Service was terrible! Very understaffed so orders arrived at different times and then weren't right. The food was good but some was warm and some cold. Kitchen must also be understaffed. Sad... used to be one of our favorites. read more

I'm afraid this place is also going out of business. Was there at 2pm on a Saturday. Service was slow, ran out of Stella, pizza was not hot and very stingy on the sausage. Place was not crowded. WTF read more

This place that originated in West Chicago was always my favorite from the pizza to the pasta, now that something happened like this location closed at the West Chicago location I'm forced to go the other location in Batavia, in the last yr I've been here at least 10 X, well no more ! I've ordered a pasta I love only to be disappointed severely as maybe a 8 yr old prepared it, no flavor and poorly put together it being a Cajun chicken broccoli dish, handled poorly by manager ! Now the pizza !!!! What an absolute disappointment here, I'll start by ordering a rather simple deep dish cheese & sausage, it's brought out with such little cheese and sausage with the crust being super puffy and flat all in the same pizza, nothing like the other West Chicago location would give u, how sad ! So I ordered my last pizza with extra cheese, sausage & sauce thinking I'll just pay extra to get what I was so used to and loved , well NO ! the clown manager brought out the same anemic pizza as they are now becoming known for lacking everything once again, once again handled poorly by manager, same experience over & over so I won't b back unless owners and cooks change. read more

Was there last night, wanted to sit on the patio with my wife as Pal Joey's has been a wonderful establishment in our family and has become one of our many traditions. When i walked down the steps, there were two brunette girls who looked like they were confused as to why i was standing there. It took about maybe 5 minutes or less for another girl, who looked very overrun to come out of the kitchen and notice our presence. She was very polite, and quick about our exchange and directed us to the patio hostess. The patio hostess was the same, very polite and kind and she obviously knew what to do. Not sure about the 2 that were just standing there, I love this place very much but I feel some of the staff aren't pitching in and it shows. Server was great, food was great, and the two hostesses were great. read more

Food was all meh We ordered a large thin crust sausage & pepperoni pizza. It was still pretty thick & the greasiest pizza I've ever had Seafood pasta was laying in a huge puddle of oil Chicken Franchese was also soggy in butter Spaghetti Carbonara was ok & a large portion Garlic bread with the pastas was also soggy under & cooked read more

It all started with a glass of Chianti and a little bit of patience. Folks please remember that every where seems to be running short staffed. Team members are running and yet we complain. Pal Joeys food is wonderful and priced right. The restaurant is huge and it has a full bar. My mouth was watering waiting for my sausage and mushroom pizza to arrive. The smells from the kitchen kept me satisfied until my pie arrived. Oh what goodness! Crisp crust , flavorful sausage and real mushrooms! Eat it with a knife and fork or pick it up and take a big bite! The pizza is ALWAYS good ! Our waitress checked on us regularly and kept us informed as to when the food would come out. No complaints here! Carry out, delivery or dine in. Giant parking lot! read more

Pal Joey's - Daily drink specials - Pizza Near Me - Batavia, Illinois

Terrible experience. We were there at 5pm. It wasn't busy so no excuse for the mix ups and bad food. There were six of us and only 3 of us had a decent meal. Ordered a pizza with white sauce and got red sauce instead. Asked for wings with mild sauce and got the hot sauce instead. Lastly, the linguine with spinach and artichoke hearts was dry and had so much garlic it was not edible. Who is supervising the kitchen? Will not be going back!!! read more

Wonderful service! We had pizza, salad, and dessert. House wine was $5 glass on Friday. I've been to 3 different locations...always good, and they catered our school reunion a few years ago. Never disappointed. read more

I am so happy to see Pal Joey's move back to this location. It was like time stood still. The food was great as always. I would love to see them clean up the patio and even out the bricks. This is likely the best riverfront location in the tri cities and they just don't maintain it like they should. Take a page out of Villa Verona's book and put out some fans, and clean up the cobwebs and leaves... this would be a A+ venue. read more

