It's not like it used to be when Back Bay Restaurant Group owned it. The host, nice but seemed like he wasn't sure if he should sit us. Just a very odd vibe. It took more than 5 minutes for our server to come over. We were there for lunch, arrived around 1:30 on a Monday. You could not tell if there was a manager in charge because one was never seen. Our server was very pleasant and nice. However. Her dessert offering was "no dessert today?" Not the best way to sell dessert. The burger we got was great but the roasted beet salad was an appetizer size. It was too expensive for what was given. They need to take lessons from the old owner.
(2)
Mark M.
Great food and service! I come here all the time me am consistently wow-ed by the friendliness of the staff. We love the new menu as well, miss some of the old menu items but love the new choices. My favorite is the BBQ platter
(5)
Kate L.
Another great meal at Joe's. It's easy, quick, and affordable. Bread just as good as always. Homemade chilli was TO DIE FOR. Fish taco was tasty and fresh. My hubby got the ribs which tasted like cleaning product to me but he loved them! Great cesar too. And excellent service.
(4)
Joe S.
I thought I would give it a try because I heard they got a new menu and were a scratch kitchen now....well it sucked. That was the biggest rip off ever and I'm still hungry. Paid $12.00 for a crab cake appetizer that took 1 bite to eat. I got honey buffalo wings and they were just bbq wings, hideous tasted awful. 2 small apps a beer and a sangria was $45 plus tip I feel like I was robbed. New menu came with a jack up in price not worth it, go anywhere else, same money, eat better #wontlastlong
(1)
Michelle G.
Not much on the menu to choose from since they redid their menu. Prices are high and food is just average. The bread that they give you, warm out of the oven, is the best part of the meal. Service was average. Our server was training another and never tried to upsell or offer apps, coffee, or desserts. Not a trainer I would want in my restaurant. Just not a place I would frequent anymore since they took some popular items off of the menu.
(3)
Justin W.
Going to try to keep this brief. Joe's has gone down hill in the past 18-24 months. First they got rid of filet mignon. Sorry but I like my tender steak. Today, we were greeted by a friendly looking girl outside. Stepped inside and waited. And waited. And waited, until this "gentleman" approached us, stared at us, and finally asked, "How many?" His Afro was hypnotizing. Our server was very nice, but obviously new. I was a bit skeeved out by the very noticeably greasy grimy menus. My mother ordered a ribeye and coffee with the meal. The girl brought a prime rib and coffee with milk. I had a house salad and quesadillas, which came as ordered. Joe's makes a great cup of coffee and has good iced tea, but they're slipping. They've cut popular menu items and it seems like they're losing or have lost their best staff. The quality of food is still above average, but it seems dirtier and dirtier each time I come.
(3)
Ellen M.
My family (my husband and 2 kids) came into the restaurant and sat down for lunch. It was approximately 1:10 PM and the restaurant was surprisingly not busy. Our server took our order at 1:20 PM. We ordered 2 salads, and pasta and grilled cheese from the kids menu. The food came out at 1:55 PM taking nearly 45 minutes for this simple meal. Meanwhile guests who arrived after us were served within 15 minutes. Not to mention, charging $15.90 for a simple grilled chicken salad. Really? They've unfortunately lost a long time customer of Joe's. Between the service and ridiculously overpriced menu items we'll take our business elsewhere.
(1)
Cari R.
Bartender was super friendly and chatty and our orders came out quickly but the food was horribly overpriced ($11 for a wing appetizer) and nothing really special. Not a really big beer selection, though I was happy to see Shipyard on tap. Menu has a good mix and is definitely "American" but nothing jumps out as a signature dish. The name makes it sound like a sports bar, but the appearance and the atmosphere speaks otherwise. Sat at the bar with a friend to catch the Pats game but didn't feel like it was that kind of place, even though there were others there doing the same. Should have stuck with John Harvard's across the way.
(2)
Jodi E.
My boyfriend and I stopped in here for a drink after shopping one night, and had such great service, we made a habit of stopping in. Our original bartender has left, but we are always happy to see Jay behind the bar when go. On my birthday we sat at a booth in the bar and he was super cool and chatty, but knew when to walk away. Other times we have sat in the bar we've had awesome service and I regret that I don't remember his name, but he's always working it seems, bald/shaved head ... super mellow, super efficient. Can't say much about the food, have only had a few things - Mac and Cheese, yum! and apps but mostly we come in for a few cocktails. No complaints on anything we have eaten though! If you're looking for a comfortable environment and servers that don't hang all over you, or on the converse, annoy you, the bar area at Joe's is great.
(3)
Eka L.
This place is a gem! Buffalo waffles, cinnamon buns in a skillet....you won't regret it. The Newbury location is legit too
(5)
Alan W.
Not that Joe's was ever anything special, but the food was always at least OK. Tonight's meal ,however, was the last that I will eat there. First the drinks. If the whiskey sour that I started with was any representation of the mixed drinks it is a good idea to stick with beer or wine. I traded it in for a Guinness. The fried calamari app was under cooked and did not include enough marinara, but it did have a lot of tentacles which are the best part IMHO. My dining companion ate one piece and quit. We both had salads for dinner. My companion enjoyed hers but it was nothing special. I had the crusted tuna salad and it was not edible. I took one bite and it was dry, I thought maybe it was I an end piece so I tried a different piece, horrible. A waste of fish. The server was OK. The beer,the bread, and the company were the best part of the experience.
(2)
Michelle C.
Good brunch. Bloody Mary needed help, but the omelette's are Huge and fluffy and their potatoes are pretty tasty too. Skip their mac & cheese it is NOT good.
(3)
Ethel M.
Never been wowed by the food but recently we ate in the bar and the servie was so slow and uncomfortable. The guy kept making inappropriate jokes and I felt bad for him because they should have given him some help covering the whole bar. But anyway I'm in no rush to get back there anytime soon.
(3)
Amanda M.
A solid 3-star restaurant that gets an extra star for good, friendly service, gluten free options and the ability to easily split the bill without getting confused or messing it up. Gluten free people: All their pizzas and pasta dishes can be prepared gluten-free.
(4)
Portia B.
If you are gluten free do not go here. They talk a good talk about how they will take care of you, how you are "in good hands" and verbally that may be true. However the food says otherwise, both in presentation of the gluten free fries, served iced cold, and the choice in gluten free products (really horrible) I ate the burger with a fork and knife.
(1)
Michael R.
Let me start off, I hope I can finish this review before I have to hurry up back to the bathroom. Secondly, if I do I have run to the bathroom I can only hope my daughter is through with her bout of the runs. I am a 40 year old married father of four, ages 18 - 2.5. Today is my daughters 18th birthday and she really wanted to go to Joe's for her birthday dinner. I have been there before nad have generally enjoyed their bar area at night but a previous meal there left me concerned. However, it was my daughter's birthday and she got to pick. We were quickly seated, arrived at 5:00 pm and introduced to our waitress. I think she was kind of new so I'm going to cut her a lot of slack. She was good about getting the crayons for the kids and it seemed to be going well. I ordered the Fried Chicken Entree ($15.99), wife ordered the Steak Tips with a mushroom gravy ($17.99) and side salad for $2.99, my birthday daughter ordered the New York Strip Steak ($23.99) med well. My six year old son ordered the chicken finger kids meal, my five year old daughter ordered the grilled chees and my two year old son ha the cheese pizza. Kids meals were $6.50 and included drink and dessert, not a bad price however it was not the price listed on their online kids menu. The drinks and bread arrived shortly after we placed our order. I was a little surpirised that for six people all we were given was one portion of bread. My wife's salad came out next and was puny and bland, one tiny half tomato and two croutons. Then the food came out. The best deal in the restaurant is clearly the kids meals. My sons $6.50 meal that consisted of drink and desert was almost the same portion as my $15.99 meal. I did get three more chicken fingers than he did. I know, who goes to this restuarant to get chicken fingers and I got what I deserved. They were decent, but not much better frozen tyson chicken fingers I can get out of the freezer. The fries were extra salty and like limp noodles. My wife's steak tips were over cooked, fatty and bland. The mushroom gravy was not even brought out and my wife had to ask for it. We also had to ask the waitress to bring steak knives to our table. My wife ordered a baked potato with the meal which was full sized and uneventful, even with a healthy portion of sour cream. My daughter who was celebrating her birthday was presented with the wrong order. Somehow she ended up with the buttermilk sirloin steak. She had requesters hers to be cooked medium well. My daughter didn't want to cause a scene so she initially just accepted it. until she cut into it and it was raw. Of course it was charred on the outside. By the time the waitress had returned to ask us how it was, the rest of the family was half way done. the waitress took it back and corrected the order to what my daughter wanted. Unfortunately by the time it arrived back the rest of the family was done eating. Now my wife and I had to keep busy and entertained a 2, 5 and 6 year old. When it did arrive it still was a bit raw and tasted so-so. I didn't try any of my other daughters grilled cheese so i cna't really comment on that. My youngest son loves pizzaunfortunatley he had one bite of this pizza and no more. I tried the pizza nad was able to eat a slice but decided I would rather go to Stop and Shop and get a frozen $1.00 Celeste Pizza. I think they microwaved the pizza. The manager did come over and apologized for the wrong order but that was it. No effort was made to appease us. The total bill came to $98.39, and $120.00 with tip. I work hard for my money and felt like I wasted my money tonight at Joe's American Bar and Grill in Framingham. With all the good restauraunts in the area I would suggest taking your business somewhere else.
(1)
Zack F.
Hate to have to leave this review, because this was a go-to place for me for at least 10 years. My family used to come here for one of the best burgers in the area, their roasted half chicken and my personal favorite, the chili. But it has been going downhill for years and it has finally hit rock bottom. My dad and I went for a quick dinner a couple of weeks ago and heard they finally added the chili back to the menu (yay!) Our waitress, Amanda, took our order, and the chili arrived soon after. The chili was clearly the same recipe, but had a weird, unfamiliar taste. We enjoyed the melted cheese on top, but not the chili. Our burgers arrived and each was significantly overcooked, so they were sent back after one bite. Amanda was very accommodating and had our next round out right away. The second round of burgers were cooked correctly, but a weird odor was coming off of them. After a couple of bites, we realized the meat was... past it's fresh date... which essentially ended the meal for us. Amanda told the manager (who we were told was a "temp manager") and our meal was comped. We were offered a replacement, but by that time, we had lost our appetite and had her take away the burgers. We were offered a free dessert, but when we asked for the chocolate cake, we were told that they were out of that, the pie and half of the remaining desserts on the menu. The whole time, the manager never came over and left the burden on Amanda, who was the only positive note to come out of our visit. It's unlikely we will ever go back with so many other options not too much further away. UPDATE: Went back for chili, my old favorite a month or so ago. It was one of the worst meals I've had in recent memory. The bread is unfortunately the only remaining plus to what used to be a great restaurant. Charlie's in Chestnut Hill and Newbury Street is closed, so it looks like the great Back Bay Restaurant Group is about done.
(1)
John C.
I really did not enjoy my experience here several days ago. The food was ok, but the service and set up were not. The only seating option for our party of five was a semi- circular booth, a terrible option for two elderly members in our party. Our coats had to go on a coat rack on the other side of the restaurant. No knife or cutting board was brought to us with the loaf of round bread. The bread and salad plates were not cleared before the oversized entree plates arrived and dessert was served without utensils or extra plates until we asked for forks in addition to the spoons brought to us in our coffee mugs. There were just a lot of things that didn't make this meal enjoyable.
(2)
Sarah C.
I really wanted to give this restaurant a 1 star but because I have been here for 2 holiday lunches the past 2 years in a row that were actually really good I stuck with the 2 stars. The first time I came here was with a large group and ordered a steak - it was very good. The second time I came here this past January I got the grilled buffalo chicken pizza. The pizza was really good and cooked just right. The bread they served on the side was awesome. I got takeout from here today because a friend from work was going on lunch. I got the lobster mac and cheese. You should NEVER offer lobster mac and cheese on your menu - an item that people have such high hopes for - unless you can master the dish! This was the worst mac and cheese I have ever had. It was gritty (yes the cheese was gritty like sand in your mouth - gag), greasy, gross and had no flavor to it at all! I picked all the lobster out, ate the bread and threw the rest away. What a waste of money as it was not that cheap...
(2)
Henry N.
When I first walked in I was greeted by a tall gentleman named Henry, well if that doesn t beat all, thats my name, and escourted Bruce and I to the best seats at the bar, to watch the 2012 Summer Olympics. It was lunch time, and we were in the right place at the right time.. Fantastic place especially if you are a regular. If I lived near by I would be! The bartender I think his name is Pedro took our order instantly. Ordered up a Harpoon IPA on draught, my pref d brew, the best way available. Checked out the lunch menu, and it was loaded with all sorts of goodies, Calamari, Clam Chowdah, (Award Winning mind you) and then the magic words jumped out at me, Classic Rubin I think I fell in love......I ll have the Classic Rubin. Woule you like fries or onion rings with that? It was suppose to come with either fries or onion rings, and I asked can have a little of each? the waiter said, ABSOLUTELY!! Bruce and I sat and watched and chatted with Pedro, and Henry about all the great coverage of the olympics we were surrounded with. Our orders came up in short time together, and all I can say is WOW, perfect! Best Rubin with fires, and onion rings evah! Here at Joes, I have had to date the Best Rubin sandwich I have ever had. Perfectly toasted Marble Rye bread, Superb Swiss Cheese, Saurkraut, , Thousand Island dressing, all in a perfect sandwich. I will update with future tasty reviews. Henry
(5)
Lisa C.
I had dinner here with a few friends. We were drinking martini's which were delicious. The bread was also very good and the waitress was generous with bringing over another loaf. I enjoyed my chicken picatta and it seems like all my friends enjoyed their meals too. The waitress was outstanding. The only reason I give this 4 stars is because one girl ordered chocolate cake and it was horrible and cost $8. We told the waiter who brought it over that it was awful but he didn't bother to remove it from the bill. I would say go for the drinks, bread and food, skip desert.
(4)
Peter R.
Beer and a burger, not too busy today. Burger was cooked perfectly. Nothing really stood out but I'd return
(4)
Catie C.
This joint is going downhill. The server was high on Redbull. I'll never have steak here again. My steak was in the process of getting spoiled. A fraction of it I can taste it turning sour; but me being me, I still ate it. Also, it wasn't cooked right. I asked for very rare; it came out medium. Yet, me being me, I still didn't return it cuz I don't want to wait another 10 min. My friend's steak was aweful too as he said. It wasn't juicy. While I was still there chatting up, I had an aweful stomach ache. It was more painful than PMS cramps! I had to excuse myself for a moment to the restroom. Even with such an episode, I didn't freak my date away!
