Reviews of Jan's on the Beach Restaurant (Fish Shop)

the_cooter_stain

Food is okay, staff friendly, but the tables weren’t that clean — sticky … changing to four stars and appreciate your attention to my review.

Mariano Elisa Tolentino

Great selection of GF menu. I have a few family members that can go out and not worry about what's in their meal. Service was good. We ate out on the patio,a lovely way to spend lunch with friends.

Lori Goulet

Stopped in for seafood a couple weekends ago. It’s a great area right on the beachfront with comfortable outdoor seating. The food was fine but definitely was not fresh seafood. Got the Cioppino Seafood Bowl and the Fish Tacos.

Helen Grace

This is definitely a semi-fancy restaurant that gives nice ambience and view of White Rock. FOOD - We came at around 10am, so we could only order breakfast. I got the new york strip loin (medium rare). - The steak is nice and juicy. I was surprised at how tender it was, but also at how small it was. Not a fan of the price for this dish. -Their scrambled eggs and hashbrowns were flavourful, not too salty, but not too great either. - The toast had good butter on top of it and really filled me up. - The Hollandaise sauce was delicious, though. It was creamy and almost had a cheesy taste to it. Definitely recommend getting this with your eggs benedict. Ambience - The restaurant was quite packed and small, but it was cozy. - The view gave us a decent view of the beach, but since it was an open restaurant, it was quite hot. Do bring a fan if you have one. All in all it is a good place to eat if you want to have a good brunch with mimosas and good company!

MasterChef 117

Nice cozy place with a decent seaside view. Their art studio paintings on display make the ambiance quite appealing. We had both the types of fish and chips and the seafood fettuccine, which were yummm!

Malachi Dixon

Decent restaurant. Stopped here for lunch. Compared to other places I felt that our dish was a bit too oily. Other than that everything was great. Maybe when I’m back here next I’ll try another dish. The customer service was also great. They really helped us out a lot.

some guy

Meal type

Bruce Alderson

Amazing. The greatest gluten free restaurant i have ever been too. Crispy calamari and onion rings. Fresh gluten free cod fish n' chips. Gluten free beer. Great subtle and patient service. Took time to explain the Gf in detail. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I am so happy and will be back many many times

Pradeep Bola

Best meal since being in Italy! The bacon wrapped scallops were phenomenal!

Kev

This is a great local restaurant on the beach in White Rock. They have many gluten free and dairy free options. Jan has created an amazing menu that considers food allergies. The fish & chips are the best. We ordered the onion rings which are also gluten free. They are crispy with a great homemade aioli dip. The calamari is also very good. I will be going back to try the cioppini. I definitely recommend this place!!

Michael Persaud

The worst food I have ever had. The Thai chicken prawn was soup. Sent it back. Ordered the burger and the taste left in my mouth after was enough yo make me puke. Meal too forever and staff rude. First time there and last time. With all the choices on Marine Drive, please save your $$ and go elsewhere!

Sara Romano

Owner accused close friends there to celebrate a birthday of being drunk upon first arrival (they were completely sober and had driven there) and tried to kick them out. Then gave them more trouble when they said they felt the disrespect warranted something off their bill. Jan is rude and doesn't care if that's how customers are treated.

Eileen Dreams

Nice patio, friendly, attentive staff. Food was mainly good with just a few misses. The most important thing is that the beers are cold.

Jacquelyn Glowa

Had a great lunch at Jan's today. The seating outside was perfect and staff were very friendly. Came in right when they opened and the place got packed shortly after. Definitely a sign we picked the right place. Started with the poutine and it was really good! Had the fish and chips with a side Cesar salad and also the pound of muscles. Definitely recommend if you're out and about in White Rock and need a bite to eat.

Mr G

Always living up to expectations! I’m celiac and they offer a ton of gluten free options. Dedicated fryer as well!!

