Uptown Joe’s Giving Original Joe’s a Run for Their Money

There’s a haute battle of the Joe’s heating up in San Francisco. Original Joe’s restaurant is all fired up because while they remain shuttered-up to the public, a new restaurant, Uptown Joe’s seems to be stealing more than just the show.

Original Joe’s is claiming that Uptown Joe’s has directly copied many items off their menu but are listing the dishes for an average of 30 percent more. The menus from both restaurants are publically listed online and honestly, Original Joe’s may have a point…although I’m not sure if that’s really sufficient to take it to court.

After a quick comparison, it appears that out of Uptown Joe’s 35 plus dishes, only three of them do not appear on Original Joe’s menu. Coincidence?

Well, it could be a coincidence considering both restaurants serve standard Italian-American cuisine, but when you take a closer look, some of the items on each menu appear exactly the same…as in verbatim.

You be the judge; here are a few examples:

Original: “Antipasto: Molinari salami, ham, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, sliced onions, pepperoncini, black olives and anchovies, drizzled with oil & vinegar. For one 6.50 For two 9.50”
Uptown: “Antipasto: salami, cheese, ham, pepperoncini, black olives, sliced tomatoes, and onions over crispy romaine lettuce drizzled with virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. For one $8.50 for two $14.95”

Original: “Caesar salad: Crisp romaine lettuce with toasted herb croutons and grated parmesan cheese tossed in Caesar dressing”
Uptown: “Caesar salad: Crisp romaine lettuce with toasted herb croutons and grated parmesan cheese”

Original: “Joe’s Special: fresh ground chuck sautéed with spinach, eggs and onions 9.95, add mushrooms +1.00”
Uptown: “Uptown Joe’s Special: ground beef sautéed with onions, spinach and eggs $13.95, with mushrooms 16.95”

Via: Eater San Francisco