=== 1. VERDICT/VALUE Decent choice of eats when in the area or on the way to the beach! Burgers seemed homemade and the fish and chips are good :) === 2. FOOD The Beachcomber ($8.57) It's a cheese-less burger, but it comes with fried onions, lettuce, and tomatoes along with ketchup and mustard. The key here is the patty itself seems to be homemade - solid choice! The Chief's Plate ($28.48 - halibut) You get two pieces of fish (cod or more expensive halibut) on top of fries with coleslaw and tartar sauce. The fish was nice - not overly battered and the fries seem to be homemade / cut from real potatoes. The slaw itself is good. Is it the best in town? Not sure, but it should be in the top five contenders on your list! Clam Chowder ($8.38 - large) This was a disappointment: sure it's chunky and it has fish, but it tasted sour - which is a little unusual for the recipe (at least compared to every other place around Canada, the US, and England, and I'm a chowder fan!) ...so I'm not sure if my bowl simply had chowder that had gone bad or if that's the way they do it here at Willows... Milk Shake ($5.14) Vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry: my little guy loved the chocolate! Kid's Ice Cream Cone ($1.52) I'm happy they offer this size at this price, as the soft-serve ice cream is great, but do we really need to give the little ones massive cones? Not in this parent's opinion :) ...so this smaller size is great. === 3. SERVICE Super friendly and patient, the lady at the front made recommendations, took our order patiently, and showed my little guy how cones and milkshakes were made :). They were reasonably fast at serving considering what seems like a perpetual line of waiting patrons that exists, particularly around mealtimes. === 4. ENVIRONMENT It's really a takeout join on a street corner; however, there are four picnic tables where you could eat outside. So don't bring any large groups but if you're coming, know that wheelchairs and baby strollers will work (note: some of the sidewalk pavement is a little bumpy). Parking is street-based: on nearby streets or nearby angled parking across the way. read more

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Still the best. After 20 years the milkshakes are still the best in the World. Fish and chips are damn fine. Excellent location near the beach. All the food is great. Staff friendly and truly cares about what they do. Can't recommend enough. read more

Willows Galley Fish & Chips - Chocolate milkshakes made the old fashioned way. - Fish & Chips Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Willows has the BEAT fish and chips in the world! Hands down! Taste Freshness Service read more

I'd advise you to go on a nice day or you could end up having a lengthy wait outside in the pouring rain for your order like I did. I was there on a Sunday afternoon, the food took a long time but to be fair, they were busy. We had grilled and fried fish and chips. I've had better and I've had worse. Lots of chips, pieces of fish on the small side and mediocre coleslaw. Their tartar sauce is good. I wouldn't rush back but I'd try something else off their menu if I find myself in the area. Friendly staff. read more

Willows Galley Fish & Chips - fish and fries - Fish & Chips Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Great place to get a kids soft serve ice cream cone for only $1.60! My mom got fish and chips and it was a bit greasy but tasty

Fun neighbourhood corner joint for enjoying outside (or limited indoor seating) or takeaway. Love the fish and chips combos- a treat!

I'm just going to say that Willows Galley is my favorite place for Fish & Chips. It's small, staffed by friendly people, almost no seating inside and is located smack dab in the middle of a quite residential neighborhood. The seating is outside on park benches and the locals bring their dogs, kids and friends to enjoy dining outside. It's for me the perfect place to enjoy Fish & Chips. Casual, unpretentious, surrounded by quite residential beauty. Local kids come in for burgers or ice cream/slushie drinks and pay with Debit Cards....yup. That's something I never did and a 13 year old. OK back to the Fish & Chips. Both Halibut and Cod are offered but my choice is always the Cod. Chips are cooked fresh and are the way they should be!! Cod is cooked perfectly!! Generous portion and the two piece is PERFECT for two to share. Tarter sauce and lemon comes with the meal as well as Cider vinegar. This is how Fish & Chips should be enjoyed. I will now have to wait until my next visit to enjoy those perfect Fish & Chips. read more

