Review J's Diner - Johannesburg

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

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.

A great dinner at J's. The prawn stater was the best we have ever eaten. My schnitzel was as always stunning and seasonal veg fresh and well prepared. My partners espitada was extremely salty. We told the manager who visited the kitchen and then confirmed that the excess salt was not removed prior to cooking .... A rapid sorry and not even the offer of a glass of water to wash the salty taste out of his mouth was how it ended ..... J's when you admit that it was over salted ... This is not how you deal with a complaint ....

Seafood platter for2 was fantastic! Really fantastic taste! Highly recommend

We were a party of four and we all enjoyed our meals immensely. Their food is good and the prices are reasonable. The chilli sauce is full of flavour but hot. One of our party ordered a baby chicken and she said it was moist and tasty. I had the pork and clam stew and the portion was substantial, they didn't skimp on the clams, and the gravy was delicious. The grilled squid head starter was tender and tasty. We rounded our meal off with a café and pastel de nata for dessert. The manager was friendly and overall we enjoyed our meals. I want to go back and try more dishes! Tip: You may bring your own wine.

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.

We enjoyed our meal and it's a nice casual vibe. The chili sauce was a little disappointing tho - not really much taste just heat. We will go back.

We’ve been waiting 90 mins for food to arrive. No manager supervision. Waiters are clueless. Once food arrived, it was delicious.

Laid back atmosphere with delicious well priced Mozambique and Portuguese food that bites and has lot of soul!

Sit outside, it's large and noisy, but personalised by owner John and budget friendly with BYO. Portuguese food is tasty and reasonable. It's one of our favourites.

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

A homely feeling. Large portions of delicious food. Good service and great value for money

As always, good food, good vibe and good cricket ;)

Top class food coupled with great service. Really enjoyed our night out.

I had a combo,the calimari was good but the prawns was not good,way under cooked

Old spot prizes was much more affordable. Ive been there several times. New place the prizes has doubled ... fish and chips 90.00 Will give it a miss

I give J's Diner 1 star (or lower)!<br/><br/>Very poor management/owner decisions have left me extremely disappointed.<br/><br/>I remember a time when great customer service was enjoyed from manager downward... Now, sadly, it's only the staff who try to satisfy customers.<br/><br/>I am highly unlikely to EVER go there again following the owner's poor judgment in failing to manage simple customer requests.<br/><br/>All I wanted was mashed potato with my schnitzel rather than chips or veg (which it comes with).<br/><br/>Response : That will be R23 extra charge!<br/><br/>Over the last 5 years that I've supported them, that's all I've ever had without problem or extra charge. It's alway been accommodated with pleasure.<br/><br/>Owner's decision : "NO! PAY Extra!"<br/><br/>Not accommodating.<br/>Not friendly.<br/>Not caring.<br/><br/>Now it's all about the bottom line...<br/><br/>I used to go there about 3 to 5 times a quarter...<br/><br/>J's was one of my favourites... But, alas, no more.<br/><br/>Very, very disappointing! 🙁😔☹️😒<br/><br/>I cancelled my order and I got a take away pizza from Del Forno's and, with my pizza in a box in front of me, watched while the rest of the table ate their meals. I paid for my beer and left to eat at home.<br/><br/>Time to spend my money where it's appreciated! 😠

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.<br/>Such reasonable prices and bring your own booze!<br/>One of my favourite places to go <br/>

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.