Bita Jam

Just got my food from jans, the fish was good but the brisket sirloin burger was probably the most over priced chewiest burger I have ever had. The portion size was extremely small. I ordered a side of gravy and the gravy cup was less than half full. The fries were soggy and quantified to be about 1 medium russet worth. If jans wants me to show thier cook how to do a fresh grind burger id be more than happy to oblige just so that nobody else has to eat what I just had

Clara Edvi

So much gluten free options and the people who work there are VERY friendly! It was a very nice place! Also gave me a plastic bag for my Rock collection!

Rick Windsor

This was our second time to eat at Jan's. I had a small clam chowder and the two piece fish and chips. Hubs had the prosciutto wrapped scallops and the two piece fish and chips. I also had a classic Caesar, which was very good. The chowder was nice, with plenty of clams and some veggies, but not full of potatoes. The scallops were also very good. Hubs really likes the sauces they come in. Our fish was crispy on the outside and flaky inside. The fries are awesome, but then I really like potatoes! Hubs finished his meal with just one scallop left. I brought home chowder, a piece of fish, and most of the fries (chips). They are open daily now and even serve breakfast. Both times we've been here have been late afternoon when they aren't busy and we've had delicious food and great service. Lots of gluten free options, too.

Mohammed Rangwala

Service was great food was good. Bigger fan of halibut vs cod but its still very good. The batter is great tartar sauce has a more tangy taste to it. Only complaint is the size of coleslaw.

Troy Peverley

Jan's has the most delicious meals and desserts! A very friendly staff, a cozy patio with an amazing seaside view makes this a favourite go to place!

Anthony Baartman

Despite of not being busy we got our appetizers and food kind of late. Some others who arrive after us were already eating. Food not exceptional but ok.....food needs to be attractive on the plate to engage our senses.

Zebra Alwayszebra

I heard great things and was excited to try it out. I have to say I’m super disappointed. The atmosphere was friendly however, the fish and chips were not good. The chips were good but the fish was rock hard and no flavour. The portions were quite small. My boyfriend and I both left disappointed. The service wasn’t that great but they were friendly. I also don’t like how the chefs were not wearing masks while preparing the food. Edit: I was unaware that this place was gluten free until I looked at other reviews. That may explain why my fish was rock hard.

Manpreet Sandhu

Dine in

Jeff B

Jan's always feels like a special treat. I enjoy the beach view and friendly staff, but it's her freshly prepared, exceptional quality food that makes this little restaurant stand out.

Lucienne Winder

This place has the most wonderful food and even better people that own, and work there. We had wonderful service our entire lunch and I ended up leaving my wallet on the table we sat at. I had a flight to catch the next morning and the restaurant was closed. I thought it would be a long shot to face book message the owners but gave it a try anyways. Within minutes and all the way from Vegas, they were happy to help me and were so kind. Thanks to them I got my wallet after closing hours and was able to make my flight. Anyone thinking of going here, not only is the food amazing and made with love, but the people that work here are so deserving of your time and money.

Keri Andersen

As per location, this place has an amazing view and is a cozy spot to sit, relax and watch the sunset (if the museum building is not covering your view), but unfortunately not a great one. Our server was paying very good attention to the 2 tables beside us, talking, and laughing with them, but kind of ignoring and being grumpy with us. it was not just her manner that was annoying, the food was not satisfying as well. Food was not only extremely pricey, but also not have any good quality and nice taste. I ordered a tuna salad which was stinky, and my friend had a burger which was tasteless and really small comparing to the price. The Mojito I ordered had rarely any alcohol in it as well and when we asked for fries, she said the machine is not working. She started to close the restaurant before the time which was written on their menu. I will never be back to this place.

Y B

Delicious food and celiac friendly with dedicated fryer. Service was extremely nice. Vegan buddha burger was fantastic, sweet potato fries amazing, gluten free poutine! Will go back, recommended!

