J. Alexander’s Restaurant

Food is really good, service is good, atmosphere is nice. Really happy with this place, tried a couple of different things but the one side dish that I will always remember is their mac and cheese. Oh my God, best mac and cheese I have ever had!

Ate at this one while on a business trip. Everything was outstanding and exceeded my expectations. I ordered the Maui steak which reminded me of the Hawaiian ribeye at Houstons, the loaded baked potato, and my app was the deviled eggs with candied bacon. I had to order a side of the candied bacon it was that good! My steak was cooked to perfection, my waiter was adorable, and service and food was amazing. SO much so that I ate here two nights in a row and ordered the exact same thing.
Kudos

Superb service and amazing food.
My husband picked this for our date night and we are regulars now.
A+

I love J alexander’s! The carrot cake is to die for! I sometimes just go there for dessert! Service is incredible. I have never had a bad experience here. Consistently great food and great service.

I’m a regular, been to J. Alexander’s (on Haggerty Road, Livonia MI) over fifty times within four years.
Starting with an appetizer of Deviled Eggs or Smoked Salmon Dip, I often order the Filet Mignon with Béarnaise or Grilled Scottish Salmon.
Ratings /​Explanations:
#Ambiance: ⁹¹⁄₁₀₀
*Lighting, silverware, table placement, bathroom convenience, staff behavior, temperature, and overall floor layout.
Note: The ambiance is great and as expected for the restaurant type and food quality. Silverware could use some work.
#Quality with cost: ⁸⁹⁄₁₀₀
*As compared to other restaurants with the same fish type, filet mignon type, and similar wine selection. This rating is only for Deviled Eggs, Smoked Salmon Dip, Filet Mignon with Béarnaise, Grilled Scottish Salmon, and three wine selections.
Note: The cost for quality isn’t bad, but expected to be better compared to eleven other restaurants within 150 miles in Michigan.
#Service: ⁸⁸⁄₁₀₀
Table server food knowledgeability, wine knowledgeability, mood, speech, and other.
Note: Service is good as usual and as expected for the restaurant type and food quality. I am noticing a slow decline in service quality compared to three years ago.
OVERALL RATING: ⁸⁹⁄₁₀₀
Note: Giving a 5-​star anyway. Whenever I had a concern and made special accommodations, J. Alexander’s worked it out with me.
Thank you for your service.

Food was okay, definitely not what it used to be, Been coming here for years, seams like the quality has gone down a little.

So, I read one review that it was too dark. Hint: sit by the window. This place is known as a great place for client meetings and I seen a lot of that. Steak was highly recommended and it did not disappoint. Will be back for the chocolate cake. The only critique, teach your newby to check with guest to see how steak was.

How do you have the gall to prepare, send out, and SERVE a sour steak… I can understand accidentally serving an OLD steak… But a SOUR (and by sour, I mean putrid) one? How did the chef, AND the server, AND the others walking through the kitchen MISS this?!? Gross– gross– and gross. I thought this place had changed for the better by the higher ratings since I first reviewed them on Unilocal– now, I’m just suspicious of the higher rating… There will not be a third time for me at this location.

Dinner for 4 last week. The service is some of the most attentive around. It’s like they read your mind and anticipate your needs. Steaks, french dip’s and wine. Waiter made recommendations for wine. Both bottles were very complimentary to the meal.

I have been here several times. Some meals are outstanding but taco is no worth it for the money

Now, I waited almost a week to write this review, to ensure it deserved 5 stars. And the results are in: total winner. Pretty much the sole reason for a 5 star review is their prime rib sandwich. This is a thing of beauty. One single, thick-​cut piece of prime rib, on crispy bread, served with au jus dipping sauce. I had them throw some cheese on it, and a side of creamy horseradish. My mouth is watering just typing it. The service was good and friendly, and we were seated pretty quickly. I’m 99% sure if I had ordered anything else off the menu, this would have been a 4 star review, but I’ve been dreaming of that sandwich, and have a feeling I will be for weeks to come, until my next course of business takes me to Detroit.

just left this j alexander’s-loved food and service as usual… but for some reason i start to feel this crazy breeze while im trying to eat my dinner. i ask the waitress and shes like ya i feel it too, come to find out they have the air conditioning on, its 3o degrees outside with snow on the ground wtf… so we left early, food was good but please take care of this issue since this is one of my favorite restaurants thank you

This has been a great stop to eat and enjoy the rest of my night. The staff was great. My water was filled before I could reach for the bottle. My Salad was very good. I would recommend to everyone.

