We loved this restaurant. The pizza is delicious!!! The outside seating along the river is even better!!! We sat at the outside bar for dinner. Great service. Great food. Great ambience!!! Will forSure be going back soon!
(5)
Caroline M.
The location is a little hard to find, as it is a little sunken from the sidewalk. However, the inside is very pretty and there is an outdoor patio that is very nice as well. I went for a low key work outing and we had pizza & appetizers. The pizza was very good, deep dish. The appetizers were great and the fried mozerella was homemade. Beer is cheap, about $7 for a tall Killians or Fat Tire. And service was great as well. I would definitely return.
(4)
Vanessa S.
Pal Joey's has a lot of things going for it: nice location, solid bar area, and a beautiful patio overlooking the not so scenic Fox. The new location also has a strong menu, and everything I have tried has been at least 4 stars; unfortunately the service just really brings the whole experience down. We've eaten there several times, and the service combined with the apparent lack of management make dining here somewhat unpleasant. I mainly opt for seats at the bar, and every bartender has been quite inexperienced, looking up drinks, forgetting my order, um vodka rocks, and taking incessantly long to quench my thirst. My biggest gripe is that it seems like the servers use the main bar as their service bar which means a server pile up complaining about their customers, discussing the restaurant gossip and slowing everything down, which to me, totally unprofessional. I've watched the bartender mix servers drinks at the end of their shift prior to making customer's (mine), and the manager just watched it all go down. This place annoys me, but I wish they could work out the service kinks because the location, food, and bar are all great!
(2)
P W.
The view is nice, that's it. Oh and the fried asparagus good. But the "famous" pizza was awful (we ordered both pan and thin crust 4 diff kinds) simce we were a group of 6 people. The server was polite enuf, but not really present... Plus there was no manager With whom to speak to (thus no apology made for) the Millions of ants crawling around on the floor by our table!!! Totally gross! This was My first experience here since it was Fox's, and my last. Horrible just horrible. NOT going back!
(1)
Bobby S.
We had a large party that they easily accommodated. Very good pizza. They have gluten-free options, that one in our party appreciated. Took a while to get our drinks & food. It was busy on a Saturday so this may be he norm. Everyone at the table (party of 10) agreed that Pal Joey should offer a "family style" salad that we all could share. We didn't feel like paying $4/ea for side salads. There are closer pizza places to our home, but we'll prob go back & give it another try. I'd like to see what the patio is like in the summer. Ambience inside was nice.
(3)
Dan K.
Pal Joey's might have good food, but you will find out only after you wait an unreasonable amount of time -- after being repeatedly lied to about wait times. There is entertainment before being seated - the greeter and the wait staff will repeatedly confer with the manager as they fail to figure out how to seat your party. I recommend you bring your own chairs to sit in the lobby.
(1)
Dave M.
The pizza was FANTASTIC! Our server's name was Justin and he was a riot! ask for him and sit in his section if he's working! What a fun night! We'll be going back, to be sure!
(5)
Kyle D.
For all the failing restaurants that come through Batavia I am hoping Pal Joey's stays. I have been there 3 times since they opened last month and I get something new on the menu and haven't been disappointed yet. I used to go to the West Chicago location with my inlaws quite a bit and was sooooo excited when I heard they were opening up in my backyard. Below is my review of the building itself, the food, and the wait staff. Decor: Firstly, the location that Pal Joey's has is the BEST in Batavia. I am not sure many can argue that their spacious patio beats any other establishment on the river, with Andres coming a close second. The bar outside has a tv and is very enjoyable to sit and watch the olympics. Their 4 seasons room is very bright with many windows and is comfortable and fitting when the heat is too much but you still want that "outside" dining feel. Inside has always been one of my favorite decors with the exposed stone and nice dark wood throughout. Bathrooms look like they were updated with Pal Joey's coming in and are very nice. Can't comment on the upstairs banquet room, but hopefully one day I will have the opportunity to be a part of a group that rents that out. Food: Obviously the pizza is their mainstay and is extremely well made. I have had also their rigatoni abruzzo, their honey glazed pork tenderloin (oh my god was that amazing), and their reuben. All have been outstanding quality on a busy night. As for the appetizers I have had the red pepper bruschetta (which is more like garlic bread with red pepper on top, very good but not what i expected), the appetizer trio/medley of mushrooms, chicken fingers, and fried mozzarela (standard), and their calamari (that was very good). The pricing on the food is a little expensive, until you see the portion sizes and then it seems very reasonable. Their pizza and sandwiches are probably the best deal for your money, and I highly recommend their sausage and mushroom pan pizza. Staff: Service is very good at being attentive to the table's needs but they don't check on you every 5 minutes like some restaurants. I have had nothing but positive experiences with the waitstaff and are surprised they are as good as they are without having months and months of routine at the restaurant. John, the owner, is probably one of the friendliest and more visible owners at any restaurant I have been to. I like it when an owner takes pride in his/her restaurant and is on the floor to watch his dream become reality and handle issues when they arise. All in all this place is fastly becoming a restaurant that went from no one knowing it was open to all i hear about while grocery shopping or out and about. Check it out!
(5)
Kathy W.
We were looking forward to a dinner at Pal Joeys. I used to be a mystery shopper and I was thankful that I didn't have to write up this experience. From the Hostesses acting like we should have called in a reservation to the bar staff gruffly dealing with each other, I would have had to write a novel. The employees are not enjoying their job and they don't really seem to like their coworkers. The staff wasn't abrasive to us but the interactions we saw at the bar were enough to not have us return. Next time, we'll do carry out.
(2)
Jeff K.
Great food - same as the West Chicago location.
(5)
Joe B.
Simply awesome. The deep dish pizza is the best in town. It beats the pants off of Aliano's "pizza" handily. The inside is spacious and offers a lot of variety, the bar is clean and always has my sports on, and the patio is one of the greatest things in Batavia dining. I've had a handful of different servers on my visits, all of whom were incredible. The prices are more than competitive, and the flavor of everything is unreal (and consistent, unlike the aforementioned "Italian" restaurant across the river). I'll be going again, and again, and again, and...
(5)
Julie F.
Our meal and service was great. We had mussels for starters and then had a thick crust pizza. Both were excellent. Restaurant was crowded but we were seated quickly and the service was good.
(4)
Daniel S.
If you come here you need to get pizza. Plain and simple. IT IS SOO GOOD. Hands down one of my favorite pizzas of all time. The sauce and the crust is just right. MMMMMmmmm.
(5)
Mark K.
It pains me to write this review as my wife and i are long time fans of this pizza place. However, something is wrong. This new location is terrific. Great terrace, great views. But..... Our pizza has just been terrible. It's like the dough didn't rise. French onion soup was bland at best. And the service has been consistently out of sync. And how about cleaning the terrace once in a while. They have these blowers now...... I am pretty much done with this place except a drink while bike riding. Too bad. A classic pizza house gone bad.
(2)
Kellie D.
The pizza is fabulous here. We've had takeout from here twice and it was delish both times. We decided to actually go for a meal, and we weren't disappointed. The food was quite good, and I literally had three meals from mine. The atmosphere is pretty casual so it's good for those times when you want to go out without making a big to-do to get ready. The wine and beer selection is pretty, umm, limited as I recall. So if you're looking for fancy this is not it. If you're looking for good food at a good price without a lot of fuss, this is a place to find it.
(3)
Anna N.
Yum. When we moved to Batavia, I was eyeing this place because the view on the river looked awesome. I could picture myself sitting on the patio, enjoying a cocktail, and taking in the view. We decided to go our first time on a festival weekend = bad decision because it was packed with a LONG wait. However, the food was so good I can forgive that we had to wait longer than previously told. All other times since the service time has been great and we got right in. The pizza is delish, their seafood was yummy, and my husbands marsala was like crack to the tongue. Love going back, a must try.
(5)
Greg S.
Stopped in over the weekend while out on a bike ride with friends. We all had sandwiches & sodas. The meal was good, and no complaints about the server or wait times. My reason for writing this review is actually to comment on the outdoor seating area. First thing I noticed when we were brought to our table was how many spider webs there were all over the place. And where there are webs... When I sat down, I noticed two dead spiders hanging from a web right under my spot at the table. I looked up at the inside of the umbrella and saw nothing but webs & dead bugs. While we were waiting to order, a big spider crawled across my friend's menu. While we were waiting for our food, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a spider dropping down right next to me from the umbrella. And later, when I raised my sandwich to my mouth, I saw a spider crawling across my hand. This is an outdoor area -- I get it. But that is gross. Someone should be out on that patio every morning with a broom and a hose. I guarantee you the webs hanging all over the place had been there for a while -- which, to me, is inexcusable. The front entrance area was just as bad. All the plastic patio chairs were covered in webs, as were the railings. So, until they clean things up, my 1-star review stands.
(1)
Jen L.
I was looking forward to trying the new pizza place down on River Street. I really love what they did with the inside decor. I ordered a pizza with just sausage but no cheese. When my food was brought out, there was a handful of onions on the top of it. I don't like making a fuss, but I let the waitress know that it was wrong, so she took it to fix the issue. I figured they would just throw some sauce and sausage on a new pizza, but when they brought it back out, I kept finding pieces of onion in the sauce. I plan to return and try it again in the new future.
(2)
Robert C.
Visited on Sunday, 5/5/2013, but we walked away. While this restaurant has good food, it is not Bicyclist friendly anymore, like its predecessor, "Fox on the River". The reason this is annoying is because the "Fox River Trail" runs right next to this restaurant; in fact, it is an arm's length away from trail. The new owners removed the bicycle rack from the outside patio and locked the outside patio entrance. Instead, the bicycle rack was pushed into a tight corner near the main entrance where you cannot use it anyway. On our previous visit on 09/26/2012, the restaurant recently opened with new name and ownership, and the outside patio entrance was locked, but the bicycle rack was available at main entrance. It was chilly that day so that made sense, but then we got a strange look by one of the workers when we sat down with our bicycle attire. That alone should have been a warning to bicyclists. But, now with the warmer weather, it has gotten worse. Therefore, I am lowering my rating. We drive a long way to use the "trail", and the "restaurant" was just a "nice to visit", and if the new owners do not welcome bicyclists, the bicyclists will just spend their money somewhere else. In fact, we spent our money next door at O'Sole Mio where we can conveniently park our bicycles right next to their outside patio where we can see them.
(3)
John O.
Nothing seems to really work at this location. Hopefully it'll work for Pal Joey's. It has always been a great location to view the river if you can ignore the bugs and the smell. But every place that seems to establish service has always been poor. I don't know if it's cursed or if the waitstaff gets to tired from running around it's large square footage area. Now I've been to their location in West Chicago but this has a little different ambiance to it. I had their baked clams and the usual sausage thin crust pizza which I was impressed by. But nobody around me seemed to be to happy about waiting for a drink or for their food. I hope that they get the kinks out soon because it's been open now for awhile because when the outside patio closes it will be hard to still attract attention to this new location.
(3)
Pat M.
Love the food and the service was wonderful. Just as good as the West Chicago location but the service was better.
(5)
T T.
Good service and above average Pizza. We'll return and try their pastas as well in the near future.
(4)
S T.
Had excellent pan pizza here in the past. Tonight..undercooked. Employees seem to be afraid of manager who is only interested in tickets. Unfriendly
(3)
Doug R.
Went here since our neighbors stated the pizza was pretty good. We went there on a Wednesday night around 6:30 pm on a nice night and the place was not very busy. We only ordered pop and water to drink, so I cannot comment on the alcoholic drinks. The water was average and the coke was a little flat. We split the Chicken Napalitano which was a little dry. It came with roasted potatoes which had a decent flavor but were also a little undercooked, meaning they were kinda solid in the middle, and they were cut into wedges. The kids each had an order of chicken fingers and fries. The fries were average crinkle cuts and the tenders were awful. No flavor whatsoever. Just a coating and chicken. The kids only ate them after they were smothered in ketchup. We sat outside by the river, which was nice, but you almost would have to bring bug spray for mosquito's, I got bit a few times and wanted to leave early. Also, the outside patio bathrooms are something you would find in a crappy, hole in the wall bar. Dirty, not clean, and the large toilet paper roll was sitting on top of the holder and not in the holder. That went for the paper towel roll. It was just nasty, and I had to take my 3yr old daughter in there. The place also charged us for splitting the dinner. They added a $1.50 for a split plate..... Uhh, I would have just had you bring me a separate plate and cut it myself. Are you kidding me... For $40 dollars, "without alcohol", I didn't feel it was worth it. Forgot, we did have the fried zucchini, which was alright. It came out as zucchini fries with a dipping sauce. Average at best, maybe frozen....
(2)
Jr R.
We entered the establishment with a handful of friends and our infant on Friday. We were looking for a ramp and found it but there were employees taking their smoke breaks towards the bottom so we decided to carry our stroller down the stairs to the entrance..... The host who greeted us was very nice and welcoming. He informed us that it's a 20 minute wait which was fine. After 40 minutes we were sat at a table inside. I have been in this industry for over 15 years and after noticing some of the management practices tells me their experience is lacking. The manager was counting the number of guests or tables each server had.....not exactly a bad thing because you want to make sure your guests receive the proper attention. But they executed this rather poorly because there were several tables that were empty and had remained this way the entire evening. There was also a dining area behind the host stand with about 8 tables that had server manuals, to go materials, and staff personal items in it. When there are 7-8 parties waiting for a table on a gorgeous friday night and all these open tables I would say they need more servers on staff. Our table ordered nachos as an app and they were fantastic. As for our server, she was very friendly and suggestive. She stopped by the table periodically and was not at all intrusive. If this were solely based on her, she would receive 4.5 stars. Well done. As for the signature thin crust, this was something I certainly wouldn't order again OR recommend to anyone wanting good pizza. When I order thin crust I expect it to be crispy.....this was anything but. I had to use my fork to eat it because it was so flimsy. The bottom of the pizza pan was filled with grease. I was still hungry but couldn't eat anymore because it just was not good. I usually enjoy cold pizza leftovers in the morning but I didn't take them because I couldn't bare the thought of having to eat another bite. I'm sure there are other items on their menu that are good, which may prompt me to give it another try at some point......but for now I'll take a pass.
(2)
Jackie J S.
Um, I don't know what to say. I went here with a friend because the place we were going to go to was not open for lunch. I'm not a huge fan of pizza so I ordered the roasted veggie foccacia. When it arrived at the table I realized that there would be no foccacia. What they gave me was 2 pieces of very dried out Cheese pizza, stacked on top of each other crust side out with a spattering of veggies inside. It was beyond yuk. If I had wanted pizza I would have ordered pizza! I am giving 2 stars because the service was good and the coffee was really good. Plus the river view was really nice. I'm not going back any time soon.
(2)
Jonathan G.
Pretty decent. A bit pricey for what it is and the service is hit or miss. The food is pretty good overall and the location is great. The patio on the river was really nice but they have bands play on there that get far too loud for a restaurant.
(3)
Kalie T.
We got awesome service and the outside patio is beautiful! I love the fire top tables! We got the jalapeño peppers wrapped in bacon and then the spinach and artichoke dip, both were amazing! The owner is also a very friendly guy and made sure we got everything we needed. Definitely will be going back soon to try their gluten free pizza!
(5)
Ken W.
Great location friendly staff. Food is average casual dining fare... Come for the views and outdoor dining...
(3)
Albert K.
There was an earlier review here about being near the bicycle trail and that other food providers had been more accommodating. Well, I will simply have to agree with that review, albeit for different reasons. My wife and I had ridden here by bicycle from Geneva and arrived right near lunchtime. The restaurant maitre d that greeted us, a young woman in her mid 20s, was first of all nothing short of unfriendly and rude. We were dressed in bicycle riding attire, (not that goofy fancy and tight Lancey pants spandex stuff, but casual clothing). She literally looked at us up and down disagreeably and rolled her eyes for the first time. We requested to sit near to or actually on the outside patio. She looked at us, huffed and without saying a word started walking away presumably wanting us to follow her. When we reached the table, my wife smiled and softly questioned whether we could sit closer to the outside. This particular hostess actually refused and said no and did so without smiling and with what was clearly a "second" rude roll of the eye facial feature. My wife and I were looking forward to eating at Pal Joey's. Growing up Italian and having been to Pal Joey's before, we were also looking forward to this new location. I am not exaggerating. We were treated with a disrespectful, rude and unpleasant attitude (Sorry to have interrupted her texting), all the while trying to be kind to this angry looking and obviously unhappy person. At that point, we never even waited to be seated. I looked at my wife and simply stated, "Let's leave. We don't need this." I wish for this downtown Batavia establishment to do well. Downtown Batavia has become a really inviting and cool place. A word to the owner/manager....Don't think for one minute, you can rely on a previous Pal Joey "good name." Heads up to the clueless unprofessional and arrogant maitre d', as well as the owner. People like to be treated with respect...they appreciate being smiled at...they like to be accommodated (the place was nearly empty that day)...Good food alone will not insure success. Good food, great service and an inviting atmosphere speak volumes toward running a successful business. Another clue...train these types of thoughtless, condescending people or better yet don't hire them in the first place. As for me, there are some really great restaurants in downtown Batavia. Sadly, Pal Joey's isn't one of them.
(2)
Mitch H.
Already running more smoothly than it's predecessor, Fox's. Plus the pizza is a far cry better. The atmosphere is great, and they've done a wonderful job cleaning up and utilizing the patio. Service was speedy, beer was cold, everybody had a smile on their face. I didn't get to explore the whole restaurant, which is massive, but the bar, dining room, terrace and patio all had something unique to offer. So far I've only had the pizza, but after tasting how superior it is to Charlie Fox's or Aliano's I don't doubt that the rest of the menu is solid too. Can't wait to go back, I've heard they've got live music outdoors on weekends!
(4)
Sally G.
So excited that Pal Joey's has opened in Batavia. The location with the outside patio will be wonderful. Always loved them in West Chicago - now they are close.
(5)
Carol F.
New Pal Joeys in Batavia is awful. It is a spinoff from their West Chicago location. Went there 2 weeks ago because we heard they are famous for their pan pizza - and it was great. Now that they figure they got the crowd they want, we went today and it was awful - server said they are transitioning their West Chicago Chefs to new local chefs - wow, they have a lot of transitioning to do because it was disgusting. Not only was the pizza not up to par, but there were ANTS crawling up the walls and on the floor and around the baseboards. I hope they didn't get into my granddaughters backpack. We told the server and she said, oh yes, we know! Duh! The bus boys kept taking our plates and had to bring them back twice! No se habla Inglesh. Not a good experience and we're not going back. We will be going to our favorite Aliano's in Batavia for pizza from now on! They have THE best in Italian cooking for anything you want anyways. Plus they know what they're doing, not just "transitioning." Such a disappointment at Pal Joeys.
(1)
Joe H.
Was very excited to see Pal Joeys had opened a location in Batavia. Took my wife there around 8:30 pm on a Friday and the place was packed. The location itself is fantastic. Right on the river, large space, downtown. After being seated, we waited about 10 minutes for our server. Not too bad considering they were pretty busy. Once our waitress finally showed up, she asked for our drink order. We ordered two beers. 10 minutes later she came back with water and asked what we had ordered because she forgot.....ok, now starting to get annoyed. We told her the two beers again and decided to order since we were ready by this time. About 15 minutes later our appetizer showed up, but NO BEER YET. Asparagus fritters were pretty good, great dipping sauce. While eating our fritters I saw our waitress walking around with two beers going to other tables trying to figure out whose beers they were. Ok, come on. Now starting to get really annoyed. I ordered a pizza with Italian Beef, Giardiniera and garlic and my wife ordered the Pal Joeys Chicken. The pizza finally came and it had sausage, olives and garlic. I was too hungry and frustrated to send the pizza back, so I ate it (even though I HATE olives). My wife's chicken was OK, but not worth $15. Final Review: Too Expensive, Horrible Staff, Great Location......sorry to see another place that will close in a year. My suggestion, go to the Turf Room or Gammon House. Both are great!
(1)
JP P.
Pal Joey's is a very casual and comfortable setting both inside and out overlooking the Fox River. I have been a staunch supporter of the pizza quality and service. Until recently!!! The service is good, the pizza is not! Unfortunately "undercooked" pizza is NOT a good thing. This seems to be a common occurrence lately, serving room temperature pizza! That's a bad reflection on kitchen staff professionalism and an embarrassment for management who actually hired these people, not to mention the owners who hired incompetent managers! Think about it! You'll never have to worry about scorching the roof of your mouth ever again.
(1)
Sandy G.
The only time our waitress smiled was when she saw we actually left a tip. Really slow service and not very helpful. We waited 15-20 minutes for our pop & iced tea. When we asked the waitress if she could bring them she rudely said "I will". Our food was okay. It wasn't the best but I had expected it to be better given the atmosphere. I had the french onion soup & half an order of chopped salad. The chopped salad had pepperoni & green olives in it which I didn't expect. Overall I was not impressed
(1)
Paul L.
Wednesday night, 7ish. So far 2 stars based on lack of service. We waited 16 minutes for the bartender to come back and take our order after she brought our drinks. They're short staffed and it clearly shows. No apology, nothing....we decided to stay and order but we'll see how the manager handles this when I'm done paying. I'll update my review as the meal progresses. 27 minutes from food being order to table. Food; I had the meatless lasagna and I must say it was very good. A tad too much sweet red sauce but overall one of the better ones I've had in the burbs. I had to ask for bread.
(3)
Eileen A.
