Ordered the fried chicken and it was tough as leather. The mashed potatoes and gravy and corn were really good, but they fell short on the chicken big time! I would rather order gas station chicken like Chester's than order this again! read more

Outstanding service. Friendly staff. Old fashioned restaurant ambiance. Welcoming and warm. Incredible number of meal choices. Good was great. This will become a standard stop on trips across Colorado! read more

We love this restaurant. It's family owned and they make you feel like a part of the family. We went to dinner Friday night and ended up having a load of laughs with the staff. It was a really busy night too. The food is always good. They even have a secret menu for people who eat Keto or gluten-free. And if you do go by make sure you check out the choo choo train. read more

Service was prompt and attentive but she forgot to bring our drinks until we were almost done. I liked that they have a SR menu. Meal comes with soup or salad, coffee or tea and dessert. We ordered the SR 1/2 chicken fried steak. The steak and gravy were just ok, I had mashed potatoes that were more like soup and tasted weird, like there was cheese in them or something. The mixed vegetables were over done and mostly carrots. The soup of the day was supposed to be chicken tortilla, but it was tomato based with rice, potato, and a few bites of chicken. Really not sure what it was, nothing like any tortilla soup I've ever had before. Salad was a good size. The only choice for free dessert that night was tapioca pudding, we're not fans so we didn't get it. We wouldn't stop here again. read more

Great food and service! Have been eating here for years. Hope you try it and see what I am talking about

Food was delicious, service was prompt and attentive, restaurant is bigger than it looks so don't let the parking lot scare you away. The diner, small town, home cooked meal was perfect for the four of us. **2 shrimp basket specials - loved everything on the plate, FF, coleslaw, and about a dozen nice shrimp. **Fruity Pebbles French Toast - it's a huge order and well liked **S18 is a senior portion of the chicken fried chicken and they would have licked the plate if at home. Please stop in and try this great food. read more

J & L Cafe - Shrimp Basket - Cafes Near Me - Sterling, Colorado

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J & L Café is your typical small town greasy spoon, and I'm loving it! What makes it so damn delicious? Well, I'm glad you asked, let's Yelp about it! ++ Did you get a look at those massive breakfast burritos? They make my heart pitter-patter, that for sure. For real, they are huge, and worth every bite. ++ They have a large menu that is bound to have something for everyone. I usually default to a breakfast burrito and have yet to be disappointed. I don't recall what my husband has ordered each time (he likes to mix it up), but he's always content with his choice, too. ++ The staff are all ridiculously pleasant and check back with you frequently. ++ The prices don't break the bank. Both time, our total after tip was well under $30 for our meals. My wallet appreciates that. After making our way here twice, I can easily say I'm a fan. I know that we will continue to make our way up to Sterling from time to time, and J & L Café will absolutely be our first stop. read more

Great food that tastes like Grandma used to make. Wonderful, friendly staff. Would highly recommend!

This cafe is amazing! I love the atmosphere, it feel really friendly and welcoming. Our waitress was awesome. The food was terrific! Very tasty and plentiful! We had the coffee too, really solid drink! This is a must stop if you're passing through Sterling. read more

J & L Cafe - Breakfast Burrito with Green Chili. - Cafes Near Me - Sterling, Colorado

We were passing through town. J&L was the perfect stop for breakfast. Great service and good food--clearly a favorite with "the regulars." read more

A local restaurant that looks like it has been there for a long time. The service was great and we enjoyed our breakfast there.

We had some time to kill and decided to go to breakfast...but where? Yelp showed a few options, but we went to J&L, and it was the perfect decision! This is an old-school diner kind of place. It's been here since 1963- but doesn't feel outdated. The food was fast and fresh, the service was friendly, and did I mention the food? I had a traditional eggs/potatoes/meat dish called ""Here, Piggy Piggy" with two eggs over easy, sausage links, and hash browns. Everything was spot-on! If you're looking for breakfast when passing through or near Sterling, J&L Cafe is worth the stop! They also have a full lunch and dinner menu. We'd definitely come back next time we're out this way. read more

J & L Cafe - Here Piggy Piggy* with link sausage and sourdough toast. - Cafes Near Me - Sterling, Colorado

Fantastic lunch of breakfast items today. We ordered off the Senior menu and they had a buy 1, get 1 50% off. Everything was delicious. It's true-parking lot is small but the restaurant has plenty of room. read more

For a small town type of area, this place is awesome. Great, five egg omelette with one that has egg beaters only. Good toast, potatoes, and very nice staff and crowd. read more

