Joe’s of Lafayette

So I got dragged here by a friend of mine for another friend’s birthday party. I honestly wished I had stayed home that night. I was definitely not feeling the place or the crowd. I can’t believe they actually have a cover charge at a place like this. I feel bad for the people who actually paid to get in.
This place is in the middle of the boonies and the people that were there remind me of a bunch of suburban kids who didn’t get the memo that the «Hyphy Movement» has been over since 2004. It’s 2009 now. Please take off the stunna glasses. There are no shortages of chubby trailer park barbies with beer guts and too much hairspray, trying to flirt with the bartenders for free drinks. Oh and speaking of drinks, they’re overpriced and watered down.
This place is trying too hard and fails. I would rather party in Walnut Creek… it’s that bad at Joe’s.

I never knew this place existed until after I left Moraga to go to college, so when I came back during breaks my friends and I used to go here. For a little background information, Moraga or Lamorinda as a whole is pretty «homogeneous» per se, with only one type of person AAS (affluent anglo-​saxon) so growing up here I got used to that. Then when I went to Joe’s it seriously felt like I was transported to Oakland or San Francisco. Seriously where did all of these Asian people come from? And don’t get me wrong I love seeing people who look like me, it’s just crazy that they found this small place in the middle of nowhere to congregate. Funny and crazy.
Sure the people here are a little «hood» and can cause some ruckus, but they’re good people, at least I think they are. But who am I to judge, heck i’m from Moraga. Overall, Joe’s has cheap beer, decent mixed drinks, and if you have «yellow fever» Joe’s has the perfect prescription to cure your ill’s.
Tips and Pointers:
–Like asian chicks? Joe’s is for you
–Beer is cheap, parking is abundant
–Service is friendly, hip-​hop is played
[APPROVED]

This place is kinda cool. I went for the first time a couple nights ago on a Friday for a friend’s birthday. There was a long ass line to get in, especially for the guestlist. But the guestlist was $ 5 before 11pm and that was way better than paying $ 15 general to get in, which by the way they changed last minute! (It was gonna be $ 10 general to get in, then they hiked it up to $ 15. I hate that).
Anyway, it’s a small place but the crowd that night was pretty diverse, which I like. The one thing that super sucked here was that it took FOREVER AND EVER AND EVVEEEERRRRR to get a drink. Like literally, 30 minutes or something. 1 drink. Either get more bartenders, or get bartenders that are fast. Choose one, Joe.
The music was good though.

Joe’s is one of the better places to venture to on this side of the Caldecott Tunnel. Before this summer, I had only been to Joe’s a handful of times, but somehow it slowly became somewhat of a regular hangout spot for a few friends of mine.
Joe, C, and Mike are awesome! These three are FANTASTIC, and are the primary reasons why we keep coming back. Always looking out and trying to take care of us, as much as they’re able to. So, finally tried the food (served buffet style for a friend’s farewell fiesta) and it was NOT bad! The garlic mashed potatoes were creamy and delicious, not overpowering in the slightest.
The only downside is when Joe’s gets super duper packed and you can barely walk without stepping on someone’s toes. But I guess that’s what you should expect sometimes at a place where they always welcome you with a warm smile and hug.

My cousins were DJing here one night so of course I was going to show support and go all the way out to Lafayette for them. My bro and I were there really early so we decided to grab dinner here. The bartender/​server chick seated us at one table. Then, another server said that those tables were reserved after we had gotten comfortable. Um, okay? Don’t they relay this information to each other? The moved us to another table… which was right next to the sliding door that led to the smoking section. I hate that smell. Okay, onto the food. There isn’t a lot of choices and the food was not that great. I could’ve made the mac ‘n cheese myself. Drinks weren’t badly priced. One of the bartenders was kind of cute. Only reason I’d go back… oh wait… I have no reason.

