We went into this review completely blind, not knowing what type of food Summa Joe's had to offer and having no idea what to expect. When we first heard the name 'Summa Joe's Searing Pans' for some reason we thought it may have an Asian influence. Then persons of Anderson were recommending Summa Joe's pizza and absolutely raving about it therefore we were wondering if it was some sort of Italian cuisine. We were wrong on both suspicions.
What 'type' of cuisine do they actually have? Well, we don't quite know how to describe it other than saying that it's fresh and made with as many local ingredients as possible. They have everything from shrimp cakes, to lamb lollipops, to turkey sandwiches, to buffalo chicken pizza, to jerk chicken penne pasta! You try labeling that!
Here's what we do know, their food is delicious. They actively support local farms and dairies and use local ingredients in as many dishes they serve as possible. The cheese they use from Split Creek Dairy Farm absolutely melts in your mouth. We ordered their flat bread and their marinara with split creek chevre cheese to dip it in. The combination is delectable! One of us doesn't care for tomatoes but even he devoured the dip! That has to say something!
We also ordered their 'Beatles White Pizza' and 'Rasta Pasta'. I wouldnt order that particular pizza again but that's because of me, and not the restaurant. I made a mistake in ordering something without toppings and sauce. If you like your pizza simple and plain but fresh then you'll love the white pizza. It just wasn't my cup of tea. The 'Rasta Pasta', which is penne pasta with chicken or shrimp in a spicy jerk sauce accompanied by roasted local veggies, was a favorite by all of us. We would pay them for their recipe for their jerk sauce/seasoning, it's that good! The chicken was perfectly cooked and prepared, and the veggies were so fresh (we know we keep saying that but it's the best way to describe everything they serve) and tasty. We have actually ventured back already to have a second helping of their 'Rasta Pasta'. Yummm!
Their prices are middle of the road, like most other Anderson restaurants. The 'Rasta Pasta' is a bit expensive, we believe it was $14.50 with the chicken. We suppose that's the price you pay for such fresh (there's that word again) ingredients. The pizza was about $8.00-9.00, which was acceptable. The only price we had a bit of an issue with was the flat bread and dips for it. You pay $2.00 for the flat bread (or baguette if you choose), about 6 pieces of it, and then an additional $2.00 for the dips. That sounds reasonable but let me finish. If you want more bread then you have to pay additionally for it. This is odd to us because at most restaurants you get bread for free or pay a small charge for unlimited bread. Also, one of the dips they offer is olive oil with a touch of balsamic vinegar. At Italian restaurants you get this on your table for free. It's silly to us that you should have to pay for olive oil, especially $2.00. Paying $2.00 for the marinara with cheese makes sense as well as the other dips like olive tapenade and bruschetta. Perhaps they'll consider revising their menu to reflect a lower price for the olive oil and not charge you for additional bread. That's just our suggestion!
Summa Joe's has a really cool vibe inside. It's reminiscent of a 60's diner but with a modern twist. and on the walls you'll find pieces of art from local artists (We can not rave enough about how much we love that they support our wonderful city!). We especially loved a painting centered on the middle of one wall of two jelly bean looking characters dancing. It is the cutest thing, you have to see it!
When you enter Summa Joe's you really do feel welcomed and like family. Both times we've been there, the owner's son who has to be around 2 or 3 years old, was following the waiters around like their shadow or helping his daddy in the back. He's adorbale and well mannered. The waiters are very laid back, over use words like 'cool', and give you those endearing half smiles when making a recommendation. Dining there is more than just satisfying a hungry tummy, it's an experience that we recommend everyone give a try!
Oh and by the way, you can find Summa Joe's downtown just before Matty's. Look out for the rainbow colored umbrellas out front!
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Summa Joe's on Facebook
3 comments:
Nice review. I enjoy reading them. I
Think Summa Joes needs another fork however. Not sure after such a great review why
Only 4 forks? And other reviews which didn't seem quite as favorable received 5.
Thank you for pointing this out, we've changed another restaurant's rating to reflect 4 forks because it is even with Summa Joes. The only restaurant with a 5 fork rating is NY Pizza. When we have zero complaints/concerns the restaurant gets 5, if there are minor complaints/concerns then the restaurant will receive 4, and so on. We will make sure we're consistent in the future. Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention!
Well, since your visit Summa Joe's has switched up the menu so be sure to come by and try our delicious new additions! And thanks for the fabulous review!
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