They owe us money for the past 3 months wrote a bad check and it won't clear. Â 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. Â 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). Â When we did order, we advised her that there would be separate checks. Â 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. Â For this alone, I will never go back. Â I have never been to a place where separate checks were such a problem.
On to the food.........I ordered spaghetti with marinara sauce. Â It came out looking like Chef Boyardee. Â The sauce was orange, not red. Â And it did not taste good at all. Â I had a few bites and was done. Â I did not even take the leftovers home for my dog. Â Another person ordered the burger. Â It came out and it was just meat on the bread, no tomatoes, lettuce, onions, or anything of the sort. Â Apparently, that was extra. Â They did give us ketchup & mustard for it though. Â Another person ordered the steak ala varni with garlic mashed potatoes. Â Not only did the potatoes not have garlic, they were instant mashed potatoes. Â This was an$14 to $18 dollar plate. Â I don't think a single person at our table was happy with their food. Â
To boot, we of course, got charged the 18% gratuity, which I expect for such a large group. Â But at the very least we could've received decent service and not complaints about separate checks. Â
I recommend Angelina's. Â 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. Â Part of the reason I had stayed away was because many of my recent visits had been disappointing. Â
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. Â 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. Â Harsh 1 and 2 star reviews that kept me away thinking that it was just the same old problems in a new location. Â 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. Â We were greeted promptly and seated inside. Â
Our waitress was amazing. Â 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. Â 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. Â
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.  Â
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. Â
:0)
Gross food. Tried them (after many years of ignoring them)because of the new move and the Giants game day happy hour. Just as I remember...only we started with an appetizer and because it was so bad we decided against ordering dinner. Wish it was good...great location and vibe. It's very unfortunate.
Review Source:I am very disappointed!! We took the family to this place for dinner today. We have to wait for a good 10-15 minutes before the waitress come and ask us if we're ready to order. They brought the bread out shortly afterward. The bread was terrible, the worst bread that I have had at a restaurant. My husband and I order the Veal Parmigiana with spaghetti. The meat sauce was so salty that I cannot continue to finish it. My husband didn't finish his plate as well. My son and daughter barely even touch their plate. All the food that we've order was horrible. All 5 plates went to waste. Two thumbs down!!!
Review Source:It is a long time since I have eaten at Stockton Joe's, but I thought I would give it a try after it's move to it's new location.
The new tables and booths looked nice. The walls have plastic laminated wood appearance - very fake. No open flame cooking like they used to have - just a picture of it on the wall! The waitress was prompt and very polite. She answered our questions well.
The food for 3 of us came out surprisingly fast. That usually means it was almost fully prepared in anticipation of an order. The plates were quite large. My wife's asparagus and the mushrooms looked like, and tasted like, they came out of a can - not fresh! Her sautéed prawns were tasteless. My chicken cacciatore was also tasteless. The red sauce was thickened and had almost no taste. There were a few bell pepper  segments - very soft and overcooked. There were 4 pieces of chicken - all tasteless - and in spite of being covered in sauce the chicken was overcooked and dry. The third person in our group had veal parmesan. Veal is supposed to be tender. She had a great deal of difficulty even cutting it with a knife. It was very tough.
We were not offered soup or salad, but I think that is extra. Prices were from $15 to $21 a plate. Our meal for 3 came to $60 without drinks.
The food was disappointing to say the least. I ate some because I was hungry, but still left most of it. So did the others in my party.
What a disappointment. We will definitely not return.
Long story short: Disappointing! Â
I've been going to Stockton Joe's for as long as I can remember, and after tonight's experience, I will not be going back. I read some of the reviews before going, and thought that they had to be exaggerations. Â Unfortunately, they were not. Â
It's been a while since I've been there, so tonight I came to town to take my mom to dinner, and I was so disappointed. Â The new location was visually awful, and the food was not any better. Â Gone are the days of the open kitchen and great food. Â As soon as we sat down, we knew something was not right. Â The bread was crumbly and dry. Â My steak alla Varni was flavorless as was the ravioli. Â Â The waitresses were not very friendly, in fact they were pretty lifeless. Â
I'm sad to see a great place to down the tubes. Â Somebody call one of those "save my restaurant" shows, because this place needs help to get back to it's former glory!
