Not Your Average Joe’s

The bread was amazing.
Mustard-​crusted chicken had a great texture but I didn’t taste any of the seasoning («three-​mustard crust») at all. It was good when I ate it with the aïoli though. It also came with garlic mashed potatoes and they were delicious, although there were many large chunks of un-​mashed potato in it, not sure if that was intentional.
My friend got a burger that looked great, but the patty was also fairly tasteless.
The onion strings were also fairly tasteless.
Also, «focaccia» is misspelled as «foccacia» on the take-​home bag.
The overall experience was good. Good service, good timing with bringing out the bread, appetizers, and meal, nice ambience.

4.5 stars. When we lived down the street from this place, we ate there almost every week. I love the ambiance, service, beer/​beverage selection, and décor. They definitely make an effort to update their menu and it’s only getting better. Bread is very good, and we go back whenever we are in the neighborhood. Not really an amazing five-​star omg so good place, but I like it a lot.
I loved their goat cheese salad, and their Asian fusion stuff is surprisingly legitimately good

Great atmosphere, good food especially the free bread and olives oil with cheese and red pepper flakes. Loved their cheap and delicious cocktails!

UPDATE 1÷6÷16: After being reached out by the higher-​up people of the Watertown location, I wanted to add that, if there ever is too be a «non-​satisying» visit to their restaurant, they want to fix it. Just another reason I view NYAJ’s with poise and the highest somewhat «chain» restaurant (even though I know they hate being called a chain!).
¼/​16, Original Review: This experience to Not Your Average Joes of Watertown was quite interesting. For that matter, I really wanted to give them 5 stars, like I have for their Needham & Waltham restaurants. Yet unfortunately for now, there’s no way I’ll be returning, especially since the Westwood location is opening shortly (I live 5 minutes from there!!)
First off, it was troublesome finding the entrance. I saw one on Main Street (Route 20), but in the parking lot only saw the bright colored awning, and yet no door for an entrance. There was signs for other places, but for NYAJ’s there wasn’t ONE showing people where to go (am I the ONLY one showing up here who doesn’t live 1 mile away!). Anyway, before walking around the entire building, I finally found the hidden entrance and came in. As walking in, there was also NO SIGNS for where to go or how seating works, there were also no staff around to ask. So I just made my merry way up to the front to be seated (why bother complain… Yet they DESPERATELY need to add signs so people know where to go!!!). Anyway, after being seated by the host, he was the one to come over and get our drinks and orders (we never really had a waiter or waitress, somewhat disappointing as well). He first brought over bread, which was delicious. It was by far the best part of my experience in the Watertown location. I ordered a cheeseburger. I specified and the host /​waiter was very clear that I wanted just cheese and the burger, no tomatoes, pickles, etc, etc. 20 – 25 minutes later they bring it over, and it’s clearly NOT plain. It has everything on it. Now, in Waltham and Needham NYAJ’s, as well as most of the other restaurants I ever go to, this almost NEVER happens. They fixed it and a friendly, kind woman came over (never got her name… but I think she was actually supposed to be our waitress, since at the end she took take care of the payment and my receipt said «Mary» on it, instead of a mans name, such as the host who took our orders.

Best fresh food and happening restaurant in the area. I have lived in Allston/​Brighton area for 10 years. Know the food scene very well. They are only 10mins from my house in Watertown. NYAJ’s food is always above average. Constantly switching up the menu, food is delicious and so much better than other restaurants in the area. It is always jam packed on Wine Wednesday’s and Fridays when we go (try to get a reservation). The customer service is so much better than every restaurant. The bartenders, servers and staff are all just super nice, trained and really good at their jobs. Ralph is the manager and is fantastic. Robert had Nayhara are quick, on point and exceptional servers. Never had a bad experience, can’t wait for the patio to open up! This is a real review. Gotta give props, when they are due.

I visited Not Your Average Joe’s on Saturday, November 14^th. I was greeted by a host very quickly and despite having a decent crowd and several reservations, they found me and my girlfriend a table and we were able to order, We ordered the Not Your Average Meatloaf and the Chicken Picatta. as well as a Buffalo Tenders App., the food was excellent and the service was on point (Thanks Josh!) If you are in Watertown, give not your average joe’s a try!

I like the food here! Especially in the summer with the back patio was nice having drinks & apps back there.

I’ve enjoyed a few meals at NYAJ’s Watertown, but hadn’t been in over a year until today. I sat at the bar for a quick meal. The bartender didn’t pay me much attention, a bit difficult to catch his eye, but a pleasant enough demeanor.
No bread offered after I ordered my entrée salad, so I asked for some when my meal came. It was stale and cold… and their bread is usually one of my favorite parts of the meal!
I begin eating my salad and notice there are missing ingredients as well as really random things added that muddled the flavors. I very politely told the bartender about the issue and that there were ingredients added that I don’t eat and some were missing. The manager came over and apologized, which was much appreciated.
I was given a ‘new’ salad that tasted much better and I was satisfied, and most of my meal was comped, although I tried to pay for it since the problem was fixed and it tasted great.
However — I was in a rush at this point so I took most of the salad home and ate it later. and then realized that the original salad was at the BOTTOM! After I clearly told them there were random items added to it that I DON’T LIKE.
Yes it ended up being free (besides tip on the original amount), but I am disappointed.