Headed out to Joe’s on Saturday night to check out my gf’s band, and had kind of a crappy experience:
First, we were previously told that if we came for dinner, we wouldn’t have to pay the $ 12 door charge to see the live show. However, when we got there, they made us pay cover anyways! $ 12?! That’s more than some concerts I’ve been to…
First appearances of the place were good. Very clean look, nice lighting, good amount of seating.
Service was terrible! They barely came to check on us at all. We ordered some appetizers at first… and then someone ordered a burger later… and it didn’t come out for 30+ minutes! Then, they never brought out our bill! We almost forgot about and left!
The food was mediocre and overpriced. Don’t get the onion rings unless you are nostalgic for the flavor of Long John Silver’s. Garlic fries were okay… but, I mean, it’s garlic fries… how hard can it be?
The music was good, however there were sound problems. Joe’s is a music venue but they don’t have their own sound system.
Might consider going back, but if I did, it would just be to grab a drink and catch some music.

I’ve heard some good things from a few friends of mine about Joe’s of Lafayette, so I was kinda looking forward to heading out to this spot last Friday to celebrate a homegirl’s birthday for the second night in a row.
Got there like right around midnight, paid the $ 10 to get in. The bouncer was really cool. Once we entered, I could see the dance floor with a whole bunch of people getting down. Always a good sign about a place when you see a lot of people having fun and dancing. But we headed towards the bar/​restaurant area. The set-​up of the place was nice. The lounging area with couches were pretty cool and comfy.
The staff was friendly, and the bartender who helped me was cool. The drinks were alright. The crowd was pretty diverse considering this is Lafayette. The outdoor smoking area was a bit small, especially when there were a bunch of people smoking, but nothing to complain about. I’ll probably be back here!

this restaurant/​bar is the place that everyone goes to… because well… everyone is there… plus it’s got to be the «nicest» of the lafayette trifecta: joes, petars, the round up.
the food here is great, i went here for my friend nicole’s bday party… where she actually was a bartender.
on that note… they NEVER have enough bartenders. you can count on waiting 15+ minutes on any busy night to get a drink. but hey? maybe joe will give me a chance at bartending and hire me???
sometimes they throw good events like the Blackout Party for Britney’s new CD release, or Halloween night, or SMC Grad Night… so keep’em coming!
but like Lindsey said… it’s not your place to go out and get crazy… but then again… when you go crazy… you have the most fun. thank god for their cigarette porch… many fun times there. AND… they serve PIMMS… which is all I drank in England… and it definitely brought me back home. But… they haven’t had PIMMS available the last times I went there…:(
so if you’re up for seeing everyone from SMC (both fake IDs and real… yeah i said it)…then gear up and head to joe’s!

so last friday (one of my few nights off of bartending) i went up to lafayette to celebrate a friend’s bday. it’s kind of an odd location being around residential homes. It would feel more like a local dive bar. But it was very impressively designed. Looked nice, sorta fancy trendy but yet it retained the small dive bar feel.
Since rating this place based on the people there wouldn’t be fair, since they have no control over that. the only few things i could rate it for and where they suffer the biggest hit would be the bartenders.
Yes the bartenders are friendly and the females are definately eye candy, but dam it we’re at the bar to drink.
Speed and execution is way off. it takes way too long for drinks to come out and it feels like they didn’t know the recipe off the top of their head.
the person that saved most of the stars for this place was an older asian gentleman.. from making sure that glasses are off the table and back to be washed. To making drinks and making sure people needs are addressed. This man worked hard and i hope that the staff there can use him as an example and set their standards up to his. If it wasn’t for him i’d say the place is hopless and a waste of time.
The also get added props due to their bouncers. These guys aren’t egotistical meat heads who just want to bully people around. They are guys who are thinkers who rather resolve any issues curteously rather then push and shove. Huge points from me for that.
I’m only docking one point cause of the bar staff and i do plan on making another visit in the near future to see if they improve or not.

Joe’s of Lafayette is my favorite spot in the east bay.
The food here in Amazing! Not to mention the company here.
The staff and the customers are always pleasant to be around as well as Joe himself. I definately recommend this place. If you are looking for good food, atmosphere and drinks this is the place to be.