This is the first time I am writing a review of a place I did not even get the chance to eat. What will surprise you is that I was seated with my family for over 15 minutes and yes never got the simple greeting of a waitress or waiter nor asked for even our drink order or given water. On a Saturday night at 6:30, I expect a little more, actually a lot more, hospitality from a so called Batavia staple. We witnessed over 6 staff members waltzing about looking not enthused to the slightest. Even a few waiters stood at the small staircase, watched us get seated at a table next to two large groups and still did nothing. Needless to say we perused the menu and waited patiently giving the teenagers the benefit of the doubt that one will come along and say hello but that did not happen. So we gathered our jackets and walked out without even being noticed. Sad to say, I will not be coming back and feel like they lost some good patronage; hopefully they treat others better in the future.
(1)
Donna O.
If you are looking for a nice place to sit outside and don't really care about service and have all night to spend waiting for dinner, this is your place. The only reason that I am giving two stars is for the location. In all fairness, after waiting to have our drink order taken, waiting an unusual amount of time to order and to receive our appetizer order, after going into the bar to get another drink, we gave up and went to another restaurant for dinner. We didn't actually eat here, so I can't testify as to the quality of the food. (It looked good as it was going by.) I don't think I will be able to get my husband to go here again. Very frustrating. What a lovely location. Another restaurant that is going to fail.
(2)
Gloria M.
We love the sausage, green pepper and black olive pizza. The trick is to order the Very Thin Crust, it's amazing!
(4)
Vivian Y.
The pizza here is classic. Good service, kid friendly and the best river side dining that Batavia has to offer. I
(4)
Matthew A.
Good place for drinks and a appetizer ...entrees not so good :( had the honey bourbon tenderloin and it was overcooked and definitely didn't taste like honey or bourbon. ..sauce was odd
(3)
T B.
The menu is constantly changing, and the atmosphere is 5 stars! Right on the river and very family friendly! They bring in lots of entertainment through the spring/summer and now that they are adding in the coolest fire tables on the patio overlooking the river, it'll extend the outdoor season! Pizza is super yum. We love Martin's Nacho's, Joey's Chicken, The Ribs and these new Ruben Spring Rolls.
(5)
Elizabeth S.
One of my favorite pizzas in the area. Our family used to drive out of our way to West Chicago just to pick up Pal Joey's pizza. Having a restaurant in Batavia is so convenient. This is definitely a family favorite, and I highly recommend the pepperoni original crust or white pizza! So delicious!
(4)
Kim E.
The French onion soup was actually really good. The fettuccine was the worst I've ever had. It was bland and dry. The noodles tasted like they sat out for a few days. Fortunately, our waitress took it off the bill. My husband had the sausage pizza which wasn't great. Tombstone pizza has more flavor. We didn't even plan on eating here, but every restaurant in town had at least a 30 min wait. That should've been my first hint about this place. Doubt this place will be around very long, unless they hire a new chef.
(1)
Chris M.
Great pizza and great beer! Pan crust is delicious! The folks here really know how to treat customers. Sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, onions, & mushrooms is our top choice every time! Gotta check this place out if your close!
(5)
Margie T.
I had the Linguine with spinach & Artichoke Hearts. It was awful. It had not flavor to it and the pasta was totally overcooked. I returned the pasta and ordered the pizza instead. It was just average. No idea what they got that award for. The outside patio on the river looked nice.
(2)
Matt S.
As a newb to the Batavia pizza scene we came in strictly based on some reviews. Thank goodness we did, great pizza and awesome location on the river. Sausage on the pizza was delicious.
(4)
Matt D.
Pizza is the best around, would recommend this to all !!!!! Matt
(4)
Joe E.
This review is a to be continued. I stopped here on a Sunday afternoon to check out the venue, because my mom and aunt are using it to throw my sister a baby shower in a few weeks. The location is right along the Fox in downtown Batavia. The space is an old Charlie's Fox location. There is great outdoor seating right along the river, and the restaurant is a good size with plenty of seating. I can't really report on the food because I didn't have any, but it sure looked good. I've been to Pal Joey's in West Chicago, and it looks like they cook the pizzas the exact same way (Pan is PJs specialty). I will say that dining in at Pal Joey's always seems to be better than carryout, though. Looking forward to going back and maybe enjoying a slice on the river.
(3)
Hal C.
Right off the bat this place was difficult to get into. From some of the available parking (difficult to find a space) there are 60 steps down to enter restaurant & dining room. That means 60 steps back UP to get back to your car. Not very old people friendly. Next, while they do have what appears to be a nice riverside dining area we were seated in the middle room where children were running amuck screaming as smaller children sometimes do. They were ignored by their parents as well as the restaurant staff. On to the food. Ordered a pan pizza that this restaurant is famous for (at West Chicago location). Unfortunately it was so-so at best. Soda refills were slow in coming. Finally had to practically tackle a waitress (not even out server) for a refill. All in all not the best experience for a night out in Batavia.
(1)
Stacy J.
The restaurant is very attractive, the riverside patio is beautiful, and the location is great. Unfortunately, the food is not fresh and the service was not good.
(1)
Smith L.
Ended up at Pal Joeys on a Friday night at 7:30 by default after a bad experience at neighboring restaurant. Experience couldn't have been better - were immediately greeted and sat at a table overlooking the river and waitress introduced herself and took drink order. Ordered calamari appetizer and deep dish and thin crust pizzas as entrees and everything was delicious. Service and food were great and restaurant can accommodate small to large groups and is good for families too. Location and view overlook the Fox River and you can dine inside or outside and there is a large bar area.
(4)
Kristina S.
Food was good but service was very slow and almost negligent. We had a party of 6 on a Friday night and it took us over an hour to get our food. No one checked on us or updated us or refilled our water during our wait. The food was good- including the gluten free pizza- but the wait made it not worth it for me to want to return. Perhaps extra staff or a more experienced staff is needed.
(2)
Kristin E.
Great pan pizza. We tried pepperoni and pineapple toppings for the first time on a Pal Joey's pizza. It was great! We made a reservation to ensure a spot on the patio for our group of 8 that included 4 young children. Our server was attentive and brought my daughter another milk when she spilled hers. I would recommend bringing a hat and sunglasses if eating outside. The umbrellas do not help much as the sun is setting. We have visited the West Chicago location frequently, but we plan to take advantage of the patio seating in Batavia while the weather allows us.
(5)
Renita M.
Probably the best thing here is the view of the river. It's a lovely setting, peaceful and quiet. Which is not to say this is a bad place. But I found it ... average. I met up with a friend and her husband here on a Thursday evening. We were seated immediately on the patio and waited on pretty promptly. The menu is pizza, pasta, salads, a few meat entrees and some sandwiches. It's also a bar, but the beer list is totally boring and mainstream. We started with red pepper bruschetta. Not really what we were expecting -- and a bit awkward to eat, since it was a folded piece of garlic bread with red pepper and shaved cheese on top. Tasty, but not easy to share. Maybe they could cut it into six or so pieces? Dice the red pepper up? That would help. I got the turkey club, which was a large sandwich. Grilled wheat bread, turkey, lettuce, tomato, mayo and bacon. The bacon was nice and crispy. The turkey was standard deli stuff. Pretty good, nothing special about it. The fries were boring crinkle-cut frozen and tasted greasy (old oil?). Our server was friendly and competent and we got good refill attention from the bus boys as well. If I were in Batavia again, I'd come back if someone else wanted to -- especially in nice weather for the patio. But I wouldn't go out of my way. Oh, and side note, this section of River St is TORN UP right now and inaccessible ... you'll have to be a little creative to get here, and I don't recommend heels.
(3)
Gloria R.
Very disappointed with my experience at this location.I have been to the West Chicago location and they are much better than the location in Batavia.I did not order Pizza,we order dinner from the menu and was very disappointed. Chicken Marsala and CheeseRavioli (Ive tasted way better) The waitress was very rude and not friendly at all, long wait for dinner to come, we sat by the window and there was a cold draft we had to wear our coats the whole time. Will not be coming back , will stick to my West Chicago area !
(2)
Lane L.
Having grown up in West Chicago and going to the original Pal Joey's countless times for pizza or their fried chicken, I was stoked when we were strolling down River St. in Batavia on a recent Saturday after church. This is in the old Charlie Fox's location. Anyway, I was highly disappointed. I don't know if this was a bad Saturday night, or what, but #1, it took forever to get seated. I get that it's a Saturday night, so I do have some level of understanding, but waiting 45 minutes or so, with two young kids on the verge of meltdown mode, just doesn't work. #2, The poor young waitress we had, was getting blasted on all accounts from several other patrons that were also receiving poor service. Food was taking forever, food was coming out cold (as did my Wife's), and one customer was "aggressively agitated". As I said, my Wife's food came out cold, but she wasn't about to send it back otherwise we'd have never gotten out of there. My pizza, wasn't what I fondly recall Pal Joey's pizza to be. It was on par with the pizza you have to endure at Chuckie Cheese's when you have to take the kids there for a B-Day party. #3 as previously reviewed, once you're done, waiting for your check is the next hurdle. I did truly feel bad for the waitress. It CLEARLY wasn't her fault. So I tried to be as nice and understanding with her as possible. No point in taking out our frustrations with her like the other patron did. So yes, I was a little let down.
(2)
Doug C.
We had my sons birthday dinner here and this certainly is not the Pal Joey's I remember from childhood. We ordered appetizers first, which consisted of calamari, cheese sticks and chicken fingers. The calamari was very bland, over coated with tasteless batter and over cooked. The chicken fingers suffered the same fate. I can't speak on the taste of the cheese sticks but they looked unhappy and burnt. My daughter and I ordered the Chicken Napolitano. As an opener she ordered the Pasta Fagioli which tasted (and looked) like bland bean soup. We looked at each other with the understanding that more disappointment was just around the corner. It was. Our chicken came out. The spices they used were odd to put it kindly. Or perhaps the overheating caused them to fuse into being something...different. The chicken was bone dry and still had a funny taste even without these strange spices touching them. My wife ordered the Chicken Marsala. This had a strange sweet kind of sauce that didn't resemble anything close to what Marsala Chicken should be. It wasn't good. Frankly I feel bad that three innocent chickens had to lose their lives to create this unholy trinity of bad taste and incineration. The pizza was merely OK. I've had worse, but I've also had much better. It helped get the taste of the rest of the food out my mouth. The waitress was pleasant and helpful, but looked a little dejected serving us the non-pizza dishes. She knew there was a food sadist lurking in the kitchen She knew. I don't write yelp reviews much, but when I do I'm passionate about it. I would not go here again for anything other than pizza and drinks. Maybe just the drinks. Actually I would probably just skip the whole thing.
(2)
Abby A.
I am huge fan of Batavia and was so excited to try Pal Joeys. What a great location with a great view! BUT the food was terrible! We decided to try it with our Coupon buy one Entree get 1/2 off another, sent the coupon from the Sudden Value Web site, which indicates you can just show it to the server on your phone...when I did this the server said she would take it this time, but management required it be printed out...thought this was incredibly unprofessional, nothing against the server, just not very 2013 friendly policy!! We ordered artichoke, spinach linguine awful!! Eggplant Parmesan awful! And a Chicken Salad that was delivered on the smallest plate there was no way to eat it without the ingredients falling on the table. I will go back and try the pizza just because the atmosphere is awesome!
(2)
Jessica H.
Garbage. Loud and crazy over lit atmosphere. Poor service, as soon as the waitress knew we didn't like the taste of the food she started to ignore us and offered no service recovery. Over cooked flavorless pasta for the entree I ordered. We ordered the spinach artichoke dip appetizer and the dip was okay but they served it with burnt "homemade" tortilla chips and potato chips??!!? It was gross! I would expect an Italian restaurant to serve with crostini or fresh bread. Also, The menu was weird. I thought this was a Italian and pizza place but they had items like nachos and edamame on the menu? Overall a very disappointing experience. The location and the layout of the restaurant is so cool but the food and service was pretty bad.
(1)
Justin M.
We ate here on a snow December night, our waiter was very friendly. The deep dish PIZZA was amazing, its def a must if you go in the St. Charles area. Portions were big and we have a lot of left overs. I would be there more often if i lived closer in the area.
(4)
Kari B.
Solid 3. Great location with huge outside patio on the river. Had the Joey antipasto salad, fried zucchini and small pizza (for two). The fried zucchini didn't have much flavor/spice and I'm not for dipped in ranch sauce for flavor. I liked the breaking on it though. The antipasto sealed was ok, wish places would use lettuce better than tasteless iceberg. The homemade balsamic vinaigrette was good. The pizza was pretty small for the price but tasted really good. We went with the thin crust which was more of a medium crust. It had a nice toasted bottom and the sausage was very flavorful. I would go back. Surprised how empty it was on a nice Saturday afternoon.
(3)
Josue O.
We've been here a few times, twice for lunch and once for a group gathering at dinnertime. The service is always very good and, during nice weather, they have a great outdoor patio on the Fox River. Dinner was a burger that wasn't anything Wow!-worthy, but it was well-priced, large, and tasty. I'd order it again. My wife had pasta that she said was only average and would probably not choose that dish again. Lunch, however, has always been their pizza (they also have a pizza and salad buffet from 11-2pm). Their pizza isn't quite thick crust, but it isn't thin, either. It's nice and crispy on the outside, chewy and good on the inside. The sauce is tangy, just the right mix of sweet and acidic. The toppings are average. Overall, it makes for a satisfying pizza. One of our group also ordered fried mozzarella that was clearly homemade and very good. I think Pal Joey's is a 3.5 star kind of place, but I'll give them 4 for lack of that option.
(4)
Gerry A.
I'm still not a big fan of their pan pizza but it does look better than it used to, particularly the deeper dish but it's really just another inch of bread tacked on, meh. The good news is it is still a gorgeous river accessible property with a better menu than they had 3 years ago. And our luck continued as our threesome got the SAME great server Jaqueline we had 3 years ago. We went with Jaqueline's recommendation for the way better than average supernachos with chorizo sausage, yes the meatloaf plate, the egg parmesan and the chopped salad. The meatloaf was surprisingly light and a large order with some subtle spices and a little heat plus mashed potatoes and green peas, real road food. The Eggplant parmesan was half a plate of a small order of egg plant parmesan and a larger half with spaghetti and sauce. A little disappointed in the size of the eggplant parmesan order but it was very good, and the pasta sauce at least not overly sweet. The chopped salad was kind of average but as described and refreshing. VERY reasonably priced for dinner and live music, no extra charge for the beautiful full moon. Seems like there is more of a Latin influence to the food than last time, Jose's Meatloaf for example, and we liked it. Very reasonably priced wine and drinks. Friendly staff. Lots of seating choices inside and outside that include many levels and stairs particularly if you are going outside. If you have someone with limited mobility, plan ahead. This isn't a Michelin rated restaurant all you other overly picky "expert" Yelpers, chill out, it's Batavia, it's on the river and it's good. Be there.
(4)
Marjie A.
My girlfriends and I came here after a long bike ride looking for a restaurant with outdoor seating. We were seated right away had a nice view of the river. I had an amazing crab cake salad and a cold frosted Blue Moon on tap! My friends also enjoyed thir food as well. Our server was attentive...all in all it was just the casual outdoor dining experience we were looking for!
(3)
John K.
Ate in the bar area and had a nice, cozy feel. Tried the carbonara and Joey's chicken. Both amazing. Be sure and get the pasta fagioli. Super yummy. The main dinning area lacked atmosphere. Outside was charming overlooking the Fox River. It was Saturday night and they had a band.
(4)
Phil V.
I really wanted to give them a 3 star review but there was too much wrong to overlook. The pan pizza was good and was their only saving grace but even that had to be sent back before it was right. 1. Do not order water , bad bad bad! So bad even my six year old commented. Mentioned to server and she said it was tap water, "people get used to their filtered water and thinks ours tastes like crap". TIP - filter you water or offer bottled water. 2. It was a slow Saturday night, staff standing around, lots is bus boys not a lot of servers. The service was SLOW! 3. We ordered a super thin and a pan pizza. The pan pizza was warm, not hot. Despite being straight from the kitchen we were able to actually pick up and hold in our bare hands. Called over our server, showed her how cool it was and she said sorry I'll have them put it back in the oven. 10 mins later the same pizza made its way back out albeit much hotter this time. The pan pizza was good and worthy of 4 star review if there was nothing else to consider. 4. On the way out we passed a series of self indulged high school and college aged staff, not one good night, thank you, see you again, nothing.. They seemed like they didn't care for the customers and just wanted to hang out and have fun. Where is the management in this place? I'll give it another shot in spring, hopefully it was just an off night.
(2)
Laura C.
Their pan pizza is a must! Eat outside on a beautiful night. We have had pasta dishes as well. Rigatoni Abrupt delish! Baked most. Is great! Highly recommend!
(5)
Andy P.
Love the outdoor patio with live bands and the bar outside was perfect. I must say that for the suburbs this is our to go outdoor patio. Good service and very good pizza as well.
(4)
Lucas C.
Food- Everything was mediocre if not horrible. The pizza was way oversauced, the veal looked like vomit, the chicken looked like the veal, and the pasta was mediocre. Service- Extremely slow we waited for our food for an hour and we waited for our bill for three. The waitress was rude didn't really talk much. Won't be coming back anytime soon. Only thing that was decent was the appetizer sampler thing with the mozzarella sticks. Otherwise gross
(1)
Sabrina C.
In general, I liked this place. Situated on the Fox River and easily accessible from the bike path, this was an easy choice for lunch. Weather was nice and we were able to sit outside... pretty awesome. The food was good - nothing stunning, but good - tried the buffalo wrap, spaghetti carbonara and cheese pizza - all were pretty decent, and given the ambiance it's definitely someplace we'd come again. The only real complaint (and why this wasn't a 4-star review) is that the place wasn't that busy but the service was pretty slow. 38 minutes for lunch after a 15-min wait to order and another 12 mins after we requested the check. Our server was great, very nice, but perhaps a bit overworked. Actually, everyone we encountered here was terrific - very friendly and accommodating. It wouldn't be my first choice for a repeat lunch, but would definitely come back. Would love to try some apps and cocktails here one evening when not rushing to get back out onto the trails. Worth trying. (Side note: If you happen to be on your bike and are hoping to take home your leftovers... they don't have plastic bags with handles. Large paper bags all the way. So... things might get interesting here momentarily.)
(3)
Joe B.
Great view here by the river. Outdoor eating is a must. IPA beer was excellent. The turkey club unfortunately was not very good. Processed turkey meat was bad. I would come back but order something different next time.
(3)
Larry B.
Not sure how this place can ever get a negative review. I've been here several times and never had a bad experience. Good service...great food..great atmosphere!
(5)
Aaron H.
unbelievable! the bartender had a bad attitude, didn't even apologize for waiting an hour for my pizza. I also waited 20 mins at least for a drink. I've been coming to the original joeys since I was a kid (40 now).
(1)
Rita H.
Went on a Sunday evening around 8:00. It was a nice night to sit on the patio. However, the wait staff seemed more concerned with closing up shop than serving the customers. The hostess took our order because the waitress was nowhere around. She finally delivered our drinks and dinner and then never checked on us again, which is not good for the restaurant either, considering I might have wanted another cocktail. I got the crab cake salad which was good. My friend got the Italian beef, which he said was nothing special and he would not order again. It's a shame because we live in Batavia and so want to patronize local establishments!
(2)
Suze B.
Great food. Good service. Decent prices. They have a nice little patio on the river. It's great for summer nights! Hand tossed cheese pizza with artichokes is the way to go! Top it off with some red pepper flakes. Delicious.
(4)
AJ J.
Good pizza when ordered to eat in. What a great view right on the river. It is spectacular! However was disappointed on the togo. Called in a pizza ahead, they told me 15-20 minutes. I show up 22 minutes later and the pizza was still not ready. There was a lot of employees standing around. Sadly when my pizza was ready 5-10 minutes later it was not even remotely as well prepared as when I ordered in. I will return, however was disappointed with the Togo.
(4)
Audrey M.
Not impressed! Batavia has made some great updates to their downtown area, so my boyfriend and I decided to check things out. We walked around town and bit and decided to have dinner at Pal Joey's. We sat out on the patio area because it was such a nice night. We were seated at a table right next to the fence on the south side of the patio. The fence was covered in spider webs and bugs . . . so yeah, gross. I realize it's a patio and it's right next to the river, but it looked like the webs had been there for a long time. If you're going to seat people there, at least hose down the fence so the patrons don't feel creepy crawly all through dinner. We ordered spinach and artichoke dip. This is one of my favorite appetizers and so easy to make. I'm not sure what Pal Joey's uses in their recipe, but I was not a fan and neither was my boyfriend. The dip was light on spinach and artichokes and heavy on lumpy, gritty cheese. We made an effort to eat it, but just couldn't. It wasn't good. Our waitress was very apologetic and offered us a free dessert in its place. For dinner we ordered pizza - sausage and black olive. It was much better than the appetizer, but still fell flat for pizza in the Chicago burbs. With so many great pizza places to choose from, we won't be going back to Pal Joey's.
(2)
Christina S.
Ive given this place several chances, and it has always been the same. The food was always just okay. My drink wouldn't be refilled until the waitress would break away from her chats with other employees to finally come check on us (which usually happened once during the whole meal). They also cheat you out of your money and trick you into double tipping the wait staff. They automatically add a tip in there, and sneak it into the bill, with a tip line under it. EVEN IF YOU PAY WITH CASH. I am a waitress, I get it. Last night I got tipped 8% on a bill over $100. It does suck, but this is ILLEGAL in illinois. It is extremely tricky. Everyone in my group accidentally double tipped yesterday because we didn't realize it until she snatched the bills all up so we couldnt change it. Not even worth your time. Pathetic.
