Stopped in J Alexander's last week to have dinner with my family from out of town. This was the first we have eaten here, and to our surprise the food was pretty great. But while sitting in the booth, I was stabbed in the hand by a sewing needle that was sticking in the booth cushion. I showed our waiter and not one thing was done about it, not even an apology. read more

I like upscale dining and this is one of the very best of the best. I took our family and the whole experience was great. Great service, great ambiance, great prices. Yes! My kind of place. Burgers are gigantic. Steaks are great! Loved it! Loved everything about it! read more

So disappointed with what the restaurant is becoming. Had a family tradition for years of going here w/my since deceased Grandparents for my birthday. My grandmother passed this past year so we were really looking forward to our dinner celebration and remembrance. There were 5 of us eating so I called the restaurant at 5PM (on Sat 1/28) to check on wait times and potentially put our names in for call-ahead seating. I spoke with a hostess and she informed me there was "no wait right now" so I didn't need to worry about it. I told her it would be 30 minutes until we got there and we had 5 people and she said it would be no problem. So we arrived about 5:25 to be told we'd have to wait 1.5-2 hours for a table. I told the hostess their must be some confusion....how could we go from no wait to that long of a wait in 25 min and why had the hostess (I gave her name) told me not to worry about call-ahead? The response was that they have a different wait list for tables of 5 or more and that the hostess was new so she must not have known that. I worked in the industry for years so I understood that and all I was looking for was an acknowledgement that their employee made a mistake and they would do their best to seat me faster than the 1.5-2 hr. wait time. I wasn't looking to be seated instantly but I was just looking for SOME KIND of customer service when I was trying to spend $150 with them. I got nothing. The other hostess suggested they ask the manager what they should do but was trumped by the first hostess who said, "we don't need to bother Tim with this." Blown away. This was supposed to be a special night for our family. Not only were we celebrating my birthday but we were celebrating the memory of my grandparents. But we ran into a 19 year old who couldn't care less, didn't take any responsibility, and probably needlessly lost a customer for the foreseeable future. On the flip side, Chappy's across the road gave us amazing service, gained a new customer and their server got a $50 tip. Maybe this isn't the place or way to complain but I've searched their website, Twitter and Facebook for a mechanism....other than calling them for quick feedback and they don't have one at the corporate or local level.....so apparently the lack of emphasis on customer service starts at the top. read more

Tried the salad and chili. I left half the salad because it just wasn't good though I can't exactly articulate why. I love salad but didn't think I was picky. I made better chili myself...nothing special about it at all. I love J Alexanders normally. My companions had steak and loved it but also left their salads. read more

I have been to the j Alexander's in Aurora Colorado. I just went here for the first time in Dayton. It was a great experience. The bartender was fantastic. It was an hour wait but we managed to find seats at the bar. She was attentive and helpful. We ordered the prime rib and mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was phenomenal we also order the ahi tuna steak with acorn squash. Everything was amazing. This is definitely recommend from me. read more

Number 1 choice for steak. Service was impeccable! Entrees were prepared exactly as ordered.

Really, really good food. The salad was awesome. I got Salmon that was tasty and the servings are large. Our server Conner was polite and prompt and his suggestions on food and drink were on point. read more

