It's been a long while since I last visited JoAnn's Cafe. Stopped by for a weekend breakfast/brunch date with mom. We were greeted as soon as we entered and were seated quickly. Steady stream of customers, but not to the point that there were no tables available. Mom ordered the BLAT which she quite enjoyed. I went with their special - grilled pork chops topped with onions and eggs. Decided on fruit rather than potatoes and had to have their homemade blueberry muffin. Good sized pork chop that was seasoned well - packed half to take home. The muffin was also still warm - yum! Solid breakfast spot and friendly staff. read more

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Had Mother's Day brunch here. Surprisingly no wait and not crowded at all. I ordered my usual eggs, potatoes, mushrooms, and spinach. Apple walnut muffin, the best! Portions were generous and hospitable staff. Lovely service. read more

No wait on at all on Easter Sunday! This establishment is probably a twelve table restaurant with a limited counter top. They also have a couple tables for outdoor seating. This place is definitely well lit, which I love. We were kindly greeted and seated. A lot of different items on their menu. So everybody in your party can definitely grab something that they want. Make sure you take a look at the board because they do have specials written in old school chalk , which is kinda cool. Coffee refills came without flagging our server. The food was so good that my boyfriend had to dab up and give props to the cook. We will definitely be back!!! read more

JoAnn's Cafe - Goldie's Lox - American Near Me - South San Francisco, California

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Greetings to all, this is my first time to Joann's, let's see how it went: Parking for this eatery is limited to whatever is available in the area; this works well for them. Inside the place is a Very Home like atmosphere with just the right amount lighting keeps things interesting. The service was kind friendly and precise. The food we took to go, but could actually see it being prepared in front of us, we loved this part of the experience; nice job. Today's experience was a solid 4 stars and the food was very tasty as well. read more

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What we ordered - Santa Fe: This is basically a burrito with eggs, chorizo and cheese. On top of it is sour cream, tomato salsa and tomatillo sauce. This was pretty good, I just wish the tortilla wasn't as crispy and softer. I didn't really like the crunch. - Burger: Basic burger with fries! Not much to say - Southwestern Chicken Salad: This was a pretty big portion! Came with chicken, avocado, carrots, tomato, corn, black bean, purple cabbage and lettuce. I prefer the lettuce & chicken to be cut smaller so it can be easier to eat more things at once haha - Espresso shot Overall rating 8/10 read more

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Birthday Breakfast was yummy!! Best Eggs Benedict! It was a nice day to sit outside! Quick Service! read more

JoAnn's is a relatively long standing classic diner within South City that is sure to help scratch the itch when in the mood for some breakfast accompanied by a newspaper. I've gone here mostly to avoid the crowds and numbness of perusing the gigantic menus of the chains like IHOP or Denny's, but the food is not particularly outstanding. The Benedict and scrambles are friendly from a portion stand point. Eggs are cooked well, and I like that the hash browns can come out extra crispy. Service here is something which leaves much to be desired at times. I've never been here while it was crowded, nonetheless it takes time to get noticed or get some refills. If you're not pressed for time and in the immediate area, this is a perfect place to grab some breakfast food and kill some time. read more

Veggie Omelet was terrible! The entire breakfast was bad...potatoes were under cooked and had zero flavor, the omelet tasted awful. I knew the ownership must have changed because it was not the JoAnn's I remember. Unfortunately I will not be returning here! read more

I've been coming here for years, I understand that egg prices have increased, but it would be appreciated if customers were informed of the price change before ordering. Also, the fries didn't seem freshly cooked Meal price:$ 30.00 read more

JoAnn's Cafe - American Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Had not been since 2020. Read-all the bad reviews including pay in advance( not true).have been searching for a decent Omelette since JoannDiLorenzo left many years ago . Most places do scrambles. The omelette was good, not over cooked. I watched the cook use omelette pan and made it correctly It was smaller than I recall. It is true you only get about 6 pieces of potato but thats enough. The disappointment was the blueberry muffin which they heated for some reason. Quality different, tasted cheap. Not as good as before. Not many blueberries. Next time try carrot raisin. If that fails go to toast, i guess. Probably they dont make these every day anymore so that is why they heat them, Waitress was friendly. Cost with tip and no drink was $23.00 . I drink coffee at home. Not paying $3.75 for mediocre coffee here . I will return. Pleasant surprise. Not many customers, however. read more

I went to joAnn's a while ago. The breakfast wasn't too remarkable, everything was prepared very well. I liked the music. The cafe could use a little bit of a refresh. read more

Had a to go French Toast. Its a little bit pricey. This used to my BFFs favorite spot to dine but something changed. I missed the warm feelings when people congregate and eat. read more