I visited J’s Diner for the first time this week with hubby and really enjoyed the starters we ordered (fish soup, grilled calamari and Prawn Rissoles). The service is top notch and very friendly- I LOVED that! The food prices are also very reasonable compared to other seafood places. <br/><br/>The Starter calamari was fresh and I loved the sauce. The Mozambique beer 🍺 was amazing! Nb: they also have gin and tonic on tap 😄. The prawn rissoles were also amazing and the fish soup was good - I just expected chunks of fish in it and not So much shredded fish. The soup wasn’t very hot, so I’m guessing that it was frozen and reheated.<br/><br/>After our first great experience, we went back again today for hubbys birthday. Amazing service as expected 👌🏽. For starters we ordered grilled Chicken wings and rissoles. The wings were deliciously hot and the blue cheese sauce was superb! We had a generous portion of 3 big prawn rissoles which were also very tasty. <br/><br/>Main- a seafood platter for two (300g lobster, calamari, mussels, panga fish and prawns). The calamari was a little bitter, but could be salvaged with drizzles of lemon. The lobster was Not fresh at all. Quite rubbery and salty- didn’t enjoy that. The panga fish - I think I just don’t like that fish and never will, as I have never had it well prepared 🤷🏽‍♀️. The mussels were also great with lemon.<br/><br/>Overall, they have a great menu with a lot of options that make you want to come back and try more food. The quality of food is a bit inconsistent, but generally good. The service is amazing and I will definitely be going back!

Most disappointing lunch today ! Your menu says "Choricou and Clam in Creamy Sauce ; Pasta" but you served tomato sauce base pasta, it took a long time to serve soI just ate a half of it and paid full and left. On my way out, I have made the above comments to th Manager. There werw no apology nor no explanation. Photo on any of the site shows creamy base photo and not tomato base as I was served.Never eat here again.

My therapist works around the area but I’m not familiar with Blairgowrie. So I was happy to find the place without getting too lost. I saw that it had a good rating here at Zomato and gave it a try. Out of like 20 tables, only 5 were not reserved. That looked like a good sign 😉<br/><br/>I was here to actually gather my thoughts whilst taking care of my stomach. I first got seated and then I got up to fetch my pen and paper. But the waiter stopped me and said they could sort me out. And they did. The service is great, the waiting staff is attentive.<br/><br/>The food let them down a bit though.

I've been to J's five times now already. Take a bottle of wine (no corkage fee) and take in the vibe!<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>Perfect for calm and chilled date nights or friendly gatherings.<br/><br/>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.

Does J's have the best food in Joburg? No. But you get what you pay for. I find them great value for money. Is it trendy with unique decor? No. But there are enough of those places in Joburg. What I enjoy about J's is that I can go there whether I am in gym clothes or coming from work. Great spot to go to if you don't feel like cooking and you want an early, quick dinner somewhere. I enjoy J's and go there often. The only reason I gave them 3 stars is cause I am comparing them to other fine dining restaurants. But in a category of similar restaurants I would have given them a 4.

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.<br/>Just lovely!

Beware the new owner, got ripped off last night ordering takeaway !! ordered takeaway assuming I was paying normal J’s diner prices only to pay and see that my prawn and calamari combo had jumped from R110 to R190 !!! not even a warning on the phone. I would pay that for a fine dining restaurant but an increase like this is ridiculous

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!<br/><br/>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!<br/><br/>The food was good, portions were generous and service decent.<br/><br/>The portions are big enough to share, so I recommend getting a few dishes and splitting them among the table.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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<br/><br/>Place was busy for a thursday night with alot of families present and a few birthdays happening.<br/><br/>Ordered a quarter chicken & calamari- food was quite yummy and hit the right spot<br/><br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>Will be back to try the seafood

Js come recommended but I'm not prepared to risk it again. Went on a Wednesday evening for dinner. Service was quick, but sticky table tops, rotten bits in the salad and incredibly salty espatada has put me off entirely.

Very disappointed with the kg prawns. We've had them many times. This time<br/>they were covered in a "sauce". Was more like a prawn stew.<br/>Did say something to the manager, but he wasn't very apologetic.<br/>This was about 3 months ago. Haven't been back since.<br/>Used to love this place

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

The service was slow. Food was average - Had the giblets gravy mopped up by their bread which was not very fresh. The gravy was flavorful and spicy which I enjoyed. Friends had the chicken which they enjoyed along with the chicken livers. My husband enjoyed the calamari immensely. I won't be back despite the BYOB convenience - I just didn't enjoy the vibe or feel of the place.

Good food with below average service. The menu, on the other hand, has plenty to choose from. A great place to eat if you are looking good vibe and reasonably priced food. Would recommend the prawns.

