This is a local hotspot that seems to be stuck in a time warp. Absolutely old school décor with attentive service and damn good food. Wooden booths with thickly paneled walls scream late 70's-80's which is another reason why I love it. I wouldn't put their steaks in the same category as a Capital Grill or Morton's but at literally 1/2 the price they're a solid choice. Their lambchops, on the other hand, were spectacular; some of the best I've ever had. And the free salad was a really nice touch that has all but disappeared with the exception of diners. Bar is massive, wooden with a friendly team of well-seasoned bar tenders. All together a solid, and someone surprising choice that anyone is sure to enjoy. read more

Had a good dinner here while visiting in Livingston NJ No reservations needed and we were seated immediately upon arrival. Nice old style Squared Wooden Bar ver similar to some in PA. I had the Sliced Steak Platter with French Fries , Broccoli and Gravy! Steak was cooked Med. The way I like it and the fries and broccoli were delicious as was the gravy. The better Half had the chicken parm with spaghetti and salad! She said the Chicken was on the tough side! Had to ask for sauce because it had very little. The service was good but and they were busy! read more

Jim Johnston's Steakhouse - Sliced Steak Platter - Steakhouses Near Me - Roseland, New Jersey

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We arrived at 5:30 and order was taken at 7:30. Our waitress Annette was nowhere to be found . When the food arrived the vegetables and burger buns were frozen. Food was cold had and to be replaced or reheated. The manger came over and said Annette is Italian what ever that means. They said our order was delayed due to what we ordered burgers ,steak,2 sandwiches as we were waiting I looked around there were 3 tables that ordered what we ordered. They arrived after us when they were done with dinner we were still waiting. I have been here many times throughout the years but this is the last time I will be eating there. read more

Absolutely lovely staff ; great location plenty of parking. A truly great selection of appetizers and entrees to choose from Everything looked delicious and I was happy to enjoy their none in rib eye perfectly rare! Thanks for the wonderful evening! read more

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We've been goin to Jim Johnston's for probably 40 years as it's in the neighborhood and was always a go to place for Lunch from the office pre- Covid. Was there this weekend and wanted to use points/coupon from its Reward Program. The server grabbed my phone and I guess took it to the Manager, then came back and said my membership was no longer active and denied the discount. Not choosing to argue, I paid the Bill and left. Later I looked at my phone and saw that points were added for the visit, meaning it was active, but only got 48 pts for an $87 bill. It's supposed to be 1 point per dollar spent. And, of course, the $15 discount had been denied. So to me the Reward Program is worthless. But otherwise, the food was excellent as always. read more

A very enjoyable experience. Moved to East Hanover 10 years ago and finally paid this establishment a visit. Charming atmosphere, very comforting. The service was great, fast and friendly. French onion soup was good. Burger was solid, son had the sliced steak sandwich which he devoured. Looking forward to coming back. read more

Came to Jim Johnston's Steakhouse with my friends for our quarterly meet and eat. To our surprise, it just happen to be the Wednesday Night Rib Platter Combo for $17.95. What a great deal where you get a full rack of St. Louis style ribs, coleslaw, and fries. By the way, I'm not French fry guy, but these fries were great. Yum!! The staff is super fun and honest; and the service is great too. The ambiance is very old school with dark wood paneling and a great big bar with plenty of seating for everyone. Overall - we had another great time here and hope you give it a try too. Yum! read more

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This place was just okay. A little pricy for the type of food which was about the quality of a good diner. I did really love their carrot cake. Service was excellent. Ambiance has a diner/bar kind of atmosphere. read more

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Attended a nice birthday party here. It was a lot of fun, and the service was great. The drinks were very strong, those were some heavy pours on the open bar drinks, which was unusual. We didn't have steak (sadly) but we did have a variety of the usual buffet standards. Were they great? No. You don't go to a steak place for buffet Italian. The clientele seemed older, hyper white, and kind of lost in time. It's obvious this place hasn't been updated in years, but they did throw a good party. read more

