Original Joe's Italian Restaurant

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301 S 1ST St
San Jose, CA 95113

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(408) 292-7030
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Reviews
( 16 )
( 5 )
( 4 )
( 4 )
( 3 )

Best

I love this place. They have a original Joes in San Francisco. So I used to the great atmosphere and great...

Worst

Expensive NY strip steak which came out medium well rather than medium rare, and the sides weren't terribly interesting. Service was so-so; did get some attitude from the waiter a...

Not What I Expected 2/3/2005

Looking at the outside of the restaurant, you'd expect the inside to turn out some great, Italian comfort food. The place looks like somewhere the guys from the movie ""Casino"" would gather to eat. However, the food is blah- no flavor at all. Service wasn't the greatest- we sat and waited maybe 45 minutes until we were seated. The hostess/host just sat there and never once gave us an update on the wait or apologized for the wait. I did, however, like how our waiter packed our food to-go: he took a giant platter of pasta and with one quick swoop, packed it into a tiny, Chinese takeout box. Very cool! more
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Awesome service & food 1/25/2005

The service and quality and size of the meals @ OJs never disapoint me. It is a good time whether sitting at a counter or at a table. LOVE THIS PLACE! Pros: service, food quality, serving size more
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San Jose Classic 12/11/2003

I've tried many dishes at Original Joe's from the Joe's Special to the hamburger. Everything is excellent and the service is great! Pros: Great food, quality, large portions Cons: parking more
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Don't waste your time 8/22/2003

Nothing particularly bad about the place--just nothing very good either. Steak was OK but overcooked. And WAY overpriced. Entire waitstaff seemed smug. There are plenty of better places to go in SJ area. Cons: Expensive, Run of the mill food, Stuck up waitstaff more
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Believe it --- great burgers! 2/8/2003

Hey, it's an institution. Sit at the counter, watch the cooks try to control chaos, smell the wonderful scents, order a burger & fries, and sit back. Joe's is a hoot. Bring an appitite,... more
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Are you crazy 2/8/2003

I cant believe people call this place an institution. I have repeatedly given OJs a try and each time I swear I will never go back. Where to start? Food? Eggplant parmesan is a fried grease trap. Spaghetti sauce rivals a can of Campbells tomato soup. Sandwiches are sloppy wet. Service: If I want rude, scruffy, over weight slobs waiting on me, I go to Cafe Sport in SF. At least the food is good. Ambience: There is nothing special about in and the restroom and cleaner to my local Sell gas station. Pros: location Cons: food, service, food more
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Nostalgic food 2/8/2003

I have been going to OJ's for years. I love their hamburgers. They are by far the best I've ever eaten! Pros: excellent food Cons: long wait for table more
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YIN & YANG 12/5/2002

Food = Excellent, Service = Needs Improvement. I agree with the consensus opinion on the food: great, especially the burgers & BLT's. Unless you're a regular, the service can range from fair to almost non-existent. I have left twice after sitting for 10-15 minutes w/o any acknowlegement of my existence. Pros: Food, Ambience Cons: Service more
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Amazing 10/3/2002

I always love coming here because not only is it near to where I live, but the food and atmosphere are unbeatable. There is plenty of free parking in the downtown area. There is no better Italian food for that price. The waiters are speedy and the most professional I've ever had. My friend and I took his little cousin (5 years old) out to eat and the waiter found out that he spoke spanish, so the waiter was speaking in spanish to him all night. At the end of our meal he got all the waiters together and brought him out ice cream and played little jokes and kept him laughing the whole time. It was probably the best experience I've ever had at a resturaunt. Pros: Speedy, Good Parking, Delicious Cons: Noisy more
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Why fight when you have to wait! 8/11/2002

I must agree with the editor's review (Cecily Barnes) that ""There is no need to fight for one of the cozy, brown leather booths."" That is because there is usually a longgg wait for one of these cozy booths. The food is great but the waits are wayyy tooo longggg. Ever notice the smugness that oozes from the wanna be bar captains; oops waiters at O Joes? If you can put up with the wait and the smugness then the food is worth waiting for. Ciao Pasta Fazoo! Pros: great food, large portions, friendly counter Cons: longggg waits, expensive more
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know burgers 7/31/2002

The best burger, moist, large and like the bread instead of those soggy fall-apart tasteless rolls. Just the very best burger I've ever had! Pros: moist, large, bread Cons: crowded more
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Burgers as big as your head! 7/29/2002

When going to downtown S.J. (museums,show,etc) we always go to Joe's. I'll usually get a pasta dish & hubby will get their cheeseburger.I know that a burger isn't really Italian,but the serving size of it makes it just like my Mamma makes 'em @ home. The pasta sauces are always good-also,they are welcoming to kids.The waiters alway flirt with my 9 yr old daughter,they've done that since she was a baby. If you sit @ the counter,there's always a HOT show. Cons: parking more
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Hooked since childhood 7/26/2002

I remember my dad taking me to OJ's when I was about 10. I've been going every chance I get since then. Now, when I take friends with me, they're hooked too. You can't beat the price, service and most of all the food at OJ's more
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Downtown Classic 7/23/2002

Original Joes is a downtown classic. Great Raviolis and generous portions with a real new york Italian feel. I love going to OJ's, I always come home with enough food for a week. more
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Menu for Original Joe's Italian Restaurant


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Additional information
  • Hours: Monday 09:00 AM - 10:00 PM Tuesday 09:00 AM - 10:00 PM Wednesday 09:00 AM - 10:00 PM Thursday 09:00 AM - 10:00 PM Friday 09:00 AM - 10:00 PM Saturday 09:00 AM - 10:00 PM Sunday 09:00 AM - 10:00 PM
  • Payments: American Express, Cash, Discover, Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Central, Central San Jose
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