Joe’s Restaurant

Until tonight, this was our favorite restaurant. Sadly, we will never go back ever as we also had issues last time as well. Here is a short summary of the terrible experiences we had:
1). Entrée came out almost an hour late (how is this even possible except a complete breakdown in restaurant operations)?
2) lamb shank entrée tasted way too salty (beyond atrocious)
3) wine with dinner did not come out until after finishing my dinner (really, what happened to allowing your patrons to enjoy wine pairing with their entrée)?
4) while they apologized given the unbelievably bad experiences we suffered, they provided the crappiest looking dessert complimentary (and it literally looked like crap so neither my husband or I would taste it)
5) brought the wrong bill to us (seriously, we could not believe another misfortune)
6) why ever go back? It appeared the hostess was also the only manager.
Beware as clearly there are many other much better choices in this neighborhood to enjoy.

Love Joe’s. Great staff, amazing food, great atmosphere. The brunch options are amazing — stone crab scramble, burrito and their pancakes are all great with awesome bacon as well. Can’t beat their lunch prix fix and I love their flat iron steak and chicken ravioli for dinner. This place has been around for a long time and there is no question as to why. Love Joe’s and can’t wait to visit again when I’m back in LA!

Great food great service.
This restaurant is a great date place and/​or fun out with friends. I’ll be back for 6 $ drinks and 9 $ food on the happy hour menu –ALL DAY Sunday through Thursday– missed this one!
Cocktail pairing with pre fix menu was so fun and unique. Drinks were excellent, strong and creative but didn’t really go with the food that was served along side.
Would have the trout again and again. Beef cheeks tender and delicious.
Thank you Joe for giving us a warm welcome.

Great food, very good restaurant. Massive bar and friendly staff.
We had the fried chicken and the burgers. Well cooked and very tasty. The only complaint was that the fries came as an extra side instead of as a part of the main.

Walked in to a really nice, relaxed atmosphere and was seated quickly. Our server was super friendly and we had waters delivered quickly and our selected bottle of wine. The wine was nice and mellow and complimented the food nicely.
A selection of breads with butter and olive tapenade. The walnut bread was really light and fluffy with a nice crust and the brioche was really nice as well.
For starters I had the tuna tartare. Really fresh and light tuna. I had the red snapper for mains. The fish was delicious and fresh, the wild rice had a little bit of a crunch to it. Really enjoyed this meal.
For dessert we had the chocolate crunch cake — which was decadent and lovely. The black rice pudding was a bit weird with the texture.
Overall really enjoyed the meals, the service, and the ambiance. I will be back!

Pretty nice brunch place around Venice. We came right at opening at 11am on a Saturday and there was no wait. I wish brunch in SF could be like this…
They come with complimentary warm banana bread and toast with this amazing marmalade jam! I got the braised short rib and asked for poached eggs on top (extra $ 5). If you wanted add-​ons like 3 pieces of bacon and 3 pieces of pancakes (YUM), they were an additional $ 5 as well. I thought my entrée was good. I actually liked my coworker’s entrée more. They got the steak and eggs which is a classic favorite of mine.
Their kale + apple juice was really good! They also have that in mimosa form, can you believe it?!
Overall great service and pretty good food but like much brunch places in Venice, $$$ a bit pricey for what you get.

I’ve been here twice for dinner now, both times the menu was completely different. They change the menu daily and theres always something yummy. They have appetizer dishes, pastas, cheese boards, which are very yummy. I really like the cheese board with pears and nuts. The octopus was also very good. The wild mushroom risotto was very yummy, not too heavy. The black cod was very well done, great flavor and went really well with the garnishes. The service here is amazing, never let your water go dry. They also have a great selection of wines.
Parking is either street or there is a valet for $ 7. Reservations are recommended, this place can get pretty crowded, with a wait. They have a small bar out front for hanging out while waiting for a table as well.

I can’t even. Joe’s is stellar. The ambience, the food, the whole experience is just to die for. Classy, minimalist and expertly cultivated, it was the perfect spot for a romantic date. The little lights, white table cloths, open space, warm weather and general vibe just made the night so good. Sexy, quiet, romantic, darkly lit, comfortable and a bit classier than the usual Venice eatery, tucked away from the busy thoroughfare and absolutely fantastic. Parking is touchy, but valet took care of that.
My photo sums it up as well as any of my words can. Absolutely scrumptious.
And at the risk of sounding like a (not-​so-​) cheap, easy female, let’s just say that my date got a whole hell of a lot more than a goodnight kiss after our dinner at Joe’s. (But let’s face it, all of us are cheap and easy in the right circumstance! No shame here!)

