6 March 2009
It was a late Thursday afternoon and my partner and I hadn't had lunch yet. We decided to try A & J Diner on Court St. in Watertown.
A & J's diner was formerly Jen's Diner, a popular breakfast and lunch counter. We ate at Jen's often but after Jen decided to retire the restaurant closed and stayed that way until Memorial Day, 2008 when it was reopened as A & J's Diner.
Jen's was always a friendly place, always packed for breakfast and lunch because she offered great specials every day. The cooking was always done in house and we hoped that the new owners were a serious about good tasting hearty food as Jen was.
The inside of the diner had not changed very much, a fact that pleased us. The stainless grill and back surround is still intact as is the gleaming white ceiling and window frames. It seems like a booth has ben removed to accommodate a juke box bringing the number of comfortable booths to 6.
It seemed like the carpet had been replaced but we were not sure.
There seems to be a bit, maybe quite a bit, of stock car memorabilia decorating the walls as well as some bird feeders and other nick-knacks for sale.
The place was very clean, no sign of grime or grease on the ceiling or walls which is no small task given the size of the diner. It is probably no wider than 18 feet, and maybe around than 30 feet long.
We had a seat at one of the booths and our waitress was over shortly with the menu's.
She told us what the day's special was, meat loaf, and took our drink order. In a few minutes she returned with the drinks and she gave us a few more minutes to look over the order.
The menu was typical diner fare, hamburgers, hot dogs, hot and cold sandwiches, drinks and deserts.
My partner decided to have a turkey club sandwich with french fries. Now I like meat loaf, but... I'm known to be somewhat of a BBQ hound and BBQ is on the menu. I decided to give it a try.
Our waitress came back to get our orders. She was very friendly and good natured as we asked her questions about the restaurant and new owners.
When you stop in ask her about the trophy she keeps behind the counter.
As we waited for our food to arrive, we noticed the friendly banter going on between customers and staff as the dinner hour started.
Evidently A & J's has a good crowd of regulars.
The beauty of the diners is that it is very easy for someone behind the counter to talk with people at both ends of the restaurant with out shouting or talking louder to one person or the other.
The rest rooms are tiny, with just about enough room to turn around in but what more does one need? They were tidy with soap and clean paper towels handy.
Our lunch arrived but by a different waitress so the food auction took place. My partner's club sandwich wasn't toasted
as well as he liked and the tomato was a little mushy but he thought they used a good grade of turkey. There was just enough mayonnaise to glue the smokey bacon to the crispy lettuce.
The BBQ, arrived with fries and filled the plate. Most BBQ's I've ever had consisted of either
pulled, sliced, or shaved beef or pork accompanied by sauce. A & J's BBQ was a little different. The beef used was ground beef but it was good quality meat (not hamburger).
The sauce is homemade (we asked). A sweet/savory/tangy tomato sauce that had green pepper and onion slices cooked in it
was a very nice pairing with the beef. The cool crunchy coleslaw was offered in the bun or off. Hand sliced cabbage, carrots and onions in a nice mayonnaise dressing.
The bun was a standard hamburger bun.
The fries served at A & J are hand cut on the spot and fried to order. They arrived a bit dark and slightly limp but all the flavor was there. Anyway many people prefer them darker. Our waitress came back to check on us during the meal and she returned when we were finished to clear the plates and offer us a home made desert. We were tempted but the lunch was filling and we didn't have room or time.
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Our lunch for two at A & J diner cost $16.58 excluding tip.
Hours:
M - F 5 am - 7 pm
Sat 6 am - 2 pm
Closed on Sunday's for now
Most major credit cards accepted.
A bit tough for handicap as there are stairs and the diner might be a bit narrow for a wheel chair.
A & J's Diner does delivery as well.
We give A & J's Diner 3-1/2 out of 5 stars.
What do you think.
Please take a minute and let us know but please be fair.
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