Outstanding brisket, ribs,...which is what we had today. The sides we so tasty.The yams were perfectly sweetened. The beans had a kick and the grits with cheese,bacon and jalapeños was incredible. Along with the food the 2 ladies that took our order and served us really cared about their restaurant and customers. We highly recommend this place. read more

The pecan pie is amazing; the fish and chips is exceptional, and it comes with delicious homemade tarter sauce. The chicken is tasty, but inconsistent as it is sometimes underdone. My son loves the chicken strip and fish combo...it is very good but a little pricey. They offer bbq 2 way, 3 way, and 4 way, but when I wanted 4 way, they said I could only get 1 serving of each offering (lame). The collard greens are delicious; the ribs are ok, but you get a whole lot of bone. I dislike having to pay over the phone, but I feel bad about how these folks have been treated by the Alpine community. This is a nice family business. read more

Hidden GEM. Absolutely wonderful. The food, the atmosphere, the aroma when you walk iin....OMG. I definitely recommend this wonderful family restaurant. I will definitely come here again. The FISH & Grits....can't get any better. You have to try this family owned restaurant. Try the banana pudding.. read more

Jays is a local eatery, friendly staff, basic good food. Would recommend for a quick bite or family feast.

Alpine needs to support this business. Jay and his family are good people. When I get cravings for bbq I'd have to drive down the hill. No more the food excellent. read more

Delicious Family owned and run restaurant! All the food is delicious and made to order.

This family owned restaurant is a welcome find in Alpine! The owner and his wife and kids were a pleasure to meet and the food was amazing! We sampled the pulled pork fries (highly recommended!) and the two meat platter with spicy sausage links (really good but definitely spicy!) and more pulled pork with homemade barbecue sauce. The pulled pork was really tender. The barbecue sauce was solid but not spectacular. We sampled the potato salad (solid if a bit generic) and the barbecue beans (quite sweet but really good!). The owners are from Louisiana originally and the decor reflects this with posters from New Orleans on the walls and cool school Jazz playing on the background. I love mom and pop places and this is one I can heartily recommend! I look forward to returning sometime in the future! read more

2 words... fish sandwich. Jay's Southern Cafe is the mic drop on fish sandwiches. Period. Must try.

Consistency. That is what you find at Jay's. I originally was introduced to Jay's Southern Cafe a few years ago when it operated at in Jacumba. It has been a little bit since I have had their bbq but they have not missed a step. Everything tastes the same. The ribs are smokey delicious. The pulled pork is wonderfully juicey. The bbq baked beans are THE best in all of San Diego. The bbq sauce is wonderful but not always needed. And that is the sign of great bbq. read more

Jay's Southern Cafe - 2 meat combo with ribs, pork, beans, and fries. - Southern Near Me - Alpine, California

A great great place for BBQ. A very nice family owned restaurant. Jay is really friendly and pleasant. The food is delicious. We had Brisket, Pulled Pork, spicy Beef Link and fries. It was all delicious. We also booked catering for a rehersal dinner party. I highly recommend Jay's BBQ read more

Great food and friendly staff! They have a nice dining area. Food is really good. Love the fried fish here.

OMG, Jay!!! Thank you for the outstanding food you made for my Birthday pool party. Your food was such a big hit!!! Everyone wanted to know where I got the food, so I think your going to get some customers. The potato salad and greens, were even a bigger hit with everyone! THANK YOU - THANK YOU!! read more

Food is amazing, the service is outstanding and the staff make you feel like family. Their bbq is perfect and their pies are better than grandmas! read more

Extremely disappointed, me and my family were excited to try this place since were new to the area. Food was mediocre but what really bothered us was the bad service. Me and my son arrived one hour before closing and I ordered food thinking it would be enough for a family of 4 since my wife and my other son were on their way. When we received our food I quickly realized it wasn't enough and ordered another rack of ribs but the owner said we had to take it to go even though we we're already sitting down and it was 30 minutes to closing time.. any other restaurant would let you finish your food as long as you ordered before closing time but to each his own. Good luck with that.. read more

