AJ's Oldtown Steakhouse & Tavern

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#4 of 58 Restaurants in HomerSteakhouse, Seafood, $$ - $$$

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AJ's Oldtown Steakhouse & Tavern

Review

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About

We don't claim to be the fanciest place in town but we believe in amazing food, fun specialty drinks, and great entertainment! We value our guests and believe in goodwill and hospitality. AJ's Oldtown Steakhouse & Tavern is located in the heart of Old Town, offers a casual, friendly atmosphere and is known locally as the "Historic Waterfront". AJ's is proud to be serving up the top 2% of USDA Prime Beef offered in the Nation and we like to top it off with a premium martini. We humbly feature mouth-watering steaks & great seafood including Local Alaska Scallops, King Crab, Fresh Halibut & Salmon in a friendly old town atmosphere! This venue also offers fun family entertainment & dinner music. Established in 1941 as the Homer Cafe and Club it was the first bar in Homer and has been serving up delicious fare and drinks for over 70 years

Features

CUISINES

Steakhouse, Seafood, Wine Bar

Meal types

Dinner

Special Diets

Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

Full Bar

Highchairs Available

Live Music

Reservations

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Table Service

Takeout

Wheelchair Accessible

Location

120 W. Bunnell Ave, Homer, AK 99603-7825

Is this a wine bar?

Yes

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Hours

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Closed today

Sunday

Closed

Monday

Closed

Tuesday

Closed

Wednesday

4:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Thursday

4:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Friday

4:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Saturday

4:00 PM - 8:30 PM

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4.4

633 reviews

Excellent

382

Very good

161

Average

Poor

Terrible

Le1091

Carol Stream26 contributions

Great food and service

Sep 2024 • couples

My husband and I stopped at this restaurant by chance. We did not have reservations however, we were fortunate enough to get seated at the bar as the restaurant was extremely busy. Definitely make reservations in advance if you are wanting to try this establishment. My husband had the Rueben sandwich, and I had the prime rib special. The food was excellent and the portions were large. Even though the place was busy, every employee we encountered made a point of trying to make our dinner enjoyable.

Written September 7, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AJ's Steakhouse

Thank you for your excellent review! We’re so glad you and your husband decided to stop in and that you both enjoyed your meals. The Reuben sandwich and prime rib special are great choices, and we’re thrilled to hear you found the food excellent and the portions generous. Our team works hard and I am so happy to hear they made your experience enjoyable even during a busy night. Your advice about making reservations is spot-on! We’d love to welcome you back the next time you are in Alaska. Humbly, AJ

Written December 8, 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Andy Wilcox

15 contributions

Tasty steaks

Aug 2022 • none

This is a pleasant venue well away from the spit. You need a reservation to avoid disappointment. The host was very pleasant and the service was professional. My wife had the prime rib and I had the ribeye both served with mash potato and grilled zucchini. Both meals were very tasty and the meat was cooked to perfection. The only downside is the price - $49 is quite steep, given the £-$ exchange rate but we would recommend!

Written August 7, 2022

Seattle area beachnuts

4 contributions

Fabulous visit, reserve so you don’t miss out!

Aug 2022 • couples

We would have liked a reservation for 6 people but waited too long and could only get a reservation for 2 of us. Food and service were outstanding! I had the halibut dinner, best halibut I have ever eaten! My husband had prime rib, he commented it was very good and kept raving about the mashed potatoes! Lauren was our server, had only worked there a short time, and was wonderful! She recommended the crème brûlée for dessert. Yum, she was certainly right! If we would have been in Homer longer we would have gone back to try other menu options and ask for Lauren again!

Written August 9, 2022

Jordan R

1 contribution

WHAT A RIP OFF

Aug 2024 • family

It sucked, the waiter and crew tried to jip me for a 10oz steak , I got a 6oz and if I did not mention it, I would have been charged full price. Over priced food and drinks. Will never go again. Service , sucked and place is falling apart and needs upgrade. Dark and gloomy atmosphere. It made my 10 year anniversary SUCK.

