J. Alexander's Restaurant — Restaurant in Madison

I kind of hate to leave 2 stars because the food was okay, but...considering everything else, I just don't think I can justify a 3.

I arrived for a late lunch on a Wednesday. I'd had a long and challenging couple of weeks but felt I'd triumphed; I was in the area, finished with work, and thought why not reward myself with something special?

This upscale restaurant is located near enough to the Trash Pandas stadium that you can hear the music/announcements from the spacious parking lot. Wonder if that would be disruptive during an outdoor meal? Idk, I sat inside.

The restaurant looks even larger on the inside than the outside. It's pretty, modern, and clean, but perhaps a little generic looking and, I feel, a tiny bit on the casual-side -- at least in comparison to the price point. I'm not usually so critical about this kind of stuff, but...well, I'll get there.

The hosts are stationed to your right as you walk in. They weren't super busy but it took them a moment or two to acknowledge me. Once greeted, they suggested I could sit at the bar since I was dining solo, or I could have a booth. I requested a booth and they seemed veryyyy slightly miffed, but took me to one anyway.

One thing I noticed while perusing the menu is the restaurant is LOUD. They were maybe at like 15% capacity and it wasn't the quiet, intimate affair I expect of fancier restaurants. Perhaps it feels more romantic/decadent at night with candles lit, but it felt once again pretty generic and informal during the daylight.

My waitress was...very lackluster. Not rude, but distinctly curt and didn't seem super interested in ensuring I had a pleasant visit. I had to wait for my meal to be delivered just so I could ask for a straw for my drink. She never once asked if I liked my food, needed anything else, wanted a dessert, etc. Only machine-like delivery of beverage and entree. Worse, I was very thirsty and drained my tea quite quickly; no refill was forthcoming until I'd all but finished my meal, despite her making eye contact with me at least twice. Again, I swear I'm usually not a jerk or even very particular about lackluster service; I understand the industry is difficult and unforgiving and I try to be as patient and generous as I can. But...this price point really feels like more attention should be warranted.

One big complaint for me is that there's no lunch menu here; all full-dinner prices all the time. Still, I was determined to get the complete experience because I didn't know if I'd come back or not, so I ordered the steak and fries with a sweet tea to drink. I enjoyed my tea except for my inability to get a timely refill. My food arrived quickly and was clearly cooked fresh. The steak was slightly closer to a medium-well than the medium I ordered, which I honestly thought was pretty funny given their dogged insistence that they won't cook well-done steaks. The fries were crispy and plentiful. The steak was tender enough but not remarkably so; the most notable thing about it was that it was quite salty -- probably from the maitre d butter they used to finish it. Again -- it was not intolerably salty -- but paired with the fries, it only further increased my need for more tea.

Overall, I'd say the food was good. I enjoyed it. But it was maybe only 15% better than a good Outback steak experience, at far more than double the price.

My meal -- entree and non-alcoholic beverage only + 18% tip -- was only just shy of $50. For lunch. For one person. Again, there was nothing overtly bad about my experience. But if I'm really going to pay $50 for a meal (at lunch!!), it really, really needs to WOW on all fronts. And I can't say that J. Alexander's did. It's unlikely I'll find my way back here again, given the infrequency at which I do fancy~, but perhaps others will have a more positive...

Absolutely not worth the price or the time.

was in the area for a business meeting and decided to visit the restaurant for dinner. The seating area was impeccably designed, and the atmosphere matched what one would expect from a high-end steakhouse. Unfortunately, J. Alexander’s fell short on nearly every point that would justify its upscale pricing.

It took 6 minutes and 41 seconds before a server even acknowledged me at the bar. (Yes, I time my first visits.) I ordered an espresso martini, and while it took a while to arrive, it was excellent — full of flavor and perfectly balanced.

I initially tried to order an appetizer, but the server informed me they had started the evening with only four and were already out. There were no lighter single-diner options, so I opted for the "Tuna Bomb," a shared appetizer. Thankfully, it was delicious — the highlight of the entire experience.

The gentleman seated next to me wasn’t as lucky. He ordered a different appetizer, took a few bites, and pushed it aside — clearly disappointed.

Still hopeful, I went ahead and ordered an entrée from the chef's special list: the ribeye, cooked rare. What I received was underwhelming. For $44, I expected a properly charred, rare steak. Instead, I got a gray, unseasoned exterior and a cold, raw center — visually unappealing and poorly executed.

