Not Your Average Joe’s

Went there to Ardmore last night. Started w a well made, very dry martini. I orderded the chicken picata, my friend ordered steak tips. My picata over linguine was pretty good. Maybe the cream sauce could have been a little lighter, but overall the plate was tasty and certainly ample. The service was A-​1. The ambience is nice. A very large space, well designed. Maybe they could have turned down the AC but no real complaints was a kind of hot night.

I just moved here from CT and started working in the area. I came across Not Your Average Joe’s as recommendation from a colleague. My first visit I sat at the bar and my bartender, Alexandra (Alexandria?) was AWESOME! She makes a delicious cocktail and she was so easy to talk to. As a newcomer to PA, I’m glad I ran into her because she made me feel just like I was home. I will go back and visit her any day of the week!

Awesome! Went to Not Your Average Joe’s in Ardmore for my nieces graduation. It was great as usual. I’ve been to NYAJ in VA and love the place. The food is very good at very reasonable price and as an added bonus they take reservations. They encourage modifications and will make virtually anything you want if they have the needed ingredients. The restaurant in Ardmore is unique and fun for everyone. The bread is awesome. Special shout out to our server Gabriella. She was one of the best servers I’ve had at any restaurant.
My only criticism of the place in Ardmore, though minor, is the sound level. They could stand to turn the music down a bit otherwise the place is flawless.

Our waiter was amazing (Michael).
He was very attentive and pleasant.
They really need to support their wait staff with cleaning tables to increase turnover time.
We waited over 30 minutes for a table but Michael made up for it with his attention to our needs.
Better than the last time we came… darling husband suggested we give them another shot… glad we did.

The food is awesome, the drinks are awesome, service is awesome, ambiance is awesome. Absolutely love this place! Highly recommend the carrot cake is sooooo good!

I’ve come here once for dinner and once for lunch. I was a little skeptical about this place. I think I was afraid it was just going to be another one of those franchises that make mediocre food with poor quality and service. I was totally wrong! Both of my experiences have been great!
The service was excellent and the servers (bartender, waitresses, etc.) were very attentive and kind. I had a pizza both times and they were delicious! They’re a scratch kitchen so they can make accommodations for those that have any allergies. The restaurant is somewhat newly built and also conveniently located within suburban square. (That means you can shop as you wait for a seat OR shop to burn off all the calories you wish you hadn’t taken in).
I really enjoyed the look of the restaurant as well. It has an industrial feel to it. They have 2 levels and the option to eat outdoors. I would definitely recommend this place to friends. I’ll be coming back again!

We went there for happy hour and 1 $ oyster special on Wednesdays. The bar and overall atmosphere is nice, good beer selection and one of the few larger bars around. Happy hour is decent but very limited. I ate at NYAJ before, they make a big fuss about ‘real cooking’ but the quality is like an average sports bars.

We had an stellar experience here last month. After a NYAJs rep reached out, we decided to give it another go. It was like a different place. We ordered the kids sirloin tips, I had the cobb salad and my husband tried the burger. The waiter was very attentive and quick. The food was solid, way better than it had been. I was pretty shocked at the transformation from the last number of times through this visit. It’s great to have it back in the rotation.

This place has everything going for it. Great bar atmosphere, awesome dining room. The food is AMAZING. I can’t say one bad thing. The bartenders are great, more specifically Alberto — he’s awesome! Made our experience so enjoyable. Love this place!

Horrible !!! Food came out faster than McDonald’s
Happened 2 times in a row
STAY AWAY
manager Is no help at all !!!
Went back cause my daughter wanted to go there and sat at the bar, ordered a Manhattan
And it came back looking like water. Told the bartender and he took the glass threw the drink in the sink and walked away saying nothing and then ignored us
This place is horrible and will NEVER go back !!!

A decent menu.
Variety on the menu is sometimes limited.
Every food item I’ve had I’ve liked.
Really great drinks.
Atmosphere is great both indoors and out.
Great happy hour specials!
Eating on the patio is a beautiful experience here.
Joe never says no!
One of Ardmore’s few places with outdoor dining.
E’ach food item has a little modern twist to the tradition bar food.
Staff is friendly and helpful.