Written September 27, 2024

AJ's Steakhouse

Thank you for your feedback. We take all reviews seriously, even those that might seem very unusual or overly critical as our team works hard to ensure quality and always will make a mistake right when brought to our attention. The concerns raised in your review do not align with the standards we uphold. Our team is committed to providing high-quality food, attentive service, a welcoming atmosphere, and we strive to make every guest's experience enjoyable—especially for a special occasion like an anniversary. I am not sure you have the right restaurant, or perhaps you are disgruntled since I see that you only have one review in your profile which seems odd. We always aim to make mistakes right and value our guests. If your experience fell short, we encourage you to reach out to us directly so we can address your concerns properly. We value constructive feedback and always look for ways to improve. Thank you for your time. Humbly, AJ

Written December 8, 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Larry & Marti O

13 contributions

AJs Dropped The Ball This Time

Jan 2025 • couples

We've been to AJs before and had a wonderful meal and experience. I can't say the same for this visit. The quality of the meal did not warrant the price. My NY strip was plain and one end was gristlely. The strip was more like a cheap cut from a cut rate grocery store. A friend had 3 small pieces of halibut and a house salad that cost $39...Yikes!! We will likely give AJs another try in the future as we get to Homer often, but we were terribly disappointed with this visit.

Written January 5, 2025

margonc

Davidson56 contributions

Expected a little more

Jun 2022 • none

We had a reservation and were seated immediately. Excellent service, friendly and courteous. We were told upon seating that the wait for our meals would be 45 minutes to an hour, so don’t go if your time is limited. We ordered calamari which was good. The halibut entree was disappointing-dry and over cooked. Probably should have stayed with beef since the name of the restaurant is “steakhouse.”

Written June 4, 2022

AMIslander

Holmes Beach107 contributions

Grest location, So so experience.

May 2022 • family

A.J's is very cute, with a nice menu, i really wanted to love this place ,BUT $50 for a steak that is not perfectly cooked is unacceptable. 2 of our party ordered the ribeye, they were visually at least a 4oz. Difference in size and thickness, the smaller one being placed on the plate with the side of scallops. Thinking it would pass inspection because of the extra turf portion that was $24:, would be my guess. And 1 ordered medium rare and 1 medium came medium and medium well. So that was disappointing. But very tasty. The house wine at$12 a glass, was more expensive than many others at $9 a glass and just average at best. The $10 Manhattan had way too much vermouth and was watery with a cheap maraschino cherry, not an Aged cherry you would find in a fine steak house cocktail. So over all disappointed and WAY overpriced by 40%. You have to reserve a table with a credit card, in case of a no show there is an expensive fee, marked in the reservation as a birthday dinner, this occasion was nevere mentioned by staff and service lacked although not overcrowded.

Written May 20, 2022

minnesotans4

Saint Paul3150 contributions

Still the best!

Sep 2022 • none

We have visited Homer several times over the past years but the last time was in 2018 when we dined here. I wrote a rove review with an excellent rating. Last time, I had ordered scallops and thought they were delicious but last night I was hungry for their 8 oz. prime sirloin with mashed potatoes and broccolini. We are from the Midwest and I am very particular about the quality of my steak and how it is prepared. In fact, I reluctantly order steak because I am usually disappointed but that was not the case at AJ's! My medium cooked steak was tender and cooked exactly how I like it. I was concerned I wouldn't like the peppercorn gravy but it was delicious with the mashed potatoes. Four years ago, my husband thoroughly enjoyed the cowboy burger and once again it was his favorite burger. Usually, restaurants aren't always consistent with their meals but AJ's is a gem of a restaurant. Don't ever change!!

Written September 18, 2022

mmm_traveler_2010

Saratoga28 contributions

Delicious fresh well executed food!

Jul 2022 • couples

This restaurant was unexpectedly really good!! We were lucky to get a bar seat because this place gets packed. Fish and Chips were excellent- fresh and clean tasting. Halibut with mashed potatoes and buttered squash was amazingly delicious! Lots of complexity and very fresh - superbly cooked and executed on. Wine and beer was delicious. Desert was tasty. Overall a very enjoyable meal and highly recommend. Cons: you have to wait at least an hour for your entree so be prepared and get some appetizers or fish and chips to hold you over. It is also pretty expensive but quality comes with that.

Written July 8, 2022

Dana O.

