I've been to Joey multiple times, but every visit was at the downtown location. Today is my first visit to the Markham location. First, they don't really take reservations, or if they do, the seats were long gone. We came to the restaurant around 8pm on a Friday night and had to wait for about 30-40 min. I must say that this restaurant is way too popular in Markham, but it deserves the attention because it's only one of its kind in Markham. We weren't the only ones waiting, as they were at least 7 groups of people waiting with us. Though, the positive thing I must say is that the waitress serves you free red wine while you wait. That is a bonus!
As usual, I ordered lobster grilled cheese at Joey. The dish comes with fries, but it costs $2 extra dollar if you replace it with mushroom soup. The lobster grilled cheese was cut into four pieces. The bread was toasted with melted brie and cheddar cheese. The portion is just perfect and I'm already full after finishing my dish. Some people may not find the portion is enough but it really varies with different people's appetite.
The atmosphere mimics the downtown vibe really well. It is almost like a sports bar with fewer TVs compared to the downtown location. There are only two sets of four-TVs. I definitely would like to see more of these kinds of sports-bar restaurants.