This restaurant easily has the worst service in Pensacola. I sat there for 20 minutes and not one person came to take my order. I watched my waitress take other orders and clean at least two tables and still did not come to take mine. I didn't even get a chance to try the food; I simply left and went to the McDonald's up the road. At least I could actually order food at a local McDonald's. Avoid this place if you care about your time. read more

We waited in line for 30 minutes to grab a table that we had to bus ourselves. We moved all the dirty plates to the end of the table and waited 10 additional minutes for the waitress to come grab each plate ONE AT A TIME. She made a handful of trips back and forth cleaning a mess that should have taken 30 seconds. Then, she decided she couldn't find a rag so she wiped the eggs off the table WITH HER HAND. Delicious! She finally gets our drink order, we get the drinks 15 minutes later. I see the guy in the kitchen spraying what looked like RAID at the flies swarming the prep area... "I hope that isn't the 'signature sauce'," I thought. So we wait another 25 minutes and the girl still hasn't been back to take our order. We left money for the drinks on the table and left. Never going back. I can't believe this place is in business tbh. I've worked in restaurants. Despite the occasional difficult customer, it is really not that hard with a little common sense. read more

Excellent, pleasant and professional service. Had a fantastic western omelette, grits, oJ and coffee!

- at 630 am, it's a great time to get there for breakfast! It's been a few months since I was last here, and I noticed immediately that it was so much cleaner and brighter inside. I even noted that all the 4 x 6 hand painted pictures of customers were aligned evenly placed throughout. And great listening John Coltrane music --made me think, am I in Pensacola??? Not New Orleans or Memphis ? but this is Pensacola?? HooRAY! This place has got some soul. Great big steaming cup of coffee arrived after I placed my order, and I was asked if I wanted water, thanks so much for asking!! too many places just automatically deliver water.. and I never drink it away from home. My breakfast came and it was just exactly what I wanted this early in the AM. Fruit out so I was asked if I wanted sliced tomatoes-- yes, love tomatoes! Hash Browns were perfectly cooked, and with a shake of garlic salt during cook, they were perfect! Each bite said more more more! While I really loved the food, I loved even more overhearing the story being told about the artwork on the walls.. a retired RN has been a regular and takes a cell phone foto of random customers. She returns with these hand painted 4 x 6 portraits that now line the walls of CJ's. It's really a great story! The food is authentic..like having breakfast in your mom's kitchen. The portraits on the wall are little stories just waiting to be shared over a cup of hot coffee. And the back ground music, all bluesy and comforting make CJ's a place I will come back to again and again. read more

Had the crab cake benedict, so many bests tied up in this one dish. The best crab cakes I've ever had, the best hollandaise sauce I've ever had, the best egg benedict plate I've ever had in any form, and the hash browns were very good (I've had some really good hash browns and this ranks up there with them). The hash browns are best saved to the end to soak up all the hollandaise and egg yolk (you runny yolk folks know what I'm talking about). This dish was a work of art, I hope the chef knows the impact his dish has. read more

CJ's Kitchen & Grille - Crab cake benedict, so good! - American Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Alright, it's a hole in the wall. Freestanding hole in the wall. Tons of parking. But you're not here for ambiance -- you're here for down home Southern breakfast at its finest! And that's exactly what you'll get. Eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, grits, toast, fresh squeezed oj, coffee, tea. I always get a big ol' bowl of grits, extra butter, bacon, and a large oj. My son gets the full spread. And of course beignets. Always get the beignets. It's a jewel in hiding. Go there at once! read more

Good place for good food at a great price! A few of us take an extended lunch break from time to time and CJ's is one of our go to places! It gives that old school diner feel and the staff always takes care of us! read more

If you like the classic diner vibe, with sassy waitresses that call you sweetheart, and hun, this place is for you. The food is typical diner food, good but not great. Service is on the slow side but the staff works hard. The main issue from my experience was the cooks unsafe and unsanitary practices. Not wearing gloves touching everything and not washing his hands before touching food. I saw him wipe his nose and touch his mouth then use bare hands to press down hash browns on the flat top. After receiving a coffee mug with lipstick on it, I wanted to walk out. I wont be returning but if you like this style cafe and can overlook the issues I mentioned, go check them out. read more

