we got there before a big lineup outside. The coffee was good and refills were fast. The cups were tiny though- maybe four or five ounces (120 ml). We waited an unduly long time for our meal and I suspected someone else had gotten our order. Anyway o went for the waffle Benny gluten free combo and it was delicious. The egg had a bright orange yolk and the cultured butter was heavenly on the waffle. It came to the table hot. It was a perfect breakfast. The two people who were in the table next to us were asked to move as we finished eating as they we're combining our two for 5 settings. I would have been annoyed but the customers moved without complaint. As we were paying the bill, the waitress snatched away my last half cup (1/4 cup) of coffee which I would have drank if she'd left it. It seemed we waited a long time to be fed, and then they couldn't get rid of us fast enough. Aside from this it was excellent.