I will be recommending this place to whoever is looking for Great place to go out . Drinks , food , service and atmosphere were great. I was with a group of 10 and everyone only had good things to say at well. read more

The James - American Near Me - Babylon, New York

Came in to celebrate a birthday, ambiance was beautiful. We were seated upstairs and our server came by and confirmed us by name we used for our reservation which I thought was a nice touch but probably the only time I truly felt acknowledged throughout the entire dinner, remainder of time it was difficult to get our waiters attention. In terms of food, it was really good except for one dish: we ordered the bone marrow and oyster special which was delicious, the fried calamari which was also good and the beef tartare which ended up getting 3 out of our party of 4 sick (more on this later) so I don't recommend that dish. They cooked the porterhouse to perfection and it's 60 day dry age so there is a distinct taste to it but thought it was delicious. We complimented the porterhouse with the broccolini, asparagus, and creamed spinach and all sides were really good. I had to remind the waiter we were there for a birthday and tried the crème brûlée that was creamy and also tasty. We paired everything with a glass of wine - they had a good bottle selection however, we found a lot of it to be overpriced. Overall, although the food was delicious - get ready to spend top dollar because imo everything was a bit overpriced. I am disappointed that we paid over $600+ to then get sick from their beef tartare (the one person who didn't eat the tartare was the only one who wasn't sick that's how we narrowed it down). I did call and spoke to their manager Matthew to advise him of our food poisoning and no remorse was given and was very cold about the entire situation. His solution was to ask for him if we return but I personally don't see us ever going back. I'm happy we tried it but there are many other great steakhouses to try in LI. read more

Desmond was spectacular! Great service, great food, and Desmond was the best server I could have asked for! Im looking forward to coming here in the future! best girls night! read more

Absolutely beautiful. Love it. It was delicious. There were 5 of us and everyone loved their meal. Except it is incredibly loud. Difficult to hear anything at our own table. We were yelling at each other for the entire meal. A note to the owners; Perhaps extend those rugs on the steps to some of the second floor. The ceiling on the second floor is an option for acoustical tiles (the paint is dark and you would not even notice the acoustical tiles) There are other options like tapestries to soak up some of that noise. We talked to other people there and they had the same reaction. I would still go back. Overall great food and good experience but I would have given 5 stars if we could hear each other. Everyone should check it out and decide for themselves, maybe go on a quiet or slow evening. read more

Beautiful decor. Valet parking. As you enter you are greeted by a Hostess and then escorted to a table Ample dining area. Bar is located as you enter, fully loaded, large enough to accommodate people comfortably We started with the "caviar bump" fennel/tarragon infused vodka shot. With caviar( not in the drink) The Seafood plateau has lobster,clams,oysters( the grande is plenty for a party of 4) Sea bass,lobster theramidor,beef Wellington,crispy salmon All arrived in a timely manner and were flavorful ( shamelessly we cleaned our plates) Our server " Dane" was a delight, always making sure we were satisfied. " Tom" ( thank you so much!) sent out several desserts The sticky toffee cake is prepared table side, chocolate layer cake is truly decadent, eclair( lemony) partieroles drizzled with chocolate We had a great evening. The restaurant has a second floor which is quite ample As the evening progresses. ,it does get a tad loud And the music seemed to be competing. read more

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I was hearing AMAZING things about "The James", Originally;what had brought me in was a possible job opportunity.. I figured, I drove all this way during rush hour may we well have a drink after dropping my resume off... I was greeted politely by Alexi who made THE BEST Old Fashion I have ever had (and im also a bartender).. I had an Angels Envy Rye Old Fashion extra sweet and it was LITERALLY PERFECT! I was telling Alexi how amazing it was and she responded with "If you like that, you would love the apricot one" She honestly sold me, because I wasn't even thinking about having a second until she got in my head lol As I was taking a peek at the food menu I was greeted by Patty who was extremely personable, she over heard that I also bartend and asked me where I work.. We ended up having a great conversation about food/life/love and everything in between, its easy to say I will 100 percent be back regardless of being hired, these girls are wonderful and deserve a shout out. The food that was recommended came out exactly how I anticipated (pure perfection) and the service was equally as amazing! I am so happy "The James" has been recommended to me, I will be paying the compliments forward. Lastly, I do want to mention how beautiful the appearance of this restaurant is, from the inside out it portrays a elegant yet modern taste of the 20s-30s, it may have been the classic music in the background adding character to the marble bar.. or it could have been the aroma in the air, this restaurant represents itself well through its employees, its food and its service! 5 stars hands down ! See you guys soon (: read more