We hadn't been to Stockton Joes for about 8 months. It had moved to a new location in Lincoln Center and heard that the food was really good now. So the hubby and I headed down around 5pm on a Friday night, we decided to sit out side in the covered area for a cocktail. It was really nice sitting out there our waitress brought us menus so we ordered a hamburger to share. He asked for cheese and were told everything extra was $1 more.....so we just ordered the cheese. The burger came with fries on a plate, it was on a soft roll with nothing but the cheese, no lettuce, tomato or onion....which we would have thought was standard. Now this is the strange thing....it was really really yummy!!! The meat had a great flavor and the bun was perfect! Who would have thunk? We will totally be back for more. Just to let you know the bar was packed by 5:30p and the outside tables were all taken right away...so have someone get there early to save you a table if you want to enjoy the outside area.
We will be back!
Darn! I read the recent reviews and thought maybe they were exaggerated - could it really have taken a dive? They weren't (exaggerated) and it did (take a dive). The new location has none if the character of the other, and the food was beyond disappointing. We don't live in Stockton anymore but whenever we come here to visit family we would come here for the Spaghetti Napolentano. It was great for 30+ years. Lordy not now. It's an entirely different sauce-the only thing you could taste was the hot peppers. The pasta was mushy. Â The bread probably came from Smart and Final. They didn't even seem to know what Perrier was-they just knew they didn't have any. I give it a year before its gone- but the people I came with thought I was optimistic. Don't waste your time or money - we won't ever again!
Review Source:2 1/2 *'s
This may be my last review for this restaurant...
sad...
Stockton Joe's was one of my favorite local restaurants. Â I feel they were
at their pinnacle when they were located in St. Mark's Plaza on the corner
of March and Pershing.I don't feel the recent move in Lincoln center did anything for the restaurant except raise the prices. Interior is smaller. Â Several diners eating,
not bad for a Wednesday evening...
Â
I had the veal parmigiana today. Â
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/stockton-joes-stockton?select=H5pxMu2J3VK0Uc7eq2AX8g#J7IWHsxU8hTaG5ycELjFow">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Price is up to $21....no soup, no salad.  That's all extra.  Only came with bread.  And the bread was one star for sure.  It had no appeal at all.  Soft crust, soft inside.  Not a good texture.  Might have made a good sandwich but wasn't good solo.  I would suggest that they go back to  the 'old' bread.
My dinner was large. Â They do give you a lot of food. Â Two good size slabs of
veal smothered with cheese and a big dollop of spaghetti with meat sauce.
The veal had a weird texture to it. Â I would question what kind or what cut of
veal it was. Â The spaghetti and meat sauce was not bad.
The interior of the restaurant is still dark and subfuscous. Â There is a large red
'tent' in front of the entrance where you can dine outside if you so desire. Â Walking in is classless...it does feel like you are walking into a tent. Â I presume that the
'tent' comes down during the summer. Â That might help. Â I was hoping for
a more bright and cheery interior...but I guess the owners are trying to create
a different atmosphere. Â oh well...its been a great ride, Stockton Joe's.
Angelina's....here I come!
One of my coworkers decided that she want to have her birthday lunch here. Â It had been several years since I've eaten at Stockton Joe's and was looking forward to trying it again in their new location where Ernie's used to be. Â We were seated in the back where it was kind of dark and gloomy. Â Didn't remember it being this dark when it was Ernie's. Â The lighting wasn't that great either. Â It would help the ambience if the place were a little brighter. Â
I thought their lunch menu was somewhat limited. Â Years ago their choices were more numerous. I ordered the lunch special of eggplant parmigiana. Â It was delicious and cooked just right. Â Didn't care for the bread that came with our meal. Â It was obvious it was not fresh. Â The crust would fall off and parts of the bread would crumble when you tried to spread some butter on it. Â My supervisor thought about ordering a hamburger. Â She joked with the waitress about whether or not the lettuce and tomato came with it. Â Too our surprise the waitress did informed her if she ordered the hamburger it would be the burger and the bun only. Â If she wanted condiments they would be extra. Â I have never heard of a restaurant doing this; it was a first. Â Needless to say she ordered something else. Â
The waitress that waited on us was polite and served our meal in a timely manner. Â But what bothered us was her perfume. Â Some in our party thought it was overwhelming. Â Waitresses I come across usually don't wear it. Â I hope management would limit the wearing of perfume by their wait staff because of the allergies many people have. Â Joe's was OK. Â I just hope they will spruce up the place some more and increase the choices on their lunch menu.
