We were passing through on our recent trip and decided to stop at CJ's based on the great reviews. You will notice right away that it is an old establishment with regular dining here. Our wait was only about 10 minutes and were seated ahead of the expected wait time. Ordered the huevos rancheros and chicken fried steak and eggs. The food was good, the staff was friendly. The inside and furnishings is a bit dated which shows the age of this business. We enjoyed our breakfast but definitely will try other ones when we are in the area again. read more

CJ's Cafe - Huevos Rancheros - American Near Me - Arroyo Grande, California

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Food was disappointing, ordered eggs over easy came out hard. Very little effort to butter toast, wife country potatoes were burnt. Service was fine. I want to like CJ so bad, food is in decline, frozen burger patties. read more

Great Breakfast and Lunch menu with great service. The best cafe in Arroyo Grande. My favorite place to eat when I am in the area.

Good ole diner!! Friendly service. Good food. Breakfast blueberry muffin was so moist and delicious. We will be back to visit the area and CJ's will be out go to for food read more

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I was expecting quite a bit due to the high ratings and reviews but this visit was not it. Pretty disappointed since I love trying mom and pop type of shops. FOOD: I got the Burrito Grande and it was 90% beans! SO disappointed. I ordered the trip-tip as my choice of meat and I can count the amount of meat with my two hands. It was too overloaded with cheese and beans. I thought I was eating a bean and cheese burrito instead lol. For $13 I would expect more meat and less of the fillers. My dad got the Canadian Style Bacon and Eggs, super simple but the meat were so tough :( Not impressed at all. SERVICE: Our server was nice but we felt so rushed. Not even 10 mins into our food she gave us our bill. Our food came in the right amount of time so that was a plus. I think that entire visit she only visited us once and it wasn't a busy time either especially in her section so... that could've been better. AMBIANCE: Being it surrounded by windows it was a well lit place. Plenty of seatings and tables. Smelled pleasant inside and not too loud. There are also plenty of parking. Easily accessible through the Main Street and close to the freeway. Overall, I would not recommend this place unless I've tried it again and somehow got a better experience and food because it was just not it for me. A lot of people said they liked the breakfast so maybe I should try an actual breakfast dish next time? I don't know because my dad ordered a breakfast dish and that did not deliver either. Maybe when I'm out of options and want to give it a try again I will but for now this place is a hard pass for me. read more

CJ's Cafe - All that beans and very little meat. Disappointed. Don't get the Burrito Grande. Not worth it. Theres supposed to be tri tip in there. - American Near Me - Arroyo Grande, California

This place has continued to go downhill since the previous owners sold it. It's unfortunate because there are already so few breakfast places already in our town. read more

My boyfriend and I were excited about trying this place after moving to AG from Santa Maria. After finally being able to go, we went today and brought our 2.5 month old baby. The service was terrible. They were busy and had adequate staff but for some reason seemed unorganized and hsd no idea what they were doing. We told our waitress as we were ordering our food that we also wanted a togo order. Never asked if we wanted to order and did not check up on us after we got our food. She went to every table around us and we were sitting there done with our food trying to console our fussy baby waiting for the check. We eventually got tired of waiting and got up to go to the front to pay and put in our togo order since she never came back to ask. We had to wait an additional 20-25min for our togo order which should have been ready before or shortly after we were done. The manager offered a piece of cake for our trouble but the food was not the best either so did not want to try their cake anyways. There food tasted really cheap. The only thing that was good were there Mozerella Sticks but definitely not worth what we went through. I would have rather had a refund. We will not be going back and honestly I do not understand the line of people that wait to eat here even my daughter did not like their spaghetti. I also normally do not review or get this upset but I don't think I have ever been somewhere as bad as this. I hope they can figure it out. read more