Family of 3 from Midwest stopped here at 11:30am on a Sunday, returning from a snowboarding vacation. The place was busy and had a steady flow but we were seated right away. The place is open, so the noise level would not be good for hard of hearing patrons but it was well lit with natural lighting. Our wait person was initially attentive to get our order but afterwards, she avoided eye contact so it was hard to get her attention for more water - which was needed after you see what we ordered. I had the honey mustard chicken salad which surprisingly came in an edible shell bowl that tasted homemade and freshly cooked. Also surprisingly had a choice to do crispy or grilled chicken. I did the grilled and the chicken was moist and perfectly seasoned. I also had orange juice which tasted freshly squeezed as well. My husband had the German sausage and eggs with pancakes. It came with hash browns too. He really liked the sausages which were perfectly cooked as well. My daughter had the Fruity Pebbles French Toast which was richer tasting than the sugar load that one might imagine such a dish would be. The bathroom looked and smelled clean. Well lit and roomy for all accessible needs. All in all, not a bad place to stop for a quick bite and be back on the road quickly. read more

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Passing through town while on a road trip, my husband I were looking for a place to have breakfast. A quick search led us here, and we were not disappointed! We decided to split a 1/2 order of the Southern Style Breakfast, and what we got looked liked two full orders! There was SO much food, and it was SO good! The hashbrowns were crispy on top and tender underneath. The scrambled eggs were well prepared, the biscuits fluffy, the gravy flavorful with a nice amount of sausage mixed in, the bacon crispy and everything came out hot. Our waitress Sasha was very attentive, and the food came out quick. While the restaurant is older, renovations were made a few years ago. The inside has a variety of seating, including a bar area. There is lots of natural light thanks to mirrors and glass block borders, and the woman's bathroom had two oversized stalls, making it very handicap accessible. If you are looking for a local, small business to support while also enjoying an awesome breakfast, check this place out! You will not leave disappointed or hungry! read more

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This place was the best find on our entire trip from Phoenix to Maine to Minnesota and back! Huge portions , great prices, good quality, great tastes, great service in a modern casual restaurant! What more could you ask for! read more

Absofreakinglutly amazing!!! The taste, quality and quantity make it one of the best diners I've ever been to. Your staff is amazing as well. -Andrew Sullivan & family AAA Travel Advisor Minneapolis MN read more

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Food was exactly as the previous reviews stated, good, comfort food with a wonderful local Ambiance. We enjoyed our stop at this restaurant and enjoyed the beef tips on noodles and the very fresh and delicious garden salad. Friendly waitress and all staff worked together as a team. read more

7:30 in the morning and we had to wait for my father-in-law's procedure to be completed. We were hungry for breakfast but where to go? I saw this place listed and so, why not? Very happy we made that choice. It's just good basic food done right, consistently. I'm a waffle hound so I tried the nutty pecan waffle. Mmm-mm, wonderful. Light, crisp and fluffy with plenty of pecans. And should you get coffee, your cup will never runith dry. [I also took home a massive luscious cinnamon roll, for later. My hips may hate me but so what. That roll was beckoning me with yummy promises it held up to.] Today we came back for his check-up (and a few errands) and decided to eat here again. I still hold firm that this is one of the best restaurants I've eaten at in this town. My husband tried their pork tenderloin sandwich and it's so good. Lightly battered, not over-seasoned so the juicy taste of the pork shines through. And my father-in-law? He said it's the best dang breakfast he's had in a long time. Relaxed atmosphere, super friendly staff and no long wait for your food. It's not a huge place so it can fill up fast. This is definitely going on my list of go-to's whenever we make it back here. read more

J & L Cafe - Good cup a joe - Cafes Near Me - Sterling, Colorado

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Giving it five stars because service was good, food was good and they let me substitute my toast and home fries with sautéed mushrooms and veg of the day...no charge! I had the steak and eggs and they were perfect. Steak was what you'd imagine at a diner but cooked perfectly. The sautéed mushrooms on top with the eggs, made it even better. Breakfast served all day? Yes, please. They also have a 5-egg omelette that I can't wait to try. I will be back. read more

The fish special was fantastic! The fish was crispy and flaky. I had the senior portion and it was still much food. Very enjoyable atmosphere and my waitress was super friendly and enjoyable! read more

This is a neat cafe!! Food is great! They serve breakfast all day long and it's amazing!!! Staff is very friendly and the place is clean and quaint:) read more

J & L Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Sterling, Colorado

Lovely little cafe (diner) a little off the highway but worth the stop. Fresh food, good service and clean, updated dining room. A little jewel in small town America! read more

J & L Cafe - Interior and counter to eat. - Cafes Near Me - Sterling, Colorado

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Excellent service and great food. I have food allergies and had no problems. I would recommend dining here.

Awesome breakfast, great service worth stopping when you're in the area. We stopped once on our way west and made sure to stop on our way home. read more

Great food, staff wonderful. If you are looking for a family friendly, home style restaurant this is it!

