Hostess was very rudeEspecially when we started speaking Spanish.
Jeanie Knabe
Beautiful restaurant. Staff were friendly and efficient. The food was beyond amazing. The owner was there to thank us for coming. He was a very kind gentleman. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marner Hay and Cattle Co
Absolutely loved, Kudos to everyone involved.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cindy K.
Finding an elegant and delicious place to dine in rural areas of Illinois can be tricky, but this place would exceed your expectations even in a larger city! We have eaten there several times enjoying their balsamic steak salad, caprese chicken, and other entrees -- all were very good. The service was exceptional and warm. They make a great ole fashion as well. Don't miss an opportunity for a nice meal at a fair price
Tony F
J.B's is an excellent restaurant in a little town with a surprising number of good ones. It's really the only "special occasion" restaurant in town, and it fills that role nicely.The building it occupies was built in 1900, so the exposed brick and tin ceiling are not attempts to create some atmosphere, they're the real deal. (I deduct a point for the low-maintenance plastic tablecloths: ugly. Try real tablecloths, it'll look nice.) It's a weekday night and not very crowded, but it seems like they're slightly understaffed. However our service is attentive.The menu doesn't stray too far from typical steakhouse fare, but there were a few nice touches. The appetizer menu has something called "Béchamel Boats," so I have to ask. It's J.B.'s take on potato skins, substituting béchamel sauce for cheese. To be completely honest, they don't taste much different than what you get at Applebee's, but I give credit for a little creativity.J.B.'s is a steakhouse, so naturally I want to try their specialty. I understand they source their beef locally, so it seems like they take care to do it right. I order the surf & turf, a 4-oz. filet with sea bass. The steak is perfect medium rare, and it passes the butter knife test (can you cut it with a butter knife?). Surprisingly, the sea bass is the star of the show. It's fresh (remember, we're a thousand miles from the ocean) and very slightly overdone, so there's a little crunch to it. Sea bass is a full-flavored fish so it doesn't need a lot of sauce, and the simple beurre blanc is perfect. My wife has the chicken Caprese and she reports that it's excellent all the way around; she suspects the chicken and mozzarella are also locally sourced. All in all the entrees suggest a high level of skill behind the burners and also in the selection of ingredients. We have an interesting discussion as we dine: should they try for a few more creative touches on the menu, or stick with what works? I'll leave that decision to J.B.The wine list could be longer – it's actually shorter than the spirits list – but we manage to find a couple of good glasses. Steakhouses are famous for their wine lists that are actually more like books, I may suggest this is one thing J.B's can work on.We both agree that for the quality on the plate, the prices are very fair. It's expensive for Robinson, but you definitely get what you pay for. We're coming back, and looking forward to it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Thomas Carll
The food was very good and tasty.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ashley Summerlot
Excellent, petite steakhouse experience. Great holiday cocktails, friendly staff, and really good food. Will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Surf and Turf, Wedge Salad
Courtney H.
We went here because it was on our fork in the road card. It was an adventure as it is nearly an hour drive but we enjoyed it. There was a lot of things on the menu I would be excited to try. We got there on the anniversary so there were 3 Christmas themed drinks that were $4 each which was a great deal. The moscato punch was great! As an appetizer we got the JB's béchamel Boats. These were basically a little fancier potatoe skins. They were very good. It came with 4 of them and the Bechamel sauce did make them special. I got the Norwegian Salmon which was honey glazed. It was good. I would recommend. I wish it was more charred on the edges. I got the mashed potatoes and the garlic Parmesan broccoli. If you like garlic, you will love the broccoli. It was really flavorful! You get a ton of mashed potatoes and they were good. My boyfriend got surf and turf. A filet mignon and scallops. He got two scallops and they were both wrapped in bacon. It thought they were smaller than what he was expecting. The steak he thought was good as well and the French onion soup he got as a side. As dessert we got the chocolate lava cake and the bread pudding. Both were really good! The atmosphere is decently fancy with waiters dressed in nice clothing and nice table clothes on all the tables. Definitely a good vibe. I would go again but would try other entrees.
