(Originally posted this review April 2018 on the wrong AJs location's page. Oops!) Great gyro. One of the best in town. (see updated Lafayette area Gyro ratings at end of review) Burgers were just ok - a little well done. Toppings and bun were very good as were the waffle fries. On the whole, it's a good place with reasonable prices and a larger dining room than I expected. Going from memory, I would say they have ~12 tables for four. ---------------------------------- Greater Lafayette Gyro Meat Rankings 1. Captain Gyro's 2. Akropolis 3. AJ's Burgers & Beef 4. Parthenon 5. Christo's 6. Parkway Pizza & Subs Greater Lafayette Tzatziki Rankings 1. Christo's 2t. Captain Gyro's 2t. AJ's Burgers & Beef 4. Parthenon 5. Parkway Pizza & Subs 6. Akropolis (worst by a longshot) Greater Lafayette Gyro Pita Rankings 1. AJ's Burgers & Beef 2. Captain Gyro's 3t. Parthenon 3t. Parkway Pizza & Subs 3t. Akropolis 6. Christo's Greater Lafayette Gyro Topping Rankings 1. Christo's 2. Akropolis 3. Parthenon 4. AJ's Burgers & Beef 5. Parkway Pizza & Subs 6. Captain Gyro's Overall Greater Lafayette Gyro Rankings (Weighted rankings, meat/tzatziki count 2x, Toppings 1x, Pita 0.5x - LESS points = better) 1. Captain Gyro's (14 pts) 2. AJ's Burgers & Beef (15.5 pts) 3. Christo's (16 pts) 4. Akropolis (20 pts) 5. Parthenon (21 pts) 6. Parkway Pizza & Subs (29 pts) read more

I am from here, went to Purdue and went here all the time (both drunk and sober). I came back to visit and we of course stopped at all our stopping grounds. I ordered the same thing I always ordered, breaded chicken sandwich, waffle fry and cheese cup. The waffle fries have not changed (thank god!). The sandwich and cheese cup however did and not for the better. Chicken sandwich use to be nice and crunchy breading with great flavor. It also came on a burger bun. The new one was two chicken strips, not a breast and on a sub sandwich and pressed between what looked like a panini press. The breading on the tenders were oil and discussing. The cheese cup use to be a great nacho cheese, yellow in color and full of flavor. The new one is a synthetic orange tastes like nothing.... Let's go back to the old recipes AJs! read more

Poor service. And they stop selling hot dogs after 10 pm. Huh? A place that prides itself in providing Chicago-style bar food can't take the time to sell loaded hot dogs after 10 pm because it's "too busy" isn't going to get my patronage. Also, I got carry out and didn't notice they screwed up the order until I got home. Went in the next day to see what could be done about it. They blamed me for not telling them right away and wouldn't comp. Not the right answer to a once loyal customer. A little good faith towards customers and an approachable, understanding staff would be nice. read more

the server maguire is the best!! definitely recommend if you're looking for quality food, beer, and service

The AJs in Lafayette does an excellent, consistently. I will tell you that they're not fast like fast food crap, so don't assume it'll be pre made food drying out under a heat lamp. My favorite is the Breakfast Burger and my boys like The Greek and the CBR. The loaded waffle fries are exceptional, and definitely not low fat. read more

Terrible attitude from the staff. I was more than willing to handle the issue, until the cashier came back with an attitude and snark, giving me finger quotations, air quotes, and a crappy attitude. At that point, I was done. I'm done giving this overpriced shithole a chance. I'm not gonna be treated like crap while I'm providing your business with revenue during this terrible time for businesses. Good luck keeping customers with the attitude of your staff. I'm sure they'll drive you out of business soon. read more

Okayish place that works late night. I ordered wings and they were super dry, but it was 11 pm, so no much choice for me.

Came here on a Friday night, wasn't too busy due to students leaving campus for the summer. Food arrived at a adequate time, however upon receiving our food I noticed a weird smell coming from my sandwich then determined it was the spoil cheese. Guy at the register said nothing could be done about it, poor management I wasn't asking for A handout I was just asking for something to be made right, wings were good though read more

AJ's and I used to be best friends. I used to order delivery at least once a week. The chicken fingers were my favorite. Over the years I had noticed the quality rapidly depreciating. One day I was craving some fried mac and cheese bites, and after a quick Google search I learned that AJ's now sells fried mac and cheese! So I decided to give it another try. While waiting for my food I asked the cashier if they changed anything about their chicken tenders. "Oh yeah," he said "a few times." I politely said I can tell. I was still looking forward to my fried mac bites. They were in the shape of a thin, perfect rectangle which makes me believe that they had to be frozen. It was just awful. It actually hurts my heart how much I wish AJ's was what it used to be. read more