Two points for the food. While not totally the best brunch fare it’s passable.
Service is terrible. We were pretty much ignored and when we did get service it was a different person each time. This led to a big game of telephone in which nobody had any clue what was going on.
Drink service was slow, attitudes were cloudy and overall it seems it is a terribly managed place in which nobody has a clue. One word, cluster.
Skip. Abbot has way better options.

What a brunch! Joes just doesn’t fail. Time and time again they perform with quality and unique choices with amazing and fresh mimosas! Our server Ace was spunky and helpful. Def come check this place out if you’re cruising the streets of Venice.
–Lenny out

Came here for brunch last Saturday to bid farewell to one of my nieces (the celebrant) who was moving out of state.
Here’s my review:
AMBIENCE — Nice. Check my photo and their website.

DRINKS
1) Chardonnay — it needed to be chilled more.
2) Bright-​Red Drink — I believe this was some kind of Mimosa. My niece, the celebrant, ordered this. I think she liked it because she ordered a second glass. One point for Joe’s.
APPETIZER — We ordered only one. It was an Egg-​Hummus Toast. I didn’t try it but I think they liked it. But one negative point, the yolk had that gray look which I don’t expect from this restaurant. Here’s a photo.
MAIN COURSES
1) Smoked Salmon Benedict — the celebrant and I each ordered this one. It was just okay. I had a Salmon Gravlax Benedict at a restaurant in Rancho Palos Verdes twice. And both times, it was very good. Granted that a Smoked Salmon is not a Salmon Gravlax but still I expect Joe’s to have a delicious Eggs Benedict, whatever type it is.
2) Fish Tacos — I did not try this but the celebrant’s boyfriend ordered it and the celebrant tried it too. They both liked it a lot. One point for Joe’s.
3) Grilled Flat Iron Steak and Eggs (Get that?) — One of my nieces ordered this one and she liked it a lot. Another point for Joe’s.
DESSERT — We ordered something that was bland. Here’s a picture.
SERVICE — They were nice. We were asked twice (by the hostess and the server) if we were there for a special occasion. It’s good to come here with people you love to converse with because it took them awhile to get our orders. As you know, that could get pretty awkward if you’re with folks you don’t enjoy conversing with.
PARKING –I thought I saw somewhere (either on Unilocal or Joe’s website) that they have valet parking and a parking lot. But there was neither so it was street parking for us which was not easy. It’s Venice after all.
SUMMARY
If I take into consideration that this is a famed restaurant, I would rate this place One (1) Star only. But since overall, my group had a good time and I will forget that this is a famed restaurant, I rate this place Three (3) Stars. Thank you, Joe.

Fives Stars Is Not Enough!!! Everything Is Amazing !!! Angel is the sweetest server here !!!

So we came here for team lunch. The $ 23 lunch combo includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert, which is slightly lower than the total if you order the same choices separately. The price is ok, but the selections were kind of limited for lunch, so I went with crab croquette (appetizer), crispy salmon (entrée), and ice cream trio (dessert). The appetizer and dessert were between OK and good, but the entrée crisp salmon was too oily and its size was smaller then expected. For the $ 23 combo lunch in this area I didn’t expect to have big one but it was just way too small.
There are relatively more choices for the alcohol though. The beer ranges from European to California local brands. The «Smokebeer» Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen is nice and special, as well as the Allagash White Ale and the less alcoholic «orange soda» Stiegl.
Lastly, there are two minor complaints on the services.
1. There were a few flies hanging around all the time, which is kind of annoying for a meal.
2. It was kind of weird that the waiter seemed rush of taking the beer bottle back. He took it up before asking if I had finished it. I said I would keep it but he then poured the rest into my glass and took away the bottle. IDK but just feel weird.

Ambience 5 stars
Service 4 stars
Restrooms 5 stars spa like.
food 3 stars meh
Met with some old friends in a busy part of Venice on Abbot Kinney for a Saturday lunch. Parking is tough. Joe’s is a cool little space with an outside patio. Our group wound ordering the following:
Food
Fish Taco’s
Crab Scramble fishy and oily
Short rib Hash
Pork belly
Albacore
Flat Iron Steak Salad cooked well but the beef was grissily and tough, salad portion was good
Chocolate Crunch dessert was excellent.
The restaurant and staff were extra accommodating allowing us to spend the whole afternoon there.

