Chicagoist: "Baby on Board" Restaurant Review: J. Alexander's

kasey

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 08:45:17 -0600

let's not lump dunlay's on the square in with these chains. it's far and away superior! try their brunch if you get a chance. the oatmeal pancakes and cheese potatoes are awesome.

jk

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 06:55:51 -0600

J. Alexander's and Dunlays on the Square are both great kid-friendly cloth-white-napkin burger places. Love 'em both. My toddler loves J. Alexander's macaroni and cheese (I think he'd love spinach pie, if we called it macaroni and cheese). But to get to Bill V's question, no, I don't think they have a separate kid's menu, but they do have a small number of side dishes (like mac and cheese) that might be a kid's serving's worth, depending on the age of the kid.

Dave T.

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 05:26:47 -0600

We usually eat at independent restaurants too but the J. Alexanders on Clybourn is one of those "I don't want to think of where to go tonight lets just go there" type of places. It has a pretty good atmosphere and I've always had good food there, quite a grade or two higher than Chilis. Now come on. Of course Dunlays on the Square is similar and closer now so we usually go there instead.

davidin60640

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 16:47:23 -0600

I didn't know a Caesar salad could be "authentic." Isn't that kind of like saying a hamburger is authentic because it was made with ground beef? Anyway, J. Alexanders can be an ok place, but the food is certainly not much better than what you would get in the slightly less expensive chains like Chili's, Applebees, and TGIFridays. The problem with J. Alexanders is that the management staffs the restaurants with pretty-yet-not-always-competent servers whom they must bully into pimping appetizers and booze regardless of how many times the customer declines.

Matt

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:03:13 -0600

The location in Deerfield isn't one to recommend. Tough overcooked prime rib & a waitstaff that rushes you through the meal. Glad you had a better experience in the city.

selfmademom

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 11:49:30 -0600

Thanks for the review. I don't typically love J Alexanders, but I'm not that picky when dragging along my 11 month old for meals.

freedom rider

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 10:42:15 -0600

Putting aside the question of whether or not J. Alexanders is a good restaurant, isn't the J. Alexanders that is reviewed part of a restaurant chain? I don't expect Chicagoist.com to review McDonalds or Wendys; why this one then?

Bill V

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 10:07:24 -0600

So what did your kids eat? Do they have a kid's menu? We do Fernando's up on Lincoln just south of Addison a lot. Best on weekdays between 5:30 - 6:30. Kids love cheese dip and we love a margarita (or two). Mexican food is relatively cheap, the booze is not.