Ordered AJs a few weeks back with one of my buddies. 2 Westerns and a Large Loaded Fry. A tale as old as time. It was a feast and phenomenal as always. The only reason this is a not a 5 star review would be that the delivery time took longer than expected. But all in all AJs is a Purdue staple and a great establishment. read more

IMO best burgers ever. Fries are thick and crispy. My fav is the buffalo bleu burger. Hubs and I are regulars. Their fish sandwich is also fantastic. Update July 2018: they've changed a lot of their food. Their fries and fish sandwich are still delicious, but I wouldn't recommend the burgers as the best around Purdue anymore. They changed their mozzarella sticks as well so there are fewer in the container and they don't taste as good. Chicken strips are changed as well. Hubs and I used to go here about once every two weeks but now only if I'm working late and nothing else is open. It's sad to see the food quality go downhill like this. read more

Menu has changed since moving. You can no longer build a burger the way you want. Everything come with fries and there is no option to get it without. This was a good low carb option but not anymore. We won't be back. read more

What i need to say about this place has already been said by the delicious food in my belly. I have ordered AJ's once a week since my sophomore year. Now that I graduated, i still love AJ's. If you are at Purdue you have to try AJ's. They have the highest quality burger for the most reasonable price. The garlic burger and gyro burger is always a solid choice. Don't get me started with their Waffle Fries! They are sooooo delicious and addicting! You have to try it read more

Took a chance and am very glad we did. The burgwrs were delicious. My daughter had the chili cheese dog and loved it. Just passing through but would return if nearby. read more

I'm not going to write this review to flex my extensive knowledge on Italian Beef and Chicago street food. There appears to be a lot of the "I grew up in Chicago so I know how it's supposed to taste" reviews. Well... I grew up eating food. I know what tastes good and what tastes like dog butt. Now that I've spelled out my credentials, let me talk portions and price point. I actually did a project about it for a class. I was perplexed when I read a review claiming it's expensive for what you get. Dogs are sub $4. Burgers are sub $7. Fries are sub $4. It's an extremely competitive price to other burger places in town (namely a burger place about 5 men). And you get a stupid amount of food for that price. Their burgers are 1/3 pound patties, their fries come in small or a very generously portioned large. Their dogs come with toppings a plenty. TL;DR their food is the same price per ounce in terms of burgers compared to 5 Guys, but their burgers come in larger portions. What sparked this review was my order of the Italian Combo (an Italian Sausage placed inside an Italian Beef) and it's roughly a 1lb sandwich after the toppings. I spent $10 for food that will fill you up quicker than powdered potatoes and a gallon of water. To drive the portioning point home, they were recently visited by a competitive eater on her way to compete against Kobayashi. Whaddup. Their Burgers. Oh man... the burgers. Third pound face fisting burgers. Hand pattied, broiled and grilled on a toasted bun. If your mouth hole isn't getting moist and ready for a burger bukakke of toppings you have a disorder. They have a plethora of custom sauces and cheeses to add to these manwiches. On top of the standard veggies (favored by the women) and real cooked and chopped bacon (favored by men). There's a damn near infinite combination of topping to craft your very own sensual food experience. Their fries are always crispy and warm. For the less creative folk there's straight cut fries. But because it's 2015 and technology rules they also have a lattice cut (waffle) fry if you're feeling froggy. And those come seasoned with a secret seasoning (I can only imagine a cocaine based powder) that'll have you coming back for more. Ya that fries are a bit greasy... but that gets thrown out the window when you walk into a food palace owned by 2 dudes. If you're a Purdue local, they have the best delivery deals. Cheap gyros, awesome chicken, and awesome fries. Their delivery speeds are 2nd only to the Melinium Falcon. And their open till 3am most nights, unheard of in the Burger Industry. If you want cheap and fake food go to McDonalds. If you want real food that's competitively look no further than the Meat Temple that is AJ's. Seriously. read more

Well, I hate to be the downer on this love-fest, but this place just isn't much beyond a date-ending garlic cheeseburger gimmick. I really wanted to like this place because of its good location but three strikes and you're out. Three visits with four of us sampled most of the menu over the last two months. Gyros was bland, even with BBQ sauce added. Can't screw up a hot dog too badly. Burgers were good generally, but folks, there's a lot of good burgers in Indiana, and there are better within a slingshot distance of AJ's for less. Pricey and mediocre doesn't add up to much of a business plan, guys. You can do better. A lot better. read more

