Not Your Average Joe’s
Kentlands Square Shopping Ctr,245 Kentlands Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878
Not Your Average Joe’s Menu
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Address :
Kentlands Square Shopping Ctr,245 Kentlands Blvd
Gaithersburg, MD, 20878 - Phone (240) 477-1040
- Website https://www.notyouraveragejoes.com/gaithersburg/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Meg S.
Finally had a chance to try out Not Your Average Joe's and I LOVE it! Two of us had the cranberry-teriyaki glazed chicken with butternut squash canneloni while the other had the bowtie pasta with red sauce and chicken. We were thrilled with our food, and loved our waiter, Doug C. All these years I've been taking my DC and NoVa friends to Cava to show off the best of Gaithersburg, but I'll be so proud to add Joe's to the rotation now. Also, I was able to make a reservation for three for Friday night a day ahead, so if you want to avoid the wait, try to call a day ahead. And I'm ashamed to say we were so happy and comfortable at our table we "camped" there for about 10 minutes after the check arrived...I had such a nice time I was sorry to have to leave. :)
(5)J.m. R.
Great place, nice atmosphere, plenty of seating indoor and outdoor. Wait staff was polite and prompt. Menu items are different from your average americana style restaurant, but they still have good burgers. Draft beers in two different sizes were nice for the discerning drinker.
(5)Megan S.
This place is quickly becoming one of my favorite places. The servers are friendly, and the food has always been great. The food is always really fresh - especially the fish. What bumps them up to a 5 star restaurant for me is how they handled my new allergies. I asked my server about gluten free options, and not only did she bring me a gluten free menu, but also put in an order of gluten free bread for our table (made with rice flour!). I had the salmon and it was great. A manager came by to ask me whether my food was good, and went on to explain how they have their chefs change gloves and take every precaution to avoid any cross contamination. I kinda wanted to cry because its the first place I've been that volunteered this info and didn't treat me like a crazy person for having allergies. I've been back twice since then, and have received the same friendly service each time. It's really great having one place that I know I can eat out at without getting sick. :)
(5)Dennys P.
I've probably been to Joe's 6 or 7 times since it opened. The place is great. I have my favorite entrees already and can order them without a menu. They are always great. The ambiance is great. The service has always been super friendly. The waitstaff has always been very personable. I feel like I know a few of them already pretty well. The prices are very reasonable. You can get a turkey burger and mediteranean salad for $10. You can't beat that. It's delicious. The wine selection is good and they carry one of my favorite red blends - Apothic Red. For desert I've always been a fan of the Peanut Butter Thang but tonight I just tried the Breadpudding and It is decadent. Warm, gooey, sweet, but not too sweet. Just right. Wish I would've saved more room to finish it. Definitely enough for 2. I recommend getting on their email list as they always have some great special and they are usually worth taking advantage of. Highly recommend!
(5)Shana K.
Ate at the bar during a busy lunch rush, which was a good experience. The bar tenders are friendly and fast. The food was alright. Nothing special. Was disappointed when my house salad was mostly the core of a head of iceberg lettuce. Not very eatable.
(3)Van M.
The beginning is great. They tell you that they are a scratch restaurant which seems to mean that nothing is kept for the next day if it isn't sold the day it's prepared. (How can they afford to do that?). They are very allergy conscious which is great. However, we tried 2 seasonal items, watermelon sangria and the lobster roll which made me wish I had gone next door for Asian food. The sangria had no alcohol we could notice and the lobster was 1) totally bland and tasteless and 2) the claws were so small (a quarter size?) that they should never have been harvested. We had a great appetizer, the pulled pork which has great flavor. The steak that we had was so-so. The attention to us was great but the food was a D+, especially for the price.
(2)Jordan M.
Skye was amazing! I've only done this twice in my life and I told her that she could choose my meal for me and surprise me. Not only did she surprise me but my meal was amazing!!! I can remember what it was called but it was chicken, scallops and shrimp.. Skye delivered grey service and went the extra mile to make sure our first experience was dialed! I will for sure be coming back again!! :)
(5)Molly F.
Excellent food, terrible service. So bad that for the first time ever, I didn't leave a tip! The first time we went , everything was perfect. Our food was fresh, came out fast and our waitress was exceptional. So I would still recommend going here, I just hope the waiter we had the second time is no longer working there!
(3)Tochi K.
It is a type of restaurant that was really needed in the Kentlands area, and is by far better than the other "sports bar" in the area that is beyond horrible and always changing names! I thought about giving them 3 stars because our server was really nice, so this is more of a 2 1/2 star review. The ambiance and decor is nice and the food tastes decent--nothing out of this world or especially different but good. Their drinks are also pretty good, actually a little better than average (their mojito is super yummy). Their bread and dip is really delicious and was the highlight of my meal. They seem to have a few kinks that they need to workout but the staff seems to really try and is very friendly, so it makes up for all the hiccups. The bad points: --We made reservations but still had to wait 25 mins before we were seated on a Sunday night. --If you seat outside, there is no music. Since the seating is right next to the road that is the background sound you get as you eat. ----At times, service was a little slow and I had to ask for new cutlery as what I was given was a little spotty/not clean. --I had their crab cakes and got pretty sick after having them--from a large party, I was the only one that had their crab cakes and got sick. I am pretty certain it was from them as I hadn't had anything else before and after eating there. I like the idea of the place but will think twice before I go back, and probably will not order any seafood. Given my experience, maybe good for drinks only.
(2)Jenn N.
I can't say enough about Not Your Average Joe's, especially walking out of there tonight - one of the busiest nights of the year. This was our second time back. The first time was on a Sunday for lunch. And while crowded, we were greeted by reception promptly as well as by our server. Who also did not hesitate to give us recommendations when we asked. Obviously, the food at a restaurant needs to be good but service to me is #1. But the food was really good too. NYAJ exceeded these bars. So much so, my wife and I made a reservation for tonight, Valentine's Day. Again, we were greeted promptly and with a smile. We were shown to our seats - a table in a "middle" isle - we weren't thrilled but understood it was a busy night. Our server seemed very flustered but took our order promptly and recommended the Mahi special. My wife got that, I a drink and the steak and we both got their special beet and goat cheese salad. The server forgot our water, even after being asked :( No worries, it was busy. We got that. Except, when our meals came out, they weren't very good. I asked for my steak medium and it came out already cut and well (they cut the meat before it's served? I found this odd) and the polenta was cold and hard as a rock. The Mahi was bad - as in it smelled bad. Wife and I did a swap and agreed to say something. The waiter was again flustered but was very accommodating. The manager came over with a menu for my wife, apologized and assured us that our new meals would come out at the same time. This next time, my steak was perfect and hot. My wife tried the stroganoff and really liked it. We ordered dessert as well (waiter forgot the coffee though). Both the waiter and manager (Jasmine) came over twice to check on us. We were totally over it, felt good about our experience and asked for the bill. Not only did they comp dessert, which was great in and of itself, but Jasmine came over and also gave us a gift card to come back...we looked at it outside and it was well more than we thought it would be for. I watch so many of the food TV shows that I really feel like not only is customer service an art, but it's on the verge of extinction. NYAJ's restored my faith in the service industry and we will be back time and time again!
(5)Scott L.
below average Joe's, we had two pizzas and a steak, the pizzas came out with a pool of grease in the center and my steak was like eating a shoe. I gave it a star because the system made me. We wont be going back here. I suggest you find somewhere else as well. The waiters seemed more interested in talking to each other then helping us. The overall meal was just mediocre cooking at home would have been better..Manager, quality control on the food coming out and the waiters needs to improve.
(1)Jeffrey B.
Name has it wrong just average, what a shame great location and we were,looking for a new place to go from time to time. I will keep it short do not expect your mixed drink or beer (good selection) in a fast order the bar had one server,and he was doing bar and drinks were third. Waited 10 min I could see him. my son like the pizza as do I. Chick dishes are hit and miss one time good one bad other time ah. Managers need to get out of the office,or where ever they hide and see service is going to,kill you. I can never get two drinks durning meal takes too long. Not sure but service hides many errors.
(3)Anita C.
This newly-opened restaurant has all the makings of a great venue for happy hour, casual dinners, and family events. However, there are quite a few things that need to be fine-tuned: 1) The service. My friends and I came at 3pm on a Sunday after watching a movie, and the restaurant was surprisingly busy. It wasn't a packed house, but still considerably full for 3pm on a Sunday. We were seated almost immediately and given menus. 5 minutes passed and no waiter or server came to offer us water or bread. Another 5 minutes...then another. Upset, we went to fetch the manager and let him know that we had been waiting 15 minutes for somebody (anybody!) to approach us with bread and water. Honestly, it seemed like all of the servers were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. There were so many of them, yet none of them came to us - it was chaos. There must have been a communication problem, because they certainly weren't short staffed. Throughout our meal, our waiter wasn't very enthusiastic and didn't take care to explain anything on the menu to us. I would suggest better and more thorough training for their employees - it is a new restaurant, but I expected more considering NYAJ's is a chain with quite a few locations along the eastern seaboard. However, at the end of our meal, a manager graciously offered us gift cards for having to wait at the beginning - a good business practice, especially for a new business in the area. Moving on to the food...the star, the shining star of the meal was the complimentary bread in the beginning! (A+++) It's focaccia bread made in-house that completely exceeded all of my expectations - it was chewy, doughy, and warm. Paired with a mixture of olive oil, red pepper flakes, onions, and shredded cheese - definitely the best bread I have had in a long time. I will note here that the server who came with the bread explained everything to us, which was very pleasant. I ordered a Waldorf salad, which grew on me as I ate it. I wish that the shredded chicken came warmed somehow, but the flavors were pleasant and the portion size large ($11.50). I finished the second half off for dinner later. My boyfriend got the Mediterranean chicken, which I wasn't a fan of due to the overseasoned chicken. My other dining companions ordered the crab cake BLT, small bacon & pepperoni pizza, and mustard chicken. They were all fans - the food was good, but not out-of-this-world amazing. Flipping through the menu, I was a bit concerned because of the large variety of options and the different styles of food. From Vietnamese shrimp rolls and Thai chicken lettuce wraps to sirloin tips and burgers, I was confused! Is this American? Asian? It reminded me of a smaller version of Cheesecake Factory's overwhelming menu. I typically prefer restaurants with a more streamlined menu that focuses on several amazing, amazing dishes. There weren't any specialty dishes that I could see that would blow my mind, so for now, I think the food is OK, but definitely not worth making tons and tons of trips for. I did notice on their website that they have different menus by state, possibly indicating that they have specialty items for each state (i.e. crab cakes in MD). Overall, NYAJ's is a great place to get drinks and a meal and spend time with family. I can see great potential once they rev up the quality of service and perhaps streamline their menu to a smaller number of excellent-quality dishes.
(3)Jen M.
My dad picked me up from my evening class and took me out for a late night meal. When we walked in, we were seated right away. We really liked the interior designs, especially the open kitchen. The menu is very limited and just the alcohol drinks took up two pages. They came out with bread and a dipping sauce (which was extremely good) shortly after we sat down. We placed our order, I got a southwestern bbq burger and my dad got some steak thing. I decided to make a quick trip to the bathroom. The bathroom itself was dirty (toilet paper EVERYWHERE) but the design was pretty groovy. I came back to my seat and the food still wasn't there yet. There weren't a lot of people there but there were ALOT of waiters. About 15 maybe? Just standing, socializing. Our food finally came after 20 mins. My dad liked (not loved) his steak. My burger was no bigger thn my fist and don't forget puny salad, and for 10.99???!! I don't think so... My burger was dry and a bit sad:( I couldn't taste the southwestern bbq at all... I think the only thing that made this experience enjoyable was our waiter, who was EXTREMELY nice. In the end, we spent $31 something and gave a 10$ tip.... Bottom line... Would I recommend this place? .......No
(2)T B.
Excellent as expected. Customer service great as usual. Went with a salad tonight, filling but not stuffed. Strawberry Shortcake for desert is a must!
(4)Melissa H.
I love Not Your Average Joe's... we've been several times and the service is always great. They're very accommodating and attentive. Nice variety of meals and drinks to choose from. They have special events every so often which is fun. My fave dessert is the strawberry shortcake for sure! Great place to have a big group dinner or just the two of you.
(5)JJ V.
I am not coming back here. My family and I waited for an hour to be seated and another hour to get our food. Food is mediocre. It also seems like they only attend to certain type of people. Our server was also serving the next table and that table had already their own server that checks up on them every 5 minutes. Seriously?! I was giving them the stink eye the entire time I was there. I was very disappointed. What a horrible over-hyped place.
(1)Stuart L.
Service and atmosphere are great. Only getting a 3 from me as the food just isn't anything special for the price. I had jumbalya, wife had a lettuce wrap thing. Food was only OK.
(3)Kathy G.
I have been her twice in the last few months. Once for lunch, once for dinner. Our lunch experience, group of 8, silver ware dirty, it all had to go back. After reading some of the other reviews this seems to be an issue here. My dinner experience, we had the most amazing server and I am so sorry that I dont remember his name. I even told one of the managers how pleased we were. I love the bread! I will definitely go back and try something new!
(4)Jon S.
* * UPDATE * * UPDATE * * MY CONSCIENCE requires that I update my original review. I would love to write a second review, but yelp prevents it, so read on. IF YOU WANT a wide selection of great food- delicious food, served piping hot- priced right and served by the most pleasant people, dine at Joe's tomorrow night! For these reasons, Joe's has to be my favorite restaurant, hands down. Since I first posted my review 3 months ago, my girlfriend and I have dined at Joes' at least a half-dozen times. We have NEVER been disappointed spending an evening at Joe's. I am telling you the food is just delicious. The dishes are SO tasty I could eat there every night! Tonight we celebrated my 23-year old daughter's birthday. She ordered the veggie version of Chicken Farfalle with Fresh Mozzarella. She loved it. Two in our party ordered the Mustard Crusted Chicken. This gives my mom's chicken dinner a run for its money. I have ordered this every time I have visited Joe's...it is that delicious. Tonight, I ordered the pot roast and I was so glad I did. It melted in my mouth and was so tasty; I wanted to lick the plate. I asked our server, Kaitlin, to tell the chef what great meals he/she had prepared for us. As for our server, Kaitlin, she cannot be topped. She was pleasant and just on top of her game serving our party and a big birthday party next to us. She really made our visit special. Now, do not get me started on desserts. Desserts are my forte'. The Lava Cake is terrific with its delicious ice cream. (I mean, vanilla ice cream is vanilla ice cream, right? Wrong. At Joe's it is something special.) (Someday, I will not be sharing my dessert!) The bread pudding went to my daughter, who loves the dessert generally and really loved Joe's version. We also had the passion fruit sorbet, which was tart and tasty. And, by the way, Joe picked up the tab for my daughter's bread pudding, which was a class gesture! Dear readers, if there is a better place to eat in the DC metro area, then I want to know about it. I have lived here for 50 years and I would put Joe's dishes up against The Palm's any day of the week. THE EXPERIENCE IS THAT GOOD! Reservations are a good idea, but you must go to Joe's. You can thank me later!
(5)Cristina D.
This is a nice restaurant particularly for those with specialty dietary needs. I have several friends that only eat gluten free and/or are vegan and this restaurant has a gluten free menu and staff that are very accommodating to those with diet restrictions. Their gluten free bread is really good. The service is always good as well.
(4)Cynthia L.
I give it 3.5 Stars, boyfriend says he would give it 3 Stars. I'll be honest, the menu was too much of a mish-mash of stuff (i.e., one item with Vietnamese, one item with Mexican, another item is Italian, another is Greek, etc.). Nothing particularly stood out as "Oh My Gosh I Have to Try This." I ordered the Roasted Shrimp Salad & boyfriend ordered the Crabcake sandwich. Both items were ok, not fanastic by any means; my salad was caked in dressing and the shrimp didn't taste roasted (more like straight from the frig)...the fries from the crabcake sandwich were soggy. Sangria and wine were ok as well. Complimentary bread (foccacia w/ onion on top) was too doughy on the inside and too hard (burnt) on the outside. The dip that came with the complimentary bread (parmesan, dried chili peppers, garlic and olive oil) was good...had a good kick to it. Our waiter was very friendly but wasn't very knowledgeable about the menu, probably because this whole place is new. Reservations Recommended
(3)Sandy K.
We've been to NYAJ about a half dozen times since the summer. It's a wonderful addition to the neighborhood and seems to be very well received. Always busy, even late at night. Love that we can make a reservation through Open Table. First of all, the bar component. A fun and lively atmosphere all the time. All ages but seems to skew toward an "older" crowd, which isn't surprising for the suburbs. Huge selection of fun mixed drinks and very comprehensive wine list. Average "upscale" prices. Very nice appetizer list to accompany drinks in the bar. I've had good service in the bar with one notable exception. We had a group of 4 last month. The guys got beer, the girls got wine. The server mixed up our wines and we didn't realize it for a few minutes. When we mentioned it, our server didn't offer to pour us both new glasses and we really didn't want to trade at that point, yuck! So we were "stuck" drinking wine that we didn't really enjoy. Other than that, fun place to hang. Our food selections have been outstanding. First of all, the focaccia bread and dipping oil with cheese and herbs that they mix at the table are ridiculously good. Too good. I've enjoyed the Mediterranean Chicken--LOVED it, a Crabcake BLT, and the Chicken Mona Lisa Entree Salad with a delicious creamy basil dressing. My husband is picky and he's enjoyed the Anything But Average Meatloaf, a Cheeseburger, and last time he had Great Hill Sirloin Wedge which he enjoyed. Our daughter ordered the Chicken Piccata with Fettuccine and loved it. Also, the soups have been very good, particularly a delicious tomato basil soup. Our servers have all been knowledgeable and attentive with on-point recommendations. The restaurant is not too large and kudos for the interior design: It's warm and inviting and lively without being too loud or intrusive. I especially enjoy the open kitchen in the back and the outdoor seating when weather permits. We wish NYAJ continued success, its awesome to have a fun place like this so close to home! I highly recommend it!
(5)Jane M.
I'm somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. It definitely has the potential to be 5 if they can figure out how to train the servers. All of the food we ordered was hot and the selection was great. Be prepared to wait-as soon as your server comes by, order an appetizer because it'll be a big wait. Your drinks will be long emptied before refills are offered, then another wait before you get it (which some of the food is spicy so it'll seem longer.) Reservations were necessary even on a Monday night at 7:30. They're trying and they're nice-two big pluses. Now they have to figure out a system so people won't have to wait.
(4)Shelli G.
For openers, I wasn't expecting a place quite this nice, as I assumed it was a sports bar. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the service was very friendly, but a little chaotic, even though they seemed to be abundantly staffed -- but I know they've only been open a short time so I'm sure that will improve. Otherwise, the food was very good, the portion sizes were just right, and I think for dinner, the price was very reasonable (4 adult entrees, 2 beers, 2 soft drinks, 1 dessert ordered -- with tip, a little more than $25pp). Will definitely return. A very welcome addition to the Kentlands area.
(4)Eunice K.
i went to kentlands with my sister and dog to go to bark and saw that this place was open so we went in through the take out area and ordered food (and we were really excited to take food home cus the reviews) and they told us it would be a 20-30 min wait so we left and went to bark to get stuff for our dog. we came back and saw that there were seats so me, my sister and yorkie who is less than 3lbs went in and sat and waited for our food because we only had to wait about 5-10 more minutes. as we were sitting it took longer than the expected time but while we were waiting the manager came to us because we had our yorkie with us and he told us that service dogs are allowed but other than that pets are not allowed. he was super nice about asking us to wait outside (which we understand) but while he was talking to us a really rude caucasian lady interrupts him and says she will not be eating here because they let dogs in and then proceeded to give us a dirty look and then she waved her menu across her face saying that she's allergic to dogs.. first of all they do let service dogs come in and im sure most places do so i guess you cant go anywhere and secondly he was asking us to leave soooo maybe you shouldnt be rude and ignorant and thirdly our dog is hypoallergenic and we were holding her. i don't know if she was extra rude because im asian or because i was not dressed up (i def looked scrub with my glasses and outfit BUT that does not give anyone the right to treat someone like that) so then we left to go out and wait and the manager offered us bottled water because it is hot outside BUT he never came out with the water... so he was really nice about asking us to wait outside however he did not follow through (maybe he was talking to the lady..? idk) manager gets 4.5 stars the staff would get 5 stars EXCEPT there was a girl going around offering pizza and she definitely offered it to certain people and was super nice to specific groups of people.. and because of that service would be 2 stars, i wanna give less because i expect more from a place like that but the others were super friendly and welcoming once we got home we tried the food and ehhh.. we got the ahi tuna wontons.. it was alright.. i'd prefer going to bonefish grill for that.. cus they have the best seafood in kentlands area... we also go the cobb salad which was also not that great i'd give it 3 stars. we also go the waldorf salad another 3 stars.. the salads were nothing special.. i'd rather go to california pizza kitchen in the rio area. and finally we got the mustard crusted chicken and it was like a brick of salt AND to top it off it was burnt so we took a few bites of it and threw it out def gets NO stars. it is def a nice and modern add to the kentlands area but i dont think i'll be going back. it sucks to say this but one of the other customers just ruined our visit there and the food wasnt that good... i only gave 3 stars cus the service and food
(3)Jes S.
We've been there 3 times, and have had 2 AMAZING times and 1 AWFUL time. The food is great, but what often makes or breaks a place is its servers. Sorry, this'll be longer, since our last experience was not good. FIRST: -- The beers are cheap (for microbrews and large pours) and they have an amazing selection. -- The bar area is nice, and despite the constant bustle, the bartenders we've had have always been attentive and fantastic. -- The food is FANTASTIC. We've had the Carolina Pecan Chicken, Scallops, veggie wraps app, Pizza with smoked mozz and roasted red peppers ... ALL TASTY, no complaints. Seriously. If I was just grading on food and not including the last experience, this would be 5 stars. -- THE BREAD. It's fluffy, full of flavor and delightful. The dip is crushed garlic, parmesean cheese, roasted red peppers in olive oil. MMMMMM, I swear I am drooling thinking about it. SECOND: The first two times we went, our servers were Danielle and Emily. They were both absolutely attentive, wonderful, funny, and sweet. I'm glad we had Danielle our first time, because it's what motivated us to come back... She was detailed in explaining every dish and every meal, what she liked and recommended. Emily had a difficult table that required a lot of attention, and yet she made sure we felt like we were important too. The last time we went we had Jose P. If we had had him the first time, I would not want to return at all to the restaurant. We went on May 29th, a Wednesday. The place wasn't too busy but we had a 15 min wait, so we stopped by the bar. When we were seated, no one came by for 10 minutes. When Jose finally stopped by, I had seen him attending a family of 4 twice before he came over to our table. He took our order in a very harried and half-hearted manner and rushed off before I could ask for another beer for my husband. He didn't bring the signature bread or olive oil concoction which I had really been looking forward to since it is VERY VERY tasty. We were ignored for the next 10 minutes, which would have been fine if I hadn't tried to get his attention 3 or so times. Also would have been fine if I hadn't seen him, but he stopped by the same family of 4, three separate times without ever stopping to see if we needed another drink or ever got that bread. I finally succeeded at stopping him by actively waving at him, where I asked for another beer for my husband and asked for some bread since our food hadn't arrived... he responded with "Oh, so you want more bread?" More bread? We never even got it in the first place, and I felt guilty for even asking. Our food came, and the foodrunner changed our plates and checked to make sure we were alright. In her 5 minutes, we had gotten more attention than we had from Jose at all. Halfway through our pizza, he rushes by and looks at my husband and goes "Oh, you still don't have that beer? The bartenders should have stopped by with it. I'll go get it for you." If he had rung it in, it would have been waiting at the service bar. It would have been warmer and sweated from sitting out if he had rung it in when we ordered it. It was ice cold when it got to us. The manager stopped by and wrapped up our food for us, joking and talking to us. We had more attention from him than Jose, who had stopped by the family of 4 a total of 8 times and 3 times for us. Was he worried we wouldn't tip since we didn't order more? We understand hassled, harried, and busy service. But we were actively ignored and then he lied to cover his tracks. We had more attention from the food runner and manager than we had from him all night. He dropped off the check, and not the iPod for reviews... and eyed me as I wrote our review out for him. It felt rushed, since he stopped by more often after we were done, as I was writing my review... but my husband still had his beer to finish... Again, if we had him our first time, we would not have wanted to go back.
(3)M T.
Based on good reviews I read for other NJAJ's locations, I went to check out the newly-opened location in my Gaithersburg neighborhood on a Friday night (7/6/12). It had a kids' menu so I thought it appropriate for a family meal. The place is spacious and it has an open kitchen. It was packed and felt energetic; the clientele was mostly local Kentland residents - entertaining for people watch and ponder on fashion trends. There was a gracious waiter (blonde young girl) offering us slices of thin cheese pizza while we waited - really friendly, especially with my kids (one was upset that we had to wait so long and she tried to cheer her up). The wait was about 1 hour for a walk-in party of 5, and we were seated next to the bar. The first thing I noticed was the chairs - stylish, padded and comfy. I was content with our spot but the AC was blasting, which reminds me to always carry a sweater in the summer. THE FOOD WAS JUST AVERAGE. We got complimentary bread with a dip - I liked it but kicked myself for not ordering a glass of wine instead of a margarita; it would've gone so much better and I would've been happier. My kid ordered the bottomless lemonade and she loved it - comes with sugar on the rim and a wedge of lime - she got refills twice. I opted for Joe's Margarita and it was disappointing - it wasn't cold enough and the juice tasted artificial - I've definitely had 10 times better at Chevy's (now defunct), Rio Grande or Guapo's. My kids and husband ordered the dumplings for appetizers and they liked it. I had the grilled sirloin steak with wedge salad, which I liked - the meat was tender and I enjoyed the wedge of lettuce with amazing tangy horseradish dressing (like the one served at Brio's). My husband ordered the Vietnamese fish(Joe, our waiter, commented it was a great selection) but he found it flavorless; the plus is that it came with two fillets instead of one + a bunch of noodles and lots of nuts. My kids ordered chicken farfalle, joe schmo pizza, and tomato/basil soup. They liked their food except for the soup - it had an unexpected spicy kick which didn't go well with my 10-yr-old. Desserts - we sampled crème brulee cheesecake (skip it, it's boring) and passion fruit sorbet (waaay sour for me but my daughter thought it was tasty and pretty fruity - she loves sour candy). Service was OK but they missed on some things - no spoons or forks brought for desserts and coffee. We had to ask for them. I couldn't help feeling rushed at the end; there were long lines waiting. Our waiter started picking up the stuff from our table - a hint for "get out" but my kid was still finishing her dessert so as much as I wanted to leave, we had to linger a bit for her to finish. Hate being rushed. The Manager at the reception was keen on sitting additional customers and did not bother to say goodbye when we went by. The hostess by the door did, so that saved the experience a bit. Manager should go around the tables and make people feel welcome. ALL IN ALL, NOT BAD BUT NOT GREAT. I think I'll come back since it's in my area and hate driving long distances. Want to try their other cocktails, which looked interesting.
(3)Michele S.
Went last night with my family and the service was terrible. Usually we order take out and we are pleased with the results. We just wanted some dessert. Our appetizers came out barely warm. We were disappointed. The food is not consistently good. Too bad this place has potential.
(1)Sara N.
I had a sort of average time at Average Joe's ironically. My friend and I had trouble getting seated and waited a while. It seems we were skipped over so not off to a rousing start. I wasn't crazy about the lay-out either. A lot of 2 seaters in the middle of the restaurant and booths on either side. It was just... arranged funny. And plus it was rather dark in there and cold. Oh, and I suppose it was a touch less casual than I thought. Once we were seated it got better. We had a very nice bread basket which was difficult not to devour. I thought my veggie burger was... OK. Not particularly inspired, but not bad either. The server was attentive and even though my friend and I lingered we weren't pushed out the door. They do have a lot of cocktails which I'd like to try. So, I might come back... not entirely enthusiastically. But it was OK!
(3)Taylor F.
I went here for the first time Thursday night for my 21st birthday and the restaurant was pretty packed. Our party of 7 had a 20 minute wait but we were seated as soon as possible. Upon being seated, we were greeted by our excellent waitress. She obviously knew what she was doing and wasted no time with our order. The complimentary bread was fantastic- focaccia with a parmesan dip! I ordered a strawberry rhubarb sangria- out of this world!! (First legal drink!) my main course, an ahi tuna salad, was bursting with flavor and fish! I got a free desert that I passed around- a chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream. Yum yum yum!! I was highly impressed with everything about this place. The decor, waitress, food, service. All top notch. I will come back!
(5)Jenny L.
Just okay nice and friendly stuff but the food was bad. Took forever to get a table kind of dark inside but I won't be back at all its not my type of tea!!
(1)Ben L.
Food is great and the service is even better. Definitely need to try the meatloaf. Not like the meatloaf your grandmother makes. So good!
(5)Michael D.
Excellent, loved it.
(4)I-Hsin M.
So yummy! Will come back!!
(5)Joel S.
We come here at least twice a month and have never been let down. The food is very good and always comes out fast. Never had bad service and find everyone friendly with great recommendations.
(5)Hitesh G.
Tasteless food and unrefined service. Food tastes like you would find in most southern places like virginia. Over priced appetizers. Macaroni Grill in rio blvd is a better choice than this. Other Kentlands restaurants are better like Thai Tanium, Tandoori Nights, etc.
(2)Jesse V.
I am tempted to give this restaurant 5 stars, given the area that it is in, but I will leave it at 4 and see if I am still wowed on future trips. My wife and I came here on their Grand Opening (July 4th) after seeing it in construction for awhile, and having seen a menu board hung outside the building. The restaurant is nice looking on the inside, with a large bar on the right. The bar has several TV's, and was rather busy. In the back you can see into the entire kitchen, it is a VERY open kitchen. They have a large woodfired pizza oven, and you can see the entire line and staging area. I find this sort of openness to be nice, and reassuring. We were seated quickly, and a server came over to talk to us about the restaurant, tell us a little about the menu and take our drink order. We expected service to be at a minimum confused, it being the first night and all. Exact opposite. Service all night was polite, prompt, and in general spot-on. Only (small) issue was we did ask for a glass of water with dessert, and didn't receive it. On to the menu. The menu is eclectic. There is pizza, burgers, pasta, Asian inspired dishes, African inspired dishes, Greek, Mexican you get the idea. It is all over the board. We were informed everything is prepared in-house. We were started off with some caramelized onion bread pieces, and an oil, parm, garlic, red pepper blend to dip it in. The bread was great, and we could see them taking out fresh loaves all night. They have a cocktail menu that is reasonably priced ($7-8) and a good selection of draft and bottled beer that is also well priced ($3.50-$4.50 for 14oz, $5.50-$6.50 for 22oz). I find a lot of restaurants serving above average food to have inflated drink costs, these prices seemed reasonable. We ordered some Asian chicken dumplings to share, my wife got a cup of clam chowder, and we shared the chicken enchiladas. The dumplings were good. Pieces of chicken, scallion, cilantro in potsticker form essentially. There were 5 of them, and they came in a bowl with a tasty soy based sauce on them. I do wish the sauce was on the side so you could dip, as the potstickers lost some of the crisp do to getting a little soggy. The taste was great though. My wife liked her chowder, I tasted it and it was good, fairly clammy. The enchiladas were good. They are in corn tortillas, chicken and corn inside, with a great poblano cream sauce. They came on a bed of rice, black beans, and veggies which looked boring, but was actually very good, especially with the sauce. For dessert we shared something called a Peanut Butter thing which was essentially a slice of peanut butter ice cream pie, topped with crumbled oreos that had caramel, fudge, and whipped cream on the side. It was VERY large (definitely something to split) and very good. All in all we were pleased here. This is above average food (especially for the Gaithersburg/Germantown area) at a reasonable price ($6-7 for apps, $10-20 for entrees) that has a wide variety of options. I will certainly be coming back, as there is a ton of other stuff on the menu I wanted to try.
(4)Janice V.
I went here for their grand opening week on July 2, I did get a free meal, which was a nice touch. If I were to pay, I would say the prices are reasonable, and the food style is eclectic varying from the classic chicken noodle soup, burgers, and salads to wonton tuna chips, steak, and flounder with curry noodles. The atmosphere was great, the big restaurant had a long bar on the left side and four row of tables filling the rest of the restaurant. The service was great thanks to my server Doug was friendly and energetic, always refilling my water even before I finished it. I tried the fried wonton ahi tuna chips and crab cake for the appetizer. The ahi tuna had a fresh and savory taste to my palette while the crab cake tasted lump and chewy full of crab in my mouth. For my entree, I tried the steak salad which was cooked to a perfect medium and was very tender and juicy. My dads flounder with curry noodles were an interesting but fun and tasty combination. My moms scallops with creamy cheesy couscous were amazing!! I would definitely order all those dishes again. For the dessert, I tried the chocolate molten lava cake, filled with a ton of melted chocolate, but a little too decadent for my liking. The creme brulee cheesecake tasted as if I were to make it at home for myself, but better because of the sugary crust on top. The desserts both came with a side of whip cream and basil for color. I really enjoyed my meal and would definitely come back in the future soon.
(5)Kenneatta J.
Very inviting atmosphere would have preferred to know the time limit on the wait for a table, and then just being told it will be a few minutes. The wait wasn't too bad. Our waitress was nice, and the booths were comfortable. The high sides are nice in muting out some of the noise. For the appetizer we had the pulled pork pretzel it was very good. The bread with the Parmesan dip was the highlight of all the meals. The crab cake sandwich was all right, I could tell that the crabmeat wasn't fresh and they didn't use lump crabmeat. My father loved the meatloaf dinner and it did look quite tasty. I would go again if I'm around that neighborhood or will a group, because the atmosphere is suited for casual dinning.
(3)Glenn F.
The drinks, bread, main meal and service up to the time of dessert was great. Had a party of six and winding down we wanted 2 desserts for the table, that took about 45 minutes total since they forgot one of the desserts. HOWEVER, everything before it was fantastic so its a 4 out of 5 for me, and they should have had a 5. Maybe next time! :) Would I recommend going here? Absolutely yes.
(4)Sharon S.
Our service was good. The bread and dip was awesome! I ordered the sirloin tips w/ garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. This dish was decent, the sides could have been a little warmer, and the green beans could have used some flavor. As for dessert, we ordered the "Peanut Butter Thing". It was good, except for the fact it was so frozen that it made it difficult to put our spoon through it to take a bite...could've been thawed out a bit before serving. Would go back again...
(3)C Q.
We were there for lunch during a weekday. I made reservations just in case. We were seated right away. Our server was pleasant. He brought the bread to us shortly after we ordered. The bread was really thick, really salty on top, but not much flavor in between. I didn't care for the bread dipping cheese "sauce". I ordered soup and sandwich. The clam chowder was not bad, but I had it better at the Outback Steakhouse. The sandwich was also just not bad. The chicken was slight dry. My friend ordered a pizza. But, again, it was not very special. The service was great, the good was not bad. But I was not especially impressed by anything. I think I had better sandwich at Panera Bread. This is a restaurant that I wouldn't mind going again if someone else wants to go. But it won't be the restaurant I would choose to go, especially when there are so many choices in Kentland.
(3)stevie t.
I live close-by so I keep trying Joe's. So far, I can't say anything too great about the food. There's a huge selection, but for some reason, nothing ever stands out to me. I always feel like I'm looking at the whole menu over and over and not finding something I want. In fact, I'm sitting here trying to think of what I've ordered in the past (other than my last visit), and I can't remember at all. That should tell you something. But it's not bad by any means. This last time I saw a grilled cheese on the kids menu and asked if I could just get that. I know some places care about adults and the kids menu, but I was craving it and she was nice. But when it came, it was filled with all sorts if onions/peppers. I asked her what it was and she said, that's our grilled cheese. I realized then that they must've had one for "big people" that I didn't see. But when I told her I was just asking for the plain one (I know, my mistake), she was pissed. And she walked away with it while I was mid-sentence saying, "I was just trying to order the one off THE KIDS MENU!" - I had to yell the last part because she was leaving so aggressively and I was going to finish my sentence no matter how far away she got. Now, the food mix-up - my fault. But her attitude was nasty and I don't deal well with that. I was admittedly short with her until she made an obvious effort to be nice. But still, it was enough to mention in a review. Aside from that, the service has been sporadic (sometimes great, sometimes just not too attentive, usually always polite), the food's good enough, and I love the bread/dip. The restaurant itself is very modern and nice (lots of textures, open kitchen) and the outdoor patio is done really well (and covered). I haven't tried the bar yet, but it looks pretty popular since it's full whenever I've been. P.S. I give it 3-stars despite my sour waitress, not because of her.
(3)Esther D.
Looked good on paper but the food was really bad. The grilled chicken was burnt, salad didn't seem fresh, and the soup was too salty. The only thing good was the bread dip. And that wasn't even that good. I'm not going back there again.
(1)Iris C.
I have to say... I love most of the dishes I have eaten at NYAJ... and the bread is amazing... the only thing that I hate is how slow service is... I definitely I recommend the salmon. ... hmmmm
(4)Linda L.
Been there twice. First time was lunch. No reservation but only waited a few minutes. Had the nut crusted cheese salad and sangria. Salad was fine but not wowed and our server had the shakes while pouring our sangria & spilled a bit. Our server (probably in his mid 20s) had no clue what "organic" means. He also raved about their focaccia that I found just "eh". Second time was for dinner w/my family & with a reservation; got seated right away. Thought the kids meals were a good deal, but should've been brought out 1st (after all, it was only pasta). Surprised though that the ice cream that was included was a prepackaged cup, & not scooped. I had the scallops on rosemary skewer based on a friend's rave. It was delicious! Hubby had the quahogs & the lettuce wraps. He liked the qoahogs but was surprised that the lettuce wraps were a cold chicken salad & was unimpressed. My oldest kid had the crab cake sandwich and was very happy. Again, the focaccia was still "eh" but the cheese dip that came w/it was addictive. The raspberry lime rickey drink & the berry me in bubbles cocktail were both very good & plentiful.
(4)Sarah H.
I love quirky, fun places, and this is definitely one! Their food is great and they have a little bit of everything. Pizza, burgers, italian, greek, indian, french, american, you name it! They have hard cider on tap, which always makes a place great in my books. Their cocktails are unique and fun. The only reason they didn't get 5 stars from me is because our server wasn't friendly at all and was hard to get a hold of.
(4)Sandy B.
Went Saturday 2pm. Almost a full house. Don't forget to get reservations! Food was good, service (Matt) was awesome. My friends were impressed as well. I even liked the iced tea (and I'm picky about the iced tea), although I think the price is a tad high. I had the pizza -- loved the dough, and the pizza as a whole. But the best part of the meal was the strawberry shortcake. The shortcake was awesome -- probably the best I've ever had. One friend had chicken pot pie and loved it. I forget what everyone else had. I've been there before and will definitely go back.
(4)Steve D.
Been here about 4 times now. With them being so new, I'm impressed with the consistency of their well-trained staff and good food. The look and feel is pretty cool, too. I'm glad to see a restaurant finally doing well in that spot. I just made plans to meet a client there next week. Keep up the good work.
(4)Annie S.
Went for my husband's birthday dinner. It took forever. The soups were good. Meatloaf was terrible. The servers don't really have a clue how to serve food; they just held the plate over the table and waited for someone to take it. The manager even stopped by and seemed so put out to even have to speak to people. I think it has potential but it has a LONG LONG way to go.
(2)Rock M.
I want to like this place because it is close to my house, has a really interesting atmosphere. I have been there 4 times 3 were really disappointing. The first two times I was charged for items I never ordered. The bartender on one occassion had no customers but us, we asked if we were there during happy hour still and he said we have one hour left. We were charged regular price, and again, we had items on the rect we did not order. When we pointed it out, he walked over and grabbed the correct receipt, which means he knew what he was doing, trying to pull a fast one. I was fuming when I saw that. Last week we have a gift card, not a coupon, a gift card. We went to the bar had a drink(paid cash, we learned our lesson, never give a credit card to this place). The barmaid said we could go outside and seat ourselves, which is what we were waiting on. We went out there, there were only about 35% of the tables full, the rest were empty, and had been empty for the 30 min we were in the bar waiting to be seated. We did as the barmaid said, then we went out there and the waiter who I will not mention here was very upset we sat ourselves and said that we had to go thru the hostess. He continued to act mad we sat there saying there was a 55 min wait to get seated and people were in front of us. He lied of course, and was aggressive. There were no people waiting, there were empty seats outside and inside and we are being told over and over. We are easy customers, and great tippers, I actually had to walk out and let my spouse handle it. The food we had there was below average joes. I went for the atmosphere of course because it is a nice atmosphere, the food and service are really bad, and 3 out of 4 times I was overcharged, 3 out of 4 times! This is real people, watch your receipts! Maybe the boss will mention it and it will stop, but they will never get my business. I am telling everyone I can that this place plays games with the service and the receipts. This is Gaithersburg people, not New York, we should not have to tip the host to sit in a half empty restaurant. The server was aggressive and his boss was told, but we are pretty sure things are status quo.
(2)Sarah G.
I have been here numerous times with different people. It's a great place to grab a drink and some apps, maybe a pizza. The bread is addictive! The main entrees and salads have never impressed me and my friends though. I wish they were open a bit later, with being one of the few places with a bar in kentlands.
(3)Thomas B.
I went to NYAJ after a movie on Sunday. It was my first time here, but was with friends who have eaten here before. I liked it. I had the scallops on the rosemary stick and they were perfectly cooked. We also had the spring rolls and the short ribs appetizer. Everyone at the table enjoyed their meal. One person had the turkey burger, one had a pizza and another had the meatloaf. Good portions. The bread is AMAZING! I am a fan and will be here again!
(4)Andy W.
Went there on a weekday evening around 6pm or so. We were immediately seated. The restaurant was nice and clean. We started with the Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps. They were very good, lots of flavor. I ordered the Cranberry Chicken Terriyaki (or something like that). It was okay. Good, not great. There were two pieces of chicken with spinach, and some type of squash thing. She ordered the Tuna Salad. The portion was very small. For an entree salad, you expect to not be hungry after, but she was because it was pretty small. The salad included some type of deep fried noodles, which had some spice on them. The service there was very good. Our waiter, Alex (I think), was very nice. Everyone who cleaned the table and brought out the entrees were very friendly as well. The bill came to around $40. I would go back there again, but I think I'd try something different.
(3)Vivian C.
My family and I have always wanted to come and try out this restaurant, but never got around to it because we were busy. But today, it was 4th of July so my boyfriend decided to take me there as a surprise. First, the exterior design of the place is very nice and modern...and same as the interior. When I first walked in, nobody was at the front table to greet and welcome me (and most importantly bring me to a table). Now it being my first time here, I was kind of confused...maybe we are supposed to seat ourselves? But then I saw the stack of menus by the table so I knew there was supposed to be a hostess to bring me in. As I stood there for 5 minutes with my boyfriend, nobody came to serve us and three other parties are standing there as well. In fact, the lady (who I am assuming, deals with all the carry out orders) had to serve me. With me always going to restaurants, I actually spotted out the hostess who's job is to bring me to my table (since she wore different clothing than everyone else but was working on something else). She made eye contact with me but did nothing to serve me. Then we were brought to our table. Our waitress is extremely nice and cares about her customers (Danielle M). She created good conversations with us as we asked questions about the menu, although she did not know about a drink, she immediately went to go ask the bartender and got me my answer, which I appreciate a lot. I ordered the Pomegranate Fizz Nonjito and it was AMAZING. Probably one of the best non-alcoholic drink I've had in a while! We ordered the Shanghai Chicken Wings (which are on the Summer fest menu or whatever it is called) and let me tell you it is the BOMB. The flavor is just right. Not too sweet of BBQ flavor or anything, just the right kick that makes it seem Asian but yet fitting the American style of this restaurant. Then our server realized we were done eating the wings and took away the dish. Then we would expect her to bring us the entree, but then she kind of disappeared for a while and it took her a long time to get the food to us. I ordered the Chicken Piccata with Fettuccine. And it was not even hot. It was like warm but barely--more towards cold. But the middle of the pasta was hot. I assumed they put it under a kitchen light? But I hate my food cold and it made me not enjoy the food as much as I would like to.. But to some it up, I understand that it's a new restaurant, I understand there is a lot of room for improvement. But there is just so much like--awkward waiting time for food to come out. I would give this place 3 stars for their food, and 5 stars for their atmosphere and overall quality I felt this place gave me. So I averaged my rating to 4 stars.
(4)Kat F.