Honestly this was a surprise, I've passed by this restaurant many times but today was the day myself and my daughter decided to try it and OMG!!! The Orange French toast and the Eggs Beatrice were mind blowing! Maria Laurdes AKA LULU is the best. She brings love back to the Mom and Pops place that makes these types of places special read more

Perfect brunch on a cold morning. My Original 2-egg scramble was full of spinach, ham, and mushrooms. I got the blueberry muffin (hubby devoured it). Husband had the prettiest hamburger I think I've ever seen. Nice thick patty, good seeded bun and fries on the fat side. My coffee cup was constantly being refilled. Excellent service, really good food in an old-school diner. read more

JoAnn's Cafe - Basic hamburger, fries, Original 2-egg scramble, home fries. - American Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Food is always great! Lulu always provides phenomenal service! Ambiance is calm and the music they play is always pleasant.

Joann's today unfortunately is not the Joann's of yesterday. Under the new ownership and rising cost of food, the menu is more expensive (everyone's menus have gone up) but portions are small, to the point you will notice. The muffins are half the size and there is a charge for coffee refills. Overall, the food was fair. We want to support small businesses but we probably will not be back often. Joann's does not have the "buzz" of people waiting outside for a table and the place packed with guest like the old days. It's so hard to find old school breakfast and lunch places today. read more

I use to love Joann's with the previous owner. I was there about 2 months ago and the customer service was awful. The waitress was nice but never looked to see if we needed more coffee and when we were trying to get her attention, she would not look up and we had to call her so she would come over. The food was ok but we got like 8 home fries with our breakfast like so chincy. The place wasn't as clean as it used to be to be and even I went to use the bathroom, the kitchen was dirty and it made me not want to go back again. What a shame that they let this what use to be a great place to go eat breakfast just go downhill. The original owner cared and so did the cook who was really pleasant. The guy that was cooking that day I was there looked miserable. I won't go back unless it were to change ownership. What a dis's appointment. read more

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!! I hated writing my review on May 17th, 2023. This was one of my families FAVORITE restaurant for over 35 years. We LOVED the customer service.....which left when new owners took over back in 2023. Even gave the place a second try and still was not treated good. The food was still good....the chef was great...one of the originals....but the new owners lacked any eye contact and customer service. THIS HAS CHANGED!!!! HALLELUJAH LULU is BACK!! I told her they should hang a huge sign outside. We went the other day when we heard she was back......amazing...AMAZING Customer Service.... Great Food..... To Everyone out there that LOVED Rocie and LuLu and Veronica......go give it another chance...LULU is back and she is as sweet and friendly as ever. It wasn't as busy as it use to be, I know it will take time to get the word out that and I know they are going to get their WONDERFUL Reputation back!!!!!!!! Thanks for a delicious meal and Wonderful Customer Service Lulu. Without that....a restaurant has no chance. read more

The service was excellent. The waitress, Lulu was very attentive to our needs. On top of that the food was great. I had an Esmeralda which is a spicy dish with three scrambled eggs, cream cheese, jalapeños, and avocado inside a flour tortilla topped with green sauce. read more

Love this place! The club sandwich and muffins were delicious. I will definitely be back.

There has been a change in owner. The picture of airplanes on the wall are gone & there is nothing in their place yet. The Eggs Benedict was not as good. It was also kinda quiet for a Sunday morning. Such a shame. 50/50 if i will be back. read more

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Not fancy or dirty. The most memorable thing about this place was the muffin. :) The food is good/average like other diner type places that serve breakfast food. I would eat here again but it's a small place. Parking was easy to find. read more

The food was delicious not going to lie. It did take a while to get food but was worth the wait the pancakes were so good.Came with my mom after church to spend a nice Sunday breakfast.Very small spot and the wait was about 45 minutes. Parking did suck was a walk to come here. read more

JoAnn's Cafe - Breakfast - American Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Great service, good food made to order with fresh ingredients good value! Ask for the vegetarian omelet! read more

This is a friendly, welcoming small cafe with freshly cooked food. Nothing is microwaved and the staff are all eager to please. Lulu is back welcoming everyone with her warm inviting smile. An outside eating area is perfect on a warm day. The Southwest Chicken salad is filled with charcoal grilled chicken, black beans, corn, cheese, and avocado. It can't be beat. Omelettes are made to order and served with choice of toast and roasted home fries. Chicken burritos, quesadillas, burgers, and pasta dishes round out the menu. All fresh ingredients are used and the portions are not skimpy. It's about $20-$25 per person. That includes the price of a beverage. read more