(2)
Nicole G.
This place had some of the best French Onion Soup I've had. Broth was awesome, perfect amount of cheese and bread. Awesome. That wasn't the highlight of the visit, though. I ordered filet mignon for my entree and asked for it medium-rare. My idea of what medium-rare is, though, is apparently colored by shitty restaurants, because I'm used to having to order medium-rare to get something most people consider medium. So I order it medium-rare and what comes out is, in my book, very rare. The waiter (whose name I forget, because I'm a jackass) brought it back three times before it was cooked enough for me and he was super patient and awesome and apologetic even though it was my stupid fault for not just ordering it medium in the first place. I think it was the manager who finally brought it out the last time and I noticed him and the kind of hovering around the dining room while we ate, presumably to make sure ai was enjoying it and seeing if he needed to intervene and stop an angry customer from going ballistic. I don't know if the management there reads this, but I was far from angry and more embarrassed at my own inability to order steak and the staff at this location handled it all perfectly. Thanks for being awesome. I'll be back soon for more of that onion soup.
(4)
Linda b.
This restaurant must be a hit or miss and this time it was a miss. I asked for my hamburger med/ rare with blue cheese and the same for my guess. I got mine well cook with no blue cheese and my guess got his medium and no blue cheese. This was the first time that I have been disappointed with my food at this clean place. Something was really wrong that day. My server was great as I had him before and he is wonderful. I don't understand when the restaurant is almost empty during a slow lunch time and the hostess sit an other guess at the table just next to you. This is the third time this happen to me. They don't understand that people like to have privacy.
(2)
Romelle B.
The food was amazing, especially the tuna tartare. The ambiance was inviting and friendly. I loved the fresh, warm bread served with whipped butter! This is my third visit to Joe's. My server, Laura, was knowledgeable, helpful and corgial. She really took an interest in our party and by the time the dinner ended, I felt I had made a new friend. On a previous visit, Anna, our server, was equally as efficient and friendly. Joe's is a wonderful restaurant offering excellent American high end pub style cuisine. Visit often!
(5)
Ima A.
Joe's has gone downhill since take over by Tavistock. Portions are smaller, prices higher. The calamari was almost half the size of a year ago with the cook putting almost no peperoni in. We used to get a full loaf of bread, cutting board and knife. Now.....a third of loaf.... The classic delicious chowder was served cold. I mean below lukewarm. We instructed the server to heat it up in the microwave and not serve us a new bowl. She neglected to tell us that there are no microwave ovens allowed at Joes and instead of heating it a pot.... they served us two new bowls of soup from a burned batch. Yikes...she agreed after smelling it....burned. the Caesar salad with salmon was served with a piece of salmon so small I had to take a picture of it. The manager claimed it was half the size of the dinner portion, 4 oz. But upon tasting, overcooked...hence lower moisture and fat and smaller and covered with a blackened glaze of salt I did not ask for.....the second piece of salmon was still four ounces but not over cooked or over salted but slightly fishy...ie not fresh. The greeter seated up in the empty restaurant next to a party of twelve, just across from the center of the table. We asked for new table and he seemed a little miffed or confused as to why. Attitude careless....age...young ...a boy. WTF
(1)
Eric H.
Food was alright, nothing special. I probably could have made something myself that was just as good. We got sat right away, and for some reason we had two waitresses who never seemed to communicate with each other. They took our drink orders and when one of them came back they asked if we were ready to order, we said we needed a few more minutes, and within 30 seconds the other waitress came over and asked us again. We again said no. And when we were ready to order, they took about another 10 minutes to come over. The food took relatively long considering we only ordered two pasta dishes. And the waitresses never came back to check in on us. When we went to pay, we saw the waitress take the credit card and put it over by the register and walk away. I understand you have other obligations, but it was a very slow night and it shouldn't take long to swipe a credit card. Overall, it was a pretty poor experience and I would never go back here.
(1)
Jason A.
Manager has attempted to make things right by inviting us back with a gift, which was received... thank you. We will update our review once we return. *Update 02/22/14: Went to Joe's at Shopper's World in Framingham before a movie on 02/21/14. Our waiterss, Inna, wrote down our customized order (without us even asking). Our dinner was just as we ordered, and very good! Inna was super nice, asked us if everything was ok a few times, and the new manager Bobbi was everything a good manager should be. Things have changed there... for the better! Thanks also to Sergio, the old manager, for inviting us back... After last night's meal at Joe's, we'll return soon!
(5)
Dorit M.
Went there for my friends birthday dinner. The food was fair. Ordered a bud light bottle which was warm. I asked for a new one, which was also warm. So much for rotating. My other friend ordered a hamburger ( medium ), which showed up so well done, it was a hockey puck. French fries are not good either. While I was eating my food, the waiter asked, if I was done or still working on it. I mean, come on !! I am chewing my food , what does it look like !! The bread was not baked through all the way, it was pretty raw inside. I felt bad, because it was my friends birthday.
(2)
Christa B.
Went to Joes in Framingham today. Our waitress was initially attentive but apparently lost interest as our lunch progressed. 2 out of 4 orders were wrong, our dirty dishes languished on the table for over 20(!) minutes and I had to of find a server to ask for them to be removed, we were never asked about dessert, we were never presented with our check (again, I had to get up and find my waitress for the check), we were never offered refills on our drinks. It was really unacceptable and disappointing. It doesn't matter if the food is good if the service is horrible.
(1)
Tom D.
A review of another restaurant I just wrote made me reflect on a visit to this Joe's location not too long ago and how they handled customer dissatisfaction very nicely. Basically, we fell victim to the "I didn't know this was my table" confusion, and so ended up waiting more than 10 minutes seated at our table without our presence being acknowledged. However, once the lack of service was brought the manager's attention she came over immediately, apologies were made, our server was notified of her oversight, and guest recovery nachos were offered. I wish the doctor's office or RMV made concessions like this when customers are kept waiting! Now for some general comments on Joe's that I believe apply to all locations. As of this writing, of all the more upscale chains I find myself at, Joe's tops my list. Always a solid meal with friendly and quick service. Burgers are phenomenal, even the turkey burger, though my favorite is the black and bleu. The buffalo tenders appetizer has an incredible heat to it unmatched by any other I've had, and my most recent discovery, the ribs are quite a treat. There are some good cocktails on the menu, though they've removed my old favorite, the Metropolitan, that used to be on there. Tip: If you're looking for the most buzz for your buck, get the sangria. Martinis are also generously sized. Two minor critiques about Joe's. First, I always have a mild sticker shock when I eat here, and for whatever reason, despite repeated visits, I always forget the price point is definitely above Applebee's, but so is the quality (in fact, the quality is waaaaaaaay above Applebee's), so I never feel gypped. Second, if you're watching your diet, there's aren't many menu choices available without making a list of special requests to go along with it.
(4)
Mike C.
Decent enough food, bare minimum service, unprofessional staff. Admittedly, we came in around 3pm on a Saturday, which is basically the "dead zone" for restaurants...lunch shift is waiting to leave, dinner shift is just showing up or doing prep work. I worked as a server for years so I know the drill, and wasn't expecting five star service. What we got was less than mediocre. The waitress was nice I guess, but clearly had zero interest in doing anything more the minimum: no interaction, take order, bring check...just total "zombie waitress" mode. I asked for no tomatoes on my sandwich, which she of course forgot. Another strange thing was that we were seated in a back booth directly next to the booth where the staff was on break eating lunch, so we got to spend the whole meal hearing a hostess complain about not being allowed to order a special and hear them all argue about that. There were a dozen open booths so why they sat us right next to them is beyond me. I'd imagine it was uncomfortable for the staff too. After we asked for the check, our waitress came back with a meal for the hostess, and then went back for our check. Didn't care for that at all...take care of your customers first! Food was fine, but not worthy of being treated like an inconvenience. Probably won't be back as there's plenty of competition in the area.
(2)
Ana R.
Food was great. Prices reasonable. Bread was great. Drinks were great. Only trouble was our waiter SCREAMED THE SPECIALS AT US AND THEY WENT ON AND ON AND THIS IS HOW THE PANINI IS MADE AND WE HAVE A NEW TEST SALAD THAT EVERYONE WHO WORKS HERE HAS HAD AND THEY ALL LOVE IT AND EVERYONE WHO'S DINED HERE HAS HAD IT AND EVERYONE SAYS IT'S THE BEST SALAD WE'VE EVER HAD AND THEN WE HAVE A LOVELY CARROT CAKE FOR DESSERT. Other than that, it was great.
(3)
Alexandra D.
We ordered the sangria and it tasted like an overly-sweet cocktail. I got clam chowder which tasted like it was from a can. The only good thing was the spinach and artichoke dip. The waiter forgot to comp us the drinks or check on us or bring us the bill. We asked him for it and he still didn't bring it to us. We then asked the manager to bring us the bill who confronted us on not liking the sangria. He said "I heard the sangria was too sweet? It's usually very good. I wish you had told me I would have concocted you something else". Guess what, I couldn't tell him anything because he never even walked over to ask us how our meal was (even though it was dead in there). This place sucks I would never go back, crappy food and crappy service.
(1)
Trent S.
This past weekend we were looking for a place to grab brunch. I've eaten at Joe's a few times and the food was always good and I remembered seeing a brunch menu. We got there about 11am on Sunday just as they opened. The brunch menu has some great options but it is slightly confusing in terms of which meals come w/ what. There is a space in the middle that says all egg dishes come with home fries and fresh fruit; however, my girlfriend ordered one of the egg dishes and didn't get home fries, yet I ordered off the same section of the menu and mine did. I had the filet mignon benedict, it was awesome. The filet was really tender and cooked well, the eggs were perfect and the sauce was good, not overpowering. When you order brunch you get a free drink from a selection of alcoholic & non-alcoholic choices like mimosas, champagne, and OJ BUT they can't serve alcohol until 12 so our choice was orange or grapefruit juice. The juice is fresh squeezed which is nice, but it's a small glass and if you don't order brunch it's 3.99.... Really? To sum it up - my dish was great, hers was disappointing, the prices are 'eh', some seem fair others are kind of ridiculous. The waiter was great. Would I go back for brunch? Yeah, I think I would but my girlfriend might say differently.
(3)
Barbara A.
As far as "chains" go this place is pretty good. I have been to all of them in MA (my picky eater loves this place) but I like this location the best. First off, the bread is so good that we (usually a group of 5) have to ask for more because we are usually fighting over the last piece. The last time we came we had 2 people with us with allergies (one was gluten, the other nuts) and when we mentioned it to the waitress, the manager came over after and said they were on top of it (they even brought out the bbq sauce they use on the ribs, so we could look at the ingrediants). The kids meals are good and ample (the usual burger, pizza, fries fare). I think the adult meals are ok, but I think I like the steak meals the best. Although the chicken dinner with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn bread stuffing with gravy on the dinner menu is delicious. I think that I like brunch the best - the french toast, the filet, etc... and of course, the bellinis :)
(4)
Jacob Y.
I happened to be in the Wellesley, MA area for work this week, and after a long day of meetings for a project kickoff, I happened to run into Joe's, since I was in the shopping area getting some things for work. From the outside, the place looked very inviting, and considering there were lots of cars parked in the lot, I figured that this could be a decent place to have dinner....WRONG! When I entered, I opted to sit at the bar, since I was by myself, and wanted to have a couple of drinks as well. Once seated there, while everyone around was being served, I literally had to flag one of them down, even though they were right in front of me. Two words...LOUSY service. In fact, I felt like they were doing me a service to get a drink, let alone a menu. On top of that, the first bartender could not stop rolling her eyes as I spoke with her. If she did not want to be in the hospitality business...then get a new job! Why I stayed after that first drink from this bad service is beyond me! Now onto the food. Boston, as we all know is known for seafood. In fact...GREAT seafood. So I opted to order the salmon, despite the service, considering I was famished. The dish is supposed to come with rice, and freshly steamed veggies. When the dish arrived, I can honestly say it was the foulest and saddest piece of fish I'd encountered in a LONG time. It was definitely either frozen and more than likely farm raised. So much for the Atlantic Salmon! On top of all that, the rice was very unappetizing as far as looks and dry to the taste. And for fresh veggies...try mushy carrots...might as well serve me a jar of gerber. NOT A FAN...NOT GOING BACK...NO THANKS! When I had two bites of the fish, I just threw my napkin on top...at which time the bartender came and asked whether everything was ok. I updated him on the food at which time he mentioned it to the manager, who subsequently came to speak with me, and said that I could get another dish in lieu of the salmon. By that time, I just simply could not get the foul taste out of my mouth and opted to get the check. They did comp the meal, for which I tipped the bartender; however, I highly doubt I will make another trip to a Joe's American Bar & Grill...
(1)
Jane F.
Food was good, but the service was terrible. Maybe they just forgot to take care of us folks in the "PDR". But we sat there for a good 15 minutes before we asked the hostess to get us some water and a waiter.
(3)
Scott R.
HORRIBLE... as a recent parent of twins my wife and I do not get out to often. We had a day out and of course we had to got o Babys R Us next door to this crap hole... we ordered simple stuff a burger and salad... my burger was hard as leather, service was worse than horrible and there was no manager to be found to complain to... NEVER GOING BACK EVER!!!!!
(1)
Diana O.
If you are thinking of going to Joes, I would suggest going to joes in Boston. It's absolutely great! It is nothing compared to the one in Framingham. The atmosphere in "Joes" at boston is lively. I suggest sitting outside you get a different feel. As for the food, if you are looking for a casual lunch, it's a perfect place.
(4)
Laura S.
I'm giving this place a 2 becuase well the service is good. However the food is ugh disgusting.. There were 2 times that i can think of were the food was terrible... My mom and i came here for brunch and i got like scrambled eggs or something like that... They were gross... Such a weird ass taste... Again my mom and i came here for dinner last year and well... I got the roasted chicken dinner... The one thing that really got me and i mean really got me is the fact they used INSTANT MASHED POTATOES!!!!!!!! Ugh im sorry but i have no respect for places that uses this lazy way of making mashed potatoes. Why should i shell out 16 bucks for some chicken, stuffing and instant mashed potatoes. Come on seriously! That so gross.. haven't been back since... Dont recommend coming either!
(2)
Jeremy K.
