Jolenes - West Chester (PA)

4 /5 Dmitry Gorelik: I really wanted to love this place since several people had good things to say about it. The decor is beautiful. Service was excellent. The food was good, but nothing was spectacular. Maybe my expectations were set too high. The two items that stood out were oysters and french onion soup, although the cup was tiny. Foie gras was tasty, but the duck was overcooked and the cabbage was very bland. Desert, was not impressive. This place is closer to 4.4-4.5. I would try other places before i return.

5 /5 Sabur IM: I didnt get the opportunity to explore the full menu however Ill be back to test things out. More than likely that 4 will become a 5 in the very near future! The service was amazing and the atmosphere was incredible! Perfect place for adults to be social, go on a date, happy hour, all purpose spot that youll love! While youre there, get the bourbon espresso martini, aka The Mr. Harrisburg!

2 /5 John DePasquale: Overall this experience just did not land. Drinks were good but the service really lacking. We shared oysters which were just okay and two beef tartares that were good. Our server never repeated our order back to us and never asked how we wanted our steak. It took a very long time just to get water refilled. I asked a manager who never came back. I ended up asking our server and they finally brought some. You should not have ask at all for water. Our first course sat on the table for a while and when the next course came out, staff was scrambling to clear. We were served soups with no spoons. The onion soup was actually the best part of the meal. When entrees came out one was missing, my wife’s. Not sure if the order was not heard, but we had to wait while the rest of us had food. We got a quick “sorry for the wait” but that was it. The duck came out without a steak knife and when two people were sharing a steak only one knife was dropped off. Maybe a silverware shortage but still not great service. We tried all three desserts, all just okay. The olive oil cake was the best of the bunch. The food overall was decent but it was extremely loud and chaotic. I actually saw servers running on the floor. If you are going to have a menu and prices like that the service needs to match. Watching our server put a plate on top of our boxed steak to go wasn’t a great end. As it stands I would not recommend this place and would not return. Edit: they responded to this review by asking me to email. On 11/11 I sent them one, today is 11/16 and they have not responded. This checks out based on the experience I had at the restaurant. Edit again: John -- Sorry for the delay, Im just catching up on emails after a busy week. Thank you for the incredibly thorough chronicle of your visit — and for the sequel. While we’re sorry the experience wasn’t for you, we do appreciate the level of dedication. Most guests who feel a restaurant “isn’t for them” simply… stop coming, rather than embarking on an investigative miniseries. All jokes aside, we clearly missed the mark for you, both in service and in following up by email. That’s on us, and we’ll do better in the future. Were a small, independent restaurant trying our best and were the first to acknowledge we still have much to improve on. If you’d like to try us again, please let me know so that I can personally look after your visit. My direct number is xxxxxxxx Kind regards, Glennon Glennon, I was truly upset/frustrated by my experience. The lack of care/attention showed by all the staff was disappointing. If you want to send me gift cards to come in again maybe I will. I spent a decent amount of money and I still tipped 80 dollars because I waited tables for years. I felt like our server was set up to fail. I’ve been a server looking for proper steak knives and they are all in a dish pit. It was the whole vibe. Very frantic. If not I get it. I just won’t be back. Best, John John, Thank you for sharing more context — I hear the frustration in what you’ve written, and I don’t take it lightly. What you experienced sounds chaotic and disappointing, and that’s not the environment we strive to create. I also appreciate the grace you extended to Erin, especially given your own background in the industry. I want to be transparent: while we occasionally make gestures when something has truly gone wrong, we don’t offer gift cards as an incentive for a return visit. Hospitality, not obligation, is what brings people back. That said, if you ever decide on your own that you’d like to give us another chance, I would be more than happy to personally oversee your reservation and ensure it reflects the level of care you should have received the first time. Please feel free to reach out to me here. My direct number is xxxxxx Either way, I respect your decision and genuinely wish you well. Kind regards, Glennon I didn’t respond to this last email but I just wanted to share my emails since they said I “demanded” gift cards. This place will fail. Don’t waste your money

5 /5 Elizabeth Gombosi: Love it here! Sitting outside on a Saturday night feels like an evening in Europe. Lovely and obviously well trained waitstaff. The drinks are clear and fresh with good selections. Food is lovely, could be a few more options to choose Vegan but enjoyed Veg and Fish options! Finally grabbed a photo! Cocktails and dessert, anyone?!

5 /5 Bethany Bones: We enjoyed a fantastic four course meal at Jolene’s last night. We had been to the bar a few times before (also adore their bar and bartenders!), but this was our first experience in the dining room. We especially enjoyed the mushroom bisque, Parisian gnocchi, wagyu coulotte, and duck breast. We finished the evening with a lovely crème brûlée paired with smooth and rich espresso and cappuccino. All drinks were great, including our cocktails with dinner. Everything about our experience was 5-star quality. The food - its scent, taste, texture - all incredible. The service was also excellent. Our server, I believe his name was Nick, was very attentive. We stayed for a full 2 hours enjoying each course and conversation in the dining room. Looking forward to more evenings to enjoy at Jolene’s!