Willows Galley is located about 1 city block from Willows Beach. The take out restaurant is very busy in the summer time when the beach is filled with beach goers at the park and beach. The food is pretty good for fast food take out. There is limited seating inside and outside. Many customers get their order and go somewhere to eat their meal. It is a basic and local ambiance with a sea theme. I guess fish and sea go together. read more

We meant to try this place sooner.... My wife and I tried the fish & chips. They specifically asked if we wanted cutlery and condiments. We were close to a park where we were going to eat the snacks. They forgot the cutlery and napkins... which we only discovered after driving for 10 minutes to find somewhere to park and eat. I was furious(yeah, I know, first world problem...but still....) knowing that the fried foods would rapidly deteriorate from that point as it gets cold and turns gelatinous. I was mad because I knew we were a 20 minute drive back home before we would get to partake and that was going to be a ruined $38 meal. So, 30 minutes after getting our food... had an absolutely delightful meal experience. My 2pc COD was still warm, cooked perfectly, firm and the batter didn't slough off into a ball of goo that a lot of places deliver upon. The fries were delicious. The Cole slaw was amazing with the dill. I feel the slaw could use a splash of acid, so next time I will squeeze some of the lemon into it. This review was on track to be a 2 star. But, the food quality was enanthema that promises an immaculate future experience. I enjoyed my meal, and even more importantly am even more excited to return! read more

This is my favorite place to get poutine. The inside is very tiny and cozy and you can eat your food outside on a nice day or take it to willows beach just down the road. The veggie burger is really filling and has vegetables in the patty. The fries come unseasoned so you have to salt or vinegar them yourself. This is one of my regular places. Also very cheap prices. read more

Willows Galley Fish & Chips - Chicken strips with honey mustard - Fish & Chips Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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Terrible halibut & chips ... paid $55 for 3 orders & it was tasteless & greasy & chips were bits & pieces & dry ... will never eat there again! read more

after reading Brad W.' 1st review of "Willow's Galley" I'm compelled to step into the breach and defend their honor. I'll start by saying this is a venerable establishment for good reason; Opened in 1980, a conversion from a vintage cornerstore (see archival photos within), I've been a faithful customer since 1984. Portions are large, you'll go away satisfied on that count. There is a wide ranging, nautical themed menu to suit all comers but the star for me is the "Halibut" burger: a more than generous filet served grilled or breaded (your preference) with tartar on a tasty bun with the requisite side of excellent coleslaw. The quality is in the cut and it is priced acccordingly. decor is ship to shore, and the limited interior seatting is all picturewindow perfect. outdoor seatting available as well. service is fast and friendly, the same fellows have been tirelessly in attendance for I don't know how long (they know my custom order before I request it!). Waits can be long at lunch or dinner, by 6pm in the summer, the line strings out the door and you may wait till near the 6:45 closing time to eat. While you wait, check out the sweet note scrawled on a strip of cardboard from 1980.. it's under glass by the front door and does harken back to a much more innocent time. charming. all in all, its a great outing to Estevan Village and it's proximity to our beach at Willow's as well as Uplands park. consider the take-away soft serve ice cream for your stroll. enjoy. read more

Willows Galley Fish & Chips - Willow's Galley, Estevan Village - Fish & Chips Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Fish and Chips (cod) fresh from the fryer delicious as expected... 2 people, 3 pieces of cod plus one pop just under $30. Also enjoyed the shaded picnic tables outside on a perfect breezy summer day. read more

Willows Galley Fish & Chips - Outside fish and chips - Fish & Chips Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

$46 for 4 pcs of Halibut, Fried, Coleslaw and Tartar Sauce (See pic attached) read more

Willows Galley Fish & Chips - $46.00 4pcs Halibut, Chips, Coleslaw x2 and Tartar sauce x2 - Fish & Chips Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Best fish and chips spot in greater Victoria. Pricing is comparable to big fast food chains yet the value and quality is far far better. This is now my go-to for a nice burger or some seafood. The staff are also very friendly and make consistently good food. read more