3 mehish stars so sunday night rolls around, its 1,000 degrees, and we wanted to go out. for what its worth, there arent a lot of not corporate places in framingham, go figure, and he havent been to joes, so roll tape. walking in we were surprised to feel out of place, too fancy mer states, cant say i thought the same thing, but fancy white tablecloths will influence you i guess. this place actually looks like charleys, in fact, same company. that being said, it looks like any corporate eatery, still crap on the wall, but this place was tasteful crap. the menu was rather uninspired. beer selections offered the usual fare, however they did have sam summer, but no newcastle. i chose the french dip, mer got an unexpected Cesar salad, with a side of fries, which fyi is really 11 fries. i know, we counted. i guess maybe by weight its a side order, but come on 11? my dip was alright, i think it should have had swiss on it, its not on the menu as such, but if my 7th grade french class was right...ok, i failed 7th grade french. all in all i say meh, meh meh meh, but what can you do? go to big papis grill? we tried to hit that place, but we drove by to fast to catch up to it. (ha!)
(3)
Kristine M.
You know, I thought this place was pretty good. After car seat shopping at the Baby Depot at Burlington Coat Factory, we were hungry and wound up turning into Shopper's World to try to find a bite. I figured our options were fairly limited, especially in terms of non-chain restaurants. We settled on Joe's. I got the turkey dinner which was a ridiculous amount of food and it was all good. Corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and turkey. Not worth going out of your way for, but if you're famished and stuck in the abyss that is Route 9 Natick/Framingham, it's worth a shot!
(4)
Tina J.
Sit at the bar-avoid restaurant at all costs. nice prime rib-although its only served on weekends. Nice place for a cocktail late nite.
(3)
John C.
Excellent burgers, pleasant staff. Good drinks (they had one of my favorites, Dark and Stormy, and made it very well). Clean with roomy booths. Nice variety of meals to choose from. Looking forward to going back to try something else.
(4)
Brandon V.
Got there at the tail end of a brunch on a Sunday. The server was nice enough to let us order brunch just past 2pm. Surprisingly the bacon wasn't the stuff you normally get at the end of brunch service (they usually make it so much earlier that by that time of day it's dried out or burnt). Service was great. Food was good. They did a really good job and were very nice when someone in our party had to have eggs sent back (to be cooked a little more - but it was just their preference the eggs came out fine, not undercooked). A lot of times the places are rude after you send something back but these guys took it all in stride.
(3)
Bethany B.
You know what makes me happy? Brunch. Yesterday was my first time at Joe's & I was so happy that they offered brunch. It was one of those days where I just wasn't in the mood for lunch yet at Noon. The Prime Rib Hash, topped with 2 softly poached eggs & yummy tomato/chive hollandaise was perfect. It was also a bonus that an adult beverage is included in the price of your Brunch. Try the Spicy Bloody Mary -- it had some kick ( both spice & vodka)! Mr Bethany chose the cheeseburger for his entree. It's rare nowadays that a restaurant will actually cook a burger to your liking anymore -- so it was a nice surprise that Joe's is one of those places. The burger was huge & medium rare. The fries were on the cool side & he only got 10. Free up on the fries, Joe! Our waitress, Liz, was great. Never hovered but was around when we needed her. I can't believe I haven't been here before -- but I know that we will be back! I'm glad I didn't read the reviews before I went though...
(4)
Laura W.
It's easy to drive to route 9 from my house. It's also equidistant from many of my friends' houses. That's why I've been reviewing a lot of restaurants there.... seriously I'm not obsessed with Shopper's World. ^_^ So I went to Joe's American Bar & Grill tonight for the first time. The service was great, they open the door for you as you enter, they get you drinks right away, and they pass by often to make sure your food is alright. (I think it's funny another reviewer didn't want to check the done-ness of his burger... that's pretty standard now, isn't it?) Our waiter was very nice, although I felt bad that he had to wear the dorkiest American flag tie I've ever seen. My chicken club was quite good, but I really didn't like the fries. They were dark brown and tasteless. For me, that's reason enough to give only 3 stars. Fries are important!! However, they also tossed a couple onion rings onto the plates, which were deeelicious. If I happen to go there again, I will ask for only onion rings. I also wasn't thrilled with the bread, which is a big crusty loaf for the whole table, which you have to pull apart with your hands. Kind of unappetizing... just hope that your buddies all washed their hands after using the bathroom! Overall the food was decent and I wouldn't hate coming back, but I wouldn't go out of my way to chose this place, despite the good prices and service.
(3)
J T.
Not what it used to be, their standards have gone down hill since their new ownership. Had to excuse myself when walking in the front door since the manager and host were to busy talking to acknowledge a customer had walked in. Spinach dip used to be delicious there but it must be a new recipe now which was okay with the tortilla chips, however the pita chips were so disgustingly salty. Food is just ok at best.
(2)
Suzanne G.
For a chain, this place is not bad. IMO this area really has no other viable options other than legals, kens or bertuccis. The service has always been perfect! I get my water and bread basket within a couple of minutes of sitting down every time. I think that the bread is amazing here! It is always warm and delicious! The food isnt bad, you just have to know what to get. The salads, soups, burgers, sandwiches and desserts are pretty good. I would not suggest the turkey dinner. It tasted like my college cafeteria. The beer on tap and drink selection is slightly above average. The prices are about the same as your average TGI Fridays/Olive Garden and has much better quality food and decor.
(3)
P C.
If you've read my reviews before, you know I don't throw the compliments around easily. But I am rating this Joes american B&G, 4 stars, and heres why. The GF and I went last Saturday for an early dinner. We were greeted with as much welcome as any 5 star hotel, seriously. The wait staff was excellent. When my burger was delivered, the waiter said, please cut it open and make sure it is cooked properly". I did, and found it overcooked. He apologized, wisked it away, and returned within 5 minutes with another burger. Again, he says to cut it open and check. I did, and found it too rare..What are the odds? Anyway, after this second try, a manger came over, apologized, and took it off the bill. The third arrival of the burger was perfect. So why am I giving this place 4 stars?.......... Because, sh*t happens at restaurants, and I understand that. It's how they handle it that matters to me. Everthing else that night was just fine, not 5 stars, BUT very good. The chowder was good, my GF's turkey dinner was excellent. We walked out sort of stunned at how responsive they were. So, well done guys. It guarantees we'll go back again soon ,
(4)
D D.
Very meh. Im surprised with all the 2-3 star reviews here that they havent improved this restaurant. I've eaten here twice and got burgers both times. The burgers were ok,. not great, and their fries SUCK. Thick fries, not crispy, just potatoes on the plate. Meh, no reason to ever go back. Its too bad they seem happy with just mediocre food.
(2)
Lisa S.
As with most chain restaurants, the food was mediocre. Overall, mediocre. The hostess forgot us for 45 minutes, and when we reminded her she'd been looking at us for that long she didn't even apologize. The booth we were led to was visibly dirty; I had to ask the seater to clean the table and banquettes. The server didn't know what salad dressings they had. It took him 25 minutes to bring the bread to our table, and 45 minutes to bring the brown salad. Another server brought our steaks without steak knives, and it took us another 10 minutes to waive someone down to ask for steak knives. The food was mediocre, tasteless and dry. The vegetable sides were obviously frozen and watery. The bread was frozen. The dining room was dirty. The ladies room smelled like a port-a-potty. We won't be back. I grew up in NYC in a restaurant family. I have lived all over the country. I am amazed at how bad the food in New England restaurants are, and what people in this part of the country believe is good food. The food at this chain is typical of New England restaurants; not fresh, bland and overcooked. But hey, if all you eat at home is frozen pizza I guess anything else seems better.
(2)
Chris G.
Maybe 2.5 stars would be better, but not 3. The food was ok, the service was ok, the setting is ok.... it's all just ok. We got a bruschetta appetizer that was good, although a bit odd. It was one large chunk of bread buried in tomatoes and mozzarella. ? Huh. Maybe I'm just not as hip as I think I am. For dinner I got the crab cakes, which I wasn't sure if it was the daily special which they called "soft bellied hand formed crab meat with bread and seasoning" or the more plainly named "crab cakes" that was listed on the regular menu. My spouse got the cobb salad, which was presented in a shell that could have housed a football game. It was large, and on it's side, which made it function like a table partition. I didn't know if I should eat, or take a standardized test. I'm sure I'll end up back there some day. Not bad enough to keep me away, but not at the top of my list either.
(2)
Heather F.
You know that point where you're like, "Hey, I'm so ticked off, I'm finally going to join Yelp and write a review?" Tonight is that night. I don't know what happened tonight, but everything went wrong at Joe's. We waited 50 minutes for a table- with a three year old- after being told- "oh, it'll only be 20-25 minutes". Then, when we were finally seated, it took another 10 minutes for our waitress to come for drink orders. Then she would walk away from the table before we were done talking! The manager was busing tables, so I guess that's a clue as to how much of a pickle they were in tonight. I will say this... the food came out FAST, as in before we were even done with our salad/soup, so the wait wasn't the kitchen's fault. Not that the food was anything special- the kid's "sundae" was a scoop of chocolate ice cream with choco syrup on top- nothing else- and my husband didn't even finish his reuben. Needless to say, we will NOT be going back!
(1)
Suzanne H.
If you want a good adult brunch, go here! We have gone at least 5 times over the past 6-8 months and have never had a bad experience. Hint #1, walk past the hostess and go to the bar, not only will you get served right way, they hand you a complimentary mimosa or bloody mary with your brunch selection! Hint #2, don't bring your kids, enjoy a nice brunch sans children so your day starts off nicely! Their omelettes are delightful, their muffin & bread basket is perfect, the drinks are good and the waitstaff is friendly & quick. I wouldn't go anywhere else for brunch!!
(4)
Stephen D.
Last time I was here was YEARS ago and the food was wicked MEH. Tonight, when I landed in Boston for a family visit, and my mum asked where Id like to eat, I was fairly open. She rattled off a few places and nothing really struck me. Then she suggested Joe's and I though, oh dear god.. not that place. But being too tired to care, in we went. To start, they have TVs in every conceivable corner to watch the Red Sox game on. Major bonus points. Everyone we talked with was very nice, though our server was a little slow. I had a bacon cheeseburger and, hot damn, it's a chain (I think) but it was a tasty burger. The cocktails from the bar were about average for a restaurant like this, strong enough but nothing to write home about. Pricewise, $9 for my meal was a little more than I was expecting, but all in all, nothing that turned me off. Bravo Joe's, you won me back.
(4)
Mark D.
Joe's American Bar & Grill, not to be confused with "Not Your Average Joes" (which is another review). This place is very nice, looking, and the server was very polite, however she was training another servers so sometimes they are more curtous knowing the manager is going to get a full report. I order a steak, my date a chicken salad. I always order 'medium' when I first try out a new place, I hate hockey pucks and don't' want my food moving on me. I really like Medium-Rare, however if they under cook it, well I have to kill the beast with my fork on my plate. Also, which seems to be the custom now, when you order your meat the server will give a 'definition' as to what your ordering ie 'medium' hot pink in the middle. I understand this is to prevent confusion after the food is cooked because lets face it, 60% of the population doesn't really know what each grade of cooking. But when the waitress tells me the wrong description for 'medium' she says something like 'cooked through with minimum pink color.' I ask her, what's the next level up and she tells me medium well and describes well done, and I then ask whats the next level up, her shadow responses 'burnt' My date and I laugh because the 3 of us know the 'trainer' got it wrong. Steak comes out, and the server has you cut into your meat 'so that you're sure that it is what you like' now they do this for everyone as I saw, but that's just wrong on many levels. 1st, I like to eat my sides 1st and meat last, I can't do that once I cut in because all the juicy goodness starts leaking out. Also this puts the pressure on me that I have to decide right there if I like the steak. Also it's a weak way of saying, see we get it right you don't know what you like. I know what I like, a Medium Rare steak that 'rest' on my plate before serving it to myself, because I know it comes right off the grill, still cooking when they serve it to me, so I end up eating an over done hockey puck Add into the fact that whatever they put on my dates chicken salad gave her indigestion, just what a guy wants, spend $40 on dinner to bring a date home to give her a nice tall glass of .........Alka-selza, blah. Bottom line, your in Framingham, Natick area, competition's high around here, and they are much better places to get a nice piece of red meat, like John Harvard's Brew House, less than a tenth of a mile away.
(2)
Gina G.
We tend to look for dinner spots with something good on tap for my husband and chicken nuggets for my very picky daughter. A booth for her jumpiness does not hurt either. Joe's meets the kid requirements, but the adult experience is lacking. The beer- too cold, the mud pie- frozen, and both of our meals (swordfish special and lobster mac and cheese) were pretty bland. The waitress was lovely, but the food just doesn't merit a return trip.
(2)
Alpha M.
We called ahead and they were kind enough to put our name in since we were about 10 min away. We had to get a buzzer and was told to be back in 30 min. It only took 20 min and our seat was ready. DH and DS had the prime rib. They said it was great. DD had the grilled cheese and she liked it too. I had the crab and it was not good. Very dry. We had the calamari for appetizer and we liked those. We thought the price was reasonable. 24 oz prime rib for $30. You would get a 12 oz for the same price at other places.
(3)
Adam E.
For some reason, my gf, her mom and I ended up here a few times after shopping in Natick. The first time, I really didn't like it. I was hesitant to go back, and had a similar experience on subsequent visits, but whatever, mom paid.The waitstaff was congregated at the podium at the entrance, chatting about kegstands or whatever yeah-dudes talk about. They stared at us when we came in. I thought they were closed or something at first, what kind of restaurant greets customers with a mouth-breathing stare? Then a tanned girl who was probably 25 and sounded like she had been a pack a day smoker for at least 15 of those years seated us and took our orders. I ordered a ginger mojito, which sounded lovely but tasted like a plain, and not very good, mojito. I told the waitress I thought the bartender might have forgotten the ginger, which seemed to enrage the bartender. Sorry if you added some ginger-flavored liqueur, there wasn't enough or something. And I wasn't being rude or sending it back. Anyway, the food was ok, but overpriced. That drink was way overpriced too. Ten bucks for a mojito in Framingham? Please. Weird, somewhat rude waitstaff, too expensive and just ok food.
(2)
Derrick S.
Server was obviously new. Didn't know the menu. Dampened the experience tremendously. Can't completely fault the restaurant however. Newbie's gotta get their feet wet eventually. Food was decent. Atmosphere ok. I'll have to go back another night with a different waiter to get a real feel.
(2)
Lily D.
Suffice it to say, I won't be going back there again. It was just...weird. Here's why: I ordered my burger medium rare and when the server served it she said, "Would you please cut into it to make sure that it's cooked right?" Huh? I said, "No, I'm sure it's fine." Even though I could tell by looking at it that was very well done. Was she testing me to see if I knew the difference between medium rare and well done? I don't know - I just don't liked to be watched when I'm eating. I heard another server ask the same thing of the table behind me - apparently it's their schtick. If they're going to make a such a big thing of it, they should just cook them right. They get two stars because my diet coke was maybe the best I've ever had.
