The best way to describe what you get here is VALUE. The food is standard country fair, perhaps a bit above average. The chicken fried steak was good, if not exceptional. My husband really liked the hamburger steak. Overall, it's a TON of (completely unhealthy!) food for a decent price. Consider splitting an entree with your companion-SERIOUSLY. Good service too-our waitress really hustled.
Review Source:Cruising the area at the Round Top Antique Fair, we came upon JW's. Â Wow, did we get lucky! Â The food is all-American, rib-sticking with ample portions. Â I ordered corn nuggets from the Appetizer menu, which were delicious. Â Probably terrible for you, but yummy. Â My companion had chicken-fried steak, REAL mashed potatoes, and cole slaw. Â You have a choice of regular or sweet cole slaw. Â A corn muffin was included. The special of the day was fried catfish with two sides for $9. Â Don't see how you can beat that. Â Service was prompt, friendly. Â They, also, have a special occasion hall attached for larger events. Â Although parking was not a problem, I wondered where the extra parking would come from if there was an event in the hall, as I did not see a dedicated parking lot. Â You cannot see JWs from 290, but it's on a street perpendicular to 290. They have yummy-looking homemade pies and cakes, but I couldn't manage another bite!
Review Source:I'm from LA and we frequently visit my wife's family in Bellville. Â A friend of my wife's sister highly recommended this place so we decided to take a little drive to see what the fuss was all about. Â We went on the premise that this was the best chicken fried steak in Texas.
We roll up for lunch on a Monday. Â It was past the lunch hour so the restaurant was pretty empty. Â I have to say that it was much bigger than I expected and it was pretty new and clean. Â There are a couple of dining rooms and a bar/lounge area with some flat screen TV's.
My wife went for the chicken fried steak. Â I opted for the pan seared catfish with a side of grilled shrimp to be different. Â The verdict is that the chicken fried steak is very good, but I don't know if I can say it's the best. Â Also, she ordered a large portion knowing that I was going to have some, but really the small portion is probably enough for the average person. Â The catfish was good. Â It was lightly seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Â I added a little lemon to it and it was a nice change of pace from your typical fried catfish.
The service here is friendly and attentive. Â The prices are reasonable and I'd recommend it if you're in the area, although the 45 minute drive from Bellville is a bit much to make this a regular spot for me.
My wife  and I went here  on recommendation of  several of our family in the area; This place was very busy but we had almost no wait at 6 o'clock  on Friday night ( there was a wait when we left though);  portions were huge!! and prices very reasonable; we had Bottle caps for appetizers (fried red and green jalapenos)  which were very tasty; wife had a grilled chicken and  was good but  nothing special; i had  chicken fried steak and the  breading was excellent; the gravy was also very tasty; the meat was a little dry and not very tender but not  bad;  service  was excellent and extremely attentive which is always a huge selling point to us; will  probably go back  just because of that
Review Source:A gas station attendant directed me there in the spring of 2012 when stopping for gas I asked if there was any good fried chicken. She phoned them for me, placed my ordered and I went on to Carmine on my way to Austin, Texas. The chicken was very good but left me wondering about eating a steak there. While traveling back to Houston, Texas from Austin, Texas in the later part of October 2012 I decided to take a "risk" and try their steaks. Truly I expected the taste of one of those chain restaurants like Golden Corral. It was anything but. Insofar as taste, quality of the meat, and the service I can report it is not a mirage and eating there it's easy to understand that for those who know about it the place is truly a magnet.
And being served by Brittane  PIETSCH  is better than any of their homemade desserts it seems.
The food is Texas small town traditional. Â Generous servings and a lot of fried food - this is not a bad thing. Â The wine list will surprise you and if you do not see a wine you like ask the owner . Â There are some great wines that are not listed but are kept for regular customers who are real wine snobs.
Review Source:I've eaten here twice, sort of. Â The first time was when my family brought me a leftover chicken fried steak. Â Without a doubt, even as leftovers, one of the finest chicken fried steaks I've had the pleasure of eating.
I stopped at JW's on my own on Saturday afternoon for a late lunch. Â Simply amazing onion rings. Â The mini (serves one) portion was enough for a meal in and of itself. Â My burger was also above average with the sweet bun that seems to be so common for high-end burgers these days.
If anything held JW's back, it's the price point. Â It's simply excellent country cooking, but the prices feel more like the big city.