Whether you're eating in or getting it delivered, AJ's never disappoints... especially when it's late at night and you have a serious case of the drunchies. I'd choose AJ's over Five Guys any day. Whatever burger you end up choosing, it will always be meaty and hearty with quality toppings. You can definitely taste that their patties are freshly made and never frozen. I love the huge selection of unique add-on's and sauces to cater to everyone's burger needs. The loaded waffle fries here are an absolute must. Their pile of crispy waffle fries topped with meat chili, jalapeños, and nacho cheese is to die for. There is just something about their waffle fries that will have you downing them by the second. They're good loaded or not and always amazing dipped in ranch. read more

I'm born and raised in Chicagoland. I've had my share of Italian Beef and Chicago dogs and know how it's done right. Today was my first visit to A.J.'s. I was looking forward to some decent Chicago food from what seemed to be a place that was truly Chicago-style. Boy was I wrong. I was the only customer there at 1:20 P.M. today. I made my order to eat-in. The beef and especially the dogs were overpriced. Their prices were higher than most places in Chicago for the same food! Italian Beef and fries for $9.18? Really? It's a better deal to get Portillo's shipped to you in one of their meal packs! After twelve minutes, yes TWELVE minutes, I was told they were making me a new Italian Beef sandwich because the first one fell apart. Seriously? I counted at least five employees working there. I was the only customer in the store. I waited another couple of minutes until I received my food. No apology from them for the essentially fifteen minute wait. Ridiculous. The beef was quite bland as was the au jus. Certainly not what is expected for a decent Italian Beef. The sweet peppers were in a plastic cup on the side and very cold. Peppers are never served on the side (always on the sandwich) nor cold in anywhere in Chicagoland. The serving size of the beef was very small, especially for the price. I had high hopes but high prices, terrible service, and bland food made it a very bad experience. I won't be returning and will not recommend to friends. Go up to Portillo's in Merrillville if you want real Chicago-style food. Don't waste your money at A.J.'s... for anything on their menu... read more

My friend ordered AJs, and he was nice enough to give me a bite of the burger and some of his fries. I liked it so much that I ate there 3 times over the following 24 hours. every burger i tried was perfectly cooked. the french fries are the best in the city. the delivery is fast and friendly. Unfortunately, AJ's is slightly pricey for a burger joint. Cheeseburgers run about $6. Also, the location is awkward. One more thing i like about ajs: they staple their bags shut, so you know for sure the delivery guy isnt snacking on your fries or anything. update: 1/28/14. after a year of great food and service, i had to bump this place up to 5-stars. they have never once made a mistake with my order. the food is completely consistent. im impressed. AJs is a 5-star burger joint update: 1/3/17. Bumped it back down to 4 stars. There has been a slight drop in quality. The burgers taste just a bit less fantastic. The chicken tenders are different. The bacon isn't freshly cooked bacon. Onion rings got pulled off of the menu. AJ's is still very good, but not quite 5-star good! read more

As a lifetime Chicagoland native, I can attest these guys got the Chicago dog down almost perfect. Chicago dogs are as much art as they are food. Overall, they're like a mini Portillos. Fries are awesome. Burgers are great, although I find them a little dry sometimes. Had an italian combo once, eh, I'll skip that. They even got pizza puffs, probably the only place in town that serves up those heavenly crispy treats. I only go there for lunch. Atmosphere is OK, it's in a little bit of a weird location, but they recently moved closer to campus from about a third of mile away. Ventilation is a bit lacking, smoke often fills the place during lunch, but it doesn't bother me. Service isn't the speediest, but then Michelangelo didn't paint the Sistine Chapel overnight. Employees are extremely friendly. Once asked a manager a question about ingredients in something, he went and ripped the ingredients panel off a box in back to let me read it for myself. Hilarious. read more

