The Palm Beach Post, March 15, 1995.
John G's, which derives its name from owner John Giragos, is a old-fashioned enterprise that has occupied a scenic spot fronting Lake Wroth's public beach for the last 22 years. Or if you're counting, that’s 800,000 orders of fish and chips ago.
That figure is updated regularly by daughter Wendy or her mother, Tess, on a hand-scrawled sign that notes the volume of one of the place's specialties. (In all, there are five Giragos children, Wendy and brothers, Jay and Keith, work alongside John. Wendy's sisters, Sheila and Ann, earlier worked at John G’s, but have since gone on to other endeavors. Tess Giragos is a retired school teacher who lends her penmanship to the place.)
That's the way things are done at John G's -- a family-run, friendly establishment that prides itself on good food, attentive service and reasonable prices.
On this day, we ventured into John G’s about 2:15 in the afternoon -- still plenty of time before the kitchen closed. Wendy seated us without hesitation. Within seconds, our waitress, Nicole, was taking our drink orders, returning a short time later to take our lunch orders.
My order was easy. Though I've on occasionally strayed away from the fish and chips at John G's on prior visits, on this day I stuck with my old standby. And, there's a good reason why.
John G's serves a heaping plate of crunchy, lightly breaded (not a hint of grease) filets of yellow tail snapper, along with a mountain of fries and a rich, creamy coleslaw for $8.15. If you like, the same plate of fish can be broiled for 30 cents more. Either way, it's simple but divine dining, and you’ll go away stuffed to the proverbial gills.
My wife, not being a fish-fancier because of an allergy, started with a bowl of leek-potato soup. The soup, served in a covered crock, was richly flavored in light broth. For lunch, she chose the Gorgonzola salad ($6.45), which the menu describes as being "for people who like an extra zip."The salad was a colossal pile of various greens, onions, radishes and assorted other roughage under lots of bite-size chunks of zesty Gorgonzola cheese. Served with John G's house vinaigrette, the salad was accompanied by slices of cantaloupe. It, too, was an ample meal.
Though John G's has its fair share of seafood dishes -- namely, clam strips, sea scallops and shrimp either fried or broiled (from $8.15 to a $14.15 combo plate) -- the restaurant offers a few other salads as well as pastas, sandwiches and ethnic burgers and frankfurters. Most of these plates cost no more than about $7. So, two people can eat well. Our bill, for instance, came to a mere $16.70.
A few words of caution about John G’s for those of you considering a business lunch with a client, a job prospect, or whomever. The restaurant takes no credit cards, and the tables are snug and not really comfortable for spreading papers or carrying on a strictly private conversation.
Also, John G's because of its proximity to a rather busy public beach, is often plagued by parking problems. There's plenty of metered parking nearby, if it's not a sunny South Florida day. Otherwise, you may have to circle the block a few times. By the way, take plenty of quarters, since the meters won't take smaller change.
Though we've tried John G's several times in the last year or so, we've never quite made it through the doors for breakfast, which is considered by various area media outlets to be nothing short of spectacular. though we've driven by on Saturday or Sunday mornings, we've often been dissuaded -- particularly in high season -- by the number of patrons lined up out the front door and around the corner of the restaurant.
That sign, we assume, is no doubt a true tribute to John G's breakfast following. Oh. And speaking of signs, make that 800,001st fish and chips sold -- and enjoyed.

The Lake Worth Herald, March 4, 1993
Lake Worth Fire Chief Sam Brandsma honored John Giragos for his continued support in the fire department's Employee of the Quarter program.
"This is to express our appreciation for John G's continued support of the fire department, specifically for the Employee of the Quarter award," Brandsma said. "We give the Employees of the Quarter a $50 Savings Bond, a nice certificate and put their name on a nice plaque, but everybody, without a doubt, is more anxious to get the gift certificate from John G's for a meal."
John said his son-in-law has been a firefighter for Palm Beach County for close to 20 years and he respects the work of the firefighters.
"I just thought this would be a good thing to do." John said when asked why he has continued to give gift certificates not only the firefighters, but to clubs, organizations and the Chamber of Commerce.
"I'm just glad to give it," he said. "It's a two-way street. You've got to give a little to get a little."
Brandsma said the fire department employees wanted to show John their appreciation since he has supplied the gift certificates since the inception of the Employee of the Quarter award began in 1987.
"John has stuck with us all these years," Brandsma said.
Brandsma said he first approached John with the idea nearly six years ago as a way to reward his employees without costing the taxpayer any money.
"The only way we could do that was to get the community involved," he said. "We feel very fortunate, especially with the caliber of the restaurant that this is."
Brandsma said he tries to reward everybody as much as he can.
"Usually there is one person who has gone above and beyond what he is supposed to do," Brandsma said.
The gift certificates the Employees of the Quarter receive are usually for two breakfast or two lunches.

The Lake Worth Herald, December 3, 1992.
Can the owner of a dry cleaning establishment in mid-town Detroit, Michigan, find happiness as the "Chief Cook & Bottle-Washer" of a daytime eatery on the beach in Lake Worth?
This answer is a resounding "YOU BETCHA!" if the former dry cleaner is John Giragos and the little business he bought some 20 years ago is John G's, which has become a landmark restaurant for diners from all over South Florida.
"I sure didn't know much about food except that I like to eat and I could make a good chili. But I was determined to move my family from Detroit to Florida and the cafe on the corner of Lake Worth Casino Building looked like a worth while gamble," recalls John. He opened his restaurant doors in December of 1973 and they have been open year-round, for breakfast and lunch seven days a week, ever since. In a business with an unusually high mortality rate, each year John G’s surpasses its receipts for the previous year. Few South Florida businesses can make that statement. As John G's enters its 20th year, John is grateful for his loyal patrons and for the unusually good help he has attracted.
John G's has been a family affair since John's wife Tess and their five children make the trek from Detroit 19 years ago. Tess, who is a teacher at Palm Beach Public School, still hand-prints menu prices and helps out at the cash register during some of her off-hours; and three of the Giragos' children have grown up and into the business. Keith Giragos and Jay Giragos are extremely gifted Chef-Managers and Wendy Giragos Yarborough is the highly personable and efficient Dining Room Manager. John G's has been honored by numerous awards over the past 19 years, including the coveted "Restaurant Association and its "Award of Excellence" in 1987. In 1988, the City of Lake Worth presented John G's an "Award of Merit" and readers of the Palm Beach Post awarded it 1st Place of "Best Breakfast" and Honorable Mention for "Best Salads, Service, Tea dn Coffee" and "Favorite Restaurant" in 1988 and 1989. The reader of Palm Beach Life Magazine voted it "Best Breakfast" in 1989 and 1991; and the most recent edition of Fodor's Florida Guidebook listed John G's as one of the few "Highly Recommended" eating spots in Palm Beach County.
John Giragos also spends a good deal of time and effort serving the community that has welcomed him and his restaurant so warmly. He is past President of the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Restaurant Association and former Board Member of the Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce. Currently he serves as a State Board Member of the Florida Restaurant Association, a Trustee of Palm Beach Regional Hospital, a Director of the Rotary Club of Palm Beach and is a member of the Hospitality Advisor Board of Palm Beach Community College.
John G's Restaurant and newly-expanded On the-Go take-out area are open seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Casino Building on the Lake Worth Public Beach.