Jon’s Fish Market

Sold place for seafood. Dont be scared by long line, thats what happens when there is good food to be had

This place had some tasty fish at reasonable prices. Everything was fresh. We had fried fish, fried scallops, their fried zucchini (which were huge), fries, and coleslaw. The food and tarter sauce were delicious. The batter they use is good.
The staff was nice, I think we met Jon. It’s a great spot to eat in the area without spending a fortune. The only thing that sucked is that since it’s near a harbor, the restaurant itself doesn’t have bathrooms. There’s a public bathroom down the way, but there are lines and it gets gnarly bruh.
Everything else was good though. They have crazy sharks and maritime stuff on the walls and it is also an actual fish market, not just a restaurant. We would definitely go back there to eat, it was good.

We were looking forward to some delicious fish tacos. These ones were not. They didn’t have enough breading and the breading it did have was soggy. They were also lacking flavor. We give two stars because customer service was good.

I don’t often write Unilocal reviews, but I was compelled to do so after dinner last night. We ordered fish and chips, a fish taco, shrimp salad, and clam chowder. The fish and chips were greasy and somehow had an undercooked spot, the clam chowder tasted like it came out of a can, and the shrimp salad was a small bowl of iceberg with warm bay shrimp on top. No one in our family like their meal. My kids only ate oyster crackers and fries. I question the food handling safety and preparation last night. The restaurant wasn’t that busy but the 3 people working seemed very overwhelmed from ordering taking to what I could see of the kitchen. It seems like it would be hard to get the food wrong in a place like this. The pics of the food from other reviewers look much better than what we got. Maybe we went at the wrong time, it wasn’t a good experience.

The staff just doesn’t care. They lost our ticket and we waited 40 mins for clam chowder and shrimp cocktail on a slow weekday. They did not even apologize. Very disappointing.

Pretty Good fish and chips! Had the fish boat and my husband had fish and chips plate. Love the location and the food!

Batter was too thick on the fish and chips and there was no flavor. I had to use salt which I usually don’t add any to food, used tons of tarter sauce and peel the batter from the fish. Only thing the atmosphere was nice being near the harbor.

We were on our way to a Holi Festival of Colors in Norwalk, but decided that being pelted with colored cornstarch might not be as fun as we initially thought.
So, we decided to keep driving and take a random drive down south on PCH to enjoy the scenery and find some grub in one of the beach towns.
Which brought us all the way down to Dana Point Harbor.
Saw signage saying that a Whale Festival was going on.
We’ve never stopped by in this area and figured might as well.
Considered going on one of the whale-​watching cruises for a few minutes, but the hubby remembered how seasick he got on the last one he went on.
So, we just wandered around the harbor looking around for a place to eat.
Jon’s fit the bill. Whenever we’re at a pier or harbor, we feel like having fish & chips and clam chowder. What we saw on people’s tables looked good and there was a live band right outside.
We were thinking to eat outside on the patio, but I liked all the fun stuff to look at inside.
The fish was much better than most of the other places we’ve been to.
I asked the nice young man at the counter and he said that it was Alaskan Cod.
We both liked the batter too. I always douse my fried fish with malt vinegar and it soaked in just right.
The clam chowder was to our liking too. Thick with enough clams & potatoes.
This was a good satisfying meal. A bit pricey, but what would be expected for the location.
Spur of the moment adventures & dining can be fun!

Although a longtime staple for us when family is in town, we may have to look for a new place.
The good: portions are great, friendly and usually fast service even when crowded. Cole slaw.
What could be better?: Flavor!!!, fish or shrimp or anything fried is very bland. Season the fish, season the batter! Fries are never really hot either.
One of the orders yesterday was an ahi plate. Supposed to be quick seared to enjoy the sushi grade piece of fish. Came out all gray and very greasy. Turn up the heat on that stove!
Nice location but a little more effort on the food would be expected with the current price structure.

Classic fish and chips cooked right, golden brown and perfectly crispy. Breading is on the thick side, just shy of being too thick, fish is flaky, not too greasy. It really hit the spot. Cole slaw was tasty too. And the warm ocean breeze sitting outside made for a wonderful harbor experience. Portions are big enough here to feed two, which helps since their prices are a bit high.
We considered all of the immediate restaurants, but Jon’s had the best prices and the front patio sucked us in. I’m glad we settled here and I’m looking forward to our next visit.

Amazing Fish & Chips. Some of the best I have had. Highly recommend this place. Lots of fresh fish options if you want grilled fish. Great location in Dana Point.

Came here Sunday morning with a friend to try out their fish and chips which were recommended by family. Although the location is very nice, we’ve had better.
First off, the gray-​bearded man in his late 50’s or so took our order, and he showed us no customer service whatsoever, as if we were bothering him by ordering food from his place. No greeting, no thank you, no sense of hospitality or anything, he just grunted the total of almost $ 40 for 2 plates of food, and handed back the change. The tall younger man in his 20’s who gave us our drinks was nicer to us.
We ordered a fish n’ chips plate and a shrimp n’ chips plate. The portions were good and the food was hot and fresh but it seriously lacked flavor; I don’t even think they bothered to add salt. The coleslaw was bland and dry, the fries were bland, even the tartar sauce was bland, like they diluted the jarred brand they sell with cheap mayo or something. Overall, a disappointing eating experience.

Just had a clam chower, a snack to have before boarding the boat. Meh. A bit high sodium and not many clams. Ate a bunch of potatoes in it.

Had the Shrimp and Chips platter ($ 17.23 after tax).
Big portion, but the fried shrimp were overly battered and greasy. Coleslaw was the best part of the meal.
Friendly efficient counter service.

