Jo’s

when i was there in NYC i stopped by Jo’s it was one of the best resturant in NYC and I am also in the Wine Business loved your list and your Prices,
I told every one in Toronto about you guys See you again soon.

Much better spot ! Firstly this place has 3 rooms and each room suites your needs. You have the 1^st which is the happy hour room, 2^nd which is perfect for a date, and the 3^rd is good for a large party.
The food was good a wide variety of different food, from dumplings to mushroom burgers. Trust when I tell you that had I know they were mushroom burgers you would have NEVER seen me eat one. BUT I did, and they were GOOD. The drinks were good, they had different beer that I never heard of, but even they were good. I would definitely return to this place. There were so many cute things about this place… location, environment, even the people who worked there were much more attentive.
Since it’s unfair to compare, I will state that this was a nice place, don’t expect too much. It did seem popular and I do recommend it, but I also just had a better experience, and rate it higher then I would’ve normally. However, good first date/​happy hour place.
Definite like.

Went here last night for dinner. Made a same-​day reservation for 7:30pm and was able to get in on a Thursday night.
Firstly, walking in, the décor and ambiance is dim and romantic. The front bar area was crowded. We were seating in the back dining area and were the only one’s there except for one woman eating alone. Décor in the back is inviting and warm, with rustic and industrial notes. The back dining area started to get a crowd around 8pm.
Secondly, Service is great! Eric was our server and he was very attentive to our table, and informative when it came to the menu. Onward to our dining experience.
Specialty drinks were on point (except for one detail). Cheers to the bartender! (and having been one myself, that’s a compliment!) Had «The G Spot» and «Sancho». The former was refreshing and exactly what I expected a vodka, mint, lemon, cucumber combo to be. The Sancho seemed to have too much honey for my taste buds but my friend enjoyed it. Later I tried the «Narcissist» which was delicious except they didn’t use SHISO and used regular mint.
We ordered the curried mussels appetizer. HEAVEN! Very nice sized portion of mussels with crusty, warm and fresh bread. Eric was generous to also offer more bread for the broth. And trust me, you want to finish ALL the broth! So this was a good start to our dining experience.
For the main courses, we split the Beef Rendang and the Fried Chicken. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Beef Rendang. Meat was fall-​off-​the-​bone deliciousness, like it’s been cooking for hours, simmering in all the spices and soaking up all the flavors.
The fried chicken was only mediocre. I like their choice of breading however the meat wasn’t as juicy as it could be. The sauce on the side was bland and did not go well with the chicken. And the (fried) skin tasted like it was fried in some old oil. (that might have been what was done). Tiny side of potatoes were given. Might as well just left them off the plate. seemed lost on the plate with the portion of chicken and rice.
On to DESSERT! (cause there’s always room for dessert in my book!) We both split the Warm Molten Chocolate Cake and the Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwich. First the good. The molten chocolate cake is exactly what it was. It was warm, chocolately, and cakey. Pretty average for something you can find in many restaurants these days. I think they could (SHOULD) have use a higher grade chocolate — tasted like melted Nestle chocolate chips but satisfied my chocolate craving nevertheless.
Now the bad. You would expect some Southern comfort food when you hear the words: fried, chicken, and waffle. NOPE! And note — it wasn’t even a SANDWICH! It was basically a stale waffle on the bottom with (caramel?) ice cream, with pieces of extra salty, extra fried chicken SKIN decorated on top. GROSS. AND WHERE’S THE CHICKEN?! We removed the chicken skin pieces because it just didn’t go well, and just ate the ice cream. *Hint to Jo’s, think, THICK BELGIAN WAFFLE NEXT TIME! (not some frozen eggo type. and that’s being nice)
One last thing to note, is that I noticed the owner (maybe?) was walking around greeting customers and different points of the night. Hmm… why didn’t you come to our table since we were there for hours and from the beginning of the night when no one was in the back dining area but us? I hope I’m wrong but I have a theory about why this happened and will come back to test it. (and to try the ramen, phở, or some special on the board that night)
I’ll be back…

This place was better before. I dont know what it is. I will tell you what I think it is. The bartenders are busy and by busy I mean busy chatting with each other and doing their own thing.
The bar bites are pretty much the only reason this place isn’t getting 1 star. They are decent. Try a couple otherwise keep rolling, elsewhere.

