Johnny’s Snack Bar

Finally made it back to Johnny’s to sample something other than fish and chips on their menu. It was snowing heavily out so got a spot in front. Tried their Cheese Burger Deluxe with fries and a chocolate milk shake. The Deluxe part was the coleslaw I guess. The burger was quite good and smothered in grilled onions; on par with Westcliffe’s cheeseburger. However the fries spent too long in the fryer and were over cooked. The coleslaw was exactly same bland stuff as you’d get from Superstore
The booths are really small; I am not overly tall (a smidge less than 6′) and I felt jammed in. For some reason didn’t notice that last time. Being uncomfortable took some of the charm off.
Small thing but the waitress also forgot our shake. I tried to catch her eye which you think would be easy since my son and I were only customers. I eventually had to go up to counter and ask where the shake was.
Since they are only a couple blocks away and similar, family-​owned set ups, Johnny begs to be compared to the Westcliffe Diner. My total for the burger, shake, and a side of small fries was close to $ 20 with tip. Everything I ordered was a couple bucks more expensive, per item, than it would be at Westcliffe. While you get the real diner experience at Johnny’s, the Westcliffe takes other forms of payment (Johnny’s is cash –only), has more legroom and is less expensive. I stick to my 3 star rating for Johnny’s and I’ll stick to the Westcliffe from now on, thanks.

Best value in the city.
Pan fried haddock here is spot on. Huge piece of fish, mashed potatoes, veggies. You can’t beat it.
Hot turkey/​chicken sandwich is class.
All of their soups are amazing. Split pea my favourite.
Quality, consistent food at an inexpensive price.

Johnny’s nails it when it comes to a family-​owned, home-​style resto. I bring my kids here for chips after skating at the forum, or for milkshakes in the summer.
Oh, did I mention it? I’ll say it quietly, so that the masse doesn’t hear: [the *best* milkshakes in Halifax]. It’s a classic.
The décor and bathrooms need a polish (though it is clean, don’t get me wrong). Hopefully they can do that without losing the spirit of the place.

I love Johnny’s Snack Bar. Weird as it may be, I think I like the atmosphere better than the food. It’s an old style, cash only place. Knickknacks on the walls, fake wood panelling old faded pictures. Granted, I only ever order breakfast. and it’s good! Lots of bacon, so don’t worry. They have you covered!

A quaint diner in the west-​ish end, Johnny’s Snack Bar would blend into the surrounding houses if it wasn’t for an overhanging Pepsi sign that is more than a few marketing campaigns and logo iterations old.
Due to my aversion to peak meal time crowds, I came in the mid-​afternoon as the last of the lunch crowd was moving on. With about a dozen booths and several seats at the counter, I had my lay of land and claimed a booth to myself. Everything about the place has a classic diner feel to it from the old glasses that only still exist in diners like this and my parents’ cupboards, to the random posters, pictures and nick nacks on the walls. The plastic menu board above the window to the kitchen seals the deal on diner cred, but I grabbed the lone menu at my table, what with my failing eyesight in my elder years. Comprising just the back and front of one plastic covered sheet, I took the compact menu as a good sign as overly large menus are just a sign that the food is coming out of the freezer.
I was tempted by the burger and fish and chips, but in the end I had to go with the pork chop as, (1) it was raved about by a friend of mine and (2) not enough menus have pork chops, and they deserve their time in the sun with beef. The mom of this mom and pop took my order and went straight to the kitchen where I soon heard meat sizzling on the flat top, as her husband was taking a post-​lunch rush break at the counter.
The next several minutes went quickly as I perused the in depth news and commentary in the local Metro paper, and before you can say «I know why this is a free newspaper», my plate of food was in front of me. A good sized sirloin chop looked up at me, partially obscured by a pile of fries, with peas, coleslaw and applesauce rounding out my meal.
The chop was fairly thick and had a lovely golden brown sear from the griddle. Juicy and evenly seasoned, it was a respectable piece of pork. I’ve never been a fan of applesauce on pork chops, and this one was flavourful and moist enough that it didn’t need it. The fries were your typical from-​frozen diner fry, but they were hot and crisp, and a bit under seasoned, although a few shakes of the salt shaker took care of that. The peas were of the canned variety, although these have their own nostalgic charm, if you’ve ever frequented a diner as a kid, like I have. They were far from fresh, but they became tiny, green butter-​transportation vessels. The coleslaw is creamy and crisp, and uses actual cabbage instead of the horrid, green mystery mush at some other places.
My socks weren’t blown off, but it was a good meal all in all. The damage to my wallet was easily palleted as well, coming in just over $ 10 for the food and a pop. JSB, I’ll be back.
PS. Cash only!