I came here a couple of months ago on a date and it was just OK. We had another restaurant on our minds but the other location had a 2 hr wait so this was a 2nd option. I wish that the service could have been better since the other Joe's I've been too has had great service. The food was very good but unfortunately it was not hot. It felt like it may have been sitting for a while before our server had a chance to get to it. the restaurant was not that busy and to me they lost big points because of this. I'm not really too sure if I plan on coming back here in the near future.
Review Source:We have been eating at Stockton Joe's for years, but the quality has steadily gone downhill. Â I'm sure the owners are hoping the new location will revive sales, but I wouldn't bet on it.
My husband usually orders the daily special, but we were told that because the day before was a holiday they were only offering eggplant parmesana as the special. Â Which just happens to be one of my favorite dishes and I always order it when we dine here.
However, this version tasted like the frozen cardboard variety and was terrible. Â I guess they didn't have time to make any fresh dishes and only had time to pull out some frozen eggplant to serve their clients. Â Or maybe I should say their former clients.
We have tried to be loyal diners, but we definitely will not go back.
In a word ... Awful. Â Was looking forward to the new location and wanted to give them another try. Â The old location was dirty. Â New location is so small! Â Sat outside in front, we were the only diners out there. Server kept forgetting us, all the usual plates, food items, Â portions, etc were smaller. Â New cheap plates, bowls. Â Food was cold. Â Worse thing? Â Staff kept coming out to patio area to take breaks, talk about after hours activities and socialize. Â Chef was smoking out in walk way area. Â Horrible. Â That was my final visit to what once was a favorite.
Review Source:I gave Stockton Joes a two based on history but frankly I was a disappointed in the restaurant on this last visit. I had not been in, in a bit and it looks like some horrible changes have been made since the last time I was in. Â The menu was dirty. My friends knife was not clean. Â When I worked in Stockton I took business associates to dinner here. I would never imagine doing so in that place today. Â Here's a clue. Don't give 2 lbs of prime rib on one plate to a customer. Â Give normal portions and spend the extra money on condiment bowls that are not plastic. Who does that?? Â I don't except my $25.00 cut of beef to come with horseradish in a plastic cup. Â
The place is in a huge need of an update and better general management if it's going to get back to the landmark it once was.
Wow, this place was mediocre the first time and horrible the second. The salad was swimming in dressing, the vegetables were wilted and the pesto sauce for ravioli looked like green water. I think the appetizers were microwaved and to top it all off, the dinning area smelled like a bar. Done with this place.
Review Source:I used to love Stockton Joes years ago, especially in its old location at St Marks Plaza. Since they've changed owners and chefs a couple years ago it has been terrible. Â I stayed away because the two times I tried before, it wasn't the same as the "Old Joes. " Â I Â thought i would give them one last shot since it had been so long since I've been there...what a disappointment.
When we walked in there were several people at the bar, but no hostess. Â We stood there for several minutes then finally a lady appeared from somewhere and asked if we had been helped. Â When we said no she said, oh, the hostess is probably in the back helping out. Â Helping do what?? Â There was one table with two people seated and no chefs cooking anything.
I always order the chicken scallopini, but never again. The chicken was tough. The sauce had very little flavor and was almost like water. My scallopini looked exactly the same as my friend's chicken marsala. The only thing that hasn't changed are the bread and salad.
Our waitress was nice, checked on us and refilled our drinks. Â No complaint there, but the food is the problem. Â I don't know what you guys did to RUIN such a great place, but YOU DID IT!
So long Joes :-(
So my review I wrote February was taken down...hmmm wonder why? maybe because I was too hinest about how i felt about this "restaurant"
I dont understand why/how this place is still open...
stockton joes...please do not waste your money at the alleged "fine dining" here...its gross  Stockton joes ruined my valentines day weekend dinner with my bf haha...worst experience dining out ever...not even being dramatic haha
I got the scallops and they were too fried and I got like 4 scallops and they had NO taste at all...the person with me got sum pasta stuff...which is the equivalent of chef boyardee pasta and meat sauce...seriously...the only reason he got that was because the special Lamb was out(which should've been a sign to leave)
THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS PLACE WAS THE BREAD which is sad...how doe bread and butter beat SCALLOPS???? they need to just make this a Dennys and be done with it lol...the servers knew the food was bad and overpriced most likley...