Lina Douglas

If you're a local in the White Rock/South Surrey area or a visitor, this is the place to be. The food and atmosphere are great. I would highly recommend going in between busy times in order to get a table. We got to the restaurant at 11:30 am on family day and we were able to be seated right away. Half an hour later, and there was a 45 min wait for others. I got their smoked salmon eggs benedict and it was perfect...fresh, homemade and so good. The food is made in house and they have gluten free options.

Jo-Ann Cote

My wife and I came for happy hours and we ordered the blackened Salmon Burger with SMALL portion fries $21 and Caesar Salad with chicken $22. Service is good but it is pricy for this portion.

Preston Parks

Cute little restaurant on the stoll. Celiac friendly with many gluten-free options. The waitress was very nice and personable.

Tyra Campbell

My entire family loves Jan's on the Beach. They do such an amazing job and the food is always delicious. My daughter is celiac, and Jan's is the only place I truly trust eating out. They have a dedicated fryer, so it is great to be able to have foods such as fish and chips, and calamari that are not safe at most other restaurants. Friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable service, and a huge selection of gluten free options to choose from. My daughter loved the fries and kept stealing them off my Mom's plate, and Jan noticed and brought her out a plate of fries on the house. We've had an exceptional experience each time there!

Cybele Cook

The thai chicken n prawn bowl, was amazing !!! The music was great, the view of the pier, and the staff was very knowledgeable ...full 10..

Julie Anna B. Villacarlos

Awesome fish if you need to eat GF. Nice crisp & tender. Could use more seasoning in batter IMO. Fries are epic, clam chowder was fire.

Liam Robinson

Disrespectful and rude to my friends. Drove from Chilliwack to eat there, told not allowed drinks cause they we're to drunk? Embarrassed them in front of everyone. Then once corrected allowed. They asked for a drink to be taken off the bill and they got yelled at once again in front of everyone, then once again outside. Jan the owner yelling. Ur disgusting humans.

Mohammad Emami

It’s always hard to find a place that not only has delicious food but is safe to eat as someone with a GF/Dairy Free food allergy. We were so impressed with their menu. They were able to offer us lots of different options and the staff was knowledgeable and very helpful. They really took our allergies seriously here. I also felt like we didn’t have to sacrifice taste so that we could enjoy a meal out. Often we leave a bit disappointed because we can’t have certain sauces or spices and just end up with bland food. We didn’t feel that here. The food was delicious, the portions perfect!!! Thank you so much for having something for people with food allergies!! We will definitely be back!!!

Marco Diaz

I have to say the food was the smallest most expensive fish and chips we’ve had in our lives. I wish I took a picture because they were literally the size of chicken nuggets. Not much fries or onion rings as the plate was covered with 2 sauce cups and a 3rd sauce cup with 2 bites worth of coleslaw in it with a lemon wedge taking up most of space in that cup! Outrageously overpriced and tiny. Had to eat 2 dinners that day ????

Jack Peters

It was a great dinner with great atmosphere and good food! It was lovely to have a patio seat. We will be back!

