Vienna, VA
703-281-1111
Time has stood still at Joe's Pizza and Pasta in Vienna, VA since we last reviewed it on this blog, and probably for much longer than that. This review really doesn't need to be written, other than to point you to our last review and say that nothing has changed. And frankly, this very fact may be exactly what Joe's has going for it. It is a neighborhood establishment and if anything changed it just wouldn't be the same Joe's. Judging by the many trophies displayed near the salad bar, Joe's is probably a sponsor of local school team sports. Though we have not seen more than a few diners for lunch or dinner at Joe's the few times we've eaten there, it seems like a great place to take groups of kids after sporting events. Most diners indeed are the family-types: parents / grandparents with kids enjoying the basic salad bar, the popular pizzas, and other standard menu options.
And the menu options are definitely standard. No surprises, no variations, just the predictable mild flavors that appeal to the under-15 and over-60 diners. No adventurous palates here.
The menu items are very cut and dry. Literally. This describes both the service and the food. No frills or extras. If you order the Chicken Parmigiana Sub, that's ALL YOU GET. It comes with nothing else, other than a plate. Any side, or even a dish of sauce to moisten the dry sandwich, will come with a charge. We would have welcomed at least a suggestion of a side, but this is not that kind of a place. Still $2 for a bowl of Marinara sauce, that hasn't changed in years. We would have welcomed at least an offer of sauce to complement our Cheesy Bread. The Calzone, which surprisingly did come with a bowl of complementary sauce, was predictable, standard and good. Really, the food at Joe's is good. It isn't fantastic and it isn't bad. It is what it is. And by the look of the happy faces of its clientele, we hope Joe's stays around for a long time... exactly as it is.
Large dining hall
Cheesy Bread (5 pieces in an order)
Chicken Parmesan 12" sandwich and Calzone that comes with marinara sauce
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