I had lunch here with my co-​workers and it was mediocre at best.
We all did the prie fixe lunch menu and I had the crab croquette, the shrimp risotto, and ice cream for dessert.
The crab croquette was a bit watery for my taste. The shrimp risotto was alright. Wasn’t the best risotto I’ve ever had and the shrimp was overcooked.
The ice cream was the best part. Who can go wrong with a medley of vanilla, pistachio and coffee?

This place keeps hitting it out of the park. My husband and I came back since our very first visit a couple months ago, this time with 3 more people. My mother, who is an excellent home cook, is never impressed with restaurant food. Most of the time she can recreate it at home for a fraction of the price. But she really enjoyed Joes and said she would come here once a month (if she lived here). Overall, everything can be summed up with these 6 words: «Outstanding food, superb service, unbeatable prices.»
Thanks Joe for an amazing dinner service. We’ll never forget it, and we’ll be back again soon!

Popped in for their 6:00 Happy hour on First Friday! Glad I did!!!
The hostess –GLOWING. Well, she’s due for a baby girl in 3 weeks. That’ll do it! Actually she could have been a miserable B. But not. Just as pleasant as can be. She told me the name of the baby which is a secret. The name is —– *beeeeep* Can’t tell but it’s beautiful and different.
Sat at the bar (duh). I can’t remember the name of my cocktail off the HH menu but it was dreamy.
Staff– all super friendly and engaging.
Interior– lovely.
People started pouring in after us to go toward the back for their dinner reservation.
Ordered the flat iron steak, rare. Pretty outstanding. It came with chick pea fries. Someone with us thought the fries were «weird». I thought they were genius. Loved the texture… light and fluffy. Came with green harissa sauce.
Great time! Coming back for sure to check out more from the HH menu and possibly a full on dinner! Great atmosphere. I recommend for at least happy hour.

I ate here for a Christmas brunch with college friends. I really was excited to try their food here. I think my excitement made it hard for me to really give them 4 stars. This rating is more like a 3.5 stars.
Service was ok. Our waiter was good and even took our group picture. I think the front desk less friendlier than I hoped they would be. But, on to the food. I ordered their tiger shrimp potato hash. It was ok. The flavor was there but I felt like it was a bit too soupy for a hash. I tried some of my friends Duck Confit and Short Rib Hash. The meat were both cooked perfectly. But the sides were lacking a bit on the flavor.

Went to a birthday brunch at Joe’s and while the birthday gal and the guests all wanted Gjelina first, I think Joe’s stands on its own as one of LA’s better brunch spots.
It’s on Abbot Kinney so you get some of that sea-​air and sunshine through the windows and I felt like I was in Manhattan Beach. It isn’t a large restaurant but we were able to put two tables parallel to each other and ended up seating a large party of nearly 30 people.
Say what you will about Abbot Kinney, the «i’m here to be seen» attitudes, and hipsters but the service at Joe’s was really top notch. It isn’t easy handling 30 guests and our waitresses were attentive and catered to all our requests.
Most importantly, Joe’s is good for the two most critical aspects of a good brunch: 1) good brunch food, 2) bottomless mimosas.
They start you with complimentary white bread and banana bread (w/​walnuts) and a butter and jelly spread. I liked both but I thought they could have come out warmer.
I had the much recommended Stone Crab scramble ($ 16) and for a big eater like myself I thought the portion could have been much larger. It was good no doubt about it but I scarfed it up in 4 – 5 bites. The spinach was fresh, the kale was crispy, and the shredded stone crab meat was tasty but there needed to be more, more, more.
I also tried the Market Potato Hash with Crispy Pork Belly. Those purple potatoes were good and the pork belly was good as well. Not the best I’ve had but the hash will fill you up more so than the Stone Crab scramble.
I think the winner for brunch were the pancakes. They aren’t flat flap jacks but rather more like biscuits because of the density and fluffiness of each pancake. Plus at only $ 10 it was perfect for brunch.
Some things I’ll want to try for another time was the market fruit plate which looked incredibly refreshing and delicious.
So I think Joe’s is a good option for brunch. They can take reservations and they could handle large parties. Plus even with all of us there we still felt there was a lot of space and it was very comfortable.

Very good lunch special