A Nice Greasy Spoon..... Pros: Convenient. Huge menu. Excellent service. Generally okay food. Cons: Food portions were smaller than expected. Floors had too much food. Star Ratings: - Overall: 4 - Location: 5 - Ambiance: 3 - Menu: 4 - Food Quality: 4 - Food Portions: 3 - Service: 5 - Price: 5 - Value: 4 - Parking: 4 We had some family members from Los Angeles stopping in the area for a late breakfast-early lunch on a Sunday near 101 and they suggested CJ's. Although we don't live far away, it was our first visit there. Here are the pros and cons: Pros: - Location: Excellent. On Grand Avenue about 4-5 blocks off 101. - Menu: Huge. It's one of those "all day breakfast, lunch and dinner" kind of places. - Quality of Food: Varies from fair to very good. I had the Albacore Tuna Melt ($13.95) with American cheese on grilled rye bread with a side of french fries. The sandwich tasted okay, but the amount of tuna was mighty small. The fries were "meh". My wife had a Three Egg Omelette (($14.95) with Cheddar, Jack and Swiss cheese accompanied by small bowl of fruit. She really liked it. Our 2 family members shared a dish which I forgot, but they did say it was good. - Service: Very friendly and helpful. One thing most other reviews mention is excellent service and that was clear to us. We had one primary server, but someone was always around to answer a question or retrieve a drink refill with a smile. - Atmosphere: A dignified Denny's. Of course it was just our first visit, but CJ's reminded us of a Denny's type place with better food and nice people. - Parking: Plenty around 3 sides of the restaurant, but was full on a late Sunday morning. Cons: - Food Portions: Depends. My Tuna Melt had a fairly small amount of tuna, but my wife's omelette was a fair size. - Cleanliness: Needs work. CJ's is a volume business so tables are cleared, occupied and cleared again in rapid order. Problem is the floors seem to fill with whatever falls from the tables. Don't look down and you'll be okay. If you compare CJ's to similar restaurants with a huge menu, it rates 4 stars. Compare it to places a step above like nearby Rooster Creek in the Village of AG, it gets 3 stars. Would we go back? Two weeks later, my wife and a friend went for lunch. read more

I ordered a chicken strip salad, and I had at least half a can of sliced olives on my salad, the chicken strips were overcooked and so dry and the cheese that was on it was basically clumped together. My mom's omelette was a complete disaster and was sent back three times because they left things out on the last time the cook just threw sausage on top of the omelette. The toast was cold, and the butter wasn't melted on it. read more

Small town cafe was great. Good food and service was good also. Prices cheaper than Dennys. Definitely will go again when we are in Pismo again soon. read more

If you specialize in Breakfast learn to make good Hash Browns, They were soggy and the Omelette and Pancakes were mediocre, wouldn't go back

Hubby & I always like the hamburgers here and the root beer floats. They serve the float in a tall parfait glass then give you the rest in a tall stainless steal cold cup they use to make the milkshake in. It's soooo good! read more

Ordered food to go, only to find the omelette was greasy & had spots of raw egg. The hash browns were cold, burnt on the outside, raw on the inside. Ordered a waffle that came with no butter or syrup. 80% of our order went in the trash. We were regular customers under the previous owner. Very disappointed, won't be back. read more

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Food is always great. The omelettes are amazing. The muffins are fresh and very moist. Service from the bussers is always good. Wait staff is hit and miss. They get very busy so I understand they have allot todo. The food makes up for any wait to get refills or foos. read more

I went in there, sat down and waiting for my order and they skipped me about three times. All I see was new customers come in and get served, but they didn't serve me so they're quite racist. Not a good place to go. read more

My son, cousin and I went to CJ's after 9 holes of golf. My son ordered a chile verde omelet,, my cousin a breakfast sandwich and I ordered 2 soft tacos à la carte. We waited and waited, but no staff came to the table. Finally I asked a staff member if anyone was working our area and told her that we had been sitting for 15-20 minutes. She replied that we had NOT been waiting that long. I said "OK" and turned to walk back to our booth when she said there were people ahead of us. My cousin, who was looking our way said that she rolled her eyes at me as I walk to the booth. The food to another 15-20 minutes to arrive. My son and cousin got their food and the waitress said that mine would be up in a minute. Another 10 minutes went by before my food arrived, but it was not à la carte so it had a big pile of rice and another of refried beans. She said she put "à la carte" on the ticket, but the kitchen didn't see it. She offered to take it back and remove the rice and beans, but I declined saying that I just wouldn't eat the rice or the beans. The tacos were piled high with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes so you couldn't eat them without half the toppings falling off the tortillas. The beef taco was just OK, but the cod taco didn't taste or smell fresh so I didn't eat it. Neither my son or cousin were impressed with their food either. We won't be back. read more