I LOVE Joe’s! There are great drinks at reasonable prices, the atmosphere is a casual and comfy yet sophisticated at the same time. I personally have never eaten there except the tacos and nachos and those were pretty damn good =] Thurs nights are mainly for SMC students which Joe loves and has a lot of friends from there. Also I’ve noticed that there aren’t a lot of under 21 people there. From the people I’ve met at Joe’s and have been between 21 and 27 I’d say on Thurs nights. Joe’s is great if you like to come out and see some live California Reggae bands play on selected days or to come out w/​some friends on a Thurs night and drink some cocktails and dance to the dj playing the latest hits and awesome mixes.

Okay all you HATERS, here’s the REAL DEAL!!! I’ve been a customer of Joe’s of Lafayette for the past three years and have nothing but wonderful things to say about it. As an alumni of St. Mary’s, I’ve done a fair amount of partying there and have had nothing but great memories. After the partying was done, i returned to Joe’s as an alumni and still found that there are SO many things to enjoy aside from the usual Thursday night partying.
Joe’s is SO unique in that it is a prestigious jazz club, restaurant, AND club. With this much versatility, of course there is bound to be a few unhappy customers here and there (more so because its snooty Lafayette!). I’ve gone into Joe’s when it has been empty, ridiculously crowded, and everything in between-​in every instance the service was great, the atmosphere lively, and nine times out of ten, Joe himself is walking around and making conversation with his customers.
As far as the food goes, i can only speak for the Fillet Mignon, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus, Spinach, Meatballs, Sauteed Mushrooms, Tacos-​wait, i guess that’s kind of a lot-​ALL of which have been pretty affordable and awesome!!! I’ve also heard that the crab cakes are great, but I’m not a seafood lover, so I’ll never know.
DRINKS-​you name it and 9 times outta 10 they’ve got it! The wine is always a good choice, drink specials are ALWAYS fun, and bartenders are great!
Overall, Joe’s of Lafayette is a diverse super club that is quite classy, comfy (love the couches), and an all around great place to kick your feet up, enjoy a great drink, and listen to great live music OR get all dressed up and dance to awesome music til your feet can’t take it!!! There isn’t one single place in Lafayette and most of walnut creek that can offer the array of good times that Joe’s of Lafayette has to offer. GO CHECK IT OUT!

Joe’s is directly next door to my office, and my new co-​workers took me out on Thursday. They told me a funny story about how the kids at St. Mary’s like to get plastered there on Thursdays and that one Friday morning they found a dude passed out in the foyer. In the LOCKED foyer, I might add. They called the cops, and they were jerks, apparently. I doubt the lafayette cops get much action. Anyway, where was I?
Oh yeah, at Joe’s with a couple of co-​workers. I just had a $ 7 glass of fairly shitty pinot, so I don’t have much to say about the products they sell. It seems pretty comfy in there, there are couches and the waitstaff is pretty good. Definitely call ahead for food if you’re in a rush, your order will nearly always take about 20+ minutes. Joe’s, I’m sure I’ll see a lot more of you in the near future.
UPDATE: They have some of the best fries I’ve ever tasted. Fresh cut with the skins left on, perfectly salted, hot and delicious. A very indulgent, very occasional friday lunch for me consists of their grilled cheese made with tomato and avocado with fries.
UPDATED UPDATE: Joe owes his employees money. Not cool, Joe. Apparently Joe’s has been sold as of 2÷1÷09 and will become a sushi joint. We shall see…

Enjoyed myself. The atmosphere is nice without being overly dark or stuffy. You can pick your place — bar, restaurant or backroom billiards lounge area.
The music acts are always very good and the acoustics sounded good in the dining room.
Service was good.
The food was affordable and surprisingly good. I was not expecting anything above your average reheated frozen food or burgers. It was actually quite good. I tried seafood, steak and pasta — we did some sharing — I liked all three. Food was hot when it arrived and the mixed drinks were also good.
For a place east of the caldecott I was impressed. The fact that they have managed to appeal to different clientelle and have them cohabit the same place without it becoming a problem is ambitious and notable.
I thought the prices were reasonable considering there is no cover charge and I would pay for it even without the show.

