SILICON VALLEY STEAK MASTERS

4th Quarter 2021 - Original Joe's, San Jose, CA

November 11, 2021 |  Bill Baron "The Chairman", Michael Mulcahy "Lord Mayor", Patrick Quinn "The Dictator"

 

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OVERALL RATINGS​​

• Bill Baron "The Chairman" - 4/5

• Michael Mulcahy "Lord Mayor" - 4/5

• Patrick Quinn "The Dictator" - 5/5

• John Poch "Chef Boyardee" - 4/5

• Ron Zraick "RonZ" - 5/5

• Mike Johnson "MJ" - 4/5

• Gary Christensen "Wingman" - 4/5

• Mike Preston "Ditch Digger" - 5/5

 

 

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Bill Baron "The Chairman"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• I first visited Original Joe’s (OJ’s) when I was a very young boy—my first recollection would be at about the age of 5 or 6. My father was one of the “regulars” who was lucky enough to have an “account” so despite it was an all cash business at the time, my dad just needed to “sign a chit” and then at the end of the month, would send in a check to pay off the bill. He used to tell me of “Babe Rocca’s wine cellar”—but never saw it. I used to marvel at the food—always so good—and have witnessed the floor show at the food counter, but never saw the “behind the scenes” in the kitchen and where the meat was stored, where the sauce was made and so much more. All that changed on November 11, 2021. My thanks to Brad Rocca—one of the owners of OJ’s and one of Babe’s sons—for sharing all of the historic behind the action “history”. Moreover, a shout out to Holly, our server, as well as to Gustavo who was fantastic, and always has been fantastic.

 

Food:  4/5

• Well, first off—order the garlic bread. Just do it. Make sure that you have some mouthwash in the AM, but ORDER the garlic bread and enjoy it. Always has been outstanding.  Remains outstanding. ORDER the crispest iceberg lettuce salad anywhere in the valley. Get the continental dressing. You won’t be disappointed.  ORDER a fantastic steak. Any steak. I enjoyed a small filet which was prepared perfectly medium. ORDER the side of raviolis which are so, so good. And lastly, ORDER a small cup of some sort of gelato—served in an old fashion porcelain cup.  So, so good!

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Bar/Wine List:  4/5

• Chef Boyardee brought along his vino as he always seems to and it was fantastic. I regularly curse him the following morning, but for the evening—the flavor of his Sea Smoke and others was marvelous. As for the OJ’s team—they did a very nice job.

 

Service:  4/5

• Holly did a very nice job in servicing our crew. We were a larger group of 8—but not too large for an operation like OJ’s. I did feel that she was a shade busy managing the bar food service where perhaps the dining room floor would have been a bit better location for us. Also appreciated the kind gift of wine presented by Brad to the group. And the tour was the very best.

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• This is OJ’s.  Busy.  Noisy.  Active.  Old World.  Familiar.  Warm.  Friendly.  Delicious.  Excellent. 

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Michael Mulcahy "Lord Mayor"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• Coming back to an old friend, Original Joe’s, or as most everyone nicknames it, OJs. This San Jose tradition has been treating generations of San Joseans and Silicon Valley visitors for decades under the leadership of the Rocca family. My overall score was boosted by the fact that Brad Rocca took time out of his busy life to give us the cook’s, bartender’s, and butcher’s tour of the multi-level establishment. For our 2nd post-covid reboot of the SVSM, we dined at OJs on a bustling Thursday night, seated at a long table in the bar without much fanfare. It was a pure local scene and feel, which was just great.

 

Food:  4/5

• The menu is same old, but what most people don’t realize is how much beef is on the Original Joe’s menu. After hearing the history of the cutting room just off the kitchen, and seeing the aging room right next to it, you realize the care and consideration Joe’s puts into the beef it serves. I had the New York, a plain and simple 14oz which was perfectly prepared for me. A simple duo of butter-based and olive oil dips, and a cherry tomato on the plate for color. The striping from the live-flame broiler is such a great touch. After our tour, Brad had a series of appetizer plates, including large prawns on ice and the historically good garlic bread, the kind that sticks with you until morning. So good. The desserts were yummy including the cheese cake I almost ate in its entirety.