(1)
Matt D.
Pizza is the best around, would recommend this to all !!!!! Matt
(4)
Gerry A.
I'm still not a big fan of their pan pizza but it does look better than it used to, particularly the deeper dish but it's really just another inch of bread tacked on, meh. The good news is it is still a gorgeous river accessible property with a better menu than they had 3 years ago. And our luck continued as our threesome got the SAME great server Jaqueline we had 3 years ago. We went with Jaqueline's recommendation for the way better than average supernachos with chorizo sausage, yes the meatloaf plate, the egg parmesan and the chopped salad. The meatloaf was surprisingly light and a large order with some subtle spices and a little heat plus mashed potatoes and green peas, real road food. The Eggplant parmesan was half a plate of a small order of egg plant parmesan and a larger half with spaghetti and sauce. A little disappointed in the size of the eggplant parmesan order but it was very good, and the pasta sauce at least not overly sweet. The chopped salad was kind of average but as described and refreshing. VERY reasonably priced for dinner and live music, no extra charge for the beautiful full moon. Seems like there is more of a Latin influence to the food than last time, Jose's Meatloaf for example, and we liked it. Very reasonably priced wine and drinks. Friendly staff. Lots of seating choices inside and outside that include many levels and stairs particularly if you are going outside. If you have someone with limited mobility, plan ahead. This isn't a Michelin rated restaurant all you other overly picky "expert" Yelpers, chill out, it's Batavia, it's on the river and it's good. Be there.
(4)
Marjie A.
My girlfriends and I came here after a long bike ride looking for a restaurant with outdoor seating. We were seated right away had a nice view of the river. I had an amazing crab cake salad and a cold frosted Blue Moon on tap! My friends also enjoyed thir food as well. Our server was attentive...all in all it was just the casual outdoor dining experience we were looking for!
(3)
John K.
Ate in the bar area and had a nice, cozy feel. Tried the carbonara and Joey's chicken. Both amazing. Be sure and get the pasta fagioli. Super yummy. The main dinning area lacked atmosphere. Outside was charming overlooking the Fox River. It was Saturday night and they had a band.
(4)
JP P.
Pal Joey's is a very casual and comfortable setting both inside and out overlooking the Fox River. I have been a staunch supporter of the pizza quality and service. Until recently!!! The service is good, the pizza is not! Unfortunately "undercooked" pizza is NOT a good thing. This seems to be a common occurrence lately, serving room temperature pizza! That's a bad reflection on kitchen staff professionalism and an embarrassment for management who actually hired these people, not to mention the owners who hired incompetent managers! Think about it! You'll never have to worry about scorching the roof of your mouth ever again.
(1)
Josue O.
We've been here a few times, twice for lunch and once for a group gathering at dinnertime. The service is always very good and, during nice weather, they have a great outdoor patio on the Fox River. Dinner was a burger that wasn't anything Wow!-worthy, but it was well-priced, large, and tasty. I'd order it again. My wife had pasta that she said was only average and would probably not choose that dish again. Lunch, however, has always been their pizza (they also have a pizza and salad buffet from 11-2pm). Their pizza isn't quite thick crust, but it isn't thin, either. It's nice and crispy on the outside, chewy and good on the inside. The sauce is tangy, just the right mix of sweet and acidic. The toppings are average. Overall, it makes for a satisfying pizza. One of our group also ordered fried mozzarella that was clearly homemade and very good. I think Pal Joey's is a 3.5 star kind of place, but I'll give them 4 for lack of that option.
(4)
Sandy G.
The only time our waitress smiled was when she saw we actually left a tip. Really slow service and not very helpful. We waited 15-20 minutes for our pop & iced tea. When we asked the waitress if she could bring them she rudely said "I will". Our food was okay. It wasn't the best but I had expected it to be better given the atmosphere. I had the french onion soup & half an order of chopped salad. The chopped salad had pepperoni & green olives in it which I didn't expect. Overall I was not impressed
(1)
Kari B.
Solid 3. Great location with huge outside patio on the river. Had the Joey antipasto salad, fried zucchini and small pizza (for two). The fried zucchini didn't have much flavor/spice and I'm not for dipped in ranch sauce for flavor. I liked the breaking on it though. The antipasto sealed was ok, wish places would use lettuce better than tasteless iceberg. The homemade balsamic vinaigrette was good. The pizza was pretty small for the price but tasted really good. We went with the thin crust which was more of a medium crust. It had a nice toasted bottom and the sausage was very flavorful. I would go back. Surprised how empty it was on a nice Saturday afternoon.
(3)
Phil V.
I really wanted to give them a 3 star review but there was too much wrong to overlook. The pan pizza was good and was their only saving grace but even that had to be sent back before it was right. 1. Do not order water , bad bad bad! So bad even my six year old commented. Mentioned to server and she said it was tap water, "people get used to their filtered water and thinks ours tastes like crap". TIP - filter you water or offer bottled water. 2. It was a slow Saturday night, staff standing around, lots is bus boys not a lot of servers. The service was SLOW! 3. We ordered a super thin and a pan pizza. The pan pizza was warm, not hot. Despite being straight from the kitchen we were able to actually pick up and hold in our bare hands. Called over our server, showed her how cool it was and she said sorry I'll have them put it back in the oven. 10 mins later the same pizza made its way back out albeit much hotter this time. The pan pizza was good and worthy of 4 star review if there was nothing else to consider. 4. On the way out we passed a series of self indulged high school and college aged staff, not one good night, thank you, see you again, nothing.. They seemed like they didn't care for the customers and just wanted to hang out and have fun. Where is the management in this place? I'll give it another shot in spring, hopefully it was just an off night.
(2)
Sabrina C.
In general, I liked this place. Situated on the Fox River and easily accessible from the bike path, this was an easy choice for lunch. Weather was nice and we were able to sit outside... pretty awesome. The food was good - nothing stunning, but good - tried the buffalo wrap, spaghetti carbonara and cheese pizza - all were pretty decent, and given the ambiance it's definitely someplace we'd come again. The only real complaint (and why this wasn't a 4-star review) is that the place wasn't that busy but the service was pretty slow. 38 minutes for lunch after a 15-min wait to order and another 12 mins after we requested the check. Our server was great, very nice, but perhaps a bit overworked. Actually, everyone we encountered here was terrific - very friendly and accommodating. It wouldn't be my first choice for a repeat lunch, but would definitely come back. Would love to try some apps and cocktails here one evening when not rushing to get back out onto the trails. Worth trying. (Side note: If you happen to be on your bike and are hoping to take home your leftovers... they don't have plastic bags with handles. Large paper bags all the way. So... things might get interesting here momentarily.)
(3)
Joe B.
Great view here by the river. Outdoor eating is a must. IPA beer was excellent. The turkey club unfortunately was not very good. Processed turkey meat was bad. I would come back but order something different next time.
(3)
Larry B.
Not sure how this place can ever get a negative review. I've been here several times and never had a bad experience. Good service...great food..great atmosphere!
(5)
Aaron H.
unbelievable! the bartender had a bad attitude, didn't even apologize for waiting an hour for my pizza. I also waited 20 mins at least for a drink. I've been coming to the original joeys since I was a kid (40 now).
(1)
Rita H.
Went on a Sunday evening around 8:00. It was a nice night to sit on the patio. However, the wait staff seemed more concerned with closing up shop than serving the customers. The hostess took our order because the waitress was nowhere around. She finally delivered our drinks and dinner and then never checked on us again, which is not good for the restaurant either, considering I might have wanted another cocktail. I got the crab cake salad which was good. My friend got the Italian beef, which he said was nothing special and he would not order again. It's a shame because we live in Batavia and so want to patronize local establishments!
(2)
Suze B.
Great food. Good service. Decent prices. They have a nice little patio on the river. It's great for summer nights! Hand tossed cheese pizza with artichokes is the way to go! Top it off with some red pepper flakes. Delicious.
(4)
AJ J.
Good pizza when ordered to eat in. What a great view right on the river. It is spectacular! However was disappointed on the togo. Called in a pizza ahead, they told me 15-20 minutes. I show up 22 minutes later and the pizza was still not ready. There was a lot of employees standing around. Sadly when my pizza was ready 5-10 minutes later it was not even remotely as well prepared as when I ordered in. I will return, however was disappointed with the Togo.
(4)
Laura C.
Their pan pizza is a must! Eat outside on a beautiful night. We have had pasta dishes as well. Rigatoni Abrupt delish! Baked most. Is great! Highly recommend!
(5)
Andy P.
Love the outdoor patio with live bands and the bar outside was perfect. I must say that for the suburbs this is our to go outdoor patio. Good service and very good pizza as well.
(4)
Lucas C.
Food- Everything was mediocre if not horrible. The pizza was way oversauced, the veal looked like vomit, the chicken looked like the veal, and the pasta was mediocre. Service- Extremely slow we waited for our food for an hour and we waited for our bill for three. The waitress was rude didn't really talk much. Won't be coming back anytime soon. Only thing that was decent was the appetizer sampler thing with the mozzarella sticks. Otherwise gross
(1)
Audrey M.
Not impressed! Batavia has made some great updates to their downtown area, so my boyfriend and I decided to check things out. We walked around town and bit and decided to have dinner at Pal Joey's. We sat out on the patio area because it was such a nice night. We were seated at a table right next to the fence on the south side of the patio. The fence was covered in spider webs and bugs . . . so yeah, gross. I realize it's a patio and it's right next to the river, but it looked like the webs had been there for a long time. If you're going to seat people there, at least hose down the fence so the patrons don't feel creepy crawly all through dinner. We ordered spinach and artichoke dip. This is one of my favorite appetizers and so easy to make. I'm not sure what Pal Joey's uses in their recipe, but I was not a fan and neither was my boyfriend. The dip was light on spinach and artichokes and heavy on lumpy, gritty cheese. We made an effort to eat it, but just couldn't. It wasn't good. Our waitress was very apologetic and offered us a free dessert in its place. For dinner we ordered pizza - sausage and black olive. It was much better than the appetizer, but still fell flat for pizza in the Chicago burbs. With so many great pizza places to choose from, we won't be going back to Pal Joey's.
(2)
Jackie J S.
Um, I don't know what to say. I went here with a friend because the place we were going to go to was not open for lunch. I'm not a huge fan of pizza so I ordered the roasted veggie foccacia. When it arrived at the table I realized that there would be no foccacia. What they gave me was 2 pieces of very dried out Cheese pizza, stacked on top of each other crust side out with a spattering of veggies inside. It was beyond yuk. If I had wanted pizza I would have ordered pizza! I am giving 2 stars because the service was good and the coffee was really good. Plus the river view was really nice. I'm not going back any time soon.
(2)
Christina S.
Ive given this place several chances, and it has always been the same. The food was always just okay. My drink wouldn't be refilled until the waitress would break away from her chats with other employees to finally come check on us (which usually happened once during the whole meal). They also cheat you out of your money and trick you into double tipping the wait staff. They automatically add a tip in there, and sneak it into the bill, with a tip line under it. EVEN IF YOU PAY WITH CASH. I am a waitress, I get it. Last night I got tipped 8% on a bill over $100. It does suck, but this is ILLEGAL in illinois. It is extremely tricky. Everyone in my group accidentally double tipped yesterday because we didn't realize it until she snatched the bills all up so we couldnt change it. Not even worth your time. Pathetic.
(1)
Eileen A.
This is the first time I am writing a review of a place I did not even get the chance to eat. What will surprise you is that I was seated with my family for over 15 minutes and yes never got the simple greeting of a waitress or waiter nor asked for even our drink order or given water. On a Saturday night at 6:30, I expect a little more, actually a lot more, hospitality from a so called Batavia staple. We witnessed over 6 staff members waltzing about looking not enthused to the slightest. Even a few waiters stood at the small staircase, watched us get seated at a table next to two large groups and still did nothing. Needless to say we perused the menu and waited patiently giving the teenagers the benefit of the doubt that one will come along and say hello but that did not happen. So we gathered our jackets and walked out without even being noticed. Sad to say, I will not be coming back and feel like they lost some good patronage; hopefully they treat others better in the future.
(1)
Donna O.
If you are looking for a nice place to sit outside and don't really care about service and have all night to spend waiting for dinner, this is your place. The only reason that I am giving two stars is for the location. In all fairness, after waiting to have our drink order taken, waiting an unusual amount of time to order and to receive our appetizer order, after going into the bar to get another drink, we gave up and went to another restaurant for dinner. We didn't actually eat here, so I can't testify as to the quality of the food. (It looked good as it was going by.) I don't think I will be able to get my husband to go here again. Very frustrating. What a lovely location. Another restaurant that is going to fail.
(2)
Gloria M.
We love the sausage, green pepper and black olive pizza. The trick is to order the Very Thin Crust, it's amazing!
(4)
Vivian Y.
The pizza here is classic. Good service, kid friendly and the best river side dining that Batavia has to offer. I
(4)
Matthew A.
Good place for drinks and a appetizer ...entrees not so good :( had the honey bourbon tenderloin and it was overcooked and definitely didn't taste like honey or bourbon. ..sauce was odd
(3)
Jonathan G.
Pretty decent. A bit pricey for what it is and the service is hit or miss. The food is pretty good overall and the location is great. The patio on the river was really nice but they have bands play on there that get far too loud for a restaurant.
(3)
Paul L.
Wednesday night, 7ish. So far 2 stars based on lack of service. We waited 16 minutes for the bartender to come back and take our order after she brought our drinks. They're short staffed and it clearly shows. No apology, nothing....we decided to stay and order but we'll see how the manager handles this when I'm done paying. I'll update my review as the meal progresses. 27 minutes from food being order to table. Food; I had the meatless lasagna and I must say it was very good. A tad too much sweet red sauce but overall one of the better ones I've had in the burbs. I had to ask for bread.
(3)
Kalie T.
We got awesome service and the outside patio is beautiful! I love the fire top tables! We got the jalapeño peppers wrapped in bacon and then the spinach and artichoke dip, both were amazing! The owner is also a very friendly guy and made sure we got everything we needed. Definitely will be going back soon to try their gluten free pizza!
(5)
Ken W.
Great location friendly staff. Food is average casual dining fare... Come for the views and outdoor dining...
(3)
T B.
The menu is constantly changing, and the atmosphere is 5 stars! Right on the river and very family friendly! They bring in lots of entertainment through the spring/summer and now that they are adding in the coolest fire tables on the patio overlooking the river, it'll extend the outdoor season! Pizza is super yum. We love Martin's Nacho's, Joey's Chicken, The Ribs and these new Ruben Spring Rolls.
(5)
Elizabeth S.
One of my favorite pizzas in the area. Our family used to drive out of our way to West Chicago just to pick up Pal Joey's pizza. Having a restaurant in Batavia is so convenient. This is definitely a family favorite, and I highly recommend the pepperoni original crust or white pizza! So delicious!
(4)
Margie T.
I had the Linguine with spinach & Artichoke Hearts. It was awful. It had not flavor to it and the pasta was totally overcooked. I returned the pasta and ordered the pizza instead. It was just average. No idea what they got that award for. The outside patio on the river looked nice.
(2)
Matt S.
As a newb to the Batavia pizza scene we came in strictly based on some reviews. Thank goodness we did, great pizza and awesome location on the river. Sausage on the pizza was delicious.
(4)
Renita M.
Probably the best thing here is the view of the river. It's a lovely setting, peaceful and quiet. Which is not to say this is a bad place. But I found it ... average. I met up with a friend and her husband here on a Thursday evening. We were seated immediately on the patio and waited on pretty promptly. The menu is pizza, pasta, salads, a few meat entrees and some sandwiches. It's also a bar, but the beer list is totally boring and mainstream. We started with red pepper bruschetta. Not really what we were expecting -- and a bit awkward to eat, since it was a folded piece of garlic bread with red pepper and shaved cheese on top. Tasty, but not easy to share. Maybe they could cut it into six or so pieces? Dice the red pepper up? That would help. I got the turkey club, which was a large sandwich. Grilled wheat bread, turkey, lettuce, tomato, mayo and bacon. The bacon was nice and crispy. The turkey was standard deli stuff. Pretty good, nothing special about it. The fries were boring crinkle-cut frozen and tasted greasy (old oil?). Our server was friendly and competent and we got good refill attention from the bus boys as well. If I were in Batavia again, I'd come back if someone else wanted to -- especially in nice weather for the patio. But I wouldn't go out of my way. Oh, and side note, this section of River St is TORN UP right now and inaccessible ... you'll have to be a little creative to get here, and I don't recommend heels.
(3)
Gloria R.
Very disappointed with my experience at this location.I have been to the West Chicago location and they are much better than the location in Batavia.I did not order Pizza,we order dinner from the menu and was very disappointed. Chicken Marsala and CheeseRavioli (Ive tasted way better) The waitress was very rude and not friendly at all, long wait for dinner to come, we sat by the window and there was a cold draft we had to wear our coats the whole time. Will not be coming back , will stick to my West Chicago area !
(2)
Lane L.
Having grown up in West Chicago and going to the original Pal Joey's countless times for pizza or their fried chicken, I was stoked when we were strolling down River St. in Batavia on a recent Saturday after church. This is in the old Charlie Fox's location. Anyway, I was highly disappointed. I don't know if this was a bad Saturday night, or what, but #1, it took forever to get seated. I get that it's a Saturday night, so I do have some level of understanding, but waiting 45 minutes or so, with two young kids on the verge of meltdown mode, just doesn't work. #2, The poor young waitress we had, was getting blasted on all accounts from several other patrons that were also receiving poor service. Food was taking forever, food was coming out cold (as did my Wife's), and one customer was "aggressively agitated". As I said, my Wife's food came out cold, but she wasn't about to send it back otherwise we'd have never gotten out of there. My pizza, wasn't what I fondly recall Pal Joey's pizza to be. It was on par with the pizza you have to endure at Chuckie Cheese's when you have to take the kids there for a B-Day party. #3 as previously reviewed, once you're done, waiting for your check is the next hurdle. I did truly feel bad for the waitress. It CLEARLY wasn't her fault. So I tried to be as nice and understanding with her as possible. No point in taking out our frustrations with her like the other patron did. So yes, I was a little let down.
(2)
Smith L.
Ended up at Pal Joeys on a Friday night at 7:30 by default after a bad experience at neighboring restaurant. Experience couldn't have been better - were immediately greeted and sat at a table overlooking the river and waitress introduced herself and took drink order. Ordered calamari appetizer and deep dish and thin crust pizzas as entrees and everything was delicious. Service and food were great and restaurant can accommodate small to large groups and is good for families too. Location and view overlook the Fox River and you can dine inside or outside and there is a large bar area.
(4)
Kristina S.
Food was good but service was very slow and almost negligent. We had a party of 6 on a Friday night and it took us over an hour to get our food. No one checked on us or updated us or refilled our water during our wait. The food was good- including the gluten free pizza- but the wait made it not worth it for me to want to return. Perhaps extra staff or a more experienced staff is needed.
(2)
Doug C.
We had my sons birthday dinner here and this certainly is not the Pal Joey's I remember from childhood. We ordered appetizers first, which consisted of calamari, cheese sticks and chicken fingers. The calamari was very bland, over coated with tasteless batter and over cooked. The chicken fingers suffered the same fate. I can't speak on the taste of the cheese sticks but they looked unhappy and burnt. My daughter and I ordered the Chicken Napolitano. As an opener she ordered the Pasta Fagioli which tasted (and looked) like bland bean soup. We looked at each other with the understanding that more disappointment was just around the corner. It was. Our chicken came out. The spices they used were odd to put it kindly. Or perhaps the overheating caused them to fuse into being something...different. The chicken was bone dry and still had a funny taste even without these strange spices touching them. My wife ordered the Chicken Marsala. This had a strange sweet kind of sauce that didn't resemble anything close to what Marsala Chicken should be. It wasn't good. Frankly I feel bad that three innocent chickens had to lose their lives to create this unholy trinity of bad taste and incineration. The pizza was merely OK. I've had worse, but I've also had much better. It helped get the taste of the rest of the food out my mouth. The waitress was pleasant and helpful, but looked a little dejected serving us the non-pizza dishes. She knew there was a food sadist lurking in the kitchen She knew. I don't write yelp reviews much, but when I do I'm passionate about it. I would not go here again for anything other than pizza and drinks. Maybe just the drinks. Actually I would probably just skip the whole thing.
(2)
Julie F.
Our meal and service was great. We had mussels for starters and then had a thick crust pizza. Both were excellent. Restaurant was crowded but we were seated quickly and the service was good.
(4)
Daniel S.
If you come here you need to get pizza. Plain and simple. IT IS SOO GOOD. Hands down one of my favorite pizzas of all time. The sauce and the crust is just right. MMMMMmmmm.
(5)
Abby A.
I am huge fan of Batavia and was so excited to try Pal Joeys. What a great location with a great view! BUT the food was terrible! We decided to try it with our Coupon buy one Entree get 1/2 off another, sent the coupon from the Sudden Value Web site, which indicates you can just show it to the server on your phone...when I did this the server said she would take it this time, but management required it be printed out...thought this was incredibly unprofessional, nothing against the server, just not very 2013 friendly policy!! We ordered artichoke, spinach linguine awful!! Eggplant Parmesan awful! And a Chicken Salad that was delivered on the smallest plate there was no way to eat it without the ingredients falling on the table. I will go back and try the pizza just because the atmosphere is awesome!
(2)
Jessica H.
