Bare Bones Fish & Chip Ltd

I went to lunch here and it was not a good experience. The service was good enough however I got the chicken burger and the chicken was questionably cooked, the sauce was salty and not good flavour, and the bun was dry and unappetizing. The Parm fries were good, but the coffee was burnt tasting. It was also super cold and drafty in the building which made it an even less enjoyable experience overall. Wish I could review this better.

I will say, my friend had fish and chips and he said they were good, so maybe just don't order anything else if you go.

Great food and service. Brisket, chicken, halibut and cauliflower bites were a hit. I'd buy a jug of that Chimichurri!

French fries were cooked to perfection. Weird bun/biscuit/scone thingy that the salmon came on wasn't a winner.

Just go here! It's one of my favorite places and one of the best meals I've had.

We went to Bare Bones Fish House because we were in the area. We were in the mood for fish and chips. Check out their menu, not just a fish & chips restaurant. Jaime was our server, she wasn't just polite & congenital she was also respectful & accommodating in making suggestions. Hibby ordered the salmon fish & chips. It came with some tasty fries, a yummy coleslaw. I ordered the Kale Caesar salad with a chicken breast for the protein. The salad was plate sized, and it had a bit too much dressing that was overpowering. I asked Jaime for some fries to tame the taste. She returned with some delicious fries and also let us know that she took the salad off our bill (I wasn't expecting this!). Her service was great. The atmosphere is electric in an old church building, with real moss grown on boards in their window spaces. Cozy atmosphere that was filled with people by the time we left.

The fish n chips and fish tacos were both fantastic! The batter was light and crispy, homemade tartar was amazing and the fish was fresh. The fries were soggy and a little disappointing but overall I’d still rate the food 5 stars. The service was lacking but not enough to drop the overall rating below a 4 star. Unfortunately the restaurant felt a bit grimey judging from the cleanliness of the high chairs, floors and bathrooms.

I have eaten many times at this Port Alberni restaurant in the past with the most delicious fish and chips, Must be under new management. Friendly, helpful staff but the worst fish and chips I have ever had. The batter was awful. The fish was not the freshest either. We ate a few bites and threw the fish out. So disappointing and will not return. June 30,2023

Very yummy. Really enjoyed it. Super good food, and would totally recommend. I really enjoy it there. Would totally go back. Have been going there for years now.

FINALLY.calamari done right! Highly recommend. We also had the 2 piece halibut and have to say best fish and chips we have had in Port Alberni.moved here from GTA.and are impressed with this restaurant thus far:) Friendly, professional wait staff.clean establishment, kudos the cooks.great team made for an excellent experience and new return customers.

Ok, this place is a winner. If you have the people, share the platters. I rarely say this but beginning to end was excellent. This is a must when in town. We ate everything and only the coleslaw was available to take a photo!

Ordered the 2 piece cod and chips, tasty but disappointing portion size. Fish was MAYBE 3 oz each but should be 5+ (industry standard). For the price ($22 + taxes) too much $$ for the portion size. Compare Wildside/Surfside grill in Tofino (far superior product IMO), for $19 + taxes you get 2 x 5-8 oz cod each! See photos for comparisons (first photo is Bare Bones). BB, please either reduce price of this or up portion size to reflect your competition. Thank you.

Amazing during lunch but was terrible service at dinnertime. The one lady was not able to keep up to all the tables and we had to just start grabbing drinks from the fridge because there was not enough follow up at the table. Food was great at lunch time as well, but during dinner food was not great. I will not go back during dinner again. One old man was sitting in the freezing cold waiting room for a whole hour as well, I felt bad for the guy.

When I say my wife doesn't cry I mean it with the most seriousness I could possibly convey. When I say my wife was MOVED TO TEARS eating her fried chicken sandwich knowing that there was no chance of cross-contamination of gluten I am not joking even a little bit. Who knew that Port Alberni of all places would be the place we'd find a hidden gem such as Bare Bones. We are visiting from Victoria, but I won't be the least bit surprised if I find myself road tripping to Port Alberni just so I can take my wife out for a safe, celiac approved dinner. As a non-celiac I absolutely loved the fish and chips and appreciate that there were alternatives to having tartar sauce. Next time we are through this will be our first (and potentially only) stop. Kudos to you Bare Bones. Keep up the incredible work!

The brisket had no flavor! It was also so hot, I think it was put in a microwave! Server was alone, and did her best to keep up.

The cauliflower tacos were the BEST thing I have ever eaten…. Omg! If I had to eat one thing the rest of my life, that would be it! All around excellent experience!

