Serviceable fare
There’s no harm in having modest aspirations and Joe’s Garage definitely has them. Alastair Paulin finds they’re mostly achieved.
Exceptionalism is over-rated. For every restaurant that shoots for the moon, few make it to the stars. Many more come crashing back down to Earth.
So it is not a backhander to say that Joe’s Garage is relentlessly average. There is dignity in trying to fulfil modest expectations well. Everything about this chain of neighbourhood bar/restaurants screams middle of the road, from the blokey mechanic theme to the menu selections to the music to the prices.
At the Riccarton branch (there are four Joe’s in Christchurch, one in Rangiora, the original restaurant in Queenstown and four in the North Island), you are greeted by giant double spanner door handles, setting the tone for the understated garage theme. Some industrial metal feature panels, polished concrete floors and a few vintage-looking toy trucks round out the decor.
Our party of five had reserved a table for 6.30pm. When my wife arrived early, the table was set, including a jug of water with a lemon slice, and she was checked on several times to see if she wanted to order a drink.
Despite the restaurant being almost full for the next two hours, the service remained attentive and friendly, except for a lull that left our table full of dirty plates as we waited to be offered dessert.
The lack of ambition on the menu was not a drawback as the prices seemed fair. The most expensive item was the “Stan the wallet” – a 220g sirloin steak with garlic butter, caramelised onions, coleslaw and chips for $26.80.
As devoured by a hungry teen, it was perfectly medium rare, tender and juicy. But the caramelised onions had been overdone, so were marred by a bitter note, and the coleslaw was a mess: large slices of red onion dominated and the dressing lacked any discernable flavour.
The other two boys ordered teen staples: a burger and a chicken/brie/cranberry pizza. I found the pizza’s base a bit cardboardy but the toppings were generous and flavourful.
The burger was a disappointment. The patty was dry, bland and hidden within the too-big bun. The beef had been over-milled, so the texture was not crumbly and juicy but dense and solid. And a large slab of the same burnt onions rendered the whole thing off-putting.
My “Mr Nice Guy” was three good-sized cuts of crumbed lamb schnitzel served with pea mash and that same coleslaw. The parmesan panko crumb was nondescript but the mint butter was a good accompaniment and the pea mash a light and bright side.
The schnitzel reminded me of my mother’s 1970s cooking, in a good way, and the dish’s title had the bonus of my being addressed as Mr Nice Guy as the waitress delivered it.
The best dishes were an appetiser of polenta chips and a side of spinach. The polenta chips had crispy outside and a creamy middle and the spinach was wilted to the ideal point and well seasoned. They were both examples of modest ambition well executed.
But another appetiser that aimed too high fell flat. “Joe’s fried chicken” was seasoned with sriracha and buttermilk and served with a gherkin and lime mayo. The pieces were tiny, which led to them being overdone and dry and the refreshing tang promised by the lime mayo was absent.
The real questions with Joe’s, as with all restaurants, is not what the menu or decor promises but how the kitchen delivers on that promise. Simple, well executed staples at a fair price is the implicit pledge Joe’s makes and, on most of the dishes, that promise was kept.
The desserts certainly held up their end of the bargain. A sticky date pudding for $12, a chocolate brownie with icecream for $8 and a generous three-scoop affogato served in a coupe glass for $6.80 all delivered solid value without hitting any unexpected high – or bum – notes.
So sure, Joe’s Garage is working to a franchised formula. There’s nothing wrong with that and as the bustling, full restaurant showed on a Wednesday night, it is a winning formula. But in several cases, the food’s execution needed more care.