I came here for lunch with 6 of my coworkers to celebrate a birthday. We specifically got here after 1pm to beat the lunch rush/crowd. When we came in and told the hostess that we have a party of 7, she gave us a wide-eyed look of surprise and told us it would be a 45-50 MINUTE WAIT! WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MINDS ON A WEEKDAY WILL WAIT NEARLY AN HOUR TO BE SEATED FOR LUNCH!? We told her we could sit outside because we saw that there's ample outdoor seating, but she told us they weren't seating people out there. I don't understand why; it was a really nice day. We ended up splitting up into two booths at the bar area. When I looked around the open area, sure there are a bunch of 2 or 4 seat tables, but almost all of the 4 top tables had only two people on them. First to come out was (cold) bread and this Parmesan-olive oil dip with (I think) red pepper flakes. It was okay, but it definitely would have been better if the bread was at least warm... I ordered a Margherita Pizza which actually was pretty good. The tomatoes (or sauce) was slightly sweet, and it felt light to eat since it was a thin crust (hence a justified one star). While eating, we saw that they do a cute little birthday thing with a cake and candle and wanted to do it for my coworker. We didn't realize there's a separate dessert menu (because our waitress NEVER checked up on us) and ended up ordering what we thought was a Cookies N' Creme cake, but was actually a Cookies N' Creme milkshake. What irks me is that we asked for a candle to be put into it and given as a surprise for my coworker, who was on another table. You'd think that the person we asked would have realized (or at least made sure we wanted a milkshake and not a cake) that we actually wanted a birthday cake. Since we were split up into two different tables, the table with the birthday boy finished and paid already and was about to walk out the door AND THE BIRTHDAY "MILKSHAKE" STILL HADN'T COME! My table looks around for the bartender we ordered from and here she comes with a milkshake with a lit candle stuck on top of it and the fire blows out just as she gets within 10 feet of us. She should have just brought the damn lighter with her to the table in the first place instead of running back and forth to the kitchen to get the lighter. So we made the other people come back and stall before she finally got to the table. These hostesses/waiters/bartenders seriously need to re-evaluate their common sense in serving, especially during lunch on a weekday. If you see a group of people come in all wearing the same company badge, most likely they all have to be back to work within a certain time. STOP DAWDLING!! I'm sure it's much better to come during dinner time without the time rush and not as big a group, but for LUNCH WITH COWORKERS: AVOID AVOID AVOID! (I'd suggest Jersey Mike's next door, actually) or make reservations.
(1)Todd C.
A friend told us this was good so we tried it out. Really amazing service. Our server was Skye and she was on her 'A' game. The bread and sauce was so tasty. Really everything was tasty.
(5)D C.
Just Your Average Joe's would be a more fitting name. I had my first experience here when this place had been open for less than 1 week at this point and it is doing a booming business. TLDR: All things considered the place was very clean, very new, laid out well, just okay food and poor service. The bar is huge and a really nice area.The atmosphere is a step up from Bonefish nearby but the food is not as good. I have been about 5x now and really tried to like this place. Three of five times now the service has been horrendous. I have sat waiting for a waiter for 5-10 min before anyone came to the table. Then it usually takes another 5-10min for them to bring a simple water. Then they typically disappear again before bringing the complimentary bread and garlic/parm dipping sauce (which is REALLY good btw). I have been there when they are packed and empty but it really didn't matter. The service is slow and painful to deal with. Glasses go unfilled, you ask for more and they forget, the bread runs out and no one refills. The menu is rather large and bizarre. It's a strange mix of salads, burgers, sandwiches, fish filets, scallops, etc. There are Mexican, Asian, Italian and plain old USA style dishes on the menu. It's just weird. The variety is nice but it's like the place has no identity. They focus on too many dishes and I think it brings down the quality. My main complaint about NYAJ is that everything is too sweet. Someone in the kitchen has a sweet tooth and I am so not a fan of that. The sauces, aiolis and dips all go way overboard on the sugar level. I was hoping this place would become more like an upscale adult place more like Copper Canyon at Rio. Instead it is more like a family place (lots of noise and kids) which serves average food but plated a little fancier than say Outback or Mac Grill. I am having a hard time seeing how this place could develop a cult following like Bonefish. I wanted it to be the new great place in the Kentlands but it is just average. New England clam chowder: Really, really good. This was clearly fresh, lots of clams, nicely cooked potatoes with just a very small crunch to them still. This is my fav NYAJ dish. 5-star clam chowder. Asian chicken dumplings (pot stickers): Good. The sauce was a great mix of tangy and sweet. Nice balance. I could have eaten 10 more of these. Ahi tuna wontons: They need to upgrade their tuna quality. The tuna itself, while seared perfectly, was too tough. They serve it on top of wontons the size of a large tortilla chip and when you try to bite through the tuna it doesn't want to give. It creates sort of a messy experience because now you have half a chip (and tuna) hanging out of your mouth that you cannot bite through. They went with a wasabi aioli sauce on top which is a little like a mayonnaise type sauce. It was okay but way too sweet. The Bonefish tuna app is way better. Garlic shrimp flatbread: Not good. The flatbread had too many ingredients on top. Within 5 min the pieces of crisp flatbread were getting soggy and flimsy. The recipe was one dimensional. Garlic, corn, red onions, shrimp = sweet. Scallops: The scallops come out seared pretty well (at least mine were) and they are skewered with a fresh rosemary twig. All of it is on a bed of rice. There is a sauce drizzled which was... too sweet. Chicken enchiladas with poblano crema: The menu says this, "joe discovered this dish in mexico city". This dish was terrible. The enchilada tortilla was so soaked in grease that eating that alone made me feel sick. I unrolled the remaining enchiladas and just wanted to eat the filler inside. There was literally almost NO chicken. It was almost empty. I've been to Mexico City many times and I highly question this dishes authenticity. 1 star. Sirloin wedge: There is nothing like the wedge salad when it comes to a profit margin. You take the worst lettuce in the world (iceberg) and slather it up with bleu cheese... bam, a salad. This one had a horseradish-mustard dressing which I thought was awful though. The sirloin with it was just average. NYAJ's pizzas: Terrible pizzas. A good pie is one of my quests in life. My spider sense told me not to order a pizza here but I didn't listen. They have a brick oven and make their own dough so that gets hard to mess up, right? Wrong. The dough had zero flavor and the sauce was too sweet. The toppings were completely dried out and didn't seem fresh. The manager came out and asked how my pizza was and I told him it was about a 2 on a 10 scale. He took it off the bill which was very nice.
(2)Joe A.
This place is great - as a consequence a bit busy (this shouldn't surprise people). Don't know why it doesn't have a higher Yelp rating as the food is *great* and the drinks and happy hour worth going to. Highly recommend it!
(5)Michael H.
If they can keep this up, Not Your Average Joes is going to be a gem in the Kentlands. I cannot believe what this place looks like inside and out. SUCH a huge difference from the chicken out that used to be here. I was so surprised when I walked in, it reminded me of some eclectic place you might find in Bethesda or the district. Big bar (probably seats 30-40?) lots of beer on tap (20 including some local finds) and a really neat interior. Not that there's anything wrong with fast casual, like Jersey Mikes or Chik-Fil-A, but I think Kentlands needs more sit down restaurants. Especially if they are an independent or "small local" chain like this. NYAJ just opened yesterday, so I wasn't expecting stellar service. I was pleasantly surprised at how efficient the wait staff was. Almost too attentive, as my waitress came by to check a little frequently. The service was better than expected, but could be more refined. However, the food was really, really good. Borderline fantastic. NYAJ is more of a comfort food place with a twist. They have things on the menu like meatloaf, but it's stuffed with mozzarella and served with green bean and carrot confetti, mashed potatoes, and cremini mushroom gravy. It seems like everything in here is made in house, including the carmelized onion focaccia with Parmesan red pepper dipping sauce. I had the mustard crusted chicken with green beans and asparagus. It was excellent. Very fresh, well seasoned. The next time I come back, I definitely want to try the crab cakes and the sweet potato steak fries. Also, the prices are VERY reasonable. If you live in or near Kentlands, you should definitely try Not Your Average Joe's!
(4)Bryan E.
This is a review of not only the food but the services at Not Your Average Joe's in the Kentlands. I have been there several times, and each time I have eaten the buffalo chicken pizza, which is DELICIOUS! The waiters and bartenders are always top notch and their drinks are great as well, my fiance especially loves the sangria. My most recent visit was to get a buffalo chicken pizza and a burger for takeout. Upon arrival, our food was ready to pick up. I checked the burger and pizza, and noticed the pizza looked a little different. The cashier said that it was supposed to look that way and it was just missing the dressing, which they got for me. When I got home and got the pizza in the light, the pizza had no cheese, dressing, or scallions on it, as described on the menu. I promptly called Not Your Average Joe's and spoke to the manager, who could not have been more kind and helpful. He first offered to have someone drive me a new pizza. Since I had already added cheese to the pizza and warmed it up, he offered to send me a gift card. I got it in the mail today and it was for $25, two times the price of the pizza! This gesture is a testament to management going out of their way to rectify an unfortunate mistake. I will continue to go to this restaurant as often as I can not only for their delicious food and drink, but for their wonderful waiters and management!
(5)Mariella B.
Not sure about the name because the place is pretty average. I've been here a couple times, I've enjoyed it at times and not. The bread and dipping sauce is delicious and def is a change up from your boring bread and butter. Make sure you ask for fresh bread, otherwise you'll get stale bread. The first time I came around opening week I ordered the meat loaf. The outside tasted pretty good and then as I dug my fork in the middle I pulled out a chunk of raw meat. Not cool....but being a nice person I did give the restaurant the benefit of doubt since it was opening week, during the summertime, and they were packed up the woo hah. I like that they have a large selection of beer, I've tried their Riesling and it's pretty good. I haven't tried their specialty drinks since I've found specialty drinks at restaurants tend to be more juice/soda than alcohol and are over priced for a cup of ice. The next couple of times I came I had the soup and salad. The tomato soup is good but has a big kick at the end, making it way too spicy for tomato soup. The kitchen tends to skimp on their dressings for the salads so make sure to request an extra side of dressing on the side. I have also tried the vegetarian lasagna, ehh it's okay they could put more vegetables inside. I think I got two sticks of asparagus, very thin slices of zuccini, and spinach? Also it's not your typical lasagna, instead of layers they roll the vegetables in a hand rolled pasta piece. I've tried the turkey kabobs with an orange bbq sauce on top of jasmine rice. The first time I got it, it was delicious. But the next time I came back (which is the reason I am writing this review. I wanted the turkey kabob again and boyfriend got the buffalo chicken with bleu cheese pizza. When my kabobs came out I was excited, mouth watering, but I looked at the rice which was not fluffy at all. As I took a forkful of the jasmine rice I felt a strange texture and a crunching sound. The rice was barely cooked, which I should have know. Since me being Filipino and being a pro at the art of cooking rice I was annoyed. The server said she would come back with fresh rice, after half an hour I was wondering where the rice was, we found out from manager and server that the cooks in the back thought it would be funny if they would let it sit around for awhile because they thought the rice was for another patron but the second batch of rice that they gave me was just as nasty as the original. It only took three people (a server, manager, and cook) to come out and explain when they realized the rice was for me (a paying customer). The service was great when they first opened, I even recommended this new joint to many friends and co-workers but now the food, service, and management is slacking. It's obvious that it's not just me who thinks bad of this restaurant because the reviews and lack of stars speaks for itself. This last meal may be my last for a while. Next time I'll be heading back to guaranteed good spots in the Kentlands: Bonefish and Coal Fire.
(1)Bincy P.
I have been here a few times and have been more disappointed each time. Food was bad ..smokehouse jambalaya tasted like rice mixed with tomato salsa ..nothing worth even coming back except for the bread and dip .
(2)Lucy B.
So, we come here for lunch often and I've been for dinner a few times. The food is good. I recently had a great server, I don't know how to spell his name but i think he pronounced it something like Joe-sway (woops on the spelling part). He was fantastic, i don't think i had to ask for a refill on my beverage once, he was just there with a new one like right at the perfect time, great service! Now, to the food. My favorite is the chicken mona lisa salad and I pretty much only ever get that there. I have a coworker who also only gets one specific thing. The thing that really gets on my nerves is that every single time I come in, the salad looks different, has different stuff or is in a different plate. Its very strange. One time I went in and the bowl was full to the top of greens and delciious toppings and tossed in teh dressing, the next time, it was like 6 pieces of lettuce and barely made it half way in the bowl, with hardly any strawberries and it wasn't tossed at all. The next time I got my salad more of the same, the strawberries were missing and it also wasn't tossed. Each waiter tells me a different story about whether or not the salad is supposed to be tossed or not "but they would be happy to toss it for me." Its just annoying. Same goes for my coworker's food. Looks different every time. I've also had the bbq pretzel bites a few times, ALSO different every time. But again, the service is always fantastic and its in a great location!
(3)Elizabeth L.
I have been to Not Your Average Joe's twice and neither experience was memorable. The best part of the meal was the company, followed by the bread (really good Tuscan-style) and dipping sauce. The meals themselves were mediocre. I don't even remember the first meal except that it was a salad and the dressing was overly tart. Also, the place was packed and so noisy that conversation was nearly futile. Yesterday I went for lunch and the service was good, the noise was less (relatively empty), but the food was in impressive. I ordered the grilled cheese with a cup to tomato soup. The sandwich tasted like it was grilled in rancid oil and was completely overrun with caramelized onions. The soup was okay, it there was something off about it. This is not a restaurant that I will go back to.
(1)Demi D.
Great new spot in Gaithersburg. THis is the kind of trendy, fun restaurant that the Kentlands needed. Husband and I had drinks at the bar while waiting for our table. My cocktail was the Jungle Juice- not my favorite- I couldn't taste a hint of vodka. Just tasted like fruit juice, really. However, my husband got a tall pumpkin ale and the bartender put cinnamon sugar on the rim- DELISH! (of course i tried some myself :) ) Food was really great- I got the pecan chicken and he got the crab cake BLT. Both very good! And our server was lovely. We will definitely be back. Maybe not regulars, but the food was good and the atmosphere was great so we will give it another shot!
(3)Lisa W.
This was my second time eating at NYAJ's. The first time the service was terrible. There were five in our party and 4 orders were messed up. One indiv. got her order 10 minutes after everyone was served. They did comp hers. The bread is dry and terrible- warm it up. The dipping sauce - yummy. The chicken seemed precooked and dry. Had a hard time cutting it with a butter knife. The menu has a variety of foods, that someone should find something. Portions sizes a little on the small side. Great drinks. The second visit we had Trevon as our server. He was fabulous!! He knew the menu, great recommendations, always smiling and polite. This was a total change from the first visit. NYAJ's caters to gluten free food. I have a friend that that I need to bring in to try out their food... sure hope Trevon is my waiter again.
(3)William B.
Decent place, I ate at a table in the bar so I could watch the Redskins game. Server was super friendly and accommodating. I was especially impressed with the gluten free menu, I had a burger with a gluten free onion bun. My son also had a burger and he liked his. Not super amazing food by any means, but a nice, friendly place with decent meals.
(3)Laura T.
I gave the restaurant four stars for their pizzas. But, seriously, the Waldorf salad could have been thrown together by the janitor at Giant. All the lettuce today was white lettuce (i.e., cheap romaine). A few pecans (maybe 3), almost no mozarella (who uses mozarella on a salad anyway??? no flavor), and big chunks of green apples (really?). A sprinkling of craisins and a few grapes. Wow. Cosi, Panera, Kentlands Cafe.... all of them tons better. This version compares well with McDonalds' salads, except McDonalds wins. I recall ordering this salad when you opened, and it had quality lettuce (hint: green!), a decent (detectable) amount of garnishes, and the apples were not chunked. I will still eat here to support a kentlands business, but I will never pay for this salad again. That is twice in a row that it was cheaply made. You risk ending up like other Kentlands restaurants (that close). Don't stoop to cheaply made dishes. A restaurant in Kentlands cannot afford to do that.
(4)LaTanya GeminiondaRise J.
Finally visited this spot for dinner with a group of co-workers. I have to say not bad I would definitely go again. We order the ahi-tuna appetizer on wontons..first time having Ahi-tuna it was pretty tasty. The pulled pork on the pretzel bread is delicious. The coconut shrimp was great eventhough I'm not a fan of coconut it was fried crispy just the way I like it you couldn't taste the coconut. The chicken quesedilla appetizer is my fav totally full of chicken and cheese can definitely be a meal. Ordered the Turkey burger for dinner and added bacon. It was very juicy and flavorful it tasted even better the next day. My only complaint is that with the price tag on the alcholic beverages I expected more bang for my buck. I ordered the beyond your top shelf margarita and it didn't taste like top shelf then I ordered the sangria with the fruit. The fruit was good but not enough wine. Don't water down my drinks at $10+ a pop.
(3)E V.
My friend found this restaurant and we went for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Not busy at all...no wait and less than half full. I'm gluten free; she isn't. One woman sat us. We waited at least five minutes for someone to come over and take drink orders. A man did that, and said someone else would be our waiter...a little strange, but whatever. He also brought bread, which was really good, my friend said, and we requested GF for me. A few min later our waiter brought our drinks and said my bread and dip would be coming. My bread (very hot) and dip came from a young lady a few min later. Then the waiter came and took our orders. The GF menu is fairly extensive. I ordered a burger w/ mashed potatoes. It came on the same bun that was served as the pre-meal bread. It's very good...moist, buttery, and doesn't fall apart like most GF breads. The mashed potatoes were good, but not anything special. I loved the decor and the light fixture over the kitchen is way cool. The main attraction for me to go again is the GF options...chicken, fish, steak, salads, bread, etc. I'll definitely be back.
(4)Amber M.
The Decor was lovely, but the food lacked taste. I would not return to this restaurant. I believe the plaid tops do not complement the restaurant well, although I can say our server was very kind and pleasant.
(2)Rachel L.
Ironically, this place is just average. I had no problem getting a table and the service was good. A little slow but friendly and helpful. The pineapple painkiller cocktail tasted good but was a little gritty which was off putting. The best part of the meal is honestly the free bread and dip that you get right away. The problem with most of the food is the descriptions sound better than what you actually get. The pizza I ordered, the California bacon blue, sounded better on the menu. I can't say it was bad but it really wasn't that great either. My boyfriend got the meatloaf. The plating was really funny. A long plate with two mounds of mashed potatoes topped with slices of meatloaf on either end. The entire thing was sprinkled with what looked like the kind of veggies you get frozen at the grocery store complete with the cubed carrots. Someone tell the chef salt and pepper are awesome, especially when you use them to season things. During dinner, I also go the jack and ginger cocktail, which sounded great and tasted weird. I love Jack Daniels and I love a jack and ginger. It just seemed like the bartender didn't really know how to balance a good drink. It tasted mostly like ginger beer with a heavy side of lemon. I can't say I hate the place, but I doubt I will be back either.
(2)Derrick W.
Nice Americana menu and decent beer menu. Would definitely visit if you have a nice sized group and want a modern eatery. The bread and Parmesan dip is simply AMAZING!!!!
(4)Laura R.
I went out to lunch here with my sisters and "aunt." There was a 20 minute wait for lunch, but the time passed quickly while we perused the menu. The menu was extensive, and my vegetarian sister was pleased with the selections. I had the grilled cheese and tomato soup, which was perfect for the rainy day. They also have a variety of non-alcoholic fancy drinks, which was fun.
(4)Harrison S.
Good food for a reasonable price. If you're looking for a good alternative to standard American Diners, this is a great choice. Similar to Friday's but with better decor, service, food, and prices.
(4)Sabrina M.
Atmosphere was phenomenal; decor was great. Bf and I walked in on Tuesday afternoon w/o reservations. But if you plan on going after 6pm you may want to make reservations because it quickly got crowded. Menu is all over the place in terms of variety, but it seemed ok. Just makes it difficult to not want to choose everything from the menu! Nice choice of beers/cocktails/wine to choose from. The complimentary bread is to die for. Bf ordered the Tuscan chicken sandwich and he said it was rather dry, but the fries were almost like boardwalk fries which was a nice treat. I ordered the bbq chicken pizza but they messed up my order and gave me the buffalo chicken pizza. So they quickly apologized and made me the BBQ chicken pizza. So overall, the buffalo chicken pizza was free. Not too shabby, but the sauce was spicy. We ordered the Asian dumplings as an appetizer but the waiter completely forgot that we ordered the appetizer. We didn't fuss because honestly we were too focused on the bread and with two pizzas coming we didn't want to indulge. The manager came by to apologize about the order mistake and his professionalism really made the difference in how I viewed the restaurant. Joe's is new so it's only fair to give them time to adjust, especially with the servers. The outside seating is amazing (just from our view).plenty of seating and covered. Prices are reasonable. Televisions at the bar, playing sports and the bar was packed! Overall, I see myself coming back because the menu seems too good to pass up on, and I love the atmosphere and it's nice to have a decent/chill restaurant that's local.
(4)Scott J.
First time visit. We had a 7:15 reservation on a busy Friday night and waited 5 minutes to be seated. Waiter was at my table within 2 minutes with drink order and amazing bread. It gets better....waiter was very friendly and the food was tasty. Can't wait to go back but only with a reservation. The wait without one was over 1 1/2 hours.
(4)Steve J.
My part of 5 ate there last night, 5:30, actually, as when we made the reservation, that time and 8:30 were the only slots available. No problem with that. Food was good and staff attentive. Shared the haddock entree with my GF. The salad that came with it had large cucumber slices with seeds nearly the size of pepitas so I gave the cucumber to my GF. I think she ate it. Would recommend produce buyer shop for smaller cucumbers or seedless. Glad to have a restaurant that can give Bonefish Grill some competition. BTW, I found the wood chair back uncomfortable on my bony back. As for the location, there is quite a bit of car traffic at peak hours due to a sub shop 20 feet away plus Panera further down. The parking lot is shared with them plus Giant food and I guess Coal Fire Pizza. People negotiating the area in their cars need to be attentive, patient, and yield to pedestrians. Your food isn't going to jump out of the kitchen of whatever restaurant that's your destination and run away. Update: I wanted to mention that I wish they provided natural brown sugar packets instead of refined white sugar. I often have tea with or after my meal.
(4)John H.
I used to work a few doors down from Joe's so I got to try it a few times. Like a few people have mentioned, there is no consistency at all. One thing that was consistent, was good intentions by the staff. They always go the extra mile to make things right. Which leads me to why they would have to make things right. I'd say 6/10 orders my co workers made came wrong. In fact one time they inexplicably put bacon on a veggie burger that my Muslim co worker ordered!! The one time I went in to dine in the restaurant I loved the ambience and service but the food wasn't up to par...crunchy rice on my dish, and nothing but spinach in my friend's salad just a little bit of anything else sprinkled in. The manager on duty happened to notice my friend's salad and took it back. This manager though was kind if weird...only seemed to pay attention to tables with attractive women...my friend being a very attractive woman, and the table next to us which included a very attractive woman as well. He wouldn't even acknowledge my presence or the guy sitting with the other woman and I didn't see him even come close to any other tables. I might be reading to much into it, but my friend was kind if weirded out by it. Anyways now that I don't work close to them I probably won't be going back. And that's all I have to say about that...
(2)Vanessa K.
Was here a few months ago. Had an 8:00pm reservation for 7 people. I arrived at 7:50 and the rest of the party arrived between 7:55-8:00. Even with the reservation we had to wait an extra 20 minutes for our table (what's the point of the reservation if we get seated at 8:20!). Anyways once we got seated the food was pretty good. Service was very subpar as our server was slow and quite forgetful. It was overall just okay. I may give it a second chance if the service were better but it doesn't leave me itching to come back.
(3)Meggie C.
I came here based on a friend's recommendation and boy am I glad. Of course, due to the ratings and some reviews, I was hesitant but I saw another Yelper that I knew had came here as well and based off of her recommendation I ordered the Mona Lisa salad. OMG one of the best salads EVER! Since my office is right across from this shopping center, I have came here more than once for this salad because it is just that good. The only thing is, they put quite a bit of sauce in the salad so I tend to order it on the side. Also, it comes with cheese balls which I don't eat. Just not my thing. My friend also tried their Jambalaya which he said was pretty good and he ate the whole bowl himself haha If you love sangria, they have a lot of different sangrias too. I personally love their summer favorite right now which is the Watermelon Sangria. delicious! Definitely give this place a try if you haven't done so! P.S. their bread is dank too
(4)Samantha L.
(Review from 08/16/2015) Tonight, my friends asked me what's a good restaurant in Gaithersburg to have dinner. Since I've been to locations in NH and MD, I assumed that this location would be just as good, but I was wrong - it's dependent on what you order. This location has patio seating and indoor seating but the restaurant is smaller in size than the other locations I've been to. The bar is on the right when you enter the restaurant. Our server Andi was very hospitable. After sitting down, she placed a basket of caramelized onion focaccia bread with an asiago-garlic dipping oil. The only thing I wished was that they serve the bread warm as opposed to room temperature every time. In addition to iced water, we ordered Watermelon Sangria's, Raspberry Colada, and Dr. Pepper. They served the Watermelon Sangria in regular beverage glasses but sugar rimmed. The Raspberry Colada didn't taste as good as the ones at other places. My friends ordered a House Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette, BBQ Chicken Pizza (but substituted roasted corn for red onion and basil for scallion), and Smokehouse Jambalaya. I ordered the Coriander Crusted Flounder with Spinach, Shaved Fennel, Orange, and Tomato Olive Relish in Light Lemon Dressing with a side Waldorf Salad. I didn't like the taste of the dish so our waitress/server Andi said I could have anything on the menu in place of it so I got a large Waldorf Salad to-go. Kudos to our server who handled this matter the right way.
(3)Stephen C.
I ordered Not Your a Average Joes for delivery and I'm confident in saying that I will never eat there again. My sandwich had basically soaked in the aoli dressing (which I asked for on the side) and was too wet to eat. My side salad looked old and not very fresh. All of this and my food costed $40 for two people....
(2)Catherine T.
Let me start off saying that i was completely in shock that i lived so close to here and did not realize that it was there! My friend introduced me to this restaurant and everything is seriously so flavorful and great! my tastebuds were jumping with joy (corny but it's true!) When you check in on yelp you get a free app and we chose the Nachos. seriously. Great choice, the chips were hot, the sauce was amazing and it was just an overall great dish! My boyfriend ordered a monthly pasta dish i forgot what it was called... but it was a pasta dish very good! it was healthy and delicious. I got the Mona Lisa Salad omg.. best salad ever but personally i don't like the cheese balls lol not my thing i guess! the chicken is so crispy and juicy cooked to perfection it was just amazing. it's my Go-To dish. For dessert we got the "that peanut butter thing" or something like that lol the name is very unique and cute! it explains the dish well, very good. sweet savory treat! My servers when i was there were, Steven and Victoria. their customer service was superb and they were both really sweet. they made sure we had everything we needed and checked on us when needed. i definitely recommend sitting with them. i love this place it's definitely on my top 10 for Montgomery county, MD.
(5)Amber L.
Update to my previous 5 star review... Joes is rocking it out! They are on top of their seating and greeting, winning all around with fantastic service and food. All of my previous visits here were in the evening, it's dark and I've had a few drinks. This time I was here with my mom and 1 year old son for lunch. Marlon was an amazing server! Clearly a pro, he catered to our every need with sunshine, style & grace! Best 'server' I've ever had. Ask for Marlon when you come here, he will take good care of you! On my way to the restroom I got a great view of the beautifully clean kitchen...Very impressed with that. Bar is awesome, the locals love it. Come here if you've never been! Order the dumplings !
(5)Lauren C.
I have been here several times and always had a good experience. Its worth checking out if you haven't been here before. They have a diverse menu that accomodates to many tastes so its a good choice for bringing a group. The food is decent but the customer service here is what made me bump it up to four stars. I came for lunch with my sister and we ordered a few items to split. The waiter heard that we were doing this and without us asking, directed the kitchen to serve the dishes on two separate plates. We thought that was great attention to detail. I prefer to order their salads, sandwiches, and pizza and tend to avoid their pasta entrees but I'm just picky when it comes to Italian food. The food has always been pretty good but nothing has ever stood out as something I must order again. If its a nice day, be sure to get a seat on their patio! Its so nice out there. **They have one of the best birthday email lists around. Sign up for free goodies on your special day!** I need to come back here and check out their happy hour!
(4)Tara B.
Came here during lunch hour. My second time visiting. I received a $15 gift card for my birthday from the restaurant, so why not? I ordered the salmon and my hubby ordered the jambalaya. Delicious! Our server was helpful and other servers were attentive when he was busy. The prices are a little expensive for lunch, but the quality of food is great. Not frozen or pre-cooked. I will come back again!
(4)Isla C.
Extremely average, the ambiance and bar is nice, as well as the decor. There are virtually no healthy options on the menu which deters me from going there. The lettuce wraps were sub-par and each time I go I wonder why I go back. I think there is room for improvement and would be happy to support the restaurant in the future if they change up the menu and a few other changes.
(2)Amanda M.
I have to say that is is "less than average Joe's". I ordered two appetizers and both were sub par. The pork belly and fried egg sounded SO amazing but the pork was unevenly cooked. One side was over-done and overly crispy, while the other side was perfect. Luckily the egg was fried to just a point where the yolk was still runny and I was able to combine that with the over-cooked portion of the pork and make it edible. The other appetizer I ordered was the vegetable spring roll. It was so loosely wrapped that it fell apart after the first bite. It was also flavorless without the dipping sauce. I only ate a few bites. If I am back in the area I may try one of their main dishes, but I won't go out of my way for a return visit.
(2)David R.
Consistent. First, I didn't inform the waiter of the following issues, so I did not give them a chance to fix them. It's my understanding that NYAJ has a full guarantee. Nonetheless, they are consistent with my past experiences at this restaurant. At initial contact, we were told there'd be a 1/2 hr wait UNLESS we were willing to sit at the tiny table. We were. The table was small. And it was unstable and rocked. Shortly after we sat, a waiter started setting up wine we didn't order. Wrong table. But it turns out Wednesday is 1/2 price wine night, so we ordered some. It took about 10 minutes for our wine to arrive. And the wineglasses, while obviously freshly-washed, were hot and covered in rinse water. My dining companion dramatically dried his glass before allowing the wine to be poured. My selection was salmon on noodles. But the bowl was so full of broth that it seemed to be vietnamese pho soup, not noodles, with salmon floating on top. But no soup spoon was on the table, nor was any spoon, so i guess it was supposed to be noodles, not soup. And it wasn't hot or cold. Just warm. Again, I didn't give the waiter a chance to correct. My dining companion has clarified that he was wiping a piece of napkin out of his wine glass, not water. Also he enjoyed his chicken with mozzarella cheese. and he enjoyed the bread. I received the following response from the general manager: Anthony S: Business Manager Hi David, Thank you for Yelping about us last night after you had dinner at Not Your Average Joe's in Gaithersburg. I apologize that you did not receive the food or service to which we are accustomed to providing. I have shared your comments and concerns with your server, the chef, as well as the rest of the team, and have used this as a teaching moment. I appreciate you letting me know about your experience, because by doing so, it affords us the opportunity to improve. If you would like to discuss this further with me, please reply to this email with a contact number & a convenient time for me to call you. Thank you. Best regards, Anthony Sineni General Manager
(3)Mark N.
A Little Better Than Average Joe's! I was excited when this place was going to open as it would be a good addition to the Kentlands area. What I can say is that the service was really good every time I've been there. It's a pretty good size restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, which is nice for big parties. Also, really good for families with kids. You won't be that one family with the loud toddler that everyone hears, it gets pretty loud in there. The bar area is on the right side, a little narrow but plenty of seating. Bars are meant to look narrow and crowded, I guess. I've ordered the ahi tuna wontons for appetizer, herb crusted haddock, and smokehouse jambalaya which were all great. Overall, great experiences from the 4-5 times I've been there with a large group of sniffly, loud kids and their parents. The Good: - Ahi tuna wontons are our favorite anywhere we go, pretty good here. Herb crusted Haddock is tasty as well as their smokehouse jambalaya. - Great service - Good for large groups, family friendly, kids welcome - Big indoor and outdoor seating area, nice bar The Bad: - Can get crowded on weekends, so expect a little wait The Ugly: - Parking can get out of control on the weekends as it shares spaces with other stores
(4)Brian M.
made a stop here when my wife and I couldn't decide where to go for dinner. we wanted someplace quick. we're kind of new to the east coast and didn't know what to expect from this place. based on other yelp reviews, we thought we could give it a whirl. they have a special kiosk/desk for to-go orders, and the hostess patiently and expertly explained their process to me. she was friendly and clear about how it worked, how long our order would take, and how we would know when our order was complete. we both ordered salads. i went with the tried and true caesar salad with grilled chicken. the serving size is plentiful. i wouldn't call it the most exceptional caesar salad, but it was good. plenty of green lettuce. i dislike iceberg lettuce, since it's pretty much just water and void of nutrients. but the lettuce in this salad was definitely green and what more than just water. the chicken was good an juicy, the salad dressing light an flavorful, and a good amount of parmesan cheese sprinkled in. i think my verdict isn't entirely in on NYAJ's, since my salad is one of those things that is hard to get wrong.
(3)Cat L.
3.5 stars. This place has an extensive menu with average prices. The bread and drinks seem to be solid, but the entrees are hit or miss. I came here on a Friday night with a group of 3 and it was packed. The host initially told us that the wait would be close to an hour, but we luckily got seated within about 30 minutes. What surprised me was that when we left the crowded waiting area and walked around the divider to the actual seating area, there must have been at least 4 empty tables. I don't know what the reservation situation was, but it left a bad impression. The highlights of the meal were definitely the bread and the raspberry lime rickey drink. The biggest disappointment was the meatloaf that I had ordered. It sounded delicious from the description, but it came out completely different than expected. There were barely any vegetables (a sprinkling of the veggie mix typically found in frozen packages) and fried onions on top. It tasted like a strange twist on Thanksgiving stuffing. I could only eat a few bites because it was so odd. The other dishes that my group ordered - the southwestern burger and the steak sandwich - were much more satisfying. Note that the steak sandwich is more accurately described as a steak WRAP because it comes in a thin wrap. Our server had told us beforehand that the food would take a while to come out, so we were prepared for that wait. The restaurant does seem to be very accommodating for customizing each dish for food allergies or other preferences, which was a nice touch.
(3)Valerie S.
My family eats here on occasion for big dinners, and all of our experiences have been very positive. The last time we had a very friendly waiter who was charming and patient, especially dealing with my grandmother who has Alzheimer's - she accidentally broke a plate and he was quick to pick it up, make a joke, and let the situation blow over. Another favorite moment was on Mother's Day when a different waiter checked in with my mother several times and snuck her an extra little box of chocolates - we love all of the waiters we've had here! And, the food is great too. I have to say the Almond Crusted Goat Cheese salad is the absolute best thing on their menu - we get it every time and I swear, I have dreams about it.
(5)Salam D.
Be careful with their gluten free menu!!! My wife and I ate there this past Saturday evening. My wife has Celiac Disease, so gluten makes her VERY sick. Joe's has a gluten free menu, so we asked for it. The hostess happily brought one over and it had plenty of stuff she could eat. She ordered a gluten free beer (Dogfish Head), a California Roll sandwich on gluten free bread, and the gluten free carrot cake. They also brought some gluten free bread to the table before the meal. Everything tasted good, and the service was good. However, none of that counts when she's physically sick about an hour after eating. She called the manager of the store the next day to let them know so that they can try to figure out why this happened so that they don't make someone else sick. He apologized, but did NOT offer a refund on dinner. I guess throwing up the food doesn't count as a reason for a refund. He said he'd talk to the chef to figure out what happened and get back to her, but he never did. This tells me that not only are they unconcerned about the diners' experience but they're also not all that interested in their diners' well-being. I know that to 99% of the diners, this doesn't matter. Most restaurants don't offer a gluten free menu, which is fine. However, if you DO offer gluten free, then you damned well better make sure the food really is gluten free. Otherwise you're going to make people very, very sick. It's not a joke.
(1)Bruce K.
Another smashing hit that got rave reviews from my wife. Thanks, Yelp. You got me some serious points for sending us to a yummy meal at Not Your Average Joe's. Fairly average strip mall from the outside, a nice urban and hipster feel on the inside. Not sure how else to describe it other than "warm and welcoming." While they had a few folks watching the game in the bar area, we had a table over to the side where we got some great service. I wasn't too hungry (picnic where there was plenty of meat for me but not much "not meat" for my vegetarian wife), so I just had the goat cheese flatbread. Plenty of it and quite tasty. Really delicious. But the winner here was the veggie burger. Absolutely top notch one of the best veggie patties we've had in a long time. Just seriously tasty and with a great texture, topped with a slice of yummy Swiss cheese, my wife was talking about it for days. Tip: Get the greens with a blue cheese dressing on the side, then pour some of that cheese (and some of the greens!) on the burger too. Awesome. Joe's - when you come to the Charlotte area, you let me know. You've got a fan right here.
(5)Kelly P.
Spencer is a great waiter! The summer menu had some great Asian fusion and the flavours were excellent.
(4)Bruce B.
Good casual restaurant and great bar. One of my favorite places when I am in Gaithersburg.
(4)Katelyn K.
Came in for an early lunch over the weekend. They had several interesting looking items on their specials menu around an Octoberfest theme. The service was good and the food was pretty good. Only complaint: The pizza dough was resting near the door to the hall with the rest rooms. There is no sneeze guard so people coming and going from the bathroom are passing right by the uncooked dough. I would recommend they move where they rest the dough, or add in a small glass partition.
(4)Allen S.
Believe it or not, I have only been here twice for happy hour. I definitely need to make a trip back during another time other than happy hour. During my most recent visit, the whole entire experience was spectacular. The restaurant atmosphere was nice and quiet while patrons were able to enjoy their food and drinks without interruption. You'll appreciate the ambiance and feel to the restaurant. Another thing that I liked about this place was that it was very clean on the inside. Once I sat down in the bar section, I was greeted by a friendly server who recommended that I check out the happy hour menu. I took a glance at the menu and decided to select all the happy hour specials. I ended up ordering the nachos, chicken wings, sliders, and a sangria. Let me say that you can taste the freshness of the food and drinks. The nachos tasted like everything was made from scratch. The nachos come prepared with tortilla chips, chicken, mozzarella cheese, corn, guacamole, onions, tomatoes, and a special sauce. I requested to add some sour creeam on the side since it doesn't come on the nachos and it became the finishing layers. They don't give you a big heaving portion of nachos, but for the price and very high quality of taste, it speaks for itself. I also like how they position the nachos on the plate. It shows that the chefs put some thought into the presentation. The rosemary and butter chicken wings were good!!! The cooked them just right and they were some pretty decent sizes. I paired the chicken wings with some ranch dressing and some blue cheese. This place also doesn't skimp on the dressing like a lot of other place. The dressing was never runny like they added water to the dressing to stretch it out longer. The sliders were so delicious, I actually had to place a second order for some more. You can select from either crusted mustard chicken, cheeseburger, or turkey burger. I opted to get a variety of all three and I couldn't select on which one was the best out of the bunch. They come out fresh and they are served on a warm toasted potato bun. The sangria was very delicious and you can literally taste the freshness of the fruits. I highly recommend this place to everyone living in the Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Kentlands area.
(5)Cary B.
Does this restaurant want me to go on a diet, or does it won't me to buy food and eat? The staff is amazing; my waitress is awesome...but the menu is full of salads and gluten free alternatives. The only steak on the menu looks to be an over priced strip at 32 bucks, and that is it for steaks. The fish and chicken offer five entrees each, of which, half are in the form of a salad. Each meal offered little appeal to my eyes, much less my stomach. The last word [TLW]: Don't eat here UNLESS you are on a diet. No steaks except for over priced strip. The bread was good. The beer was cold. And the waitress was great!
(3)Nicole B.
I've eaten here with family twice now, and both times have been pretty stellar. The food here is really flavorful and creative--the grilled steak wedge salad is a favorite of mine; bacon, blue cheese, horseradish, and iceberg lettuce all pulled together with steak is amazing. The mango lemonade is amazing (although maybe too sweet for some?). Sure, their bread can be a little rubbery, but that's never bothered me much. The waitstaff here is very observant and very helpful, which is always much appreciated, and they really do care about your feedback--I thought the optional survey given to you at the end of your meal was a nice touch. Anyway, give this place a try... you'll be glad you did.
(4)Janelle J.
First time dining here and let's just say it lacks charm or even hospitality, for that matter Upon arrival, we checked in at the hostess stand only to be told that there would be a ten minute wait, at best, since there were several couples ahead of us. At which time, I said 'we will be at the bar, do we need to check in with you from time to time for the status of our table?' To which the hostess replied, 'no need. I'll come to get you.' We ordered drinks at the bar, a Manhattan for my husband and the strawberry wine with elderflower, absolut citron, lemonade and strawberries for me, can't remember the name of it--maybe sparkling bubbles. Both drinks were good and the bartenders are engaging and friendly. After about ten minutes, my husband gets a text on his phone saying that our table is ready. When we arrive at the hostess stand, we are informed that it would be just a moment bc another couple was seated in our place since we were 'unresponsive'. Really?!! I challenged the hostess on it and reminded her that I asked if we needed to check in with the hostess stand again and was told that someone would come to get us. She insisted that someone came to the bar and called our name. However, I don't believe it since we heard names called for other tables, but not ours. Mind you, the restaurant isn't that loud and we were standing at the bar in a spot nearest to the hostess station. Well, that takes them down one star. Non existent Hospitality, smh When we were finally seated, we were greeted by Javoni, a very welcoming and friendly server, who was most professional and another young lady, Nini, who was much more pleasant than the employees at the hostess stand. Very refreshing to see both of them. After we settled and ordered our appetizer, a restaurant employee- I assume a manager or kitchen manager- stops by our table and mumbles something as he leaves a plate on our table. When I informed him that we didn't order the dish, he said 'for your wait at the door' and walked off. So, we sat with this mystery dish before us trying to figure 1) what it was? 2) why it was just left with no explanation of what it was? and 3) why weren't given the courtesy of being asked whether we had allergies or a preference for anything in the dish? When Javoni returned, we informed him of what occurred and he explained that the dish was nachos. He even seemed surprised that it was left at our table. Thank you Javoni! Had it not been for his explanation of it being the house nachos, we would not have known--- another star gone The buffalo tenders we ordered we good. IMO, the pineapple salsa complimented it well. As for the remainder of the menu, nothing really jumped out at me. A better food selection would be welcomed. I ordered a Waldorf salad. I'll post a picture of it. I asked for it without cheese or chicken. It comes with pulled chicken or for an up charge, you can change the meat. The table bread is ok. It comes with a parmesan/olive oil mixture that is complimented with cracked red pepper. I'll take a picture and post that one as well. Overall, this restaurant needs work. Hospitality could be improved, hostesses up front need training. It would also be welcomed to have an explanation of what's being left at the table without guests being challenged with a 'guess what this is' game during dinner. As of now, Joe's is far from even average at this point. Lol, my salad just arrived WITH CHEESE. I'm done. check please!
(3)Peter K.
Great spot & great service! Cobb salad was an avocado convention. Good selection and fun atmosphere.
(4)Garrett S.
My brother and I took our mom to dinner for her birthday. We had been a few times before, and felt we'd have a good meal here. We made a reservation via Yelp/OpenTable which was great, no issues getting seated. The bread was good and our drinks came out quickly. We used the check-in coupon for some nachos and also got an order of the Buffalo chicken tenders. While the Buffalo tenders were spicy, I LOVED the nachos. Everything about them was great. Interesting and appealing presentation, with super practical half-tostadas as chips. I appreciated that they actually put chicken, cheese and onions on EACH tostada rather than dumping a bunch of stale chips on a plate and dumping a pile of slop on top as so many restaurants are apt to do... Mom and bro got burgers which they liked. I got the mustard-crusted chicken which was awesome! I would definitely get it again. We tried the Peanut Butter Thing for dessert, which was DELICIOUS and plenty for us to share. The manager came by to thank us for visiting and made sure we were happy. It was pretty nice to see him being appreciative. It could be 5 stars with a change to the type and volume of music, and the food could be a notch better. It wasn't bad by any stretch but the only thing I was super impressed with was the nachos, which my mom and bro were not raving about. A solid dinner place in Kentlands, and we'll probably come back some time.
(4)Mayssam J.
service is great! the food was not bad. have earned here three times and all 3 times service has been in on point! However the food has been hit or miss and that why they get 3 stars.
(3)Marjorie M.
Never been here before but the food was pretty good. Gretchen was our server and she was very sweet and so attentive! She made me feel more like a friend then a guest!
(5)Margarita R.
The best thing about their Portuguese Cod is beans that come with it. The fish is bland and overcooked. The service was excellent. Probably will not go there again.
(3)Priscilla Y.
The food was just average. The Smokehouse Jambalaya was disappointing. It lacked the Cajun flavor and was more like tomato sauce. The rice was too mushy making this whole dish a chore to eat. The grilled chicken in the Pumpkin Mole Chicken was not too bad. The pumpkin mole sauce was sweet and interesting, but I was not a fan of it. The only thing good with this meal was the starter bread and the flavorful dipping oil. The price of the food is not worth it for what you are getting. Service was super slow even though the restaurant was not packed.
