I had the Catch 22 - traditional and Cream Cheese syrup. My husband had the Bat out of Hell Benny. So very good - waitstaff super helpful. Oh, potatoes are over the top delicious!!! read more

Love this quirky and fun breakfast place. The servers are tatted, fun, and friendly. The juke box and pictures all over the wall adds to the fun decor. The food, of course, was excellent! It depends on what you order, I suppose, but it wasn't greasy like most breakfast places. Ingredients were fresh and tasty. This will be my go-to spot for all future trips to Victoria. read more

Went in with 1 other person around noon yesterday for lunch because I had good experiences here in the past. There were 2 women waiting when I got in and they were seated soon after. Other tables opened up, but the server/host did not acknowledge me, even as I stood in front of his booth by the entrance for seating. Within the next 10 minutes, 3-4 other parties (mostly also parties of 2) came in after me. The server/host continued to ignore me trying to speak to him while he addressed the parties behind me. He even started to seat the 2 people BEHIND ME, but luckily they told him I came in ahead of the crowd. Only then was I flippantly acknowledged and seated. I'm not sure what was going on with the server/host yesterday, but I felt extremely unwelcome. read more

We were recommended to eat here by the concierge at our hotel as a place that was kind of off the beaten path. The ambience of sports and rock n roll artifacts won me over right away. Then the attention, even on a busy night, was excellent. The staff reacted to every need quickly and anticipated our needs. The food was over the top amazing. Start with the fantastic bread that reminds me of mom making it at home. The portion size was generous and it tasted great. I had the pierogi's with Ukrainian sausage and my wife had the shepherds pie. The desserts looked great too, but we were just to full to have any. A definite repeat visit on our next trip to Victoria. read more

It was our first time visiting Victoria, B.C. and according to Yelp, John's Place seemed like the place to go. The awards posted by the door claimed that this was one of the best breakfast/brunch places in the area, so even with the long wait, it made us curious to stay. However, the wait was long and if we had known John's Place took reservations, we definitely would have made one. It look us about 45 minutes to even make eye contact with the host to get our names on the list. With this in mind, we still had an open and forgiving mindset, so we waited. Once we ate, the food was good and the eggs benny came in a reasonable amount of time. My hot chocolate took a bit longer than I would've liked though, getting it at the same time as my food. In the end, we left full but we wanted to leave as soon as we could, given the crowdedness of the restaurant. The next day, we wanted to go back to give the restaurant another chance. This time, we were prepared to make reservations as the sign on the door claimed. We called ahead and were told that today was first come first serve. Discouraged, we still walked over to give it another try. We were met with the same host who didn't keep track of who arrived first, and after trying to wait patiently for the waiter to have a minute to take our names down, he takes down the names of two people who arrived after us. This place has some great food and the menu has so many options which is great! However, the organization of how they take in guests was disappointing so my two stars goes to the kitchen, and the third goes to the almost-average service. I would've loved to have loved this place as much as the other 5-Star reviewers! read more

Food is great, but above all the customer service is absolutely stellar!! Will be going back again just for the excellent customer service!

Every once in a while, we head out for a special dinner and wind up at John's. It is legendary amongst Victorian's "in the know" and John's continue to provide the same friendly, unobsequious service they have offered since their opening several decades ago. The prices are incredibly reasonable -- my favourite is the mouth-watering meatloaf, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatloaf...no wait, it's Shepherds Lamb Bam Pie and the wonderful thyme bread they bring with every meal (need more, just ask). You can even request a loaf to go...which I do.... every time I eat there. Wonderful atmosphere harking back to another era or good food and friendly neighbourhood bonhomie. Whether you are a local or just visiting, be sure to add John's to your list of child-friendly eateries. read more

It's true. They have the best Eggs Benedict period. The hollandaise sauce is to die for. My husband ordered the Baja Burrito and we enjoyed that as well. Service is pleasant and attentive but it takes a long time for food to arrive (but the food is worth the wait). The long wait for food is the only negative in my opinion and the only reason John's Place doesn't get FIVE stars. Will definitely return for the EB when we return to Victoria. Also, we didn't experience the long wait for a table the two times we went. Had dinner there 8PM, we were seated right away. Had breakfast there noon-ish, we were seated right away. Also, the Greek Salad I had there for dinner was better than most Greek Restaurants. read more

Amazing food and service. The staff was really friendly and helpful. The Food was amazing. Try the Eggs Ben!! BF here is really good!! We also came in for lunch and it was also amazing. The soup of the day is a treat and the pies!!!!! wow. read more

The best part of this meal was at the end where the wait staff coaxed us into ordering dessert. We were tempted by a butter coconut pie that was the baker Mary Patterson's (we asked) effort. Unbelievably delicious. read more

I ordered the classic benny. The eggs are premium, hollandaise is clearly homemade. A lot of the staff has been there for up to even decades! Great vibes :) read more

