We love John's. It's a family tradition and has been since I was a small child. Great ice cream. Love the tuna sandwich!
Barbara Schulz
We have tried 2 days in a row 10/22 &10/23 closed! We tried about 430pm on Sunday and today 330pm closed!! So now, some in our group are leaving and won't be able to have ice cream...Is there a secret to being there?
Matt Wise
The off-season hours for John's are very confusing.We planned a day around eating John's on the beach, walked down the street and... it was closed (1 o'clock on Friday, 10/27).Nothing on the website or social media (the recommended method for finding the most accurate hours) indicated that it would be closed.Definitely disappointing.
Kristi Roberts
First place we ate at on our vacation. We love these hole in the wall places. The tacos had a little bite to them but were oh so good and the sauce on the burger made me want another.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried
Michael Whitlow
Something has changed. John’s rep is strong, and coming in the fall has its benefits - less crowded, for one. But, the $14 dolphin boat this time was just bad food. There was at least a 1/4” of batter surrounding the small dolphin pieces, presenting a hard, dark, fried outer shell, a doughy inner portion of batter and an OK piece of dolphin, but without any noticeable seasoning. Could not bring myself to eat this food beyond a few bites. The dolphin had the mouth feel of a bad corn dog at a fair, but without the benefit of corn meal taste in the doughy, thick covering. I think this comes off my list of places to go on the Outer Banks.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Kirsten Turonis
I love the outside area, the staff was very friendly but ever since they got new owners the food just isn't as good. I do suggest their ice cream though and they have free pup cups! (Lil vanilla ice cream cups)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Tyler C.
Wow, this place is phenomenal. Definitely gives ma and pa vibes and they're prices aren't bad at all! The breading here is amazing
Dana A.
Food was fresh and amazing. I had a cheeseburger which was insane. I really appreciate it when the ratio of toppings to burger is perfect. My son had the fried shrimp bowl and by husband had the dolphin sub - both were devoured. We tried the cajun mayo and the cocktail sauce and they were excellent. They were super friendly and our order was absolutely perfect. This is a must try if you are in the area. We will 100% be back!
Joe eichelkraut
I was pleasantly surprised when I decided to dine at this restaurant on a whim, and I must say, I was completely blown away. The fish dishes, especially the Cajun tuna boat and the grilled mahi, were absolutely amazing. Even my kids enjoyed the outdoor atmosphere. It was a wonderful dining experience!Kid-friendliness: the outdoor eating was fun with the picture cutouts
The Food is good and the shakes are great. We picked it up and drop a minute to our beach spot.Parking: The only issue we had with John's was that it was hard to leave the parking lot. Visibility isnt great and the road can be busy.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Dolphin, Fried
Mickey Taylor
Let me tell you the dolphin bites were out of this world delicious. Great fried okra . Big portions of fried okra and fries plus hush puppies. The only thing disappointing we’re the crab cakes. Extremely small. Barely 1/4 cup patty. Taste was fine but buns were nothing special. Everybody enjoyed ice cream and shakes
Jill A
We stopped by John’s drive in for the first time and did they deliver. The fried dolphin is a very yummy piece of fish, the fries are seasoned and the shakes are delicious. It’s a great spot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Amanda E.
John's used to be a favorite place of my friends and family. We've been going there for 20+ years. The quality of the dolphin boats and shakes has changed dramatically. From what I understand, John's has new ownership since COVID. If you want a quick stop for average food off the beach, this place will do. If you're looking for the high quality, large pieces of lightly fried fish - try somewhere else. We visited twice this week, just to confirm.
Dan E.
What happened to what use to be GREAT Dolphin boats? I like a little more fish with my bad batter. Raise the cost don't cheapen the product.
We love John's. It's a family tradition and has been since I was a small child. Great ice cream. Love the tuna sandwich!
We have tried 2 days in a row 10/22 &10/23 closed! We tried about 430pm on Sunday and today 330pm closed!! So now, some in our group are leaving and won't be able to have ice cream...Is there a secret to being there?
The off-season hours for John's are very confusing.We planned a day around eating John's on the beach, walked down the street and... it was closed (1 o'clock on Friday, 10/27).Nothing on the website or social media (the recommended method for finding the most accurate hours) indicated that it would be closed.Definitely disappointing.
First place we ate at on our vacation. We love these hole in the wall places. The tacos had a little bite to them but were oh so good and the sauce on the burger made me want another.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried
Something has changed. John’s rep is strong, and coming in the fall has its benefits - less crowded, for one. But, the $14 dolphin boat this time was just bad food. There was at least a 1/4” of batter surrounding the small dolphin pieces, presenting a hard, dark, fried outer shell, a doughy inner portion of batter and an OK piece of dolphin, but without any noticeable seasoning. Could not bring myself to eat this food beyond a few bites. The dolphin had the mouth feel of a bad corn dog at a fair, but without the benefit of corn meal taste in the doughy, thick covering. I think this comes off my list of places to go on the Outer Banks.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
I love the outside area, the staff was very friendly but ever since they got new owners the food just isn't as good. I do suggest their ice cream though and they have free pup cups! (Lil vanilla ice cream cups)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Wow, this place is phenomenal. Definitely gives ma and pa vibes and they're prices aren't bad at all! The breading here is amazing
Food was fresh and amazing. I had a cheeseburger which was insane. I really appreciate it when the ratio of toppings to burger is perfect. My son had the fried shrimp bowl and by husband had the dolphin sub - both were devoured. We tried the cajun mayo and the cocktail sauce and they were excellent. They were super friendly and our order was absolutely perfect. This is a must try if you are in the area. We will 100% be back!
I was pleasantly surprised when I decided to dine at this restaurant on a whim, and I must say, I was completely blown away. The fish dishes, especially the Cajun tuna boat and the grilled mahi, were absolutely amazing. Even my kids enjoyed the outdoor atmosphere. It was a wonderful dining experience!Kid-friendliness: the outdoor eating was fun with the picture cutouts
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hush Puppies, Dolphin
Best quick seafood on the beach rd.Awesome
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Dolphin
Restaurantji Recommends
The Food is good and the shakes are great. We picked it up and drop a minute to our beach spot.Parking: The only issue we had with John's was that it was hard to leave the parking lot. Visibility isnt great and the road can be busy.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Dolphin, Fried
Let me tell you the dolphin bites were out of this world delicious. Great fried okra . Big portions of fried okra and fries plus hush puppies. The only thing disappointing we’re the crab cakes. Extremely small. Barely 1/4 cup patty. Taste was fine but buns were nothing special. Everybody enjoyed ice cream and shakes
We stopped by John’s drive in for the first time and did they deliver. The fried dolphin is a very yummy piece of fish, the fries are seasoned and the shakes are delicious. It’s a great spot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
John's used to be a favorite place of my friends and family. We've been going there for 20+ years. The quality of the dolphin boats and shakes has changed dramatically. From what I understand, John's has new ownership since COVID. If you want a quick stop for average food off the beach, this place will do. If you're looking for the high quality, large pieces of lightly fried fish - try somewhere else. We visited twice this week, just to confirm.
What happened to what use to be GREAT Dolphin boats? I like a little more fish with my bad batter. Raise the cost don't cheapen the product.