Jim Johnston's Steakhouse - a table with balloons and pink flamingo balloons - Steakhouses Near Me - Roseland, New Jersey

Great old school bar and steakhouse, no frills, but everything is prepared very well and is an amazing bargain and the place has great vibes. Try the Prime Rib on Fridays or Saturdays. The shrimp cocktail is always excellent, the burger is great, and the lamb chops with old school mint jelly can't be beat for the price. Get the crumbled blue cheese for your salad. Even the broccoli that comes with your entree is perfectly prepared, very well seasoned and not over or undercooked. Finish with the excellent carrot cake. read more

Service beyond atrocious. The kid was very young but very unknowledgeable about the menu and basic serving skills. I know this isn't fine dining but you should definitely train your staff better. Food was good but very slow. Took over 45 minutes for our entrees to come out. Martinis were good. read more

The drinks and food are satisfying, although they came out a little bit too fast for our dinner with friends. Service was friendly and efficient. Went on a Wednesday which is rib night and the full rack with onion rings hit the spot. Our appetizers of garlic honey wings and zucchini sticks disappeared quickly. Give it a try read more

My friend and I had a very bad experience at the restaurant last night. We both ordered filet mignon, medium well and it came out well done..we couldn't eat it as it was rubbery and had no taste..we complained, the waitress went to the manager. The mgr came over asked what happened and said she would comp our food.. we sat there waiting for a check for the soda and the salad and out of nowhere a man came up behind us (we found out it was the owner) he said so you didn't like the food.. we both said no we did not, I proceeded to tell him it was rubbery we couldn't chew it..then he looked at us with an evil grin and said no charge, get the f out of here and never come back. We tipped the waitress Amber as she was very nice and efficient. We will tell everyone what happened.. we didn't ask for the meal to be comp, they offered it.. we probably would have given them a second chance. I normally only do positive reviews but I'm still in shocked over our experience. read more

If you want really great, "American" pub fare/steak, this is the place. Lots of pubs around and all seem to go "trendy" with lots of decent traditional food, but "ok" and then trendy food like "slaw tacos" and stuff like that. That's not this. Fantastic steaks, great ribs, charboriled burgers, chicken pot pie, fish and chips. All excellent, and...really reasonable. A Filet Mignon, good size, perfectly cut, half the price of a steak house and often better. Old style onion rings, etc. Food is outstanding. It's slightly "dated" in its decor, but who cares, I go to eat good food. Family run and friendly. Worth trying if you haven't. They've been there for 45 years. Have a good local following and the bar is a good 'ol school place to have a drink or two. read more

Jim Johnston's Steakhouse - Their apple pie - Steakhouses Near Me - Roseland, New Jersey

Love this place! It a diamond in the rough of old school restaurants. Food is excellent, can't go wrong with anything on the menu. We've been coming here for over 30 years and it hasn't changed, which I love. read more

I actually really liked this place. The decor reminded me of a flashback from the 80s or 90s. I like my past so I felt right at home. I had the shrimp cocktail which was good. I felt the shrimps could have been a bit better and the presentation could be improved. My friend and I got the salmon dinner & filet mignon and split them both. We both got a baked potato & broccoli & it came with a salad. I liked Both the salmon & filet. The broccoli was great and the baked potato was cooked to perfection. The side salad was fresh and I liked I was able to dress it myself. Although my friend and I liked our meals our husbands were not as impressed. They got a prime rib and another larger cut and one had to be sent back because it was undercooked. The French onion soup was also average. The waitress Antonia was great and very accommodating. I would go back and do recommend as I would have given a 3.5 if available and a 4 if everyone liked their meal. Try it. It's a cool place! read more

The kids rib fries meal for $10.95 seemed like a good idea for appetizer. The ribs are tender but have zero smoke flavor and the bbq sauce is 1/5. The chicken pot pie was excellent. Highly recommend. The bacon burger wasn't memorable at all. The chocolate cake was meh. I've had better from Shoprite. I think we will try again. read more

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Such a great family restaurant. Service was top notch - prime rib was spectacular. Will return again soon.