When I went to Joe’s (early DEC 2007) they had a tiny menu with little to choose from. The crab cakes were lukewarm the burger was nothing special, though not horrible, the ceasar salad was typical.
This place has a ton of potential though. For a place to drink with your boys and catch a game, I would say this is the best option in Lafayette. It it was closer to downtown it would be perfect. The service was good and the people were mellow.

As my sister puts it, «This is what makes my birthday great — comment cards.»
We (my sister, her husband, my mom, and I) went here on a whim for my sister’s 39^th birthday. The website was encouraging. The menu was impressive for a bar — variety without pretension. While waiting for the rest of us, my sister and her husband enjoyed the bar, and she particularly enjoyed the calamari with asparagus. The Coronas were ice cold with the requisite slice of lime. «A» for the bar.
When the four of us were assembled, we were given the choice of the main dining hall or a side room with a complimentary pool table. The hostess/​waitress/​bartender noted that a Toastmaster’s meeting would be held in the main hall in a half hour, and so we could sit there if we so desired. We chose the side room.
Oh, if only I could go back in time and warn Past Me. If only.
It took 15 – 20 minutes, give or take, to get water, which came after the bread we’d inquired after, as we were all hungry but had never been offered such. A note on the bread — don’t ask for it. Can you say «freezer burn»? Yes, you can, because you just did.
About an hour after we ordered, we started getting our dinners (2 pork loin «medallions», 1 salmon, and 1 chicken). As Owen M. noted here previously, it seemed pretty clear that the sides had been plated before the meats, as for the most part, the rice/​mashed potatoes/​vegetables (broccoli) were fairly cold.
My sister feels important to note at this juncture that Safeway has a sale on frozen vegetables — 33% off. And, you say? Let it also be noted that Safeway in Lafayette is 5 minutes away.
Let’s begin with the salmon. Sitting on a bed of (Minute?) rice more akin to the Princess and the Pea’s pile of mattresses, the salmon looked (and tasted) deep-​fried. I believe my brother-​in-​law when he says he’s made better salmon in a microwave. Seriously, though, that rice — there must’ve been 2 whole cups there, cold and sticky. I will not lie, I like sticky rice, but it had better be fresh or we have no deal.
Pork tenderloin medallions? Not quite. In my charitable opinion, they were medallions that had been sliced in half, much like a hot dog is occasionally at Nation’s. The difference here, however, is that a Nation’s hot dog is juicy and delicious, whereas these medallions were dry and resembled a thin-​cut pork chop. A thin-​cut pork chop of sadness.
As I had the chicken, I shall relate to you a story of my experience at a different location, as it is relevant. I’ve eaten several times at Café Rosso, the café outside the Humanities building at SFSU. Given their limited kitchen size, in order to accomodate the many chicken dishes they offer, they seem to grill the chicken separately and then add the sauce once it is done and plated. How is this relevant, you ask? It is relevant because that is what I believe they did here. The pomegranate this chicken was supposedly marinated in had been poured atop a dry-​cooked chicken that, while hot and not the driest chicken I’ve ever eaten, certainly hadn’t been marinated in anything other than… than nothing. I’m not an expert, so I can’t say whether it was frozen, but I would not be surprised. The garlic mashed potatoes were painfully garlicky, and the broccoli, while numerous, were what you’d expect from leftovers, not a restaurant-​fresh meal.
What these last few paragraphs should tell you is, don’t order dinner here.
I will say this — it was our impression that our waitress was pretty much the only employee doing work tonight. I did see one or two other employee-​looking types, they were probably all staying around the admittedly popular bar. I have nothing against the waitress, per se. She was busy, she had a fairly large restaurant to look after… who knows, she could’ve cooked the dinners herself. No one knows. At least she was pleasant. The absence of an offer of coffee or dessert is being overlooked, as I do not think they had a dessert menu, and if she overheard even half our conversation, well, if I were her I wouldn’t offer us coffee, either.
Suffice it to say, we won’t be going back there for dinner. Appetizers? Sure. Drinks? Sure. Dinner? Dear god no. We had loads of fun, don’t get me wrong, it was so bad that we were cracking up at how bad it was. In fact, we’ve started a new tradition for my sister’s birthday — try a new place each time, relatively close to home, so that if it is terrible we won’t be spending a long ride home pissed at having driven so far for so little. Besides, there’s always a Safeway on the way, where one can pick up a serviceable ice cream cake to finish off the night in a chilly facsimile of heaven.
Not to mention they’ve usually got a sale on frozen veggies.
Oh — and the Toastmasters? There were 4 of them, and they only got started talking when we were leaving, 8:15ish. My only regret is that we didn’t warn them about dinner.