My dad brought me here one night after I had helped him do some holiday shopping. He said he came here a lot with his friends when they come to the hockey games across the street at the forum. I was a little surprised by the look of the place and was wondering what I was in for, but I was so pleasantly surprised! What a charming spot. The service was friendly and fast and the food was great. Just what you’d expect from a little diner like this. A perfect stopping spot if you’re in the need for a good meal quick. Definitely check it out. And the pies looked great!

It’s is CRAZY how cheap breakfast is. Gotta be made by convicts or illegal workers to be that cheap. Food’s OK. That’s all I got.

This place is an all time classic. The prices have not gone up in he past few years when everyone else around them keeps upping theirs. Breakfast is always great and I have never had a bad experience.

Took my DD here for breakfast last weekend — a great spot with very reasonable prices — our food was piping hot and very tasty. Staff were pleasant and very obliging. Only complaint is they don’t take debit but for this place it is worth it to plan ahead and have some cash on hand.

I’ve been ordering from Johnny’s since elementary school. It’s a family business with a great community in the diner itself.
As for the food, you really can’t go wrong.
My favourite item on the menu would be their juicy and flavourful CHEESEBURGERS!!! with fries and gravy to complete to meal… and maybe add some salt & pepper, then 2 – 3 packets of ketchup over the fries… hehe… (this is the ONLY place i will ever do that)
So wrong, yet so good!

To be honest, I’ve experienced better.
I heard so much about this place, but after eating there myself I can’t really say that it’s anything special. I mean, nothing really stood out as fantastic. It’s just a really old school sort of diner, but I feel like their reluctance to get with the times hinders their establishment a little. The service wasn’t that great. None of the staff seemed pleasant to interact with, and their eyes almost seemed cold when they would be speaking to me. I just didn’t get any good vibes from the staff.
The menu is all overhead behind the main serving counter, so you’re going to have to stare up at it to decide what to order. No paper menus here, sorry. I didn’t mind this too much, but I much prefer being able to hold a menu and read it.
The seating isn’t comfortable at all, especially the stools at the counter. I can’t imagine myself wanting to sit in Johnny’s for a prolonged period of time.
The food is alright. I hear people comment on how it tastes homemade and such, but to me it just seems like ordinary diner food. It tastes good yes, but nothing here really seems mouthwatering.
Johnny’s is a decent place. I’d recommend it to anyone just passing by on Almon Street who needs a quick bite to eat and would prefer to order their food to go.
If it is just food that you’re concerned about, then Johnny’s isn’t bad at all and it will satisfy your hunger. My only two beefs with the place, and why I am giving it two out of five stars, is because the staff doesn’t strike me as very friendly people, and the seating is not very comfortable at all. If these two problems did not exist, Johnny’s would probably be worthy of four stars.
One last note. The prices are very affordable. If you don’t want to spend too much, then this is probably a very good place to consider eating at.

I’ve gone here a bunch of times now and the place never gets old. I’m a sucker for the diner atmosphere tho so I may be bias :)
As the earlier review mentioned, parking can be tough depending on the time of day you go. I usually just always fall back on the Forum parking and I’ve never had any issues.
As far as the atmosphere goes, well if you love the ‘diner experience’ (like I do), you’re good to go. The booths and stools up at the counter show their age for sure, and the booths are definitely on the more cramped side of things but serviceable. (UPDATE: They’ve re-​upholstered the booths!) Lots of cool nostalgic things in the diner really make it feel retro too. You have the ‘Pepsi plastic clock’ on the wall with the menu written in clip on letters to either side of the clock, as well as various knickknacks around the cash which seem to be from another era.
The food has been awesome every time I’ve been there. I’ve always gone with the Cheeseburger and Fries which is excellent. The burger is juicy and cooked perfectly and the fries aren’t overly greasy. My wife has ventured outside of the burger realm tho and she has had the clams and chips on one visit. She said they were tasty, I don’t like seafood so I can’t back up her claims :)

This is Halifax’s best kept secret! One of the few family run diners that do it right. I don’t think you can gone wrong with a single item on the menu.

Its an old time styled resto with some t-​h-​i-​c-​k homemade grub. Johnny’s Snack Bar is certainly a revisit to a simpler time, as well as the lavish edible indulgences we all had before transforming into health-​conscious adults.
And when places like Johnny’s exist, there is no denying a good, old fashioned fixing. Breakfast and dinner platters serve up wholesome dishes with all the extras– just like mom used to make! The esthetic follows up nicely with 50’s styled booths and a quirky color scheme. The icing on the cake? Its a family run business with a great attitude. Friendly service to whomever walks through its doors.
Johnny’s is a nice switch-​up and a refreshing dose of old school. Check it out for a hearty meal and relatively low-​prices.

Johnny’s Snack Bar is first come for parking. Mornings are nuts here and all you can see are Taxi’s parked along the front as well as over at the forum and people playing chicken in morning traffic trying to get into the place and lunch is just as bad. I normally get take out when it is too bad and call ahead.
Depending on my mood I am in depends on on what I order. Everything that I have had at Johnny’s was good. Cheeseburgers and fries are DELICIOUS, what real burger you got that one right. The Club is what the BF gets each time with fries and I am telling you he eats every bit. Prices are good normally $ 10 + tip. Service is better I am pretty sure they are all related some how.
Oh yes and the fish N chips are a MUST– and the gravy to dip the fish in is one of the best that I have had apposed to my mothers.

Johnny’s Snack Bar is probably one of the few places left that gives you a good homemade meal.
I go there for their Clams and Chips. Huge order. It is delicious.
We use to order the take out a lot when working back shift. Overall, you will be pleasantly stuffed when you leave here.
It is a busy spot, lots of locals, most of the good places in town get heard of quickly by word of mouth.
It is just great food here, nothing else to say.

There is nothing on earth I enjoy more than a great diner, especially for that Saturday morning breakfast to give me energy for all those errands.
Johnny’s Snack Bar is easy to miss but once you do spot it, it stands out like a bright neon sign saying ” come on in, we’ll take care of you.” It’s a family run business and lots of regulars hang out in this unpretentious diner. Rare these days to find a place where you can still sit at the counter if you prefer or the 1950’s booths.
The eggs and fixin’s are always perfect, and the price just can’t be beat! I even went back a couple of times during the week and had the best BLTs and club sandwiches ever. My daughter loved her grilled cheese.
So the next time you’re looking for that old time feeling… I’m always expecting to see Michael J Fox as he was in Back to the Future… you’ll be greeted warmly and fed well.

Totally agree with Krista — their haddock is deeelish. And if you’re looking for a traditional club without the frills — this is the place to get it. It takes me back to my first clubhouse sandwich when I was 12.
The service is always friendly and fun — especially from Chris the waiter/​owner.

At first glance, Johnny’s Snack Bar doesn’t look like anything special and could very easily be passed by or missed. The small, green, house-​like restaurant is located just across from the Forum and is by no means a place that you could expect to run into Sydney Crosby or any other celebrity for that matter, but let me tell you, it’s brings out the truest meaning of the old adage «don’t judge a book by it’s cover», it’s what’s inside that counts…
The small, cozy restaurant is owned and operated by a greek family and serves what may be one of the best meals of your life. If you’re a fish lover, you want to go there on Friday nights for the Pan-​fried Haddock Special, which always lives up to it’s expectations — week after week. Other favorites are the Club House, and their Home-​made Chocolate Milkshakes (Mmmm…). Everything is made fresh, from scratch, and is very modestly priced, and you are guarenteed to never leave with a hungry stomach. Next time you are in the area, drop in, otherwise you won’t know what you’re missing!