Not sure why everyone seems so down on this place. I'll concede that its nothing special but the food is good, service was acceptable and decor was clean and modern.
I went to J & L while visiting my brother and his friends on a weekend. We had a party of 8 and made reservations but we definitely did not need them. Hostess seated us quickly and our server arrived very quickly. She was friendly and joked around with all of us as she took our drink orders. Took a little longer than one would expect with such an empty establishment but nothing that aggravated me.
We all ordered some sort of appetizer and a burger. I personally got the tater tot Hot Rivets which were tater tots surrounded by jalapeno and cheddar then wrapped in bacon and skewered with a toothpick. The portion was larger than I had expected for the $5 price but I was happy about that. They were very tasty but the tater tot had gotten soggy from the toppings. I would try the pretzel nugget version next time for some more texture. I tasted a wing which was OK and an onion ring which was very good. I ordered a Smoky City burger for my entree which is a burger topped with smoked Gouda cheese, bacon and sauteed onions tossed in a Worcestershire mustard sauce. It was enormous as were all the other burgers. The barbecue sauce was good but it could have used a little more. Onions were a little undercooked but not bad. Burger came with fries for a $1 up-charge which was worth it. Fries were fresh cut and well seasoned.
All in all, I'd say J&L isn't a must visit but is a good choice if you're looking for some "better than barfood" in the Southside area.