Restaurante El Viejo John is a very popular restaurant in Sabaneta that specializes in traditional Colombian food. It’s a great place to experience Colombian food including Antioquian specialties like bandeja paisa.
El Viejo John has many traditional Colombian dishes on the menu including bandeja paisa, buñuelos, cazuela de mariscos (seafood casserole), empanadas, mondongo soup, pescado frito (fried fish) sancocho soup and tamales.
The portions at El Viejo John are huge and the prices are reasonable. I frequently have needed to ask them to pack some of the leftovers to take home, as it has been too much to eat.
Many of the staff working at El Viejo John are long-term employees. Also, the décor of the restaurant is quite rustic and is consistent with paisa traditions. In addition, El Viejo John is located next to Parque Sabaneta, which is arguably the nicest park in the Medellin and Aburrá Valley metro area.
BBQ ribs at El Viejo John
My Experiences at El Viejo John
I first discovered El Viejo John about five years ago. And since that time, I have eaten there many times, particularly in the past nearly three years I have been living in Sabaneta.
I have gone to El Viejo John for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is a particularly popular restaurant for lunch and dinner. And at times you may have to wait for a table, particularly on the weekends.
The last time I went with a friend who hadn’t been to El Viejo John before. I had one of the bandejas for 16,500 pesos and he had the large BBQ ribs for 29,500 pesos. The BBQ ribs is one of the dishes that El Viejo John is famous for. And my friend said they were perfectly cooked and very tasty.
Bandeja paisa at El Viejo John
The Food Menu
Restaurante El Viejo John has a big menu with chicken, meats, fish, bandejas, sancochos and many other types of typical Colombian and Antioquian cuisine.
Most entrees on the menu are accompanied with French fries or beans and a small salad.
There are over 30 different meats on the menu ranging from Filet mignon to churrasco to BBQ ribs that are priced from 19,000 to 33,000 pesos.
Róbalo Valeska – white fish baked with shrimp, mushrooms and covered with cheese
Also, there are over 20 different fish dishes on the menu ranging in price from 22,500 to 34,000 pesos. I particularly like the Róbalo Valeska, which is a Snook white fish baked with shrimp, mushrooms and covered with cheese and costs 33,000 pesos.
The 11 different bandejas on the menu are priced from 16,500 to 22,550 pesos. The seven different sancocho soups are priced from 11,000 to 19,000 pesos (three of these are only available on the weekend). And there are many other options on the menu and many additional sides you can add to the entrees.
Furthermore, there is a breakfast menu at El Viejo John. The breakfast menu includes eggs with several different sides as options and ranges in price from 7,000 to 14,500 pesos.
Inside El Viejo John at lunchtime
The Drink Menu
On the drink menu at El Viejo John there are several natural fruit juices including borojó, grape, guanábana, lulo, mango, maracuyá, milo, orange, strawberry, tomate de árbol as well as natural lemonade for 4,500 pesos each.
In addition, they have sodas for 2,500 pesos and several different coffees and also tea. Also, are 10 different beers on the menu ranging in price from 4,000 to 8,000 pesos.
Furthermore, there are 13 different alcohols on the menu including a couple wines, sangria, aguardiente, rum, and tequila. The shots or cups are priced at 4,000 to 9,000 pesos. A medium bottle range in price from 25,000 to 85,000 pesos. And a full bottle ranges in price from 55,000 to 180,000 pesos.
How to Get to El Viejo John
Restaurante El Viejo John is located less than a block from the popular Parque Sabaneta in Sabaneta.
An easy way to get to Parque Sabaneta is to take the Medellín metro Line A south to the Sabaneta metro station. And the Sabeneta station is only about 10 minutes from the Poblado metro station.
Parque Sabaneta in Sabaneta
Parque Sabaneta is located about a 10-minute walk east from the Sabaneta station. In addition, there are many people walking on the streets to/from the metro station. So, it’s relatively safe during the day and even after dark – but not too late.
Also, there are frequent and inexpensive metro buses that use Civica cards that cost only 2,200 pesos, which run from the Sabaneta metro station to and from the park. Most noteworthy, these buses don’t drop you at the park, they drop you about a block from the park. And the integrated fare including both the metro train and Sabaneta metro bus is only 2,925 pesos.