Don Peters
Portabella mushroom fries were outstanding, as was the broccoli. I had the New York Strip steak that was ok but cold on arrival to the table. It had a decent flavor (I have to add that I'm a big Ribeye fan and not a NYS fan). I was disappointed that there wasn't a ribeye option on the menu. I did get the shrimp add-on, which was VERY good and the shrimp were a decent size. Most importantly is would I return for another meal? Yes, I would give it another chance.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fries
CHERYL
My salad was good but my soup was cold and my lunch partner’s shrimp came out of the kitchen raw.
All the food we had was good except for the steak , it was dry and chewy and tasted horrible!! Would go Back tho !! Clean and good service!
Mark Boyd
Absolutely nothing negative about this place. Especially the Monday thru Thursday couples special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
mike liberman
This was the first time i visited JB's with my wife.The atmosphere was very nice, well laid out, and thoughtful.We both ordered basically the same dishes with slight differences. The 4 oz. filet mignon and shrimp.We had different styles of shrimp and sides.The sides we wanted were not available.Apparently, there was a large crowd earlier, and they did not make more of those sides.The waitress forgot to give use bread.Each of our cuts of meat was not cooked as asked.We sent back my wife's meat to be redone.It took over 10 minutes to cook 4 oz. of meat rare?We had finished the rest of the meal.Since this is my first time here, I will not make a positive review yet.Sadly, I was not impressed by the performance of the restaurant. Maybe they hadn't recovered from the large group, I do not know. But it is no excuse.When you have a $30 plate, you expect better performance. Maybe next time I go, they will redeem themselves.Oh, they have what is called in the industry as "10 minute chairs." These are little cushion and hard backs. Used to get a higher turnover by causing the patron to not linger due to a lack of feelings in the legs and butt. I would have expected better chairs in this higher end restaurant.So please look for my update on this review after we return to make our final decision about JB's.As always, if you enjoyed this review, please "Like" it.Thank you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Ronnie Littlejohn
This place knows how to cook a great steak!!!! The menu tells you exactly how your choice of cut will be served per your request. I prefer medium well & they nail it!!! PERFECTLY!!! Also, the garlic butter compote on top is an awesomly unexpected delight... The service here is over the top, with smiles!!! I am looking forward to visiting this establishment again & again... WELL WORTH THE TIME & $!!! THANK YOU JB's FOR MAKING MY BIRTHDAY AWESOME!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Onion Rings
Jodie R.
Steak was tough, the lava cake dessert wonderful! Prices were kind high fir a tough steak. I will go back to try the pastas though.
Hostess was very rudeEspecially when we started speaking Spanish.
Beautiful restaurant. Staff were friendly and efficient. The food was beyond amazing. The owner was there to thank us for coming. He was a very kind gentleman. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely loved, Kudos to everyone involved.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Finding an elegant and delicious place to dine in rural areas of Illinois can be tricky, but this place would exceed your expectations even in a larger city! We have eaten there several times enjoying their balsamic steak salad, caprese chicken, and other entrees -- all were very good. The service was exceptional and warm. They make a great ole fashion as well. Don't miss an opportunity for a nice meal at a fair price
J.B's is an excellent restaurant in a little town with a surprising number of good ones. It's really the only "special occasion" restaurant in town, and it fills that role nicely.The building it occupies was built in 1900, so the exposed brick and tin ceiling are not attempts to create some atmosphere, they're the real deal. (I deduct a point for the low-maintenance plastic tablecloths: ugly. Try real tablecloths, it'll look nice.) It's a weekday night and not very crowded, but it seems like they're slightly understaffed. However our service is attentive.The menu doesn't stray too far from typical steakhouse fare, but there were a few nice touches. The appetizer menu has something called "Béchamel Boats," so I have to ask. It's J.B.'s take on potato skins, substituting béchamel sauce for cheese. To be completely honest, they don't taste much different than what you get at Applebee's, but I give credit for a little creativity.J.B.'s is a steakhouse, so naturally I want to try their specialty. I understand they source their beef locally, so it seems like they take care to do it right. I order the surf & turf, a 4-oz. filet with sea bass. The steak is perfect medium rare, and it passes the butter knife test (can you cut it with a butter knife?). Surprisingly, the sea bass is the star of the show. It's fresh (remember, we're a thousand miles from the ocean) and very slightly overdone, so there's a little crunch to it. Sea bass is a full-flavored fish so it doesn't need a lot of sauce, and the simple beurre blanc is perfect. My wife has the chicken Caprese and she reports that it's excellent all the way around; she suspects