Not Your Average Joe's - Ardmore — Restaurant in Lower Merion Township

My family and I decided to dine at this restaurant primarily for its inviting outdoor seating, hoping to savor a peaceful evening just before sunset. The ambiance was indeed lovely, and I was eager to enjoy a relaxing meal with my loved ones. Despite some hesitation due to the restaurant's less-than-stellar reviews, I chose to give it a fair chance. Regrettably, the low Google rating turned out to be an accurate reflection of the experience.

There were, however, a few commendable aspects. The outdoor seating was delightful, and the quality of the food ordered by the adults in our party was appreciable. Nevertheless, significant shortcomings in both service and the children’s menu overshadowed these positives.

One of the most disappointing aspects was the inattentive service. I tend to drink ample water while dining, but after taking our order, the waitress did not return to our table. It was disheartening to finish my drink shortly after it was served and then be left without anything to accompany the meal. Adding to the frustration, our appetizers arrived simultaneously with the entrées, which disrupted the flow of the dining experience. When the waitress finally reappeared long after we had finished eating, I requested another water and the check. While she brought the water, she failed to provide the check, necessitating a trip downstairs to settle the bill at the front desk. This lack of attentiveness significantly detracted from the overall experience.

Moreover, the children’s menu was underwhelming. We ordered a simple buttered pasta for my daughter, priced at $9.95, which included a bottomless drink. As my daughter only wanted water, the value of this offering felt unjustified, especially given that the dish did not come with any sides. The cost seemed exorbitant for what was essentially a basic and inexpensive meal, leaving us feeling somewhat overcharged.

While the outdoor seating just before sunset provided a charming and cozy atmosphere, and the adult meals were satisfactory, the subpar service and overpriced children’s menu were disappointing. It’s unfortunate that such a pleasant setting could not be paired with an equally pleasant dining experience. I found myself wishing that the inviting outdoor space could be enjoyed at a different establishment, one that values both its service and...

We are new to the area and walk to the 1st restaurant after watched the Lion Dance for Lunar New Year celebration. Thought a dinner in this location cannot go too wrong but turned out to be a disappointment.

We ordered nachos, I saw someone (not our server) tried to confirm the order with the table in front of ours then walked back to the kitchen then came back to us. And this happens when there wasn’t many table filled. Ok. I get it- maybe there’s some miscommunication and that’s not our server so it’s fine. But what surprised me is that it is half of what you normally could get as appetizers. Ok. So that’s maybe because they think it’s correct size of their appetizer, so I can’t complain.

But then they served the burger with regular potatoes while we specifically asked for sweet potatoes because it’s a bit healthier with the fiber, and my husband is diabetic so we just want this cheat meal/lunch to be slight healthier, and I emphasized it needs to be the sweet potatoes fries but it didn’t happen and the solution offered was free sweet potato fries will be served. We certainly didn’t need that so we didn’t ask for it.

That’s not buggies, but when I bite the medium done burger, all I could taste was the bitterness of the burnt meat. And I certainly wish I took the picture because that’s certainly a well done to me as you can tell the thin patties is cooked through (sorry, not medium). The center is certainly tender but how can you grill almost the entire outside so much burned that all my tongue could tell is that the bitterness takes over certainly ruin the entire dinning experience.

So, to sum up, I give this place 2 stars as their waitress did a decent job, but I certainly don’t like their food. By the way I was attracted by their advertisements on the window about dumplings/potstickers for happy our deal, so I knew it wasn’t happy hour time but felt it might be interesting to try a dinner that serves both eastern and western food. But no, even their American food is more of the average price I won’t come back again until they made improvements to...

On Saturday, May 15, 2021, my wife and I received unacceptable treatment at Not Your Average Joe’s in Suburban Square. We will never go back there again. We arrived at 3 PM. It was a nice day, and this was one of the first weekends after the pandemic began that we felt we could go out for meals. Upon arrival, we found at least a dozen tables outside both on the sidewalk level and on the balcony level that were unoccupied. When we went into the restaurant to asked to be seated, we specified that we wanted to be seated outside. The hostess said that she would be happy to seat us inside, but said that all the tables outside were reserved. These tables were in different locations both on the balcony and on the sidewalk level. They were not grouped as if to receive a party. We find it highly unlikely that a dozen different groups made reservations for a meal at 3 PM on a Saturday. Further, while we were speaking to the hostess, a gentleman came, spoke to a different hostess, and was seated at a table for four. There were tables for two available outside the restaurant at that time.It was very clear that he was not being joined by any other people. He was given a menu and was clearly getting ready to order. We had been to the restaurant several times before the pandemic and were treated well. I was dressed in a collared shirt, jeans and sneakers, and my wife was similarly attired-as were all of the diners we saw there. My wife and I noticed that we were at least 20 years older than any of the parties seated outside of the restaurant. It is hard to believe that all outside tables were reserved when that single individual-who appeared to be in his late twenties- came up when we did, but spoke to a different hostess, and was immediately seated. I don’t know how to understand it except for it to be an instance of age discrimination. I doubt that this conduct would be tolerated were it not acceptable company policy. I will make it known to those with whom I communicate that Not Your Average Joe’s discriminates-or condones...