Fishing for lunch... Barb's place

Fishing for lunch... Barb's place · Monday June 25, 2007 by colin newell

I am a big fan of Fish and Chips. Everywhere I go, I have to try and find the best Fish and Chips that the city has to offer.

Barb’s Place in Fisherman’s Wharf, Victoria B.C. Canada is a stop I make a few times a year.

Let me just say that I have been coming to Barb’s for years… since Barb actually ran it. She does not anymore – Barb’s was sold to some dude a few years ago.

My overall experience, once I got past the sticker shock ($17.50 for a 2 piece Halibut and Fries meal!) was, well, blah.
It is not that exciting and certainly not worth the gold they demand for a floating kiosk style joint. The fish is OK for a product that is delivered to their door. The batter is bland and a tad soggy. The fries are mushy and instantly forgotten.

The upside of the Barb’s experience is sharing a table with tourists. There is always talk-story and you will always make new friends here. And if that isn’t enough, the buskers are entertaining and original and sea lions feed a few feet away.

In the end analysis, Barb’s Place could well be the most expensive order of Fish and Chips in North America – I do not know.
All I know is… It is OK. Nothing to write home about. They do have a captive audience here – I mean, tourists wander off of cruise ships within a few blocks so I think the pricing here comes down to the “what the market will bear” economic theory.

For some reason on this particular Saturday, I was inclined to order some Onion Rings ($4.50) — possibly the most expensive order of Onion Rings anywhere.

Good thing this is enough food for my wife and I. Yes, we share a double order of Halibut and Fries.
With Onion Rings and a single refillable “pop” – that comes to $27 or so.

On a scale of 1 to 10, this Fish and Chip meal comes in at about a 6. I have had way better for less.

In a continuing series on food and drink on Vancouver Island, Colin explores the good, the bad, and the downright tastless.