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    J. Alexander's Restaurant

    3.7 (82 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order J. Alexander's Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    J. Alexander's Restaurant Photos

    J. ALEXANDER'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Upscale
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Outside.
    Diane C.

    12/28/25: We had dinner at J. Alexander's. J. Alexander's is located at 852 NJ 3 West, Clifton, NJ. (The location used to be Joe's Crab Shack) You can enter directly from either Rt.3 West or Allwood Rd.in Clifton, NJ. Restaurant is casual but very nice. As soon as you enter, you are greeted immediately and escorted to a table. The interior of the restaurant is in darkwood. Ronan was our friendly server. Cocktails- Coke and Cakebread Cabernet. Wine was divine! Entrees- Loaded Potato Soup and a Hyde Park Sandwich Grilled Chicken Breast with Melted Monterey Jack Cheese and fries $19. Both soup and chicken breast were delicious and pleasantly flavorful. Fries were tasty. In order to sit at a booth, you had to step up. I noticed on each of the tables, there was an emblem "Step Down". This little detail is great reminder for preventing accidents. (Very smart on their end....) Upon your exit , the hostess thanks you for coming and holds the door open for you. A large parking lot is available in the Promenade Shoppes at Clifton.

    Maui Steak with mashed potatoes  Ribeye cut
    Kimberley W.

    J. Alexander's in Clifton, New Jersey continues to be a consistently wonderful dining experience. I ordered the Maui steak with mashed potatoes and broccoli, and it was incredibly flavorful and tender, cooked just right. Everything on the plate complemented each other perfectly. My son had the grilled shrimp with mac & cheese, and as a self-proclaimed mac & cheese connoisseur, he thoroughly enjoyed it--high praise coming from him! The service is always phenomenal, and it truly feels welcoming. The manager even seems to recognize me by face, which adds a personal touch that keeps us coming back. The ambiance strikes a perfect balance of casual elegance, making it great for both relaxed dinners and special outings. A reliable favorite with great food, outstanding service, and a warm atmosphere.

    Stephanie G.

    I think for the price, this place was only okay. I do expect for $50+ steaks that bread is usually complementary. It's not a big thing, but it does go a long way to making the meal feel like a complete experience. I got the prime rib which was grilled nicely and was tender and juicy. I exchanged the smashed potatoes for the "not your ordinary" mac n cheese which is by far the worst mac n cheese I've gotten at the price point. The noodles were pretty dry and lacked substantial cheese. The breadcrumb topping was more mushy than crunchy. In other words, it was extremely ordinary. He got the New York Strip which was buttery and flavorful. We shared an extra plate of broccoli (pricing was not listed for sides) and though the waitress said it served 2, it was a small portion and fairly unremarkable There is no paper dessert menu as the website said it changes daily. We asked, and that day there was chocolate cake, carrot cake, and key lime pie, which are all very basic desserts that don't sound special. We made the unfortunate mistake of asking for a minute to discuss (since we couldn't prepare ahead of time) and she didn't come back for like 20 minutes and we just wanted to go. If the desserts are going to be standard, having the menu to review would have been helpful. Booths were comfortable, bathrooms were nice and clean, and it is a big parking lot. The steaks were a 5 but everything else was a 2. For a date night or special occasion, there are other steakhouses with better overall satisfaction.

    Steak egg roles $20
    Politia M.

    We were pleasantly surprised after we ate there. We walked in for a quick drink and appetizer type of night. Their menu has the martinis as almost 2-1 not a bad deal for $20. Their tai salad was sooo delicious, I would go back for that! We also had their steak egg rolls. My husband really loved them. I however would have preferred them a little crunchier. The service was excellent

    Alex's side salad
    Sheila G.