Came here for lunch and very impressed! <br/>Friendly staff and nice spacious seating area with big windows overlooking the road. <br/>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! <br/>Their chips also seem to be crispy and homemade which was great. <br/>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!

Really!? The rissois de camarão were rissois de pão e massa with 1/4 of a shrimp. Wow <br/>Pathetic<br/>pork alajana- not even my dictionary could find it. Surely it is pork à alentejana <br/><br/>No codfish ( bacalhau) <br/><br/>Wow. South Africans can easily be fooled. Might as well be a steakhouse. <br/><br/>Not coming back

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 !

I don't know what J's have done wrong since they moved the service was horrible and now last week confirmed that served me seafood that hospitalised me. They totally lost the plot.

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

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.<br/>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)

Ft me and cv g very true by va yy tand veggiegtvgggggggyyggggcgggyyggggyvvgygggftvfcggfgfvggvvyvygvvvffrvrrfyty in yy traffic and the truth to cut ftvvfggt

Completely ruined Father's day lunch. Been here several times and the food was worth the terrible service. This time food took 1 hour and 15 min to arrive. And in that time the owner/manager was cowering in the kitchen. The waiters avoided the floor so you weren't offered drinks or even bread or anything while you waited this ridiculously long time. Manager/owner eventually came out and fleeting lyrics said sorry she's understaffed and left. When the food finally arrived my meal was accidentally dropped on the floor by the waiter so had to wait another 10 minutes. Food was absolutely tasteless. Horrific experience and won't be returning.

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

I ordered the prawn risoles specifically. The waiter took it and i confirmed with her again if they have. When I got home they were chicken. When I called I got horrible attitude from the manager saying basically "too bad" that's all they have. The pasta was under cooked and very bland. Havnt had the energy to give it other try.

What a classic joint. we went in search for a different resturant and found js justo conrad drive. It was packed and for good reason it serves classic south African Porra food.<br/>The prawn rissols were good. The steak and egg cooked to perfection, my Trinchado was ok to slightly bland. <br/>All in all a good busy mom and pop joint. <br/>So go ignore the filthy floor, filthy undersides of plates, patchy service,and no real liquor selection. And return again for the food.

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

We were in the mood for Portuguese and decided to give this place a try. Had trinchado starter, chicken & rib combo and a calamari & prawn combo. The food was rather average, our waitress was great though. The place seems to be very popular so they must be doing something right. Not sure if we'd go back again.

We saw some good reviews on this restaurant and decided to give it a go. We got a seat at the window. As I understood the restaurant recently moved into these premises; I was very surprised to see the decor looking old and worn. The tables and chairs needs some love. I ordered the rump with prawns. The rump tasted almost burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. Not anything close to what a medium beautiful rump should taste like. The prawns tasted like nothing. I have made better food at home. I had such high hopes but the experience was truly a let down.

Ate here last week. Heard the chicken and prawns were really good. Had the chicken livers and halloumi for starters, the chicken livers were bland and the halloumi inedible. I had the calamari and prawns combo for mains, were it not for the peri peri sauce on the table, the meal would have been completely average.

What a win!<br/>Little Portuguese restaurant that ticks all the boxes!<br/>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.<br/>My friends had been here before and couldn't stop talking about this place! <br/>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!<br/>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.<br/>Service could have been a little better as we did wait long to place an order, but understandable it was a busy Friday evening.<br/>Otherwise, great experience!<br/>

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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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!!!!!!!!! <br/><br/>The pasteis de nata (custard tart) was scrumptious!!!  Crispy flaky pastry and smooth velvety custard.  I can live on those.<br/><br/>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.

Don't bother , they lost our booking , service was very slow , had to order from the manager who forgot our order , when it came it was cold and the trinchado was tough and cold , will never go back !!!

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.<br/><br/>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!<br/><br/>We all had the six queen prawns with vegetables. The dish was so simple but so so so tasty! <br/><br/>A wonderful, family atmosphere and the prices are really reasonable. A definite must-try!

Average food, a general lack of hygiene, some apathy from staff - but worst off all was the atrocious and confrontational attitude from the manager. Avoid.

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. <br/>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.

