Joanna's was the very pleasant surprise I did not see coming!

In Fort Wayne for the weekend recently and, as usual, we were looking for somewhere new and/or local for dinner. The hotel we were at had no dinner offerings and we'd played out most of the local eateries. Scrolling through Yelp I happened on Joanna's and it piqued my interest. It was less than two miles down the road from the hotel so off we went.

Situated in what I'm guessing is relatively new strip mall, Joanna's has a humble, understated exterior. Walking up to the door you really don't see just how large this restaurant is. The hostess stand is right inside the door for getting on the list (if there is one). On this particular Friday we were seated immediately but it wasn't long before they were on a list. I'm guessing this is a pretty popular place on Fridays.

The décor at Joanna's is minimal and tasteful and very much Family Dining. It doesn't overwhelm you with color and motion and blinking lights. The background music is kept at a level that allows for normal conversation.

Our server was Emma and she was awesome. The menu at Joanna's is HUGE and my wife and I were having a hard time narrowing it down. Emma mentioned the All You Can Eat walleye and this is one of the very few times in 28 years of marriage that we ordered the same meal at a restaurant. There are two options, 3 pieces for $10.95 or unlimited for $13.95.

Once we go our plates we were both glad we stuck with3 pieces, because this walleye was enormous...and HOLY COW, was it delicious! I don't know if it's because I hadn't had walleye in years or that it was just amazingly delicious, but this was some of the best fish I'd ever had. I'm one of those that likes both cocktail sauce and tartar sauce with his fried fish, so I was definitely enjoying the best of both worlds. I chose cole slaw as my side and that's always a gamble, but this was surprisingly good.

The staff here was hoppin'! Everyone constantly in motion making sure tables were cleared, floors were clean, and food was being delivered. They do a great job of keeping things in shape, even during a busy dinner rush.

Emma was an absolutely awesome server. She was always on the spot with iced tea refills (we drink a lot of tea), keeping the table clean, and even stopped long enough to have a conversation. Servers who take the time to talk to customers make dining out better.

I'm looking forward to visiting Joanna's the next time we're in Fort Wayne. And I hope it's on a Friday. And I hope they have the walleye.