Yum! Me children boyfriend and I went there for the first time. I chose it because I’m on a «diet» and enacted to go somewhere where I could eat something tasty without breaking it. Everything is made from scratch on site. They have everything from mashed cauliflower to brick oven pizza. They will tweak the menu to your needs/​liking. Super friendly! There’s a large screen that plays previews of old movies –super cute atmosphere!

Many years ago, before the age of television and cars, people were entertained by going to huge movie houses located conveniently close to major public transportation stops. One of these palaces was located at Suburban Square, it was the «Suburban» movie theater and what was cool about it was that it had a semi-​circular lobby and two entrances — one on Coulter and one on St. James Place.
Alas, that age is gone, and one of the early casualties was the Suburban. It closed in 1979. It was subsequently a farmer’s market, which at first was ‘bare bones’ and then became more ‘upscale’. Then it became a clothing store. Now it is the site of a Not Your Average Joe’s location. NYAJ has actually made use of the curving marquee, converting it to a dining patio above street level.
Why am I telling you all this? Because the thing I liked most was that the restaurant pays homage of a sort to the history of the building. One two story wall has the word «SUBURBAN» in silver letters near the top and a smooth space where they project movie trailers — everything from «Lawrence of Arabia» to «Ferris Bueller’s Day Off». This was not something I’d expect a chain to do, and it pleased me.
The Reverend Dr. Steak and I had an enjoyable lunch there. Unusually, we both chose the meatloaf. Usually we make an effort to get different items, both so we can sample more of the menu and so we can get a better sense of the offerings for ourselves. Alas, the spaghetti squash bolognese was not available for lunch that day, and that meatloaf looked so darn good.
It generally did not disappoint, served almost as a sandwich with mashed potato «Bun» and fried onion strings. The sauce — BBQ — was quite tasty. The dish relies on these elements, as the meat itself is fairly tasteless. Be warned: Don’t order it plain. That would disappoint.
Service was excellent, attentive, thoughtful and friendly. Price was reasonable. We’ll be back, and next time we’ll do our best to broaden our choices.

Ah, yet another Ardmore Classic. Tucked away in the heart of Suburban Square, it might be easy to miss this place if it weren’t for the bright orange umbrellas on the rooftop deck.
The first time I came in here was for dinner and drinks with a friend. We were seated immediately at a high-​top table close to the bar, which was perfectly fine for a rowdy bout of gossip and wine.
Every meal here begins with the signature bread & dipping sauce, which is absolutely divine.
FUN FACT: The exact recipe for this fabulous mixture can be easily found through the NYAJ website (search Joe’s Blog)! It’s comprised of four simple ingredients.
I ordered the Chicken Piccata, while my friend opted for the Chicken Enchiladas. She won, for sure, but both dishes were fantastic (mine was a bit dry, perhaps). We were definitely full by the last few bites!
Overall, this is a very nice place to go with friends and there’s a charming and lively ambiance. Our waiter was sweet and friendly and came to check on us often, no complaints. I’m giving a four-​star rating because there’s nothing particularly astonishing about the experience – it’s just one solid step above average.

Torn between giving 3 or 4 stars, but have to curve on the higher end of a 3.5 due to Not Your Average Joe’s offering well above the scope of what most other chain restaurant operations offer.
At the end of the day NYAJ is another chain establishment, and for that you do see a lot of the average tendencies that you’ll find at other chain locations. But this is one of those rare chains that take things a bit beyond the typical by being one that focuses on seasonal menus, featuring plenty of unique weekly specials, plenty of gluten free options, and building its atmosphere and ambiance upon what its old location used to house.
In the case of Ardmore the location that its within used to be a movie theater, and as you dine you can gaze upon a projection screen that showcases countless old school movie trailers. And who needs popcorn and soda for such when there’s a good onion foccacia bread with oil and cheese, amicable appetizers like calamari and edamame dumplings, seasonal cocktails, and a decent craft beer selection to indulge upon while you watch amid good conversation?
For entrees thus far I would have had a hard time deciding if they didn’t have such n incredible lineup of seafood. the first time I enjoyed a well seared ahi tuna dish; and during the second I enjoyed a perfectly spiced jamablaya that was loaded with shrimp, chicken, andouille sausage and then some. But this is one of those well rounded menus that features something for everyone, and while its hard, its well worth saving room for desserts like key lime pie and their signature peanut butter thing.