We have been there many times when it was Bare Bones Fish, and enjoyed the multiple options of how the fish was done, before. Looks like they now offer ONLY fried fish, at least as shown on the menu. Not the baked or grilled options as previously offered.
Server was attentive and engaging.
They have now added a Smokery and so we tried the "Platter for 2" option with the Ribs and Brisket.
The flavor of the meat was there.
However, the portions for $45 were not. 1/2 rack of back ribs and some very tiny portions of fatty brisket, rounded out with 4 dill pickle spears tossed on the plate, a small saucer of coleslaw and a small saucer of beans. A large portion of Fries (Chips). All in all Platter for 2.underwhelming to say the least.
The Chips were the best part, crispy and nicely done.

Missed the mark this time.

Very tasty. Amazing, friendly competent timely service. Ambience was bare bones.in a good way. Really impressed by the moss walls. I will go back here.

It's delicious! The food is hot, smokey, and crispy! The atmosphere is on point in this updated church.

If your looking for healthy fresh food this is a good choice.

You should try it, just for the Halibut!

We love that your excellent cuisine is entirely gluten free. Fish tacos are divine, Chips are authentic, the Batter is always perfectly crispy without being greasy. Looking forward to going thru the entire menu!

The ambience was nice, food is fresh and delicious, price is reasonable, staffs are friendly and washrooms are clean.

We had fish (halibut) /fries, The NEW Owner & Wait staff absolutley Rock this Place.
- Hot tasty halibut, and fries, great consistency- batter = 10 pts.
- Best coleslaw & large portion = 10 pts
- local craft lager beer, = 10 pts.
- Kewl presentation hot served on sheet tray = 10 pts.
- Very exuberant wait staff and fast = 10 pts.
- Thanks Bare Bones keep it going, best we've had since Oregon Coast, or as "Triple D" would say. "straight from flavor town"!
** (Coke would be a very welcome addition, not so much with pepsi).

We spent the day in and around Port Alberni yesterday. After visiting the salmon, otters and bears at Stamp River park, we arrived super hungry at Bare Bones. First time there and man they hit it out of the park. I had the cod tacos with garlic parmeeeeseeean (gotta honour my ancestors pronunciation) fries. My buddy had the slamon & chips. Both dishes were incredible and the prices were more than fair for what we got. Erin served us and despite it being a super busy room to work, she was GREAT! Highly recommended.:)

USED to be good. New owner? Fish was overcooked; tiny pieces engulfed in a bland chewy batter. You used to get huge pieces of fish with a fantastic batter. Fries were decent but hard to screw those up. The coleslaw was watery and didn't taste fresh/flavourful at all. Definitely will NOT be ordering here again.

Also, wasn't pleased with the takeout procedure. Ordering was a breeze and the online menu was awesome, but when It asks for a specific pick up time I kind of expect it to be ready when I walk in at that time, not 20 minutes afterwards. I get it's more fresh when this happens but kind of defeats the purpose of take out.

Some of the best fish & chips I've ever had! I love that the entire restaurant is gluten-free which is so nice for anyone who is celiac, gluten intolerant, or just wants to avoid gluten. We go here regularly and it's always a good experience. The staff are super friendly, the food is high quality, and the price is great. I highly recommend it!

Got take out after the ownership change a few nights ago. Fish was good, very fresh and fries were decent. Didn't come with any sauces or coleslaw.
That being said we really missed the batter choices especially the panko and sauce choices.

Place was happening and busy! Ordered for pick up at 7 pm and were pretty much on time.

We will be back but would love the batter choices and sauces! Thank you for a good meal.

100% gluten free. And they don't even really talk about it. I'm gluten free. My husband ordered a hamburger and he got a gluten free bun. He said he wouldn't have known. Fish and chips had a unique crispy coating. New outdoor seating added lots of table space. It used to be hard to get a seat. Now there are plenty, outside informal picnic table seating.
It is right by the main street (which is also the highway to Tofino) so it is rather noisey.
Service was efficient and pleasant.

Where are the batter choices. Where are the dip choices? Where are the fresh, not frozen fries? Where are the famous big portions? Where is the properly cooked beer batter which NOW isn't good on the inside but mushy. Change the oil and cook the fish in hot oil. Prices are high. Great reno and outside tables. Food isn't so good. New owners?
Won't be back.

Visitors be aware! This is going to be your trip to starvation. It took us 20 minutes before seated, then we waited for over an hour with only water on our table. During the waiting, nobody cared about us and no waitress came to update us on our order. We ended up leaving the restaurant before seeing our food. We still paid for the water, but we would prefer not to come back in the future. Only if they improve their service.

Service was friendly. First ordered the fish tacos, were quite disappointed with the flavor and dryness. The server, without hesitation, took them away, removed off bill, and offered us to get something different. We got thier fish & chips, and it was fantastic.

