I came to this place with my friend who currently lives in Tallahassee. It came highly recommended, and it did not disappoint. During Sunday brunch, we were seated quickly, even without reservations, even while it was very busy. There were lots of people ~ the venue is cute and quaint... my friend, however, was stuck on the paint chips and holes in the wall. The food was great. I got fried deviled eggs (yummy), fried catfish, red velvet waffles, eggs and corned beef hash. The catfish was extremely fresh. The red velvet cupcakes came with a cream cheese sauce that tasted more like Krispy Kreme donut glaze or just a sugary sauce. I wish it had more of a cream cheese flavor. I wasn't pleased with it. The corn beef hash was good. My friend got the chicken and pancakes. The chicken was delicious, perfectly fried. The customer service was great ~ warm, attentive, inviting, quick, and well managed to be so busy. Jordan, our server, was amazing! The ambience and crowd were nice, diverse. Unfortunately, the speaker wasn't working properly so initially it was incredibly, awkwardly quiet. When the speaker did start working, it sounded busted. Hope you enjoy if you ever go visit. read more

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Been here since 1 pm it's 2:40 and still didn't get my food saw 6+ tables get their food after arriving after us and when we ask and brought it up they said they order appetizers, they had more then appetizer I saw the menu and we a party of 4 order appetizers too and didn't receive ours. Ridiculous have plenty empty tables I could understand if it was packed to the max but it's not. Today 3:00 still nothing and 1 of our appetizer came in read more

Jo Ellen's - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

I really thought I had found a nice little Soulfood sweet spot. First couple of visits were perfect; nice atmosphere, good service, food was great. However, the more I frequent the spot, the food is becoming less and less consistent in quality and taste. I will assume it is now a common occurrence as both visits back to back provided the same experience. I won't complain about the price too much, but when you pay certain prices for food or anything else for that matter, you have a for sure level of expectation! read more

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Jo Ellens' is a great addition to Tallahasse serving southern food in larger portions. Food: The food is well portioned, fresh, homestyle, flavorful and honestly cooked to perfection. I have never had a dish that I did not like. Brunch is a great time to try out the food. The catfish is one of my favorite dishes as it is perfectly battered and fried. Service: The staff that work here seem to be related or well acquainted. If you are expecting a "dining experience" where you are eloquently welcomed, asked if there is any special occasion, given recommendations and consistently attended to, you will be disappointed. I visit this establishment for the food; not the service. The restaurant is small so I am unsure why the servers aren't attentive. Expect to be rubber necking when you want a refill. Ambiance: Clean and comfortable. The establishment is on the smaller side and there is no outside seating. Sometimes, there are special events like jazz or karaoke so check their facebook page to stay updated. Parking is in Kleman Plaza read more

Came to Jo Ellen's for my mom's birthday dinner and overall had a great experience! For starters, I love that is a family owned/run establishment. The owner's granddaughter, Saniya was our server and she was very attentive, kind, knowledgeable about the menu, and friendly. She was patient with our large party and handled the table all on her own. Drinks: everyone had the same sentiment-- the bartender is HEAVY HANDED, and in a sneaky way. You won't realize until you're halfway through your drink just how potent it was. But I'm not complaining! Food: this was some of the best, southern style, home cooked food I've had at a restaurant in a while. You can tell Mr. Joe (the owner/chef) is passionate about his craft and the recipes are generational. I ordered something a little less traditional- salmon with sides of green beans and mac and cheese. Though not the classic "southern" main dish, Mr. Joe flawlessly executed the flavor profiles there. I started with crab cakes as an appetizer and my only complaint there is that they were a bit too breaded for my liking. The flavor was good, but more crab and less filler would've made it perfect. read more