Garbage. Loud and crazy over lit atmosphere. Poor service, as soon as the waitress knew we didn't like the taste of the food she started to ignore us and offered no service recovery. Over cooked flavorless pasta for the entree I ordered. We ordered the spinach artichoke dip appetizer and the dip was okay but they served it with burnt "homemade" tortilla chips and potato chips??!!? It was gross! I would expect an Italian restaurant to serve with crostini or fresh bread. Also, The menu was weird. I thought this was a Italian and pizza place but they had items like nachos and edamame on the menu? Overall a very disappointing experience. The location and the layout of the restaurant is so cool but the food and service was pretty bad.
(1)
Justin M.
We ate here on a snow December night, our waiter was very friendly. The deep dish PIZZA was amazing, its def a must if you go in the St. Charles area. Portions were big and we have a lot of left overs. I would be there more often if i lived closer in the area.
(4)
Marci C.
We loved this restaurant. The pizza is delicious!!! The outside seating along the river is even better!!! We sat at the outside bar for dinner. Great service. Great food. Great ambience!!! Will forSure be going back soon!
(5)
Caroline M.
The location is a little hard to find, as it is a little sunken from the sidewalk. However, the inside is very pretty and there is an outdoor patio that is very nice as well. I went for a low key work outing and we had pizza & appetizers. The pizza was very good, deep dish. The appetizers were great and the fried mozerella was homemade. Beer is cheap, about $7 for a tall Killians or Fat Tire. And service was great as well. I would definitely return.
(4)
Joe B.
Simply awesome. The deep dish pizza is the best in town. It beats the pants off of Aliano's "pizza" handily. The inside is spacious and offers a lot of variety, the bar is clean and always has my sports on, and the patio is one of the greatest things in Batavia dining. I've had a handful of different servers on my visits, all of whom were incredible. The prices are more than competitive, and the flavor of everything is unreal (and consistent, unlike the aforementioned "Italian" restaurant across the river). I'll be going again, and again, and again, and...
(5)
Vanessa S.
Pal Joey's has a lot of things going for it: nice location, solid bar area, and a beautiful patio overlooking the not so scenic Fox. The new location also has a strong menu, and everything I have tried has been at least 4 stars; unfortunately the service just really brings the whole experience down. We've eaten there several times, and the service combined with the apparent lack of management make dining here somewhat unpleasant. I mainly opt for seats at the bar, and every bartender has been quite inexperienced, looking up drinks, forgetting my order, um vodka rocks, and taking incessantly long to quench my thirst. My biggest gripe is that it seems like the servers use the main bar as their service bar which means a server pile up complaining about their customers, discussing the restaurant gossip and slowing everything down, which to me, totally unprofessional. I've watched the bartender mix servers drinks at the end of their shift prior to making customer's (mine), and the manager just watched it all go down. This place annoys me, but I wish they could work out the service kinks because the location, food, and bar are all great!
(2)
P W.
The view is nice, that's it. Oh and the fried asparagus good. But the "famous" pizza was awful (we ordered both pan and thin crust 4 diff kinds) simce we were a group of 6 people. The server was polite enuf, but not really present... Plus there was no manager With whom to speak to (thus no apology made for) the Millions of ants crawling around on the floor by our table!!! Totally gross! This was My first experience here since it was Fox's, and my last. Horrible just horrible. NOT going back!
(1)
Bobby S.
We had a large party that they easily accommodated. Very good pizza. They have gluten-free options, that one in our party appreciated. Took a while to get our drinks & food. It was busy on a Saturday so this may be he norm. Everyone at the table (party of 10) agreed that Pal Joey should offer a "family style" salad that we all could share. We didn't feel like paying $4/ea for side salads. There are closer pizza places to our home, but we'll prob go back & give it another try. I'd like to see what the patio is like in the summer. Ambience inside was nice.
(3)
Dan K.
Pal Joey's might have good food, but you will find out only after you wait an unreasonable amount of time -- after being repeatedly lied to about wait times. There is entertainment before being seated - the greeter and the wait staff will repeatedly confer with the manager as they fail to figure out how to seat your party. I recommend you bring your own chairs to sit in the lobby.
(1)
Dave M.
The pizza was FANTASTIC! Our server's name was Justin and he was a riot! ask for him and sit in his section if he's working! What a fun night! We'll be going back, to be sure!
(5)
Kyle D.
For all the failing restaurants that come through Batavia I am hoping Pal Joey's stays. I have been there 3 times since they opened last month and I get something new on the menu and haven't been disappointed yet. I used to go to the West Chicago location with my inlaws quite a bit and was sooooo excited when I heard they were opening up in my backyard. Below is my review of the building itself, the food, and the wait staff. Decor: Firstly, the location that Pal Joey's has is the BEST in Batavia. I am not sure many can argue that their spacious patio beats any other establishment on the river, with Andres coming a close second. The bar outside has a tv and is very enjoyable to sit and watch the olympics. Their 4 seasons room is very bright with many windows and is comfortable and fitting when the heat is too much but you still want that "outside" dining feel. Inside has always been one of my favorite decors with the exposed stone and nice dark wood throughout. Bathrooms look like they were updated with Pal Joey's coming in and are very nice. Can't comment on the upstairs banquet room, but hopefully one day I will have the opportunity to be a part of a group that rents that out. Food: Obviously the pizza is their mainstay and is extremely well made. I have had also their rigatoni abruzzo, their honey glazed pork tenderloin (oh my god was that amazing), and their reuben. All have been outstanding quality on a busy night. As for the appetizers I have had the red pepper bruschetta (which is more like garlic bread with red pepper on top, very good but not what i expected), the appetizer trio/medley of mushrooms, chicken fingers, and fried mozzarela (standard), and their calamari (that was very good). The pricing on the food is a little expensive, until you see the portion sizes and then it seems very reasonable. Their pizza and sandwiches are probably the best deal for your money, and I highly recommend their sausage and mushroom pan pizza. Staff: Service is very good at being attentive to the table's needs but they don't check on you every 5 minutes like some restaurants. I have had nothing but positive experiences with the waitstaff and are surprised they are as good as they are without having months and months of routine at the restaurant. John, the owner, is probably one of the friendliest and more visible owners at any restaurant I have been to. I like it when an owner takes pride in his/her restaurant and is on the floor to watch his dream become reality and handle issues when they arise. All in all this place is fastly becoming a restaurant that went from no one knowing it was open to all i hear about while grocery shopping or out and about. Check it out!
(5)
Kathy W.
We were looking forward to a dinner at Pal Joeys. I used to be a mystery shopper and I was thankful that I didn't have to write up this experience. From the Hostesses acting like we should have called in a reservation to the bar staff gruffly dealing with each other, I would have had to write a novel. The employees are not enjoying their job and they don't really seem to like their coworkers. The staff wasn't abrasive to us but the interactions we saw at the bar were enough to not have us return. Next time, we'll do carry out.
(2)
Jeff K.
Great food - same as the West Chicago location.
(5)
Mark K.
It pains me to write this review as my wife and i are long time fans of this pizza place. However, something is wrong. This new location is terrific. Great terrace, great views. But..... Our pizza has just been terrible. It's like the dough didn't rise. French onion soup was bland at best. And the service has been consistently out of sync. And how about cleaning the terrace once in a while. They have these blowers now...... I am pretty much done with this place except a drink while bike riding. Too bad. A classic pizza house gone bad.
(2)
Kellie D.
The pizza is fabulous here. We've had takeout from here twice and it was delish both times. We decided to actually go for a meal, and we weren't disappointed. The food was quite good, and I literally had three meals from mine. The atmosphere is pretty casual so it's good for those times when you want to go out without making a big to-do to get ready. The wine and beer selection is pretty, umm, limited as I recall. So if you're looking for fancy this is not it. If you're looking for good food at a good price without a lot of fuss, this is a place to find it.
(3)
Anna N.
Yum. When we moved to Batavia, I was eyeing this place because the view on the river looked awesome. I could picture myself sitting on the patio, enjoying a cocktail, and taking in the view. We decided to go our first time on a festival weekend = bad decision because it was packed with a LONG wait. However, the food was so good I can forgive that we had to wait longer than previously told. All other times since the service time has been great and we got right in. The pizza is delish, their seafood was yummy, and my husbands marsala was like crack to the tongue. Love going back, a must try.
(5)
Greg S.
Stopped in over the weekend while out on a bike ride with friends. We all had sandwiches & sodas. The meal was good, and no complaints about the server or wait times. My reason for writing this review is actually to comment on the outdoor seating area. First thing I noticed when we were brought to our table was how many spider webs there were all over the place. And where there are webs... When I sat down, I noticed two dead spiders hanging from a web right under my spot at the table. I looked up at the inside of the umbrella and saw nothing but webs & dead bugs. While we were waiting to order, a big spider crawled across my friend's menu. While we were waiting for our food, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a spider dropping down right next to me from the umbrella. And later, when I raised my sandwich to my mouth, I saw a spider crawling across my hand. This is an outdoor area -- I get it. But that is gross. Someone should be out on that patio every morning with a broom and a hose. I guarantee you the webs hanging all over the place had been there for a while -- which, to me, is inexcusable. The front entrance area was just as bad. All the plastic patio chairs were covered in webs, as were the railings. So, until they clean things up, my 1-star review stands.
(1)
Jen L.
I was looking forward to trying the new pizza place down on River Street. I really love what they did with the inside decor. I ordered a pizza with just sausage but no cheese. When my food was brought out, there was a handful of onions on the top of it. I don't like making a fuss, but I let the waitress know that it was wrong, so she took it to fix the issue. I figured they would just throw some sauce and sausage on a new pizza, but when they brought it back out, I kept finding pieces of onion in the sauce. I plan to return and try it again in the new future.
(2)
Robert C.
Visited on Sunday, 5/5/2013, but we walked away. While this restaurant has good food, it is not Bicyclist friendly anymore, like its predecessor, "Fox on the River". The reason this is annoying is because the "Fox River Trail" runs right next to this restaurant; in fact, it is an arm's length away from trail. The new owners removed the bicycle rack from the outside patio and locked the outside patio entrance. Instead, the bicycle rack was pushed into a tight corner near the main entrance where you cannot use it anyway. On our previous visit on 09/26/2012, the restaurant recently opened with new name and ownership, and the outside patio entrance was locked, but the bicycle rack was available at main entrance. It was chilly that day so that made sense, but then we got a strange look by one of the workers when we sat down with our bicycle attire. That alone should have been a warning to bicyclists. But, now with the warmer weather, it has gotten worse. Therefore, I am lowering my rating. We drive a long way to use the "trail", and the "restaurant" was just a "nice to visit", and if the new owners do not welcome bicyclists, the bicyclists will just spend their money somewhere else. In fact, we spent our money next door at O'Sole Mio where we can conveniently park our bicycles right next to their outside patio where we can see them.
(3)
John O.
Nothing seems to really work at this location. Hopefully it'll work for Pal Joey's. It has always been a great location to view the river if you can ignore the bugs and the smell. But every place that seems to establish service has always been poor. I don't know if it's cursed or if the waitstaff gets to tired from running around it's large square footage area. Now I've been to their location in West Chicago but this has a little different ambiance to it. I had their baked clams and the usual sausage thin crust pizza which I was impressed by. But nobody around me seemed to be to happy about waiting for a drink or for their food. I hope that they get the kinks out soon because it's been open now for awhile because when the outside patio closes it will be hard to still attract attention to this new location.
(3)
Pat M.
Love the food and the service was wonderful. Just as good as the West Chicago location but the service was better.
(5)
T T.
Good service and above average Pizza. We'll return and try their pastas as well in the near future.
(4)
S T.
Had excellent pan pizza here in the past. Tonight..undercooked. Employees seem to be afraid of manager who is only interested in tickets. Unfriendly
(3)
Doug R.
Went here since our neighbors stated the pizza was pretty good. We went there on a Wednesday night around 6:30 pm on a nice night and the place was not very busy. We only ordered pop and water to drink, so I cannot comment on the alcoholic drinks. The water was average and the coke was a little flat. We split the Chicken Napalitano which was a little dry. It came with roasted potatoes which had a decent flavor but were also a little undercooked, meaning they were kinda solid in the middle, and they were cut into wedges. The kids each had an order of chicken fingers and fries. The fries were average crinkle cuts and the tenders were awful. No flavor whatsoever. Just a coating and chicken. The kids only ate them after they were smothered in ketchup. We sat outside by the river, which was nice, but you almost would have to bring bug spray for mosquito's, I got bit a few times and wanted to leave early. Also, the outside patio bathrooms are something you would find in a crappy, hole in the wall bar. Dirty, not clean, and the large toilet paper roll was sitting on top of the holder and not in the holder. That went for the paper towel roll. It was just nasty, and I had to take my 3yr old daughter in there. The place also charged us for splitting the dinner. They added a $1.50 for a split plate..... Uhh, I would have just had you bring me a separate plate and cut it myself. Are you kidding me... For $40 dollars, "without alcohol", I didn't feel it was worth it. Forgot, we did have the fried zucchini, which was alright. It came out as zucchini fries with a dipping sauce. Average at best, maybe frozen....
(2)
Jr R.
We entered the establishment with a handful of friends and our infant on Friday. We were looking for a ramp and found it but there were employees taking their smoke breaks towards the bottom so we decided to carry our stroller down the stairs to the entrance..... The host who greeted us was very nice and welcoming. He informed us that it's a 20 minute wait which was fine. After 40 minutes we were sat at a table inside. I have been in this industry for over 15 years and after noticing some of the management practices tells me their experience is lacking. The manager was counting the number of guests or tables each server had.....not exactly a bad thing because you want to make sure your guests receive the proper attention. But they executed this rather poorly because there were several tables that were empty and had remained this way the entire evening. There was also a dining area behind the host stand with about 8 tables that had server manuals, to go materials, and staff personal items in it. When there are 7-8 parties waiting for a table on a gorgeous friday night and all these open tables I would say they need more servers on staff. Our table ordered nachos as an app and they were fantastic. As for our server, she was very friendly and suggestive. She stopped by the table periodically and was not at all intrusive. If this were solely based on her, she would receive 4.5 stars. Well done. As for the signature thin crust, this was something I certainly wouldn't order again OR recommend to anyone wanting good pizza. When I order thin crust I expect it to be crispy.....this was anything but. I had to use my fork to eat it because it was so flimsy. The bottom of the pizza pan was filled with grease. I was still hungry but couldn't eat anymore because it just was not good. I usually enjoy cold pizza leftovers in the morning but I didn't take them because I couldn't bare the thought of having to eat another bite. I'm sure there are other items on their menu that are good, which may prompt me to give it another try at some point......but for now I'll take a pass.
(2)
Kristin E.
Great pan pizza. We tried pepperoni and pineapple toppings for the first time on a Pal Joey's pizza. It was great! We made a reservation to ensure a spot on the patio for our group of 8 that included 4 young children. Our server was attentive and brought my daughter another milk when she spilled hers. I would recommend bringing a hat and sunglasses if eating outside. The umbrellas do not help much as the sun is setting. We have visited the West Chicago location frequently, but we plan to take advantage of the patio seating in Batavia while the weather allows us.
(5)
Albert K.
There was an earlier review here about being near the bicycle trail and that other food providers had been more accommodating. Well, I will simply have to agree with that review, albeit for different reasons. My wife and I had ridden here by bicycle from Geneva and arrived right near lunchtime. The restaurant maitre d that greeted us, a young woman in her mid 20s, was first of all nothing short of unfriendly and rude. We were dressed in bicycle riding attire, (not that goofy fancy and tight Lancey pants spandex stuff, but casual clothing). She literally looked at us up and down disagreeably and rolled her eyes for the first time. We requested to sit near to or actually on the outside patio. She looked at us, huffed and without saying a word started walking away presumably wanting us to follow her. When we reached the table, my wife smiled and softly questioned whether we could sit closer to the outside. This particular hostess actually refused and said no and did so without smiling and with what was clearly a "second" rude roll of the eye facial feature. My wife and I were looking forward to eating at Pal Joey's. Growing up Italian and having been to Pal Joey's before, we were also looking forward to this new location. I am not exaggerating. We were treated with a disrespectful, rude and unpleasant attitude (Sorry to have interrupted her texting), all the while trying to be kind to this angry looking and obviously unhappy person. At that point, we never even waited to be seated. I looked at my wife and simply stated, "Let's leave. We don't need this." I wish for this downtown Batavia establishment to do well. Downtown Batavia has become a really inviting and cool place. A word to the owner/manager....Don't think for one minute, you can rely on a previous Pal Joey "good name." Heads up to the clueless unprofessional and arrogant maitre d', as well as the owner. People like to be treated with respect...they appreciate being smiled at...they like to be accommodated (the place was nearly empty that day)...Good food alone will not insure success. Good food, great service and an inviting atmosphere speak volumes toward running a successful business. Another clue...train these types of thoughtless, condescending people or better yet don't hire them in the first place. As for me, there are some really great restaurants in downtown Batavia. Sadly, Pal Joey's isn't one of them.
(2)
Mitch H.
Already running more smoothly than it's predecessor, Fox's. Plus the pizza is a far cry better. The atmosphere is great, and they've done a wonderful job cleaning up and utilizing the patio. Service was speedy, beer was cold, everybody had a smile on their face. I didn't get to explore the whole restaurant, which is massive, but the bar, dining room, terrace and patio all had something unique to offer. So far I've only had the pizza, but after tasting how superior it is to Charlie Fox's or Aliano's I don't doubt that the rest of the menu is solid too. Can't wait to go back, I've heard they've got live music outdoors on weekends!
(4)
Sally G.
So excited that Pal Joey's has opened in Batavia. The location with the outside patio will be wonderful. Always loved them in West Chicago - now they are close.
(5)
Carol F.
New Pal Joeys in Batavia is awful. It is a spinoff from their West Chicago location. Went there 2 weeks ago because we heard they are famous for their pan pizza - and it was great. Now that they figure they got the crowd they want, we went today and it was awful - server said they are transitioning their West Chicago Chefs to new local chefs - wow, they have a lot of transitioning to do because it was disgusting. Not only was the pizza not up to par, but there were ANTS crawling up the walls and on the floor and around the baseboards. I hope they didn't get into my granddaughters backpack. We told the server and she said, oh yes, we know! Duh! The bus boys kept taking our plates and had to bring them back twice! No se habla Inglesh. Not a good experience and we're not going back. We will be going to our favorite Aliano's in Batavia for pizza from now on! They have THE best in Italian cooking for anything you want anyways. Plus they know what they're doing, not just "transitioning." Such a disappointment at Pal Joeys.
(1)
Joe H.
Was very excited to see Pal Joeys had opened a location in Batavia. Took my wife there around 8:30 pm on a Friday and the place was packed. The location itself is fantastic. Right on the river, large space, downtown. After being seated, we waited about 10 minutes for our server. Not too bad considering they were pretty busy. Once our waitress finally showed up, she asked for our drink order. We ordered two beers. 10 minutes later she came back with water and asked what we had ordered because she forgot.....ok, now starting to get annoyed. We told her the two beers again and decided to order since we were ready by this time. About 15 minutes later our appetizer showed up, but NO BEER YET. Asparagus fritters were pretty good, great dipping sauce. While eating our fritters I saw our waitress walking around with two beers going to other tables trying to figure out whose beers they were. Ok, come on. Now starting to get really annoyed. I ordered a pizza with Italian Beef, Giardiniera and garlic and my wife ordered the Pal Joeys Chicken. The pizza finally came and it had sausage, olives and garlic. I was too hungry and frustrated to send the pizza back, so I ate it (even though I HATE olives). My wife's chicken was OK, but not worth $15. Final Review: Too Expensive, Horrible Staff, Great Location......sorry to see another place that will close in a year. My suggestion, go to the Turf Room or Gammon House. Both are great!
(1)
Hal C.
Right off the bat this place was difficult to get into. From some of the available parking (difficult to find a space) there are 60 steps down to enter restaurant & dining room. That means 60 steps back UP to get back to your car. Not very old people friendly. Next, while they do have what appears to be a nice riverside dining area we were seated in the middle room where children were running amuck screaming as smaller children sometimes do. They were ignored by their parents as well as the restaurant staff. On to the food. Ordered a pan pizza that this restaurant is famous for (at West Chicago location). Unfortunately it was so-so at best. Soda refills were slow in coming. Finally had to practically tackle a waitress (not even out server) for a refill. All in all not the best experience for a night out in Batavia.
(1)
Stacy J.
The restaurant is very attractive, the riverside patio is beautiful, and the location is great. Unfortunately, the food is not fresh and the service was not good.
(1)
Joe E.
This review is a to be continued. I stopped here on a Sunday afternoon to check out the venue, because my mom and aunt are using it to throw my sister a baby shower in a few weeks. The location is right along the Fox in downtown Batavia. The space is an old Charlie's Fox location. There is great outdoor seating right along the river, and the restaurant is a good size with plenty of seating. I can't really report on the food because I didn't have any, but it sure looked good. I've been to Pal Joey's in West Chicago, and it looks like they cook the pizzas the exact same way (Pan is PJs specialty). I will say that dining in at Pal Joey's always seems to be better than carryout, though. Looking forward to going back and maybe enjoying a slice on the river.
(3)
Kim E.
The French onion soup was actually really good. The fettuccine was the worst I've ever had. It was bland and dry. The noodles tasted like they sat out for a few days. Fortunately, our waitress took it off the bill. My husband had the sausage pizza which wasn't great. Tombstone pizza has more flavor. We didn't even plan on eating here, but every restaurant in town had at least a 30 min wait. That should've been my first hint about this place. Doubt this place will be around very long, unless they hire a new chef.
