My family and I have frequented this chain for years and it always seemed a good bet. Decent grub at reasonable prices, good atmosphere, a step above most franchise eateries. Recently prices have crept up considerably. This evening (Feb 5, 2023) I had a humble Caesar salad (no protein, just lettuce) and one glass of wine. The tab was $32, nearly $40 with tip. A glass of bland, nondescript house wine (sitting opened for who knows how long) appeared on the check at $20! That entire bottle doesn't top $10, max. You've got to be kidding! That is more than most upscale Boston restaurants charge for good wine. Seriously! It's ridiculous. I won't be back soon. read more

Not good overall. Three people ordered burgers. One was "done right" but was still undercooked (was medium vs well done). Another burger was undercooked but otherwise correct (again, though, a well done burger shouldn't be pink at all). Third burger was wrong. No cheese, bacon, or mushrooms as ordered. Also undercooked (was medium rare vs medium well). I guess, though, that when the server doesn't ask how we want the burgers cooked is a red flag (along with generally forgetful service). otherwise, the gluten free bun, described as flavorful, was like eating a dry sponge. Coleslaw was bitter and warm. Only good food really are the sweet potato fries. Luckily, the drinks were good ( watermelon sangria, watermelon lemonade, sparkling strawberry margarita) were great! Overall, mediocre food at best, served by friendly but inconsistent service. Obviously COVID is a thing, but still... read more

Not sure if it applies to all chains but the Waltham one is great. Incredibly impressed with NYAJ's customer service. Upon reading my review they promptly replied and offered me a gift card since I wasn't completely satisfied with my first visit. Anyway, boyfriend and I frequented NYAJ and it's one of the places we will miss greatly since we've left Waltham. read more

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service was prompt & friendly . food is delicious even leftovers! bread is good too. definitely recommend

Horrible service tonight. Although the server seemed very friendly, problem solving skills were non- existent. She spent much of the night with her back to us, chatting with a co-worker making simple requests for things like a napkin or a knife difficult. Rather than remaking an improperly mixed pitcher of sangria, a very awkward remix involving multiple glasses was done at the table resulting in a less than ideal balance of ingredients. The manager was even worse. She insisted the server had offered to fix it, which never happened. She said she "didn't know what our problem was" cause she was taking it off our bill (a fact we hadn't been told). The server was just oblivious. The manager was inappropriate and rude. read more

I've been here two or three times since my initial review, and I honestly haven't been as crazy about the food recently. I was going to write an update to my review following a sub-par experience in December, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Recently I had the herb crusted haddock with Brussels sprouts and fries. The haddock was cooked adequately, but I had to spit a pin bone out which fortunately I didn't swallow. The Brussels sprouts were lukewarm and frankly underwhelming in the texture department. Outside of that the fries were perfectly fine, but when my beverage ran out near the beginning of the meal, the waiter didn't take notice until I was already done eating. Additionally, the food didn't have as much flavor as I would have liked. Everything was sort of lacking in the seasoning department. I hope this is just a blip and that this NYAJ rebounds. It can be an enjoyable place to dine at when everything is clicking. read more

Kudo's to the Chefs as we all enjoyed our meal from the culinary point of view.-Tho we all agrees they could have been hotter upon arrival The hostess couldn't figure out what table to put us and kept switching and we kept following her as to which table The service failed to satisfy We asked for water twice before we got it we had to ask for lemon twice before we got it we had to ask for the check twice before we got it Two times wait staff brought us food that belong to other people The server did not come by at all to see how our meal was The server seemed uninterested as to whether or not we were pleased,displeased or ever came back again In this era of new and returning for customers we assumed that staff would be more interested in appealing to customers than turning them off from visiting again. read more

Tonight we went to Not Your Average Joe's for my husbands birthday. The food was good but the manager (Lauren) was beyond amazing! She's kind, great lead and her customer skills were top notch. read more

First time at the Waltham location and I really loved it. The decor is great, it's clean and the service was good. The food presentation was good and it was delicious. So we had this server and the only word she seemed to know was "absolutely" But she was absolutely fabulous. I would absolutely come back. read more

Like it there, good food and service, kinda buzzy atmosphere as opposed to Watertown, which I also like but watertown tends to have more of a family crowd, and the Waltham one has more of a dating and friends night out vibe. Also love the GF menu--gr8 for ppl with various diets read more

