Joey’s Restaurant

Was there a few weeks ago. I was solely relying on Unilocal to get s nice Italian meal and once again Unilocal didn’t fail. I ordered out but the food was great. Old school Italian restaurant. Fresh bread we’ll cooked with huge portions. Inside restaurant was old school Aldo. Tin ceiling. Old wooden bar rtc. Great visit.

Atmosphere was cozy and almost family like. Service was slow. The chicken riggies was light on chicken and heavy on pasta. The Italian greens appeared to be overcooked and lacking some spices. The size of the meals were large so there were plenty of leftovers, but compared to some of the other Italian restaurants in Utica Joey’s would rate towards the bottom.

Unilocaled while passing on the Thruway near Utica for a place to eat and decided to try this place. Great decision. Huge portions of home style Italian. And tasty! The hot peppers were hot! The meat balls delish. Service was friendly and fairly quick. Not expensive. Not fancy; could wear shorts and a t shirt.

My family and I were en route to Boston with a layover in Albany. Normally we would grab dinner at the hotel, but we got a late start and made a last minute decision to see what we could find in Utica. We stumbled upon Joey’s which was fantastic. So cheap and so good. This place out-​italianed the places we have in Buffalo it was so good. Loved everything about this place from the food to the atmosphere. Admittedly, I”m rarely ever in Utica, but if I am again I’ll for sure be coming back here.

Walked in the door & knew the food would be good! We were all from out of town. Seated quickly on a fri nite visit! Attentive waitress. My husband had the Fra Diavlo. It was huge & heaped w/​much seafood. We were surprised he could finish it! Our friend had veal saltambuca, also a big hit, plates cleaned bare! I enjoyed my eggplant parm, which I split w/​my 17 yr old, & still left w/​leftovers! Highly recommend!

Disappointed. Sauce was terrible today! Everything else was good, so I feel bad writing a review, but it was really inedible!

Don’t be fooled by the rustic appearance of this classic, family-​owned Italian place. This offers a very relaxed ambience. The service is great and you will definitely get the congenial vibe in the place. My visit to Utica was made unforgettable by this simple Resto because their food rocks! Huge portion & the Italian food that tickled my senses. Must go!

I went to this italian venue last week. I had the baked ziti and one slice of pizza. The ziti was good but didn’t care much for the pizza. The place was small, it may have seated 20 people at most.

dont be fooled by the age of this facility. great food, Friendly service

Some of the best tasting Italian food I’ve had for as long as I can remember. A very good lunch spot for the food alone.
First impression: Clean. Nice looking place.
The salad, the dressing (Italian with blue cheese) has a perfect taste, and obvious freshness. Their red sauce is just right in flavor. Eggplant sandwich, provolone and peppers, thoroughly delicious. Long Hots appetizer… unique and spicy!
The bread: unique, soft, somewhat unique in quality for an Italian place.
Unique here means very good and interesting.
Don’t miss this place!
Simple menu.

If I lived within 30 miles of Utica, I’d be at this place once a week. We were traveling thru a few days ago and stopped for dinner based on good Unilocal reviews. Meal was great, service was outstanding! This is a nice family run restaurant. Two of the waitresses were owners daughters and they work hard. They also look like they enjoy what they do, which can be a rare find. Good job, mom and dad. I wish you continued success!

Thanks Unilocal.We would have never found this place, because it is deep in an older Utica neighborhood. The food was fresh, flavorful and best of all authentic. The staff was very friendly which added to the casual atmosphere. This lace is not to be missed if you find yourself in Utica

One of my favorite Italian restaurants on earth. Do not miss if you’re in the area.
Some of the best dishes are: broccoli & hats, meatballs, chicken riggies, anipasto w/​crumbly blue dressing, pork chops pizzaiola, mushroom stew and chicken parmesan.

Delicious, fresh, reasonably priced Italian food. Had a good lunch on the road. Would love to take it home with me.

There are very few places remaining that give you that old Utica feel.
Joeys is definitely one of them.
Food is always great and staff pleasant.
I never say no if anyone suggests Joeys for dinner!

Good lunch– wasn’t wowed– bread fantastic– I had lasagne and it was OK– I will be back for the other things on the menu I love…

This is a small family restaurant. They have Italian-​American food. I have eaten here many times, and things have always been fine. They are good; they are not out-​of-​this-​world fantastic, but it is a good solid restaurant if you’re looking for home cooking.

I selected this restaurant based on reviews posted to this site and one other. Italian restaurants are a dime-​a-​dozen in Utica (much like Northern NJ where I spent most of my life), but the positive reviews written about this quaint neighborhood taverna caught my attention.
«Dazzling»? Hardly. «Authentic»? Yes. In many ways, I felt as though I was in Brooklyn.
There is a tiny parking lot adjacent to the restaurant, but more likely you will be parking on the street. The neighborhood is «questionable», but I didn’t have any problem (vandalism) parking right in front.
The restaurant’s sense of arrival needs a bit of work. When you walk in, the floor in the small dining room is old and tattered. Even sticky (bathroom as well). However, all is forgiven once the cheerful and friendly waitress takes your order.
The food is indeed authentic. Very tasty, fresh, and sauce the way Mama would make it. An interesting variety on the menu — something for everyone. The entrée portions are HUGE, so you may want to share. Ditto the antipaste appetizer — order for one will feed two hungry diners. The shrimp and snow crab over cappellini had a lovely light sauce. Delicious. The saltimbocca over ‘greens’ (a local dish) was good but the veal was a little tough.
Service was fair. The waitress was very nice but overworked. The price was very reasonable!

I don’t write any reviews unless the business dazzled or frazzled me.
Joey’s dazzled me. The Veal Alfredo was the absolute best I have ever had. The mushroom stew which my wife had was «fabulous» her own words.
This was a small place with little parking but well worth the trip. It doesn’t get more Italian than this.