J Alexander’s Restaurant

I just love this place. It’s got so much going for it. Don’t miss the Jazz trio Friday-​Sunday.
1 year later:
Just got to posting this review and once they fired the band to save cash-​flow, the place lost it’s awesome factor and soon closed down.

I had the tuna steak prepared rare and it was simply amazing. The carrot cake was incredible as well.
The staff was attentive, knowledgeable and accommodating.

I’m going to miss the carrot cake. They are closed now. :(

I am very much tempted to simply limit this review to a menu recommendation:
MAC & CHEESE!!! oh… my…goodness…it was soooo good.
It wasn’t even what I ordered! — -I sat the entire meal, eating off of my sister’s plate it was that good.
What I did order was a grilled chicken sandwich with bacon, which, though overshadowed by the macaroni on this occasion, was pretty yummy.
The praise doesn’t end with the food — the service here was excellent and very efficient.
Thanks J for a great lunch experience.

I need to start off with saying that I should have listened to Unilocal.A friend suggested J Alexander’s for dinner tonight so I pulled it up on Unilocal,read the reviews and a group of four of us went. Parking is always a challenge over there but we found a pay spot in front right away tonight. At 7pm they were dead. Maybe 20 people tops. Bad sign. To make things worse the few patrons that were there were not really the kind of people I want to dine with. Sure we didn’t have to sit with them but they were still located in the same enclosed space as me. Loud, obnoxious and just not the type of crowd one would expect to find in this great area. In fact, we were waiting for a fight to break out or one of them to stand up and announce a robbery. I’m not kidding.
Very nice hostesses greeted us and sat us at a table that was way too tight. At my request they moved us to a larger table. Nice décor but kind of a fancy step up from a greasy spoon with dimmed lights. No really. Kind of nice like trying to be a Chicago steak house but on a super tight budget.
Wait staff was competent and attentive with a decent menu. Here is where I made my mistake though. So I tell my group that Unilocalers said to get the Mac & Cheese, or the roasted chicken or the veggie burger. Did any of us listen? No. I got the hanger steak and fries. Very low end steak with garlicky butter melted on top. The butter killed it. The exact opposite of Ruth Chris. Fries were good though. I started off drinking water but had to switch to soda to wash down the lousy taste of the garlic butter. Another Unilocal review said that your soda glass would never be empty. That was true.
Right about now several other groups of unassociated undesirables walked in and were seated. Now they are all around us. I could just see it in the faces of the wait staff. I’m sure they’re thinking, «Oh no. These people are going to work me like a dog and not leave a tip.»
The other guys got the prime rib sandwich. One was cold and the other two were «OK.» I’m not saying we didn’t eat our food. We did. We were hungry. But if I had a time machine I would warp back two hours and eat something else. No. Eat somewhere else.
I guess that says it all. I’m going to find a large roll of antacid now.

My husband and I really like this place. We forget about it sometimes, but it is a great place for dinner. We always have a solid meal. I love their fries too! Super skinny! We went last week one night when we just wanted to get out of the house. The servers are all so attentive, it usually isn’t hard to get a table and the ambiance is good.
I had the roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, it was awesome, I took half home, lots of food! My husband had the ribs which had a kick to them, they were really good as well. We shared the spinach con queso, which was delish! I love cheese… have I mentioned that? I also like that they have the really thin tortilla chips, mmm. We have been a bunch of times and always have a great meal!

This is one of my family’s favorite spots in Chicago and for good reason. The servers are all very attentive. This is one restaurant where your soda glass will definitely never be empty. They are also all very good looking, almost to the point where it is weird, but I’m not about to knock off a star for that.
The food is all excellent and reasonably priced for the huge and delicious portions you get. My family usually goes here together but it could also work for group sor for a date night. There is a great atmosphere for talking,
Special shout out to the chicken tenders, which are back on their menu after a much-​hated hiatus. When they were gone I felt like half the reason for visiting this restaurant was gone too. Their sides are also excellent especially the french fries and mac and cheese. The coleslaw was way better when it had their blue cheese in it. I’d advise staying away from it in its current incarceration.