(2)
Holly S.
So, the boyfriend and I found ourselves in Natick/Framingham around 9:30 on a Friday night, hungry and overwhelmed by the palooza of chain restaurants this area has to offer. We settled on Joe's American Bar and Grill. Never again. For starters, the place was sad. Sad as in it was 9:30 on a Friday night--and hardly anybody was here. The bar was library quiet and the staff was already starting to clean up for the night--having conceded that nobody else would be coming in, even though they're open until midnight. Not a good sign. The hostess told us the name of our waiter who would be along shortly, and also told us the name of the manager. I thought this a bit odd. Like we were expected to have a problematic experience or something. Our service was fine. The waiter was ultra-stiff and trying to up-sell us left and right, but the dude's just doing his job, I suppose. The two star-rating is for the true mediocrity of the meal--and the overall experience. I know this is the suburbs--and a restaurant in a strip mall, but I felt like everybody who worked there knew their food sucked and everything just emitted an aura of suckitude. No thank you.
(2)
Ellen L.
Went here a couple weekends ago with one of my friends and the waiter didn't have a sense of humor at all. Rather stiff guy. Probably was new because he had that akwardness about him. I got a burger, which was rather tasty. Cooked medium, how i like it. I stayed away from the seafood because honestly, you can't expect seafood at a place like this to be good. Stay far far away from seafood, because it seems like all the other reviewers feel the same way.
(3)
Sharon A.
My family from Western Mass occasionally meets my husband and I here for dinner since we live on the North Shore and it is a convenient and tasty half-way restaurant. Tonight we entered Joe's fully expecting about an hour wait for our table of six people. However, when my mother attempted to put her name on a waiting list, the head hostess told her it would not be possible for us to dine there tonight because there were already too many parties of six or seven on the waiting list. Now, I've been turned down before from a fancy restaurant that took reservations only, but turned down from Joe's? A chain restaurant? At 6:00 pm? If the wait was over an hour, she could have at least told us the approximate wait time and left the choice of staying or going up to us. Not to mention that there were a handful of empty tables and not a soul in the waiting area. I suppose this is what you can expect from this particular Joe's considering its other poor reviews. The Joe's in Peabody provides a higher quality of service and we've never had a bad experience there.
(1)
Leann F.
Restaurants in strip-malls are not my typical taste, but I'm not accustomed to suburbia, so the first place that presented itself was Joe's... Though my review indicates that I wasn't impressed with the food (pan fried mozzarella appetizer and cheddar burger) the service was very good. Our waitress was attentive, informative, and very friendly. My boyfriend requested ranch dressing to dip hiss fries in, but the restaurant doesn't have ranch. She suggested a remoulade sauce that comes with the crab cakes to dip the fries and brought each of us a side of the sauce with our burgers. Though the burgers were too thick and tasteless, the fries (with remoulade sauce) were delicious and very fresh.
(2)
Steve R.
I really like this place. To me, it is very simple: Great food, great service. They keep it simple and have different specials each night.
(4)
John F.
I went here for a business lunch recently, and I was impressed! Based on the name I expected little better than a TGIFriday's or something, only to be pleasantly surprised. The interior is very clean. We ate in a room near the front of the restaurant, that had plenty of windows which were appreciated on the gorgeous day. The staff was very courteous and helpful, and the service was prompt. I had the bacon cheeseburger, and it was delicious; not over- or under-cooked as I tend to expect that bar & grills (well, more the TGI Friday's variety). I would definitely put lunch here in the suggestion box.
(4)
Keith L.
Keep on going. There are a million places to have dinner in this part of Framingham. My suggestion is to skip this place and go somehwere else. Service tonight was pretty bad. Empty glasses on the table were the norm. Note to manager: Filling glasses with alcohol=profits. Simple restaurant rule. But bad service can happen anytime, anywhere. But a bad menu is the same every night. This might be the worst menu i have seen in along time. 8 pathetic appetizer choices...are you kidding me? we had the chicken quesadilla. A half of a taco shell that was cool and soggy for $8.95. And unfortunately it gets worse. The dinner menu is only slightly larger than the appetizer menu. And all I can say about the choices are they were ordinary at best. When our meals came, more mediocrity. Chicken with no flavor, pasta sauce that was very canned like and two steaks that were dry and over-cooked....(can we leave now?) We only had a few beers each and we still dropped over $40 a person. Are you kidding me??? For $40, I can get some kick ass meals in this area. Just not at Joe's American Grill unfortunately...
(2)
Bella S.
Dined at Joe's American Bar and Grill over the past weekend. I have frequented this location often always with a group of friends. All of my past experiences have been great. Well, my visit this past weekend will stop me from ever dining here again. We called ahead and was seated promptly, however, all good ended there. Waited over ten minutes to be greeted with a hello and drink order, had to ask twice for the nightly specials, had to ask for the warm bread and asked three times for sweetner which took another 10 minutes. The food was so-so, but as you can gather the service was horribly slow. I normally like evenings that are slow paced so I do not feel rushed but this was beyond acceptable. Icing on the cake...the other three with me asked for refills of their water when dessert was ordered. Dessert was delivered and again asked for three glasses of water. Nothing. Waitress dropped off the bill, asked again for more water and by this point people were sucking on ice cubes. Asked another waiter to get our waitress - nothing. We gave up. Paid and left.
(2)
Robert D.
Great food! Had a great experience here :)! Enourmous Cobb salad! If you eat here you have to try the Charles River Pie (no they don't use water from the Charles River)
(4)
Reid F.
This is the best of the Shopper's World chain restaurants. The food is generally good, as is the service. Avoid the grilled pizzas, but try the crab cakes and the real French fries.
(3)
Michelle H.
Went here last night for a big family dinner to celebrate my uncle's birthday. Considering there was 18 of us, I thought service was pretty good. The spinach and artichoke dip was good. I wasn't too keen on the calamari. Winners again are the bread and onion rings. Most people enjoyed their prime rib dinners. The cod was bland. Cheeseburger was good. As for desserts, everyone seemed to enjoy theirs and had no complaints. We had the apple crisp, apple pie, boston cream cake, strawberry shortcake, and the chocolate cake. Considering I went to another Joe's the day before for lunch, I think dinner is better. This place was packed too. Great for groups.
(3)
Juggy W.
Went there for fathers day dinner and had the worst meal ever. The crab cake appetizer was TINY but still cost a fortune. I didnt remember ordering the onion soup "extra salty"... but it sure came with 10000% of daily sodium consumption. As for the entree... the steak tips were dry and tasteless, the mashed potato side was COLD, the gravy was TOO SALTY, and the onion rings were soggy and bland... I should have just gone to that mcdonalds down the street.
(1)
Fitch P.
I'm becoming a big fan of this place! The food is consistently delicious, and the salads are awesome (honey chicken and farmer cobb). Fresh bread on each table and very attentive service. I was in last month with a party of 6 plus a baby, and everything came out great, especially the friendly waitress. I was back last night for dinner and some beers - it's nice to see some actual craft beers (take note, Boston area: Sam Adams and Harpoon IPA are not "craft beers") on tap: Jack's Abby, Pretty Things, Left Hand, and Dogfish Head. Cool. I think everything is $1-2 more than it needs to be, but I'll take it for the quality and consistency. I'm sure I'll be back soon.
(4)
Francisca W.
came in for lunch on MLK Day, they were serving brunch which is a plus! got the brisket hash, sooooo good! was tempted on the drinks too but ended up not ordering one. seated in the sunny side of the house, much appreciated as the rest of the place seemed kinda old school and "gloomy". there were about 8-10 tables in this section and the two occupied (us including) both have kids...hmmm makes you think.... but probably just timing and logistics since we wanted a table vs booth, and it was a work day (for 50% of the country) lunch time. they offer gluten-free accommodations but our waiter didn't seem very well prepared with our questions on the menu - can use some training on that. otherwise, he was ok on his job, and friendly. i've been to Joe's at various locations over the years, service varies and food has been...average to pretty good (i e. this hash). not rushing to go back but not a bad choice if you wanna dine gluten free!
(3)
Len S.
We used to go here for a monthly group dinner (8-20, averaging ~12 people) during the week. Food was just OK and service was merely OK. One thing I insisted on was separate checks, mentioned up-front each time. Personally I found the menu boring and we all noticed that the prices kept increasing every so often. Last straw was a few months ago when waiter told me that they can no longer do separate checks and I asked him a question about their preferred guest program and his only answer was "I don't know". I went looking for a manager/hostess and only found their preferred guest program brochure that answered my question. They made it feel like we were an imposition on them for being there past 9PM (we arrived each month ~8PM and called ahead with a head-count). So we will no longer be an imposition and we've moved our group to John Harvard's across the parking lot - they want our business and read my review on that experience.
(2)
Katie C.
I agreed to meet one of my friends here while I was out in Natick. I agreed to meet her at the restaurant with two of her little ones, and although I knew it was in the Shopper's World shopping center, it was all the way in the back (from Rt. 9) and it definitely threw me for a loop while trying to find it! Regardless, there was plenty of parking and I quickly found my friend. Our waitress was really nice and with the two kiddos in tow, she was really good in getting the kids food out as fast as possible. However, like other Yelpers have said, there is just something missing about Joe's. The interior is really dark and it just looks dated. The menus were grimy, the booth seats were full of crumbs, and it gave a bad impression. The food is just okay. It's really nothing special. $16 for a grilled chicken caesar salad and yet the kids' chicken fingers and fries were more appealing and a better portion for the money spent. The food is just really plain and when you factor that in, it's not really worth the money. Overall, Joe's is consistent. The staff was nice and we were in and out of there in a reasonable amount of time. As compared to the Joe's at the South Shore Plaza, there's plenty of parking available.
(3)
Katy F.
They sat me in a booth that was not cleaned. It had mayo all over the seat. Ordered a cheddar cheese burger, medium with fries. I had about 8 french fries brought to me. The burger tasted rancid, like bad beef. Dry. Horrible, I could not finish. The bathrooms are disgusting. See my picture. Imagine what the kitchen looks like. I feel sick now.
(1)
Ann C.
I agree with the other reviewer. I should have checked Yelp before going here. My wife and I went on an early Saturday evening before a movie. We sat at the bar and was most impressed by the poor attitude by the bartender - some overweight balding guy. The woman bartender was making up for all his lack of caring. Now the food.....I wish I was bullemic. The chicken fingers were prepared a few days ago and were frozen. Horrible, And they gave up a whole lot of them Thanks ! Then there was the chicken and broccoli and ziti. Fair at best. Tavistock has really ruined some restaurants in this area. We will not be back to this restaurant ever....may go to the one in the North End. We'll see.....Good luck Joe's in Framingham. Oh here's tip.....read your reviews. Recent reviews all agree that you need to improve or close !
(1)
Caitlen G.
My boyfriend and I tried Joe's for the first time on a Friday night. The staff were nice and attentive, but the food is somewhat pretentious and rather pricey. My boyfriend thoroughly enjoyed his burger, but my medium rare steak was raw in the center. I hate to complain, so I made the best of it...but I've been sick for the last 24 hours. It was my mistake for not saying something, but hopefully if the management sees this review they will ask the cooks to be more mindful of temps.
(2)
Abhi R.
In-line with other reviews on Yelp I think the quality of food does not justify the Prices. Between a party of 4 we had - Meat Loaf: Best compared to what is about to follow - Tuna TarTare : Bland and devoid of seasoning. - Tuna Salad: The tuna (supposed to be grilled - was more like Sashimi) .. big letdown - Fish and Chips : Average. - Drinks: IPA's and Mojitos : Mojitos were disappointing and IPA's were on draft :) I don't think I am ever going back the next time I am in Boston.
(2)
Cliff S.
This Joe's gets 5 stars from me because of their quiet, private dining room. I called around to many places in the area but couldn't reserve a private dining room for a party under twenty people. And many places had expensive minimums. Joe's reserved the room for us, happily accommodated our requests, and let us all get together, without being in a loud, cramped, busy dining room. Joe's catering was good and the staff was friendly and professional. We had a good time together and appreciated the extra privacy and space to congregate.
(5)
John D.
I gave them 3 stars based on the fact that I've eaten dinner there over 10 times in the past few years. This most recent experience was only so, so. Our waitress was nice, but my wife and I assumed she had too many tables to cover as we ran out of drinks twice. The price was reasonable for what we ordered, but I definitely noticed a drop off in service the past year. I hope they can figure it out, as we loved to go here.
(3)
Krystal M.
I've been craving Joe's spinach and artichoke dip for days! They closed early on Sunday when I tried to go (lame for a bar) so finally one day I ordered it to go after work along with nachos for my boyfriend and myself. I get there and the hostess just told me to go to the left side of the bar to get it. The bar tender was not there when I first walked up and then when he came back he first helped another server with something before acknowledging me. When another couple asked him a question about a dessert he did not make it sound appealing at all. When he ran my card he told me that my food was on the counter behind me and everything was already in there. I grabbed my bag and it looked like it was there because I had two boxes of chips and some containers. I got home and my spinach dip was not in the bag! Neither were the jalapeños for my nachos... When I called the restaurant and told her the food was not in my bag she just said "okay.." There was no rush on it, it was still going to be 15 minutes before it was ready and I'm just appalled that this was such an inconvenience! I'm giving up on this Joe's American Bar and Grille.
(1)
ms w.
I should have checked the reviews on here before ever stepping foot in this place. We wanted to go to the Cheesecake Factory this past weekend, but it was packed so we went down the street to Joe's and there was hardly anyone there, and now I know why. The food was basically McDonald's quality at a ripoff price. My bf got the BBQ platter and it tasted so bad he barely ate it. He said even his soda was flat. Upon looking over at my cobb salad, he said he was jealous of my meal. Then I tried mine and it tasted like straight rubbish. Overall the experience was a total waste of $60+ for food we barely touched. Will never go back here.
(1)
Kay C.
You know, I thought this restaurant was fine. I tried the prime dip and it was decent - good portion, good au jus, etc. I wolfed it down, was starving. It's not gourmet by any means but the service was decent and the food wasn't bad. Nothing mind-blowing. My husband tried their lobster roll and it didn't look like very much lobster but it was also not as expensive as some other places.
(3)
Randy T.
Came here with a large group, it was not my choice. They knew we were coming, we had a limited menu, and yet they still messed up all the orders. It took us two hours to eat, which was insane. The salad's took 30 minutes... a house salad, 30 minute prep... every steak was cooked well-done, none were ordered that way. I asked about the salmon... I prefer freshwater salmon over ocean salmon (yes I can tall the difference), and the waitress said it was freshwater... it was definitely not!! Worst dinner in the area I've ever had!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Drive-Thru : No Caters : No
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Donna C.