Sandy50 contributions

Delicious steak and seafood dinner

Jul 2022 • couples

My husband and I enjoyed a lovely evening dining at AJs steakhouse. You need a reservation as they book up. Everything was top notch from the cocktails to the service and food. Our server recommended the Bue Cheese fondue potato chip appetizer and it was delicious! I ordered a filet and my husband ordered the seared Halibut both were cooked to perfection. It was our best dining experience during our Alaska trip by far.

Written July 30, 2022

Dreamtowander

Orange County180 contributions

Great meal

Jun 2022 • none

Service and food were good. The restaurant was very busy and they forewarned us that the meal preparation would take a while due to the labor shortage, but the food did not take that long afterall. We enjoyed the halibut and were able to order a small portion of Alaskan king crab. Both the halibut and crab were well prepared, good quality, and very tasty.

Written June 22, 2022

Meldan99611

1 contribution

Drive on by

Dec 2022 • couples

I read these reviews and I wonder if I ate at the same restaurant. I never critique or speak out about bad food. I usually suck it up and just pay the bill and move on never to return. First let me say that the service was very good. Our server was pleasant and friendly. We ordered the prime rib and ribeye along with the house blue cheese chips. I was always taught if you don't have anything good to say then don't say anything at all. Well this time I just have to speak up. We made reservations and made a special trip. To Homer to celebrate our anniversary with what we expected would be the best steak dinner we've had in years. Unfortunately it ended up being the worst food we've ever had. The house chips arrived so cold that the blue cheese fondue had solidified and the chips were soggy. Then our meals arrived. We both dug in and both were unseasoned oily meat with no flavor. I couldn't even eat mine and brought it home. When I asked my hubby if he'd like the leftover steak for breakfast he said no. That's saying alot as its never happened before where he said to throw it away. Sadly we are still left with a bad taste with our entire experience. Not sure if it was a fluke but I would find it hard to believe others have not co.plainted about the tasteless, greasy, grisly beef that was served.

Written January 6, 2023

snaphu

Wasilla138 contributions

Awesome food, great service. The bill will be high but it's woth it!

Oct 2021 • solo

The other reviews don't lie when they say the interior is nothing fancy. But this is one of those places where the food is amazing regardless of the furniture. I came here my first night in Homer on vacation as a treat to myself. It has been some time since I've had a good steak. I started with the calamari, something else I have not had for a long time. Really enjoyed it! Most of the bowl was small tidbits in batter but the occasional small ring. The batter was not heavy. But onto the main course. They had the New York strip with blue cheese butter, mashed potatoes and zucchini as their special of the evening. It cost $48 but I wasn't here for a diner steak. I asked for medium rare and that is what I got. After the calamari appetizer and the special of the day, along with 3 pints of locally brewed beer, it was an expensive tab for one person. But, no regrets! The food. Was. Awesome.

Written October 21, 2021

Alwxa

New Orleans423 contributions

Really good, cozy environment.

Sep 2021 • couples

After a distritos first meal where we ended up paying $250 for plate of king crab, it was relief to find this spot. It felt warm Nd welcoming, and was near our rv resort. We did wait an insane amount of Time for our meals, while seated at the bar- but we were able to entertain ourselves until our meals came out. I especially loved the live Pima music. When I walked in (on a whim), I felt I was in a 1880s saloon. The bartender was super friendly, though overwhelmed- but that seems to be the status quo everywhere on earth right now.

Written September 19, 2021

Jayneekinsd

Coquitlam33 contributions

Fabulous Food Wonderful Service

Jul 2022 • couples

I recommend you make a reservation as this place is popular with both tourists and locals. We walked in the door and were greeted by the host Darrel. He was both gracious and funny. As the tables had all been reserved for the evening we sat at the bar. I must say we were grateful for the comfy cushion backed chairs. The bartender Carolyn (I assume that’s her title) was delightful and also made sure people had a glass on the go, regardless if it was water or a bevy. Our server Cathryn was fast and efficient and was very knowledgeable. She put up with our bad jokes and had a quick smile. One thing I have learned on our trips is staff can make a huge difference in an experience. We were so glad we sat at the bar as we had so many great conversations, we listened and shared stories with other travellers. Our favourite meal in the region! Oh I guess I should mention our steaks were melt in your mouth and the rock cod soup was so good!

Written July 21, 2022