CJ's is notorious for letting you sit for 10 minutes with no greeting, no eye contact, no menu ! My husband and I were regulars. Not anymore. I'm tired of the customer service or lack of. We walked out today after waiting 10 minutes at the counter. We always sit at the counter. Still no service. They have a huge staff but not one of them took 2 seconds to acknowledge us. Plus the cooks and the wait staff argue in front of customers. You have lost our business. I am sitting at Holybelly as I write this. We walked out of CJ's for the last time. No excuse for this lack of service. It's happened numerous times. Mind you it was not busy as usual and still the same lack of service. CJ's you need to do better. Teach your staff customer service skills. A hello and a we will be with you asap would be appropriate. read more

I am a regular in the night time, and I normally am greeted by all the employees. I came in the other day and I was sitting in a booth and I had one waitress who was very disrespectful. She was taking my order pretty much sitting down on the floor. She was yelling if I wanted butter and sour cream from across the counter and she didn't even check on me once. I found one of her hairs in my food and let her know and she didn't care. I really think that she picked it out with her hands and gave me back my food. I will no longer be sitting in this waitresses section because she is a disappointment to this restaurant! read more

Super busy Sunday morning and I still received great service. Food was still hot and fresh. With every booth and chair taken it was a little louder than usual but that's to be expected. Still my favorite place to eat a Sunday breakfast. read more

CJ's Cafe - Denver omelette with home potatoes and a blueberry muffin - American Near Me - Arroyo Grande, California

Diner with a throw back vibe and OK food. Not sure why the service is as bad as it is. Watched the host sit 3 parties the same size as mine that arrived after us. Took forever to order. Maybe it's just a summer thing but we won't be coming back. This place has become overpriced and the service has declined. read more

I came here for the early bird dinner which is served daily between 2 and 5 pm. For only $14.99, you get a choice of various entrees, along with soup or salad and a dessert. I had the fish and chips which was quite delicious. They gave me a generous five pieces of fish along with a generous portion of fries. For dessert, you can have a choice of several flavors of ice cream or tapioca pudding, which is what I had. Not only was everything quite tasty, the portions were generous, and the service was very attentive. The early bird is very popular here, as the place was quite busy during these early dinner hours even though it was a weekday. read more

CJ's Cafe - Front Entrance - American Near Me - Arroyo Grande, California

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Service is amazing. The food used to be amazing. I went a couple years ago and it wasn't the same. My family was not happy. I need to go again but we're very hesitant to have the same experience with the food. The servers are great! read more

I had their chicken fried steak and eggs years ago and every time we come back to Pismo I have to go tto IT'S and get it again!! Always Awesome every time. read more

CJ's Cafe - Chicken fried steak and eggs!! - American Near Me - Arroyo Grande, California

Having been coming here for years! Can't say enough great things about this restaurant. The food, the staff, both outstanding. Always friendly and the food is fast but amazing! We will continue to to come here for as long as we live in the area read more

Locals and visitor's favorite in the 5Cities. Omelette and burritos are consistently good. CJ's erves generous portions and tops it with good service. Ambiance is laid back local diner feel. Be patient, the place always gets busy during breakfast hours but dont worry, food service is always excellent and fast. Bottomless coffee will start your day right! read more

Before and after the owner change; I have always had great service and delicious breakfasts!

We come to Pismo often so as we head into Arroyo Grande to wander, shop, eat we've passed by CJ'S and the parking lot is full. Most times of day. Possibly why is the fact that the parking lot is really too small. It's a good ol fashioned cafe with the usual fare. We had breakfast. The fruit cup...the fruit was bad. I didn't want melon so asked if it could mostly be pineapple, but the waitress said "no, they won't do that!" The plates with burgers passing by looked good. Lots of seniors. Prices reasonable. Glad we tried it. Probably won't return. read more

Great food, equally great service. Old coffee shop with a great home cooking menu. It's like going back in time with meatloaf, fried chicken, pot roast. Breakfast is good. Homemade muffins are real good. Love CJs. It's always packed on the weekends. read more

Food was well prepared and portions were generous. The staff was courteous and attentive. Parking is easy right off grand Avenue, which is the main through fair. read more

