Bobby J’s Italian American Grille

Let me preface this by saying that I’ve known the Desiderios (Bob & Jay) for over ten years. I was a pretty loyal fan of Desiderio’s in Lancaster because of their service, their food, their plating, their décor… their overall experience is about the best I’ve ever had and I wrote restaurant and club reviews for over a decade in Buffalo! So I have a bias towards Bob & Jay, but it’s for the right reasons. I would rather disclose my association from the beginning than pretend to be an unbiased consumer.
That being said, Bobby J’s is incredible. The Desiderio family has been in the restaurant business for so long and for so many generations that they have marinara sauce running through their veins. Their newest incarnation on Como Park Boulevard (right near Union) is jaw-​droppingly beautiful. The family has put a lot of love, thoughtful design and premeditation into the layout and flow of the business. There’s an informal setting at the front of the house where the island bar, craft beer taps and a few dining tables and pub height tables are located. There’s a formal dining room for banquets, an extravagant night out with friends or a romantic interlude. And finally, there’s a closed hall where their long-​standing tradition of dinner theatre is waiting to be unveiled in January of 2016. So they have something for everybody depending on who you’re with and how you’d like your evening to play out.
I went to Bobby J’s for the first time about a month ago with a group of friends and we dined in the front. I had the veal parmesan ($ 20), which arrived as two gargantuan breaded cutlets with melted provolone topped off with a hearty marinara sauce. Veal parm can be tricky because you have to get a certain crispiness with the breading without compromising the palate-​punching majesty of the accompanying sauce. It was perfect.
I went a week ago on a second date and got the butter-​soaked ribeye ($ 22) with stuffed mushrooms ($ 8) as an appetizer. My date got the broiled haddock. I’m always grateful when a woman doesn’t order a salad by default. The ribeye was tender, juicy and the portion was bigger than we’ve all come to expect with the skyrocketing at-​costs of prime beef in the industry. The mushrooms were plated beautifully, cooked firm and accented with a stuffed breading and their own in-​house Italian sausage. My date was very pleased with the haddock. Our server Lindsay was considerate and on top of her game, checking in with us and stopping by to see how we liked everything.
Bob Desiderio runs his kitchens like a top and Jay Desiderio makes every guest feel like their guest of honor. It’s really a sight to behold and encourage in a world that’s lousy with chain restaurants, surly staff and puny portions. I can’t wait to fill out the crowd in their dinner theatre! For a family where cooking and entertaining is second nature, their latest iteration is a natural progression in a long, rich history of success.

I was pleasantly surprised with my first trip to Bobby J’s. I have been to this location when it was under different ownership and a different name. I heard the place had just opened under new ownership so I was both excited and hesitant to try it out.
I came with a large party of 14. We had made a reservation ahead of time, arrived 10 minutes early and were seated promptly! The service was wonderful and prompt especially considering how large our party was. They have a really nice selection of beer on tap, mostly local, which was a great surprise! I was really excited when I saw Resurgence, Flying Bison, etc on the in tap menu and ended up going with the Resurgence winter ale.
As far as the food, the selection was great. They had all of the Italian classics, seafood pastas, even some pizza and burgers, wraps and more! They even had a smelts appetizer, something I am excited to see since I don’t really see it on menus outside of the traditional Italian restaurants in nearby Canada.
I ended up going with the chicken parm, because I figured, hey, I am at an Italian restaurant so might as well go with a classic. The dish came with soup, bread and a side a pasta. The dish was very tasty overall, just the right amount of melted cheese on top and not too greasy/​deep fried. The sauce was very good as well. The party I was with ended up getting a large variety of things from pizza to burgers and I had a little taste of everything. No one out of the 14 people had any complaints!
Will definitely be back, maybe for lunch where I could have a wrap or personal pan pizza or for dinner with a pasta dish.

I think that my search for great casual Italian food in the Depew/​Lancaster area has ended. We had a very enjoyable dinner at Bobby J’s, located in the former Adam’s Como Lounge.
We requested a seat in the bar area so that we could watch the Sabres game and we were graciously accommodated. The bar area is very nice, not in any way a «dive» but still casual. There were 25 beers on tap but on this night I stuck with Molson Canadian which was a very reasonable $ 3.50 per bottle.
Service was outstanding, especially considering our specific request to be seated in the bar area. But onto the food. The house salad and Italian dressing was basic but very nicely executed. My wife opted for Tomato Bisque which she was extremely pleased with. The only negative was the bread. It was dry, kind of crumbly and no dipping oil was offered. I think that they need to up their game on the bread but that is a minor quibble.
I ordered Eggplant Rolotini, which was tender and filled with a rich, tasty ricotta and topped with an excellent savory red sauce. I always fear getting overly sweet red sauce but the sauce here was just how I like it, not overly sweetened. The side spaghetti was cooked medium, not quite al dente but a desirable consistency.
My wife had ravioli and meatballs, which had the same savory red sauce that I had and the meatballs were perfectly executed with a consistency neither too soft nor too dry. The ravioli filling seemed to have the same ricotta as my Eggplant Rolotini, and my wife was quite pleased.
The prices were very reasonable. We will be back, and soon.

A nice variety of food, nice friendly atmosphere, great service, big portions my chicken Marsala melted in my mouth

Saw this place in passing once and figured I’d give it a try… my wife and I give it a go and to our surprise the ambiance is the first thing you notice. The dim interior, what appeared to be a well stocked bar and friendly faces to welcome you in.
Once we sat down our waitress was there to greet us within 1.5 minutes. Emma was great, attentive and quick in getting things turned over in a timely manner to keep our meal service going.
Food…
STUFFED MUSHROOMS: What can I say? Hmm… how about awesome. Full of flavor, citrus, with a bit of cheese. Nice crisp top followed by the awesome stuffing.
MANICOTTI WITH MEATBALLS: great sauce and to my surprise (as it wasn’t disclosed on their menu) covered with a light coating of mozzarella, was a pretty awesome meal and great portion size.
RAVIOLI AND MEATBALLS: see comment above re: sauce. Little puffs of heaven, it’s as it God himself cried inside each of those little pasta pockets. And the meatballs for both dishes were a good size and fantastic.
I would definitely recommend giving it a try if you have the opportunity. With lots of beer and wine as cheap as $ 17 a bottle, those parts of the meal are just the icing on that proverbial cake we all speak of…

Great food at a great price. The «What A Dish» special is a great value for those with an appetite. I had the Pasta Kara which only had a hint of the banana peppers for those who might be concerned that it would be too spicy.