    I always smell the aromas of this restaurant as i'm leaving the gym and finally decided to go check it out even though i'm not a huge fan of chain restaurants. We were celebrating a few things and decided this was a great girl dinner spot to celebrate. My friend and I started off with a couple of drinks i had the sparking Paloma, she had the prickly pear Margarita.We both liked our drinks. Then we opted for the steak egg rolls as our appetizer , which came with six pretty large pieces stuffed with real steak, I don't know why this shocked me so much and why I thought I would expect ground beef but it was really good with the jalapeno ranch. We also got French fries on the side which were highly addicting, even though I'm not a fan of skinny fries, these were really good and I asked for a side of their ranch, which you could tell was homemade.So that was also nice. For dinner, we both got the red snapper special that came top with crab and I believe some butter sauce, we change the side from couscous to smashed potatoes and the other side was a vegetable which that night was asparagus. You could also add a side salad to any entree for I believe $6, which we both did, and they were definitely larger than a side.I would say more of a lunch portion The fish was perfectly cooked, very crispy on the bottom nice grill on top.I think it could use a little bit more of the sauce because I really didn't taste it. Potatoes were good as well and although I ate all my asparagus , it was heavily salted and wished they had held back a little. Our server was super sweet and the ambiance was really nice, quiet, and it's a pretty large spot. Our bill came out to about a $155 before tax, not bad, considering all the food we got and the portion sizes. We both had leftovers! Not somewhere, I would go all the time, but definitely an option in the rotation.

    Avocado bomb  with lightly fried wonton. Spectacular tuna surprise inside
    Thomas R.

    Expect a fantasic dining experience that showcase J. Alexander's delectable dishes and premium cocktails. I highly recommend the popular Margaritas, Old Fashions and Mojitos that aren't drowned in glaciers of ice! And the dishes had a slight spice or Caliente kick. Overall, the attentive staff enhanced the dining experience.

    Salmon burger with fries
    Eli M.

    Very disappointed with the salmon burger! It was overly rich and creamy! I couldn't even taste the salmon. But the fries were delicious! The steak salad was ok. It lacks seasoning! A little sea salt would have done the trick! I love the presentation of the food!

    Roseanne P.

    Had visited J. Alexander's with my fiance to celebrate our anniversary. I had made my reservation in advance and we were seated right away. Zack was our waiter and he was great and attentive throughout our visit. He made great suggestions since it was our first time visiting. The restaurant is very spacious and modern and cozy. We started with some drinks and of course I got an espresso martini. I liked that I got a little extra cup of my martini so I was able to have a small refill. We started with calamari and it was good. I had ordered the pork chop and my fiance had ordered a steak. We got a Caesar salad before our entree came out and enjoyed that. It was nicely tossed and I liked the croutons. The pork chop was thick and a little bit overcooked. My fiancé had enjoyed his steak and fries. We had a lovely anniversary meal at J Alexander's and we will def visit again.

    Great burger, shoestring fries
    Gerard S.

    There's a new restaurant in Clifton and if you haven't been there yet, you definitely should give it a try. J Alexander's is similar to The Capital Grille, but not as pricey. Personally, I think it's wonderful having a higher-quality restaurant in Clifton and if you haven't been there yet (at the former site of Joe's Crab Shack) it's absolutely worth a visit. Hands down the best burger I've ever had in Clifton, the spare ribs are fall-off-the-bone delicious, and pretty much everything else we've tried has been great as well. They have an extensive wine list, great craft cocktails, and a modern bar that's perfect for drinks or grabbing a quick bite to eat and the spicy popcorn served free at the bar is amazing. Defintely a great new addition to Clifton!

    Deanna P.

    The bartender Zach was great, but after that the place went downhill! Average food and not great service. Half our appetizers never arrived and our main meals were never put in and we waited a painfully long time! The managed was apologetic & very nice and gave us some appetizers, but I thought the meals should have been comped. It just was not great for a first experience. There would have to be a compelling reason to go back.

    Spinach Queso
    Liz R.