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I wish there was the ability to rate the food separate from other aspects of the experience. As far as the food goes, it was pretty fantastic! I would give it 4.5 stars. I had the meatloaf with the sweet potatoes and collard greens with turkey. It was DELICIOUS! The meat loaf was a little dry and could have used just a touch more gravy. The sides were excellent, except for the corn bread...it was bland and SUPER dry! One of my colleagues had the pasta with shrimp and sausage...it too was amazing! One of my other colleagues had a salad; it was fine. My other colleague had the chicken sandwich; it was also fine. As for the rest of the experience...I would give it a 3. The service was slow and a little haphazard. It took forever to get our mixed drinks (martinis). At the end of the meal, we noticed the tip (20%) was already added to the bill even though it clearly stated on the receipt that tips is automatically added with 6 or more (there were 4 people in our party). Thus seemed very deceptive. So, review your bill fully before paying. read more

I want to rate Joellen's a 5 on customer service alone! My family was that large party group that restaurants dread seating. I was asked to go reserve seating for 16 at 7:30. Myself and 3/16 were on time. The other 13 promised they were 15 minutes away. 45 minutes later.... My family drops the reservation to 11. There are still only 3 of us present. 30 minutes later... The manager let's me know the kitchen is closing but wants to allow me to still order since I've been waiting on my family so long. 3 more people arrive at this time. We order our entrees and 6 apps for the table. The rest of the party didn't show until right before the restaurant closed. I was mortified as a person who also works in hospitality but they handled this inconvenience so graciously. My food was amazing. My drinks were amazing. Customer service was amazing. I'd definitely come back... without my family. read more

Jo Ellen's - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

We were told this was a great social spot for a date night, but we will not return. Service was nonexistent even with about 10 peopel in the restaurant, we had a 35-minute wait time for drinks. The food (fish, chicken, mac & cheese, greens, and corn bread) arrived cold, as if it sat out for 30 minutes. We requested the manager, an older black male, came to the table, he offered to re-cook it. We decided to cut our losses and leave, but were still forced to pay a full bill with a 22% gratuity added on top of the awful service. Extremely disappointed. read more

I went back today and had meat loaf, yet again. It was really good, again but some of the other dishes looked amazing! I'm not a vegetables guy but those green beans - OhhmyGawd they were really! Service was really improved and they've worked the bugs out! I'm going back again, really soon! I heard the lunch buffet is good and looking at the chicken and waffles aroused my curiosity, as well..... As Arnold says, "I'll be baaach!" Ha ha ha read more

Jo Ellen's - Meat loaf - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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My second visit was much better than my first. Service is still slow but the food is really good. I was meeting up with old friends so waiting on our food for an hour gave us plenty of time to talk. They do make really good drinks that are strong so definitely try one. Great place to eat as long as you are not in a hurry. read more

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We came here for dinner and had a great experience with service. Antoinette was our server and did an amazing job! Highly recommend.

My husband and I went here by chance on a weekend day. The staff were very friendly and the food was fantastic!!

So impressed by the food here! The meatloaf sandwich is so good and I had a side of corn with it. My fiancé ordered a chicken bowl and said it was delicious. The drinks are so pretty too - we stopped in the weekend after Valentine's Day, so this was part of their Valentine's Day drink menu. Our waitress was phenomenal and attentive. Love the ambiance and light-up sign. Taking off one star simply because the AC wasn't working and it was so hot inside. Other than that, this place was amazing! read more

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The food is pretty good. The candied yams were just like my mother's. The okra and catfish were fried crispy. Once you get in , the waitress tried their best to be attentive. With that being said, once you arrive at the hostess stand, the wait is several minutes with no acknowledgement that you're even standing there. It looks like the bus boy is also the hostess/host. Once seated, the line from the hostess stand got long to where it extended outside. Again , the people at the stand were waiting to be seated. I watched a party of 5 at the end of the line, walk away and a few other parties left too. Please hire more people so people can have the perfect overall experience. read more

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Excellent food and brunch options. Has a great atmosphere and service was very good. The food is Cajun and soul food so favorable and portions were great. read more

Look! This meal was delicious! I started to get the smothered pork chops. But I knew I would not be able to finish it all and I know how good a pork chop is later on. This soul food was good for my soul after a long trip and heading back to Mississippi. Really friendly staff from the front door, the bartender and our waitperson. I would recommend Jo Ellen's if you're ever in the area. Destiny was on point with her service too. read more