 

Bar/Wine List:  3/5 

• The bar was our first stop, of course. I went low here mainly because of nostalgia as I miss the old dark, candlelit, leatherette furnished hideaway that was separated from the main dining room. The current bar doesn’t quite do it for me. Too bright, too loud, without any distinct character and you can actually see the frowns on the bartenders or their disdain for those of us that don’t show up every night. The drinks were fine, served by a nice young woman who warmed up to us as the night went on.

 

Service:  4/5

• We were made to feel special, Brad was really the responsible one for that. But we were really just part of the crowd in the bar, which is actually our preference anyway. Our server and Brad were the only people we really engaged with through the evening. The overall restaurant flow was light, it is still Covid, but I expect the service is going to be as good as we had it even as volume picks up. Truth be told, I was back at the restaurant 6 days later and Brian provided fantastic service to us at the Hollywood table in the bar.

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• This is OJs, it is what you expect it to be. I already discussed above some of the special-ness that got ripped out of the bar, but the “MainStage” IS the main dining room. The maitre d’ announcing tables over the mic, cooks on the line snapping at waiters, the red coats (bus boys) running ragged, the black coats (waiters) strutting their stuff, with the latter clearly working hard to distinguish who is who on the main floor. This place is a mixed bag of customers, which in many ways is part of the décor and weights heavy on ambiance. It could be a pre-Opera group with bow-ties and gowns, a post Sharks crowd in teal and red cheeks off faces from the win that night or some wide-eyed visitors who flew in for the weekday convention. It is a homey, memorable experience that does deliver an experience like no other.

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Patrick Quinn "The Dictator"

 

Overall Experience:  5/5

• Let it be understood that the owner of Original Joe’s, Brad Rocca, is well known to several of the SVSM’ers, that being said he still managed to knock our socks off! The evenings agenda included a being the curtain tour of the Original Joe’s kitchen, butcher shop and wine cellar. It was a tour through the history of San Jose. Brad relayed with in detail how “OJ’s” in San Jose came into existence. This 3rd generation restauranteur took great pride in outlining his family’s history in the restaurant business and the formation of Original Joe’s. We were all captivated by the reveal. As we stood in the Butcher Shop area I could not help but notice how spotless the back of kitchen area was and noted to Brad, as such. He responded that he directs a specific staff member to daily cleaning of all kitchen areas. That is exactly what you want to hear from a restaurant owner. I have loved OJ’s my entire life, but our experience imbued me with new-found respect.

 

Food:  5/5

• OJ’s food has stood the test of time. Its quality and consistency have made it the “go to” eating venue in San Jose for decades. Our night began with an array of classic OJ starters. My personal favorite, the Spinach with Bacon proved to be as flavorful as ever. We also enjoyed my second favorite, OJ’s garlic bread. Plenty of garlic on fairly-thin sections of bread, just the right mix. An extremely fresh and flavorful Anti-Pasto platter was delivered with Breaded Calamari strips. But wait…there’s more! Brad hand crafted a beautiful Prawn Platter special for our table. All were well received and tasty.

• After a pause in food delivery, we were ready for the main courses. I typically never order steak at OJ’s. Not because I do not enjoy their steaks, but they have so many other good items. My usual go to’s are Chicken Piccata, the Pork Chops or the very good Halibut. But this was the SVSM Night and a steak was a must. After witnessing and hearing about OJ’s thoughtful meat history and process, they dry age all their beef, I was excited to order a Kansas City Cut Steak. This is a large New York steak where the tip is left un-cut and the bone left in for extra flavor. Seeing the un-cooked slabs in the meat locker, I choose Medium for temperature. It was served as advertised. Cooked to perfection and super fulfilling. The sides of Raviolis and vegetables were perfect accompaniments.

• Though dinner was plenty of food, our Chairman, in typical fashion, ordered one of each of the desserts. They all looked amazing. I , not in typical fashion, passed as I recognized my limit.