Susan Salame

Hands down the worst dining experience I've had in my life. A group of 9 of us got together to celebrate a friend's 30th birthday at what was her favourite restaurant. It was the first time we'd all gotten together for dinner since Covid so we were all extremely happy to see each other and all chatting outwardly. After waiting over half an hour to get served, we were met at our table by Jan, the owner. She proceeded to loudly announce to our table (the whole restaurant) that some of our table would he refused alcohol with our service, specifically pointing out one of the couples we were dining with. Our friends had driven out from Chilliwack to make dinner and were publicly shamed for "being drunk and slurring" even though neither had drank all evening. Jan refused to take their word for that, continuing to accuse them of being intoxicated in front of a packed restaurant. It was only until the rest of our table strongly backed them up that she let it go, yet didn't even muster an apology to either of our friends, one of whom was left humiliated in tears. Ironically, we had 3 designated drivers and a pregnant woman at the table, and yet we were profiled as drunk and belligerent. We decided to stay and have dinner, even though the whole table felt incredibly uncomfortable and embarrassed that we'd been called out for simply enjoying ourselves. The food was good, their menu is great for gluten free food. We tried to move past it but the woman who's birthday it was, was extremely upset and it really impacted our experience. Upon paying for our bills, our friends, who were publicly humiliated, commented that the ownership made no attempts to rectify their actions. They weren't offered a discount or even a drink as an olive branch, even after our table put over $1000 into the establishment. Jans response was that it wasn't up to her to make guests feel welcome and she was just trying to run a business. She had no empathy, no sympathy and went to the point of blaming our friends for the situation because "we were loud" We were then told that we weren't welcome in the restaurant again. My partner has previously worked in the service industry in Vancouver in fine dining restaurants and she has never experienced such horrendous management in her life. She was left disgusted and floored at how disrespectful a business owner could be to a regular group of diners. We eat out numerous times a month and we've never had an experience like this in our lives. It's clear Jan would rather have her diners be suits and ties over young professionals wanting to have great food and great times with friends. I will be telling everyone I know not to waste their money on such a horrible woman. I hope she's happy she ruined a wonderful person's 30th birthday at expense of owning her own mistakes. EDIT; The response from ownership is disingenuous and sums up the lack of accountability to her own behaviour. Nothing of what she has said in the response happened. Beyond flabbergasted at the cognitive dissonance in this response

Arnold Glasel

Well it’s Christmas Eve and Jan is going out of her way to get meals out to people, even though she is short staffed. The food here is amazing and the staff is wonderful, some of the sweetest girls in town. Definitely some of the most thoughtful food you can get on the beach. To the rude lady that came in here and yelled at everybody on Christmas Eve, because you messed up. I sincerely hope you stub your toe at 3am trying to find your way to the bathroom. Jan and her staff need to be recognized as local hero’s!

Annette Thompson

This restaurant reponds to gluten free and I saw some vegetarian options on the menu, too. Great location with a warm, sunny patio today, with a view. Jan is an award winner, Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year, also with other past awards, Jan is a great supporter of the community. For me, some food "needs more gluten" as John Pinette, the comedian once said .....

Aaron D

So good! You can always count on having a great meal here. Our Celiac family members have never had any issues eating here, so many gluten free menu options available.

Jill E. Ganton

Amazing food. Everything I have tried has been top notch. As someone with celiac disease, it is so nice to find a restaurant where I can order virtually everything on the menu and be confident that I won’t have a reaction - and you can’t beat that view from the patio!

Sandy Higueras

Just like their name says, when on the beach...its the place to eat! Took Mom out for her birthday. First, I was like where do we go? So, we just randomly walked in... THE FOOD WAS AWESOME! Fish and chips (2 piece cod, lightly battered) was amazing! The garlic shrimp? OHH MAN, FML, WE HAD TWO ORDERS! Was sooo good!!! We even decided on some good ole onion rings, annnd even those were delicious! Crunchy bite, soft onion....Jan and the crew are on point. Bravo Zulu! So to end the night...wine, martinis, and even helped the local artist Gary with a present for Mom. Thanks again for your time and hosting a beautiful evening.

Najah Matthews

Small place that delivers big. Small bar with alcohol and beer on tap (only 3!). Had White Rock Beach Beer Brown Ale with a cod sandwich. The brewery delivered a great tasting beer that is not heavy for a brown. The chef knows how to do fish. We went for lunch with six and were good for seating but depending on time a reservation might be an advantage. Decent views of the pier and water.

Guy Sykes

Travelling with my 85 yr old mom and we forgot out covid proof back at my daughters place. Takeout and a seat across the street at the beach was our option. Enjoyed a piping hot bowl of seafood chowder. The fries are lovely and crispy too. Perfect lunch was delivered to us at the park by the wonderful server. Definetly recommended this place

Jessica Jasa

Amazing service, delicious gluten free food, and a great overall atmosphere. Jan makes a great meal, and makes sure you're fully satisfied before you leave. We will definitely be returning, and I would recommend anyone else that's Celiac to give it a try.