I'm giving NYAJ another try. There was no wait. Food was good, service was good. Bathroom was clean. We didn't have to wait long for our food. The waiter checks in on us in a timely fashion. I love the outside seating. We didn't get a chance sit outside because it was full. Started off with the bread and garlic oil offered by NYAJ! The bread was soft and warm, goes so well with dipping! Then I got the layered nachos to share. I love how different this is. It was very tasty. It actually made me full. Layers of stuff in between every tortilla. Got the BBQ crispy chicken pizza and a burger. Both average but was good! Love this location. read more

Last weekend we came upon this location when we were coming back from a Bruins game. Upon walking in (around 5:30pm) we were asked if we had a reservation (just a party of 2). We said no and we're seated in a few minutes. The food was delicious and the server was very attentive, just like every other location we've been to. We assumed the reservation question was due to the fact that it was Easter weekend. This weekend we were looking for somewhere to go on the way home from the Red Sox game. Again, upon entering (around 5:15pm) we were immediately asked if we had a reservation (there were 6 of us). We said no and this didn't seem to please the hostess. Both hostesses were very rude. One didn't say a word. The other said that she had reservations that would be coming in soon. When WE offered if we could sit at 2 tables separated she didn't even want to consider it. After a few minutes of her clearly not trying to find a way to accommodate us she told us of a table that we might be able to have if we were done by 7pm because she had a reservation coming in. Never were we even given the option of an actual wait time. So clearly she was never planning to even seat our group of 6 Is this location reservation only? If so, it should be clearly stated somewhere. If not, I don't understand how we were pretty much turned away. In the end we walked over to Jake & Joe's, were seated right away, were treated the way every restaurant should treat any potential customer, and had a delicious dinner. read more

Stopped here with clients for a drink before grabbing dinner next door at the "other" joes place. This one was more upscale. Packed at happy hour and the drinks were good, service was good and food looked good from what I saw. Will be back read more

Visited 11-Nov-2019: The pecan sage pesto salmon with Brussels sprouts and sweet potato mash was excellent. Shared that and also shrimp tacos which was also excellent. Great service, good draft selection and reliable quality wines. Good value! read more

I'm going to echo other reviews and give kudos to the decor. Inside it is very nice with all kinds of seating (high tops, bar, tables etc) and various nooks and crannies around the interior to set yourself down. There is also some fine outdoor seating. I was tempted to drag my group out there. Of course it's NYAJ - they have that awesome bread and the decent menu. I have eaten at 3 other locations of theirs so the food wasn't a surprise. But this is an excellent place for a business lunch (my purpose), meeting friends etc. Easy parking, various seating choices and their menu. I usually get their veggie burger (no surprise to people who read my reviews) which is fine. It's nice they offer. I have been to a number of restaurant/bar type places with no veg options at all - no veg burger, no pasta dish, no burrito bowl with optional no meat. i mean it's 2017, it's likely costing some places business! And we're used to not getting much at a traditional resto so they don't have to offer but 2 or 3 options that don't even have to be exclusively veg - could just be optional veg! Ok side rant over. Overall the 4 stars is for the location and the interior. Food is a respectable 3 stars which = good. They do a good job on American fare. But if I'm going, it's for the ambiance (and the bread). read more

I used to be a huge fan of NYAJ, but was a little disappointed by my meal last night. I always get the Tuscan grilled chicken sandwich cause it's crispy and flavorful. However, last night, I was disappointed that the bread was soggy because it was oversaturated with aioli and the juice from the tomatoes. The chicken was grilled a bit too much so it tasted charred. At least the fries were still their usual crispy goodness! I still like this place, it might have just been an off night. On the plus side, the focaccia bread to start with is consistently amazing. read more

Great wait staff and good food. Good presentation. My food needed a little salt but other than that was good. Excellent choice of non-alcoholic beverages to choose from. read more

Much better than other NYAJs I've been to. The food was excellent, the restaurant was clean, and the staff was fantastic (especially our server Caroline). Highly recommended. read more

Chicken parm was outstanding! I think the best my boyfriend has ever had. The lettuce wraps were great and we enjoyed the crusted goat cheese salad. Outdoor seating was great as well. read more

Great time here. I've never been to a Not Your Average Joe's before, but I had a great time. I love steak and steak tips, so I was eager to try yours. The steak tips I had were cooked perfectly. Loved the presentation and the onions and sauce that was on them. The only disappointment was the fries were so small. I would have preferred bigger fries, but still, everything else was great. I'll be back! read more