 

Bar/Wine List:  5/5 

• If OJ’s Bar could talk…it wouldn’t, because it knows the code. Drinks were served promptly and with a smile. A new SVSM tradition was founded…The Whourban. Only The Ditchdigger could create such a concoction. Though he was goaded on by The Wingman. The wine we all payed head to “He who knows Wine”, Chef Boyardee. Poch brought magnums of Sea Smoke Pinot and a bottle of Kistler Chardonney. No one dared to order any other wine. Salute!

 

Service:  5/5

• The wait staff, which included the owner, Brad Rocca, was friendly and timely. OJ’s knows how to feed a crowd. The servers at OJ’s have always been a welcome part of the tradition that makes OJ’s a San Jose Icon.

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• We had a table for 10 set up for us in the bar area. OJ’s does have a very nice private room, The Hideaway, but we lie to be out amongst the people, so the bar area was perfect. The décor of OJ’s  is clubby sophisticate with a splash of soda! It would not surprise you to see celebrities and an iron worker sitting next to each other at the bar. OJ’s is welcoming to everyone, and everyone is expected to be welcoming to each other.

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John Poch "Chef Boyardee"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• I have always enjoyed Original Joe’s since my first visit in 1979 to the most recent, though the SVSM dinner was more of a revelation than the “usual” trip to ‘Joe’s. We were fortunate to have the one of the owners; Brad Rocca, provide a tour of the kitchen to see how they kept the “old-school” art of butchery in the 65-year old establishment. I love to take a seat at “the counter” and see first-hand the hustle & bustle of the kitchen line, but the trip to the back of the house to see the operation like few have seen before makes one appreciate the effort Joe’s makes to keep the restaurant a San Jose landmark.

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Food:  5/5

• As many times as I have been to Original Joes to take in the great Italian-American dishes, I have managed to pass the steaks on the menu every time. Thankfully, SVSM’s downtown Kings – Lord Mayor, The Humble Dictator and The Chairman, knew something that we didn’t and hosted a steak dinner at OJ’s. Thanks to their intuition, I finally gave this hidden, and often overlooked portion of the menu an order and was not disappointed. Despite the overall traditional Italian theme of OJ’s, this place delivers a world-class steak. One word of warning about the steaks - you do need to like mesquite grilled meats. Pretty much every steakhouse has mastered the broiled technique – but at OJ’s the steak we ate was perfectly aged and grilled. I said “world-class” steakhouse out of respect to the 65-year old San Jose institutions in-house butcher shop. They still keep alive the art of butchery in the kitchen on how they cut and age their beef … all of their cuts … that include New York strips, Kansas City bone-in strips, 60-oz porterhouses waiting for the ban saw, filet mignons, hunks of ribeye’s and of course their 22-pound prime ribs. They let all of their meats age in their refrigerated meat room from three-to-six weeks, closely monitoring the duration and maintaining a rotation to keep the product consistent. Amazing level of work and detail before any cut hits the grill. My New York steak was cut a tad under medium-rare, just as I requested. Next to me was served a 26+ ounce Kansas City New York Strip – bone-in. A thick cut of meat that had a great sear and looked perfect from my view as the just the bone was left on the plate! As for desert, not sure if they make their own cheesecake or buy it already made, but who cares, it was thick, rich and delicious.

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Bar/Wine List:  5/5 

• Classic bar as you would expect from a 65-year old establishment … pure pour bar then, pure pour bar now. Ordered a Manhattan over, good pour and solid drink. Bar is always lined with regulars, San Jose’s closest version of Cheers. You go to OJ’s bar for a cocktail, a beer and maybe a glass of wine because they do that well. To OJ’s credit, the wine list was very well balanced with a well-known selection of CA chardonnay’s cabernets & zinfandels, but the star of the night was a bottle of Pasqua Family Amarone della Valpolacella. A solid pairing with the mesquite grilled steaks.

 

Service:  4/5

• Since we sat in the bar, not in the dining room, the service was not the star of the evening, but it did not disappoint. I only say that because as a longtime diner at ‘Joe’s, the tuxedo-clad waiters are as traditional and familiar as the raviolis on the menu. They all know you by name, the best a pacing a dinner and bringing you another drink if you need it or not. Though we were seated at the bar area, the regular “waiter stars” of Joe’s all made a trip to our table.

