We've been to Joe's well over a hundred times in the last several years, as we live just around the corner. Joe's is always our first choice for going out to have a bite or a beer. Whenever we go elsewhere, our experience there is always judged by how well they measured up to Joe's.
You can't compare Joe's to a national franchise, or even to one of the larger dining establishments in Fremont (and beyond for that matter). That's not their vibe. Joe's is its own unique thing, offering a great place to hang out and take in what Niles has to offer. The staff are always friendly, always working hard for their customers, and the owners are an absolute joy... especially when we engage them in deep conversation.
Food: If you want several different types of Pizza, go to Bronco Billy's just down the street. If you want a fully legit steak or burger go to Ambrose just a few doors down. If you want pasta dishes, go to Frederico's, also just a few doors down. You won't find those at Joe's. But you will find a great line-up of tasty sandwiches and other dishes that perfectly compliment their niche. Their Turkey Pesto Panini is my favorite. It never disappoints. We also get Turkey BLT's, meatballs, breadsticks, potato skins, and they're all good. Joe's pizza is also really good.
Beer and Wine: It's not a brewery, so there's not 100's of beers on tap. But for the size of the place, they've managed to find a great selection of local, and not-so-local beers. If you have a beer suggestion talk to the owners. You may just see it in the line-up the next time you're there. They listen to what their customers tell them. We're not wine drinkers, so we can't really tell you much about the wine other than they do offer options.
Location: If you are a people-watcher, you're not going to find a better place to sit and watch. It's located at the entrance to downtown Niles. One moment you may see a group of Harley's, the next you may see a classis steam locomotive spewing steam out of its stack, followed by a small parade of classic cars. It's a busy corner, so you may be amused at how people try to get around each other in their cars. But there's never a lack of interesting people walking by to the various shops that surround Joe's.
Staff: As I said above, the staff are all friendly, nice to talk to, and they work really hard. If something isn't right, they will try to make it right for you. If you've left a negative comment here I only hope you gave them that opportunity before reaching for the stars here!
Vibe: They're always playing music, sometime from live bands, and they'll put ball games on the TV. But they're not a sports bar or live music venue. People are generally cool all the time. It's family friendly, pet friendly, politically friendly (to a point! lol), and without even trying that hard you can meet some really interesting people. When live bands play the music literally made people get up and shake their booty's.
Price: The price is very reasonable, especially because you're not just having a beer, or a plate of food. You're getting the whole experience and atmosphere as I described above.
Summary: If you're looking for a quiet, slow moving, quaint restaurant with high society dining and "foofy-ness", you may be disappoint in your experience. If you're looking for a lively, fun, local vibe where you can grab a tasty dinner and a beer (or few), and possibly make a new friend, you'll love Joe's. If you go to Joe's and find bad attitude, you probably brought it with you!! read more