Went for a nice drive ended up in PA locals recommended Bare Bones, it did not disappoint! We sat on the patio enjoyed yummy Halibut and Chips and our server Kelsey was fantastic! Will return and def recommend!

Great place for fish and chips and gluten free to boot! Staff is so friendly and create a great and welcoming experience. Thanks, you'll see us again!

Editing my review because of new owners. Really good food! And vegan options! Plus everything on the menu is gluten free! I highly recommend!

Completely gluten free menu for those who choose or have no choice to eliminate ate gluten. Portions are great and a wonderful atmosphere.

There is new ownership as of June 2021. Food is still great and the server we had was excellent. Had the ling cod and chips and the batter was super light and crispy and was gluten free. Will definately be back.

We are are Vancouver Island for a week working and wanted to try some local places and food. Both my husband and I ordered the fish and chips to go. I had the halibut and he ordered the ling cod. Both were very good but the halibut was our favourite. I am not usually a fan of fish but I will definitely be ordering the halibut again! Fries and coleslaw were also good. I highly suggest the halibut next time you are looking for a good fish and chips meal. The meal came with homemade tortilla chips which were also great. They didn't include cutlery or napkins, which we didn't ask for either, but we keep some in the vehicle, so if that is an issue for you, be sure to ask for cutlery and napkins.

Back for a second visit and both were great. On today's visit we found out there was new ownership since our last visit in February. Food was ready quickly, was really good and the staff was friendly. Great job. We will be back next time we are in the area.

We have lived in port alberni for 2 years and have enjoyed barebones, unfortunately with the new ownership the prices have gone up and the size of the halibut dinner has gone down in size to about half of what we were used to.on the upside my girl friend did say the coleslaw is better

I used to love Bare Bones, not anymore. Not a fan of the new batter or fries. The only thing I enjoyed was the coleslaw and it wasn't that great. Was told to pick up in half an hour, it took an hour. Will never go back!

New owners, had the Cod and French fries smaller Portion then last owner.different batter on fish. Fish was nicely cooked, batter was thin and crispy. But between the fish and batter was a layer of uncooked batter.will go back, maybe just a fluke.they were very busy and took an hour to get my order.

I'm visiting town and have always wanted to try this place. Salmon was fantastic with generous portion sizes. Cod order was a bit small, but still tasty. Fries were done well, tartar sauce is good, and coleslaw was super fresh. Will definitely come again next time I'm in town!

Nice patio and super friendly servers. Definitely a must when staying in Port Alberni or even just on the way to or from Ucluelet/ Tofino. Food is amazing. Will come back soon!

Edit, New Owners:
Went on Friday for lunch with my mom.
Staff: super friendly and helpful. Got to chat with owner briefly, he was happy and chatty, offered up details for further plans for the place, was nice conversation.
Dinning area: Looks more spacious with new paint and set up, really enjoyed our visit.
Food: we got shrimp and chicken tenders for appetizers and the homemade honey mustard was delish, went perfect with chicken. The shrimp was chimichurri I think, we were happily accommodated to get the sauce on side as wasn't sur we would like it, I enjoyed it very much on the side, my mom wasn't w fan of it.
I got halibut and chips and loved the food and tartar sauce.

We had a couple chicken tenders left and fries and took them with us, my daughter who was at school when we went had the cold leftovers and loved it. She can't wait to go herself.

Will definitely be going again.

Only issue was no wifi yet

I do love their food, miss their original Cesar dressing as it certainly doesn't taste the same but it's still good. All their batter options are delicious, I always get half fries and half Cesar. They also have very yummy chicken strips. Their keylime cheesecake is the only desert i have tried and i certsinly enjoyed it. Can say that 99% of my visits are positive, one waitress was a little unpleasant and I only saw her once there.

Excellent welcome and service! The fish was great.and even better their batter is not only lght but it is gluten free rice flour. Crispy and light. Home made fries and coleslaw fresh and yummy. All around very good!

Amazing Fish and Chips! We stopped here on our way through to Tofino and were blown away by the food. The fish was perfectly cooked and crispy and so were the fries. The food arrived very quickly despite it being busy. I will recommend this place to everyone who is in the area. Portion size was also plenty even for my boyfriend who has a very large appetite!

As a few others have mentioned, it seems that this place has new owners. Batter choices are gone and seems like the sauce choices are too for the most part. Portion sizes are also noticeably smaller too.

Still tastes good but not as special as it used to be. No longer my top place for fish and chips.

Went tonight to eat in for the first time since change of ownership. Extremely impressed with the space, the service and most importantly, the food! Had the cod and it was delicious! Very moist with wonderful batter crisp. Chips were good also. Highly recommend!