It's not like it used to be when Back Bay Restaurant Group owned it. The host, nice but seemed like he wasn't sure if he should sit us. Just a very odd vibe. It took more than 5 minutes for our server to come over. We were there for lunch, arrived around 1:30 on a Monday. You could not tell if there was a manager in charge because one was never seen. Our server was very pleasant and nice. However. Her dessert offering was "no dessert today?" Not the best way to sell dessert. The burger we got was great but the roasted beet salad was an appetizer size. It was too expensive for what was given. They need to take lessons from the old owner.
(2)Mark M.
Great food and service! I come here all the time me am consistently wow-ed by the friendliness of the staff. We love the new menu as well, miss some of the old menu items but love the new choices. My favorite is the BBQ platter
(5)Kate L.
Another great meal at Joe's. It's easy, quick, and affordable. Bread just as good as always. Homemade chilli was TO DIE FOR. Fish taco was tasty and fresh. My hubby got the ribs which tasted like cleaning product to me but he loved them! Great cesar too. And excellent service.
(4)Joe S.
I thought I would give it a try because I heard they got a new menu and were a scratch kitchen now....well it sucked. That was the biggest rip off ever and I'm still hungry. Paid $12.00 for a crab cake appetizer that took 1 bite to eat. I got honey buffalo wings and they were just bbq wings, hideous tasted awful. 2 small apps a beer and a sangria was $45 plus tip I feel like I was robbed. New menu came with a jack up in price not worth it, go anywhere else, same money, eat better #wontlastlong
(1)Michelle G.
Not much on the menu to choose from since they redid their menu. Prices are high and food is just average. The bread that they give you, warm out of the oven, is the best part of the meal. Service was average. Our server was training another and never tried to upsell or offer apps, coffee, or desserts. Not a trainer I would want in my restaurant. Just not a place I would frequent anymore since they took some popular items off of the menu.
(3)Justin W.
Going to try to keep this brief. Joe's has gone down hill in the past 18-24 months. First they got rid of filet mignon. Sorry but I like my tender steak. Today, we were greeted by a friendly looking girl outside. Stepped inside and waited. And waited. And waited, until this "gentleman" approached us, stared at us, and finally asked, "How many?" His Afro was hypnotizing. Our server was very nice, but obviously new. I was a bit skeeved out by the very noticeably greasy grimy menus. My mother ordered a ribeye and coffee with the meal. The girl brought a prime rib and coffee with milk. I had a house salad and quesadillas, which came as ordered. Joe's makes a great cup of coffee and has good iced tea, but they're slipping. They've cut popular menu items and it seems like they're losing or have lost their best staff. The quality of food is still above average, but it seems dirtier and dirtier each time I come.
(3)Ellen M.
My family (my husband and 2 kids) came into the restaurant and sat down for lunch. It was approximately 1:10 PM and the restaurant was surprisingly not busy. Our server took our order at 1:20 PM. We ordered 2 salads, and pasta and grilled cheese from the kids menu. The food came out at 1:55 PM taking nearly 45 minutes for this simple meal. Meanwhile guests who arrived after us were served within 15 minutes. Not to mention, charging $15.90 for a simple grilled chicken salad. Really? They've unfortunately lost a long time customer of Joe's. Between the service and ridiculously overpriced menu items we'll take our business elsewhere.
(1)Cari R.
Bartender was super friendly and chatty and our orders came out quickly but the food was horribly overpriced ($11 for a wing appetizer) and nothing really special. Not a really big beer selection, though I was happy to see Shipyard on tap. Menu has a good mix and is definitely "American" but nothing jumps out as a signature dish. The name makes it sound like a sports bar, but the appearance and the atmosphere speaks otherwise. Sat at the bar with a friend to catch the Pats game but didn't feel like it was that kind of place, even though there were others there doing the same. Should have stuck with John Harvard's across the way.
(2)Jodi E.
My boyfriend and I stopped in here for a drink after shopping one night, and had such great service, we made a habit of stopping in. Our original bartender has left, but we are always happy to see Jay behind the bar when go. On my birthday we sat at a booth in the bar and he was super cool and chatty, but knew when to walk away. Other times we have sat in the bar we've had awesome service and I regret that I don't remember his name, but he's always working it seems, bald/shaved head ... super mellow, super efficient. Can't say much about the food, have only had a few things - Mac and Cheese, yum! and apps but mostly we come in for a few cocktails. No complaints on anything we have eaten though! If you're looking for a comfortable environment and servers that don't hang all over you, or on the converse, annoy you, the bar area at Joe's is great.
(3)Eka L.
This place is a gem! Buffalo waffles, cinnamon buns in a skillet....you won't regret it. The Newbury location is legit too
(5)Alan W.
Not that Joe's was ever anything special, but the food was always at least OK. Tonight's meal ,however, was the last that I will eat there. First the drinks. If the whiskey sour that I started with was any representation of the mixed drinks it is a good idea to stick with beer or wine. I traded it in for a Guinness. The fried calamari app was under cooked and did not include enough marinara, but it did have a lot of tentacles which are the best part IMHO. My dining companion ate one piece and quit. We both had salads for dinner. My companion enjoyed hers but it was nothing special. I had the crusted tuna salad and it was not edible. I took one bite and it was dry, I thought maybe it was I an end piece so I tried a different piece, horrible. A waste of fish. The server was OK. The beer,the bread, and the company were the best part of the experience.
(2)Michelle C.
Good brunch. Bloody Mary needed help, but the omelette's are Huge and fluffy and their potatoes are pretty tasty too. Skip their mac & cheese it is NOT good.
(3)Ethel M.
Never been wowed by the food but recently we ate in the bar and the servie was so slow and uncomfortable. The guy kept making inappropriate jokes and I felt bad for him because they should have given him some help covering the whole bar. But anyway I'm in no rush to get back there anytime soon.
(3)Amanda M.
A solid 3-star restaurant that gets an extra star for good, friendly service, gluten free options and the ability to easily split the bill without getting confused or messing it up. Gluten free people: All their pizzas and pasta dishes can be prepared gluten-free.
(4)Portia B.
If you are gluten free do not go here. They talk a good talk about how they will take care of you, how you are "in good hands" and verbally that may be true. However the food says otherwise, both in presentation of the gluten free fries, served iced cold, and the choice in gluten free products (really horrible) I ate the burger with a fork and knife.
(1)Michael R.
Let me start off, I hope I can finish this review before I have to hurry up back to the bathroom. Secondly, if I do I have run to the bathroom I can only hope my daughter is through with her bout of the runs. I am a 40 year old married father of four, ages 18 - 2.5. Today is my daughters 18th birthday and she really wanted to go to Joe's for her birthday dinner. I have been there before nad have generally enjoyed their bar area at night but a previous meal there left me concerned. However, it was my daughter's birthday and she got to pick. We were quickly seated, arrived at 5:00 pm and introduced to our waitress. I think she was kind of new so I'm going to cut her a lot of slack. She was good about getting the crayons for the kids and it seemed to be going well. I ordered the Fried Chicken Entree ($15.99), wife ordered the Steak Tips with a mushroom gravy ($17.99) and side salad for $2.99, my birthday daughter ordered the New York Strip Steak ($23.99) med well. My six year old son ordered the chicken finger kids meal, my five year old daughter ordered the grilled chees and my two year old son ha the cheese pizza. Kids meals were $6.50 and included drink and dessert, not a bad price however it was not the price listed on their online kids menu. The drinks and bread arrived shortly after we placed our order. I was a little surpirised that for six people all we were given was one portion of bread. My wife's salad came out next and was puny and bland, one tiny half tomato and two croutons. Then the food came out. The best deal in the restaurant is clearly the kids meals. My sons $6.50 meal that consisted of drink and desert was almost the same portion as my $15.99 meal. I did get three more chicken fingers than he did. I know, who goes to this restuarant to get chicken fingers and I got what I deserved. They were decent, but not much better frozen tyson chicken fingers I can get out of the freezer. The fries were extra salty and like limp noodles. My wife's steak tips were over cooked, fatty and bland. The mushroom gravy was not even brought out and my wife had to ask for it. We also had to ask the waitress to bring steak knives to our table. My wife ordered a baked potato with the meal which was full sized and uneventful, even with a healthy portion of sour cream. My daughter who was celebrating her birthday was presented with the wrong order. Somehow she ended up with the buttermilk sirloin steak. She had requesters hers to be cooked medium well. My daughter didn't want to cause a scene so she initially just accepted it. until she cut into it and it was raw. Of course it was charred on the outside. By the time the waitress had returned to ask us how it was, the rest of the family was half way done. the waitress took it back and corrected the order to what my daughter wanted. Unfortunately by the time it arrived back the rest of the family was done eating. Now my wife and I had to keep busy and entertained a 2, 5 and 6 year old. When it did arrive it still was a bit raw and tasted so-so. I didn't try any of my other daughters grilled cheese so i cna't really comment on that. My youngest son loves pizzaunfortunatley he had one bite of this pizza and no more. I tried the pizza nad was able to eat a slice but decided I would rather go to Stop and Shop and get a frozen $1.00 Celeste Pizza. I think they microwaved the pizza. The manager did come over and apologized for the wrong order but that was it. No effort was made to appease us. The total bill came to $98.39, and $120.00 with tip. I work hard for my money and felt like I wasted my money tonight at Joe's American Bar and Grill in Framingham. With all the good restauraunts in the area I would suggest taking your business somewhere else.
(1)Zack F.
Hate to have to leave this review, because this was a go-to place for me for at least 10 years. My family used to come here for one of the best burgers in the area, their roasted half chicken and my personal favorite, the chili. But it has been going downhill for years and it has finally hit rock bottom. My dad and I went for a quick dinner a couple of weeks ago and heard they finally added the chili back to the menu (yay!) Our waitress, Amanda, took our order, and the chili arrived soon after. The chili was clearly the same recipe, but had a weird, unfamiliar taste. We enjoyed the melted cheese on top, but not the chili. Our burgers arrived and each was significantly overcooked, so they were sent back after one bite. Amanda was very accommodating and had our next round out right away. The second round of burgers were cooked correctly, but a weird odor was coming off of them. After a couple of bites, we realized the meat was... past it's fresh date... which essentially ended the meal for us. Amanda told the manager (who we were told was a "temp manager") and our meal was comped. We were offered a replacement, but by that time, we had lost our appetite and had her take away the burgers. We were offered a free dessert, but when we asked for the chocolate cake, we were told that they were out of that, the pie and half of the remaining desserts on the menu. The whole time, the manager never came over and left the burden on Amanda, who was the only positive note to come out of our visit. It's unlikely we will ever go back with so many other options not too much further away. UPDATE: Went back for chili, my old favorite a month or so ago. It was one of the worst meals I've had in recent memory. The bread is unfortunately the only remaining plus to what used to be a great restaurant. Charlie's in Chestnut Hill and Newbury Street is closed, so it looks like the great Back Bay Restaurant Group is about done.
(1)John C.
I really did not enjoy my experience here several days ago. The food was ok, but the service and set up were not. The only seating option for our party of five was a semi- circular booth, a terrible option for two elderly members in our party. Our coats had to go on a coat rack on the other side of the restaurant. No knife or cutting board was brought to us with the loaf of round bread. The bread and salad plates were not cleared before the oversized entree plates arrived and dessert was served without utensils or extra plates until we asked for forks in addition to the spoons brought to us in our coffee mugs. There were just a lot of things that didn't make this meal enjoyable.
(2)Sarah C.
I really wanted to give this restaurant a 1 star but because I have been here for 2 holiday lunches the past 2 years in a row that were actually really good I stuck with the 2 stars. The first time I came here was with a large group and ordered a steak - it was very good. The second time I came here this past January I got the grilled buffalo chicken pizza. The pizza was really good and cooked just right. The bread they served on the side was awesome. I got takeout from here today because a friend from work was going on lunch. I got the lobster mac and cheese. You should NEVER offer lobster mac and cheese on your menu - an item that people have such high hopes for - unless you can master the dish! This was the worst mac and cheese I have ever had. It was gritty (yes the cheese was gritty like sand in your mouth - gag), greasy, gross and had no flavor to it at all! I picked all the lobster out, ate the bread and threw the rest away. What a waste of money as it was not that cheap...
(2)Henry N.
When I first walked in I was greeted by a tall gentleman named Henry, well if that doesn t beat all, thats my name, and escourted Bruce and I to the best seats at the bar, to watch the 2012 Summer Olympics. It was lunch time, and we were in the right place at the right time.. Fantastic place especially if you are a regular. If I lived near by I would be! The bartender I think his name is Pedro took our order instantly. Ordered up a Harpoon IPA on draught, my pref d brew, the best way available. Checked out the lunch menu, and it was loaded with all sorts of goodies, Calamari, Clam Chowdah, (Award Winning mind you) and then the magic words jumped out at me, Classic Rubin I think I fell in love......I ll have the Classic Rubin. Woule you like fries or onion rings with that? It was suppose to come with either fries or onion rings, and I asked can have a little of each? the waiter said, ABSOLUTELY!! Bruce and I sat and watched and chatted with Pedro, and Henry about all the great coverage of the olympics we were surrounded with. Our orders came up in short time together, and all I can say is WOW, perfect! Best Rubin with fires, and onion rings evah! Here at Joes, I have had to date the Best Rubin sandwich I have ever had. Perfectly toasted Marble Rye bread, Superb Swiss Cheese, Saurkraut, , Thousand Island dressing, all in a perfect sandwich. I will update with future tasty reviews. Henry
(5)Lisa C.
I had dinner here with a few friends. We were drinking martini's which were delicious. The bread was also very good and the waitress was generous with bringing over another loaf. I enjoyed my chicken picatta and it seems like all my friends enjoyed their meals too. The waitress was outstanding. The only reason I give this 4 stars is because one girl ordered chocolate cake and it was horrible and cost $8. We told the waiter who brought it over that it was awful but he didn't bother to remove it from the bill. I would say go for the drinks, bread and food, skip desert.
(4)Peter R.
Beer and a burger, not too busy today. Burger was cooked perfectly. Nothing really stood out but I'd return
(4)Catie C.
This joint is going downhill. The server was high on Redbull. I'll never have steak here again. My steak was in the process of getting spoiled. A fraction of it I can taste it turning sour; but me being me, I still ate it. Also, it wasn't cooked right. I asked for very rare; it came out medium. Yet, me being me, I still didn't return it cuz I don't want to wait another 10 min. My friend's steak was aweful too as he said. It wasn't juicy. While I was still there chatting up, I had an aweful stomach ache. It was more painful than PMS cramps! I had to excuse myself for a moment to the restroom. Even with such an episode, I didn't freak my date away!