My fiancé and I (now husband) wanted to have a small «wedding reception» for our family and closest friends. When we were scouting out places, we considered Jo’s. We decided to have dinner there one evening and immediately fell in love with the space and décor. They have an intimate and private area in the back of the restaurant that was perfect for our occasion. (This space would be perfect for large private parties too!)
We ordered an appetizer, two entrees, two dessert and drinks. The food was spot on and perfect for our taste. Needless to say, we selected Jo’s as our venue. The owner, Jim, worked with us to prepare a dinner menu to accomodate all our guests. He is very friendly, energetic, and knows his food! The night of our wedding reception was PERFECT. All our guests (about 40 people) had the most spectacular time. Everyone raved (and continues to rave) about the food and the restaurant iteself. We had the suckling pig dinner and it was the best suckling pig I’ve ever had! (And I’ve had a LOT of suckling pig!) The crispy duck breast was also phenomenal, as was the seared brussel sprouts, stuffed striped bass, and everything else we had! Jim and his staff really took care of us very well all night long and we are very grateful for this!
It’s been 1.5 years now and we still continue to dine at Jo’s. The food is always very good and there’s always an interesting selection on the menu. We love the way they do their asian-​fusion entrees as they are the best at what they do! The staff continues to be very friendly and we enjoy dining here!
We love their Asian pork chop, which is no longer on the menu, but it’s exciting to have a different menu for us to have new options seasonally! I was daring and tried the Galangal Fried Chicken not knowing what «galangal» is. Our waiter explained that galangal is a root stronger than ginger. I ordered this dish anyway and really LOVED this dish! It has very interesting flavors and just not your typical fried chicken.
We also had the fried chicken and waffle ice cream sandwich. This dessert reminded me of Schwa in Chicago. If you’ve been there, you know what this means! If not, all the components in the dish combined create this pow of flavors that make it taste like you’re really eating fried chicken and waffles! It’s a must try!
This is one of our favorite places to dine! Great food, great atmosphere, and great staff!

yummie drinks! nice bartender! Great cheese plate. Awesome music!!!
Very relaxing atmosphere.

This is an update to my previous post: Dined at Jo’s recently, hoping they’d have their summer menu back and come to find out, they have a new chef and an entirely new menu. All of our previous fav’s are no longer available. I should have left at that point, but given my keenness towards Jo’s, decided to stay and try some new dishes. Can’t say one good thing, and in fact, I can absolutely not recommend the steak (it was fatty and flaorless).
We barely ate our meals but our waiter wouldn’t notice because the service was lacking too. He was clueless about the menu and even seemed like he might be high. Based on this experience, I don’t think I’ll be returning to Jo’s.

Nice little place to stop in for a cocktail in Nolita. I had an Old Fashion which was pretty good. Didn’t have any food but they had a pretty cheap menu.
I liked the atmosphere no TV’s and a pretty mellow crowd. The bartender also pretty cool and gave of sample of some new Vodka.

Nice little spot on Elizabeth! Came in to kill some time while waiting for some space at a restaurant around the corner just in time for the happy hour.
Although we only had drinks I would love to come back for a meal next time, staff was incredibly friendly + speedy, and the space was buzzing with just the right amount of people inside. Muah!

There’s not a bad thing to report here…
Food was awesome. Service was outstanding. Not much to say that hasn’t been said here before.
Crispy Pork Ribs are a MUST try!

I’ve known the owner, Jim, for a few years now, and I’m going yard to give him five stars for his restaurant. You can see what sort of care has gone into all aspects, and that comes from Jim’s passion for being a restauranteur.
I’ve eaten here twice, both times brunch, and both times, spot on. The lattes were tasty, the eggs benedict perfectly prepared and delicious, and the service was attentive and fantastico.
The ambience is homey and comfortable and the restaurant has a pleasant ambience overall and is easy to carry on a conversation.
This place hits on all cylinders. I’ll be back for drinks and dinner, for sure.

