Bare Bones, located in picaresque Port Alberni, was a nice find and great pit-stop on our way back to Victoria from Tofino. Housed in an old heritage church, the specialty here is fish & chips. The menu, as a result, is fairly compact, but when you execute your specialty as well as it’s done here then there’s no need to throw the kitchen sink at patrons, either. Thus, you get a nice selection of fish from halibut to cod to salmon, done in a variety of preparations: English-style, Panko or grilled (you choose). Then, you get to pick your side: hand-cut chips with slaw or Caesar salad. Finally, each dish comes with a nice selection of sauces for dipping: Tartar, seafood, wasabi aioli (highly recommended!), lemon-dill and sweet Thai chili. For the non fish-eater, they also sell chicken strips but, let’s be honest. If you don’t like fish and chips, why would you come here?
When my partner and I visited, we ordered the Jumbo Prawn Skewer to start. The presentation was simple and to the point. The prawns were expertly done – each one giving off that nice “pop” you get from fresh, properly done prawns. Our appetizer was followed up by our fish orders. We had the 1pc cod (panko crusted) and 1pc halibut (traditional), respectively. The fish wasn’t really greasy; the batter was light and crisp; and the fish inside was tender and flaky. You could taste the freshness. And, really, what more is there to say? There’s just something about dining in an old church, complete with stained glass windows and a few pews, that makes the fish and chips here seem slightly more divine ;)
FOOD: 5/5
SERVICE: 4/5
VALUE: 5/5
RECOMMENDATION: As noted, fish and chips are what’s emphasized here. And for good reason. It’s fresh. It’s properly done. It’s delicious. And the setting is unique. Highly recommended!
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