Classy grill and italian joint with throwback styling and large dishes
Reviewer: Jason
Total Reviews: 1040
Reviewed: 8/27/2004
Rating: 9
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Orginal Joes is my new spot for Corned Beef sandwiches. Only served on thursday, this sandwich is a work of art. Served on a french roll and a pile of real corned beef...not that thinly slice deli crap that lacks any flavor but a thicker slice that nearly crumbles in your mouth. I havent had anything like this since my visit to New York almost 3 years ago!! Along with the dish are gigantic steak fries. I normally like shoestring potatoes but these suckers are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Sooo tasty....
For $10, it might sound pricey but the sandwiches are big, I only ate half and ended up giving the rest to a jatbar agent. He was blown away with the corned beef and fries.
I also got to try the Hamburger sandwich....excellent quality meat. Not greasy at all but juicy. You can get this type of meat at a deli..probably a lean sirloin? Cooked over a flame grill..its almost a perfect burger. It was served on the same french roll which was good but...I would love to see this burger on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and so on. I think this burger would be in the 9.5 range (Vals Burger better watch out)
The scarey part is...we only had sandwiches, Ive heard there famous for their steaks. I wanted to try the New York Strip...but spending $30-40 for lunch is out of my price range...maybe dinner?
RETURN VISIT for Jason!6/7/2006 - 9 Rating: I should have written this review weeks ago but we made a return visit for lunch. I ordered the New York strip steak with steamed veggies. Service was hilarious and the guys behind the counter like to talk a lot of sh*t. Steak was cooked over charcoal and prepared perfectly. It was a damm good steak. Lunch was expensive today but worth every penny. Original Joe's maintains solid 9.
Reviewer: Terry
Total Reviews: 739
Reviewed: 8/26/2004
Rating: 9
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We were in the neighborhood so decided to stop by Original Joes and finally review the place. Its an upscale diner with a nice selection of Italian dishes and burgerssandwiches. I decided to go for a meat selection today (cheese burger) as I had to see how an $11 cheeseburger tastes like.
Well it arrived and it was HUGE. I just couldn't finish all that meat, but I gave a valiant effort. The beef was better than most as it lean ground beef mixed with onions and cooked up over an open flame. It was placed in a fresh tasty bun. Even then, the meat was hanging out over the bun. A slice of swiss cheese on top and that was it.
The interior was very 70s and kept in remarkable condition. Very cool place to hang out in. A bit dark too. Seemed like most of the clientele were older and dressed nicely. We felt at home in our t-shirts however.
I would like to go back and try an italian dish here when I can save up the duckets for one. It definitely gives a sushi lunch a run for its money.
Reviewer: ne00
Total Reviews: 187
Reviewed: 12/4/2005
Rating: 9
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I had originally come with my friends on Thu night but for some reason all the parking lots were full and we couldnt find parking anywhere near the restaurant so we ate as some crappy Japanese place. I was looking forward to trying their Corned Beef sandwich thats served only on Thursdays. I had it all planned out where I would convince my friend to order the cheeseburger so we would share.
Original Joes is the type of restaurant that can only be reviewed if you nit and pick. From the exterior its flawless as service is good and the food is even better. The only nit pick I can even think of is the prices as besides appetizers and some sandwiches, most main dishes start well into the teens.
My friends and I arrive around 4pm as we had our evenings planed out with a show performance of Mama Mia just down the street. The place was already packed and several people waiting. The wait was 30 min and since will call didnt open for over an hour we decided to wait.
It was freezing outside and was so warm and cozy inside. More people arrived in doves to put their name on the waiting list. I could tell this was a popular spot among Italian families as many of the tables were filled with families and the person taking names and seating people seem to know several of his guests. None the less it seemed he treated everyone with the same respect. The wait didnt feel that long as we were seated 25 minutes later. I was surprised as the restaurant does not seem that big and a table opened up quickly.