(2)Fred K.
I'm a fan now after coming here so many times (2 min walk for me). They have greatly improved its food here. Just had the flounder florentine and was cooked just right. They had their around the world menu last month and their coq a vin was actually not bad! Always been a fan of their turkey burger too. Good selection of bottle wines for under $30 (a rarity these days). Service has improved too. Had a great server tonight who made me feel very comfortable here. Make sure to sign up after the survey, as the birthday coupon includes free entree and dessert! Bonus!
(4)Jevonne K.
So apparently businesses can have unfavorable reviews removed. So let me try again. I came out to eat with 7 other people. We all had something wrong with our meal and didn't enjoy it at all (except for the bread and oil). Two of us decided to send our entrees back while the rest of us ate what we could. The steak was over cooked, as was the sushi ( I didn't think this was a thing before this night). The restaurant attempted to make things right by offering us free dessert. Most of us declined FREE dessert and two people actually ordered. The chocolate cake with chocolate filling was grainy. None of us enjoyed our meal and we don't ever plan on eating here again. One star from the 8 of us, less of we could.
(1)Robert R.
Thursday evening 5/21/2015: First timers at this Restaurant. We called ahead and made a reservation for 10 people. We showed up at the appointed time, 6:45 PM and became a party of 12. They quickly accommodated us by adding another table. Our server was Eric. He was outstanding. He could not do enough for us throughout the evening. Exceptional service and extremely attentive. We ordered a variety of appetizers, soups, salads and entrees. All of us enjoyed our meals and the food was obviously delicious. And as others have mentioned, the bread and oils for dipping were exceptional. We will eat here again next time we are in the area and will ask for Eric. Bob Zip 33598
(5)Sherry R.
Their salmon was pretty good. I also like their wedge salad. In a convenient location to my home. however, it is tough to find parking in this shopping center-especially on the weekends.
(4)Connie M.
I have to start by saying the food is REALLY good here...and this should be a 4-star review but service at the bar was hit AND miss during my visit (speaking as a former server). My baby sister has been raving about the food for over a year but I remembered her last visit was marred by the service. I always head to the bar because bartenders take great care of clients. Usually. Maybe this was an off day... Happy Hour had just ended but seats were still a premium. I squeezed onto a single chair and after one pass, I was greeted brightly by the female bartender who brought me a menu. I order a tall blue moon for $7. It took me a few minutes to peruse all the items and read the details but she never made eye contact with me again. The male bartender comes back and notices me looking around right away. I placed my order and within just a couple of minutes a bowl of clam chowder was in front of me. I thought there had been a mistake because I had ordered a cup for $4.50 but it was no mistake...this was not a puny cup but at least 12 ounces of tender clams and cubed potatoes swimming in a luscious bowl of buttery goodness. This was the best clam chowder I have had and I asked the female bartender if it was made in house since NYAJoe's emphasizes food made from scratch. She had no idea and instead of finding out for me, she just shrugged and said "maybe". Wow. While adding the oyster crackers, I read a Yelp review raving about the free bread so I asked for some immediately with the plan of sopping up every drop of my chowder!! A generous portion of pecorino romano, olive oil and crushed red pepper was placed in front of me. I was taken aback as this looks like the concoction I always make up at Macaroni grill for their focaccia. I took a sniff and must have looked baffled (I was but only because I was pleasantly surprised!!) because the male bartender asked me if I had tried it before and described the ingredients when I said I had not. Mmmmm...the goal was to use the bread with the chowder but I could not get enough of the dipping sauce....decisions!! Trying to decide what to order was difficult as so many things sounded delicious. I almost made a meal out of appetizers just so I could try a few different items. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that they offered side salads of their entree salads which meant I could add the cup of chowder! The almond crusted goat cheese with raspberries, candied pecans and raspberry vinaigrette over spring mix ($7) lived up to my high expectations!! I was impressed that I could also "add-on" options like chicken ($4), steak, turkey, shrimp ($5) or salmon ($6) to the side salad. As these were the same prices for the entree salads, I thought I would be given a generous portion of the steak tips. A little disappointed as I had only 3 tips although they were cooked to perfection!! There was about 1.5 oz of goat cheese and it was slightly warm and the vinaigrette was a tad tart which made it the perfect accompaniment to dip the bread...too bad I was stuffed by the end and couldn't even finish the generous portion of bread! (insert sad face here) Absolutely FANTASTIC meal. However, after finishing my meal, I sat for 7 minutes trying to catch someone's eye for the check. The restaurant had filled up and the bar (including the tables) was 1/2 full. I wasn't in a rush or would have flagged someone down. Once I caught the male bartender's attention, I asked for the check...but that was their loss because my glass had been empty those 7 minutes and they could have "up-sold" me with dessert or another beer if they had even bothered to ask. First rule of server school...up-sell, up-sell, up-sell. Sorry Joe. Your concept is great and your food is rumored to be outstanding. I eat out 6 times a week and there were so many items I wanted to try on your menu. Great food runners. Unforgettable bartenders. But not in a good way. P.S. I told my friend from Boston about your clam chowder but warned about the service. I am tempted to come back for the chowder and bread alone...but will sit at a table next time. Sigh.
(3)Uzi S.
I ordered the Sushi from their gluten free menu which was really good! (Appetizer). The entree I ordered Sage Salmon (also from the gluten free menu) was good BUT wayyyyy tooo oily. Really unecessary I could taste the oil in each bite. I'm obviously a health freak if I'm ordering from your gluten free menu so why smother my entree with oil?
(3)Elisa L.
Went here yesterday and it was delicious. I got the Chicken Mona Lisa and my friend got the Mustard Chicken. I opted for a salad because I wasn't that hungry and I remember thinking that if I'm paying $13 for a salad, it better be the most amazing salad I have ever had. And it definitely did not disappoint. However the salad was supposed to have balsamic marinated strawberries, but it seems that they only put 1 quartered strawberry in my salad.. The reason it is 4 stars is because the service was a bit... Our server checked up on the surrounding tables much more often than our table. And after dropping off the bread, he came back about 10-15 minutes later for our order. However, the food did come out promptly afterwards, about 10 minutes? And they were good with refilling our drinks as well.
(4)Deborah B.
Unusual spin on some favorites, the nachos are an elegant stack of chips layered with fillings, in sort of a tower, not at all like the mounds you get at some local bars. Service was spot on, even though we sat at the bar on this Sunday morning. Pizza, fresh thin crust with fresh toppings, crisp crust from a wood fired oven you can see from the dining room. I love the open kitchen atmosphere - the fresh olive oil herb rubbed bread is amazing.
(4)Richard D.
The room is quite pleasant. The service was excellent. The food was only fair. My meatloaf,which is supposed to be their most popular dish, was bland. I didn't bother to finish it.
(3)Kristen H.
I've gone to this place several times since it has opened up in this location. Everything about this place is great. The decor is very hip and it's a very wide space. The staff are friendly and the managerial staff are very good about checking in on you to see how your experience there has gone. They seem like they genuinely care about the satisfaction of their customers. The last couple times I have gone I have had Sylvia as my waitress and she is great at recommending certain dishes if you've never been there before. They come out with new items on the menu every month and always have new and fun specials for certain days of the week. They have oyster and martini Mondays, Beer and a Burgers Tuesdays, and Winesday, all very reasonable priced. Their dishes are always so creative and delicious. One I would recommend is the ahi tuna wontons for an appetizer, it's so light yet full of flavor. I will keep coming back to this place for sure!
(5)Bruce L.
Wonderful meal from a scratch kitchen! Glad we stopped in. Has not planned it. Kids pizza was great and has great crust from their wood fire oven. My handmade burger was as good as any of the boutique burger places that I love. Waitress was new, but handled is very well and is an asset to the restaurant. Love the fresh cut fries. I will have to come back when someone else it driving because they have some great drinks to try. I feel a date night coming on!
(5)J D.
Omg. You must try the "the great pumpkin martini" you will not regret this !!!!! I have been to this establishment several times and have never been disappointed. The alcoholic drinks are creative, very palatable and actually contain alcohol. This night, service was provided by "Josue". Great attentive service. Josue anticipated our needs and wants like a psychic. I had the lettuce wraps (appetizer), my co-workers had the buffalo wings (happy hour deal) and a black bean burger w/salad. (yea, damn vegetarians waddya gonna do?) When one of us requested a meal without the carmelized onions, the Chef came out from the kitchen, apologized and explained he was unable to provide the meal that way because it comes "pre-fab" if you will. Yes. I said "apologized". The gratis bread with blue cheese and olive oil dipping sauce is always top notch and the server makes the concoction before your very eyes upon your being seated. All employees seem to like their jobs, and strive for perfection. Just do it.
(4)Josh F.
We walk in and the place looks nice. We sit down and they bring us bread and oil; that was really tasty. The waitress comes and asks for our drink order; fiancé and I ask for water. The waitress has to send another server back in less than 2 minutes to ask us again. The menu is average, not a lot of choices and the prices were higher than average in my opinion. I understand the name of the place but the food selection is two small. We both ordered burgers; GREASY!! I mean for the price I paid for a burger, I would expect a well made burger without that much grease. My fiancé had a puddle on her plate afterwards; and we both couldn't finish. To top off our visit, the waitress kept yelling at the other servers bossing them around. Servers kept arguing and complaining about each other. I will not be returning as the food was mediocre at best as well as the environment was ruined by loud, obnoxious, and dramatic wait staff.
(1)Ryan S.
FIRST OF ALL... The bread is to die for!! Dense, moist bread, with a crunchy crust paired with the perfect compliment of olive oil and Parmesan. I am not what they do different, but they are doing it right. The sandwiches for lunch is a great choice, but make sure you have some time during the week because this hot spot is packed to the brim. Finally the service was excellent. They even gave us a coupon and bread to take home with us. I would love to try dinner sometime!
(4)Richard J.
So disappointed! I had the cheese steak egg rolls and the buffalo-caribbean chicken tenders. After waiting for a considerable amount of time, our food was brought to us by a server that seemed less than happy to be there. When we asked for some silverware, she just huffed off. We finally were able to get the attention of the bartender and asked him for silverware, as our food became colder than it already was, the server came back and gave us the utensils, then huffed away. The tenders had good flavor, but were lukewarm, the egg rolls were more to the cold side. I would have sent them back but I was starving. The only saving grace was the half price bottles of wine.
(2)Kimberly T.
I really like this place, mostly because I super love seafood. Usually when I have come it was during off hours so it was not as crowded, and the staff was really attentive. I usually get the scallops since they get it from Maine I believe ( I muggy be wrong) but they are delicious. I always get the scallop dish. I wouldn't even suggest getting an appetizer since the olive oil, and cheese dip for the bread is amazing. They fresh bake their bread with like cheese and onions on top. It is amazing, I could just eat that basket by itself. The cocktail drinks are pretty good and fruity which I like.
(4)Ana B.
The food here is disgusting. For my gluten free bread they gave me microwaved chunks of onion roll to dip in overly garlicky olive oil. The Thai chicken lettuce wraps came with boiled chicken and wilted lettuce. The Vietnamese salmon literally was in three inches of yellow oil and fish sauce. This place tries to have a sophisticated eclectic menu by sorely misses the mark. Never eating ever again.
(1)LN G.
The food is consistently good at Not Your Average Joe's, but where this restaurant really shines is in customer service and food allergy awareness. Let's start with the food allergies. My family has 3 different food allergies and we eat out a lot. This is one of the few restaurants where we have never had an issue. The servers are very knowledgeable about the food, and if they do not know every ingredient in the dish, they actually go to the kitchen and ask (instead of making stuff up, like we have seen at other restaurants). A manager oversees EVERY allergy order and they take this stuff seriously. All the food is made in house, so they easily know what is in every dish. We feel incredibly comfortable trusting this restaurant to bring us food that we can eat....which is not something I can say about most places. And then their is the customer service. Every host, server, and manager has been wonderful and many of them go above and beyond to make sure you are taken care of. And sometimes in ridiculous ways! The last time we ate here, my 5 year old was upset that the cheese in her grilled cheese was white and not yellow (which is not exactly the restaurant's problem). A manager saw that we had an issue at our table and came over immediately to see what was wrong. After learning about the issue he actually offered to run next store to Giant, buy yellow cheese, and remake my daughter's sandwich! And this was in the middle of a busy Saturday night service. We did not actually take him up on the offer, but this is a great example of how the employees at Not Your Average Joe's will go to great lengths to make sure you have a fantastic meal. My only ask is that you find another source for the kid's icecream. The ingredients are not great.....certainly not in line with the rest of your food....
(5)Sue R.
This place is just okay - it really is your average Joe's. I come here occasionally, mostly just because I live nearby. They have a pretty extensive menu that changes seasonally, and a few good vegetarian options, but the food isn't amazing. I usually stick to their pizzas and salads, and both are pretty standard fare, although you can tell they tried to do a "creative" spin on them. As far as service, it's varied - I've had good and bad experiences with it. It just depends on how crowded it is when you go. (And it's usually crowded, despite extensive indoor and outdoor seating. The bar is even worse.) The servers are generally friendly, but sometimes they get orders wrong. It's worth checking out if you live close, but otherwise, it's nothing special.
(3)Steph S.
Let me start with the fact that I'm a vegetarian (no meat at all). We dined outside for dinner. The complimentary bread with oil was delicious. The staff was friendly. They even politely turned a heater on for us when we asked. The main dish, the "veggie burger" was not good. It's a beet burger made with rice. It fell apart too easily and was not appetizing. I think if they improve that "burger" I will return. Until then I'll be going somewhere else. No complaints about the staff or service, just the burger.
(3)Gerry B.
Always good service, and the food is pretty good. Big open kitchen and a nice bar space. We haven't eaten outside yet but they have a spacious outdoor seating area and once Fall comes, will definitely give it a try. I have been gravitating to the Cobb salad the last couple visits, very fresh and flavorful.
(4)Shane J.
I really wanted to like this place, but after 2 bad experiences - I'm done. I work near the Kentlands area and went to this place for lunch. So here's the skinny: The Good: The portion sizes and the food concepts. The food is actually not bad and at tastes pretty fresh. I ordered the Smoke house Jambalaya and for 13 bucks, you get enough food for lunch and dinner. The Bad and Ugly: The SERVICE. Seriously, I am not sure what happens once they get to the POS to order, but if I give you a straightforward order and you forget to bring things on two separate occasions, but you still charge me for them - that's a problem. An opportunity for training perhaps? I don't know. The place was busy, but not ridiculously so. When I passed on my comments a manager, he was nonchalant about the whole thing. I told him that I would not be back and he didn't apologize or even ask for the reasons why. I offered that I visited the restaurant just a week before and had a similarly underwhelming experience and he really just didn't care. I suppose this attitude has filtered down to the service staff because my experience with our waiter, Christophe was the same way. I wasn't looking for a meal comp or anything, but if I am communicating a bad experience to you, you should be willing to at least hear the complaint, acknowledge the error, and then attempt to resolve the problem to our mutual satisfaction. NONE of that happened and as a result I will not be back. Interestingly enough, when I brought the Jambalaya back to my office, I told people exactly where I went to get it, but also told them to pass because the service is just so awful. That was 5 people in a company of about 600 - and let me tell you, people talk.
(1)Nathan S.
Friendly staff, delicious food! Started off with the lettuce wraps, nice and light, tasty but not overwhelming. Nice start to the meal. I ordered the southwestern burger, medium, and it was fantastic. Cooked perfectly, juicy beef, crispy onions, sweet yet tangy bbq sauce. Too notch burger. To top everything off, I gorged myself on bread and dipping sauce, which was also great.
(4)Suzanne W.
I had been driving by this restaurant for months and finally decided to stop in. I'm glad I did. Simple menu with just enough choices to make it hard to decide what to order my first time out. I chose the Cobb salad and it was delicious. It was so much I actually had to take some home. I shouldn't just blame the quantity the bread that is served prior to the meal is fantastic! It is served with an oil with Parmesan cheese. Wow! After two servings of the bread my salad didn't have a chance. Oh and their peach sangria was a real treat! This all topped by superior service by Edgar. Thank you Anthony! I will definitely return to try other menu items.
(5)Chris H.
Great place to take the family.. were regulars here a few waiters know us by name.. they always give you bread with cheese to start you off.. me and my wife always get the Mona lisa salad...very good ...
(4)B. M.
I was looking forward to coming to eat here again, but the servers and manager who were standing around chatting chose not to acknowledge us, seat us, or say a word to us; they looked at us and kept their conversation. Not being greeted upon arrival, I would expect from a busy full restaurant, but being that it was EMPTY-- my party being the only about to eat there, I expect better service. NYAJ, you've lost my interest!
(1)Ian K.
There is so much potential here - both for the physical location and the space itself, but we have a hard time getting past below average service on a routine basis. We've stopped coming for the most part but stopped in for some food and drink with another couple on a quiet weeknight later in the evening. We were slow to be greeted and the waitress was pretty low energy with no banter. She brought one wrong beer on the order and then completely forgot to order/bring another. We reminder her and she said "oh yeah" and then went to punch it in the computer... meanwhile, we can see the bartender hanging around after the ticket comes up... The waitress could have said "I need this beer on the fly" or something, but there was no verbal exchange and then she wandered off, bussed a table and then we watched the beer sitting at the service counter. We ordered a few appetizers, which were delivered promptly and were tasty, and I generally think it's best to keep things simple when ordering here. In a previous visit, funny enough with the same couple, I privately shared my frustration about the particular service we received with the manager the following day and he basically said that the waiter was under-performing and was probably gonna get let go and this pretty much confirms it. I said that we were sorry we had to be the final test subjects. I didn't see the manager or maybe I would have said something again. I'd rather have average food with great service that great food with bad service; that's just me, but average Joe's gives us below average service and average food.
(2)Eileen S.
Me and my friends wanted to find a place for happy hour that was close to the job. The ambiance was nice. However, on the website the happy hour was from 5-7 pm, so we went in, got seated and was told the happy hour specials were for at the bar only. This was not listed on the website. This was the first time I heard of this at any restaurant. My friend had the manager come to our table. After talking with her, she said she would honor the specials this visit only. The food itself was good but service was really slow. The bread was hot and fresh which kinda spoiled my appetite for dinner but overall, I think going on a Friday night may not have been the best idea but still resulted in a good meal.
(3)Roya D.
I have gotten food from here to go a few times, but have never dined in. Ordering over the phone has always been very easy, and there was never any problems with pick-up. The food is good American style food that was never too greasy or overly done. The atmosphere looks comfortable and fairly casual. I would recommend to anyone in the area looking to get a bite, or to anyone looking to take out a good meal to enjoy at home.
(3)Tim H.
I have been to NYAJs roughly 100x and have NEVER had a bad experience there. The food, staff and overall value are ALL exceptional. Rich, Joe, Sylvia, Jasmine, Derrick, Steven, Lyndsey, Doug, Christian, Mark and the entire team at NYAJs are tremendous. This is a hidden gem in the Kentlands.
(5)Tara T.
This is such an awesome restuarant mostly when the best bartenders are on shift when you happen to arrive. .....like Prince. Food is good atmosphere is great! $50 for $10 going on right now for the Holidays. .wow what a deal for yourself! Ahi Tuna is great!
(5)Katie S.
Came here on a Sunday night, it looked pretty busy which is usually a good sign. We were seated immediately and the service throughout the evening was wonderful. Our waiter continuously checked on us and asked if we wanted more bread or refills. The bread basket was delicious and came with a garlic parm olive oil dip with fresh crushed garlic in it. Had to stop myself on the bread before I became full off of it! For our entree we ordered the ahi tuna salad and asked for the dressing on the side. The orange sesame vinaigrette was delicious though and I almost just dumped the whole thing on my salad! The tuna was seared perfectly and not over cooked. We also got the Mediterranean turkey kebab, it was seasoned wonderfully though the turkey was a tad on the dryer side. We tried a non-alcoholic drink, the raspberry Rickey drink, though it says made with "club water" the waiter informed us it was actually made with Sierra mist. So for those watching their sugar consumption, this might not be for you as it's not made with club soda. Though it was a delicious drink nonetheless. Overall we were impressed with the service and food and will be back to try the other items on the menu!
(4)Susan M.
2.5 stars so I'll just round up to 3. I'm with Brittany A- the food here is ok but forgettable. I had the Mona Lisa salad which was kinda weak - the chicken could have used a pinch of salt (in the batter) and there was ONE lonely strawberry cut into four pieces. Really? One strawberry for an entree salad? Alrighty then. Service was fast and friendly so they have that going for them. If my co-workers wanted to return for lunch, I would join them. Maybe I'll get more than one berry on a $13 salad next time.
(3)Sarah W.
The service was impeccable!! we had a really nice guy named Wes who was super funny and made the whole family feel comfortable.. he checked on us the perfect amount of times so and made the experience really enjoyable!! the food was also ver delicious but I would return simply for the great experience with our waiter. Highly Recommended!!
(5)Debbie P.
First time there the service was great and my husband loved his mealWe had lettuce wraps for an appetizer which I would not recommend, same for the flounder. We decided to give it another try on a Friday night and have the pizza. We headed to the bar which was packed. After standing for about 40 minutes a table opened up in the bar area (which is separate from the main restaruant) and we sat down. After getting waters, etc., a manager approached us and asked if we had a reservation. We explained that we thought bar seating was open as it is in every other restaurant we have been to. She explained rudely that was not the case and seating was by reservation only. She then grabbed the menus and asked us to leave. She did not offer us any recourse but to put our name on a waiting list which would be a good hour or get the pizza for take out. Needless to say we left and headed to Coal Fire where the service was great. My husband decided to try again and he and a friend headed to the bar around 5:00 on a week day hoping for a better experience. There were only a five other people, but the bartender ignored them for 10 minutes and then demanded to see their IDs. They are both in their 50's. My husband showed his DL and his friend asked why she needed an ID. She stated, "I know you are old, but if you don't have an ID I can't serve you". My husband explained that he had been there on a prior occassion and no ID was required that time. She stated that if he didn't show his DL he would not be served. They decided to leave and reported the incident to the manager, who had no comment and didn't seem to care. They went to Coal Fire where service was great and no ID was needed. The attitude of management seems to be that as long as they continue to be busy, they don't need to cater to patrons who have a bad experience. Coal Fire may be getting more business because of dissatisfied diners.
(2)Carlay K.
Everyone always talks about their sit down experience , but no one ever speaks about the take out . So I took it upon myself to try it out ! I LOVED IT . For one the girl with the bright smile her hair is dark red with bangs (sorry I couldn't remember her name ) helped me out a lot with choosing what I wanted since I have only been there once . She gave me her honest opinion about everything which I like .she wasn't bias . She recommend the cheesecake desert I fell in love with and on top of it all she saw I had 3 very young children after I paid she told me about their car hop service and instead of waiting in the lobby she would bring me my food to my car ! IF THAT ISN'T CUSTOMER SERVICE I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS . Will I recommend this place YES ! Especially take-out ! She labeled all my food . Gave my kids to-go drinks . I'm glad she took time to help me out ! Great work .
(4)myra f.
Late lunch. Service was ok nothing great. Food was mediocore. Chicken lettace wraps, where was the chicken? Not even made up of a quarter of a chicken breast. Burgers ok. Pecan Chicken dry, sweet pototao steak fries are huge and decent. Pizza ok. Crabcakes aweful too small and tastless. Wanted to like it.
(2)A B.
We dine in and/or take out at least once a week. We love it there!
(5)C. L.
We ate here on a Saturday night. The place was packed. This isn't reflective of its quality, but more of the fact that there continues to be a dearth of quality, classy restaurants in suburban Mont. Co, which is just sad. We ordered a seasonal special app, the short rib pretzel bites, and they were quite tasty. Their so-called house-made focaccia bread is dry and served cold, which is unfortunate, so it really does need to be dipped in something oily. The jalapeño-cheesy-buttery dipping sauce provided for that dry bread is tasty but why can't they just slather that on the bread and then heat it up and serve it? Then I believe my spouse and I made poor entree choices: the meatloaf and the chopped shrimp salad. Both were very lackluster. Their interpretation of meatloaf is more like a flattened, oversized meatball stuffed with a widget of mozzarella cheese, wedged between two pillows of mashed potatoes. Generously portioned, you get two of these. Okay, but is this meatloaf, or meatballs? It may be an ambitious idea for a suburban MoCo restaurant, but it fails in execution. The meat was dry and tough (either not enough fat content or over-mixed, or both); besides a meager sprinkling of corn, no vegetable side was provided or offered; no sauce or gravy accompanied the "meatloaf"; even the mashed potatoes lacked adequate richness. My chopped shrimp salad could have been on par with something offered by Panera Bread if Panera ever chooses to offer a shrimp salad. Greens all romaine, dressing just drizzled on and not tossed; the shrimp, while flavorful, was cold (implying it was pre-prepared) and not deveined. I had a better grilled shrimp salad at Nordstrom Cafe, the sit-down restaurant inside the Nordstorm department store at Columbia Mall, just two weeks ago, where the salad had been fully tossed for me, the greens were spring greens and arugula and the shrimp were hot. That's really sad. But this doesn't mean I won't return to NYAJ's again. I'm willing to go back and try other menu items before totally ruling them off. Our service was attentive although somewhat impersonal. And I will continue to bemoan the lack of culinary talent in the area's local restaurants.
(2)Scott C.
I was here with a party o 10. The beer was expensive, but a decent selection. Meatloaf was good ( slightly above average). Haddock was only fair. Very bland. Maybe good in Boston, but needs more flavor here.
(3)R B.
This place is terrible. This was my second time as I thought maybe the first time was just a bad night, I was wrong. The service is terrible. Partner asked for water and you would think they would bring two glasses but no just one. I would assume one of the first things you should get when seated is water. The food was dry and bland. Mine was a Bacon, lettuce and turkey on a gluten free roll. It was terrible! No flavor and so dry. Partners was a pecan crusted chicken and it was so badly burnt that you really couldn't eat it. The waiter could have cared less. Typical suburban restaurant and i would avoid this place.
(1)Angel L.
Good drinks (love their unlimited refills of flavored fresh, sugar-rimmed glasses of lemonade) and decent desserts. I rate the food as subpar. Pasta was soggy and there were only two tiny pieces of mozzarella in it. Pizza was blah, but their shrimp flatbread was interesting. Salads are OK, and they make their own dressings, but the few I've tried so far lack flavor.
(2)Allix B.
A few friends and I had an early dinner here on July 4th. Though they were crowded because of the opening, our server was attentive, the atmosphere was great, and the food was delicious. I'm looking forward to coming back and trying a few more items on the menu!
(4)Steve P.
Not Your Average Joe's? I disagree. It's pretty average. I've been twice and don't think I'll be going a third time. I know, chainish joint in the 'burbs but still, there has to be a standard and this place fell below mine. First visit, they were slammed- highlights were fresh bread and very friendly service and the low points were very slow service and overcooked/underseasoned salmon. They were busy and I thought maybe it was just an off night. Went last night for a daddy-daughter night out with my little one. I decided to give the salmon another shot while my daughter went with the chicken tenders and fries. Server was nice enough, brought over the bread and dipping mix, which is pretty tasty. The bread, unfortunately, was on the stale side which was too bad since it was so good on my first visit. Food came out- salmon was better prepared this time, cooked properly but still lacking seasoning and flavor in general. The chicken tenders were decent but the big issue that really stuck with me was the fries- lukewarm and on the greasy side. How this could get out of the kitchen for a meal makes me question there quality control (clearly there is little, if any). They weren't freshly made and had been sitting around for a while. I would have sent the whole thing back but, those of you that have kids know hell hath no fury like a hungry 3 year old. My daughter ate one fry and decided to stick with the chicken- for a kid that had yet to meet a french fry she didn't love, an absolute shocker. I'm glad others have had positive experiences and wish mine were equally as positive. The staff is nice and the environment good, but the food has been inconsistent and just not very good.
(2)Elly S.
I had a bad reservation experience at this place. I reserved for a certain time on the outdoor patio, arrived on time, and was told it would be a 20 minute wait. We could have sat inside immediately, but told the hostess we would wait for the patio. The waiting area is a few feet from her stand. After waiting a long time I went and asked if she had forgotten us. She said she had been trying to call and I hadn't answered. If she had told me she would call I would have kept an eye on my phone in the noisy restaurant, but she never mentioned that. I was seated about 5 feet across from her and it wasn't crowded. So she was just clueless. After finally being seated, the service was okay, the food was okay. Glad they have Angry Orchard on tap.
(3)Claudia S.
Such a great experience! It was our first time coming here in a very long time, and Jessica C. made sure everything was perfect for us. Great drinks, apps, meals, and dessert. Great accommodations made for any substitutions... Any issues we had, she took care of right away and was very concerned about our happiness! Thanks Jessica!!!
(5)Preet M.
Service: I came here only once, about two months ago while recovering from a throat infection on antibiotics. I told my waitress, Victoria, that I couldn't eat anything firm, as it would cause me immense pain due to the sores I had lining my inner mouth. She was VERY helpful and immediately recommended the enchiladas, which were soft and also delicious! Throughout the course of the meal, My water was always filled to the brim and I was treated with very professional service. Victoria Vini, you are the best! Food: Food was delicious. I got the cream enchiladas and boy was i thankful. The bread served to start is also great and surpasses most starter snacks that I have had. Environment: The place is set up similarly to Gordon Biersch in Rockville. Booths in the middle and tables on the outside. I went during a weekday lunch time so there weren't very many patrons, but it was still filled with the hustle and bustle of kitchen staff and chatty retired couples. Great experience overall!
(5)Rachel W.
There service was wack. They spilled ranch all over my coworker and it took them like thirty minutes to take our order after serving drinks. Then he fucked up our drink order. serving my coworkers bud light when they ordered miller light. The food was good just crappy service. The manager was apologetic though.
(2)Grace G.
Went to lunch with a friend on saturday afternoon. They were able to get us seated outside right away. The service was a little slow getting the food out. But our server kept us updated and was great with recommendations for the salad and dessert. Great fruit lemonade, I tried all three and the mango was my favorite. The ahi tuna was amazing! Perfectly cooked and seasoned. There could have been more salad greens. My friend tried the southwest burger and liked it. She said it wasn't amazing, but is a great classic burger. For dessert we tried the peanut butter thing. It was so good, I was craving it the next day. Over all, it is a great place that I will visit again and hopefully try some of the mixed drinks.
(4)Muriel H.
I went to lunch here with my coworkers/friends and it was def a fun place to eat. Nice ambiance and great food plus they have some awesome coupons. I will def be returning, possibly for dinner.
(4)Amanda T.
Great atmosphere in this restaurant and very nice owner/management. You get a decent amount of food for what you pay as well. Overall good vibes, good food, good service, good for a big family night out for dinner.
(5)Randy S.
Ate here for the first time had the Cobb Salad. YUM! Everything was fresh and waiter checked on us through the meal.
(5)Melanie K.
As promised, I recommended NYAJ's to my parents who have been twice in just about as many weeks. We came in yesterday evening for my dad's birthday. Our server was awesome. Very polite and attentive. They even offered my dad a free dessert for the occasion. To update my previous review, it seems that they're going for a Founding Farmers-type atmosphere, not Applebees. As our entrees were being delivered, my sister found a wad of gum stuck to her napkin. We didn't make a big deal of it--just asked for a new set. The food runner apologized and immediately got her a new set. Within about a minute, the manager arrived at our table to apologize, too. This time around I got the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich and it was ok. I can't really pin-point what would have made it better; maybe it needed more aioli, I'm not really sure. It wasn't anywhere near as good as the salad I got my first time, but not bad enough to send back. My sister got the turkey kebabs and they were overcooked. She didn't mention it to the server, but at the end of the night when the manager came over again to ask how everything was and wish my dad a happy birthday, he told us that he felt bad about the gum and would be comping her meal. Bonus! The rest of our party of 6 liked what they ordered. I hate to downgrade my review from 5 to 4, because the staff are just amazing and the way the handled The Gum Incident of 2013 was very impressive, but if I had gotten that sandwich on my first visit, I can't say I would have raved about it. Either way, I really enjoy NYAJ's and will definitely be back.
(4)Heather M.
I really want to give this place 4 stars! Overall, the place is great. I have dined 3 or 4 times, and have enjoyed the food and decent service. We ususally dine on a busy night (Friday or Saturday) so I expect busy and a wait. The service is as expected. It could be better since they know they'll be busy, but, It wasn't horrible. I probably would have ordered another glass of wine if I had seen my waitress after the first post food check in. But, I didn't feel neglected. But , the last two times I have been burned at the end of my meal. The first time, a server dumped an entire full glass of beer on me at the beginning. I didn't cause a seen, just asked for some towels and a replacement. But, upon careful examination of my bill, they charged me for the beer they dumped!!! After enduring an entire beer all over me, I wasnt comped anything and they charged me for the one they spilled! I immediately found a manager and waited 15 minutes to get it fixed, but they did take off the beer. Last night, I ordered a beer that they were out of, so I asked for a glass of wine. Later, they brought the check along with a survey. I mindlessly just pulled out my cc and handed it over while doing the survey. once I finished, i looked over my bill and yep, they charged me for a beer they dont even have. It took about 20 minutes to flag someone down and get the bill fixed. So, yes it was fixed. But no, I'm not happy. I really like the food and atmosphere, but, now I have a trust issue. If it happened twice, will it happen everytime? Is this a common practice, leaving something on the bill? What procedures do they have in place to avoid charging people for drinks the bar never delivered? I can't be the only one?
(3)Kendall C.
My fiance and I love this restaurant! Many of my co-workers also agree that the food is great, service is great, and several of us are in love with their drink, Berry Me in Bubbles, and can never resist ordering. We've tried many of the dishes on the menu and all were great - I'm not a salad person AT ALL but I have tried at least four of their entree salads and really enjoyed them all, especially the Mona Lisa Chicken Salad. I'm very impressed with the service. There have only ever been two small issues since I've discovered (on gone back many time) at NYAJ's: 1) My side salad had too much dressing so I simply ate some and put it aside, not really upset about it. The waiter noticed and asked if there was a problem. I told him I just didn't care for it too much, not a big deal. The manager then came over to apologize, comp'd the salad, and gave us two $5 gift cards inviting us to come back. Without even having to bring up a complaint myself, this happened! 2) I ordered a second Berry Me in Bubbles and it took a long time, so I ended up cancelling it. The waiter apologized and of course took it off the bill, then brought us two $5 gift cards for our next visit. Even without the gift cards, I would keep going back to NYAJ's!
(5)Brittany A.
Food is okay, not anything memorable or amazing. Average Joes, more like it. The caramelized onion focaccia was great, but ive made it better myself. Everything else was just average. The pot roast had very little flavor and the meat was tough. The chef didnt cook it long enough. Had a strawberry daiquiri, meh. Either it was made out of an expired mix or with some sour strawberries. Didnt have dessert. Waiter was ok, I dont think he even told us his name. Snotty hostess, she didnt even seat us. Our waiter did, once he saw me glaring at the hostess with a serious stink eye for at least 2 minutes. Literally, right in front of her. 3 feet away. Pretending like three people don't exist. Oooh, I gave her such a stink eye! RUDE! Not coming back.
(2)jessica o.
We've tried to make a go of this place since it's so close to home but it's over. We called ahead for seating and were told 15 minutes once we checked in. Now understand you can't make an actual reservation because those are taken. You have to walk in. We arrived & checked in, gave our cell number and waited in their waiting area for 30 minutes. When we asked how much longer the hostess replied "oh, we tried to call you but you didn't give us your number." Um, yes we did. We get seated and the waiter is less than professional- he reaches across our face to put out silverware & dishes to the point we have to move rather than be hit in the head. He takes our order and we had one request- no tomatoes on the salad. The salad arrives with tomatoes & the untrimmed end of the lettuce. We point out the tomatoes & his comment is, "Are you allergic?" And proceeds to do nothing. Our entrees arrived "delayed by the kitchen" according to the waiter. But no rush because we have no plates on which to eat the pizza nor do we have silverware to cut it since the kitchen failed to do so. At this point we ask for the manager. His response was not a simple "sorry, let me make it right". It was "I'll take it joff your bill." He could not have been more indifferent. My recommendation is to eat anywhere else. Time to relax & enjoy family is too short to waste time in an inhospitable and unreceptive restaurant.
(1)S M.
Food was amazing and the price is about average which is a nice surprise. We had a food allergy at our table and the chef brought it out separate which was a nice surprise since so many places seem to brush it off. Only reason they lost a star was the service, while our waiter started off nicely - he took his sweet time to come get our food orders which was annoying (he was just standing there talking to coworkers) And when he brought my change - he gave me 2 twenties and 5 ones, which is ok except a 20% tip would've been 10 for our order. Big pet peeve of mine. He's lucky I had an extra 5 or else he would've only gotten 5 back. Food is a 5 Service is a 3.
(4)Joe L.
The food is very consistent and flavorful. The Asian wontons are fantastic. Over the last year I have had chicken,salmon, and beef dishes all good. I do think the bartenders pour a light spirit drink. That would be my only criticism. Service is decent.
(3)Dominic B.
I went to Not Your Average Joe's for lunch on a Friday. The restaurant was busy but we were seated immediately in the bar area. Your server brings bread with olive oil, pepper, and a cheese mixture to the table. I really enjoyed the complimentary bread and cheese mixture. As an appetizer, we ordered the pulled pork pretzels bites. The pork, BBQ sauce, and Cole slaw blended well together. I like how the pretzel bread was soft and not very crispy. Deciding on an entree was difficult but I chose sirloin tips with onion strings and mashed potatoes. My sirloin tips were grilled and seasoned very well. Both sides were tasty (onion strings and mashed potatoes). I tried the harvest mac 'n cheese as well. The mac 'n cheese dish was good. I ordered a painkiller from the bar. My drink wasn't prepared well and watered down. Maybe it was an off night at the bar? Our server was very attentive and polite. I really enjoyed the ambience. The bar area is a good place to watch sports. Overall, I enjoyed my dining experience. I give this Not Your Average Joe's a 4.5 rating.
(4)Allison W.
Came here on a Sunday afternoon for appetizers and drinks with some girlfriends. The place was nearly empty and we got a booth immediately. Our server was a cutie, her name escapes me but she was attentive and diligent about seeking answers to our questions. Ordered the spiked hot chocolate which was no joke - vodka and liquer - delicious! Also got a side salad which was fine, my friends got some apps they really enjoyed, particularly the lettuce wraps. Although definitely an anomaly, an elder man who was dining a few tables away from us had his chair collapse out from under him, and the staff promptly called him an ambulance. Hopefully he has recovered, but I felt it was worth noting how careful and helpful the staff were in assuring he was comfortable waiting for the medics. Overall a great experience and I hear the happy hour is wonderful so I'll definitely be back, maybe as early as this week!
(4)Laura D.
Why have we waited so long to try this place? Love the atmosphere and the service was excellent! I wasn't very excited to order nachos, and I was totally surprised. They were amazing. The only issue we had was that our chicken was very dry and overcooked. Our server was happy to discount that portion of the meal and gave us a coupon for a future visit. We will be back for sure.
(4)Jeff B.
Great food and drinks. Good people. Relaxed atmosphere. Everything in the kitchen is made from scratch daily. Good mix of selections. Monthly specials and promotions are interesting. Good place for family and friends. Highly recommended.
(5)Nichole S.
Came in tonight with my husband to grab a drink and maybe an appetizer. But we arrived at 7:05 and there was a min 20 min wait. Never mind that there was a table in the bar area near a bench with a chair - they say it's not seat yourself in the bar after 7. I've never heard of any bar not being self seating. But the hostess was insistent that we could not sit at this table even though they're on a wait and this table is open. We opted not to wait 20 min to have a drink. I'm not sure we'll be back, as the Gaithersburg / Rockville area has a plethora of other options; most of which would rather make a quick $20-30 on a couple than have them walk out the door.
(1)Michelle G.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE everything here. The bread with olive oil and cheese is amazing! Eric was the best server and I think he can read my mind because no sooner than I could think it, he appeared with the exact thing I wanted! You will not be disappointed!
(5)Emma W.
The bread and dip (oil with garlic, crushed red pepper, and parmesan cheese) are addictive. All housemade . The pizzas are good, but some are a little out there... the burgers are good. The drinks are great. Sometimes you are taking a risk with the specials. Sometimes they aren't the greatest. The scallops are to die for. So pick prudently, but save room for dessert--the peanut butter thing or key lime pie... or both!
(4)F K.
I dined here after a friend's high recommendation. My partner and I shared the buffalo caribbean chicken tenders as an appetizer, which I thought were absolutely delicious. The dip and salsa, in combination with the sauce the chicken is covered with, made for quite an interesting mix of flavors. I had the creamy chicken pappardelle entree, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. My partner had the herb-crusted haddock and said it was very good. The only reason I don't give it five stars is because the service was not great. It was a busy night, and it was also our first experience dining at Joe's, so hopefully this is not usually not the case. But we felt a bit neglected by our waitress, constantly wanting for refills throughout the meal. Nevertheless, as the food was quite good and it is located near our house, we will definitely be back.
(4)Marc L.
Way to go Joe, looking forward to a Monday night $1 oyster special, which was advertised and at 6:15pm your already out of the oysters, what's up with that?? Also $3 draft beers and seasonal local beers are advertised, but the "local beer" I chose is not one of the specials, again Joe what's up with that??? What next, the Yelp special deal you won't accept? - Doesn't mean I won't be back just a disappointing night.
(3)Elizabeth W.
So, I remembered how much I liked Not Your Average Joe's and I was really excited to take my sister here as a birthday present. To top it off there was a special to try the new items for 20% off each new item! I was so super-uber excited! And the food did not disappoint. But the service did. If you want the short and sweet review go to the bottom and read the last line. If not, read on. Food: 3/5 stars. The new items we got were Coconut Crusted Shrimp and Sole Florentine. My sister got the New England Clam Chowder and the Sweet Blue Burger. The Coconut Crusted Shrimp came with a "spicy-sweet" orange-sambal dipping sauce. It was just sweet, not spicy-sweet. The sauce ended up overpowering the coconut but it was really nicely crisp. The Shrimp gets a 7/10. The Sole Florentine was HUGE! Good portion of fish, good portion of mashed potatoes and it was SWIMMING in lemony butter sauce. The fish was good but the sauce was kind of eh. BUT! After I took the leftover home and my other sister ate it, she nearly CHOKED on a fish bone. It was good, but fish bones when there shouldn't be any are sometimes dangerous. 5/10. The Sweet Blue Burger was cooked Medium, my sister chose the french fries instead of a salad. She said the Blue cheese in the burger over powered the burger but the french fries were good. Maybe a little too brown but otherwise delicious and crispy. Service: 1/5 Stars. WARNING WARNING WILL ROBINSON! Ok, so that reference has nothing to do with this kind of service but I do mean it about this server. I've learned my lesson about name blasting. However, our server ignored us the ENTIRE night. The only time she came around was to fill water and that was only after she realized we drank a lot of water and I'm pretty sure a couple of servers heard us complain and stare around looking for her. To be fair, it was busy, which was the main reason why I got a reservation. To be not fair, she took 30 minutes from when we were seated to when we finally got all of our orders in. The drink/appetizer order was separate from the entree order. 30 minutes! After she gave us the check, It was another 10 minutes before she came to get the money and then when I asked for change she gave me a $10 and 3 $1 bills. So, I had a choice since I didn't have any other cash and I wasn't willing to wait another 10 minutes for more change. She got the $3 I'm sad to say because she didn't deserve the $10, although if she had given me more change, I would have given her 15% rather than...about 6% OK, this was a long review, so short and simple, It gets a 2 star because of the fish bone and the REALLY horrible service.
(2)Mishel S.
So last time I came I had horrible service. Must have been a fluke I hope. Came in last night and it seemed like a totally different experience. Our server Brandon was great. Very knowledgable and efficient. Our drinks came out fast our food came out great.
(4)C D.
I've been to this location a couple of times and came back last night as I was in town and friends wanted to go. I was reminded how much I don't like the place from the min I tried to get a drink @ the bar. Who has one bartender for a huge bar on a busy night? They do! It took us about ten min to get something. Food here is always decent but the service normally sucks as it did when we were then seated. The waiter was hardly around so whenever we had a problem, ie, the bread not being fully cooked and then my friends pizza not being fully cooked we had to flag down other wait staff. All in all: decent food, horrible service
(2)Benjamin M.
