Stopped here for brunch on Father's Day. I had the southwest eggs benedict and a glass of mimosa. The eggs benedict were fantastic and the mimosa was great as well - all for a very reasonable price. My only complaint was the speed of service, which seemed a bit slow for a morning that wasn't extremely busy. read more

I took my girlfriend out for dinner here because I wanted to try all the fancy places in Lubbock. Cafe J was one of ones that was highly recommended by folks I talked to. The Good: I had the pork tenderloin and it succulent. My girlfriend had a tortellini feta salad and it was huge. Everything was spiced so that you could taste just a bit of southwest heat. The decor was nice and they had local artwork placed throughout the restaurant. The Bad: The wines are way overpriced (as they tend to be in Lubbock). We waited an almost uncomfortable amount of time for our food to be served. The waitress seemed quite cold. While she did a professional job, every smile appeared forced and short-lived. Overall: I think people recommended it because they had only heard it was fancy. read more

Cafe J is a unique restaurant in all aspects. The building itself has quite a history, the local art vibe inside is fun, and the food is good. On my last visit, I ordered the caprese as an appetizer and the canyon chicken as the main course. Both were just as described on the menu. The food was freshly prepared and at the perfect temperature. The canyon chicken had a little bit of a kick to it too. The one issue I took with the restaurant was that the layout of the tables made the place feel crowded. read more

Good: Our waiter handled the large party well and was thoughtful about our needs. Unlike many restaurants, the portions were appropriate and did not make me leave bloated, guilty, or needing to go home to put leftovers away. There was good variety on the menu and a lot of things sounded interesting. They were also able to modify entrees to be vegetarian if needed. Not so good: unfortunately, the food didn't exactly impress. My tortellini salad's basil vinaigrette seemed more like a mix of oil and pasta water with a little basil and almost no acidity. Some people at my table felt their food was too spicy for items that weren't listed on the menu as spicy. The wasabi ranch that came on the side of a what was described as "murky". I'll probably give this place another try, but if the food is similar, probably won't be back. read more

The bar has some of the best bartenders in town. I understand the music issues from other posts but it is true that the owners set the play lists. I typically like it and most times I am unaware as u am socializing and not paying attention. Its a good Friday after work hangout. read more

My family and I decided to check out the brunch menu, and boy are we glad we did. My husband had the stuffed relleno, my daughter had the chicken and waffles and I had the blueberry French toast. We all loved our food, it was so yummy. We will visit again next time we are in town. read more

My boyfriend surprised me for a late Valentine's Day celebration. We got in around 1 PM on a Saturday and there was no wait for brunch. The food was good - I ordered the chicken and waffles with a mimosa and he ordered some eggs Benedict with steak and sides of bacon and coconut pancakes. The portion sizes were perfect and we both were satisfied with our selections. However, we were dissatisfied with the service. Once our orders were taken and she brought us our food, the waitress never bothered to check in with us. We noticed that she would check in on the tables right next to us multiple times and didn't come by the table even it was obvious that we had finished eating. Only when the dining area was nearly empty did she bother to come by and get our check. Overall, 4 stars for the food but 2 stars for the service. read more

Periodically i return to this restaurants in the hope that it might have improved. Again I was disappointed at lunch with chicken that had been frozen for many months and achieved that leather-like quality. I am seeking therapy so that I do not return again and face my misplaced expectations. read more

2 years ago I wrote a terrible review of a restaurant that later moved to Milwaukee. From quality of food to service, not good is an understatement. The restaurant manager asked my husband the accuracy of the review to the actual experience. It was no exaggeration. We recently ran into him and he expressed disappointed by the lasting memory left. The manager invited us to dine at Js. Service was timely, the server really knew the menu and made excellent recommendations on cocktails and meal. The rack of lamb was very tender and flavors of tomahawk pork chop was a balance of savory and sweet. It was a wonderful experience. read more

Overrated food, but the crepes w/chicken or seafood is decent. Usually come for drinks in the bar only....a little pretentious and trying too hard to be seen as a upscale place ala houston or dallas. They do offer brunch on Sundays which is rare in LBK read more

I dined here a few weeks ago on a trip to Lubbock. The food was an interesting new age kind of mix, which was just okay. The atmosphere was pleasant. The service was quite good, I'd even go so far as to say exceptional. read more

Cafe J is a well rounded stop for weekend brunch, weekday lunch, dinnertime, and of course, the Martini lounge for live music and good cocktails. I love going to Cafe J for dinner with friends to celebrate, or for any night. The chef has been doing a wonderful job of changing things around on the menu to keep it fresh. As we know, there aren't TONS of options in Lubbock, so the changing menu helps to keep things fresh. Another wonderful addition to the restaurant is the Martini Lounge, which has live music every Friday and Saturday nights! Brunch menu was recently refreshed, and the burrito is sooooo good! Can't wait to keep going back. read more

Not impressed. For the price, the quality of food was not there. I was expecting more from this place.