Groupon brought me over. I have passed by this place several times because it is on a major road. I always see cars parking outside. After I walked in around 9 am. The place was almost full and the waitress told us to seat ourselves. I looked at the menu and found what I wanted, crab cake benedict and biscuit and gravy. As more people came in and sat down, the waitress took the order of a party that just came in. A few minutes later, another waitress came to take my order. The food came and it was decent. The hash brown was cooked to light brown on the outside. I would prefer a bit more crispy. But it was seasoned well. The crab cake benedict was good. The yolk wasn't runny or too cooked. The biscuit and gravy was pretty tasty as well. They put the sausage patty on the biscuit. The gravy was just poured over the sausage and biscuit. By this time, the place is packed and couple parties left. The waitresses had to bus the table and refilling drinks. I would say that they can probably use a bus boy to turn the table faster. read more

CJ's Kitchen & Grille - Crab cake benedict - American Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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Gorgeous Crab Cake Eggs Benedict. They were almost too pretty to eat. Hash browns were golden brown, crunchy on the edges and delicious. read more

CJ's Kitchen & Grille - Local artist and regular customer takes snap shots of other customers and paints renditions. They're all around the restaurant. - American Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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I'm pretty particular about how my hash browns are done. This place has them done right! From the moment you enter CJ's you are met with kind faces from locals to the staff greeting you with "Mornin'." The smell of good ol' fashion country breakfast from back on the farm hits you like a memory. You find your way to a table, booth or talk with the cooks at the counter. The decor is unique. A local artist paints small canvases of the locals or "usuals" sitting around the grille. The waitresses are right there as soon as you sit ready to give you a menu (which are clean) The right amount of items to choose from. The coffee is straight up Cowboy coffee. Strong. You won't need caffeine for the rest of the day! The orange juice is sweet and perfect for your meal. From ordering to serving was no more than 15-20 minutes, if that. I enjoyed a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit with hash browns and extra bacon. The pancakes are beyond fluffy and plentiful. The cooks and staff have a few good laughs. Which makes for the feeling you're at grandmas house. *Open M-Sat 6:00am - 2:00pm Sun- 7:00-2:00pm *Friendly staff *Clean bathroom *Plenty of parking *Clean menus read more

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First time visiting and was not disappointed! Very budget friendly and absolutely delicious, along with great service. We had beignets to start while we waited for our meals, I ordered crab cakes egg Benedict, and the wife ordered French toast. All which were great, but the crab cakes were outstanding. Would highly recommend this pace and we will definitely be back. read more

We have been vacationing in the Pensacola area and found CJ's for breakfast. The southern hospitality was so great and so was the food.

The Food was impeccable. Y'all No Lie this is Literally My new food Joint . It is worth the wait and everything Else. I Highly Recommend This restaurant . Service was Great Lord Jesus Bless this place that it May Grow and Expand!!! read more

Cute place. Have eaten there before but the servers are slow and extremely rude! Nobody wants to spend 1.5 hours on breakfast!

This place is awesome. GREAT food and AWESOME service. If your looking for a great, as close to "home-made" as you can get tips restaurant, this the place to go. As the old saying goes, "don't judge a book by its cover", this place is a place that lives up to that. They ROCK! read more

When you walk is there is a sign to "Please seat yourself." There was only one cook on the grille. He was nice and definitely friendly with the customers, however it was a long wait for our food and it was only My wife and I. The restaurant was not even busy at all. My Wife had the seafood platter and i had the patty melt. My Wife thought the seafood was okay. The crab cake was burned on the outside and most of the food seemed over cooked. the only thing she really liked was the shrimp. My patty melt had a good amount of meat inside but it was nothing too special. It filled me up, but didn't have a taste that stood out to me. There was also 3 flies flying all over our table. That should say something about how clean this restaurant is. I was really disappointed with my visit. Only tried this place out because there was a deal on Groupon. I definitely will not come back. read more

CJ's Kitchen & Grille - Seafood Platter. - American Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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Good food, good atmosphere. Service is always slow due to the lack of staff. It's worth going at least once.