Yeah, it was good. That’s the word I keep thinking when I go over my entire experience: «good.» J. Alexander’s is a little less exciting and gourmet than other Chicago area steakhouses, but that’s not to say that their food isn’t solid. I went here for lunch with my mom on a Sunday.
I started with the Caesar salad, which was basic… for lack of a better term. I kind of like tasting some anchovy in my Caesar dressing but I didn’t detect any in this one. My mom had the baked potato soup. She thought it was alright and I agreed– I mean, it’s hard not to like fatty cream, potato, cheese, and bacon all mixed together but it was only a little better than Panera. I had the NY Strip and was surprised at how big it was! Again, the steak was fine, if a little underseasoned. It came with a side of baked mac and cheese which was great. My mom had the Maui ribeye. It was covered in a sweet glaze, as you might expect, and was pretty good. The mashed potatoes on the side were rich and flavorful. We also got a side of their wild rice and orzo. It was served cold, which I wasn’t expecting. But it was probably the most exciting thing we ordered, flavor-​wise.
Service was attentive but not very friendly. That’s okay, I’m there for the food. I have to mention that the prices are really affordable. And that’s the only reason I would ever really come back here… a-​ok food for reasonable prices. I think our entire meal was about $ 75, pre-​tip. You just can’t get those prices at better steakhouses.

We dined here for dinner on a quiet Sunday evening. Our server was pleasant, but not very engaging. She asked if we’d like a cocktail or glass of wine as she was handing us our menus, which irks me a little, because I haven’t had the chance to even look at the list yet. When we did order a bottle of wine, she came back promptly with it, but it was already opened. It drives me batty when restaurants don’t observe proper wine service for bottles. I mean, how do I know that she just opened it? It’s not hard to properly open a bottle of wine and servers should be skilled at it. Granted, this isn’t a Michelin starred restaurant, but its not a fast casual chain, either.
She did suggest a guacamole appetizer, which had a great, creamy texture and was a lovely start. Two of my party had the prime rib and they were both very satisfied. I had the fennel sausage flatbread and it was pretty good. The sausage had a nice flavor, but the flatbread was a little dry.
After dinner, we opted for martinis, and the fleur-​de-​lis was spectacular with just the right balance of elderflower and grapefruit. We tried the carrot cake dessert, and while my mother absolutely loved it, I found the icing, which was smothering the cake, to be too sweet.
While we had a nice time, I think the food was unremarkable. It was good enough, but not memorable enough to warrant a trip back. The martinis, however, would be worth a trip to the bar.

My husband and I live right around the corner from J Alexanders and have been happy customers for years! We come to JA about once or twice a month. We have always been thrilled with the delicious food and impeccable service. However, last night really changed my tune.
My husband ordered the steak tacos. For $ 15 he got 2 tacos and we had to search for the meat. Ultimately, he sent them back. As we were scanning the menu, we noticed that all of the prices went up signifantly and the portions down. Anyway, even though the service is great, they better work on their price and product if they want to keep their regulars.

I assume my experience was out of the usual and could be due to uncommon factors that have never happened before.
While I enjoyed my food, my service, and my overall experience at J Alexander’s, I awoke the morning after my meal with a severe case of food poisoning.
When I called the manager to let him know what happened I was met more with excuses about how their safe guards prevent this from happening and that he would look into it, than sincere apologies.
While I am sure this is not a regular problem at an establishment like this, it ruined my experience (and weekend) and I don’t think the management handled it as well as they could have.

We came here a few weeks ago for a Saturday night dinner. Overall, it was a very good experience. 3.5 stars.
We had two good bottle of wine that didn’t break the bank and our meal was tasty. Between the four of us, we had the filet, prime rib and fish tacos. Everyone enjoyed it. The portions are huge! It was also reasonably priced too so it fit everyone’s budget.
Service was pretty good. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. I’ll keep the place in mind for the future.