Best burger around Onion rings and French fries Are crispy and delicious If you want something different try the pot pie Or prime rib night Friday and Saturday delicious read more

Food is always top notch, service is always excellent and the ambiance is always friendly!!

Best place I love it !!! Food is great old atmospheric highly recommended keep old places around best restaurant around read more

This review would be a 2 but the bartender is nice and clearly service oriented so I boosted it by a star because he seems to care. This restaurant is dark and dated. They have what appears to be a many regulars at the bar so the drinks must be good. Very few people eat in the restaurant, and the dining room lacks ambience. Stick to the booths in the bar area if you want a table. The food is uninspired. Nothing tasted fresh or made with love. Potato skins were bland (I held the bacon, but still how is this possible) with barely any cheese and the potato was cold. The burger was ok but nothing great. Will not order it again. Bartender said the onion rings were really good and they weren't - were clearly purchased frozen, barely heated, cold in the middle, hard exterior. They are also an up charge which wasn't apparent until the check came. The cold slaw is super sweet - way too sweet. There are much better places nearby. read more

Jim Johnston's Steakhouse - Booth seating in the bar area. - Steakhouses Near Me - Roseland, New Jersey

Jim Johnstons has been my favorite place yo come for years and it still is. They hands down have the best burger in the area. Their ribs are fall off the bone delicious. The staff are all friendly and attentive. All in all this place has great food and great drinks. read more

Poor service. Took forever to get a table (even once the restaurant became empty)/ and when we finally got sat no one took our order, so we left. read more

Went for first time yesterday Had onion rings they were delicious Ribs were tender but plain absolutely no flavor outback's ribs are better flavorful The barbecue sauce was right out of the jar more like ketchup. Broccoli was probably frozen not fresh broccoli. Mash potato's had no flavor either outback's are real potatoes and delicious Carrot cake is good It was very hard to read menus because lighting is so low even for a young person or older person service was very nice waiters very good The prices were reasonable. read more

JJ's is the best! Service is excellent! Ambiance is an older 70's ish knotty pine theme, but wait - it's no theme, it's authentic! You either like this motive or your don't, but when you're here it is the most laid back and relaxing experience - think 'Cheers', where everybody knows your name! Now for what matters most - the food. I worked for decades traveling all over the world. Honestly it was on the company's dime we experienced some awesome steak houses, truth be told, yeah, some were pretty good, but I would always compare them to JJ's, and my opinion would always be - about on par with JJ's! An amazing place! read more

Last night my family and I ate at Jim Johnston's Steakhouse for dinner. The food was okay. Our server was nice and the atmosphere of this place is an old fashioned bar that serves steaks. read more

Outstanding food, fresh, beautifully prepared and very reasonably priced. Great and friendly service, highly recommend for a casual night out. read more

came here with my mom and sister since we were craving steak. we were seated right away in a booth. we got two different styles of steak and a chicken pot pie. the steaks themselves were okay, nothing amazing but did the job of quenching our steak craving. the chicken pot pie on the other hand is NOT worth it. so flavorless and overpriced for what it is. overall, not too shabby but not the best steak i've had read more

The service was amazing! Your server Anita was very pleasant and nice. I had an amazing time and would definitely go back again.

