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    Js' Old Town Bistro

    4.3 (264 reviews)
    Open 4:00 pm - 8:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Js' Old Town Bistro Photos

    JS' OLD TOWN BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    The house special tomato soup was amazing!
    Russ C.

    A good friend of mine has been bragging about how good J's was for a few years now so we decided to give it a go for my birthday. This is not a recommendation but a must try! We had a reservation on a Thursday night so seating was easy and highly recommended. The service was friendly and spot on. The ambiance was wonderful, very well thought with an interesting history worth reading about when you go. The food was a real treat and we are looking forward to experiencing J's again soon.

    Linguine and clams
    Tamara E.

    Tonight we came out to Js for my husband's birthday. The restaurant was clean, dimly lit, and fairly loud. Our waitress was good but not one of our favorites. Our waters were never filled and our non-alcoholic beverage drinkers were never checked on to see if their drinks were ok/wanted something else/need anything. She also only checked on us 1x right after the food was dropped off to see if we needed freshly ground pepper and not again until it was time for desert and the check. For appetizers we had the Thai Scallops and the special Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus. The Thai Scallops are one of our go-tos and they were good; however, they were pretty heavily breaded tonight. The Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus was good but was hard to eat and could have used a bit more cooking. For my main I had the linguine and clams. I was HIGHLY disappointed in this tonight. The noodles were delicious and beautifully done but the "sauce" was nothing but pasta water. There was flavor: no garlic, no butter, no clams-no flavor whatsoever. The clams were also macerated as if someone chewed them up and spit them in the dish for me. My husband had the ribeye with gorgonzola butter and polenta. Everything was cooked beautifully and seasoned perfectly but his chunk of butter (his favorite) was so frozen it never melted-even by the end of the meal. For desert, my husband had the bread pudding and we had the crème brûlée. My husband said the bread pudding was good but slightly dry and cold. The crème brûlée was horrible. We sent it back and got "oh sorry someone new made them-big fail" and laughing. The brûlée was not even close to being set so it was pure liquid. It wasn't even a consistent temperature. After years of loving eating at Js and celebrating milestones here it makes me sad to see how quality is slipping.

    Mayte C.

    This place is dddeelicious! We got invited to a birthday dinner here. Our server went above and beyond for us-- she was so nice and made sure we had everything we needed. The Caesar salad was crispy and full of flavor. The Caesar dressing was made to perfection. I ordered the scallops served over angel hair pasta and mushrooms. Holy crap---one of the BEST pastas I've had. The flavor was amazing. We also ordered the evening special of a ribeye with an herbed butter. Again-- delicious and cooked to perfection. Everything was fresh and you could taste the quality ingredients. We splurged and got dessert too. I would highly recommend this place whenever you are looking for a great meal! This place is definitely a great spot for a special occasion!

    Calamari Parmesan
    David M.

    Amazing find in Northern Nevada! I was absolutely blown away by the quality of food and the amount of food I received here. Despite being more of an upscale restaurant, they were very accommodating for someone who did not have a reservation. They were able to find me a table easily, no wait needed. Everyone was kind and attentive during my time there. I ordered the calamari Parmesan, not knowing how it would taste. The mix between a chicken Parmesan-sort of flavor and the chewiness and texture of calamari really blend well together with this dish. I found myself really loving everything about it. On top of that, the portion size was incredibly large. I never have leftovers, but here, I had a bit of the dish left to take home and enjoy for the next day. Parking might be a little hard to come by, so I would prepare to street park if their lot is full.

    Filet with pasta option
    Shelly H.

    I have been here twice. Once for a friends birthday and then my boyfriend brought me back for my birthday. Both experiences were great! I love the romantic and intimate ambiance, the food bursts with flavor, and they have a pretty decent wine selection! The lobster ravioli special and filet mignon are to die for. The scallops, brussell sprouts, and meatballs are a must have appetizer. We will be back for more special occasions!

    Old western building
    Jeff M.

    Everything about this place was so warm and welcoming and also very charming. Definitely as local as it gets and the food was absolutely amazing. The staff is very attentive and friendly, especially my waitress who I met along my journey. What a wonderful place and I'm definitely going to try to make it back there again if I'm in the area.

