I must say i was very impressed and a little suprised how good everything was I had heard mixed reviews but I was totally impressed Our server was very friendly and attentive The place was clean and well maintained The food came out fast hot and better than I expected I will definitely go back read more

Went on a Sunday around brunch time but if you're in the mood for brunch food items, they don't have that. Lol so this more lunch/ earlier dinner if you're going at 11am. They do have coffee so that's a plus. And the coffee is made with a French press. Very tasty. They have a good menu. Something for everyone. We started off with the guacamole app and clam chowder. The guacamole is plentiful and tasty. Also the salsa was delish too. My table patrons didn't like the clam chowder. They said it was too salty. For the mains we ordered the roasted chicken, hot chicken sandwich and the Cajun seafood alfredo The Hot chicken was divine and huge. You won't be disappointed with that one. Good amount of spice. The roasted chicken was lemon rosemary jus was delicious as well. I ordered the pasta which was supposed to come with jumbo shrimp and andouille sausage. As soon as I received my dish I asked the waitress where the sausage was, she couldn't answer but went to get her manager. The manager said normally it's under the pasta. Still, no sausage in the pasta. They apologized and made the sausage and added it to the pasta. I wish that was the only issue. The menu states that it's a cajun Alfredo sauce and hate to say but this was just bland. Not flavorful at all. 2 waiters recommended it but I'm not sure why. I'd give it a 2.5 out of 5. The portion size was good but again no real taste. Overall this was a nice place. I just need to study the menu and read more reviews about what to order here. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

J. Alexander's Restaurant - Maui Steak with mashed potatoes Ribeye cut - Steakhouses Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

Great Restaurant, food was good. Staff were attentive and well mannered. Ambiance is great as well. The only reason I've given four stars is because my chocolate fudge cake was hard as a rock. read more

J. Alexander's Restaurant - Crispy Cauliflower - Steakhouses Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

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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. read more

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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 read more

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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. read more

J. Alexander's Restaurant - Avocado bomb with lightly fried wonton. Spectacular tuna surprise inside - Steakhouses Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

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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! read more

J. Alexander's Restaurant - Salmon burger with fries - Steakhouses Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

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Food: Hong Kong shrimp app is solid - generous portion size for starters - the sauce is flavorful with a slight zing; I had their NY strip which had a thick sear and peppercorn crust; hubby had their crab cakes which were flavorful with Old Bay seasoning and packed full of crab meat; alas it ate dry however; their shoestring fries were delicious; coleslaw could have used some TLC with more salt Service: very friendly, warm, accommodating Ambiance: not too loud, clean, spacious Looking forward to visiting again! read more

Came here on a Friday with my boyfriend. We got Angelina as our server. She was my server the last time I ate at the restaurant. Angelina is very nice, friendly and courteous. If you get her as your server, it's a start to a pleasant and great meal. Angelina knows what she's talking about! One feedback would be to learn how to better time the serving of the foods. We got our soup and shrimp cocktail as starters but literally 3 minutes later, our entrees were served to the table. Our entrees got cold while we tried to finish our starters. Please look to have the servers better time the serving of entrees AFTER the starters are finished. I had the New England Clam Chowder and the Prime rib. The clam chowder was tasty but lacked clams. They added andouille sausage to the chowder to give it a nice tasty twist but this should not have taken away from the amount of clams expected in a clam chowder. Prime rib was a good thick cut. But served warm and almost at room temperature. Not exactly how I would like my prime rib. Shoe string fries were tasty. My boyfriend ordered the Clam Chowder and Shrimp Cocktail as starters, followed by Cajun Sea Pasta and a bunch of side dishes - southern Coke slaw, black beans and rice and the loaded baked potato. Shrimps in the shrimp cocktail was good sized shrimp topped with old bay seasoning. The pasta was seasoned just right, very tasty and delicious. Cole slaw was crunchy which meant the Cole slaw was freshly made and not sitting in the sauce for too long. Loaded baked potato was of good size and baked to the right softness. Black beans and rice was the only side dish that was a bit too salty but went great when mixed with the baked potato. Overall, we were impressed with Angelina's services, friendliness of the staff and quality of the foods. read more

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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. read more

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We popped into this lovely restaurant, very last minute on Xmas eve. We were given a warm welcome from the hostesses, and seated right away. The decor is chic and upscale. Our server came over quickly and took our drink order. I ordered the classic Cheeseburger which came with a pile of thin cut fries. The burger was well cooked, and delicious. The lettuce, tomato, and red onion were all crisp and fresh. The fries were crispy and well seasoned. My husband had the Ahi Tuna Salad. The presentation was beautiful. The tuna was gorgeous and fresh. He loved it. The service was outstanding here. Really top notch. We also enjoyed the food very much. I would come back to try a more extensive meal. read more