Needless to say I will not be returning for "Sheneheh Dining" lol...this aint no fine dining...stop lying to your coustomers...I would recommend this place if you have no taste buds and want to waste money
I wish we had stayed at Papapavlos instead of coming here...ugh if we only waited 20 mins!
Soooo...good job Stockton Joes...the bread was great! maybe you can become a bakery lol here's your one star
Some items seem expensive for what you get, but there's one good deal: the open face hot roast beef sandwich with fries. The roast beef is top quality served med. rare. It covers a large plate & is delicious. Â Service was excellent. The waitress checked on
us & our water glasses were never 1/2 empty
before being refilled. Â The warm sourdough bread is
the best you can find anywhere.
Where do I begin? This place is terrible.
Get ready to sit at your table and see your waitress three times; once when you order, once when you get your food, and once when you pay the check. Forget about getting any water refills to wash down your mediocre food. When the service does come around, the word nice doesn't.
On to the food. You will be bored just opening the menu and going over the dated options. This place is supposed to be on the nicer side, and yet serves Applebee's quality food. Order a salad and you will receive a salad dressing soup that is sprinkled with iceberg lettuce, grated broccoli and 2 spinach leaves. The pasta is not worth the $13 it costs in any way.
Have special dietary needs? Forget this place. Even with specific requests, your request will fall on deaf ears. Watch out if you have food allergies, as mistakes here are easily made.
The only good thing about this place is the bread. The bread is good. And warm.
Save yourself the overpriced bland meal and go somewhere else.
Great food, friendly folks. Â Most importantly, they are old school Stockton locals. Â The calamari is incredible and the dish is pretty big. Â The bar is affordable and fully stocked with great drinks and a great bartender all the time.
They use real ingredients that are all fresh. Â No microwaved corporate food here, it's the way a high quality family restaurant should be!
My wife and I went here on a date after reading some good reviews on the place and finding a great deal online. Â We ordered the Prime rib dinner with mashed potatoes and she had a salad of some sort (not big on salad). Â Our server forgot to take our order so she hooked it up with a complimentary calamari appetizer and also comp't our wine. Â She was sweet about the whole thing and apologetic too.
The atmosphere is cozy, semi formal yet casual. Â The portions were large so much so that even after my wife and I shared my meal, we had enough to fill a doggie bag. Â
Overall great impression of the restaurant as a whole and I would definitely return to this spot and try something else on the menu. Â Thumbs up to the chef behind the bar slash kitchen area who was so thankful when I told him how great the food tasted. Â This spot can be tricky to find in the Lincoln Center of Stockton, but just be patient as you roam through the enclave of businesses.
My hubby had the Veal Parm which was EXCELLENT Â as were both of my son's entrees~The Pesto Tortellini and Chicken Strips, My sole was flavorless but, the Creamy Polenta on my plate was so delicious I could have eaten a bowl of it. Â Â
Our SERVER was HORRIBLE, she was actually rude to us and when I told her at the front of the restaurant that she was a bad server she told me that I was wrong. Â She informed me that we were given excellent service and then she attempted to get my husband to agree with her. Â When he disagreed she started to argue with me while placing her hand on her hip and cocking her head while raising her voice at me. Â ALL OF THIS IN FRONT OF OTHER CUSTOMERS, and 2 Front Desk people. Â She soured our taste for going to Stockton Joe's ever again.
On a COLD Bike Ride yesterday to Stockton., CA... it was a decision between China Palace ( <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/china-palace-restaurant-stockton">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a> ) or Stockton Joe's...
On the menu...
French Bread & Butter (**** Complimentary) Changed their French Bread... again. Now it's quite hefty... about an inch and a half thick... with a crunch exterior. Joe's keep on switching from Sourdough to French.... full-size French Bread to Baguette Size... and any combination in-between. Please, Joe... stay with just one kind... and size.
Joe's Chili (*** $5.00) ( <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fs3-media1.ak.yelpcdn.com%2Fbphoto%2Ft1kHfNmNyNDGlBCv1O9ckA%2Fl.jpg&s=e18f8ad8c1f7ad98dba56dccf3affe9e487285e51b7a3d86f10281861d867652" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://s3-media1.ak.yelp…</a> ) This was one of the Blue Plate Specials with Corned Beef & Cabbage. Really... nothing special. Came with side condiments of White Onion Bits and Cheddar Cheese Bits with a couple of packs of Saltines... which tasted old and stale BTW.
