Original Joe's Restaurant

I only gave it 1 star because 0 stars isn't an option. Don't bother. Years ago our family celebrated special events at Joe's, and years ago it as good. How long can a restaurant rest on it's laurels? Chef Boy-r-dee Ravioli, tough steaks, marinara straight from the can... not even the jar! And nothing beats a waiter with attitude, who could give a damn about serving you or EARNING his tip, dripping SWEAT off his brow onto your dinner plate!!!! Thanks but no thanks.

Pros: ?

Cons: Waiter sweating in my dinner?

When I finally convinced my ex to take me to this place, I was unpleasantly surprised. There was nowhere to park, we had to wait for a table for over 45 minutes even though we had a reservation, the food was cold, and I had a very unpleasant experience at the table that the manager tried to solve by rolling his eyes and asking if we wanted to change tables- we had not complained up until that point...

Joe's recently re-opened after being closed all summer for remodeling. Still the same great italian food with new booths, counter-tops and stools. Glad to have them back. Always fun.

Cons: Always a wait during peak hours

i heard such great things about oj's. but, i got to be honest, it wasn't that great. what's ironic is that even though servings are so huge you can't finish, you don't want to take the leftovers home with you.

Pros: cool interior, old school feel

Cons: food is mediocre

Large family style portions. Couples try the Petite Filet Mignon and the Sauteed Scallops (I recommend ravioli on the side). Do not forget the Antipasto salad and garlic bread for large groups.

Pros: Noisy

Cons: Great food

This place is a landmark. If you want to feel like you're eating in one of those restaurants you've seen in a gangster film this is it - complete with wise-guy waiters. The food is good - not great but good. The service can range from fair to good - again, not great but good. The wait can be long on weekends.

As I've already mentioned, I've always thought the atmosphere is very classic in a "God Father" sort of way. It's really a fun place to go once in awhile. It's OK for kids. There's plenty of noise so they probably won't bother anyone. It's in downtown San Jose so parking pretty much is horrible and is almost never free.

My girlfriends and I made reservations for a birthday dinner since we heard it was a great place for large groups with a great menu. The service was good, I'll admit that, but the food was decent, if that! I could make tastier dishes at home! I tried adding salt and pepper, and some cheese to jazz up the dish since it was completely bland, but nothing helped. It was just oily and flavorless. Everyone else was also extremely disappointed with their selection. We all (12 of us) ordered different items and no one liked anything. The place was also super packed and extremely loud. The meal averaged $25-30 bucks/person, tip included.

If you're looking for an Italian restaurant good for large groups, I'd recommend Maggiano's or Buca di Beppo over this place anyday!

Pros: Good Service

Cons: every dish was bland, very loud and crowded, parking can be an issue since its in DT

After driving for 5 hours from LA needless to say we were hungry. We decided to try Joe's for some Italian--BIG MISTAKE! The Decor looked very old, dark, and cheap but I after looking at their menu I thought that perhaps dishes priced around $18 will make up for it. I was wrong!

After our very UNFRIENDLY WAITER who said "Everything is good" couldn't recommend anything in particular, I finally settled on the $24 Veal Parmesian. The veal was not bad, but the spaghetti with tomato sauce looked and tasted like it was just brought from a school cafeteria!!! Also, our friend just had lunch and came along for the company, but she was told that SHE HAD TO PAY $4 JUST TO BE THERE!!! I've never heard of this before! So she ordered a $7 slice of "Tiramisu" instead--and it was the farthest thing from Tiramisu we've ever had! California Pizza Kitchen's is 10 times better! This was dry sponge cake layered with a thin coat of coco mixed with whipped cream and some more sponge cake and whipped cream on top!

If you think that I've been spoiled by Los Angeles eateries, this is not the case at all. I've eaten at many hole-in-the-wall places which were much better than Joe's!

The only reason I'm writing this review is because this was the absolute WORST RESTAURANT I've ever been to and I've never regretted leaving $40 bucks as much as I did that time.

I don't know how this place stays in business, but it shouldn'!
DON' T Waste Your Money! Go Somewhere Else. You'll thank me later =)

Pros: Ummmm, convenient location?

Cons: Service, Ambiance, and FOOD! need I say more?

You don't see places like this anymore. Menu is truly old school and the portions are large. Side of pasta (or baked potato) comes w/entree. Half portions of pasta's available for the kids. One of the few places left still offering the "Half & half" (Half Spag, half ravioli). The bread is excellent. NY Steak rocks. Meatball & steak sandwiches rock. Atmosphere is truly classic 70's with all the wait staff in black ties. Stays open late. It wouldn't be downtown SJ without O-Joe's.

Pros: OPEN LATE

Cons: IT'S NOT 24-Hour

I've been wanting to try joes for a while, now that I have I realize that I wasn't missing much. The food is mediocre and the server was a bit surly. I might go back, but only because it's open late.

Let me just start with the best free Cheesecake ever ;) Huge mile high and strawberry drizzle. Broiled Chicken breast - out of this world. Caprese salad with happy balls of buffalo cheese - yum. The wine was excellent, the steak was nice, the eggs were fluffy, the steak fries were crisp, the ravioli was simply divine. I highly recommend this crazy place. The wait staff wears suits and bow ties, their is s dinner counter at which oyu can drink wine, the booths are loverly the green lighting with the plants has a bit of a Vegas feel. Joe is too sweet. I loved, loved, loved it and will be back the next time I am in San Jose.

Pros: atmosphere, service, food

I love going to OJ late, even with the wait. My favorite dish is the pasta primavera with red sauce. You only need a 3/4 portion, and I usually take home half of that. The spamoni is so good, and I am not usually a huge fan of spamoni.