Diners beware!!! This place has really gone downhill, so much that I'd gladly pay 3x my bill to get back the 1.75 agonizing hours I lost at this place last week. What was once one of Dayton's best dining experiences, is now one of the worst restaurants in town (no easy feat). When they 1st opened 20~ years ago, J Alexanders distinguished themselves with great, well-prepared food with fresh ingredients, and terrific 'over the top' service where all the dining room staff worked as a team to ensure a great experience. Fast forward to 2015, they now employ an apathetic and seemingly lazy dining staff who could care less about the most basic service and a kitchen staff that goes out of their way to serve poor quality food, giving 'cafeteria food' a run for it's money. The sign outside still claims "J Alexanders" but the Manager's Business Card at the hostess stand states "Redland Cafe". The Manager was nowhere to be found, so instead of providing him with our feedback I am sharing it on Yelp! We were surprised by how empty the restaurant was when we went in to order appetizers, drinks, salads, sandwiches, and entrees. Even though they only had a handful of tables filled it still took 10+ minutes for multiple hostesses to sit a party of 5. After another 10 minutes a server shows up and we order martinis off their menu. Sadly, these were so poorly made you would think the 3 ingredients were too exotic to master so they opted to mix Vodka + Crystal Lite instead. The server then sells us hard on her favorite appetizers and entrees (without a single mention of their Prime Rib house specialty) and unfortunately we took her up on most of her suggestions, all of which bordered between mediocre and just plain gross. The appetizers took forever to come out and made it to the table cold, greasy, and tasteless. When I told the server they were not good, she shrugged an 'oh sorry' and removed the full plate, but not the charge from the bill. The salads were forgettable other than the fact that they also took forever to get served and mine had something chewy in it. Considering we were all still hungry 75+ minutes after sitting down, I was crossing my fingers that the sandwiches and steaks would come out OK, Wrong again! In addition to the overcooked cheeseburger that was so grainy it fell apart in granules, J.Alexander's new specialty is a $32 steak where 50% is 'meat product' and 50% is pure fat/gristle. Needless to say, it matched the rest of our absolutely terrible meal. What would they try to sell us for desert, the house favorite of stale graham crackers topped w/ 3 sugar-free chocolate chips? We waited for the next 20~ minutes for our server to come back, she never did. Everyone at our table packed up and left their mostly full plates (and no need for to-go containers) while I waited for the bill. Eventually I had to walk back up to the hostess stand to get a copy so I could get out of there and find another place to eat! We always used to look forward to eating at J.Alexanders and its a major disappointment that they've fallen so far. I'm assuming they were bought out by Redland, that or they are cutting corners to save money and remain open as they are surely not investing in quality ingredients, training their kitchen staff to prepare a basic meal, or hiring service staff with common sense or the ability to display basic courtesies. read more

J. Alexander's - Would you like some Steak with your Fat? - Steakhouses Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

The food here is excellent, however the service this year has been terrible compared to other years. Extremely rude manager. Service takes over an hour just for carry out! Lady didn't put in our order until 25 minutes after we ordered. Absolutely unacceptable. Manager didn't even offer to take off a discount. We had to ask for one because they messed up all of our orders. We got veggie burgers and they came out completely plain without any vegetables on top! Ridiculous! Good thing we checked entire we went home. Salad was also missing tomatoes and olives.. Just awful service. Never order carry out. read more

This place is 'hands down' my favorite place to go for a good fancy dinner. I have been coming here for 20 years now and the food has consistently been great. My wife always gets the steak Maui and I get different things. My favorites are the prime rib and the rattlesnake pasta. Also, they have 2 great desserts that they have been serving for those 20 as well, the VBCC (very best chocolate cake) and their carrot cake. Order anything, you won't go wrong, and the service is top notch!! read more

I have to say, I've never had a bad meal at a J. Alexander's. This is one of the most professionally run, best tasting chains that exist. The help is always very attentive, they know the menu and make good recommendations, and seriously the food is awesome. I almost always go with the Mr. Jack's chicken fingers because they're pretty damn hard to beat but I've had the fish tacos and the burger. Both REALLY GOOD. This place is a no-brainer if you want a great meal in a relaxed, but up-scale environment. read more

Nice looking restaurant. I was planning on eating dinner at the bar. Too bad I couldn't get the bartender to even acknowledge me. After 10 minutes I decided to leave. I'm pissed, but there are plenty of restaurants down the road. What a disappointment. read more

was in dayton for a tso show and was a day early and j's was next to my hotel so i took a walk over i have eaten at the one in nashville so i thought i would give this on a try it sort of reminds me of a houston's but not quite as upscale the menu is sort of limited but for every now and then there is enough variety i had the burger with fries and cole slaw burger was fair fries good blue cheese cole slaw above average wifie had the ribs she said ok, the beans were pretty good sista in law had a steak cooked correctly but nothing special with a pile of mashers if you like mashed potatoes piled high you're gonna like this place overall a c service was good though lets give it a b atmosphere was nice as well was there at 4 pm so sort of quite drinks sista's pomegranate martini ok dewers on the rocks small my ice tea ok Skip It ! read more