The ambiance is beautiful, it is a modern twist to the old Carriage house concept, with white and black tile throughout. The drinks were strong and tasty, but the food was sub-par. Based on the reviews, I figured the food would be booming with flavor. However, the salmon was dry. I was expecting a bit more flavor, but the appetizers were tasty. I enjoyed the grilled calamari, but note, it comes overtop a bean salad which didn't seem to pair well with the calamari. The server was lovely. I was seated on the second floor (which I recommend for a romantic date night). It was my spouse's birthday, and I notified the staff, though nobody sang to him. Overall, I would say The James has a beautiful ambiance for cocktails. read more

We normally love The James. Have been there many times in the past and always love the bartenders that have served us. We always eat at the bar. Tonight we went and were served by a girl who was clearly inebriated and high on something. We ordered oysters and shrimp and a burger. She couldn't even get the appetizers correct and completely forgot to put in our burger and then disappeared. We ended up throwing down a $50 and leaving..hungry.. if we ever walk in there again and see her we will be sure to walk right out. She has no business working in such a high class establishment. read more

I came in for Hapoy Hour with a friend. The bartender seemed like he wanted to be anywhere but there. It took a long time to get one of the 3 bartenders attention. The burger and fries were fantastic, but not good enough to sit at a bar for half hour with no service. read more

Had dinner this evening with wife, daughter and granddaughter. 2nd floor table but when we arrived we were told that they would not seat us until all members of the party were.present in spite of having a reservation. A lot of trouble communicating the issue with the greeter because of the incredible noise level. The.bar was crowded and there was a party on the first floor room so.somewhat understandable. The rest of our party arrived and we were brought upstairs to our table. The dining room was 2/3rds full but the sound level was defening. Our family of 5 simply could not hear each other. Added to the problem, loud, inappropriate music blasting from speakers near the ceiling about every 6 feet. I asked our waiter if they could turn down the music and he said it couldn't be done. His supervisor offered to move us and he did. Hardly any.change. the voice of music was rock, pop and rap. Trying to talk with each other was impossible. It was so loud that even as the evening went on and the dining room emptied out we still found ourselves yelling to be heard. The loudest dining experience I've ever encountered. The food was very good. The calamari was easily the best I've ever had. Bread, perfect. Service was very good and appropriate. Prices a bit high but I'm getting used to that. I won't be going back for the simple reason that I don't wish to spend the evening screaming to be heard and straining to hear conversations over music that was horribly loud and inappropriate for dining. Noting the lack of comments about noise levels possibly I'm in the minority but for a fine dining experience with friends and relatives I'll be going to Tellers in Islip where we can hear each other without yelling. read more

I hate writing negative reviews, but feel if we're not honest, things cannot be improved. I'll start off by saying the ambiance was incredible and they've really outdid themselves with the renovations; this is exactly the ambiance I look for in a restaurant. Our waitress was wonderful and so was the rest of the staff. That being said, I was NOT impressed by the food or drinks at all, in fact I was pretty disappointed. I frequent many upscale restaurants and don't mind paying a hefty price for a good meal, but the prices do not match the quality of the food. The baked clams with the anchovy breadcrumbs just tasted way too much like the ocean for me. Maybe some people can tolerate this, but I surely could not. The taste was so overpowering in a negative way and I wanted to spit it out, but did not have a paper napkin to do so. The lychee martini tasted like rubbing alcohol with too much of a lemon zest taste. I ordered the ribeye (my favorite choice of steak) and felt it was more fatty than usual. We topped it off with the bone marrow butter and it had this stale old cellar taste. I had to put so much steak sauce on the steak to get rid of that very odd taste. (FYI - I love bone marrow and have ordered it off many menus) this did not taste fresh at all and gave the steak a very unpleasant taste. For pricing, here's what we ordered: 2 glasses of wine 1 lychee martini 1 soda Ribeye Filet Mignon Side of mashed potatoes Side of asparagus Total Cost: $317 It was my friends birthday, and they were kind enough to give her a birthday card, complimentary glass of champagne for each of us and a dessert (which was good). I thought this was a really nice touch and thoughtful. Again, beautiful ambiance, great staff but they need to step it up with the food or they will not get repeat customers for these prices. You cannot charge BlackStone prices and not deliver the same quality food. read more

The James has quickly become my favorite restaurant on the South Shore. The restaurant itself is vibrant and beautiful, staff is warm and attentive, and the manager Sam always goes above and beyond whenever I'm there. She consistently checks in our table, creates a welcoming environment when we walk in, and always goes out of her way to make us feel special on nights were celebrating something. I love how the menu has a range of choices that allow you to have a high end steak house experience or more casual affordable options like pastas and burgers. My favorite items are the Caesar, Tuna Crudo, for entrees the beef wellington and Ribeye are outstanding. I also had the pasta special that was a fantastic midcourse. Can't go without having a caviar bump with their dill shot. A great restaurant with great staff that is a welcome addition to Babylon. read more