(2)Nicole G.
This place had some of the best French Onion Soup I've had. Broth was awesome, perfect amount of cheese and bread. Awesome. That wasn't the highlight of the visit, though. I ordered filet mignon for my entree and asked for it medium-rare. My idea of what medium-rare is, though, is apparently colored by shitty restaurants, because I'm used to having to order medium-rare to get something most people consider medium. So I order it medium-rare and what comes out is, in my book, very rare. The waiter (whose name I forget, because I'm a jackass) brought it back three times before it was cooked enough for me and he was super patient and awesome and apologetic even though it was my stupid fault for not just ordering it medium in the first place. I think it was the manager who finally brought it out the last time and I noticed him and the kind of hovering around the dining room while we ate, presumably to make sure ai was enjoying it and seeing if he needed to intervene and stop an angry customer from going ballistic. I don't know if the management there reads this, but I was far from angry and more embarrassed at my own inability to order steak and the staff at this location handled it all perfectly. Thanks for being awesome. I'll be back soon for more of that onion soup.
(4)Linda b.
This restaurant must be a hit or miss and this time it was a miss. I asked for my hamburger med/ rare with blue cheese and the same for my guess. I got mine well cook with no blue cheese and my guess got his medium and no blue cheese. This was the first time that I have been disappointed with my food at this clean place. Something was really wrong that day. My server was great as I had him before and he is wonderful. I don't understand when the restaurant is almost empty during a slow lunch time and the hostess sit an other guess at the table just next to you. This is the third time this happen to me. They don't understand that people like to have privacy.
(2)Romelle B.
The food was amazing, especially the tuna tartare. The ambiance was inviting and friendly. I loved the fresh, warm bread served with whipped butter! This is my third visit to Joe's. My server, Laura, was knowledgeable, helpful and corgial. She really took an interest in our party and by the time the dinner ended, I felt I had made a new friend. On a previous visit, Anna, our server, was equally as efficient and friendly. Joe's is a wonderful restaurant offering excellent American high end pub style cuisine. Visit often!
(5)Ima A.
Joe's has gone downhill since take over by Tavistock. Portions are smaller, prices higher. The calamari was almost half the size of a year ago with the cook putting almost no peperoni in. We used to get a full loaf of bread, cutting board and knife. Now.....a third of loaf.... The classic delicious chowder was served cold. I mean below lukewarm. We instructed the server to heat it up in the microwave and not serve us a new bowl. She neglected to tell us that there are no microwave ovens allowed at Joes and instead of heating it a pot.... they served us two new bowls of soup from a burned batch. Yikes...she agreed after smelling it....burned. the Caesar salad with salmon was served with a piece of salmon so small I had to take a picture of it. The manager claimed it was half the size of the dinner portion, 4 oz. But upon tasting, overcooked...hence lower moisture and fat and smaller and covered with a blackened glaze of salt I did not ask for.....the second piece of salmon was still four ounces but not over cooked or over salted but slightly fishy...ie not fresh. The greeter seated up in the empty restaurant next to a party of twelve, just across from the center of the table. We asked for new table and he seemed a little miffed or confused as to why. Attitude careless....age...young ...a boy. WTF
(1)Eric H.
Food was alright, nothing special. I probably could have made something myself that was just as good. We got sat right away, and for some reason we had two waitresses who never seemed to communicate with each other. They took our drink orders and when one of them came back they asked if we were ready to order, we said we needed a few more minutes, and within 30 seconds the other waitress came over and asked us again. We again said no. And when we were ready to order, they took about another 10 minutes to come over. The food took relatively long considering we only ordered two pasta dishes. And the waitresses never came back to check in on us. When we went to pay, we saw the waitress take the credit card and put it over by the register and walk away. I understand you have other obligations, but it was a very slow night and it shouldn't take long to swipe a credit card. Overall, it was a pretty poor experience and I would never go back here.
(1)Jason A.
Manager has attempted to make things right by inviting us back with a gift, which was received... thank you. We will update our review once we return. *Update 02/22/14: Went to Joe's at Shopper's World in Framingham before a movie on 02/21/14. Our waiterss, Inna, wrote down our customized order (without us even asking). Our dinner was just as we ordered, and very good! Inna was super nice, asked us if everything was ok a few times, and the new manager Bobbi was everything a good manager should be. Things have changed there... for the better! Thanks also to Sergio, the old manager, for inviting us back... After last night's meal at Joe's, we'll return soon!
(5)Dorit M.
Went there for my friends birthday dinner. The food was fair. Ordered a bud light bottle which was warm. I asked for a new one, which was also warm. So much for rotating. My other friend ordered a hamburger ( medium ), which showed up so well done, it was a hockey puck. French fries are not good either. While I was eating my food, the waiter asked, if I was done or still working on it. I mean, come on !! I am chewing my food , what does it look like !! The bread was not baked through all the way, it was pretty raw inside. I felt bad, because it was my friends birthday.
(2)Christa B.
Went to Joes in Framingham today. Our waitress was initially attentive but apparently lost interest as our lunch progressed. 2 out of 4 orders were wrong, our dirty dishes languished on the table for over 20(!) minutes and I had to of find a server to ask for them to be removed, we were never asked about dessert, we were never presented with our check (again, I had to get up and find my waitress for the check), we were never offered refills on our drinks. It was really unacceptable and disappointing. It doesn't matter if the food is good if the service is horrible.
(1)Tom D.
A review of another restaurant I just wrote made me reflect on a visit to this Joe's location not too long ago and how they handled customer dissatisfaction very nicely. Basically, we fell victim to the "I didn't know this was my table" confusion, and so ended up waiting more than 10 minutes seated at our table without our presence being acknowledged. However, once the lack of service was brought the manager's attention she came over immediately, apologies were made, our server was notified of her oversight, and guest recovery nachos were offered. I wish the doctor's office or RMV made concessions like this when customers are kept waiting! Now for some general comments on Joe's that I believe apply to all locations. As of this writing, of all the more upscale chains I find myself at, Joe's tops my list. Always a solid meal with friendly and quick service. Burgers are phenomenal, even the turkey burger, though my favorite is the black and bleu. The buffalo tenders appetizer has an incredible heat to it unmatched by any other I've had, and my most recent discovery, the ribs are quite a treat. There are some good cocktails on the menu, though they've removed my old favorite, the Metropolitan, that used to be on there. Tip: If you're looking for the most buzz for your buck, get the sangria. Martinis are also generously sized. Two minor critiques about Joe's. First, I always have a mild sticker shock when I eat here, and for whatever reason, despite repeated visits, I always forget the price point is definitely above Applebee's, but so is the quality (in fact, the quality is waaaaaaaay above Applebee's), so I never feel gypped. Second, if you're watching your diet, there's aren't many menu choices available without making a list of special requests to go along with it.
(4)Mike C.
Decent enough food, bare minimum service, unprofessional staff. Admittedly, we came in around 3pm on a Saturday, which is basically the "dead zone" for restaurants...lunch shift is waiting to leave, dinner shift is just showing up or doing prep work. I worked as a server for years so I know the drill, and wasn't expecting five star service. What we got was less than mediocre. The waitress was nice I guess, but clearly had zero interest in doing anything more the minimum: no interaction, take order, bring check...just total "zombie waitress" mode. I asked for no tomatoes on my sandwich, which she of course forgot. Another strange thing was that we were seated in a back booth directly next to the booth where the staff was on break eating lunch, so we got to spend the whole meal hearing a hostess complain about not being allowed to order a special and hear them all argue about that. There were a dozen open booths so why they sat us right next to them is beyond me. I'd imagine it was uncomfortable for the staff too. After we asked for the check, our waitress came back with a meal for the hostess, and then went back for our check. Didn't care for that at all...take care of your customers first! Food was fine, but not worthy of being treated like an inconvenience. Probably won't be back as there's plenty of competition in the area.
(2)Ana R.
Food was great. Prices reasonable. Bread was great. Drinks were great. Only trouble was our waiter SCREAMED THE SPECIALS AT US AND THEY WENT ON AND ON AND THIS IS HOW THE PANINI IS MADE AND WE HAVE A NEW TEST SALAD THAT EVERYONE WHO WORKS HERE HAS HAD AND THEY ALL LOVE IT AND EVERYONE WHO'S DINED HERE HAS HAD IT AND EVERYONE SAYS IT'S THE BEST SALAD WE'VE EVER HAD AND THEN WE HAVE A LOVELY CARROT CAKE FOR DESSERT. Other than that, it was great.
(3)Alexandra D.
We ordered the sangria and it tasted like an overly-sweet cocktail. I got clam chowder which tasted like it was from a can. The only good thing was the spinach and artichoke dip. The waiter forgot to comp us the drinks or check on us or bring us the bill. We asked him for it and he still didn't bring it to us. We then asked the manager to bring us the bill who confronted us on not liking the sangria. He said "I heard the sangria was too sweet? It's usually very good. I wish you had told me I would have concocted you something else". Guess what, I couldn't tell him anything because he never even walked over to ask us how our meal was (even though it was dead in there). This place sucks I would never go back, crappy food and crappy service.
(1)Trent S.
This past weekend we were looking for a place to grab brunch. I've eaten at Joe's a few times and the food was always good and I remembered seeing a brunch menu. We got there about 11am on Sunday just as they opened. The brunch menu has some great options but it is slightly confusing in terms of which meals come w/ what. There is a space in the middle that says all egg dishes come with home fries and fresh fruit; however, my girlfriend ordered one of the egg dishes and didn't get home fries, yet I ordered off the same section of the menu and mine did. I had the filet mignon benedict, it was awesome. The filet was really tender and cooked well, the eggs were perfect and the sauce was good, not overpowering. When you order brunch you get a free drink from a selection of alcoholic & non-alcoholic choices like mimosas, champagne, and OJ BUT they can't serve alcohol until 12 so our choice was orange or grapefruit juice. The juice is fresh squeezed which is nice, but it's a small glass and if you don't order brunch it's 3.99.... Really? To sum it up - my dish was great, hers was disappointing, the prices are 'eh', some seem fair others are kind of ridiculous. The waiter was great. Would I go back for brunch? Yeah, I think I would but my girlfriend might say differently.
(3)Barbara A.
As far as "chains" go this place is pretty good. I have been to all of them in MA (my picky eater loves this place) but I like this location the best. First off, the bread is so good that we (usually a group of 5) have to ask for more because we are usually fighting over the last piece. The last time we came we had 2 people with us with allergies (one was gluten, the other nuts) and when we mentioned it to the waitress, the manager came over after and said they were on top of it (they even brought out the bbq sauce they use on the ribs, so we could look at the ingrediants). The kids meals are good and ample (the usual burger, pizza, fries fare). I think the adult meals are ok, but I think I like the steak meals the best. Although the chicken dinner with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn bread stuffing with gravy on the dinner menu is delicious. I think that I like brunch the best - the french toast, the filet, etc... and of course, the bellinis :)
(4)Jacob Y.
I happened to be in the Wellesley, MA area for work this week, and after a long day of meetings for a project kickoff, I happened to run into Joe's, since I was in the shopping area getting some things for work. From the outside, the place looked very inviting, and considering there were lots of cars parked in the lot, I figured that this could be a decent place to have dinner....WRONG! When I entered, I opted to sit at the bar, since I was by myself, and wanted to have a couple of drinks as well. Once seated there, while everyone around was being served, I literally had to flag one of them down, even though they were right in front of me. Two words...LOUSY service. In fact, I felt like they were doing me a service to get a drink, let alone a menu. On top of that, the first bartender could not stop rolling her eyes as I spoke with her. If she did not want to be in the hospitality business...then get a new job! Why I stayed after that first drink from this bad service is beyond me! Now onto the food. Boston, as we all know is known for seafood. In fact...GREAT seafood. So I opted to order the salmon, despite the service, considering I was famished. The dish is supposed to come with rice, and freshly steamed veggies. When the dish arrived, I can honestly say it was the foulest and saddest piece of fish I'd encountered in a LONG time. It was definitely either frozen and more than likely farm raised. So much for the Atlantic Salmon! On top of all that, the rice was very unappetizing as far as looks and dry to the taste. And for fresh veggies...try mushy carrots...might as well serve me a jar of gerber. NOT A FAN...NOT GOING BACK...NO THANKS! When I had two bites of the fish, I just threw my napkin on top...at which time the bartender came and asked whether everything was ok. I updated him on the food at which time he mentioned it to the manager, who subsequently came to speak with me, and said that I could get another dish in lieu of the salmon. By that time, I just simply could not get the foul taste out of my mouth and opted to get the check. They did comp the meal, for which I tipped the bartender; however, I highly doubt I will make another trip to a Joe's American Bar & Grill...
(1)Jane F.
Food was good, but the service was terrible. Maybe they just forgot to take care of us folks in the "PDR". But we sat there for a good 15 minutes before we asked the hostess to get us some water and a waiter.
(3)Scott R.
HORRIBLE... as a recent parent of twins my wife and I do not get out to often. We had a day out and of course we had to got o Babys R Us next door to this crap hole... we ordered simple stuff a burger and salad... my burger was hard as leather, service was worse than horrible and there was no manager to be found to complain to... NEVER GOING BACK EVER!!!!!
(1)Diana O.
If you are thinking of going to Joes, I would suggest going to joes in Boston. It's absolutely great! It is nothing compared to the one in Framingham. The atmosphere in "Joes" at boston is lively. I suggest sitting outside you get a different feel. As for the food, if you are looking for a casual lunch, it's a perfect place.
(4)Laura S.
I'm giving this place a 2 becuase well the service is good. However the food is ugh disgusting.. There were 2 times that i can think of were the food was terrible... My mom and i came here for brunch and i got like scrambled eggs or something like that... They were gross... Such a weird ass taste... Again my mom and i came here for dinner last year and well... I got the roasted chicken dinner... The one thing that really got me and i mean really got me is the fact they used INSTANT MASHED POTATOES!!!!!!!! Ugh im sorry but i have no respect for places that uses this lazy way of making mashed potatoes. Why should i shell out 16 bucks for some chicken, stuffing and instant mashed potatoes. Come on seriously! That so gross.. haven't been back since... Dont recommend coming either!
(2)Jeremy K.