Instead of a loaded baked potato, I chose the seasonal broccolini. What I got was regular broccoli dusted with what tasted like generic lemon pepper seasoning — something you’d expect from a grocery store brand.

At that point, I noticed some friends walking in and asked if they had ever been to J. Alexander’s. When they said no, I warned them that the food didn’t match the price. They decided to stay, and I ordered them the Tuna Bomb (again, the one standout item). They also ordered the grilled artichoke and Bang Bang shrimp.

The grilled artichoke looked good but was underdeveloped — no substance to the petals at all. All three guests who ordered it sent it back. The Bang Bang shrimp weren’t terrible, but they were nothing more than store-bought shrimp coated in a generic sweet and sour sauce — something you could get for half the price at any number of takeout spots around Huntsville.

To their credit, a manager came over and asked if he could remove the cost of the steak after I mentioned how disappointing it was (half of it had already been thrown out). I declined, as I had already paid the bill in full — $181 including tip — and left a 20% gratuity for the server. I simply told him I would be leaving this review so others could decide for themselves.

Ironically, when I first arrived and waited to be greeted, the same manager had been talking to the bartender about removing food from another customer’s bill. It all made sense by the end of the night: multiple tables were returning dishes, asking for comps, and having to justify poor food quality to the staff.

This restaurant is in a prime location, which likely explains why it’s still open. But there are far better options for high-end dining within 20 minutes of this spot. Unless you’re stopping in for a drink and appetizer before a ballgame, avoid J. Alexander’s. They don’t deserve to be considered a fine dining establishment.

I've had better steaks at Waffle House — seriously. At least there, I know what I’m getting, I can smother it in Heinz 57, and I can walk out having paid a quarter of what I spent here… without tossing half my meal in the trash.

To sum up: Some apps are great. The drinks are solid. The service is just okay. But the entrées and execution? Not worth your...

Walked in the place and it was immaculately clean. The hostess station was attentive, friendly, and very well dressed. They looked very professional and were very accommodating when showing us our seats.

However, upon looking at the menu is when I became very confused.

There was everything from Hamburgers to Asian inspired dishes, to Italian lasagna to a Hawaiian style marinated steak. They even had BBQ ribs on the menu. It was a very eclectic to say the least.

I was incredibly confused on what direction this restaurant was going in. I love variety on a menu, but in this case I was very confused. I wasn't sure what "style of restaurant" I was sitting in.

Was this a steak house? A BBQ joint? An Asian fusion restaurant? A burger place? I just didn't know because the menu was all over the place.

I ordered the flounder with mashed potatoes and mac and cheese and my wife ordered a cheeseburger with no onions and without mustard and mayo.

The server was very nice and presentable in a very nice pressed shirt. He looked like he really wanted to be there and was very friendly and welcoming. I can't remember his name, but he had dreadlocks that were neatly put up in a bun for a professional appearance. He was great.

The food came out quite quickly and looked very good. However, the kitchen put everything on my wife's cheeseburger that she didn't want (mustard, mayo, and onions) and had to send it back. The server offered her a salad of her choice while she waited. I got my meal and began to eat.

The flounder was excellent (probably the best I've had in a while) but the mac and cheese, while tasting good, was completely soaked in greasy cheese and it collected at the bottom of the dish like a soup. I didn't eat it because it was so greasy. The mashed potatoes had an ingredient in it that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Truffle oil maybe? I took one bite and couldn't eat it. It just didn't "taste right". I'm not sure what the ingredient was but I wasn't a fan.

The server brought out a salad for my wife very quickly and apologized for the mix-up. We told him it was quite alright but to please bring out my wife's cheeseburger as quickly as possible, which he did and we were very thankful.

However, my wife said it tasted funny and asked me to try it, so I did. It tasted like a unseasoned burger as if it was rushed on the grill with no salt or pepper on it. It just tasted bland. We didn't want to trouble our server anymore so my wife just finished her salad and didn't eat the burger. We asked the server if he would please take it off the bill since it was sent back and it wasn't right the second time around either, which a manager did and we were thankful.

While the staff was SUPER nice and the building was new and clean, we were just very underwhelmed by the food. To be very honest, the food and menu just had a "upscale Applebee's" vibe to it. I was very grateful for the friendly staff, but I'm not sure I'll be returning. The reason is simply the food underwhelmed me and the price point I felt was a bit over the top.

I feel it's too pricey for something that reminds me of a very expensive Ruby Tuesday's food quality. The problem at this restaurant was the food,...