I'm a native Chicagoan and a huge fan of Italian beef. AJ's kept me sated while at Purdue University and prevented me from taking spontaneous 2.5 hour drives to get a taste of home. I can't say much more for the joint. It provided a taste of home and tided me over until I was able to get the actual thing, while being nothing spectacular in of itself. AJ's occupies a small store front that had close to 5 businesses in it while I was at Purdue. It seems that AJ's is going to be its final occupant because the business has stuck around and done well at this location. The space is very narrow. The whole restaurant feels like you are eating in a hallway, as a result. The walls are plastered with images of Chicago and Chicago sports. They are clearly trying to sell the brand and hype the food as being Chicago style. AJ's has Italian beef and Chicago style hot dogs. They are not the same quality compared to a neighborhood shack or dog stand, but they get the job done for little old West Lafayette. I highly recommend asking for sweet peppers on your beef. Do not ask for ketchup if you opt for a hot dog, go back to New York. The menu also hosts funnel fries, which are essentially funnel cake dough in the shape of fries and dusted with powdered sugar. This menu item is probably the only thing executed extremely well. I highly recommend giving them a shot, despite a small portion size. Buyer beware, the food is very expensive for what you are getting with small portion sizes. The food can also be inconsistent between visits. Sometimes my beef and cheddar was drowning in cheese, while other times there was little to no cheese present. On the grand scale of Chicago food, AJ's has the style down, but it falls flat overall with bland au just and processed cheese. The food is greasy and feels like a concession stand and not in the charming Chicago streets way. I frequented AJ's while at Purdue because sometimes I just really needed a beef and cheddar and didn't care about quality. If you really want a taste of Chicago, you may be better off using the money to drive 2 hours north. read more

Honestly, this is a good place if you want some good food cheap and quick. I ordered a burger and some loaded fries delivered to my place. They showed up early, and the delivery guy was very nice. The fries came with a generous portion of chili, and the flavor was really good. I had the Boom Boom burger, which could have used a little more sauce, but other than that it was very tasty. I'll definitely give them another try, but I'll definitely ask for more sauce next time. read more

Loaded XXL fries are awesome. Great to stop here late at night with friends. One $12 order of these is enough for 4 people. It's basically a pizza box filled with crispy waffle fries topped with chili, cheese, ranch, and jalapeños. Add gyro meat or bacon for $1 each. Burgers are alright. They're a little dry but they've got good toppings. Gyros are good but a little small. Chicago dog is good! Cool restaurant atmosphere and good location. Friendly service! Get the loaded fries. read more

Heaven on a college campus! Waffle Fries, Waffle Fries. With cheese. With chili. Yess sir, that's what it's all about. Oh and their burgers and hot dogs are good too. Four stars for being a great spot for a late night snack. A lot of the menu items are cheap and serving size is generous. read more

Not sure how I've never heard of this place since I've lived in lafayette all my life, but after a co worker challenged five guys to them I knew I had to try it out. The menu is pretty ridiculous because its not just a one stop shop, so you can't get bored at all. I chose a gyro and waffle fries while the boyfriend had a gyro burger. To say the least we devoured our meals. Between the awesome friendly staff members and the food, we've added this place to our list of must have. Bonus they're open late and deliver! read more

See all

Expensive and not that special. My burger was still pink inside. Also, why is a burger place being so stingy with the ketchup? They keep it behind the counter and give you a 2oz cup when you come up and ask for it. I had to come up 3 times just to get ketchup. read more

I'm a regular here and love the place due to how close it is to campus. I believe the burgers are grilled like a Chicago-style steak ; cooked to order (medium by default) and charred on the outside. Their Italian beef is tender and juicy, and the sides are good (great fries, wings and onion rings). The burgers are reasonably priced (~$4.5) and the staff are friendly, service, prompt. My only beef with the place is that the burgers are often well done and borderline dry even though I've asked for medium. Also, if you're looking for fancy burgers with exotic toppings, AJs isn't the place for you. To summarize: good burgers (most of the time), great sides, and great service. read more

The Chicago dogs are my favorite from here. Nothing like Portillos but it's one of the best you're going to find in West Lafayette. Their fries are also my favorite. They're gold and crispy. They also have a variety of other options like the garlic burger or funnel cake fries. I recently had the loaded waffle fries which was the only thing that was a little disappointing. There wasn't nearly enough chili and cheese as I would have liked. They're open late and deliver too in case you can't make the drive off campus. Depending on what you get the prices are pretty affordable too. read more

It was a so bad experience. They closed at 3:45AM and I ordered at 2:30AM and had been waiting for 2 hours and the food was delivered. I was wondering if somebody delivered it by walking. read more

Everything I've had here has been good. The Italian beef is tasty, the waffle fries are amazing, and the hog dogs are great. The Pizza puff is also good, and pretty cheap. If I only had one side dish to eat for the rest of my life, I think it might be the waffle fries from here. The Italian beef is good, not as good as beef in Chicago, but good. The guys behind the counter are always nice, and professional. I think their prices are pretty reasonable, too. I've heard good things about their burgers, but I've never had them, so I can't comment. Overall, they are great. If you follow them on Twitter, they also give you free food sometimes. read more