Jo Ellen's - My husbands roasted Chicken Dinner Meal. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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Jo Ellen's is an excellent addition to downtown, I am so excited for their arrival. This is the sister restaurant to Catering with Care. I loved their listed happy hour times 2-5 and 7-9. I came in on opening day at 5:30 pm and had two drinks the silky smooth (rum) and the henpecked (hennesey) both had muddle strawberries excellent summer drinks. I ordered the fried chicken with the rice and collard greens and a corn muffin. (They had ran out of yams, bummer). He ordered the fried catfish with Mac and cheese and collard greens with a corn muffin. Not a complaint about the food... all fresh, seasoned, and juicy. As you can see from the picture the chicken was mouth watering. With any new restaurant growing pains, give them some grace with staff learning and a lengthy wait time with food. We waited over an hour for food but we were constantly checked on. Absolutely will be back. read more

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JoEllen's with an ATTITUDE I visited this establishment on Friday April 25, 2025, at 7:30 PM with some friends from work. Our party was a group of 20-25 people. This was my first time at this restaurant, and I was quite impressed with the location, the bar area and the ambience. I even mentioned to my coworkers that I would be returning to this place enjoy happy hour. Obviously, the staff was not accustomed to handling or adjusting to many guests at one time. The service was extremely slow and took more than 20 minutes to get a drink served at our table. After patiently waiting for an extended period for a bottle beer, I approached the bar and attempted to order a 12oz bottle Bud Light and RUDELY denied by the one bar tender. She stated, "you are with the large group, I have all these drinks to make, and you MUST order from your server". A bottled beer takes less than 5 seconds to retrieve and serve. As I stood there, she just kept ignoring me as if I wasn't there. I eventually walked away from the bar as an unhappy customer. I returned to my table and informed the group who I was with what happened, and I was NOT going to patronize a business that treats the customers in that mannor. I immediately left the establishment and went next door to Harry's Seafood Bar & Grille where I enjoyed good drinks, quick service, great customer service, and an AWESOME dining experience. I did not' have the opportunity to try the food, but I will NEVER return to JoEllen's 215 W College Ave Ste 101, Tallahassee, FL 32301. This business did NOT value me as a guest. There was also a lack of management, leadership, and customer service. 215 W College Ave Ste 101, Tallahassee, FL 32301 read more

JoEllen's Restaurant on College Avenue is a wonderful and spacious restaurant serving chicken and waffles with actual pieces of Fried Chicken, not chicken strips. Served with red velvet waffles! They also feature a lunch buffet for $15. Today, the lunch buffet was set to include: including fried pork chops, baked chicken, shepard's pie, chicken and rice, broccoli, blackeyed peas, green beans, mashed potatoes, yellow rice, bread and apple crumble! We were there for breakfast and enjoyed the chicken and waffles, including red velvet waffles! We also ordered the salmon croquettes with scrambled eggs, a biscuit and home fries. The eggs were delicious as was the biscuit. Salmon croquettes are a unique offering for breakfast but a nice alternative to the usual bacon and sausage. Tho they offer those too. The service was prompt, efficient and friendly! They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner with a full bar. Closed on Mondays. While the legislative session is done, this is the perfect time to come downtown and try this restaurant gem! We will return! https://www.joellens.com/ read more

Jo Ellen's - Chicken and waffles - Belgian style conventional and red velvet waffles. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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I was waiting to be seated, no one walked over to greet or give guidance. Another person walks in and immediately gets to be seated. The food takes very long to come out. On another occasion I came to pick up a to go order & I was waiting at least 30 mins before I received any food. When I did receive the food, it was the wrong order. Then after the corrected it was it still missing items. 0/10, the Customer service & hospitality is very questionable. They move very slow. I tried giving a second shot at the place but it was horrible both times. I would never return. It's a waste of time. read more