My husband & I have gone several times now in the last couple years & have been pleased each time. Service was great, food was amazing, and the atmosphere on point. The last visit we did have our young children with us (5 & 7). There are children's menu items, they just aren't listed on the regular menu. Both our boys ate like nothing else! Steak Roll (Philly Cheesesteak Egg roll) is my husband's favorite. I love the Calamari, but it's not a stable on the menu. The prime rib has been great, my husband is big fan of the ribs. Loved the salmon the last visit. Redland's now a staple choice for us when going out for an evening! read more

Long story short, if you consider the entire experience, I was very underwhelmed, almost to the point of a 2 star rating. As we entered, I was impressed by the decor and how nicely and promptly our group of 5 (without reservations) was greated and seated. The ambiance was certainly nice and, given that it was a Wednesday evening, I certainly noticed how busy they were and felt a definite energy. Our server, Alyssa, promptly greeted us and got our drink order. From that point on, I was less and less impressed. My simple whiskey and coke took a very long time to get and when it came, some other server just walked up to the table and asked who had a whiskey and coke ordered. His approach immediately struck me as odd and seemingly out of place with the character that and service level that I assumed based on the menu, prices, and atmosphere. Our server did check in a few times to see if we had any questions on the menu or needs. Having never been there, I had a few and asked for some recommendations. Our group had a couple with salads, the salmon, a steak, the veggie burger, and I ordered the bayou pasta and a cup of gumbo. Our server warned me that both were pretty spicy and I told her that I was fine with that. Meanwhile, our group had an order of the spinach dip, which was certainly tasty. When the two salads came, another server brought them and again they had no clue who ordered what, even though our server took the orders around our table in order. After taking our orders, our server asked if I'd like another drink and I asked that she bring it when our meals were delivered. While the others in our party enjoyed their salads, I waited for my gumbo and tried to catch our servers or someone's attention without making a spectacle, which was a failure. I finally caught our server's attention and asked for my gumbo. Just as that discussion was happening, the entrees were brought to the table so I told the waitress that she'd missed the opportunity for me to enjoy the gumbo that she had recommended and reminded her about my drink. We again had to deal with the clueless people fumbling around with trying to get the food to the right person and our server didn't even try to help. My entree, the Bayou pasta, was very clearly made with tiny processed scallops, tiny shrimp, and had some shredded crab meat sprinkled over it. I can say that the pasta was well prepared. Overall, it wasn't tasteless, but it wasn't anything close to spicy. Otherwise said, I can get a very similar meal, with the same grade of seafood, at any mid level restaurant like an Applebees or TGIFriday and at least get a nice piece of garlic bread or something along with it. As I was about 1/2 way through my entree, our server finally delivered the drink that I'd asked for with my meal, along with a complimentary sample of the gumbo and an slight apology for the mistake with my order. As I was quite hungry, and the Bayou pasta was reasonably edible, I cleaned my plate, and then decided to try the gumbo. On the plus side, the gumbo had somewhat of a decent taste profile and wasn't made from bargain ingredients, but again it was very mild. As I mentioned, my experience was far from what I expected, and pretty much a 2 star experience. The rest of my party, all of whom had been there before, were not as disappointed so I rounded up 1 star. But, I don't plan to go back and certainly can't recommend them. read more

This place is exceptional. The burger was huge and delicious. Queso and chips excellent. Fish tacos excellent. Perfect service. A little expensive but an excellent restaurant. read more

I will continuously choose j's for its house salad with champagne vinegarette, it's filet and cous cous or mac and cheese. it's hands down one of my favorite meals in dayton and if you don't get the carrot cake, then don't even bother! so delicious read more

Visited for brunch not too long ago and everything was delicious. I ordered the lemon ricotta pancakes and they were some of the best pancakes I've ever had. Highly recommend. read more

Not a good night , We started off with a fried Salmon , then lightly crispy Salmon. What??? We didn't get our salads or Brussels sprouts but we did get the correct Salmon .. blackened not fried or lightly crispy. My recommendation. Come one people get it right!! Training!!!! So far , manager has made his way to other tables but not ours to correct or apologize. One table had a spear of onion rings come to the table after their dinner was delivered.... same waiter. Hate being up in the training area!!! Love to eat here but really bad this time with your waiter. You need more time to train your staff. Glad I didn't order wine!! read more

Rhe food at this place was great! I have been here twice over the past three days. The bartender Andrea was phenomenal! She asked me my name the first night and remembered me today! The cod special was awesome! The only negative I experienced was that the wait staff seemed to be lacking in their knowledge of steak considering read more

