I have been here several times and I thought I had left a review, but I guess not! This is a spot I have been coming to for about a decade, and I was really glad to see it survived COVID. I like it because it's not pretentious, the service is warm and friendly, and the room is comfortable, although it can get pretty warm sometimes. I generally only have their oysters and their excellent fried smelts. I almost always have the fried smelts because they are so good! But I recently branched out and also tried: Lobster poutine - really delicious! Fish and chips - well done, although their tartar sauce was anemic Their tuna "BLT" - this was stellar, and totally not what I expected. We shared this amongst 4 people, and I would say that was good. The flavours are INTENSE, but so delicious. Calamari - quite nicely done Octopus - this was... good. Nothing to rave about, but proficiently made. Funny enough I don't have any photos! read more

John & Sonos Oyster House I think is your quintessential seafood bar joint with elevated food. We ordered all the oyster varieties they had. They were just okay - served room temperature. The seared yellow fin BLT was good. I also thought the shrimp cocktail was okay. Our server was very friendly but I think he was the only server that night. John & Sons is definitely a smaller restaurant, with tables centered around a main bar. read more

John & Sons Oyster House - Tuna BLT - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

AMAZING experience ! Just celebrated our sons wedding here and was blown away by the food selection and service This place is awesome!! Service was perfectly performed and food was incredible Best food and atmosphere we could have asked for. Be sure to try their calamari lettuce wraps, lobster rolls and oysters. But the tenderloin and chicken were also perfect!!!! Love this place!!!!! read more

A small but fun place! Upon entering we were greeted by a gentleman, funny and helpful throughout the night with great suggestions and stories. Our waitress was fabulous, helpful recommendations and knowledge. We ordered a myriad of appetizers and raw oysters - all were delicious. I ordered local raw oysters and they did not disappoint nor did the descriptions provided by our server on which order to eat them and how they may taste - they were spot on. The KFC Lettuce wraps were probably my favorite - so many flavors wrapped up in each bite - the crunchy calamari, gochuchang, and veggies! We opted to order the grilled octopus instead of dessert and it was beautifully cooked, soft and tender and flavorful. I can't wait to come back! read more

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Went to try their Wednesday night all night happy hour $1 oysters. Great deal in the oysters. Very up beat atmosphere although seating is a bit tight. Also tried their lobster roll but too bad could not come with fries but only with regular chips. Otherwise a nice place to hang out for drinks and oysters. read more

We had a variety of oysters, tuna tartare, bread and butter and the moules frites: all were FANTASTIC!! We enjoyed a nice bottle of white wine and appreciated the great customer service. This is a must spot when you're in Toronto. read more

Ok ok this was a shot in the dark on a Toronto evening with dozens of places to pick from but JOHN & SONS OYSTER HOUSE was our best dining experience in the city. Nothing fancy but this hidden gem had incredible service, awesome oysters, lip smacking cocktails, and super good food. When we return to Toronto, we will certainly return to John and Sons..... read more

Tiny spot, but clearly was a popular spot as it was packed and loud. Glad that we had a reservation and would strongly recommend. They did not have enough staff. We had a staff member take a starting order with us, come back 10 minutes later and started over like she hadn't greeted us yet. She owned up to having forgot to put in our order and that she was crazy busy. Later - same server asked if we were done; we confirmed, but she then never came back to check us out. We sat for another 15 mins and were one of the last patrons with them clearly closing up, that we then asked another server if we could close out. Between that, our needs were relatively covered. Outside of the service blips, the food was quality, though a somewhat limited menu. Seems this place does strong on small shareables and drinks, though the dinner entrees we had were nice presentation and taste. read more

Love everytime we come here for dinner. The hospitality is so friendly: it's a super chill place. We always call ahead to see how busy it is. Some nights it can be packed. In we really love the whole "back alley" location. I always grab a ceasar and key lime pie when we're here. Everything on the menu is amazing of course. Lately I've been enjoying the curry smelts and the moules frites most. It just hits the spot when you're craving seafood and comfort. I personally don't like chowders but everyone I've come with has been in love with their clam chowder. Highly recommend for chowder folks. Parking can be a bit tricky but the building right next door has underground parking available. It's an Impark lot with security. read more