My new favorite find in Nolita! Found out about this place from
…there is a deal on the site now where you can purchase a card & get $ 50 worth of food/​drinks for $ 30!
We didn’t make any reservations but the hostess was nice enough to seat us in The Albert Room (we didn’t even ask!) which is this awesome room in the back. The restaurant has a bar in the front where you walk in, then a main dining area and then another dining area (The Albert Room) in the back which can also be closed and sectioned off by doors. I would highly recommend this room for a holiday gathering, group get together, etc. The room has this cool antler/​chandelier which SPINS! every once in a blue room… so if you are tipsy your imagination isn’t fooling you, YES, the chandelier spins! :)
We got the Crispy Pork Ribs as an appetizer and the Shell Steak & Burger Deluxe as entrees. The Crispy Pork Ribs were definitely a new spin on ribs as we have never had «crispy» ribs before… definitely unique! It also comes with this garlic glaze and topped w/​peanuts to add a nice crunch. Both the steak & the burger come with a nice portion of delicious fries. The burger was amazing– one of the best burgers I’ve had in a while. I loved how the bun was semi grilled on the top to give it a charcoal taste and buttered on the inside. There is also a garli chilli mayo they give for you to dip the fries in which was super yum.
Great Ambiance, Great Crowd, Great Food!
I also loved the location of the restaurant. You have Billy’s Bakery next door or Little Cupcake Bakeshop down the block to get a sweet treat after :)

Awesome hidden gem on Elizabeth Street with a lively bar area up front and a quiet dining area down a long narrow hallway. The back rooms are nicely decorated as if you are inside a barn/​hunting lodge.
The food is really great… since I visited for my birthday meal, I opted to start with half a dozen oysters and then ordered the garganelli which was heaven on a plate. I actually have been dreaming about this pasta and will have to go back very soon.
Service is an A
Décor is a B+
Food is an A

A cute, solid choice for a mid-​week dinner with girlfriends. There’s a bar in front and a dining room in back. We made reservations for the dining room but didn’t need them — the place was half-​empty, which was refreshing since it was quiet and we didn’t feel rushed. The atmosphere is very similar to Highlands minus the windows, if you’ve been (if not — seriously, GO) — dimly lit, minimalist/​homey/​sexy feel. I dug it.
My friends both had the mushroom risotto with seasonal veggies, which was quite tasty. Feeling a bit more carnivorous, I had the pork shnitzel, which was tender, flavorful and perfectly cooked (the cabbage side dish was an awesome accompaniment).
Points for an extensive wine list with cutesy categories («Rockstar» and «Punk Rock») and being located perfectly between EV/​WV for people coming in from different directions.
Minus points for service that dropped off midway (we waited a good 15 minutes for our check, which is never a problem in good company but worth mentioning) and for using our credit cards to pay the wrong bill, which would have cost us an extra $ 65 if I hadn’t noticed. Um, not cool.

Good bar.
Good oysters (but no more $ 1 oysters for happy hour).
Good pulled pork sliders.
Good portobello mushroom sliders.
Good but greasy disco fries.

$ 7 bellini or mimosa…
In this neighborhood?! Indeed, I’ll have two.
Besides the cheap brunch drinks… they serve the illustrious combination meal until 4pm, far stretching the limits, but decidedly convenient on a day we were seeking refuge from heat, hunger and… sobriety.
Marshall, our attentive server, was on top of things from the get-​go. After being seated in a large/​roomy booth (a luxury in NYC) and outfitted with menus, things went smoothly. With a British accent to boot (lovely) Marshall delivered water, mimosas (2, hiccup), coffee, a chicken club salad, 3-​eggs with all the trimmings and cheer to our table in rapid, yet cohesive waves. Even a story about his life as an only child playing Monopoly with his Siamese cat. Which would seem out of context, but was actually perfectly suited to the afternoon. A wonderfully amiable man, for sure.
All to the tune of $ 45 + tip. A small miracle on the Lower East Side, indeed. Or where ever it is that we ended up… it’s typically expensive, and crowded. Jo’s was neither, and what a relief. The streets were bustling, but the back room at Jo’s was a brunching sanctuary.
AND $ 7 BRUNCH COCKTAILS. Just in case you missed it up there.

Nice
Owner,
Inspired
Regulars, and
4 dollar beer happy hour til 8.