Sometimes its really hard to find a place around downtown Pensacola that has immediate seating depending on the day of the week for lunch hours.  You can almost always walk into CJs and and order your food in less than 10 minutes.  This is most definitely a "greasy spoon diner".  If you're looking for aesthetics this probably isn't the place.  But if you're looking for consistently good food then this place is most definity recommended.  It's a small place with a few tables and the staff along with line cooks are always upbeat every time I have been there.  Lets face it, none of these guys are getting rich working here and keeping an ongoing positive attitude is very commendable.  Anyways on to the food.  The menu is NOLA inspired and extraordinarily reasonable.  You can get a good seafood platter here for a fraction of what you would pay in downtown P-Cola about a couple of miles east.  The menu consists of mostly comfort food but there are also a variety of salad options.  Once again, you aren't paying for the atmosphere here but friendly people and a place that cares about the food they put out goes a long way.  BTW try the beignets after your meal and get them to go if you have to.  They are very good.  FYI, CJs does close at 2 PM but if you happen to walk in right before 2 PM they have always been accommodating. 4.25 stars. read more

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they should provide a knife Fork spoon and HAIRBRUSH! The steaming Jimmy Hendrix music is not for me especially before my coffee. Waitresses oblivious having fun chitchatting . took a good 18 minutes to take our order . our breakfast was lukewarm , it wouldn't melt the butter on the pancakes. to make matters worse I overheard a customer saying they had a hair in their food when my breakfast arrived I ate about half of it and discovered a hair in my food also so since I ate half, I was obligated to pay for it. you eat here please check your food first for hair. Wear ear plugs. The waitress wasn't very apologetic as if it happened all the time read more

Love this place! Amazing food at great prices and plentiful portions! Best of all the servers are so kind!

I found this place by chance and I'm so glad I did. The customer service is phenomenal and the food is even better! The hash browns are a perfect combination of crispy and savory. read more

Hey, I read the negative reviews. There central complaint is mostly the same. This is a locals joint, good food, fairly priced. Here's the issue of the complainers. Length it requires to get your order taken, and time invested to be served your meal. Plus believing they're being ignored by the waitress. I say to these folks, analyze how this place operates. When you walk in you are assigned a position. First in, first out. Last in, last out. This is a tiny joint, two gals handle the tables and the bar stools. The kitchen is small, one small grill, I understand 40 years in use, limited space even to plate up orders. The grill is usually cram filled with all the orders it can handle. Your food is cooked fresh to order, no short cuts, it requires time to feed everyone when the restaurant is full, most showing up the same timeframe. In a hurry, this isn't your place, you want some good food cooked to order when it's your turn, prices unbeatable, interesting people, this is your spot. One complaint, their coffee cup, really, no two cups are identical, enjoy, it's that kind of joint. Relax, stop and smell the roses. read more

Wanna eat local? This is it! The outside looks old, but the inside is total local culture! Awesome place, friendly, and the hash browns are spiced and wicked good! Looking for that place you're gonna come eat at every time you're in town? This is it!!! Great for breakfast! Good value too. We had 4 adults and our bill was only 35$ Beignets were to die for ! Reading all the reviews, I guess it depends on who shows up for work but we had a great experience read more

CJ's Kitchen & Grille - This is the inside and it's super clean and friendly. - American Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Do not ever go here if you dont have hours to waste 1st time i went in for breakfast at 730 am they were about half full and it took me a hour and half to get breakfast so i decided to try it again i went in sat down and was there 10 to 15 minutes no one came to my table i got to looking around and same as last time people sitting around with dirty dishes ready to leave and looking for the waitress and they are not coming so not only does it take forever to get food and forget a refill on drinks but good luck paying and leaving so i got up and left and will not be wasting half a day going back to eat there read more

