John’s Place
723 Pandora Avenue
Victoria, BC V8W 1N9
(250) 389-0711
Monday – Thursday: 7:00am – 9:00pm
Friday: 7:00am – 10:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am – 4:00pm | 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Sunday: 8:00am – 4:00pm | 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Food: 5/5
Ambiance: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
I’m a huge fan of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, so when I went over to Victoria, BC last Easter, I couldn’t pass up the chance to eat at what could only be called a “dive”. John’s Place is the BEST dive I’ve ever been to. It was so good that we had breakfast there two days straight! (Wish I’d gone for lunch and dinner too, but that’s what return trips are for..)
I forgot to take a picture of the actual place, but when you walk in all you see are walls covered in pictures of famous people. In true dive style, many are autographed by the celebrities who’ve visited John’s Place and loved it just as much as the locals and many Vancouverites (like myself) that are willing to take a 2 hour ferry ride for the delicious fare at John’s. Here’s a picture from the website:
Every plate at John’s was enough to fill you up till lunch (we often food coma’d for several hours afterwards). Here’s what we had:
Strawberry Smoothie- 4.5/5 and Mimosa- 4/5
My smoothie was too sweet, but otherwise yummy. I’m not a fan of alcohol before noon, but this mimosa wasn’t half bad. I think it was made with fresh squeezed orange juice..
The Belgian Waffle with Special Cream Cheese Syrup and a side of Italian Chicken Sausage- 5/5
Described on the menu as being “cake-like” and “a little soft on the inside”- it was one heavenly bite after another. Airy with a crispy crust, this was more like a the best waffle I’ve ever had than a Belgian waffle, which is thick and sponge-y with sugar crystals present in every bite. I still really liked this interpretation though, especially with the cream cheese syrup- a first for me! It was really sweet, but creamy and silky smooth. I got the Italian Chicken Sausage because the waitress made it sounds too good to pass up and it really was divine. Full of flavour and seasoned well, this really rounded out the whole dish for me.
Yankee Corned Beef Hash- 5/5
I’ve never had Corned Beef that wasn’t from a can (I am Filipino after all..) and I’ve gotta say I may never eat corned beef from a can again. The onions were cooked perfectly and gave the meat a great sweet, nutty flavour. I also really enjoyed the potatoes that came with it, which were nicely seasoned with salt and pepper. We got scrambled eggs instead of poached, and while these weren’t any greater than average, they were still yummy.
The Chicken Sausage Eggs Benny- 6/5
Next to pancakes, eggs benedict are my absolute fave breakfast food. You can have your Benny put on top of either a bagel, English muffin or their homemade cornbread. I got the cornbread, which was made savoury with spices and red pepper. The eggs were cooked to medium perfection and the holliandaise sauce was delicious. The chicken sausage was just as good as I remembered from my waffles, and the potatoes were equally as memorable.
The Verdict
My Top 5 faves: the benny+hollaindaise, the waffles, the cream cheese syrup, the chicken sausage and the potatoes.
If you’re ever in Victoria, BC- definitely go out of your way for this place. You won’t find a bad review anywhere- only people urging you to get there as quick as you can because it fills up fast. No doubt why 🙂
I just love food 