A J’s Steak & Pizza

This review is on the take-​out service. I haven’t been downstairs in the restaurant in a few years, but I remember it being very nice, pleasant people. It wasn’t during a time when the parking lot was overrun with bikes, but maybe when I check out their new location I’ll be able to see the bikers in mass.
Anyway, my order was ready when they said it would be, half an hour after I called. The pizza was piping hot, luckily it cooled down a bit on the drive. I had the clams and bacon pizza, which had both toppings abundantly represented. The dough was well cooked, and even had a little crunch to it, which I personally prefer. If I could have changed one thing, I would have made the bacon a little crispier. Overall a good taste, and not too much grease to overwhelm. There are other examples in the local area of pizzas who can’t boast nearly as many positive attributes. But, at the end of the day, it’s also very similar to other good pizza places, and doesn’t have an overall wow factor to make it very memorable.

We also frequently order food to go. I have to say their hamburgers are excellent. The buns are always FRESH and the meat is cooked so that there is a tasty crust. the salads are excellent and are large. Service is mostly very good. When they blow service, they are good at making mistakes. This is a family owned and run business and it is clear the family cares.
We cannot wait for the move to the new location. The landlord does not care for the facility and will lose a great tenant. AJ’s will move to a site they will build on route 4 down the mountain from the circle.
Every now and then I see famous people there. It is clear that the atmosphere makes them comfortable so they can feel undiscovered.

A few months ago, I placed a to-​go order for a few items at the take out area, and within seconds, I realized it was a cash only establishment. Noted well above my head on the wall printed on a piece of paper and in fine print in several locations on their menu… My bad, I apologized (several times) and offered to go back and get cash for the order immediately… The cook at the take-​out counter said, and I quote :“Well, you better” and I offered the bit of cash I had in my wallet to hold the order. After I explained that she shouldn’t be so rude, you never know what a person’s going through, and said she could either remove items from my order or cancel it if the wait for me to get cash was too long, the money was literally thrown back in my face, I left, crying, picked up my head before driving off to see her laughing at me from the window (which she walked around the counter to the customer area to be able to see me in my car). My husband and I had just moved to Litchfield, we were learning the area, and excited to have a meal out… what a MAJOR let down. I waited months to post this, thinking I overreacted, but I still feel that even though I made the mistake about not realizing they were a cash-​only establishment, that this could have been handled with more humanely. I feel bad for the lady who helped me (I wont list her name) She must be having a hard time. Still not acceptable.

Always have a great time. Food is good and enjoy the low-​key atmosphere. Great place to go with friends!

We checked out this place early one evening on a Sunday. We were seated and given menus after about a 2 minute wait. Then we waited and waited… and waited and waited some more. A family of four were seated next to us AFTER we were seated, and a waitress attended to them before us. We waited and waited. While we waited, our elbows stuck to the sticky table. We studied the menus some more while we waited, and the menus were dirty with crumbs stuck inside them. Did I mention we waited? Plus it was warm while we waited. Finally, after waiting about 15 minutes, we got up and left. I would have liked to give you guidance about the food there, but we never got the chance. We drove down into Torrington to Scarpettis, and got quick service, good food, and reasonable prices. SERVICE AT AJ’s sucks pond water!

Want to feel cozy and happy with a huge choice of food options? This is the place! French onion soup rocked with a rye bread cube added for super taste– PIRATE bread is RIDICULOUSLY good — chicken ya-​ya. Crazy delicious menu and casual relaxed atmosphere making Goshen a fun place to playThank you Waz!

Bikers usually know where to get the best food, and I’d heard great things about this place. Went in around 2 on a Saturday, which was moderately busy (there was no wait, a few tables open). The girl who greeted us was nice, but our waitress was rushed and impatient and had no time for us. She literally tossed my cup of soup on the opposite side of the table and walked away, and my friend said, «it’s not every day you get your soup thrown at you!»
Thankfully, the soup, a cream of portobella special, was really good, my favorite part of the meal. The bacon cheeseburger was okay, the steak sandwich was okay, the fries were okay. Maybe we just didn’t try the stuff people always rave about? Or maybe the service just left a bad taste in our mouths.
I’d like to go back and try the seafood night others have mentioned, and hope the service might be a little better.
Be aware, they don’t accept credit cards, but there is an ATM inside.

AJ’s Steak and Pizza is a great piece of Americana. Pizza, Beer, hand cut steaks and Wednesday night Seafood and raw bar. The great food, huge portions, great prices and friendly staff make this hidden treasure of the Northwest hills a destination restaurant. Bikers, Farmers and NYC weekenders all find something to enjoy at AJ’s. Don’t miss this place for lunch or dinner.

Great salads, great steaks, great seafood!!! Everything is fresh and a great local hangout

This is my favorite restaurant. Yes, it’s dark, bikers go there, the tables are sticky. The food is always unbelievable! And huge portions. Try the wholebelly clams. THe hamburger cannot be outdone. The salads! The beer! Bring friends, have a great time. But get there earlier than dinner time and if the bikers are there, get it to go. Only thing is the benches by the wall are god awful uncomfortable. They need new, firm cushions.

Love the food, steak on a stick, quesadillas nachos are just some of great bar food. The real treat is dinner always fresh seafood, buffalo locally raised prime rib just to name a few. It’s a small place downstairs where the locals go, kid friendly and peanuts to eat and throw the shells on the floor

Good food, good bargain, pub atmosphere. A favorite «go to» spot.

What a great pizza they make, outstanding a real surprise. I’d pass on the calzone & stick with the pizza. They have a ribeye steak sandwich that is also very good. The wings are just OK & a great house salad, a meal on its own!

My dad parked the car and said «If you want pizza, you go in there and pick it up.» Which I guess is fair because I did not have to drive or pay for it (or share).
It was dimly lit, empty aside from some guy at the desk. It’s a little intimidating, an empty biker place. I brought the pizza home and took a bite. For a roadside biker place, this place ain’t half bad. It’s actually better than a lot of «reputable» places I’ve been to. «It’s adequate,» my dad says, an aged pizza elitist of higher standards as opposed to my young, impressionable elitism.
But no bacon pizza! What kind of Connecticut pizza place has no bacon toppings? That’s what turns it into my version of Domino’s in Connecticut, which can only hold that comparison in a non-​insulting manner in one of the holy trinity states of a gooey cheese godsend.

I had been here before and it wasn’t anything special. I figured that I would try it again, since there isn’t all that much in that area. I am glad that I did. I had a chicken, bacon, cheddar and ranch dressing wrap. It was the best damn sandwich that I have had in a long, long time. It isn’t to often that food puts a smile on my face, but this sure did. I know that it wasn’t the company that I was with, since I was by myself. It had all the important stuff, cheese, bacon and creamy dressing. It didn’t have all the extraneous crap like lettuce, tomato and whatever. I would definitely go again. It also proves to me, that what you order, makes a big difference on whether you like a restaurant. The first time there, I had a burger and it was just average. I have yet to find a place that makes a burger as good as my grandmothers.