My husband and I were looking for a breakfast place while staying in Santa Barbara. We walked by this place and decided to try it out. First we were greeted with kind smiles and did not have to wait to be seated. Michael was our server and he was so so so kind! We ordered the Chile Verde Omelette and Eggs with Bacon. We received our food fast! The food was great, the service was amazing, and the environment was great! Give this place a try!
Frederick J.
Great breakfast and service. Highly recommend. Staff even took care of noisy transients as they came on by - thank goodness !
Marsh M.
The wait to be seated was short despite the long line, they work quickly to get your food in front of you. The Customer service at this place is awesome and deserves 5 stars by itself. They are very friendly, prompt, and kept our coffees filled. If you notice the other reviews where Karens were complaining about bad service, were leaving reviews around when covid peaked so don't pay attention to those. I assure you the service is great. The food is not bad, however it is basic, and safe. Don't get me wrong, the food tasted fine, it's just that they play it safe which I guess is a good thing so that Karens in SB (There are plenty in this town) don't complain.
Derek C.
I was searching Yelp for somewhere to eat brunch/breakfast on our getaway to Santa Barbara and scrolled through all the fancy brunch places with their special rendition of eggs benny or french toast and zeroed in on JJ's as the place I wanted to go and I was definitely not let down. Right on State St it is pretty much walkable from anywhere in downtown SB and they have both outdoor seating, indoor booth, and counter top. I haven't been to many diners, but this is definitely what I imagine when I think of a diner. Service was awesome and sometimes you're just craving a black cup of diner bean water and that's exactly what I got this morning. I might be getting old or something, but I no longer crave those fancy brunches, but really love corned beef hash. Some places try way to hard and use fat chunks of corned beef or try to make it pop. What I really want when I get corned beef hash is that stuff that comes out of the Hormel can, call me uncultured, but that stuff when it gets crispy is better than anything else. What they have at JJ's is the closest I've gotten to the Hormel can at a restaurant, but with nice strands of corned beef. They really got the corned beef together with everything and nailed getting everything crispy on the griddle. A+ GF got steak and eggs and for a diner the steak was cooked perfectly and actually tasted damn good. Her hash browns as shown were also cooked splendid. Both eggs were cooked well to liking and sourdough on the side was nice. Definitely come here!
Marlene D.
We came here for the first time on a Saturday Morning, it was busy but no wait time. Menu has all the American breakfast items as well as some Mexican choices such as Huevos Rancheros and Chilaquiles. We ordered and played mortal Kombat! Great for kids or adults to spend time waiting for their food. Who doesn't love Video games! Each game is .50 cents and the food came out within about 15 mins. Service and food were both great and had good portions. They also have a loyalty program where after 4 visits you get a free coffee and after 8 you get a free entrée. When we went to pay I expressed how great the food and service were and how we would definitely be back. The person at the cash register gave me a coupon for a free peanut butter and jelly French toast so of course we had to go back the next day, Sunday when we went it wasn't as busy service and food were still great. No complaints at all.
Jason H.
A rather traditional style diner. Nothing fancy with the menu or decor, but the food and service were both good. The breakfast burrito had hardly any egg and too much potato. My veggie omelet was good. Decent food at a decent price in a great location. I would go again.
Michael Q.
Spent the night at Santa Barbara and found this wonderful little locals hotspot on Yelp Located in the Funk zone it's a local diner that makes all of their food and pastries in house including the amazing blueberry muffins! The restaurant has a fun energetic vibe to it with music playing and amazing service. I recommend if you want a great breakfast even the scrambled eggs were delicious and that's hard to pull off!
Michael S.
We came here because it was within walking distance of our VRBO and had good reviews. It's a cute little diner on State Street. Service was friendly (five stars) and food came out quickly -- great for someone on the go. We went on a Saturday morning and most of the tables were empty, never a good sign. Food was average overall (three stars). The chorizo tacos were good, but they looked so lonely without a side -- I'd suggest fruit. The French toast was huge and decadent but was too lightly dipped in the batter, leaving the center dry. My kids loved their chocolate chip pancakes, but I took a bite and found them pretty average. This diner is fast and offers many breakfast staples, but I wasn't blown away by the food. I'm leaning towards a three star rating, but nothing was particularly bad and the staff was so friendly and accommodating.
