Original Joe's in San Jose

Bizbee wrote:

>At the risk of waking up with a horse's head in my bed,

Oh, I see...you whine how the place lacks political correctness, but yet you write an ethnic slur...not to mention how any horses might feel.

>I would like to ask what the hell the attraction is to this place?

Overall I wouldn't say that the food is fantastic, but I've never had a bad meal there either.  It is consistent and it has been around forever, so naturally it has much greater following than most places, thus the frequent crowds.  Also, OJ's isn't stingy with the portions.  The pasta is so-so, the Joe's Special is above average compared to the other places of the "Joe's" genre.  The burgers are awesome...thick, char broiled, with the onions mashed in the meat, and served on *real* sour dough french bread...not to mention the nice thick fries that, oddly enough, taste like real potatos! The minestrone is above average.  The veal dishes are average.  I have always found the service good...but then again I don't like being fawned over by food servers.

Ciccio

I like OJ's for a couple of reasons. It's fundamentally comfort grub and sometimes that's really what I want.  Also it's the first place I ever had prime rib (my secret shame is that it was only two years ago).  Of the other italian places downtown I suggest in descending order:

Palermos
Bella Mia
Il Forniao
La pastia (sp?)
Satans anal pore - I haven't eaten here, but it's got to be better than.. The Old Spaghetti Factory

Haven't tried the new italian grill on Santa Clara street at San Pedro square.  I walked by it but got a weird "they look snotty in there vibe" so I didn't go in.  Was my radar malfunctioning?

baiz

C. A. wrote:
>
> At the risk of New Yorkers coming after me . . .
>
> Friends from the east coast love that place, especially when sitting at the counter.  The cooks are running around the grill, the waiters are running around, the coffee is fresher and hotter than McDonalds . . . they're at home.
>
> >At the risk of waking up with a horse's head in my bed, I would like
> >to ask what the hell the attraction is to this place? It's always
> >mobbed, the food is OK, but just as expensive as any other downtown
> >restaurant, there's got to be a dozen better Italian restaurants you
> >can <see> from OJ's, the service is terrible, they discriminate
> >against women (well, there sure as hell aren't any female servers
> >there....). The one thing I do see is that their portions are good.
> >I also don't understand how servers can make a really good living
> >there (although they apparently do ok), since I know <I> sure as the
> >hell don't tip <squat> to a server I see only once---when he takes the
> >order. Recently I was seated and given a menu. The waiter took the
> >order and disappeared. The busser brought the food, the bill and
> >collected the money. I never saw the server again, not even the
> >traditional "everything ok....." as they walk away from you before you
> >can answer.
> >Not that they give a damn, but I doubt I'll ever be back.
> >

My sister's husband worked at OJ's for 30 years and as some have written, it is a shame about the (discriminating) huffy sometimes rude behavior (which my own daughter expienced). I also spent many hours as a child there and things were very different then. But the portions and things like prime rib, raviolies and sandwiches are super still great. It does hurt to know that someone i care about spent 30 years in a place that is fast gaining a bad rap There is one person left who still has class he has been there forever his name is Richard he is the bartender see him for kindness and consideration inspite of the new owners and their snobby son!   Yours, no special treatment at OJ's,  E Edy in Redwood City

On Mon, 06 Oct 1997 15:51:07 -0700, Corny Bondad
wrote:

>
>I'm not from the East Coast but I absolutely love Original Joe's.
>I can sit on the counter, order their daily special, scarf and
>be out of there in 15 minutes flat. You can even order 1/2 of
>a daily special if the portions are too big. The steaks are
>great, too. Hey what do you want? Look at it as Italian fast food.
>I also love their Osso Bucco and corned beef.
Well, come in, order, <scarf> and be back out in fifteen minutes. The fastest $20 spent in a restaurant you can possibly experience. My dog eats slower than that. Right off the top, I would say that this isn't exactly the best testimonial for your own credibility on the subject of service....perhaps indigestion, but not service.
>
>As for the waiters, I don't really care if I only see them. If
>you want to socialize with waiters, go someplace else.
I don't want to socialize, but I don't expect a "fuck you, give me my 15% and get the hell out" attitude either. Who said anything about socializing?
>To me the
>best waiters are totally invisible, but they're always around when
>you need them.
Well, then, I pretty much guess that OJ's <isn't> the place for you, since they are truly invisible, but are <never> around when you need them. Except to order.
> I don't care for the "Enjoy" and "Is everything OK"
>stuff and so the waiters at OJ are just fine. If you want to
>socialize with waiters, go someplace else.
You don't like for a waiter to ask if everything is OK? That's a new one. One of the biggest complaints I read about in various food newsgroups is the fact that servers that don't comeback for a check aren't considered to be doing their job. Or is that just <me>? Should a server just run by your table, drop the food off, and expect a $10 tip for nothing? Like I said, I don't care to socialize with them, I just like to feel like they know I'm there, and perhaps show a little concern for the 15%-20% that they fully expect (and no doubt complain incessantly about when they don't get it)---it's called being a food server---and most restaurants would fire servers for the behavior exhibited there. Try this one. Some friends went in one night about 11.30. "How's the prime rib? I really would like prime rib tonight." Now, at 11.30 at night, prime rib is perhaps not the best order in the house. "The prime rib isn't worth it right now," (brutal, but honest reply from the waiter) then get this--"you'll have a steak. Medium." The server turns and walks away. No mention of what kind of steak. No mention of "How would you like that cooked?" Now, is this what you refer to as "socializing"? I call it being too damn lazy to do your job, and verging on strongarm robbery. And the truly beautiful part---if my friend had complained, he most likely would have been told by the management--tough shit--if you don't like it, leave. But make sure you pay for it first. Their management is also known for it's client friendly attitude, and ability to resolve complaints.
>
>I will definitely go back to OJ's as often as I can. I've never
>had a bad meal at OJ's. They're consistently mediocre.
No, that's one thing, I will admit quite willingly that I have never heard of anyone, nor have I, had a truly bad meal at OJ's. Just horrific service---but that's part of the dining experience. It's why a filet costs $25 in a restaurant instead of the $8 you pay for it at the market. If I want a good steak with non-existent service, I'll cook it and eat it at home. They are truly constantly mediocre. However, if I want mediocre, I'll hit the Woolworth's lunch counter for an open-faced turkey sandwich. Thing is, I don't want mediocre. I, for one, however, work to hard for my money to spend it on mediocre food and insulting staff. For the same price I can dine a Eulipia or next door at Il Fornaio. Of course, I generally choose to spend more than two or three minutes shovelling my $20 dinner down my throat and then running out the door. Obviously you're not even around long enough to <experience> service, good or bad. Which brings us back to the original question-- Why do THOUSANDS of people flock to OJ's for a <mediocre> meal?