    Crystal C.

    First time visiting this quaint bistro. I enjoyed the fried Brussels sprouts and pizza the most. The bar tender was kind and attentive. I ordered a margarita on the rocks. Good portion size didn't get a picture. Definitely will be back to venture through the regular menu and drinks they have to offer. Looked like inside outside seating and individual booths were available.

    Tasty appetizers
    Melissa E.

    This is a very quaint spot. Quiet relaxing atmosphere. Loved their staff. Very fun and friendly The appetizers were so tasty. Great spot to get out of the heat

    Crème Brûlée and Lemon Tarte with raspberry sauce
    Suzette M.

    If I could give 10 stars I would. We have been in Northern Nevada for 3 years. Made a reservation, got there 10 minutes early and were immediately seated by the very friendly hostess. Then Chris was our amazing server. Can't even tell you how spectacular the food was. From appetizer to dessert EVERYTHING was stellar. This will definitely be our date night favorite. I am a very tough critic and this place wins!!!!

    Daily Soup, Cream of Potato and Onion

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    2 days ago

    Everything is delicious! Great service and comfortable seating. It's a treat every time we go. Highly recommend.

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    9 months ago

    The food makes this restaurant one of the best Italian eateries in Northern Nevada. The service is second is primo!

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    6 months ago

    Food is always delicious and servers are pleasant! I especially enjoy their seafood pan roast specials!!

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    1 year ago

    Love the food and friendly atmosphere and service. You should request Kim as your server.

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    1 year ago

    Food here is fantastic!!! I love their Calamari Steak Parmesan. Artichoke Frits are also a fantastic appetizer

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    3 years ago

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    Page 1 of 7

    Js' Old Town Bistro Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Js' Old Town Bistro

    Are you closed ? Have called and stopped to look to make reservations but door closed.

    Greetings, we are closed until the 16th.

    Do you have Take out?

    Hi, yes we do, however not during busy dinner hours.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Overall, I have mixed feelings of this place. Food was delicious once we finally received it. It…read moretook around 45 minutes to an hour after we arrived to get our food. The service was great and the remodeling of the restaurant into the steakhouse turned out really nice. They do table side salads, entrees and desserts. We chose to order a standard meal. I would like to give this place another chance in the near future. Maybe it was an off night.

    We went as a group of 20 for their prix fix New Years Eve dinner. The food was good but not great…read more The amuse bouche was very good. The 1st course was a choice of the foie gras (good but had an inordinate amount of fig jam on top) or escargot (very good). The second course was French onion soup or Niçoise salad. Both were very good. The third course was a choice of poached sole with hollandaise (the hollandaise was extremely spicy and way over powered the delicate sole. The sole was cooked until it was mushy) or roasted chicken in brown sauce (some were very good and others were dry and overcooked). The fourth course was roasted marrow bones with golden raisins and brie with lingonberry. Good but very rich. The fifth course was beef bourguinon that was excellent. For dessert we had crepe Suzette's that were okay but very sweet and paired with an extremely sweet ice wine. Too much sweet on sweet. Some hot bread and butter, others didn't. Same with water, some glasses were empty and never filled. Overall it was way too much food for me. It said $150 all inclusive so we assumed that meant tax and tip was included. We were wrong. When we got the bill they added tax and 20% gratuity. Then on top of that they charged 3% for paying with a credit card. It ended up being a $400 dinner. That was more than we anticipated in Virginia City. Additionally, apparently they ran out of one of the wines and some people were offered a different one and then got charged $20/glass for it. All in all, it was fun (more because of the company than the experience), the food was mostly good and the atmosphere was nice and service was okay. I felt bad for other couples trying to have a romantic NYE dinner and having to sit next to a group of 20. We'll choose a different location next year.