Apparently this place is being rebranded to Redlands Grille. I'm guessing they don't want to be looked at as a chain restaurant, but for those that love J. Alexander's it doesn't make sense. read more

Slow cook prime rib is my favorite. It comes with creamy mashed potatoes and Caesar salad. Their Caesar salad is the best in town. For the prime rib, I love to mix their sauce with the creamy reddish. You can ask for extra cut so it can feed two. read more

My family and I went here last night for my birthday. I never had a meal at "Jay Alexanders" that was bad, but since this new name and probable new owner the food was mediocre at best. The server was personable but was not good at staying on top of drink refills, or clearing plates. Our table was full of used plates and glasses. My husband and I had the Steak Brazzo, very dissapointing. The wine sauce reminded me of that pre-packaged strawberry pie filling. The wine was not cooked out and it had a thick consistency. The huge pile of smashed potatoes were bland, practically tasteless. The house salad was fresh and crisp, best thing I had. We had Calamari and Spinach Dip for appetizers, Calamari was good Spinach Dip also bland. Hope they improve or we probably wont go back. read more

Oh what happened to this restaurant? We have been dining here since it has opened. Ordered chips and salsa for app. Was brought chips and pico de gallo. Not the same. Was informed later they no longer have salsa. Cheeseburgers had very little taste. Ordered medium and were burnt on outside and rare inside. The bun and condiments were piled high making it impossible to bite into. The fries were cold and mushy and very small serving. Caesar salad great but very small (half size). Service was spotty. Server had no clue about most things and made no attempt to find out for us. The one manager stood on top if a nearby table to change light bulb. Dust flying everywhere. After getting down from table he never wiped off anything. Soon people were seated at that table. read more

No weights on steak entrees cost too high for what you get. Lack of helpful information from server. Ended up leaving for Chop House.

Came here with my wife. Had a fantastic time, the best steaks, salads, and baked potatoes I've ever had. The martinis were delicious and the service was excellent. I will be returning read more

Great service and good food! It was a bit expensive since I ordered the crab cakes for $27 which did not include salad, only included fries. Speaking of fries, I didn't care for their matchstick fries--would have preferred regular.My husband had steak and fries which did come with salad. But the food was all good, including the sourdough bread and the best chocolate cake ever for dessert--yummy! Served 2 quite easily. Server was very attentive, checking back regularly, as well as other staff. The atmosphere was okay--white tablecloth with a spotlight shining on each table. There were some kids there, so it's not what I would call a romantic place. Jazz music, not my favorite, but all in all, I gave it 4 stars. read more

Always love visiting here when I'm in Ohio. Atmosphere is beautiful and the waitstaff is super friendly. Started off with the Spinach Queso which was hot and really creamy. 2 of us ordered a Filet with Bernaise each. Both cooked to perfection and the bernaise was delicious. Wish we had one of these restaurants in our hometown. read more

After coming here with a smaller party I had a much better experience. I've found some delicious things on the menu, such as the fish tacos, that I'd be happy to try again. Their carrot cake is incredible and is a must for anyone who's a carrot cake lover and never tried it. I still think it can be pricey, but there are some less expensive things you can try. read more

Heartbreaking... J. Alexanders has been a favorite of mine. Haven't been there in awhile so went last night, Amazing Bartender she was perfect Amazing hostesses super polite and professional remembered our conversation when called for reservation Above average Waiter but not amazing like the fore mentioned staff Below average food I had requested my steak be cooked medium to medium well with no blood on my plate for some reason the chef either butterflied my steak or it was just an extremely thin piece of meat when it was served to me it was like shoe leather and I could barely cut it, it was so tough so I apologize to my waiter because I hate complaining but told him I really didn't want to spend $32 on the steak that I wouldn't eat he told me that he could comp it (?) and get me another steak so the other three people I was with ate their meal while I sat there and watched they finally brought me my dinner when everybody was done and it was swimming in blood and at the most medium rare if not rare so I can eat that steak either My husband liked his fish and the cold rice so that's why we're giving you three stars read more

In town on a business trip and went for dinner on a recommendation. Excellent food and service. My only complaint was that my prime rib was a little too fatty. Otherwise, sublime. I'd definitely go back if I came to the area again. read more

