Stockton Joe's

They owe us money for the past 3 months wrote a bad check and it won't clear.  Keep calling the bank to see if they have funds yet but nope cant clear a friggen 250 dollar check???

Owner never calls back or never there even after repeated attempts at contacting them. Horrible.

Thats all =) food was okay last time I was here but obviously wont be eating at place that can't keep its business in shape.

This used to be my favorite restaurant years ago, then it went downhill.  A couple of years ago, I ate there for a friend's birthday and enjoyed it, so when we went this time with family who was visiting, I was optimistic.

Firstly, the waitress was rude and seemed impatient that we weren't ready to order right away (there were about 10 of us).  When we did order, we advised her that there would be separate checks.  The waitress then reprimanded us for not having advised them there would be separate checks when the reservations were made, and apparently it would be difficult for the waitress to do, but she would go ahead and do it.  For this alone, I will never go back.  I have never been to a place where separate checks were such a problem.

On to the food.........I ordered spaghetti with marinara sauce.  It came out looking like Chef Boyardee.  The sauce was orange, not red.  And it did not taste good at all.  I had a few bites and was done.  I did not even take the leftovers home for my dog.  Another person ordered the burger.  It came out and it was just meat on the bread, no tomatoes, lettuce, onions, or anything of the sort.  Apparently, that was extra.  They did give us ketchup & mustard for it though.  Another person ordered the steak ala varni with garlic mashed potatoes.  Not only did the potatoes not have garlic, they were instant mashed potatoes.  This was an$14 to $18 dollar plate.  I don't think a single person at our table was happy with their food.  

To boot, we of course, got charged the 18% gratuity, which I expect for such a large group.  But at the very least we could've received decent service and not complaints about separate checks.  

I recommend Angelina's.  The food, service, and price are much better!

Last evening I ate at Stockton Joe's for the first time since their move to the Brick Walk in Lincoln Center.

Stockton Joe's has been a local institution for decades and I have been eating here since back when they were located in Saint Mark's Plaza. Over the last few years it seemed like the restaurant, service and menu had gone steadily downhill.  Part of the reason I had stayed away was because many of my recent visits had been disappointing.  

I was excited to hear the news a while back that Joe's was relocating to the Brick Walk on the other side of Lincoln Center.  I had high hopes that the Stockton Joe's that I had come to love over the years would return and thrive.

Shortly after the move I started reading very discouraging reviews here on Yelp.  Harsh 1 and 2 star reviews that kept me away thinking that it was just the same old problems in a new location.   I returned to Joe's last night and I can thankfully say that my experience was much more positive.

They have the best of both worlds for seating...an outside area on the Brick Walk that can be covered for cold weather and also a small inside dining area.  We were greeted promptly and seated inside.  

Our waitress was amazing.  I explained to her all about how I used to get a pasta dish that had been on the menu as having a "butter and cheese" sauce and how I had been disappointed last time because the sauce was no longer the same.  Not only did she know what I was talking about but she went to the trouble to go back and talk to one of the cooks that had been cooking for Joe's for years and we figured out that for some odd reason the amazing sauce I remembered as butter and cheese was now the Alfredo sauce.  

They still have the same amazing fried ravioli appetizer...it is completely tasty and  served with ranch. You must try it whenever you get a chance. For my entree I ordered cheese tortellini with the aforementioned Alfredo sauce and a side Caesar salad.  The salad was crisp and fresh and the dressing wasn't overpowering.    

The inside of the restaurant is still a little on the dark side...sometimes its hard to read your menu and I wish they would do something a little more professional looking with the outside seating which is the reason I give Joe's a 4 star review at this point.

Overall I was very happy with my return visit to Stockton Joe's...keep it up and I will be back on a regular basis.  

:0)