    We are familiar with J Alexander's (& the backstory - owner is an ex Houston's big wig) so we were excited to stop in for lunch since this was the first in NJ from what I understand. It was not busy at all so we were immediately greeted and seated and our server promptly arrived to ask if we wanted beverages to which we ordered 2 martinis .... AMAZING! We love when a bar provides the sidecar of the leftover cocktail and there was the case w both our martinis. We ordered the spinach queso dip for our appetizer which was yummy and enough to share. I went with a salad and my bestie went with the crispy grouper sandwich which was a daily special .... both were BOMB! That grouper sandwich tho ... honestly one of the most flavorful fish sandwiches we've ever tasted! And the cornbread croutons in the salad were so delish that when the GM - Matt came over to check on us (which was wonderful) and we told him how much we loved them, he brought over a small dish of warm fresh ones out the kitchen for us!!!! We ordered the key lime pie to share for dessert since our server told us that the key lime juice was flown in from Key West ... that pie was OUT OF THIS WORLD! The crust should be packaged and sold separately ... WOOWEEE SO GOOD! Overall we had a wonderful lunch and will absolutely be back.

    Pear Martini
    Nicole M.

    The J. Alexander's Restaurant is a chain but was one that I was excited to see open in NJ earlier this month. I've been patiently waiting to check it out! They took over the space that used to be Joe's Crab Shack so it's a pretty big restaurant. We sat at the bar which was pretty empty but it was a Tuesday night. Like I said, this place is big and that includes the bar. There might be enough seating for 30 people at the bar as it wraps around. For food, I had the avocado bomb appetizer and the steak 'N' Fries for dinner. The avocado bomb was just that - it was the bomb! It was thinly sliced avocado surrounding fresh crab meat + fresh tuna. It came with the best chips. I wanted to lick the plate LOL. The steak 'N' Fries were excellent as well. I love when a restaurant has good thin fries that are not overly greasy or soggy. It was just cooked to perfection! I tried the pear martini with dinner and the espresso martini for dessert. I really wanted to have dessert but it was a small selection (3 options) and just wasn't what I was in the mood for. Service was great, I actually recognized the bartender from another restaurant I go to. She seemed happier here and explained how J Alexander's is a scratch kitchen and that she enjoys it here because it's a better atmosphere. It was nice to see employees taking pride! The only "complaint" if that is that the restaurant is very dark and dull. I felt like I was at a hotel chain restaurant with generic art / no color and that was lifeless. It's hard to explain but you can see for yourself when you go. Other than that, I'd highly recommend the food/drinks and service here!

    Veggie Burger  In-house recipe, Monterey Jack
    Ron M.

    This is a modern eatery with some great artwork but great for lunch get togethers with friends or coworkers. The staff was very attentive including the manager, Rebecca, who made sure we were happy with all aspects of our meal. The spicy chicken sandwich was well cooked with crispy juicy chicken with a good Nashville hot sauce, the added bacon only made it better. The vegan burger is an inhouse secret recipe that was fresh and flavorful. The burger had pieces of carrots, red onion, celery, beans and other ingredients. The glaze gave it a meaty grilled flavor while keeping the crust crunchy. One of the best, and largest, vegan burgers I have had. The french fries were more like pommes frites and were excellent.

    Calamari

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

    Good food, great service, buy always out of clam chowder other than this, they are always willing to to provide great customer service.

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    1 year ago

    Quick update. Service has improved greatly. Actually know a few of the employees by name and they are great fun people.

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    10 months ago

    The food, the service and the ambiance were all fantastic. I cannot wait to come back.

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    1 year ago

    Food and service were superb. Friendly staff. All were knowledgeable about menu choices and very professional!!

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    1 year ago

    We have one in Louisiana, everything is fantastic. Crab cakes higher priced but straight crab meat vs it being full of breading.

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    1 year ago

    Every morsel was delicious. We had the avacado bomb, gorgeous presentation, trout and salmon dinner. Free side switch.

