Cafe Tommy

Tucked away over on shirk it doesn’t look like much on the outside but the food is excellent on the inside. Don’t forget to get the warm bread pudding!

Best chilaquiles ever!
Unilocal requires me to write more but that’s really all I had to say.

Food was good but service was average at best! It took 20mins for food to come out — too long.

This place is hidden in the industrial side of Visalia. The menu isn’t large, but what makes up for it is attention to quality and taste. Both my husband and I had the tri-​tip breakfast sandwich; he had hometown potatoes and I had jalepeno and cheese grits. Service was friendly and our order came out hot and tasted delicious. The waitress came by several times to check on our meal and refill my coffee. Breakfast for two cost $ 26 (two entrees and one cup of coffee).

I had the pleasure of lunching with Tommy Café today after a quick Unilocal search. I was totally sold on their breakfast menu and couldn’t wait to place my order.
We arrived at 10:50 am, were sat immediately, and handed lunch menus.
«Excuse me miss, is breakfast still available?»
She responds, «Ohhh, breakfast stops at 10:30.»
Strike number one…
The café is great, and representative of a creative side-​, almost a dream world-​, of Tommy’s. The walls are adorned with street art/​graffiti and passionate phrases evoking an attitude: done with pleasure.
I read the wall to my left, «life is short, eat bread pudding.» With attitude like that, you know the food is going to be good.
The menu is simple and direct. It feels and reads like my favorite coffeehouse in Downtown LA, Chimney.
Our waitress says, «clam chowder is the soup for today. It’s almost ready; we only have it on Fridays.»
We have to try that for sure.
I opted for the chicken fried sandwich, no tomato, extra spicy ranch mayo. I tell the waitress, «Have ‘em make it sloppy. I don’t like a dry sandwich.»
My companion ordered the 5 spice chicken salad and a cup of clam chowder.
I comment, «I would’ve ordered the salad but I have to say I’m unimpressed with the choice to use iceberg lettuce. The chef has a real opportunity to showcase gorgeous greens and he chose iceberg?»
He felt the same way. However, we have to go with what’s available.
The café is a mish-​mosh of art, graffiti, bumpers and car paraphernalia, along with a shrine to plant life. We weren’t fans of the tables and chairs but suspect this will only be temporary until this place really picks up.
I ask the waitress, «are you guys busy on Sunday? Could we make a reservation for breakfast?»
«Oh no. There’s a line out the door as soon as we open. You’re best bet is to show up early,» she says.
The food arrives and I’m an idiot for not taking a picture. The sandwich was cooked to perfection, though my ranch mayo came on the side, not the sandwich. The communication between the table and the kitchen needs work.
The sandwich was to die for; every crispity-​cruchity bite was so good. The fries were delicious. I was not disappointed at all. Ketchup was an afterthought and took a while to get to the table.
The salad was delicious, with no iceberg lettuce in sight. Only present was Napa which is such a restaurant faux pas. Menu: say what you mean and mean what you say.
The clam chowder had an immediate taste of fish shit along with a lingering after taste. «This is due to dirty clams,» says my companion. «It’s very dangerous to serve a dish like this in this condition.»
The waitress returns, «how is everything?»
«Please send this clam chowder back. It’s not good with a terrible scent and taste.»
She returns about three minutes later, «the chef would like you to know that the clams we use are fresh not canned; that’s the reason for the taste and smell.»
I interject, «You can tell your chef that my companion is a trained chef as well. We know the difference between a clean and dirty clam.»
Solid three stars.
I can’t wait to see this place evolve and grow.
I highly recommend you try this place.