the chicken and mozzarella are also locally sourced. All in all the entrees suggest a high level of skill behind the burners and also in the selection of ingredients. We have an interesting discussion as we dine: should they try for a few more creative touches on the menu, or stick with what works? I'll leave that decision to J.B.The wine list could be longer – it's actually shorter than the spirits list – but we manage to find a couple of good glasses. Steakhouses are famous for their wine lists that are actually more like books, I may suggest this is one thing J.B's can work on.We both agree that for the quality on the plate, the prices are very fair. It's expensive for Robinson, but you definitely get what you pay for. We're coming back, and looking forward to it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
The food was very good and tasty.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent, petite steakhouse experience. Great holiday cocktails, friendly staff, and really good food. Will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Surf and Turf, Wedge Salad
We went here because it was on our fork in the road card. It was an adventure as it is nearly an hour drive but we enjoyed it. There was a lot of things on the menu I would be excited to try. We got there on the anniversary so there were 3 Christmas themed drinks that were $4 each which was a great deal. The moscato punch was great! As an appetizer we got the JB's béchamel Boats. These were basically a little fancier potatoe skins. They were very good. It came with 4 of them and the Bechamel sauce did make them special. I got the Norwegian Salmon which was honey glazed. It was good. I would recommend. I wish it was more charred on the edges. I got the mashed potatoes and the garlic Parmesan broccoli. If you like garlic, you will love the broccoli. It was really flavorful! You get a ton of mashed potatoes and they were good. My boyfriend got surf and turf. A filet mignon and scallops. He got two scallops and they were both wrapped in bacon. It thought they were smaller than what he was expecting. The steak he thought was good as well and the French onion soup he got as a side. As dessert we got the chocolate lava cake and the bread pudding. Both were really good! The atmosphere is decently fancy with waiters dressed in nice clothing and nice table clothes on all the tables. Definitely a good vibe. I would go again but would try other entrees.
Portabella mushroom fries were outstanding, as was the broccoli. I had the New York Strip steak that was ok but cold on arrival to the table. It had a decent flavor (I have to add that I'm a big Ribeye fan and not a NYS fan). I was disappointed that there wasn't a ribeye option on the menu. I did get the shrimp add-on, which was VERY good and the shrimp were a decent size. Most importantly is would I return for another meal? Yes, I would give it another chance.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fries
My salad was good but my soup was cold and my lunch partner’s shrimp came out of the kitchen raw.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
All the food we had was good except for the steak , it was dry and chewy and tasted horrible!! Would go Back tho !! Clean and good service!
Absolutely nothing negative about this place. Especially the Monday thru Thursday couples special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was the first time i visited JB's with my wife.The atmosphere was very nice, well laid out, and thoughtful.We both ordered basically the same dishes with slight differences. The 4 oz. filet mignon and shrimp.We had different styles of shrimp and sides.The sides we wanted were not available.Apparently, there was a large crowd earlier, and they did not make more of those sides.The waitress forgot to give use bread.Each of our cuts of meat was not cooked as asked.We sent back my wife's meat to be redone.It took over 10 minutes to cook 4 oz. of meat rare?We had finished the rest of the meal.Since this is my first time here, I will not make a positive review yet.Sadly, I was not impressed by the performance of the restaurant. Maybe they hadn't recovered from the large group, I do not know. But it is no excuse.When you have a $30 plate, you expect better performance. Maybe next time I go, they will redeem themselves.Oh, they have what is called in the industry as "10 minute chairs." These are little cushion and hard backs. Used to get a higher turnover by causing the patron to not linger due to a lack of feelings in the legs and butt. I would have expected better chairs in this higher end restaurant.So please look for my update on this review after we return to make our final decision about JB's.As always, if you enjoyed this review, please "Like" it.Thank you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
This place knows how to cook a great steak!!!! The menu tells you exactly how your choice of cut will be served per your request. I prefer medium well & they nail it!!! PERFECTLY!!! Also, the garlic butter compote on top is an awesomly unexpected delight... The service here is over the top, with smiles!!! I am looking forward to visiting this establishment again & again... WELL WORTH THE TIME & $!!! THANK YOU JB's FOR MAKING MY BIRTHDAY AWESOME!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Onion Rings
Steak was tough, the lava cake dessert wonderful! Prices were kind high fir a tough steak. I will go back to try the pastas though.