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• Classic old-school Italian restaurant with a vibe unique to itself. The action of the open-kitchen, traditional dining room booths and the vintage bar scene, all of what I expect on a visit to OJ’s.

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Ron Zraick "RonZ"

 

Overall Experience:  5/5

• Joe’s has been owned and operated by the Rocca family at the same location been in downtown Dan Jose since 1956. Brad Rocca and his brother Matt are the latest generation of owners. The restaurant is an icon, the food delicious and consistent and the potions are large. You know what you’re going to get every time you go. This visit with the Steak Masters was special. Brad spent some time with us, generously shared wine and appetizers and gave us a history of the restaurant and a behind the scenes tour. You’ll see some of the photos, including the SVSM’s album cover photo, the wine room and my personal favorite the meat locker, on this website. Many of the SVSM members shared personal memories of their times dining at Joe’s, some which cannot be repeated during prime time. We had 8 of the 10 members in attendance, with Jorge off on a boy’s trip (can’t believe there is a more important group than the SVSM, but this is the guy who on occasion orders fish at SVSM dinners) and Mozy a last-minute scratch due to health reasons.  The Chairman arranged to have a steak and sides delivered to brother Moze, so he enjoyed a meal at home.      

 

Food:  5/5

• Joe’s has an expansive menu including steaks and chops, Italian food, sandwiches, salads and breakfast items. It is not advertised as a ”steakhouse” but 7 steaks plus prime rib on the menu, it certainly qualifies under SVSM rules. The tour of the meat locker        really shows how seriously they take their meat. While strips are brought in, aged then cut on a band saw that looks like something out of the Sopranos. There was also a beautiful piece of mortadella in the meat locker and seeing it immediately made me want to eat it. Just like magic, when we returned from our tour there were appetizers on the table including shrimp, sautéed spinach with bacon and an antipasto plate that included cheeses, olives and yes, that delicious mortadella. Dreams do come true! Now, there are salads and there are salads, and Jose’s house salad is my all-time favorite restaurant salad. I know, that’s a bold statement but I stand by it. Simple with iceberg lettuce, tomato, pepperoncini and olives it’s the crispness of the lettuce combined with their “continental dressing” a mixture of blue cheese and Italian dressing really makes the dish. Full disclosure: I did not order steak. No, I did not order fish either though. Growing up in a middle eastern household, lamb was one of our staple meats. I’ve eaten a lot of lamb and Joe’s has by far THE BEST lamb chops I’ve ever had. Thick cut bone in loin chops (like a “porterhouse cut”) with a long “tail” of fat cooked medium rare to perfection they are so good that occasionally I get a craving and just have to visit Joe’s. I can’t remember the last time I had anything else at the restaurant. They are accompanied by a really nice chimichurri sauce that complements but does not overpower the flavor.  As I write this, the craving is coming back.  Need to make another trip to Joe’s soon. I ordered a baked potato which of course came with toms of sour cream, butter and chives and the steamed veggies. Desserts included creamy cheesecake, which was great. As a topper, Chef sent each of us home with a cigar and his homemade bacon. Thanks Chef!!!      

 

Bar/Wine List:  4/5 (Bar), 5/5 (Wine)

• The bar at Joe’s is classic. Generous pours and a good wine cellar and list. I stuck with Jack Daniels on the rocks and drank the 2015 Familia Pasqua that Brad generously comped our table. It was a great complement to the lamb chops. Typically, I order a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir they have on the menu by the glass (or the bottle). Next time.  Chef brought a magnum of wine, but I never got to it.  I’m sure it was great; these Steak Masters always bring fantastic wine.

 

Service:  4/5

• Service was good all night. The bartender was great.  No one went thirsty. Our server Holly pretty much worked our table alone and did a good job. We kept her busy. Some of the regular waiters that we see all the time came by to visit. The waiters at Joe’s are iconic and add to the experience.  And the attention that Brad gave us really made the experience special.  

