jj's liberty bistro

for our anniversary dinner, we chose this jj's thinking it was somehow a step up from jj's bistro de paris.  well, it's not.  it's more a step over.  we were warmly greeted by jj and shown to our table by a member of staff that we wish would've continued as our waiter.  our waiter was very knowledgeable, but evidently was in such a great hurry that he spoke quickly explaining the menu options and later on forgot that we needed more water & bread.  he wasn't bad, really, just perhaps spread too thin.  the ambiance was lovely, the decor charming.  and the food was yummy.  my coq au vin was jacques pépin's recipe, i was told, and it was wonderful.  my husband's bouillabaisse prominently featured two huge scallops and was sublime.  our dessert choice, pecan bourbon tart, had too much chocolate for us, but we're weird that way.

disappointing return visit. yes, the restaurant is charming and cozy but atmosphere cannot overcome bland food. french onion soup lacked depth of flavor -- not enough beef flavor in the stock, few onions, and a tasteless cheese crust. pate sandwich on a baguette was too heavy on spicy mustard and overpowered the thick slices of (too cold) pate. other diners in the party were equally unimpressed by their sandwiches. skip ice cream for dessert -- each serving of a couple of scoops is $8.00!
our server was diligent, knowledgeable and friendly. hopefully, you can avoid an encounter with jj -- he's a little brusque.


-----09 jul, 2010-----

cafe/bakery/cheese shop. sliders are juicy, thick, flavorful -- don't pass them up. coconut cream pie is always perfect -- delicate crust, custard isn't overly sweet. dining room looks like a french bistro with lots of nooks and crannies. friendly service. also owner is very personable.

consistently great food!!! we have come here for years and have always had a terrific meal! the pate is delicious. the wine selection is the best in jacksonville and their knowledge is unparalleled. duck always excellent and the steaks are terrific. desserts are what you dream of at night. we will continue to eat here, never disappointed, always a pleasure.

people complaining about bathroom being closed: it's because their kids clogged the toilet. it's sad the staff has to clean up after them. so of course the bathroom will be close sometimes!
jjs is a beautiful restaurant with a romantic atmosphere and delicious food for the mature. the staff is very pleasant and knows french food. it's not fast food, it's a take your time to wine and dine, so it's nice not to have a waiter coming over every 5 min unless you are a water drinker. a good waiter will let you relax and enjoy your food. just wave and someone will come over asap. duh!
try it and you will see the difference. great place!

excellent and fresh. jj's is one of my favorite restaurants at the beaches. their current chef is very creative and it's really the super fresh ingredients that make the food special. the seasonal menu choices are the best. i had scallops with coconut beurre blanc sauce that was spectacular. they accommodate my wheat allergy and i have never had a single problem with it accidentally sneaking onto the plate! jj's wine pairings are very thoughtful, the wait staff never obsequious, and the ambience is quietly congenial.

this is not french food. this place is totally overrated!!! don't bother.

not french food. we were very disappointed with our lunch at jj's today. i will start with the good points. the place is charming & we had a cheese platter that was excellent. from there it was all downhill. the french onion soup lacked the necessary depth of flavor & provolone cheese on french soup is just wrong. the boeuf bourginon was tough, had sliced red potatoes, no shallots or mushrooms & was floating in fat. it was also served over pasta~julia child would have fainted over this interpretation. the morrocan chicken was overcooked & dry. it had an overabundance of tumeric but, lacked other morrocan seasonings. the french fries were thick pieces of mushy potato & certainly not pommes frites. we had the hazelnut creme brulee for desert which was shameful. it was made in a deep dish & therefore the solids separated from the liquids. it looked like flan but was more like custard soup. the service was good but, we would never return. i had really hoped to have a good experience but, sadly it did not happen.

nothing so far. have eaten in many french bistros in france and do not recommend this one. 2nd time in the last 6 months and, again, a very bad meal. lobster bisque was okay, yellow fin tuna was either a week old or rotten, smothered in an overpowering caper sauce....maybe to disguise the rotten fish, but this is not india. potatoes tasted as if someone had blown cigarette smoke on them, broccoli side was salty. a $15 bottle of wine had added a $10 corking fee plus 20% gratuity, party of 17 had the lights turned out in the main restaurant.....we were in the new addition....with staff standing there waiting impatiently to go home. bill was divided improperly. owner may be french,but the food is far from french standards.don't waste your money.

raw goose liver and onion skin soup. i had the "good fortune" to experience all this in one single dinner. and yes, jj comes to talk to you at the table. and when my baby daughter adoringly looked at him, and i pointed out that she liked him he responded: " am i disturbing, because i have a lot of things to do in the kitchen, and don't have to stand here and talk to you."

i mentioned the onion skin in my soup to our waitress - she didn't even apologize - and certainly jj didn't come back out to do so.

the liver "salad" was prepared on my request. i love foi gras, and have had many times, many-many ways - but never had it uncooked/raw (from frozen), and the salad on the side was 5 leaves of mixed greens. so i have to tell you, that raw foi gras is bitter. yuck!

jj asked if i liked it, and i politely said that it was ok. i will forever regret that i didn't elaborate. and i hope her reads this!

i asked my family not to go back. there are other french restaurants in the are which will delight those who seek this type of cousine.

not your typical french cuisine. i got a groupon and my husband and i decided to visit jj's liberty bistro. we got there around 3pm on saturday and they apparently have a different menu from 2:30pm thru 4:00pm. the options on that menu were just absolutely horrendous. anyway, we decided to give it a try since the restaurant claims to have the best french cuisine. i ordered split-pea soup and chicken salad sandwich on crescent; my husband got some sort of other sandwich. the soup was ok, but my sandwich was just plain awful. the crescent was not fresh at all (i could have gotten a better crescent from costco). needless to say, for the price they charge i could have gotten a much better meal at european street cafe. i'm not sure i will return or recommend this place to any of my friends.

having enjoyed such an incredible lunch at the french pantry , it was only logical that we seek out an authentic french experience (as in owned and operated by a french expatriate) in hopes of another amazing experience (besides, it was a weekend and the