We came to Jo’s to take advantage of the $ 1 oyster special during happy hour (Sun-​Fri. 5pm-​8pm in the Bar Room). The place was mostly empty around 5:30 pm on a Friday. The front of Jo’s is the bar area, with 8 – 10 seats to sit beside the bar and then several little tables to sit at. If you opt to sit at one of the small tables, you have to order from the bar. In the back of the restaurant is a very nice low-​lit tableclothed (correction: no tablecloths, it is actually white butcher paper, but for some reason I remember seeing at least one table with a white table cloth) restaurant area which makes for an intimate and cozy experience.
For apps, we ordered the:
Fries ($ 6.00) — Slightly thinner than your average shoestring fry, perfectly crisp with a nice saltiness (maybe a little too salty but I was loving it). The fries were complimented with a garlic chili mayo that was insanely good. Flavors were robust with garlic and chili and creamy mayo, making me try to get mini globs of all the good stuff on my fries.
Chicken Wings (5 for $ 8.00) — Smoked, and glazed with a sake & black bean sauce, and bacon powder. The chicken was moist and tender but we found some pieces oversmoked to the point where I felt like I was smoking a cigarette and felt like I had to cough from smoke inhalation. Other pieces had barely any smoke, and yet again, some pieces had one side of the chicken overly smoked while the other side didn’t carry any smokiness. I found these wings to be inconsistent and expensive. 5 small buffalo-​size like wings for $ 8?!?
Oyster ($ 1 each) — When I asked the bartender, she wasn’t sure what type of oysters were being served, but eventually said she believed for them to be Royal Miyagis. She did not offer to double-​check, but I ordered them nevertheless. That should have been my first queue that they are not ordered often and my first sign of a low turnover rate. My next sign was the presentation of the oysters. They were unappealing on a half bed of ice that was slightly melted and didn’t fully cover the bottom of the tray completely. You could see small pools of water at the bottom and the metal bottom underneath a few of the oysters. For my dozen oysters, I was provided with two small lemon wedges and a dry version of a cocktail sauce. The oysters didn’t look very clear and they didn’t appear to have a lot of brine. When I ate them, they didn’t easily slide off the oyster as if they were still somewhat attached to the shell which made me realize their lack of oyster shucking expertise. Also, it almost tasted as if some water was poured in each oyster to make it look juicy and briny. The oysters had almost no flavor or any hint of brininess (saltiness) to it, while some of the oysters almost seemed like they had a subtle hint of sourness, making me question how long they were pre-​shucked before being served. Another thing to note were that a few of the oysters contained shell pieces, yuck! I’m no oyster connoisseur, but I would expect Miyagi’s at the very least to have a crisp clean finish with a subtle sweet clean taste and smell of saltwater. These were probably the worst oysters I’ve ever had, and I found myself somewhat disappointed. I ate all 12 of them, though it was hard getting through them. I had to mix it up by eating some fries in between to give my palate some taste. Luckily, I didn’t get sick the next day.
Throughout our meal, Jo’s seemed to get slowly packed. And by 6:30pm, the whole bar area was moderately full. Jo’s gave me the impression that is a place for those in the know, it’s a small town bar without any extravagant signs screaming out loud. Everyone at the bar seemed to know each other, as if they were all regulars saying hi to the bartender for a quick a drink then leaving. No one else seemed to be eating anything except for us and 3 – 4 of the tables grabbing apps, with only one other patron ordering a half dozen or so of the oysters during our visit. So I suppose that begs the question how old are these oysters exactly? When I went to use the bathroom in the back as we left around 6:30pm, there was not a soul in sight sitting in the large dining area on a Friday evening. That leads me to believe, Jo’s is the perfect spot for a quick drink, in and out. Their food is something left questioning, and despite some Unilocalers saying otherwise about their oysters, I think I will avoid revisiting Jo’s and take my oyster eating experiences to the likes of Mermaid Oyster Bar, Lure Fishbar or Aquagrill.
Happy Hour is not listed on their website, so I took the liberty to jot most of the happy hour menu down (all other food except the happy hour oyster special can be ordered from their full service menu):
— Oysters — $ 1 each
— Sixpoint Crisp Lager — $ 4
— Smuttynose Porter — $ 4
— Nebraska Witte — $ 4
— Flying Dog Raging Bitch — $ 5
— Wine (Gruner /​Cabernet) $ 7 (and yes one of them did come out of a box)
— Well Drinks — $ 5

Looking for a drink, my friend and I stumbled into Jo’s, planning to have one drink. But then we saw the happy hour deal and ended up having three drinks. I guess that’s the way some things happen, right?
It’s a dark space with an old school — but not stuffy — feel. The menu looked delish, but we went for the churo dessert, which seemed a little out of place cuisine wise but really hit the spot.
We ended up sitting here for over two hours, not even realizing the time.
It seems like a lot of regulars hang out here, and I can see why!

I’ve been back to Jo’s a few times, for dinner and brunch and drinks and what-​have-​you. I am still quite a big fan of the place and recommend it often.
For cocktails, I recommend the G-​Spot. Everyone should like the G-​Spot. It’s just the sort of thing everyone should know about. So, go and find it. At Jo’s.