Today, J ditched B&R in favor of a special guest lunch star, Long Lost Friend. LLF pulled a fast one, initially selecting some scary Mongolian Grill as our lunch destination, then switching mid-drive to the new Joey's at none other than Westfield Shoppingtown Southcenter (B&R were not happy about LLF's choice--I'm sure there will be more details forthcoming).Joey's decor is a little overdone for the Southcenter lunch crowd--the place screamed "meat market" to J as soon as he entered the establishment. Satiny hostess stations, silky chairs, and velvety booths festoon the interior (and patio)--they look nice now, but will be totally skanky with ground-in body soil in a year. The "washrooms" were also a little strange. The men's room featured black and white checkered marble, smoked glass stall doors, and a wall-sized photo of a forest with urinals hanging from the trees.
The wait staff was friendly, but awkward. The hostess was shiny and pleasant, as was the server. He was also a bit overeager, saying, "Let me tell you what's good, " and then basically reciting the entire menu to us. He also spent an inordinate amount of time giving J and LLF a long-winded description of heirloom tomatoes when a) they already knew what heirloom tomatoes were and b) they both hate the vile things, whether or not they are the "fine wine of tomatoes" or not.
One final comment on the wait staff--there was a clear double standard here, much more egregious than the Dukes of Earl's Girls fiasco. While all the male servers appeared to be in a uniform--black shirt and black pants--the female servers were wearing their own clothes, all of them slightly slutty in an upscale sort of way.
After all this commentary, one might think this is a scathing review of Joey's, but the service was quick and efficient, and the food quite good. J had a French dip sandwich on a stone ground mustard bun that was delicious and non-greasy, and served with a tasty horseradish sauce that nearly made his sinuses fall out from the heat, and a little silver bowl of shoestring fries that were just a little too salty. The ranch dressing was gross, though. LLF had the Viva (TM) salad, which J did not get a good look at due to vision blockage by the large size of the fried taco shell it was served on--it had chicken and lettuce, and possibly some fruit. LLF pronounced it delectable, and J sneaked a crouton, which he liked.
Again, Joey's was a little pricey for lunch ($34 before tip for two people) and for being stuck on the ass end of Southcenter mall, but they did have a lower priced lunch menu that was pretty good and had something for everyone. Overlooking (or in J's case, looking down on and laughing) the pretension, Joey's is recommended for occasional dining.
After lunch was a quick trip to Nordstrom Rack where LLF looked at women's shoes, and J pretended (poorly) to be interested in women's shoes and Nordstrom Rack, followed by a stop at ceFiore for fro yo (J original with almond, coconut and fruity pebbles, LLF acai berry with mochi and a variety of slimy diced fruit).
Food 4/5 (except the ranch dressing--0/5)
Service 2/5 appearance and schmooze, 3.5/5 for actual service
Atmosphere 3/5 (and falling as the booths get dirtier)
Value 3/5
Good times 5/5
The wait staff was friendly, but awkward. The hostess was shiny and pleasant, as was the server. He was also a bit overeager, saying, "Let me tell you what's good, " and then basically reciting the entire menu to us. He also spent an inordinate amount of time giving J and LLF a long-winded description of heirloom tomatoes when a) they already knew what heirloom tomatoes were and b) they both hate the vile things, whether or not they are the "fine wine of tomatoes" or not.
One final comment on the wait staff--there was a clear double standard here, much more egregious than the Dukes of Earl's Girls fiasco. While all the male servers appeared to be in a uniform--black shirt and black pants--the female servers were wearing their own clothes, all of them slightly slutty in an upscale sort of way.
After all this commentary, one might think this is a scathing review of Joey's, but the service was quick and efficient, and the food quite good. J had a French dip sandwich on a stone ground mustard bun that was delicious and non-greasy, and served with a tasty horseradish sauce that nearly made his sinuses fall out from the heat, and a little silver bowl of shoestring fries that were just a little too salty. The ranch dressing was gross, though. LLF had the Viva (TM) salad, which J did not get a good look at due to vision blockage by the large size of the fried taco shell it was served on--it had chicken and lettuce, and possibly some fruit. LLF pronounced it delectable, and J sneaked a crouton, which he liked.
Again, Joey's was a little pricey for lunch ($34 before tip for two people) and for being stuck on the ass end of Southcenter mall, but they did have a lower priced lunch menu that was pretty good and had something for everyone. Overlooking (or in J's case, looking down on and laughing) the pretension, Joey's is recommended for occasional dining.
After lunch was a quick trip to Nordstrom Rack where LLF looked at women's shoes, and J pretended (poorly) to be interested in women's shoes and Nordstrom Rack, followed by a stop at ceFiore for fro yo (J original with almond, coconut and fruity pebbles, LLF acai berry with mochi and a variety of slimy diced fruit).
Food 4/5 (except the ranch dressing--0/5)
Service 2/5 appearance and schmooze, 3.5/5 for actual service
Atmosphere 3/5 (and falling as the booths get dirtier)
Value 3/5
Good times 5/5
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