(1)
Chris M.
Great pizza and great beer! Pan crust is delicious! The folks here really know how to treat customers. Sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, onions, & mushrooms is our top choice every time! Gotta check this place out if your close!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Marci C.
We loved this restaurant. The pizza is delicious!!! The outside seating along the river is even better!!! We sat at the outside bar for dinner. Great service. Great food. Great ambience!!! Will forSure be going back soon!
(5)Caroline M.
The location is a little hard to find, as it is a little sunken from the sidewalk. However, the inside is very pretty and there is an outdoor patio that is very nice as well. I went for a low key work outing and we had pizza & appetizers. The pizza was very good, deep dish. The appetizers were great and the fried mozerella was homemade. Beer is cheap, about $7 for a tall Killians or Fat Tire. And service was great as well. I would definitely return.
(4)Vanessa S.
Pal Joey's has a lot of things going for it: nice location, solid bar area, and a beautiful patio overlooking the not so scenic Fox. The new location also has a strong menu, and everything I have tried has been at least 4 stars; unfortunately the service just really brings the whole experience down. We've eaten there several times, and the service combined with the apparent lack of management make dining here somewhat unpleasant. I mainly opt for seats at the bar, and every bartender has been quite inexperienced, looking up drinks, forgetting my order, um vodka rocks, and taking incessantly long to quench my thirst. My biggest gripe is that it seems like the servers use the main bar as their service bar which means a server pile up complaining about their customers, discussing the restaurant gossip and slowing everything down, which to me, totally unprofessional. I've watched the bartender mix servers drinks at the end of their shift prior to making customer's (mine), and the manager just watched it all go down. This place annoys me, but I wish they could work out the service kinks because the location, food, and bar are all great!
(2)P W.
The view is nice, that's it. Oh and the fried asparagus good. But the "famous" pizza was awful (we ordered both pan and thin crust 4 diff kinds) simce we were a group of 6 people. The server was polite enuf, but not really present... Plus there was no manager With whom to speak to (thus no apology made for) the Millions of ants crawling around on the floor by our table!!! Totally gross! This was My first experience here since it was Fox's, and my last. Horrible just horrible. NOT going back!
(1)Bobby S.
We had a large party that they easily accommodated. Very good pizza. They have gluten-free options, that one in our party appreciated. Took a while to get our drinks & food. It was busy on a Saturday so this may be he norm. Everyone at the table (party of 10) agreed that Pal Joey should offer a "family style" salad that we all could share. We didn't feel like paying $4/ea for side salads. There are closer pizza places to our home, but we'll prob go back & give it another try. I'd like to see what the patio is like in the summer. Ambience inside was nice.
(3)Dan K.
Pal Joey's might have good food, but you will find out only after you wait an unreasonable amount of time -- after being repeatedly lied to about wait times. There is entertainment before being seated - the greeter and the wait staff will repeatedly confer with the manager as they fail to figure out how to seat your party. I recommend you bring your own chairs to sit in the lobby.
(1)Dave M.
The pizza was FANTASTIC! Our server's name was Justin and he was a riot! ask for him and sit in his section if he's working! What a fun night! We'll be going back, to be sure!
(5)Kyle D.
For all the failing restaurants that come through Batavia I am hoping Pal Joey's stays. I have been there 3 times since they opened last month and I get something new on the menu and haven't been disappointed yet. I used to go to the West Chicago location with my inlaws quite a bit and was sooooo excited when I heard they were opening up in my backyard. Below is my review of the building itself, the food, and the wait staff. Decor: Firstly, the location that Pal Joey's has is the BEST in Batavia. I am not sure many can argue that their spacious patio beats any other establishment on the river, with Andres coming a close second. The bar outside has a tv and is very enjoyable to sit and watch the olympics. Their 4 seasons room is very bright with many windows and is comfortable and fitting when the heat is too much but you still want that "outside" dining feel. Inside has always been one of my favorite decors with the exposed stone and nice dark wood throughout. Bathrooms look like they were updated with Pal Joey's coming in and are very nice. Can't comment on the upstairs banquet room, but hopefully one day I will have the opportunity to be a part of a group that rents that out. Food: Obviously the pizza is their mainstay and is extremely well made. I have had also their rigatoni abruzzo, their honey glazed pork tenderloin (oh my god was that amazing), and their reuben. All have been outstanding quality on a busy night. As for the appetizers I have had the red pepper bruschetta (which is more like garlic bread with red pepper on top, very good but not what i expected), the appetizer trio/medley of mushrooms, chicken fingers, and fried mozzarela (standard), and their calamari (that was very good). The pricing on the food is a little expensive, until you see the portion sizes and then it seems very reasonable. Their pizza and sandwiches are probably the best deal for your money, and I highly recommend their sausage and mushroom pan pizza. Staff: Service is very good at being attentive to the table's needs but they don't check on you every 5 minutes like some restaurants. I have had nothing but positive experiences with the waitstaff and are surprised they are as good as they are without having months and months of routine at the restaurant. John, the owner, is probably one of the friendliest and more visible owners at any restaurant I have been to. I like it when an owner takes pride in his/her restaurant and is on the floor to watch his dream become reality and handle issues when they arise. All in all this place is fastly becoming a restaurant that went from no one knowing it was open to all i hear about while grocery shopping or out and about. Check it out!
(5)Kathy W.
We were looking forward to a dinner at Pal Joeys. I used to be a mystery shopper and I was thankful that I didn't have to write up this experience. From the Hostesses acting like we should have called in a reservation to the bar staff gruffly dealing with each other, I would have had to write a novel. The employees are not enjoying their job and they don't really seem to like their coworkers. The staff wasn't abrasive to us but the interactions we saw at the bar were enough to not have us return. Next time, we'll do carry out.
(2)Jeff K.
Great food - same as the West Chicago location.
(5)Joe B.
Simply awesome. The deep dish pizza is the best in town. It beats the pants off of Aliano's "pizza" handily. The inside is spacious and offers a lot of variety, the bar is clean and always has my sports on, and the patio is one of the greatest things in Batavia dining. I've had a handful of different servers on my visits, all of whom were incredible. The prices are more than competitive, and the flavor of everything is unreal (and consistent, unlike the aforementioned "Italian" restaurant across the river). I'll be going again, and again, and again, and...
(5)Julie F.
Our meal and service was great. We had mussels for starters and then had a thick crust pizza. Both were excellent. Restaurant was crowded but we were seated quickly and the service was good.
(4)Daniel S.
If you come here you need to get pizza. Plain and simple. IT IS SOO GOOD. Hands down one of my favorite pizzas of all time. The sauce and the crust is just right. MMMMMmmmm.
(5)Mark K.
It pains me to write this review as my wife and i are long time fans of this pizza place. However, something is wrong. This new location is terrific. Great terrace, great views. But..... Our pizza has just been terrible. It's like the dough didn't rise. French onion soup was bland at best. And the service has been consistently out of sync. And how about cleaning the terrace once in a while. They have these blowers now...... I am pretty much done with this place except a drink while bike riding. Too bad. A classic pizza house gone bad.
(2)Kellie D.
The pizza is fabulous here. We've had takeout from here twice and it was delish both times. We decided to actually go for a meal, and we weren't disappointed. The food was quite good, and I literally had three meals from mine. The atmosphere is pretty casual so it's good for those times when you want to go out without making a big to-do to get ready. The wine and beer selection is pretty, umm, limited as I recall. So if you're looking for fancy this is not it. If you're looking for good food at a good price without a lot of fuss, this is a place to find it.
(3)Anna N.
Yum. When we moved to Batavia, I was eyeing this place because the view on the river looked awesome. I could picture myself sitting on the patio, enjoying a cocktail, and taking in the view. We decided to go our first time on a festival weekend = bad decision because it was packed with a LONG wait. However, the food was so good I can forgive that we had to wait longer than previously told. All other times since the service time has been great and we got right in. The pizza is delish, their seafood was yummy, and my husbands marsala was like crack to the tongue. Love going back, a must try.
(5)Greg S.
Stopped in over the weekend while out on a bike ride with friends. We all had sandwiches & sodas. The meal was good, and no complaints about the server or wait times. My reason for writing this review is actually to comment on the outdoor seating area. First thing I noticed when we were brought to our table was how many spider webs there were all over the place. And where there are webs... When I sat down, I noticed two dead spiders hanging from a web right under my spot at the table. I looked up at the inside of the umbrella and saw nothing but webs & dead bugs. While we were waiting to order, a big spider crawled across my friend's menu. While we were waiting for our food, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a spider dropping down right next to me from the umbrella. And later, when I raised my sandwich to my mouth, I saw a spider crawling across my hand. This is an outdoor area -- I get it. But that is gross. Someone should be out on that patio every morning with a broom and a hose. I guarantee you the webs hanging all over the place had been there for a while -- which, to me, is inexcusable. The front entrance area was just as bad. All the plastic patio chairs were covered in webs, as were the railings. So, until they clean things up, my 1-star review stands.
(1)Jen L.
I was looking forward to trying the new pizza place down on River Street. I really love what they did with the inside decor. I ordered a pizza with just sausage but no cheese. When my food was brought out, there was a handful of onions on the top of it. I don't like making a fuss, but I let the waitress know that it was wrong, so she took it to fix the issue. I figured they would just throw some sauce and sausage on a new pizza, but when they brought it back out, I kept finding pieces of onion in the sauce. I plan to return and try it again in the new future.
(2)Robert C.
Visited on Sunday, 5/5/2013, but we walked away. While this restaurant has good food, it is not Bicyclist friendly anymore, like its predecessor, "Fox on the River". The reason this is annoying is because the "Fox River Trail" runs right next to this restaurant; in fact, it is an arm's length away from trail. The new owners removed the bicycle rack from the outside patio and locked the outside patio entrance. Instead, the bicycle rack was pushed into a tight corner near the main entrance where you cannot use it anyway. On our previous visit on 09/26/2012, the restaurant recently opened with new name and ownership, and the outside patio entrance was locked, but the bicycle rack was available at main entrance. It was chilly that day so that made sense, but then we got a strange look by one of the workers when we sat down with our bicycle attire. That alone should have been a warning to bicyclists. But, now with the warmer weather, it has gotten worse. Therefore, I am lowering my rating. We drive a long way to use the "trail", and the "restaurant" was just a "nice to visit", and if the new owners do not welcome bicyclists, the bicyclists will just spend their money somewhere else. In fact, we spent our money next door at O'Sole Mio where we can conveniently park our bicycles right next to their outside patio where we can see them.
(3)John O.
Nothing seems to really work at this location. Hopefully it'll work for Pal Joey's. It has always been a great location to view the river if you can ignore the bugs and the smell. But every place that seems to establish service has always been poor. I don't know if it's cursed or if the waitstaff gets to tired from running around it's large square footage area. Now I've been to their location in West Chicago but this has a little different ambiance to it. I had their baked clams and the usual sausage thin crust pizza which I was impressed by. But nobody around me seemed to be to happy about waiting for a drink or for their food. I hope that they get the kinks out soon because it's been open now for awhile because when the outside patio closes it will be hard to still attract attention to this new location.
(3)Pat M.
Love the food and the service was wonderful. Just as good as the West Chicago location but the service was better.
(5)T T.
Good service and above average Pizza. We'll return and try their pastas as well in the near future.
(4)S T.
Had excellent pan pizza here in the past. Tonight..undercooked. Employees seem to be afraid of manager who is only interested in tickets. Unfriendly
(3)Doug R.
Went here since our neighbors stated the pizza was pretty good. We went there on a Wednesday night around 6:30 pm on a nice night and the place was not very busy. We only ordered pop and water to drink, so I cannot comment on the alcoholic drinks. The water was average and the coke was a little flat. We split the Chicken Napalitano which was a little dry. It came with roasted potatoes which had a decent flavor but were also a little undercooked, meaning they were kinda solid in the middle, and they were cut into wedges. The kids each had an order of chicken fingers and fries. The fries were average crinkle cuts and the tenders were awful. No flavor whatsoever. Just a coating and chicken. The kids only ate them after they were smothered in ketchup. We sat outside by the river, which was nice, but you almost would have to bring bug spray for mosquito's, I got bit a few times and wanted to leave early. Also, the outside patio bathrooms are something you would find in a crappy, hole in the wall bar. Dirty, not clean, and the large toilet paper roll was sitting on top of the holder and not in the holder. That went for the paper towel roll. It was just nasty, and I had to take my 3yr old daughter in there. The place also charged us for splitting the dinner. They added a $1.50 for a split plate..... Uhh, I would have just had you bring me a separate plate and cut it myself. Are you kidding me... For $40 dollars, "without alcohol", I didn't feel it was worth it. Forgot, we did have the fried zucchini, which was alright. It came out as zucchini fries with a dipping sauce. Average at best, maybe frozen....
(2)Jr R.
We entered the establishment with a handful of friends and our infant on Friday. We were looking for a ramp and found it but there were employees taking their smoke breaks towards the bottom so we decided to carry our stroller down the stairs to the entrance..... The host who greeted us was very nice and welcoming. He informed us that it's a 20 minute wait which was fine. After 40 minutes we were sat at a table inside. I have been in this industry for over 15 years and after noticing some of the management practices tells me their experience is lacking. The manager was counting the number of guests or tables each server had.....not exactly a bad thing because you want to make sure your guests receive the proper attention. But they executed this rather poorly because there were several tables that were empty and had remained this way the entire evening. There was also a dining area behind the host stand with about 8 tables that had server manuals, to go materials, and staff personal items in it. When there are 7-8 parties waiting for a table on a gorgeous friday night and all these open tables I would say they need more servers on staff. Our table ordered nachos as an app and they were fantastic. As for our server, she was very friendly and suggestive. She stopped by the table periodically and was not at all intrusive. If this were solely based on her, she would receive 4.5 stars. Well done. As for the signature thin crust, this was something I certainly wouldn't order again OR recommend to anyone wanting good pizza. When I order thin crust I expect it to be crispy.....this was anything but. I had to use my fork to eat it because it was so flimsy. The bottom of the pizza pan was filled with grease. I was still hungry but couldn't eat anymore because it just was not good. I usually enjoy cold pizza leftovers in the morning but I didn't take them because I couldn't bare the thought of having to eat another bite. I'm sure there are other items on their menu that are good, which may prompt me to give it another try at some point......but for now I'll take a pass.
(2)Jackie J S.
Um, I don't know what to say. I went here with a friend because the place we were going to go to was not open for lunch. I'm not a huge fan of pizza so I ordered the roasted veggie foccacia. When it arrived at the table I realized that there would be no foccacia. What they gave me was 2 pieces of very dried out Cheese pizza, stacked on top of each other crust side out with a spattering of veggies inside. It was beyond yuk. If I had wanted pizza I would have ordered pizza! I am giving 2 stars because the service was good and the coffee was really good. Plus the river view was really nice. I'm not going back any time soon.
(2)Jonathan G.
Pretty decent. A bit pricey for what it is and the service is hit or miss. The food is pretty good overall and the location is great. The patio on the river was really nice but they have bands play on there that get far too loud for a restaurant.
(3)Kalie T.
We got awesome service and the outside patio is beautiful! I love the fire top tables! We got the jalapeño peppers wrapped in bacon and then the spinach and artichoke dip, both were amazing! The owner is also a very friendly guy and made sure we got everything we needed. Definitely will be going back soon to try their gluten free pizza!
(5)Ken W.
Great location friendly staff. Food is average casual dining fare... Come for the views and outdoor dining...
(3)Albert K.
There was an earlier review here about being near the bicycle trail and that other food providers had been more accommodating. Well, I will simply have to agree with that review, albeit for different reasons. My wife and I had ridden here by bicycle from Geneva and arrived right near lunchtime. The restaurant maitre d that greeted us, a young woman in her mid 20s, was first of all nothing short of unfriendly and rude. We were dressed in bicycle riding attire, (not that goofy fancy and tight Lancey pants spandex stuff, but casual clothing). She literally looked at us up and down disagreeably and rolled her eyes for the first time. We requested to sit near to or actually on the outside patio. She looked at us, huffed and without saying a word started walking away presumably wanting us to follow her. When we reached the table, my wife smiled and softly questioned whether we could sit closer to the outside. This particular hostess actually refused and said no and did so without smiling and with what was clearly a "second" rude roll of the eye facial feature. My wife and I were looking forward to eating at Pal Joey's. Growing up Italian and having been to Pal Joey's before, we were also looking forward to this new location. I am not exaggerating. We were treated with a disrespectful, rude and unpleasant attitude (Sorry to have interrupted her texting), all the while trying to be kind to this angry looking and obviously unhappy person. At that point, we never even waited to be seated. I looked at my wife and simply stated, "Let's leave. We don't need this." I wish for this downtown Batavia establishment to do well. Downtown Batavia has become a really inviting and cool place. A word to the owner/manager....Don't think for one minute, you can rely on a previous Pal Joey "good name." Heads up to the clueless unprofessional and arrogant maitre d', as well as the owner. People like to be treated with respect...they appreciate being smiled at...they like to be accommodated (the place was nearly empty that day)...Good food alone will not insure success. Good food, great service and an inviting atmosphere speak volumes toward running a successful business. Another clue...train these types of thoughtless, condescending people or better yet don't hire them in the first place. As for me, there are some really great restaurants in downtown Batavia. Sadly, Pal Joey's isn't one of them.
(2)Mitch H.
Already running more smoothly than it's predecessor, Fox's. Plus the pizza is a far cry better. The atmosphere is great, and they've done a wonderful job cleaning up and utilizing the patio. Service was speedy, beer was cold, everybody had a smile on their face. I didn't get to explore the whole restaurant, which is massive, but the bar, dining room, terrace and patio all had something unique to offer. So far I've only had the pizza, but after tasting how superior it is to Charlie Fox's or Aliano's I don't doubt that the rest of the menu is solid too. Can't wait to go back, I've heard they've got live music outdoors on weekends!
(4)Sally G.
So excited that Pal Joey's has opened in Batavia. The location with the outside patio will be wonderful. Always loved them in West Chicago - now they are close.
(5)Carol F.
New Pal Joeys in Batavia is awful. It is a spinoff from their West Chicago location. Went there 2 weeks ago because we heard they are famous for their pan pizza - and it was great. Now that they figure they got the crowd they want, we went today and it was awful - server said they are transitioning their West Chicago Chefs to new local chefs - wow, they have a lot of transitioning to do because it was disgusting. Not only was the pizza not up to par, but there were ANTS crawling up the walls and on the floor and around the baseboards. I hope they didn't get into my granddaughters backpack. We told the server and she said, oh yes, we know! Duh! The bus boys kept taking our plates and had to bring them back twice! No se habla Inglesh. Not a good experience and we're not going back. We will be going to our favorite Aliano's in Batavia for pizza from now on! They have THE best in Italian cooking for anything you want anyways. Plus they know what they're doing, not just "transitioning." Such a disappointment at Pal Joeys.
(1)Joe H.
Was very excited to see Pal Joeys had opened a location in Batavia. Took my wife there around 8:30 pm on a Friday and the place was packed. The location itself is fantastic. Right on the river, large space, downtown. After being seated, we waited about 10 minutes for our server. Not too bad considering they were pretty busy. Once our waitress finally showed up, she asked for our drink order. We ordered two beers. 10 minutes later she came back with water and asked what we had ordered because she forgot.....ok, now starting to get annoyed. We told her the two beers again and decided to order since we were ready by this time. About 15 minutes later our appetizer showed up, but NO BEER YET. Asparagus fritters were pretty good, great dipping sauce. While eating our fritters I saw our waitress walking around with two beers going to other tables trying to figure out whose beers they were. Ok, come on. Now starting to get really annoyed. I ordered a pizza with Italian Beef, Giardiniera and garlic and my wife ordered the Pal Joeys Chicken. The pizza finally came and it had sausage, olives and garlic. I was too hungry and frustrated to send the pizza back, so I ate it (even though I HATE olives). My wife's chicken was OK, but not worth $15. Final Review: Too Expensive, Horrible Staff, Great Location......sorry to see another place that will close in a year. My suggestion, go to the Turf Room or Gammon House. Both are great!
(1)JP P.
Pal Joey's is a very casual and comfortable setting both inside and out overlooking the Fox River. I have been a staunch supporter of the pizza quality and service. Until recently!!! The service is good, the pizza is not! Unfortunately "undercooked" pizza is NOT a good thing. This seems to be a common occurrence lately, serving room temperature pizza! That's a bad reflection on kitchen staff professionalism and an embarrassment for management who actually hired these people, not to mention the owners who hired incompetent managers! Think about it! You'll never have to worry about scorching the roof of your mouth ever again.
(1)Sandy G.
The only time our waitress smiled was when she saw we actually left a tip. Really slow service and not very helpful. We waited 15-20 minutes for our pop & iced tea. When we asked the waitress if she could bring them she rudely said "I will". Our food was okay. It wasn't the best but I had expected it to be better given the atmosphere. I had the french onion soup & half an order of chopped salad. The chopped salad had pepperoni & green olives in it which I didn't expect. Overall I was not impressed
(1)Paul L.
Wednesday night, 7ish. So far 2 stars based on lack of service. We waited 16 minutes for the bartender to come back and take our order after she brought our drinks. They're short staffed and it clearly shows. No apology, nothing....we decided to stay and order but we'll see how the manager handles this when I'm done paying. I'll update my review as the meal progresses. 27 minutes from food being order to table. Food; I had the meatless lasagna and I must say it was very good. A tad too much sweet red sauce but overall one of the better ones I've had in the burbs. I had to ask for bread.
(3)Eileen A.