This food is SO good. We've had the brisket, the chicken and the ribs. Today I tried the Sea Bass sandwich - flaky and flavorful with a light cornmeal batter. Jay was in to take our order each time we've been here. You can tell he's proud of the food that's served - as he should be!! read more

What a Great experience we had at Jay's the food and the atmosphere was amazing the service was fantastic, great customer service this is now our go to place when we go to Alpine since we live in the Temecula area read more

We have been eating their food for years now, but had to ride all the way out to Jacumba to get it until recently! Absolutely some of the best southern comfort food that I have had in ages. Their pulled pork and brisket sandwiches leave you more than satisfied. And their sides are wonderful. Well worth the 20 minute drive out from El Cajon! read more

Food was excellent, and served in cozy ambiance. Excellent service - one of the few true family-run restaurants I've been to. We had a very warm welcome and help deciding what to order. We ordered ribs, brisket, spicy sauce, beans, cornbread, coleslaw and no complaints about any of it! Will definitely stop here again when we're in the area! read more

First of all, why, why, why do restaurants ask for a tip while ordering at the counter when there really isn't a serving experience? It's a very awkward situation for the customer. Now on to the food, the collard greens were out of this world delicious! However, we both ordered the 1/2 smoked chicken and the skin tasted burnt but the meat was good! The bbq sauce was rather weak, meaning not much depth of flavor. I should have ordered the shrimp and grits, from the menu description the dish sounds very appetizing. The gal who took our order was very warm and friendly! read more

Jay's Southern Cafe is FRESH AND DELCIOUS and with this hot weather in our area, (Alpine, CA), my husband children and I from Jay's Southern Cafe. The BBQ Beef Brisket and Shrimp Po Boy is better than some of the finest restaurants in New Orleans, and we think the coleslaw beats KFC. I met Jay and his family and they are lovely and attentive owners and all of the staff, including the cooks go out of their way to answer questions and give us huge smiles when we walk into the Cafe. Jay and his wife and staff serve up southern hospitality and charm and the food is absolutely delicious and the restaurant is a gem in the middle of Alpine. read more

Heaven on Earth!!! Ordered the chicken and fish with a side of french fries...MAAAAAAN. First off, it literally came on a platter and was more than enough for two. Second, I didn't even need to bite into anything yet to KNOW it was SHMACKIN! When I tell you I bit into that fried fish and went to a whole nother world...LOL. I was mind blown! And don't even hesitate on ordering the yams. It'll change your life!! You know what, just order everything. You won't be disappointed!!! read more

I got there 45 minutes before closing (7pm)?? They told me the where out of a lot of things, I settled for chicken tenders, they said homemade so I tried them. Two people ahead of me in the store 25 mins to get my food. I live close so food was hot. Yea!! 1st chicken was rubbery as heck and tasted burnt I think it was the oil it was fried in 2nd the bbq sauce was terrible and way too sweet. I was very disappointed the place could be a winner in alpine if they fixed a lot, we don't need another Mexican restaurant in alpine. also on yelp/ website there is food and deserts not on the in store menu. read more

Good food can't be beat. Ask Jay for his sweet potato apple casserole..... Smoked pulled pork sandwich is my favorite. And don't forget the ribs or brisket. You will not regret eating here. Family owned and they are wonderful folks. read more

Came here today with my girlfriend and we had the pulled pork fries and ribs! We also got their banana cake and it was fantastic. Service was welcoming and friendly and the restaurant was clean and comfy! 10/10 would recommend. read more

I'm so happy we accidentally ended up having lunch here on Saturday. The service was great and the food was delicious. I can't wait to go back and try one of their other dishes. The chopped pork (they call it pulled pork) was so tender, the fries are fresh potatoes, and the cole slaw had a great kick of vinegar. Yum! We will be back. read more