This location is right around the corner from my office and its a place that we use for business lunches quite often. Its easy for a quick lunch, but sometimes the service can get a bit slow. The menu is pretty expansive. They have something in pretty much every category. While nothing I have had there is outstanding, there have been a few things that have been quite ok.
The first visit I made here was one of the times we had pretty slow and bad service. It actually seems like the service on the second floor is worse than it is on the main floor. I ordered a tuscan chicken sandwich with tomato, mozzarella, basil pesto all on ciabatta bread with a side salad. It was a decent sandwich, nothing too spectacular. Wasnt the best chicken sandwich I have had, but it wasnt the worst either. Like I said, its quick and easy, you wont be wowwed by anything here, but you will be satisfied.
The second time I went I had a much better meal and much better service. I ordered the ahi tuna salad, a nice combination of Asian flavors. The ahi tuna was seared rare with black pepper and toasted sesame seeds. The salad was a mixture of seaweed, nappa cabbage, orange sesame dressing jicama and mango. It was very simple and pretty well executed. Its worth a visit for a quick lunch. Its not the greatest place in the world, but it will be worth your time for a quick lunch, because its good enough for what it is.

I’ve decided to take back my first review and ask for forgiveness. Not Your Average Joe’s is indeed a smashing place to enjoy a bit. The atmosphere invokes a setting that is both casual yet intimate for each table. The staff is generally stellar (except for some of the folks that work the top, outside section. One in particular always creates an awkward dinner).
The food is almost always on point, and the cocktails (though a little too inventive) are refreshing.
Ps– definitely get the nachos… but check the nutrition values online for everything else. You’ll be shocked at how «above average» bad everything is.

I’m NOT your average Joe so this must be my place! Fortunately for me on this beautiful Saturday it was.
I blew in for and early lunch and sat at the downstairs bar. I usually don’t mention folks by name but after an hour of Gerald’s attentions’ I have added him to my bartenders Hall of Fame. He was exceptional and I understand it was his first month. Kudos to management for hiring him. As «he» was a Gerald, he wasn’t dressed as a Victoria’s Secret model but that was just my bartender dream. I won’t hold that against him. Needless to say my CUSTOMER SERVICE was outstanding.
As I was perusing the menu I was served warm focaccia with this amazing cheese and olive oil dipping sauce. They give you a little spoon which leads you to believe your should use it to put the sauce on the bread. Ignore it! Rip of a chunk of warm bread and dip it as it should be done. It was a wonderful beginning.
Some folks call the ATMOSPHERE here industrial. That may be true but not so much as to be considered austere. I can see how a wide variety of patrons would feel comfortable here.
I ordered Anything But Average Meatloaf for $ 13. It was fresh mozzarella stuffed meatloaf, with sautéed veggies, mashed potatoes and bbq gravy. Check out my pic and you’ll see it was plated beautifully. The temperature was perfect and some care was taken with the vegetables instead of just being an afterthought. I was impressed.
I very much enjoyed my meal but I found it overall just a bit under seasoned. Did every component have seasoning? Yes, of course just not quite enough. I would have appreciated a little more zip,
Overall I had a solid four star experience and as it’s close to my home I’m looking forward to future visits.

We went to celebrate my cousin’s 23^rd birthday. The service was nothing short of amazing.
Melissa was our server and she made us feel like we were at a family gathering where she was the host.
The food was absolutely delicious. The wait time was really short. We all had a great time. Five stars on every level. Definitely will be back.

I had been wanting to try this place for a while and we finally stopped by here on a Saturday for dinner. We didn’t have reservations and the wait to sit inside was 45 mins to an hour! So, I would definitely recommend making a reservation. Luckily, it was only the two of us and there was no wait to sit out on the patio. So, we missed the movie clips/​whatever they have going on inside, but the rooftop patio was awesome! It was really nice and offered a great view.
The complimentary bread comes with some dip with oil and cheese in it. Both amazing! I wasn’t in the mood for drink drinks, but I got the raspberry lemonade, which was great and bottomless. My fiancé got the buffalo Caribbean chicken tenders and a side caesar salad which he said was «good, but not amazing». I had the sirloin tips which I loved. The sirloin tips were over mashed potatoes and spinach with balsamic vinaigrette, it was perfect. Our waitress was great and attentive. The prices are reasonable and portion sizes were good. I have also since tried their pizza which is really good. I will definitely be back to try more items on the menu. Really hoping this place lasts in suburban square!