Joe's Special with Steak Fries (****) ( <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fs3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com%2Fbphoto%2FJsxdLfHpLVOlxypnYUEv0w%2Fl.jpg&s=776466b54bbcc519bdc372ec7fcebe711a6f99185df506b2da043066fc56db46" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://s3-media4.ak.yelp…</a> ) ( <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fs3-media2.ak.yelpcdn.com%2Fbphoto%2FzTE-xt21hkhayr9SE3vZBA%2Fl.jpg&s=a9f19cd9d0ea1a1fcfc34120e6d8b2ef7731005048a49c3247db0e8741c10c2e" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://s3-media2.ak.yelp…</a> ) Ground Prime Angus Beef with Onions, Eggs, Spinach, and Mushrooms on request.
The quality of the Beef is extremely good... probably too good for an essentially Breakfast entree like Joe's Special. The problem today was... My Bad!... Â was that I had the Joe's Chili FIRST! The Chili just smacked down my taste buds... where I couldn't even taste the Joe's Special until half way through the entree.
But, once I could taste it... the concoction was pretty Peppery... which was unlike previous versions I've had here at Stockton Joe's. During my meal... I noticed why the entree was so different... the entire staff of Chefs (at Lunch) had been replaced. I could not recognize any of them.
Steak Fries (** 1/2) - only about ten pieces. Joe... quit being so cheap on the Potatoes... they're CHEAP! And... they were over-fried.
With the economy and the closure of many restaurants... Stockton Joe's is now the only restaurant I frequent that prepares this entree correctly.
NOTE: Before you order this... please peruse the Pics... You HAVE to like Beef! AND a LOT of it!
Iced Tea (****) Cool & Refreshing. Must have been refilled about half a dozen times.
Total: $19.44 (inc Tax)
Other changes...
Stockton Joe's have increased their staff, for Lunch at least. They've TRIPLED their staff at this time of day... in my previous visits the number of staff numbered just one and on rare occasions two. I wonder why the staff increase? From my experience in past visits... I've never had a problem with delays or unusually slow service. And... Stockton Joe's have hired their first male server...
Spaghetti ala Caruso (Spaghetti with Chicken Livers) is OFF the menu and never can be ordered again! Commented to the waitress... I must have been the only person that ordered it... EVER! She agreed with me... I guess she didn't like Chicken Livers...
Addition of LemonCello as an after-Dinner Drink on the menu for $6.00 ( <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fs3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com%2Fbphoto%2FyWUVS8mBtxz2aZs5yWfvbQ%2Fl.jpg&s=9dd84cca901e619f47dbaf9999125292e1518641d51604cef3bcf435f41757d5" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://s3-media4.ak.yelp…</a> )
Demographics...
Are Thursdays Men's ONLY days? The restaurant was the most filled I've seen in a LONG time... but 90% of the customers were men. Very unusual in that most of the customers had been women in past visits.
Consensus...
If you like listening to Frank Sinatra and his contemporaries while you're dining... and like Kitschy dim-lit 50s-60s interiors and formica counter-tops & table-tops... Stockton Joe's could be the place for you...
AND, most importantly, Stockton Joe's doesn't mind me coming in un-shaven, perspiring and dripping with sweat, wearing a four-year old disheveled windbreaker that desperately needs replacing, and carrying assorted Biking equipment that could look like weapons. Thanks Joe!
Let me first say that this place was not one of the top choices to go eat. We originally wanted to go to Shadow Oaks Steak house, but come to find that it was closed. Then someone suggested Mallards steak house but that was closed too. Then a stranger suggested that we go to Stockton Joes. Im thinking ok, ok, its a local streak spot, and some native Stockton people are suggesting it, maybe it will be good.
We pull up, very nice on the outside but when you get inside its a whole other world. Look Ill just get to the point. The food was not up to par. Poor presentation, some food was luke warm vs hot, and the taste of the chicken I had was too salty.
I will never return.
My friend and I were hungry, and while I've been here for drinks before I have never tried out the restaurant so we decided to give it a go.
After reading some of the bad reviews here I feel like I went to a different restaurant than they did because we had a fantastic experience. Â We went during a slower time, after lunch, and we were seated promptly in a room with warm, low lighting. Â Only one other table occupied and after they left we had the room to ourselves. Â Our silverware was on a cloth napkin and our drinks were brought to us very quickly.
