Blue Jay Cafe

Went hear on a date with my girlfriend of two years. The staff was fabulous and the service was excellent. The location of this restaurant is to die for. I had the ribs for dinner, one of the best I’ve ever had in my 43 years of existence.

Sigh. We first ate here two years ago, had to wait an hour to be sat and it was worth every minute. The food, the service, the place– on point. We’re here today and the place is half empty, the food terrible but the service was still pretty good. It really breaks my heart to see this place again in this way. The biscuits were definitely not homemade, the home fries were burnt and had zero flavor. Nothing on my plate tasted fresh, original, or had any soul. :(There’s a note on the door that says they are closing for new chef and renovation, so I’m glad for them because they need it. Best of luck Blue Jay!

My husband and I have been to Blue Jay Café a number of times since we moved a few blocks away a few months ago. Each time we’ve had a great experience and delicious food. The poached pear salad, blackened snapper and fried chicken are all great. Plus, you can’t complain about free cornbread with your dinner.
It’s rare to find a place in the city with such reasonable prices for a full meal. There are also some great drink specials that vary based on the day of the week ($ 5 pitchers of sangria one night). Food is nothing fancy, but a great neighborhood restaurant that we’ll be frequenting often in the future.

Came in on a Saturday afternoon for brunch with two other people. The place was half empty so the bartender signaled for us to sit down wherever we wanted. We sat against the wall and the booth seating was weirdly high compared to the height of the table.
The menu looked like decently priced standard brunch fare, nothing too fancy or out of the ordinary. We ordered eggs benedict and home fries, an omelette with grits and a chicken fried steak with fruit. Service was good, food came out a decent amount of time later and the waitress checked to make sure we didn’t need anything else. My eggs benedict was standard good, home fries were good but nothing special. My friend liked his omelette but the husband was disappointed with his chicken fried steak. We’re from Texas, so we know what a good chicken fried steak is and this was not one of them.
With the Unilocal check in, we received a free dessert so we chose the peach cobbler. The portion was quite large so it was good for all three of us to share. It was delicious and the scoop of ice cream on top was perfect. I would give an extra half star for the cobbler.
I liked the art on the walls and the general laid back vibe of the place. We came here on a whim and it was satisfactory but it didn’t wow me. There are a lot of places that serve brunch that have a little extra something. I might come back to try the dinner menu.

By far, the friendliest staff in the city, plus the food is outstanding! We had shrimp & grits and a pulled pork sandwich. All delicious and flavorful. Plus I had the best chocolate flourless cake in the world. Just devine! Go there to eat, it is delicious and delightful!

The crab cakes eggs Benedict was amazing! Whoever invented that is probably my soul mate. I had it the first time I went, and came back a couple days later for it. Casual brunch place with fair service.

Great local eatery
Really enjoyed dining at this neighborhood gem. The food was great especially the flour-​less chocolate cake. Can’t beat the prices and our waitress was friendly and super helpful. I’ll be back as soon as I can. So happy to discover something so relaxing and fun that’s close to home.

DO NOT EVEN WASTE YOUR TIME. I wanted to give this place a chance, but unfortunately they did everything in their power to make my experience horrible. My girlfriend and I had to wait over an hour to get our food when the restaurant was almost half empty. Not only that, but a couple walked in 20 minutes after my girlfriend and I sat down, and they got their food almost 30 minutes before we got our food. They were about halfway done by the time our food came out.
By the time we got our food, the server offered a halfhearted apology with absolutely NO EXPLANATION about what took so long. What’s more, my gf ordered two eggs sunny side up with bacon, and I had an omelette. I’m no executive chef, but even I wouldn’t take over an hour to cook those meals, especially when the restaurant was practically empty. It’s now no secret why no one was there.
On top of that, the food was so so. The homefries were small and overcooked, and the portions were small. The only positive was the 2 for 1 mimosas, but that’s not nearly enough to bring me back here. Oh, and my friend who lives in the area just told me that he had a similar experience where he had to wait two hours for his food. At least he had a meal comped. Unfortunately we weren’t so lucky.
This place was so bad that it prompted me to write my first review. I can only hope that it gets better. No matter, I’m not coming back.

