Joe’s American Bar & Grill

I was pleasantly surprised the last time we came here, the food was really good. The broccoli dip starter was delicious, the complimentary fresh bread was wonderful (right out of the oven), the calamari was fine (I think, I didn’t try it), and the crab cakes were excellent. The burgers seemed to be fine — as a matter of fact, no-​one complained about anything. Good service and I was happy to have been able to get a reservation for 11 on a graduation night.

Quality of the food keeps going lower and lower here. I hadn’t eaten here in at least six months and was never happy with it. But my wife and I decided to give it another try. She ordered the fish sandwich with French fried sweet potatoes and she thought it was good.
The service was very good. We were seated promptly and Joe W., our server, was friendly and efficient. You couldn’t ask for anything more from a server like Joe.
I ordered the barbecue platter, which except for a few things, was just awful. First, the wings, 3 of them, we’re not what I usually think of when I order BBQ wings. They were dry with no sauce on them at all and they appeared to be more like baked in the oven than grilled. And they tasted just like baked chicken.
The brisket was incredibly thin and bland. I don’t know what kind of meat they used for this brisket, but it looked so unlike any brisket I’ve ever ordered. It was lean; and too lean. With out any fat on it at all, it was tasteless.
The corn bread tasted more like sourdough bread. There was no sweetness to it at all.
The cole slaw was also bland with no taste of any spices whatsoever.
The ribs were good. There was some fat on them and that made them tasty. And the onion rings were good too.
Overall, I would never order this there. And I told my wife that this was it for me. I’m done giving this place any more tries. If she wants to come back, she will need to do it with her friends.

My husband and I used to come here a couple of years ago. The food wasn’t cheap but we liked some of the dishes. Well we walked in today, ordered sodas, then looked at the menu and decided to leave. The menu has changed. The dishes we liked aren’t on it anymore. They seemed to be pushing pork belly… ugh! On top of that, the prices went up. My husband’s favorite salad is now $ 16.00! Eggs benedict was $ 14 – 16! We will never set foot in Joe’s again. They seem to think they’re a 4 star restaurant, which they most definitely are not.

I went here for the first, and probably last time on Thursday. Everything was going alright, the service was pretty slow but I can look past that. I cringed knowing that I paid nearly $ 17 for a bowl of macaroni and cheese, but fine, whatever. So we go to pay and I give the waitress half of the bill in cash, and tell her to put the rest on the card. We leave her tip on the table.
I leave the restaurant thinking it was an okay dinner, but not great. Two days later I look at my bank account and see that the restaurant had taken the entire amount of my check out. I panicked, called Joe’s, and the woman I spoke with told me she would have to look into it and call me back. I wait over an hour and still no call, so I called back and she said she was going to call me, but it got busy. It made me wonder if she was actually going to call back or if she hoped I’d just give up.
After all was said and done, she refunded me half of the check, which I was really thankful for. It was a relatively pleasant exchange and she was polite, but I didn’t receive an apology or explanation of what went wrong, so I can only assume I was grossly overcharged or the waitress pocketed half of my $ 50 bill as her tip. Yikes! Buyer beware. There are far better joints in Fairfield.

I like Joe’s, but my husband any a fan so I don’t get here as often as I would like. I took my daughter and mother here last week for lunch. I noticed some new salad items on the menu. I ordered the quinoa and kale salad. Excellent. My mother has the French onion soup and turkey club. The turkey club was huge. She brought most of it home. My daughter had a corn dog off
Of the kids menu. We all enjoyed our meals. The service was good and friendly. It’s a good option if you’re in Fairfield and want to eat at a bar/​grill type of restaurant.

Holy cow– has this place gone downhill faster than Bode Miller. We have been going to all the Back Bay Restaurant Groups theme restaurants for 20 years.
I guess after they sold out it will never be the same.
Joe’s is a Chilli’s with wood paneling. The food is just awful. Chicken and ribs– dryer than the Mohave Desert.
Portions smaller and quality — 1 out of 10.
Save your money and go to Chilli’s .
What a terrible shame and the demise of Joes.

Bad on many levels. A very busy Saturday night resulted in long wait time for food. Only to be completely disappointed. A tough steak sandwich, a ‘dry’ bacon mac and cheese, orders that were wrong (e.g. no cheese on cheeseburger, dressing not on side as requested).loud atmosphere and overpriced. Stay away.

This place is fantastic! My boyfriend and I had to head to Fairfield to pick something up and decided to get a quick bite to eat. Using OpenTable I found Joe’s.
Our server Zenaida was absolutely adorable, attentive, but not overly so. The food was AMAZING, I got the devilled eggs too start, which came with scallions and maple bacon on top-​delicious.
My entrée was the buffalo chicken mac and cheese, absolutely incredible. Im really surprised by the bad reviews because this place was A+ in my book and I can’t wait to get back!

Used to come here all the time a few years back when I was in college and was surprised to see the blah reviews on Unilocal.I understand management turns over, but decided to give it a try.
The bread is delicious. The clam chowder is delicious. Other than that, it was just okay.
We ordered the scallops and risotto, which was bland and seemed like they used rice instead of risotto. I also had some kind of chicken jambalaya. It wasn’t bad but the chicken tasted like it wasn’t made fresh and came from a frozen bag.
Waitress was awesome and the manager was very accommodating and nice about it. Great customer service but the food was meh.