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We have gone to the West Chicago location many times however since they are under construction, we thought we would give this a try tonight. This location is very nice but that's all they got going for them.... Ordered appetizers and a 14" cheese pan pizza at the same time. When the pizza came first, I had asked if the appetizer was still coming (mind you pan pizza takes 20 minutes to make) and the waitress said, "sorry another server took yours by mistake but don't worry I credited you the charge". At this point I was fine with it because mistakes happen but ASSUMED she put in another order. After we were more than half way through our pizza, I asked again if it was still coming and she said, "no did you want me to put in another order?" I was appalled as clearly I still wanted it. I asked for the bill and left. Also pizza was soggy. Stay away from this location... read more

Driving up, the aroma of Pizza lingers with anticipation. With a name like 'Pal Joey's, it's just natural to expect an ol' school pizza joint with a deep dark past, plushy leather booths and the over-tones of Frank Sinatra bringing it all together. Walking in, the inside is anything but.. Its a toss-up between someone's idea of a bad basement bar, or the lobby of a Motel 6. You're not sure if you want a cold beer or a hot cup of coffee. But, I'm here to order Pizza! It's Pan-Style and constructed for those addicted to cheese and bread. Basically a loaded grilled cheese sandwich. read more

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We usually only go here for pizza because that's their primary best tasting food. It's a traditional pan style pizza but not stuffed. We had slightly warm pizza, I like food hot--it was fine, but I wasnt interested in leftovers. My kids liked their pasta fine. It feels very basic to me although I would go into their bar and hang out instead of eat there. Tje tablecloths look very worn. read more

Our waitress got an instant attitude when we sent our brown salads back. Then just like last time they forgot my chicken on my fettuccine Alfredo. We sat in the back room and there are dead flies on the window sills. Won't be back. read more

Pal Joey's - a close up of a window sill - Pizza Near Me - Batavia, Illinois

I seriously do not understand all the poor reviews. The pizza is the same as its always been. You have to order the pizza. They are generous with the sauce and it's s little sweet, but soooo good. I agree, the atmosphere is not the same as the previous Batavia location. It's a little generic but the pizza! Yes the pizza. Don't get a club sandwich at a place known for pizza. I stand by my 5 stars! read more

We had not been to Pal Joey's in some time and decided to try it for lunch to sit outside near the river. It was not crowded, but the service was not very good. We waited a long time for our appetizer (nachos). When it came, it was terrible - over cooked and covered with shredded dry lettuce. We believe the lettuce was intended to disguise the burnt chips and greasy plate. The waitress did nothing, but apologize. It will be a long time before we consider going back. read more

TLDR; bad service, bad food, bad management. Very disappointed in our experience at Pal Joeys. We sat on the patio and there were a lot people smoking around us even though there was a no smoking sign. We asked to be moved inside after the manager didn't do much about it. Service was incredibly slow. We had to go find our server twice because they hadn't checked on us in so long. We ordered their "stuffed" aka Chicago Style pizza and it was the worst!! It sat in a pool of grease making the crust soggy. It also just lacked flavor. read more

I had the carbonara pizza upon a suggestion from a family member and I was not disappointed. This is my new go to pizza besides my usual standby. read more

One of the best Italian restaurants I've ever seen I love the building and the layouts. This place even has and retained a old pay phone but I don't think it's working the service was excellent and the female workers were very friendly and quick. Of course it helps that they are young and blon4cand so forth. The food was excellent and again I was please buy the experience at this unique cool looking Italian restaurant in downtown Batavia in addition to Pizza was excellent and among the best I've ever tried and had for a long time read more

Love this place for reasonable and tasty food and drink and a great patio overlooking the Fox River. Bartender John made me an orange cranberry mule when I couldn't decide what I wanted and it was amazing! read more

Pal Joey's - Go to Pal Joey's and ask bartender John to make you an orange cranberry mule. The perfect, delicious, drink heading into summer! - Pizza Near Me - Batavia, Illinois

Service is warm and welcoming in this family friendly restaurant. Plenty of seatomg for family gatherings, work groups and special events. I saw they do catering too which is nice to know for future catering needs with the holidays approaching. I stopped in for the buffet lunch special they offer (Mon-Friday 11am-2pm) which was only $8.95 and was a great value for everything that you received. The buffet lunch special included: all you can eat pizza, pasta, salad, soup & a soda. I've been here before with family for dinner and have enjoyed their deep dish pizza many times. read more

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The food is absolutely delicious. I had the pasta Mediterranean. It was loaded with the most delicious scallops I have had in forever ago. The shrimp were also wonderful. We can't wait to go back. The portion was so large we had enough to bring home for the next night. read more