Metro buses at the Sabaneta metro station
In addition, there is a taxi stand at the Sabaneta metro station, which normally has taxis available. Furthermore, any taxi driver in Medellín will know where Parque Sabaneta is located. It’s also normally pretty easy to catch a taxi at the park.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/El-viejo-JhonRestaurante/335673709874778
Address: Carrera 45 #70 Sur-42, Sabaneta
Hours: Monday – Sunday: 7 am – 10:00 pm.
The Best Colombia Food (Comida Típica) in Medellín
On the Medellin Guru site we have looked at eight of the best Colombian food restaurants in Medellín metro area with good comida típica – traditional Colombian dishes:
- El Rancherito (with nine locations)
- Hacienda (with six locations)
- Hato Viejo (with four locations)
- Mondongo’s (with two locations)
- El Viejo John (with one location in Sabaneta)
- Ajiacos y Mondongos (with one location)
- La Hija de Stella (with one location in Sabaneta)
- El Peregrino (with one location in Sabaneta)
Inside El Viejo John at night
The Bottom Line: El Viejo John in Sabaneta
El Viejo John is considered one of the best restaurants in Sabaneta by locals. It’s a very popular restaurant with good typical Colombian dishes. In addition, the portions are big for many of the menu options. So, if you are a light eater you may want to share.
The bottom line is El Viejo John serves paisa cuisine at its best. The ambiance is energetic, the decor is charmingly rustic and the service is usually very good. The biggest competition of El Viejo John is nearby El Peregrino, which is famous for its buñuelos but also has some very good Colombian food.
El Viejo John is a restaurant that is typically busy and full of groups proving that this place is one worth trying. The flavors are usually a cut above many other restaurants in the metro area that serve typical Colombian food.
On weekends, holiday and on Tuesdays (due to the popularity on Tuesdays of the nearby Iglesia de Santa Ana) there is typically a line for a table. So, get there early. Also, note they only accept cash, no credit cards.
Sign up for the Free Medellin Guru Newsletter – You can see all of the previous Medellin Guru weekly email newsletters and sign up here.
9 thoughts on “Restaurante El Viejo John: Good Colombian Food in Sabaneta”
I usually frequent Viejo John restaurante every year during our vacation. Family member lives four blocks away and every day I buy different food. I know the owner and we enjoy having a nice Cafe con leche and empanadas. The prices are great. For me one of the best in the metropolitan area. Thanks.
It is a little hard to find on a map. It is actually on Calle 45. A few blocks away from Carrera 72 Sur.
Please do not ask me how Calle 45 can be Carrrera 72 because I am new here.
Thanks for catching that. Got that from a site that had the wrong address. I called them and it’s now corrected in the article and is actually Carrera 45 #70 Sur-42.
We ate there today, June 4, 2018, a holiday.
It was extremely busy. People were lined up as we were leaving. I had medium size punta de anca and my husband had medium size portion of ribs. He said they were the best ribs he ever had since Garrets in Louisville, KY. The service was excellent until the end. We waited a long time for the check and it was very hot with all the people. We left a 10% tip. Don’t know if this is expected.
All the other restaurants were not crowded. We enjoyed the Park also.
Viejo John has great local food. I am a Colombian who lived in the U.S. for many years before returning to Medellin. The bandeja paisa and sancocho are outstanding at this restaurant. Totally recommended for local Colombian cuisine.
I tried Viejo John twice to give it the benefit of the doubt. I’m not planning on going back.
If you want to eat traditional Colombian cuisine Viejo John is by far the best option in Sabaneta. They have a huge variety of dishes with good food. So it is very popular and packed on the weekends.
Hi Paula, I agree that for Colombian cuisine El Viejo John is the best option in Sabaneta. And this place is normally packed every weekend and also on Tuesdays.
We ate at Viejo John recently after wandering around Parque Sabaneta and looking for a place to eat dinner and it was a great option. There is a wide variety of traditional Colombian dishes on the menu to chose from and everything we ordered was delicious. The fresh lemonade was great and the cost was reasonable at about 20,000 COP per person. We definitely plan to return to try other dishes on the menu.