This is the first time I am writing a review of a place I did not even get the chance to eat. What will surprise you is that I was seated with my family for over 15 minutes and yes never got the simple greeting of a waitress or waiter nor asked for even our drink order or given water. On a Saturday night at 6:30, I expect a little more, actually a lot more, hospitality from a so called Batavia staple. We witnessed over 6 staff members waltzing about looking not enthused to the slightest. Even a few waiters stood at the small staircase, watched us get seated at a table next to two large groups and still did nothing. Needless to say we perused the menu and waited patiently giving the teenagers the benefit of the doubt that one will come along and say hello but that did not happen. So we gathered our jackets and walked out without even being noticed. Sad to say, I will not be coming back and feel like they lost some good patronage; hopefully they treat others better in the future.
(1)Donna O.
If you are looking for a nice place to sit outside and don't really care about service and have all night to spend waiting for dinner, this is your place. The only reason that I am giving two stars is for the location. In all fairness, after waiting to have our drink order taken, waiting an unusual amount of time to order and to receive our appetizer order, after going into the bar to get another drink, we gave up and went to another restaurant for dinner. We didn't actually eat here, so I can't testify as to the quality of the food. (It looked good as it was going by.) I don't think I will be able to get my husband to go here again. Very frustrating. What a lovely location. Another restaurant that is going to fail.
(2)Gloria M.
We love the sausage, green pepper and black olive pizza. The trick is to order the Very Thin Crust, it's amazing!
(4)Vivian Y.
The pizza here is classic. Good service, kid friendly and the best river side dining that Batavia has to offer. I
(4)Matthew A.
Good place for drinks and a appetizer ...entrees not so good :( had the honey bourbon tenderloin and it was overcooked and definitely didn't taste like honey or bourbon. ..sauce was odd
(3)T B.
The menu is constantly changing, and the atmosphere is 5 stars! Right on the river and very family friendly! They bring in lots of entertainment through the spring/summer and now that they are adding in the coolest fire tables on the patio overlooking the river, it'll extend the outdoor season! Pizza is super yum. We love Martin's Nacho's, Joey's Chicken, The Ribs and these new Ruben Spring Rolls.
(5)Elizabeth S.
One of my favorite pizzas in the area. Our family used to drive out of our way to West Chicago just to pick up Pal Joey's pizza. Having a restaurant in Batavia is so convenient. This is definitely a family favorite, and I highly recommend the pepperoni original crust or white pizza! So delicious!
(4)Kim E.
The French onion soup was actually really good. The fettuccine was the worst I've ever had. It was bland and dry. The noodles tasted like they sat out for a few days. Fortunately, our waitress took it off the bill. My husband had the sausage pizza which wasn't great. Tombstone pizza has more flavor. We didn't even plan on eating here, but every restaurant in town had at least a 30 min wait. That should've been my first hint about this place. Doubt this place will be around very long, unless they hire a new chef.
(1)Chris M.
Great pizza and great beer! Pan crust is delicious! The folks here really know how to treat customers. Sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, onions, & mushrooms is our top choice every time! Gotta check this place out if your close!
(5)Margie T.
I had the Linguine with spinach & Artichoke Hearts. It was awful. It had not flavor to it and the pasta was totally overcooked. I returned the pasta and ordered the pizza instead. It was just average. No idea what they got that award for. The outside patio on the river looked nice.
(2)Matt S.
As a newb to the Batavia pizza scene we came in strictly based on some reviews. Thank goodness we did, great pizza and awesome location on the river. Sausage on the pizza was delicious.
(4)Matt D.
Pizza is the best around, would recommend this to all !!!!! Matt
(4)Joe E.
This review is a to be continued. I stopped here on a Sunday afternoon to check out the venue, because my mom and aunt are using it to throw my sister a baby shower in a few weeks. The location is right along the Fox in downtown Batavia. The space is an old Charlie's Fox location. There is great outdoor seating right along the river, and the restaurant is a good size with plenty of seating. I can't really report on the food because I didn't have any, but it sure looked good. I've been to Pal Joey's in West Chicago, and it looks like they cook the pizzas the exact same way (Pan is PJs specialty). I will say that dining in at Pal Joey's always seems to be better than carryout, though. Looking forward to going back and maybe enjoying a slice on the river.
(3)Hal C.
Right off the bat this place was difficult to get into. From some of the available parking (difficult to find a space) there are 60 steps down to enter restaurant & dining room. That means 60 steps back UP to get back to your car. Not very old people friendly. Next, while they do have what appears to be a nice riverside dining area we were seated in the middle room where children were running amuck screaming as smaller children sometimes do. They were ignored by their parents as well as the restaurant staff. On to the food. Ordered a pan pizza that this restaurant is famous for (at West Chicago location). Unfortunately it was so-so at best. Soda refills were slow in coming. Finally had to practically tackle a waitress (not even out server) for a refill. All in all not the best experience for a night out in Batavia.
(1)Stacy J.
The restaurant is very attractive, the riverside patio is beautiful, and the location is great. Unfortunately, the food is not fresh and the service was not good.
(1)Smith L.
Ended up at Pal Joeys on a Friday night at 7:30 by default after a bad experience at neighboring restaurant. Experience couldn't have been better - were immediately greeted and sat at a table overlooking the river and waitress introduced herself and took drink order. Ordered calamari appetizer and deep dish and thin crust pizzas as entrees and everything was delicious. Service and food were great and restaurant can accommodate small to large groups and is good for families too. Location and view overlook the Fox River and you can dine inside or outside and there is a large bar area.
(4)Kristina S.
Food was good but service was very slow and almost negligent. We had a party of 6 on a Friday night and it took us over an hour to get our food. No one checked on us or updated us or refilled our water during our wait. The food was good- including the gluten free pizza- but the wait made it not worth it for me to want to return. Perhaps extra staff or a more experienced staff is needed.
(2)Kristin E.
Great pan pizza. We tried pepperoni and pineapple toppings for the first time on a Pal Joey's pizza. It was great! We made a reservation to ensure a spot on the patio for our group of 8 that included 4 young children. Our server was attentive and brought my daughter another milk when she spilled hers. I would recommend bringing a hat and sunglasses if eating outside. The umbrellas do not help much as the sun is setting. We have visited the West Chicago location frequently, but we plan to take advantage of the patio seating in Batavia while the weather allows us.
(5)Renita M.
Probably the best thing here is the view of the river. It's a lovely setting, peaceful and quiet. Which is not to say this is a bad place. But I found it ... average. I met up with a friend and her husband here on a Thursday evening. We were seated immediately on the patio and waited on pretty promptly. The menu is pizza, pasta, salads, a few meat entrees and some sandwiches. It's also a bar, but the beer list is totally boring and mainstream. We started with red pepper bruschetta. Not really what we were expecting -- and a bit awkward to eat, since it was a folded piece of garlic bread with red pepper and shaved cheese on top. Tasty, but not easy to share. Maybe they could cut it into six or so pieces? Dice the red pepper up? That would help. I got the turkey club, which was a large sandwich. Grilled wheat bread, turkey, lettuce, tomato, mayo and bacon. The bacon was nice and crispy. The turkey was standard deli stuff. Pretty good, nothing special about it. The fries were boring crinkle-cut frozen and tasted greasy (old oil?). Our server was friendly and competent and we got good refill attention from the bus boys as well. If I were in Batavia again, I'd come back if someone else wanted to -- especially in nice weather for the patio. But I wouldn't go out of my way. Oh, and side note, this section of River St is TORN UP right now and inaccessible ... you'll have to be a little creative to get here, and I don't recommend heels.
(3)Gloria R.
Very disappointed with my experience at this location.I have been to the West Chicago location and they are much better than the location in Batavia.I did not order Pizza,we order dinner from the menu and was very disappointed. Chicken Marsala and CheeseRavioli (Ive tasted way better) The waitress was very rude and not friendly at all, long wait for dinner to come, we sat by the window and there was a cold draft we had to wear our coats the whole time. Will not be coming back , will stick to my West Chicago area !
(2)Lane L.
Having grown up in West Chicago and going to the original Pal Joey's countless times for pizza or their fried chicken, I was stoked when we were strolling down River St. in Batavia on a recent Saturday after church. This is in the old Charlie Fox's location. Anyway, I was highly disappointed. I don't know if this was a bad Saturday night, or what, but #1, it took forever to get seated. I get that it's a Saturday night, so I do have some level of understanding, but waiting 45 minutes or so, with two young kids on the verge of meltdown mode, just doesn't work. #2, The poor young waitress we had, was getting blasted on all accounts from several other patrons that were also receiving poor service. Food was taking forever, food was coming out cold (as did my Wife's), and one customer was "aggressively agitated". As I said, my Wife's food came out cold, but she wasn't about to send it back otherwise we'd have never gotten out of there. My pizza, wasn't what I fondly recall Pal Joey's pizza to be. It was on par with the pizza you have to endure at Chuckie Cheese's when you have to take the kids there for a B-Day party. #3 as previously reviewed, once you're done, waiting for your check is the next hurdle. I did truly feel bad for the waitress. It CLEARLY wasn't her fault. So I tried to be as nice and understanding with her as possible. No point in taking out our frustrations with her like the other patron did. So yes, I was a little let down.
(2)Doug C.
We had my sons birthday dinner here and this certainly is not the Pal Joey's I remember from childhood. We ordered appetizers first, which consisted of calamari, cheese sticks and chicken fingers. The calamari was very bland, over coated with tasteless batter and over cooked. The chicken fingers suffered the same fate. I can't speak on the taste of the cheese sticks but they looked unhappy and burnt. My daughter and I ordered the Chicken Napolitano. As an opener she ordered the Pasta Fagioli which tasted (and looked) like bland bean soup. We looked at each other with the understanding that more disappointment was just around the corner. It was. Our chicken came out. The spices they used were odd to put it kindly. Or perhaps the overheating caused them to fuse into being something...different. The chicken was bone dry and still had a funny taste even without these strange spices touching them. My wife ordered the Chicken Marsala. This had a strange sweet kind of sauce that didn't resemble anything close to what Marsala Chicken should be. It wasn't good. Frankly I feel bad that three innocent chickens had to lose their lives to create this unholy trinity of bad taste and incineration. The pizza was merely OK. I've had worse, but I've also had much better. It helped get the taste of the rest of the food out my mouth. The waitress was pleasant and helpful, but looked a little dejected serving us the non-pizza dishes. She knew there was a food sadist lurking in the kitchen She knew. I don't write yelp reviews much, but when I do I'm passionate about it. I would not go here again for anything other than pizza and drinks. Maybe just the drinks. Actually I would probably just skip the whole thing.
(2)Abby A.
I am huge fan of Batavia and was so excited to try Pal Joeys. What a great location with a great view! BUT the food was terrible! We decided to try it with our Coupon buy one Entree get 1/2 off another, sent the coupon from the Sudden Value Web site, which indicates you can just show it to the server on your phone...when I did this the server said she would take it this time, but management required it be printed out...thought this was incredibly unprofessional, nothing against the server, just not very 2013 friendly policy!! We ordered artichoke, spinach linguine awful!! Eggplant Parmesan awful! And a Chicken Salad that was delivered on the smallest plate there was no way to eat it without the ingredients falling on the table. I will go back and try the pizza just because the atmosphere is awesome!
(2)Jessica H.
Garbage. Loud and crazy over lit atmosphere. Poor service, as soon as the waitress knew we didn't like the taste of the food she started to ignore us and offered no service recovery. Over cooked flavorless pasta for the entree I ordered. We ordered the spinach artichoke dip appetizer and the dip was okay but they served it with burnt "homemade" tortilla chips and potato chips??!!? It was gross! I would expect an Italian restaurant to serve with crostini or fresh bread. Also, The menu was weird. I thought this was a Italian and pizza place but they had items like nachos and edamame on the menu? Overall a very disappointing experience. The location and the layout of the restaurant is so cool but the food and service was pretty bad.
(1)Justin M.
We ate here on a snow December night, our waiter was very friendly. The deep dish PIZZA was amazing, its def a must if you go in the St. Charles area. Portions were big and we have a lot of left overs. I would be there more often if i lived closer in the area.
(4)Kari B.
Solid 3. Great location with huge outside patio on the river. Had the Joey antipasto salad, fried zucchini and small pizza (for two). The fried zucchini didn't have much flavor/spice and I'm not for dipped in ranch sauce for flavor. I liked the breaking on it though. The antipasto sealed was ok, wish places would use lettuce better than tasteless iceberg. The homemade balsamic vinaigrette was good. The pizza was pretty small for the price but tasted really good. We went with the thin crust which was more of a medium crust. It had a nice toasted bottom and the sausage was very flavorful. I would go back. Surprised how empty it was on a nice Saturday afternoon.
(3)Josue O.
We've been here a few times, twice for lunch and once for a group gathering at dinnertime. The service is always very good and, during nice weather, they have a great outdoor patio on the Fox River. Dinner was a burger that wasn't anything Wow!-worthy, but it was well-priced, large, and tasty. I'd order it again. My wife had pasta that she said was only average and would probably not choose that dish again. Lunch, however, has always been their pizza (they also have a pizza and salad buffet from 11-2pm). Their pizza isn't quite thick crust, but it isn't thin, either. It's nice and crispy on the outside, chewy and good on the inside. The sauce is tangy, just the right mix of sweet and acidic. The toppings are average. Overall, it makes for a satisfying pizza. One of our group also ordered fried mozzarella that was clearly homemade and very good. I think Pal Joey's is a 3.5 star kind of place, but I'll give them 4 for lack of that option.
(4)Gerry A.
I'm still not a big fan of their pan pizza but it does look better than it used to, particularly the deeper dish but it's really just another inch of bread tacked on, meh. The good news is it is still a gorgeous river accessible property with a better menu than they had 3 years ago. And our luck continued as our threesome got the SAME great server Jaqueline we had 3 years ago. We went with Jaqueline's recommendation for the way better than average supernachos with chorizo sausage, yes the meatloaf plate, the egg parmesan and the chopped salad. The meatloaf was surprisingly light and a large order with some subtle spices and a little heat plus mashed potatoes and green peas, real road food. The Eggplant parmesan was half a plate of a small order of egg plant parmesan and a larger half with spaghetti and sauce. A little disappointed in the size of the eggplant parmesan order but it was very good, and the pasta sauce at least not overly sweet. The chopped salad was kind of average but as described and refreshing. VERY reasonably priced for dinner and live music, no extra charge for the beautiful full moon. Seems like there is more of a Latin influence to the food than last time, Jose's Meatloaf for example, and we liked it. Very reasonably priced wine and drinks. Friendly staff. Lots of seating choices inside and outside that include many levels and stairs particularly if you are going outside. If you have someone with limited mobility, plan ahead. This isn't a Michelin rated restaurant all you other overly picky "expert" Yelpers, chill out, it's Batavia, it's on the river and it's good. Be there.
(4)Marjie A.
My girlfriends and I came here after a long bike ride looking for a restaurant with outdoor seating. We were seated right away had a nice view of the river. I had an amazing crab cake salad and a cold frosted Blue Moon on tap! My friends also enjoyed thir food as well. Our server was attentive...all in all it was just the casual outdoor dining experience we were looking for!
(3)John K.
Ate in the bar area and had a nice, cozy feel. Tried the carbonara and Joey's chicken. Both amazing. Be sure and get the pasta fagioli. Super yummy. The main dinning area lacked atmosphere. Outside was charming overlooking the Fox River. It was Saturday night and they had a band.
(4)Phil V.
I really wanted to give them a 3 star review but there was too much wrong to overlook. The pan pizza was good and was their only saving grace but even that had to be sent back before it was right. 1. Do not order water , bad bad bad! So bad even my six year old commented. Mentioned to server and she said it was tap water, "people get used to their filtered water and thinks ours tastes like crap". TIP - filter you water or offer bottled water. 2. It was a slow Saturday night, staff standing around, lots is bus boys not a lot of servers. The service was SLOW! 3. We ordered a super thin and a pan pizza. The pan pizza was warm, not hot. Despite being straight from the kitchen we were able to actually pick up and hold in our bare hands. Called over our server, showed her how cool it was and she said sorry I'll have them put it back in the oven. 10 mins later the same pizza made its way back out albeit much hotter this time. The pan pizza was good and worthy of 4 star review if there was nothing else to consider. 4. On the way out we passed a series of self indulged high school and college aged staff, not one good night, thank you, see you again, nothing.. They seemed like they didn't care for the customers and just wanted to hang out and have fun. Where is the management in this place? I'll give it another shot in spring, hopefully it was just an off night.
(2)Laura C.
Their pan pizza is a must! Eat outside on a beautiful night. We have had pasta dishes as well. Rigatoni Abrupt delish! Baked most. Is great! Highly recommend!
(5)Andy P.
Love the outdoor patio with live bands and the bar outside was perfect. I must say that for the suburbs this is our to go outdoor patio. Good service and very good pizza as well.
(4)Lucas C.
Food- Everything was mediocre if not horrible. The pizza was way oversauced, the veal looked like vomit, the chicken looked like the veal, and the pasta was mediocre. Service- Extremely slow we waited for our food for an hour and we waited for our bill for three. The waitress was rude didn't really talk much. Won't be coming back anytime soon. Only thing that was decent was the appetizer sampler thing with the mozzarella sticks. Otherwise gross
(1)Sabrina C.
In general, I liked this place. Situated on the Fox River and easily accessible from the bike path, this was an easy choice for lunch. Weather was nice and we were able to sit outside... pretty awesome. The food was good - nothing stunning, but good - tried the buffalo wrap, spaghetti carbonara and cheese pizza - all were pretty decent, and given the ambiance it's definitely someplace we'd come again. The only real complaint (and why this wasn't a 4-star review) is that the place wasn't that busy but the service was pretty slow. 38 minutes for lunch after a 15-min wait to order and another 12 mins after we requested the check. Our server was great, very nice, but perhaps a bit overworked. Actually, everyone we encountered here was terrific - very friendly and accommodating. It wouldn't be my first choice for a repeat lunch, but would definitely come back. Would love to try some apps and cocktails here one evening when not rushing to get back out onto the trails. Worth trying. (Side note: If you happen to be on your bike and are hoping to take home your leftovers... they don't have plastic bags with handles. Large paper bags all the way. So... things might get interesting here momentarily.)
(3)Joe B.
Great view here by the river. Outdoor eating is a must. IPA beer was excellent. The turkey club unfortunately was not very good. Processed turkey meat was bad. I would come back but order something different next time.
(3)Larry B.
Not sure how this place can ever get a negative review. I've been here several times and never had a bad experience. Good service...great food..great atmosphere!
(5)Aaron H.
unbelievable! the bartender had a bad attitude, didn't even apologize for waiting an hour for my pizza. I also waited 20 mins at least for a drink. I've been coming to the original joeys since I was a kid (40 now).
(1)Rita H.
Went on a Sunday evening around 8:00. It was a nice night to sit on the patio. However, the wait staff seemed more concerned with closing up shop than serving the customers. The hostess took our order because the waitress was nowhere around. She finally delivered our drinks and dinner and then never checked on us again, which is not good for the restaurant either, considering I might have wanted another cocktail. I got the crab cake salad which was good. My friend got the Italian beef, which he said was nothing special and he would not order again. It's a shame because we live in Batavia and so want to patronize local establishments!
(2)Suze B.
Great food. Good service. Decent prices. They have a nice little patio on the river. It's great for summer nights! Hand tossed cheese pizza with artichokes is the way to go! Top it off with some red pepper flakes. Delicious.
(4)AJ J.
Good pizza when ordered to eat in. What a great view right on the river. It is spectacular! However was disappointed on the togo. Called in a pizza ahead, they told me 15-20 minutes. I show up 22 minutes later and the pizza was still not ready. There was a lot of employees standing around. Sadly when my pizza was ready 5-10 minutes later it was not even remotely as well prepared as when I ordered in. I will return, however was disappointed with the Togo.
(4)Audrey M.
Not impressed! Batavia has made some great updates to their downtown area, so my boyfriend and I decided to check things out. We walked around town and bit and decided to have dinner at Pal Joey's. We sat out on the patio area because it was such a nice night. We were seated at a table right next to the fence on the south side of the patio. The fence was covered in spider webs and bugs . . . so yeah, gross. I realize it's a patio and it's right next to the river, but it looked like the webs had been there for a long time. If you're going to seat people there, at least hose down the fence so the patrons don't feel creepy crawly all through dinner. We ordered spinach and artichoke dip. This is one of my favorite appetizers and so easy to make. I'm not sure what Pal Joey's uses in their recipe, but I was not a fan and neither was my boyfriend. The dip was light on spinach and artichokes and heavy on lumpy, gritty cheese. We made an effort to eat it, but just couldn't. It wasn't good. Our waitress was very apologetic and offered us a free dessert in its place. For dinner we ordered pizza - sausage and black olive. It was much better than the appetizer, but still fell flat for pizza in the Chicago burbs. With so many great pizza places to choose from, we won't be going back to Pal Joey's.
(2)Christina S.
Ive given this place several chances, and it has always been the same. The food was always just okay. My drink wouldn't be refilled until the waitress would break away from her chats with other employees to finally come check on us (which usually happened once during the whole meal). They also cheat you out of your money and trick you into double tipping the wait staff. They automatically add a tip in there, and sneak it into the bill, with a tip line under it. EVEN IF YOU PAY WITH CASH. I am a waitress, I get it. Last night I got tipped 8% on a bill over $100. It does suck, but this is ILLEGAL in illinois. It is extremely tricky. Everyone in my group accidentally double tipped yesterday because we didn't realize it until she snatched the bills all up so we couldnt change it. Not even worth your time. Pathetic.