Jorge Antunes

This is the best chowder and it is gluten free! They also have amazing, crispy fish and chips. Which can also be gluten free and was the best gf fish! The service was absolutely perfect and in our opinion this is the place to eat in White Rock.

Ken Tsang

We went there on Saturday July 3rd and we were pleased with the quality of the food and the service, the menu offers so many options, we will be back to try another dishes in the near future. I highly recommend this restaurant..

Chris Lawrence

Jan's is a cozy place to dine and enjoy the view of the Semiahmoo bay. We were a party of 7 and a table couldn't accommodate us all so we split up. We, at first sat outside the heated patio but we felt like searing under the heater, it's way too hot for our liking, so we decided to get inside to eat our orders. Food and service is a-okey. It's not 5-star in my book because of the not so pleasant heat in the patio, it's a big factor if you are older and you want to enjoy the view.

Jorge Lopez

I'd like to tell you I was impressed with this place, but I just wasn't. Food is extremely pricey and portions are tiny. The flavours are all there and the quality of the food is good. Limited views due to the museum across the street. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. service was quick. Kids meals are ample for children but seating is extremely Limited. I don't think I will eat here again as there are many better choices along this street.

Melanie Sereda

Lunch

Jessie S

ADORABLE place! The warm seafood salad was delicious ????

sarahk48

Near the waterfront, I like the heated patio. We just ordered clam chowder soup but it's more like potato chowder than a clam chowder. But other than that everything is good.

Chris Skerik

A really nice spot that has a variety of options on the menu. For anyone that is celiac or eats gluten free there are wonderful options that don’t taste gluten free. I don’t know how Jan did it but she worked some magic on the GF dishes

Natasha Gosling

I was so wanting to give this a great review based on prior reviews. Let me start bybsaying the best thing about the experience was our waiter. He was very pleasant and friendly. We ordered mussels in wine and garlic, calamari and 2 piece cod. The cod was good and the sweet potato fries were also a great accompaniment. That is where it ends for my wife and I. The mussels had a really wierd taste but I'd the was the only thing I think I would have given them at least a 4 star. We had about 5 pieces each of the calamari which was very good and lightly battered when my wife gets a piece with a dark hair baked in. This is not uncommon but how they handled it was. The waiter came to the table and the first thing he said was that is so disgusting. And it was. Then he took it away and we said ok. He then brought us out our mussels and cod which was our mains. About 5 minutes later he brought us another Calamari. Nowhere my wife or I ate much of the replacement. Normally a waiter would ask if we wanted a replacement . In this case he just replaced it. When the bill came it had 2 beers each on it (we only had 1 and we asked to have it corrected. What was most surprising is that there was no offer to either discount the calamari dish or remove it from the bill. I understand that many try for freebies but this is not our way. The fact that they just brushed off the disgusting hair is enough to have us never return. Sad as we really wanted to like this place.

J Mooney

That was such a disappointing meal yesterday. We had the fish and chips and was an absolute disaster. Very expensive for a frozen meal from a box that was so plain and tasteless. Yes, we still ate it and didn’t complain as we were hungry and didn’t want to start our day with being so negative. Glad we got the one piece each. Here we thought we would be getting freshly fried fish being on the beach. We also ordered the prawn appetizer which was tasty but $20 for six pawns was not great. Enjoyed the fries. Couldn’t drink the lemonade as it tasted awful with and without the cardboard straw. Won’t be going back there again. Just spent the worst $60 ever. As we walked down the strip we managed to go into an amazing Belgian Waffle place and that made our day. Update: Thank you for your prompt response. However, I’ve never had a square fish that was fresh and not from a frozen state. That’s what bothered me. We do buy this kind, but not to treat ourselves out for one at that price point. I did eat the meal. I’m not expecting a refund.

