Date of visit: April 23, 2026 I lived down the street from Jo's Cafe for decades, but didn't ever visit until I didn't--funny how that works. My mom remembers coming here when she was young, before she had kids, and that they used to bake their own bread and you could smell the fresh bread a block away. Jo was short for Josephine, who ran the place. She was pretty sure that Jo has since passed away. Despite Jo's passing, the cafe lives on with the same name, but seems to have fallen off from its glory days. I went with the Biscuits and gravy given the fresh bread, but then I saw the cook bring out a bag of pre-made biscuits and knew that things were not the same. That being said, the gravy was actually pretty good if the biscuit wasn't really warm or particularly memorable. My eggs were not fully cooked and as such, I really just ate the cheese. Coffee was pretty meh and only the bare bones creamers were available, plus only plain table sugar as an option to sweeten the brew. Mom really enjoyed her meat lover's omelet and will definitely have some leftovers for the next day! Service was okay, didn't love the waitress taking a phone call while refilling my coffee, and the prices were a bit high for the value. Initially I was bummed that I hadn't visited during its heyday, but then I realized that I would have been even more disappointed and overall it's better this way! read more

Jo's Cafe - Biscuits and gravy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

They had an amazing patty melt. Fresh meat , cheese, and onions. Fries were good also. 5 stars

Food was 10/10. Fast breakfast, no nonsense and great atmosphere. Good tunes of 2000's jams, full/big plates at a p damn good price. People were super kind, offering everything to make the meal better. It's a small spot so it can get stuffy- but theyll get to you! Love it here! read more

They are not what they used to be. They have fell off bad very bad. I used to eat your years ago and this morning was so embarrassing and not worth 1475. I'm so mad right now. They need the old crew back. This new crew sucks badly and the food just doesn't taste the same. I wish I would have took a picture of the food before I threw it out the window. read more

This place is amazing. I am on a cross country road trip and look at this restaurant up on yelp. I wish I could come back here every week. It would be worth the four day drive, it took me to get to Milwaukee read more

BEST hashbrowns ive ever had! Eggs made exactly how i like and pancake very good and big. Food was definitely delicious. Waitress Ashley was exceptional thank you. The place is small with about 4 tables thst seat 4 and a counter thst seats maybe 8. Parking in street and only cash. read more

Jo's Cafe - Pork chop breakfast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Excellent service from the most friendly staff! Highly recommend! Omelettes and hash browns best in the city!

This is my Saturday morning treat for small cafe griddle style breakfast. I seriously crave their no nonsense eggs, hash browns, toast and Polish sausage. Don't get me wrong, they do a great job with pancakes and have a couple of bakery options on display and I have never been disappointed with their bakery. The restaurant is small but they have a very high turnover with lots of phone orders. The owner is super friendly and always customer oriented. The drawback is that they close at 2:00pm. Although I have to travel 15 miles and park on the street, I still find this hidden gem well worth it and hope you do as well. read more

Terrific food and friendly service. Have been going for years. Never disappoints. Welcoming atmosphere. I love this place!

This place has been in my neighborhood for years in far longer than I have and I had heard great things but always hesitated to go there because I thought it was just another greasy spoon dive... Well finally I went, I ordered eggs over medium, rye toast (you get options of white, whole wheat or rye, buttered or unbuttered), i chose- bacon (3 strips) and I also had a choice of shredded hash browns or potatoes cooked "homestyle" the eggs and I elected to have the onions because why not! The eggs where cooked just right, bacon crispy and the toast was well toast...the potatoes where pretty bland even with the onion. Breakfast was $8 and change which is more than I would usually spend on breakfast. The building itself is greasy spoon-ish but clean, I felt like I had stepped back into the 1980's but not completely in a bad way. I ordered to go and the service and greeting was very nice. It is apparent that this is a neighborhood establishment as people came and went, the staff knew their customers and had developed that vibe, however, the food was just average at best and my first time was my last time. read more

Jo's Cafe - Diner diving - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Food was great, and service was even better. Old school diner, fresh food--not greasy! Great prices. I highly recommend. Friendly and attentive people. read more

I started eating here over 10 years ago. I loved the place so much I helped get my wife a job there. Breakfast is their main thing and it's huge. They have 4 egg omelets that come with a load of potatoes and toast. Good sized pancakes and great tasting french toast. They make different types of homemade jelly. Only one flavor at a time so one week it might be apple, one week peach, etc. They have awesome lunch also. Special every day except Saturday. Things like meatloaf, swedish meatballs, spaghetti, chicken ala king, goulash, tips over noodles, etc. Friday is a good fish fry. Of course they have the other cafe fare like burgers, chicken, steaks, etc. Soups there are mostly handmade and my favorite is the chicken dumpling. The rolls are awesome. I love the coffee, also. 4 four person tables and 9 counter stools, so be prepared to wait, especially on Saturday! read more

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Cash only. Good service even better food.place is small diner feel with quick service and no frills pricea

