Alright so I figured I'd give J & P another try. I mean thousands of Hampstead-ites can't be wrong right? Well either Hampstead-ites have lower standards or I just missed the boat on J & P.
My wife and I stopped in on a Friday night and the line was out the door. The wait was about 15-20 mins which is not unreasonable. We sat down and my wife wanted some sangria. 1 glass is $6, a pitcher is $11. Interesting pricing structure...alright J & P, I'll bite. I wasn't in the mood for sangria but since its cheaper to get a pitcher than 2 glasses, why not? The sangria comes out in a beer or soda pitcher and we are handed 2 pint glasses. The sangria is probably some cheap bottled sangria with a few slices of oranges thrown in...classy. Hey it was $11 for essentially 60 oz of "wine" so what can you expect.
As my last review mentioned, I've already discovered their subs were sub-par (get it, SUB-par) and their pizza was meh, so let's go for what everybody says is good about the place - pasta. I got the chicken piccata this time, which looked delicious when it was brought out. The chicken was cooked perfectly - tender with a bit of browning around the edges. The linguine pasta was cooked well but was drowning in wine sauce. The wine sauce didn't not have much flavor and neither did the capers that came with it. Not bad, not great...definitely nothing to write home about. Sadly I would say it was about Olive Garden quality...maybe.
So conclusion: Hampstead-ites have low standards or they are riding off of the nostalgia of when J & P was good a long time ago. I reiterate that for pizza and subs, go to Tony's down the street. For pasta, I don't know...go over to Westminster to Libertore's or microwave some Stouffer's or something.
I love J&P!!! I have been coming here since I was a kid. Â The spaghetti with meatballs is always amazing...how do they get their noodles so perfect? I always get the mozzarella sticks. Â They come with the best marinara sauce on the planet. Â The pizza is awesome too. Â Makin me hungry just thinking about it :)
Review Source:We stopped in after some antiquing in Hanover, PA. Â Overall the restaurant is the same, warm, clean, friendly and generally attentive wait staff. We noticed that they have a new menu, which generally means new prices. Â
We weren't real hungry, so we ordered our favorite-cheese steak sub, a little lettuce, a little mayo, and triple hots, as well as a garden salad. Â First off we got our salads, which in the past, used to be really good. Â Our salads consisted of mostly iceberg lettuce stems, a few of which had brown spots on them. Â Then came the subs-loaded with shredded lettuce, and a very few peppers-the opposite of what we ordered. Â The bread was mushy, and instead of the pepper relish they used to use, they used pickled pepper slices-totally different taste. Â And whoa--Can you say $8.00 for a cheese steak sub with a tiny bag of chips? Ridiculous! Â A person can go just about anywhere in the United States to get an excellent cheesesteak sub for under $5.00. Â
So, not a horrible experience-just mediocre. Â I've experienced better.
I used to eat at New York J&P more often when I lived in Hampstead, but still manage to get there about once a month or so, ALWAYS for the pizza. Â I LOVE their pizza! Â Where to start: the sauce is both a tad sweet and spicy, the cheese is that gooey, gloppy mozzarella (or something) that s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s when you grab a slice, and the crust is wonderfully thin and crunchy on the edges. Â The toppings are excellent, especially the meats. Â All in all, a great slice o' pie!!
Review Source:Came here for dinner tonight...I had been here years ago, but don't really remember it at all except that we ordered pizza. It was cute and cozy when we walked in and seemed to be pretty spacious inside. Carry out was on one side and the dining room was on the other. The menu had a lot to pick from like pastas, subs, and pizzas of course. There was a long list of specials for the day too. I decided to go with the chicken parmigiana with a side of spaghetti (I had a choice of this or salad). My father ordered a Southern Salad which was HUGE and loaded with breaded chicken, bacon, croutons, veggies, etc. My mother ordered the Shrimp Alfredo and it was DELICIOUS! The next time I go back...this is what I'm ordering. There were 5 huge pieces of shrimp and very rich and buttery alfredo noodles. I was so glad to discover this dish because years ago I had a favorite restaurant that served a dish that tasted JUST like this one...and they stopped serving it. Garlic bread and regular bread (that basically tasted just like pizza dough and was warm, soft, and completely yummy) came with our meals. Definitely will be back to this place. Quite a bit of people in there, but there was no wait. Apparently my neighbors go all the time...now I know why. Reasonable prices and lots to pick from. Portions are huge too.
Review Source:Like the other reviewer, I've been eating here since childhood, but there's a reason we keep going back! J&P's has expanded into a few branches around Carroll County, whose quality is questionable at best, but the main, original J&P's in Hampstead cannot be beat. They have created a shining pizza beacon to which I compare all other pizza, and J&P's always comes out on top. Everything is fantastic. Seriously, you won't be disappointed. Their salads are always so incredibly fresh, I swear they must have a garden in the back room. Maybe it's the anticipation or the extra pizza-maturing time, but take out always seems to taste better.
Review Source:First off, a disclaimer - I've been coming here since I was 5, more than 20 years now, so I might be a tad biased. Â That said...if I've been coming to a restaurant for 20 years, they must be doing something right! Â Back then they were a counter with a few tables - that they've expanded to four times that original size tells you something about their popularity in the local area.
I've had a lot of styles of pizza, from a lot of places. Â While true New York City pizza is impossible to top, J&P's does as good a job as anyplace I've been outside the Five Boroughs. Â It's my understanding that they make their own sauce, and to me, that's one of the keys to their excellence, along with all the other top-quality ingredients they use. Â
Over the years, I've tried a lot of things here. Â You can't go wrong with any of their pizzas (a particular favorite is the shrimp and cheese pizza, especially appreciated by my Catholic family during Lent!). Â Other favorites include: Â antipasto salad, the fried ravioli appetizer, pizza steak sub, Gnocchi Sorrentina (better than some gnocchi I've had in San Francisco's heavily-Italian North Beach area!), lobster bisque (when available -- it's a special), anything with their amazing Italian Sausage in it, and their strombolis. Â This last requires special note - they are pretty much the only place I know of that charges a flat price for their strombolis, whatever toppings you may choose...and they are awesome strombolis. Â I like mine with everything! Â Any of their daily specials are also worth considering, as they are typically delicious.
Though I've since moved (far, far) away from Carroll County, J&P's is a must whenever I'm visiting. Â Consistent quality, friendly service, and - bottom line - great food, all have me looking forward to another 20 years and more!
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