Ordered online to pick up food. I ordered fried chicken sandwich and fries. I picked up at the exact time it was ordered for. I walked the : mins to where I'm staying. Fries portion was tiny and seriously overcooked. The chicken looked several days old , incredibly dry and stringy and seriously overcooked looked like it had been fried many times. I took it back. The attitude was worse than the food except the young gentleman at the hostess stand. I asked for a refund it took 15 minutes to get the receipt it came without an apology for the atrocious food. Never again. There was only a handful of people in there do the kit can't have been that read more

I had a Church Event this past weekend on Sunday March 16th. My guest came from Texas, NC and GA. Put in my order a month ago to be delivered @1:30PM here in Tallahassee... I have to say the food is exceptional. Everyone was so happy. The food was delivered by the owner and when I say he was on time I mean I was at the door at 1:30pm and so was he. I recommend them HIGHLY. Please support our local restaurant they deserve it. 5 STARS! Avis Hamilton read more

There are two options in this area: this one and the egg eatery. You can't go wrong with either. We found this place by happenstance (the Egg had about a 45 minute wait on a Sunday, but this place was just starting to get busy so we were immediately seated). I had the chicken and waffle (because of course) and my wife had a platter of eggs, tomato and home fries. The home fries were perfectly seasoned and fried. The chicken and waffles were a great balance of sweet and savory--portion sizes were just right (I know it's easy to overdo it in the south). Even though these were the only real options around for breakfast, would definitely come back again. read more

Had a pretty good experience at Jo Ellen's. It wasn't super packed when we visited so we enjoyed the atmosphere. We tried the fried green tomatoes which were really good. I had the fried chicken with Mac and cheese and collard greens. Everything was seasoned well and flavorful. I also tried the "henpecked" cocktail which was ok. Customer service was good and our server took good care of us. read more

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Finally got around to eating at this restaurant; good location; nice dining area; nice/pleasant waiter/server. Met a few friends here for brunch. Between all of us, we ordered the salmon patties and the catfish. Though I prefer my salmon patties a bit crisp, they had a good taste. Everyone enjoyed their meal. I look forward to returning and will definitely try the chicken and waffles next time, which I hear are wonderful! read more

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I did not have a good experience at this restaurant. First of all, my food came out and everything was at different temperatures. So much so that I had to ask for them to renuke it since that was done in the first place. That's the real problem. Also some of the items tasted like it came straight out the fridge into the microwave and on my plate from yesterday's offerings. Thus the reason it was different temperatures. My chicken was hard while one piece was that dark color when it's been sitting in the fridge a couple of days See the pic. Macaroni was bland, stuck together and cold. Greens was different temps. The cornbread was hard and tasteless. But this place has a very nice atmosphere and good service. But I came for a good meal and I was totally disappointed in that area. I will not return. read more

Jo Ellen's - fried chicken, macaroni and cheese - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

This place has a nice atmosphere but the food wasn't that good. Basically bland, inconsistent temperatures and small portions for the price. Service was descent. read more

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Thoroughly enjoyed my first visit at Jo Ellen's with colleagues. Pictured is their buffalo chicken dip and a Motown Philly wrap with a side of sautéed green beans. The service was excellent as well. A few with me got their fried chicken plate and raved about the seasoning and how well cooked the chicken was. Finished it off with "Never Too Much" dessert which was a chocolate decadent cake slice with a hearty helping of whipped cream drizzled with chocolate sauce. I wish there was a dessert sampler because I wanted to try all of them! read more

Jo Ellen's - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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My server Q was the sweetest and so attentive, we had fried shrimp and catfish with ocra, mac and cheese, and yams. The food was so crispy and fresh. The music was kind of loud but after a few drink it wasn't all that bad. read more

Great drinks. Fast service. Friendly bartenders. Good location. Old fashion was on point read more

Dropped in for a quick drink and an app. The bartender recommended the bang bang shrimp and it did not disappoint. Great size and tons of flavor. Exactly what we needed. read more

35 minutes for water on a Tuesday when the restaurant was half empty. I'm giving it two stars because at least the water was cold. They never brought my coffee. At 45 minutes I asked them if they had begun my order. They hadn't. I left. I had ordered an egg omelet‍ read more

