Joe's Bar & Grill

I visit Joe's often, and the reasons are simple: honest and unpretentious diner classics, unfussy but friendly service, a wonderful ambience night and day, and a bill that doesn't make you feel you've been ripped off. My friends often go to the live music nights on Thursdays, and their reports are equally full of praise. Favourite dishes? The burgers, try my personal choice, blue cheese and grilled peppers, breakfasts are huge and tasty ( and served all day! ) - Try it!

Giorgio (Unverified), 13/11/11

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My wife and I decided to venture from our usual haunts in the City and try Joe's Bar and Grill in Summertown on Sunday 29th May. We arrived at 7.30pm and the place was reasonably busy. We had an acceptable cocktail while perusing the menu.

I chose the Duck liver pate that was very tasty with heaps of toast. My wife had the crab cakes with chilli dip. This was vey disappointing: the cakes were soggy and bland and the chilli dipping sauce just vinegar with a few chill flakes in it.

For main my wife had the special of the day, Linguine with roasted mediterranean vegetables. The sauce was very intense and tasty but the vegetables consisted of courgettes and little else. I had the free range local rump steak. This was small, thin and bland and altough it appeared to be grilled gave the impression it had been boiled first.

The Pinot Grigot was fine but the accompanying jug of tap water luke warm.

All in all for the price we have given Joe's a reluctant ok but will not be in a hurry to return.

Terry & Ann Roper (Unverified), 30/05/11

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Me and my boyfriend visited Joe's while enjoying a short break in Summertown and Oxford. As newbies to the area we didn't have any local knowledge and I'm surprised at reading some of the reviews from locals. While the service was ok and friendly enough I was absolutely amazed at the bill for such average food! Two drinks, two mains and two sides - nothing fancy, standard bar grub and the resulting cost more appropriate to a smart, a la carte city centre bistro. I was slightly concerned at the cost of eating out in the area as a result. Which is why I am more confused as the other restaurants and cafes we visited during the rest of our trip were incredibly reasonably priced, with well prepared, quality food and not least generous portions.

Sarahb1512 (Unverified), 29/04/11

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Great food in here. Don't know why I haven't eaten here before. Excellent burgers and really well made simple hearty food. Would go back.

08/01/10

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This is the first time I had visited Joe's, as living near the Cowley Road and being spoilt for choice there; it is rare for me to venture into the north end of the city. However, finding myself with a few hours to kill before a late appointment I wondered in from the rain and took a seat. This little restaurant has a lovely atsmosphere and had their very own pianist tinkling away as I arrived. It was early evening and a few other lonely souls sat by themselves cradling a coffee or glass of wine. I immediately felt at ease and warmed myself up with a latte and a plate of bangers and mash. The food was delicious and roasting hot (probably the first time in years I have had a plate arrive steaming). The onion gravy was lovely and the bangers hot, beautifully cooked and appeared to be very high quality. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a bit light on gravy, meaning the last bit of mash was rather dry, but not enough to deter me finishing every bite. The only real downside was the service. I was initially served quickly and the food was prompt, but I then sat with an empty coffee cup in front of me for nearly 45 minutes, desperate for a nice glass of wine. I admittedly wasn't waving my arms around, looking thirsty, as I had a rather good book with me, but I ended up calling someone over in order to get served. Being a mid week early evening the place wasn't very busy and the staff seemed to be entertaining a lot of their friends. That meant I was subjected to background chatter which didn't improve my digestion or my mood! All in all, a nice place with lovely food and a few minor lessons needed around customer service.

Joanna Grayson (Unverified), 11/11/09

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My wife and I and our two young sons visited Joe's in Summertown for an early supper recently, having had it recommended to us by our neighbours. The restaurant is very welcoming, with brown leather banquettes, funky wall art and a glittering chandelier which was the cause of much conversation. The food and service, I have to say were superb - I had a wild mushroom brioche to start, my wife the crispy squid tempura, followed by the sea bass and rib-eye steak, the kids opting for a burger and the pasta from the kids' menu. All the food was delicious and well-presented, the service prompt and friendly without being overly so. They even gave us books and crayons for the kids. Great atmosphere and yes, we will be back!

Jonno (Unverified), 13/11/08

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I always thought of Joes as a 'caff' rather than a restaurant but was very happily surprised with the standard of food when I ate there last week. I ordered a special of the day: confit of duck on herb-crushed new potatoes with a madeira sauce. I was asked how I wanted it cooked and it came exactly as ordered (on the rare side of medium). I was very glad I had made that choice; it was fantastic. The rest of the group had different varieties of Joe's famous burger. Lamb burger, beef burger, with/without cheese (blue and/or Swiss), and a whole host of of other sauces and relishes available. On the whole, they looked and tasted very good although one was rather over-cooked.
If you're out drinking and some though not all of the gang want to eat, Joe's would be absolutely ideal.

Riverboy (DI User), 06/05/08

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Having lived in Oxford now for 8 months I can say with enthusiastic sincerity that Joe's really is the place to be! If a feelgood, laid back, easy to please yet sophisicated wine bar/restaurant vibe is what you seek, venture to Joe's and that is what you will find. The monthly Jazz evenings and menu keep me coming back for more and the staff have never been anything other than accommodating and generous with their time.
If cosy and soft lighting is your thing then they have it all.
Just don't ask for the sofa table at the front of the bar.... because THAT'S MINE!!

Cathy Ogilvie, Nanny, Beckley. (Unverified), 28/04/08

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If you happen to be in or near Summertown, this is a rather nice place to drop in for cocktails. There are big chocolate-slab leather sofa booths, slightly generic 50s photos on the walls, peaceful lighting. The ambience vacillates a little: it's much nicer than a big chain but doesn't have the authentic feel of a place where the staff are allowed to assert their own personalities. It's not quite sleazy and not quite classy. The name and the decor are upmarket-American-diner, but the food includes cream teas and the fry-ups are made with free range eggs and locally produced sausages.