Been coming here for decades now. Anytime I'm in Victoria it's my go-to place. Where else can you go where on any day two or three of the staff members have been working there for 30 years? Where do they get that high energy? They belong in Guiness or Ripleys. And the staff are that magic blend of being friendly and personable but incredibly efficient. OK now to the food. If you're a light eater then you'll be taking home a box of food! I've eaten everything on the menu and I still can't figure out a favourite. Love the decor. If you're company bores you then you can spec out the hundreds of posters and photos on the wall. Please don't come to Victoria and NOT go to John's Place. p.s. If you're someone who doesn't chew their food properly and chokes then yes the staff know how to do the Heimlich manoeuvre ! Seen it! read more

Great food. Its always busy there. Soup is good too. Staff are super friendly. Worth the wait.

Great food and service in a Diner's, Drive Ins and Dives kind of place. Waitress recommended the roasted tomato and feta soup and she was right - really nice. I also had a burger that was done just right and very fresh. Great place to go for lunch. read more

The atmosphere and service was great, including the server singing along to the jukebox. We both ordered the full sized eggs benny, and both orders were completely over cooked. The yokes were hard. It was really disappointing. Considering the bennies look to be one of their specialties, this was surprising that they couldn't get a poached egg right. I might go back but I'd be sure to ask for my eggs soft, even if they don't give you an option when you order. read more

I really want to like this place. I have tried 3 times. Service is always slow and not particularily friendly. Food is good...not great and they are 3 for 3 in getting my order wrong (simple request of asking for sauce on the side). There are better places that are great at creating the total experience. read more

Excellent brunch my wife and I had today - our first time at John's! Likely the morning t decadent huge fluffy pancake I've ever had along side a half order of Popeye eggs Benedict that was amazing. My wife had a Spanish style eggs Benedict that was mouth watering. I can see why it's considered the best breakfast place in Victoria. Definitely would like to go back again one day!! read more

Found this place and had an awesome lunch. My wife said it was the best clam chowder she has ever had. Food was excellent and the service was great. Very friendly staff and our waitress was excellent. Rodney the host and Frankie... Yes Frankie the waitress made our visit quite enjoyable. Great selection of food and the atmosphere is very cool. Would highly recommenda a visit here. Thank you Frankie, you are the best. read more

The food was delicious! I had the scrambled eggs with a ton of veggies and salmon, with a coffee, followed by one of their smoothies that everyone should try (with fruit/peanut butter). The service was great, talked to a few servers, they offered to take a picture of me and my friends. The walls are decorated with photos of celebrities. Great vibe/great place, recommend for all. read more

Went here based on yelp reviews, it didn't disappoint! Got the Catch 22 because as it suggested, I couldn't decide between trying the cream cheese syrup or the homemade hollandaise. Both were fantastic. read more

Busy-as-heck little local place with a great mix of menu items. Falafel? Pirogies? Breakfast for lunch? Thai noodle soup? It's all there - and so will be half of downtown Victoria if you're there at busy times. But it's definitly worth the wait, and very sweetly inexpensive too. read more

Great time, You should check it out. It was pretty awesome to take a friend who is visiting Vic for the first time. Full and satisfied.

Fantastic from the moment we walked in the door with Rodney at the ready ...it was apparent why this place is so very popular. Salmon Benny and Meatloaf was outstanding. HUGE portions!! read more

I visited Victoria this past week and was looking for a place to have breakfast. I hopped on Yelp and read about this place. I had to check it out, first off this is a historic building, I like that. I went inside and looked at all the photos and memoriabelia(SP?) on the walls. I was seated quickly by a very friendly waitress. The staff was all wonderful. I ordered John's Special, eggs, toast, ham and homefries with coffee. The coffee was strong the way i like it. My breakfast came out I knew I couldn't finish all of it before i started. The homefries were just right, with multi grain toast on the side. A nice piece of ham completed the meal It was all soo good, a nice home cooked meal. The reason I gave it only 4 stars? Well it's not closer to home so I can enjoy their food more often. I'll be back my next trip to Victoria! read more

This is one of my favourite restaurants in this city. While it is a small place, the food and atmosphere are great. I have always had great service and the staff is very friendly and helpful. I have eaten breakfast here many times and would definilty reccomend it for anyone. read more

After wandering around for 10 blocks for a good eatery; we landed at John's and boy, are we glad we did! Excellent variety on their menu, everything from vegan wraps to mediterranean pasta. Great service--love this place, I am coming here again next time I am in town! read more

Went for breakfast. Kids loved it. Breakfasts were huge, and tasty. I thought it was a bit pricey, but still was really good.

