Mr Joe's Steak House & Restaurant — Restaurant in Columbia

As we traveled back to silver spring, MD from Lancaster, my wife and I stopped by Joe's, lured by the deceptive signs proclaiming char broiled steak sandwiches. The look of the 50's look of the place was inviting.

We ordered steak sandwiches with mushrooms. The sandwiches also come with a tomato sauce that has the taste and consistency of watered down generic spaghetti sauce, or possibly watered down ketchup. The grilled meat (i.e. "steak") was relatively flavorless. Also, it must be noted that they do not char broil the meat; it's grilled.

We ordered the sweet potato french fries, a chocolate shake, cream of crab soup, and a ceasar salad.

The best item was the sweet potato fries, but the portion was so very small (about two dozen fries served on a regular small side plate -- and if you can count the number of fries at a glance, the portion is too small).

If you like your chocolate shakes to be a consistency of chocolate milk, then you will love Joe's shakes. Also, don't look for Joe's to provide remaining shake in the metal mixing container like most 50's diners, because they do not do that. Again, a skimpy portion.

Regarding the soup, I ask the server if Joe's makes the soup, and I have to credit her honesty, because she said that they do not make it, and that it comes re made (like Cambell's).

Joe's Caesar salad consisted of big leafy lettuce with non fresh tomato wedges and a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese, and drowned in Caesar dressing. mmm, yum (not).

The place looks like it jumped the shark about thirty years ago. It has that run down feeling that makes you wonder if they clean the cooking and food handling surfaces, and the hold.

One star for a...

This is a place my mother frequents due to the location and price. The food is okay, nothing that you couldn't make at home, no fresh products, frozen and straight from the warehouse. The service was what got me upset. There was literally 6 staff and six customers (we were those 6 customers and an infant) and it took forever! It was at least 15 minutes before our drink order was taken but by then we already knew what we wanted. It probably took about 35 minutes after that to get our food. We didn't even get much. 2 hot dogs, grilled cheese, Italian sub, chicken fingers, 2 orders of French fries, pizza burger and mozzarella sticks (that was to feed 5 adults, 1 child and an infant). I wanted a box and I got up to search for staff and it was like they all disappeared. What was supposed to be a quick lunch with my mother, grandparents, niece and daughter turned out to be a long ordeal spending most of the time asking each other what do you think is taking...

We were in Columbia to rent a couple of e-bikes at the newly opened Lets Roll bicycle shop on Locust. We headed over to Mr Joe's Steak House expecting to dine on a coupe of NY strip steaks or rib eyes. NOPE. Mr Joe's makes chopped steak sandwiches, but by cracky he does it very very well. Some of the best tasting beef I've eaten in a long long time. This was not a stereotypical Philly cheesesteak either. The sandwich bagan with slices of provolone on a tasty soft roll, filled with tenderly delicious chopped steak that was not over cooked, and topped with a marinara sauce. Absolutely delicious! We also tried the onion rings that were dipped in a light beer batter and fried to perfection. The food here was a delight to eat. I star off though due to the uncleanliness and clutter throughout...