Surprisingly diverse crowd, good live music and good dancing. I agree it didn’t feel settled yet, something is missing. Still better than pretty much anyplace in Walnut Creek.

Let me preface this review by saying that I have never eaten at Joe’s. I have gotten DRUNK at Joe’s, however, and it is a fine place to do so. I will caution you that it runs high on the St. Mary’s list of functions and parties so the whitebread Moraga crowd is out in full-​force. However, if you’re drinking you tend not to mind so much. Good music, although when the DJ started yelling «Let me see my white girls on the floor!» I was confused since there was nothing BUT white girls on the floor. Hmmm… he must’ve seen my lone Filipina friend and multiplied her in his mind. Nonetheless… seems like an okay place if you’re stuck drinking and dancing in Lafayette.

My wife and I made the trek out to this relatively new jazz bar/​supper club to hear friends of ours who were performing there. The menu had a number of tempting dishes, and the small space seemed comfortable, clean and inviting. We were excited.
We ordered drinks to start. The wine list was impressive and reasonaly priced, and my wife ordered a glass, while I had a Midori sour. To my consternation, the sour mix seemed to have been replaced with brine!!! I had to chase down the waiter to get it replaced.
We ordered the crab cakes for an appetizer, which arrived 15 minutes later, crisp, hot and tasty. We anxiously anticipated our salmon and lamb shank main plates.
An hour and ten minutes later, I finally walked into the kitchen to find a waiter and complain. He promised our dishes would be out shortly.
Fifteen minutes after that, I found the other waiter, who gave me a lame excuse about it being a «supper club» and thus being on a different schedule (despite other patrons having long finished their meals) and treated me like a rube.
Just then, our dishes were served. The salmon plate had clearly been plated ten minutes earlier, and while it might have been delicious then, it was now cold. The lamb shank was a disaster:
cool, grossly undercooked (the inner half was inedible), in a watery sauce with sadly overcooked greens. The rissoto bed was actually good, but couldn’t survive the rest of the meal.
We would have gladly stayed for more music (which was excellent), but we needed to get home to eat some leftovers, as we were starving by this point. I had to chase down the waiter again to get a bill.
After this tragic meal, it would take the resurrection of Thelonius Monk Himself to tempt me back, and then I might just stand outside to listen!

Diverse Crowd — though you would probably expect it to be pretentious. Joe is a laid back owner who talks with everyone and is always open to suggestions. The band music varies on a daily basis by the week. You have to go to their website for a break down of who’s playing and the type of music playing.
Chicken Satay is so yummy you could eat it like a meal. Those with bigger appetites order a caesar salad with it. Chicken Sandwich and Burgers are both excellent. I love the steak fries as well. White table cloths, very clean environment, music is wonderful though loud if you want to have an intimate conversation may not be the place. This is where you come for good music and good food!
I really enjoy Joe’s of Lafayette. The people are fun, the music is always great and so is the food — consistently good. The bartenders are also very personable.