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    Page 2 of 3

    Ask the Community - J. Alexander's Restaurant

    Rumba Cubana

    Rumba Cubana

    4.0
    (562 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    - Stopped in for lunch on a stormy Saturday right at opening time; we parked in the lot, which…read moreappears to be valet-only, though valet service hadn't started yet when we arrived - The restaurant is spacious with plenty of well-spaced seating; has a clean, comfortable atmosphere with warm lighting throughout; we especially loved being seated by the La Bodeguita del Medio wall art--it brought back so many great memories from our trip to Cuba! - Service was excellent: everyone was welcoming, friendly, and attentive throughout our meal, making us feel well taken care of from start to finish - The food was outstanding: portions are very generous; everything was fresh and flavorful--the meats were tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned, and the Caribbean Punch was strong, fruity, and incredibly refreshing - We'll definitely be back for dinner, as we can only imagine how lively and energetic the atmosphere is in the evening

    THE FOOD ----------------…read more+ El Rumberito - Delicious sampler had a combination of different tapas - Ham Croquette, Corn Tamale, Beef Empanada, Corn Fritters, Crispy Pork Bites and a Beef Stuffed Potato Topped With Pickle Red Onions. Definitely a good way to try everything. + Poquito de Todo - The sampler of entrees here! Literally, a little bit of everything - roasted pork, shredded beef, steamed cassava with mojo, sliced avocado, one fried egg & fried sweet plantains - and it was alllll delicious. + Lechon Asado - The lechon was excellent! Some dry pieces here and there, but most of it was juicy and had oil slathered on it. There was a large piece of delicious, crispy skin on top and it came with 1 side. + Sandwich Cubano and Fries - Solid Cuban sammie. Bread was extra crispy and the sammie was well put together. THE SERVICE ------------------- + PHENOMENAL service! ++++ All of the busboys were on the tee with their timing of clearing plates. ++++ Our waiter was friendly, courteous and very professional. He remembered every request we had. ++++ Food arrived quickly and fresh. THE SURROUNDINGS ------------------------------- + Big restaurant with plenty of tables and seats. + Simply, but nicely decorated inside. + Private parking lot outside and it's valet, however, if you arrive at opening, you can park in the lot before the valet arrives. There are street parking spots available too. + Restaurant is located right off of NJ-21. RANDOM OBSERVATIONS -------------------------------------- = Arrived right at opening on a rainy, summer Saturday morning at 11:30 AM and, of course, we were the first customers inside. We stayed till about 1 PM and there were about only 6-7 tables occupied during our time there, however pretty sure evenings are a wholeeee different story (and much livelier).

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    Inside
    Inside
    Rumba Cubana
    Cafe Bon Bon

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    Cafe Bon Bon
    The Thistle Fish And Chips

    The Thistle Fish And Chips

    4.3
    (135 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    Really excellent fish and chips…read more I ordered the food to go and was worried my 20+ min trip would make the crispiness of the fish and chips be lost but it didn't. The food was fresh, batter was perfectly seasoned and crisp and the fish was soft and tender. It was good and possibly better than any fish and chips I had in the UK. The chips were also nice and crisp on the outside and fluffy inside. Service was very nice. The food definitely leaves you wanting more. I wish I had ordered more so I could be eating it now. I'll definitely be back! (FYI: I ordered the lunch portion which comes with one piece of fish. Also there's a 3% credit card fee.)

    The Thistle Fish & Chips is a small restaurant in Lyndhurst, NJ. There is NO OFF street parking…read more Curbside only. I had to wait 25 minutes for a space to open up. As you enter there is a small waiting area and an ordering counter. Staff were very nice, cheerful, & accommodating while I waited for my order to be cooked and packaged. I didn't look into the dining room since this was a take out order. PROS: Cleanliness appears to be high on their agenda. My order consisted of Fried Oyster dinner, Fish & Chips dinner, and a Fried Shrimp & Scallops dinner. All came with French Fries and Cole Slaw. They also provided plenty of tartar and cocktail sauce. Additionally they have Malt Vinegar which is a must, at least for me when eating fish and chips. The oysters were cooked to perfection, as were the shrimp and scallops. CONS: The fish fillet was undercooked and the coating saturated with oil. I don't think the fryer was hot enough. French Fries were soggy because the steam from the closed containers. Easily solved by putting in a frying pan to crisp them up. Coleslaw was okay. As for Pricing, they are quite high for portion served. $30.00 for 2 shrimp, 2 scallops and a mound of french fries is outrageous. I can get a full seafood platter at any decent diner or restaurant for this kind of money. I think I'll look elsewhere when I get my next craving for this type of cuisine.

