Jean's — Restaurant in New York

I recently had the misfortune of dining at Jean's on Lafayette Street. From the moment we arrived, the evening was a downward spiral into chaos and discomfort.

Upon arrival, my wife and I were unceremoniously relegated to the lower-level dining area. Our request to be seated in the main restaurant was met with a curt "it's full," yet moments before, I witnessed two young women being escorted upstairs. This blatant display of preferential treatment was both insulting and infuriating.

The service was abysmal. Our drinks took an eternity to arrive, and when we were ready to order, our waitress was nowhere to be found. But the true nadir of the evening came with the arrival of the adjacent table's occupants—a gaggle of self-absorbed influencers accompanied by a man who redefined the term "obnoxious."

This individual, whom I later identified as PJ Monte, proprietor of Monte's at the Manor and self-proclaimed "Sauce Boss," made it his mission to ruin our evening. Without so much as a nod to personal boundaries, he wedged himself next to my wife, practically sitting on her lap. His loud, boorish tales of impending Forbes interviews and the meteoric rise of his mediocre sauce were both delusional and grating.​

Monte's behavior was that of a man intoxicated by his own self-importance, oblivious to the discomfort he was causing. His incessant name-dropping and exaggerated self-promotion painted a picture of someone desperately clinging to the fringes of relevance. The fact that he felt entitled to invade our personal space without invitation speaks volumes about his character—or lack thereof.​

What was perhaps even more appalling was the staff's disregard for the situation. Despite clear visibility of Monte's intrusive antics, they chose to turn a blind eye, allowing this circus to continue unchecked. Their inaction was a tacit endorsement of his behavior, leaving us feeling abandoned and disrespected.​

As for the food, it was as uninspired as the company. The dishes were forgettable, and the much-lauded Monte's Sauce was a culinary disappointment—overhyped and underwhelming. It's baffling how such a lackluster product has garnered any acclaim.​

In conclusion, our evening at Jean's was a masterclass in how not to run a restaurant. Between the indifferent service, the intrusive antics of PJ Monte, and the subpar cuisine, it's an establishment I will vehemently advise others to avoid. Jean's has managed to turn dining into an ordeal, and for that, they should be...

*Update 4/14 After a disappointing first visit, I was able to give this spot another try, and I'm glad I did. This time around, everything was on point. The French Dip was amazing, the chocolate chip cookie lived up to the hype, and the drinks were great. The staff was super attentive and friendly, which made the whole experience feel welcoming. We also went to the club after, which was a fun way to end the night, with great service from the bartenders (shoutout Kyle) and great music. I really appreciate the improvement-- this second experience definitely changed my perspective.

Wanted to share the owner reached out to offer a refund immediately after my review. After multiple contact/email attempts I have yet to hear back from him with regards to his refund offer. Wanted to give an update that sums up the experience. Changed my review from 2 to 1 star. Don’t waste your money .

Was disappointed with my experience last night at Jean’s. I came for the first time with a friend for the late night menu after we had heard raving reviews. We showed up to our reservation 15 minutes early and had to wait at the bar for 15 minutes after our reservation time to get a table. Our table must have been in the most cramped area in the entire restaurant, where it felt like we were a part of our neighboring tables’ conversations. I had to yell to talk to my friend sitting inches away. I recognize the restaurant was packed but better tables were available right as we were sat. We would have communicated this with our server but after she sat us, it took 25 minutes for anyone to come back and didn’t even get water refills. We tried to flag someone down but no one was around or paying us any attention. We sat for 30 minutes before we were able to put drinks in, and we proceeded to put everything in at the same time. We did not receive any apologies or acknowledgment from our server. The food itself was good and came out faster, however overall our experience was deflated from the start and made it difficult to fully enjoy the experience. At the end our server also clocked out and left before we even settled the bill. We were again left unattended until I got up from the table to try to find someone. All in all, probably would not come back and feel it is a bit overhyped. We feel like we would have had a better dining experience for the money we spent at most other restaurants...

We started our night at Jeans with dinner at the restaurant — and honestly, that should’ve been our first red flag. The food was overpriced and genuinely terrible. Like… how do you mess up a Caesar salad? It was soggy, weirdly bitter, and somehow both overdressed and bland. The drinks were mid at best, and everything felt like it was coasting off the “vibe” instead of actual quality. But we stuck it out, thinking the club part might redeem the experience. Oh, were we wrong.

If you enjoy standing in a line for two hours with absolutely zero movement, zero communication, and zero respect, Jeans is your spot. This place is the physical embodiment of “hype over substance.”

We arrived full of excitement and patience, assuming the long wait meant something special inside. What a joke. The ONLY reason the line moved at all was because people got so fed up they left. No one was being let in — not a single person — and the men “managing” the door treated us like we didn’t even exist. No greeting, no update, not even a shred of decency.

When we politely asked the guy at the front if he had any idea how much longer it might be — after standing at the front of the line for TWO HOURS — his response was:

“There were 2 girls before you and they left to go take edibles at home.”

…I’m sorry, is that an answer??

Meanwhile, a “VIP” line was being ushered in like royalty while the rest of us, who had been waiting HOURS, were ignored like absolute clowns. It was giving “velvet rope ego trip” with none of the cool to back it up.

The whole experience felt like a social experiment in how long people will tolerate being disrespected. I wouldn’t go back if they paid me. Jeans should be embarrassed. We didn’t leave because we were tired — we left because we refused to let this place waste another minute of our lives.

Hope everyone working the door has the kind of night they deserve. Max if you see...