When im paying $ 32 for a filet, I would expect it to be cooked the way I ordered it. I ordered it medium, and got well. My husband ordered medium and got rare.
This restaurant used to be good, but the service has gotten way worse too. It took forever to get a drink and be greeted by the waitress. We saw her twice total after that.
Never again.

It’s a sad day when you have to rate your FAVORITE restaurant in SE Michigan 2 stars.
Let me explain…
I’ve been dining at J’s for years and can only say EXCELLENT things about that wait staff and management. Their execution in this establishment is top-​notch and you won’t find anyplace that is better on the customer service side of things. If you want to see how front of the house staff works together as a team, just sit at the bar and watch!
With that being said…
I was with co-​workers on Friday night and had an opportunity to watch the open kitchen work at their busiest time (we had an 1.5 hour wait). While watching the grill cook, I noticed that he would touch raw chicken and then ready-​to-​eat product while only wiping his hand on his side towel (not even changing his gloves). This was a massive red flag for me and needless to say, I ordered just a salad. I would have spoke up to Management but I didn’t want to ruin anyone’s meals that they had ordered. I hope this is passed along to the Executive Chef to hopefully be corrected.

We come here usually once a year with my parents, often for special occasions. Last year we came here for my wife’s birthday and this year we came for Valentine’s Day. This place is a bit pricey, with meals ranging from $ 15 – 30, which is why we visit sparingly.
This place is a little classy, with caps and hats not allowed. To be honest, I wore a hoodie one time and felt like I was under dressed. They won’t kick you out for being under dressed, but you will feel like the only person wearing a t-​shirt or hoodie if you go that route.
The service here is top notch. They are extremely friendly and attentive to their guests. They also help each other out, so you might all of a sudden see another service person filling up your beverage. They do try to make sure your water is always full, sometimes resulting in them showing up at a whim to refill your water glass. On another note, the water does not come with ice, but if you ask for it, they will accommodate.
I have only had the prime rib here, because if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. My parents recommended the PR the first time I came here and I haven’t deviated to any other option. They serve shoe string fries, which I like, but they are not for everyone. My wife also has enjoyed her meals, but at times says the fish can have a little too much butter on it.
Overall, this is a great place to have a meal. The prime rib is fantastic, the service is solid, but it is a bit pricey and if dressed too casual you may feel out of place. We will definitely continue to visit once or twice a year.

I don’t know who J. Alexander is but I’m certain he and I would be homeboys. If I ever opened a restaurant, this would be the kind of place I’d want to have.
Pro Tip — This place is almost always busy, consider sitting at the bar when you come or try to come in for lunch during the week. Otherwise, bring your patience — you will be waiting for probably a hour most nights.
J’s is by far one of my favorite «chain» restaurants. If one was closer to home I’d go here at least once a week, I like it that much. Even still, I’ve been here a lot. Both of my old lady’s sisters used to be servers here during college so I’ve eaten a lot of their dishes and no bullshit, I’ve never had something I didn’t like here.
I’ve had everything from salads to steaks but my favorites hands down have to be the Rattlesnake Pasta and the Prime Rib. You will be hard pressed to find anything here that isn’t great, provided it’s prepared properly (which doesn’t always happen from time to time hence why I can’t drop a 5 spot on them but they would be a solid 4.5 if Unilocal would allow it). But, management will always make it right if an issue is brought their attention. Other stuff I really like is the chicken pasta soup, any of their catch of the day’s, pork tenderloin medallions, queso dip, steak and fries and the french dip.
Pro Tip Numero Dos — If you get the Rattlesnake Pasta, ask for it with Penne noodles, holds the sauce much better than with the linguini!
They are also a great place to celebrate special occasions. For years this has been our go to place for birthday’s, it’s centrally located for most of our family and they are super accommodating if you want to bring in your own cake or what have you. Not everyone is friendly to bringing your own stuff in but these guys definitely are and that’s appreciated.
Pro Tip #3 — This is more of an adult place so consider leaving your kids at home and make it a nice night out with the misses or another couple.
As you can see, I’m a pretty big fanboy but I do have a complaint — I wish they’d build one closer to Ann Arbor

Always the best! Can’t say enough! Always consistently perfect food. Great portions and service is top notch. Staff always paces food as not to overwhelm us with too much at a time. Have tried almost all of menu, and yet have a complaint about anything.
They greet you from the first step into the restaurant and the awesome service continues throughout our dining experience. We love how intimate it can be with the low lighting and seating even though it is actually really busy!
Love the veggie burgers! And the warm carrot cake is to die for!
One of our top favorites!