Stoped in Cafe J with the family. Wanted to love this place, but it was terrible! Food was bland. The flavors were off. My wife had a long hair in her pasta. The wait staff was nice but very unexpected. To many great restaurants in Lubbock to waste your money in this place. read more

Fabulous dinner at this cozy, yet trendy place. Staff was amazing and we even got to visit with the chef about his special. Food was delicious and flavorful. Small little bar in the front part which was perfect for waiting for our group. You should visit this place if you're looking for a nice dinner outing! read more

The food was unbelievable great service the bartenders were fabulous haven't been to a bar/restaurant like this in years.

I went here thinking it would be extremely fancy and was overdressed, but it is very laid back and the staff is very friendly. There was not a lot of selection as far as food goes but what I did order { I cannot remember} was very good. I have heard the bar is very relaxed and not very crowded like other bars are, it doesn't cater as much to the college students, which is good for people who are tired of that crowd. read more

Loved their bloody Mary's! I had the blackened chicken sandwich with homemade chips! Very delicious. Reservations recommended.

Nice bar area with some good cocktail options. Very understaffed though so the service was incredibly slow and I had to remind my server of a previous order. I saw her racing around the whole time, so not her fault, that is managements fault for not adequately staffing. Would try again for a meal, maybe brunch, but I wasn't overall impressed with this visit. read more

I tried Cafe J for the first time yesterday evening and had a very nice meal. We started with two appetizers -- the ahi tuna and the caprese tomatoes. Both were excellent and I would order them again. My friend and I didn't order salads and we kind of regretted it, partly because the kitchen was slow and we were hungry and partly because the entree portions were not huge. For my entree, I had the beef tenderloin. It was seasoned and cooked perfectly. I tried the blue cheese steak sauce, which was creamy and tasty. The service was pretty good but the kitchen was a little bit on the slow side. I'll definitely be back. read more

The food, service and cocktails were good. However, I can't believe they are petty enough to charge a fee for using a charge card, really?! This is the cost of doing business; i.e. overhead. What's next, electricity and water fees? You all have a lot of nerve. You should have a big sign, PAY CASH AND SAVE!!!! Real classy! This is akin to a bogus fuel charge or environmental impact fee. Sadly, this is my first and last visit it to this establishment, what a turn off, way to go! read more

Cafe J - credit card fee?!! - New American Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Sat at the bar top at 11:45. Lacey the bartender didn't greet us nor say she would be with us shortly while she glanced at us while making drinks. She eventually gave us water and took another 5 minutes to bring menus. We placed our orders at 12:08. At 12:48 we asked what was taking so long. About half of the tables were empty but apparently there was a 16 top that was a head of us and we were told our food would be out after there's. We ordered the hangover, it was good but a very small portion for $15. The chicken and waffles were laughable. She told us they came stacked. They came thrown on the plate and they should really serve them with a whole bottle of syrup or a gallon of milk they were so dry. She brought the manager over and we had to ask for the chicken and waffles to be taken off. After I finished eating we waited another 10 minutes for the bill while she talked to her friend who seemed to be a previous employee who was sat at the bar top. My boyfriend was offered something else but we didn't have time to wait another hour for a questionable dish. We will be stopping at a drive through for him to eat. read more

Extremely mediocre food especially for the price. Beware that they charge 3$ for a credit card fee without telling you as well as including their own tip. read more

One of my favorite bars in Lubbock but one of the bar tenders, the younger guy, is a complete douche

I came here for a Sunday brunch with 10 people one time. Given we had a larger party, it still took at least 45 minutes for us to order our food. My friend also asked for a straw and had to go to the bar to get it herself, she didn't need it when she offered it a half an hour later. The place didn't seem very busy, which had me confused as to why it took so long. The food was pretty good to say the least. But our service was awful read more

My husband and I have enjoyed brunch at Cafe J twice in the last month. In short, everything from service to entrees to the mimosa special was, on both occasions, absolutely perfect. I highly recommend the shrimp and grits with spicy tapenade. read more

We were greeted by a lovey lady's to be escorted to our table. This was my second time to Cafe J. I sat down and waited for my party. Our waiter seemed very rushed and kept asking us if we were ready. Like the feeling you get that they want you to eat and leave. This continued through our entire meal. Drinks were rushed. At one pout he was taking orders so fast that he missed my friends request for wine. He didn't sell the special. His description was off putting. So I ordered what I had the last time. Mustard crusted salmon. My salmon was awesome but my cous cous was mushy and my veggies were not fresh. At $28 that was very disappointing. read more

Staff is amazing. They have to deal with entitled trophy wives like Joy T all of the time and they do it with poise. If you are looking for great food and atmosphere, Cafe J is a must. read more

