J. Alexander's Restaurant — Restaurant in Franklin

I’ve been eating at J. Alexander’s in Atlanta for 15 years. Extremely loyal customer of the Ashford Dunwoody location. I came to Franklin to visit my family who just moved here and I thought that I would treat them to a wonderful experience and meal at this location. I was dismayed by the experience I just had. The host was pleasant, the greeter for our table seemed less than impressed to be here. Our server was not overly pleasant but she was nice maybe tired, however she missed quite a few basic things as far as additions to our order, waited 15 minutes for cocktail menu, a straw for one drink which came 15 minutes after we requested it. All negligible, but again I’m used to my experience at J. Alexander’s being nothing less than speedy, efficient and accurate. When my dirty gin martini with blue cheese olives came it’s was incredibly sweet. I noticed a pile of sugar collected at the bottom of my glass. I’ve never heard of sugar being added to dirty martini and considering how long it took to get a straw I took the drink to the bartender myself with the manager standing there and told them my issue and showed them the sugar at the bottoms of my glass. They said they would correct it so I went back to my table. The manager brought my drink over and tried to explain that the mistake was from the bartender making a drink with a sugar rim earlier so somehow that sugar must’ve made it to my drink. I didn’t want to tell him that I’ve been a bartender for years and there is absolutely no excuse for sugar to be anywhere near a dirty martini, unless it is a dirty glass. But I didn’t, I simply took my drink and said thank you. Upon first sip I could tell immediately that they simply changed the glass and dumped the same contents from my previous drink into the new glass. My server came over to check on the drink and I told her again that it is sweet for no explicable reason. The drink sat on the side of our table until we received our check which had the drink on it. Considering the manager on duty was the one that brought my drink over I figured there was no point in voicing my complaint again and trying to get it removed from my bill. As I stated at the beginning, I’m used to service at J. Alexander’s. And in 15 years have never needed to voice a complaint. Mistakes have happened but management always goes above an beyond to make sure that not only a mistake is corrected but that a guest is satisfied completely before leaving. But the experience tonight was definitely not the caliber of what I’m used to with J....

Well of course you know its going to be on the expensive side of things before you come here. $150 for the two of us. 1 appetizer, 2 drinks, 2 entrees and 1 dessert split between us both. With that being said here is what we had and I think it was overpriced and I can think of many many places I would rather pay $100 or even $50 to eat other then here. The quality and taste didn't match the cost. The food presentation was amazing looking but as you will see below the impression changed rather quickly.

We shared an appetizer of SMOKED SALMON DIP. Looked great!! nice consistency to it...I was super excited and then the first fort full hit my mount and it just tasted ok. really not much flavor to it all. really seemed like it came from a tub of salmon from costco. Again, nearly great but on all accounts but flavor. Which again from costco I would have said pretty good lets add some salt, maybe garlic and that would be a good snack at home. But not from a higher end restaurant.

I had the Crab Cakes with french fries, they looked fabulous....But . Again like the salmon dip with with a nice very flavorful wasabi mayo on top that added all the flavor but sadly that was the only flavor added. Fries were - good. Not wanting to say it again but just not anything better than you can get for $15 at other places.

My wife, eating gluten free had a baked potato and a steak. The theme continued...They looked great and tasted -ok.

The mixed drinks were 5 stars and no issues!

The dessert of Creme Brûlée was finally the turning point of not only looking good but also tasting good and I would say it was a rather large size then I would have imagined. So 5 stars for the dessert!

Overall just way to expensive for what you get. I have a list of places I would visit again before coming back. The atmosphere was not the image of an expensive restaurant and more of a cheesecake factory look with nice decor but not the personal touch you would expect from a place with this type of cost. That being said at a much cheaper price I would rate it at one more star higher but still not a place I would return to even if it was at a level down of cost.

3 stars is the best I can rate it and really wanted to do 2.5 considering the price. I think you can make much much...

Exceptional Dining Experience at J. Alexander's – Thanks to Dylan!

We recently dined at J. Alexander's, and we must say, the experience was nothing short of extraordinary, primarily due to the outstanding service we received from our waiter, Dylan.

From the moment we were seated, Dylan greeted us with a warm smile and genuine enthusiasm that immediately set the tone for our evening. His deep knowledge of the menu was impressive, and he took the time to recommend his personal favorites and highlight key dishes. It's clear he is passionate about the food they serve, and his excitement was contagious!

Dylan was attentive without being intrusive. He ensured our glasses were always full and checked in regularly to see if we needed anything, all while maintaining a friendly and approachable demeanor. It felt like we were being taken care of by a friend rather than just a waiter. He effortlessly balanced professionalism with a laid-back attitude, making us feel comfortable and valued throughout our meal.

As for the food, Dylan's recommendations did not disappoint! He suggested the Maui Steak and peanut butter pie, both of which were simply divine. His attention to detail extended beyond just the food; he made sure we had everything we needed to enjoy our meal to the fullest, including pairing suggestions that elevated our dining experience.

What truly stood out was Dylan's ability to anticipate our needs, especially taking care of our large size family. When he noticed we were celebrating a special occasion, he went the extra mile to make it memorable. His thoughtfulness added a personal touch that made our evening feel truly unique.

Overall, we cannot speak highly enough about the service we received from Dylan at J. Alexander's. He exemplifies what exceptional hospitality should be and is a true asset to the team. We will always request Dylan to be our server whenever we return. If you’re looking for a remarkable dining experience where you're treated like family, we wholeheartedly recommend visiting J. Alexander's and requesting Dylan. You won't be disappointed!

Thank you, Dylan, for making our visit so memorable! We can’t...