This diner reminds me of the places that my dad would take me when I was a kid. It definitely has the 'we focus on food' vibe; the decor is definitely retro. These people like making food and it shows. Everything that we've eaten here is delicious. If you're look by for something different and not a chain fast food place, then this is the place to eat. read more

CJ's Kitchen & Grille - Delicious and gigantic Philly French dip sandwich. Friendly people serving great food in an old school diner vibe. - American Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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Awesome coffee place with absolutely joyful customer service. The food is great and the coffee super good. My favorite breakfast the omelettes and the best beignet ever.... ;0) read more

Was in this place 45 mins and 3 tables behind us was seated and got waited on before us a party of 2. Heard Pensacola Fla is one of those good ole boys towns. I don't recommend this place. read more

Do not go here! Going to echo an earlier reviewer. I really wanted to like this place. Home-in-the-wall, "D&D" are kinda my jam. And, honestly, the food was pretty good (but it was breakfast, so lower bar) BUT... they have a very odd, non-traditional, service process. Let me explain: Seat yourself; waitress came by with menus and took our drink order; brought our drinks and said something about there were a couple of tables ahead of us and left; and there we sat; watched as the waitresses bused other tables, went around and filled coffee cups - standard wait staff busy work; still hadn't taken our order; another tabled left - it was bused - new customer sat - was given menu and drink order taken; It is as if the kitchen can only handle so much so customers have to wait to order - however, the place is small and there were two cooks and wasn't crazy busy; finally, we ordered; and then waited again; the new customer got his food; we had just set a timer and were going to leave cash for drinks and go if food didn't come in 2:30; a minute later it did; it was a 52 minutes between the tine we got our menus and the food arrived. We knew, because the menu said that they stopped breakfast at 10:30 and it was 10:40 and we were concerned that we missed breakfast (food arrived at 11:32) I think this is just how they operate. Now you know. Use at your own risk. Go to Dennys. Same food read more

We arrived on a Saturday at approximately 10:30a. There was a short wait while some tables were cleared... the service staff seemed to help each other so it was quick. We waited a short time to place our order but it wasn't too long and they had a relatively full house so no issue. The food came out quickly and the portions are large. I had the country fried steak breakfast while she ordered the biscuits and gravy and it was too much for either of us to finish. My breakfast was complete with grits well done hash browns (personal fave) and fruit and toast... good food very inexpensive and fine service in a diner atmosphere... I'll be back read more

Got ignored for 30 min just to be served cold food. As a chef and new to the Area myself i had to see what this place had to offer. Well sorry to say but after the way they made me feel I think you have to be of the right suntan. All I could think was why can't I just get a slice of pie. I thought the year was 2022. Hope you all get with the times. Thank you for showing me what you are about. read more

CJ's Kitchen & Grille - Ps this is what I got my coffee in. What a joke this place is. - American Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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3.5/5 honestly solid solid diner. Coffee was surprisingly fire for a diner. Wouldn't recommend the New Orleans pastry thing, but rather my buddy's eggs Benny crab cake was really good. Great friendly service. Will be back. read more

CJ's is the type of place where the regulars are many, the coffee always fresh, and your meal is cooked by a grizzled 40-something guy in a 15-year-old NASCAR t-shirt. I had the Napoleon which was ok, but certainly nothing phenomenal - the cheese on top was kinda gross and greasy. They do have very good beignets, though. Yum. Get those if you ever find yourself at CJ's. A decent spot for a cheaper breakfast, but next time I'd probably try somewhere else. read more

CJ's Kitchen & Grille - American Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