John & Sons Oyster House - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

John & Sons has been around for a while. It's a more intimate space but the seating is comfortable. As the name implies, they have a good selection of oysters and you should definitely get some when you come here. Of the mains, I would say the lobster roll was the best. As you can see it's pretty loaded. The fries were enjoyable too, as was the rather large and fresh portion of mussels. I would recommend against ordering the risotto. Much too peppery and the texture was not quite on point. read more

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very yummy food! everything was got was a hit (clam chowder, shrimp cocktail, mussels, and oysters). let them pick the oyster for you, ours came so fresh and delicious. decor is very vibey as well. good service. read more

John & Sons Oyster House - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Finally got to go. We've been to Toronto a couple of times and it just didn't work out until now. Selection of oysters is great and when you cozy up to the bar you not only get to watch the master shucker do their thing but you also get to interact. Lobster poutine is fantastic as well. Staff (all of them) are a well oiled machine of brined perfection. read more

John & Sons Oyster House - The spicy jar is spicy...you'll know when you get here. - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I really had a taste for clam chowder. I figured I couldn't go wrong. Wow was I wrong. I got served a warm bowl of milk with some potatoes, veggies and a handful of what I assume were little neck clams. Terribly disappointing read more

Had the best time of my ten day Canada vacation here tonight. Great food, great service, and Ryan is a brilliant and hysterical host. I laughed the whole evening at his running commentary. A special place. read more

Wish I had a good photo but it didn't last long enough to take one! PROBABLY THE BEST CLAM CHOWDER IVE EVER HAD. And it's gluten free!? It didn't taste any bit different and would've never known otherwise. Delish! read more

John & Sons Oyster House - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Hidden gem! I can't believe that I've only discovered this place recently. It's a small place but very warm and welcoming. Came here twice for lunch and both times the place was completely full. Be sure to make reservations. I wasn't blown away on my first visit but I had a totally different experience on my recent visit. I got the Cioppino dish (fish stew) which was delicious. This dish alone can get me coming back over and over. Unfortunately it wasn't on the regular menu as it was an item on the lunch special. The server says that they might add this dish as a regular item during the winter. I'll definitely be calling soon to find out when this dish gets added on the menu. If not, I think that I'll just have to get them to call me weekly on the days that they have dish...that's how much I love this dish. My friends had complimented that they liked their dishes too like the tuna, grilled octopus, and lobster roll. I just can't stop thinking about the fish stew...I'm craving it right now...yum! I'll be back for sure. read more

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Date night here with wife on Saturday night. Small place, quaint atmosphere. Oysters to start great assortment, taste and presented well. Next the clam chowder. Worst choice. Small bowl maybe 4-6 oz. Thin, runny, not much flavour like someone just poured cream and some milk over boiled potatoes, celery and carrots. 1 clam in the bowl. Went for simplicity with fish and chips. Chips great shoe string style. Crispy but seriously under seasoned. Missing salt. Haddock. Clearly frozen. Crispy batter and a generous piece of fish but season the fish before you fry it. Please. That was a theme throughout the meal. Key lime pie for desert. Wasn't bad. Please has great potential, but limitations from under seasoned food will make diners not return. Overall 6/10 read more

excellent oysters in a nice atmosphere. the seafood pasta was a highlight--my wife said it was best she's ever had. clam chowder was good but not outstanding. fish and chips were well cooked and tasty. read more

Great food and excellent service Highly recommend the oyster! Need reservations. Place is very small and very unlikely you will find an empty sit. read more

Dined here just before the holidays. The food was excellent, but the service was perplexing from start to finish. We had a reservation and were seated at the corner of the bar/counter. After sitting for 10 or so the server suddenly returned and told us he had promised to seats we were in to another reservation and asked us to move to a table. After moving to the table we waited a looong time for someone to come and take our drink order. We ordered some Cava and some oysters. When the oysters finally arrived (also took a long time) they had brought us different ones than we had asked for, but as we had waited so long we just ate them. For a place that calls itself an oyster house, I was a bit surprised to find so many bits of shell in the oysters. Other than that the oysters seemed nice and fresh and I loved the interesting array of condiments, aside from the usual mignonette, lemon, and horseradish, that came with them. After that it took a really long time for someone to return to take our food order. Also a long time for them to bring back the drink menus they took away when they brought the oysters. And finally a long time for our food to arrive (notice a theme?). Tables that arrived after us somehow were served, ate, paid and left in less time. All told we were there for over two hours, just for lunch. But, service and oyster shell bits aside, the food was excellent. My husband had a cup of the clam chowder and the fish and chips, both delicious. I had the grilled octopus (perfect) and the tuna entree which consisted of seared tuna stacked with fried green tomatoes (heavenly). Though the service was a bust, I'd certainly return for the food alone. I'll just have to make sure to allocate sufficient time for the meal. read more