*whispers: don't tell anyone but I'm sneaking back in to Yelp to write a half-hearted update and probably sneaking right back out again*
Okay, so I've now been to this place at least a handful of times since that first visit. I think the first time I went back I again got the chicken strips though they weren't on special that day and cost over $10 even at lunch (which is well, just freaking insane, really, but I guess that was on a day when my job had been driving me crazy). They weren't as good as they'd been on special because they weren't really seasoned that time, so they definitely weren't worth the money.
So basically that taught me to always order the good old $8 daily lunch special including drink. I've followed that rule for all of my subsequent visits, so it's worked out pretty well. At some point I also learned that even though french fries aren't listed as a side for the specials, they can be substituted at no extra charge. In general it's pretty easy to tell which sides will be horrible frozen veggies, so I just avoid those. Other than fries, for sides I've had pretty decent cucumber salad (rather plain like grandma used to make/still makes), black-eyed peas (I think... memory is a little hazy on that one for some reason), and green peas (one of the least horrible frozen veggies). I've seen others eating carrot salad (you know, the kind with raisins in it), and it looks okay.
For proteins I've tried the fried catfish and the fried chicken, both were good. I heard an older fellow order his catfish "crispy" when that was the special, and when mine arrived I decided that was probably a good idea. The fish was a generous portion and was definitely cleaned properly, but the texture was a bit lacking as it was not in fact "crispy." I still really liked it though. When I ordered the fried chicken on a later visit it was also quite tasty... I was asked if I wanted dark or white meat, and asked for white. I ended up with a breast and a wing, and was happy that they weren't monster-chicken-sized. This was nowhere near as good as grandma's (but nothing is, I'm pretty sad that she's hung up her apron in terms of making that dish) but worked in a pinch, not too greasy and not too dry (which I know is difficult with chicken breast).
I also got a sort of oddball special once that did not come with the usual sides: it was a grilled cheese sandwich that came with a bowl of "turkey vegetable soup." I swear the other lunch special that day was some kind of Spanish Meatloaf or something, so sandwich and soup it was. When I got my food I was overwhelmed with nostalgia for my elementary school lunchroom's offerings... a compliment, the food there was actually good! The difference is that from the lunchroom the sandwich was squished and greasy though still yummy, and the soup was beef-vegetable. This sandwich at JW's was taller and lighter, but still two pieces of bread glued together by american cheese (which I detest in any other context, including the grilled cheese I make at home... no Kraft Singles in my house!). I did what I haven't done in over 20 years and dipped my grilled cheese in ketchup! And I liked it! The soup was really flavorful too, with good veggies and savory turkey (maybe left over from Thanksgiving, I think this was soon afterward), and a slight spiciness that reminded me of chicken tortilla soup.
Desserts included with the specials have not been memorable, really but that's fine... I think I got a nicely doughy peanut butter cookie once, and last time I had a decent little square of bread pudding which at least was squishy enough for me if not really embellished in any way (you know, no fruit included or discernable sauce).
I'm sure I'll be going back once in awhile when I'm in the area and hungry, and will most likely stick to lunch specials (though the hamburgers on the regular menu are not as overpriced as the chicken strips so I may try one of those eventually).
EDIT: Oh, I forgot to say that this place actually seems to have decent beer on tap. I actually saw Austin Amber and Fireman's #4 and have rarely seen either outside of Austin! Of course, I have not actually had a beer there since I go there for lunch on workdays. Maybe someday I'll go for dinner?
Specials are always good. Steaks are usually good but a few times they were fatty and gristley -sp?. I am not a fried food fan and there is a LOT of it offered here. Side salad is ok but nothing special. Decor is wonderful and always clean. Can get very busy so be prepared to wait if you are going at a popular time.
Was thrilled when they finally added one grilled dish- shrimp or fish filet. The fish was excellent- some of the best grilled fish I have had- and I am a fish lover. Had the shrimp once and was very disappointed. They were 4 shrimp - medium sized at best and very thin. Butterflied well but absolutely no seasoning- not even a pinch of salt! Also they were half RAW! Sent them back and they still came back cold and half raw as if they didnt even attempt to remedy the situation. I LOVE sushi but come on! Shrimp take a very short time to cook- How hard is it to throw them on the grill for a few minutes? Very disappointed!