We arrived. They forgot to book our table. <br/>Then they ran out of chicken. How do you run out of chicken? They were rude to us. <br/>Never again. Sad because we loved the place. <br/>Never again. Sad to say good bye. But J's must go

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!<br/><br/>I had a pasta Al Funghi. Being a vegetarian they catered for me as I had to order a Alfredo and remove the ham.<br/><br/>Will definitely come back!

Ugh. So sad.<br/>Was told good things about this place but was so disapointed. <br/>It was supposed to open at 10:30 but they were still cleaning up last night's party mess.<br/>The menu we were handed was filthy and there was no apology from the manager when we showed it to him.<br/>We gave the starters a chance to redeem the restaurant but were not impressed so went elsewhere.

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).

Service was so slow - waited over an hour for food and the manager was rude. Not a single waiter came to ask the table if we needed anything within the 2 hours that we sat in the restaurant. Will never return.

What a magnificent experience!!!<br/>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. <br/>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. <br/><br/>What to eat:<br/>Prego<br/>Calamari<br/>Peri Peri Chicken<br/>😍

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!

We decided to make the journey and try this place after reading the mixed reviews. In hindsight we should have read between the lines.....Service was poor and the owner/manager (gent with grey hair?), seemed to prefer chatting to his buddies rather than deal with our and other tables issues regarding quality and portion size.The Trinchado was a tiny portion size and grey and watery, more like prison food. The burger patty was mushy and tasteless and fell apart. (I have had better patties out of a retail freezer!). The chicken was well basted but must have been an athlete in it's past life as there was no meat at all, just bone - and that comment from a lady with a small appetite.You don't care about your product or service so you won't see my money again!

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.

First time visiting J's Diner for diner. You have to book well in advance in order to come here for a meal on the weekend. This place has created a good following in Joburg and is good value for money. <br/><br/>The table service however does need a lot of work even though the owner is very friendly and accommodating. There are a few items on the menu for vegetarians but I would have liked to see more. My meal was cooked well and there was a good variety of veggies in the pasta but it was not different or better than anything I have had or made at home before.<br/><br/>The meat and fish here is prepared very well and as I was told by my friends their meals were very tasty and filling.<br/><br/>J's is now moving across the road into the open shopping centre which should make it more comfortable. We will visit again for a meal in the new year after the diner has moved.

I'm not going to type a long story. Service is slow. Grilled calamari starter was good. Trinchado was okay, I've had better at other places. My dad had 8 queen prawns, chips was okay. Husband had peri peri livers with chips, was good, chips was okay. Meal was okay. Will give them another shot. Oh and the menu is outdated. The price for the calamari in their menu was not what we ate charged, but it's okay, just R7.00. Not the end of the world. Maybe they are getting new ones printed.

Last night I went to J's diner for the first time and it shall definitely be my last. It was quite busy for a Wednesday night so I had some hope, but I was mistaken. I was there with quite a big crowd so I expected our food to take a while to arrive. But in saying this we waited over an hour just to get our orders taken. They were unfortunately out of stock of the kingklip which I originally wanted, so I had to settle for the pangasius fish with chips and a lemon butter sauce. When my meal arrived I could just tell it was going to be bad, just by looking at it. I was right, it was a little under cooked, blend and the sauce was like water with no flavour. The only thing good I can say about J's Diner is that the vibe is good and you can bring your own booze and pay no corkage fee.

J's diner has a nice home cooked feel to it and the food is the same with absolutely no unnecessary add ons. I ordered the alfredo fettuccini with no ham and it tasted great. A great substitute if you're too tired to cook. Just a little overpriced.

Gross horrible food it's cheap for a reason. Everything tasted the same. Had chicken livers and calamari 2 start bland and just tasted like cayenne pepper. My husband had the chicken which was par boiled and roasted and I had the prawns... not much to say about them . Will never go back.

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.