Me and my wife come here every year for our anniversary, and it's slightly went down a little, I think the service, food was better 2-3 yrs ago the only reason we keep going back it's just a tradition now. Still a good choice, I just liked it better when we first start going here, there's to many places to just be average anymore. read more

The food is great there but I found a glove in my cole slaw. There is just no excuse for that. They also served my gluten free meal on regular bread. When I pointed that out to the manager he replaced the meal after asking if he could just take the bread off. However, he replaced the meat with a rare piece when I had ordered medium well done. I still had to pay for my meal. I'd say they were having a very bad day. read more

Our server ruined the whole experience. Against our better judgement we decided to eat out on Valentine's Day. Arrived around 230-300; open tables and not busy. Pleasantly surprised to be seated within 5 minutes. The server walked up to immediately take our order--we hadn't even looked at the menu; so we ordered drinks - my husband asked for a IPA on draft, I ordered a Hendricks gin and tonic plus a glass of water. A bottled IPA arrived and the cocktail; no lime and water. We then ordered dinner. I ordered the prime rib sandwich he turned to my husband who ordered the seafood pasta - we had to stop him to order salads. We also asked for limes. My now empty water sat there..... Salads came...... My husband actually got up, went to the bar to see what was on draft. Dinner arrived, my husband ordered an IPA on draft. A beer arrived and it wasn't an IPA-we flagged down our server who it became apparent was a beverage illiterate and gave no apology, blamed it on the bartender turned tail and ran. The manager arrived with the draft IPA. Still no water refills. I believe I knew more about the bubbly server for the next table then my own. I became keenly aware his other tables were having similar problems-meals being sent back, looong waits for items; he seemed completely inexperienced. The other waitresses around us were turning tables at about 1.5x faster than he was. Don't get me wrong the food was good. But our simple dinner was well over 2 hours. We had our coats on waiting for the check; credit card on the table. He dropped the curled up bill on the table and left for 10 minutes before he returned to swipe the card. Other wait staff and servers began busing the table and i finally got a water refill. No cute carafe on the table for us. Another 10 minutes expired before we got the final bill. So if this is to be an upscale establishment why would one employ a terribly inexperienced non-social introvert server and believe me this was more than just having a bad day....... read more

We went for an early lunch with my in-laws as this is the MIL's favorite. I simply ordered the soup special of the day and the Alex salad which is $12 for both. The portions are enormous and I couldn't finish my soup which was that day the San Antonio Tortilla soup which was beautifully presented. Eat it while it's hot due to the amount of melted cheese in it. The Alex salad I had before and it was fresh and delicious. The music was a little loud even though the MIL asked the waiter twice for it to be turned down. It was difficult to talk over. The service was excellent. Can't wait to try some more off the menu another time. read more

Went there for NYE, called ahead for seating and was sat right when I got there. My wife said the menu was a little small however they had a special of a crab cake encrusted ny strip! We both got it and it was really good! Baked potato and salads were awesome as well. Service was friendly and management came around and asked how everything was. Overall a pleasant atmosphere and great food! Haven't had a steak like that in awhile. read more

Service was average. The hostess looked tired and didn't respond with a greeting when initially walked in the door. Was sat by the kitchen which was kind of noisy. The waiter was just good. He sold the menu really well, however the food was just average. I had the burger which was decent. My husband had the shrimp which was decent as well. Nothing spectacular, but a decent overall experience. read more

To go orders are NOT worth checking out. You can't call ahead. So we ordered there, waited at bar for 50 minutes for two salads with salmon and without bacon, two more salads and a club. We got home and order was wrong. Oh well, lesson learned. NEVER get carry out from Redlands Grill. read more

Excellent salad. Good ribeye steak. It's called Steak Maui, marinated ribeye. My bad didn't ask to expand on marinated as I do not like sweet marination. No marinated, ribeye would had been excellent cut of meat read more

Hadn't been for a couple of years, noticed the ribeye in the Steak Maui was a thinner cut, and the grilled asparagus had a definite petroleum taste to it. I don't know how they grilled it, but I couldn't eat it. Service was wonderful and professional as I expected. When the check came I noticed a different name at the top, have they changed hands recently? At their price point, I will not be back. read more