Café Tommy is THE best spot for brunch in Visalia. Their food is comforting, delicious, and of very high quality. Being that they’re one of the few places to open on Sundays in this small town, expect a wait-​time that’ll be well worth it.
—The Food—
Chicken Fried Steak ($ 13.00) — An off-​menu item, this plate made my eyes widen and gleam with excitement. A medium sized chicken streak was generously fried and smothered in house-​made gravy, served with eggs, oven baked, home fry potatoes, and two slices of white bread. Fantastic. The gravy’s sweet and peppery tastes were the highlight of the dish, complementing the spices of the heavily battered steak. I do wish the steak was tenderized more, but it was still a delight to eat. Love the home fries as they’re seasoned with salt and rosemary.
New Mexican Christmas Burrito ($ 11.00) — The contents and taste of this burrito will make it seem as if the joy of Christmas can be had everyday. The red and green chili salsa will contribute to that too. It’s jam packed with scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, chorizo, pico de gallo, and cheddar cheese. Originally, it should be served as a wet burrito with the chili sauce on top, but we chose to have it on the side. A savory breakfast item, although it is on the pricey side.
Chef Tommy’s Warm Bread Pudding ($ 7.00) — Topped with praline sauce and cinnamon whipped cream, this is a sultry and sinful dessert that MUST be had.
—-
Conclusion: Café Tommy is the brunch/​casual counterpart of Tommy’s Downtown, a popular and more ostentatious restaurant that serves dinner, but the decadence and exquisite tastes are present at both locations. Although Café Tommy’s prices are more expensive than they should be, the fulfilling tastes mildly justify that fact.
Extra Notes:
–Accepts credit card
–Closed on Saturdays
–Located at the corner of an industrial complex, easy to miss.
–Tables available outside
–While I do like the décor, (filled with graffiti art and vibrant structures), I don’t think it jives with the high-​class spirit of the food. I feel it’s a failed, bi-​polar presentation that attempts to fulfill cool and classy.
–Service is kind and efficient
–Parking, not a problem
–Restrooms are clean

Just ate a wonderful breakfast! On our way home to Orange County from Yosemite, and found this restaurant! So good! We had steak and eggs on a bed of jalapeño grits! Omg! We also had the chiliquiles with papas fritas! The chef sent us his famous bread pudding which is like a churro/​French toast! So great! My husband and I will make sure we stop here again!

Found this place off HWY99. Great coffee and really good food. Staff is friendly and accommodating. Had the chicken fried steak and it was delicious. A little off our route, but worth it.

You would never know by looking at Tommy’s from the outside that it serves the best brunch in town. Never disappointed. They close at three during the week and they are not open on Saturdays. They do catering as well.

Was in town for a convention and got on Unilocal and decided to go to Café Tommy based on the reviews.
Pros The food was good. I had the special which was a hand breaded chicken fried steak. The steak could of used a little bit more tenderizing but was still delicious. The gravy was tasty. I asked for the eggs scrambled soft and they were a bit over done for me.
My husband had the steel cut oatmeal and a side of bacon. He said it was good.
The coffee was great.
Service was excellent and the server very friendly.
The parking lot lot was large and parking was easy.
The restrooms were clean.
Cons The ambiance was just ok. The building is like a warehouse but they did some cute graffiti like paintings inside.

The food here is to die for. We went for breakfast but I’ve been told that lunch is just as amazing. I had the sausage egg and cheese sandwich and my husband had the breakfast burrito. Both were out of control delicious. The service was slow but very friendly. I will return for lunch!

Rapidly becoming my favorite Visalia restaurant. Food is fresh and actually hot when placed before you! They open @ 10am on Sunday and the place is full at 10:03.

So this place is really cool. Food is great. Service not so great. Sat right away, ordered right away but took forever to get food. Our server was not so nice. Kind of a n votive vibe from her the whole time. Mickey was her name. Didn’t come back for refills, took my order wrong, very short answered with us. Just not good service. Won’t come back just for that reason. Food great though.

The 5 spice Chinese chicken salad is delicious.
The artwork on the walls is awesome.
Cool place

Ya know, there is a difference between a“grill man” and a Chef; Chef Tommy is the real deal. You can see this in the décor, the friendly service, the plating and most importantly: the taste of the dish in front of you. This was hands down the best breakfast burrito I’ve ever had. Chorizo, potato, scrambled egg all embedded In a warm flower tortilla. Topped with a delicious fried egg and paired with red and green sauce. Being a Cali boy I’ve had my far share of burritos and this one is in the top 2. TWO! Not 10, not 3. But top 2! Highly recommend.

First time going here today — I ordered The OG Wedge salad. I expected a little more from it… was a little disappointed, especially paying $ 12 for it. It was just a giant wedge of lettuce, with a few tiny egg & bacon crumbles on it. It was so small, it was even hard to pick up with a fork. The tri-​tip was awesome though, and the dressing was great.
I wish they did half-​orders so I would be able to get a salad and soup. Oh well. I’d go back, but definitely wouldn’t order the same thing. They were busy, and it looked like most people were enjoying their food!