Wasn't my best. The decor and service is very causal and that's fine I was expecting great food. My chicken livers were cold and not as tasty as I expect Portuguese style to be. My peri peri chicken for mains wasn't too bad, the taste was quite nice but wasn't cooked enough. I wasn't too fond of their chilling sauce (huge chilli fan) The great thing is you can take your own alcohol and they do not even charge corkage. The prices are ridiculously cheap my chicken livers and half a chicken and a water came up to R82 l. The prices are great But honestly wasn't my favourite meal

Affordable take-aways - peri peri chicken is great and the ribs and chicken is great value for money. Fine dining it is not but good food that doesn't break the bank

Packed on a Friday night, we had heard good things about J's Diner and were excited to try this casual eatery. Initial impressions weren't great, the ambience inside isn't great with plastic chairs and tablecloths, seated next to a brightly lit fridge next to the cashier, we had to wait 30 mins for wine glasses as they had run out, the owner went home to fetch us wineglasses. Reading other reviews on Zomato this seems to be a common problem, why not just buy more glasses? The starters were underwhelming, the trinchado was tougher than the soles of hiking boots, the calamari was good but the portion was tiny (only 6 tubes in the portion). The prawn rissoles had thick bread like casing with not much filling. The mains were decent, the prawns definitely the best dish we had on the night, the basting was delicious. The chicken was lean but still tasty. For dessert, the pasteis de nata was delicious but the chocolate mousse is all cocoa powder and no chocolate. Overall we were very underwhelmed and I've had much better Portuguese food in the South.

I visited J's Diner for the first time on Friday night and I don't think that I will be rushing back. The restaurant has very little to redeem itself. They do not have a liquor licence so you have to take your own liquor, which we did. We were seated at our table for 4 people which we had booked earlier in the week, there were only 3 chairs and we had to ask 3 times before a 4th was procured. We were also informed that they did not have any wine glasses, we had to wait upwards of half an hour whilst the owner ran home to get some - this is apparently a regular problem.  I had to repeat our tables order 2 or 3 times before the waiter got it right and when our starters arrived, there were no napkins or serviettes in sight. We asked for some, they were brought to the table and quickly taken off our table by a passing waiter to be given to another table, all of this without being asked if it was OK for the serviettes to be taken. The mains took nearly 45 minutes to arrive at the table (the restaurant was busy but that shouldn't be the customers problem) and the bathrooms were filthy. Despite how it may seem, it wasn't all bad, the food was a bit above average- the prawns are really tasty and the pricing isn't bad either. So give it a try for yourself and see how you feel, but don't expect much - it is not going to be a fine dining experience.

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<br/><br/>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.<br/>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! <br/>Mains were good although a little less good as the restaurant got really busy. <br/><br/>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.

I've reviewed J's before and said it was a winner... well my impressions changed last night. If you'd like to punish friends or loved ones, taking them to J's is now a good option. Revenge dining may just be a thing.<br/><br/>Let me list the series of mishaps:<br/><br/>1. Our table, booked a week ago, wasn't ready. We had to wait thirty minutes. Management was unapologetic;<br/>2. They ran out of drinking glasses. Again, management did not care;<br/>3. Twenty minutes after ordering we were told that J's had no chicken. A Portuguese restaurant without chicken? That's like an Italian restaurant without Pizza;<br/>4. We asked for peri peri sauce. This arrived in a small silver bowl with a tea spoon which had been taken off the the table next to us. Second hand peri peri sauce, how appetising!;<br/>5. 45 minutes after ordering we asked where our food was. We were told it would still be a while! We spoke to the owner at that point who became verbally abusive.<br/><br/>J's you're a disappointment and a disgrace!

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.

I've recommended this place to lots of people. Went on Thursday and sad to say that it wasn't great at all. Not sure what's happened. Chicken livers where average. Trinchado was bland. Pork chop was dry. Calamari was over cooked. However the prawns where good. Service was excellent and the manager was very attentive. I hope it's not going to be case of a great small restaurant that has now expanded and the quality of food flies out the window

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

Tasty food which is unfortunately cancelled out by our reserved table being squashed in the back and us sitting like sardines. This was fun for the first hour feeling like you were invited to a proper Portuguese home with all the noisy cousins but then becomes exhausting once you found out the tables in the front took all the space. Food took forever and after an hour of dinner arriving the waiter told one person in the group their haloumi main course was not available.