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. read more

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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! read more

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The food was unseasoned and generally not good. We came for a birthday and even the birthday cake wasn't appetizing. The service was great and the restaurant was clean and well lit. read more

Food not up to good standards Drinks are great had to send back my filets not cooked than they send it out over cooked instead of a new one ! read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

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I really wanted to give 4 or 5 stars, I think it has great potential to reach that. The home made salad dressings are phenomenal. the "Nonnas lasagna" was extremely burnt, so hard we could not cut it, it also lacked authentic flavor. The chicken tacos with rice and beans on the side were phenomenal! The Cesar salad was good but we did get served some browned romaine which i noticed half way through and couldn't finish eating it. I had the salmon and it has a fishy taste, it was also very small looked like 4-5oz. Although I asked for it well done, I did not expect it to be BURNT it was literally black like charred on the whole bottom and top. The wild rice/orzo chilled salad really lacked flavor and was quite the conundrum, I think this side should be improved or changed out completely. The roasted chicken with mashed potato's was excellent. Our server was very absent minded, although she circled and passed by she NEVER once stopped and checked in after serving the food to ask "how is everything?" so we didn't even get a chance to tell her about the burnt lasagna but fortunately the food runner and a different server did pass by us and checked on us ecause they saw us with our necks out looking for our server who had actually passed by us but didn't even look at us...I found it strange that for such a fine establishment the server had not been drained to check on the table 2-5 minutes after each course is served. We had a 3 course meal. A salad to start, followed by the chicken tacos and Nonna lasagna as a second appetizer, then our main dishes. Not once did she check on us after the food was served. I will return in a few months to see if there has been any improvement. The manager did take the lasagna off the bill after the busser brought the plate back. However the waitress never came or made any comments about it. She truly lacked hospitality, personality, and attention To details. I don't remember her name i don't think she Even provided it... the dessert menu also could be better being that there are other restaurants in the area with better dessert options. I think this place needs something good that makes it unique... maybe a story to tell by the server for first times guest or any suggestions etc. read more

We tried J. Alexander's in celebration of my best friend's birthday. Making a reservation was extremely easy. We were immediately greeted, the door held open for us. The restaurant was surprisingly not full. As it was explained to us by Brandon, our excellent server, J. Alexander's is a scratch kitchen. If you must compare, the restaurant can be likened to Houston's but prepared fresh with a new menu similar to Seasons 52. Brandon made excellent suggestions. We started with appetizers and the calamari came highly recommended. Brandon was spot on, to the point I regretted ordering the grilled artichoke (which was very tough and hard to digest). The calamari was fantastic. We moved on to our entrées. I ordered the salmon, substituted the macaroni & cheese in and added mashed potatoes. My food was tasty. I especially enjoyed the mashed potatoes. I, of course ordered dessert, which was a special. My girlfriend and I ordered the same one. We were extremely thankful Brandon made an executive decision for us to share....it was HUGE. Brandon was very knowledgeable. He knew a lot about the restaurant's history down to every ingredient in our meals. The bartender kept our sangrias fresh and our shots coming! We truly enjoyed ourself in the casual but chic atmosphere. We talked so long we didn't realize the restaurant had closed over an hour before! We will be back! read more

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. read more

J. Alexander's Restaurant - Veggie Burger In-house recipe, Monterey Jack - Steakhouses Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

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Tried this spot recently and had a great experience overall. For appetizer we had the calamari which was great! For entrees we ordered the salmon and the steak -- the salmon stood out with a nice spicy kick from the coating on top, which added a lot of flavor. The steak was cooked well, though it leaned a bit on the salty side for my taste. That said, the service was excellent and really elevated the whole experience. Overall, I'd rate it a solid 4.5/5 and would definitely come back! read more

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Amazing food! Had the Mexican spinach queso dip did not disappoint so good. The staff knew it was my birthday and had all the staff sign a card for it. We got the new York strip steak and the BBQ ribs and both were simply amazing. We had a child with us so they sat us on the side away from other tables also. Also had a high chair. Very dark date night kinda vibe. The server was very accommodating and treated us very well. The drinks were also made very well as I had paper planes (bourbon cocktail) and a beer. My wife had the bartender just make her a random mocktail which they didn't have on the menu. The birthday cake they came out with was great and they didn't sing which was a big bonus. Didn't have any complaints to be honest. read more

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Been going to J Alexander's for many years - Back in Michigan- and was so happy it's here in NJ. Beautiful space and great bar. The food was great - calamari, French dip and steak tacos.. then warm carrot cake was really good. Maricela was our server and she was so lovely and accommodating - we really enjoyed our experience and will definitely be back! We need one in Bergen county ! read more

