The band that they have there every first Friday was excellent I plan on coming back
Atmosphere: 5
Daniel Brooks
JoEllen’s truly stands out as a Southern comfort food destination with heart, history, and real flavor, and after taking in the many recent experiences, it’s easy to understand why so many locals and visitors keep coming back.
From brunch to dinner, JoEllen’s delivers bold, soulful dishes that feel homemade and intentional. Menu favorites mentioned again and again include the catfish, collard greens, shrimp & grits, salmon croquettes, seafood platters, fried pork chops, and creative brunch items like sweet potato pancakes and loaded omelets. The seasoning is consistently praised as being “on point,” the food arrives hot most of the time, and portions are generally generous especially for brunch and lunch. Many guests describe dishes that look magazine-worthy while still tasting like food made with love.
The atmosphere is another strong point. JoEllen’s has a warm, welcoming vibe with music, energy, and a sense of Southern hospitality that makes it great for brunch dates, celebrations, birthdays, or casual meals downtown. Several guests specifically noted how comfortable and enjoyable the environment felt once inside, even calling it a “hidden gem” that’s worth the effort to find.
Service, while often excellent, is the main reason this lands at four stars instead of five. Many diners rave about friendly servers, attentive bartenders, and staff members who offer great recommendations and make guests feel at home. However, a recurring theme in less-positive reviews involves inconsistency particularly during busy brunches or special events.
Some guests experienced long wait times, food arriving lukewarm, or interactions with management or hosting staff that felt dismissive rather than accommodating. To JoEllen’s credit, ownership frequently responds thoughtfully to criticism and acknowledges the need for improvement, which shows accountability and care for the business.
It’s also worth noting that changes like the removal of the buffet surprised some longtime patrons. While that disappointed a few guests, many still felt the daily specials and à la carte menu fully delivered in quality and flavor.
Overall, JoEllen’s is a place where the food clearly shines, the vibe is authentic, and the intention behind the restaurant is felt. With a bit more consistency in front-of-house service and timing during peak hours, this spot easily has five-star potential.
If you’re looking for real Southern comfort food with personality, flavor, and soul, JoEllen’s is absolutely worth visiting and revisiting.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Aldric Bennett
Delicious, I highly recommend this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Javan McCain
The Buffet is GONE.. but, everything was still EXCELLENT.. this was my first experience here, introduced by a friend and we came for the buffet.. but, unfortunately the restaurant has removed the buffet and has daily specials instead.. so, I didn’t get to experience the buffet and still got to experience the restaurant as a whole though.. great customer service, impeccable food and awesome views.. I came for a business meeting, slash lunch and you never know who you’ll bump into here.. overall memorable experience and I already can’t wait to get back to Tallahassee so I can make JoEllen’s my 1st stop!! 😋
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shuntrel Washington
We waited two hours to get cold food and on top of that the food was very nasty and super cold, I will not return to this place.I was visiting from Miami.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Mari Balaguer
I had an amazing experience at Joe Ellen’s! The food came out fast, everything tasted incredibly fresh, and the seasoning was perfect—exactly what Southern food should be. Every bite felt homemade and full of flavor. Honestly, this is the best meal I’ve had in Tallahassee so far. I’ll definitely be back! (Shonda provided great service).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jarred Solomon
I didn’t think Tallahassee had good food…boy was I wrong! After parking it was difficult to find this place (I parked underground) but it was worth the hassle. I ordered the “I Stand Accused” which is a seafood platter that consists of 2 catfish filets, 6 jumbo shrimp, and 2 crab cakes. You can have it blackened or fried (I opted for fried, I know, I’m bad!) and it comes with two sides. When I tell you it was all BUSSIN’ as it was so flavorful, perfectly cooked and well seasoned! I’ll be visiting Tally for work rather frequently in the future and I will return here each and every time! Kudos to the chef(s)!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ebonie Walker
Very good brunch food and a nice atmosphere. I would definitely recommend trying the catfish. I had the morning magic with my biscuit on the side and it comes with French toast or a pancake.
Very cool spot for food and drinks. I had the catfish, collard greens and mashed potatoes. The food was great and so was the service. I sat at the bar and the bartender was on point.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Deanna Squeaky Miller
Took my family to JoEllen’s for a Saturday brunch and everything was awesome. The food was tasty, service was 💯, clean restroom, and restaurant….We look forward to dining there, again soon. 😁
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shania Marshall
Very long wait, very mid food
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Shinita Miller
I celebrated my birthday with my daughter today. This was my first time at JoEllen's. I enjoyed the Motown Philly Steak Remix Omelet, sweet potatoe pancake, hasbrown, creamy grits & drinks!! The food was packed with flavor & the presentation was nice. Our server was professional, courteous & friendly & checked on us frequently. I am so glad my daughter recommended JoEllen's & shared this experience with me!