I don't know the name of our server, but I know she made a big effort coming over to check up on us to make sure everything was ok, which was reassuring. Â We were also brought some bread and butter from the busser and he made our water was continually filled while the server refilled my soda. Â He also asked us if we wanted any more bread after we were done. Â We didn't want anymore bread, but it showed me how attentive and courteous the staff was.
I ordered a well done burger with grilled mushrooms, onions, and bacon, and when I got it I HAD to dive right into it! Â It was on a delicious looking french bread bun, but since the extras that I ordered on top of the burger looked so yummy I decided take off the bun and fill up on veggies and protein! Â A side of thick, crispy steak fries were also piled next to the large burger on a big plate. Â For such a simple dish they really added some delectable details!
My friend ordered a penne pasta dish which was also a massive portion and she said it was great! Â We both agreed that this was a fantastic choice for our late lunch, so much so that I had to let people know on Yelp! Â If they were having service issues before it certainly didn't seem like they were at all on this trip.
The only thing I'm docking 1 for is the decor (which could use a refresh as it's definitely early 90ish) but other than that it was great. Â It's important to support our local restaurants in Stockton, especially if they are doing a great job. Â While it is not your "restaurant in-a-box" corporate place like Cheesecake Factory I'd rather support a freshly prepared, homegrown restaurant with wonderful service like Stockton Joe's any day.
This is by far the worst restaurant I have been to in a very long time.
Sadly, I went here with my friends for my birthday. Â I just can't say ANYTHING good about the place.
The sign: Â "Fine Dining" is an outright lie. Â It's over-salted cafeteria food created by a staff of line cooks. Â There is no chef here. Â I would hope if there was, there would be better standards.
The dining room is messy (there was a previous diners napkin and part of their bread roll under my table).
The wait staff is apathetic, but I'm sure how much I would care about serving that food either. Â Any regular customer must have had their palate ruined long ago by the amount of salt they use. Â Even though there is a bar, it felt a little like a sports bar in the dining room, with a regular or two sitting up at a dining bar area just drinkin' beers.
Worst of all: Â "Fine Dining" is right about one thing... the price. Â It's not cheap by any means, and I guarantee you'll get a better meal at Denny's.
We actually quit there and went across the parking lot to Papapavlos for desert and cocktails. Â We had had enough of Stockton Joes.
I'll never go back. Â (But I have been to Papapavlos half a dozen times since).
I don't visit Stockton that often, maybe as a passer-by on the way to the ski slopes or off to the Indian casinos. Since my partner in crime's parents live this way we usually grab a bite to eat before the long journey back to the bay area. On this particular evening we ended up at Stockton Joe's for some pasta. I couldn't believe some of the testy reviews I read on Yelp since our service for eight was quite good, I guess we did not have the grumpy server handling our table.
The salad was kinda different because it had shredded broccoli, cauliflower and carrots (someone must have received a Cuisinart for Christmas) on top of the lettuce. The bread was quite good so cheers for that.
I ordered the fettucine with scallops, prawns and bay shrimp ($18) and I thought it tasted good. Yay for the generous size of the scallops and prawns. Â The noodles were cooked al dente but the red sauce was a little flat. It could have had some more garlic or something to spice it up. Â I thought about ordering Chianti for dinner but I have would have been the only one drinking (boo) so I passed. Â Must admit they offer very large portions for the money.
An extensive menu, supposedly this is rated as one of the better eateries in Stockton. I had noticed on the table next to me that they were drinking the Seven Deadly Zin's Zinfandel, the wine that is grown produced locally. Stockton Joe's has a full bar with two flat screens.
Tonight was not a good night for Stockton Joe's and Emily S. Husband and I were starving after a long meeting and decided that nothing EVER goes wrong when we go to Stockton Joe's.
WRONG. I ordered a double dinner salad and the oysters w/ff. My husband ordered a burger w/ff.
Now, I have worked in food service. I know how food should look. Upon arrival of our entrees, I looked at the French fries and knew they had been sitting under the lamp for over an hour. I sent them back. I don't like to send food back....you never know what will be added to it upon its return. They sent back the same French fries....refried. As if they weren't already war torn and shriveled up already.
I was appalled. I asked the host to come and look at my French fries and he said, 'what would you like me to do?' With a snide look on his face. I told him to NOT try and pass 3 hour old French fries as acceptable. Also, that I am one of those customers that only spends money on locally owned restaurants.