Place is pretty good and the location is great too. Went on a Saturday for lunch with the fam and found parking in the lot nearby. The location is on the docs right in the harbor on the water!
Ordered a fish boat which came with fries and two large pieces of fish that tastes delish.
Mother ordered a calamari sandwich. The calamari was so tender and perfect. Will definitely order two next time. Lastly we got an order of the fried scallops, but those were a little on the too lemon-​y side. ²⁄₃ ain’t bad tho! Everything here looks fresh and really does give you a sense of having great seafood at a fish market. I try to stop by whenever I’m in town.

Whenever I get done fishing I have to go to Jon’s we’ve been coming here for years. There fried seafood is the best around ! Its a little on the pricy side but good fresh seafood is not cheap. Nice employees too and they don’t charge you for extra sauces which is good. Its going to be 15 to 20 min for an order but that’s because they’re making everything fresh. Try some of there smoked fish to go with a squeeze of lemon its amazing! I’ve tried numerous times to copy there smoked fish recipe and I can’t do it. I’m posting a pic from last week just looking at it makes me want to take the drive to have some. Jon’s really is the best around !

I’ve lived in Dana Point 28 years and have only been here a few times and this is why, there Fish and chips are ok if you like a lot of Batter, same with there Scallops, very very small, and so I tried the so called King Shimp Cocktail, what a joke, I’ll never recommend this place, here is a photo of my Big Shrimp cocktail for $ 12.

I’m not really sure they even merit 3 stars but I hate to give them two because the atmosphere is really great and the portions are enormous for the price. That being said, the food was the epitome of «meh.»
We got the Jon’s Combo (fish, scallops, shrimp, fries, & cole slaw) and the fried clams. The breading was super thick. Some people like that. Others don’t. I’m pretty impartial to thickness of breading — as long as it’s tasty. This was not. I couldn’t believe how bland and flavorless it was. The shrimp, scallops, & clams tasted mildly salty but the fish literally tasted like nothing.
Like chewing air.
It should be studied.
I genuinely cannot comprehend how anything can possibly be 100% devoid of all flavor.
Like they had to actually figure out how to remove the flavor from fish, flour, frying oil, etc.
It has to be a culinary and scientific phenomenon.
Mad props to the evil genius in the kitchen.
Yeah. The food sucks.
The atmosphere is great though! Service was on fleek (yeah I went there. I’m cool like that). And Coke products.
Oh! And crunchy ice! That stuff is the best!

Pretty much a staple for the Dana Point Harbor! John’s has been here for as long as I can remember!
They are mostly known for their fish and chips but they do sell fresh fish as well!
Previously when I came here with my friend Dave he bought a bunch of fish and got a really good deal on it as it was close to their closing time, I’m not sure if this happens all the time or not but he definitely got hooked up!
My mother and brother totally love the fish and chips here my mom was craving it when she came back home to South County and that’s why we payed a visit today!
The staff was super nice and friendly and relatively quick at getting the order out for being understaffed which is definitely something a lot of places don’t do when they are in this predicament.
Overall this place is mellow and has a chill little patio area for you to eat your food in which provides the in the harbor feel for you to enjoy wile you enjoy your meal!
Definitely will be visiting them again at some point as my family loves John’s!

Came here recently. I don’t get to come out here that often so it was a real treat. Dana Point is so darn beautiful it makes me miss being back home. No beach near me is as beautiful as back home and since San Diego is too far of a drive, Dana Point is closer so I decided to come here. The only reason why I know of this area is because I went on a field trip to the beach with my class and I wanted to stop somewhere after the beach to eat, and I somehow ended up at this harbor, which also has several other eateries and little shops. So I don’t know why, but saying «field trip» makes it sound like I’m 5 years old.
So walking around trying to decide what restaurant to go to, this place sells fresh grilled fish and it takes about 15 minutes to make it. Not a problem. It’s fresh right? I’m not getting a Filet-​O-​Fish and McDonald’s. I’m getting fresh fish! Not often you can get this kind of meal unless you go to a nice restaurant. This one is at the harbor. You can order different types of fish ranging from $ 13 – 14. It comes with fries and cole slaw. The fish was very bland though but it did come with some kind of sauce, I think it was like tarter sauce. John will ask you how do you want your fish cooked? Seared? Well done? Your choice.
Other choices of fish included salmon, sole, cod, snapper, and swordfish. If you want salads they do have a few to choose from that comes with either fish or shrimp or just greens. I think they do offer fish and chips but I heard it is not that great. They had a taco Tuesday special of two fish tacos for $ 8 which comes with a drink. It was mostly batter. I wanted to ask «where’s the fish?» Definitely not ordering that again. The taco tortilla, no idea what it was made of, but it was very chewy. Bleh.
The two birds were hanging out in the place and at first it bothered me because obviously they wanted food. One bird seriously attacked me or maybe was aiming for my food and it scared the living hell out of me. But after I realized, when it started kissing, making out, mating, and all that, I discovered the two birds were a couple. One of the birds just wanted food to feed his mate and I thought that was the most romantic thing and so cute. Until they pooped on the table. Than I lost my appetite.
I’m not necessarily a seafood person so I doubt I’ll ever be back. I just wanted to try out the place plus I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to eat. I think if you’re a seafood person than it’s definitely worth checking out. Just skip the tacos. Unless batter is what you like. Everything is made fresh to order so how can you really beat that.
$$ — They accept cash and all major credit cards.
parking — tons.
There’s a whale watching tour at the harbor if you’re interested. I just would not go after you eat, make sure you go before.
They also have corn dogs, fried zucchinis, clam chowder, calamari rings, and if you just want to order side order of cole slaw or fries, that you can do too. :)