This is a classic cafe/diner experience with booths, a long front dining counter, and hearty American food fare (along with a handful of classic Mexican entrees). A group of us went for dinner and I had the Western Burger and fries. The burger had good flavor with the ingredients tasting very fresh. The conversation was good, so I didn't pay that much attention to what others ordered, but everyone said their dishes tasted good. Our food arrived quickly and I would definitely come back again to try one of the other sandwiches or burgers, if we are in the neighborhood. The only drawback to this restaurant was that they close at 7:30pm daily, a bit early for my dining habits. The location is conveniently located on Grand Avenue, not far from the Hwy 101 off-ramps and on-ramps, and they have a large parking lot that is easy to pull in to. read more

Great food, friendly service, awesome prices!! Yelp recommended this spot, so this is our first visit. I ordered chicken fried steak for dinner, and my wife ordered the pork loin. Both were served with mashed potatoes, a medley of veggies, and garlic bread. My CFS was terrific, very old school in a great way! The sausage gravy had bits if actual meat, and was very flavorful. The steak itself was a large portion, served piping hot! The mashed potatoes are garlicky; not keen on sausage gravy on them for next time. The pork loin is also a large portion, snd it as well done as ordered. It was well seasoned and also piping hot at the table! The garlic bread was simple and delicious. A large slice of french bread, very buttery and a garlic flavor that stood out but did not overwhelm. Service was not lightning fast, but still very good, and especially friendly. We heard people raving about the turkey dinner and the meatloaf, so we'll have to come back and try those! Dessert also caught our eye; they're homemade onsite! We'll definitely be back soon! read more

Great weekday lunch spot. Lots of great menu options for a family with two kids who eat very differently. A few craft beers and wine available as well. Staff was super friendly. Food came out quickly and everyone was very satisfied. I highly recommend this spot. read more

This is a solid place for breakfast. Great customer service. Food tasted good, it came out quick. Definitely will be going back. read more

CJ's Cafe - Eggs Benedict and pancakes. - American Near Me - Arroyo Grande, California

Hubby and I are on a clamping vacation. We went to one of our favorite spots and had a laye breakfast. As usual it was a busy popular place but we ordered, took a long while to wait for our food. But when it arrived it was good. My has browns a Lil mushy inside, but we were starving and ate away.my husband really enjoyed a fresh homemade warm muffin.. he had to take a photo Until our next visit read more

CJ's Cafe - Fresh, Warm and yummy blueberry muffin Just needed a cup of coffee, but we were done - American Near Me - Arroyo Grande, California

The food portions are large so come hungry The service was nice they were fully staffed for a busy morning and everyone was working as a team! The ambiance is typical American dinner. Most of the menu is available all day, especially for the little ones or picky eaters, read more

See all

Went in at about 5 o'clock and tried the 7pc fish and chips and the CJ's Ocean Platter with a milkshake and piece of cake all for $60! It's worth it for every single thing in here and for the service and the calming environment you got yourself a weekly dinner or lunch or even breakfast (because they do it all!) spot! It's the place to be, thanks CJ's! read more

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

See all

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.

My friend had been here before & we were looking forward to a delicious meal. She ordered a BLT w/extra crispy bacon. she received a sandwich w/bacon that was tough, more like jerky. The tomato was unripe & too thick. She basically ended up w/a lettuce sandwich. I had a grilled ham & cheese. My sandwich was awful! I'm still not sure how to do a bad sandwich, but CJ's succeeded. The bottom of the sandwich was soggy - not because I let it sit too long before taking a bite, but because... well, I don't know how other restaurants keep their sandwiches crispy, but CJ's does not know that secret. BUT their service was just fine and they had some beautiful looking cakes on display ... although after our unedible meal, I thought the cake might be a crapshoot. read more

Still love this place for breakfast. Thought it wouldn't be too crowded but it was. Only waited about 10 minutes. I got coffee right away and my husband go water. My husband had the chili verde omelette with fruit and English muffin. Sad it could have had more meat. I had the breakfast burrito with bacon and the hash browns on the side. Great salsa and sour cream. I always need more napkins which isn't a problem. Great service read more

See all

Busy place ! Service was slow food was not hot :( I do think it's family friendly with the amount of choices on the menu however I didn't like what I ordered it was tasteless and my drink was flat. read more

See all

Way too much gravy on their open face turkey sandwich. I'm talking 3 times the amount of what would have been sufficient. Ruined the dish. Retraining your cooks on this would be the right thing to do. read more

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

Overall, CJs is a great little cafe/diner in Arroyo Grande. Our friends highly recommended this place and it did not disappoint one bit. We came here early on a Saturday morning and the service was quick and friendly. My husband and I both ordered veggie and bacon omelettes and they were quite delicious! Their biscuit and gravy were also very good; the gravy was rich and creamy with the perfect consistency and thickness! Overall, I would absolutely come back here again for breakfast/brunch as it's a great locals spot with friendly service and wonderful food! read more