Since we had a show to catch, we already scanned through the menu while we waited in the lounge. I knew the portions here would be large but as I glanced over to the table next to us I saw someone with a humungous plate of spaghetti on his plate. The guy couldnt even finish a quarter of his serving size. The plates here are expensive but the portion size makes up for that. Upon being seated the waters were already waiting for us.
When the waiter stopped by to take our drink orders we ordered our full meal on the spot instead of waiting as the place seemed busy. From my experience Italian restaurants tends to be slow. We ordered the Calamari strips for our starter. I ordered the cheeseburger sandwich; my other friends ordered the fettuccine alfredo with ham and peas and the chicken sec with mushrooms.
We were brought our drinks and what seemed like to be a large half loaf of bread with butter. Once again, the nit picking starts. The bread was served cold and the butter was served cold as it was cold and solid. The bread was good regardless but it was too much as it could have fed a table of 5. Knowing how people are with bread they shouldnt serve so much bread as it always ruins a great meal with leftovers. The bread would have been much better warmer and the butter could have been room temperature or served in a butter dish rather still wrapped in its foil.
The service here is excellent. Even though the place was packed, the waiter refilled my friends water at least 5 times without us even asking. Our drinks were refilled without issues. There was a moment of strangeness as all our drinks were taken back to be refilled and we wondered how the waiter would distinguish the difference. Turns out new cups and straws were given. Come on, admit it. We all fear being served our friends drink in the middle of dinner, that would just spoil any dinner. I like how they divide the waiters to overlook certain areas. Our server was not overbearing but was on top of things when we needed something. He was always there when we needed to find him.
Our appetizer arrived first. The calamari strips was not the regular shaped calamari, rather it looked a bit like the chicken fries at burger king. There was an outer crust and a round thick stringy cut of calamari within the outer crust. Both tarter sauce and some sort of tomato sauce were served on the side. The calamari strips taste a lot like the chicken fries from BK. They are good but different, something not expected or seen before.
Our meals arrived all at the same time. The fettuccine was a huge heaping plateful but looked a bit over drenched in cream sauce. My friend commented that there was a bit too much cream for her taste. My friends chicken sec with mushrooms was nothing but roasted chicken in some type of sauce with mushrooms. I ordered my cheeseburger medium well and it tasted like the juiciest medium well burger Ive ever had. The hamburger was served on the same bread that was served to our table. The cheese was a Swiss cheese, and even though it was just cheese, meat, and bread it was good. It was a bit bland so I had to add some ketchup to the mix. I think adding some seasoning to the burger would have topped it off as the best burger for $11.00. On the side I received some steak fries, which was the mushy, gooey on the inside and crispy on the outside type. This went very well with my burger. Even a Kirks Steakburger, which is a bit cheaper doesnt taste anywhere near as good as this burger. Even with a well done burger I would imagine the same juiciness.
I didnt have a big appetite so I only managed to finish half my burger. As I was eating my burger I noticed all the trays of deserts going around and it seemed like their Tiramisu cake was huge. I should come back again from a full meal when Im more in the mood to eat. Having a big Dim Sum lunch didnt help the cause. We asked for a take out box and received what looked like larger versions of Chinese to go boxes but without the fancy design on the outside. The box was a bit small to fit half my sandwich and fries as I had to stuff it in somehow, but I managed. We asked for our check and paid right away without any hassle or waiting.
Even the bathrooms as Original Joes were clean although it was a bit cramped in certain areas. This is a great place to bring friends and family. Bring your wallet and your appetite as those treated will be smiling from ear to ear.
In terms of taste and service, this is much better than Buca, but as for pricing and coming with a larger gathering, this is more expensive. If the price was along the same lines as Buca and I get the chance to try other dishes as well as their desert this review could be upgraded to a 9.5.
Pluses: Manageable waits, big portions, excellent service. Free parking on weekends, close to the heart of downtown and within blocks of all the attractions.
Minuses: A bit expensive. May be difficult to find parking during weekdays during peak times.
