JOEY Bellevue

I enjoy the ambiance and the food is pretty consistent. Well, hey, it's a chain!

For some reason, all the menu items I enjoy are pulled from the menu, never to return.Sad face. I tend to order salads here, usually. The Beach Salad, while not out of this world, is decent. I don't really care too much for the THICK vinaigrette (isn't vinaigrette supposed to be thin?) but like the texture of the quinoa and the strawberries in the salad.

What I don't care for is the sloppy service. Follow me...

1. We wanted to sit outside, the hostess opened the door and didn't hold it open for our party of five. Really?! She held it open for herself and proceeded to go lead us to our table. Except the door closed  on us...

2. We wanted to sit next to a heat lamp but she sat us elsewhere and told us that our server would bring the heat lamp over.

Tick Tock....

We drag the heat lamp over to our table and the server sees us and relieves us of the task. He did, however, kindly bring us snuggly blankets (+1)

2.5 We didn't get silverware, water, or napkins until food came. Found that a little strange. I may be nitpicky by this point.

3. We picked a few things off the menu and asked the waiter for his favorite recommendation. His response, "I don't know, I haven't tried it." SERIOUSLY?! As a server, you're supposed to know the menu like the back of your hand, have tried everything from the moon and back, or lie about how some random menu item has changed your life and you eat it every dang day!

4. Since it was my friend's birthday, we wanted to surprise (key word, surprise!!)  him with a dessert menu item. I find a server that was hanging out with the hostess that sat us and asked her if they could send out a molten lava cake for dessert. Making an effort to "go to the restroom" the conversation took quite a while.
"1 molten lava cake for dessert as a birthday surprise, please"
"Sure, but we don't have candles or anything"
"Ok, that's fine"
"You'll have to pay for the dessert"
"Yes that's fine, I didn't think it would be complimentary"
"We can write HAPPY BIRTHDAY on the plate"
"Cool,thanks!"
"We don't sing or anything"
"Ok"
"What number table are you at?"
"The table the Hostess seated us at, the number isn't displayed" I assume they have some kind of numbering system, I wouldn't know about that....
"Sorry we don't have candles"

::Server clears plates::

SURPRISEEEEE

"Is it someone's birthday here? We will bring you a dessert soon"

Um.BAAAAAAAH!!!! Usually the surprise is in the delivery of dessert, not telling everyone at the table that a birthday dessert is coming after someone makes an effort to "go to the restroom" to order it as a surprise. Sigh. Foreshadowing at its best.

I've been here previously and we were seated in view of the kitchen. Friend ordered a burger without the bacon. Since we were SUPER hungry, we were eying the plates under  the heat lamp waiting to be served guessing which orders were ours. We see a hamburger, salad, and whatever else we ordered. Anticipating them bringing it over, we see the burger disappear and come back up to the heat lamps a couple minutes later. My friend says, "I bet he forgot I didn't want bacon, made the hamburger and pulled the bacon out". Sure enough, game over! End of story. There were bits of bacon in the burger. We spoke to the manager who apologized profusely. Pretty wrong not to remake the burger even after noticing your mistake. Totally dangerous for someone who doesn't eat pork for allergy reasons.

Joey's, your nickname is now "Sloppy Joe's". I'll probably be back for nachos or something.

I hear you only hire people who are good looking enough to get a job at A&F. If this is true, please train them on being timely and up the level of customer service from "annoying" to "I will hurry because your food will get cold".

Kthanks

JOEY is always a solid place to go for drinks or food in downtown Bellevue.  To me, there is nothing out of this world, but they have some tasty food and a great vibe if you are looking for a place to hang out and catch up with friends one evening.  

If I am here for appetizers, my go to is always some blue cheese fries, but if I am more in the mood for something sweet, I go for the chocolate soufflé.

You can't expect stellar service here, but there are some very attractive waitresses if you are looking to stare at some eye candy.  

Pretty people, pretty place, decent food and drinks.  That about sums it up.

Mediocre and over priced.

Indifferent service, Caesar salad like you would get from a kit at the supermarket, and over-done steak.  

Lots of better places to go.