Had a great dinner tonight with our friends; our server was very attentive, despite the fact that she was also serving a gigantic party in a separate room on the other side of the building. I thought the food was really good; I ordered the Pasta Mediterranean and it had a hearty portion of shrimp and scallops. The sauce was really flavorful without being overly salty, and it had a little bit of a peppery kick. Absolutely enjoyed it. Only drawback of the evening was the aforementioned gigantic party in the other room, which was more than half elementary school aged boys. Maybe a team party? In any case, the useless adults in that group apparently supposed everyone else in the building had shown up specifically to provide free childcare for their spawn. The kids were allowed full run of the restaurant, and I do mean "run". Despite repeated requests from management and other staff to rein in their tiny hellions, the parental units continued their drinks and conversation, willfully ignoring the situation. I absolutely do not blame the employees or managers at Pal Joey's; they tried. Several times. Unfortunately they were no match for the selfishness and utter ineptitude of the people in that group who insisted on procreation. If you bring your kids to a restaurant, keep the chaos at your own table. The restaurant's staff aren't interested in babysitting; neither are their other patrons. read more

First time there last Saturday: Great outdoor patio Good drinks Awful food Horrible entertainment read more

The pan pizza is the best in the area!! The restaurant is cool and so awesome right on the river! Do not miss this place!'

Ordered for delivery and got a Medium Thin Crust Pizza, side salad and parmesan garlic bites. Pal Joey's used to be a go-to for us so we were very disappointed when our order left a lot to be desired. I'm not sure if they changed their pizza recipe but the cheese was the worst cheese I've ever tasted. We asked for it well done and it was not cooked all the way when we received it. The pizza was also very cold. The side salad had brown chucks of the end of the lettuce. The pizza bites were just okay but not very doughy and more on the hard side. The only good thing about the order was that it arrived quickly. We probably won't be ordering again any time soon. read more

I think it's important to note that when moving back to the original location, the owner and employees had their work cut out for them. Every time I go past it's getting better and better. The first time we ate there after the relocation, the POS system crashed, and it was rough. They pushed through anyway. I understand that Yelp! Is here for people to share their experiences. I understand that there have been times of less than ideal service as they adjust to the new space and train new staff. That said, I've found the owner (who also gives a lot back to the community and supports local schools etc.) to be very responsive and understanding. He wants this place to be the best again - and it shows. The riverside dining is the best atmosphere in town and it was packed last night. Each time we go, the service improves. Order some pizza and some drinks and watch the sun set on the river. read more

Food ok. Service, horrible Had to serve myself from the bar as waitress was non-existent. Overall experience is not worth time or money. Which is sad as I am local and was hoping to support local. But so many better local places. read more

I was very disappointed with the "Thick" Crust Pizza! I have been a customer of Pal Joeys for 45+ Years! The pizza has gone down hill a bit, cheap on ingredients! Now tonight the crust "Deep Dish" was maybe 3/8" to 1/2" thick and it looked like something you buy from the local Walmart to make your own pizza! I don't think we will be back for a while, "Maybe Never"! Sorry to see this place getting cheap, Pal Joey would not have liked this at all! Thanks! read more

Sandi and I went in to try out Pal Joey's Restaurant. Some of the people she works with recommended it to her. As we entered the restaurant, the owner added a bar. The restaurant was originally designed as a Golden Corral. The restaurant is nicely divided into various rooms with different types of tables and layouts. We were seated on the left side where you will find normal tables and chairs. Adjacent to the room is another room that had a door with tables arranged together. You could easily use this as a party room or meeting room where food would be served. The bathrooms are on the other side of the restaurant. As I passed through, I noticed that the bar area as well as the area adjacent had more pub tables and chairs thus creating a different setting and atmosphere. Adjacent to this area I spotted another overflow area that could offer another meeting room or party room. The restaurant owner has thought through the design. We did not eat Italian so I cannot tell you what I thought of its flavor. I can tell you that the sandwich and wrap were great. The sandwich was so large that my wife took half the sandwich home. The wrap wasn't as large but very good. You receive french fries and cole slaw with the sandwich. You won't go away hungry. As we talked with the waiter, he told us more about the weekend bands and plans for an outdoor patio. They are reasonably priced and well worth the visit. read more