The acoustics are splendid: something in the design of the the room, coupled with the low volume of the pleasant, unintrusively jazzy music, means that you can have a conversation without yelling.

The food smelled good, but we were bent upon other matters. Here's what we thought about some of the cocktails (£5.50, or £3.50 during happy hour, 5-7pm):

Joe Public
Citron vodka, cointreau, fresh lime, bubbly
Like traditional, cloudy lemonade. Refreshing but unexciting because of this resemblance. Dangerous alcopop quality.

Frozen Margarita
Gold tequila, triple sec, fresh lemon and lime
Like a rather strong tequila slush puppy made of snow.

Patrick Lumumba
Brandy, brown cacao, chocolate milk
Essentially a spiked chocolate milkshake. The cacao takes the edge off the brandy and the brandy enriches the whole. More-ish and deceptively innocent-tasting.

Bond in Moscow
Vodka, fizz, blackberry liqueur, lime twist
One of our favourites: the lime created a fabulous aromatic zing with every sip.

Mojito
Limes, sugar, mint leaves muddled with Havana Club rum & soda
Herby aroma; long, light, refreshing. No sugar rim but none the worse for this.

Strawberry Daiquiri
Bacardi with fruit and fruit liqueurs
Bit synthetic - probably frozen fruit, but then who can blame them, it's winter.

Bellini
Fizz with peach nectar
Delicious. Like bucks fizz without the disappointment.

We found the service friendly, swift and unobtrusive: one of the bartenders was being trained, but this wasn't, as so often it is, a cause for delays and frantic whispering - everything seemed to happen without fuss or stress. As it should do.

They also have live music events - a pianist plays for the afternoon tea slot (3 - 5pm) and there's a jazz evening with Aneesa Chaudhry on Thur 13 Mar. We intend to go back and continue our investigations.

Su Jordan (DI Staff), 28/02/08

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This is a great place to have a drink and eat, but did you realise that it also hosts some really cool jazz once a month? It's usually around the middle of the month but it's always well postered at the restaurant itself. We went to hear Sophie Garner's trio and a fabulous trio called '3bpm' (piano, double bass and drums). You can book a snug table to watch the musicans at close quarters or chill out at one of tables further away - a warning though, it was completely packed the two times we went and we couldn't get the best table, so book early!! Definitely one for your diary.

pjefferies (DI User), 03/01/08

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Having visited Joe’s once before with a local friend for cocktails, my boyfriend and I decided to try it for dinner one evening. The cocktail menu, although not large, is varied and interesting, and contains some nice champagne cocktail variants that you don’t often see. At £5.50 each (outside of happy hour), they aren’t exactly expensive either. It seems that if you visit when it’s quiet you get table service too.

The menu wisely sticks to trendy pub basics. I went for the salmon fishcakes, which were intriguingly spherical and seemed to be deep fried, but inside were lovely with plenty of fish to potato and a nice seasoning of dill. They also came with some obviously home-made tartare sauce which I was impressed with. My boyfriend ordered a lamb burger, which he declared to be delicious, and which came with a slice of grilled aubergine and one of pepper. Far superior to your average pub burger. However, we were surprised to find it didn’t arrive with chips or any other accompaniment – although the menu hadn’t said it would, neither had our waitress suggested that we might like to add some on. Had we done so, the price for the meal may also have been slightly more than we would normally pay.

The main problem with Joe’s seems to be that both times I have visited I have found it rather empty and therefore lacking in atmosphere. The second time I came, the only other group in was a bunch of kids who seemed to be friends with the waitress, and who spent most of their time playing music on their mobile phones. Not the ideal dining companions. However, both these occasions were mid-week and the situation might be better at weekends.

Katy (Unverified), 18/11/07

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My boyfriend and I visited Joe's for a late breakfast on a Sunday. We were seated immediately. He ordered Eggs Benedict and I ordered the French Toast. Both of us felt really dissatisfied with our meals.

For a start, the eggs in the Eggs Benedict had obviously been poached eggs at one point, but once the dish was assembled, it was clear it took a trip into the microwave as the eggs ended up being hard-boiled. Also, the Hollandaise sauce was clearly not fresh, but from a tin / jar.

My French Toast was anything but. For £4.95 you get two slices of fried, white bread and a small pot of maple syrup. Now I realise that this dish may be made differently to how it is in the US, but even my British boyfriend thought it was a poor effort. Generally French Toast is thick sliced bread dipped in an egg-mixture that contains cinnamon, nutmeg, and a bit of sugar and then fried or grilled. This was literally fried, white bread. Thank god I added on the bacon, overcooked as it was, for an additional 90p.

I also got a berry smoothie which was tasty, but warm which was odd. He got fresh-squeezed orange juice and said it was good, but lacked pulp.

The service was okay - they cleared the plates and didn't ask if we wanted anything else and we had to flag down the waiter to get our cheque which took about five minutes. For a breakfast outing that cost £21, I'd expect better quality and larger portions. We won't be back.

Shannon (Unverified), 30/01/07

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My boyfriend and I, tired of visiting the same restaurants in the Town Centre, decided to try Joe's as it had been recommended by friends. We had the most delicious and generous starter followed by a well-presented, equally fantastic main course.
The food alone would have stood as a reason to re-visit, however the members of staff were polite, friendly and efficient!
Also the lighting, decoration and seating meant that a calm yet buzzing atmosphere was created where you felt you had your own space.
Very reasonably priced, very classy and would not hesitate to recommend.

Charlotte (Unverified), 16/01/06

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