Overall: Probably the best fish and chips you'll get in Victoria. Unlike some of the better known places in town, you won't have to wait over an hour for a meal. Big portions. Located in a quiet neighbourhood near a beach. Great food for a bright and sunny day! Food: There's something about their batter that keeps me coming back for more. It has this great savoury flavour to it that I can't quite describe. The fish is always fresh and the portions will most certainly be enough for big eaters. Big chunks of fish laying on a pile of fried potatoes. What more could you want? They also offer other kinds of fried seafood (e.g., oysters, prawn, scallops, etc.), burgers, hot dogs, poutine, ice cream, and other things. I've had their milkshakes and they are a great treat for a hot summer day. Service: You walk in, order, pay, walk out, and pick up your food. The staff are friendly and pretty fast at what they do. You won't get a ton of interaction with them unless you stick around on the inside to chat. Cost: Pretty much the same price as everywhere else around town (~$20-25) for a full meal (2 pieces of fried fish, fries, coleslaw). Interior: It's really small. You walk in to order and you'll probably have to stand outside to wait for the food. There are some picnic tables outside where you can eat and there's a tiny amount of seating on stools inside. This is really much more of a take-away kind of place. Hours: Normal daytime hours for Victoria. I wish they were open on Mondays and Tuesdays. Near the end of summer/beginning of fall they close up shop for a few weeks as a holiday. read more

Ordered take out, good portions, good price, and had everything you could need in the bag! Will be back!

So tonight we went out to dinner. Or more precisely, I was so sick of my own cooking that we went to the drivein window at WillowGalley Fish and Chip and got cod and chips. We were not alone. Besides some teenagers buying milkshakes there were five family men lined up - properly socially distanced - for fish dinners. So we had fun joking about the 'social distance dance'. If you are in Victoria- They are open Thursday through Sunday, drivein (actually walkup) window only, until 7 pm. during the CONVID-19 situation. They also have oysters and scallops, deep fried of course. And hamburgers but why bother? The cole slaw is lightly dressed and dilly and the tartar sauce is lemony. And our order was wrapped in a copy of the Victoria Times-Colonist and WhaleWatcher. read more

Love this shop. Great food and ice cream, and minutes from gorgeous Willows Beach. I don't venture down to Willows Galley nearly often enough. Too bad they don't have popcorn shrimp anymore but the guy working there was right, the hali-bites are way better! read more

Surprisingly awesome fish burger and clean fry, fresh cut fries. . . Haven't been here since the 80s when it was super greasy, awful. Cut to 25 years later and I am going along for the ride, meeting Oak Bay friends who recommend it. It's a busy Saturday lunch, so we waited 15 minutes for our take-out, planning to take it to the beach. They wrap well and opening up at Willows Beach, this is a surprise. I ordered a halibut burger, but got a cod burger - ugh- not again - Victoria scam - BUT it was a large fillet, cod flakey, not fishy, must have been at least a quarter pounder on brioche topped with a mess of fresh tangy cole slaw (would love fresh dill mixed in, oh well). Nice fresh . . . . and cod was good - wow - no complaint as the bill shows they charged me the cheaper cod price. My friend ordered same and confirmed its bulk, freshness and tasty grill finish. The fries were overly abundant, but no complaint, I just couldn't finish them. Next time I will be sure to open up the paper packet and pile on S&P and ketchup, that's what was missing. They didn't salt at all so they were flat, but still a dry fry thankfully. I'm still craving their fish burger - definitely the biggest I've had in Victoria . . . Took me how many years to come back to The Galley? Wow . . . . It's good! read more

Used to be really good, but the oil they use now is sickening. The potatoes have no flavour. The cod was tasty still. But we got major indigestion from the oil. Will not go back. cutting costs with cheap product is not going to keep former customers. read more

