My wife and I were drinking margaritas on State discussing dinner and, having overheard us mention seafood (and making sure we had a car), our bartender referred us to Joey\'s. We couldn\'t have been happier with our experience.
First off - drinks. My wife had a bloody mary overflowing with a garden of celery and olives and a couple of shrimp curling over the rim of the glass. Beautiful presentation. I had a Mexican martini that packed a serious punch, reminiscent of those served in Austin. Still, the sweetness happily belied the true potency of its contents.
Not being able to decide between the halibut fish & chips and the chipotle salmon I settled on both: the former as our appetizer and the latter as my entree. The halibut had a lightly breaded crust that didn\'t take anything away from the flavor of the fish itself. It tasted healthy, if that makes any sense - so often fish & chips retain too much oil from the frier and the breading is akin to a cheese stick or an onion ring. These were flaky; the halibut moist. I was wishing I\'d ordered them as my entree, until...
The chipotle salmon. Wow! Sweet, tangy, spicy, and yet it didn\'t overwhelm, I could still taste the salmon. It was served on a bed of mashers and a vegetable medley featuring yellow carrots. I\'d never had yellow carrots so that made it even better (even though, I soon discovered, they taste the same as the orange variety). The fish was also really hot temperature-wise, which doesn\'t always happen. Unbelievably tasty.
My wife had some type of seared Ahi tacos that were good but I was happily in my own little \"salmon\" world and unfortunately paid them little attention. Delicious. Tragically there was no room for dessert, which apparently Erin (one of the owners) makes in house. Next time.
The entire meal found me eating at first too fast in my excitement and then excruciatingly slow as I savored the final morsels of food. We will certainly return when we find ourselves in Madison again!
I don't care much for fish....... - Brad Potter, Verona Wi - 09/28/2009
I don't care much for fish.
That may seem like a funny way to start out a testimonial for a seafood place, so let me explain.
A little over three years ago, my family and I moved up here from Iowa. The ONLY seafood option we had where we were from was Red Lobster. I have been to Red Lobster maybe a half dozen times and always it has left me with a sense of regret, and an empty wallet. Fish was never something I liked the taste of unless it came in a box and in stick form.
However, as we were driving down Mineral Point Rd., I was mentally reminded that fish has good properties for losing weight, something I desperately wanted to do. We looked up the menu online and saw they offered items other than seafood on the menu.
My wife is a fan of seafood so I sucked it up and was prepared for another "Red Lobster" experience. Boy was I surprised.
From the moment you walk in, they don't just "serve" you, they make you feel welcome. Their entire waitstaff is good. They are friendly, fast, and they get to know you and not only anticipate your wants (Jen always brings our drinks out before we order) but they also take an interest in you. This has proven very nice on those nights you can't decide what you want. They will help suggest things they think you might like and most of the time, they are right.
Joey's is about so much more than service though. Remember I said I didn't like fish? Well, Keith, Erin and their crew have suggested several seafood and other dishes that I have never been disappointed with. Keith knows I'm skittish about seafood and has always offered that if I tried something he recommended, and didn't like it, he'd make me something else. Can you get that at Red Lobster?
The short side of that is, not once have I ever sent anything back. And they are concerned about quality. Once I got steak medallions that I ordered medium rare, and when they came out, they were a little more done than that. Keith offered MULTIPLE times to replace them and went back to the kitchen to discuss it with the cooks.
If you've never tried Joey's, even if you don't like seafood, please, make it a point to do so. I promise you will not be dissatisfied and if you for some reason are, Keith and Erin will be sure to make it right.
Brad Potter
Verona
My husband and I just LOVE coming to Joey's! - Rich & Bonnie Wojtas - 09/23/2009
My husband & I just LOVE coming to Joey’s! We have NEVER had a bad or a so-so meal here. I love the Salmon, it is always done to my liking, RARE! You can tell the fish is always fresh here.
The only trouble we have, is that we have to come early so we don’t have to wait! LOL
Thanks for being in the area!
Rich & Bonnie Wojtas
I would highly recommend Joey's - kjflorin - 08/27/2009
"My wife and I decided to have a simple and quick lunch for our 10 year anniversary. We both love seafood and neither of us had been to Joey's in Madison. We stepped into the place and were welcomed by friendly staff and clean inviting environment. We ordered a mahi mahi taco and the chicken gumbo bowl. The appetizer of bread was great and once the entree's were delivered we were not disappointed. I would highly recommend Joey's Seafood and Grill as a clean and pleasing place to have lunch or dinner. It's a great alternative to the loud and crowded atmosphere of larger chains."
It's our favorite place to eat - Melissa and Peter - 07/21/2009
"Joey's is a great place to eat at. It's our favorite place to eat. The owners and employees are wonderful. They are always very nice and welcoming and make sure everything is great. The food is great and for a good price. We love the haddock and the firecracker shrimp. The atmosphere is great for both kids and adults. It's a fun place to eat at. We definately recommend Joey's and know that you will enjoy it as much as we do."
Comments - Customers - 04/11/2009
"Just love this place! Came from Illinois" - sarasmom58
"We love your restaurant! It is by far our favorite fish restaurant in Madison! Outstanding food!" - dpowers1
"A good restaurant every visit" - lindaportelli
"Glad you're here!" - daleart
"This is a wonderful restaurant! I will be recommending it to my friends." - Unknown