I enjoyed my experience at J Alexander. The menu Is big but not overwhelming. Great wine and cocktail selection and super professional helpful bar tenders. We had the queso and a fried shrimp entree, both were tasty and well priced. I HATE the decor and the vibe (lights too bright, furniture and art is downright terrible) but the service and food were great overall so we'll definitely go back for an easy, crowd pleasing meal. read more

J. Alexander's Restaurant - cocktails at the bar. excellent martini, good beer choices - Steakhouses Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

We come to J. Alexander's pretty regularly and it's always a good experience. Cocktails are great -- love that the martinis come with a sidecar! Food is consistently good and the staff is always friendly and attentive. The manager stopped by to check on us too, which is always a nice touch. Definitely one of our go-to spots in the area. read more

Ugh... this review is hard because the food is really good, the drinks and prices are good, our bartender was great and the dessert was amazing. The place itself is a large open modern look. The bathrooms were private and clean. Gives an all inclusive resort feel when you walk in. That being said, the smell of smoke walking in was very unpleasant. We sort of got used to after a drink but as soon as we got home all we could smell was smoke, like we were sitting around a camp fire all night. That is the only reason for the low rating but something that will prevent me from ever eating there again. read more

Came for lunch today with son and husband. I ordered the lunch special of blackened salmon over caesar salad. Son had chicken sandwich delicious! Husband had regular salmon from menue. Service excellent and food was great. read more

And I forgot to mention this all important thing. Both of my kids are a little over the age of 21. When we ordered our drinks, the waiter never even asked to see their ID's. That is very scary read more

the place is beautiful fantastic, the serve was great. My problem was the food. I do not mind paying for good food but this was not it. This was more Chilli or apple bee taste. I had the Hong Kong shrimp as a app did not stand up to the bang bang shrimp at Bone fish grill. I also had the ribs which basically tasted like the ribs i get at Costco in the freezer aisle. I eat out for work around 170 days a year and do not think i will be back. read more

I had a great experience at J. Alexander's in Clifton. The food was excellent, but what really made our stay stand out was the service. the Manager Zach, was the highlight of the meal. He was incredibly friendly, attentive, and made sure everything at our table was perfect throughout the meal. You can tell he really cares about the customers and the overall experience. It's rare to see someone that engaged and welcoming while also keeping everything running smoothly. Thanks to Zach, the whole lunch felt a lot more personal and enjoyable. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

The cocktails and appetizers were outstanding! The main course was just ok. The side that I had (black beans and rice) was so spicy I couldn't eat it. Our waiter, though kind, was a bit overbearing. The atmosphere was extremely nice. I would definitely go back there. They deserve a second chance. read more

A person had a bad experience there a while back where they made a black woman move for two white guys and gave her a hard time. They will never get my business again. read more

I had ordered this appetizer the artichoke dip. It was so delicious. The service was pretty good. The ambiance is more like a chill vibe atmosphere. . I would go here again read more

J. Alexander's Restaurant - Artichoke - Steakhouses Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

The food was good but that doesn't make up for the hour it took to get the our food. Not to mention they ran out of the pork chops. Oh yeah and rice who runs out of rice. Substituted baked potatoe with smashed thinking I wouldn't notice. Poured me a half of beer of foam. Waitress was very nice. They gave Is a carrot cake on them to make up for all the issues.While I appreciate it there was more bad then good. We won't be going back here again read more

I think this place is relatively new. It's a nice modern restaurant with a nice look and feel. However, there are improvement opportunities. Regard the service - While everyone was very friendly and professional from the hostess to our server, management really needs to spend a little more time training the wait staff. Regarding the food - It really wasn't so enjoyable. The stuffed artichoke hearts actually made me choke. There was a ridiculous amount of spices on top of them and it made me gag, and they were overcooked to the point where there was no meat to scrape off the leaves. The rare prime rib had no juices, and you would think it would. The chicken dish was undercooked, and the panko / parm topping was raw. The one good thing was the Key Lime pie. Pricing for this kind of restaurant is typical. But when you can't eat one of the meals, and you choke on the appetizer, it's a loss. Don't think I would return, but I hope they improve. read more

Fantastic food, but service was badly lacking. Even though the restaurant was almost empty, it took around 40 minutes for many in our party to get their drinks. It also took 2 1/2 hours for us to get our entrées. read more

J. Alexander's delivered incredible food--truly a 10/10. The deviled eggs were outstanding, and the drinks were strong and well-made. However, the service fell far below expectations; the staff didn't seem properly trained for the level this restaurant aims to uphold. Despite the poor service, I'd absolutely return for the food alone. I think the current reviews are more reflective of the staff and not the food. read more

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