Pros: Lots of food, open late

Cons: Crowded, Parking.

There's a reason why Original Joe's is always packed, the food is awesome. Don't worry about going away hungry either, you get enough food to leave you feeling full for at least 24 hours. Pasta, steak, doesn't matter, it's all mighty tasty at Original Joes.

Pros: Portions, Price, Food

Cons: Crowds, Parking

Expensive NY strip steak which came out medium well rather than medium rare, and the sides weren't terribly interesting. Service was so-so; did get some attitude from the waiter at one point. The food is mediocore at best. The place is ridiculously overpriced given the food and service.

Pros: Retro

Cons: Food, Price

Every time I'm in San Jose, I make it a point to dine at Joe's. The wait is usually long, so make your way back to the bar and enjoy what I like to call a "Home Pour". The bartender is always very generous on the amount of Tanqurey I get in my cocktail. A few of these and you don't really notice the wait. You just sit waiting for your name to be called by the Matre Dei. His voice sounds like he's calling the home stretch at Bay Meadows. Once seated, get a bottle of the house red and a order of mushrooms. I always order the Sweetbreads, but other tastes have always met my high standards. The wait staff is attentive and most have been there for 10+ years.

Pros: Food, Stiff Drinks, Atmosphere

Cons: wait

Looking at the outside of the restaurant, you'd expect the inside to turn out some great, Italian comfort food. The place looks like somewhere the guys from the movie "Casino" would gather to eat. However, the food is blah- no flavor at all. Service wasn't the greatest- we sat and waited maybe 45 minutes until we were seated. The hostess/host just sat there and never once gave us an update on the wait or apologized for the wait. I did, however, like how our waiter packed our food to-go: he took a giant platter of pasta and with one quick swoop, packed it into a tiny, Chinese takeout box. Very cool!

The service and quality and size of the meals @ OJs never disapoint me. It is a good time whether sitting at a counter or at a table. LOVE THIS PLACE!

Pros: service, food quality, serving size

I've tried many dishes at Original Joe's from the Joe's Special to the hamburger. Everything is excellent and the service is great!

Pros: Great food, quality, large portions

Cons: parking

Nothing particularly bad about the place--just nothing very good either. Steak was OK but overcooked. And WAY overpriced. Entire waitstaff seemed smug. There are plenty of better places to go in SJ area.

Cons: Expensive, Run of the mill food, Stuck up waitstaff

Hey, it's an institution. Sit at the counter, watch the cooks try to control chaos, smell the wonderful scents, order a burger & fries, and sit back. Joe's is a hoot. Bring an appitite,...

I cant believe people call this place an institution. I have repeatedly given OJs a try and each time I swear I will never go back. Where to start?
Food? Eggplant parmesan is a fried grease trap. Spaghetti sauce rivals a can of Campbells tomato soup. Sandwiches are sloppy wet.
Service: If I want rude, scruffy, over weight slobs waiting on me, I go to Cafe Sport in SF. At least the food is good.
Ambience: There is nothing special about in and the restroom and cleaner to my local Sell gas station.

Pros: location

Cons: food, service, food

I have been going to OJ's for years. I love their hamburgers. They are by far the best I've ever eaten!

Pros: excellent food

Cons: long wait for table

Food = Excellent, Service = Needs Improvement. I agree with the consensus opinion on the food: great, especially the burgers & BLT's. Unless you're a regular, the service can range from fair to almost non-existent. I have left twice after sitting for 10-15 minutes w/o any acknowlegement of my existence.

Pros: Food, Ambience

Cons: Service

I always love coming here because not only is it near to where I live, but the food and atmosphere are unbeatable. There is plenty of free parking in the downtown area. There is no better Italian food for that price. The waiters are speedy and the most professional I've ever had. My friend and I took his little cousin (5 years old) out to eat and the waiter found out that he spoke spanish, so the waiter was speaking in spanish to him all night. At the end of our meal he got all the waiters together and brought him out ice cream and played little jokes and kept him laughing the whole time. It was probably the best experience I've ever had at a resturaunt.

Pros: Speedy, Good Parking, Delicious

Cons: Noisy

I must agree with the editor's review (Cecily Barnes) that "There is no need to fight for one of the cozy, brown leather booths." That is because there is usually a longgg wait for one of these cozy booths. The food is great but the waits are wayyy tooo longggg.
Ever notice the smugness that oozes from the wanna be bar captains; oops waiters at O Joes?
If you can put up with the wait and the smugness then the food is worth waiting for.
Ciao Pasta Fazoo!

Pros: great food, large portions, friendly counter

Cons: longggg waits, expensive

The best burger, moist, large and like the bread instead of those soggy fall-apart tasteless rolls.

Just the very best burger I've ever had!

Pros: moist, large, bread

Cons: crowded

When going to downtown S.J. (museums,show,etc) we always go to Joe's. I'll usually get a pasta dish & hubby will get their cheeseburger.I know that a burger isn't really Italian,but the serving size of it makes it just like my Mamma makes 'em @ home. The pasta sauces are always good-also,they are welcoming to kids.The waiters alway flirt with my 9 yr old daughter,they've done that since she was a baby. If you sit @ the counter,there's always a HOT show.

Cons: parking

I remember my dad taking me to OJ's when I was about 10. I've been going every chance I get since then. Now, when I take friends with me, they're hooked too.

You can't beat the price, service and most of all the food at OJ's

Original Joes is a downtown classic. Great Raviolis and generous portions with a real new york Italian feel. I love going to OJ's, I always come home with enough food for a week.