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• The ambiance was ok. Because of the size of our party, we were in the bar at a long table, not in the iconic dining room.  Definitely prefer the main dining room and the ambiance in there is classic dark wood and booths.  Again, understand why they had us in the bar so not going to ding them. 

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Mike Johnson "MJ"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5    

• OJ’s is located in downtown San Jose and has been a fixture in the San Jose’s restaurant scene for almost 70 years. In my college days, we loved to come down here as the food was a teat and the servings were massive! Over the last 30 years, I have frequented OJ’s many times, although I haven’t been here for the past couple of years.  

 

Food:  3/5

• Our hosts ordered a few appetizers for the table. I had some of the Italian Antipasto plate and some of the fried calamari. In my mind OJ’s isn’t what you would call a modern restaurant with fancy plates. In fact, their plates are more on the simple side but I don’t mean that in a negative way. The roots are old school Italian and while the owners have been “modernizing” the restaurant, both in décor and food, it still maintains an “old school” feel. With that said, the plates are pretty straight forward. The Antipasto plate as a few meats and cheeses and also come with some killer marinated olives. The meats and cheese are basic but very good and I do really like the marinated olives. The calami is in “strip style” which I prefer over rings. It was very good, not tough or chewy but still firm. For dinner, I ordered the Kansas City New York which is a bone-in New York. One item of important mention is that OJ’s ages and cuts their own meat in their own butcher shop and butcher likes to make good sized portions. The steak was cooked to proper temperature and I enjoyed every bite of it. I ordered the fries and if you’ve ever been to a true steak house, you’ll enjoy these as they are what a steak house fry should be!

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Bar/Wine List:  4/5 

• OJ’s a decent sized bar and sitting area which is where we ate dinner. Again “old school” in style but the drinks are good and came quickly. Didn’t see the bartender measuring the drinks but the weren’t too strong or weak. Goldilocks would be happy here!

 

Service:  4/5

• Our service was good. Our waitress had the whole bar area so she was a busy girl but was getting the beverages right to us. The only reason I didn’t give a 5 is a few of the steaks came out more than a few minutes after the rest of the dinner. In my experience, this hasn’t been the case but tonight it was.

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Ambiance:  4/5

• As I’ve said, OJ’s is an ”old school” Italian restaurant that has successfully been around for many years. It’s an institution in San Jose and should not be missed. The ownership is balancing the old school with the demands of the younger clientele, and I believe has managed to do a good job with it. Patrons expecting a clean modern “old school” Italian restaurant. Different than many but really a cool place to have dinner.

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Gary Christensen "Wingman"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• Original Joes has literally been around forever. We have all been there many times and enjoyed many good meals. They have iconic dishes that are a trademark of their brand. I’m not sure I have ever eaten here without ordering a side of ravioli, eating way too much of their bread and enjoying a well cooked and well seasoned protein of some sort. From the veal to the steaks to the pasta and everything in between, always satisfying. Getting together with the steak masters here was destined to be fun and flavorful and true to form, it did not disappoint. Overall experience was great and 4 out of 5 stars only because 5 stars is nearly perfect.  

 

Food:  4/5

• Original Joes has a nice selection of meats. They also have a decent selection of alternatives and again, their pasta is great. Our appetizers were also great and flavorful. We ordered a variety of items and I enjoyed everything I tasted. This is not a traditional steak house dedicated to only steaks. They have a nice seafood selection, chicken, veal, pasta, soups, prime rib and salads. Their steak menu consists of a variety of cuts and they also offer specials that aren’t on the menu. For me it’s almost always the Ribeye but this time I went with one of the specials. I ordered Medium Rare as I always do along with a salad. The salad was great, crunchy and tasty. The steak was just slightly overcooked and more of a medium to well done than a medium rare. That’s a cardinal sin in my book for a steakhouse but less of an infraction here. I enjoyed the cut of meat anyway and probably should have mentioned it to the waiter but didn’t. Because of the steak I gave them a 4 for food. It’s really not fair simply because I can’t partake in the seafood and I should have given the waiter the opportunity to correct the mistake. Important to note that the desserts were absolutely great but we didn’t go there for dessert so I didn’t really take them into consideration.  