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We had a dozen oysters, two glasses of wine and two lobster rolls. This place is a gem! The food and service were outstanding. We visit Toronto every year so we will definitely return on a future trip. read more

John & Sons Oyster House - The lobster roll and fries - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Mmmm came here for appetizers with my company on a Thursday night. Given its fairly steep price point, I would be unlikely to come to this place and order alone. However, since we were a fairly large group, we were able to order a bunch of different small plates to share! I had to leave early, so there was only a limited amount that I was able to sample. I tried the following: Grilled Octopus Salad: This perfectly charred octopus came beautifully presented on a bed of kale, with some sort of tangy red dressing and chickpeas. The combination worked very well! The kale was very flavourful, albeit difficult to eat due to its larger size. My main complaint is that the octopus was a very small portion for its price point of $19. Soft Shell Crab: This was their special of the night, where an entire fried soft shell crab came on some lettuce. To be honest, the soft shell crab wasn't the most amazing that I've had, but it was quite flavourful and delicious. I would have preferred it crispier; the skin was a little too soft, limp, and wet. We also ordered other dishes such as the fried smelts, shrimp sliders, and KFC ssam, but alas... I had to leave before I could taste it all! I'd give this place a slightly higher rating, but I did find the service to be lacking. They're not great for large groups, as it took the server a long while to take care of us. For instance, it took them quite a long time to get an extra set of utensils, place our drink orders, etc. Come here if you're a smaller group, as the setting is quite intimate! read more

John & Sons Oyster House - Grilled octopus - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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John & Sons Oyster House is famous for its oyster collection, as well as seafood menu inspired by Asian cuisine! * Oyster platter - John & Sons has different oysters each day and they are more than happy to create a platter for tasting. We tried four different types of oysters and they come with delicious sauces! The spicy one is definitely worth a try! * Octopus - The texture of the octopus is so tender! * Lobster poutine - We liked this so much and ordered two! * Black cod - The sauce combined with mushrooms is perfect with the black cod! * KFC SSam - It's fried calamari on a bed of lettuce. * Haddock tacos - fish tacos! * Thai seafood noodle - It's spicy! With a generous portion of lobsters and shrimp on top! * Caramelized pear cheesecake - Delicious with layers of cheesecake and crumbs! * Brownie - This captures my favorite crispy edges of a newly baked brownie! read more

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The oysters were exceptionally fresh and shucked skillfully: no shell fragments, brine retained. The shrimp cocktail shrimp were plump and tender. I will definitely revisit! read more

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I came here on a rainy day with my friend who came for a visit from Japan as she likes oysters. We came here for the summerlicious and I ordered the oysters, soft shell crab. The soft shell crab was cooked just right! Not too oily and no batter, I hate battered soft shell crab and very flavourful. You get the full crab. Good portion. I haven't had soft shell crab cooked this nicely for a long time. It was worth getting soaked walking over. The oyster was ok. Small and not sweet enough. Nothing to write home about. The chocolate cake was like any chocolate cake. Again doesn't stand out. But I will definitely come back for the the soft shell crab. I loved it! read more

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Cozy, casual yet elevated seafood place. My booking using Google map's reservation booking, Resy, did not show up, yet we were able to get a table at that time. The food was delicious. My lobster roll was quite tasty. The oysters were fresh. Service and staff were grear. The key lime pie was good but very cold in the centre. I will come back again to try the other menu items. read more

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Little gem just off Bay Street with a small charming interior. Lovely and friendly staff. Real interesting menu! We ordered a 20 oysters of different varieties which were all shucked perfectly. They were delicious! Really appreciated the different flavor/sauces that were made available. I love MAH oysters! Sadly, quite pricey but I assume that's due to the location. We complimented our meal with Korean fried calamari which came in a cabbage pickle with kimchi gochujang mayo, asian greens and crispy shallots. They were delish! Lovely meal, definitely recommend. read more

John & Sons Oyster House - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Oysters were so fresh. We tried an assorted dozen from The east coast. They were the best. A little pricey but for the quality- worth it. read more