Had excellent outdoor seating due to COVID. It was a tad toasty outside, perhaps they could add fans to get some air circulating outside. The outdoor seating was plentiful so no one sat relatively near us which was nice. Lobster roll was a thumbs up from my friend, burger was also yummy however we filled up on bread so we had to take it togo. If you are a fan of skinny fries this place has delicious ones. I ordered the buffalo chicken pizza. It was a tad spicy for me which was unexpected since other reviews said it was more of a sweet bbq pizza, if you like spicy this pizza is for you. the strawberry and watermelon lemonades were both yummy, however the mango lemonade was FAR to sweet. I had to water it down with sparkling water multiple times and it was still too sweet. Overall enjoyable experience. read more

I love NYAJ in general - the food is usually top notch, atmosphere decent, bread outstanding - they're reliable if uninspiring. This particular NYAJ is relatively new and a go to spot for me for lunch which has always been good - say 4 stars. Last night, we went for dinner. One of our items was the Thai Lettuce Wrap appetizer. At one time NYAJ had a version that was decent. Last night was awful - over-dressed, pre-made and soggy and looked like dog vomit. The second thing was the atmosphere. At lunch it's quite nice. At night, you see they have a horrible problem with lighting. We sat in an corner by the bar that was lit by a combination of restaurant flood lights and street lights from the parking lot. I felt like I was dining under the lights at a pats game. When you look around the restaurant - you see a mix of warm, toned down lights, flood lights in spots and street lights - it makes it kind of weird at night. At lunch, then lightings a non-issue - only at dinner. Im probably unusual, but it gave me a headache. So headache from the lights and nausea from the lettuce wraps. The rest of the meal was ok. read more

Not Your Average Joe's - Waltham - These Thai lettuce wraps were disgusting. Over-dressed, pre-made and soggy and looked like dog vomit. - New American Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

I went to the not your average Joe's in Waltham tonight for a wonderful dinner with a friend. I really loved the Waltham store it's so modern, so clean, and the service is excellent. I had Russell tonight as our server and he did an excellent job and seem to everything that we need it and was very attentive without being intrusive. He really gave us very good service tonight for dinner. I would highly recommend getting Russell as your server. Sam, the manager, was also very friendly, outgoing and came by to make sure that everything was good on our table. He's a very nice person, runs the restaurant very well it appears, and is always checking with the guests to make sure everybody's having a good time and the food is good. If you want good food, and good service go to not your average Joe's in Waltham. Bill read more

Delicious and fresh food with enough options to satisfy a a range of guests; young families, date night, girls' night out. Healthy and beautiful plates. Tuna wontons were fresh and delicious. Have to be able to splurge on the spongey bread drenched in parmesan and olive oil dip! Overall success at a trendy chain. read more

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I have always had a great experience here. There food is great and the staff is super friendly. We ordered a Mona Lisa Salad, Chicken Dumplings and a Tomato Basil Pizza. The pizza wasn't that great but that's on us because we don't like the flavor of all kind of cheeses. I am sure it's worth spending money and time here. read more

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I stopped here for lunch during a work week and was pleasantly surprised to see a modern and gorgeous decor that was definitely different from the typical "Not Your Average Joe's" locations I've been to in the past. I saw an outside area with overhead cool lights that I assume they use for outdoor service when the weather is nice. I sat down at the bar and was greeted by such a nice bartender. She was super helpful with my questions about the entrees and the beers. She exuded a warmness and was very pleasant. I just loved the natural light through the giant windows as I sat at the bar and the decor and bar itself were modern and upscale. I ordered the grilled salmon and mashed potatoes and everything was perfect. The beer was also delicious (she even let me taste test two of them). All-in-all, great service, great atmosphere and great food. I'll definitely be back here again! read more

Went here today for a work meeting/ lunch. I was thinking there would be nothing for me to eat considering I am a vegan and also gluten free. However, I was able to get a good sized bowl of pasta, marinara and fresh basil for lunch. I wish that there were more gluten free AND vegan options like appetizers or gf/ vegan dough for pizza or some fresh vegetable spring rolls. read more

Very average experience, ok service medium average food. Typical chain although this one seemed to act like it was above par?! Waitress was attentive but overall experience was just ok. read more