3 mehish stars so sunday night rolls around, its 1,000 degrees, and we wanted to go out. for what its worth, there arent a lot of not corporate places in framingham, go figure, and he havent been to joes, so roll tape. walking in we were surprised to feel out of place, too fancy mer states, cant say i thought the same thing, but fancy white tablecloths will influence you i guess. this place actually looks like charleys, in fact, same company. that being said, it looks like any corporate eatery, still crap on the wall, but this place was tasteful crap. the menu was rather uninspired. beer selections offered the usual fare, however they did have sam summer, but no newcastle. i chose the french dip, mer got an unexpected Cesar salad, with a side of fries, which fyi is really 11 fries. i know, we counted. i guess maybe by weight its a side order, but come on 11? my dip was alright, i think it should have had swiss on it, its not on the menu as such, but if my 7th grade french class was right...ok, i failed 7th grade french. all in all i say meh, meh meh meh, but what can you do? go to big papis grill? we tried to hit that place, but we drove by to fast to catch up to it. (ha!)
(3)Kristine M.
You know, I thought this place was pretty good. After car seat shopping at the Baby Depot at Burlington Coat Factory, we were hungry and wound up turning into Shopper's World to try to find a bite. I figured our options were fairly limited, especially in terms of non-chain restaurants. We settled on Joe's. I got the turkey dinner which was a ridiculous amount of food and it was all good. Corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and turkey. Not worth going out of your way for, but if you're famished and stuck in the abyss that is Route 9 Natick/Framingham, it's worth a shot!
(4)Tina J.
Sit at the bar-avoid restaurant at all costs. nice prime rib-although its only served on weekends. Nice place for a cocktail late nite.
(3)John C.
Excellent burgers, pleasant staff. Good drinks (they had one of my favorites, Dark and Stormy, and made it very well). Clean with roomy booths. Nice variety of meals to choose from. Looking forward to going back to try something else.
(4)Brandon V.
Got there at the tail end of a brunch on a Sunday. The server was nice enough to let us order brunch just past 2pm. Surprisingly the bacon wasn't the stuff you normally get at the end of brunch service (they usually make it so much earlier that by that time of day it's dried out or burnt). Service was great. Food was good. They did a really good job and were very nice when someone in our party had to have eggs sent back (to be cooked a little more - but it was just their preference the eggs came out fine, not undercooked). A lot of times the places are rude after you send something back but these guys took it all in stride.
(3)Bethany B.
You know what makes me happy? Brunch. Yesterday was my first time at Joe's & I was so happy that they offered brunch. It was one of those days where I just wasn't in the mood for lunch yet at Noon. The Prime Rib Hash, topped with 2 softly poached eggs & yummy tomato/chive hollandaise was perfect. It was also a bonus that an adult beverage is included in the price of your Brunch. Try the Spicy Bloody Mary -- it had some kick ( both spice & vodka)! Mr Bethany chose the cheeseburger for his entree. It's rare nowadays that a restaurant will actually cook a burger to your liking anymore -- so it was a nice surprise that Joe's is one of those places. The burger was huge & medium rare. The fries were on the cool side & he only got 10. Free up on the fries, Joe! Our waitress, Liz, was great. Never hovered but was around when we needed her. I can't believe I haven't been here before -- but I know that we will be back! I'm glad I didn't read the reviews before I went though...
(4)Laura W.
It's easy to drive to route 9 from my house. It's also equidistant from many of my friends' houses. That's why I've been reviewing a lot of restaurants there.... seriously I'm not obsessed with Shopper's World. ^_^ So I went to Joe's American Bar & Grill tonight for the first time. The service was great, they open the door for you as you enter, they get you drinks right away, and they pass by often to make sure your food is alright. (I think it's funny another reviewer didn't want to check the done-ness of his burger... that's pretty standard now, isn't it?) Our waiter was very nice, although I felt bad that he had to wear the dorkiest American flag tie I've ever seen. My chicken club was quite good, but I really didn't like the fries. They were dark brown and tasteless. For me, that's reason enough to give only 3 stars. Fries are important!! However, they also tossed a couple onion rings onto the plates, which were deeelicious. If I happen to go there again, I will ask for only onion rings. I also wasn't thrilled with the bread, which is a big crusty loaf for the whole table, which you have to pull apart with your hands. Kind of unappetizing... just hope that your buddies all washed their hands after using the bathroom! Overall the food was decent and I wouldn't hate coming back, but I wouldn't go out of my way to chose this place, despite the good prices and service.
(3)J T.
Not what it used to be, their standards have gone down hill since their new ownership. Had to excuse myself when walking in the front door since the manager and host were to busy talking to acknowledge a customer had walked in. Spinach dip used to be delicious there but it must be a new recipe now which was okay with the tortilla chips, however the pita chips were so disgustingly salty. Food is just ok at best.
(2)Suzanne G.
For a chain, this place is not bad. IMO this area really has no other viable options other than legals, kens or bertuccis. The service has always been perfect! I get my water and bread basket within a couple of minutes of sitting down every time. I think that the bread is amazing here! It is always warm and delicious! The food isnt bad, you just have to know what to get. The salads, soups, burgers, sandwiches and desserts are pretty good. I would not suggest the turkey dinner. It tasted like my college cafeteria. The beer on tap and drink selection is slightly above average. The prices are about the same as your average TGI Fridays/Olive Garden and has much better quality food and decor.
(3)P C.
If you've read my reviews before, you know I don't throw the compliments around easily. But I am rating this Joes american B&G, 4 stars, and heres why. The GF and I went last Saturday for an early dinner. We were greeted with as much welcome as any 5 star hotel, seriously. The wait staff was excellent. When my burger was delivered, the waiter said, please cut it open and make sure it is cooked properly". I did, and found it overcooked. He apologized, wisked it away, and returned within 5 minutes with another burger. Again, he says to cut it open and check. I did, and found it too rare..What are the odds? Anyway, after this second try, a manger came over, apologized, and took it off the bill. The third arrival of the burger was perfect. So why am I giving this place 4 stars?.......... Because, sh*t happens at restaurants, and I understand that. It's how they handle it that matters to me. Everthing else that night was just fine, not 5 stars, BUT very good. The chowder was good, my GF's turkey dinner was excellent. We walked out sort of stunned at how responsive they were. So, well done guys. It guarantees we'll go back again soon ,
(4)D D.
Very meh. Im surprised with all the 2-3 star reviews here that they havent improved this restaurant. I've eaten here twice and got burgers both times. The burgers were ok,. not great, and their fries SUCK. Thick fries, not crispy, just potatoes on the plate. Meh, no reason to ever go back. Its too bad they seem happy with just mediocre food.
(2)Lisa S.
As with most chain restaurants, the food was mediocre. Overall, mediocre. The hostess forgot us for 45 minutes, and when we reminded her she'd been looking at us for that long she didn't even apologize. The booth we were led to was visibly dirty; I had to ask the seater to clean the table and banquettes. The server didn't know what salad dressings they had. It took him 25 minutes to bring the bread to our table, and 45 minutes to bring the brown salad. Another server brought our steaks without steak knives, and it took us another 10 minutes to waive someone down to ask for steak knives. The food was mediocre, tasteless and dry. The vegetable sides were obviously frozen and watery. The bread was frozen. The dining room was dirty. The ladies room smelled like a port-a-potty. We won't be back. I grew up in NYC in a restaurant family. I have lived all over the country. I am amazed at how bad the food in New England restaurants are, and what people in this part of the country believe is good food. The food at this chain is typical of New England restaurants; not fresh, bland and overcooked. But hey, if all you eat at home is frozen pizza I guess anything else seems better.
(2)Chris G.
Maybe 2.5 stars would be better, but not 3. The food was ok, the service was ok, the setting is ok.... it's all just ok. We got a bruschetta appetizer that was good, although a bit odd. It was one large chunk of bread buried in tomatoes and mozzarella. ? Huh. Maybe I'm just not as hip as I think I am. For dinner I got the crab cakes, which I wasn't sure if it was the daily special which they called "soft bellied hand formed crab meat with bread and seasoning" or the more plainly named "crab cakes" that was listed on the regular menu. My spouse got the cobb salad, which was presented in a shell that could have housed a football game. It was large, and on it's side, which made it function like a table partition. I didn't know if I should eat, or take a standardized test. I'm sure I'll end up back there some day. Not bad enough to keep me away, but not at the top of my list either.
(2)Heather F.
You know that point where you're like, "Hey, I'm so ticked off, I'm finally going to join Yelp and write a review?" Tonight is that night. I don't know what happened tonight, but everything went wrong at Joe's. We waited 50 minutes for a table- with a three year old- after being told- "oh, it'll only be 20-25 minutes". Then, when we were finally seated, it took another 10 minutes for our waitress to come for drink orders. Then she would walk away from the table before we were done talking! The manager was busing tables, so I guess that's a clue as to how much of a pickle they were in tonight. I will say this... the food came out FAST, as in before we were even done with our salad/soup, so the wait wasn't the kitchen's fault. Not that the food was anything special- the kid's "sundae" was a scoop of chocolate ice cream with choco syrup on top- nothing else- and my husband didn't even finish his reuben. Needless to say, we will NOT be going back!
(1)Suzanne H.
If you want a good adult brunch, go here! We have gone at least 5 times over the past 6-8 months and have never had a bad experience. Hint #1, walk past the hostess and go to the bar, not only will you get served right way, they hand you a complimentary mimosa or bloody mary with your brunch selection! Hint #2, don't bring your kids, enjoy a nice brunch sans children so your day starts off nicely! Their omelettes are delightful, their muffin & bread basket is perfect, the drinks are good and the waitstaff is friendly & quick. I wouldn't go anywhere else for brunch!!
(4)Stephen D.
Last time I was here was YEARS ago and the food was wicked MEH. Tonight, when I landed in Boston for a family visit, and my mum asked where Id like to eat, I was fairly open. She rattled off a few places and nothing really struck me. Then she suggested Joe's and I though, oh dear god.. not that place. But being too tired to care, in we went. To start, they have TVs in every conceivable corner to watch the Red Sox game on. Major bonus points. Everyone we talked with was very nice, though our server was a little slow. I had a bacon cheeseburger and, hot damn, it's a chain (I think) but it was a tasty burger. The cocktails from the bar were about average for a restaurant like this, strong enough but nothing to write home about. Pricewise, $9 for my meal was a little more than I was expecting, but all in all, nothing that turned me off. Bravo Joe's, you won me back.
(4)Mark D.
Joe's American Bar & Grill, not to be confused with "Not Your Average Joes" (which is another review). This place is very nice, looking, and the server was very polite, however she was training another servers so sometimes they are more curtous knowing the manager is going to get a full report. I order a steak, my date a chicken salad. I always order 'medium' when I first try out a new place, I hate hockey pucks and don't' want my food moving on me. I really like Medium-Rare, however if they under cook it, well I have to kill the beast with my fork on my plate. Also, which seems to be the custom now, when you order your meat the server will give a 'definition' as to what your ordering ie 'medium' hot pink in the middle. I understand this is to prevent confusion after the food is cooked because lets face it, 60% of the population doesn't really know what each grade of cooking. But when the waitress tells me the wrong description for 'medium' she says something like 'cooked through with minimum pink color.' I ask her, what's the next level up and she tells me medium well and describes well done, and I then ask whats the next level up, her shadow responses 'burnt' My date and I laugh because the 3 of us know the 'trainer' got it wrong. Steak comes out, and the server has you cut into your meat 'so that you're sure that it is what you like' now they do this for everyone as I saw, but that's just wrong on many levels. 1st, I like to eat my sides 1st and meat last, I can't do that once I cut in because all the juicy goodness starts leaking out. Also this puts the pressure on me that I have to decide right there if I like the steak. Also it's a weak way of saying, see we get it right you don't know what you like. I know what I like, a Medium Rare steak that 'rest' on my plate before serving it to myself, because I know it comes right off the grill, still cooking when they serve it to me, so I end up eating an over done hockey puck Add into the fact that whatever they put on my dates chicken salad gave her indigestion, just what a guy wants, spend $40 on dinner to bring a date home to give her a nice tall glass of .........Alka-selza, blah. Bottom line, your in Framingham, Natick area, competition's high around here, and they are much better places to get a nice piece of red meat, like John Harvard's Brew House, less than a tenth of a mile away.
(2)Gina G.
We tend to look for dinner spots with something good on tap for my husband and chicken nuggets for my very picky daughter. A booth for her jumpiness does not hurt either. Joe's meets the kid requirements, but the adult experience is lacking. The beer- too cold, the mud pie- frozen, and both of our meals (swordfish special and lobster mac and cheese) were pretty bland. The waitress was lovely, but the food just doesn't merit a return trip.
(2)Alpha M.
We called ahead and they were kind enough to put our name in since we were about 10 min away. We had to get a buzzer and was told to be back in 30 min. It only took 20 min and our seat was ready. DH and DS had the prime rib. They said it was great. DD had the grilled cheese and she liked it too. I had the crab and it was not good. Very dry. We had the calamari for appetizer and we liked those. We thought the price was reasonable. 24 oz prime rib for $30. You would get a 12 oz for the same price at other places.
(3)Adam E.
For some reason, my gf, her mom and I ended up here a few times after shopping in Natick. The first time, I really didn't like it. I was hesitant to go back, and had a similar experience on subsequent visits, but whatever, mom paid.The waitstaff was congregated at the podium at the entrance, chatting about kegstands or whatever yeah-dudes talk about. They stared at us when we came in. I thought they were closed or something at first, what kind of restaurant greets customers with a mouth-breathing stare? Then a tanned girl who was probably 25 and sounded like she had been a pack a day smoker for at least 15 of those years seated us and took our orders. I ordered a ginger mojito, which sounded lovely but tasted like a plain, and not very good, mojito. I told the waitress I thought the bartender might have forgotten the ginger, which seemed to enrage the bartender. Sorry if you added some ginger-flavored liqueur, there wasn't enough or something. And I wasn't being rude or sending it back. Anyway, the food was ok, but overpriced. That drink was way overpriced too. Ten bucks for a mojito in Framingham? Please. Weird, somewhat rude waitstaff, too expensive and just ok food.
(2)Derrick S.
Server was obviously new. Didn't know the menu. Dampened the experience tremendously. Can't completely fault the restaurant however. Newbie's gotta get their feet wet eventually. Food was decent. Atmosphere ok. I'll have to go back another night with a different waiter to get a real feel.
(2)Lily D.
Suffice it to say, I won't be going back there again. It was just...weird. Here's why: I ordered my burger medium rare and when the server served it she said, "Would you please cut into it to make sure that it's cooked right?" Huh? I said, "No, I'm sure it's fine." Even though I could tell by looking at it that was very well done. Was she testing me to see if I knew the difference between medium rare and well done? I don't know - I just don't liked to be watched when I'm eating. I heard another server ask the same thing of the table behind me - apparently it's their schtick. If they're going to make a such a big thing of it, they should just cook them right. They get two stars because my diet coke was maybe the best I've ever had.
