John's Cafe - Woodbury, Connecticut

Svetlana C.

We were a party of 3 and wanted to celebrate a special occasion. We were seated upstairs. The waitress came in and the first thing she said was that the bathroom was on the first floor. Nobody asked anything about the bathroom. We ordered our dishes, I asked for salmon medium rare, she brought it in overly cooked. It was a small piece of salmon on a bunch of cold cabbage. I asked her to please return that for a medium rare salmon because this one was overcooked and while I was waiting she came back with the old salmon I had ordered on a small plate, cut up in pieces, saying that the chef said the salmon was perfectly cooked. This cut my appetite and we were all shocked by this behavior. I felt so humiliated. My daughter also had the most tasteless pasta ala vodka she ever tried. Really bland. It’s unfortunate, but we won’t be going back. The waitress didn’t even apologize.

Joe S.

I don't live far from Woodbury and ride right by this place on my motorcycle on most every trip. I've noticed on their open days, there's always plenty of cars in the lot while local competitors' lots appear mostly empty. On Friday afternoon I finally decided to check it out and see why.

I enjoy alfresco dining and they do have multiple tables outdoors in a porch type configuration, but also a lovely and more classy inside dining area. The staff was friendly and quickly had a server stop by, provide my options and take my order.

It was lunch time and while they have a exquisite lunch menu, on Thursdays and Fridays, you're able to select a dinner entree (à la carte of course) for five bucks off to dinner price.

While tempted with the dinner entrees and other lunch specials, I selected the chicken piccata with sauteed spinach, cherry tomatoes, and capers, including a very tasty and unique version of au gratin potatoes.

The lunch included a bread basket with several different types of bread, and was severed with two dipping sauces. A red sauce was quickly determined to be tomato basil, the white sauce turned out to be crushed white beans with olive oil and a little bit of garlic.

I generally try to avoid bread due to carbs and fat content, but that did not apply to this visit. I had to make a conscious effort not to eat it all as the bread selections as well as the two sauces were superb!

Just as I was reeling from the delicious bread and dipping sauces, the chicken piccata arrived. Moist, tender, cooked perfectly with just the right amount of seasoning, it was one of the best I've ever had and I've had many.

While not the loveliest overlook of the parking lot and route 6, it was still a pleasant spot to eat and server attentiveness did not suffer as it often does when dining Al fresco at some restaurants.

One of the best parts was for a relatively higher end restaurant for this area, which is how I would describe it, I got out of there for 25 bucks including tax and a 25% tip. I don't know about you guys but I spent a lot more than that at my local pizza joint and gotten nowhere near the quality of food nor of the service.

I would highly recommend John's Cafe with its eclectic lunch and dinner menus (at least compared to what I've been eating since COVID), great service and very good prices. I intend to dine here again soon and will make a shot at trying most everything on the menu cuz it all looks so good! Check this space for updates to my review!

Thank you for reading.

Joe

Mark L.

My wife and I spent a delightful New Years Eve dinner at John's Cafe last night. My steak was so tastful and done to a perfect temp. My wife delighted in her gnocchi in vodka sauce, such comfort food. The service was impeccable. Our new favorite spot!

Roni B.

Moved to Woodbury during the pandemic and tonight was our first time to John’s Café for a birthday dinner. Food did not disappoint. We started with chickpea fries, which didn’t have much flavor, but the dipping sauces were very good - one sweet chili 🌶️, the other garlic Parmesan. I had the salmon piccata. Huge piece of salmon over spinach with a few roasted potatoes. Delicious. Decent portions. But we didn’t stop there… onto dessert. I had a special triple berry tart with vanilla ice cream. The tart was warm, moist, and flavorful.

Service slowed down a bit between the meal and dessert, but it was probably a good thing so we could digest our meal a bit and make room for dessert.

Not a cheap dinner. Most entrees are $30+, so if you add a $10+ appetizer or salad and a $10 dessert, you’re up to $50+ per person.

Servers are very friendly. Water glasses were kept full. Inside is air conditioned. Business casual attire is appropriate. I recommend making a reservation. We will return, not often, but we will for special occasions.

chris H.

We called last minute for reservations for 3. Nice high top table in the cozy bar area. Price fix menu for $35 was delicious 😋 Thanks to Dennis and staff for nice evening on a Cold Windy night.

Charmaine P.

Had a wonderful lunch here! Friendly and helpful service! Food was amazing! Highly recommend ending your meal with a cappuccino! Restaurant is small so be sure to make reservations in advance. Perfect for date night dinners and small groups!

Michael A.

Food was excellent. Really amazing. The pork chop was very thick and cooked perfectly. Ossobuco was also yummy. It's a small place. Reservations are definitely recommended.

E H.

Beautiful little place. The food was delicious. The service was wonderful. A great place for dinner.
The chef has a lot of really amazing gluten free options including fresh baked rolls that are to die for and a GF brownie sundae. I will definitely be going back.