The have excellent service and food. The oysters are so good and so is the shrimp cocktail. Their fish tacos and lobster roll are both excellent. The service is really great as well. read more

Such a fun little hidden gem on a small side street in Toronto! We went for the happy hour oysters and drinks and sadly, we got there only about 40 minutes before they were planning to close. they had a sign on the door saying they were closed for a private event but the lady still let us come in with the warning they were closing early for the evening. We then learned that the construction on the street was a fake movie set - so if you guys can tell me what movie was actually being filmed in your restaurant I'll be sure to watch it and brag about how I've been there :) It's quite quaint but adorable. Friendly wait staff, quick, gave good recommendations and nice pours of a cold white wine. But the star of the show was the oysters. The amount of work that went into shucking the ones we got, the freshly grated horseradish, and ALL the sauces we could ever want. Can't wait to come back for more Happy Hour's when I'm in Toronto again! read more

John & Sons Oyster House - Amazing happy hour oysters. Wow. All the sauces, get freshly grated horseradish. All of it - so tasty! - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Came in on a Tuesday night around 5 pm to catch their happy hour oysters and drinks. Was quite quiet with only a couple of tables of customers. Restaurant is tucked away in a small alley way of Temperance street and could easily go unnoticeable. Servers were quick and efficient in starting you with your drink orders and was great at explaining the menu. First we had an order of their happy hour oysters (PEI oysters i believe..) they were great, not overly too small and was shucked great. Their oysters come with a tray of sauces, ranging from a ginger like salsa to the classic cocktail sauce. Was interesting to try all the different sauces and i love it when they have that option at any oyster restaurant (rather than just the regular tobbasco sauce, horseradish and lemon wedge). We also decided to order and share the following items: the corn and softshell crab risotto; the shrimp cake sliders and the grilled octopus. Risotto was great since they give you a large softshell crab as well. It was tasty and I thought the risotto was cooked perfectly. The grilled octopus was a little smaller in portion size and was very standard.. didn't have anything different to make it stand out and the shrimp cake sliders were good, but very very mini (i guess its because they're sliders lol). Price was also on the steeper end, but it is something you should expect when going to a seafood restaurant. Don't think I will come back for the regular meal, but would definitely come back for oysters and drinks after work during their happy hour. read more

Had a great lunch here today! I would recommend making reservations as it gets quite busy during the lunch hour. My sister and I arrived at around noon; without reservations, we were seated in an awkward area along the bar. Luckily, a table opened up and we were able to relocate. On Temperance, it's tucked in so you might have trouble finding it. I love the decor here; it's homey and cozy. I especially like the open concept where you can see oysters being shucked. As for the food, my sister and I were happy with what we ordered. The shrimp tacos are so simple yet delicious. It comes with three tacos so it's a perfect portion for sharing. The fish and chips were also great; it wasn't too heavy and it wasn't overpowered by breading of the fish. We also ordered the lobster roll (w/ salad); this was another winner. Full of lobster chunks, this sandwich was a hearty one. Lastly, I wanted to mention the service. It was excellent; staff came often to fill up our glasses and see how we were doing. Can't wait to return ! Good for: seafood, drinks, lunch/dinner read more

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On our last day in Toronto, we changed our plans and ate at this affordable oyster house on a little side street in the heart of the city. We did book reservations for lunch, so if you can, do it. The place only holds maybe 10 tables and a bar top and it was fully packed. The lunch menu is not extensive, but what they do, they do really well. Opting for a light lunch, I just munched on a crispy baguette, a dozen oysters from New Brunswick (Beau Soliel), a creamy clam chowder and sipped a crisp white wine. Hubs had a delicious lobster roll, which he could not stop talking about all afternoon. I noticed that in this extremely boisterous restaurant that all the workers smiled and greeted customers like they were family- even us, whI've never been so glad to have a change of plans... Jon & Sons put a smile on this weary traveler's face. read more