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    The Thistle Fish And Chips
    Old Bay Fries (well done) & Coleslaw
    Old Bay Fries (well done) & Coleslaw
    Fried Oysters

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    Fried Oysters
    Woodcroft Steakhouse & Seafood

    Woodcroft Steakhouse & Seafood

    4.0
    (132 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$$

    We had an outstanding experience at Woodcroft Steakhouse…read more Ambiance- relaxed, small, local feel, subtly hipster, welcoming Service- exceptional Menu- something for everyone, lots of sides, the usual steak choices. Food- Filets were perfectly cooked, nice sear, juicy, flavorful. Steaks come w mashed and veggies; ordered side of their famous potatoes ; dessert- tiramisu was exceptional Overall- excellent, local steakhouse, great option to the big boys

    Came to celebrate a birthday dinner with her family and had a table for 11. They had parking which…read morewas great as it was for my father's 84th birthday and didn't want to find street parking. The restaurant when you walk in has a very nice bar area and we were sat in the room just next to it nearby with an electric fireplace wall. It was in the middle of the week and we had a reservation, but it was not crowded at all. However, the server took a very long time to come to take orders to let us know about any specials, and we on a number of occasions had to ask for extra bread or more water. That was highly disappointing. Made the reservation based on Yelp reviews. However, in our experience, we did not have as satisfactory of an experience. members of our party ordered filet mignon, ribeye and short rib, and CB chicken scarpariello, and rigatoni bolognaise. We ordered a number of oysters on the half shell, the buffalo mozzarella, some fried calamari, and Tuna tartare to start and baked clams. Ordered an old fashioned but was too sweet. Pappardelle with large, meaty scallops was the standout. The Steaks were cooked to medium rare and rare as requested. Daughter enjoyed the ravioli. What wasn't as enjoyable and overdone was the rigatoni. The orrechiette with broccoli rabe and sausage was fine but needed healthy sprinkle of cheese for flavor. We brought our own birthday cake from Gencarellis in nearby Bloomfield which was appreciated and ordered some cappuccino and espresso. They already included a 20% gratuity in the bill which was fine for a large party but based on the actual service felt like overtipping.

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    Seating
    Seating
    Double Espresso
    Double Espresso
    Woodcroft Old Fashioned

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    Woodcroft Old Fashioned
    Sharky's Wings & Raw Bar

    Sharky's Wings & Raw Bar

    3.7
    (678 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    Sharky's has been on my radar for a while and I was finally able to visit yesterday to try their…read morefamous wings. Sharky's is a local neighborhood spot with a very similar vibe to Jimmy Geez in North Haledon. There's only street parking available since they don't have a dedicated parking lot. There is a limited amount of seating inside with about 5 tables and an L-shaped bar. When we arrived there were no tables available so we ate at the bar. Service was friendly and we didn't rushed. We ordered the 5pc boneless wings with Honey BBQ sauce and another 5pc order of the boneless wings with the Boom Boom sauce. The tenders were massive, really crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I preferred the Honey BBQ sauce over the Boom Boom sauce since I'm not a huge fan of spice. We also tried the cheeseburger sliders and the pulled pork sliders. The pulled pork sliders were by far my favorite dish. The slider buns were soft and fresh, the BBQ sauce was the perfect amount of sweetness, and the pork was very tender. I look forward to visiting again soon to try some of their other sauces and the bone-in wings. Honey BBQ Boneless Wings: 5/5 Boom Boom Boneless Wings: 4/5 Cheeseburger Sliders: 4/5 Pulled Pork Sliders: 5/5

    Hands down one of the best wing places around. Whether you're with a group or alone, you'll always…read morehave someone to talk to. Catch every game, excellent beer selection, very cool atmosphere. Must try: Pincher Fries and Fried Pickles

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    Sharky's Wings & Raw Bar
    Thai Chili Wings
    Thai Chili Wings
    Chicken tenders.

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    Chicken tenders.

    J. Alexander's Restaurant - steak - Updated August 2026

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