"Lunch prepared in 10 minutes or less, or it's free." Really? Well, it sounded like a challenge to me from the bartender and in looking over the specific menu of items my eyes stopped on the Tuscan Grilled Chicken, topped with melted fresh mozzarella, marinated tomatoes, basil aioli and arugula served on a ciabatta roll. With a choice of fries or a side of greens, I went with the latter to keep the meal light. Upon submitting the order to the kitchen, the bartender placed a stopwatch on our table so we can personally monitor their progress, which I found amusing. In the meantime, we dug into their homemade bread served with a side of olive oil and crushed red pepper, which made me completely forget about the meal it was so good. Well, three and a half minutes later the bartender arrived and set our meals in front of us with a smirk that obviously countered my previous skepticism. I asked her if we now owed her money since it was so prompt. Thankfully, not. The chicken sandwich was excellent...even though my eyes kept darting back to that dang bread! Yeah, I can easily see coming back here again, so if you're around the Kentlands looking for "not your average" place to eat, make Joe's one of your options.
(4)Harris H.
Not bad at all....but, VERY average. Nothing stood out in either direction. Honestly, it was so average that I just remembered to write my review a long time after going there. We drive by it all the time but totally forget it is even there due to how average it was.
(3)Chris H.
This place is really good my freind to me about this place and I been coming here to get there salaf ever since.. plus there bread they give you while you wait for your food is really good.. if you want a nice place to take the family this is a good place to go.
(4)Suzan H.
I love this place. The food is consistently delicious. Service is responsive and friendly. I love, love, love the garlic dipping oil for the bread. My only con, is that the tables are packed too tightly. A place we return to over and over again.
(5)Kathleen K.
This place should have 5 stars. We moved to the area 3 months ago and have been trying restaurants in the area and this is by far the best place. The service was amazing, it's been a while since I've received such impeccable service. The food and drinks just top it off, everything is so fresh and delicious. I had a gingerbread martini and it was made perfectly, and they don't skimp on alcohol ! We tried the sushi for an appetizer, really good - a little too spicy for me but the ginger on top of it helped. I highly recommend this place to any and everyone, the menu is filled with a variety of items. The wait can be a deterrent but they take reservations which I recommend. You can tell they really take pride in good service and I will definitely be back here!
(5)Mitchell M.
Been here several times this summer and the service is always great. Great management and servers are always friendly. Good diversity in the food and for the most part comes out pretty tasty. Bread and drinks are a plus :)
(5)Alan P.
Just average from start to finish. Really don't like going here unless we're running out of other options.
(1)Devon S.
Our family of 4 was seated on a Thursday evening after a very short wait and then greeted by Katie who turned out to be an outstanding server in all respects. She went above and beyond to make sure that we were happy and even bonded with my 13 year old daughter. I had the blue cheese burger which was excellent and the fries were especially tasty. I was impressed as the manager came over to check on us after our food was brought over. Love the screens in the bar for catching a game. We'll definitely be back!!!
(5)Debbie M.
We had a wonderful time at Not Your Average Joes. The food was delicious and our server, Mike, was friendly and went out of his way to take good care of us and accommodate my husband's food allergies. This will be one of our favorite go to places!
(5)Haifa S.
Love their food! Their service is excellent, this time we got Sam S and she was awesome! I would personally recommend their fisherman stew, that's what I've been getting since we've been going. Their raspberry nojito (I think that's how they spell it) is very very good!
(5)Marina H.
The best part of this place is the complimentary focaccia bread and dip that is served in the beginning. I have been here twice for lunch, and twice it was ...eh... average and lacking flavor. First, the place doesn't scale well for large parties - if your lunch group includes more than 4 people, you are guaranteed to be there for over an hour. Second of all, when the food is served, and customers ask for additional condiments, it shouldn't take over 10 minutes to get them - they are probably waiting for them to start their meal... Third, when paying the bill, bring out as many pens as there are credit cards.
(2)Kayla S.
Food, service and atmosphere was spot on. Especially impressive on Mother's Day weekend. Would highly recommend making a reservation but there is a nice patio to enjoy a drink and relax if you're not in a rush. Nice beer selection and the fresh fruit sangria is delish!
(5)Jen C.
Great happy hour specials. Outside seating with heat lamps and t.v.'s - we can take our dog to sit outside. Love the sweet chili chicken wings.
(4)Kim D.
Calamari was tough and full of breading. Hope it's better next time
(2)Eddie K.
Went here during lunch. Hard to believe that used to be the Chicken Out. They did a great job with the decor. They have many beers on draft - and the prices are great! Speaking of prices - it is really affordable here. All the entrees are priced below $20. You can't beat that! I had the Southwest burger while my brother had the sweet blue burger. We requested the burgers to be cooked medium and it came out a perfect medium which is rare. Really enjoyed the burger. They give you these huge focaccia bread with romano cheese with olive oil dipping sauce. That was good!
(4)Arlene S.
We have been to this restaurant 4 times now, stubbornly hoping that this ever-so-convenient neighborhood restaurant will finally not disappoint. We did have one good lunch there, with tasty and fresh salads. However, the other three times were major disappointments. The first time we went, we were a party of 10, and not one person was satisfied with their dish. 10/10 bad meals is a record in my book. The last time we went, the service was so bad it was almost comic. I dont know how this restaurant is getting such good reviews. What are they serving in everyone else's Kool-Aid?
(2)Vic S.
The service here is over the top excellent. My mom has been raving about this place. We came with a group and had the wonderful Victoria as our server. My uncle and his wife who were here from out of town couldn't stop talking about how good Victoria was. I had an email exchange with manager Jasmine and she came out to the table to make sure to say hi. Oh, and the food is great to. Both my uncles wife and I are gluten free. They have an extensive gluten free menu with complimentary gluten free bread to start...and it is good. They even gave us a loaf to go. I loved the jambalaya, great flavor with medium bit of spiciness. Rasberry mojitos and jungle juice drinks were a big hit. Mom loved her Teriyaki chicken with the squash enchilada or something like that. The food was above average...you're modest Joe...it was very good. The service took it over the top. Also, loved the decor. Great job!
(5)Shashi B.
Jamie is a fantastic at service
(4)Ideen S.
I evaluate restaurants a lot by the bread they bring out at the beginning. These guys had homemade Focaccia with an olive oil, parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper dip. Some Italian restaurants don't even do this! I thought it was a great touch. Our server was very thorough, attentive, and professional. She must have stopped by to fill our waters at least 5 times, and she made sure we had everything we needed. And the food was pretty solid, too. My girlfriend had the Turkey Burger. She didn't like the fries (they were mushy, not crunchy), but she liked the burger. I had the Balsamic Glazed Salmon, which came with pineapple salsa, jasmine rice pilaf, and grilled asparagus. I thought it all tasted excellent. What really impressed me was when they brought the bill. Instead of a billfold, our bill was placed in a survey. And the survey had prepaid postage on it and was addressed to the CEO. Though I doubt that the CEO reads every survey that comes in, it's nice to know that he's at least promoting accountability and feedback mechanisms.
(4)LA W.
Not Your Average Joe's is the perfect name for this restaurant/bar. It's casual and comforting, but the food and service takes it up a notch and I always leave happy and satisfied. I've eaten here several times since they opened in the Kentland's shopping center and have never been disappointed by any of the food or drink. The prices are more than reasonable for the amount and quality of food delivered and the atmosphere is friendly and active without being too loud. Seating in the main restaurant is great, but so is the outdoor patio and the bar. The menu is diverse and vegetarian friendly as well as a meat-lovers dream.
(4)Andrea C.
Just visited Not Your Average Joes not too long ago. Everything was superb from the excellent service we received to the scrumptious masterpiece of the Mona Lisa Salad. Michel S. made us feel welcomed as if we were in his house. We told him about a past experience where we got bad service, the salad was the total opposite and he made sure all that wouldn't happen again. He surely redeemed my opinion of this restaurant and glad we gave Not Your Average Joes one more chance. We will definitely be back soon.
(5)Cindy O.
I've come here a couple times and never been disappointed! I love the food they serve here, my favorite dish is the pork tenderloin. And the services is always great, my food is always on time, the drinks always come in an appropriate time and our server always make sure we're doing fine. His name is Michel S. I would recommend him to be your server, I'm never disappointed when I come to eat here.
(5)I W.
The one recurring problem at this NYAJs is the bread. While it tastes good, it is hardly ever warm. Also as a warning, the appetizers are not worth the price. 9.99 for 3 pieces of butternut squash ravioli is a joke and the side salads are also quite small for a steep price. The pizza is also good however, especially the Santa Fe chicken pizza.
(3)Ray S.
Redemption: : the act, process, or an instance of redeeming. This is the overall feeling as I sat with my wife at "Not Your Average Joes". Yep, I had a pretty bad experience on another occasion and wrote about it. BUT, the establishment listened to me and invited us back in to try again. To our delight, the experience was absolutely GREAT. From the greeting at the hostess stand, handling by the waitress (Shiva) and through dinner, this was a COMPLETE turnarounds. Jeff Kopp, the GM, personally introduced himself to us and apologized with sincerity. The food was terrific (I highly recommend the Mona Lisa chicken salad) and the sangria was the bomb. Nice recovery "Not Your Average Joe's"!!! Remember, its not what you do when your on your "A" game, it's what you do when you have shown your "F" game. You did the right thing and you have a raving fan. Kudos to you!
(5)laz b.
Pizza and salad were great. Everything tasted fresh and flavorful. I would definitely go back.
(5)Joelle E.
I'm a regular at Not Your Average Joe's. The menu changes seasonally and the food is awesome! Sit in a bar booth for the best experience. I just wish the waiters/waitresses were a little more experienced.
(4)Brian N.
This is one of those places that has ended up being our go to for family dinners when we're out. We have always had anywhere from good to excellent service by the wait staff. Unless it's busy seating is prompt and so is the waiter. Over our quite a few visits we've tried a fair bit of the menu and have enjoyed it. When my kids want substitutions or have odd requests for drinks they have generally done very well with them. Lately I've enjoyed their pizza, the blue cheese burger and their turkey burger. Of course, it's worth mentioning their awesome bread and dipping oil that is served to the table upon arrival. My kids go to town on that stuff. I am pretty sure they would make a meal out of that if we let them. So my Good list: Food, food quality, service, ability to substitute or change for dietary concerns, atmosphere, beer selection and the bread. My not so good list: as previously mentioned it's crazy busy at prime times - bring a book as it's even challenging to get near the bar to order a drink sometimes. Parking can be a bear in the lot and there's not much else for options around there. Also, when busy it's even standing room between the front area and outside while waiting for a table.
(4)Latrycia F.
My fiance and I decided to try out this restaurant since we have never been before. I ordered the spicy cajun jambalaya and she ordered the steak frites. The experience was okay, ambiance was pretty, and the food was delish. However, the pineapple alcoholic beverage tasted like there was hardly any alcohol. So, I ordered an Arnold Palmer and it too was gross. Waaaay too much ice. For the cost of the entire bill (about $94.00), I would have appreciated better alcohol beverages. Just sayin'....
(3)Vicki C.
I have only been here twice and both experiences have not been memorable. We went the first month it was opened. Granted, there are always kinks in services and food when a new place opens up. However, my husband doesn't deserve an ice cold soup. Yuck! The waiter was nice and immediately took care of it by bringing him another. The food was not special but more on the plain slide. The service was excellent and very accommodating. I think that's the only plus! I would not go out of my way to visit this restaurant again for the food. **Update: A month ago, the manager contacted me to discuss the cuisine at Joe's and offered me a gift card to give it a second chance. After providing my mailing address I have not seen anything in the mail. I even followed up two weeks ago and no response. Yikes Joe's, and you want to redeem yourself? :-\
(1)Jonathan C.
Pretty awesome, wait staff treat you like family and never had anything I didn't like. The Ahi tuna salad is particularly nice.
(5)Ron S.
*This is a re-write of a previous review, and is seriously overdue. My apologies for that! Okay, so you can see from the asterisk above, that I previously reviewed this place and I am subsequently re-reviewing, why am I doing this? I experienced an anomaly in service one evening (nothing to do with the food), wrote the review and then was almost immediately contacted by the manager, Jeff. I am a stickler for good service, perhaps I should say a sucker. To make a long story short, Jeff addressed my concerns, and quite honestly is one of the best managers I've met in the restaurant industry. He is professional, courteous, and generally an overall amiable guy. He always makes a point to say hi to people, and make them feel like family. Now, on to the meat of the review: Food: NYAJ comes out on top of the local eateries in the area for me, due to their varied and flavorful selection of food choices. Their pizza is better than the other places in the area that only serve pizza, for starters! I honestly haven't eaten anything that I have not liked yet, and neither have any of the guests I've taken to NYAJ. The bread they serve with the dipping sauce is wonderful, as is every appetizer (pretty sure I've had them all). Everyone is different, so we'll differ on favorites, but they are all good. OH, and the peanut butter thing (try it)! Drinks: The mixed drinks is one area that is sometimes hit or miss, although to be fair I have not sat at the bar so I'm not sure what it's like getting drinks directly from the bartender. They have a good selection of beers (imports, crafts, domestic), and a good selection of liquor, so the ability to get a drink made is not the issue, nor is the flavors. The strength of some has been for me, at least with their specialty drinks like their "Jungle Juice". I have ordered other drinks from there, and they were fine. Also to be fair, we don't go to NYAJ to get drunk, we go for the food. Atmosphere: The atmosphere has kind of a modern industrial feel to it. The booths and tables are large and comfortable, easily accommodating larger parties. The waiting area is comfortable as well, offering a mix of lounge chairs, couches and a long bench seat. Overall: I gave it 5 stars overall because to me, you don't just judge a restaurant (or really any experience) on one piece of criteria alone. The service has always been excellent, no matter the server. The food is always good, even when I order takeout (some restaurants I've noticed aren't always consistent with takeout, NYAJ has been for me). The atmosphere and overall cleanliness are wonderful as well. Bottom-line - Take a date, business or casual, or go with friends, you won't be disappointed.
(5)Talia C.
This place is amazing good food, good service, and nice but casual ambiance! My favorite thing there is the Caesar Salad it's amazing very tangy and fresh with a great texture! Also the pomegranate lemonade is amazing and bottomless for $2.99! The only down side is that the waiter tried to rob us of $10 by bringing our money back $10 short and replacing it with his tip money... But normally the service is excellent and once the manager gave us a free appetizer!
(4)Antony R.
So I come here way more often than I should because of my budget but I can't help it, it's sooooo good! First place I can consider my wife and I as regulars! We get the same thing each time we come, The Mona Lisa! It's the Bomb dot Com! I've never tried a salad so appetizing before, chicken perfectly fried, house dressing which perfectly pairs the salad and chicken, pickled red onions to add a different taste to it, and the list goes on. Butttt, the only reason I gave four stars is because I only wish every time I went there the salad would be the same portion, I came tonight and the amount of lettuce compared to the regular 5 pieces of chicken was slim to none. And it wasn't just mine, three of us ordered the same dish and were all disappointed when we got it. I mean it is an entree salad so make it a salad not a chicken dish. Also we arrived 15 minutes before closing and the first thing the host said was "the kitchen closes in 5 min so we need to put your orders in NOW". What if I arrived 5 min before closing , we wouldn't have dinner!? Kinda disappointing we can't always get the best service and the salad just the way you like it every time, but I guess that's the restaurant business. Other than that I'd recommend this place to everyone, Love this place!
(4)Greg A.
I second Antony Rivera's review as I was with him& his wife, The kitchen just needs to stay consistent with the portions. The entree salad received last night was closer to a side salad. Regardless, the chicken Mona Lisa salad is a signature nyaj item and will make this restaurant go down in history!
(5)Solace C.
The name should speak for its self.... because an average joe wouldnt cook up this crapola of a burger... Any ways... if you watched the movie Mean Girls... remember Regina George and her flock... well, thats the impression I got here. First of all, I get like these glare looks from the hostess for what IDK... Anyways, the place was not busy...but lucky for me and my lunch crew... we all had our work badges and its pretty obvious that we dont have all afternoon to wait for some hockey puck burgers. Drinks! 0 stars! because they have some cheap dishwasher or what have you...because my glass with greasy! with some grit residue at the bottom! I was like wth!!! I was like oh no. I went next door and brought back some bubble tea. The bread basket is no winner either... Seriously, I dont know why people got bat shit for that stuff! Carrabas is better IMO. Service 0 stars: I dont know what it is about waitresses, but I always seem to get some space cadet who believes that her cheap Iphone is more important than her job. We had to wait for everything!!!! Drinks, apps, food! Refills! Check! Change! I mean really!!!! The burgers are noo winner.. Seriously, I waited so long for my burger to be fried on the greaser for this mess?.. Red Robin is much better!!! Seriously! avoid this place!
(1)Dawn T.
Sweet potato wedges are great...the crab cake blt sandwich had to much cake and not enough crab, but really had good flavor otherwise. The bread and dip were good and our waiter was helpful. My aunt got the Nantucket Salad that she really liked.
(3)Ashton T.
Oh my gosh! They have chimay rouge by the bottle for only 8.99!!! Can you say "IN LOVE"?! The food was alright but my server mike was awesome!!
(4)Steven G.
Way Below Average Joe's Dinner on a Wednesday night... 30min wait for a party of 2 so i figured the place had to have something going for it... in reality it was just the restaurants incompetence. There were 5 greeters, all in plain street clothes at the hostess podium... after waiting 30 min, we were seated near the bar area. After about 10 minutes of not having any waiter, we got our own drinks from the bar and let the runner know that we were still waiting to be served. Finally, we pulled a waiter from another table (Trevon R) and he agreed to be our server. (the excuse was that the person working that section of the restaurant did not show up for their shift?!). The hostess who seated us (older lady with short hair) gave a half-assed 'oh sorry about that'. Seating aside, i give Trevon credit for busting his ass as a waiter... but the food was just terrible.... we had the fried calamari which was clearly frozen and came with no sauce, best of all - the seemingly big pile of calamari actually had a hidden piece of bread underneath (as if we wouldn't notice?)! (see pictures) We ordered the jambalaya, and it was inedible and had to send it back we also ordered the bowtie pasta with chicken and mozz, the pasta was overcooked and sauce tasted like spaghetti-o's. (see pictures)
(1)Deddy F.
The bar is nice and warm and the food is good if you like meats. I tried a few of the vegiterian dishes and was disappointed but the meats are great.
(4)Carlo F.
It was our second time dining here and the overall experience was fantastic. From the moment we walked in we were instantly greeted and felt welcomed. Our server Josue went above and beyond to make our experience over the top. The food was great and worth the price. We spoke to Anthony the manager on the way out to compliment the restaurant and the staff. We definitely recommend this place and the server!
(5)DeeDee W.
This is my favorite restaurant in Gaithersburg. I travel for business and when I am in Gaithersburg for the week I eat at Not Your Average Joe's at least 3 of my 4 days. The bread and dipping sauce is so amazing. I am addicted. I have tried most of the salads. I love the different cheese like smoky gouda that they use. I have never had a bad meal. The menu is interesting with lots of good options. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(5)Christy L.
Got it for delivery. It was pretty good. Took a while to get the food, but would get it again.
(3)R j N.
We call it Below Average Joe's. Patio chairs are uncomfortable. Noise level inside is borderline painful level. Service and servers are very good. Food does make it to average on most items. Been there at least a dozen times and sit outside as long as my seat will tolerate their chairs. Probably won't go when weather forces us indoors. A much needed place in Kentlands. But they need to make improvements in noise level and patio seating.
(2)Mark L.
Our family had an outstanding dinner at NYAJ's tonight. Alaskan salmon was very well prepared, fish and chips excellent as well. Service was extremely good, very attentive, our water glasses were consistently filled. Our waiter Alex was especially good.
(5)Bill M.
Took the family here to support a fundraiser for my daughter's school. I have heard good things about NYAJs on the Junkies. The place is warm and inviting with an open kitchen and a nicely appointed waiting area and bar. I am not a big bread eater, but their complimentary bread service was excellent. But that is where the experience stopped being enjoyable. I ordered the stuffed clams (appetizer) and a salad. My wife got the grilled tuscan chicken sandwich with a side of greens. My daughter got the macaroni and cheese. Since I ordered what amounts to two appetizers I didn't expect them to be staggered and wasn't asked by our server, but who knows if this was the trigger for the rest of the experience. The salad came out about 5 minutes later. The salad was fine. I was finished with it in about 10 minutes. We weren't visited by our waitress for another 20 minutes and had no idea what was going on with the order. After another 20 minutes we got served what we thought was our dinner. The chicken sandwich was laid in front of my wife with a side of fries and a pizza put in front of my daughter. We told them this wasn't our order. They re-delivered it to the family behind us who had come in 15 minutes after us (they were another family from our school). Our entrees came out shortly thereafter without the dressing that my wife ordered for the greens. The clams are described as "rhode island clams, mello's spicy linguica, roasted onions and grilled corn, drizzled with tabasco aioli ". All of these ingredients are in there, but there is an overwhelming amount of red bell pepper in them. In the bites without the red pepper, it was OK. I can anticipate the justification that they can't put every ingredient in the description, but bell peppers overpower the flavor of everything they are put in. Take onions out of the description and put red bell pepper. I never would have ordered them if I knew. My wife's chicken was cold. My question is: if it was a pre-grilled piece of chicken why would it take 45 minutes to bring to the table? If it wasn't pre-grilled why was it cold? She just kept saying that there were parts of the sandwich that were warm that shouldn't be and that the chicken was cold. My daughter took one bite of the mac and cheese and didn't eat another. She said it tasted bad. I am usually pretty hard on my daughter for being a picky eater, but she eats the hell out of noodles of any type. I took a bite and wholeheartedly agreed with her. The noodles were overdone mush and were obviously boiled in unsalted water. The "cheese sauce" had no cheese taste either. Its a shame, I was looking forward to eating here. I most likely will not be coming back unless it is just to the bar that does have a good beer and wine selection.
(2)Yelena B.
We frequent NYAJ about 2-3 times a week. The restaurant is just wonderful and offers a huge variety of foods from all over. Some of our top fav dishes are: sirloin tips, balsamic glazed salmon, Cobb salad, pizza, sliders, nachos, and chicken oscar. The kitchen is a from scratch kitchen so you can literally customize any meal ( great for those with allergies). The staff is so kind and attentive. Two amazing servers to always ask for are Adam and Michel. They are the best ever and we look forward to getting seated in one of their sections every time. The happy hour is awesome here as well. Great drink specials and great app specials during the week. Thanks for finally putting a fabulous place in the Kentlands. Also the manager Rich is great. He comes around to all the tables and says hi to people -- tries to make it feel like home. Thanks for another awesome meal!
(5)Kimberley P.
This is my new favorite dinner and drinks spot. Even if you go on a crowded Friday and have a 30 minute wait, get a beer at the bar and head out front to sit in the comfy chairs around the coffee tables. Food is great and a decent price, signature cocktails and beers are a bit pricey. Great ambiance, friendly staff, and clean bathrooms. Sign up for their email club and get 15% off.
(5)Jenn S.
Great outside area during the summer. Not too badly priced, food is pretty spot on 70% of the time. Somethings are a tad too salty or don't belong on the menu. The drinks are awesome.
(4)Dylan L.
Meh. Pretty average actually. It's a tgifridays with a different look and a bit pricier. Gets two stars because the server was really nice.
(2)David M.
Allrite. I've been by twice now so I think it's time to drop a review on these guys. I do like their food and their service is good. One half of my one star knock is that it is sometimes a wee bit overbearing. The survey. The hard sells of their coupons and gift cards. Maybe it was the half a pitcher of the special Paulaner Oktoberfest beer, but that was particularly excruciating last night. Btw- the Oktoberfest schnitzel dish is super. My other half star knock is cos I find the beer list boring. Jazz that up!!! Overall, however, I think this is a solid place. The salads are good. The one with warm goat cheese is a favorite. I also enjoy their pizzas. The bar area is great and I've always been taken good care of by their bartenders. I also give points for a decent outside area with heaters! I was pondering a comparison to a place like Matchbox Rockville. And I'd give the edge to Joe's, I think. Yep. Even pizza wise!
(4)Steven W.
3.5 Stars: A nice addition to 20878 (land of the 3 Star Restaurant). After several meals: 4 Stars: Vast menu (I like all of the different choices and influences) Great Bar Nice Wine Selection in quality and value Great draft beer selection Fun environment--loud in a good way (energetic vibe) Good Service Friendly Staff 3 stars: The food (Nothing has been terrible, but few things have been great) Better cooking would be a bonus, but even if things stay as they are, this place should do well.
(3)Tina C.
Just, well...average. I broke my own rule by going to a restaurant within the first three months of opening. My husband and I had reservations for 7:30 on a Tuesday night. We walked in and four ladies at the hostess stand were chatting with each other, and no one looked up, said hello or we'll be right with you--nothing. The entrance was very packed due to the furniture layout. A blonde hostess finally looked up and I let her know we had a reservation for 7:30. She asked, for two? I said yes. Then he pointed at my 6 week old daughter and said, well what about THAT. I said, my BABY? Yes, it's two plus my baby. I was pissed. She sat us, and luckily, the service was much better. Silvia was the server, and pretty good at that. The menu is too eclectic, in my opinion. It seems more like an awkward identity crisis, plus, there are too many chicken options for a non-chicken themed restaurant. Silvia could tell us that the salmon was farm raised, not wild caught, but could not tell us where either the salmon or halibut was from. We shared the quahog appetizer, which was spicy, mushy and tasteless. It could have benefited from a little crisping of the top in the oven. I ordered the mediterranean chicken. Chicken was bland, rice garnish was excellent, and pizza was soggy because it was plated beneath the rice. My husband had the sirloin tips which were tender and had good flavor. The mashed potatoes were way too peppery. The server did a great job of checking on us and seemed truly interested in the quality of food and our experience. We let her know about the potatoes and chicken, and she immediately offer to replace the items with something else, excellent move. We didn't take her up on it, but a manager did come over. He didn't introduce himself, but apologized for the errors and said he would speak to the chef. My husband ordered the cherry lime ricky (no flavor) and traded it out for the watermelon lemonade (much better). I had a coffee, which was excellent. They even have bottomless iced coffee, although I didn't try it. We ordered the passion fruit sorbet for dessert--tangy and smooth, it was a great choice. Unfortunately, it was served in a brandy glass which was almost too small for the spoon to go in, and you couldn't get to the berries until the sorbet was gone. Another manager stopped by just to say hello. (he runs a joes in Massachusetts) and he was a pleasure! He definitely cared and was kind and friendly. He mentioned that the dessert is usually served in a martini glass and a case was broken earlier in the afternoon. Whoops! Overall, food was just okay, coffee good, and service was excellent (good when severs know where the fish come from, if farm raised or wild caught, etc). Management will need to work out the kinks and we may try again in a few months. However, for the kentlands, just average food at this price point won't last long with all of the other local competition. This could fill a real niche in the area if they can get it together.
(2)Peter G.
This place is very crowd on weekend. Great food and plenty of choices. Perfect for entertain family and friends. Not expensive. It was very nice to sit outside and enjoy your dinner on a warm sunny day.
(4)Nicole A.
I have really tried to like NYAJ, specially since it's a close neighborhood option for dinning out. We have been to NYAJ 4 times over the past year and I still leave each time with the same experience - food is overpriced and lacks flavor; drinks are ok; service is friendly but always slow and we are constantly having to look for our waiter/waitress when we have a question or need some silverware that was never brought to is in time to eat our meals. There is always some mistake with food (i.e cooked well instead of medium, dried/burnt chicken strips, cold meatloaf, missing sides, etc.) We have tried the burgers, meatloaf, salads, ahi tuna wontons, wings, scallops, most kids meals - all 'okay', nothing great, nothing that makes you want to order again. Never had dessert as service is always slow and we just didn't have the patience to make it through to dessert. The manager always comes by to apologize, which is nice, but an apology at every meal here? The decor is great, location nice. I've heard positive things about the VA locations - maybe I've ordered the wrong items? Maybe it was a bad night on all the nights I've gone? Maybe it's just not my thing. Whatever the case, it's a shame. Maybe I'll make it back in a few more months but it won't be because I suggested it.
(2)Patty P.
Love that they have a gluten free menu and understand how to adhere to it. A pleasure to eat here. Almost always eat at the bar with Prince, Carrie Ann and Marilyn.
(4)Jennifer A.
What a no-so-good experience. We came here for my boyfriend's dad's birthday. We made a call-ahead reservation which was a good idea because the place was packed. After what took 20 minutes driving around trying to find the place, with the hostess telling me to park by Noodles and Company (which is still half a mile away - park by Giant), I finally joined the rest of the party. The bread and dip were great. The rest of the food needs improvement. I had the lasagna. My boyfriend had a pizza. His dad had a tuna steak salad and his mom had codfish. Nothing tasted good. For dessert we had the peanut butter pie which was mostly frozen. Here's the bad. They had trouble understanding that we wanted more water. We had 3 glasses for four people. It took four times asking with 2 different people involved, with the last time being not-so-nice, for him to bring the water over the span of forty minutes. He said they didn't have enough glasses in the back and the glasses kept breaking from the dishwasher being too hot. Also, it took over 30 minutes to bring dessert. What made this not take an hour to bring a piece of frozen pie, was me talking to the manager. The manager was nice. He gave us a gift card to make up for the poor service. The waiter wasn't very timely and he kept making awkward jokes about September 11. Who does that??? I mean, what the hell is wrong with that guy? My boyfriend's dad's birthday is on that date and the waiter was just weird about it. If the waiter wasn't so nice I would give this place one star. I gave the gift card to my boyfriend's parents because I'm not looking to return.
(2)John W.
The "Not Your Average Joe's Kitchen and Bar" opened up a new location in the Kentlands (Gaithersburg, MD) and on a Friday night, it was jammed pack with people waiting to get in. Luckily, I had made reservations ahead of time with the OpenTable iPad app. Though the restaurant was filled with diners from wall to wall, it wasn't an uncomfortable seating, there was plenty of room to slide back and relax. The price was moderate with appetizers ranging between $7-12 and dinner entres between $12-19. We started with 3 appetizers, the Ahi Tuna Wontons, Rhode Island Calamari and the Garlic Shrimp Flatbread. And for our dinners, we had the Rosemary Skewered Scallops, Chipotle Barbeque Turkey Kabob, Crab Cake BLT and Anything but Average Meatloaf. We even indulged ourselves with a little dessert, the Passion Fruit Sorbet and Hot Apple Cinnamon Sticks. The food was simply delicious and our waitress, Chrissy, was very attentive to our every needs. The drinks were never empty and the empty dishes were quickly cleared away. We even gotten a second helping of Hot Apple Cinnamon Sticks (kitchen made 2 too many). simpledinings.posterous.…
(4)TJ B.
This is a nice addition to the Kentlands. The bar is great. The food is good. The prices are high and the portions can be small. Okay, let me clarify those points, because they aren't all encompassing... Great bar. They have creative drinks very well prepared. From classic martinis to cold fruity light creations your girlfriend will love. Nice wine selection and plenty of beer on draft. Bartenders were friendly. All the food we got (two visits) was very good. On some of the dishes, I'd question the portion sizes they gave for the price. For instance, the scallop entree ($20), which was very good, comes with 3 or 4 scallops and was sized like appetizer (but priced like an entree). For lunch I got the crab cake sandwich. Everything was very good except the crab cake was ridiculously small. It was almost comical how over-sized the bun looked in comparison to the crab cake. The crab cake should have been on a white castle sized bun (little). It was good though. A friend got the salad that comes in a large bowl (the Waldorf, I think) which seemed like the only fair sized salad that I saw. Some of the salads that came on a plate weren't too big. There is an ahi tuna salad that looks good, but again, small on the portion size, but at $12 I guess that isn't highway robbery. The pizzas, however, seem like a very fair price. I haven't had one yet but I think you can get a cheese pizza for something like $8. Friend got the soup & salad lunch entree and were happy with it. I agree with everyone else that the bread and oil/cheese dip they give out is fantastic. I'll definitely go back, and am happy they are in the area. A great addition to the strip.
(4)Elizabeth M.
Had a terrific meal! The bread and outrageous dip was presented to us as soon as we sat down. Yum! I took the advice of our efficient server, Adam, and had a combination ahi/Mona Lisa salad. Others in my party had flank steak and sirloin tips. Everyone was pleased. We indulged ourselves with their Peanut Butter Thing. Yum again. Wish the music was softer so that we could talk without shouting.
(5)Ash S.
This place does try hard to improve/address complaints. I got a gift card after my first experience and went for a revisit. However... eh. I'm being very generous in giving them 3 stars. I had a steak on a large chunk of iceberg lettuce with blue cheese (this was a trendy dish back in 2004). I did not expect to see the dirty butt end of the lettuce! It's a very critical error to send a plate out containing something that should not be eaten! The steak itself was ok, as was the dressing. My brother ordered the vegetarian burger. Well... it completely fell apart as he tried to pick it up. I mean... it's a veggie burger.... plenty of less fancy places have no problem making them. I did have a couple drinks, and they were good... again though, the problem was it took absolutely forever to get them, I got my second drink well after I'd finished my meal. Not our waiter's fault, he was obviously carrying water/drinks to every single table in the place or something, but I have to question the whole thing. Getting customers drinks is something a restaurant HAS to do. It's by far the highest profit margin item, AND it encourages people to spend more. Heck, I'd have bought another $10 drink if given the opportunity. This seems like the kind of place just not worth the drive and cost, and ultimately, it is ironically very average for this area.
(3)Mike M.
Had dinner here the other night. It's been a while since I did anything other than just drinks at the bar and I'm pleased that they seem to have really developed into a nice restaurant. Service was great. Prices are about normal for the area. What we ordered was very good. My only suggestion would be to the management team: If you're listening, our waitress was fantastic and guided us through the menu answering our questions and making suggestions. There were several items we asked about that she said, in her opinion, were not very good at all. One of which was the crabcake which she described as not a Maryland-style crabcake. She mentioned that the restaurant comes from another part of the country and many of their menu items are more consistent with palettes there. Several thoughts: 1) if you have items on your menu that even your staff thinks are not good, CHANGE THE MENU. Come on, this is simple. 2) Why on earth would you serve a non-Maryland-style crabcake in MARYLAND? 3) Why would you not regionalize your menu? Again, this seems simple..... Fortunately, our waitress was great and the items we ordered were enjoyed by our entire party of 8 folks.
(4)Sloan S.
We were given a gift card here, so we went for a date night this past weekend. The hostess was friendly and seated us right away, and our waiter promptly came to our table and took our drink orders. He was both polite and attentive. I had heard about the watermelon sangria, so I decided to give it a go... it was sweet and refreshing! If you're a watermelon fan, I'd definitely suggest trying it. For food, I ordered the wedge side salad and a bacon blue flatbread while my boyfriend tried the bacon blue burger (can you see a blue cheese theme?). Everything tasted okay and was cooked correctly, but I don't rave about it compared to some other places in the area (although I think this is a great place for a very casual lunch or dinner). Our order came out quickly and there were no issues with the food or service, but I just can't give it four or five stars for what it delivers.
(3)Elana W.
I have gone to this place ever since it first opened. It was really exciting to see a restaurant go into this corner location instead of the old Chicken Out. The first year or so I found the food and service to be awesome and the vibe fun but not overwhelming. The last time I went, about a week ago, the restaurant felt dirty. The bathrooms were not clean. In fact, the toilets were not flushed (I will refrain from any details), the sink squirted water everywhere, there was trash on the ground and the doors looked like no one had ever cleaned them (hand prints and greasy spots everywhere). There was also a bad smell in general. I'm usually pretty understanding when there is something wrong but I was shocked to see the conditions of this place. I'm not sure if they're cleaning anything, at all. It really took away from the food --which I do love!- and left me feeling like the food prep may not be sanitary if the rest of the restaurant isn't. I really really hope to see some improvements here and I encourage the management to freshen things up to make sure people keep coming back.
(2)Vanessa S.
This place gets worse each time I go. The food is good when and if it comes out hot which is about 15% of the time. The service was so slow last night that I didn't want to attempt to talk to the manager and wait another 20 minutes. Even the beer took 15 minutes to be brought to the table. The pizza and quesadilla we ordered were both ice cold. That's crazy when it is 7:30 pm on a Tuesday and the restaurant isn't jammed. We could see plates and plates of food waiting to be brought to tables. The wait staff is just so disorganized. It's a shame because when they first opened they were on point. I won't be returning.
(1)Noel W.
By naming your restaurant Not Your Average Joe's, you open yourself up to a slue of play on words and puns if you don't deliver top quality food and service, and that is exactly what I am going to take advantage of in this review. Not Your Average Joe's is...Good?...Ya. Great?...No...Average?...Yes! Hence the danger of choosing such a name. The food is fine, don't get me wrong. I've ordered out a few times and dined in once, and each dish has been pretty good. There have been small missteps in my opinion(lack of flavor, mainly) but nothing done to ruin the dish entirely. The last visit I ordered the Caprese Chicken Salad Entree and it was pretty bland and the chicken was extremely flat and lukewarm. I'm assuming that the chicken is supposed to be flattened for this grilled dish, but it just seems like it needs improvement. Especially in way of flavor. This was also my first time dining in at Joe's so I was curious about the service and atmosphere of the place. The atmosphere left a pretty decent impression on me. Nice, modern decor, very open and classy. The service was very much like the food. Good but not great. Our waitress was very nice, but pretty awkward and seemed to have a habit of lingering at the table well passed the comfortable amount of time. To sum it up, Not Your Average Joe's should consider raising their standards in the kitchen and dining room service in order to live up to their name. Until then, they might need to remove the "Not" from the logo in order to send the correct message to potential customers.
(3)Aaron W.
Ate there last night. It was busy so it seemed promising. That was where it ended. Our server seemed to have an attitude trying to rush us to order. Then she was not around much after that I ordered a veggie burger thinking it would be basic. As soon as I picked t up the whole thing fell apart. I had to eat the rest with a fork. The fries bordered soggy. I was not the most expensive meal, but have paid less for better. Won't be returning.
(2)PHAN D.
The menu is interesting and has a strong variety of American food options. Waiter told us that everything on the menu is made from scratch. Tried the tomato basil soup and the ahi tuna salad. Soup was pretty straight forward. The portion for the ahi tuna was extremely light. The ambience and polish of the dining room looks great and I like the crowd that it attracts. I want to explore this place further, so I will be coming back.
(3)Maria F.
Food is awesome! Service is great! The place is nice! I like it! Maybe it is a lottle overpriced but, still worth.
(5)Bryce W.
We live in the neighborhood and have eaten at most restaurants in the Lakelands/Kentlands area. We've always wanted to try not your ave Joe's, but have not due to some of the not so favorable reviews on yelp. Anyways, we decided to try it out for ourselves today and were happy that we did. We had the Waldorf and the Almond crusted goat cheese salads, the Pizza, bacon cheese burger, molten cake for desert. Service was a little slow due to the dinner rush as we arrived ~5:30PM and they had a good crowd and it may also be due the low staff level because of the snow storm. However, several of the management staff walked around greeted us and asked if we needed anything which was much appreciated. Overall, a great experience and we will definitely be back!
(4)Jovanna B.
I came here a few days ago. This was my second time here. The first time I went with my sister for a late lunch and we were there for about an hour and a half most of the time was waiting for my meal while my sister enjoyed hers. This time i ordered the sirloin tips medium. They took forever too so the manager came over said the chef wasn't happy with them so he redid the meal because it was charred. He said it would be another 5-7 minutes. As he's speaking our meals come and he is shocked! I dig into my meal and surprise chef obviously wasn't that displeased with it because most of the sirloin was burnt! I am a restaurant manager myself and I wouldn't have let that steak stay at that table after I gave such an extensive explanation as to why it was taking long! I won't be trying not your average Joes again!
(1)Lucy L.
This place is pretty good! The bread they serve you is focaccia bread with caramelized onions. It was sooo good. My family and I could not stop eating it. Also the dip that came with it was good as well. My family and I usually don't like cheese or dips but that dip was exceptional. Great service. Good portions. I will be back!
(4)M A.
Very kind and knowledgeable waitstaff. The food was decent but not incredible based on the price. Great gluten free options. We will be coming back.
(4)Lisa N.
What brought us here: After my first experience at NYAJ's (July 2012), I was reluctant to go back until I got a word-of-mouth confirmation that their service and food had improved. My husband had gone the week before this review and had a very good Cranberry-teriyaki chicken with butternut squash cannelloni. He also loved the olive oil dip that was served with freshly baked bread. With that, I decided to give NYAJ's another chance this past weekend. SECOND impressions: The hostess was on the phone when I arrived, and didn't even look-up to give me a visual that she'd be right with me. It was longer than I wanted to wait. Nevertheless, as soon as I was seated, my waiter, "Joe", served water and took my drink order. Positive: Service was better than my first experience. The wait-time for food was certainly less than half an hour. The food was also hot/warm when received, so that's also much better than the first time when all of our food was cold (and one person's food was unintentionally raw). Negative: First, the OLIVE OIL DIP was not as flavorful as I remembered it. Perhaps it needed more garlic or salt. The bread was warm though. Second, my husband ordered the CHICKEN & CANNELLONI and remarked that the cannelloni was smaller and that overall the dish was oiler than he had last week. This location should really work on the CONSISTENCY of food being served. Lastly, the children's meal we ordered came on a SUPER HOT plate, for a CHILD! What were they thinking?!?!?!?! I almost burned myself touching the plate! What we ordered: (1) Cranberry-teriyaki chicken with butternut squash cannelloni: cannelloni was small and overall the dish was oily, cannelloni stuffing a bit sweet for me (2) Smokehouse jambalaya: a bit "homey" for me, like I could have made it at home. Rice was nothing special. The sauce was a good level of spicy though (3) children's Meatloaf: at least it was cooked in the center, but the "roasted corn, carrot and green bean confetti" looked like they were from a frozen package of mixed vegetables and were definitely not roasted. Verdict: This is strike two for NYAJ's in Gaithersburg. Someone with a raving review of this place would have to seriously twist my arm to visit again. I am not impressed with the food and would rather go to Dogfish for consistently good food. So...I still give them 2 stars out of 5. Perhaps third time will be a charm...
(2)Andrea R.
We have loved this little neighborhood restaurant! The food is really good and always prepared quickly. The hamburgers in particular are great. We've been here more than a dozen times now and service has been consistently good. Priced are very reasonable and there is ample seating (although still frequently waits on most weekend nights).
(5)Michelle C.
There is always a lot of people so had to wait little long but beside that people who works there, they are professionals and friendly. They explain well about foods when I asked and very friendly. I like atmosphere on the restaurant too. Will visit there again.
(4)Adam D.
Pretty good service, but the food can only be described as average at best. Surprisingly good beer selection though for what it is.
(2)Liz J.
Came here for dinner with some friends. Our server, Dustin, was very nice. We had He kept everyone covered with drinks but wasn't hovering over the table. This was my first experience with NYAJ's, and overall I would say it was very positive. There was a lot of variety on the menu, and I found it difficult to pick an entree because there were multiple ones that sounded delicious. I ended up getting the Sole Florentine, which was very good. The fish was perfectly flaky and moist, with a light breading coat and a lingering flavor of the beurre blanc. My husband got the meat loaf and I'm pretty sure he liked it based on the quick speed in which he finished his meal. Prices were ok, probably around $20 average an entree. NYAJ's is having a wine special for the month of April - 20 wines for $25. Some of the wine bottles would probably be a good deal, but there were a couple on the list that I recognized as costing less than $25 when buying at a store (one in particular I've bought at regular price at a store for $18.99, so not sure why all the extra mark-up.) Not a great deal so make sure you aren't getting ripped off on a bottle you select. The bartenders here are also very nice - we ordered a drink while waiting for friends to arrive and the bartenders always had a smile and provided great service.
(4)Juan R.
Went here on my valentine's with my wife. It was the best decision!!! Food is good and you can't beat $20 wine bottles at a restaurant. Great atmosphere and the service was fantastic no complaints. Food was served fast. My advise is make reservations if your going on a Saturday not night cus it gets packed.
(5)Adriana L.
Okay, so this is an update of a 4 star review. We had two decent experiences at this restaurant followed by several mediocre (but still ok) and two just plainly unacceptable. Needless to say, they lost a customer. The first of the two bad times was when it took 1:55 minutes (yes, you read it right, almost two hours) to get our food. The restaurant wasn't even that full and we are still puzzled to this day about what caused the long wait. We were four people, and ordered very standard items that could not justify the delay. At least they had the decency to not charge us after such a long wait. So yes, we ate for free, but that's not what I wanted. I am happy to pay for what I eat. However, I want to have good food served timely and that wasn't the case. Nevertheless, we thought that it was an isolated incident and we went there one more time. We waited almost 10 minutes to get a glass of water (I know because after 5 minutes without a waiter saying at least hello I was ready to leave, but my husband insisted that we gave the place another chance, so I started to time everything). When she finally came, it took almost another 10 minutes to get water. She took our order at 6:47 and we received our food almost at 7:30. I may be crazy, for waiting over 30 minutes in a chain restaurant doesn't make sense. That's it for me. If I want to wait for a long time I'll go to a restaurant that the food justifies the wait. My steak was like rubber and tasted awful, so overall, I left with a pretty bad taste in my mouth for more than one reason. Sorry, Joe's, I regret to say that if you keep going the way you are, you are really endorsing your name as not average - but below.
