Joe’s Easy Diner is the new kid on the block, after opening their first branch out in the new Blue Route Mall in Tokai. This restaurant has been completely decked out to look like an American-style diner – but somehow, it isn’t kitsch at all.
The concept isn’t a new one as Joe’s is actually owned by the same people who opened the UK chain, Ed’s Easy Diner, which first opened it’s doors in the Soho district of London in the 1950s and is now over 60 diners strong. But back to the food…
If you’re on diet, or into healthy eating, stop reading now.
Joe’s make a grand claim of having THE best milkshakes, which are served in a large silver jug – giving you two and a bit glasses per serving. I had the Oreo Cookies Premium Shake (R34), which was rich and creamy but not powdery at all. My friend had the Dark Rum and Chocolate Alco-shake (R39), which had a great kick to it, but didn’t kill the chocolate at all. They were divine.
To start we had a bowl of Fried Chicken Dippers (R45) with sweet chilli and BBQ dipping sauce. I won’t lie – these changed my expectations immediately. They weren’t processed blogs of “chicken”, but perfect chicken breast goujons, which were crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
We also had the Chicken Caesar Salad (R50) with tender grilled chicken, parmesan, croutons and cos lettuce, topped with a Caesar dressing. Even as something that they admitted wasn’t their speciality, it really held its own – we finished every mouthful.
Next up, was burger time. “We’re authentic here. We want people to relax, to enjoy themselves. None of that pretentious stuff. Just good food. And people enjoying themselves” – said Bennie, the manager. Their burgers are served on a plate, wrapped in grease-proof paper, so you can really pick it up and get stuck in.
My friend had Smokey Joe’s (R50) a beef burger with cheddar cheese, griddled onions and Smokey BBQ Sauce. It was amazing, sweet, sticky and delicious. Cheese and onions are always a great pair, and topped with lashings of BBQ sauce, meant this burger was an absolute treat.
I had the Blues Burger (R45), known as Joe’s favourite. A beef burger ( honestly the best beef patty I have ever had) with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles, smothered in blue cheese sauce. But I didn’t stop there, I added extra fried mushrooms (R8) and griddled onions (R5) to make this burger, a true beast. It. Was. Perfect.
For our sides we had a portion of thick-cut, perfectly cooked Classic Fries (R17) and a portion of Chilli Fries (R25), which are classics, topped with a spicy chilli con carne.
I am ashamed to say that we didn’t stop there.
We asked them to make a small portion of the Kit-Kat Choco-Lat Sundae (R42) but they brought two full glasses to the table. When I asked why, they responded, “Well, it’s hard to make it small, so we just split one in two”. In other words, this dessert is ENORMOUS. Vanilla ice cream with Kit-Kat and chocolate sauce on top and bottom, then topped with whipped cream. Wow.
I was a little disappointed with the Slow-baked New York-style cheesecake (R39) served with ice cream and berry coulis, which was a bit grainy. But the Warm Waffles (R35) with vanilla ice cream and maple syrup made up for it entirely.
Joe’s is a food explosion. The service was amazing (big shout out to Bennie and Blaise who really added to the evening) and the food, especially those magical burgers, were everything I wanted them to be. It’s a bit of a drive to get there, but it is completely worth it.
Ps. Have the Blue cheese burger made my way. Really. Do it. Go on. I’m watching you. GO!
Pps. They’re opening another branch in Canal Walk in November.