The rolls are EXCELLENT! If you do not get any- ASK! They are not to be missed. The wine selection is pretty decent though the wine list could be a little more informative and it would be nice to see more local wines with so many wineries in the area.
The veggie sides can be very disappointing but we always enjoy the veggies that are the special that day. They seem to get more attention.
It is wonderful to finally have a restaurant in Carmine again! Just wish that a little more variety was offered. It would be great if a green dinner salad or two were offered- such as a cobb or chef salad or even grilled steak or chicken on top of the salad.
One special they have often is the liver and onions. We have a friend who loves that dish and when we recently dined there he was very pleased with the liver and onion special and said that it was one of the BEST he had ever tasted,. It actually even looked somewhat appealing! Almost! lol
Portions are generous and we never have room for dessert. I have heard it is pretty good though. The tea is good and REAL! None of that powdered stuff from a can!
They have a large back room that would be great for parties or events. Love that the bathrooms are always very clean! Waitstaff is always friendly and fairly knowledgeable though we have been surprised a few times when that was not the case. That employee was not there the next time though even tho we did not complain so mgmt must be paying attn.
Sorry this got long. Since we live here in Carmine we want visitors to have a great experience and apparently mgmt thinks the same. All in all this is a really nice place to meet with friends or just enjoy a meal out! Wish the food was more consistent though. We do think it has only gotten better and if we have a less than wonderful meal we are pleased that mgmt seems to have improved that area the next time we visit even if we have not said a word. Seems they really pay attention to patrons! Thank you Wunderlichs!
While visiting Brenham, TX this place was recommended to try out for dinner.
Upon entering there was quite a crowd at the door waiting to be seated. Most were large groups and families, so I had high hopes that a table for 2 would be easy to come by. Being that there was a football playoff game, I agreed to sit at the bar so that my date would be able to check out the game. The very friendly hostess approached us immediately and when we told her we'd like to sit at the bar she immediately escorted us to the bar and secured us some seats. The decor is as to be expected, very "Texas hill country" with stained pine walls and deer/rustic items hanging on the wall.
The menu options are as to be expected. Miscellaneous fried appetizers, simple salads, steak, seafood, and a list of sides to choose from. Something unexpected was an extensive wine list. There were many choices in all price ranges. Plenty to chose from by the glass as well. We chose a Cabernet that costs around $14 at the grocery store, priced at $25 here, which I found very reasonable.
I had filet mignon on the mind so I knew that was what I was going to order. I chose a side item off the specials of the week that was a cucumber salad and got a baked potato. My date ordered a ribeye, a Caesar salad, and another special side item of mashed sweet potato.
Our steaks were both cooked perfectly and the side items were truly delicious. My cucumber salad was thinly sliced cucumbers with a simple vinegar and sugar marinade. The mashed sweet potatoes were fabulous as well. They tasted like a sweet potato pie.
Wine and dinner was under $80, which would have been an impossible feat in or around the Houston area.
My only small complaint is that I wish they had a wedge salad on the menu. This is something I always crave when I have a steak and I'm sure that JW's could add that to the menu with minimum trouble.
All in all, I'd come here again if I'm in the area. It's a great little small town restaurant with more to offer than it's counterparts.
A true taste of Texas! Â Beautiful decor, Â great service and the food is both outstanding and affordable! Â Steaks are great and pies are homemade.
They also have a very nice beer and wine selection....the best is from a local Texas brewery by the name of Southern Star. Â They have Southern Star's Bombshell Blonde on draft. Â A couple of these and one of JW's steaks and you're set!
JW's is amazing. Some of the best steaks I've ever had anywhere - very tender and flavorful. Also the homemade buns and rolls are out of this world, especially with the burgers (which are huge). I love the homemade salad dressings as well, and the onion rings come in literal mountains -- order accordingly! It is a little pricier than say, Saltgrass, but the quality of food and quantity you get are definitely worth the trip!
Review Source:JW's is a really cute restaurant in the heart of Carmine, TX. Carmine does not have much to do at all and really needed a good restaurant!!! The place is very cute, newly remodeled and Very clean. The service is good and the food is great. I have had a hamburger that was yummy and a chicken fried steak that was very very good, it was not tough at all. I Love it when they have fried okra, which I think they should have all of the time but that is OK. Also they make their own ranch dressing that is really different, fresh and yummy tasting! We will defiantly be returning to JW's in the near future!!!
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