I come here all the time when I come to Victoria. It is so good! The food is amazing! I love poutine and this place has the best western poutine I have tasted! The cod and chips are also a very good meal. The chips, (or fries) are definitely my all time favourite. It is so cool how they wrap it up in newspaper! Very cool! So good and greasy. Great comfort food for when the winter comes and it gets cold. Yum! Halibut burger is a good one too! Small place, but very tasty. It is quaint. The location is good, close to a beach and a village. There are picnic tables outside and there are stools and tables inside. A little bit crowded, and long to wait, but it's worth it. I like ice cream, and the soft serve here is the best I've ever had! Very good on a hot day, or any day! Yum! Bottom line: I love this place!!! Food is amazing and I would love to come back here next time I visit! read more

I cannot think of a reason to not give 5 stars - I've eaten at Willows Galley many times, and I have never once been disappointed. Fresh, fresh fish. Generous portions. Not greasy! (Did you get that? Not dripping with grease like at Barb's) Good service. This place is my must stop at each and every time visiting Victoria. The village nearby has several nice looking cafe's or restaurants, and yet each time, I pass them by and head straight for Willows Galley. Enjoy. read more

The fish was good but the fries were like twigs off a tree, overcooked and dried out, could not eat them, Haultain will be my future choice, more consistent quality control. read more

Best fish and chips in victoria. I love how it's family run too! The batter is so delicious, and they are very very very generous with their amount of fries. The location is just up the road from willows beach, and a great spot for tourists who want to get out of the downtown core. Right near the famous uplands drive and cattle point too, i always take relatives here when they stop in to town. Little slice of small town quaintness in the heart of the city's upper scal oak bay. Lots of heart and love! read more

Right around the corner from me, but it's seldom inspired me to eat there repeatedly. The food is good but expensive, particularly as they have nothing but benches to sit at. Waiting is always involved when you want to eat there, so be prepared. read more

I've been going to this place since I was 6, yea, like back in the stone ages. I always love coming here for the fish and chips, the memories, and the Ice cream. It's a fun place to come, grab a little snack, then head down to Willows Beach to hang out on the lovely lawn there. read more

I don't know what day and age we live in, but paying $12 for a measly piece of fried fish, uninspiring fries and generic cole slaw is unacceptable. The fish was okay, but pretty mushy on the inside. The fries were dry. This would be okay if it were half the price, but c'mon! Won't be going back. read more

A fish & chips place has to do only two things well, you guessed it, deep fried battered fish and deep fried potato chips. Failing that, if they can at least do a good job on the fish, I might still go back. Willows Galley Fish & Chips does neither. I had deep fried cod, and chips. Neither were made to order but rather taken from a stockpile and given to me in immediately. I stayed to eat there and the next few customers were served from the same non-refreshed stockpile. If stockpile sounds too harsh, as though I am perhaps stretching the point, I assure you I am not. The most attention given to any portion of the orders was the careful folding of the newspaper wrapper. The fish batter was excessively greasy and gummy between the batter and the cod. The chips were unremarkable, though I've had worse. I could go on but I really don't think I have to. The best part of this restaurant is the setting, Estevan Villlage is a nice 2 block community commercial village, good for some window shopping, browsing, and eating. The fact that you could walk to the beach before your fish & chips got cold ,and eat them with an ocean view, is the only reason this review is two stars rather than one. Take a pass on Willows Fish & Chips. read more

Went last week for fish and chips. Also had onion rings. Cod and chips: Cod itself was perfectly cooked, moist inside. But the batter didn't seal the fish properly, resulting in an greasy fish. After a few minutes, the batter itself started getting mushy and soaked with the frying oil. Fries were crisp, but over-cooked. Their outside crust was very thick and the overall impression was that of excessive dryness. They also lacked salt, which sucked because we discovered that when at the beach. Onion rings: Delicious thick onion rings fried to deep golden-brown crispness. They were excellent, if excessively oily. Overall, pretty decent F&C, great onion rings, but most items were overly greasy which got a bit overwhelming after a few bites. I would rate Fairfield Fish & Chips better based on one experience at each business. Fairfield's batter remained crisp even after taking it home. It was a deep golden-brown, perfectly cooked cod inside, well seasoned, and not oily. read more