I was excited to try Aj's for the first time but I was disappointed with my meal. I ordered a BBQ grilled chicken sandwich. However, when I got my sandwich it was a complete sloppy mess and just soaked with BBQ sauce. It was so soggy that I had to ditch the bread and eat the chicken by itself. Then, I realized that the chicken inside was breaded instead of grilled and so instead of eating a BBQ grilled chicken sandwich, I ended up eating chicken tenders doused in BBQ sauce. Although the sauce was homemade, it wasn't notable and lacked flavor. I also got the funnel cake fries which were actually quite good. Overall, Aj's is a mixed bag and I don't know if I would go back. read more

Been here a couple times now, and I can say is that this place is decent if you're looking for relatively cheap burgers/fries. The burgers can be a little dry, but the chicken sandwich (grilled or crispy) along with the Italian beef sandwich are fenomenal. Can't go wrong with the loaded fries either if you're drunk. read more

Food was burnt and horrible the first and second time grease had to be old I'm very disappointed

AVOID THIS PLACE!!!! Update. I left complaint of the below on Twitter, and rather than have them try to straighten this mess out, they deleted my entire post. If you want to know how they treat their customers, read on. Back in August I went to their previous location and made an order to go. When I got home part of my order was bad. I called and spoke to a manager and she gave me a credit. Earlier tonight I called to verify my credit before placing an order. Once I verified the credit I placed my order. When I arrived to pick up my order the same female manager who originally gave me the credit now claimed there was no credit. I tried to explain, but when I did the manager began raising her voice claiming she wasn't going to listen to me. This all right as I walked in the door. Even though, i explained the person on the phone confirmed my credit. She replied "No he didn't" and although she was the one who originally gave me the credit, she would not honor it". She explained if the credit isn't listed with my number in the system, it was never there. Meaning that I was lying. What's interesting is my phone records all calls, so not only do I have the original call where she gave me the credit, the counter person confirming my credit, but I was on the phone while she spoke to me like garbage while I tried calmly sort things out. So I have both confirmation of the credit twice, but also the manager treating me like crap all recorded.. This manager decided to beraid me for no reason while continuing to patronize me as well. That said, do not order from here for two simple reasons. One if they screw up your order, forget about them correcting the mistake, your money is gone. And two, Ig the staff decides they feel like it, they will try to make a fool out of you for no reason. In the end, I'm upset with myself for losing my cool after a long drawn out conversation of AJs manager trying her best to upset me and make a fool out of me. I'm 46 years old and this is the worst abuse of "power" I have ever witnessed. read more

The food was really good I had a double gcb add bacon and waffle fries my wife had a gyro with regular fries we also had mac and pepper jack cheese bites we went on a Sunday evening it was not very busy but they still managed to get our order wrong twice they forgot the fries and gave me the wrong burger after fixing the problem we really enjoyed our food. Definitely get the pepper-jack mac n cheese bites. read more

See all

Craving a burger & heard u was the best....Just ordered & not only was it over a hour to get but it was cold! Highly disappointed I paid $20 including tip for a cold hamburger & fries. Never again read more

I came for the first time today and wow! The food was great! My girl had the classic gyro and waffle fries and I had the gyro burger and funnel cake fries with powdered sugar which I devoured! It is a friendly and fun place to enjoy some awesome lunch and fun dinner options! It is open late at night which is a huge plus and don't forget they deliver! I highly recommend checking this place out! It is right on Chauncey hill right next to jimmy johns! read more

See all

Never coming here for carry out or ordering for delivery from here again. The employees are rude and not friendly. Plus, the food is subpar and gave me a stomach ache. read more

The loaded fries are the ultimate drunchies. Inexpensive and very short waiting time for our food.

Sorry, nothing special. I used to like their loaded waffle fries, but last two times I ordered it, it was nothing but sad soggy fries with uneven mix of chili, sour cream, and nacho cheese. The fries don't even hold up the shape, texture almost like mashed potatoes. My friend ordered beef and cheddar sandwich, and it looked like a fetus. My stomach got really upset from eating their bratwurst (I'm writing this in my bathroom, mind you). So I definitely won't recommend their sandwiches or hotdogs. Their burgers are mediocre at best. I personally don't like their buns. read more