The atmosphere of the restaurant is amazing. So classy with just the right amount of light. The bar was very large and roomy. We were sat in the upper room of the restaurant and the food was fabulous. It is restaurant week and we were pleasantly surprised to see some of our favorites offered on that menu. Fried calamari and duck apps were delicious light and flaky breading and fall off the bone meet. Cheesecake and eclair were amazing. So light and flavorful. Portions of all were plentiful. This restaurant is not cheap with cocktails averaging $20, but well worth it for a splurge night during restaurant week. read more

overpriced overrated went in with a party of 10 and 9 were not impressed at all. Steaks were not cooked right, burnt on the outside and raw on the inside, wellington pastry was burnt, sides were tiny. Service was okay. read more

Visited The James for my anniversary A funny night , The James has a classical ambiance which is comfortable and classy . It began with a minor mishap with the wines , we ordered a bottle with a specific year and when it arrived at the table it was wrong . Jasmine made sure to offer us the bottle with a discount without hesitation . The duck cassoulet was spectacular, sort of a beef stew quality but light enough as a starter Matthew the manager stopped by the table to make sure all was well . Jasmine and Matthew did demonstrate absolute professional service while being conversational and fun. Entrees Beef Wellington and NY Strip delicious and presented perfectly . Jasmine recommended the dessert which was the best choice . read more

Went for dinner after hearing many good things. I must say not impressed at all. I dine out very frequently and there was many things that were very irritating for example. No offer of fresh pepper or any pepper for that matter. Not once did the waiter ask if everything was OK. One of the desserts did not come out and after waiting quite some time for it to finally come out not once was there an apology this was poor service at the very least. Based on my experience, I will not be recommending this restaurant. read more

absolutely a horrible experience. if you plan on going here for a special occasion or birthday, don't plan on it. save your money and go to prime or rare650. I came here expecting decent service but everything was below par from what most steakhouses would offer. for the prices they charge you might as well check out other spots. work on hiring some friendly/kind waitress. who also don't bluff and don't meet what they promise read more

Beautiful spot for a special occasion. Service and food were great. Portions on the smaller side but food is very good.

So excited to dine at The James, first the place is absolutely stunning, they have done an amazing job remodeling this location. Secondly, we're a big fan of Arlo and being that it's the same owners there were high expectations. So the apps were amazing. They had a couple specials which we absolutely loved, the service was great, our server was awesome, his name is Micheal, super fun and energetic. Lastly was main course, and that's where it goes downhill, my wife had the beef Wellington along with the other couple that we were with and I could tell it off to bat she hated it, as soon as they brought it over I could tell it was overcooked, and I ordered the fillet, and I specifically said medium, rare and chard well it came out, medium well and super dry and extremely salty to the point where I let others at the table try and they said the same, which for a no place like this is completely unacceptable especially with these prices, the rest of the meals were just OK. It's a shame because the place is absolutely stunning. The drinks are amazing and everybody's very friendly, might give it another shot, but I'm probably not gonna order steak. Can't consider yourself steakhouse and not know how to cook steak, I should've complained and send it back, but I think we've all been in that position, and it's not easy. read more

Had the opportunity to go by The James 3 times now and each time it's been an excellent visit. I've had the lobster Thermidor, the dover sole and the Beef Wellington as my entrees and each was outstanding. A level of upscale food that's been lacking a bit on the south shore for a while. The appetizer options are also excellent. Raw platter was very fresh. I've had the octopus multiple times which is excellent and the salads are fresh and loaded with the extras. Cocktails and desserts are also very good. Most importantly though, the service is at the high end level that you expect from very high end restaurants. Matt, the manager, is extremely attentive to guests, making it feel like a regular neighborhood spot in spite of being a new, high end eatery. The wait staff is attentive and willing to make suggestions. Even the busboy recommended a dessert we loved. A great experience and should be high on anyone's list. read more

Finally a proper steakhouse in our neighborhood. It rivals any NYC steakhouse. Excellent ambiance, great food and Carlos our server is exceptional. read more

Whole experience was great. It was our anniversary and we were greeted with complementary sparkling wine. All the food and service was amazing. We ordered the calamari appetizer, filet mignon, and short rib pasta dish. The servers were attentive and informative. The atmosphere was buzzing, yet our table was still private and we could have a conversation. We sat upstairs. We can't wait to return! read more

The James is a beautifully decorated restaurant. My grilled octopus appetizer was great as was my "Crooked Tiara" cocktail. We shared mashed potatoes as a table which were amazing. I thought the fries and my rib eye steak were just okay. I thought the service was good. The bar downstairs looks like a great place I may return to grab a drink. read more

Five Stars is not enough to describe my dinner experience at The James! We went on Monday evening, and it was crowded! We had a 6:30pm reservation and were seated right away. The hostesses were lovely. Within a minute of sitting down, we were greeted by Ana Besy, our server. She is a tremendous asset to The James, and is the main reason I am writing a review. The food was outstanding, the atmosphere and decor stunning, but it was the professionalism and kindness of Ana Besy that will make our group rush back to The James. We were celebrating my birthday, and all the personal touches that Ana Besy added were amazing! Wow, I can't say enough!!! read more

Amazing place the food was to die for! I had the duck and it was EXCELLENT!! The beet salad was very good and so was the chocolate cake. It is loud in this restaurant but I had also read that in other reviews. Next time I'll go early. You will not regret going there. Also I forgot to mention that it is a bit pricey. read more

Love the service and atmosphere, especially in the bar area! The bartenders are great, Jordan in particular! So sweet and helpful!