Surly greeter was confrontational when another guest asked about newer parties being seated before them. One a 1-10 friendliness scale she almost scored a 1. When we were finally seated, the grumpy, rude hostess practically threw our menus and silverware on the table - "Did ya think I forgot ya..." and stalked off. I actually hadn't, and had said thanks right before that when she led us to our table. No friendly greeting or welcoming smile received @ front of house. I think they are just trying to keep people away. Saw one young couple get told there was no waiting list. NO idea what was up with that, as there was one. Very strange. I did have a front row for the earlier confrontation though. Seriously folks, if you have people wanting to eat at your place you could at least be friendly and welcoming. Maybe there was a perfectly good reason for seating people out of order, but you could have just explained it politely with a smile. The people that were seated early were clearly at least friendly acquaintances to the hostess. With a long wait it's pretty rude to seat people out of order just because you know them, which to the rest of us seemed like exactly what happened. Waitress was fast, friendly, and efficient. Food was uneven. My Frisco was perfectly cooked - bacon and bread were crisp, burger juicy and done just right. Fries were crispy. I was happy. My daughter's chicken strips looked great and homemade, not frozen, she said the texture was great, not a lot of flavor. My other daughter had a breakfast sandwich that she said was decent. It came out about 5 minutes after the rest of our food. My husband's blue cheese burger was very weird. It was swimming in a white liquid - maybe blue cheese dressing? No blue cheese flavor though. Had to reassemble the burger on the top bun and make a slider because it was so soggy you couldn't eat it as a burger. The bun was an un-toasted ciabatta type roll. He said the potato salad was warm. I'd stay away from that one. He was grossed out and he's pretty low maintenance when it comes to food. Wouldn't spend another nickel in this place. read more

We stopped for breakfast on our way through town. Service was very good, and they make hands down the best breakfast burrito. Highly recommend! read more

We stopped and ate at this restaurant during a cross-country trip. I carelessly left my phone and drove off. I called later with the intent of asking the management to hold my phone until I could drive 4hrs round-trip to recover it. I was told that they would go to the local post office and send me my phone...and they did just that! I've rarely seen such genuine customer service. And by the way, the food was DELICIOUS, nearly matching this act of service. I highly recommend this wonderful cafe!! read more

If you own this restaurant you should reach out to me. Your continued rude service is starting to feel personal.

Their hashbrowns are the best! It's a quaint restaurant with friendly staff and simple, good food. Also the cinnamon rolls are amazing!

Top notch. Faster breakfast than fast good! Service is always friendly. A true neighborhood diner with the usuals PLUS fruity pebble French toast! read more

J & L Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Sterling, Colorado

Arrived in Sterling last week for a few months of work outside of town. After 6 straight days of sub sandwiches I decided I needed a real meal. I happened upon J&L and decided to give it a shot. It looked kinda small from outside but was actually pretty big and full of locals inside. I ordered a chicken fried steak dinner with a side salad and hash browns. It also came with green beans . The salad was good sized and fresh with homemade blue cheese dressing and I was presented with it and my unsweetened iced tea almost immediately. About a minute after I finished my salad I was served my main course. The chicken fried steak was actually homemade (unlike most places) and was smothered in white gravy... awesome stuff!Hash browns were tender and crisp, green beans were typical canned green beans. Everything was served piping hot. I also was given a dinner roll with the meal and it was good also. Service was fast and friendly. My meal came out to $16 and I left a sizeable tip for a total of $23. I'll be going back in the morning for breakfast! Highly recommend unless you are one of those masker sheeple. You'll stand out like a sore thumb if you are and then you'll run off and write a bad review. read more

Chicken strips, my wife and kids love them from here. Today tho, the service ruined EVERYTHING. So I'm working but fam is txting that J&L is for lunch, cool. Then down hill from there. You're in a booth next to the wall. Ask waitress for a straw. She pulls it out and uses her wrist to fling it at my wife. Surprising her and the straw falls to her lap. THEN, they order there lunch. Wait 10 min. Food comes out in TOGO boxes that my fam didn't ask for. Waitress puts the bill on top of Togo and ask " do you need anything else". As my wife was about to speak. The waitress walks away and never returns. Soooooo my amazing daughter has had enough. She had to ask TWICE for the waitress attention and then informs her that her mom has autism and the way she acted to her sister and mother made them all feel uncomfortable. Her excuse was that she feels ill and that's the reason to treat people like feces. Shame on J&L staff for not stopping a rude employee. read more

Long time staple and fixture of the Sterling community which offers a wide selection of menu items. This is one f the cleanest and classiest American style diner type restaurants around. My favorite is their Pot Roast French Dip sandwich which simply falls apart in your mouth. I always order it with extra aus jus and extra pickles. Heavenly! A close second is their biscuits and gravy I always choose for breakfast. But beware, the portion sizes are often enormous! read more

J & L Cafe - Pot Roast French Dip. Food dreams do come true! - Cafes Near Me - Sterling, Colorado

Amazing little place!! We were in town for a few days and stopped by here for breakfast. The best chicken fried steak I have ever had and they made the hash browns to perfection!! A definite go to little place. read more

Stopped in for a late dinner. BLT and onion rings. The young man who took my order was very polite and professional. The food was great and arrived hot and fast. Going back tomorrow morning for breakfast! read more

We drive from Littleton to Sterling to meet a friend for lunch. Nice family environment. Food tasted good. They were giving out ice cream cones for Memorial Day. But then.....food poisoning. read more

Excellent food and service. Lots of variety on the menu. Everyone in our party thoroughly enjoyed their meal: tenderloin, liver, shrimp, burger, and chicken. read more