Thank you JoEllen's for making my taste buds sing on my birthday!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Micaela Barrett
Very nice experience! Employees were polite and friendly, music was great, the establishment was clean and the food was good!!
Loved it!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
4.6 out of 5 🌟
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The band that they have there every first Friday was excellent I plan on coming back
Atmosphere: 5
JoEllen’s truly stands out as a Southern comfort food destination with heart, history, and real flavor, and after taking in the many recent experiences, it’s easy to understand why so many locals and visitors keep coming back.
From brunch to dinner, JoEllen’s delivers bold, soulful dishes that feel homemade and intentional. Menu favorites mentioned again and again include the catfish, collard greens, shrimp & grits, salmon croquettes, seafood platters, fried pork chops, and creative brunch items like sweet potato pancakes and loaded omelets. The seasoning is consistently praised as being “on point,” the food arrives hot most of the time, and portions are generally generous especially for brunch and lunch. Many guests describe dishes that look magazine-worthy while still tasting like food made with love.
The atmosphere is another strong point. JoEllen’s has a warm, welcoming vibe with music, energy, and a sense of Southern hospitality that makes it great for brunch dates, celebrations, birthdays, or casual meals downtown. Several guests specifically noted how comfortable and enjoyable the environment felt once inside, even calling it a “hidden gem” that’s worth the effort to find.
Service, while often excellent, is the main reason this lands at four stars instead of five. Many diners rave about friendly servers, attentive bartenders, and staff members who offer great recommendations and make guests feel at home. However, a recurring theme in less-positive reviews involves inconsistency particularly during busy brunches or special events.
Some guests experienced long wait times, food arriving lukewarm, or interactions with management or hosting staff that felt dismissive rather than accommodating. To JoEllen’s credit, ownership frequently responds thoughtfully to criticism and acknowledges the need for improvement, which shows accountability and care for the business.
It’s also worth noting that changes like the removal of the buffet surprised some longtime patrons. While that disappointed a few guests, many still felt the daily specials and à la carte menu fully delivered in quality and flavor.
Overall, JoEllen’s is a place where the food clearly shines, the vibe is authentic, and the intention behind the restaurant is felt. With a bit more consistency in front-of-house service and timing during peak hours, this spot easily has five-star potential.
If you’re looking for real Southern comfort food with personality, flavor, and soul, JoEllen’s is absolutely worth visiting and revisiting.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Delicious, I highly recommend this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Buffet is GONE.. but, everything was still EXCELLENT.. this was my first experience here, introduced by a friend and we came for the buffet.. but, unfortunately the restaurant has removed the buffet and has daily specials instead.. so, I didn’t get to experience the buffet and still got to experience the restaurant as a whole though.. great customer service, impeccable food and awesome views.. I came for a business meeting, slash lunch and you never know who you’ll bump into here.. overall memorable experience and I already can’t wait to get back to Tallahassee so I can make JoEllen’s my 1st stop!! 😋
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We waited two hours to get cold food and on top of that the food was very nasty and super cold, I will not return to this place.I was visiting from Miami.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
I had an amazing experience at Joe Ellen’s! The food came out fast, everything tasted incredibly fresh, and the seasoning was perfect—exactly what Southern food should be. Every bite felt homemade and full of flavor. Honestly, this is the best meal I’ve had in Tallahassee so far. I’ll definitely be back! (Shonda provided great service).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I didn’t think Tallahassee had good food…boy was I wrong! After parking it was difficult to find this place (I parked underground) but it was worth the hassle. I ordered the “I Stand Accused” which is a seafood platter that consists of 2 catfish filets, 6 jumbo shrimp, and 2 crab cakes. You can have it blackened or fried (I opted for fried, I know, I’m bad!) and it comes with two sides. When I tell you it was all BUSSIN’ as it was so flavorful, perfectly cooked and well seasoned! I’ll be visiting Tally for work rather frequently in the future and I will return here each and every time! Kudos to the chef(s)!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very good brunch food and a nice atmosphere. I would definitely recommend trying the catfish. I had the morning magic with my biscuit on the side and it comes with French toast or a pancake.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Very cool spot for food and drinks. I had the catfish, collard greens and mashed potatoes. The food was great and so was the service. I sat at the bar and the bartender was on point.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Took my family to JoEllen’s for a Saturday brunch and everything was awesome. The food was tasty, service was 💯, clean restroom, and restaurant….We look forward to dining there, again soon. 😁
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very long wait, very mid food
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
I celebrated my birthday with my daughter today. This was my first time at JoEllen's. I enjoyed the Motown Philly Steak Remix Omelet, sweet potatoe pancake, hasbrown, creamy grits & drinks!! The food was packed with flavor & the presentation was nice. Our server was professional, courteous & friendly & checked on us frequently. I am so glad my daughter recommended JoEllen's & shared this experience with me!
Thank you JoEllen's for making my taste buds sing on my birthday!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very nice experience! Employees were polite and friendly, music was great, the establishment was clean and the food was good!!
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