“It all comes back to the basics. Serve customers the best-tasting food at a good value in a clean, comfortable restaurant, and they’ll keep coming back.”—Dave Thomas
“A pub can be a magical place.”—Rhys Ifans
Not many restaurants can claim to be ranked #1, but Joey’s Pub & Eatery, in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada can proudly assert that they are, indeed, #1—at least as determined by Trip Advisor. In fact, according to Trip Advisor, Joey’s Pub & Eatery is ranked #1 out of 41 other restaurants in Bathurst! This is an honor for which the staff feels very proud.
“We are trying very hard to stay at #1 on Trip Advisor,” stated the restaurant via a message exchange with me on Facebook Messenger.
The restaurant further elaborated how hard the staff works to ensure that customers have a wonderful experience when visiting Joey’s; and, my husband, John, and I, just happened to enjoy that very thing . . . a wonderful dining experience!
John and I were visiting the beautiful Bathurst area of New Brunswick, Canada, along the Acadian Coast during the first two weeks of July. We were staying in nearby Petit Rocher, a charming village along the Bay of Chaleur. This was our third time to visit this officially bilingual province of Canada where most residents, much to my admiration and astonishment, appear to switch between speaking French and English as easily as breathing.
Previously, we had stayed in the more rural area of Janesville, New Brunswick, and therefore, had never before dined out! This year, however, we decided it was time to get out a few times for dinner, rather than doing all of the cooking in our vacation rental home. Therefore, we referred to Trip Advisor for advice regarding what restaurants to try.
Once we saw that Joey’s was rated #1 in the Bathurst area, we decided to take a look at their website, specifically to view their menu. One of the main reasons is because I have celiac disease, and therefore, need gluten-free food options. Much to my great pleasure, Joey’s menu, printed in both English and French, was chock-full of gluten-free choices. From appetizers to salads, from seafood and grilled entrees to sandwiches and burgers, Joey’s Pub and Eatery had a wide variety of gluten-free dishes from which I could choose. Furthermore, there were plenty of tasty options in which John was interested in trying.
On our first visit to Joey’s, Cindy was our waitress/bartender; and, sadly, I did not think to take her picture. (We returned a second time hoping to get her picture, but, of course, it was her night off!) Cindy was friendly, efficient, and quick to offer recommendations when asked. Furthermore, she was quite patient with us as there was a plethora of scrumptious-sounding food choices, making it difficult to decide what to eat. Additionally, for craft beer lovers, Joey’s list of Canadian crafted bottled beer offerings for the summer was extensive.
We decided to begin dinner with Three Cheese Atlantic Snow Crab Dip served with gluten-free tortilla chips. Wow! Talk about ooey-gooey cheesiness, combined with tender, sweet crabmeat–it was absolutely delectable! Plus, the portion was giant-sized!
John and I went in completely different directions for dinner. I chose the Asian Sesame Stir-Fry, while he chose, The Smokin’ Joey Burger. My stir-fry could have been served with chicken or shrimp; however, I decided to go meatless since I had already indulged on the appetizer. The fresh seasonal vegetables were cooked to perfection, and the sweet sesame sauce possessed the perfect combination of tang, sweet, and zest.
Meanwhile, John’s Burger looked like a meat lovers dream. The hand-pressed, all beef patty was topped with Joey’s very own special Montreal smoked meat. This colossal-sized burger was served with hand-cut French fries, along with house made coleslaw that John did not want, so I was “forced” to eat it. (The slaw was quite tasty, but different from any slaw I have had in the U.S.!) John and I, most certainly, did not leave Joey’s hungry.
Due to our first positive experience, we decided to visit Joey’s one more time before leaving. This time we had the pleasure of meeting Chris, our waiter/bartender for the night. Chris, like Cindy, was personable, competent, and quite accommodating. We learned from our previous experience, that appetizer portions were quite large; therefore, John and I both chose to start of our meals with salads.
As it turned out, however, these salads were also generous in size. My Mixed Green Salad was a gorgeously colorful mix of greens, peppers, celery, cucumbers, and carrots served with a house-made vinaigrette. Whereas, John’s salad, a bit smaller than mine, but not by much, was served with his entrée. He chose a Caesar salad, one of his favorite salads, and declared it to be delicious.
Since I am a nacho lover, I decided to try Joey’s Famous Nachos for dinner. Chris advised me to select a small order, and I am glad he did! My plate of nachos was piled high with cheddar and mozzarella cheese, diced tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and banana peppers. Plus, I had a choice of adding chicken, beef, sausage, extra sauce, and/or guacamole. These nachos were the perfect mix of crispy crunch, spice, and melted cheese. Even with a small order, I could not eat them all!
John, meanwhile, dined on house made lasagna. This traditional layered dish combined Italian meats, pasta, and plenty of cheese. In addition to being served with a salad, this entrée also included two large hunks of crusty, buttery garlic bread. Once again, John and I did not leave Joey’s Pub & Eatery hungry!
Our waiter, Chris, was not only helpful when it came to excellent service, but also quite knowledgeable of the Acadian Coastal region of New Brunswick. In fact, his manager told us that Chris was knowledgeable in “all the good spots,” and was certain he would lead us “to a local paradise.” Therefore, based upon our conversation with Chris, we followed his advice the next day, drove two hours north, and visited Miscou Island, the northeastern tip of New Brunswick. Wow! Was it ever an excellent recommendation!
I cannot say enough about our positive experience at Joey’s Pub & Eatery. The service was accommodating, pleasant, and courteous. Furthermore, our food portions were generous in size, cooked to our requested preference, beautifully plated, and most certainly, delectable. John and I highly recommend this spot to anyone visiting or living in the Bathurst area! And, if you do stop by, tell them, “Steph simply sent you!” 😉
Best wishes to Joey’s Pub & Eatery on their continued success. Additionally, we send a huge thank-you to the outstanding staff for making our visits to the restaurant so memorable. We hope to return in the future!
P.S. If you enjoyed this review or found it helpful, please consider scrolling down leaving a comment below. Also, please consider becoming a “follower” of my site, by clicking the “follow” tab found at the bottom of my home page as seen in the picture below.
Steph Simply 
Joey’s is the best food ,staff , and the place is so clean…love love Joey’s best place to eat in Bathurst Nb Canada
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I understand how you feel!! Wish we lived close to it!!!
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We couldn’t agree more with all your comments. We live in Bathurst and Joey’s Pub is our favorite restaurant!
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You’re so lucky to live so close!!! We loved it!!
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Joey’s has been our #1 restaurant since the opening day; we love to bring friends there to enjoy a great dinner. The staff is awsome!! The food is to die for!
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I could see that! We loved meeting the staff & found the food, as well as atmosphere, to be delightful!
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