Delicious. Great service. Nice views. We chose to do the buffet for lunch. There were great options and something for everyone. The baked chicken and Appel crumble definitely called for a 2nd trip to the buffet. Will visit again when I'm back in Tallahassee. read more

Just grabbing a quick beer and trying their bread pudding. I stopped here while my wife was doing some volunteer work at the civic center. Man let me tell you I really lucked up on this spot here! I sat at the bar to get a beer and chill for a few before picking up my wife. The bartender asked if I wanted some ice water since I was sweating walking in and sitting. He brought that ice water and paper towel to wipe my seat. I then asked for a beer and a chilled glass and I was very happy with that first beer. As I sat there talking with others at the bar the food in this place began to catch my attention. I ended up ordering some fried chicken wings and they did not disappoint!!! They tasted like the chicken I used to eat in church on Sunday afternoons after service. Nice full sized wings too! I ordered another beer then had bread pudding for dessert. It was the perfect balance of bread and raisins with the spice. . Then the glaze over it was not too sweet. Just a perfect compliment to the pudding. When I visit Tallahassee again I definitely will return to try other items in the menu. read more

Jo Ellen's - My ice cold beer in chilled glass at the bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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I came here for southern food and that's what I got! The chicken was fried to perfection all the food on the buffet was delicious their crumble was amazing! We had the bang bang shrimp was crispy and juicy I had the fried greens they were okay I think fried greens are just okay in general. We loved the food so much and what was on the menus that we ordered to go food too. The customer service was on point. This will be my hang out spot. Thank you Jo Ellen's. Tierra was a great server btw read more

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Had my graduation dinner here. Friendly staff, great comfort soul food, and upbeat ambiance.

My friend and I went on a Thursday night around 7:45 pm. There was a large party that was already seated and we were told due to this, our food would be about an hour wait. We agreed since our drinks and appetizers would come out first. We tried the fried green tomatoes and the bang, bang shrimp and they were ok. The batter on the tomatoes were well seasoned. We tried the Henpicked drink but upgraded it to D'usse and it was ok. Seemed like it was a cocktail that I could make at home. After waiting over an hour like was stated, even though the large patty was already done eating and paying when we were seated, we were finally served the most basic meal I've had in years. The burger looked like it was frozen patty, that was cooked but not hot and the corn was just frozen corn and butter. I have no issues waiting for food but I want it to be good food. read more

Went for breakfast and happened to love the place. The décor was nice and laid back the service was awesome. The owner actually came out and spoke to us and told us appreciate us stopping throw. I will be back. read more

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For out first daye night since 2019, my wife & I went to Jo Ellen's restaurant before catching Wakanda Forever at the Imax Challenger theater across Kleman plaza. I had the Fried Green Tomatoes & my wife had the Bang Bang Boogie shrimp. Both starters were beautifully plated & tasted more delicious than they looked. We added a couple of neat Crown Royals to our pre movie meal & thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant's ambience. The prices were reasonable & we will be back. read more

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Been wanting to try this place, so we made it a destination one evening this week. Parking at Klehman Plaza and walking up the stairs onto the plaza was an experience itself. The area is dimly lit and we didn't see any signage on whether to go left or right. Maybe there is something that's visible during the day. We chose left and found it next to Harry's. We were promptly greeted and seated. The place is very nice. Only 6 people in the restaurant when we were there. They have a long bar that will seat about 15 people. Our server was a personable young lady. My wife and I both ordered the fried chicken, but with different sides. The meals came out in about 20 minutes. The chicken was piping hot and AMAZING!! The sides for both of us were warm at best (another review mentions this). The black eyed peas remind me of the Lucky's that come from the can. The mac and cheese was very good. The cornbread was dry. The staff was very nice! I think if the sides were hot a better review might be in order. We will definitely give them another try (maybe brunch) as we love local businesses. read more

Jo Ellen's - Fried Chicken with black eyed peas and mac - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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