Manuel G.
We were in Santa Barbara for the weekend and decided to try JJ's. Overall it was a good atmosphere. A little too hipster for me but it was okay. My kids enjoyed it. The food was good but just missing that little umph I was looking for. You figure a burger at a diner would be great. Maybe I should have ordered a breakfast because the looked really good. Maybe next time
Aristo W.
Amazing diner with some great food. I got the chicken fried steak and it was done very well along with their hash browns and eggs. It was a ton of food which kept me satisfied. Their other breakfast options seemed great as well so I'll have to come back and try those. I would recommend coming here for sure!
Food was good healthy and well presented..Service was adequate but no ump.. Whoever orders the coffee is not a coffee drinker , ten years in Santa Barbara and the worst cup of coffee I’ve had.. Will not eat breakfast there again for that reason.. Get it together guys you have a great location
Evan Carey
Great breakfast spot with a bunch of options. The thing that really stood out was the top notch customer service. Best in town!
Jake C.
Had breakfast here this morning. It was a necessary brunch outing after a long week. I ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs and it was slightly thicker than most chicken fried steaks at other places and also somewhat chewy. Aside from that The flavor was good and everything was extremely fast. They also made perfect over easy eggs, whites were perfectly done and the yolk was totally runny which you don't find to often. Kudos on that one! Something did feel somewhat off as far as the ambience maybe it is sitting in the street bordered by closed nightclubs and smoke shops.
David M.
JJ's is great! Juan has done a great job and the wait staff is attentive. Best prices in town and really healthy portions of everything. Overall a great experience.
Billy G.
JJ's is our new go-to perfect downtown breakfast place. Great food, attentive staff, good prices and Dune coffee. They even have a customer loyalty program that earns a discount after a few meals! Couldn't ask for more.
My husband and I were looking for a breakfast place while staying in Santa Barbara. We walked by this place and decided to try it out. First we were greeted with kind smiles and did not have to wait to be seated. Michael was our server and he was so so so kind! We ordered the Chile Verde Omelette and Eggs with Bacon. We received our food fast! The food was great, the service was amazing, and the environment was great! Give this place a try!
Great breakfast and service. Highly recommend. Staff even took care of noisy transients as they came on by - thank goodness !
The wait to be seated was short despite the long line, they work quickly to get your food in front of you. The Customer service at this place is awesome and deserves 5 stars by itself. They are very friendly, prompt, and kept our coffees filled. If you notice the other reviews where Karens were complaining about bad service, were leaving reviews around when covid peaked so don't pay attention to those. I assure you the service is great. The food is not bad, however it is basic, and safe. Don't get me wrong, the food tasted fine, it's just that they play it safe which I guess is a good thing so that Karens in SB (There are plenty in this town) don't complain.
I was searching Yelp for somewhere to eat brunch/breakfast on our getaway to Santa Barbara and scrolled through all the fancy brunch places with their special rendition of eggs benny or french toast and zeroed in on JJ's as the place I wanted to go and I was definitely not let down. Right on State St it is pretty much walkable from anywhere in downtown SB and they have both outdoor seating, indoor booth, and counter top. I haven't been to many diners, but this is definitely what I imagine when I think of a diner. Service was awesome and sometimes you're just craving a black cup of diner bean water and that's exactly what I got this morning. I might be getting old or something, but I no longer crave those fancy brunches, but really love corned beef hash. Some places try way to hard and use fat chunks of corned beef or try to make it pop. What I really want when I get corned beef hash is that stuff that comes out of the Hormel can, call me uncultured, but that stuff when it gets crispy is better than anything else. What they have at JJ's is the closest I've gotten to the Hormel can at a restaurant, but with nice strands of corned beef. They really got the corned beef together with everything and nailed getting everything crispy on the griddle. A+ GF got steak and eggs and for a diner the steak was cooked perfectly and actually tasted damn good. Her hash browns as shown were also cooked splendid. Both eggs were cooked well to liking and sourdough on the side was nice. Definitely come here!
