J. Alexander's Restaurant — Restaurant in Baton Rouge

Alright. So I ate there last night cause the misses and I have never been there and wanted to go on a nice date. I'll start by saying that the environment and the restaurant itself is very nice. The lights are dimmed, the building itself is nice. It feels very comfortable and fancy. The service was phenomenal. Our waiter was great and the whole server team did an amazing job at getting anything we needed and was on top of everything. Truly fantastic job they did. We ordered the queso appetizer, two drinks, the special for the night (a bass with a cream sauce on it), and their highest recommended steak (the Maui ribeye). The drinks were good and the bass was phenomenal. The texture was perfect in my opinion, and the sauce over it was delicious. The sauce did not overpower the fish, it instead complimented it as it should. Now for the unfortunate part, prior to going I was recommended their steaks from a few people who haven't been there in a couple years, but said the steaks were delicious. I asked the waiter what steak he'd recommend and it was the ribeye that I listed previously and the most expensive one on the menu. I was really looking forward to a great steak, but underwhelming is sugar coating it. We asked for a medium-rare steak and we got it back medium-well, which is ironic because on their menu they say they don't recommended medium-well or above. Once again, the servers were exceptionally great and put in an order for another due to it being over cooked the first time. Upon arrival of the second steak, the server wanted me to cut it open and make sure it was cooked properly (which I personally appreciate). After confirming that I'm satisfied with how it was cooked, I went about eating it. It was terrible. There is honestly no other way to put it. The quality of steak wasn't bad, as it tasted like the cut of meat itself was a good quality. The marinade they use on the other hand is a whole different story. The steak tasted like straight BBQ sauce. It looks like it is marinated and covered in BBQ sauce. It even smells like a BBQ. I love BBQ as much as the next guy, but a ribeye is not what I'm looking for to be slathered in a sauce that taste just like BBQ. I was highly disappointed. I ate half the steak just to eat it because I was hungry, and couldn't finish the other half due to the constant let down feeling I had everytime I took a bite. By the end of the night they asked if I wanted a box for it and I couldn't even justify taking it home. If I had ordered some BBQ chicken, then I think the glaze would've been great, but it does not go well on steak. All in all, the restaurant was pleasant, the service was exceptional and held to utmost standards, the bass special was perfect, but the steak was disgusting. If you go here, you may have an absolutely amazing visit so long as you DO NOT ORDER THE MAUI RIBEYE (unless you want a BBQ flavored steak). Tipped well to show the servers I appreciated all they did and experience was nice, but be cautious with the steaks. I'll never order...

First time eating here happened to be on Valentine's Day. I grew up always seeing the restaurant & honestly thought it was where wealthier people go 😂 So, I was excited to finally have my experience at a nice, quiet, intimate restaurant all dressed up in my best with my Fiance.

Hahahahaha.

We made reservations for 8:30pm. We had to wait about 35 minutes despite having a reservation. No big deal, it's Valentine's and they were super busy! When we walked in, it was soooo LOUD! You couldn't hear the person next to you talking. Whatever, it's a restaurant. Not that big of a deal. We were all dressed up from their company site saying business casual. There were SO many people in casual clothes, ripped blue jeans, etc everywhere. I was disappointed in that, but whatever again, not a big deal. People have different definitions of what's business casual. We were finally seated and received our drinks with very minimal ice. The tea was warm. Perhaps it was freshly made. We requested a glass of ice, which was forgotten about and I had to ask again. My wine from the bar took a while to get there. The calamari was subpar. There was nothing special about it. Our dinner finally came after awhile, ribeye steak and the red fish special. The ribeye is marinated in soy sauce, brown sugar, and pineapple juice. It tasted like straight barbecue. If that's what you think a steak should taste like, that's fine, but I never think of BBQ steak, ever. It was a disappointment. My red fish was over cooked. The couscous was bland and basic. The broccoli was good, but thats about it. The smashed potatoes were okay. Everything was just basic with no memorable flavor. We also requested desert while ordering our entrees, but that was forgotten. I'm not even upset about it because we were both ready to go, and not looking forward to yet another basic flavored food. For the prices you pay at this place, I'd say go to your local BBQ joint for better food with better prices and the same atmosphere. It was outdated and just not a great experience. We won't be back there. I'm not looking for any kind of accommodations either. I just want to let people know what to expect when thinking they're going to a "high-scale" restaurant. It was...

UPDATE FURTHER BELOW... I haven't been to J. Alexander since either 2007/2008 bc I wasn't impressed, so when my friend said we were going there for dinner, I was like, "Okay, just go along to get alone." Got there. I didn't even know where the entrance was located. Walked in and didn't remember anything about the setting or ambiance.

Nonetheless, J. Alexander's has been redeemed. My server, Madison, was relatable and personable. The food was superb. I am a Ruth Chris girl, my #1 fav restaurant, and the runner-up is now J. Alexander's. I am all about quality service, quality and the quantity of food. The old-fashioned drink was okay. Most importantly, my steak was cooked just as I ordered and the fries....the fries were amazing. If the fries are subpar, then that's a wrap for me. I will be back very soon. It's 11:39 a.m., and I want it again right now bc it was that good, but breakfast is 1st...ALWAYS!

Another UPDATE: My last update was from 2023 when I was serviced by Madison. My mom, my kid, and I went May 24th and sat in Josh's area. I believe his name is Josh, nonetheless, he was running like a chicken with his head cut off but he was so personable and unintentionally funny. The food was amazballs!!! My mom had a big salad that she shared w/me and it was good...I only prefer wedge salad w/blue cheese. The crab cakes were okay but the ribeye steak😋 hunti...juicy and big...the baked potato, french fries were everything my heart desired. I am a foodie and phatty but I did not eat both potato and fries at the same time. The baked potato was added to my plate by accident so Josh allowed me to keep it and i ate it the following day. My mom and I had leftovers for the next day, while my daughter had a smaller steak, she gobbled it up along w/her chocolate bundt cake w/ice cream. It was good too and I am not a big chocolate eater. Overall, the service, the food, the ambiance get a 10 out of 10 from me.

The nerve of my mom's friend who said she doesn't like J. Alexander. She prefers Outback...so...