I found this place on yelp searching for family-friendly brunch in the area. Food was 3 stars but everything else made it enjoyable: very kid friendly, parking was easy, great service, no wait at 12:30pm on a sunny January Sunday. THE COST: $71.56 total for brunch for 2 adults, 2 toddlers. THE SERVICE: Very humble & friendly. A single server for the whole diner, but he was attentive and sweet. No judge-y looks (from staff or fellow customers) when our younger toddler screamed for a few minutes. THE FOOD: * Orange Bread French Toast ($14.95) - 3.5 stars Very soft and moist. I liked the hint of orange. Could use a little crisp at the edges. * Guacamole Burger ($16.95) - 2.5 stars Patty was fine, guac was fine, but didn't work as a concept. It was a mess to eat there was so much guac, and the bun disintegrated. Fries were also stale. * Mickey Mouse Pancakes (kid's menu, $11.95) - 4 stars From a kid's perspective, great. You get fruit, bacon, and mickey mouse ears. Not real maple syrup but that's fine. One order was more than enough for both a 2 and a 4 year old. * Kids Sundae ($8.95) - 4 stars They waited for our signal to serve this at the end of our meal and spit it into two bowls for our two kids! read more

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Excellent Sunday Breakfast Experience! The eggs Beatrice were perfect and the orange French toast was very orangey. The old-school raised counters are a unique cultural element in today's world. This is a very good local diner, you should try it. read more

JoAnn's Cafe, you didn't think that you'd get away from a John S. review that easily, did you? Maybe it did. As of this moment, this is the oldest to-be-reviewed bookmark in my Bookmarks collection. Based on some other proprietary John S.-related stuff, I can confirm that I have had JoAnn's bookmarked since at least 2011. Isn't that crazy? It's crazy good, too, because my first experience after the turn of the decade from the aughties to the teens wasn't so spectacular. Great food, large portions, but poor or at least begrudging service. That's in my notes from way back when. But I returned a couple (three?) times after that, and each time, things were much better. Their current hours are horrible. Who's going to wake up and drive to South San Francisco for JoAnn's Cafe on a weekend? Not I. After being comfortable in a squishy booth for my first (bad) experience, I was seated in the pink area near the back of the restaurant the rest of the times. The chairs aren't that comfortable, but this is definitely the best place in the house for people-watching and especially eavesdropping. (Not that you need to be anywhere close to eavesdrop on some old people ; they're yelling because one of their dining partners refuses to get hearing aids.) This is the kind of place where my dad would sit at the counter. That's pretty much all you need to know. read more

Blown away by the amazing food & service. If you're in south city this should be your new regular breakfast place, you won't regret it! Special shoutout to Lulu for accommodating to my gluten allergy. read more

Located in San Bruno, this small local breakfast/brunch spot is well worth your money! I would echo what others have said, if you've never been here before you might miss it. It's not your typical fancy, "Instagram worthy" breakfast/brunch spot but I feel like that's what makes it stand out from the rest. Street park is easy to find, staff is very friendly and welcoming & the food is decent! This is actually my second time back here, first time we came for a quick breakfast before a doctor's appointment at Kaiser. Very convenient spot as it's just across the street. This time I ordered the Goldie's Lox & my bf ordered the Eggs Beatrice. I was a little worried since some reviews said the Goldie's Lox had too much sour cream & I didn't realize it's scrambled eggs (I'm personally not a fan of scrambled eggs since it's often over cooked.) But I was not disappointed! The eggs were nice and still slightly runny, not too much sour cream though it could've been mixed in a little better. There was plenty of smoked salmon in the dish. The smoked salmon I felt was a little bit salty, I had to drink some water or have a bit of the potatoes or toast between bites. My bf thought that the poached egg in the Eggs Beatrice was good, plenty of smoked salmon as well (though also a bit salty). This is definitely a spot we'd come back to, especially since we live so close by! The next time I'm back here I want to try the orange bread French toast! And also get a glass of fresh orange juice! I saw someone at another table order it and it looked so refreshing! Really regret not ordering one today. read more

JoAnn's Cafe - Goldie's Lox & Eggs Beatrice - American Near Me - South San Francisco, California

As I entered the original Jo-Ann's I came into a surprise of many varieties. I was greeted kindly by Jackie who offered me up a menu and the day specials. I was also informed that besides these menu that is typical for Joann's restaurant they have added a few new things like on weekends after 6:00 p.m. Joanne's is convenient for TACOS and from what I gather these tacos are very good. But this is only on weekends the rest of the week their breakfast and lunch items are delicious and very fresh I would highly recommend you coming. It is a family and beyond where you have it nice soothing music in the background while enjoying your meal I would highly recommend you come and visit the little hole in the wall but a long time residents of South San Francisco commercial district next to where KFC used to be. read more

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We've been coming here since it opened over 40 years ago, back when there was a JoAnn (and Tony.) Been our goto brunch spot ever since. As many other reviews have said it really went downhill after the ownership change in 2023 and after a few bad meals sadly we didn't return. We went back today and had the best meal we've had there in 10 years. All our favorites - well prepared, generous portions, and wonderful service! For those who have avoided JoAnn's recently I highly recommend you give it another try. read more