This is a pretty solid breakfast place. They cook everything with clarified butter. It is not the most healthy breakfast, but very good. The hash browns were decent and the eggs were cooked perfectly. They also make their own jelly. It was amazing. Worth a try if you are in the area. Service was good but neighborhood was not the greatest. So be careful. Note: They only accept cash but prices are reasonable. read more

It was alright. The best thing about the food was the homemade apple jelly. I cook better than that in the microwave. The bacon was fried hard on one side then almost raw on the other side. The flavor was missing in the entire meal. As a matter of fact, it's located in the hood so I know someone robbed them at gun point for their flavor. The hash browns were unattractive meaning they didn't look or taste good. The eggs were better, however I normally like my eggs with toast, bacon, and hash browns, not plain. If you go there it's at your own risk. But trust me, I'll live long without going back..... EVER. read more

Jo's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Great breakfast items! However I must give a one star. The waitresses have no clue. One waitress had a cold sore on her lip and rubbed it then picked up cups of water from the top to serve to a customer. Very gross!!! One of the waitresses was eating at the front counter and stuck her finger in her ear, then took customer food out. No hand washing or clean towels, WOW! read more

Okay, it's not five star *dining*, but it gets five stars. Jo's Cafe is one of the finest diner/sandwich shops in Milwaukee. My great aunt used to live right around the corner from Jo's (possibly named something else under a previous owner), and one day when I was visiting, I discovered that she frequently ate at this quaint little joint just out her back door and down the alley (probably not safe these days, but this was years ago). I hadn't visited it in years, having quite simply forgotten about it, but I thankfully rediscovered it. The place is small. Four (yes, four) 4-seater tables and a short counter, with a short-order cook and a giant griddle cooking your food right there. Correction, it's TINY, and it looks like it was built in an earlier era, with a very dated and quaint feel to it, but don't let that turn you off. The food is great, it is almost always crowded, and it is definitely worth the wait. The food is uncomplicated, but there's so much of it that you really can't go away hungry. It's hypnotic to watch the food being prepared, ranging from massive omelets and awesome American fries, to a specialty called hoffel poffel, a gigantic mix of scrambled eggs, potatoes, onions, salami and cheese. Want lunch? They've got it. Daily specials are available, with hearty fare such as meat loaf, real mashed potatoes, gravy, and lots of other homemade goodies available. Sandwiches and burgers are large and fresh. Jo's closes mid-afternoon, however, so best not to be late! Suggest parking on Silver Spring in front if you can. Four spaces in front of the building, or plenty of spaces one block west on Silver Spring. The neighborhood has gotten a bit dodgy in recent years, and the only real alternative is a rather quiet residential street. We make a point of driving across the county to go to breakfast at Jo's several times a year, plus breakfast or lunch whenever we happen to be in the area. read more

I was reading "Roadfood" and the Sterns mentioned this place. The area is a tad sketchy so I decided to leave this one alone. That is until a friend pressured me into going. That was years ago and I am so glad I came to my senses and gave Jo's a chance. This is mainly a breakfast spot but they do serve lunch until 2pm I believe. Call them and make sure though. There's a lunch special every day. I love the roast beef with gravy. It comes with tasty slices of roast beef spread over white bread with copious amounts of gravy. Talk about comfort food!! I always enjoy the Chicken a la King too. I recently had the spaghetti and can't wait to have it again. The turkey club is also good. Service is always prompt and friendly. Come here for lunch or breakfast then go down the street to Growing Power to support Milwaukee's only urban farm. read more

I live only 2 blocks form here... and am KICKING MYSELF for not trying them sooner. ... however a couple of times I actually did think of trying them, they were closed. Years ago I used to frequently have breakfast at Lenraks, on 3rd street. This place is almost identical in the menu offerings, only REALLY good food in a "greasy-spoon-short-order-not-so-good-for-your-heart" kinda way. They make 4-egg omelets.... who ever heard of 4 egg omelets?!! they are huge! the bacon was spot on perfect. I had to try the biscuits and gravy.... home-made all around... the biscuits were huge, and flaky, and nummy, and there were two of them, cut in half and smothered it smooth creamy sausage gravy. I ate waaaaay too much. The day we went they had home-made apple butter too.... read more

I used to go here back in the late 1980s when Jo was still working the grill and had a sign above it that read "Never Trust a Skinny Cook" and well, there were not a lot of skinny cooks. Now it is run by her son or son in law (I am not sure), and while some of the charm is gone (a lot of stuff that was on the walls is now down including the famous skinny cook sing, but you can see all Jo's stuff in some of the pictures that line the walls) the food is still amazing diner fare. They have some items that include potato pancakes, and a German egg dish, but the eggs are why I come here. They are not special, but they are good and cheap. The hashbrowns are excellent and they make them with onions on request. I am also a huge fan of the rye toast and the fresh made rolls here. You can ask for a roll with breakfast and they will grill it. Yum. I am not sure if it costs more. I also have them dumb sausage gravy on my hashbrowns. Many years ago I dated a woman whose mother baked pies and long after I broke up with the woman, I kept going to Jo's every time I visited Milwaukee - so I really love this place. It is a diverse crowd - one of the most diverse in the city, and it is not trendy, but it has been going strong for decades - a true Milwaukee gem. Tables for parties of 2 or more, so if you go solo you have to sit at the bar. Way to go Jo. read more