I have frequented this establishment for a number of years. I loved this little secret nestled in the Estevan Village. Yes you hear me right, lovED. This place has turned south ever since it was sold to a bunch of prospective "business men". The service is awful, they consistently screw up orders, and have being quite rude. I have honestly eaten here over 100 times throughout my life, so I feel like my opinion has some validity. They now serve deep fried mars bars, doughnuts, which only adds to the cheap and amatuer feeling the Galley is quickly obtaining... the burgers are overcooked and the chips are bland. I miss the good old days when Glen would run the Galley and their were constant line-ups out the door. One piece of Halibut is 8.25...that is more expensive than Barbs Fish & Chips and Fairfeild Fish and Chips who have far more superior quality of food. Value: 1/3 Way Overpriced Quality: 2/5 read more

i so wanted to love the food. i really did. I DID love the soft serve ice cream and i would most definitely recommend tootling to find this spot to try it or a milkshake of some sort. They have all the old school machines and make a mean swirl cone that seemed to disappear all too fast. the onion rings and poutine were a great fried snack... my only let down was the fish tacos. they sounded amazing with coconut rice and mango salsa, but the fish was over cooked, the tortillas not made from scratch, salsa not so spicy, and only one piece of fish for two tortillas...the curry sauce did sort of save this dish, but i wouldn't be telling my BFF to try this one. I guess you have to stick to the standard FISH & CHIPS and ice cream. read more

I am generally an enthusiastic supporter of small independent businesses, and am happy to pay more to support small enterprises in my neighbourhood. I have had satisfactory fish & chips at Willows in the past, but my recent experiences there have pretty much soured me on going back. It's not like there are no options for f&c in Victoria. I find the fish batter to be laid on far too thick. The outside of the fish will be cooked darker and harder than is appealing, but inside the batter will still be gummy and liquid close to the fish. The fries are overdone to the point that there's no potato left inside, yet amazingly, they aren't particularly hot. The price is not exactly economical. When I cheerfully pay a premium to support the local small business, I expect to get superior quality. In this case, that is a vain expectation. If I had out-of-town guests hankering for fish and chips, I'd be taking them elsewhere. read more

Had the halibut and fries--mine was perfectly cooked, not greasy, but my husband's was burned in one area of the fish coating. Perfectly fresh and hot. Could use more seating. read more

Perfect fish taco. Ended up here by chance after long bike ride. Sat outside on picnic table with foil wrapped fish. Hit the spot. Cooked perfectly. Simple and great. read more

We moved into the neighborhood 10 days ago and have eaten here 5 times! I'm somewhat shocked at the reasonable pricing...my husband had a fabulous, large burger (as good as any in the city), crunchy onion rings and a vanilla shake for $13.00! I had one of those, "start the car! Start ..." moments when he came back with his receipt. Phenomenal food at great prices-I don't feel AT ALL guilty for not cooking anymore! read more

Best fish and chips & batter in Victoria ! They give Tons of hand cut chips with each order . Really yummy and I recommend it

I used to really enjoy Willows Galley Fish and Chips until they changed ownership about a year ago. Since then, I have given them three opportunities to prove that they have not gone downhill. They no longer provide coleslaw as part of the meal, the fish is not of the same quality, and the fries taste previously frozen. What a loss to the neighbourhood. read more

I've been going here several years, loving the halibut. But i have stopped going because the new management really, really sucks. It is tough for me to stop going to this place since i love the batter and the fish servings, but ever since late 2010, the service has been so poor that i have drawn a line in the sand. Forgotten orders. Inaccurate info when i call. No fish, despite me calling in advance asking them if they have halibut. The nail on the coffin? Me asking for some lemons and the server says "no can do, just following orders from the boss" I'm taking all my referrals and my custom to Fairfield now, and enjoying the fish and service. read more

This is the best Fish & Chips in Victoria. The batter is unique, really crunchy, tastes a bit malted. Served in little paper bags with french fries that actually taste like potatoes. I go back every time I"m home. read more