So i came in here for breakfast while i was getting new tires on my work truck down the street. Fair amount if people for a weds morning, so thats a good sign! I ordered the chili verde omelette and hash browns with toast. Everything was great, with a great waitress and fast service. 4 stars for all that. Id recommend this place for sure. Not over priced, and food was fresh and delicious. Minus one star for: some of my pork in the chili verde was not tender. Most of it was. Also a couple of chewy fat pieces in there. Im good with edible fat. This was not. The butter in my toast was not melted and cold. I found that strange. hash browns could be a little crispier IMO. And lastly i told the host i did not want coffee and asked for water. He then brought coffee? He's a younger/teenage guy, and i don't like making a fuss, so i just drank it. It is what it is lol. Anyways i WILL be back. They have real folded egg omelette's and i cant wait to try the mushroom/bacon/ jack cheese one next time. I say 95% of you out there in yelp land will love this place. read more

The food is consistently good here so we always know we will enjoy what we order. Huge menu and while their prices have also jumped, they are considerably less than most other restaurants. Breakfast is our favorite to eat here and the veggie omelette with country potatoes and a muffin are my go-to. Service is good, especially when you consider how busy this place usually is! I always have enough leftover for dinner or the next days breakfast. If there is a line, it normally moves fast. They have a very good hot turkey meal that my husband likes. Not much on ambience but it's always clean and presentable inside. I'm sure we will be going again soon read more

Oriental Chicken Salad This was lunch brought to me by one of our teachers at our school where I work. I'm a custodian at a local elementary school. It was a thank you for taking care of her classroom. She knows how much work during the summer, it sure was very nice of her to think of me and the salad is delicious. read more

CJ's Cafe - Oriental Chicken Salad - American Near Me - Arroyo Grande, California

Hello, I have been enjoying my Chef salad at CJ's for years. I try Chef salads at many restaurants and I always rave about yours. Yesterday I went with my friend. I ordered the Chef salad with thousand island dressing with raspberry iced tea and she ordered the soup and half sandwich. As soon as my salad was set down, I was disappointed. It came in a ROUND bowl rather than the oval elongated plate. Items on the salad were not clearly visible as they have been in the past. The turkey looked more shredded than cubed. While eating I found three hard white particles (maybe bone.) I have attached a picture of what it used to look like. I'm not sure if I will be returning for the Chef salad. read more

CJ's Cafe - Chef salad and raspberry iced tea. - American Near Me - Arroyo Grande, California

Our family has been coming to CJ's for years. In the last year, the food quality has gone down but staff like Vanessa and Carson W bring a smile to our faces! read more

Terrible service. Got seated and almost and hour passed with no service and the place was not busy at all. Had to just leave because we couldn't wait around any longer. Staff was just talking. read more

Visited 04-27-25 about 5:00 p.m. I had the ribeye steak that came with pilaf, vegetables, bread and a green salad. I was expecting a juicy steak. Instead I received a flat over cooked piece that resembled dry liver. The pilaf also had no flavor. A disappointing meal for me. My husband had the Chile verde. He loved it. The staff and service was great. Seating areas were clean and ladies bathroom as well. If I came back I'd order a simple sandwich. You can't go wrong with that. :( read more

So to start, this review doesn't not have anything to do with food taste or food quality. All of these are fantastic and love the food here. I have only put this review at 3 stars for one specific reason and that reason is that food prices sharply increased after the new ownership took over. The things that frustrates me the most is the fact that a single pancake or single slice of French toast is $5, that is ridiculous! A small cup of gravy is also $5!! I went to a close competitor in the area (Francisco's) and noticed that a single pancake or single French toast slice there is just $2.50-$3, so yea no idea why It's more here. I know things are more expensive across the board but I find the increase and price of certain items completely unacceptable. I'v been coming here for many many years and to see this happen is disheartening. I hope the owner can see this and possibly give an explanation of why things are costing this much because I know for a fact one pancake does not need to be $5. All the best,.. read more

Great service great food is hands down a local favorite it's especially nice the serve breakfast all day

Recently started trying oh this restaurant, the food and the service is spot on. Highly recommend this restaurant!

We just missed the early bird dinner which seems to be a fantastic deal. My family ordered two burgers which didn't come with fries (its a side add on) and one breakfast. I wasn't particularly hungry and ordered some soup of the day. Portions are average sized for an American diner and the food tasted good. The booths are a bit snug if you're whole family is plus sized but in compensation the parking lot is huge! It was a decent experience but nothing stood out as extremely positive or negative. My older parents were excited about this place because of that early bird special and most likely we will come back for that experience. read more