(1)Meggie C.
I came here based on a friend's recommendation and boy am I glad. Of course, due to the ratings and some reviews, I was hesitant but I saw another Yelper that I knew had came here as well and based off of her recommendation I ordered the Mona Lisa salad. OMG one of the best salads EVER! Since my office is right across from this shopping center, I have came here more than once for this salad because it is just that good. The only thing is, they put quite a bit of sauce in the salad so I tend to order it on the side. Also, it comes with cheese balls which I don't eat. Just not my thing. My friend also tried their Jambalaya which he said was pretty good and he ate the whole bowl himself haha If you love sangria, they have a lot of different sangrias too. I personally love their summer favorite right now which is the Watermelon Sangria. delicious! Definitely give this place a try if you haven't done so! P.S. their bread is dank too
(4)Bruce B.
Good casual restaurant and great bar. One of my favorite places when I am in Gaithersburg.
(4)Samantha L.
(Review from 08/16/2015) Tonight, my friends asked me what's a good restaurant in Gaithersburg to have dinner. Since I've been to locations in NH and MD, I assumed that this location would be just as good, but I was wrong - it's dependent on what you order. This location has patio seating and indoor seating but the restaurant is smaller in size than the other locations I've been to. The bar is on the right when you enter the restaurant. Our server Andi was very hospitable. After sitting down, she placed a basket of caramelized onion focaccia bread with an asiago-garlic dipping oil. The only thing I wished was that they serve the bread warm as opposed to room temperature every time. In addition to iced water, we ordered Watermelon Sangria's, Raspberry Colada, and Dr. Pepper. They served the Watermelon Sangria in regular beverage glasses but sugar rimmed. The Raspberry Colada didn't taste as good as the ones at other places. My friends ordered a House Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette, BBQ Chicken Pizza (but substituted roasted corn for red onion and basil for scallion), and Smokehouse Jambalaya. I ordered the Coriander Crusted Flounder with Spinach, Shaved Fennel, Orange, and Tomato Olive Relish in Light Lemon Dressing with a side Waldorf Salad. I didn't like the taste of the dish so our waitress/server Andi said I could have anything on the menu in place of it so I got a large Waldorf Salad to-go. Kudos to our server who handled this matter the right way.
(3)Stephen C.
I ordered Not Your a Average Joes for delivery and I'm confident in saying that I will never eat there again. My sandwich had basically soaked in the aoli dressing (which I asked for on the side) and was too wet to eat. My side salad looked old and not very fresh. All of this and my food costed $40 for two people....
(2)Catherine T.
Let me start off saying that i was completely in shock that i lived so close to here and did not realize that it was there! My friend introduced me to this restaurant and everything is seriously so flavorful and great! my tastebuds were jumping with joy (corny but it's true!) When you check in on yelp you get a free app and we chose the Nachos. seriously. Great choice, the chips were hot, the sauce was amazing and it was just an overall great dish! My boyfriend ordered a monthly pasta dish i forgot what it was called... but it was a pasta dish very good! it was healthy and delicious. I got the Mona Lisa Salad omg.. best salad ever but personally i don't like the cheese balls lol not my thing i guess! the chicken is so crispy and juicy cooked to perfection it was just amazing. it's my Go-To dish. For dessert we got the "that peanut butter thing" or something like that lol the name is very unique and cute! it explains the dish well, very good. sweet savory treat! My servers when i was there were, Steven and Victoria. their customer service was superb and they were both really sweet. they made sure we had everything we needed and checked on us when needed. i definitely recommend sitting with them. i love this place it's definitely on my top 10 for Montgomery county, MD.
(5)Amber L.
Update to my previous 5 star review... Joes is rocking it out! They are on top of their seating and greeting, winning all around with fantastic service and food. All of my previous visits here were in the evening, it's dark and I've had a few drinks. This time I was here with my mom and 1 year old son for lunch. Marlon was an amazing server! Clearly a pro, he catered to our every need with sunshine, style & grace! Best 'server' I've ever had. Ask for Marlon when you come here, he will take good care of you! On my way to the restroom I got a great view of the beautifully clean kitchen...Very impressed with that. Bar is awesome, the locals love it. Come here if you've never been! Order the dumplings !
(5)Lauren C.
I have been here several times and always had a good experience. Its worth checking out if you haven't been here before. They have a diverse menu that accomodates to many tastes so its a good choice for bringing a group. The food is decent but the customer service here is what made me bump it up to four stars. I came for lunch with my sister and we ordered a few items to split. The waiter heard that we were doing this and without us asking, directed the kitchen to serve the dishes on two separate plates. We thought that was great attention to detail. I prefer to order their salads, sandwiches, and pizza and tend to avoid their pasta entrees but I'm just picky when it comes to Italian food. The food has always been pretty good but nothing has ever stood out as something I must order again. If its a nice day, be sure to get a seat on their patio! Its so nice out there. **They have one of the best birthday email lists around. Sign up for free goodies on your special day!** I need to come back here and check out their happy hour!
(4)Tara B.
Came here during lunch hour. My second time visiting. I received a $15 gift card for my birthday from the restaurant, so why not? I ordered the salmon and my hubby ordered the jambalaya. Delicious! Our server was helpful and other servers were attentive when he was busy. The prices are a little expensive for lunch, but the quality of food is great. Not frozen or pre-cooked. I will come back again!
(4)Isla C.
Extremely average, the ambiance and bar is nice, as well as the decor. There are virtually no healthy options on the menu which deters me from going there. The lettuce wraps were sub-par and each time I go I wonder why I go back. I think there is room for improvement and would be happy to support the restaurant in the future if they change up the menu and a few other changes.
(2)Amanda M.
I have to say that is is "less than average Joe's". I ordered two appetizers and both were sub par. The pork belly and fried egg sounded SO amazing but the pork was unevenly cooked. One side was over-done and overly crispy, while the other side was perfect. Luckily the egg was fried to just a point where the yolk was still runny and I was able to combine that with the over-cooked portion of the pork and make it edible. The other appetizer I ordered was the vegetable spring roll. It was so loosely wrapped that it fell apart after the first bite. It was also flavorless without the dipping sauce. I only ate a few bites. If I am back in the area I may try one of their main dishes, but I won't go out of my way for a return visit.
(2)David R.
Consistent. First, I didn't inform the waiter of the following issues, so I did not give them a chance to fix them. It's my understanding that NYAJ has a full guarantee. Nonetheless, they are consistent with my past experiences at this restaurant. At initial contact, we were told there'd be a 1/2 hr wait UNLESS we were willing to sit at the tiny table. We were. The table was small. And it was unstable and rocked. Shortly after we sat, a waiter started setting up wine we didn't order. Wrong table. But it turns out Wednesday is 1/2 price wine night, so we ordered some. It took about 10 minutes for our wine to arrive. And the wineglasses, while obviously freshly-washed, were hot and covered in rinse water. My dining companion dramatically dried his glass before allowing the wine to be poured. My selection was salmon on noodles. But the bowl was so full of broth that it seemed to be vietnamese pho soup, not noodles, with salmon floating on top. But no soup spoon was on the table, nor was any spoon, so i guess it was supposed to be noodles, not soup. And it wasn't hot or cold. Just warm. Again, I didn't give the waiter a chance to correct. My dining companion has clarified that he was wiping a piece of napkin out of his wine glass, not water. Also he enjoyed his chicken with mozzarella cheese. and he enjoyed the bread. I received the following response from the general manager: Anthony S: Business Manager Hi David, Thank you for Yelping about us last night after you had dinner at Not Your Average Joe's in Gaithersburg. I apologize that you did not receive the food or service to which we are accustomed to providing. I have shared your comments and concerns with your server, the chef, as well as the rest of the team, and have used this as a teaching moment. I appreciate you letting me know about your experience, because by doing so, it affords us the opportunity to improve. If you would like to discuss this further with me, please reply to this email with a contact number & a convenient time for me to call you. Thank you. Best regards, Anthony Sineni General Manager
(3)Mark N.
A Little Better Than Average Joe's! I was excited when this place was going to open as it would be a good addition to the Kentlands area. What I can say is that the service was really good every time I've been there. It's a pretty good size restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, which is nice for big parties. Also, really good for families with kids. You won't be that one family with the loud toddler that everyone hears, it gets pretty loud in there. The bar area is on the right side, a little narrow but plenty of seating. Bars are meant to look narrow and crowded, I guess. I've ordered the ahi tuna wontons for appetizer, herb crusted haddock, and smokehouse jambalaya which were all great. Overall, great experiences from the 4-5 times I've been there with a large group of sniffly, loud kids and their parents. The Good: - Ahi tuna wontons are our favorite anywhere we go, pretty good here. Herb crusted Haddock is tasty as well as their smokehouse jambalaya. - Great service - Good for large groups, family friendly, kids welcome - Big indoor and outdoor seating area, nice bar The Bad: - Can get crowded on weekends, so expect a little wait The Ugly: - Parking can get out of control on the weekends as it shares spaces with other stores
(4)Brian M.
made a stop here when my wife and I couldn't decide where to go for dinner. we wanted someplace quick. we're kind of new to the east coast and didn't know what to expect from this place. based on other yelp reviews, we thought we could give it a whirl. they have a special kiosk/desk for to-go orders, and the hostess patiently and expertly explained their process to me. she was friendly and clear about how it worked, how long our order would take, and how we would know when our order was complete. we both ordered salads. i went with the tried and true caesar salad with grilled chicken. the serving size is plentiful. i wouldn't call it the most exceptional caesar salad, but it was good. plenty of green lettuce. i dislike iceberg lettuce, since it's pretty much just water and void of nutrients. but the lettuce in this salad was definitely green and what more than just water. the chicken was good an juicy, the salad dressing light an flavorful, and a good amount of parmesan cheese sprinkled in. i think my verdict isn't entirely in on NYAJ's, since my salad is one of those things that is hard to get wrong.
(3)C. L.
We ate here on a Saturday night. The place was packed. This isn't reflective of its quality, but more of the fact that there continues to be a dearth of quality, classy restaurants in suburban Mont. Co, which is just sad. We ordered a seasonal special app, the short rib pretzel bites, and they were quite tasty. Their so-called house-made focaccia bread is dry and served cold, which is unfortunate, so it really does need to be dipped in something oily. The jalapeño-cheesy-buttery dipping sauce provided for that dry bread is tasty but why can't they just slather that on the bread and then heat it up and serve it? Then I believe my spouse and I made poor entree choices: the meatloaf and the chopped shrimp salad. Both were very lackluster. Their interpretation of meatloaf is more like a flattened, oversized meatball stuffed with a widget of mozzarella cheese, wedged between two pillows of mashed potatoes. Generously portioned, you get two of these. Okay, but is this meatloaf, or meatballs? It may be an ambitious idea for a suburban MoCo restaurant, but it fails in execution. The meat was dry and tough (either not enough fat content or over-mixed, or both); besides a meager sprinkling of corn, no vegetable side was provided or offered; no sauce or gravy accompanied the "meatloaf"; even the mashed potatoes lacked adequate richness. My chopped shrimp salad could have been on par with something offered by Panera Bread if Panera ever chooses to offer a shrimp salad. Greens all romaine, dressing just drizzled on and not tossed; the shrimp, while flavorful, was cold (implying it was pre-prepared) and not deveined. I had a better grilled shrimp salad at Nordstrom Cafe, the sit-down restaurant inside the Nordstorm department store at Columbia Mall, just two weeks ago, where the salad had been fully tossed for me, the greens were spring greens and arugula and the shrimp were hot. That's really sad. But this doesn't mean I won't return to NYAJ's again. I'm willing to go back and try other menu items before totally ruling them off. Our service was attentive although somewhat impersonal. And I will continue to bemoan the lack of culinary talent in the area's local restaurants.
(2)Scott C.
I was here with a party o 10. The beer was expensive, but a decent selection. Meatloaf was good ( slightly above average). Haddock was only fair. Very bland. Maybe good in Boston, but needs more flavor here.
(3)R B.
This place is terrible. This was my second time as I thought maybe the first time was just a bad night, I was wrong. The service is terrible. Partner asked for water and you would think they would bring two glasses but no just one. I would assume one of the first things you should get when seated is water. The food was dry and bland. Mine was a Bacon, lettuce and turkey on a gluten free roll. It was terrible! No flavor and so dry. Partners was a pecan crusted chicken and it was so badly burnt that you really couldn't eat it. The waiter could have cared less. Typical suburban restaurant and i would avoid this place.
(1)Angel L.
Good drinks (love their unlimited refills of flavored fresh, sugar-rimmed glasses of lemonade) and decent desserts. I rate the food as subpar. Pasta was soggy and there were only two tiny pieces of mozzarella in it. Pizza was blah, but their shrimp flatbread was interesting. Salads are OK, and they make their own dressings, but the few I've tried so far lack flavor.
(2)Allix B.
A few friends and I had an early dinner here on July 4th. Though they were crowded because of the opening, our server was attentive, the atmosphere was great, and the food was delicious. I'm looking forward to coming back and trying a few more items on the menu!
(4)Steve P.
Not Your Average Joe's? I disagree. It's pretty average. I've been twice and don't think I'll be going a third time. I know, chainish joint in the 'burbs but still, there has to be a standard and this place fell below mine. First visit, they were slammed- highlights were fresh bread and very friendly service and the low points were very slow service and overcooked/underseasoned salmon. They were busy and I thought maybe it was just an off night. Went last night for a daddy-daughter night out with my little one. I decided to give the salmon another shot while my daughter went with the chicken tenders and fries. Server was nice enough, brought over the bread and dipping mix, which is pretty tasty. The bread, unfortunately, was on the stale side which was too bad since it was so good on my first visit. Food came out- salmon was better prepared this time, cooked properly but still lacking seasoning and flavor in general. The chicken tenders were decent but the big issue that really stuck with me was the fries- lukewarm and on the greasy side. How this could get out of the kitchen for a meal makes me question there quality control (clearly there is little, if any). They weren't freshly made and had been sitting around for a while. I would have sent the whole thing back but, those of you that have kids know hell hath no fury like a hungry 3 year old. My daughter ate one fry and decided to stick with the chicken- for a kid that had yet to meet a french fry she didn't love, an absolute shocker. I'm glad others have had positive experiences and wish mine were equally as positive. The staff is nice and the environment good, but the food has been inconsistent and just not very good.
(2)Antony R.
So I come here way more often than I should because of my budget but I can't help it, it's sooooo good! First place I can consider my wife and I as regulars! We get the same thing each time we come, The Mona Lisa! It's the Bomb dot Com! I've never tried a salad so appetizing before, chicken perfectly fried, house dressing which perfectly pairs the salad and chicken, pickled red onions to add a different taste to it, and the list goes on. Butttt, the only reason I gave four stars is because I only wish every time I went there the salad would be the same portion, I came tonight and the amount of lettuce compared to the regular 5 pieces of chicken was slim to none. And it wasn't just mine, three of us ordered the same dish and were all disappointed when we got it. I mean it is an entree salad so make it a salad not a chicken dish. Also we arrived 15 minutes before closing and the first thing the host said was "the kitchen closes in 5 min so we need to put your orders in NOW". What if I arrived 5 min before closing , we wouldn't have dinner!? Kinda disappointing we can't always get the best service and the salad just the way you like it every time, but I guess that's the restaurant business. Other than that I'd recommend this place to everyone, Love this place!
(4)Greg A.
I second Antony Rivera's review as I was with him& his wife, The kitchen just needs to stay consistent with the portions. The entree salad received last night was closer to a side salad. Regardless, the chicken Mona Lisa salad is a signature nyaj item and will make this restaurant go down in history!
(5)Solace C.
The name should speak for its self.... because an average joe wouldnt cook up this crapola of a burger... Any ways... if you watched the movie Mean Girls... remember Regina George and her flock... well, thats the impression I got here. First of all, I get like these glare looks from the hostess for what IDK... Anyways, the place was not busy...but lucky for me and my lunch crew... we all had our work badges and its pretty obvious that we dont have all afternoon to wait for some hockey puck burgers. Drinks! 0 stars! because they have some cheap dishwasher or what have you...because my glass with greasy! with some grit residue at the bottom! I was like wth!!! I was like oh no. I went next door and brought back some bubble tea. The bread basket is no winner either... Seriously, I dont know why people got bat shit for that stuff! Carrabas is better IMO. Service 0 stars: I dont know what it is about waitresses, but I always seem to get some space cadet who believes that her cheap Iphone is more important than her job. We had to wait for everything!!!! Drinks, apps, food! Refills! Check! Change! I mean really!!!! The burgers are noo winner.. Seriously, I waited so long for my burger to be fried on the greaser for this mess?.. Red Robin is much better!!! Seriously! avoid this place!
(1)Dawn T.
Sweet potato wedges are great...the crab cake blt sandwich had to much cake and not enough crab, but really had good flavor otherwise. The bread and dip were good and our waiter was helpful. My aunt got the Nantucket Salad that she really liked.
(3)Ashton T.
Oh my gosh! They have chimay rouge by the bottle for only 8.99!!! Can you say "IN LOVE"?! The food was alright but my server mike was awesome!!
(4)Talia C.
This place is amazing good food, good service, and nice but casual ambiance! My favorite thing there is the Caesar Salad it's amazing very tangy and fresh with a great texture! Also the pomegranate lemonade is amazing and bottomless for $2.99! The only down side is that the waiter tried to rob us of $10 by bringing our money back $10 short and replacing it with his tip money... But normally the service is excellent and once the manager gave us a free appetizer!
(4)Mark L.
Our family had an outstanding dinner at NYAJ's tonight. Alaskan salmon was very well prepared, fish and chips excellent as well. Service was extremely good, very attentive, our water glasses were consistently filled. Our waiter Alex was especially good.
(5)Steven G.
Way Below Average Joe's Dinner on a Wednesday night... 30min wait for a party of 2 so i figured the place had to have something going for it... in reality it was just the restaurants incompetence. There were 5 greeters, all in plain street clothes at the hostess podium... after waiting 30 min, we were seated near the bar area. After about 10 minutes of not having any waiter, we got our own drinks from the bar and let the runner know that we were still waiting to be served. Finally, we pulled a waiter from another table (Trevon R) and he agreed to be our server. (the excuse was that the person working that section of the restaurant did not show up for their shift?!). The hostess who seated us (older lady with short hair) gave a half-assed 'oh sorry about that'. Seating aside, i give Trevon credit for busting his ass as a waiter... but the food was just terrible.... we had the fried calamari which was clearly frozen and came with no sauce, best of all - the seemingly big pile of calamari actually had a hidden piece of bread underneath (as if we wouldn't notice?)! (see pictures) We ordered the jambalaya, and it was inedible and had to send it back we also ordered the bowtie pasta with chicken and mozz, the pasta was overcooked and sauce tasted like spaghetti-o's. (see pictures)
(1)Deddy F.
The bar is nice and warm and the food is good if you like meats. I tried a few of the vegiterian dishes and was disappointed but the meats are great.
(4)Carlo F.
It was our second time dining here and the overall experience was fantastic. From the moment we walked in we were instantly greeted and felt welcomed. Our server Josue went above and beyond to make our experience over the top. The food was great and worth the price. We spoke to Anthony the manager on the way out to compliment the restaurant and the staff. We definitely recommend this place and the server!
(5)DeeDee W.
This is my favorite restaurant in Gaithersburg. I travel for business and when I am in Gaithersburg for the week I eat at Not Your Average Joe's at least 3 of my 4 days. The bread and dipping sauce is so amazing. I am addicted. I have tried most of the salads. I love the different cheese like smoky gouda that they use. I have never had a bad meal. The menu is interesting with lots of good options. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(5)Christy L.
Got it for delivery. It was pretty good. Took a while to get the food, but would get it again.
(3)R j N.
We call it Below Average Joe's. Patio chairs are uncomfortable. Noise level inside is borderline painful level. Service and servers are very good. Food does make it to average on most items. Been there at least a dozen times and sit outside as long as my seat will tolerate their chairs. Probably won't go when weather forces us indoors. A much needed place in Kentlands. But they need to make improvements in noise level and patio seating.
(2)Bill M.
Took the family here to support a fundraiser for my daughter's school. I have heard good things about NYAJs on the Junkies. The place is warm and inviting with an open kitchen and a nicely appointed waiting area and bar. I am not a big bread eater, but their complimentary bread service was excellent. But that is where the experience stopped being enjoyable. I ordered the stuffed clams (appetizer) and a salad. My wife got the grilled tuscan chicken sandwich with a side of greens. My daughter got the macaroni and cheese. Since I ordered what amounts to two appetizers I didn't expect them to be staggered and wasn't asked by our server, but who knows if this was the trigger for the rest of the experience. The salad came out about 5 minutes later. The salad was fine. I was finished with it in about 10 minutes. We weren't visited by our waitress for another 20 minutes and had no idea what was going on with the order. After another 20 minutes we got served what we thought was our dinner. The chicken sandwich was laid in front of my wife with a side of fries and a pizza put in front of my daughter. We told them this wasn't our order. They re-delivered it to the family behind us who had come in 15 minutes after us (they were another family from our school). Our entrees came out shortly thereafter without the dressing that my wife ordered for the greens. The clams are described as "rhode island clams, mello's spicy linguica, roasted onions and grilled corn, drizzled with tabasco aioli ". All of these ingredients are in there, but there is an overwhelming amount of red bell pepper in them. In the bites without the red pepper, it was OK. I can anticipate the justification that they can't put every ingredient in the description, but bell peppers overpower the flavor of everything they are put in. Take onions out of the description and put red bell pepper. I never would have ordered them if I knew. My wife's chicken was cold. My question is: if it was a pre-grilled piece of chicken why would it take 45 minutes to bring to the table? If it wasn't pre-grilled why was it cold? She just kept saying that there were parts of the sandwich that were warm that shouldn't be and that the chicken was cold. My daughter took one bite of the mac and cheese and didn't eat another. She said it tasted bad. I am usually pretty hard on my daughter for being a picky eater, but she eats the hell out of noodles of any type. I took a bite and wholeheartedly agreed with her. The noodles were overdone mush and were obviously boiled in unsalted water. The "cheese sauce" had no cheese taste either. Its a shame, I was looking forward to eating here. I most likely will not be coming back unless it is just to the bar that does have a good beer and wine selection.
(2)Yelena B.
We frequent NYAJ about 2-3 times a week. The restaurant is just wonderful and offers a huge variety of foods from all over. Some of our top fav dishes are: sirloin tips, balsamic glazed salmon, Cobb salad, pizza, sliders, nachos, and chicken oscar. The kitchen is a from scratch kitchen so you can literally customize any meal ( great for those with allergies). The staff is so kind and attentive. Two amazing servers to always ask for are Adam and Michel. They are the best ever and we look forward to getting seated in one of their sections every time. The happy hour is awesome here as well. Great drink specials and great app specials during the week. Thanks for finally putting a fabulous place in the Kentlands. Also the manager Rich is great. He comes around to all the tables and says hi to people -- tries to make it feel like home. Thanks for another awesome meal!
(5)Kimberley P.
This is my new favorite dinner and drinks spot. Even if you go on a crowded Friday and have a 30 minute wait, get a beer at the bar and head out front to sit in the comfy chairs around the coffee tables. Food is great and a decent price, signature cocktails and beers are a bit pricey. Great ambiance, friendly staff, and clean bathrooms. Sign up for their email club and get 15% off.
(5)Jenn S.
Great outside area during the summer. Not too badly priced, food is pretty spot on 70% of the time. Somethings are a tad too salty or don't belong on the menu. The drinks are awesome.
(4)Dylan L.
Meh. Pretty average actually. It's a tgifridays with a different look and a bit pricier. Gets two stars because the server was really nice.
(2)David M.
Allrite. I've been by twice now so I think it's time to drop a review on these guys. I do like their food and their service is good. One half of my one star knock is that it is sometimes a wee bit overbearing. The survey. The hard sells of their coupons and gift cards. Maybe it was the half a pitcher of the special Paulaner Oktoberfest beer, but that was particularly excruciating last night. Btw- the Oktoberfest schnitzel dish is super. My other half star knock is cos I find the beer list boring. Jazz that up!!! Overall, however, I think this is a solid place. The salads are good. The one with warm goat cheese is a favorite. I also enjoy their pizzas. The bar area is great and I've always been taken good care of by their bartenders. I also give points for a decent outside area with heaters! I was pondering a comparison to a place like Matchbox Rockville. And I'd give the edge to Joe's, I think. Yep. Even pizza wise!
(4)Steven W.
3.5 Stars: A nice addition to 20878 (land of the 3 Star Restaurant). After several meals: 4 Stars: Vast menu (I like all of the different choices and influences) Great Bar Nice Wine Selection in quality and value Great draft beer selection Fun environment--loud in a good way (energetic vibe) Good Service Friendly Staff 3 stars: The food (Nothing has been terrible, but few things have been great) Better cooking would be a bonus, but even if things stay as they are, this place should do well.
(3)Peter G.
This place is very crowd on weekend. Great food and plenty of choices. Perfect for entertain family and friends. Not expensive. It was very nice to sit outside and enjoy your dinner on a warm sunny day.
(4)Aaron W.
Ate there last night. It was busy so it seemed promising. That was where it ended. Our server seemed to have an attitude trying to rush us to order. Then she was not around much after that I ordered a veggie burger thinking it would be basic. As soon as I picked t up the whole thing fell apart. I had to eat the rest with a fork. The fries bordered soggy. I was not the most expensive meal, but have paid less for better. Won't be returning.
(2)Tina C.
Just, well...average. I broke my own rule by going to a restaurant within the first three months of opening. My husband and I had reservations for 7:30 on a Tuesday night. We walked in and four ladies at the hostess stand were chatting with each other, and no one looked up, said hello or we'll be right with you--nothing. The entrance was very packed due to the furniture layout. A blonde hostess finally looked up and I let her know we had a reservation for 7:30. She asked, for two? I said yes. Then he pointed at my 6 week old daughter and said, well what about THAT. I said, my BABY? Yes, it's two plus my baby. I was pissed. She sat us, and luckily, the service was much better. Silvia was the server, and pretty good at that. The menu is too eclectic, in my opinion. It seems more like an awkward identity crisis, plus, there are too many chicken options for a non-chicken themed restaurant. Silvia could tell us that the salmon was farm raised, not wild caught, but could not tell us where either the salmon or halibut was from. We shared the quahog appetizer, which was spicy, mushy and tasteless. It could have benefited from a little crisping of the top in the oven. I ordered the mediterranean chicken. Chicken was bland, rice garnish was excellent, and pizza was soggy because it was plated beneath the rice. My husband had the sirloin tips which were tender and had good flavor. The mashed potatoes were way too peppery. The server did a great job of checking on us and seemed truly interested in the quality of food and our experience. We let her know about the potatoes and chicken, and she immediately offer to replace the items with something else, excellent move. We didn't take her up on it, but a manager did come over. He didn't introduce himself, but apologized for the errors and said he would speak to the chef. My husband ordered the cherry lime ricky (no flavor) and traded it out for the watermelon lemonade (much better). I had a coffee, which was excellent. They even have bottomless iced coffee, although I didn't try it. We ordered the passion fruit sorbet for dessert--tangy and smooth, it was a great choice. Unfortunately, it was served in a brandy glass which was almost too small for the spoon to go in, and you couldn't get to the berries until the sorbet was gone. Another manager stopped by just to say hello. (he runs a joes in Massachusetts) and he was a pleasure! He definitely cared and was kind and friendly. He mentioned that the dessert is usually served in a martini glass and a case was broken earlier in the afternoon. Whoops! Overall, food was just okay, coffee good, and service was excellent (good when severs know where the fish come from, if farm raised or wild caught, etc). Management will need to work out the kinks and we may try again in a few months. However, for the kentlands, just average food at this price point won't last long with all of the other local competition. This could fill a real niche in the area if they can get it together.
(2)PHAN D.
The menu is interesting and has a strong variety of American food options. Waiter told us that everything on the menu is made from scratch. Tried the tomato basil soup and the ahi tuna salad. Soup was pretty straight forward. The portion for the ahi tuna was extremely light. The ambience and polish of the dining room looks great and I like the crowd that it attracts. I want to explore this place further, so I will be coming back.
(3)Maria F.
Food is awesome! Service is great! The place is nice! I like it! Maybe it is a lottle overpriced but, still worth.
(5)Nicole A.
I have really tried to like NYAJ, specially since it's a close neighborhood option for dinning out. We have been to NYAJ 4 times over the past year and I still leave each time with the same experience - food is overpriced and lacks flavor; drinks are ok; service is friendly but always slow and we are constantly having to look for our waiter/waitress when we have a question or need some silverware that was never brought to is in time to eat our meals. There is always some mistake with food (i.e cooked well instead of medium, dried/burnt chicken strips, cold meatloaf, missing sides, etc.) We have tried the burgers, meatloaf, salads, ahi tuna wontons, wings, scallops, most kids meals - all 'okay', nothing great, nothing that makes you want to order again. Never had dessert as service is always slow and we just didn't have the patience to make it through to dessert. The manager always comes by to apologize, which is nice, but an apology at every meal here? The decor is great, location nice. I've heard positive things about the VA locations - maybe I've ordered the wrong items? Maybe it was a bad night on all the nights I've gone? Maybe it's just not my thing. Whatever the case, it's a shame. Maybe I'll make it back in a few more months but it won't be because I suggested it.
(2)Patty P.
Love that they have a gluten free menu and understand how to adhere to it. A pleasure to eat here. Almost always eat at the bar with Prince, Carrie Ann and Marilyn.
(4)Jennifer A.
What a no-so-good experience. We came here for my boyfriend's dad's birthday. We made a call-ahead reservation which was a good idea because the place was packed. After what took 20 minutes driving around trying to find the place, with the hostess telling me to park by Noodles and Company (which is still half a mile away - park by Giant), I finally joined the rest of the party. The bread and dip were great. The rest of the food needs improvement. I had the lasagna. My boyfriend had a pizza. His dad had a tuna steak salad and his mom had codfish. Nothing tasted good. For dessert we had the peanut butter pie which was mostly frozen. Here's the bad. They had trouble understanding that we wanted more water. We had 3 glasses for four people. It took four times asking with 2 different people involved, with the last time being not-so-nice, for him to bring the water over the span of forty minutes. He said they didn't have enough glasses in the back and the glasses kept breaking from the dishwasher being too hot. Also, it took over 30 minutes to bring dessert. What made this not take an hour to bring a piece of frozen pie, was me talking to the manager. The manager was nice. He gave us a gift card to make up for the poor service. The waiter wasn't very timely and he kept making awkward jokes about September 11. Who does that??? I mean, what the hell is wrong with that guy? My boyfriend's dad's birthday is on that date and the waiter was just weird about it. If the waiter wasn't so nice I would give this place one star. I gave the gift card to my boyfriend's parents because I'm not looking to return.
(2)John W.
The "Not Your Average Joe's Kitchen and Bar" opened up a new location in the Kentlands (Gaithersburg, MD) and on a Friday night, it was jammed pack with people waiting to get in. Luckily, I had made reservations ahead of time with the OpenTable iPad app. Though the restaurant was filled with diners from wall to wall, it wasn't an uncomfortable seating, there was plenty of room to slide back and relax. The price was moderate with appetizers ranging between $7-12 and dinner entres between $12-19. We started with 3 appetizers, the Ahi Tuna Wontons, Rhode Island Calamari and the Garlic Shrimp Flatbread. And for our dinners, we had the Rosemary Skewered Scallops, Chipotle Barbeque Turkey Kabob, Crab Cake BLT and Anything but Average Meatloaf. We even indulged ourselves with a little dessert, the Passion Fruit Sorbet and Hot Apple Cinnamon Sticks. The food was simply delicious and our waitress, Chrissy, was very attentive to our every needs. The drinks were never empty and the empty dishes were quickly cleared away. We even gotten a second helping of Hot Apple Cinnamon Sticks (kitchen made 2 too many). simpledinings.posterous.…
(4)TJ B.
This is a nice addition to the Kentlands. The bar is great. The food is good. The prices are high and the portions can be small. Okay, let me clarify those points, because they aren't all encompassing... Great bar. They have creative drinks very well prepared. From classic martinis to cold fruity light creations your girlfriend will love. Nice wine selection and plenty of beer on draft. Bartenders were friendly. All the food we got (two visits) was very good. On some of the dishes, I'd question the portion sizes they gave for the price. For instance, the scallop entree ($20), which was very good, comes with 3 or 4 scallops and was sized like appetizer (but priced like an entree). For lunch I got the crab cake sandwich. Everything was very good except the crab cake was ridiculously small. It was almost comical how over-sized the bun looked in comparison to the crab cake. The crab cake should have been on a white castle sized bun (little). It was good though. A friend got the salad that comes in a large bowl (the Waldorf, I think) which seemed like the only fair sized salad that I saw. Some of the salads that came on a plate weren't too big. There is an ahi tuna salad that looks good, but again, small on the portion size, but at $12 I guess that isn't highway robbery. The pizzas, however, seem like a very fair price. I haven't had one yet but I think you can get a cheese pizza for something like $8. Friend got the soup & salad lunch entree and were happy with it. I agree with everyone else that the bread and oil/cheese dip they give out is fantastic. I'll definitely go back, and am happy they are in the area. A great addition to the strip.
(4)Elizabeth M.
Had a terrific meal! The bread and outrageous dip was presented to us as soon as we sat down. Yum! I took the advice of our efficient server, Adam, and had a combination ahi/Mona Lisa salad. Others in my party had flank steak and sirloin tips. Everyone was pleased. We indulged ourselves with their Peanut Butter Thing. Yum again. Wish the music was softer so that we could talk without shouting.
(5)Ash S.
This place does try hard to improve/address complaints. I got a gift card after my first experience and went for a revisit. However... eh. I'm being very generous in giving them 3 stars. I had a steak on a large chunk of iceberg lettuce with blue cheese (this was a trendy dish back in 2004). I did not expect to see the dirty butt end of the lettuce! It's a very critical error to send a plate out containing something that should not be eaten! The steak itself was ok, as was the dressing. My brother ordered the vegetarian burger. Well... it completely fell apart as he tried to pick it up. I mean... it's a veggie burger.... plenty of less fancy places have no problem making them. I did have a couple drinks, and they were good... again though, the problem was it took absolutely forever to get them, I got my second drink well after I'd finished my meal. Not our waiter's fault, he was obviously carrying water/drinks to every single table in the place or something, but I have to question the whole thing. Getting customers drinks is something a restaurant HAS to do. It's by far the highest profit margin item, AND it encourages people to spend more. Heck, I'd have bought another $10 drink if given the opportunity. This seems like the kind of place just not worth the drive and cost, and ultimately, it is ironically very average for this area.
(3)Mike M.
Had dinner here the other night. It's been a while since I did anything other than just drinks at the bar and I'm pleased that they seem to have really developed into a nice restaurant. Service was great. Prices are about normal for the area. What we ordered was very good. My only suggestion would be to the management team: If you're listening, our waitress was fantastic and guided us through the menu answering our questions and making suggestions. There were several items we asked about that she said, in her opinion, were not very good at all. One of which was the crabcake which she described as not a Maryland-style crabcake. She mentioned that the restaurant comes from another part of the country and many of their menu items are more consistent with palettes there. Several thoughts: 1) if you have items on your menu that even your staff thinks are not good, CHANGE THE MENU. Come on, this is simple. 2) Why on earth would you serve a non-Maryland-style crabcake in MARYLAND? 3) Why would you not regionalize your menu? Again, this seems simple..... Fortunately, our waitress was great and the items we ordered were enjoyed by our entire party of 8 folks.
(4)Sloan S.
We were given a gift card here, so we went for a date night this past weekend. The hostess was friendly and seated us right away, and our waiter promptly came to our table and took our drink orders. He was both polite and attentive. I had heard about the watermelon sangria, so I decided to give it a go... it was sweet and refreshing! If you're a watermelon fan, I'd definitely suggest trying it. For food, I ordered the wedge side salad and a bacon blue flatbread while my boyfriend tried the bacon blue burger (can you see a blue cheese theme?). Everything tasted okay and was cooked correctly, but I don't rave about it compared to some other places in the area (although I think this is a great place for a very casual lunch or dinner). Our order came out quickly and there were no issues with the food or service, but I just can't give it four or five stars for what it delivers.
(3)Elana W.
I have gone to this place ever since it first opened. It was really exciting to see a restaurant go into this corner location instead of the old Chicken Out. The first year or so I found the food and service to be awesome and the vibe fun but not overwhelming. The last time I went, about a week ago, the restaurant felt dirty. The bathrooms were not clean. In fact, the toilets were not flushed (I will refrain from any details), the sink squirted water everywhere, there was trash on the ground and the doors looked like no one had ever cleaned them (hand prints and greasy spots everywhere). There was also a bad smell in general. I'm usually pretty understanding when there is something wrong but I was shocked to see the conditions of this place. I'm not sure if they're cleaning anything, at all. It really took away from the food --which I do love!- and left me feeling like the food prep may not be sanitary if the rest of the restaurant isn't. I really really hope to see some improvements here and I encourage the management to freshen things up to make sure people keep coming back.
(2)Vanessa S.
This place gets worse each time I go. The food is good when and if it comes out hot which is about 15% of the time. The service was so slow last night that I didn't want to attempt to talk to the manager and wait another 20 minutes. Even the beer took 15 minutes to be brought to the table. The pizza and quesadilla we ordered were both ice cold. That's crazy when it is 7:30 pm on a Tuesday and the restaurant isn't jammed. We could see plates and plates of food waiting to be brought to tables. The wait staff is just so disorganized. It's a shame because when they first opened they were on point. I won't be returning.
(1)Noel W.
By naming your restaurant Not Your Average Joe's, you open yourself up to a slue of play on words and puns if you don't deliver top quality food and service, and that is exactly what I am going to take advantage of in this review. Not Your Average Joe's is...Good?...Ya. Great?...No...Average?...Yes! Hence the danger of choosing such a name. The food is fine, don't get me wrong. I've ordered out a few times and dined in once, and each dish has been pretty good. There have been small missteps in my opinion(lack of flavor, mainly) but nothing done to ruin the dish entirely. The last visit I ordered the Caprese Chicken Salad Entree and it was pretty bland and the chicken was extremely flat and lukewarm. I'm assuming that the chicken is supposed to be flattened for this grilled dish, but it just seems like it needs improvement. Especially in way of flavor. This was also my first time dining in at Joe's so I was curious about the service and atmosphere of the place. The atmosphere left a pretty decent impression on me. Nice, modern decor, very open and classy. The service was very much like the food. Good but not great. Our waitress was very nice, but pretty awkward and seemed to have a habit of lingering at the table well passed the comfortable amount of time. To sum it up, Not Your Average Joe's should consider raising their standards in the kitchen and dining room service in order to live up to their name. Until then, they might need to remove the "Not" from the logo in order to send the correct message to potential customers.
(3)Bryce W.
We live in the neighborhood and have eaten at most restaurants in the Lakelands/Kentlands area. We've always wanted to try not your ave Joe's, but have not due to some of the not so favorable reviews on yelp. Anyways, we decided to try it out for ourselves today and were happy that we did. We had the Waldorf and the Almond crusted goat cheese salads, the Pizza, bacon cheese burger, molten cake for desert. Service was a little slow due to the dinner rush as we arrived ~5:30PM and they had a good crowd and it may also be due the low staff level because of the snow storm. However, several of the management staff walked around greeted us and asked if we needed anything which was much appreciated. Overall, a great experience and we will definitely be back!
(4)Jovanna B.
I came here a few days ago. This was my second time here. The first time I went with my sister for a late lunch and we were there for about an hour and a half most of the time was waiting for my meal while my sister enjoyed hers. This time i ordered the sirloin tips medium. They took forever too so the manager came over said the chef wasn't happy with them so he redid the meal because it was charred. He said it would be another 5-7 minutes. As he's speaking our meals come and he is shocked! I dig into my meal and surprise chef obviously wasn't that displeased with it because most of the sirloin was burnt! I am a restaurant manager myself and I wouldn't have let that steak stay at that table after I gave such an extensive explanation as to why it was taking long! I won't be trying not your average Joes again!
(1)Lucy L.
This place is pretty good! The bread they serve you is focaccia bread with caramelized onions. It was sooo good. My family and I could not stop eating it. Also the dip that came with it was good as well. My family and I usually don't like cheese or dips but that dip was exceptional. Great service. Good portions. I will be back!
(4)M A.
Very kind and knowledgeable waitstaff. The food was decent but not incredible based on the price. Great gluten free options. We will be coming back.
(4)Lisa N.
What brought us here: After my first experience at NYAJ's (July 2012), I was reluctant to go back until I got a word-of-mouth confirmation that their service and food had improved. My husband had gone the week before this review and had a very good Cranberry-teriyaki chicken with butternut squash cannelloni. He also loved the olive oil dip that was served with freshly baked bread. With that, I decided to give NYAJ's another chance this past weekend. SECOND impressions: The hostess was on the phone when I arrived, and didn't even look-up to give me a visual that she'd be right with me. It was longer than I wanted to wait. Nevertheless, as soon as I was seated, my waiter, "Joe", served water and took my drink order. Positive: Service was better than my first experience. The wait-time for food was certainly less than half an hour. The food was also hot/warm when received, so that's also much better than the first time when all of our food was cold (and one person's food was unintentionally raw). Negative: First, the OLIVE OIL DIP was not as flavorful as I remembered it. Perhaps it needed more garlic or salt. The bread was warm though. Second, my husband ordered the CHICKEN & CANNELLONI and remarked that the cannelloni was smaller and that overall the dish was oiler than he had last week. This location should really work on the CONSISTENCY of food being served. Lastly, the children's meal we ordered came on a SUPER HOT plate, for a CHILD! What were they thinking?!?!?!?! I almost burned myself touching the plate! What we ordered: (1) Cranberry-teriyaki chicken with butternut squash cannelloni: cannelloni was small and overall the dish was oily, cannelloni stuffing a bit sweet for me (2) Smokehouse jambalaya: a bit "homey" for me, like I could have made it at home. Rice was nothing special. The sauce was a good level of spicy though (3) children's Meatloaf: at least it was cooked in the center, but the "roasted corn, carrot and green bean confetti" looked like they were from a frozen package of mixed vegetables and were definitely not roasted. Verdict: This is strike two for NYAJ's in Gaithersburg. Someone with a raving review of this place would have to seriously twist my arm to visit again. I am not impressed with the food and would rather go to Dogfish for consistently good food. So...I still give them 2 stars out of 5. Perhaps third time will be a charm...
(2)Andrea R.
We have loved this little neighborhood restaurant! The food is really good and always prepared quickly. The hamburgers in particular are great. We've been here more than a dozen times now and service has been consistently good. Priced are very reasonable and there is ample seating (although still frequently waits on most weekend nights).
(5)Michelle C.
There is always a lot of people so had to wait little long but beside that people who works there, they are professionals and friendly. They explain well about foods when I asked and very friendly. I like atmosphere on the restaurant too. Will visit there again.
(4)Adam D.
Pretty good service, but the food can only be described as average at best. Surprisingly good beer selection though for what it is.
(2)Liz J.
Came here for dinner with some friends. Our server, Dustin, was very nice. We had He kept everyone covered with drinks but wasn't hovering over the table. This was my first experience with NYAJ's, and overall I would say it was very positive. There was a lot of variety on the menu, and I found it difficult to pick an entree because there were multiple ones that sounded delicious. I ended up getting the Sole Florentine, which was very good. The fish was perfectly flaky and moist, with a light breading coat and a lingering flavor of the beurre blanc. My husband got the meat loaf and I'm pretty sure he liked it based on the quick speed in which he finished his meal. Prices were ok, probably around $20 average an entree. NYAJ's is having a wine special for the month of April - 20 wines for $25. Some of the wine bottles would probably be a good deal, but there were a couple on the list that I recognized as costing less than $25 when buying at a store (one in particular I've bought at regular price at a store for $18.99, so not sure why all the extra mark-up.) Not a great deal so make sure you aren't getting ripped off on a bottle you select. The bartenders here are also very nice - we ordered a drink while waiting for friends to arrive and the bartenders always had a smile and provided great service.
(4)Juan R.
Went here on my valentine's with my wife. It was the best decision!!! Food is good and you can't beat $20 wine bottles at a restaurant. Great atmosphere and the service was fantastic no complaints. Food was served fast. My advise is make reservations if your going on a Saturday not night cus it gets packed.
(5)Adriana L.