Great food! Great staff!
We love it here. Last visit was a couple of days ago and my husband ordered the korean style bbq pork tenderloin which is grilled and lacquered with a sesame hoisin glaze with pickled watermelon, house-​kimchi cucumbers and chilled lo mein noodle salad. FANTASTIC! It’s on their seasonal menu but I would love to see it remain on the menu permanently. I stuck to my diet and ordered my favorite… House Salad with Tomato Basil soup. Yum!
Now, if only I can figure out how to post photos. :)

Normally, I have a strong like for NYAJ. The food is much better than your typical chain restaurant. For example, I would always opt for NYAJ over an Applebees style restaurant.
Unfortunately, the Watertown branch is not one of the better locations. The bread at the start of the meal, which is normally wonderful, tasted as if it was a bit stale. The meals were not piping hot when delivered and did not have the usual light rouch. For whatever reason, this location is not the best NYAJ food experience.
That being said, the real gem at this restaurant was our server, Colleen N. She made eating here a delight with her friendly and attentive service. From the very first moment, she made us feel welcome and was always there when we needed her. At the same time, she was not there when we didn’t. My water glass was promptly filled when I emptied it. She is truly an outstanding server and seemed like a nice, caring person — which can make the difference.

I’ve been coming to this NYAJ’s since it opened around 1999 or so. Wait, has it been that long? Damn I’m old. :(
The food has been consistently good. I mean, sure, sometimes over the years I’ve ordered a plate that wasn’t spectacular — moreso because I was trying something new and I know my usual favorite plates are great.
For me, the constantly-​memorable element of this place is the bread. What, really? Yes, the free bread at the start of every meal is delicious, and the oil for dipping with some crushed red pepper and parmesan cheese is amazing. This place also has a fantastic bar, plenty of selection, and great seasonal/​special drinks that I have yet to be disappointed with.
Like I said, i’ve been coming here quite a while… and I’ll continue coming here. I may not be a «regular» but to me it’s one of my go-​to places when in H2O Square.

It pains me to write this scathing review as I’ve been coming here at least once a year with our birthday coupons but the service we received tonight was unacceptable. From start to finish things were just bad!
I made an open table reservation. We were about to be seated by one host when the other comes over (that old blonde hag that’s been there forever) and had a dialogue with the other host while we waited… a while. I heard her say «if she’s not here yet someone else will take it».
10 minutes or so later our waitress finally ran over with bread saying she just walked in the door and she’s new. Lovely! Our plates were dirty and instead of taking ones from the next table she disappeared for another 10 minutes to get new ones. We couldn’t wait and stole them from the next table like anyone with a brain would. Our drinks were sitting at the bar for quite sometime. We still didn’t have water. I mean it was 5:30 on a Monday night! There was no excuse for this.
After a couple other missteps we called the manager over who was useless. He told us our waitress had a personal issue in the bathroom (she was crying because she made mistakes on the table next to us as well) and we’d get another server. How unprofessional! As a server myself I would have been PISSED if my manager told my tables that.
We later saw her all teary eyed still getting tables! What is wrong with the management? The poor girl is a mess and you’re keeping her on the floor? We asked for the check as we were hoping to catch a movie. 10 minutes later still no check. I actually got off my ass and went to the manger who kind of had an attitude «she’s doing it right now». I expressed further how unhappy I was and didn’t get much sympathy.
The check came … they only took off the oysters. They still expected us to pay $ 40+ for our ordeal. I think not. I had to talk to another manager and she finally said we’re all set, no charge.
Too bad since they food and drinks were actually great — no complaints. Needless to say we missed the movie. Unfortunately even if we have a coupon, we won’t be back. Things have really gone down hill over the years, even before tonight. Sorry Joe!

It was crowded when my friends and I stopped by around 6PM tonight (Thursday), but luckily we didn’t have to wait for the 3 of us to be seated. Unfortunately, we did have to wait nearly 10 minutes for bread and even longer for water.
The bread and oil/​cheese/​garlic/​red pepper mixture was stellar as usual (although I forgot how much of a garlic taste it leaves in your mouth afterward). I was hoping our server would ask if we wanted more bread when she came to refill waters, but no dice.
I ordered the Mustard Crusted Chicken BLT (sans B). Although it mentioned coming with sweet potato fries online, sadly the server told me they don’t serve sweet potato fries anymore – how any restaurant could pull them after adding them to a menu is beyond me! Also, they need to update that on their website so others don’t have to feel the pain I felt in that moment.
The panko crust on the chicken added an awesome texture to the sandwich, which featured tomatoes, a honey sauce, a mayo/​aioli sauce, and shredded lettuce (possibly my biggest food pet peeve). My girlfriend said it reminded her of something from Burger King, but I think that even they’ve upgraded from shredded lettuce by now.
The ciabatta bread it came on was tasty – very soft with a slight crisp on the edges (quite opposite the «toasted» it claims on the online menu, but I didn’t hate it).
Unfortunately the bottoms of both halves of the sandwich were totally covered in the aioli, so much so that it really seemed like they spread it on the wrong side of the bread. It became a huge mess to eat.
The fries were nothing special and it also came with cole slaw. I will say that for a small looking sandwich it was supremely filling.
I definitely wouldn’t order this sandwich again. The overall experience was 2.5 stars rounded up for the bread that can do no wrong. I’ll have to try something else next time…
Edit: have others been told they would be reached out to privately and then not reached out to???