Not happy with the menu. No prime rib or filet on menu which is outrageous for a place advertised as a steak house.

I only like a few things here:
Comfortable dining.
Great outdoor seating.
Friendly service.
Excellent hand made, not frozen, turkey burgers.
Excellent house made pickles.
Lots of Gluten Free options!

Not quite sure why such low reviews. My 2^nd time here and I love the Wild Greens Salad. Definitely worth a try.

Some dish’s are ok and many miss the mark. Steaks are great and the salads are loaded but the one item i go to, the french dip, is always over cooked. Medium Rare is not an option to them i guess. The bar is nice but i question how often they flush the tap lines. Even when keeping the same beer on, it still needs to be flushed with regularity. Stick to bottles and cans. The chowder in a bread bowl is a great concept and mighty tasty.

It’s a shame the food isn’t better. We had been here a few years ago and always liked it. The food was not very good and it seems they have to resolve some issues in the kitchen.
Not worth the visit!

I have been to American Joe’s a number of times, and the food and service has been good.
Today, well, it was a different story.
When we arrive, the service was very good, we ordered our food and drinks, and, they came out fairly quickly. It was 4:00 in the afternoon; we went for a late lunch, or, early dinner.
Once we were severed, that was the end of the service. The waiters were too busy talking in the corner, and, forgot about their customers.
To get any attention, I had to flag down a server a number of times for another drink.
Regarding the food, my wife order a salad, and her food came out fine.
For me, I ordered the French dip. The roast beef wasn’t rare, it was raw. It was absolutely terrible, and, hard to eat. It came with french fried that were over cook, old, hard, brown, and oily.
It was a big disappointment, and I will find it hard to go back there again.
In addition, they raised their prices to a point that is extremely high for the food served.
If you’re in the area, keep driving, there are better options close by. This place has changed and simply not worth the money or disappointment.

Soooo this might be my last trip. I usually come once a year, which apparently is why I forget that I this place pisses me off almost every time I come.
The waiter came to get our drinks and I said water for the entire table. My 6 years old pipes up that he wants juice and as I’m telling him no you can’t have that the waiter proceeds to tell me yes he can because they have… and he proceeds to rattle off a list. My daughter’s burger came pink instead of well done and her fries were damn near burnt.
I had to send my salad back twice: once for croutons when I asked for none and one for eggs when I asked for none… by then I said don’t bother. My chili was crappy and dry and the manager acted like he was doing me a favor by not charging me for the salad I never ate and the burger that will eventually be eaten 30 minutes late. He actually had the nerve to have an attitude.
The last time we came here, about 3 weeks ago it was empty and the food was wonderful, our server was awesome and I was in heaven. I guess I was lulled into stupidity…
I’m over it… no more visits for me!

Joe’s is a pretty good place to go for food and a drink in a pinch. It’s got that old rustic feel with a lot of 1920s photos of phi beta kappa members of Yale. Would have hoped more of those guys frequent the place smoking Meerschaum pipes and talking about European oil market fluctuations.
Alternatively, it could be a bunch of preppy Fairfield kids with their hair uncombed and sweats (for girls it’s Uggs and big sunglasses in doors!) and old rich dads in bad cutoff sweaters with salt and pepper hair.
Unfortunately it’s more the latter. Can’t have it all. Service is good and food is more hit than miss. Kale Salad, crab cakes, artichoke dip, rare tuna app never fail. Fresh baked complimentary bread is a win for all mankind (although they’ve been a bit stingier than I remember) Burgers for those who don’t like risks.
All in all, a solid place that I would go to anytime (even brunch — which they do and is quality).

Mmmmm love love love Joes! You can not go wrong here. The food is delicious! But the service is what really stands out above any other place in the area. We are preferred members and come here many times a week! We are treated very very well and appreciate the love from all the joes employees.
John the manager is absolutely wonderful!

Horrible service. Didn’t write anything down and therefore got literally every order wrong. Took 10 minutes to get acknowledged and another 10 to get waters. And they weren’t even busy.
Food was just as bad and overpriced. Mac n cheese was inedible, cheese less, overcooked. Clam chowder was cold and bland and greasy. Turkey burger was a hard hockey puck with no flavor. Guacamole for $ 1.50 was the size of a quarter. Fries were soggy. Nachos had fake cheese wizz, no salsa, chopped lettuce instead (who does that, stupid us for listening to our waitress).
Then the huge bill at the end, what a horrible experience.

I used to love coming here for everyday lunch, as well as special occasion dinners. In the past few years this place has been very inconsistent, so I hardly ever go. I was invited to dinner here so for old time’s sake, said «why not?» I got salmon over spinach and artichokes, my dining partners got steaks, pasta and one got a turkey club sandwich (which came with two pieces of bread, not three, so I’m not sure what made it club).
Everyone’s food was okay, but nothing was spectacular. The portions were not overwhelming, and the services, while fast and friendly, left something to be desired.
My salmon was very moist and delicious. Really it was one of the better pieces of salmon I’ve had. Unfortunately, it was about half the size of the pieces that was served to one of my dining companions, so that’s pretty disappointing. The people who had steak thought that they would get fries and salads, but only salads came. The turkey «club» came with more than 8, but less than 12 french fries. The chicken pasta looked the best, and the person eating it looked the happiest, so I guess that’s something to note for next time, if there is a next time.