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I came here on Wednesday after work. This gem is hidden on Temperance Street. When my friend and I walked in, we were quickly greeted and sat down in the back. The place was very charming and small. I was surprised to see how busy it got. From 3pm - 6pm during the weekdays, they have Buck a shuck oysters. In reality, they were $1.50 and pretty teeny but still very delicious. I absolutely love the fact that they had so many different sauce choices: Asian shallot fish sauce (I think), cocktail sauce, chopped bonnet peppers and more. I never tried bonnet peppers with my oysters but I loved IT. My mix was bonnet peppers, cocktail sauce, tabasco sauce and lemon - soooooo delicious. Even though that they are known of their seafood, they did not have much selections for their cocktails and their wine list was pretty expensive. (DUH, it's downtown and it's an seafood restuarant) but their ginger beer cocktail drink (forgot what it was called) was delicious. My friend doesn't like ginger beer but end up ordering this drink because it was delicious. We also ordered the fish tacos and added an extra one. It was like a banh mi fried halibut taco for 24 + the additional taco. I wasn't a fan of it. I found it pretty dry and there was sauce only on the fish. I don't think I would order that again. I wished I tried their calamari instead but there's always a next time. This place was great to get your oyster fix. I'm glad I tried it. I love the vibe of the bar and the service was okay. We found ourselves waiting for like 12 minutes waiting to pay for our bill so we got up and waited at the machine instead. The girl that served us was super nice but I had to ask twice for my raspberry oysters. Happy Eating fellow yelpers! read more

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Came here as I was walking down the street looking for dinner and aw oyster bar sign. Overalk I was pleased with the service and food. If you look carefully, they take great care in the presentation and the preparation of all the dishes. I ordered west coast oysters and they surprised me with two different types from British Columbia. It was clean with no residue sand. The ginger was grated fresh at the bar and they have a nice selection of toppings to go with it. They oysters change depending on the day. I followed up my oysters with a seafood broth dish. Can't remember the name but it came with clans, squid, and a huge shrimp. The broth was well balanced and went nicely with the complimentary bread. My recommendation to the restaurant would be to maybe list out the prices of the oysters on the board or have a print out of a brief description of the oysters. May not be ideal though if they change daily. read more

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This made my visit to Toronto an amazing time! An oyster fanatic, I was blown away by the freshness and taste of the oysters. Our server was the best. She made an oyster sampler for our first course and it was so good we ordered another round! Highly recommend if you're ever in Toronto! Thank you! We shall return. read more

John & Sons Oyster House - Oysters galore.... - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Great muscles and shrimp cocktail! Nice place with larger bar seating area. Right off Bay Street with a cozy feel. Highly recommend if you are looking for seafood in a casual atmosphere! read more

I was in Toronto on business for a week and had the best meal of the week at John & Sons. The manager, Ryan, was a fantastic host. Four of us walked in without reservations, and Ryan accommodated us even though the place was packed. Ryan helped us with our oyster order and gave us a class in oyster quality and shucking. If you want a great dining experience, this is the place!! read more

Highly recommend trying this place if you love oysters and/or seafood! Two girlfriends and I dined here on a Saturday night. We didn't have a reservation and were seated at the bar as all the tables were reserved. The restaurant is overall small and has a cozy ambiance. I loved sitting at the bar because we got to interact with the staff behind the bar and watched them shuck oysters. The staff were fantastic and our service was great! I like that the menu wasn't huge so it was easier to make a decision. We ordered some oysters to start. The Wellfleet from MA were my favourite - meaty and delicious! For our main, we ordered 3 apps to share: the lobster poutine, smelts, and tuna tartare. All were great! The tuna tartare was especially good and my favourite dish. read more

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Great location and decent food and vibe however one star review due to appallingly rude service. Skip it unless you enjoy verbal abuse. Was here earlier tonight with three girlfriends for dinner and drinks. Service was aggressive and unfriendly from the get go however really crossed the line into rude at the end of the night. We asked if we could have separate bills and we were informed it was not possible 'because the system was 15 years old.' One of the girls in our group asked for clarification, wondering how it could be impossible to take the time to split a bill in a nearly empty restaurant at 1040pm. The female server was full of attitude: 'If it was THAT important to you, you should have mentioned it at the start.' She was rude and shockingly unprofessional throughout this interaction. We ended up doing the math (I've attached a screenshot of how crazy this bill got), tipping as little as possible, and leaving. A disappointing end to an otherwise nice evening. Location is good (just north of First Canadian Place), didn't like the oysters (better at Chase and with better presentation), dessert was good, wine average, and service terrible. Prices aren't really worth it either ... food is nothing to write home about. Not bad but certainly overpriced ... $24 for shrimp tacos for example. Chain restaurant food at Daniel Boulud prices in a gulag service setting. Skip it, so many better places to go in financial district. read more

John & Sons Oyster House - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario