Seafood platter for2 was fantastic! Really fantastic taste! Highly recommend
I highly recommend J's Diner. Their food is to die for, absolutely divine.....their service is good. Waiters are efficient and friendly. Atmosphere is good.
Awesome food, peri-peri chicken just like I remember having in my original home country, Mozambique.
always fabulous.... best chicken and prawns in the world
Top class food coupled with great service. Really enjoyed our night out.
My boyfriend and I decided to have dinner here on a Friday night and we absolutely loved it! They allow you to bring your own drinks so we purchased a bottle of wine from Spar which is right next door. Super friendly staff and the food was amazing. We had the creamy mussels starter which was divine and for our mains, we ordered the chicken combos, I had mine with prawns and he had his with calamari, it was delicious. The portions are huge - we couldn't finish what was on our plate. The hot flavoured chicken I had was really great and spicy! The 300g rump and chips is delicious too. We left feeling super satisfied. Thank you J's Diner! We will be back.
Fab food, well priced and great service! Will definitely be back again. Shared the 1kg prawns and a calamari main with three people and it was amazing! Such a treat!
Fantastic seafood! You can’t go wrong with the seafood platter for two.
Such reasonable prices and bring your own booze!
One of my favourite places to go
Superb and consistent quality of Portuguese-style cuisine. Absolutely marvelous chicken livers peri-peri, prawns to die for, blue cheese salad that IS a blue cheese salad, steaks and ribs to perfection and chips exactly as they should be. Combined with friendly service, this establishment offers amazing value.
Klaus-Louis Jansen Van Vuuren
+5
I've been to J's five times now already. Take a bottle of wine (no corkage fee) and take in the vibe!
It doesn't look like much from outside, and honestly, I wouldn't have looked at it twice if a trustworthy foodie source hadn't taken me there.
The atmosphere is relaxed and completely chilled. The waiters are almost unnaturally friendly and extremely helpful. The variety has something for everyone, and the cuisine is absolutely stunning! Amazing steaks and gobsmackingly wonderful fresh fish! The Milo Fritos with a traditional portuguese sauce is the perfect side to anything on the menu. The best part is the price! You can have a proper two-course meal for two people for under R500-00, and walk out unable to have another bite.
Perfect for calm and chilled date nights or friendly gatherings.
My favourite spot in Joburg.
Lovely family restaurant. Authentic Portuguese cuisine at reasonable prices. The staff is friendly, the food is great AND you can bring your own booze at no charge.
This was my second time at J’s Diner and took my friends to experience it. The food was incredible as always and our waiter was great too since my friends managed to make her laugh. It is cosy and relaxed space and with something for everyone and managed to make new friends with the table next to us. We will definitely be back!!
Really good value for money and probably the best peri peri chicken around. Love all their combos too! A hidden gem with a quaint and cozy atmosphere.
Just lovely!
I organized my birthday of 30 people at Js on a Friday night. The staff & vibe were both spectacular. The food is fresh, delicious and well priced. The service was great. Every single one of my guests loved their time at Js. Will be back
Simple, authentic Portuguese diner. Good, simple food with little frills... great service too!
You can bring your own booze,but they do provide as well. My recommendations are the peri chicken and prawns. Their starters are also tasty, and we usually get a variety to share.
Casual dining for a Friday night. Friendly staff, good food, good buzz about the place, always a sign of a successful restaurant. Sat outside as it was a little nosy inside.
Have to congratulate the new owners for bringing this Portuguese restaurant back to life. Great food once again being served. We had their trinchado and peri peri chicken, both of which were excellent dishes. The salads and chips served were great. Service has improved impressively. Do not forget to take your own wine as they are not licensed. No corkage charged of course.
I was pleasantly surprised by J's Diner!
The food was good, portions were generous and service decent.
The portions are big enough to share, so I recommend getting a few dishes and splitting them among the table.
They also don't have a liquor license, so you can bring your own drinks without paying a corkage fee.
Fantastic food, great place for dinner with some friends as it has a social atmosphere.
Prices are probably a bit on the high side all things considered but it is still worth it and a must try!
Good Portugese food
Place was busy for a thursday night with alot of families present and a few birthdays happening.
Ordered a quarter chicken & calamari- food was quite yummy and hit the right spot
Place is not the prettiest in look but its one of those family run restaurants that you keep going back because of the great food.
Will be back to try the seafood
Lovely unpretentious venu. They are licenced but you are welcome to bring your own wine with no charge for corkage. Food is great - prawns are delicious. Service is almost too quick! Not so pretty sitting outside as no real view but the food is worth going for. Definately worth visiting and very reasonably priced.
Nice lunch joint where you can take your own drinks.... keeps the price down for pensioners. They mostly have specials that are also offered at a great price with excellent quality
Came here for lunch and very impressed!
Friendly staff and nice spacious seating area with big windows overlooking the road.
Ordered the pangasius fish with veggies and rice. The fillet was perfectly cooked, it was like melted butter and the vegetables, creamed spinach and butternut were delicious, fresh and hot!
Their chips also seem to be crispy and homemade which was great.
The only downside is their soft drinks menu not having such a wide range but all the favourites are there and lovely how you can bring your own alcohol! Will come again, their seafood platters look and smell delicious!
Best Portuguese food in Johannesburg, so affordable and the vibe at the restaurant is amazing. Food is of a great quality and the flavor is out of this world. Cant wait for the the take away opening in Linden.
A mid week outing to what we thought would be a plain Jane restaurant, our jaws dropped when we just barely got the last table. Bookings are essential from Wednesday onwards. Filled to the brim with families and a mature crowd. This was the night to indulge in traditional (and affordable) Portuguese fair. Fried squid heads & halloumi starters were greedily devoured. Peri-peri grilled chicken - their hot sauce means hell fire hot, the Beef Espatata was tender. A night out that felt like the north had switched with south. A firm favorite with the locals!
Great food. The waitress really tried her best. It was her birthday as well as ours, so we have her a balloon too. . Unfortunately Management sucks !
Really nice place to have a meal with friends! Good vibe and very reasonably priced food. Would recommend the prawns and mussels (as a starter). It's also BYOB which is cool and can be a fun thing to arrange with friends!
Wow wow such a lovely evening filled with great service and excellent food!!! We had the ribs and prawn combo and it was delicious!!! The portion were of a decent size and the prices were GREAT!
What a homely place. Good vibe. Delicious food. Friendly staff and manager. All you need to have a good night out with friends. I would most definitely go back again
Cristina Melosi Scola
+3.5
This was our first visit after hearing about this place from a few people. No fiuss , no frills, affordable kind of place. Vibey and very busy on a Saturday evening.
The food is traditionally Mozambican. We had the piri piri baby chicken and the calamari. Both very tasty and well presented. The hot piri piri is not for the faint hearted so go for mild if you are not so brave. The desserys were a bit dreary but overall a pleasant experience.
Fantastic! Laid back atmosphere, and good food! Very well priced, and can take your own wine with no corkage. Really enjoyed the prawns (food came out a bit quick - we were still busy with starters, but other than that, perfect)
This little spot is such a gem. The BYOB policy is great, the food is out of this world and so reasonable, the staff are very friendly and the restaurant is always full so book ahead. Worth a visit.
Simple Portuguese restaurant with a BYOB policy. Popular with the locals and rightfully so. Food was great at a very reasonable price and service was friendly and easy going. I will be going back to this spot.
Wow wow wow. I was gobsmacked with the food, the service and how awesomely cheap the food was. Its always packed so make a reservation. Bring your own booze with no corkage....hell yeah. the food is proper. The prawns,the chicken, chorizo, calamari, steak, chicken livers had it's own distinctive Portuguese flavour. Lets not forget the pasteis de nata which was a decadent end to a spicy dinner. Waiters are super attentive and friendly. All in all a great restaurant that's friendly on the pocket.
Finally made it to J’s Diner - it did not disappoint. The food, although very reasonably priced, was delicious. The menu includes numerous combo deals for the indecisive. Service was a tad slow but it did not detract from the overall experience.
Very delicious rump steak!! Quite the best I've had. And very well priced! You can bring your own drinks which is great! John the owner is friendly and very approachable.
We popped over to J's diner for a mid week meal. What a pleasant experience. It was busy when we arrived which is always a good sign. Our starters were warm, wintery and delish! The calamari - oh my - one of my bests ever, not to mention the creamed spinach that came along side it. Bringing your own wine at no extra cost is an added bonus!!! Will definitely be back! Margaux De Wet Dian De WetJustin Marshall
Had lunch with friends and family at J's Diner - as usual J's was full , even after moving to a new venue about a year ago that is probably 4 times bigger.I had the prawn and peri-peri combo with chips for R 115 and as always it was very good - even if we waited a bit longer than usual - six prawns with half a chicken and home made chips - not the oven type you seem to get more and more these days - watch out for the side dish of peri- peri -they mix their own and the batches differ from time to time - excellent!
Well well well. Heard great reviews but was always slightly sceptical as it looks a bit pub from the outside. Walked in - packed! Vibey! With friendly attentive staff! Took our own wine - no corkage. The menu is full of yummy surprises such as the deep fried mielie squares - yummy! The seafood was amazing - succulent and the sides (good old non pumpkin and spinaches but not greasy at all) really delish...and so so SO reasonably priced. This is the type of place i am happy to make my local hangout! They will absolutely see me again!
Decided to try J's diner last night after hearing so much about it. The place was already packed when we arrived before 7 and fortunately we booked a table. We were seated and initially service was a little slow as staff were still preparing for evening service ahead. No liquor licence so patrons bring their own which I suppose contributes to the popularity. I ordered the lemon and herb baby chicken with vegetables and it was superb. Service was prompt after the initial hiccup and I had the chocolate mousse for dessert which was not quite as good as the chicken. Prices are very reasonable and I will definitely be back to try other items off the menu.
Delicious food and amazing service😍 we ate chourico, squid heads, chicken, prawns and calamari. All well cooked, and beyond delicious! Definitely understand why it's so busy
What a win!
Little Portuguese restaurant that ticks all the boxes!
Arrived for a birthday here on a Friday evening to find this place packed. Lovely little place situated in the corner with seating both inside and outside.
My friends had been here before and couldn't stop talking about this place!
We decided that we had to try everything on the menu, so the whole table opted to do sharing from the starters to the mains!
We literally had a taste of all the starters and opted to stick with the Portuguese menu for mains trying everything from the prawns, calamari, trinchado and chourico. We also did order the clams but unfortunately weren't cooked thoroughly and that was sent back of which we didn't ask to be replaced as we really did have enough food on the table.
Service could have been a little better as we did wait long to place an order, but understandable it was a busy Friday evening.
Otherwise, great experience!
Hidden away in a corner next to the Spar ... is this little gem of a restaurant. The place was packed, luckily I booked a table.
I wanted to go real Portuguese, so I ordered the Green Cabbage Soup (Caldo Verde). I didn't know what to expect, but although it tasted fine, I didn't like it. I think I expected a more thicker soup with chunks of cabbage and potatoes.
The fried squid heads with tartare sauce was amazing!!!! Will definitely order that again. Hein had the rump with slice of ham, egg and chips. Absolutely delicious!!!!!!!!!
The pasteis de nata (custard tart) was scrumptious!!! Crispy flaky pastry and smooth velvety custard. I can live on those.
Will be back for sure.
Great Piri Piri chicken. Ok Calde verde. Service pleasant but unimpressive. Splendid atmosphere. Very busy. Well worth a trip. Prawns good.
Good was great..... Will def be back. Waitress however could not give good guidance on menu options. Chicken tasted great and didn't feel pre-cooked the fish we ordered was well cooked and the portion sizes are just about right!!!
Had heard good reviews of this Portuguese restaurant in the Blairgowrie centre and was not disappointed. We sat outside on a lovely summer's eve and enjoyed the lively atmosphere. Portuguese baby chicken with lemon herb sauce and vegetables was superb - soft; juicy and way bigger portion than Nando's. Pricing was way under other restaurants in the Northern suburbs. Struggled to get service to pay the bill but will return. Great take-out option as well.
Cannot fault the food, service and prices. The best value for money restaurant in Johannesburg. Bring your own drink - plenty ice, ice buckets provided.
Went to J's for dinner a few nights ago, and I was thoroughly impressed. It was my second time there, and I was not disappointed. The atmosphere is infectious. You can't help but enjoy yourself. The menu is large and accommodating, with seafood, meat and Portuguese cuisine. I can personally vouch for the squid head starters, the steak with egg and chips, the burgers and the prego rolls. My boyfriend had the chicken livers starter and the kingclip mains the other night, and he was pleased with them.
They don't serve alcohol, but that's the beauty of this place - you can bring your own, and they don't charge a corkage fee! The staff are friendly and helpful, and the overall experience is a lovely one.
Good, down to earth LM style cafe. It's a godsend that they pitched up in the area - rather the sort of place you'd find in Jhb South where you get fantastic Peri peri baby chicken & slupp chips for under 80 bucks....that's like £4 or $6 folks! Isn't RSA wonderful!!!! Great unpretentious venue that's always busy..
What a gem! J's is so understated and casual but the food is a winner!
We all had the six queen prawns with vegetables. The dish was so simple but so so so tasty!
A wonderful, family atmosphere and the prices are really reasonable. A definite must-try!
In a big fan of a peri peri chicken with chips for lunch and Js diner delivers on this. The price is excellent for a half chicken.
I've had the Portuguese steak several times and also a big fan of that. I tried the chicken wings twice but it wasn't up to the level of the other meals. However, I like the prices, I like the value and I like to bring my own wine, so Js diner is a regular for me.
My first time and definitely not my last. Food was delicious and at a reasonable price. Overall friendly and great service, especially for a big group of people.
This place has a great family atmosphere. The service is great and there were no complaints from our table of about 20. There was a large variety of meals ordered at our table, and all looked delicious!
I had a pasta Al Funghi. Being a vegetarian they catered for me as I had to order a Alfredo and remove the ham.
Will definitely come back!
I enjoy J's because it is really reasonably priced and they have good, wholesome Portuguese food. They are however REALLY packed and you need to book long in advance. Also, they hadn't yet managed to get a liquor licence so we took our own booze (which works out quite a lot cheaper).
What a magnificent experience!!!
Packed on a Tuesday night and made a plan for us to sit in and thank goodness for that!!! Food was incredible, meat, chicken, fish... All very good.
Would recommend to anyone
J's is the bomb. A very low key & inexpensive restaurant which really shatters the mindset that all good restaurants must be extravagant and expensive.
What to eat:
Prego
Calamari
Peri Peri Chicken
😍
I have had this on my bookmarked restaurants for quite a while and decided to finally go here last Monday to celebrate my boyfriend getting a new car :) Flip, I absolutely loved this restaurant!!!! Service was amazing, our waiter was so friendly and the food came super quickly. I had calamari and my boyfriend had the chicken and calamari combo, all perfectly cooked and so so tasty. Even the chips were delicious! Will definitely go back (there are so many other meals I want to try) and I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone. Just a note, they don't serve pasteis de nata on Mondays :( (but it was substituted with a delicious creme brulee)! oh and they're moving across the road into the centre by Spar!
An easy going, down to earth restaurant with great food and great prices. BYOB. A good selection of Portugese food, mostly chicken and seafood. I have been twice now and always enjoyed my meal.
J's Diner is a real treat. The food is amazing. Such good value for money. We ordered the steak, the chicken and the fish. All meals were superb and the chips are fabulous. An unpretentious venue, unlicensed so bring your own and they don't charge corkage. Down to earth, affordable and delicious. Always packed at night so be sure to book.
You get what you pay for, the food was reasonably priced, decent portions and tasty. It lived up to my expectations. Great for a quick family dinner and so much better than takeaways.
Excellent takeaway venue. If you don't mind rustic, including plastic chairs - dining in is an option. The calamari and chicken are firm favorites. Much better parking arrangements than the previous venue.
J's was absolutely packed on arrival and we hadn't made a booking. No problem, One of the managers/owner went next door and brought us a camping table which was perfectly adequate, laid out table cloths and sorted us out - what service!!The food was also something to write home about, everything we had was delicious - next time I go I think I will just order a whole bunch of starters for the table. Prawns, chicken and chips were fantastic
The only minor issues were that we had to have milkshake in mugs and water in coffee cups as they had "run out" of other glasses. I think they need to do some equipment shopping.
Also, could've been more prawns in my half portion, but the taste made up for it.
Very Portuguese looking which is a little old fashioned but that doesn't even matter when you're getting proper Portuguese food. The veg isn't completely Portuguese but the beef Espitada is very traditional and tastes like Portugal. The baby(not that small) chicken is also extremely tasty and very traditional and possibly just like my avo's(grandmothers) . The prices are fantastic and staff is very friendly, this place is definitely worth a try.