(1)Matt D.
Pizza is the best around, would recommend this to all !!!!! Matt
(4)Gerry A.
I'm still not a big fan of their pan pizza but it does look better than it used to, particularly the deeper dish but it's really just another inch of bread tacked on, meh. The good news is it is still a gorgeous river accessible property with a better menu than they had 3 years ago. And our luck continued as our threesome got the SAME great server Jaqueline we had 3 years ago. We went with Jaqueline's recommendation for the way better than average supernachos with chorizo sausage, yes the meatloaf plate, the egg parmesan and the chopped salad. The meatloaf was surprisingly light and a large order with some subtle spices and a little heat plus mashed potatoes and green peas, real road food. The Eggplant parmesan was half a plate of a small order of egg plant parmesan and a larger half with spaghetti and sauce. A little disappointed in the size of the eggplant parmesan order but it was very good, and the pasta sauce at least not overly sweet. The chopped salad was kind of average but as described and refreshing. VERY reasonably priced for dinner and live music, no extra charge for the beautiful full moon. Seems like there is more of a Latin influence to the food than last time, Jose's Meatloaf for example, and we liked it. Very reasonably priced wine and drinks. Friendly staff. Lots of seating choices inside and outside that include many levels and stairs particularly if you are going outside. If you have someone with limited mobility, plan ahead. This isn't a Michelin rated restaurant all you other overly picky "expert" Yelpers, chill out, it's Batavia, it's on the river and it's good. Be there.
(4)Marjie A.
My girlfriends and I came here after a long bike ride looking for a restaurant with outdoor seating. We were seated right away had a nice view of the river. I had an amazing crab cake salad and a cold frosted Blue Moon on tap! My friends also enjoyed thir food as well. Our server was attentive...all in all it was just the casual outdoor dining experience we were looking for!
(3)John K.
Ate in the bar area and had a nice, cozy feel. Tried the carbonara and Joey's chicken. Both amazing. Be sure and get the pasta fagioli. Super yummy. The main dinning area lacked atmosphere. Outside was charming overlooking the Fox River. It was Saturday night and they had a band.
(4)JP P.
Pal Joey's is a very casual and comfortable setting both inside and out overlooking the Fox River. I have been a staunch supporter of the pizza quality and service. Until recently!!! The service is good, the pizza is not! Unfortunately "undercooked" pizza is NOT a good thing. This seems to be a common occurrence lately, serving room temperature pizza! That's a bad reflection on kitchen staff professionalism and an embarrassment for management who actually hired these people, not to mention the owners who hired incompetent managers! Think about it! You'll never have to worry about scorching the roof of your mouth ever again.
(1)Josue O.
We've been here a few times, twice for lunch and once for a group gathering at dinnertime. The service is always very good and, during nice weather, they have a great outdoor patio on the Fox River. Dinner was a burger that wasn't anything Wow!-worthy, but it was well-priced, large, and tasty. I'd order it again. My wife had pasta that she said was only average and would probably not choose that dish again. Lunch, however, has always been their pizza (they also have a pizza and salad buffet from 11-2pm). Their pizza isn't quite thick crust, but it isn't thin, either. It's nice and crispy on the outside, chewy and good on the inside. The sauce is tangy, just the right mix of sweet and acidic. The toppings are average. Overall, it makes for a satisfying pizza. One of our group also ordered fried mozzarella that was clearly homemade and very good. I think Pal Joey's is a 3.5 star kind of place, but I'll give them 4 for lack of that option.
(4)Sandy G.
The only time our waitress smiled was when she saw we actually left a tip. Really slow service and not very helpful. We waited 15-20 minutes for our pop & iced tea. When we asked the waitress if she could bring them she rudely said "I will". Our food was okay. It wasn't the best but I had expected it to be better given the atmosphere. I had the french onion soup & half an order of chopped salad. The chopped salad had pepperoni & green olives in it which I didn't expect. Overall I was not impressed
(1)Kari B.
Solid 3. Great location with huge outside patio on the river. Had the Joey antipasto salad, fried zucchini and small pizza (for two). The fried zucchini didn't have much flavor/spice and I'm not for dipped in ranch sauce for flavor. I liked the breaking on it though. The antipasto sealed was ok, wish places would use lettuce better than tasteless iceberg. The homemade balsamic vinaigrette was good. The pizza was pretty small for the price but tasted really good. We went with the thin crust which was more of a medium crust. It had a nice toasted bottom and the sausage was very flavorful. I would go back. Surprised how empty it was on a nice Saturday afternoon.
(3)Phil V.
I really wanted to give them a 3 star review but there was too much wrong to overlook. The pan pizza was good and was their only saving grace but even that had to be sent back before it was right. 1. Do not order water , bad bad bad! So bad even my six year old commented. Mentioned to server and she said it was tap water, "people get used to their filtered water and thinks ours tastes like crap". TIP - filter you water or offer bottled water. 2. It was a slow Saturday night, staff standing around, lots is bus boys not a lot of servers. The service was SLOW! 3. We ordered a super thin and a pan pizza. The pan pizza was warm, not hot. Despite being straight from the kitchen we were able to actually pick up and hold in our bare hands. Called over our server, showed her how cool it was and she said sorry I'll have them put it back in the oven. 10 mins later the same pizza made its way back out albeit much hotter this time. The pan pizza was good and worthy of 4 star review if there was nothing else to consider. 4. On the way out we passed a series of self indulged high school and college aged staff, not one good night, thank you, see you again, nothing.. They seemed like they didn't care for the customers and just wanted to hang out and have fun. Where is the management in this place? I'll give it another shot in spring, hopefully it was just an off night.
(2)Sabrina C.
In general, I liked this place. Situated on the Fox River and easily accessible from the bike path, this was an easy choice for lunch. Weather was nice and we were able to sit outside... pretty awesome. The food was good - nothing stunning, but good - tried the buffalo wrap, spaghetti carbonara and cheese pizza - all were pretty decent, and given the ambiance it's definitely someplace we'd come again. The only real complaint (and why this wasn't a 4-star review) is that the place wasn't that busy but the service was pretty slow. 38 minutes for lunch after a 15-min wait to order and another 12 mins after we requested the check. Our server was great, very nice, but perhaps a bit overworked. Actually, everyone we encountered here was terrific - very friendly and accommodating. It wouldn't be my first choice for a repeat lunch, but would definitely come back. Would love to try some apps and cocktails here one evening when not rushing to get back out onto the trails. Worth trying. (Side note: If you happen to be on your bike and are hoping to take home your leftovers... they don't have plastic bags with handles. Large paper bags all the way. So... things might get interesting here momentarily.)
(3)Joe B.
Great view here by the river. Outdoor eating is a must. IPA beer was excellent. The turkey club unfortunately was not very good. Processed turkey meat was bad. I would come back but order something different next time.
(3)Larry B.
Not sure how this place can ever get a negative review. I've been here several times and never had a bad experience. Good service...great food..great atmosphere!
(5)Aaron H.
unbelievable! the bartender had a bad attitude, didn't even apologize for waiting an hour for my pizza. I also waited 20 mins at least for a drink. I've been coming to the original joeys since I was a kid (40 now).
(1)Rita H.
Went on a Sunday evening around 8:00. It was a nice night to sit on the patio. However, the wait staff seemed more concerned with closing up shop than serving the customers. The hostess took our order because the waitress was nowhere around. She finally delivered our drinks and dinner and then never checked on us again, which is not good for the restaurant either, considering I might have wanted another cocktail. I got the crab cake salad which was good. My friend got the Italian beef, which he said was nothing special and he would not order again. It's a shame because we live in Batavia and so want to patronize local establishments!
(2)Suze B.
Great food. Good service. Decent prices. They have a nice little patio on the river. It's great for summer nights! Hand tossed cheese pizza with artichokes is the way to go! Top it off with some red pepper flakes. Delicious.
(4)AJ J.
Good pizza when ordered to eat in. What a great view right on the river. It is spectacular! However was disappointed on the togo. Called in a pizza ahead, they told me 15-20 minutes. I show up 22 minutes later and the pizza was still not ready. There was a lot of employees standing around. Sadly when my pizza was ready 5-10 minutes later it was not even remotely as well prepared as when I ordered in. I will return, however was disappointed with the Togo.
(4)Laura C.
Their pan pizza is a must! Eat outside on a beautiful night. We have had pasta dishes as well. Rigatoni Abrupt delish! Baked most. Is great! Highly recommend!
(5)Andy P.
Love the outdoor patio with live bands and the bar outside was perfect. I must say that for the suburbs this is our to go outdoor patio. Good service and very good pizza as well.
(4)Lucas C.
Food- Everything was mediocre if not horrible. The pizza was way oversauced, the veal looked like vomit, the chicken looked like the veal, and the pasta was mediocre. Service- Extremely slow we waited for our food for an hour and we waited for our bill for three. The waitress was rude didn't really talk much. Won't be coming back anytime soon. Only thing that was decent was the appetizer sampler thing with the mozzarella sticks. Otherwise gross
(1)Audrey M.
Not impressed! Batavia has made some great updates to their downtown area, so my boyfriend and I decided to check things out. We walked around town and bit and decided to have dinner at Pal Joey's. We sat out on the patio area because it was such a nice night. We were seated at a table right next to the fence on the south side of the patio. The fence was covered in spider webs and bugs . . . so yeah, gross. I realize it's a patio and it's right next to the river, but it looked like the webs had been there for a long time. If you're going to seat people there, at least hose down the fence so the patrons don't feel creepy crawly all through dinner. We ordered spinach and artichoke dip. This is one of my favorite appetizers and so easy to make. I'm not sure what Pal Joey's uses in their recipe, but I was not a fan and neither was my boyfriend. The dip was light on spinach and artichokes and heavy on lumpy, gritty cheese. We made an effort to eat it, but just couldn't. It wasn't good. Our waitress was very apologetic and offered us a free dessert in its place. For dinner we ordered pizza - sausage and black olive. It was much better than the appetizer, but still fell flat for pizza in the Chicago burbs. With so many great pizza places to choose from, we won't be going back to Pal Joey's.
(2)Jackie J S.
Um, I don't know what to say. I went here with a friend because the place we were going to go to was not open for lunch. I'm not a huge fan of pizza so I ordered the roasted veggie foccacia. When it arrived at the table I realized that there would be no foccacia. What they gave me was 2 pieces of very dried out Cheese pizza, stacked on top of each other crust side out with a spattering of veggies inside. It was beyond yuk. If I had wanted pizza I would have ordered pizza! I am giving 2 stars because the service was good and the coffee was really good. Plus the river view was really nice. I'm not going back any time soon.
(2)Christina S.
Ive given this place several chances, and it has always been the same. The food was always just okay. My drink wouldn't be refilled until the waitress would break away from her chats with other employees to finally come check on us (which usually happened once during the whole meal). They also cheat you out of your money and trick you into double tipping the wait staff. They automatically add a tip in there, and sneak it into the bill, with a tip line under it. EVEN IF YOU PAY WITH CASH. I am a waitress, I get it. Last night I got tipped 8% on a bill over $100. It does suck, but this is ILLEGAL in illinois. It is extremely tricky. Everyone in my group accidentally double tipped yesterday because we didn't realize it until she snatched the bills all up so we couldnt change it. Not even worth your time. Pathetic.
(1)Eileen A.
This is the first time I am writing a review of a place I did not even get the chance to eat. What will surprise you is that I was seated with my family for over 15 minutes and yes never got the simple greeting of a waitress or waiter nor asked for even our drink order or given water. On a Saturday night at 6:30, I expect a little more, actually a lot more, hospitality from a so called Batavia staple. We witnessed over 6 staff members waltzing about looking not enthused to the slightest. Even a few waiters stood at the small staircase, watched us get seated at a table next to two large groups and still did nothing. Needless to say we perused the menu and waited patiently giving the teenagers the benefit of the doubt that one will come along and say hello but that did not happen. So we gathered our jackets and walked out without even being noticed. Sad to say, I will not be coming back and feel like they lost some good patronage; hopefully they treat others better in the future.
(1)Donna O.
If you are looking for a nice place to sit outside and don't really care about service and have all night to spend waiting for dinner, this is your place. The only reason that I am giving two stars is for the location. In all fairness, after waiting to have our drink order taken, waiting an unusual amount of time to order and to receive our appetizer order, after going into the bar to get another drink, we gave up and went to another restaurant for dinner. We didn't actually eat here, so I can't testify as to the quality of the food. (It looked good as it was going by.) I don't think I will be able to get my husband to go here again. Very frustrating. What a lovely location. Another restaurant that is going to fail.
(2)Gloria M.
We love the sausage, green pepper and black olive pizza. The trick is to order the Very Thin Crust, it's amazing!
(4)Vivian Y.
The pizza here is classic. Good service, kid friendly and the best river side dining that Batavia has to offer. I
(4)Matthew A.
Good place for drinks and a appetizer ...entrees not so good :( had the honey bourbon tenderloin and it was overcooked and definitely didn't taste like honey or bourbon. ..sauce was odd
(3)Jonathan G.
Pretty decent. A bit pricey for what it is and the service is hit or miss. The food is pretty good overall and the location is great. The patio on the river was really nice but they have bands play on there that get far too loud for a restaurant.
(3)Paul L.
Wednesday night, 7ish. So far 2 stars based on lack of service. We waited 16 minutes for the bartender to come back and take our order after she brought our drinks. They're short staffed and it clearly shows. No apology, nothing....we decided to stay and order but we'll see how the manager handles this when I'm done paying. I'll update my review as the meal progresses. 27 minutes from food being order to table. Food; I had the meatless lasagna and I must say it was very good. A tad too much sweet red sauce but overall one of the better ones I've had in the burbs. I had to ask for bread.
(3)Kalie T.
We got awesome service and the outside patio is beautiful! I love the fire top tables! We got the jalapeño peppers wrapped in bacon and then the spinach and artichoke dip, both were amazing! The owner is also a very friendly guy and made sure we got everything we needed. Definitely will be going back soon to try their gluten free pizza!
(5)Ken W.
Great location friendly staff. Food is average casual dining fare... Come for the views and outdoor dining...
(3)T B.
The menu is constantly changing, and the atmosphere is 5 stars! Right on the river and very family friendly! They bring in lots of entertainment through the spring/summer and now that they are adding in the coolest fire tables on the patio overlooking the river, it'll extend the outdoor season! Pizza is super yum. We love Martin's Nacho's, Joey's Chicken, The Ribs and these new Ruben Spring Rolls.
(5)Elizabeth S.
One of my favorite pizzas in the area. Our family used to drive out of our way to West Chicago just to pick up Pal Joey's pizza. Having a restaurant in Batavia is so convenient. This is definitely a family favorite, and I highly recommend the pepperoni original crust or white pizza! So delicious!
(4)Margie T.
I had the Linguine with spinach & Artichoke Hearts. It was awful. It had not flavor to it and the pasta was totally overcooked. I returned the pasta and ordered the pizza instead. It was just average. No idea what they got that award for. The outside patio on the river looked nice.
(2)Matt S.
As a newb to the Batavia pizza scene we came in strictly based on some reviews. Thank goodness we did, great pizza and awesome location on the river. Sausage on the pizza was delicious.
(4)Renita M.
Probably the best thing here is the view of the river. It's a lovely setting, peaceful and quiet. Which is not to say this is a bad place. But I found it ... average. I met up with a friend and her husband here on a Thursday evening. We were seated immediately on the patio and waited on pretty promptly. The menu is pizza, pasta, salads, a few meat entrees and some sandwiches. It's also a bar, but the beer list is totally boring and mainstream. We started with red pepper bruschetta. Not really what we were expecting -- and a bit awkward to eat, since it was a folded piece of garlic bread with red pepper and shaved cheese on top. Tasty, but not easy to share. Maybe they could cut it into six or so pieces? Dice the red pepper up? That would help. I got the turkey club, which was a large sandwich. Grilled wheat bread, turkey, lettuce, tomato, mayo and bacon. The bacon was nice and crispy. The turkey was standard deli stuff. Pretty good, nothing special about it. The fries were boring crinkle-cut frozen and tasted greasy (old oil?). Our server was friendly and competent and we got good refill attention from the bus boys as well. If I were in Batavia again, I'd come back if someone else wanted to -- especially in nice weather for the patio. But I wouldn't go out of my way. Oh, and side note, this section of River St is TORN UP right now and inaccessible ... you'll have to be a little creative to get here, and I don't recommend heels.
(3)Gloria R.
Very disappointed with my experience at this location.I have been to the West Chicago location and they are much better than the location in Batavia.I did not order Pizza,we order dinner from the menu and was very disappointed. Chicken Marsala and CheeseRavioli (Ive tasted way better) The waitress was very rude and not friendly at all, long wait for dinner to come, we sat by the window and there was a cold draft we had to wear our coats the whole time. Will not be coming back , will stick to my West Chicago area !
(2)Lane L.
Having grown up in West Chicago and going to the original Pal Joey's countless times for pizza or their fried chicken, I was stoked when we were strolling down River St. in Batavia on a recent Saturday after church. This is in the old Charlie Fox's location. Anyway, I was highly disappointed. I don't know if this was a bad Saturday night, or what, but #1, it took forever to get seated. I get that it's a Saturday night, so I do have some level of understanding, but waiting 45 minutes or so, with two young kids on the verge of meltdown mode, just doesn't work. #2, The poor young waitress we had, was getting blasted on all accounts from several other patrons that were also receiving poor service. Food was taking forever, food was coming out cold (as did my Wife's), and one customer was "aggressively agitated". As I said, my Wife's food came out cold, but she wasn't about to send it back otherwise we'd have never gotten out of there. My pizza, wasn't what I fondly recall Pal Joey's pizza to be. It was on par with the pizza you have to endure at Chuckie Cheese's when you have to take the kids there for a B-Day party. #3 as previously reviewed, once you're done, waiting for your check is the next hurdle. I did truly feel bad for the waitress. It CLEARLY wasn't her fault. So I tried to be as nice and understanding with her as possible. No point in taking out our frustrations with her like the other patron did. So yes, I was a little let down.
(2)Smith L.
Ended up at Pal Joeys on a Friday night at 7:30 by default after a bad experience at neighboring restaurant. Experience couldn't have been better - were immediately greeted and sat at a table overlooking the river and waitress introduced herself and took drink order. Ordered calamari appetizer and deep dish and thin crust pizzas as entrees and everything was delicious. Service and food were great and restaurant can accommodate small to large groups and is good for families too. Location and view overlook the Fox River and you can dine inside or outside and there is a large bar area.
(4)Kristina S.
Food was good but service was very slow and almost negligent. We had a party of 6 on a Friday night and it took us over an hour to get our food. No one checked on us or updated us or refilled our water during our wait. The food was good- including the gluten free pizza- but the wait made it not worth it for me to want to return. Perhaps extra staff or a more experienced staff is needed.
(2)Doug C.
We had my sons birthday dinner here and this certainly is not the Pal Joey's I remember from childhood. We ordered appetizers first, which consisted of calamari, cheese sticks and chicken fingers. The calamari was very bland, over coated with tasteless batter and over cooked. The chicken fingers suffered the same fate. I can't speak on the taste of the cheese sticks but they looked unhappy and burnt. My daughter and I ordered the Chicken Napolitano. As an opener she ordered the Pasta Fagioli which tasted (and looked) like bland bean soup. We looked at each other with the understanding that more disappointment was just around the corner. It was. Our chicken came out. The spices they used were odd to put it kindly. Or perhaps the overheating caused them to fuse into being something...different. The chicken was bone dry and still had a funny taste even without these strange spices touching them. My wife ordered the Chicken Marsala. This had a strange sweet kind of sauce that didn't resemble anything close to what Marsala Chicken should be. It wasn't good. Frankly I feel bad that three innocent chickens had to lose their lives to create this unholy trinity of bad taste and incineration. The pizza was merely OK. I've had worse, but I've also had much better. It helped get the taste of the rest of the food out my mouth. The waitress was pleasant and helpful, but looked a little dejected serving us the non-pizza dishes. She knew there was a food sadist lurking in the kitchen She knew. I don't write yelp reviews much, but when I do I'm passionate about it. I would not go here again for anything other than pizza and drinks. Maybe just the drinks. Actually I would probably just skip the whole thing.
(2)Julie F.
Our meal and service was great. We had mussels for starters and then had a thick crust pizza. Both were excellent. Restaurant was crowded but we were seated quickly and the service was good.
(4)Daniel S.
If you come here you need to get pizza. Plain and simple. IT IS SOO GOOD. Hands down one of my favorite pizzas of all time. The sauce and the crust is just right. MMMMMmmmm.
(5)Abby A.
I am huge fan of Batavia and was so excited to try Pal Joeys. What a great location with a great view! BUT the food was terrible! We decided to try it with our Coupon buy one Entree get 1/2 off another, sent the coupon from the Sudden Value Web site, which indicates you can just show it to the server on your phone...when I did this the server said she would take it this time, but management required it be printed out...thought this was incredibly unprofessional, nothing against the server, just not very 2013 friendly policy!! We ordered artichoke, spinach linguine awful!! Eggplant Parmesan awful! And a Chicken Salad that was delivered on the smallest plate there was no way to eat it without the ingredients falling on the table. I will go back and try the pizza just because the atmosphere is awesome!
(2)Jessica H.
