Joey

Due to the many different restaurant choices within the GVRD, we often forget about the chain restaurants in town.  Now say what you want about them, but there are some that serve up more-than-acceptable eats.  Sure, with the prices they charge, one could technically eat anywhere else, but as I've said over and over again, they do serve a purpose.  After Friday night hockey, Joey on Broadway served that purpose by offering a large venue with safe and varied eats.  Gadget Girl tends to stick with the safe bet and one can see why chain restaurants work rather well in the GVRD.

Once again, Milhouse, Sweet Tooth and I shared some eats including the Korean Fried Cauliflower.  Okay, we all know that Korean food can be sweet, but this was outright a diabetics nightmare.  It was so shockingly sweet that we didn't really want to eat it.  It was doused in so much syrupy sauce that the caulflower could've been steamed rather than fried.  Onto the Baja Fish Tacos, they weren't the most aesthetically-pleasing plate.  Despite this, the fried basa was crispy and buttery while properly seasoned.  Enveloped in a corn tortilla, the entire taco was mild tasting with guacamole and lime.

For a larger plate, we shared the Rotisserie Chicken with mashed potatoes and zucchini. As much as ordering chicken is akin to painting a wall white or ordering vanilla ice cream, this was pretty decent.  Both the dark and white meat were tender and juicy while bathed in a impactful gravy (thanks to the salty sun dried tomatoes).  For dessert, there was no hesitation in ordering the signature Baked Apple Pie.  More of a galette than an actual pie, the hand-folded pastry held in tender pieces of apple that were dressed with toasted almonds, caramel sauce and maple ice cream.

On another visit, I opted for the Steak Frites featuring a 5 oz. CAB sirloin with skinny fries, arugula salad and a random slice of tomato.  I found the steak to be perfectly medium-rare which in turn helped keep the meat moist and tender.  The herb butter added all the necessary flavour needed.  I wasn't fond of the salad though as it was super greasy.  The skinny fries were crispy and plentiful.  For dessert, we shared the Molten Lava Cake which was on point.  Beyond the crispy exterior, the cake was moist and rich with a mildly sugary dark chocolateness.  Although the scoop of ice cream can be easily ignored, this one was creamy and not overly sweet.

On another visit to the Burnaby Lougheed location, I decided to try the Pesto Shrimp Flatbread.  This was one saucy and flavourful concoction where no one could complain about it being bland.  There was definitely an abundance of pesto to go with the chipotle aioli, sundried tomatoes, cold water shrimp and fresh basil.  The resulting combination yielded spicy and zesty hits that were held together with a crispy flatbread that was soft and fluffy on the inside.  Looking rather impressive, the Bacon Cheddar Burger ate as good as it looked.  Also rather saucy, the burger featured a large meaty and moist patty, crispy bacon and fresh veggies on a toasted sesame bun.

Despite its name on the menu, the Bombay Butter Chicken was more like a hybrid between a curry and a chunky soup.  It was far too zesty and contained a mind-boggling amount of veggies.  In the end, it tasted fine as anything but a butter chicken dish.  Lionel Hutz had the Paella (not available at the Broadway location) with well-prepared seafood in a saffron-infused broth.  Hence, the rice was flavourful and chewy.  He found the abundance of seafood to be cooked properly. There was no crust at the bottom of the pan though.  So after 3 visits to Joey, it is pretty clear to us that it remains a decent choice for a chain restaurant.  Sure, some things are better than others, but it is a safe bet nonetheless.

The Good:
- Pretty consistent
- Menu is not overly complicated
- Decent service each time

The Bad:
- Do not expect authentic eats, it's a chain restaurant after all
- Can get pricey