Sad day! We have been coming here for 20+ years and they switched owners and it is trash. We sat down and tried to order our favorite and elusive almond muffin that's only found early in the morning and the waitress goes "what's that?!?" Either way the price has gone up (understandable as everything else has) but the portions, ambiance, service and taste has plummeted. Sadly we won't be returning to Joann's. The food is indeed different and not for the better. Thanks for the old memories old crew! It would be great to see this place turned around but I guess in time we will see. read more

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Great service, very good people. The food was mediocre for the price they charge, especially the omelets. Only 3 items are free then each additional item is 3.50. It's understandable if the 3.50 is for meat, but for tomatoes or spinach at 3.50 each is a bit excessive. read more

Nice neighborhood breakfast spot. Service can be inconsistent. Good location with some street parking, though can get crowded if you don't mind walking a little further. The tables of the booths are a bit uncomfortable and right up to your stomach, so there's not a lot of ideal room. The menu doesn't have as much variety as I remember, some Mexican-centric dishes, and the food is pretty good, not great. The home fries are well-flavored and have a nice cook on them; probably the highlight. Still a really good choice for breakfast food in South SF. read more

Had a lovely, spontaneous breakfast with my mom this morning at JoAnn's! We experienced great service and I learned they have been in business for over 40 years. We shared a delicious "make-your-own" omelette. The ingredients were so fresh, we loved the bacon, feta, and mushrooms in it. It came with a freshly baked blueberry muffin and home fries. The fresh pressed orange juice was AMAZING! Coffee was also super good. So excited to come back. South City locals please support this amazing spot read more

I went to JoAnn's quite often for brunch and lunch before the pandemic. My favorite dish was southwestern chicken salad which was served only in week day. It was my first time to JoAnn's since the pandemic. There were only three or four customers inside. A server told me to sit anywhere. It took her a few minutes to give me the menu. I ordered the southwestern chicken salad and some French fries and just a glass of water. The front door wasn't closed completely and the cold wind would come in. I closed the door once, but if someone came in or go out, the door stayed ajar. The food came rather quickly. The salad looked great with the same ingredients. However it was tasteless! The chicken was tasteless. The whole salad was tasteless. I wonder if it was because there wasn't enough dressing?? The fries cost $5.45 and there were about a dozen on the plate. When I paid at the counter, the same server came over and punched in the number and left. I paid by credit card on the screen, adding 18% tips. Then I clicked "print." I extended and reached the printer to get the printout. It was practically self-serve check out. I miss the old staff and the taste of the delicious food... read more

What a disappointment. I've been a patron on JoAnns for about 25 years. I know this because my son just turned 25 and I've been coming here before he was born. This may be over the top, but it was my least (worst) time here. It's been over a year since I've visited. But it feels way different. One of the changes that I don't like is that you have to order and pay, INCLUDING THE TIP, at the counter first before being seated. What the heck? It's a cafe / restaurant, not Starbucks coffee. The service needs a lot of work. And I mean A LOT. I came here today because I really was desiring their popular pumpkin pancakes which is offered only this time of year. So I order them and sat down. Coffee showed up with the food, not ahead of time. That's a big negative. The pancakes showed up with no butter or syrup. Another negative. They used to give their berry-butter mix but not this time. I had to wait and wait for the butter because the server was doing something behind the counter that took forever. When I finally received the butter the pancakes lost their heat which didn't melt the butter as you would expect. Unfortunately, I dropped my fork on the floor. Again, it took a long wait to get her attention. Then asked her for fork and another long wait. She stepped out of the restaurant and took a long time for her to return. Again she was doing something behind the counter that didn't seem time consuming. Out of frustration, I raised my hands like WTF? She got the signal and had her help bring me coffee. Gosh darn it. So I politely asked the help for the fork. When I finally got it the food was lukewarm. Not once was I offered a refill of coffee, not once. At the end I asked if management had changed. And she told me yes but didn't know when. The place was not packed or hectic. So I don't get what was going on that consumed her time. What made this place attractive to me was the good food and great service. They all knew my name and the servers were always on top of the flow when it came to the patrons. Glad I left a 15% tip. Don't see myself coming back unless for the pancakes to-go. And I'll probably eat it in the car. :( read more

Tasty food but it's not the glory that it used to be, the price rose (that's to be expected) and the portions shrunk. There's a bit of language barrier, when my mother and I asked for a half cooked scramble egg the waitress didn't understand. Also they forgot the fresh fruit that was included in my mom's meal until she reminded them. read more

I had a coffee with a blueberry muffin. I really enjoyed it, the ambience is great, it felt clean and the staff is very friendly. I was surprised to see the number of items on the menu. i will definitely be coming back. read more

JoAnn's Cafe - Blueberry muffin and coffee - American Near Me - South San Francisco, California