You don’t see a lot of places on Unilocal that are a solid three stars, nothing more and nothing less– this sums up Blue Jay to me. Everything was decent and totally satisfying but nothing was exceptional. I would definitely go back but with the right expectations.
We had:
$ 5 sangria pitcher (Thursday special) — tasted mostly like juice but with lots of fruit in it. Good deal.
Fried chicken — good. I love some good fried chicken. This was definitely satisfying, but didn’t have any unique spice or definitive flavor.
Mac and cheese — decent like all Mac and cheese must be, but a little overcooked and runny.
Collard greens — eh.
Pot roast — not bad but I’m not super into mashed potatoes.
Sweet potato fries — sadly not crispy. Still tastes good of course! Just wish they were crispy.
Corn muffin — good. Maybe my favorite part!
I would definitely come back if I wanted no nonsense, decent southern food — but with expectations in check (decent food but no frills). Like the neighborhood chill feel.

I lived a few blocks away from the Blue Jay Café, and thus, went fairly often. That was really due to laziness more than anything else though.
If you are going alone and sitting at the bar, the service is great. If you are going with friends are sitting at a table, prepare to be ignored and have terrible service.
Food wise, it is alright. If it hadn’t literally been next door, I wouldn’t have gone more than once. The Mac and cheese is meh. The buttermilk chicken is pretty good. My friend had waffles there that she said were some of the worst she’s ever had. It’s a little bit of a mixed bag, food wise.

Really great brunch spot. Not overcrowded (and it was 12p on a sunny Sunday), no wait for a table, fast service. Great out door patio. Staff was attentive. Food was not only good but reasonably priced. Shocked that it isn’t a highly sought after brunch place, but also love that fact.

The Mississippi Delta meets 1950s diner meets Indian meets Paris.
Southern comfort food in a diner setting, where they play tunes from India and France. It’s a pretty awesome eating experience. Nice waitresses too. And good happy hour deals (including $ 1 PBRs on Tuesdays) and half off bottles of wine on Mondays.

Welp, I wrote a negative review the other day, and now it’s apparently been removed (with no warning or whatever) though I adhered to the content guidelines. SUSPICIOUSLY removed, I say.
Let’s try this again. I’ll reword it without the «colorful language.»
WORST. SERVICE. EVER.
Let me clarify; the servers are actually and often pretty good. The boss (owner?), however, is a real piece of work. I went here about two weeks ago with some friends for brunch (I go here all the time out of convenience; it’s in the neighborhood). We asled to sit on the back patio since it’s been gorgeous out for weeks but the server told us the owner wanted to keep it closed since it had been «too cold,» which seemed lazy more than anything but whatever. We waited for an open table.
We got some menus and waited by the door (there were two that could seat our party of 4 that just needed to be cleared and also room at the counter, so we thought, «any minute.» wrong.).
Perusing the menu for a few minutes we get ushered out the door, told that the owner wanted us to wait outside. And this whole time, we’re just like, «sure, sure, not a problem» because it really wasn’t. And, how funny, I thought it was «too cold» to be outside originally. Again, big whatever.
After ten minutes we see that the tables have been cleared, but no one’s called us in. We go and seat ourselves so we can at least sit at a table while we wait, and which we’ve done time and time again without issue. Often the servers tell us to go ahead and sear ourselves so we didn’t think we were overstepping any boundaries between patron and host.
We wait for a few minutes and then I get up to use the restroom when I hear the owner tell one of the servers to make us wait «at least ten minutes.»
We were being punished!!! Because we wanted to wait sitting down in a half full diner rather than wait standing up outside?!? What?!
After waiting at the table, we asked the server for some water and he said he couldn’t serve us… and added, «My boss is a douchebag.» (Not getting anyone in trouble, because it turns out the server quit. Ha!)
So we got up and left and went to Mojo’s, where the owners and employees are at least cool and decent. My husband actually went up to the owner to ask why he they were being purposely rude and ignoring us? The owner THEN IGNORED him and walked away. What?!
It’s too bad because I was really craving the inconsistent range of awful to fair fare they serve.

When I sit down for brunch I expect to be served. First mistake.
I went to Blue Jays for brunch the other day and had a really odd experience. I was with 3 friends and we got there around 1:30 (they close at 2:30). We wanted to sit on the back patio since SF has been unseasonable warm for the past few weeks but the server told us that it wasn’t open since it’s been «so cold». Okay, whatever, we’ll sit inside.
The server, who was super nice btw, gave us menus and told us to hang out until he could clear off the table for 4. Five minutes later he told us the owner wanted us to wait for our table outside, as to not block the entrance (I assume?). Again, whatever.
So we’re standing outside and we notice the table has been cleared. We all walk inside and sit down (which we have done a million times before considering we live like 5 minutes away and go there all the time). My friend overhears the owner tell the server not to come to our table for «at least 10 minutes» since we chose to sit down instead of wait outside (keep in mind there were like 3 empty tables and no one else waiting, and again, we’ve done this a million times before). After waiting at the table, with no service, we decided to leave and take our mimosa craving business down the street. Good food or not, the owner sucks and I don’t want to give him my money anymore.
Also, how weird is this? Why were we being punished for sitting in a semi-​empty restaurant?
Bottom line: I am never going back. One of my friends actually confronted the owner and said he was being rude and didn’t understand why we were supposed to be ignored. The owner did nothing but tend to the empty table behind him. I ended up with a sandwich by 2:30pm from somewhere else. Again, whatever.

