J's Pub & Grill — Restaurant in Casper

Overall, I would return to this establishment now that I know what to expect, as their food, drinks, and service is stupendous - but I do not appreciate being tricked.

The inside of this restaurant is decorated much like an Applebee's. It has lots of photographs and older images framed on the wall, and many TVs which broadcast sports. This (along with the "pub and grill" name) would lead one to expect a dining experience similar to a sports bar - that is not at all what this place is about!//

You can expect to pay $20-$30 per plate here, less if you order a sandwich or similar. We ordered the "Whiskey Piggy" and the gorgonzola and horseradish crusted filet mignon from a choice of many similarly extravagant options. We were served in a timely fashion on two large plates with a tiny pile of food in the center of them. We were both shocked (in a bad way) at the quantity of food, but were also shocked (in a good way) at its quality. After eating, we decided the price we paid was absolutely worth for the food, though not for the atmosphere.//

One last note: strangely, the dress code for servers and hostesses here seems to be black tights with black mini skirts. It is as if the owner could not decide whether to open an upscale restaurant, a sports bar,...

Our server, Gabriel, was excellent. He was attentive and professional. He truly tried to steer us to the best items on the menu, which we did not order. We had the pork belly appetizer. The sauce was great and the pineapple really paired well with the pork belly. We enjoyed it tremendously. Husband had bison stroganoff with fettuccine, which he liked as well. I had the crispy “lemon” chicken. The chicken was cooked nicely and had a sun-dried tomato topping which was yummy. Unfortunately the chicken was placed on top of the mashed potatoes and the “lemon” sauce was poured around it. There was way too much sauce in the plate making the potatoes like soup with the chicken floating on top. That might have been ok, however the sauce did not taste of lemon at all. It was very, very garlicky and tasted like a scampi sauce very heavy on butter. I will admit I opted not to have the arugula salad, which may have cut the fat feel of the sauce, however nothing could have made garlic taste like lemon in any situation. Maybe my experience is a one off, because the restaurant was very busy and everyone seemed happy. Overall it’s a nice place and we would be tempted to try it again, but we are only passing...

Updated November 2024: NOPE. I tried. Thinking of ordering the Thai Salad? Just say NO. Now - I know they're getting something right, because they were PACKED/parking was full, etc. For whatever reason, I just don't have good luck here.

Our youthful server was friendly, but very obviously new and struggling so I'll just say we tipped very well and I'll skip the server review 😉. I wish them well in their new adventure.

October 2023: food 3 stars, service 2 stars, atmosphere 4 stars. ... First I will say MOST of the time, J's has been really good. This isn't about bashing a restaurant. I am downgrading my review, however, because the last few times I have gone, it has been mediocre (I didn't reduce the review for that). But this visit to J's Pub was just rough... The manager DID work to try and make it right, but in the end it was still just rough. They got the order wrong, they burned whatever they did bring out (the wrong food). They eventually fixed the problem, then brought the salad after the meal, etc. It was just a poor overall experience. I hope they get back on track, but I won't be in a big hurry go out of my way to go back...