Ok, dinner was good no complaints on food. However, as we say and finished our after dinner drinks the manager came over and told us they needed the table for a late group and that we should move o the cocktail lounge. After speaking with the manager (short haired blond female) and explaining that we had a small issue with how it was dealt with she became extremely aggressive. I told her we would not be back and she continued to tell me to get out of there. Unprofessional, unclassy and will not ever be back. Very disappointing. We had a large group (8) and had spent a lot of money. read more

We rented Cafe J's out for a brunch wedding reception and dance for my daughter. Blake and the staff did a wonderful job accommodating us and our 100 guests for a very reasonable price. Will definitely be back! read more

We had a reservation and we waited another 30 minutes. Then they rudely seated us. but that was just the beginning of a bizarre dining experience. I went to the restroom after we placed our food and drink order. My husband got up to chat with friends at a nearby table. When I came back from the restroom my husband said you won't believe this but they cleared our table and tried to seat another group at our table when I was visiting with friends and while you were in the restroom. This would not have been a big issue because we realize mistakes happen, but we were treated like it was our fault for going to the restroom and my husband saying hello to friends. We waited for them to bring more water and more wine after they disposed of ours. She rudely put all of this on the table implying we were at fault. Our reservation was at 7:30 and our food came at 9:30 and my husband's pasta was crunchy and almost inedible. My soup was good. I spoke to the manager/main hostess when we left and she did apologize for how she handled the situation and for what happened. I did appreciate the apology though it was late and only after I stopped on my way out to say we were concerned about the way we were treated. We understand that mistakes happen. It is the way they are handled that matters and they did not handle it well. We enjoy Rain Uptown which has great food and good service They also have you fill out a satisfaction/suggestion card after every meal. I wish I had been offered one at J's I am afraid that is our last trip to J's, at least until the unpleasant memory fades, which is a shame because Lubbock needs more local upscale restaurants. read more

I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy. The food was below mediocre and very unseasoned. What made it worse was when it was time to pay we waited over 30 mins for them to pick up our tab. And when the waiter pick up our cards he said there were too many of us and told the ones that had cash should leave it on the table. Then when we left they tried to charge my friend card and make it seem like we ran out our tab. Honestly safe your money and your time! read more

Enjoyed the tomato basil bisque and a lovely cup of mint tea. The soup was fabulous, with plenty of flavor and the perfect texture and consistency. Nice, romantic, quiet restaurant with great ambiance. read more

Flies flies and more flies. We had just sat and immediately noticed so many flies around our table. We asked to be seated at another table but the waitress stated the other tables were by reservation only. Well, no kidding we made reservations for this table. We asked for a fly swatter but of course that wouldn't look good to have customers swatting at flies. Instead we used our napkins. Service was dry. Every other item on the menu was not available (This was 2hrs after opening for brunch). There are too many restaurants in Lubbock for subpar service and environment. read more

I did not get to try the food here, but I have heard that the food is delicious and full of flavor. I had the chance to sit at the martini lounge next door which was amazing the atmosphere and ambiance is exactly what you want from a lounge. The drinks are not that pricey and the liquor used to make ever drink is superior. I would recommend this lounge for anyone looking for a great place to sit down have some great drinks and converse. The service in the bar was amazing and the server never let our drinks go empty for long and was very attentive. read more

The chef has really stepped it up since the last time we were in. Brunch was incredible. I had the rosemary chicken crepes and a bite of the steak tacos.... soo good! The manager on duty was super friendly and accommodating. Their special dessert was a honey roasted peanut ice cream... YUM! I can't wait to go back! read more

This places tries too hard. The ambience isn't there. The way staff seems a little uppity. The food was good. I wish they had something other than white chocolate and Bailey's french toast. I liked my chicken and waffles. I didn't love them. It is in Lubbock so I have to remember what is good and what is bad here. I'd go back but man, they need to redecorate. read more

We went there after the Tech game (Go Red Raiders) and were surprised it was so empty. We were starving so the food was extra good. We especially loved the Gnocchi which had great flavor. The food itself would have gotten 4 stars but the extra star was for our server Shelby. I love it when you go somewhere and you get really great service. I realize that everyone in Lubbock is really nice, but Shelby was extra great. We can't wait to go back. read more

This place is excellent. Never disappointed with the food. The mustard crusted salmon and the pistachio crusted pork tenderloin are my favorites but really I've never had anything there that wasn't fantastic. The staff is always really helpful and knowledgeable. Good wine selection. Good cocktails. Great live music. My favorite restaurant in Lubbock by far. read more

While passing through Lubbock I met up with some friends and family here for drinks on a Friday night. I thought it was a nice lounge, and they had live music that was pretty good! The waitress came around often and they had all the brands I asked for, so I had no complaints. And at the end of the night, our bill was surprisingly low -- it averaged $4 a drink, I think. read more