My first experience at the Blue Jay Café about a month ago made me think that this was going to be my new favorite, casual dining spot where I bring all my friends. But a second visit two weeks ago was not great.
First visit for dinner: Crab cakes w/​coleslaw, grilled snapper filet w/​charred green beans and a side of mac ‘n cheese were all delicious. The strawberry rhubarb crisp (mistakenly referred to as a «cobbler» by the server) was alright, but nothing special. A yummy meal overall, and I was excited to return especially as it’s quite affordable.
Second visit for dinner: went with a couple who love southern food, and their 12-​year old son. Had crab cakes again and the hush puppies for starters, and both deemed tasty by everyone. But the entrees failed to impress.
Mine, in fact — shrimp & grits — was downright terrible and I found it inedible. The grits were soupy, the shrimp were watery (presume frozen) and had a slightly mildew-​y flavor, and the whole mess was covered by stewed tomatoes. I’ve read quite a few recipes for shrimp & grits, and canned tomatoes are not part of the equation. The server did ask if I’d like something else, but I was turned off by that point and didn’t want anything else.
My friends made little comment about their dishes, except that one said her mashed potatoes were cold. I tried a little piece of the coating from her fried chicken and although crispy, seemed to have no seasoning. I also took a small bite of a mac ‘n cheese side and it wasn’t as good as on my first visit. Nobody took more than one bite of it, which tells me that no one in my party was bowled over.
For dessert, we shared a piece of pecan pie and two of us thought the nuts tasted a little rancid. Plus there was virtually no filling. Not that it should have a ton of corn syrup goo like those terrible grocery store pies, but this was just old-​tasting nuts on top of a good, but very thin crust. To end the generally lack-​luster meal, the server brought my friend’s coffee out about 10 minutes after serving the pie, so we were ready to go by the time it came.
So a disappointing second experience, especially after I initially raved about the food to my friends. I’ll give Blue Jay one more try, because I want to see how they do on the fried catfish. Hopefully the third time will be the charm as I’d love to love this restaurant.

Wir sind durch Zufall im Blue Jay vorbeigekommen. Es war extrem cool und sehr lecker!

Solid solid solid neighbourhood spot!
We’ve come here a few times between brunch/​lunch/​dinner,
and both service and food has been consistently good.
They have pretty good variety, but I’d say the food has a little bit of a Southern flair.
Brunch time gets pretty packed and loud, but the wait is not bad at all.
Dinner is very enjoyable, and feels a bit more intimate,
not sure if that’s due to the dim lights.
Dinner menu is pretty simple and kinda reminds me of Hard Knox,
pick your main item plus two sides for $ 12, hard to beat!
Food will be plenty and you’ll struggle to find enough room for all of it
both on the small table, and in your belly…
*small tables = keep your group at 2 – 4, 6 max please!*
but try to save room for dessert, they always have specials
and they are utterly DELICIOUS.
Service is good, but on slower nights they actually have a chance to socialize
more and give it that overall cozy and friendly feel.

I like this place, but it can be… inconsistent.
Sometimes the service is great! Sometimes it’s a bit slow and comes with too much attitude.
Some of the food is really good! Some items are bland. (In general, I’d say their sides tend to be their best feature. Omfg macaroni and cheese. lol.)
Pet peeve: I order a burger, and they stick that damn toothpick/​stick in the middle so far into the bun that I don’t see the damn thing. I bite into the burger, and I close my teeth on… stick. Not appetizing. This has happened a few times — seems like it’s always been long enough since our last visit that I forget about the stick issue. Gah.
Their music selections are usually good, and there’s always interesting art on the walls. Prices are pretty decent, and they have some great specials.
EDIT: Star added for quick owner response and immediate attention to criticisms mentioned in original review. Wow!

