Not Your Average Joes – NYAJ

NYAJ are the call letters for a good-time eating establishment.

This New England based restaurant chain just opened in the Kentlands, Gaithersburg. So far my straw poll and taste buds indicates that we have a winner here in MoCo with Joes’.

NYJA has 17 locations; all but 2 are in Massachusetts with one in Leesburg, VA and the other here in Gaithersburg.

The interior features a view of their open kitchen tricked out with all new Vulcan commercial cooking equipment, a wait-staff dressed in white shirts and sous-chefs in their themed dark brown aprons and baseball caps.

Pre-opening interior shot of Joes

The center dining area was seen being constantly rearranged by managers to accommodate parties from two or more and is bounded on each side by four person booths. On this weekend table turnover was rapid as many locals converged on Joes’ to welcome them to the neighborhood.

Oh, the food. It is called Creative, Casual Cuisine. Take a look at a few of these photos I took during an assignment covering the pre-opening events.

Casual and Creative Joe

Creative dinners priced between $11 and $20, burgers and sandwiches from between $9.50 to $10.99; salads starting at $8.99 and medium sized pizzas between $7.99 and $11.99 for special creations. Add $4 to create a larger pizza.

Joe again being casual and creative

NYAJ considers themselves a neighborhood restaurant and not a local bar, however you can chose from 20 different reasonably priced draft craft beers along with a smaller selection of bottled beers. The wine and spirits list meets most customers’ needs.

The bar is separated from the dining area and is complete with high table booths and seating at the bar for about 15 or more customers. If you are looking for a sports bar you many want to try elsewhere through Joes has conveniently placed three HD TVs for your viewing pleasure.

Joes bar

The recent hot weather prevented the use of outdoor sidewalk seating in front of Joes on Kentlands Boulevard and on the newly reconstructed patio that borders Booth Street. The patio looks to become a favorite dinning location in cooler weather.

So if you are looking for stuffed quahogs (clams) or perhaps a Joe Schmo pizza or maybe a crab cake BLT then next time you are in “gBurg” stop by and say hi to Joe.

About Phil Fabrizio

Phil Fabrizio is an event, news and sports photographer in the Washington D.C. Metro area. He lives in North Potomac and has operated Sugarloaf Photography since 1985. He is a member of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce and serves on the board of the Glen Echo Partnership for Arts and Culture, Inc in Glen Echo. Stop by Phil's PhotoLoaf site or follow him on Twitter @Photoloaf. Find Phil's blog on MyMCMedia here.

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