Cannot recommend. Was better but has gone downhill. Ribs or steak just ok at best. The best is the NY Blackout cake if your lucky enough to get a fresh piece. read more

Just noticed they raised their dinner prices by 10-20%. We will not go there anymore. any way their liquor drinks are terrible and with too much ice. read more

Sat at the bar and every single TV was on either Fox News or OAN. There must have been at least 6 TVs. That killed my appetite but maybe they know their regulars?! The woman at the bar did switch the one closest to us to a different channel when we requested but it was really weird that every TV was on those vile stations. It's like walking into the twighlight zone - is this NJ?! I guess the fact that no one was open carrying a gun was a clue but the I was expecting dueling banjos. It's also a time warp - dark, wood paneled walls - decor that hasn't been touched in at least 40 years. On the plus side, the drinks were good. The food was average. Mostly meat and potatoes- no "nouveau cuisine" here. We made it out without getting shot so all in all a good evening. Wouldn't rush back. read more

Basic pub fare. They serve a decent enough burger, and the prime rib is above average. However, this is NOT a place I'd really go to get a steak. They're simply not starting with the best quality steaks, nor are they cooking them properly. Uneven cook on most food. If you get your steak cooked to order, it's by random chance, not execution. I ordered grilled chicken on my last visit, and some was way overcooked, while some was slightly overcooked. Salad is a pedestrian iceberg lettuce with some scattered cucumber, carrots and tomato. You're really best off grabbing a burger or a sandwich. Honestly, it's really a better drinking than dining establishment. The decor is exactly as I remember it from my childhood. As if you're dining in a dimly lit log cabin. Service is inconsistent but friendly enough. They have classic car night on Wednesdays. read more

The Atlantic salmon was flavorless and the fries were lackluster. The service was good and other members of my party also complained about the coleslaw read more

This is a steakhouse that seems lost in time, with a vibe like your grandmother's house. The servers are friendly, although uniformly slow, making any lunch here take up at least an hour. I have only come for lunch, when the menu is very small. Burgers, steak sandwiches, a few basic salads, and that's it. I usually opt for the burger, which is often dry and never comes with the pickle listed on the menu. The place won't wow you with your decor, its service or its food, but you won't leave hungry or have trouble finishing your meal. It is an okay steakhouse, but nothing more. read more

I've only been here during lunch and after work, as I work in the area. This is your local bar scene. The bar decor is a bit outdated and it's very hard to see since it's so dark. The bartenders are all very friendly and know how to make a good drink. (They have really good daiquiris by the way). Their super burgers (1/2 lb burger served with a side of french fries and cole slaw) are pretty good. Their burgers tend to be overcooked so if you like your burger "medium well" like I do, order it "medium". I've also had their grilled chicken sandwich (char grilled chicken breast, served on a hard roll with lettuce, tomato, bacon, melted muenster cheese and side of french fries and cole slaw) which is also very good. It's a good place to catch a burger, or hang out after work for drinks at the bar. read more

One of my regular eateries....and I have a handful. I always sit at the bar and the bar staff takes such good care of me. Never, ever had a bad meal and I eat there 3 times a week, at least... Yes, it's not a fancy place but the food is good, the clientele friendly and the prices are reasonable. read more

Not steakhouse quality steaks. Using DoorDash I ordered the 12oz NY Strip no better than a steak at a bar restaurant. Came with a dinner roll and butter and a tossed salad with dressing. Steak also came with side of fries that were soggy because the steak and fries were covered with plastic top on a foil pan. Not returning and would not refer to anyone. read more

I've lived in Livingston forever and have driven by Jom Johnston's innumerable times. I had a vision I in my mind of it being ultra expensive and for older people. A friend wanted to go and I'm glad he suggested it. Stepping into the steakhouse is like stepping into the 70s. It also felt like there were Saturday night regulars and the waitress truly knew them all... In a good way, not a "you don't belong to this club way." The waitress really knew the menu and even which entrees were good that night. I apppreciated that entrees came with a salad and sides, unlike most steakhouses. I had ribs, which were fall of the bone tender. My husband ordered the NY strip, which came in two sizes and the smaller a size was more than enough! It was perfectly cooked and seasoned. He is allergic to mushrooms and potato and they were very accommodating. It wasn't crazy priced, either. I will say that we were the youngest group in the restaurant which was ok. It did clear oit on the early side though. read more