(2)Holly S.
So, the boyfriend and I found ourselves in Natick/Framingham around 9:30 on a Friday night, hungry and overwhelmed by the palooza of chain restaurants this area has to offer. We settled on Joe's American Bar and Grill. Never again. For starters, the place was sad. Sad as in it was 9:30 on a Friday night--and hardly anybody was here. The bar was library quiet and the staff was already starting to clean up for the night--having conceded that nobody else would be coming in, even though they're open until midnight. Not a good sign. The hostess told us the name of our waiter who would be along shortly, and also told us the name of the manager. I thought this a bit odd. Like we were expected to have a problematic experience or something. Our service was fine. The waiter was ultra-stiff and trying to up-sell us left and right, but the dude's just doing his job, I suppose. The two star-rating is for the true mediocrity of the meal--and the overall experience. I know this is the suburbs--and a restaurant in a strip mall, but I felt like everybody who worked there knew their food sucked and everything just emitted an aura of suckitude. No thank you.
(2)Ellen L.
Went here a couple weekends ago with one of my friends and the waiter didn't have a sense of humor at all. Rather stiff guy. Probably was new because he had that akwardness about him. I got a burger, which was rather tasty. Cooked medium, how i like it. I stayed away from the seafood because honestly, you can't expect seafood at a place like this to be good. Stay far far away from seafood, because it seems like all the other reviewers feel the same way.
(3)Sharon A.
My family from Western Mass occasionally meets my husband and I here for dinner since we live on the North Shore and it is a convenient and tasty half-way restaurant. Tonight we entered Joe's fully expecting about an hour wait for our table of six people. However, when my mother attempted to put her name on a waiting list, the head hostess told her it would not be possible for us to dine there tonight because there were already too many parties of six or seven on the waiting list. Now, I've been turned down before from a fancy restaurant that took reservations only, but turned down from Joe's? A chain restaurant? At 6:00 pm? If the wait was over an hour, she could have at least told us the approximate wait time and left the choice of staying or going up to us. Not to mention that there were a handful of empty tables and not a soul in the waiting area. I suppose this is what you can expect from this particular Joe's considering its other poor reviews. The Joe's in Peabody provides a higher quality of service and we've never had a bad experience there.
(1)Leann F.
Restaurants in strip-malls are not my typical taste, but I'm not accustomed to suburbia, so the first place that presented itself was Joe's... Though my review indicates that I wasn't impressed with the food (pan fried mozzarella appetizer and cheddar burger) the service was very good. Our waitress was attentive, informative, and very friendly. My boyfriend requested ranch dressing to dip hiss fries in, but the restaurant doesn't have ranch. She suggested a remoulade sauce that comes with the crab cakes to dip the fries and brought each of us a side of the sauce with our burgers. Though the burgers were too thick and tasteless, the fries (with remoulade sauce) were delicious and very fresh.
(2)Steve R.
I really like this place. To me, it is very simple: Great food, great service. They keep it simple and have different specials each night.
(4)John F.
I went here for a business lunch recently, and I was impressed! Based on the name I expected little better than a TGIFriday's or something, only to be pleasantly surprised. The interior is very clean. We ate in a room near the front of the restaurant, that had plenty of windows which were appreciated on the gorgeous day. The staff was very courteous and helpful, and the service was prompt. I had the bacon cheeseburger, and it was delicious; not over- or under-cooked as I tend to expect that bar & grills (well, more the TGI Friday's variety). I would definitely put lunch here in the suggestion box.
(4)Keith L.
Keep on going. There are a million places to have dinner in this part of Framingham. My suggestion is to skip this place and go somehwere else. Service tonight was pretty bad. Empty glasses on the table were the norm. Note to manager: Filling glasses with alcohol=profits. Simple restaurant rule. But bad service can happen anytime, anywhere. But a bad menu is the same every night. This might be the worst menu i have seen in along time. 8 pathetic appetizer choices...are you kidding me? we had the chicken quesadilla. A half of a taco shell that was cool and soggy for $8.95. And unfortunately it gets worse. The dinner menu is only slightly larger than the appetizer menu. And all I can say about the choices are they were ordinary at best. When our meals came, more mediocrity. Chicken with no flavor, pasta sauce that was very canned like and two steaks that were dry and over-cooked....(can we leave now?) We only had a few beers each and we still dropped over $40 a person. Are you kidding me??? For $40, I can get some kick ass meals in this area. Just not at Joe's American Grill unfortunately...
(2)Bella S.
Dined at Joe's American Bar and Grill over the past weekend. I have frequented this location often always with a group of friends. All of my past experiences have been great. Well, my visit this past weekend will stop me from ever dining here again. We called ahead and was seated promptly, however, all good ended there. Waited over ten minutes to be greeted with a hello and drink order, had to ask twice for the nightly specials, had to ask for the warm bread and asked three times for sweetner which took another 10 minutes. The food was so-so, but as you can gather the service was horribly slow. I normally like evenings that are slow paced so I do not feel rushed but this was beyond acceptable. Icing on the cake...the other three with me asked for refills of their water when dessert was ordered. Dessert was delivered and again asked for three glasses of water. Nothing. Waitress dropped off the bill, asked again for more water and by this point people were sucking on ice cubes. Asked another waiter to get our waitress - nothing. We gave up. Paid and left.
(2)Robert D.
Great food! Had a great experience here :)! Enourmous Cobb salad! If you eat here you have to try the Charles River Pie (no they don't use water from the Charles River)
(4)Reid F.
This is the best of the Shopper's World chain restaurants. The food is generally good, as is the service. Avoid the grilled pizzas, but try the crab cakes and the real French fries.
(3)Michelle H.
Went here last night for a big family dinner to celebrate my uncle's birthday. Considering there was 18 of us, I thought service was pretty good. The spinach and artichoke dip was good. I wasn't too keen on the calamari. Winners again are the bread and onion rings. Most people enjoyed their prime rib dinners. The cod was bland. Cheeseburger was good. As for desserts, everyone seemed to enjoy theirs and had no complaints. We had the apple crisp, apple pie, boston cream cake, strawberry shortcake, and the chocolate cake. Considering I went to another Joe's the day before for lunch, I think dinner is better. This place was packed too. Great for groups.
(3)Juggy W.
Went there for fathers day dinner and had the worst meal ever. The crab cake appetizer was TINY but still cost a fortune. I didnt remember ordering the onion soup "extra salty"... but it sure came with 10000% of daily sodium consumption. As for the entree... the steak tips were dry and tasteless, the mashed potato side was COLD, the gravy was TOO SALTY, and the onion rings were soggy and bland... I should have just gone to that mcdonalds down the street.
(1)Fitch P.
I'm becoming a big fan of this place! The food is consistently delicious, and the salads are awesome (honey chicken and farmer cobb). Fresh bread on each table and very attentive service. I was in last month with a party of 6 plus a baby, and everything came out great, especially the friendly waitress. I was back last night for dinner and some beers - it's nice to see some actual craft beers (take note, Boston area: Sam Adams and Harpoon IPA are not "craft beers") on tap: Jack's Abby, Pretty Things, Left Hand, and Dogfish Head. Cool. I think everything is $1-2 more than it needs to be, but I'll take it for the quality and consistency. I'm sure I'll be back soon.
(4)Francisca W.
came in for lunch on MLK Day, they were serving brunch which is a plus! got the brisket hash, sooooo good! was tempted on the drinks too but ended up not ordering one. seated in the sunny side of the house, much appreciated as the rest of the place seemed kinda old school and "gloomy". there were about 8-10 tables in this section and the two occupied (us including) both have kids...hmmm makes you think.... but probably just timing and logistics since we wanted a table vs booth, and it was a work day (for 50% of the country) lunch time. they offer gluten-free accommodations but our waiter didn't seem very well prepared with our questions on the menu - can use some training on that. otherwise, he was ok on his job, and friendly. i've been to Joe's at various locations over the years, service varies and food has been...average to pretty good (i e. this hash). not rushing to go back but not a bad choice if you wanna dine gluten free!
(3)Len S.
We used to go here for a monthly group dinner (8-20, averaging ~12 people) during the week. Food was just OK and service was merely OK. One thing I insisted on was separate checks, mentioned up-front each time. Personally I found the menu boring and we all noticed that the prices kept increasing every so often. Last straw was a few months ago when waiter told me that they can no longer do separate checks and I asked him a question about their preferred guest program and his only answer was "I don't know". I went looking for a manager/hostess and only found their preferred guest program brochure that answered my question. They made it feel like we were an imposition on them for being there past 9PM (we arrived each month ~8PM and called ahead with a head-count). So we will no longer be an imposition and we've moved our group to John Harvard's across the parking lot - they want our business and read my review on that experience.
(2)Katie C.
I agreed to meet one of my friends here while I was out in Natick. I agreed to meet her at the restaurant with two of her little ones, and although I knew it was in the Shopper's World shopping center, it was all the way in the back (from Rt. 9) and it definitely threw me for a loop while trying to find it! Regardless, there was plenty of parking and I quickly found my friend. Our waitress was really nice and with the two kiddos in tow, she was really good in getting the kids food out as fast as possible. However, like other Yelpers have said, there is just something missing about Joe's. The interior is really dark and it just looks dated. The menus were grimy, the booth seats were full of crumbs, and it gave a bad impression. The food is just okay. It's really nothing special. $16 for a grilled chicken caesar salad and yet the kids' chicken fingers and fries were more appealing and a better portion for the money spent. The food is just really plain and when you factor that in, it's not really worth the money. Overall, Joe's is consistent. The staff was nice and we were in and out of there in a reasonable amount of time. As compared to the Joe's at the South Shore Plaza, there's plenty of parking available.
(3)Katy F.
They sat me in a booth that was not cleaned. It had mayo all over the seat. Ordered a cheddar cheese burger, medium with fries. I had about 8 french fries brought to me. The burger tasted rancid, like bad beef. Dry. Horrible, I could not finish. The bathrooms are disgusting. See my picture. Imagine what the kitchen looks like. I feel sick now.
(1)Ann C.
I agree with the other reviewer. I should have checked Yelp before going here. My wife and I went on an early Saturday evening before a movie. We sat at the bar and was most impressed by the poor attitude by the bartender - some overweight balding guy. The woman bartender was making up for all his lack of caring. Now the food.....I wish I was bullemic. The chicken fingers were prepared a few days ago and were frozen. Horrible, And they gave up a whole lot of them Thanks ! Then there was the chicken and broccoli and ziti. Fair at best. Tavistock has really ruined some restaurants in this area. We will not be back to this restaurant ever....may go to the one in the North End. We'll see.....Good luck Joe's in Framingham. Oh here's tip.....read your reviews. Recent reviews all agree that you need to improve or close !
(1)Caitlen G.
My boyfriend and I tried Joe's for the first time on a Friday night. The staff were nice and attentive, but the food is somewhat pretentious and rather pricey. My boyfriend thoroughly enjoyed his burger, but my medium rare steak was raw in the center. I hate to complain, so I made the best of it...but I've been sick for the last 24 hours. It was my mistake for not saying something, but hopefully if the management sees this review they will ask the cooks to be more mindful of temps.
(2)Abhi R.
In-line with other reviews on Yelp I think the quality of food does not justify the Prices. Between a party of 4 we had - Meat Loaf: Best compared to what is about to follow - Tuna TarTare : Bland and devoid of seasoning. - Tuna Salad: The tuna (supposed to be grilled - was more like Sashimi) .. big letdown - Fish and Chips : Average. - Drinks: IPA's and Mojitos : Mojitos were disappointing and IPA's were on draft :) I don't think I am ever going back the next time I am in Boston.
(2)Cliff S.
This Joe's gets 5 stars from me because of their quiet, private dining room. I called around to many places in the area but couldn't reserve a private dining room for a party under twenty people. And many places had expensive minimums. Joe's reserved the room for us, happily accommodated our requests, and let us all get together, without being in a loud, cramped, busy dining room. Joe's catering was good and the staff was friendly and professional. We had a good time together and appreciated the extra privacy and space to congregate.
(5)John D.
I gave them 3 stars based on the fact that I've eaten dinner there over 10 times in the past few years. This most recent experience was only so, so. Our waitress was nice, but my wife and I assumed she had too many tables to cover as we ran out of drinks twice. The price was reasonable for what we ordered, but I definitely noticed a drop off in service the past year. I hope they can figure it out, as we loved to go here.
(3)Krystal M.
I've been craving Joe's spinach and artichoke dip for days! They closed early on Sunday when I tried to go (lame for a bar) so finally one day I ordered it to go after work along with nachos for my boyfriend and myself. I get there and the hostess just told me to go to the left side of the bar to get it. The bar tender was not there when I first walked up and then when he came back he first helped another server with something before acknowledging me. When another couple asked him a question about a dessert he did not make it sound appealing at all. When he ran my card he told me that my food was on the counter behind me and everything was already in there. I grabbed my bag and it looked like it was there because I had two boxes of chips and some containers. I got home and my spinach dip was not in the bag! Neither were the jalapeños for my nachos... When I called the restaurant and told her the food was not in my bag she just said "okay.." There was no rush on it, it was still going to be 15 minutes before it was ready and I'm just appalled that this was such an inconvenience! I'm giving up on this Joe's American Bar and Grille.
(1)ms w.
I should have checked the reviews on here before ever stepping foot in this place. We wanted to go to the Cheesecake Factory this past weekend, but it was packed so we went down the street to Joe's and there was hardly anyone there, and now I know why. The food was basically McDonald's quality at a ripoff price. My bf got the BBQ platter and it tasted so bad he barely ate it. He said even his soda was flat. Upon looking over at my cobb salad, he said he was jealous of my meal. Then I tried mine and it tasted like straight rubbish. Overall the experience was a total waste of $60+ for food we barely touched. Will never go back here.
(1)Kay C.
You know, I thought this restaurant was fine. I tried the prime dip and it was decent - good portion, good au jus, etc. I wolfed it down, was starving. It's not gourmet by any means but the service was decent and the food wasn't bad. Nothing mind-blowing. My husband tried their lobster roll and it didn't look like very much lobster but it was also not as expensive as some other places.
(3)Randy T.
Came here with a large group, it was not my choice. They knew we were coming, we had a limited menu, and yet they still messed up all the orders. It took us two hours to eat, which was insane. The salad's took 30 minutes... a house salad, 30 minute prep... every steak was cooked well-done, none were ordered that way. I asked about the salmon... I prefer freshwater salmon over ocean salmon (yes I can tall the difference), and the waitress said it was freshwater... it was definitely not!! Worst dinner in the area I've ever had!
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