This is what angers me, they refused to see the principle of the matter. They offered new fries, I refused. Â
We have been loyal patrons before Joe's move to Lincoln Center. I even brought the fries home in my Coach to post pictures.
Exactly what the two star rating description implies: "Meh. I've experienced better."
I get that Stockton has slim pickings when it comes to really excellent service and food (I'm born and raised, I feel I have a right to cast that stone here), especially when we are surrounded by cities rife with selection and quality. Let's not settle, people. I have yet to try anything on this menu that gets more of a reaction than "Well, it's edible". The one thing I can actually appreciate here is the calamari, and even then it depends on the day of the week (change your frying oil, friends). Sorry, I know this place is almost an institution here... but here's someone that just isn't on the Joe's bandwagon.
Yes, this is one of "those" spots. Â Let me just squash the rumor right here: No old white guys DO NOT eat for free. Â They don't. Â I checked. Â I know you were wondering too! Â They do fill every booth, but it's because Stockton's ruling class gets an offer they can't refuse from his mafia front with pretty decent old school Italian with massive portions.
Get some veal here. Â Veal parmigiana or veal scalapini. Â Do it. Â This is the first place I ever ate veal:
 Little Me: "What's veal?  It's delicious."
 Grandpa: "Baby cow." Â
 Little Me: "God this is good!"
Okay, not the best veal I've had since, but it still gets the job done. Â If you don't get veal, do as my gramps does and get the bone in prime rib. Â It's bigger than your face. Â It seems they do cook it right as well. Â His giant slab of beef looked med rare for sure.
Whatever you get, you can pretty much feed off it for like 2 days. Â Don't get the remotely healthy sounding stuff. Â I think you'll be disappointed. Â Go big or go home. Â And go home with 2 extra human size portions. Â
My grandparents love this spot.  It's better than their other favorite spot, Home Town Buffet.  Options keeping me from going there warrants 10 stars, but I'll keep it real with 4.  The bar looks like a cool place to hang with great happy hour specials too.  Cue the music:  <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D1aV9X2d-f5g%26feature%3Drelated&s=a6c53e254bc37f86ac43b5ea07474c93439a49af7f90f3430ff2f45b020119f1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
The ambience is nice at Stockton Joe's. Kinda dark with a classy steakhouse feel. Seeing the chefs cooking in the open kitchen with the flames every now and then is cool.
The food is average for me. I had the grilled chicken with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Everything was cooked properly but there wasn't too much flavor with the chicken. My hubby had the chicken piccatta. There wasn't too much lemon or wine flavor. It had lots of brown gravy though. For Stockton this place is alright.
All I can say is ,"Wow thats a lot of food." I ordered the Prime Rib dinner and it was HUGE like Monster Truck huge. Bone in, the whole nine yards.
PROS:
Huge portions
Nice atmosphere
Fast and Friendly service
Inexpensive.
CONS:
I ordered it medium rare, came back medium.
Horseradish a little too creamy. Not enough kick.
No veggies with the steak. Just meat and potatos
Can I just say, this is not my favorite restaurant in Stockton by any means, but I can almost understand why others like it so much.
What I notice first off is that the waitresses are all wearing shortish black skirts, white shirts, stockings, and granny-ish black sensible shoes. So not sexy, but trying to be, which just makes it worse. Not to mention, a lot of these waitresses have been working at this place for 20+ years, so they're not the creme de la creme. The girls working up front are usually the young cute ones, but tend to be snooty.
What I do like is the bar/lounge area off to the left. It's a nice place to grab a drink or two before getting seated. The chairs are pretty comfy, and the Pomegranate martini is good.
Another cool thing that some people get a kick out of is the open kitchen. The chefs will have fires blazing back there that are
impressive if you're into that.
On to the food: Â the portions are huge and include your choice of two sides. A VERY good deal for the money (average $15). Â I've had better bread, but good bread does not necesssarily a restaurant make. Overall, I think the food is just so-so. To me, it's your regular run-of-the-mill food, offering some of everything: beef, pasta, burgers, sandwiches, chicken, seafood, etc. In terms of food, I put it as a more grown-up Applebee's.
It's a popular spot with the older generation who have been going there for years, as well considered "nice" enough for people to take first dates and prom goers. We seem to always be there for someone's birthday.
Again, not a bad place. In fact, it might be quite good, but it's so not on my list of places I'd ever choose to go to.
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