Alright well, I didn’t read reviews before stopping in. Went to meet some friends and have drinks, etc. Waitstaff thought it best to seat us in front of the bar. Nice set up with a great view of passers-​by. Not the most comfortable seating when having a light meal with drinks though. Everyone was having the burger, but since I was on a meat diet I skipped and went for something with seafood. Rave reviews about the burger, but I wanted something else.
Something about tiger prawns caught my eye and that was my choice. Supposedly tiger prawns served on a bed of some kind of herb-​ed pilaf. The rice was perfect and seasoned nicely, the shrimps were okay and nothing special. Tiger prawns they were not and for the over twenty dollar price tag, not worth it either. For an extra special tiger prawn, the real deal kind, check out Klay Oven downtown. Had a few cocktails and had the most average vodka gimlet ever. To me, J Alexander’s is a steak and burger place, so skip the rest if you want what’s best.

Came here on a whim on a snowy night. Very friendly staff – we felt instantly welcomed. The place is like pitch black. Think: one light over each BOOTH and that is it.
I had read all about the croissants and how orgasmic they are… and that was about all i was going to experience. Our waitress never offered nor brought any. We thought they were phased out until we saw them on other tables. We had to ask. Strike one.
The food came and it is HUGE portions. To be honest, how about charging me less and giving me less? Sounds good to me. I don’t want to pay $ 20 and have this food stinking up my fridge for the next 6 meals.
I like pasta and there was only 1 pasta option. So thats that.
There was an employee who would run this electric swiffer-​type vacuum cleaner everytime someone would leave their booth… kind of disruptive and startling every time.
Kids crying… not like one. Not only one table. multple kids. multiple tables.
This place has potential but they need to: invest in some lights, lower portion sizes and prices accordingly, keep service consistent and lose the kids.

They didn’t indicate that there’s pork in their N.Y.O Mac & Cheese!
Over a year or so ago, I saw when the ‘coming soon’ sign hanging in the window of this Clybourn Avenue location, near the hidden Trader Joe’s. A friend lured me there a couple days ago and I was impressed with the very swanky and dark dining area.
The service is friendly and the expensive food is tasty. However, one thing threw our evening off. They neglected to tell us that the Not Your Ordinary Mac & Cheese had pork in it! I don’t eat red meat or pork and mac & cheese is usually pretty safe or else it’s spelled out on the menu.
After a few bites in, little flecks of pink barely came into view in the almost midnight dark restaurant. I stopped eating it and asked my friend to verify that it was pork. We asked our server why it wasn’t indicated on the menu and she non-​chalantly blathered «well it’s called not your ordinary» and walked away. This nearly derailed our evening.
Fortunately the rest of the meal was flavorful and well done. Standouts include the incredible Fire Grilled Artichokes appetizer and herb sauce, the grilled veggies that accompany the Filet Kabobs (my friend’s entrée), the chocolate cake with ice cream and definitely the hot carrot cake. The carrot cake was very moist and icing was tasty, but it was a tad too sweet for my tastes, which are very conservative mind you when it comes to sugar. The chocolate cake had a great sweetness level… more so Euro sweet instead of 5 lbs of sugar in each slice-U.S. sweetness level.
I ordered their turkey burger with shoestring fries and it didn’t thrill me that much… it was OK but certainly not worth $ 13. Maybe $ 8. You should know that I was also disappointed that the Rattlesnake Pasta is actually chicken instead of snake. I’d built up the nerve to try snake for my first time! I guess I’ll have to make a trip to Hot Doug’s.
J. Alexander’s is quite pricey for a chain. In fact I had no idea it was such a large chain until well after the meal. Can’t say I’ll be racing back as there are many other options that exist in this price category which offer a much better food experience… namely Fred’s of Barneys New York.
— — —
UPDATE: After expressing our unpleasant experience written about above to their corporate office, Mark, a manager with the Chicago location we previously visited contacted me, apologized and sent a certificate for a free dinner. Of course we took him up on his offer and it was a much better experience, with a nicer waitress this time around. (And this was before they knew that we had a free dinner cert.) We waited a while after dinner just to greet the manager and he was as nice and apologetic in person as he was on the phone. We ordered their crab cake, which is one of the best I’ve had. Our waitress told us that there’s no fillers used and it did taste that way. I ordered the rattlesnake (chicken) pasta this time and it was tasty, but not exceptional. As a result, I’m upgrading their review to 3 stars.