The staff is super friendly and helpful. The food was really good. The greens, baked beans and potatoes salad were exceptional. The chicken could have used a little more season but it was still good, tender and juicy. The ribs were tender and the meat fell of the bones. The pulled pork fries I would highly recommend. Overall I would say this place is probably one of the best bbq places I've tried in SD county. read more

Jays is the place!!! Service is great, food is absolutely delicious. The fish sandwich is highly recommended.

decent bbq but just got charged 60$ for a 25 $ plate and chicken tenders - 10$ I even asked for spicy and regular bbq which they charge extra. I know , for bbq sauce, at a bbq place. I asked for the receipt because they make you pay by phone before they add extra on your bill, and the lady was shady and said ok you can have it check it out and make sure it's ok. I'd post the picture of the receipt it literally doesn't make sense. but ok. chicken is dry as hell by the way my kids will eat chicken mush mcdonalds nuggets but won't eat this because the chicken itself is crunchy like the coating. I know a lot of people out here and I will tell everyone it is trash and they will bill you more over the phone and scam you on your price. Don't try the chicken tenders unless you like crouton chicken. Literally the chicken breaks in half. read more

Wow! Not my first time here but EVERYTHING was delicious. We had ribs, bbq beans, fries and greens. Absolutely recommend this place.

My favorite place to go for BBQ. I love the pulled pork fries. I highly recommend checking this place out!!

Went here after a mountain bike ride. I had the brisket and the fried fish meal and they were amazing. Definitely get a salad to help balance out the main entrees. read more

Jay's Southern Cafe BBQ gets five stars. Fresh and deliciously seasoned food. Next level southern BBQ. Family owned and operated! In the terminator words: "I will be back!" read more

This place is a blessing to alpine, we haven't had true, good, close your eyes, and experience some honest barbecue in absolute ages. We are extremely lucky to have Jay and his family up here with us. You gotta give this a try, even down to the chicken tenders, this place is delicious. read more

I am so excited to come back to this spot! I had the brisket with fries and coleslaw. Everything was perfect from the sides to the main dish. I also got the sweet potato cinnamon roll and it did not disappoint. The staff was very friendly and attentive. An all around great establishment (: read more

Jay's Southern Cafe - Brisket - Southern Near Me - Alpine, California

Was driving thru. Stopped to grab lunch. Place is amazing. Will definitely be back. Ordered the brisket. It was fiiiiire. read more

Wow! What a discovery. Excellent food, very good prices, a nice atmosphere. Although you order from a counter, this place is damn close to full-service. I normally don't tip much (or at all) for counter service, but since they bring your food to you, I gave a reasonable tip. I quickly discovered that the hardworking employee brought us our food, refilled our drinks at least four times, and repeatedly checked if there was anything else that we needed. Her hard work outright beat any full service restaurant that I've visited in recent years! Our cashier/server earned double (in tip) what I originally tipped (upon ordering at the counter). read more

The food is good. However they are in a really bad spot parking is horrible and they aren't visible. Feel like if they had a different location they may do better. read more

Ordered the fried fish with Cole slaw and the BBQ chicken and baked beans. Fish was ok but breading could have had more flavor. Cole slaw was good in moderation but overall had an over powering taste of apple cigar vinegar. Thankfully the chicken was cooked all the way through but it was basically seasoned with BBQ sauce and the beans were too sweet. Glad to have tried it but the reviews definitely left much to be desired. Maybe it was better back in the day. Employees were great though (10/10). read more

Best fried chicken I ever had! Next time I want to try the desert. The brisket was also very tender and good read more

The food here is really amazing, and so is the staff. You can tell they have a lot of pride in what they serve and everything was delicious. Fried wings, fried fish, ribs, sides, we tried it all and everything was on point. My only complaint is that is way out in Alpine, but now I eat here whenever I'm going to the casino lol. read more