See all

CJ's is already our go-to for a weekly date night and frequent brunches w/family & friends-- but now it's also my favorite CATERING service. We just hosted a buffet dinner for 25 people, and Brad Sears and his catering team did a fantastic job for us. Multiple platters-- meats, cheeses, fruit, veggies, rolls, charcuterie, dips & sauces-- they did it all, with generous portions, vibrant and fresh plating, delicious food. It was all fabulous, beautiful, exactly what I ordered and even more. All my guests raved about the array of platters and the quality of the food-- a huge hit! Brad was easy to work with, good communication, and spelled out everything (with options) for our agreement. Cost was super reasonable, especially after I saw what he brought! I will happily call on him again for future occasions-- what a great addition to the popular cafe. read more

See all

Breakfast is great and we adore the pineapple coconut muffins. Cafe ambiance with attentive and friendly wait staff. Another great deal is their famous early bird dinner menu served between 2 to 5 p.m. for $15.95. You get salad or soup, entree, veggies, a side, and garlic toast. Plus dessert. And on Thursday, there is a full rack of ribs for $21 or half a rack for $18. But call first to make sure they are serving and what time. read more

See all

Long time customer of CJ's Cafe. The all american cuisine makes me feel at home. My church group likes to meet there once a month for breakfast at 8:30. We receive good customer service and it's amazing how the cooks get our orders out piping hot! Sometimes we have 12-14 and other times it's just 3. They won't seat the group until everyone is on hand. I really appreciate the new waiting area by the front door. That was a great decision. Reduce the congestion by the cashier. We always hated to wait because when it's a bigger group it gets annoying to the other customers as well we get anxious too. We still love CJ's for breakfast lunch and dinner. FYI. DINNERS SPECIAL 3-5pm. M-F read more

CJ's Cafe - I like this diner a lot. My favorite is the pick chop dinner. - 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

CJ's is the ultimate Old School Diner. The counter reminds me of the friendly small town restaurant. The menu has lots of classic American meals and covers Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We come here often after church on Sunday, but also stop in for breakfast or lunch during the week. The menu item pricing is still affordable and the portions are generous. The service here is stellar! Always friendly staff and helpful with suggestions. My go to breakfast item is the Eggs Benedict, and my lunch item is the BLT + Avocado. So good. This place is great. Cheers read more

See all

I love a great coffee shop. Breakfast anytime and extensive menu of sandwiches and entrees. Excellent service and generous portions. Skip the chain places and support this local business. read more

I'm a regular customer of CJ's for lunch. Today, my server was very unpleasant. I've had her a couple of times before, and she's usually brusque and not particularly friendly. I had a muffin, which I always eat at the end of my meal. Today, the muffin was so tough I could barely cut through it, so I caught her attention. Although the restaurant was nearly empty, she continued chatting with other servers. She finally came over when she was done talking -- and then blamed me for the muffin being tough and inedible. Apparently, she expected me to eat it the minute I received it. When I asked for another, she seemed unwilling. I asked her to remove it from the bill, but she refused. She eventually agreed to give me another, but then decided to be "cute" and asked if she should heat it up. I asked how she usually serves it. She replied that she wasn't going to take a bite of it. After this nonsense, she served it blazing hot. Unfortunately, the muffin was still inedible, as it was extremely dense. I left it after one bite. I paid my bill with Apple Pay. In the years I have gone to this restaurant, I have NEVER been asked to sign -- the Apple Pay receipt doesn't even have a signature line. As I walked out (she wasn't getting a tip), she yelled at me to sign. I went back and signed the receipt. This ill-mannered, rude waitress has ensured that I will never return to CJ's again. read more

Quality of the food is not as good since the original owners sole it. Named after their son. Been going there for twenty plus years. 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

The food was decent for breakfast food. We did sample the chili. It was a no for me! Glad they let you sample things here first. The waitress was wonderful, friendly and very knowledgeable. Good size seating areas with booths and tables. read more

CJ's Cafe - Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs - American Near Me - Arroyo Grande, California

See all

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 would have to say that Yelp really helped me in finding this fantastic restaurant, the Yelppers with their pics and reviews did this place justice for sure, along with the food pictures and written reviews it was a great experience. Service is the big thing here and it makes all the difference when visiting a different town, friendly and prompt is the norm and I tipped accordingly, absolutely no waiting and coffee was on the table within minutes of being seated. Conversation was everywhere along with other happy noises and smiles abound. It goes without saying that the food IS delicious and please bookmark TJ's....you'll thank me later, enjoy read more

See all

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

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

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

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

See all

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

See all

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

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

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

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

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

See all

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

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

Well the new owners are going to learn something, in last few months one of there best waitress quit ,3 cooks left in 1 day, so now you have unskilled cooks,the first thing they did was treat salsa like gold, 1 dollar per container ,witch to me is Micro managing,the place was hopping before it sold, 20 waiting outside not now,the food today was cold hash browns witch i ask for well done were cold,alot less portions,I think having 8 kids behind the counter bsing around, when you wait 15 minutes to place your order, good luck, read more