My husband and I discovered The James several months ago and have been going there at least once a week. The decor is absolutely beautiful, the bartenders, servers and staff are delightful, met the owner and and he was so gracious and accommodating, The seafood is exceptional and I would recommend this beautiful venue as a place to have a quiet dinner to just stop in for a drink or to organize a family get together. Can't wait to go back. John & Dianne Dileo read more

The place is beautiful. The food was average and service was very slow. Our waiter was nowhere to be found

The James was awesome! The food was so good. I have nothing bad to say. Ramon was an amazing waiter. He made the whole experience just awesome. My nephew has been through so much so we decided to take him out to enjoy his favorite food, steak. He made him feel so special which was worth every moment. Thank you Ramon we will definitely ask for you when we come back. read more

Beautiful decor. Music is deafening. The calamari app was delicious. My husband got the pork chop and I had the tagliatelle...both were just okay. Nothing ground breaking for the prices they get. Actually the sauce on the tagliatelle tasted like Ragu, but the lobster was good. Won't' return...we've had better meals at far less cost. read more

This place is beautiful, they did an amazing job w the renovation. Two martinis at the bar were $47 this is the highest price of any place I've been on Long Island, Fire Island, NYC or Vegas. I will happily treat myself now and then but the more expensive my meal is the more I expect. I want the best food, the best service and the best atmosphere, and this isn't it. Service and food were average but the place is beautiful. January 2025 was my second time eating here and other than the great service we got at the bar before dinner, I don't see any reason to go back. read more

I love this new place right on Babylon village.They had good food kudos to the shef,excellent service and nice ambiance.I definitely recommend this great new place"#TheJamesBabylon. read more

What a beautiful restaurant. Everything we ate was very good. Service was excellent as well. I think the James is my new special occasion restaurant. read more

The James is a gem of a restaurant in Babylon Village. The team from Mission Taco outdid themselves with this location. The bar is beautiful in the upstairs dining area really works. I just steak in the tuna Crudo both were awesome. read more

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The James was incredible!!! We sat upstairs, it's beautifully renovated. I made a reservation on open table for my parents 30th wedding anniversary and said "Anniversary" when making it, so they gave a card on the table to say happy anniversary and a round of champagne was given to us on the house! I got the croissant crusted flounder with a celery root puree... absolutely AMAZING. My dad got the cod (delicious but small portion) And my mom got the filet mignon which was incredible. We shared the creamed spinach (mediocre), and charred broccolini with a chili spice seasoning which was amazing!!! Took a little on the longer side, but waiter / ambience / food was 10/10. read more

Beautifully remodeled, would have preferred the name to be "The James Carriage House", but that's just me. Our server Gina, as well as all of the other back-up staff did a great job from start to finish. Drinks were very good, wine by the glass selection needs improvement. Appetizers were calamari and baked clams, both were very good. I had the Lobster Tagliatelle, which was spicy and delicious. My wife had the Flounder, and it was just ok. Our friends had the scallop special (very good) and the steak fritte, and ordered medium rare but looked well done, a little disappointing. One annoying thing was the pre-meal bread. Served in a bag with a knife on the tablecloth. Messy, difficult to cut without a board and the table was literally covered with crumbs. Please serve the bread warm, pre-cut and in a basket or on a board.... read more

Oh they need time to get it right. Food quality does not match the price. I hope they can get it right. Place is beautiful though

Food was OK. Nothing to brag about. Dessert was not great,sticky toffee cake was awful. Spend your money elsewhere. Service was good.

I can honestly say that as far as atmosphere the place is real nice. The service was just okay. But the food? I don't think there was one dish from the appetizers to the entrees that was served to our table that we thought was good. A good portion of the dishes were just partially eaten and there wasn't even a thought in our waitresses mind that we were unhappy that was the strangest thing. I believe that she didn't really even care. So for me i'd rather starve then ever go back there for a meal. The prices are insane and the drinks were also just ok. You can do a lot better elsewhere. read more

Visited the James for the first time on Sunday night.We had the privilege of having Bessy as our server and she made our night! She was beyond friendly and knowledgable. Everything from our drinks to entrees to service were nothing but the best. We will definitely be going back soon! read more