Looks like a hole in the wall but you're absolutely surprised by the tasty food that is brought from the kitchen. We have eaten the Espetada, baby chicken, giblets, chicken livers and calamari. All are flavourful and excellent quality. The prices are fantastic. The service is not great but not terrible either. Will definitely be going back!
J's came highly recommended so the poor reviews were not going to put is off. On a busy road, plastic chairs, tables and table cloths. Paper serviettes. Ambience is not great. Err terrible. So now for the food. We decided to have a selection of starters to reduce the risk before we order main. They were lovely!
Mains were good although a little less good as the restaurant got really busy.
Service is typical. But not worse than average. Not having a liquor license and bringing your own makes up for most of the negative issues.
After all the negative reviews we were fairly apprehensive when we dined at J's last night.There were 6 adults and two children and we had a fantastic meal. The starters were great and the peri peri chicken was as good as I have ever had and we eat out regularly. The service was great even though the place was full and sometimes I wonder what it takes to make some people happy! We will be back soon.
This place is a gem. I always order the chicken and prawn combo. The chicken is absolutely amazing. Chorizo is always good to start off with. Make sure u bring your booze along. Very affordable.
Awesome peri peri baby chicken. So tasty but I erred by ordering the half chicken. The portion was small. Prices are very fair. They coped well with load shedding. The creme Brule a bit thick in texture... Brilliant value for money. This is a no frills small authentic Portuguese Restuarant
The cool and calm atmosphere calls in lovers and old friends. The music and deco compliment the vibe. The service is friendly and well timed.
The food is deep and flavourful
I had the pumpkin filled ravioli with sage infused oil and mushrooms. The key is take a small bit of everything in one bite in every mouthful. The farm to table approach does translate to the taste. Always save space for dessert. It is straight out of masterchef.
I can't wait to go again
Lesedi “The Story Oracle” Mogoatlhe
+4
Excellent food, we went on a whim to this place not knowing what to expect, but we were pleasantly suprised. We had good wine, and the prices were fairly reasonable. Good waiters too.
A stunning little restaurant with quite a romantic ambience. Service wasn’t great as our waiter was more concerned with the other tables and seemed to forget about us. For mains I ordered the Beef Short Rib, and at R250 it’s a super pricey main. The beef was really tender and delicious, but I wasn’t a big fan of the sauce that came with it, I think the smoky flavour was a bit too potent. For dessert we had the Passionfruit Cheesecake, and I found the little cheesecake tart to be very dry and underwhelming. The strawberry and passionfruit ice creams were tasty though.
Excellent service and a creative and Fusion-filled Menü with organic locally grown „in season“ vegetables in every dish.
The cocktails offer every classic mix and a retro feel with pictures of the Drinks plus a wide variaty of wine.
The kitchen is very creative with Asian influences ( Korean spiced appetizers) and European classics with pesto and Parmesan.
Excellent meats and choices that pleases every desire from starters all the way to deserts.
Highly recommended!
Wonderful simple setting with fantastic food. Every dish done with passion and presented beautifully. All ingredients are sourced from organic producers and resturant claims full provenance, which I can believe. Very impressed with both the service and the food. Definitely recommended.
What can I say about Coobs?...The last time we ate there it was still in Parkhurst. I happen to pass in Parktown North few days back and there it was. I contacted my friends right there and we agreed to meet for a dinner date this evening. It was fun to come back as a trio since we haven't been there together in almost two years. Thulz had a wild boar ragu, Miss May settled for the Carbonara( authentic /Italian way), while I chose wagyu beef burger with chips. Beautiful food all around and great atmosphere.
Excellent cocktail selection and I would highly recommended the Curd and Whey drink if you like sweet cocktails.
The tuna carpaccio starter is also a winner with fresh ingredients that work really well together. Main meals are big portions but very tasty. Definitely worth a visit.
Delicious meal. The menu is great and so much to offer. Great wine selection. Waiters, hostess and chef are attentive.
What a great experience! My husband booked us for a brunch date for my birthday and it was amazeballs 🙌 The food was delicious, service was decent and the location is my favourite street 😉
The food serve here its truly exquisite and literally melts in your mouth. I had the best chicken liver parfait that it cames with a red cabagge sauce and sweet in its own flavours. I will recommend it as your starters and accompanied with a nice white wine.
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