There are many words that can be used to describe the food at Café Tommy. The word I want to use is: Exceptional.
As an avid Unilocaler with a lot of reviews, I am pleased to finally have the opportunity to write a review here on Unilocal for Café Tommy.
The menu is VERY simplistic. Nothing fancy, it’s not overwhelming, no matter if you get their breakfast menu, their lunch menu, or their Sunday brunch menu. Oh, and by the way, Café Tommy is only open for these two (or three if you count brunch) eating times. No dinner. Which I think is amazing because it gives the chefs at this place more time to focus on what the menu offers to the customers and prepare the food the way it is meant to be.
I ordered the All American Breakfast. My eggs were perfect, the bacon was delicious, and the home fries? TO DIE FOR! They really aren’t ‘fries’, more like country potatoes, but the portion was very good, they weren’t overly greasy, and they were seasoned to perfection.
My husband ordered the special of the day, which happened to be Chicken Fried Steak. The ‘gravy’ that was poured over the chicken fried steak wasn’t really gravy — more like a delicious, creamy, buttermilk sauce. It was so good!
The portion of the food that comes on the plate was just right. Most places bring you a big plate with a lot of food on it because… well… it’s America and we are known for huge portions, right? But not here. The portion for our meals was just right. Remember, it’s not always about the quantity, but about the QUALITY of the food. Quality over quantity, always.
Now, while we sat there eating we noticed that a lot of people were ordering Mimosas, which must be pretty popular from this place, and a lot of people were ordering Tommy’s famous bread pudding. After eating our brunch, we didn’t have room in our stomachs for bread pudding so we got some to take home. Later in the day, we got around to warming it up in the microwave and trying it and… WOW! It’s delicious and makes me realize why SO MANY people rave about the bread pudding from Café Tommy. Superb!
In conclusion, the overall experience was really good. The service of the staff was spot on — always checking to see if we needed anything, if the temperature of the food was good, if we were satisfied, etc. The atmosphere is trendy/​casual, and it feels almost like a really chill, laid-​back cafeteria where it’s comfortable to be in.
As an added note, if you’re wanting to eat here on Sunday, get there when they open. At 10 AM on Sunday, the place was already pretty busy.

We wanted to try something new today so we (Susej Z. — another Unilocaler) decided on Café Tommy’s. He ordered Chilaquiles and I ordered the Classic Burger with a Fried Egg in it. The food came out fast and it was great! The «fries» /​potato wedges were delicious, some of the best I’ve ever had. The burger had some great flavors, especially with the egg yolk running through it. Food was all around great tasting!
Our waitress Karina went above and beyond with the service. I appreciate when someone gives great customer service, it’s a must for me! She made our time at Café Tommy’s more enjoyable. We’ll be back for sure!

Café Tommy has become my favorite place to eat in Visalia. I have been there over 20 times for both breakfast and lunch and have been impressed each and every time. The food is both unique and delicious but the service is what makes me want to go there everyday. Nidia was the first server that I had on my initial visit and she recognized it was my first time there so she explained the restaurant to me and made me feel very welcomed. The service has been nothing short of incredible on every visit since.
I am in the process of ordering each item that is on the menu and have taken several pictures of items that I will post along with this review.
Luckily they’re only open for breakfast and lunch otherwise I would probably have to claim Tommy as a dependent on my taxes because I would spend so much money there..

I’ve eaten breakfast twice at Café Tommy and have to say I’m addicted. I daydream about their bacon. This restaurant is off the beaten path in Visalia, but easy to find. Heading north on Shirk from the 198 it is on your right in an industrial-​looking area. (If you hit Goshen Ave, you’ve gone too far.) I have yet to meet Tommy, but apparently he is here quite frequently. On this morning, I actually had cash, but Tommy hadn’t brought cash for the cash drawer yet, so I had to pay with my debit card. No harm, no foul. I told the hostess/​server, «Good thing I brought my card, otherwise you’d have me doing dishes.» She laughed and said «No, I just would’ve asked if you could come back later».
The menu is simple, but the food is fresh, cooked upon order and delicious. The prices are fair. The restaurant has a casual «street» vibe to it. There is a window behind the cash register where you can watch the chefs at work. They also help alert the hostess when a guest has arrived. On my previous visit I came with a group and they were able to accommodate us. Both of my visits have been during the weekday, however. I’m not certain how busy it is on the weekends.
The service was good, although the hostess/​server found herself «slammed». She was attentive enough considering the small place was almost full.
People rave about the bread pudding. I have yet to give it a try. Perhaps my next visit.