Okay, so this is an update of a 4 star review. We had two decent experiences at this restaurant followed by several mediocre (but still ok) and two just plainly unacceptable. Needless to say, they lost a customer. The first of the two bad times was when it took 1:55 minutes (yes, you read it right, almost two hours) to get our food. The restaurant wasn't even that full and we are still puzzled to this day about what caused the long wait. We were four people, and ordered very standard items that could not justify the delay. At least they had the decency to not charge us after such a long wait. So yes, we ate for free, but that's not what I wanted. I am happy to pay for what I eat. However, I want to have good food served timely and that wasn't the case. Nevertheless, we thought that it was an isolated incident and we went there one more time. We waited almost 10 minutes to get a glass of water (I know because after 5 minutes without a waiter saying at least hello I was ready to leave, but my husband insisted that we gave the place another chance, so I started to time everything). When she finally came, it took almost another 10 minutes to get water. She took our order at 6:47 and we received our food almost at 7:30. I may be crazy, for waiting over 30 minutes in a chain restaurant doesn't make sense. That's it for me. If I want to wait for a long time I'll go to a restaurant that the food justifies the wait. My steak was like rubber and tasted awful, so overall, I left with a pretty bad taste in my mouth for more than one reason. Sorry, Joe's, I regret to say that if you keep going the way you are, you are really endorsing your name as not average - but below.
(1)Meg S.
Finally had a chance to try out Not Your Average Joe's and I LOVE it! Two of us had the cranberry-teriyaki glazed chicken with butternut squash canneloni while the other had the bowtie pasta with red sauce and chicken. We were thrilled with our food, and loved our waiter, Doug C. All these years I've been taking my DC and NoVa friends to Cava to show off the best of Gaithersburg, but I'll be so proud to add Joe's to the rotation now. Also, I was able to make a reservation for three for Friday night a day ahead, so if you want to avoid the wait, try to call a day ahead. And I'm ashamed to say we were so happy and comfortable at our table we "camped" there for about 10 minutes after the check arrived...I had such a nice time I was sorry to have to leave. :)
(5)J.m. R.
Great place, nice atmosphere, plenty of seating indoor and outdoor. Wait staff was polite and prompt. Menu items are different from your average americana style restaurant, but they still have good burgers. Draft beers in two different sizes were nice for the discerning drinker.
(5)Megan S.
This place is quickly becoming one of my favorite places. The servers are friendly, and the food has always been great. The food is always really fresh - especially the fish. What bumps them up to a 5 star restaurant for me is how they handled my new allergies. I asked my server about gluten free options, and not only did she bring me a gluten free menu, but also put in an order of gluten free bread for our table (made with rice flour!). I had the salmon and it was great. A manager came by to ask me whether my food was good, and went on to explain how they have their chefs change gloves and take every precaution to avoid any cross contamination. I kinda wanted to cry because its the first place I've been that volunteered this info and didn't treat me like a crazy person for having allergies. I've been back twice since then, and have received the same friendly service each time. It's really great having one place that I know I can eat out at without getting sick. :)
(5)Dennys P.
I've probably been to Joe's 6 or 7 times since it opened. The place is great. I have my favorite entrees already and can order them without a menu. They are always great. The ambiance is great. The service has always been super friendly. The waitstaff has always been very personable. I feel like I know a few of them already pretty well. The prices are very reasonable. You can get a turkey burger and mediteranean salad for $10. You can't beat that. It's delicious. The wine selection is good and they carry one of my favorite red blends - Apothic Red. For desert I've always been a fan of the Peanut Butter Thang but tonight I just tried the Breadpudding and It is decadent. Warm, gooey, sweet, but not too sweet. Just right. Wish I would've saved more room to finish it. Definitely enough for 2. I recommend getting on their email list as they always have some great special and they are usually worth taking advantage of. Highly recommend!
(5)Cat L.
3.5 stars. This place has an extensive menu with average prices. The bread and drinks seem to be solid, but the entrees are hit or miss. I came here on a Friday night with a group of 3 and it was packed. The host initially told us that the wait would be close to an hour, but we luckily got seated within about 30 minutes. What surprised me was that when we left the crowded waiting area and walked around the divider to the actual seating area, there must have been at least 4 empty tables. I don't know what the reservation situation was, but it left a bad impression. The highlights of the meal were definitely the bread and the raspberry lime rickey drink. The biggest disappointment was the meatloaf that I had ordered. It sounded delicious from the description, but it came out completely different than expected. There were barely any vegetables (a sprinkling of the veggie mix typically found in frozen packages) and fried onions on top. It tasted like a strange twist on Thanksgiving stuffing. I could only eat a few bites because it was so odd. The other dishes that my group ordered - the southwestern burger and the steak sandwich - were much more satisfying. Note that the steak sandwich is more accurately described as a steak WRAP because it comes in a thin wrap. Our server had told us beforehand that the food would take a while to come out, so we were prepared for that wait. The restaurant does seem to be very accommodating for customizing each dish for food allergies or other preferences, which was a nice touch.
(3)Valerie S.
My family eats here on occasion for big dinners, and all of our experiences have been very positive. The last time we had a very friendly waiter who was charming and patient, especially dealing with my grandmother who has Alzheimer's - she accidentally broke a plate and he was quick to pick it up, make a joke, and let the situation blow over. Another favorite moment was on Mother's Day when a different waiter checked in with my mother several times and snuck her an extra little box of chocolates - we love all of the waiters we've had here! And, the food is great too. I have to say the Almond Crusted Goat Cheese salad is the absolute best thing on their menu - we get it every time and I swear, I have dreams about it.
(5)Salam D.
Be careful with their gluten free menu!!! My wife and I ate there this past Saturday evening. My wife has Celiac Disease, so gluten makes her VERY sick. Joe's has a gluten free menu, so we asked for it. The hostess happily brought one over and it had plenty of stuff she could eat. She ordered a gluten free beer (Dogfish Head), a California Roll sandwich on gluten free bread, and the gluten free carrot cake. They also brought some gluten free bread to the table before the meal. Everything tasted good, and the service was good. However, none of that counts when she's physically sick about an hour after eating. She called the manager of the store the next day to let them know so that they can try to figure out why this happened so that they don't make someone else sick. He apologized, but did NOT offer a refund on dinner. I guess throwing up the food doesn't count as a reason for a refund. He said he'd talk to the chef to figure out what happened and get back to her, but he never did. This tells me that not only are they unconcerned about the diners' experience but they're also not all that interested in their diners' well-being. I know that to 99% of the diners, this doesn't matter. Most restaurants don't offer a gluten free menu, which is fine. However, if you DO offer gluten free, then you damned well better make sure the food really is gluten free. Otherwise you're going to make people very, very sick. It's not a joke.
(1)Bruce K.
Another smashing hit that got rave reviews from my wife. Thanks, Yelp. You got me some serious points for sending us to a yummy meal at Not Your Average Joe's. Fairly average strip mall from the outside, a nice urban and hipster feel on the inside. Not sure how else to describe it other than "warm and welcoming." While they had a few folks watching the game in the bar area, we had a table over to the side where we got some great service. I wasn't too hungry (picnic where there was plenty of meat for me but not much "not meat" for my vegetarian wife), so I just had the goat cheese flatbread. Plenty of it and quite tasty. Really delicious. But the winner here was the veggie burger. Absolutely top notch one of the best veggie patties we've had in a long time. Just seriously tasty and with a great texture, topped with a slice of yummy Swiss cheese, my wife was talking about it for days. Tip: Get the greens with a blue cheese dressing on the side, then pour some of that cheese (and some of the greens!) on the burger too. Awesome. Joe's - when you come to the Charlotte area, you let me know. You've got a fan right here.
(5)Kelly P.
Spencer is a great waiter! The summer menu had some great Asian fusion and the flavours were excellent.
(4)Katelyn K.
Came in for an early lunch over the weekend. They had several interesting looking items on their specials menu around an Octoberfest theme. The service was good and the food was pretty good. Only complaint: The pizza dough was resting near the door to the hall with the rest rooms. There is no sneeze guard so people coming and going from the bathroom are passing right by the uncooked dough. I would recommend they move where they rest the dough, or add in a small glass partition.
(4)Allen S.
Believe it or not, I have only been here twice for happy hour. I definitely need to make a trip back during another time other than happy hour. During my most recent visit, the whole entire experience was spectacular. The restaurant atmosphere was nice and quiet while patrons were able to enjoy their food and drinks without interruption. You'll appreciate the ambiance and feel to the restaurant. Another thing that I liked about this place was that it was very clean on the inside. Once I sat down in the bar section, I was greeted by a friendly server who recommended that I check out the happy hour menu. I took a glance at the menu and decided to select all the happy hour specials. I ended up ordering the nachos, chicken wings, sliders, and a sangria. Let me say that you can taste the freshness of the food and drinks. The nachos tasted like everything was made from scratch. The nachos come prepared with tortilla chips, chicken, mozzarella cheese, corn, guacamole, onions, tomatoes, and a special sauce. I requested to add some sour creeam on the side since it doesn't come on the nachos and it became the finishing layers. They don't give you a big heaving portion of nachos, but for the price and very high quality of taste, it speaks for itself. I also like how they position the nachos on the plate. It shows that the chefs put some thought into the presentation. The rosemary and butter chicken wings were good!!! The cooked them just right and they were some pretty decent sizes. I paired the chicken wings with some ranch dressing and some blue cheese. This place also doesn't skimp on the dressing like a lot of other place. The dressing was never runny like they added water to the dressing to stretch it out longer. The sliders were so delicious, I actually had to place a second order for some more. You can select from either crusted mustard chicken, cheeseburger, or turkey burger. I opted to get a variety of all three and I couldn't select on which one was the best out of the bunch. They come out fresh and they are served on a warm toasted potato bun. The sangria was very delicious and you can literally taste the freshness of the fruits. I highly recommend this place to everyone living in the Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Kentlands area.
(5)Cary B.
Does this restaurant want me to go on a diet, or does it won't me to buy food and eat? The staff is amazing; my waitress is awesome...but the menu is full of salads and gluten free alternatives. The only steak on the menu looks to be an over priced strip at 32 bucks, and that is it for steaks. The fish and chicken offer five entrees each, of which, half are in the form of a salad. Each meal offered little appeal to my eyes, much less my stomach. The last word [TLW]: Don't eat here UNLESS you are on a diet. No steaks except for over priced strip. The bread was good. The beer was cold. And the waitress was great!
(3)Nicole B.
I've eaten here with family twice now, and both times have been pretty stellar. The food here is really flavorful and creative--the grilled steak wedge salad is a favorite of mine; bacon, blue cheese, horseradish, and iceberg lettuce all pulled together with steak is amazing. The mango lemonade is amazing (although maybe too sweet for some?). Sure, their bread can be a little rubbery, but that's never bothered me much. The waitstaff here is very observant and very helpful, which is always much appreciated, and they really do care about your feedback--I thought the optional survey given to you at the end of your meal was a nice touch. Anyway, give this place a try... you'll be glad you did.
(4)Janelle J.
First time dining here and let's just say it lacks charm or even hospitality, for that matter Upon arrival, we checked in at the hostess stand only to be told that there would be a ten minute wait, at best, since there were several couples ahead of us. At which time, I said 'we will be at the bar, do we need to check in with you from time to time for the status of our table?' To which the hostess replied, 'no need. I'll come to get you.' We ordered drinks at the bar, a Manhattan for my husband and the strawberry wine with elderflower, absolut citron, lemonade and strawberries for me, can't remember the name of it--maybe sparkling bubbles. Both drinks were good and the bartenders are engaging and friendly. After about ten minutes, my husband gets a text on his phone saying that our table is ready. When we arrive at the hostess stand, we are informed that it would be just a moment bc another couple was seated in our place since we were 'unresponsive'. Really?!! I challenged the hostess on it and reminded her that I asked if we needed to check in with the hostess stand again and was told that someone would come to get us. She insisted that someone came to the bar and called our name. However, I don't believe it since we heard names called for other tables, but not ours. Mind you, the restaurant isn't that loud and we were standing at the bar in a spot nearest to the hostess station. Well, that takes them down one star. Non existent Hospitality, smh When we were finally seated, we were greeted by Javoni, a very welcoming and friendly server, who was most professional and another young lady, Nini, who was much more pleasant than the employees at the hostess stand. Very refreshing to see both of them. After we settled and ordered our appetizer, a restaurant employee- I assume a manager or kitchen manager- stops by our table and mumbles something as he leaves a plate on our table. When I informed him that we didn't order the dish, he said 'for your wait at the door' and walked off. So, we sat with this mystery dish before us trying to figure 1) what it was? 2) why it was just left with no explanation of what it was? and 3) why weren't given the courtesy of being asked whether we had allergies or a preference for anything in the dish? When Javoni returned, we informed him of what occurred and he explained that the dish was nachos. He even seemed surprised that it was left at our table. Thank you Javoni! Had it not been for his explanation of it being the house nachos, we would not have known--- another star gone The buffalo tenders we ordered we good. IMO, the pineapple salsa complimented it well. As for the remainder of the menu, nothing really jumped out at me. A better food selection would be welcomed. I ordered a Waldorf salad. I'll post a picture of it. I asked for it without cheese or chicken. It comes with pulled chicken or for an up charge, you can change the meat. The table bread is ok. It comes with a parmesan/olive oil mixture that is complimented with cracked red pepper. I'll take a picture and post that one as well. Overall, this restaurant needs work. Hospitality could be improved, hostesses up front need training. It would also be welcomed to have an explanation of what's being left at the table without guests being challenged with a 'guess what this is' game during dinner. As of now, Joe's is far from even average at this point. Lol, my salad just arrived WITH CHEESE. I'm done. check please!
(3)Peter K.
Great spot & great service! Cobb salad was an avocado convention. Good selection and fun atmosphere.
(4)Garrett S.
My brother and I took our mom to dinner for her birthday. We had been a few times before, and felt we'd have a good meal here. We made a reservation via Yelp/OpenTable which was great, no issues getting seated. The bread was good and our drinks came out quickly. We used the check-in coupon for some nachos and also got an order of the Buffalo chicken tenders. While the Buffalo tenders were spicy, I LOVED the nachos. Everything about them was great. Interesting and appealing presentation, with super practical half-tostadas as chips. I appreciated that they actually put chicken, cheese and onions on EACH tostada rather than dumping a bunch of stale chips on a plate and dumping a pile of slop on top as so many restaurants are apt to do... Mom and bro got burgers which they liked. I got the mustard-crusted chicken which was awesome! I would definitely get it again. We tried the Peanut Butter Thing for dessert, which was DELICIOUS and plenty for us to share. The manager came by to thank us for visiting and made sure we were happy. It was pretty nice to see him being appreciative. It could be 5 stars with a change to the type and volume of music, and the food could be a notch better. It wasn't bad by any stretch but the only thing I was super impressed with was the nachos, which my mom and bro were not raving about. A solid dinner place in Kentlands, and we'll probably come back some time.
(4)Mayssam J.
service is great! the food was not bad. have earned here three times and all 3 times service has been in on point! However the food has been hit or miss and that why they get 3 stars.
(3)Marjorie M.
Never been here before but the food was pretty good. Gretchen was our server and she was very sweet and so attentive! She made me feel more like a friend then a guest!
(5)Margarita R.
The best thing about their Portuguese Cod is beans that come with it. The fish is bland and overcooked. The service was excellent. Probably will not go there again.
(3)Priscilla Y.
The food was just average. The Smokehouse Jambalaya was disappointing. It lacked the Cajun flavor and was more like tomato sauce. The rice was too mushy making this whole dish a chore to eat. The grilled chicken in the Pumpkin Mole Chicken was not too bad. The pumpkin mole sauce was sweet and interesting, but I was not a fan of it. The only thing good with this meal was the starter bread and the flavorful dipping oil. The price of the food is not worth it for what you are getting. Service was super slow even though the restaurant was not packed.
(2)Fred K.
I'm a fan now after coming here so many times (2 min walk for me). They have greatly improved its food here. Just had the flounder florentine and was cooked just right. They had their around the world menu last month and their coq a vin was actually not bad! Always been a fan of their turkey burger too. Good selection of bottle wines for under $30 (a rarity these days). Service has improved too. Had a great server tonight who made me feel very comfortable here. Make sure to sign up after the survey, as the birthday coupon includes free entree and dessert! Bonus!
(4)Jevonne K.
So apparently businesses can have unfavorable reviews removed. So let me try again. I came out to eat with 7 other people. We all had something wrong with our meal and didn't enjoy it at all (except for the bread and oil). Two of us decided to send our entrees back while the rest of us ate what we could. The steak was over cooked, as was the sushi ( I didn't think this was a thing before this night). The restaurant attempted to make things right by offering us free dessert. Most of us declined FREE dessert and two people actually ordered. The chocolate cake with chocolate filling was grainy. None of us enjoyed our meal and we don't ever plan on eating here again. One star from the 8 of us, less of we could.
(1)Robert R.
Thursday evening 5/21/2015: First timers at this Restaurant. We called ahead and made a reservation for 10 people. We showed up at the appointed time, 6:45 PM and became a party of 12. They quickly accommodated us by adding another table. Our server was Eric. He was outstanding. He could not do enough for us throughout the evening. Exceptional service and extremely attentive. We ordered a variety of appetizers, soups, salads and entrees. All of us enjoyed our meals and the food was obviously delicious. And as others have mentioned, the bread and oils for dipping were exceptional. We will eat here again next time we are in the area and will ask for Eric. Bob Zip 33598
(5)Sherry R.
Their salmon was pretty good. I also like their wedge salad. In a convenient location to my home. however, it is tough to find parking in this shopping center-especially on the weekends.
(4)Connie M.
I have to start by saying the food is REALLY good here...and this should be a 4-star review but service at the bar was hit AND miss during my visit (speaking as a former server). My baby sister has been raving about the food for over a year but I remembered her last visit was marred by the service. I always head to the bar because bartenders take great care of clients. Usually. Maybe this was an off day... Happy Hour had just ended but seats were still a premium. I squeezed onto a single chair and after one pass, I was greeted brightly by the female bartender who brought me a menu. I order a tall blue moon for $7. It took me a few minutes to peruse all the items and read the details but she never made eye contact with me again. The male bartender comes back and notices me looking around right away. I placed my order and within just a couple of minutes a bowl of clam chowder was in front of me. I thought there had been a mistake because I had ordered a cup for $4.50 but it was no mistake...this was not a puny cup but at least 12 ounces of tender clams and cubed potatoes swimming in a luscious bowl of buttery goodness. This was the best clam chowder I have had and I asked the female bartender if it was made in house since NYAJoe's emphasizes food made from scratch. She had no idea and instead of finding out for me, she just shrugged and said "maybe". Wow. While adding the oyster crackers, I read a Yelp review raving about the free bread so I asked for some immediately with the plan of sopping up every drop of my chowder!! A generous portion of pecorino romano, olive oil and crushed red pepper was placed in front of me. I was taken aback as this looks like the concoction I always make up at Macaroni grill for their focaccia. I took a sniff and must have looked baffled (I was but only because I was pleasantly surprised!!) because the male bartender asked me if I had tried it before and described the ingredients when I said I had not. Mmmmm...the goal was to use the bread with the chowder but I could not get enough of the dipping sauce....decisions!! Trying to decide what to order was difficult as so many things sounded delicious. I almost made a meal out of appetizers just so I could try a few different items. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that they offered side salads of their entree salads which meant I could add the cup of chowder! The almond crusted goat cheese with raspberries, candied pecans and raspberry vinaigrette over spring mix ($7) lived up to my high expectations!! I was impressed that I could also "add-on" options like chicken ($4), steak, turkey, shrimp ($5) or salmon ($6) to the side salad. As these were the same prices for the entree salads, I thought I would be given a generous portion of the steak tips. A little disappointed as I had only 3 tips although they were cooked to perfection!! There was about 1.5 oz of goat cheese and it was slightly warm and the vinaigrette was a tad tart which made it the perfect accompaniment to dip the bread...too bad I was stuffed by the end and couldn't even finish the generous portion of bread! (insert sad face here) Absolutely FANTASTIC meal. However, after finishing my meal, I sat for 7 minutes trying to catch someone's eye for the check. The restaurant had filled up and the bar (including the tables) was 1/2 full. I wasn't in a rush or would have flagged someone down. Once I caught the male bartender's attention, I asked for the check...but that was their loss because my glass had been empty those 7 minutes and they could have "up-sold" me with dessert or another beer if they had even bothered to ask. First rule of server school...up-sell, up-sell, up-sell. Sorry Joe. Your concept is great and your food is rumored to be outstanding. I eat out 6 times a week and there were so many items I wanted to try on your menu. Great food runners. Unforgettable bartenders. But not in a good way. P.S. I told my friend from Boston about your clam chowder but warned about the service. I am tempted to come back for the chowder and bread alone...but will sit at a table next time. Sigh.
(3)Uzi S.
I ordered the Sushi from their gluten free menu which was really good! (Appetizer). The entree I ordered Sage Salmon (also from the gluten free menu) was good BUT wayyyyy tooo oily. Really unecessary I could taste the oil in each bite. I'm obviously a health freak if I'm ordering from your gluten free menu so why smother my entree with oil?
(3)Elisa L.
Went here yesterday and it was delicious. I got the Chicken Mona Lisa and my friend got the Mustard Chicken. I opted for a salad because I wasn't that hungry and I remember thinking that if I'm paying $13 for a salad, it better be the most amazing salad I have ever had. And it definitely did not disappoint. However the salad was supposed to have balsamic marinated strawberries, but it seems that they only put 1 quartered strawberry in my salad.. The reason it is 4 stars is because the service was a bit... Our server checked up on the surrounding tables much more often than our table. And after dropping off the bread, he came back about 10-15 minutes later for our order. However, the food did come out promptly afterwards, about 10 minutes? And they were good with refilling our drinks as well.
(4)Deborah B.
Unusual spin on some favorites, the nachos are an elegant stack of chips layered with fillings, in sort of a tower, not at all like the mounds you get at some local bars. Service was spot on, even though we sat at the bar on this Sunday morning. Pizza, fresh thin crust with fresh toppings, crisp crust from a wood fired oven you can see from the dining room. I love the open kitchen atmosphere - the fresh olive oil herb rubbed bread is amazing.
(4)Richard D.
The room is quite pleasant. The service was excellent. The food was only fair. My meatloaf,which is supposed to be their most popular dish, was bland. I didn't bother to finish it.
(3)Kristen H.
I've gone to this place several times since it has opened up in this location. Everything about this place is great. The decor is very hip and it's a very wide space. The staff are friendly and the managerial staff are very good about checking in on you to see how your experience there has gone. They seem like they genuinely care about the satisfaction of their customers. The last couple times I have gone I have had Sylvia as my waitress and she is great at recommending certain dishes if you've never been there before. They come out with new items on the menu every month and always have new and fun specials for certain days of the week. They have oyster and martini Mondays, Beer and a Burgers Tuesdays, and Winesday, all very reasonable priced. Their dishes are always so creative and delicious. One I would recommend is the ahi tuna wontons for an appetizer, it's so light yet full of flavor. I will keep coming back to this place for sure!
(5)Bruce L.
Wonderful meal from a scratch kitchen! Glad we stopped in. Has not planned it. Kids pizza was great and has great crust from their wood fire oven. My handmade burger was as good as any of the boutique burger places that I love. Waitress was new, but handled is very well and is an asset to the restaurant. Love the fresh cut fries. I will have to come back when someone else it driving because they have some great drinks to try. I feel a date night coming on!
(5)J D.
Omg. You must try the "the great pumpkin martini" you will not regret this !!!!! I have been to this establishment several times and have never been disappointed. The alcoholic drinks are creative, very palatable and actually contain alcohol. This night, service was provided by "Josue". Great attentive service. Josue anticipated our needs and wants like a psychic. I had the lettuce wraps (appetizer), my co-workers had the buffalo wings (happy hour deal) and a black bean burger w/salad. (yea, damn vegetarians waddya gonna do?) When one of us requested a meal without the carmelized onions, the Chef came out from the kitchen, apologized and explained he was unable to provide the meal that way because it comes "pre-fab" if you will. Yes. I said "apologized". The gratis bread with blue cheese and olive oil dipping sauce is always top notch and the server makes the concoction before your very eyes upon your being seated. All employees seem to like their jobs, and strive for perfection. Just do it.
(4)Josh F.
We walk in and the place looks nice. We sit down and they bring us bread and oil; that was really tasty. The waitress comes and asks for our drink order; fiancé and I ask for water. The waitress has to send another server back in less than 2 minutes to ask us again. The menu is average, not a lot of choices and the prices were higher than average in my opinion. I understand the name of the place but the food selection is two small. We both ordered burgers; GREASY!! I mean for the price I paid for a burger, I would expect a well made burger without that much grease. My fiancé had a puddle on her plate afterwards; and we both couldn't finish. To top off our visit, the waitress kept yelling at the other servers bossing them around. Servers kept arguing and complaining about each other. I will not be returning as the food was mediocre at best as well as the environment was ruined by loud, obnoxious, and dramatic wait staff.
(1)Ryan S.
FIRST OF ALL... The bread is to die for!! Dense, moist bread, with a crunchy crust paired with the perfect compliment of olive oil and Parmesan. I am not what they do different, but they are doing it right. The sandwiches for lunch is a great choice, but make sure you have some time during the week because this hot spot is packed to the brim. Finally the service was excellent. They even gave us a coupon and bread to take home with us. I would love to try dinner sometime!
(4)Richard J.
So disappointed! I had the cheese steak egg rolls and the buffalo-caribbean chicken tenders. After waiting for a considerable amount of time, our food was brought to us by a server that seemed less than happy to be there. When we asked for some silverware, she just huffed off. We finally were able to get the attention of the bartender and asked him for silverware, as our food became colder than it already was, the server came back and gave us the utensils, then huffed away. The tenders had good flavor, but were lukewarm, the egg rolls were more to the cold side. I would have sent them back but I was starving. The only saving grace was the half price bottles of wine.
(2)Kimberly T.
I really like this place, mostly because I super love seafood. Usually when I have come it was during off hours so it was not as crowded, and the staff was really attentive. I usually get the scallops since they get it from Maine I believe ( I muggy be wrong) but they are delicious. I always get the scallop dish. I wouldn't even suggest getting an appetizer since the olive oil, and cheese dip for the bread is amazing. They fresh bake their bread with like cheese and onions on top. It is amazing, I could just eat that basket by itself. The cocktail drinks are pretty good and fruity which I like.
(4)Ana B.
The food here is disgusting. For my gluten free bread they gave me microwaved chunks of onion roll to dip in overly garlicky olive oil. The Thai chicken lettuce wraps came with boiled chicken and wilted lettuce. The Vietnamese salmon literally was in three inches of yellow oil and fish sauce. This place tries to have a sophisticated eclectic menu by sorely misses the mark. Never eating ever again.
(1)LN G.
The food is consistently good at Not Your Average Joe's, but where this restaurant really shines is in customer service and food allergy awareness. Let's start with the food allergies. My family has 3 different food allergies and we eat out a lot. This is one of the few restaurants where we have never had an issue. The servers are very knowledgeable about the food, and if they do not know every ingredient in the dish, they actually go to the kitchen and ask (instead of making stuff up, like we have seen at other restaurants). A manager oversees EVERY allergy order and they take this stuff seriously. All the food is made in house, so they easily know what is in every dish. We feel incredibly comfortable trusting this restaurant to bring us food that we can eat....which is not something I can say about most places. And then their is the customer service. Every host, server, and manager has been wonderful and many of them go above and beyond to make sure you are taken care of. And sometimes in ridiculous ways! The last time we ate here, my 5 year old was upset that the cheese in her grilled cheese was white and not yellow (which is not exactly the restaurant's problem). A manager saw that we had an issue at our table and came over immediately to see what was wrong. After learning about the issue he actually offered to run next store to Giant, buy yellow cheese, and remake my daughter's sandwich! And this was in the middle of a busy Saturday night service. We did not actually take him up on the offer, but this is a great example of how the employees at Not Your Average Joe's will go to great lengths to make sure you have a fantastic meal. My only ask is that you find another source for the kid's icecream. The ingredients are not great.....certainly not in line with the rest of your food....
(5)Sue R.
This place is just okay - it really is your average Joe's. I come here occasionally, mostly just because I live nearby. They have a pretty extensive menu that changes seasonally, and a few good vegetarian options, but the food isn't amazing. I usually stick to their pizzas and salads, and both are pretty standard fare, although you can tell they tried to do a "creative" spin on them. As far as service, it's varied - I've had good and bad experiences with it. It just depends on how crowded it is when you go. (And it's usually crowded, despite extensive indoor and outdoor seating. The bar is even worse.) The servers are generally friendly, but sometimes they get orders wrong. It's worth checking out if you live close, but otherwise, it's nothing special.
(3)Steph S.
Let me start with the fact that I'm a vegetarian (no meat at all). We dined outside for dinner. The complimentary bread with oil was delicious. The staff was friendly. They even politely turned a heater on for us when we asked. The main dish, the "veggie burger" was not good. It's a beet burger made with rice. It fell apart too easily and was not appetizing. I think if they improve that "burger" I will return. Until then I'll be going somewhere else. No complaints about the staff or service, just the burger.
(3)Gerry B.
Always good service, and the food is pretty good. Big open kitchen and a nice bar space. We haven't eaten outside yet but they have a spacious outdoor seating area and once Fall comes, will definitely give it a try. I have been gravitating to the Cobb salad the last couple visits, very fresh and flavorful.
(4)Shane J.
I really wanted to like this place, but after 2 bad experiences - I'm done. I work near the Kentlands area and went to this place for lunch. So here's the skinny: The Good: The portion sizes and the food concepts. The food is actually not bad and at tastes pretty fresh. I ordered the Smoke house Jambalaya and for 13 bucks, you get enough food for lunch and dinner. The Bad and Ugly: The SERVICE. Seriously, I am not sure what happens once they get to the POS to order, but if I give you a straightforward order and you forget to bring things on two separate occasions, but you still charge me for them - that's a problem. An opportunity for training perhaps? I don't know. The place was busy, but not ridiculously so. When I passed on my comments a manager, he was nonchalant about the whole thing. I told him that I would not be back and he didn't apologize or even ask for the reasons why. I offered that I visited the restaurant just a week before and had a similarly underwhelming experience and he really just didn't care. I suppose this attitude has filtered down to the service staff because my experience with our waiter, Christophe was the same way. I wasn't looking for a meal comp or anything, but if I am communicating a bad experience to you, you should be willing to at least hear the complaint, acknowledge the error, and then attempt to resolve the problem to our mutual satisfaction. NONE of that happened and as a result I will not be back. Interestingly enough, when I brought the Jambalaya back to my office, I told people exactly where I went to get it, but also told them to pass because the service is just so awful. That was 5 people in a company of about 600 - and let me tell you, people talk.
(1)Nathan S.
Friendly staff, delicious food! Started off with the lettuce wraps, nice and light, tasty but not overwhelming. Nice start to the meal. I ordered the southwestern burger, medium, and it was fantastic. Cooked perfectly, juicy beef, crispy onions, sweet yet tangy bbq sauce. Too notch burger. To top everything off, I gorged myself on bread and dipping sauce, which was also great.
(4)Suzanne W.
I had been driving by this restaurant for months and finally decided to stop in. I'm glad I did. Simple menu with just enough choices to make it hard to decide what to order my first time out. I chose the Cobb salad and it was delicious. It was so much I actually had to take some home. I shouldn't just blame the quantity the bread that is served prior to the meal is fantastic! It is served with an oil with Parmesan cheese. Wow! After two servings of the bread my salad didn't have a chance. Oh and their peach sangria was a real treat! This all topped by superior service by Edgar. Thank you Anthony! I will definitely return to try other menu items.
(5)Chris H.
Great place to take the family.. were regulars here a few waiters know us by name.. they always give you bread with cheese to start you off.. me and my wife always get the Mona lisa salad...very good ...
(4)B. M.
I was looking forward to coming to eat here again, but the servers and manager who were standing around chatting chose not to acknowledge us, seat us, or say a word to us; they looked at us and kept their conversation. Not being greeted upon arrival, I would expect from a busy full restaurant, but being that it was EMPTY-- my party being the only about to eat there, I expect better service. NYAJ, you've lost my interest!
(1)Ian K.
There is so much potential here - both for the physical location and the space itself, but we have a hard time getting past below average service on a routine basis. We've stopped coming for the most part but stopped in for some food and drink with another couple on a quiet weeknight later in the evening. We were slow to be greeted and the waitress was pretty low energy with no banter. She brought one wrong beer on the order and then completely forgot to order/bring another. We reminder her and she said "oh yeah" and then went to punch it in the computer... meanwhile, we can see the bartender hanging around after the ticket comes up... The waitress could have said "I need this beer on the fly" or something, but there was no verbal exchange and then she wandered off, bussed a table and then we watched the beer sitting at the service counter. We ordered a few appetizers, which were delivered promptly and were tasty, and I generally think it's best to keep things simple when ordering here. In a previous visit, funny enough with the same couple, I privately shared my frustration about the particular service we received with the manager the following day and he basically said that the waiter was under-performing and was probably gonna get let go and this pretty much confirms it. I said that we were sorry we had to be the final test subjects. I didn't see the manager or maybe I would have said something again. I'd rather have average food with great service that great food with bad service; that's just me, but average Joe's gives us below average service and average food.
(2)Eileen S.
Me and my friends wanted to find a place for happy hour that was close to the job. The ambiance was nice. However, on the website the happy hour was from 5-7 pm, so we went in, got seated and was told the happy hour specials were for at the bar only. This was not listed on the website. This was the first time I heard of this at any restaurant. My friend had the manager come to our table. After talking with her, she said she would honor the specials this visit only. The food itself was good but service was really slow. The bread was hot and fresh which kinda spoiled my appetite for dinner but overall, I think going on a Friday night may not have been the best idea but still resulted in a good meal.
(3)Roya D.
I have gotten food from here to go a few times, but have never dined in. Ordering over the phone has always been very easy, and there was never any problems with pick-up. The food is good American style food that was never too greasy or overly done. The atmosphere looks comfortable and fairly casual. I would recommend to anyone in the area looking to get a bite, or to anyone looking to take out a good meal to enjoy at home.
(3)Tim H.
I have been to NYAJs roughly 100x and have NEVER had a bad experience there. The food, staff and overall value are ALL exceptional. Rich, Joe, Sylvia, Jasmine, Derrick, Steven, Lyndsey, Doug, Christian, Mark and the entire team at NYAJs are tremendous. This is a hidden gem in the Kentlands.
(5)Tara T.
This is such an awesome restuarant mostly when the best bartenders are on shift when you happen to arrive. .....like Prince. Food is good atmosphere is great! $50 for $10 going on right now for the Holidays. .wow what a deal for yourself! Ahi Tuna is great!
(5)Katie S.
Came here on a Sunday night, it looked pretty busy which is usually a good sign. We were seated immediately and the service throughout the evening was wonderful. Our waiter continuously checked on us and asked if we wanted more bread or refills. The bread basket was delicious and came with a garlic parm olive oil dip with fresh crushed garlic in it. Had to stop myself on the bread before I became full off of it! For our entree we ordered the ahi tuna salad and asked for the dressing on the side. The orange sesame vinaigrette was delicious though and I almost just dumped the whole thing on my salad! The tuna was seared perfectly and not over cooked. We also got the Mediterranean turkey kebab, it was seasoned wonderfully though the turkey was a tad on the dryer side. We tried a non-alcoholic drink, the raspberry Rickey drink, though it says made with "club water" the waiter informed us it was actually made with Sierra mist. So for those watching their sugar consumption, this might not be for you as it's not made with club soda. Though it was a delicious drink nonetheless. Overall we were impressed with the service and food and will be back to try the other items on the menu!
(4)Susan M.
2.5 stars so I'll just round up to 3. I'm with Brittany A- the food here is ok but forgettable. I had the Mona Lisa salad which was kinda weak - the chicken could have used a pinch of salt (in the batter) and there was ONE lonely strawberry cut into four pieces. Really? One strawberry for an entree salad? Alrighty then. Service was fast and friendly so they have that going for them. If my co-workers wanted to return for lunch, I would join them. Maybe I'll get more than one berry on a $13 salad next time.
(3)Elly S.
I had a bad reservation experience at this place. I reserved for a certain time on the outdoor patio, arrived on time, and was told it would be a 20 minute wait. We could have sat inside immediately, but told the hostess we would wait for the patio. The waiting area is a few feet from her stand. After waiting a long time I went and asked if she had forgotten us. She said she had been trying to call and I hadn't answered. If she had told me she would call I would have kept an eye on my phone in the noisy restaurant, but she never mentioned that. I was seated about 5 feet across from her and it wasn't crowded. So she was just clueless. After finally being seated, the service was okay, the food was okay. Glad they have Angry Orchard on tap.
(3)Claudia S.
Such a great experience! It was our first time coming here in a very long time, and Jessica C. made sure everything was perfect for us. Great drinks, apps, meals, and dessert. Great accommodations made for any substitutions... Any issues we had, she took care of right away and was very concerned about our happiness! Thanks Jessica!!!
(5)Preet M.
Service: I came here only once, about two months ago while recovering from a throat infection on antibiotics. I told my waitress, Victoria, that I couldn't eat anything firm, as it would cause me immense pain due to the sores I had lining my inner mouth. She was VERY helpful and immediately recommended the enchiladas, which were soft and also delicious! Throughout the course of the meal, My water was always filled to the brim and I was treated with very professional service. Victoria Vini, you are the best! Food: Food was delicious. I got the cream enchiladas and boy was i thankful. The bread served to start is also great and surpasses most starter snacks that I have had. Environment: The place is set up similarly to Gordon Biersch in Rockville. Booths in the middle and tables on the outside. I went during a weekday lunch time so there weren't very many patrons, but it was still filled with the hustle and bustle of kitchen staff and chatty retired couples. Great experience overall!
(5)Rachel W.
There service was wack. They spilled ranch all over my coworker and it took them like thirty minutes to take our order after serving drinks. Then he fucked up our drink order. serving my coworkers bud light when they ordered miller light. The food was good just crappy service. The manager was apologetic though.
(2)Grace G.
Went to lunch with a friend on saturday afternoon. They were able to get us seated outside right away. The service was a little slow getting the food out. But our server kept us updated and was great with recommendations for the salad and dessert. Great fruit lemonade, I tried all three and the mango was my favorite. The ahi tuna was amazing! Perfectly cooked and seasoned. There could have been more salad greens. My friend tried the southwest burger and liked it. She said it wasn't amazing, but is a great classic burger. For dessert we tried the peanut butter thing. It was so good, I was craving it the next day. Over all, it is a great place that I will visit again and hopefully try some of the mixed drinks.
(4)Muriel H.
I went to lunch here with my coworkers/friends and it was def a fun place to eat. Nice ambiance and great food plus they have some awesome coupons. I will def be returning, possibly for dinner.
(4)Amanda T.
Great atmosphere in this restaurant and very nice owner/management. You get a decent amount of food for what you pay as well. Overall good vibes, good food, good service, good for a big family night out for dinner.
(5)Randy S.
Ate here for the first time had the Cobb Salad. YUM! Everything was fresh and waiter checked on us through the meal.
(5)Melanie K.
As promised, I recommended NYAJ's to my parents who have been twice in just about as many weeks. We came in yesterday evening for my dad's birthday. Our server was awesome. Very polite and attentive. They even offered my dad a free dessert for the occasion. To update my previous review, it seems that they're going for a Founding Farmers-type atmosphere, not Applebees. As our entrees were being delivered, my sister found a wad of gum stuck to her napkin. We didn't make a big deal of it--just asked for a new set. The food runner apologized and immediately got her a new set. Within about a minute, the manager arrived at our table to apologize, too. This time around I got the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich and it was ok. I can't really pin-point what would have made it better; maybe it needed more aioli, I'm not really sure. It wasn't anywhere near as good as the salad I got my first time, but not bad enough to send back. My sister got the turkey kebabs and they were overcooked. She didn't mention it to the server, but at the end of the night when the manager came over again to ask how everything was and wish my dad a happy birthday, he told us that he felt bad about the gum and would be comping her meal. Bonus! The rest of our party of 6 liked what they ordered. I hate to downgrade my review from 5 to 4, because the staff are just amazing and the way the handled The Gum Incident of 2013 was very impressive, but if I had gotten that sandwich on my first visit, I can't say I would have raved about it. Either way, I really enjoy NYAJ's and will definitely be back.
(4)Heather M.
I really want to give this place 4 stars! Overall, the place is great. I have dined 3 or 4 times, and have enjoyed the food and decent service. We ususally dine on a busy night (Friday or Saturday) so I expect busy and a wait. The service is as expected. It could be better since they know they'll be busy, but, It wasn't horrible. I probably would have ordered another glass of wine if I had seen my waitress after the first post food check in. But, I didn't feel neglected. But , the last two times I have been burned at the end of my meal. The first time, a server dumped an entire full glass of beer on me at the beginning. I didn't cause a seen, just asked for some towels and a replacement. But, upon careful examination of my bill, they charged me for the beer they dumped!!! After enduring an entire beer all over me, I wasnt comped anything and they charged me for the one they spilled! I immediately found a manager and waited 15 minutes to get it fixed, but they did take off the beer. Last night, I ordered a beer that they were out of, so I asked for a glass of wine. Later, they brought the check along with a survey. I mindlessly just pulled out my cc and handed it over while doing the survey. once I finished, i looked over my bill and yep, they charged me for a beer they dont even have. It took about 20 minutes to flag someone down and get the bill fixed. So, yes it was fixed. But no, I'm not happy. I really like the food and atmosphere, but, now I have a trust issue. If it happened twice, will it happen everytime? Is this a common practice, leaving something on the bill? What procedures do they have in place to avoid charging people for drinks the bar never delivered? I can't be the only one?
(3)Kendall C.
My fiance and I love this restaurant! Many of my co-workers also agree that the food is great, service is great, and several of us are in love with their drink, Berry Me in Bubbles, and can never resist ordering. We've tried many of the dishes on the menu and all were great - I'm not a salad person AT ALL but I have tried at least four of their entree salads and really enjoyed them all, especially the Mona Lisa Chicken Salad. I'm very impressed with the service. There have only ever been two small issues since I've discovered (on gone back many time) at NYAJ's: 1) My side salad had too much dressing so I simply ate some and put it aside, not really upset about it. The waiter noticed and asked if there was a problem. I told him I just didn't care for it too much, not a big deal. The manager then came over to apologize, comp'd the salad, and gave us two $5 gift cards inviting us to come back. Without even having to bring up a complaint myself, this happened! 2) I ordered a second Berry Me in Bubbles and it took a long time, so I ended up cancelling it. The waiter apologized and of course took it off the bill, then brought us two $5 gift cards for our next visit. Even without the gift cards, I would keep going back to NYAJ's!
(5)Brittany A.
Food is okay, not anything memorable or amazing. Average Joes, more like it. The caramelized onion focaccia was great, but ive made it better myself. Everything else was just average. The pot roast had very little flavor and the meat was tough. The chef didnt cook it long enough. Had a strawberry daiquiri, meh. Either it was made out of an expired mix or with some sour strawberries. Didnt have dessert. Waiter was ok, I dont think he even told us his name. Snotty hostess, she didnt even seat us. Our waiter did, once he saw me glaring at the hostess with a serious stink eye for at least 2 minutes. Literally, right in front of her. 3 feet away. Pretending like three people don't exist. Oooh, I gave her such a stink eye! RUDE! Not coming back.
(2)jessica o.
We've tried to make a go of this place since it's so close to home but it's over. We called ahead for seating and were told 15 minutes once we checked in. Now understand you can't make an actual reservation because those are taken. You have to walk in. We arrived & checked in, gave our cell number and waited in their waiting area for 30 minutes. When we asked how much longer the hostess replied "oh, we tried to call you but you didn't give us your number." Um, yes we did. We get seated and the waiter is less than professional- he reaches across our face to put out silverware & dishes to the point we have to move rather than be hit in the head. He takes our order and we had one request- no tomatoes on the salad. The salad arrives with tomatoes & the untrimmed end of the lettuce. We point out the tomatoes & his comment is, "Are you allergic?" And proceeds to do nothing. Our entrees arrived "delayed by the kitchen" according to the waiter. But no rush because we have no plates on which to eat the pizza nor do we have silverware to cut it since the kitchen failed to do so. At this point we ask for the manager. His response was not a simple "sorry, let me make it right". It was "I'll take it joff your bill." He could not have been more indifferent. My recommendation is to eat anywhere else. Time to relax & enjoy family is too short to waste time in an inhospitable and unreceptive restaurant.
(1)S M.
Food was amazing and the price is about average which is a nice surprise. We had a food allergy at our table and the chef brought it out separate which was a nice surprise since so many places seem to brush it off. Only reason they lost a star was the service, while our waiter started off nicely - he took his sweet time to come get our food orders which was annoying (he was just standing there talking to coworkers) And when he brought my change - he gave me 2 twenties and 5 ones, which is ok except a 20% tip would've been 10 for our order. Big pet peeve of mine. He's lucky I had an extra 5 or else he would've only gotten 5 back. Food is a 5 Service is a 3.
