Jojo's Cafe in Collinsville...
Food, 10/10
People, 11/10
Service, unbeatable
I noticed that the diner formerly known as Tay's had a new name and a very active Facebook page, so my son and I dropped in on Friday for lunch to try them out. He went with the Steak Fingers and Fries and I opted for the CFS, mashed potatos and as they had ran out of green beans, went with a bowl of pinto beans.
First, the place was packed... which is great. That means ownership and staff are firing on all cylinders. The cafe seat around 50 people, max, so it's a small place to start.
But even with a full lunch crowd, it wasn't overly noisy. There's one big room, about 6 booths, 4 tables and a counter that seats about 6. Not a lot of ambience or pizazz, but what they DO have in abundance is great food and wonderful people.
Food arrived very quickly considering the crowd. My son commented that his steak fingers were probably the best he's ever had, and that boy knows his way around some steak fingers.
My CFS was also one of the best I've had, and certainly the best I've had in quite some time. Crust to meat ratio was almost 100% with no meat shrinkage. Flavorful crust without being overdone and fork tender meat that I did not need to use a knife on at all. Mashed potatoes were fresh and scratch made. And very importantly (to me) gravy was in abundance. Too many places treat gravy like it's a scarce commodity instead of the cheapest thing in the kitchen to make. Creamy, smooth and plenty of flavor, it was the perfect cover (pun intended) to the rest of the plate.
The pinto beans could easily steal the show. What came out as a side competed for the main event. Perfectly cooked with just a bit of bite to the beans, there was an abundance of ham chunks and to my surprise, bacon added in. Never thought bacon, but that's a go-to for me from now on in my own kitchen.
Had a chance to meet and shake hands with the owner who was having lunch there with his family, and he's a nice, down to earth local businessman who understands how to treat and keep a customer.
I liked it so well that the next day, I met my daughter there for breakfast, and it do did NOT disappoint. She had the pancake breakfast with cakes, eggs and home fries, and loved every bit of it.
I had the ham and cheese omelet, hash browns and biscuit and gravy.
Hands down the best omelet I've had around the area, and the hash browns were outstanding. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. The biscuit was fresh and lighter than air, and again.... gravy was in abundance.
Great experiences overall, and will not hesitate to make the short trip back up the highway for more meals. read more