Pal Joey's - Pal Joey's in Batavia - Pizza Near Me - Batavia, Illinois

At the beautiful,freshly moved into (again) Batavia location, you just can't go wrong. The building itself is unique. Always lots of people dining here. The pizza is outstanding. Like no pizza you've ever tried. Friendly staff. Especially Patty. No nonsense. The cute, little blonde bartender alone is worth making the trip. Here happy memories are guaranteed here! read more

First time in new location - EXCELLENT improvement! Nice large inside, very clean and welcoming. The outdoor is just awesome. Such nice views of the river - I almost felt like I was in Europe! We just had a few drinks and appetizers but we will be back very soon. Everything was good - our server and the folks helping were super respectful, polite, and working very hard. I can't wait to come back! read more

I want this place to be even decent so bad but unfortunately it's always a big disappointment. If it wasn't for the patio and river I would never be seen there. Although I rarely do because of the following. Food is terrible, patio is a mess, service is very unorganized. Nothing is going for this place besides the location. I hope they can get it in order because this location has so much potential. Until then... read more

Ended up here after the place where we were going ended up closing early due to an emergency that ended up with that restaurant closing early. My coworkers and I were meeting for dinner and this place was able to accommodate our party of about 25. We were given a room in the back of the restaurant. First impressions are really important and this establishment did not make a good one at all. As we were walking into the back room the server asked us if we had an idea on how many people we were expecting. If we were going to be ordering as a group, separate checks, and ordering a party package. I understand how difficult having a big party can be especially when we are having separate checks but I think that she could have masked her irritation and disappointment a little better. I think that this is probably the worst server I have had in a long time. She was rude, not friendly, not attentive and had a sour face the entire time she took care of us. She took drink orders and when she brought them back she was yelling out or drink and we had to raise our hand so we were given our drink. She took our food orders and was very openly annoyed at the fact that some of us had questions regarding the menu. The food all came out at different times, we were never asked if we needed anything else. Some of us got tired of waiting to get a refill on our drink that we just got up and went to the bar. At one point as she was dropping off food we tried to get her attention and order another margarita and she literally walked away and raised her finger up as if to say one second . We all noticed her attitude and were commenting on the poor service. It took forever for her to drop off our checks. So service was horrendous. I can't comment on entrees because all we ordered was an appetizer. We had the medley which came with fried mushrooms, cheese fried mozzarella and chicken fingers. We also tried the red pepper garlic bread. My favorite were the mushrooms. On my first visit this place did not impress. I have to say it is all because of the server, Patty P. I hope that this was just an off night for you. I hope that you don't serve on people like you did to our big group last night. The two starts are for them being able to get our big party in on such a short notice in a Saturday night, and one more star for the margaritas, they were good. I might go back one day and hope to never run into Patty again. read more

Just awful! Ate here while we were in town for a dance competition. Waited over an hour and 15 minutes for food to come. Almost walked out. Not once did the server come to ask us for anything or give us an update. She only put a pitcher of water on the table. I ordered the patty melt and it came with dried bread that was more like toast. The burger patty was also dry and there was a burnt up piece of a Kraft single on it (not real cheese). The sandwich fell apart when I picked it up. I would have given it no stars if I could. read more

Pal Joey's - Pizza Near Me - Batavia, Illinois

I had a 5:00 pm reservation for today (made yesterday over the phone) they did not have any reservation when we showed up this evening. They did sit us right away though. We were told reservations have been getting lost lately. I appreciate the honesty, but if this is a frequent occurrence it is time to rethink how things are done. We ordered Chicken Marsala, no pasta was served with it like stated on the menu, we also ordered Chicken Franchese, also no pasta and the chicken was sitting in like a soup of sauce, the sauce basically solidified while I was eating. It comes off as cooks not knowing what goes with what, nor does the waitress. We would think something would have been comped like one of the two apps we ordered or the meal itself, but no we paid the $17 for one piece of chicken breast. We then asked for a box to take part of a sandwich home. We were given a pizza box, so then I asked if they had a to go container, they gave us an aluminum bottom, but then a clear plastic top that doesn't fit the container. Training is an important part. I know getting employees and finding people to work is hard now. But I would rather wait and get GOOD food vs quick and in correct or not even the food we ordered. Luckily we had an antsy toddler with and it was my moms birthday so instead asking to speak to someone we just left. I hope they take the time to read this review. Big spiders were crawling on the window which was kind of creepy. It would be nice if they got rid of the spider webs and spray for bugs. read more