Oui, Oui… more croissants please!
We had a group with no reservations… they were able to squeeze us in on a Sat.
Love the BOOTHS! A huge round booth… I am definitely a fan of that. The menu is HUGE… I guess thats what you get with a chain restaurant. I really dont know why but they serve croissants instead of just plain bread or something else… I have to say… they were buttery, warm and delicious. I couldnt resist having two.
The fish tacos were pretty good and I also had some of the NY strip & mac and cheese. The price point is pretty darn good here and they have LOTS of affordable wines… not bad.
I have to say, something did not agree with me and I was in the ladies room a couple of hours later… not really sure, but definitely a little skeptical to go back.

I really don’t understand what has happened to J Alexanders.
I used to visit one of their other locations for years and loved it! Then, first their salads changed… then their menu items changed… then portion sizes changed.
However, nothing was as unfortunate as my my most recent visit (which was a while ago — I’m just getting around to my review…).
I was at the restaurant with two work colleagues. The restaurant was almost empty, yet we waited for a server to greet us at the table for what seemed like half an hour. Food then took a long time to come out (and we had sandwiches, salads and soups), but we were chatting, so we overlooked the lengthy wait.
Unfortunately, I had the bad luck to have a hair in my food. I will say, that once notified, the staff quickly rectified this (and gave us our lunch for free), but we had to search for them to even let them know. One of my colleagues eventually headed toward the kitchen to alert someone. I used to love this restaurant, but after the service issues, I’m not sure I’ll back back any time soon. I do not fault the restaurant for the hair in my food — it happens sometimes, but there should be someone around to talk to if there are issues of this kind (or anything).

I’ve been to this location 3 or 4 times and the Northbrook one twice. Their food is not outstanding, but it’s not bad either. Yesterday I had the black bean soup, salad, asparagus and fish tacos. The only complaint is that their could have been more fish and less toppings on the tacos.
I’m sure I’ll be back.

I’ve been here a few times and it is so good, the food, ambient and the service keeps me coming back. The house salad and dressing is the best, ask for the homemade honey glazed croissant with the salad, Yum!
I had the prime rib and it was prepared well. I know that if you are not satisfied with anything you’ve ordered, they will make it to your liking again. The first time I came here, I ordered the prime rib and I told the waiter at the end of my meal that the rib was slightly over cooked, he quickly reordered another prime rib (slightly smaller portions) to extend my dining experience. That is what I call, service!

You know what I like about this chain? It’s consistency. J Alexander’s does what a chain is supposed to do– be the same from location to location. While I usually go to the one in Oak Brook, a friend had business in the area so I agreed to meet him at this location tonight.
On this Monday night (perhaps all Monday nights?) any wine priced $ 60 and less was half price, Now that’s a deal. It puts the wine back to where it would be at retail and there are plenty of excellent choices.
It must have been our night for good deals as we also were comped an appetizer. Guess they were trying to sample some new menu items. Well we were in luck as it was delicious. It was a southwestern egg roll– stuffed with chicken, corn relish, salsa and other goodies. Served 4 to a serving– dipped in the accompanying sour cream these morsels were gone in a flash but will definitely go on my list to try again!
We ordered simply– I had the ahi tuna and my friend the chicken sandwich and white bean soup. Both were good, satisfying and predictable which was just fine by me given the crazy day I had had earlier.
Desserts at any of the J Alexander’s are always a treat (I dream about their carrot cake!) but on this night it was just a pipe dream as I needed to get home so dessert will have to wait until the next time.
Thanks J Alexanders. You’ remind me of eating at a friend’s house– I know what to expect and you never let me down with the service or the food –which I can’t say for some of the higher priced places I frequent.