Al and Ruben's Restaurant 2390 Jefferson Ave, Washington, PA 15301
On Thursday May 1st I decided to try the recently opened Al and Ruben's Restaurant. This restaurant boasts a chef that according to the waitress previously worked at Jim's Roadhouse in the Hendersonville area and the Bella Piatta in McMurray. They opened recently in the old facilities operated by Maria's Restaurant. The dining area is not too large having about 15 tables that seat 4. The full service bar has about 4 tables for 4 and is entered as you come through the front door. I did not see the private party rooms, which must be upstairs.This restaurant serves up mostly Italian style foods. They also offer various type of salads ranging in price from $5.95 to $10.95. Appetizers include Fried Calamari, Jumbo Wings and Buffalo Shrimp ranging in price from $5.95 to $8.95. Homemade soups and Flat breads are on the menu. Italian Favorites include Penne Alfredo Spaghetti Bolognese, Lasagna Bolognese, and Stuffed Eggplant. Other entrées include Chicken Piccata, Veal Parmigiana, Filet of Sirloin and Surf and Turf ranging in price from $9.95 to $22.95. Some Italian Favorites and entrées have half size offerings at less cost. They also offer a sandwich menu.
I ordered the Lasagna Bolognese at $13.95 (Lasagna noodles layered with beef, sweet Italian sausage and assorted cheeses with sauce. My partner had the Baked Cod Scampi $14.95 (baked cod topped with seasoned bread crumbs and drizzled with a garlic scampi sauce)
The Lasagna wasn't too bad, but I've definitely had better. The cod was, as she put it, tasteless. One thing I couldn't believe was that the mashed potato side dish served with the cod was not made in house, rather it was the prepackaged variety like you buy in the grocery stores. The waitress confirmed this.
All in all the food was OK, but what we had was certainly nothing to rave about. The chef needs to do some serious work on the menu if he wants return customers. The wait staff was courteous and attentive. I rate this restaurant now at 2 stars. Maybe they'll work out their problems and improve over time.
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If you happen to go back and dine at this restaurant again, I highly recommend the Veal Collini. It has become one of my favorites on the menu. I have dined there several times and everything has been great! I feel they are doing pretty well for it being such a small restaurant with everything being homemade.
(Sorry Sarah, but everything is definitely NOT homemade at this restaurant.. The waitress when asked about the mashed potatoes said that they are the boxed variety ie: Bob Evans or equivalent.)
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Are you nuts? The mashed potatoes are made fresh on the premisis.
Sorry, Joe but that wasn't the case when I ate there. The potatoes served were so bad that I asked the waitress about them and she said that they were prepackaged from some outside source. They definitely were not made on the premisis.
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you must have lost your tastebuds in a terrible accident years ago because the food at al an rubens is EXCELLENT!!! i have never had a meal i didnt like there. all of my friends feel the same way. al an rubens is quickly becoming the best place to eat in washington.
Ruthann, you are entitled to your opinion, but when I ate there it certainly was far from my standards of a "best place" to eat. Granted, it may have improved since then, but I have not been back to check it out. I may do that one of these days. If I do, I'll be sure to report on my findings right here.
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Well, Jon, I hope you never quit your day job because you're not much of a food critic. Like Ruthann, I've never had a thing to eat at Al an' Ruben's that I didn't enjoy...and I've certainly never eaten anything "tasteless". Don't pollute the internet with this nonsense.
Your opinion to which you are entitled. I am semi retired in real estate and drive school buses and charter buses, so I guess I really don't have a day job to quit. I know one thing, your comment is certainly in the "tasteless" category. My opinion of course.
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I see it's been a while since you've been to the restaurant and given the review I'd hope you would return soon to reassess. Come by on a Thursday night when the jazz isn't just good by Washington standards, it's great anywhere. I've never had anything less than excellent food and music.
If you can't stop by you should consider deleting the stale commentary lest locals who have not been able to judge for themselves miss out. Would I prefer the food matched Tour d'Argent in Paris? Sure, but then I don't need a second mortgage to eat at Al's and I like the people I meet in the bar more at Al & Rubens.
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Jon
I was going to go to Al and Ruben's to try it out, but I thought it was more of a soul food restaurant, did it always serve primarily Italian food? Thanks
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To my knowledge it is predominately Italian cuisine.
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