At KJ’s Caffe, the first thing that greets you is the lively chatter from customers. When you walk further into the cafe you are met with a seemingly classic diner with an industrial accent, but do not be fooled. Even with its vintage decorations it can still be seen as a place for both the old and the young.
The cafe is open at 6:00 a.m. and closes at 3:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, however, they open an hour later running from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
When I first arrived at the cafe around 11:30 a.m., the cafe was lively with chatter from patrons. My family and I ordered at the counter and went to wait by the wall. We waited for about 10 minutes before our order was ready, which was efficient and timely for the eight items we ordered. I ordered their hot chocolate and specialty item, the KJ Club sandwich, and with them in hand, I went to sit down at an open table.
The hot chocolate came out first and when holding it, the heat from the drink seeped through the cup into my palms pleasantly warmed my hands against the winter air. When trying the drink, I was met with a pleasant creamy chocolate flavor. It did not taste too watery, which can be a common issue in hot chocolate, and it stayed warm for a long time after ordering, allowing me to get a taste of hot chocolate hours later with the same taste that it had when it was first served.
Next, was the KJ Club sandwich. When I opened the package I was immediately hit with the smell of turkey and honey barbecue sauce. When taking a look inside the thick sandwich, I could see a lot more than just the turkey and sauce. Inside was turkey, black forest ham, bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo and the honey barbecue sauce.
When taking a bite out of the sandwich, I was immediately hit with a sweet taste because of the honey barbecue sauce, but underneath was the savory flavor that the meat provided. Below that was a taste of the vegetables and crunch of bacon.
Putting them all together was a genius concoction because all the tastes blended smoothly and naturally with each other, making each bite taste delicious. Nothing seemed forced into the sandwich but rather everything fit naturally with the other ingredients.
The prices were all under $15 meaning that even though I had ordered eight items it was still relatively cheap compared to other places with raised prices. The hot chocolate was $2.80 and the KJ Club sandwich was $11.50.
After the meal was done, I noticed that the cafe had a slight line build up and no available seats for guests that came in to eat. That was the only issue that seemed obvious in the establishment, as everything else ran smoothly and efficiently without problems.
Not only were their prices low, but they also have a lot of gluten free and other dietary options for people with any type of allergy.
The cafe was a fun place that was filled with happy patrons and good food. It could be used as a study area as long as you don’t mind some noise in the background.
8/10