Lynn M

What a pleasant surprise, had not been for a while and totally loved it! Great food and very family oriented service, they make you feel like you are having a great dinner at Han's house! And wine is half price on Wednesdays...

Jmbnvrdes Uuitersa

Absolutely one of my favourite restaurants. Best menu for celiac people. Almost everything on the menu is gluten-free, it's a restaurant where a celiac person can have an appy, main course and dessert. Oh, and they also have amazing gluten-free Ceasars, yum!!

Gord M

I had the traditional benny. It was ok. Could have had more hollandaise on it and the focaccia bread was nice although some might think it’s a bit unusual. The coffee was nice and fresh. Over all it was a pleasant brunch experience.

Brandy Cousins

Meal type

C Mac

Service

Graham Wynne

A dedicated gluten free fryer, the best calamari around. Attentive servers. Kitchen is right there where patrons can see them making their food. We had calamari, cod and French fries and clam chowder all delicious and gluten free

courtney kingshott

Food felt a bit overpriced in my humble opinion. Service was good. Location is great. View is great.

Pamela Leah Rohoway

Couldn't have asked for a better meal to end off 2020! The staff at Jan's was simply amazing! Easy going, non-stop and super friendly. Great customer service and I love that their meals are enjoyed by those with and without celiac. As the spouse of someone who has celiac, being the advocate can be tiring. But all I had to do was enjoy my meal with my husband and let the staff take care of the rest. We even took some extra dessert home! ????????

Stella Jackson

The menu has so many delicious options that I decided on trying eggs Benedict. Yes, it was my first time having it. I ordered the half option just in case. A part of me wished I ordered the full version it was so good. The hollandaise sauce was delicious, the poached egg was the perfect amount of runny. Very nice restaurant

Robert Watkins

I am very grateful to Jan's On The Beach. I have Celiac Disease and rarely can eat fish n chips or anything deep fried really. Everything that goes in the deep fryer at Jan's is gluten free. And everything is delicious! I absolutely love the halbut n chips. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! We drive all the way from Newton to grab takeout, it is well worth it. The service is always fantastic!

George Lopez

We got the two piece cod to go, and it was among the worst fish and chips we have ever had. Not even a hint of seasoning on the fish and equally bland, limp fries. Tartar sauce is clearly straight out of a big tub in the back somewhere. And also, they didn’t even include cutlery, but did give us a napkin. One napkin. We definitely won’t be back.

David Townsend

We love Jan's. Had a special anniversary/birthday dinner to celebrate. We were the only people in the restaurant and the experience was great! My wife is celiac and this is the only place that she can enjoy gluten free fish and chips. The beet salad was incredible and the special that I enjoyed was perfect. Great server and great food! Thanks

Jeremy Sharman

We ate at Jan's last night and were especially impressed with the service and food. My partner has eaten here before and recommends it highly, so we took our family there for a sunny summer evening dinner. We ordered a variety of dishes, including the Brussel sprouts and onion rings to start, and a variety of pastas, seafood, curries, and burgers. The food was fantastic, fresh, and everyone left the meal very satisfied. We had an lacto-ovo vegetarian in our party who was hoping to have the fantastic chickpea burger. Unfortunately (and understandably due to pandemic staffing and supply issues), the burger wasn't available this night. We asked if there were other dishes we could have made vegetarian and both our server and the chef were both happy to help. We ended up with a vegetarian Thai curry that was delicious. I tried the seafood linguine dish, something I've tried at most of the restaurants on the waterfront here. Jan's was the best I've had yet, full of flavour, a perfect sized portion for my appetite, and perfectly seasoned. We also tried a variety of drinks, all of which were excellent (and slightly cheaper than other popular locations around here). We will absolutely eat at Jan's again!

Leigh Miller

Dinner