Went here for early lunch over Jake and Joe's based on Yelp reviews of both places in the same strip mall area in Waltham. Staff and food both delivered and it was a great lunch for 2. Preferred this location to other NYA Joe's previously visited. Enjoy! read more

I heard there was brunch. Um, someone tell the Average Joe who runs this joint that 2 friggin items does NOT a brunch make. FRENCH TOAST OR EGGS BENEDICT. We literally couldn't order scrambled eggs on the side. Because? Chain. Our waitress was super nice the whole time. But the manager came strolling by later and said they didn't have the proper skillets(?!?!?) for scrambled eggs. Filth: When I unwrapped the silverware from the napkin, the fork was dirty. It happened on the next one I tried. Disgusting. The table still had crumbs on the table and the seat, which I would have overlooked, but I see it's an ongoing issue. Table Stability: Also, because of the design of the floating tables, our table SHOOK everytime the group on the other side of the dividing wall leaned on their table. Disconcerting. C'mon guys, you're not even trying. read more

There's a ton of stuff to choose but I would choose the chicken parm. The waiters and waitresses are awesome and the food is fresh! Definitely try this place out. read more

Service is extremely slow here comparing to the one in Burlington. I had to ask these questions Where is my server? Where is my water and breads? Can I have the soup? Where is the kid's ice cream? Then they charge the milk that should have come with the kids menu... I won't be back! read more

Not Your Average Joe's has always been a go-to over the years, food is always consistently good as well as service. I don't often write reviews but the service we received from Anna was ABSOLUTELY amazing! I wish I could give her more stars...She is attentive, cares about her customers and is extremely hard working. You can tell how much pride she takes in making sure you have a memorable experience. I will definitely frequent there more often and of course being asking for Anna. read more

Another fabulous meal at Not Your Average Joe's! The chicken piccata is delicious. The steak tips were tasty. Nicole is a friendly and welcoming waitress! Managementt should be lucky to have her! We will be returning real soon for and hopefully Nicole will serve us again!! read more

I'm not a huge chain restaurant fan, but I really like the environment here and the food's not bad either. We often get a booth even when we don't ask for one, which is nice (often I find restaurants think we're just young and can be dropped in any random spot). The service is always friendly and we even got a free beer the other night because it took a really long time for the us to get the drink. I love that they have an extensive list of creative, non-alcoholic beverages for people like me! I might not like drinking alcohol, but I still like to have something other than water or regular soda or tea with my meals. I've gotten hanger steak, which was nicely marinated and properly cooked (I hate an overcooked steak). I also tried their seasonal mac-n-cheese, which had bits of chicken, butternut squash, spinach and mushrooms, which was comforting and fall-like but not super remarkable. Their pizzas haven't impressed me so far. If you're not super hungry, you can try to get just one of the appetizers as your meal because they are pretty sizeable! The chicken nachos are balanced just-so in a tower, which is fun, and come with a yummy corn and tomato salsa. They also have fresh-cut fries that are pretty good! They have a nice seating area outside with a fire pit, so I'd like to try sitting there sometime. There's plenty of parking, so it's a pretty smooth experience overall. read more

Although a chain (and I am not a fan of chains) but my experience with a dinner there was 5 star! Beautiful alfresco dining Great service Great selection What I had (goat cheese salad) was very delicious Someone in our party had a salad which she said to be too soggy with too much dressing! Ask for your dressing on the side read more

I came with a party of 13 so it was somewhat understandable that they took a while to serve us but they also super long to to take our orders. They didn't have many dessert options.. forgot my avocado and my turkey club had a slice of turkey! While my friends was totally stuffed, very inconsistent. One side of my toast was much more toasted than the other. How ever, the staff was very friendly and attentive. The location is very clean, spacious and comfortable. read more

We visit the bar here almost every Sunday and love its menu, comfortable bar, and great bartender, Taylor. She is a delight and is friendly and helpful to all. We love their chicken, burgers and individual pizzas. Also a great selection of beers and whiskeys always available! read more

Went in with my dad for dinner. My plate I got was filthy for my apps, asked for another plate. Got another dirty plate. My entree comes with a biggg piece of hair in it. Not a clean place to eat honestly. Dont recommend. Manager didnt really care, comped it but doesnt make up for the fact it was disgusting the service. read more

Nice outdoor patio. Bartender was awesome. Food is good. Steak tip Cesar salad was great. Great place for apps and beers too. I recommend going here. I'll be back. read more