We went here twice for breakfast. The food is great and the service was good. Also, the decor is interesting, We were visiting Victoria from southern California, I wish they had one there. read more

Lots of hype for ordinary fare. Reasonable price for breakfast but careful where they seat you. We got stuck at one of the small tables which were essentially in the foyer. My seat faced the wall so I couldn't enjoy the ambiance. I did get to enjoy the blast of cold air each time the door opened and had a steady stream of customer and server traffic immediately behind me. You don't "gotta eat here". read more

Don't go here. I hate waiting in lineups. But if you do have the bottomless soup. I have had it many times and the worst it has ever been was the one time it was merely good. Aside from that it has always been excellent. Other reviews refer to the excellence of the wait staff. I concur. I have wondered how John can invariably hire the best people and other businesses can't. The prices aren't high enough to indicate that the staff are overpaid. In fact the prices are reasonable. Aside from the soup the rest of the menu items are excellent. They used to have a basic breakfast special on the menu that was, like, about six bucks. Last time I was there it was not on the menu but they served it to us anyway when we asked. If you go there please don't tell them that I told you about it. read more

I was disappointed with the service here. After waiting 1 full hour for a table for 4, we finally reached the front the front of the line and a table for 4 was cleared. However, rather than seating us, the hostess moved an elderly couple from their perfectly adequate table for 2 up to the table for 4. When i asked why we weren't seated there i was told "they're regulars". I think this could have been handed differently. I haven't been back. read more

The waffle there is the best I have had. The service is amazing too. I dropped a quarter of my waffle (all my fault). After seeing my mishap, our server immediately offered to give me half a waffle. It is a nice and cozy place that offers hearty and unpretentious food. read more

We arrived at this restaurant and were seated within 30 minutes, which wasn't bad. However, 45 minutes later, we were still waiting for our food. But, we were hopeful because of the good reviews and the way the menu sounded. Unfortunately, we should have stopped there. Our food arrived and the waitress had put in the order incorrectly so we didn't get the proper meat with one of the breakfasts. The waitress didn't return for a while, so we just went without that, rather than wait another 45 minutes. A second breakfast (the one with chicken and waffles) came with the chicken so overcooked that it was too hard to be edible. Lastly, we ordered the Valentino Eggs Benedict. I should start by saying the asparagus spears were very well cooked and the egg was poached perfectly. Then, we tried to cut the English muffin. It was almost impossible to do that, even with the provided steak knife because it was so hard. The hollandaise sauce, although homemade, was incredibly bland. It lacked the richness that hollandaise is known for and there wasn't even a hint of lemon. The smoked salmon was almost all salt, which was such a severe contrast to the rest of the dish, that it was almost inedible. The last part of 3/4 of our breakfasts was the deep fried potatoes. They were large potatoes cut into fourths, so the pieces were incredibly large, and they were also overcooked which resulted in a dry, powdery bite that made you want to do nothing but drink water. It made sense that every plate being cleared still contained their potatoes. I'm sorry, but I expected much more from a restaurant with such a long wait and such high reviews. read more

Excellent service despite the line-up to get in. Had the Valdy Fritatta which was the best breakfast I have had in 62 years. Love the funky decide too! read more

Really nice hometown feel. Friendly staff. Just had breakfast but ate there both days in Victoria. I had the Voltie favorite it was a combo of stuff I would never think to put together but it was savory. My wife had the eggs Benedict it was the genuine article, really nice. If you are taking the 75X bus to the gardens from the Douglas and Pandora stop Johns is only about 100 feet away! read more

We started to head into another breakfast place in Vic, but it wasn't quite what we were looking for, so the guy behind the till recommended John's Place to us as his favorite. The recommendation was great. The decor is that great eclectic, sports, music feel, with a lot of pictures of John himself and his friends from back in the day. The staff were friendly and quick, and the food was great. The 3 egg omelette was very generous, and the homemade guacamole was superb. Definitely worth it. read more

This is the second best breakfast place in Victoria. The food is quite hearty and heavy, but if that's what you're looking for, it's great here. The staff is friendly and the wait times are never too long, even when it's busy. You'll either get lucky, and get a booth, or be seated immediately adjacent to other small tables. Either way, the food's great and the service is too. My number 2 breakfast place behind the Blue Fox. read more

Another great place right next to my hostel. Came here for breakfast and had eggs, ham, and the Belgian waffle with amazing cream cheese syrup. Loved it. This is definitely a little neighborhood hangout with such a friendly feel for everyone. Deb was such a sweetheart. She really likes people and making them feel welcome. She even convinced me I should wait tables. I will definitely be coming back here before I leave. read more

Nice breakfast place. If you like a somewhat funky, laid-back atmosphere with great music and friendly staff this may be the place for you. Really enjoy their eggs benny, and the Hollandaise sauce taste so good. read more

Sorry. Closed For Private Function A couple of us dropped by at 7:00 tonight to find a scribbled note thrown up on the door: "Sorry. Closed For Private Function". Really? It wasn't there when we went by earlier and there were several empty tables. This is the second time it's happened in as many months. Stupid strategy for a mediocre eatery. We won't be back. If you do go, check out the cancer sticks (No Pest Strips) on the host stand and ceiling. read more