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    Buoy and Trap Seafood - HH- Gansett Pilser

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    100% yes to Buoy & Trap Seafood! Way to go Truckee for having an amazing seafood shop & restaurant…read moreto add to the plethora of amazing food choices. I didn't even know this place existed since I had last been back to town. It was an accident to find it, we were going for a trusted and loved sandwich at Full Belly Deli next door and were happy to see it there. We came in during the week for trappy hour, where we had the most delicious oysters, shrimp, and chowder. Plus some really great beer and wine. We liked it so much, and wanted to try more of the oyster types they had so we went back on Friday afternoon to learn they don't have the oyster deal on busy days. Which totally makes sense, it's an awesome deal-- half a dozen for $15. So on our second trip we tried the ceviche, crab cake slider, and hot butter lobster roll. All delicious and fresh as well. I have nothing but good things to say about the food and staff. The only thing to be aware of is the dining area in the shop is pretty small, but if too full the tables outside of FBD could be used. Next time I'm in town I'll be back.

    4.5 Stars. Before…read moredriving into Lake Tahoe we made our final stop in Truckee for a late lunch at Buoy and Trap for some seafood. Buoy and Trap isn't a big restaurant/fish market. The place has a bar stool counter top sitting a couple picnic benches outside to sit. We arrived around 3ish in time for happy hour.( Monday-Thursday 3-5pm) We ordered a few things of the HH and one Connecticut Lobster Roll. First of the seafood was amazingly fresh considered where we are. We ordered the following (HH) Half Dozen Oysters- Absolutely fresh and delicious 5/5 (HH) Trappy Hour Hawaiian Poke Bowl- Surprisingly this was delicious. Tuna was well marinated and seasoned.5/4 (HH) Crab Cake Sliders- This was great, all crab meat in the crab cake.5/4 Connecticut Lobster Roll- The lobster was fresh and sweet. The portion size of the lobster roll was perfect for the price. 5/5 Service was great and friendly. They have plenty of parking. Highly recommend giving them a try if you're in Truckee CA.

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    The Oyster Bar

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    This restaurant needs to be like 3x the size There's always…read morea line here for good reason Get the fresh oysters, they're your safest bet for oysters in Tahoe Any soup based dish here is going to be absolutely solid [this review was written in connection with a Toast promotion]

    I stopped by The Oyster Bar at Stateline while in Lake Tahoe and waited about 35-40 minutes in…read moreline. Honestly, it wasn't too bad, especially considering how busy the place was. I ordered the 1 dozen oysters, clam linguine, and house salad. Oysters -- 7/10 The oysters were really fresh and shucked right in front of you, which was definitely a plus. They were a little too big for my liking and had a creamier texture than I prefer, but overall they were good. Clam Linguine -- 7/10 The linguine was solid. The portion was decent, and I liked the combination of clams, lemon, garlic, and Parmesan. Nothing that completely blew me away, but still a good dish. Might pass on the parmesan next time because it clunked up as it melted in the dish. House Salad The salad was actually pretty good and surprisingly large for a house salad. Fresh lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives, and plenty of croutons. Overall, everything is prepared fresh right in front of you, which I really enjoyed. The oysters being freshly shucked definitely added to the experience. The wait wasn't terrible, and if you're an oyster or seafood fan, it's worth stopping by while you're in Tahoe. Overall: 7/10 thank youuuu

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    Smee's Alaskan Fish Bar & Marketplace - Eight piece! Excellent.

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    Some friends told us about Smee's Fish and Chips. It was time to give a try…read more We started with the Clam Chowder. Served hot (how I prefer it), the chowder was full of flavor with Clams, Potatoes and I think some mushroom. I thought the texture had a nice creaminess to it. Some in our party didn't care for it, but for me, I thought it was pretty good. A friend had the Ceviche. A couple of Shrimp top the dish, but it is mostly tiny bay shrimp. Other than the larger shrimp, the dish was unremarkable and not worth the money. We moved on to the fried zucchini. This dish was fresh from the fryer and served freakin' hot. And I do mean freakin hot. The dish was fine, but a tad bit on the oily side. More on that later. All of the starters are just a fancy lead up to the main course. If you're going to do something well, it better be what you are known for. Smee's use 100% WILD ALASKA COD "Hook & Line", received from their Alaskan Leader fishing fleet. The fish is made fresh on every order. I will say the "fish" was pretty good, but I think the oil was either old or not at the righ temperature because the resulting dish was oily and just plain soggy. While served hot, it was a doughy, soggy mess. We hoped for more but Smee's did not deliver.

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    Js' Old Town Bistro - italian - Updated September 2026

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