Garbage. Loud and crazy over lit atmosphere. Poor service, as soon as the waitress knew we didn't like the taste of the food she started to ignore us and offered no service recovery. Over cooked flavorless pasta for the entree I ordered. We ordered the spinach artichoke dip appetizer and the dip was okay but they served it with burnt "homemade" tortilla chips and potato chips??!!? It was gross! I would expect an Italian restaurant to serve with crostini or fresh bread. Also, The menu was weird. I thought this was a Italian and pizza place but they had items like nachos and edamame on the menu? Overall a very disappointing experience. The location and the layout of the restaurant is so cool but the food and service was pretty bad.
(1)Justin M.
We ate here on a snow December night, our waiter was very friendly. The deep dish PIZZA was amazing, its def a must if you go in the St. Charles area. Portions were big and we have a lot of left overs. I would be there more often if i lived closer in the area.
(4)Marci C.
We loved this restaurant. The pizza is delicious!!! The outside seating along the river is even better!!! We sat at the outside bar for dinner. Great service. Great food. Great ambience!!! Will forSure be going back soon!
(5)Caroline M.
The location is a little hard to find, as it is a little sunken from the sidewalk. However, the inside is very pretty and there is an outdoor patio that is very nice as well. I went for a low key work outing and we had pizza & appetizers. The pizza was very good, deep dish. The appetizers were great and the fried mozerella was homemade. Beer is cheap, about $7 for a tall Killians or Fat Tire. And service was great as well. I would definitely return.
(4)Joe B.
Simply awesome. The deep dish pizza is the best in town. It beats the pants off of Aliano's "pizza" handily. The inside is spacious and offers a lot of variety, the bar is clean and always has my sports on, and the patio is one of the greatest things in Batavia dining. I've had a handful of different servers on my visits, all of whom were incredible. The prices are more than competitive, and the flavor of everything is unreal (and consistent, unlike the aforementioned "Italian" restaurant across the river). I'll be going again, and again, and again, and...
(5)Vanessa S.
Pal Joey's has a lot of things going for it: nice location, solid bar area, and a beautiful patio overlooking the not so scenic Fox. The new location also has a strong menu, and everything I have tried has been at least 4 stars; unfortunately the service just really brings the whole experience down. We've eaten there several times, and the service combined with the apparent lack of management make dining here somewhat unpleasant. I mainly opt for seats at the bar, and every bartender has been quite inexperienced, looking up drinks, forgetting my order, um vodka rocks, and taking incessantly long to quench my thirst. My biggest gripe is that it seems like the servers use the main bar as their service bar which means a server pile up complaining about their customers, discussing the restaurant gossip and slowing everything down, which to me, totally unprofessional. I've watched the bartender mix servers drinks at the end of their shift prior to making customer's (mine), and the manager just watched it all go down. This place annoys me, but I wish they could work out the service kinks because the location, food, and bar are all great!
(2)P W.
The view is nice, that's it. Oh and the fried asparagus good. But the "famous" pizza was awful (we ordered both pan and thin crust 4 diff kinds) simce we were a group of 6 people. The server was polite enuf, but not really present... Plus there was no manager With whom to speak to (thus no apology made for) the Millions of ants crawling around on the floor by our table!!! Totally gross! This was My first experience here since it was Fox's, and my last. Horrible just horrible. NOT going back!
(1)Bobby S.
We had a large party that they easily accommodated. Very good pizza. They have gluten-free options, that one in our party appreciated. Took a while to get our drinks & food. It was busy on a Saturday so this may be he norm. Everyone at the table (party of 10) agreed that Pal Joey should offer a "family style" salad that we all could share. We didn't feel like paying $4/ea for side salads. There are closer pizza places to our home, but we'll prob go back & give it another try. I'd like to see what the patio is like in the summer. Ambience inside was nice.
(3)Dan K.
Pal Joey's might have good food, but you will find out only after you wait an unreasonable amount of time -- after being repeatedly lied to about wait times. There is entertainment before being seated - the greeter and the wait staff will repeatedly confer with the manager as they fail to figure out how to seat your party. I recommend you bring your own chairs to sit in the lobby.
(1)Dave M.
The pizza was FANTASTIC! Our server's name was Justin and he was a riot! ask for him and sit in his section if he's working! What a fun night! We'll be going back, to be sure!
(5)Kyle D.
For all the failing restaurants that come through Batavia I am hoping Pal Joey's stays. I have been there 3 times since they opened last month and I get something new on the menu and haven't been disappointed yet. I used to go to the West Chicago location with my inlaws quite a bit and was sooooo excited when I heard they were opening up in my backyard. Below is my review of the building itself, the food, and the wait staff. Decor: Firstly, the location that Pal Joey's has is the BEST in Batavia. I am not sure many can argue that their spacious patio beats any other establishment on the river, with Andres coming a close second. The bar outside has a tv and is very enjoyable to sit and watch the olympics. Their 4 seasons room is very bright with many windows and is comfortable and fitting when the heat is too much but you still want that "outside" dining feel. Inside has always been one of my favorite decors with the exposed stone and nice dark wood throughout. Bathrooms look like they were updated with Pal Joey's coming in and are very nice. Can't comment on the upstairs banquet room, but hopefully one day I will have the opportunity to be a part of a group that rents that out. Food: Obviously the pizza is their mainstay and is extremely well made. I have had also their rigatoni abruzzo, their honey glazed pork tenderloin (oh my god was that amazing), and their reuben. All have been outstanding quality on a busy night. As for the appetizers I have had the red pepper bruschetta (which is more like garlic bread with red pepper on top, very good but not what i expected), the appetizer trio/medley of mushrooms, chicken fingers, and fried mozzarela (standard), and their calamari (that was very good). The pricing on the food is a little expensive, until you see the portion sizes and then it seems very reasonable. Their pizza and sandwiches are probably the best deal for your money, and I highly recommend their sausage and mushroom pan pizza. Staff: Service is very good at being attentive to the table's needs but they don't check on you every 5 minutes like some restaurants. I have had nothing but positive experiences with the waitstaff and are surprised they are as good as they are without having months and months of routine at the restaurant. John, the owner, is probably one of the friendliest and more visible owners at any restaurant I have been to. I like it when an owner takes pride in his/her restaurant and is on the floor to watch his dream become reality and handle issues when they arise. All in all this place is fastly becoming a restaurant that went from no one knowing it was open to all i hear about while grocery shopping or out and about. Check it out!
(5)Kathy W.
We were looking forward to a dinner at Pal Joeys. I used to be a mystery shopper and I was thankful that I didn't have to write up this experience. From the Hostesses acting like we should have called in a reservation to the bar staff gruffly dealing with each other, I would have had to write a novel. The employees are not enjoying their job and they don't really seem to like their coworkers. The staff wasn't abrasive to us but the interactions we saw at the bar were enough to not have us return. Next time, we'll do carry out.
(2)Jeff K.
Great food - same as the West Chicago location.
(5)Mark K.
It pains me to write this review as my wife and i are long time fans of this pizza place. However, something is wrong. This new location is terrific. Great terrace, great views. But..... Our pizza has just been terrible. It's like the dough didn't rise. French onion soup was bland at best. And the service has been consistently out of sync. And how about cleaning the terrace once in a while. They have these blowers now...... I am pretty much done with this place except a drink while bike riding. Too bad. A classic pizza house gone bad.
(2)Kellie D.
The pizza is fabulous here. We've had takeout from here twice and it was delish both times. We decided to actually go for a meal, and we weren't disappointed. The food was quite good, and I literally had three meals from mine. The atmosphere is pretty casual so it's good for those times when you want to go out without making a big to-do to get ready. The wine and beer selection is pretty, umm, limited as I recall. So if you're looking for fancy this is not it. If you're looking for good food at a good price without a lot of fuss, this is a place to find it.
(3)Anna N.
Yum. When we moved to Batavia, I was eyeing this place because the view on the river looked awesome. I could picture myself sitting on the patio, enjoying a cocktail, and taking in the view. We decided to go our first time on a festival weekend = bad decision because it was packed with a LONG wait. However, the food was so good I can forgive that we had to wait longer than previously told. All other times since the service time has been great and we got right in. The pizza is delish, their seafood was yummy, and my husbands marsala was like crack to the tongue. Love going back, a must try.
(5)Greg S.
Stopped in over the weekend while out on a bike ride with friends. We all had sandwiches & sodas. The meal was good, and no complaints about the server or wait times. My reason for writing this review is actually to comment on the outdoor seating area. First thing I noticed when we were brought to our table was how many spider webs there were all over the place. And where there are webs... When I sat down, I noticed two dead spiders hanging from a web right under my spot at the table. I looked up at the inside of the umbrella and saw nothing but webs & dead bugs. While we were waiting to order, a big spider crawled across my friend's menu. While we were waiting for our food, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a spider dropping down right next to me from the umbrella. And later, when I raised my sandwich to my mouth, I saw a spider crawling across my hand. This is an outdoor area -- I get it. But that is gross. Someone should be out on that patio every morning with a broom and a hose. I guarantee you the webs hanging all over the place had been there for a while -- which, to me, is inexcusable. The front entrance area was just as bad. All the plastic patio chairs were covered in webs, as were the railings. So, until they clean things up, my 1-star review stands.
(1)Jen L.
I was looking forward to trying the new pizza place down on River Street. I really love what they did with the inside decor. I ordered a pizza with just sausage but no cheese. When my food was brought out, there was a handful of onions on the top of it. I don't like making a fuss, but I let the waitress know that it was wrong, so she took it to fix the issue. I figured they would just throw some sauce and sausage on a new pizza, but when they brought it back out, I kept finding pieces of onion in the sauce. I plan to return and try it again in the new future.
(2)Robert C.
Visited on Sunday, 5/5/2013, but we walked away. While this restaurant has good food, it is not Bicyclist friendly anymore, like its predecessor, "Fox on the River". The reason this is annoying is because the "Fox River Trail" runs right next to this restaurant; in fact, it is an arm's length away from trail. The new owners removed the bicycle rack from the outside patio and locked the outside patio entrance. Instead, the bicycle rack was pushed into a tight corner near the main entrance where you cannot use it anyway. On our previous visit on 09/26/2012, the restaurant recently opened with new name and ownership, and the outside patio entrance was locked, but the bicycle rack was available at main entrance. It was chilly that day so that made sense, but then we got a strange look by one of the workers when we sat down with our bicycle attire. That alone should have been a warning to bicyclists. But, now with the warmer weather, it has gotten worse. Therefore, I am lowering my rating. We drive a long way to use the "trail", and the "restaurant" was just a "nice to visit", and if the new owners do not welcome bicyclists, the bicyclists will just spend their money somewhere else. In fact, we spent our money next door at O'Sole Mio where we can conveniently park our bicycles right next to their outside patio where we can see them.
(3)John O.
Nothing seems to really work at this location. Hopefully it'll work for Pal Joey's. It has always been a great location to view the river if you can ignore the bugs and the smell. But every place that seems to establish service has always been poor. I don't know if it's cursed or if the waitstaff gets to tired from running around it's large square footage area. Now I've been to their location in West Chicago but this has a little different ambiance to it. I had their baked clams and the usual sausage thin crust pizza which I was impressed by. But nobody around me seemed to be to happy about waiting for a drink or for their food. I hope that they get the kinks out soon because it's been open now for awhile because when the outside patio closes it will be hard to still attract attention to this new location.
(3)Pat M.
Love the food and the service was wonderful. Just as good as the West Chicago location but the service was better.
(5)T T.
Good service and above average Pizza. We'll return and try their pastas as well in the near future.
(4)S T.
Had excellent pan pizza here in the past. Tonight..undercooked. Employees seem to be afraid of manager who is only interested in tickets. Unfriendly
(3)Doug R.
Went here since our neighbors stated the pizza was pretty good. We went there on a Wednesday night around 6:30 pm on a nice night and the place was not very busy. We only ordered pop and water to drink, so I cannot comment on the alcoholic drinks. The water was average and the coke was a little flat. We split the Chicken Napalitano which was a little dry. It came with roasted potatoes which had a decent flavor but were also a little undercooked, meaning they were kinda solid in the middle, and they were cut into wedges. The kids each had an order of chicken fingers and fries. The fries were average crinkle cuts and the tenders were awful. No flavor whatsoever. Just a coating and chicken. The kids only ate them after they were smothered in ketchup. We sat outside by the river, which was nice, but you almost would have to bring bug spray for mosquito's, I got bit a few times and wanted to leave early. Also, the outside patio bathrooms are something you would find in a crappy, hole in the wall bar. Dirty, not clean, and the large toilet paper roll was sitting on top of the holder and not in the holder. That went for the paper towel roll. It was just nasty, and I had to take my 3yr old daughter in there. The place also charged us for splitting the dinner. They added a $1.50 for a split plate..... Uhh, I would have just had you bring me a separate plate and cut it myself. Are you kidding me... For $40 dollars, "without alcohol", I didn't feel it was worth it. Forgot, we did have the fried zucchini, which was alright. It came out as zucchini fries with a dipping sauce. Average at best, maybe frozen....
(2)Jr R.
We entered the establishment with a handful of friends and our infant on Friday. We were looking for a ramp and found it but there were employees taking their smoke breaks towards the bottom so we decided to carry our stroller down the stairs to the entrance..... The host who greeted us was very nice and welcoming. He informed us that it's a 20 minute wait which was fine. After 40 minutes we were sat at a table inside. I have been in this industry for over 15 years and after noticing some of the management practices tells me their experience is lacking. The manager was counting the number of guests or tables each server had.....not exactly a bad thing because you want to make sure your guests receive the proper attention. But they executed this rather poorly because there were several tables that were empty and had remained this way the entire evening. There was also a dining area behind the host stand with about 8 tables that had server manuals, to go materials, and staff personal items in it. When there are 7-8 parties waiting for a table on a gorgeous friday night and all these open tables I would say they need more servers on staff. Our table ordered nachos as an app and they were fantastic. As for our server, she was very friendly and suggestive. She stopped by the table periodically and was not at all intrusive. If this were solely based on her, she would receive 4.5 stars. Well done. As for the signature thin crust, this was something I certainly wouldn't order again OR recommend to anyone wanting good pizza. When I order thin crust I expect it to be crispy.....this was anything but. I had to use my fork to eat it because it was so flimsy. The bottom of the pizza pan was filled with grease. I was still hungry but couldn't eat anymore because it just was not good. I usually enjoy cold pizza leftovers in the morning but I didn't take them because I couldn't bare the thought of having to eat another bite. I'm sure there are other items on their menu that are good, which may prompt me to give it another try at some point......but for now I'll take a pass.
(2)Kristin E.
Great pan pizza. We tried pepperoni and pineapple toppings for the first time on a Pal Joey's pizza. It was great! We made a reservation to ensure a spot on the patio for our group of 8 that included 4 young children. Our server was attentive and brought my daughter another milk when she spilled hers. I would recommend bringing a hat and sunglasses if eating outside. The umbrellas do not help much as the sun is setting. We have visited the West Chicago location frequently, but we plan to take advantage of the patio seating in Batavia while the weather allows us.
(5)Albert K.
There was an earlier review here about being near the bicycle trail and that other food providers had been more accommodating. Well, I will simply have to agree with that review, albeit for different reasons. My wife and I had ridden here by bicycle from Geneva and arrived right near lunchtime. The restaurant maitre d that greeted us, a young woman in her mid 20s, was first of all nothing short of unfriendly and rude. We were dressed in bicycle riding attire, (not that goofy fancy and tight Lancey pants spandex stuff, but casual clothing). She literally looked at us up and down disagreeably and rolled her eyes for the first time. We requested to sit near to or actually on the outside patio. She looked at us, huffed and without saying a word started walking away presumably wanting us to follow her. When we reached the table, my wife smiled and softly questioned whether we could sit closer to the outside. This particular hostess actually refused and said no and did so without smiling and with what was clearly a "second" rude roll of the eye facial feature. My wife and I were looking forward to eating at Pal Joey's. Growing up Italian and having been to Pal Joey's before, we were also looking forward to this new location. I am not exaggerating. We were treated with a disrespectful, rude and unpleasant attitude (Sorry to have interrupted her texting), all the while trying to be kind to this angry looking and obviously unhappy person. At that point, we never even waited to be seated. I looked at my wife and simply stated, "Let's leave. We don't need this." I wish for this downtown Batavia establishment to do well. Downtown Batavia has become a really inviting and cool place. A word to the owner/manager....Don't think for one minute, you can rely on a previous Pal Joey "good name." Heads up to the clueless unprofessional and arrogant maitre d', as well as the owner. People like to be treated with respect...they appreciate being smiled at...they like to be accommodated (the place was nearly empty that day)...Good food alone will not insure success. Good food, great service and an inviting atmosphere speak volumes toward running a successful business. Another clue...train these types of thoughtless, condescending people or better yet don't hire them in the first place. As for me, there are some really great restaurants in downtown Batavia. Sadly, Pal Joey's isn't one of them.
(2)Mitch H.
Already running more smoothly than it's predecessor, Fox's. Plus the pizza is a far cry better. The atmosphere is great, and they've done a wonderful job cleaning up and utilizing the patio. Service was speedy, beer was cold, everybody had a smile on their face. I didn't get to explore the whole restaurant, which is massive, but the bar, dining room, terrace and patio all had something unique to offer. So far I've only had the pizza, but after tasting how superior it is to Charlie Fox's or Aliano's I don't doubt that the rest of the menu is solid too. Can't wait to go back, I've heard they've got live music outdoors on weekends!
(4)Sally G.
So excited that Pal Joey's has opened in Batavia. The location with the outside patio will be wonderful. Always loved them in West Chicago - now they are close.
(5)Carol F.
New Pal Joeys in Batavia is awful. It is a spinoff from their West Chicago location. Went there 2 weeks ago because we heard they are famous for their pan pizza - and it was great. Now that they figure they got the crowd they want, we went today and it was awful - server said they are transitioning their West Chicago Chefs to new local chefs - wow, they have a lot of transitioning to do because it was disgusting. Not only was the pizza not up to par, but there were ANTS crawling up the walls and on the floor and around the baseboards. I hope they didn't get into my granddaughters backpack. We told the server and she said, oh yes, we know! Duh! The bus boys kept taking our plates and had to bring them back twice! No se habla Inglesh. Not a good experience and we're not going back. We will be going to our favorite Aliano's in Batavia for pizza from now on! They have THE best in Italian cooking for anything you want anyways. Plus they know what they're doing, not just "transitioning." Such a disappointment at Pal Joeys.
(1)Joe H.
Was very excited to see Pal Joeys had opened a location in Batavia. Took my wife there around 8:30 pm on a Friday and the place was packed. The location itself is fantastic. Right on the river, large space, downtown. After being seated, we waited about 10 minutes for our server. Not too bad considering they were pretty busy. Once our waitress finally showed up, she asked for our drink order. We ordered two beers. 10 minutes later she came back with water and asked what we had ordered because she forgot.....ok, now starting to get annoyed. We told her the two beers again and decided to order since we were ready by this time. About 15 minutes later our appetizer showed up, but NO BEER YET. Asparagus fritters were pretty good, great dipping sauce. While eating our fritters I saw our waitress walking around with two beers going to other tables trying to figure out whose beers they were. Ok, come on. Now starting to get really annoyed. I ordered a pizza with Italian Beef, Giardiniera and garlic and my wife ordered the Pal Joeys Chicken. The pizza finally came and it had sausage, olives and garlic. I was too hungry and frustrated to send the pizza back, so I ate it (even though I HATE olives). My wife's chicken was OK, but not worth $15. Final Review: Too Expensive, Horrible Staff, Great Location......sorry to see another place that will close in a year. My suggestion, go to the Turf Room or Gammon House. Both are great!
(1)Hal C.
Right off the bat this place was difficult to get into. From some of the available parking (difficult to find a space) there are 60 steps down to enter restaurant & dining room. That means 60 steps back UP to get back to your car. Not very old people friendly. Next, while they do have what appears to be a nice riverside dining area we were seated in the middle room where children were running amuck screaming as smaller children sometimes do. They were ignored by their parents as well as the restaurant staff. On to the food. Ordered a pan pizza that this restaurant is famous for (at West Chicago location). Unfortunately it was so-so at best. Soda refills were slow in coming. Finally had to practically tackle a waitress (not even out server) for a refill. All in all not the best experience for a night out in Batavia.
(1)Stacy J.
The restaurant is very attractive, the riverside patio is beautiful, and the location is great. Unfortunately, the food is not fresh and the service was not good.
(1)Joe E.
This review is a to be continued. I stopped here on a Sunday afternoon to check out the venue, because my mom and aunt are using it to throw my sister a baby shower in a few weeks. The location is right along the Fox in downtown Batavia. The space is an old Charlie's Fox location. There is great outdoor seating right along the river, and the restaurant is a good size with plenty of seating. I can't really report on the food because I didn't have any, but it sure looked good. I've been to Pal Joey's in West Chicago, and it looks like they cook the pizzas the exact same way (Pan is PJs specialty). I will say that dining in at Pal Joey's always seems to be better than carryout, though. Looking forward to going back and maybe enjoying a slice on the river.
(3)Kim E.
The French onion soup was actually really good. The fettuccine was the worst I've ever had. It was bland and dry. The noodles tasted like they sat out for a few days. Fortunately, our waitress took it off the bill. My husband had the sausage pizza which wasn't great. Tombstone pizza has more flavor. We didn't even plan on eating here, but every restaurant in town had at least a 30 min wait. That should've been my first hint about this place. Doubt this place will be around very long, unless they hire a new chef.
(1)Chris M.
Great pizza and great beer! Pan crust is delicious! The folks here really know how to treat customers. Sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, onions, & mushrooms is our top choice every time! Gotta check this place out if your close!
(5)