We came to redeem my Email Club free birthday meal (entrée and dessert).
My friends are not as frequent a guest at Not Your Average Joe’s as I, and found themselves happily employing the crusty focaccia pieces to shovel the tasty Parmesan-​olive oil-​red pepper flake concoction into their mouths.
The burger was enjoyed, but the fries sadly arrived soft and limp. The haddock was cooked just right but lacked flavor, though accompanied by tasty sides of garlic mashed and carrots. As for me, I regretted jumping ship to the day’s special miso salmon $ 12.99 (marinated in miso, pan-​seared and served with scallion sticky rice cake, steamed bok choy and a citrus ponzu sauce) from the balsamic with its tastier sounding accompaniments of roasted root vegetables and cranberry-​almond quinoa. My fish was overcooked and the dish melded to be of a single saline flavor profile.
***
A personal visit from a fellow I presume to be a manager informed us that the email list birthday gift is in the process of being revamped. From a Free Entrée and Dessert the month of your birth, it is converting to $ 15 off, redeemable at any time, but you have to sign up for it on an annual basis.
Addendum: I’ve been kindly informed by Ralph V. on 4÷27÷2015 that the birthday reward program is in a test phase, but that nothing has yet been decided.

Like the pizzas !
Will recommend this place.

I’ve been to a few locations, and this one might be the most interesting layout. Bonus points for free parking (and the lot was actually plowed out, unlike some other places I’ve been lately).
Came here on a Saturday night with a few friends. Called about 20 minutes prior to arriving and a table was ready for us right away. Server was super friendly and brought the bread. The DELICIOUS BREAD.
One friend ordered an entrée salad, while the two of us split a pizza and each got side salads. Entrée salad and side salad were really no different in terms of size. My friend is rather outspoke, and I had to tell her it wasn’t that big a deal. Pizza was good, as usual.
Drinks are always good, decent wine list. Prices are not bad either. I guess if I had the option I would rate this place 3.5 stars.

I like their cocktail menu. The food is above average and is consistent. Pizza’s are good. Its fun going there, and if you are my friend I just might persuade you to split the peanut butter thing dessert;) It can get loud in there though!
I love the new deck out back!

Friendly and attentive service. Loved their bread and dip. Food was good! Spacious inside, interesting set up. Patrons have the option to sit at the bar, pizza bar, or general seating. Pizza bar is in front of a fire brick oven. Nice for a winter meal.
They have $ 1 oysters at the bar on Mondays. It was our first time and they gave us and first timer welcome package with a $ 5 off for the next visit. If you sign up with your email address they give you $ 20 off on the month of your birthday.
We come to watertown often, so we look forward to exploring the menu more!

Came here to use the gift card that I received for Christmas. The inside was very modern, clean, and well-​organized. We were greeted by the restaurant manager Ralph and he was extremely polite and caring. We ordered the nachos as an appetizer, balsamic glazed grilled salmon, and grilled steak sandwich. I was very impressed with the nachos. It was just the right amount and it was very well prepared. My fiancé enjoyed her grilled steak sandwich. Its more of a wrap rather than sandwich but regardless they give you a lot of meat and fries were also delicious as well. My salmon was cook to perfection. It was a lot smaller than I expected though.
I would have given this place 5 stars but unfortunately it took forever to get our food… They claim that its because everything is made fresh in the kitchen instead of using frozen foods but still…35 min just to get our nachos???
In any case, if you live around the area, this restaurant is definitely worth checking out!

The vibe of the restaurant: Max Brenner’s meets Cheesecake Factory, a «chain» atmosphere.
Staff: Definitely not your average Joe staff. There are young waitstaff, all the way up to senior 60−70something host. She was the sweetest little lady and it had a homey vibe to it since she seated us.
The bread: Really good. They were very thick onion focaccia bread with very fatty dipping sauce consisting of chunks of parmesan, butter, red pepper flakes, and garlic.
What we ordered:
nacho average nachos — these were extra large tortilla chips sandwiched between nacho toppings, kind of making it like a super crunchy layer dip? The chips were cooked perfectly: crunchy, flaky, and thin.
vegetable spring rolls — the cilantro pesto added a unique touch to traditional spring rolls, but I didn’t like how the roll was a little hard.
chicken piccata with fettuccine — this was a favorite of the table.
You should definitely come here if you don’t mind feeling guilty about what you’re eating. Everything did taste pretty oily, but obviously it was good. There was just nothing that stood out about the restaurant for me to make the trek to Watertown again.