(4)Joe L.
The food is very consistent and flavorful. The Asian wontons are fantastic. Over the last year I have had chicken,salmon, and beef dishes all good. I do think the bartenders pour a light spirit drink. That would be my only criticism. Service is decent.
(3)Dominic B.
I went to Not Your Average Joe's for lunch on a Friday. The restaurant was busy but we were seated immediately in the bar area. Your server brings bread with olive oil, pepper, and a cheese mixture to the table. I really enjoyed the complimentary bread and cheese mixture. As an appetizer, we ordered the pulled pork pretzels bites. The pork, BBQ sauce, and Cole slaw blended well together. I like how the pretzel bread was soft and not very crispy. Deciding on an entree was difficult but I chose sirloin tips with onion strings and mashed potatoes. My sirloin tips were grilled and seasoned very well. Both sides were tasty (onion strings and mashed potatoes). I tried the harvest mac 'n cheese as well. The mac 'n cheese dish was good. I ordered a painkiller from the bar. My drink wasn't prepared well and watered down. Maybe it was an off night at the bar? Our server was very attentive and polite. I really enjoyed the ambience. The bar area is a good place to watch sports. Overall, I enjoyed my dining experience. I give this Not Your Average Joe's a 4.5 rating.
(4)Allison W.
Came here on a Sunday afternoon for appetizers and drinks with some girlfriends. The place was nearly empty and we got a booth immediately. Our server was a cutie, her name escapes me but she was attentive and diligent about seeking answers to our questions. Ordered the spiked hot chocolate which was no joke - vodka and liquer - delicious! Also got a side salad which was fine, my friends got some apps they really enjoyed, particularly the lettuce wraps. Although definitely an anomaly, an elder man who was dining a few tables away from us had his chair collapse out from under him, and the staff promptly called him an ambulance. Hopefully he has recovered, but I felt it was worth noting how careful and helpful the staff were in assuring he was comfortable waiting for the medics. Overall a great experience and I hear the happy hour is wonderful so I'll definitely be back, maybe as early as this week!
(4)Laura D.
Why have we waited so long to try this place? Love the atmosphere and the service was excellent! I wasn't very excited to order nachos, and I was totally surprised. They were amazing. The only issue we had was that our chicken was very dry and overcooked. Our server was happy to discount that portion of the meal and gave us a coupon for a future visit. We will be back for sure.
(4)Jeff B.
Great food and drinks. Good people. Relaxed atmosphere. Everything in the kitchen is made from scratch daily. Good mix of selections. Monthly specials and promotions are interesting. Good place for family and friends. Highly recommended.
(5)Nichole S.
Came in tonight with my husband to grab a drink and maybe an appetizer. But we arrived at 7:05 and there was a min 20 min wait. Never mind that there was a table in the bar area near a bench with a chair - they say it's not seat yourself in the bar after 7. I've never heard of any bar not being self seating. But the hostess was insistent that we could not sit at this table even though they're on a wait and this table is open. We opted not to wait 20 min to have a drink. I'm not sure we'll be back, as the Gaithersburg / Rockville area has a plethora of other options; most of which would rather make a quick $20-30 on a couple than have them walk out the door.
(1)Michelle G.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE everything here. The bread with olive oil and cheese is amazing! Eric was the best server and I think he can read my mind because no sooner than I could think it, he appeared with the exact thing I wanted! You will not be disappointed!
(5)Emma W.
The bread and dip (oil with garlic, crushed red pepper, and parmesan cheese) are addictive. All housemade . The pizzas are good, but some are a little out there... the burgers are good. The drinks are great. Sometimes you are taking a risk with the specials. Sometimes they aren't the greatest. The scallops are to die for. So pick prudently, but save room for dessert--the peanut butter thing or key lime pie... or both!
(4)F K.
I dined here after a friend's high recommendation. My partner and I shared the buffalo caribbean chicken tenders as an appetizer, which I thought were absolutely delicious. The dip and salsa, in combination with the sauce the chicken is covered with, made for quite an interesting mix of flavors. I had the creamy chicken pappardelle entree, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. My partner had the herb-crusted haddock and said it was very good. The only reason I don't give it five stars is because the service was not great. It was a busy night, and it was also our first experience dining at Joe's, so hopefully this is not usually not the case. But we felt a bit neglected by our waitress, constantly wanting for refills throughout the meal. Nevertheless, as the food was quite good and it is located near our house, we will definitely be back.
(4)Marc L.
Way to go Joe, looking forward to a Monday night $1 oyster special, which was advertised and at 6:15pm your already out of the oysters, what's up with that?? Also $3 draft beers and seasonal local beers are advertised, but the "local beer" I chose is not one of the specials, again Joe what's up with that??? What next, the Yelp special deal you won't accept? - Doesn't mean I won't be back just a disappointing night.
(3)Elizabeth W.
So, I remembered how much I liked Not Your Average Joe's and I was really excited to take my sister here as a birthday present. To top it off there was a special to try the new items for 20% off each new item! I was so super-uber excited! And the food did not disappoint. But the service did. If you want the short and sweet review go to the bottom and read the last line. If not, read on. Food: 3/5 stars. The new items we got were Coconut Crusted Shrimp and Sole Florentine. My sister got the New England Clam Chowder and the Sweet Blue Burger. The Coconut Crusted Shrimp came with a "spicy-sweet" orange-sambal dipping sauce. It was just sweet, not spicy-sweet. The sauce ended up overpowering the coconut but it was really nicely crisp. The Shrimp gets a 7/10. The Sole Florentine was HUGE! Good portion of fish, good portion of mashed potatoes and it was SWIMMING in lemony butter sauce. The fish was good but the sauce was kind of eh. BUT! After I took the leftover home and my other sister ate it, she nearly CHOKED on a fish bone. It was good, but fish bones when there shouldn't be any are sometimes dangerous. 5/10. The Sweet Blue Burger was cooked Medium, my sister chose the french fries instead of a salad. She said the Blue cheese in the burger over powered the burger but the french fries were good. Maybe a little too brown but otherwise delicious and crispy. Service: 1/5 Stars. WARNING WARNING WILL ROBINSON! Ok, so that reference has nothing to do with this kind of service but I do mean it about this server. I've learned my lesson about name blasting. However, our server ignored us the ENTIRE night. The only time she came around was to fill water and that was only after she realized we drank a lot of water and I'm pretty sure a couple of servers heard us complain and stare around looking for her. To be fair, it was busy, which was the main reason why I got a reservation. To be not fair, she took 30 minutes from when we were seated to when we finally got all of our orders in. The drink/appetizer order was separate from the entree order. 30 minutes! After she gave us the check, It was another 10 minutes before she came to get the money and then when I asked for change she gave me a $10 and 3 $1 bills. So, I had a choice since I didn't have any other cash and I wasn't willing to wait another 10 minutes for more change. She got the $3 I'm sad to say because she didn't deserve the $10, although if she had given me more change, I would have given her 15% rather than...about 6% OK, this was a long review, so short and simple, It gets a 2 star because of the fish bone and the REALLY horrible service.
(2)Mishel S.
So last time I came I had horrible service. Must have been a fluke I hope. Came in last night and it seemed like a totally different experience. Our server Brandon was great. Very knowledgable and efficient. Our drinks came out fast our food came out great.
(4)C D.
I've been to this location a couple of times and came back last night as I was in town and friends wanted to go. I was reminded how much I don't like the place from the min I tried to get a drink @ the bar. Who has one bartender for a huge bar on a busy night? They do! It took us about ten min to get something. Food here is always decent but the service normally sucks as it did when we were then seated. The waiter was hardly around so whenever we had a problem, ie, the bread not being fully cooked and then my friends pizza not being fully cooked we had to flag down other wait staff. All in all: decent food, horrible service
(2)Benjamin M.
"Lunch prepared in 10 minutes or less, or it's free." Really? Well, it sounded like a challenge to me from the bartender and in looking over the specific menu of items my eyes stopped on the Tuscan Grilled Chicken, topped with melted fresh mozzarella, marinated tomatoes, basil aioli and arugula served on a ciabatta roll. With a choice of fries or a side of greens, I went with the latter to keep the meal light. Upon submitting the order to the kitchen, the bartender placed a stopwatch on our table so we can personally monitor their progress, which I found amusing. In the meantime, we dug into their homemade bread served with a side of olive oil and crushed red pepper, which made me completely forget about the meal it was so good. Well, three and a half minutes later the bartender arrived and set our meals in front of us with a smirk that obviously countered my previous skepticism. I asked her if we now owed her money since it was so prompt. Thankfully, not. The chicken sandwich was excellent...even though my eyes kept darting back to that dang bread! Yeah, I can easily see coming back here again, so if you're around the Kentlands looking for "not your average" place to eat, make Joe's one of your options.
(4)Harris H.
Not bad at all....but, VERY average. Nothing stood out in either direction. Honestly, it was so average that I just remembered to write my review a long time after going there. We drive by it all the time but totally forget it is even there due to how average it was.
(3)Chris H.
This place is really good my freind to me about this place and I been coming here to get there salaf ever since.. plus there bread they give you while you wait for your food is really good.. if you want a nice place to take the family this is a good place to go.
(4)Suzan H.
I love this place. The food is consistently delicious. Service is responsive and friendly. I love, love, love the garlic dipping oil for the bread. My only con, is that the tables are packed too tightly. A place we return to over and over again.
(5)Kathleen K.
This place should have 5 stars. We moved to the area 3 months ago and have been trying restaurants in the area and this is by far the best place. The service was amazing, it's been a while since I've received such impeccable service. The food and drinks just top it off, everything is so fresh and delicious. I had a gingerbread martini and it was made perfectly, and they don't skimp on alcohol ! We tried the sushi for an appetizer, really good - a little too spicy for me but the ginger on top of it helped. I highly recommend this place to any and everyone, the menu is filled with a variety of items. The wait can be a deterrent but they take reservations which I recommend. You can tell they really take pride in good service and I will definitely be back here!
(5)Mitchell M.
Been here several times this summer and the service is always great. Great management and servers are always friendly. Good diversity in the food and for the most part comes out pretty tasty. Bread and drinks are a plus :)
(5)Alan P.
Just average from start to finish. Really don't like going here unless we're running out of other options.
(1)Devon S.
Our family of 4 was seated on a Thursday evening after a very short wait and then greeted by Katie who turned out to be an outstanding server in all respects. She went above and beyond to make sure that we were happy and even bonded with my 13 year old daughter. I had the blue cheese burger which was excellent and the fries were especially tasty. I was impressed as the manager came over to check on us after our food was brought over. Love the screens in the bar for catching a game. We'll definitely be back!!!
(5)Debbie M.
We had a wonderful time at Not Your Average Joes. The food was delicious and our server, Mike, was friendly and went out of his way to take good care of us and accommodate my husband's food allergies. This will be one of our favorite go to places!
(5)Haifa S.
Love their food! Their service is excellent, this time we got Sam S and she was awesome! I would personally recommend their fisherman stew, that's what I've been getting since we've been going. Their raspberry nojito (I think that's how they spell it) is very very good!
(5)Marina H.
The best part of this place is the complimentary focaccia bread and dip that is served in the beginning. I have been here twice for lunch, and twice it was ...eh... average and lacking flavor. First, the place doesn't scale well for large parties - if your lunch group includes more than 4 people, you are guaranteed to be there for over an hour. Second of all, when the food is served, and customers ask for additional condiments, it shouldn't take over 10 minutes to get them - they are probably waiting for them to start their meal... Third, when paying the bill, bring out as many pens as there are credit cards.
(2)Kayla S.
Food, service and atmosphere was spot on. Especially impressive on Mother's Day weekend. Would highly recommend making a reservation but there is a nice patio to enjoy a drink and relax if you're not in a rush. Nice beer selection and the fresh fruit sangria is delish!
(5)Jen C.
Great happy hour specials. Outside seating with heat lamps and t.v.'s - we can take our dog to sit outside. Love the sweet chili chicken wings.
(4)Kim D.
Calamari was tough and full of breading. Hope it's better next time
(2)Eddie K.
Went here during lunch. Hard to believe that used to be the Chicken Out. They did a great job with the decor. They have many beers on draft - and the prices are great! Speaking of prices - it is really affordable here. All the entrees are priced below $20. You can't beat that! I had the Southwest burger while my brother had the sweet blue burger. We requested the burgers to be cooked medium and it came out a perfect medium which is rare. Really enjoyed the burger. They give you these huge focaccia bread with romano cheese with olive oil dipping sauce. That was good!
(4)Arlene S.
We have been to this restaurant 4 times now, stubbornly hoping that this ever-so-convenient neighborhood restaurant will finally not disappoint. We did have one good lunch there, with tasty and fresh salads. However, the other three times were major disappointments. The first time we went, we were a party of 10, and not one person was satisfied with their dish. 10/10 bad meals is a record in my book. The last time we went, the service was so bad it was almost comic. I dont know how this restaurant is getting such good reviews. What are they serving in everyone else's Kool-Aid?
(2)Vic S.
The service here is over the top excellent. My mom has been raving about this place. We came with a group and had the wonderful Victoria as our server. My uncle and his wife who were here from out of town couldn't stop talking about how good Victoria was. I had an email exchange with manager Jasmine and she came out to the table to make sure to say hi. Oh, and the food is great to. Both my uncles wife and I are gluten free. They have an extensive gluten free menu with complimentary gluten free bread to start...and it is good. They even gave us a loaf to go. I loved the jambalaya, great flavor with medium bit of spiciness. Rasberry mojitos and jungle juice drinks were a big hit. Mom loved her Teriyaki chicken with the squash enchilada or something like that. The food was above average...you're modest Joe...it was very good. The service took it over the top. Also, loved the decor. Great job!
(5)Shashi B.
Jamie is a fantastic at service
(4)Ideen S.
I evaluate restaurants a lot by the bread they bring out at the beginning. These guys had homemade Focaccia with an olive oil, parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper dip. Some Italian restaurants don't even do this! I thought it was a great touch. Our server was very thorough, attentive, and professional. She must have stopped by to fill our waters at least 5 times, and she made sure we had everything we needed. And the food was pretty solid, too. My girlfriend had the Turkey Burger. She didn't like the fries (they were mushy, not crunchy), but she liked the burger. I had the Balsamic Glazed Salmon, which came with pineapple salsa, jasmine rice pilaf, and grilled asparagus. I thought it all tasted excellent. What really impressed me was when they brought the bill. Instead of a billfold, our bill was placed in a survey. And the survey had prepaid postage on it and was addressed to the CEO. Though I doubt that the CEO reads every survey that comes in, it's nice to know that he's at least promoting accountability and feedback mechanisms.
(4)LA W.
Not Your Average Joe's is the perfect name for this restaurant/bar. It's casual and comforting, but the food and service takes it up a notch and I always leave happy and satisfied. I've eaten here several times since they opened in the Kentland's shopping center and have never been disappointed by any of the food or drink. The prices are more than reasonable for the amount and quality of food delivered and the atmosphere is friendly and active without being too loud. Seating in the main restaurant is great, but so is the outdoor patio and the bar. The menu is diverse and vegetarian friendly as well as a meat-lovers dream.
(4)Andrea C.
Just visited Not Your Average Joes not too long ago. Everything was superb from the excellent service we received to the scrumptious masterpiece of the Mona Lisa Salad. Michel S. made us feel welcomed as if we were in his house. We told him about a past experience where we got bad service, the salad was the total opposite and he made sure all that wouldn't happen again. He surely redeemed my opinion of this restaurant and glad we gave Not Your Average Joes one more chance. We will definitely be back soon.
(5)Cindy O.
I've come here a couple times and never been disappointed! I love the food they serve here, my favorite dish is the pork tenderloin. And the services is always great, my food is always on time, the drinks always come in an appropriate time and our server always make sure we're doing fine. His name is Michel S. I would recommend him to be your server, I'm never disappointed when I come to eat here.
(5)I W.
The one recurring problem at this NYAJs is the bread. While it tastes good, it is hardly ever warm. Also as a warning, the appetizers are not worth the price. 9.99 for 3 pieces of butternut squash ravioli is a joke and the side salads are also quite small for a steep price. The pizza is also good however, especially the Santa Fe chicken pizza.
(3)Ray S.
Redemption: : the act, process, or an instance of redeeming. This is the overall feeling as I sat with my wife at "Not Your Average Joes". Yep, I had a pretty bad experience on another occasion and wrote about it. BUT, the establishment listened to me and invited us back in to try again. To our delight, the experience was absolutely GREAT. From the greeting at the hostess stand, handling by the waitress (Shiva) and through dinner, this was a COMPLETE turnarounds. Jeff Kopp, the GM, personally introduced himself to us and apologized with sincerity. The food was terrific (I highly recommend the Mona Lisa chicken salad) and the sangria was the bomb. Nice recovery "Not Your Average Joe's"!!! Remember, its not what you do when your on your "A" game, it's what you do when you have shown your "F" game. You did the right thing and you have a raving fan. Kudos to you!
(5)laz b.
Pizza and salad were great. Everything tasted fresh and flavorful. I would definitely go back.
(5)Joelle E.
I'm a regular at Not Your Average Joe's. The menu changes seasonally and the food is awesome! Sit in a bar booth for the best experience. I just wish the waiters/waitresses were a little more experienced.
(4)Brian N.
This is one of those places that has ended up being our go to for family dinners when we're out. We have always had anywhere from good to excellent service by the wait staff. Unless it's busy seating is prompt and so is the waiter. Over our quite a few visits we've tried a fair bit of the menu and have enjoyed it. When my kids want substitutions or have odd requests for drinks they have generally done very well with them. Lately I've enjoyed their pizza, the blue cheese burger and their turkey burger. Of course, it's worth mentioning their awesome bread and dipping oil that is served to the table upon arrival. My kids go to town on that stuff. I am pretty sure they would make a meal out of that if we let them. So my Good list: Food, food quality, service, ability to substitute or change for dietary concerns, atmosphere, beer selection and the bread. My not so good list: as previously mentioned it's crazy busy at prime times - bring a book as it's even challenging to get near the bar to order a drink sometimes. Parking can be a bear in the lot and there's not much else for options around there. Also, when busy it's even standing room between the front area and outside while waiting for a table.
(4)Latrycia F.
My fiance and I decided to try out this restaurant since we have never been before. I ordered the spicy cajun jambalaya and she ordered the steak frites. The experience was okay, ambiance was pretty, and the food was delish. However, the pineapple alcoholic beverage tasted like there was hardly any alcohol. So, I ordered an Arnold Palmer and it too was gross. Waaaay too much ice. For the cost of the entire bill (about $94.00), I would have appreciated better alcohol beverages. Just sayin'....
(3)Vicki C.
I have only been here twice and both experiences have not been memorable. We went the first month it was opened. Granted, there are always kinks in services and food when a new place opens up. However, my husband doesn't deserve an ice cold soup. Yuck! The waiter was nice and immediately took care of it by bringing him another. The food was not special but more on the plain slide. The service was excellent and very accommodating. I think that's the only plus! I would not go out of my way to visit this restaurant again for the food. **Update: A month ago, the manager contacted me to discuss the cuisine at Joe's and offered me a gift card to give it a second chance. After providing my mailing address I have not seen anything in the mail. I even followed up two weeks ago and no response. Yikes Joe's, and you want to redeem yourself? :-\
(1)Jonathan C.
Pretty awesome, wait staff treat you like family and never had anything I didn't like. The Ahi tuna salad is particularly nice.
(5)Ron S.
*This is a re-write of a previous review, and is seriously overdue. My apologies for that! Okay, so you can see from the asterisk above, that I previously reviewed this place and I am subsequently re-reviewing, why am I doing this? I experienced an anomaly in service one evening (nothing to do with the food), wrote the review and then was almost immediately contacted by the manager, Jeff. I am a stickler for good service, perhaps I should say a sucker. To make a long story short, Jeff addressed my concerns, and quite honestly is one of the best managers I've met in the restaurant industry. He is professional, courteous, and generally an overall amiable guy. He always makes a point to say hi to people, and make them feel like family. Now, on to the meat of the review: Food: NYAJ comes out on top of the local eateries in the area for me, due to their varied and flavorful selection of food choices. Their pizza is better than the other places in the area that only serve pizza, for starters! I honestly haven't eaten anything that I have not liked yet, and neither have any of the guests I've taken to NYAJ. The bread they serve with the dipping sauce is wonderful, as is every appetizer (pretty sure I've had them all). Everyone is different, so we'll differ on favorites, but they are all good. OH, and the peanut butter thing (try it)! Drinks: The mixed drinks is one area that is sometimes hit or miss, although to be fair I have not sat at the bar so I'm not sure what it's like getting drinks directly from the bartender. They have a good selection of beers (imports, crafts, domestic), and a good selection of liquor, so the ability to get a drink made is not the issue, nor is the flavors. The strength of some has been for me, at least with their specialty drinks like their "Jungle Juice". I have ordered other drinks from there, and they were fine. Also to be fair, we don't go to NYAJ to get drunk, we go for the food. Atmosphere: The atmosphere has kind of a modern industrial feel to it. The booths and tables are large and comfortable, easily accommodating larger parties. The waiting area is comfortable as well, offering a mix of lounge chairs, couches and a long bench seat. Overall: I gave it 5 stars overall because to me, you don't just judge a restaurant (or really any experience) on one piece of criteria alone. The service has always been excellent, no matter the server. The food is always good, even when I order takeout (some restaurants I've noticed aren't always consistent with takeout, NYAJ has been for me). The atmosphere and overall cleanliness are wonderful as well. Bottom-line - Take a date, business or casual, or go with friends, you won't be disappointed.
(5)Shana K.
Ate at the bar during a busy lunch rush, which was a good experience. The bar tenders are friendly and fast. The food was alright. Nothing special. Was disappointed when my house salad was mostly the core of a head of iceberg lettuce. Not very eatable.
(3)Van M.
The beginning is great. They tell you that they are a scratch restaurant which seems to mean that nothing is kept for the next day if it isn't sold the day it's prepared. (How can they afford to do that?). They are very allergy conscious which is great. However, we tried 2 seasonal items, watermelon sangria and the lobster roll which made me wish I had gone next door for Asian food. The sangria had no alcohol we could notice and the lobster was 1) totally bland and tasteless and 2) the claws were so small (a quarter size?) that they should never have been harvested. We had a great appetizer, the pulled pork which has great flavor. The steak that we had was so-so. The attention to us was great but the food was a D+, especially for the price.
(2)Jordan M.
Skye was amazing! I've only done this twice in my life and I told her that she could choose my meal for me and surprise me. Not only did she surprise me but my meal was amazing!!! I can remember what it was called but it was chicken, scallops and shrimp.. Skye delivered grey service and went the extra mile to make sure our first experience was dialed! I will for sure be coming back again!! :)
(5)Molly F.
Excellent food, terrible service. So bad that for the first time ever, I didn't leave a tip! The first time we went , everything was perfect. Our food was fresh, came out fast and our waitress was exceptional. So I would still recommend going here, I just hope the waiter we had the second time is no longer working there!
(3)Tochi K.
It is a type of restaurant that was really needed in the Kentlands area, and is by far better than the other "sports bar" in the area that is beyond horrible and always changing names! I thought about giving them 3 stars because our server was really nice, so this is more of a 2 1/2 star review. The ambiance and decor is nice and the food tastes decent--nothing out of this world or especially different but good. Their drinks are also pretty good, actually a little better than average (their mojito is super yummy). Their bread and dip is really delicious and was the highlight of my meal. They seem to have a few kinks that they need to workout but the staff seems to really try and is very friendly, so it makes up for all the hiccups. The bad points: --We made reservations but still had to wait 25 mins before we were seated on a Sunday night. --If you seat outside, there is no music. Since the seating is right next to the road that is the background sound you get as you eat. ----At times, service was a little slow and I had to ask for new cutlery as what I was given was a little spotty/not clean. --I had their crab cakes and got pretty sick after having them--from a large party, I was the only one that had their crab cakes and got sick. I am pretty certain it was from them as I hadn't had anything else before and after eating there. I like the idea of the place but will think twice before I go back, and probably will not order any seafood. Given my experience, maybe good for drinks only.
(2)Jenn N.
I can't say enough about Not Your Average Joe's, especially walking out of there tonight - one of the busiest nights of the year. This was our second time back. The first time was on a Sunday for lunch. And while crowded, we were greeted by reception promptly as well as by our server. Who also did not hesitate to give us recommendations when we asked. Obviously, the food at a restaurant needs to be good but service to me is #1. But the food was really good too. NYAJ exceeded these bars. So much so, my wife and I made a reservation for tonight, Valentine's Day. Again, we were greeted promptly and with a smile. We were shown to our seats - a table in a "middle" isle - we weren't thrilled but understood it was a busy night. Our server seemed very flustered but took our order promptly and recommended the Mahi special. My wife got that, I a drink and the steak and we both got their special beet and goat cheese salad. The server forgot our water, even after being asked :( No worries, it was busy. We got that. Except, when our meals came out, they weren't very good. I asked for my steak medium and it came out already cut and well (they cut the meat before it's served? I found this odd) and the polenta was cold and hard as a rock. The Mahi was bad - as in it smelled bad. Wife and I did a swap and agreed to say something. The waiter was again flustered but was very accommodating. The manager came over with a menu for my wife, apologized and assured us that our new meals would come out at the same time. This next time, my steak was perfect and hot. My wife tried the stroganoff and really liked it. We ordered dessert as well (waiter forgot the coffee though). Both the waiter and manager (Jasmine) came over twice to check on us. We were totally over it, felt good about our experience and asked for the bill. Not only did they comp dessert, which was great in and of itself, but Jasmine came over and also gave us a gift card to come back...we looked at it outside and it was well more than we thought it would be for. I watch so many of the food TV shows that I really feel like not only is customer service an art, but it's on the verge of extinction. NYAJ's restored my faith in the service industry and we will be back time and time again!
(5)Scott L.
below average Joe's, we had two pizzas and a steak, the pizzas came out with a pool of grease in the center and my steak was like eating a shoe. I gave it a star because the system made me. We wont be going back here. I suggest you find somewhere else as well. The waiters seemed more interested in talking to each other then helping us. The overall meal was just mediocre cooking at home would have been better..Manager, quality control on the food coming out and the waiters needs to improve.
(1)JJ V.
I am not coming back here. My family and I waited for an hour to be seated and another hour to get our food. Food is mediocre. It also seems like they only attend to certain type of people. Our server was also serving the next table and that table had already their own server that checks up on them every 5 minutes. Seriously?! I was giving them the stink eye the entire time I was there. I was very disappointed. What a horrible over-hyped place.
(1)Stuart L.
Service and atmosphere are great. Only getting a 3 from me as the food just isn't anything special for the price. I had jumbalya, wife had a lettuce wrap thing. Food was only OK.
(3)Anita C.
This newly-opened restaurant has all the makings of a great venue for happy hour, casual dinners, and family events. However, there are quite a few things that need to be fine-tuned: 1) The service. My friends and I came at 3pm on a Sunday after watching a movie, and the restaurant was surprisingly busy. It wasn't a packed house, but still considerably full for 3pm on a Sunday. We were seated almost immediately and given menus. 5 minutes passed and no waiter or server came to offer us water or bread. Another 5 minutes...then another. Upset, we went to fetch the manager and let him know that we had been waiting 15 minutes for somebody (anybody!) to approach us with bread and water. Honestly, it seemed like all of the servers were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. There were so many of them, yet none of them came to us - it was chaos. There must have been a communication problem, because they certainly weren't short staffed. Throughout our meal, our waiter wasn't very enthusiastic and didn't take care to explain anything on the menu to us. I would suggest better and more thorough training for their employees - it is a new restaurant, but I expected more considering NYAJ's is a chain with quite a few locations along the eastern seaboard. However, at the end of our meal, a manager graciously offered us gift cards for having to wait at the beginning - a good business practice, especially for a new business in the area. Moving on to the food...the star, the shining star of the meal was the complimentary bread in the beginning! (A+++) It's focaccia bread made in-house that completely exceeded all of my expectations - it was chewy, doughy, and warm. Paired with a mixture of olive oil, red pepper flakes, onions, and shredded cheese - definitely the best bread I have had in a long time. I will note here that the server who came with the bread explained everything to us, which was very pleasant. I ordered a Waldorf salad, which grew on me as I ate it. I wish that the shredded chicken came warmed somehow, but the flavors were pleasant and the portion size large ($11.50). I finished the second half off for dinner later. My boyfriend got the Mediterranean chicken, which I wasn't a fan of due to the overseasoned chicken. My other dining companions ordered the crab cake BLT, small bacon & pepperoni pizza, and mustard chicken. They were all fans - the food was good, but not out-of-this-world amazing. Flipping through the menu, I was a bit concerned because of the large variety of options and the different styles of food. From Vietnamese shrimp rolls and Thai chicken lettuce wraps to sirloin tips and burgers, I was confused! Is this American? Asian? It reminded me of a smaller version of Cheesecake Factory's overwhelming menu. I typically prefer restaurants with a more streamlined menu that focuses on several amazing, amazing dishes. There weren't any specialty dishes that I could see that would blow my mind, so for now, I think the food is OK, but definitely not worth making tons and tons of trips for. I did notice on their website that they have different menus by state, possibly indicating that they have specialty items for each state (i.e. crab cakes in MD). Overall, NYAJ's is a great place to get drinks and a meal and spend time with family. I can see great potential once they rev up the quality of service and perhaps streamline their menu to a smaller number of excellent-quality dishes.
(3)Jen M.
My dad picked me up from my evening class and took me out for a late night meal. When we walked in, we were seated right away. We really liked the interior designs, especially the open kitchen. The menu is very limited and just the alcohol drinks took up two pages. They came out with bread and a dipping sauce (which was extremely good) shortly after we sat down. We placed our order, I got a southwestern bbq burger and my dad got some steak thing. I decided to make a quick trip to the bathroom. The bathroom itself was dirty (toilet paper EVERYWHERE) but the design was pretty groovy. I came back to my seat and the food still wasn't there yet. There weren't a lot of people there but there were ALOT of waiters. About 15 maybe? Just standing, socializing. Our food finally came after 20 mins. My dad liked (not loved) his steak. My burger was no bigger thn my fist and don't forget puny salad, and for 10.99???!! I don't think so... My burger was dry and a bit sad:( I couldn't taste the southwestern bbq at all... I think the only thing that made this experience enjoyable was our waiter, who was EXTREMELY nice. In the end, we spent $31 something and gave a 10$ tip.... Bottom line... Would I recommend this place? .......No
(2)T B.
Excellent as expected. Customer service great as usual. Went with a salad tonight, filling but not stuffed. Strawberry Shortcake for desert is a must!
(4)Melissa H.
I love Not Your Average Joe's... we've been several times and the service is always great. They're very accommodating and attentive. Nice variety of meals and drinks to choose from. They have special events every so often which is fun. My fave dessert is the strawberry shortcake for sure! Great place to have a big group dinner or just the two of you.
(5)Kathy G.
I have been her twice in the last few months. Once for lunch, once for dinner. Our lunch experience, group of 8, silver ware dirty, it all had to go back. After reading some of the other reviews this seems to be an issue here. My dinner experience, we had the most amazing server and I am so sorry that I dont remember his name. I even told one of the managers how pleased we were. I love the bread! I will definitely go back and try something new!
(4)Sharon S.
Our service was good. The bread and dip was awesome! I ordered the sirloin tips w/ garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. This dish was decent, the sides could have been a little warmer, and the green beans could have used some flavor. As for dessert, we ordered the "Peanut Butter Thing". It was good, except for the fact it was so frozen that it made it difficult to put our spoon through it to take a bite...could've been thawed out a bit before serving. Would go back again...
(3)Jon S.
* * UPDATE * * UPDATE * * MY CONSCIENCE requires that I update my original review. I would love to write a second review, but yelp prevents it, so read on. IF YOU WANT a wide selection of great food- delicious food, served piping hot- priced right and served by the most pleasant people, dine at Joe's tomorrow night! For these reasons, Joe's has to be my favorite restaurant, hands down. Since I first posted my review 3 months ago, my girlfriend and I have dined at Joes' at least a half-dozen times. We have NEVER been disappointed spending an evening at Joe's. I am telling you the food is just delicious. The dishes are SO tasty I could eat there every night! Tonight we celebrated my 23-year old daughter's birthday. She ordered the veggie version of Chicken Farfalle with Fresh Mozzarella. She loved it. Two in our party ordered the Mustard Crusted Chicken. This gives my mom's chicken dinner a run for its money. I have ordered this every time I have visited Joe's...it is that delicious. Tonight, I ordered the pot roast and I was so glad I did. It melted in my mouth and was so tasty; I wanted to lick the plate. I asked our server, Kaitlin, to tell the chef what great meals he/she had prepared for us. As for our server, Kaitlin, she cannot be topped. She was pleasant and just on top of her game serving our party and a big birthday party next to us. She really made our visit special. Now, do not get me started on desserts. Desserts are my forte'. The Lava Cake is terrific with its delicious ice cream. (I mean, vanilla ice cream is vanilla ice cream, right? Wrong. At Joe's it is something special.) (Someday, I will not be sharing my dessert!) The bread pudding went to my daughter, who loves the dessert generally and really loved Joe's version. We also had the passion fruit sorbet, which was tart and tasty. And, by the way, Joe picked up the tab for my daughter's bread pudding, which was a class gesture! Dear readers, if there is a better place to eat in the DC metro area, then I want to know about it. I have lived here for 50 years and I would put Joe's dishes up against The Palm's any day of the week. THE EXPERIENCE IS THAT GOOD! Reservations are a good idea, but you must go to Joe's. You can thank me later!
(5)Cristina D.
This is a nice restaurant particularly for those with specialty dietary needs. I have several friends that only eat gluten free and/or are vegan and this restaurant has a gluten free menu and staff that are very accommodating to those with diet restrictions. Their gluten free bread is really good. The service is always good as well.
(4)Cynthia L.
I give it 3.5 Stars, boyfriend says he would give it 3 Stars. I'll be honest, the menu was too much of a mish-mash of stuff (i.e., one item with Vietnamese, one item with Mexican, another item is Italian, another is Greek, etc.). Nothing particularly stood out as "Oh My Gosh I Have to Try This." I ordered the Roasted Shrimp Salad & boyfriend ordered the Crabcake sandwich. Both items were ok, not fanastic by any means; my salad was caked in dressing and the shrimp didn't taste roasted (more like straight from the frig)...the fries from the crabcake sandwich were soggy. Sangria and wine were ok as well. Complimentary bread (foccacia w/ onion on top) was too doughy on the inside and too hard (burnt) on the outside. The dip that came with the complimentary bread (parmesan, dried chili peppers, garlic and olive oil) was good...had a good kick to it. Our waiter was very friendly but wasn't very knowledgeable about the menu, probably because this whole place is new. Reservations Recommended
(3)Sandy K.
We've been to NYAJ about a half dozen times since the summer. It's a wonderful addition to the neighborhood and seems to be very well received. Always busy, even late at night. Love that we can make a reservation through Open Table. First of all, the bar component. A fun and lively atmosphere all the time. All ages but seems to skew toward an "older" crowd, which isn't surprising for the suburbs. Huge selection of fun mixed drinks and very comprehensive wine list. Average "upscale" prices. Very nice appetizer list to accompany drinks in the bar. I've had good service in the bar with one notable exception. We had a group of 4 last month. The guys got beer, the girls got wine. The server mixed up our wines and we didn't realize it for a few minutes. When we mentioned it, our server didn't offer to pour us both new glasses and we really didn't want to trade at that point, yuck! So we were "stuck" drinking wine that we didn't really enjoy. Other than that, fun place to hang. Our food selections have been outstanding. First of all, the focaccia bread and dipping oil with cheese and herbs that they mix at the table are ridiculously good. Too good. I've enjoyed the Mediterranean Chicken--LOVED it, a Crabcake BLT, and the Chicken Mona Lisa Entree Salad with a delicious creamy basil dressing. My husband is picky and he's enjoyed the Anything But Average Meatloaf, a Cheeseburger, and last time he had Great Hill Sirloin Wedge which he enjoyed. Our daughter ordered the Chicken Piccata with Fettuccine and loved it. Also, the soups have been very good, particularly a delicious tomato basil soup. Our servers have all been knowledgeable and attentive with on-point recommendations. The restaurant is not too large and kudos for the interior design: It's warm and inviting and lively without being too loud or intrusive. I especially enjoy the open kitchen in the back and the outdoor seating when weather permits. We wish NYAJ continued success, its awesome to have a fun place like this so close to home! I highly recommend it!
(5)Annie S.
Went for my husband's birthday dinner. It took forever. The soups were good. Meatloaf was terrible. The servers don't really have a clue how to serve food; they just held the plate over the table and waited for someone to take it. The manager even stopped by and seemed so put out to even have to speak to people. I think it has potential but it has a LONG LONG way to go.
(2)Jeffrey B.
Name has it wrong just average, what a shame great location and we were,looking for a new place to go from time to time. I will keep it short do not expect your mixed drink or beer (good selection) in a fast order the bar had one server,and he was doing bar and drinks were third. Waited 10 min I could see him. my son like the pizza as do I. Chick dishes are hit and miss one time good one bad other time ah. Managers need to get out of the office,or where ever they hide and see service is going to,kill you. I can never get two drinks durning meal takes too long. Not sure but service hides many errors.
(3)Eunice K.
i went to kentlands with my sister and dog to go to bark and saw that this place was open so we went in through the take out area and ordered food (and we were really excited to take food home cus the reviews) and they told us it would be a 20-30 min wait so we left and went to bark to get stuff for our dog. we came back and saw that there were seats so me, my sister and yorkie who is less than 3lbs went in and sat and waited for our food because we only had to wait about 5-10 more minutes. as we were sitting it took longer than the expected time but while we were waiting the manager came to us because we had our yorkie with us and he told us that service dogs are allowed but other than that pets are not allowed. he was super nice about asking us to wait outside (which we understand) but while he was talking to us a really rude caucasian lady interrupts him and says she will not be eating here because they let dogs in and then proceeded to give us a dirty look and then she waved her menu across her face saying that she's allergic to dogs.. first of all they do let service dogs come in and im sure most places do so i guess you cant go anywhere and secondly he was asking us to leave soooo maybe you shouldnt be rude and ignorant and thirdly our dog is hypoallergenic and we were holding her. i don't know if she was extra rude because im asian or because i was not dressed up (i def looked scrub with my glasses and outfit BUT that does not give anyone the right to treat someone like that) so then we left to go out and wait and the manager offered us bottled water because it is hot outside BUT he never came out with the water... so he was really nice about asking us to wait outside however he did not follow through (maybe he was talking to the lady..? idk) manager gets 4.5 stars the staff would get 5 stars EXCEPT there was a girl going around offering pizza and she definitely offered it to certain people and was super nice to specific groups of people.. and because of that service would be 2 stars, i wanna give less because i expect more from a place like that but the others were super friendly and welcoming once we got home we tried the food and ehhh.. we got the ahi tuna wontons.. it was alright.. i'd prefer going to bonefish grill for that.. cus they have the best seafood in kentlands area... we also go the cobb salad which was also not that great i'd give it 3 stars. we also go the waldorf salad another 3 stars.. the salads were nothing special.. i'd rather go to california pizza kitchen in the rio area. and finally we got the mustard crusted chicken and it was like a brick of salt AND to top it off it was burnt so we took a few bites of it and threw it out def gets NO stars. it is def a nice and modern add to the kentlands area but i dont think i'll be going back. it sucks to say this but one of the other customers just ruined our visit there and the food wasnt that good... i only gave 3 stars cus the service and food
(3)Jes S.
We've been there 3 times, and have had 2 AMAZING times and 1 AWFUL time. The food is great, but what often makes or breaks a place is its servers. Sorry, this'll be longer, since our last experience was not good. FIRST: -- The beers are cheap (for microbrews and large pours) and they have an amazing selection. -- The bar area is nice, and despite the constant bustle, the bartenders we've had have always been attentive and fantastic. -- The food is FANTASTIC. We've had the Carolina Pecan Chicken, Scallops, veggie wraps app, Pizza with smoked mozz and roasted red peppers ... ALL TASTY, no complaints. Seriously. If I was just grading on food and not including the last experience, this would be 5 stars. -- THE BREAD. It's fluffy, full of flavor and delightful. The dip is crushed garlic, parmesean cheese, roasted red peppers in olive oil. MMMMMM, I swear I am drooling thinking about it. SECOND: The first two times we went, our servers were Danielle and Emily. They were both absolutely attentive, wonderful, funny, and sweet. I'm glad we had Danielle our first time, because it's what motivated us to come back... She was detailed in explaining every dish and every meal, what she liked and recommended. Emily had a difficult table that required a lot of attention, and yet she made sure we felt like we were important too. The last time we went we had Jose P. If we had had him the first time, I would not want to return at all to the restaurant. We went on May 29th, a Wednesday. The place wasn't too busy but we had a 15 min wait, so we stopped by the bar. When we were seated, no one came by for 10 minutes. When Jose finally stopped by, I had seen him attending a family of 4 twice before he came over to our table. He took our order in a very harried and half-hearted manner and rushed off before I could ask for another beer for my husband. He didn't bring the signature bread or olive oil concoction which I had really been looking forward to since it is VERY VERY tasty. We were ignored for the next 10 minutes, which would have been fine if I hadn't tried to get his attention 3 or so times. Also would have been fine if I hadn't seen him, but he stopped by the same family of 4, three separate times without ever stopping to see if we needed another drink or ever got that bread. I finally succeeded at stopping him by actively waving at him, where I asked for another beer for my husband and asked for some bread since our food hadn't arrived... he responded with "Oh, so you want more bread?" More bread? We never even got it in the first place, and I felt guilty for even asking. Our food came, and the foodrunner changed our plates and checked to make sure we were alright. In her 5 minutes, we had gotten more attention than we had from Jose at all. Halfway through our pizza, he rushes by and looks at my husband and goes "Oh, you still don't have that beer? The bartenders should have stopped by with it. I'll go get it for you." If he had rung it in, it would have been waiting at the service bar. It would have been warmer and sweated from sitting out if he had rung it in when we ordered it. It was ice cold when it got to us. The manager stopped by and wrapped up our food for us, joking and talking to us. We had more attention from him than Jose, who had stopped by the family of 4 a total of 8 times and 3 times for us. Was he worried we wouldn't tip since we didn't order more? We understand hassled, harried, and busy service. But we were actively ignored and then he lied to cover his tracks. We had more attention from the food runner and manager than we had from him all night. He dropped off the check, and not the iPod for reviews... and eyed me as I wrote our review out for him. It felt rushed, since he stopped by more often after we were done, as I was writing my review... but my husband still had his beer to finish... Again, if we had him our first time, we would not have wanted to go back.
(3)M T.
Based on good reviews I read for other NJAJ's locations, I went to check out the newly-opened location in my Gaithersburg neighborhood on a Friday night (7/6/12). It had a kids' menu so I thought it appropriate for a family meal. The place is spacious and it has an open kitchen. It was packed and felt energetic; the clientele was mostly local Kentland residents - entertaining for people watch and ponder on fashion trends. There was a gracious waiter (blonde young girl) offering us slices of thin cheese pizza while we waited - really friendly, especially with my kids (one was upset that we had to wait so long and she tried to cheer her up). The wait was about 1 hour for a walk-in party of 5, and we were seated next to the bar. The first thing I noticed was the chairs - stylish, padded and comfy. I was content with our spot but the AC was blasting, which reminds me to always carry a sweater in the summer. THE FOOD WAS JUST AVERAGE. We got complimentary bread with a dip - I liked it but kicked myself for not ordering a glass of wine instead of a margarita; it would've gone so much better and I would've been happier. My kid ordered the bottomless lemonade and she loved it - comes with sugar on the rim and a wedge of lime - she got refills twice. I opted for Joe's Margarita and it was disappointing - it wasn't cold enough and the juice tasted artificial - I've definitely had 10 times better at Chevy's (now defunct), Rio Grande or Guapo's. My kids and husband ordered the dumplings for appetizers and they liked it. I had the grilled sirloin steak with wedge salad, which I liked - the meat was tender and I enjoyed the wedge of lettuce with amazing tangy horseradish dressing (like the one served at Brio's). My husband ordered the Vietnamese fish(Joe, our waiter, commented it was a great selection) but he found it flavorless; the plus is that it came with two fillets instead of one + a bunch of noodles and lots of nuts. My kids ordered chicken farfalle, joe schmo pizza, and tomato/basil soup. They liked their food except for the soup - it had an unexpected spicy kick which didn't go well with my 10-yr-old. Desserts - we sampled crème brulee cheesecake (skip it, it's boring) and passion fruit sorbet (waaay sour for me but my daughter thought it was tasty and pretty fruity - she loves sour candy). Service was OK but they missed on some things - no spoons or forks brought for desserts and coffee. We had to ask for them. I couldn't help feeling rushed at the end; there were long lines waiting. Our waiter started picking up the stuff from our table - a hint for "get out" but my kid was still finishing her dessert so as much as I wanted to leave, we had to linger a bit for her to finish. Hate being rushed. The Manager at the reception was keen on sitting additional customers and did not bother to say goodbye when we went by. The hostess by the door did, so that saved the experience a bit. Manager should go around the tables and make people feel welcome. ALL IN ALL, NOT BAD BUT NOT GREAT. I think I'll come back since it's in my area and hate driving long distances. Want to try their other cocktails, which looked interesting.