I went here after seeing a movie at the Livonia AMC. We did not wait long and were seated pretty quickly. The waitress was pleasant and helpful. I was not in the mood for anything particular so I was flipping between the fish sandwich and the pork loin. The pork loin was recomended. It came pretty quickly. It came with potatoes. I did not like the loin. I like pork but this was not it. It was cooked rare and i did not like the spoungy texture. I rarely return items but indecided to do so in this case as i wanted something to enjoy. I asked for the fish special which was a sandwich on the special of the day menu. I was brought the fish dinner. It was not what i asked for but it looked good. It had a mango mix, chick peas and coleslaw. I could not eat all of it so I had it to go. The fish dinner was even more than my pork loin at $ 24 so maybe she was trying to give me something comparable? Anyhoo, my friend got the fish sandwich which was not bad. It was recomended by my friend to go here but I would probably go again one day but not my top place. Some people I know love it and look at it as the upscale place to hang out. I can think of other venues.

J. Alexander’s is always a wonderful place to eat. My husband and I enjoy the salmon immensely! The service is always awesome and we highly recommend a stop there.

J Alexander’s was overall fine. They were super busy early on a Saturday night but we were able to get seated fairly efficiently.
Food: Pretty decent overall. My wife’s prime rib was really good as were the smashed potatoes. My filet was good, cooked medium rare, and the baked potato was fine. The queso appetizer we had was good as well.
Ambiance: dark/​traditional upscale is how I would describe it. Somewhere between a Chilli’s and Flemings is kinda where I would put J alxeanders. That being said, some customers felt comfortable wearing soccer sandals to dinner???
Value: Pretty moderate prices– not super expensive but not super cheap or a great value either (ie 30+ for the filet, 16 oz prime rib)
Service: Reasonable. Server was nice. Was a little put off by the bill being a loose receipt folded in half and left on our table? Did they run out of the little black folders or something?
All in all, a fine place to go for what I would imagine would be fairly straightforward food cooked consistently well in a reasonable atmosphere, with reasonable service.

Good hamburger but unless you like it to squish out everywhere then tell them to not cut it for you when they bring it out. If you like steak fries you will not be happy with the string fries they try to pass off as fries. Coke is very flat and the lighting is very poor. It is like being in a cave or Medieval tavern. Bright spot was our waiter Daniel.

I’ve only been to J. Alexander’s once, 5 years ago, the Wolf Chase area location in Memphis. Our family was literally on the road for a cross country move on my son’s birthday, so that was where he chose to dine that night.
The menu was vastly different then, and we both ordered steaks which were well worth the price.
It was spendy for a chain, but I felt like his night was special, and he enjoyed himself. We don’t have a location on my side of the mitten, so I haven’t been to this restaurant since.
My husband and I ate at this location tonight, and I was sorely disappointed.
The menu is a minimalistic disappointment, the options are too limited, and the ambiance of this location can’t hold a candle to Wolf Chase.
We started with the smoked salmon spread and Alex’s salad. The spread and the toasts it comes with are a nice combination. I was worried looking through some Unilocal reviews that it would be overdressed and gloopy, but it was lightly dressed, and nicely balanced. A solid choice.
The Alex’s salad is boring and uninspired, only a point above Red Lobster.
Meh.
My husband ordered some Acadian fish sandwich off the «chef’s» menu. It was $ 16. For a fish sandwich. It was greasy and a little soggy. The frites were solid, no off taste from the oil (major pet peeve of mine) and nicely cooked. But still. $ 16.
I ordered the filet with a loaded potato and bearnaise. The potato was ok, but suffers from the same issue of my visit 5 years ago, grossly over-​salted exterior, which makes the skin inedible. Frustrating.
The steak was the real disappointment though. The grain was running the wrong way. Weirdest thing ever. I ordered it medium rare, and it was cool and dark red most of the way through. A little more rare than other places I order. Not a problem for me, but it did detract some from the enjoyment. And it was rife with silver skin. In a tenderloin? Not around. IN. And I would have preferred the pat of compound butter than their bearnaise that was so full of tarragon it was inedible. For $ 35 for a small steak, a potato and nasty sauce, meh again.
I agree with several other posters, go to Ruth’s Chris. It’s a slightly higher price point, but if you want steakhouse, they do it well, and their steaks are always on point. Almost anything you could want from a steakhouse experience, they have. Including vastly superior desserts.
I did order an old fashioned, they don’t skimp on the booze. Heavens, I couldn’t finish it. They kept my husband’s soda topped up, a glass never got below half before he had a refill. Brownie points for that.
Sadly, it’s not the experience I fondly remembered.
They can do better. And until they do, so can you. By going elsewhere.