Pal Joey's - When I called to make reservation. - Pizza Near Me - Batavia, Illinois

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Worst service ever my wife ordered London broil steak was tough we ask the server for a steak knife 5 min later comes back no steak ask how was your meal . I ordered baked French onion soup A lot of cheese but way to many onions no croutons . Ordered a ice tea ask the server for some sugar forgets ask him again for sugar and spoon bring all artificial sweetener but can't find a spoon read more

we have been patrons for years and tonight is the worst on many levels. The food was mediocre, the pan pizza came in a pan but was thin which was a new experience for us. The Joey's chicken was watered down and tasteless. The Onion rings were good! Our server was nice but we had to ask for water to be refilled and She didn't come back after food was served. The washrooms made me do this review because the toilet paper wasn't filled and a soft soap container was a small amount left that I had to add water to to get soap at all. My husband said the big roll of toilet paper was laying outside the holder in the mens room. Very disappointed this time. read more

Pizza is great. Prices are good. BUT THE PATIO?.. they moved back in here and didnt even clean. Was there last friday and the patio is filth. It would not take more than 2 hours to sweep and clean! Why so dirty. Cob webs all over the place including the tables.The bricks are broken up all over. The trees should have been trimmed, now they are too far gone. What a mess. read more

Used to love Pal Joeys for many many years when it was in downtown Batavia, IL. Went there for work lunch outings, took a few dates there for pizza, passed through there on a pub crawl or two. Always a great time, great pizza, and great location right on the Fox River. Unfortunately something terrible happened when they moved to the outskirts of town on Randall rd, and now I have to leave this terrible review. I'm done with this place. Never again. Zero stars if I could. TLDR; Awful food, wrong food, bad service, dirty siverware, charged me twice! Went there a few weeks ago to meet some friends on a random Tuesday for lunch. The place was absolutely empty. We were the only ones there. It's a pandemic, ok fine I get that, but maybe this should've been the first clue. We all got the "lunch special", which is a house soup, a house salad, and some pizza slices. Easy right? Well it used to be buffet style where you just get up and get your own food. But now because of the pandemic you have to tell the server what you want and they bring it to you. Ok, fine. Welp, they were already out of the house soup at that point, before noon, somehow so the server had to go back and figure out what else they had and we had to make another decision. Then the salad came out and the server brought me the wrong salad dressing. I ordered the same kind as the person right across from me so I don't know how this happened. Then upon opening my silverware, noticed the knife had a huge piece of food still crusted to it, so I had to ask for another set of silverware. Then the pizza slices. Again, the server brought the wrong slices from which we had asked. It must've been the servers first day or he was high or something. I don't know how you can be this bad and still keep your job. But not only that the pizza was absolutely disgusting. Some slices were so dense like the dough did not proof long enough. Some were still doughy and not cooked all the way. It was so gross, and not like any of us at the table had remembered Pal Joeys pizza. None of us could finish our slices, and we definitely did not want any more. We just wanted to pay and get out of there. Welp, just checked my credit card and realized they double charged me for my meal. This was the last straw and why I'm writing this review. And now I have to go dispute a charge with my credit card company. This was probably one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. I should've left ZERO tip. This bad food and service does not deserve to be rewarded. Safe to say, I will never be returning to Pal Joeys. It's really too bad. Used to love it. read more

Sure miss the old downtown Pal Joey's location! Sitting along the river on a warm summer day, the historic limestone and brick interior walls and dark wood work. Now enter the new location at Main & Randall. At first we thought we entered a Nursing Home, plain almost depressing interior...so bad we walked out! How in gods name can you purchase a previous restaurant, slap a coat of paint on the walls and open your doors? No thought to interior design, just get the business open ASAP! You certainly can afford some faux limestone or brick to enhance the drab interior. Isn't part of going out to dine the establishment itself, not only the food? You sure failed PJ's in this endeavor!!! So now when we want our PJ's fix, it's strictly carry-out and try not to glance around the insides as I'm ashamed of what they "haven't done". read more