(3)Michele S.
Went last night with my family and the service was terrible. Usually we order take out and we are pleased with the results. We just wanted some dessert. Our appetizers came out barely warm. We were disappointed. The food is not consistently good. Too bad this place has potential.
(1)Sara N.
I had a sort of average time at Average Joe's ironically. My friend and I had trouble getting seated and waited a while. It seems we were skipped over so not off to a rousing start. I wasn't crazy about the lay-out either. A lot of 2 seaters in the middle of the restaurant and booths on either side. It was just... arranged funny. And plus it was rather dark in there and cold. Oh, and I suppose it was a touch less casual than I thought. Once we were seated it got better. We had a very nice bread basket which was difficult not to devour. I thought my veggie burger was... OK. Not particularly inspired, but not bad either. The server was attentive and even though my friend and I lingered we weren't pushed out the door. They do have a lot of cocktails which I'd like to try. So, I might come back... not entirely enthusiastically. But it was OK!
(3)Taylor F.
I went here for the first time Thursday night for my 21st birthday and the restaurant was pretty packed. Our party of 7 had a 20 minute wait but we were seated as soon as possible. Upon being seated, we were greeted by our excellent waitress. She obviously knew what she was doing and wasted no time with our order. The complimentary bread was fantastic- focaccia with a parmesan dip! I ordered a strawberry rhubarb sangria- out of this world!! (First legal drink!) my main course, an ahi tuna salad, was bursting with flavor and fish! I got a free desert that I passed around- a chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream. Yum yum yum!! I was highly impressed with everything about this place. The decor, waitress, food, service. All top notch. I will come back!
(5)Jenny L.
Just okay nice and friendly stuff but the food was bad. Took forever to get a table kind of dark inside but I won't be back at all its not my type of tea!!
(1)Ben L.
Food is great and the service is even better. Definitely need to try the meatloaf. Not like the meatloaf your grandmother makes. So good!
(5)Michael D.
Excellent, loved it.
(4)I-Hsin M.
So yummy! Will come back!!
(5)Steve D.
Been here about 4 times now. With them being so new, I'm impressed with the consistency of their well-trained staff and good food. The look and feel is pretty cool, too. I'm glad to see a restaurant finally doing well in that spot. I just made plans to meet a client there next week. Keep up the good work.
(4)Jesse V.
I am tempted to give this restaurant 5 stars, given the area that it is in, but I will leave it at 4 and see if I am still wowed on future trips. My wife and I came here on their Grand Opening (July 4th) after seeing it in construction for awhile, and having seen a menu board hung outside the building. The restaurant is nice looking on the inside, with a large bar on the right. The bar has several TV's, and was rather busy. In the back you can see into the entire kitchen, it is a VERY open kitchen. They have a large woodfired pizza oven, and you can see the entire line and staging area. I find this sort of openness to be nice, and reassuring. We were seated quickly, and a server came over to talk to us about the restaurant, tell us a little about the menu and take our drink order. We expected service to be at a minimum confused, it being the first night and all. Exact opposite. Service all night was polite, prompt, and in general spot-on. Only (small) issue was we did ask for a glass of water with dessert, and didn't receive it. On to the menu. The menu is eclectic. There is pizza, burgers, pasta, Asian inspired dishes, African inspired dishes, Greek, Mexican you get the idea. It is all over the board. We were informed everything is prepared in-house. We were started off with some caramelized onion bread pieces, and an oil, parm, garlic, red pepper blend to dip it in. The bread was great, and we could see them taking out fresh loaves all night. They have a cocktail menu that is reasonably priced ($7-8) and a good selection of draft and bottled beer that is also well priced ($3.50-$4.50 for 14oz, $5.50-$6.50 for 22oz). I find a lot of restaurants serving above average food to have inflated drink costs, these prices seemed reasonable. We ordered some Asian chicken dumplings to share, my wife got a cup of clam chowder, and we shared the chicken enchiladas. The dumplings were good. Pieces of chicken, scallion, cilantro in potsticker form essentially. There were 5 of them, and they came in a bowl with a tasty soy based sauce on them. I do wish the sauce was on the side so you could dip, as the potstickers lost some of the crisp do to getting a little soggy. The taste was great though. My wife liked her chowder, I tasted it and it was good, fairly clammy. The enchiladas were good. They are in corn tortillas, chicken and corn inside, with a great poblano cream sauce. They came on a bed of rice, black beans, and veggies which looked boring, but was actually very good, especially with the sauce. For dessert we shared something called a Peanut Butter thing which was essentially a slice of peanut butter ice cream pie, topped with crumbled oreos that had caramel, fudge, and whipped cream on the side. It was VERY large (definitely something to split) and very good. All in all we were pleased here. This is above average food (especially for the Gaithersburg/Germantown area) at a reasonable price ($6-7 for apps, $10-20 for entrees) that has a wide variety of options. I will certainly be coming back, as there is a ton of other stuff on the menu I wanted to try.
(4)Janice V.
I went here for their grand opening week on July 2, I did get a free meal, which was a nice touch. If I were to pay, I would say the prices are reasonable, and the food style is eclectic varying from the classic chicken noodle soup, burgers, and salads to wonton tuna chips, steak, and flounder with curry noodles. The atmosphere was great, the big restaurant had a long bar on the left side and four row of tables filling the rest of the restaurant. The service was great thanks to my server Doug was friendly and energetic, always refilling my water even before I finished it. I tried the fried wonton ahi tuna chips and crab cake for the appetizer. The ahi tuna had a fresh and savory taste to my palette while the crab cake tasted lump and chewy full of crab in my mouth. For my entree, I tried the steak salad which was cooked to a perfect medium and was very tender and juicy. My dads flounder with curry noodles were an interesting but fun and tasty combination. My moms scallops with creamy cheesy couscous were amazing!! I would definitely order all those dishes again. For the dessert, I tried the chocolate molten lava cake, filled with a ton of melted chocolate, but a little too decadent for my liking. The creme brulee cheesecake tasted as if I were to make it at home for myself, but better because of the sugary crust on top. The desserts both came with a side of whip cream and basil for color. I really enjoyed my meal and would definitely come back in the future soon.
(5)Kenneatta J.
Very inviting atmosphere would have preferred to know the time limit on the wait for a table, and then just being told it will be a few minutes. The wait wasn't too bad. Our waitress was nice, and the booths were comfortable. The high sides are nice in muting out some of the noise. For the appetizer we had the pulled pork pretzel it was very good. The bread with the Parmesan dip was the highlight of all the meals. The crab cake sandwich was all right, I could tell that the crabmeat wasn't fresh and they didn't use lump crabmeat. My father loved the meatloaf dinner and it did look quite tasty. I would go again if I'm around that neighborhood or will a group, because the atmosphere is suited for casual dinning.
(3)Glenn F.
The drinks, bread, main meal and service up to the time of dessert was great. Had a party of six and winding down we wanted 2 desserts for the table, that took about 45 minutes total since they forgot one of the desserts. HOWEVER, everything before it was fantastic so its a 4 out of 5 for me, and they should have had a 5. Maybe next time! :) Would I recommend going here? Absolutely yes.
(4)Joel S.
We come here at least twice a month and have never been let down. The food is very good and always comes out fast. Never had bad service and find everyone friendly with great recommendations.
(5)Hitesh G.
Tasteless food and unrefined service. Food tastes like you would find in most southern places like virginia. Over priced appetizers. Macaroni Grill in rio blvd is a better choice than this. Other Kentlands restaurants are better like Thai Tanium, Tandoori Nights, etc.
(2)C Q.
We were there for lunch during a weekday. I made reservations just in case. We were seated right away. Our server was pleasant. He brought the bread to us shortly after we ordered. The bread was really thick, really salty on top, but not much flavor in between. I didn't care for the bread dipping cheese "sauce". I ordered soup and sandwich. The clam chowder was not bad, but I had it better at the Outback Steakhouse. The sandwich was also just not bad. The chicken was slight dry. My friend ordered a pizza. But, again, it was not very special. The service was great, the good was not bad. But I was not especially impressed by anything. I think I had better sandwich at Panera Bread. This is a restaurant that I wouldn't mind going again if someone else wants to go. But it won't be the restaurant I would choose to go, especially when there are so many choices in Kentland.
(3)stevie t.
I live close-by so I keep trying Joe's. So far, I can't say anything too great about the food. There's a huge selection, but for some reason, nothing ever stands out to me. I always feel like I'm looking at the whole menu over and over and not finding something I want. In fact, I'm sitting here trying to think of what I've ordered in the past (other than my last visit), and I can't remember at all. That should tell you something. But it's not bad by any means. This last time I saw a grilled cheese on the kids menu and asked if I could just get that. I know some places care about adults and the kids menu, but I was craving it and she was nice. But when it came, it was filled with all sorts if onions/peppers. I asked her what it was and she said, that's our grilled cheese. I realized then that they must've had one for "big people" that I didn't see. But when I told her I was just asking for the plain one (I know, my mistake), she was pissed. And she walked away with it while I was mid-sentence saying, "I was just trying to order the one off THE KIDS MENU!" - I had to yell the last part because she was leaving so aggressively and I was going to finish my sentence no matter how far away she got. Now, the food mix-up - my fault. But her attitude was nasty and I don't deal well with that. I was admittedly short with her until she made an obvious effort to be nice. But still, it was enough to mention in a review. Aside from that, the service has been sporadic (sometimes great, sometimes just not too attentive, usually always polite), the food's good enough, and I love the bread/dip. The restaurant itself is very modern and nice (lots of textures, open kitchen) and the outdoor patio is done really well (and covered). I haven't tried the bar yet, but it looks pretty popular since it's full whenever I've been. P.S. I give it 3-stars despite my sour waitress, not because of her.
(3)Esther D.
Looked good on paper but the food was really bad. The grilled chicken was burnt, salad didn't seem fresh, and the soup was too salty. The only thing good was the bread dip. And that wasn't even that good. I'm not going back there again.
(1)Iris C.
I have to say... I love most of the dishes I have eaten at NYAJ... and the bread is amazing... the only thing that I hate is how slow service is... I definitely I recommend the salmon. ... hmmmm
(4)Linda L.
Been there twice. First time was lunch. No reservation but only waited a few minutes. Had the nut crusted cheese salad and sangria. Salad was fine but not wowed and our server had the shakes while pouring our sangria & spilled a bit. Our server (probably in his mid 20s) had no clue what "organic" means. He also raved about their focaccia that I found just "eh". Second time was for dinner w/my family & with a reservation; got seated right away. Thought the kids meals were a good deal, but should've been brought out 1st (after all, it was only pasta). Surprised though that the ice cream that was included was a prepackaged cup, & not scooped. I had the scallops on rosemary skewer based on a friend's rave. It was delicious! Hubby had the quahogs & the lettuce wraps. He liked the qoahogs but was surprised that the lettuce wraps were a cold chicken salad & was unimpressed. My oldest kid had the crab cake sandwich and was very happy. Again, the focaccia was still "eh" but the cheese dip that came w/it was addictive. The raspberry lime rickey drink & the berry me in bubbles cocktail were both very good & plentiful.
(4)Sarah H.
I love quirky, fun places, and this is definitely one! Their food is great and they have a little bit of everything. Pizza, burgers, italian, greek, indian, french, american, you name it! They have hard cider on tap, which always makes a place great in my books. Their cocktails are unique and fun. The only reason they didn't get 5 stars from me is because our server wasn't friendly at all and was hard to get a hold of.
(4)Sandy B.
Went Saturday 2pm. Almost a full house. Don't forget to get reservations! Food was good, service (Matt) was awesome. My friends were impressed as well. I even liked the iced tea (and I'm picky about the iced tea), although I think the price is a tad high. I had the pizza -- loved the dough, and the pizza as a whole. But the best part of the meal was the strawberry shortcake. The shortcake was awesome -- probably the best I've ever had. One friend had chicken pot pie and loved it. I forget what everyone else had. I've been there before and will definitely go back.
(4)Jane M.
I'm somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. It definitely has the potential to be 5 if they can figure out how to train the servers. All of the food we ordered was hot and the selection was great. Be prepared to wait-as soon as your server comes by, order an appetizer because it'll be a big wait. Your drinks will be long emptied before refills are offered, then another wait before you get it (which some of the food is spicy so it'll seem longer.) Reservations were necessary even on a Monday night at 7:30. They're trying and they're nice-two big pluses. Now they have to figure out a system so people won't have to wait.
(4)Rock M.
I want to like this place because it is close to my house, has a really interesting atmosphere. I have been there 4 times 3 were really disappointing. The first two times I was charged for items I never ordered. The bartender on one occassion had no customers but us, we asked if we were there during happy hour still and he said we have one hour left. We were charged regular price, and again, we had items on the rect we did not order. When we pointed it out, he walked over and grabbed the correct receipt, which means he knew what he was doing, trying to pull a fast one. I was fuming when I saw that. Last week we have a gift card, not a coupon, a gift card. We went to the bar had a drink(paid cash, we learned our lesson, never give a credit card to this place). The barmaid said we could go outside and seat ourselves, which is what we were waiting on. We went out there, there were only about 35% of the tables full, the rest were empty, and had been empty for the 30 min we were in the bar waiting to be seated. We did as the barmaid said, then we went out there and the waiter who I will not mention here was very upset we sat ourselves and said that we had to go thru the hostess. He continued to act mad we sat there saying there was a 55 min wait to get seated and people were in front of us. He lied of course, and was aggressive. There were no people waiting, there were empty seats outside and inside and we are being told over and over. We are easy customers, and great tippers, I actually had to walk out and let my spouse handle it. The food we had there was below average joes. I went for the atmosphere of course because it is a nice atmosphere, the food and service are really bad, and 3 out of 4 times I was overcharged, 3 out of 4 times! This is real people, watch your receipts! Maybe the boss will mention it and it will stop, but they will never get my business. I am telling everyone I can that this place plays games with the service and the receipts. This is Gaithersburg people, not New York, we should not have to tip the host to sit in a half empty restaurant. The server was aggressive and his boss was told, but we are pretty sure things are status quo.
(2)Sarah G.
I have been here numerous times with different people. It's a great place to grab a drink and some apps, maybe a pizza. The bread is addictive! The main entrees and salads have never impressed me and my friends though. I wish they were open a bit later, with being one of the few places with a bar in kentlands.
(3)Thomas B.
I went to NYAJ after a movie on Sunday. It was my first time here, but was with friends who have eaten here before. I liked it. I had the scallops on the rosemary stick and they were perfectly cooked. We also had the spring rolls and the short ribs appetizer. Everyone at the table enjoyed their meal. One person had the turkey burger, one had a pizza and another had the meatloaf. Good portions. The bread is AMAZING! I am a fan and will be here again!
(4)Andy W.
Went there on a weekday evening around 6pm or so. We were immediately seated. The restaurant was nice and clean. We started with the Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps. They were very good, lots of flavor. I ordered the Cranberry Chicken Terriyaki (or something like that). It was okay. Good, not great. There were two pieces of chicken with spinach, and some type of squash thing. She ordered the Tuna Salad. The portion was very small. For an entree salad, you expect to not be hungry after, but she was because it was pretty small. The salad included some type of deep fried noodles, which had some spice on them. The service there was very good. Our waiter, Alex (I think), was very nice. Everyone who cleaned the table and brought out the entrees were very friendly as well. The bill came to around $40. I would go back there again, but I think I'd try something different.
(3)Vivian C.
My family and I have always wanted to come and try out this restaurant, but never got around to it because we were busy. But today, it was 4th of July so my boyfriend decided to take me there as a surprise. First, the exterior design of the place is very nice and modern...and same as the interior. When I first walked in, nobody was at the front table to greet and welcome me (and most importantly bring me to a table). Now it being my first time here, I was kind of confused...maybe we are supposed to seat ourselves? But then I saw the stack of menus by the table so I knew there was supposed to be a hostess to bring me in. As I stood there for 5 minutes with my boyfriend, nobody came to serve us and three other parties are standing there as well. In fact, the lady (who I am assuming, deals with all the carry out orders) had to serve me. With me always going to restaurants, I actually spotted out the hostess who's job is to bring me to my table (since she wore different clothing than everyone else but was working on something else). She made eye contact with me but did nothing to serve me. Then we were brought to our table. Our waitress is extremely nice and cares about her customers (Danielle M). She created good conversations with us as we asked questions about the menu, although she did not know about a drink, she immediately went to go ask the bartender and got me my answer, which I appreciate a lot. I ordered the Pomegranate Fizz Nonjito and it was AMAZING. Probably one of the best non-alcoholic drink I've had in a while! We ordered the Shanghai Chicken Wings (which are on the Summer fest menu or whatever it is called) and let me tell you it is the BOMB. The flavor is just right. Not too sweet of BBQ flavor or anything, just the right kick that makes it seem Asian but yet fitting the American style of this restaurant. Then our server realized we were done eating the wings and took away the dish. Then we would expect her to bring us the entree, but then she kind of disappeared for a while and it took her a long time to get the food to us. I ordered the Chicken Piccata with Fettuccine. And it was not even hot. It was like warm but barely--more towards cold. But the middle of the pasta was hot. I assumed they put it under a kitchen light? But I hate my food cold and it made me not enjoy the food as much as I would like to.. But to some it up, I understand that it's a new restaurant, I understand there is a lot of room for improvement. But there is just so much like--awkward waiting time for food to come out. I would give this place 3 stars for their food, and 5 stars for their atmosphere and overall quality I felt this place gave me. So I averaged my rating to 4 stars.
(4)Kat F.
I came here for lunch with 6 of my coworkers to celebrate a birthday. We specifically got here after 1pm to beat the lunch rush/crowd. When we came in and told the hostess that we have a party of 7, she gave us a wide-eyed look of surprise and told us it would be a 45-50 MINUTE WAIT! WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MINDS ON A WEEKDAY WILL WAIT NEARLY AN HOUR TO BE SEATED FOR LUNCH!? We told her we could sit outside because we saw that there's ample outdoor seating, but she told us they weren't seating people out there. I don't understand why; it was a really nice day. We ended up splitting up into two booths at the bar area. When I looked around the open area, sure there are a bunch of 2 or 4 seat tables, but almost all of the 4 top tables had only two people on them. First to come out was (cold) bread and this Parmesan-olive oil dip with (I think) red pepper flakes. It was okay, but it definitely would have been better if the bread was at least warm... I ordered a Margherita Pizza which actually was pretty good. The tomatoes (or sauce) was slightly sweet, and it felt light to eat since it was a thin crust (hence a justified one star). While eating, we saw that they do a cute little birthday thing with a cake and candle and wanted to do it for my coworker. We didn't realize there's a separate dessert menu (because our waitress NEVER checked up on us) and ended up ordering what we thought was a Cookies N' Creme cake, but was actually a Cookies N' Creme milkshake. What irks me is that we asked for a candle to be put into it and given as a surprise for my coworker, who was on another table. You'd think that the person we asked would have realized (or at least made sure we wanted a milkshake and not a cake) that we actually wanted a birthday cake. Since we were split up into two different tables, the table with the birthday boy finished and paid already and was about to walk out the door AND THE BIRTHDAY "MILKSHAKE" STILL HADN'T COME! My table looks around for the bartender we ordered from and here she comes with a milkshake with a lit candle stuck on top of it and the fire blows out just as she gets within 10 feet of us. She should have just brought the damn lighter with her to the table in the first place instead of running back and forth to the kitchen to get the lighter. So we made the other people come back and stall before she finally got to the table. These hostesses/waiters/bartenders seriously need to re-evaluate their common sense in serving, especially during lunch on a weekday. If you see a group of people come in all wearing the same company badge, most likely they all have to be back to work within a certain time. STOP DAWDLING!! I'm sure it's much better to come during dinner time without the time rush and not as big a group, but for LUNCH WITH COWORKERS: AVOID AVOID AVOID! (I'd suggest Jersey Mike's next door, actually) or make reservations.
(1)Todd C.
A friend told us this was good so we tried it out. Really amazing service. Our server was Skye and she was on her 'A' game. The bread and sauce was so tasty. Really everything was tasty.
(5)D C.
Just Your Average Joe's would be a more fitting name. I had my first experience here when this place had been open for less than 1 week at this point and it is doing a booming business. TLDR: All things considered the place was very clean, very new, laid out well, just okay food and poor service. The bar is huge and a really nice area.The atmosphere is a step up from Bonefish nearby but the food is not as good. I have been about 5x now and really tried to like this place. Three of five times now the service has been horrendous. I have sat waiting for a waiter for 5-10 min before anyone came to the table. Then it usually takes another 5-10min for them to bring a simple water. Then they typically disappear again before bringing the complimentary bread and garlic/parm dipping sauce (which is REALLY good btw). I have been there when they are packed and empty but it really didn't matter. The service is slow and painful to deal with. Glasses go unfilled, you ask for more and they forget, the bread runs out and no one refills. The menu is rather large and bizarre. It's a strange mix of salads, burgers, sandwiches, fish filets, scallops, etc. There are Mexican, Asian, Italian and plain old USA style dishes on the menu. It's just weird. The variety is nice but it's like the place has no identity. They focus on too many dishes and I think it brings down the quality. My main complaint about NYAJ is that everything is too sweet. Someone in the kitchen has a sweet tooth and I am so not a fan of that. The sauces, aiolis and dips all go way overboard on the sugar level. I was hoping this place would become more like an upscale adult place more like Copper Canyon at Rio. Instead it is more like a family place (lots of noise and kids) which serves average food but plated a little fancier than say Outback or Mac Grill. I am having a hard time seeing how this place could develop a cult following like Bonefish. I wanted it to be the new great place in the Kentlands but it is just average. New England clam chowder: Really, really good. This was clearly fresh, lots of clams, nicely cooked potatoes with just a very small crunch to them still. This is my fav NYAJ dish. 5-star clam chowder. Asian chicken dumplings (pot stickers): Good. The sauce was a great mix of tangy and sweet. Nice balance. I could have eaten 10 more of these. Ahi tuna wontons: They need to upgrade their tuna quality. The tuna itself, while seared perfectly, was too tough. They serve it on top of wontons the size of a large tortilla chip and when you try to bite through the tuna it doesn't want to give. It creates sort of a messy experience because now you have half a chip (and tuna) hanging out of your mouth that you cannot bite through. They went with a wasabi aioli sauce on top which is a little like a mayonnaise type sauce. It was okay but way too sweet. The Bonefish tuna app is way better. Garlic shrimp flatbread: Not good. The flatbread had too many ingredients on top. Within 5 min the pieces of crisp flatbread were getting soggy and flimsy. The recipe was one dimensional. Garlic, corn, red onions, shrimp = sweet. Scallops: The scallops come out seared pretty well (at least mine were) and they are skewered with a fresh rosemary twig. All of it is on a bed of rice. There is a sauce drizzled which was... too sweet. Chicken enchiladas with poblano crema: The menu says this, "joe discovered this dish in mexico city". This dish was terrible. The enchilada tortilla was so soaked in grease that eating that alone made me feel sick. I unrolled the remaining enchiladas and just wanted to eat the filler inside. There was literally almost NO chicken. It was almost empty. I've been to Mexico City many times and I highly question this dishes authenticity. 1 star. Sirloin wedge: There is nothing like the wedge salad when it comes to a profit margin. You take the worst lettuce in the world (iceberg) and slather it up with bleu cheese... bam, a salad. This one had a horseradish-mustard dressing which I thought was awful though. The sirloin with it was just average. NYAJ's pizzas: Terrible pizzas. A good pie is one of my quests in life. My spider sense told me not to order a pizza here but I didn't listen. They have a brick oven and make their own dough so that gets hard to mess up, right? Wrong. The dough had zero flavor and the sauce was too sweet. The toppings were completely dried out and didn't seem fresh. The manager came out and asked how my pizza was and I told him it was about a 2 on a 10 scale. He took it off the bill which was very nice.
(2)Joe A.
This place is great - as a consequence a bit busy (this shouldn't surprise people). Don't know why it doesn't have a higher Yelp rating as the food is *great* and the drinks and happy hour worth going to. Highly recommend it!
(5)Michael H.
If they can keep this up, Not Your Average Joes is going to be a gem in the Kentlands. I cannot believe what this place looks like inside and out. SUCH a huge difference from the chicken out that used to be here. I was so surprised when I walked in, it reminded me of some eclectic place you might find in Bethesda or the district. Big bar (probably seats 30-40?) lots of beer on tap (20 including some local finds) and a really neat interior. Not that there's anything wrong with fast casual, like Jersey Mikes or Chik-Fil-A, but I think Kentlands needs more sit down restaurants. Especially if they are an independent or "small local" chain like this. NYAJ just opened yesterday, so I wasn't expecting stellar service. I was pleasantly surprised at how efficient the wait staff was. Almost too attentive, as my waitress came by to check a little frequently. The service was better than expected, but could be more refined. However, the food was really, really good. Borderline fantastic. NYAJ is more of a comfort food place with a twist. They have things on the menu like meatloaf, but it's stuffed with mozzarella and served with green bean and carrot confetti, mashed potatoes, and cremini mushroom gravy. It seems like everything in here is made in house, including the carmelized onion focaccia with Parmesan red pepper dipping sauce. I had the mustard crusted chicken with green beans and asparagus. It was excellent. Very fresh, well seasoned. The next time I come back, I definitely want to try the crab cakes and the sweet potato steak fries. Also, the prices are VERY reasonable. If you live in or near Kentlands, you should definitely try Not Your Average Joe's!
(4)Bryan E.
This is a review of not only the food but the services at Not Your Average Joe's in the Kentlands. I have been there several times, and each time I have eaten the buffalo chicken pizza, which is DELICIOUS! The waiters and bartenders are always top notch and their drinks are great as well, my fiance especially loves the sangria. My most recent visit was to get a buffalo chicken pizza and a burger for takeout. Upon arrival, our food was ready to pick up. I checked the burger and pizza, and noticed the pizza looked a little different. The cashier said that it was supposed to look that way and it was just missing the dressing, which they got for me. When I got home and got the pizza in the light, the pizza had no cheese, dressing, or scallions on it, as described on the menu. I promptly called Not Your Average Joe's and spoke to the manager, who could not have been more kind and helpful. He first offered to have someone drive me a new pizza. Since I had already added cheese to the pizza and warmed it up, he offered to send me a gift card. I got it in the mail today and it was for $25, two times the price of the pizza! This gesture is a testament to management going out of their way to rectify an unfortunate mistake. I will continue to go to this restaurant as often as I can not only for their delicious food and drink, but for their wonderful waiters and management!
(5)Mariella B.
Not sure about the name because the place is pretty average. I've been here a couple times, I've enjoyed it at times and not. The bread and dipping sauce is delicious and def is a change up from your boring bread and butter. Make sure you ask for fresh bread, otherwise you'll get stale bread. The first time I came around opening week I ordered the meat loaf. The outside tasted pretty good and then as I dug my fork in the middle I pulled out a chunk of raw meat. Not cool....but being a nice person I did give the restaurant the benefit of doubt since it was opening week, during the summertime, and they were packed up the woo hah. I like that they have a large selection of beer, I've tried their Riesling and it's pretty good. I haven't tried their specialty drinks since I've found specialty drinks at restaurants tend to be more juice/soda than alcohol and are over priced for a cup of ice. The next couple of times I came I had the soup and salad. The tomato soup is good but has a big kick at the end, making it way too spicy for tomato soup. The kitchen tends to skimp on their dressings for the salads so make sure to request an extra side of dressing on the side. I have also tried the vegetarian lasagna, ehh it's okay they could put more vegetables inside. I think I got two sticks of asparagus, very thin slices of zuccini, and spinach? Also it's not your typical lasagna, instead of layers they roll the vegetables in a hand rolled pasta piece. I've tried the turkey kabobs with an orange bbq sauce on top of jasmine rice. The first time I got it, it was delicious. But the next time I came back (which is the reason I am writing this review. I wanted the turkey kabob again and boyfriend got the buffalo chicken with bleu cheese pizza. When my kabobs came out I was excited, mouth watering, but I looked at the rice which was not fluffy at all. As I took a forkful of the jasmine rice I felt a strange texture and a crunching sound. The rice was barely cooked, which I should have know. Since me being Filipino and being a pro at the art of cooking rice I was annoyed. The server said she would come back with fresh rice, after half an hour I was wondering where the rice was, we found out from manager and server that the cooks in the back thought it would be funny if they would let it sit around for awhile because they thought the rice was for another patron but the second batch of rice that they gave me was just as nasty as the original. It only took three people (a server, manager, and cook) to come out and explain when they realized the rice was for me (a paying customer). The service was great when they first opened, I even recommended this new joint to many friends and co-workers but now the food, service, and management is slacking. It's obvious that it's not just me who thinks bad of this restaurant because the reviews and lack of stars speaks for itself. This last meal may be my last for a while. Next time I'll be heading back to guaranteed good spots in the Kentlands: Bonefish and Coal Fire.
(1)Bincy P.
I have been here a few times and have been more disappointed each time. Food was bad ..smokehouse jambalaya tasted like rice mixed with tomato salsa ..nothing worth even coming back except for the bread and dip .
(2)Lucy B.
So, we come here for lunch often and I've been for dinner a few times. The food is good. I recently had a great server, I don't know how to spell his name but i think he pronounced it something like Joe-sway (woops on the spelling part). He was fantastic, i don't think i had to ask for a refill on my beverage once, he was just there with a new one like right at the perfect time, great service! Now, to the food. My favorite is the chicken mona lisa salad and I pretty much only ever get that there. I have a coworker who also only gets one specific thing. The thing that really gets on my nerves is that every single time I come in, the salad looks different, has different stuff or is in a different plate. Its very strange. One time I went in and the bowl was full to the top of greens and delciious toppings and tossed in teh dressing, the next time, it was like 6 pieces of lettuce and barely made it half way in the bowl, with hardly any strawberries and it wasn't tossed at all. The next time I got my salad more of the same, the strawberries were missing and it also wasn't tossed. Each waiter tells me a different story about whether or not the salad is supposed to be tossed or not "but they would be happy to toss it for me." Its just annoying. Same goes for my coworker's food. Looks different every time. I've also had the bbq pretzel bites a few times, ALSO different every time. But again, the service is always fantastic and its in a great location!
(3)Elizabeth L.
I have been to Not Your Average Joe's twice and neither experience was memorable. The best part of the meal was the company, followed by the bread (really good Tuscan-style) and dipping sauce. The meals themselves were mediocre. I don't even remember the first meal except that it was a salad and the dressing was overly tart. Also, the place was packed and so noisy that conversation was nearly futile. Yesterday I went for lunch and the service was good, the noise was less (relatively empty), but the food was in impressive. I ordered the grilled cheese with a cup to tomato soup. The sandwich tasted like it was grilled in rancid oil and was completely overrun with caramelized onions. The soup was okay, it there was something off about it. This is not a restaurant that I will go back to.
(1)Demi D.
Great new spot in Gaithersburg. THis is the kind of trendy, fun restaurant that the Kentlands needed. Husband and I had drinks at the bar while waiting for our table. My cocktail was the Jungle Juice- not my favorite- I couldn't taste a hint of vodka. Just tasted like fruit juice, really. However, my husband got a tall pumpkin ale and the bartender put cinnamon sugar on the rim- DELISH! (of course i tried some myself :) ) Food was really great- I got the pecan chicken and he got the crab cake BLT. Both very good! And our server was lovely. We will definitely be back. Maybe not regulars, but the food was good and the atmosphere was great so we will give it another shot!
(3)Lisa W.
This was my second time eating at NYAJ's. The first time the service was terrible. There were five in our party and 4 orders were messed up. One indiv. got her order 10 minutes after everyone was served. They did comp hers. The bread is dry and terrible- warm it up. The dipping sauce - yummy. The chicken seemed precooked and dry. Had a hard time cutting it with a butter knife. The menu has a variety of foods, that someone should find something. Portions sizes a little on the small side. Great drinks. The second visit we had Trevon as our server. He was fabulous!! He knew the menu, great recommendations, always smiling and polite. This was a total change from the first visit. NYAJ's caters to gluten free food. I have a friend that that I need to bring in to try out their food... sure hope Trevon is my waiter again.
(3)William B.
Decent place, I ate at a table in the bar so I could watch the Redskins game. Server was super friendly and accommodating. I was especially impressed with the gluten free menu, I had a burger with a gluten free onion bun. My son also had a burger and he liked his. Not super amazing food by any means, but a nice, friendly place with decent meals.
(3)Laura T.
I gave the restaurant four stars for their pizzas. But, seriously, the Waldorf salad could have been thrown together by the janitor at Giant. All the lettuce today was white lettuce (i.e., cheap romaine). A few pecans (maybe 3), almost no mozarella (who uses mozarella on a salad anyway??? no flavor), and big chunks of green apples (really?). A sprinkling of craisins and a few grapes. Wow. Cosi, Panera, Kentlands Cafe.... all of them tons better. This version compares well with McDonalds' salads, except McDonalds wins. I recall ordering this salad when you opened, and it had quality lettuce (hint: green!), a decent (detectable) amount of garnishes, and the apples were not chunked. I will still eat here to support a kentlands business, but I will never pay for this salad again. That is twice in a row that it was cheaply made. You risk ending up like other Kentlands restaurants (that close). Don't stoop to cheaply made dishes. A restaurant in Kentlands cannot afford to do that.
(4)LaTanya GeminiondaRise J.
Finally visited this spot for dinner with a group of co-workers. I have to say not bad I would definitely go again. We order the ahi-tuna appetizer on wontons..first time having Ahi-tuna it was pretty tasty. The pulled pork on the pretzel bread is delicious. The coconut shrimp was great eventhough I'm not a fan of coconut it was fried crispy just the way I like it you couldn't taste the coconut. The chicken quesedilla appetizer is my fav totally full of chicken and cheese can definitely be a meal. Ordered the Turkey burger for dinner and added bacon. It was very juicy and flavorful it tasted even better the next day. My only complaint is that with the price tag on the alcholic beverages I expected more bang for my buck. I ordered the beyond your top shelf margarita and it didn't taste like top shelf then I ordered the sangria with the fruit. The fruit was good but not enough wine. Don't water down my drinks at $10+ a pop.
(3)E V.
My friend found this restaurant and we went for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Not busy at all...no wait and less than half full. I'm gluten free; she isn't. One woman sat us. We waited at least five minutes for someone to come over and take drink orders. A man did that, and said someone else would be our waiter...a little strange, but whatever. He also brought bread, which was really good, my friend said, and we requested GF for me. A few min later our waiter brought our drinks and said my bread and dip would be coming. My bread (very hot) and dip came from a young lady a few min later. Then the waiter came and took our orders. The GF menu is fairly extensive. I ordered a burger w/ mashed potatoes. It came on the same bun that was served as the pre-meal bread. It's very good...moist, buttery, and doesn't fall apart like most GF breads. The mashed potatoes were good, but not anything special. I loved the decor and the light fixture over the kitchen is way cool. The main attraction for me to go again is the GF options...chicken, fish, steak, salads, bread, etc. I'll definitely be back.
(4)Amber M.
The Decor was lovely, but the food lacked taste. I would not return to this restaurant. I believe the plaid tops do not complement the restaurant well, although I can say our server was very kind and pleasant.
(2)Rachel L.
Ironically, this place is just average. I had no problem getting a table and the service was good. A little slow but friendly and helpful. The pineapple painkiller cocktail tasted good but was a little gritty which was off putting. The best part of the meal is honestly the free bread and dip that you get right away. The problem with most of the food is the descriptions sound better than what you actually get. The pizza I ordered, the California bacon blue, sounded better on the menu. I can't say it was bad but it really wasn't that great either. My boyfriend got the meatloaf. The plating was really funny. A long plate with two mounds of mashed potatoes topped with slices of meatloaf on either end. The entire thing was sprinkled with what looked like the kind of veggies you get frozen at the grocery store complete with the cubed carrots. Someone tell the chef salt and pepper are awesome, especially when you use them to season things. During dinner, I also go the jack and ginger cocktail, which sounded great and tasted weird. I love Jack Daniels and I love a jack and ginger. It just seemed like the bartender didn't really know how to balance a good drink. It tasted mostly like ginger beer with a heavy side of lemon. I can't say I hate the place, but I doubt I will be back either.
(2)Derrick W.
Nice Americana menu and decent beer menu. Would definitely visit if you have a nice sized group and want a modern eatery. The bread and Parmesan dip is simply AMAZING!!!!
(4)Laura R.
I went out to lunch here with my sisters and "aunt." There was a 20 minute wait for lunch, but the time passed quickly while we perused the menu. The menu was extensive, and my vegetarian sister was pleased with the selections. I had the grilled cheese and tomato soup, which was perfect for the rainy day. They also have a variety of non-alcoholic fancy drinks, which was fun.
(4)Shelli G.
For openers, I wasn't expecting a place quite this nice, as I assumed it was a sports bar. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the service was very friendly, but a little chaotic, even though they seemed to be abundantly staffed -- but I know they've only been open a short time so I'm sure that will improve. Otherwise, the food was very good, the portion sizes were just right, and I think for dinner, the price was very reasonable (4 adult entrees, 2 beers, 2 soft drinks, 1 dessert ordered -- with tip, a little more than $25pp). Will definitely return. A very welcome addition to the Kentlands area.
(4)Harrison S.
Good food for a reasonable price. If you're looking for a good alternative to standard American Diners, this is a great choice. Similar to Friday's but with better decor, service, food, and prices.
(4)Sabrina M.
Atmosphere was phenomenal; decor was great. Bf and I walked in on Tuesday afternoon w/o reservations. But if you plan on going after 6pm you may want to make reservations because it quickly got crowded. Menu is all over the place in terms of variety, but it seemed ok. Just makes it difficult to not want to choose everything from the menu! Nice choice of beers/cocktails/wine to choose from. The complimentary bread is to die for. Bf ordered the Tuscan chicken sandwich and he said it was rather dry, but the fries were almost like boardwalk fries which was a nice treat. I ordered the bbq chicken pizza but they messed up my order and gave me the buffalo chicken pizza. So they quickly apologized and made me the BBQ chicken pizza. So overall, the buffalo chicken pizza was free. Not too shabby, but the sauce was spicy. We ordered the Asian dumplings as an appetizer but the waiter completely forgot that we ordered the appetizer. We didn't fuss because honestly we were too focused on the bread and with two pizzas coming we didn't want to indulge. The manager came by to apologize about the order mistake and his professionalism really made the difference in how I viewed the restaurant. Joe's is new so it's only fair to give them time to adjust, especially with the servers. The outside seating is amazing (just from our view).plenty of seating and covered. Prices are reasonable. Televisions at the bar, playing sports and the bar was packed! Overall, I see myself coming back because the menu seems too good to pass up on, and I love the atmosphere and it's nice to have a decent/chill restaurant that's local.
(4)Scott J.
First time visit. We had a 7:15 reservation on a busy Friday night and waited 5 minutes to be seated. Waiter was at my table within 2 minutes with drink order and amazing bread. It gets better....waiter was very friendly and the food was tasty. Can't wait to go back but only with a reservation. The wait without one was over 1 1/2 hours.
(4)Steve J.
My part of 5 ate there last night, 5:30, actually, as when we made the reservation, that time and 8:30 were the only slots available. No problem with that. Food was good and staff attentive. Shared the haddock entree with my GF. The salad that came with it had large cucumber slices with seeds nearly the size of pepitas so I gave the cucumber to my GF. I think she ate it. Would recommend produce buyer shop for smaller cucumbers or seedless. Glad to have a restaurant that can give Bonefish Grill some competition. BTW, I found the wood chair back uncomfortable on my bony back. As for the location, there is quite a bit of car traffic at peak hours due to a sub shop 20 feet away plus Panera further down. The parking lot is shared with them plus Giant food and I guess Coal Fire Pizza. People negotiating the area in their cars need to be attentive, patient, and yield to pedestrians. Your food isn't going to jump out of the kitchen of whatever restaurant that's your destination and run away. Update: I wanted to mention that I wish they provided natural brown sugar packets instead of refined white sugar. I often have tea with or after my meal.
(4)John H.
I used to work a few doors down from Joe's so I got to try it a few times. Like a few people have mentioned, there is no consistency at all. One thing that was consistent, was good intentions by the staff. They always go the extra mile to make things right. Which leads me to why they would have to make things right. I'd say 6/10 orders my co workers made came wrong. In fact one time they inexplicably put bacon on a veggie burger that my Muslim co worker ordered!! The one time I went in to dine in the restaurant I loved the ambience and service but the food wasn't up to par...crunchy rice on my dish, and nothing but spinach in my friend's salad just a little bit of anything else sprinkled in. The manager on duty happened to notice my friend's salad and took it back. This manager though was kind if weird...only seemed to pay attention to tables with attractive women...my friend being a very attractive woman, and the table next to us which included a very attractive woman as well. He wouldn't even acknowledge my presence or the guy sitting with the other woman and I didn't see him even come close to any other tables. I might be reading to much into it, but my friend was kind if weirded out by it. Anyways now that I don't work close to them I probably won't be going back. And that's all I have to say about that...
(2)Vanessa K.
Was here a few months ago. Had an 8:00pm reservation for 7 people. I arrived at 7:50 and the rest of the party arrived between 7:55-8:00. Even with the reservation we had to wait an extra 20 minutes for our table (what's the point of the reservation if we get seated at 8:20!). Anyways once we got seated the food was pretty good. Service was very subpar as our server was slow and quite forgetful. It was overall just okay. I may give it a second chance if the service were better but it doesn't leave me itching to come back.
(3)Sarah W.
The service was impeccable!! we had a really nice guy named Wes who was super funny and made the whole family feel comfortable.. he checked on us the perfect amount of times so and made the experience really enjoyable!! the food was also ver delicious but I would return simply for the great experience with our waiter. Highly Recommended!!
(5)Debbie P.
First time there the service was great and my husband loved his mealWe had lettuce wraps for an appetizer which I would not recommend, same for the flounder. We decided to give it another try on a Friday night and have the pizza. We headed to the bar which was packed. After standing for about 40 minutes a table opened up in the bar area (which is separate from the main restaruant) and we sat down. After getting waters, etc., a manager approached us and asked if we had a reservation. We explained that we thought bar seating was open as it is in every other restaurant we have been to. She explained rudely that was not the case and seating was by reservation only. She then grabbed the menus and asked us to leave. She did not offer us any recourse but to put our name on a waiting list which would be a good hour or get the pizza for take out. Needless to say we left and headed to Coal Fire where the service was great. My husband decided to try again and he and a friend headed to the bar around 5:00 on a week day hoping for a better experience. There were only a five other people, but the bartender ignored them for 10 minutes and then demanded to see their IDs. They are both in their 50's. My husband showed his DL and his friend asked why she needed an ID. She stated, "I know you are old, but if you don't have an ID I can't serve you". My husband explained that he had been there on a prior occassion and no ID was required that time. She stated that if he didn't show his DL he would not be served. They decided to leave and reported the incident to the manager, who had no comment and didn't seem to care. They went to Coal Fire where service was great and no ID was needed. The attitude of management seems to be that as long as they continue to be busy, they don't need to cater to patrons who have a bad experience. Coal Fire may be getting more business because of dissatisfied diners.
(2)Carlay K.
Everyone always talks about their sit down experience , but no one ever speaks about the take out . So I took it upon myself to try it out ! I LOVED IT . For one the girl with the bright smile her hair is dark red with bangs (sorry I couldn't remember her name ) helped me out a lot with choosing what I wanted since I have only been there once . She gave me her honest opinion about everything which I like .she wasn't bias . She recommend the cheesecake desert I fell in love with and on top of it all she saw I had 3 very young children after I paid she told me about their car hop service and instead of waiting in the lobby she would bring me my food to my car ! IF THAT ISN'T CUSTOMER SERVICE I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS . Will I recommend this place YES ! Especially take-out ! She labeled all my food . Gave my kids to-go drinks . I'm glad she took time to help me out ! Great work .
(4)myra f.
Late lunch. Service was ok nothing great. Food was mediocore. Chicken lettace wraps, where was the chicken? Not even made up of a quarter of a chicken breast. Burgers ok. Pecan Chicken dry, sweet pototao steak fries are huge and decent. Pizza ok. Crabcakes aweful too small and tastless. Wanted to like it.
(2)A B.
We dine in and/or take out at least once a week. We love it there!
(5)