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J&R (Patchogue, Long Island)

J&R overall score: 67

UPDATE: THIS LOCATION IS NOW CLOSED!

I’ve eaten at J&R many times, at all locations on Long Island. It all depends on who is doing the cooking, really, but I’ve noticed that some locations are better than others. Patchogue, for example, is a better location than Islip. See below:

Flavor: 6

For the price, J&R delivers what amounts to an average choice grade steak. The sad part is that the steak here can sometimes taste as good or better than some of the places charging lots of money for a prime cut. I had the broiled ribeye here because in the past I have had the marinated ribeye. I almost went with a filet, but changed my mind last minute. This is the kind of place where a marinated steak is a wise selection, because the process imparts tenderness and flavor into the less-than-best cuts of beef. I enjoyed it for what it was: a cheap, local joint where I could chow on a half decent steak. The meat was cooked much more evenly and correctly as opposed to Islip, so I bumped the score up a point here.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 7

This is essentially going to be the same as my earlier review of J&R in Islip, since they have the same menu and cuts available.

Portion Size & Plating: 7

Nothing has changed here either from the previous J&R review of the Islip location. One thing I will mention is that I didn’t think my steak was actually 24oz. I realize that several ounces cook away in the process, and that steaks are weighed before cooking, but this boneless cut seemed more like an 18oz-20oz cut to my eyes.

Price: 8

Again same as J&R in Islip. The bill for four meals was $108. Half the price of Murtha’s and a quarter the price of the big boys in NYC.

Bar: 8

I’ve raised the bar score for the Patchogue location by a point, because it is a nice long stretch of real estate with a great selection of beers and specials. It is also across the street from a great fun pub called the Brickhouse Brewery.

Specials and Other Meats: 6

See the J&R Islip review again for this section – it remains unchanged.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 6

J&R steaks come with a soup/salad and a side. I had a salad with blue cheese – nothing fancy, but it did the job. For my side I picked the creamed spinach, which was creamy but lacked character. The steak dinners also come with a little bit of steamed veggies on the plate (cauliflower, carrots, and beans). We skipped apps and desserts.

Seafood Selection: 4

J&R seemingly has a lot to choose from aside from clams and oysters. My wife had twin lobster tails, but they were EXTREMELY salty… like RUINED. Total suckage, because she could barely eat her meal. Her baked potato was the best part of the meal, she said. In hindsight we should have sent it back. I took two points here from the earlier review score for that major blunder.

Service: 8

Our waitress was nice – she even offered up an Italian ice place for us to grab dessert when she heard us talking about going on the hunt for ice cream.

Ambiance: 7

This J&R is much nicer than the Islip one in terms of bar, so that kinda overtakes the score on ambiance as well.

J&R (Islip, Long Island)

J&R overall score: 65

J&R is a local Long Island steakhouse chain. They are reasonably priced, decent places to eat.
 
Flavor: 5
J&R usually does a better job (I’ve eaten at several locations and usually it is good), but my latest experience wasn’t too great. My friend and I both ordered the marinated 24oz ribeye – his medium rare and mine medium – but both of ours came back two levels overcooked than we ordered.  His was medium well, and mine was well. The marinade here is heavy on soy sauce flavors, and I think they let the meat hit the grill while it was still wet with marinade, which is a big no-no in steak cookery ethics. Unlike Murtha’s, which knows how to marinate a steak for maximum flavor extraction, J&R simply ruined theirs. I chalk the over cooking up to bad kitchen staff at this particular location, since I’ve had better steaks at their other locations. They offer standard grilled as well as marinated in terms of methods of cooking. This was my first time trying the marinated kind. I was unimpressed with it. As I said earlier – too heavy on the soy.
  
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 7
All choice cuts, but lots of choices here at J&R. They have three of the four basics, and then some, offering t-bone, roumanian (usually skirt), pork, and lamb cuts. They may lack a strip, but for the price of the porterhouse, you can just grab that and take the filet side home with you. They also offer three sizes of prime rib for women and men with vaginas.
 
Portion Size & Plating: 7
The ribeye (their signature steak) comes in two flavors: 12oz for pussies, or 24oz for men. The porterhouse is 36oz, the t-bone is 24oz, and the filet is 7oz. Prime rib comes in 8, 12 or 18oz portions. These are average for a good steakhouse, so for a cheap joint, they are great.
 
Price: 8
You get a large meal here for your money. The total bill for two 32oz beers and two 24oz steak dinners (they come with veggies, potato, and soup or salad) came to $82 with a generous tip included. Not bad! I deducted two points based on not getting the best flavor for your money – but as my dad always says – “shit you pay, shit you get.”
 
Bar: 7
Not the best place to hang out, but they do have a cool bar. I did not order my standard martini this time, since I saw that they had monstrous 32oz beers and a good wheat beer on tap. The bar area is nice, and we sat on high tables there rather than in one of the two dining rooms that flanked it.
 
Specials and Other Meats: 6
No specials here at J&R – their menu is already huge and full of selections. They have pork chops, ribs, lamb chops, and chicken by way of non-beef.
 
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 6
We didn’t order any sides or apps, since the steaks come with veggies and potato in a composed plate. The french fries were well executed; the veggies were a below-average mix of green beans, onion and broccoli. Dessert sounded mediocre so we passed on that. The salad was above average, but nothing more than good diner fare. The bread for the table was warm and toasted, and they also served a pasta salad with a nice big pickle along with it. A point for that!
 
Seafood Selection: 6
Lobster, salmon, tilapia, shrimp, and flounder were under the seafood section. No clams or oysters on the half shell! Damn you J&R. I may have ordered an app if you had them.
 
Service: 7
We saw our waiter three times: Once to take drink orders, once to take food orders, and once to get the bill. Nothing was done poorly, but nothing exceptional either. It was busy, even at a late 8:30/9:00 seating, so good marks for not screwing anything up!
 
Ambiance: 6
The decor is kinda bare in comparison to other J&R interiors. The tables had white paper on them as opposed to the red & white checkerboard or weathered wood of other locations. My thinking is that they tried to make this location look more up scale since it is in a nice looking stand-alone building. It needed something.

J&R’S STEAKHOUSE
116 Montauk Hwy.
Islip, NY 11751