Jo's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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This is by far the BEST place to get breakfast!!! Nice size pancakes, big omelettes, hashbrowns or American fries are the finest! and quick service...Big ups to JO's! read more

We Love this breakfast spot! You will likely have to wait for a seat, but its well worth it. They are a cash only business, and the prices are low. They have really good freshly made breakfasts, large portions and friendly staff. The neighbors are friendly, and this is a very special neighborhood spot. read more

Jo's is the kind of diner that you just don't see anymore. They have tons of loyal customers who have been eating there for years, & staff that have been working there almost as long as it's been open. I love nostalgic old places like that. A friend of mine suggested we have breakfast/lunch here one weekend; he knows how much I love breakfast foods. The place is extremely small, so be prepared for a wait if you don't get there early. We both ordered egg platters with toast, & it was awesome seeing the food being cooked pretty much right in front of you on the short order grill. The service was friendly; the waitresses even knew other customers/their families by name. The eggs over medium were perfect, the coffee was tasty & it was a pretty satisfying meal overall. I wasn't wild about the home fries/potatoes; they were cut very chunky & thus weren't as crispy as I generally like home fries to be. Still, if you're up that way on a Saturday or Sunday morning & want a bite to eat, Jo's is the place to go. After all, it's rare for a diner to have as many decades-long loyal customers as Jo's has. In my book, that says a lot about their food & customer service. read more

Not much to look at from the outside (or inside) but the food & service was great and reasonable. I had a grilled biscuit too with homemade jam. Delicious!! It was standing room only with people waiting. The home made jam is so good, they should market it!! When I'm back in this neighborhood, this is high on my list as a place to stop. These neighborhood restaurants are so much better than the chains!! read more

I've lived in the neighborhood for over 25 years and have been eating there all these years. The food is so much better than those franchise restaurants, and it's being a small family diner makes it such a comfortable place to be. The breakfast is the highlight of the day, but the portions are so huge! The hashbrowns are out of this world, but I have to tell them to only give me a half order! Go there, you will never regret it. read more

First time I was not too impressed. Had the standard Bacon and eggs. They seem to be missing real flavor. Will try again.

good food good selection . very small place maybe 8 seats at the counter and 4 tables so you may need to wait for a table. the staff is very friendly however. the place is something you would drive by and not think twice. but because of the strong reviews on yelp I tried it. the ham,bacon,egg biscuit sandwich was great as was the biscuits and gravey,even the hash browns were good. I'll be back. with no parking lot you have to find street parking. even though the area isn't the best everyone was nice. read more

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Thank you Yelpers for rating this place! Would not have found this little gem without the app. Not from this general area and was looking for a breakfast other than McDonalds or Denny's. Don't let the exterior appearance fool you. Service is outstanding and the food is even better. Not a large place, but they have a counter if you're dining alone and some tables. Highly recommend the American Fries! I will be back!!! read more

used to live in the neighborhood and stopped in for breakfast/brunch many times. have since moved but am glad to see they are still doing business. A friend of mine works nearby and I will recommend Jo's cafe for her and possibly meet up with her at the cafe. Great food and super friendly staff. Look forward to eating there soon. read more

Ever since we moved to Milwaukee in 1993, we've been regulars here. A friend who is a contractor told us about it, and it's well worth the ride from the East Side of town. Chris and John, and Jo before them, are always welcoming. The breakfasts are extraordinary. We always get the veggie omelet with a grilled homemade roll. The homemade jam is delicious, as is the coffee. Some time ago, the Roadfood folks gave them an award for one of the 10 best breakfasts in America (modestly framed on their wall), and I can see why. We also like the fact that it is one of the few truly racially integrated establishments in the city. read more

Come hungry, because the portions are out of control!!! For under $10, you can get a drink and a 4 egg Denver omelet. A ginormous side of hash browns or home fries, and 4-half-slices of your favorite toast (marbeled rye in my case), come along for the ride. The ham in the omelet was strange when I first saw it, as it is thinly sliced deli ham (I guess I am used to cubed ham), but nonetheless it was good. Clientele is a very mixed crowd of all ages and ethnicity. But that's a good thing, as it shows that even though the city is pretty segregated, that good food conquers all, and unites all people. Even though the neighborhood is sometimes considered a little sketchy, I felt comfortable here. I will be back for the giant cinnamon rolls and the all day breakfast. Be aware, that the place gets a little cold at times, because there isn't a double door, and the kitchen stocking entry is pretty exposed too. Parking exists on the street, but there is a one way street nearby. You're best off parking one block West from the restaurant, on the south side of Silver Spring Ave. read more

We were looking for an old fashion hometown cafe and we found it. Great breakfast. The omelet was huge, so you might want to share if you don't want to take home leftovers. read more