May 22, 2009 CJ's Kitchen and Grille - Pensacola, FL $5.95 Cheeseburger Final Score: 7.61 Today we tried the "Good Ole' Burger" at CJ's Kitchen and Grille. A hand shaped patty that's larger than most- cooked to order. It's served on a soft bun with lettuce, tomato, onion and a homemade mustard dressing. The tomatoes were fresh, but the leaf lettuce and sliced onion were average at best. Some commented that their burger was dry, while others didn't care for the dressing that had been added. The best thing this burger has going for it is the meat- it's good quality- but it was labeled by some as "bland" and "dry" by others. In all- the Burger was a classic case of "Good, not great." Everyone seemed to like the Burger- but nobody was IN LOVE with it. The Burger received a final score of 7.61 from our Panel of Judges. That being said, our quest must continue next week- as we press on in search of the Pensacola Areas best Burger. www.nwflburgertour.com for other great stops read more

CJ's Kitchen & Grille - Cj's - American Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Don't come here if you're expecting fine dining. This place is awesome. If you're looking to go somewhere for homemade comfort food after you just rolled out of bed and don't feel like doing your makeup or if you want a smiley atmosphere after church with family and friends or after a morning of yard sailing, or even solo after a long night and you're hungover and you desperately need that kick in the ass, come here.. You're treated like family where everyone at your table has a different coffee cup and you may even get your meals a minute apart but the food is always hot and delicious and you can relax and read the paper, and your food tastes like it's cooked from your grandmother or your mom. If you're picky and like things a certain way.. Tell them! Don't complain about it cause they didn't read your mind. I watched a couple do this and it really grounded my gears. Happy breakfast! read more

CJ's Kitchen & Grille - American Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

This is a greasy spoon little breakfast/lunch joint with big portions & cheap prices. It was busy when we stopped on Saturday around 11am, but we got a table without a wait. The server was really busy & the poor girl was sweating bullets. It was mid 90's with high humidity. We felt for her. She was very friendly. Got us menus & water, then forgot to coke back & get our order & apologized. We didn't care, we weren't in a hurry. They have a unique breakfast special called New Orleans Napoleon which is scrambled eggs, andouille sausage in puffed pastry with cheese sauce & hash browns with tomatoes. I had to try it being an out of towner & it was yummy. My friend had the fried pork chop big breakfast with 3 eggs over easy & hash browns and it came with cheesy grits (which I ate for her), fruit & a biscuit. She also had a huge glass of tomato juice. We enjoyed the food & were stuffed. This place is a breakfast dive, seems to be mostly locals. No need to dress up, nuthin' fancy here. But if you're starving for a good breakfast I recommend it. read more

CJ's Kitchen & Grille - CJ's New Orleans Napoleon breakfast - American Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

One word describes this place. Fantastic!!! The napoleon breakfast was incredible. Server was new but super friendly and attentive. I'll be back tomorrow read more

I have driven by this small, weirdly place, restaurantero a while now. The lot has been full lately so today on my birthday I decide to drop in. I ordered the Steak Big Breakfast with a Blueberry Waffle on the side. Some hot Coco to help with the cold temps here, but once I walked in it had such a homey, small, everyone knows everyone, great warm vibe. As I said, small but perfect ! The time it took from looking at the menu, placing an order and then eating was amazing! The steak was cooked a little bit to rare for medium rare but, I tried it before sending it back and was seasoned so well!!! This place if you have NOT dropped in is a good small place to eat breakfast or lunch. For a restaurant like this reminds me of a small gathering around home so I'll try to come after church her instead of the other name brand places or Waffle House!! The price was equally matched of amazing!! Next I need to try the beignets !! Of course we all have our opinions, but for the statue of service and just the mood and vibe I recommend it to everyone !!!! read more

CJ's Kitchen & Grille - American Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Greasy Spoon-"ish." Better than Waffle House without the fuss of higher-end "Brunches" and/or Lunches. Hands down the easiest and most bountiful Parking in the 32502 (Downtown Pensacola). NOTE: Not walking Distance to the main Entertainment District that is Palafox Place. read more

Was in town for business, and some Colleagues and I wanted some breakfast , reviews were decent enough. To our surprise , we had to not only fight a herd of roaches , we also had to fight our way through the most rubbery pancakes I've ever been served. We ended up just leaving. Hopefully the service, the kitchen as well as the atmosphere as a whole improves greatly. read more