I am looking forward to trying all of the lunch specials after having a delicious brunch here. I had eggs Benedict which Bluejay prepares on a southern style biscuit. I thought this was a nice touch. My only beef with the place is that I ordered a waffle with blueberries and I assumed the fruit would come as a topping but instead was cooked into the waffle. This left the waffle a little over cooked and hard. The strawberry butter that accompanied it was a nice touch. Last I would like to mention the home fries and grits; both were good enough that I could have ate a bottomless plate of them.
Our service was excellent, and our server Darleen was attentive! In addition she helped me with a little Spanish homework too. I suggest you try it out!
PS. IDK why there is complaints on the décor, personally I love it and think it’s fun!

I wanted to like this place, but with the meh service and abundance of fruit flies, I just couldn’t really love it.
On a Saturday early evening, this place had only a handful of customers, but they seemed short-​staffed with only one server and one cook. While service was nice, they were slow, and in no hurry whatsoever.
The menu is reasonably priced with comfort southern food. Fried chicken, Ribs, Fish, etc. It’s a good deal for $ 12 and it comes with two sides.
— Fried Snapper: This was delicious, and fresh. A large fish portion. The breading took over the fish, but fortunately the breading was light.
— Ribs: The ribs were pretty good, and worth $ 10. They won’t make it on the top five, but for the price, it was good.
— Mac and Cheese: This got better with time. It had a real cheese topping that I didn’t care for.
— Mashed Potatoes: Buttery, and rich.
— Cornbread: A little burned, but had potential.
While the food is a good bang for your buck, this place just had a ton of flies flying around which made the meal not as enjoyable. It just really put a sour note on our meal.

GOOD EATS IN DIM AREAS
(3.25 stars)
The thing about restaurants on Divisidero, you usually just drive right by them. I decided to slow down and come on in.
— FOOD, good
— PRICES, good
— SERVICE, good
— AMBIANCE, café/​diner
I’ve always wanted to try this spot for breakfast but DINNER WILL DO. Came here on a Saturday evening, when there is no rush of people and easily access to a table. Sat at the counter and enjoyed dinner in the dim light and half empty café (that’s a good thing because i hate overly packed places when trying to enjoy a meal).
HEFFER STATUS.
Finding what to eat is kind of complicated that I’ve gave up many things for lent. I had to keep my eatings light. I really did want to get down and dirty with the big dinner dishes, looks like I’ll have to come back for fried chicken and waffles and some gumbo when lent is over.
MAC-​N-​CHEESE ($ 3) — I’ve heard good things about the mac and cheese. And how it’s prepared sounds cheesy and heavenly. Even being lactose and sensitive to cheese, i said who cares I’m going to try it anyways I’ll be going straight home after. The mac was pretty good but kind of watering. After several bites all the water cheese had fallen on my scarf and shirt. I thought cheese was suppose to be gooey and kinda thick? I’m sure many people will enjoy this mac and cheese, although good, I’ve had alot better.
CALAMARI ($ 6.95) — Can’t complain with the price for a side of calamari. I been craving calamari for some time. Since i couldn’t make it across the city to my favorite spot to get my fixing, I had ordered it here to give it a whirl. The crisp on the calamari was GREAT, however the squid could be cooked just a little more (maybe even a few seconds more). Something about the tenderness of the calamari felt too tender (if you know what i mean). Also my plate had more tentacle pieces then body pieces, not a fan of tentacles.
Will I be back? Yes. this place deserves more stars and i’m hoping the other dishes will shine through.
Until the next review…

Went on a sunday morning, aimed for some brunch time with my boyfriend.
Place is pretty cute and the servers are quick with great attitudes.
We got the mimosa special — 2 for 1.
I ordered the Eggs Benedict veggie
Boyfriend ordered 2 eggs any style
Was good food. Nice and basic.

This place has awesome décor, super nice staff, and decent brunch food. I’ve never been here for dinner, so I can’t comment on that.
The first time a couple weeks ago I came I ordered a veggie omelet with home fries and toast. The omelet was pretty mediocre, but the potatoes were crispy and delicious. I came again this weekend and asked the waitress what she recommended. She said the Benedicts are good, so I took her word for it and ordered the Eggs Benedict with house smoked trout cakes. Poached eggs with hollandaise, on top of trout patties, on top of a biscuit. The end result was just kind of… dry… I enjoyed them well enough, but there are better places in the area for the price ($ 10.50). This time I should have chosen the grits as the side dish, because the potatoes were not good… well salted, but not crispy. Sad.
A quick word on the Saturday two-​for-​one mimosas: $ 5 for two mimosas. Not bad, not the best either. They’re pretty tiny glasses. If you want a good mimosa deal, head down to Overland Café in LA for $ 4.99 bottomless champagne. Now THAT’S a deal.
Lastly — Although the staff is super nice, beware that the place varies from empty to full fast and the service may end up being quite slow as a result. Stay patient.