Always delicious at Js. Love my experience each time because the food is always consistently good and staff is always friendly!
My ultimate favorite is the spinach dip app and artichoke (not always available in Livonia). I love the Thai salad. You MUST get the carrot cake.
Yummmm

Inhale. I love the wood-​burning aromas that linger throughout this restaurant. J. Alexander’s is one of those go-​to restaurants that always delivers. Throughout the years, we’ve celebrated birthdays and other special occasions, as well as enjoyed leisurely lunches and dinners here.
I’ve savored so many great meals here it is difficult to narrow it down to just a few.
* The battered chicken fingers are crispy and tender. Accompanied by a mountain of shoestring French fries and served with two different sauces, both the chicken and fries are equally delicious. And the portion size is massive. I don’t think I saw this dish on the menu the last few times I was there but I could have skated over this item due to familiarity.
* The rare prime rib is tender and flavorful and is served au jus. Roasted and well-​seasoned, the prime rib is steakhouse-​delicious. I typically get it with the loaded baked potato (sour cream, melted cheese, crispy bacon, and fresh green onions), instead of the smashed, for my definition of the perfect meal.
Their fish of the day, as well as the Ahi Tuna Steak, are both worth trying.
On a recent visit, I started the meal with fresh, chunky guacamole, served with lightly salted chips and spicy salsa that had a nice bite from the onions. The medium-​rare burger with Tillamook cheese was quite nice, topped with thinly-​sliced tomatoes, fresh pickles, and red onions. It was served, as a number of other meals, with their spectacular fries.
J. Alexander’s is incredibly flexible and allows guests to substitute one side for another. If you are so inclined, you may want to try the «Not Your Ordinary» mac and cheese. This side, in addition to the baked potato, deserves a special mention: tender noodles are baked in an appetizing and luscious cheese sauce with a crunchy breadcrumb topping. Personally, I think it goes well with most of the entrées.
My friends love the carrot cake here. I sometimes think they select this place based on the cake alone. I confess that it is not as memorable for me (even with the thick layer of cream cheese frosting); I tend to be partial to chocolate.
Service is consistently good. The servers good-​naturedly tolerate our long meals as we nattered on throughout the night.

It’s a tradition to eat here for my dad’s birthday. Prime rib every time. And it’s delicious. The prime rib is tender, juicy, succulent everything you want it to be.
However, everything was really salty. The calamari, my prime rib and my green beans. Gosh I swear, if you zoom in my photo, you’ll see 16 sea salt granules on each green bean! I couldn’t eat it. I took it home to rinse off my veggies so I could eat it. Sad day. Please cut back on the salt!!! Please!!!

Awesome !! Everything is good, Nice place to entertain people, relaxing I will defiantly come back
To this place.

It lived up to the hype! I’ve wanted to try J. Alexanders for years and finally got the chance to come for lunch.
The atmosphere is beautiful. Classy, but comfortable. Nicer than chain restaurants in the area, but not overly pretenious… This is the type of place you go to sit and enjoy a meal in a pleasant atmosphere.
The menu has a little bit of everything for everyone. Pasta, fish, steak, soups, salad, appetizers, burgers and sandwiches. Yes, it’s pricey, but the quantity of food and quality of service makes up for it!
I came on a Saturday for lunch and ended up with a cheeseburger and fries… The burger automatically came with all the normal toppings (lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, mayo and mustard). It also came with a cup of catsup on the side for the amazing shoestring french fries. Oh, the fries. For me, they made the meal. A large amount of hot, fresh fries with just the right amount of sea salt and freshly ground pepper… Perfect!
Back to the burger… it was huge (probably a half pound), but was neatly cut in half on a fresh bun. It would be perfect for sharing if you wanted.
The service was exquisite… Very attentive. Friendly. Helpful…
I really can’t say anything more positive about this place. If you are looking to treat yourself, this is the place. You will not be let down!