We came here for the first time on a Saturday Morning, it was busy but no wait time. Menu has all the American breakfast items as well as some Mexican choices such as Huevos Rancheros and Chilaquiles. We ordered and played mortal Kombat! Great for kids or adults to spend time waiting for their food. Who doesn't love Video games! Each game is .50 cents and the food came out within about 15 mins. Service and food were both great and had good portions. They also have a loyalty program where after 4 visits you get a free coffee and after 8 you get a free entrée. When we went to pay I expressed how great the food and service were and how we would definitely be back. The person at the cash register gave me a coupon for a free peanut butter and jelly French toast so of course we had to go back the next day, Sunday when we went it wasn't as busy service and food were still great. No complaints at all.
A rather traditional style diner. Nothing fancy with the menu or decor, but the food and service were both good. The breakfast burrito had hardly any egg and too much potato. My veggie omelet was good. Decent food at a decent price in a great location. I would go again.
Spent the night at Santa Barbara and found this wonderful little locals hotspot on Yelp Located in the Funk zone it's a local diner that makes all of their food and pastries in house including the amazing blueberry muffins! The restaurant has a fun energetic vibe to it with music playing and amazing service. I recommend if you want a great breakfast even the scrambled eggs were delicious and that's hard to pull off!
We came here because it was within walking distance of our VRBO and had good reviews. It's a cute little diner on State Street. Service was friendly (five stars) and food came out quickly -- great for someone on the go. We went on a Saturday morning and most of the tables were empty, never a good sign. Food was average overall (three stars). The chorizo tacos were good, but they looked so lonely without a side -- I'd suggest fruit. The French toast was huge and decadent but was too lightly dipped in the batter, leaving the center dry. My kids loved their chocolate chip pancakes, but I took a bite and found them pretty average. This diner is fast and offers many breakfast staples, but I wasn't blown away by the food. I'm leaning towards a three star rating, but nothing was particularly bad and the staff was so friendly and accommodating.
We were in Santa Barbara for the weekend and decided to try JJ's. Overall it was a good atmosphere. A little too hipster for me but it was okay. My kids enjoyed it. The food was good but just missing that little umph I was looking for. You figure a burger at a diner would be great. Maybe I should have ordered a breakfast because the looked really good. Maybe next time
Amazing diner with some great food. I got the chicken fried steak and it was done very well along with their hash browns and eggs. It was a ton of food which kept me satisfied. Their other breakfast options seemed great as well so I'll have to come back and try those. I would recommend coming here for sure!
Restaurantji Recommends
Food was good healthy and well presented..Service was adequate but no ump.. Whoever orders the coffee is not a coffee drinker , ten years in Santa Barbara and the worst cup of coffee I’ve had.. Will not eat breakfast there again for that reason.. Get it together guys you have a great location
Great breakfast spot with a bunch of options. The thing that really stood out was the top notch customer service. Best in town!
Had breakfast here this morning. It was a necessary brunch outing after a long week. I ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs and it was slightly thicker than most chicken fried steaks at other places and also somewhat chewy. Aside from that The flavor was good and everything was extremely fast. They also made perfect over easy eggs, whites were perfectly done and the yolk was totally runny which you don't find to often. Kudos on that one! Something did feel somewhat off as far as the ambience maybe it is sitting in the street bordered by closed nightclubs and smoke shops.
JJ's is great! Juan has done a great job and the wait staff is attentive. Best prices in town and really healthy portions of everything. Overall a great experience.
JJ's is our new go-to perfect downtown breakfast place. Great food, attentive staff, good prices and Dune coffee. They even have a customer loyalty program that earns a discount after a few meals! Couldn't ask for more.