 

Bar/Wine List:  5/5

• OJ’s has a very nice wine list and our table had several complimentary bottles from the owner which was super cool. I’m sure we ordered additional bottles from their selection as the evening went on, everything I tasted was very good. Servers were on top of their game and attentively kept every glass full throughout our meal. Bar service was packed as usual. If you haven’t been here, they have a great bar usually filled with an eclectic mix of local business professionals, families and just about every other walk of life. It’s just a fun place to grab a drink and mingle. Drink service once we were seated continued to impress. They are always busy but our servers were on their game.  

 

Service:  5/5

• I always say that maybe we are spoiled because we have received some pretty spectacular service at other venues including a regular and customary visit from the Chef. This go around we had the personal attention of the owner including a comprehensive tour of the facility behind the scenes as well as some history on the restaurant itself. What a treat and super fun to experience, especially for an establishment that all of us have been patronizing for so many years. It was very cool of the owner to take the time to parade us all the way down to the basement and see the operation first hand. In addition, our waiter was knowledgeable and focused on our experience and our food delivery was uniform. Questions were answered without hesitation. Recommendations were also made. Our server was personable and attentive. Wine and water glasses were also well attended.  

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• Maybe it’s just me, but I love this place. You can come casual or dressed up. You can get a full blown meal or just stop in for an awesome sandwich or side dish. With respect to other full fledged steak houses across the Bay Area this restaurant has a much broader appeal to me. It has less of a traditional steak house feel but they aren’t claiming to be just a steakhouse. It’s more of a popular bar vibe with a restaurant attached and of course it has the vintage feel of an established restaurant with a history. The bar area is pretty large and the restaurant is also good sized. Bathrooms could have been a little cleaner but considering the volume of people they serve they were acceptable. This is a high traffic place because it's a consistently good and fun place to hang out. We had a nice table adjacent to the bar area and considering the size of the bar area, it was relatively quiet. The accommodation’s (table, chairs and setting) were nice and the feel of the restaurant area was also comfortable and nice.

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Mike Preston "Ditch Digger"

 

Overall Experience:  5/5

• That was so much fun!!!! The owner Brad Rocca was an excellent host from moment one. So warm and welcoming as he met with us then gave a private tour of the facilities. From the back rooms, to the freezer to the wine cellar to the basement we were able to see the entire operation and hear the stories of such an iconic San Jose restaurant. Very special for me as I had the opportunity to dine at this establishment several times as a young child with my parents over 60 years ago.

 

Food:  4/5

• Once again our table was filled with preordered appetizers and more just kept coming.  The food is so consistent at OJ’s. The menu seems like it has not changed in years which is so fun. The great steaks, the large sides of pasta and salad or soup. For sure one never leaves hungry. The filet steak was well cooked and served with mushrooms, a standard favorite for me.  The appetizers were fresh and tasty prawns and calamari and creamed spinach and mixed vegetables and cheeses and Italian cold cuts.  OJ’s is a restaurant of food abundance.  Be sure to be hungry when attending.

 

Bar/Wine List:  4/5 

• I love the history of this restaurant and its bar.  Over the last 66 years how many movers and shakers of the Santa Clara Valley have met at this bar?  Its fun to sit in that room and think about the amount of business done here while enjoying cocktails in this dark 1950’s style setting. So many things in our lives have changed so significantly but this bar remains almost the same. Of course the cocktails are good and the bartenders even better. So much character here it is worth visiting the bar even if not coming for dinner.

 

Service:  5/5

• Service was extraordinary. Starting with the Brad the owner bringing our wine and waters and making sure we were well set. From that point on we needed for nothing. The food and drink continued to roll nonstop and kept our whole crew super happy.  Maybe a little too happy for some of us!! Oops!

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• I think I have already hit on this ambiance thing pretty hard. But no doubt I have not expressed enough how much the nostalgia meant to me. When I walked in the front door of OJ’s I felt the comfort like walking into my own home. Just proves that sometimes things staying the same is great. A great Italian meal in a great Italian setting. I hope you enjoy as much as I did.  Thank you Brad!

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