Papa Joe's, Ferndale, CA Some places earn their reputation not by chasing trends but by simply refusing to change. Papa Joe's in Ferndale is exactly that kind of place. It has been a fixture in this town for over 35 years, and if you walk in expecting avocado toast and oat milk lattes, you are in the wrong building. What you will find is honest, unapologetic diner food cooked by someone who actually knows what they are doing, served in a room full of deer heads, dairy association flags, and enough history to fill a book. The story behind the place is worth knowing. Papa Joe's was opened by Joe Alexandre, who came to Humboldt from the Azores at age 12 and went on to build Alexandre Family Farm into one of the most respected dairy operations in the region. When Joe retired, he and some colkegues bought this spot and described it as a daycare center for retired dairyman, a place where the old guard could gather, play cards, and hold court. Joe has since passed, but the building is still owned by his wife & partners, the spirit of the place is completely intact, and the same waitstaff that has been there for years is still holding it down. The kitchen is now in the hands of a classically trained chef who previously cooked at Curly's and Ridgetop Cafe in Fernbridge. That pedigree shows up on the plate. The omelets are the move here. You pick one meat and two vegetables, choose your cheese, and decide between home fries or hash browns, then pick your toast. I go sourdough and hash browns every time without thinking about it. It is straightforward at Joes, perfectly executed greasy spoon cooking, the kind that does not need to explain itself. The hash browns come out shredded and crisped up just right, the omelet is fluffy and generous, and the whole plate delivers exactly what it promises. They never used to have biscuits and gravy on the menu, but this chef makes them fresh every day now, and they are the best biscuits and gravy in southern Humboldt County. Full stop. Thick sausage gravy, proper biscuits, stick to your ribs, and completely worth every calorie. The vibe in here is unlike anything else in the county. On the walls you will find deer mounts, flags from the Mexican, Portuguese, and Humboldt dairy associations, and artwork that has been hanging in the same spot for decades. They have freshened things up just a touch, but the soul of the place is exactly where Joe left it. The menus were recently redone and they tell his story, which is a genuinely good read while you wait for your food. They also now accept credit cards, which is a welcome change from the cash only days that caught more than a few people off guard over the years. A couple of things worth knowing before you go. This is not the spot for low carb substitutions, side salads, or specialty coffee drinks. You get black coffee, or you doctor it up yourself at the table with the cream and sugar that's already sitting there. The menu is focused and traditional, and that is intentional. They also do lunch, with solid options including a French dip and a good egg salad sandwich, and clam chowder on Fridays that I have not tried yet but fully intend to. If you are someone who needs a lot of options or wants a modified order, this may not be your place. If you want real food cooked well in a room full of history by people who care about keeping a tradition alive, there is nowhere better. Papa Joe's is a four star spot in the best possible way. It is not trying to be five stars, and it does not need to be. It does what it does better than almost anywhere else in the county, and that counts for a lot. Ferndale is worth the drive on its own, and stopping here while you are in town is non-negotiable. read more

Poppa Joe's - Great Hearty Omlette W/ Linguica! - Diners Near Me - Ferndale, California

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Open for breakfast or lunch! Great food made Gramma style! A place that loves the local dairymen, and tourists enjoy the food but can't stop enjoying the atmosphere! Your order is taken almost immediately, everything is served still steaming.... Aaaaah Papa Joe's, my tummy loves you! read more

Great home town cooking and friendly staff. Would definately recommend breakfast when touring the beautiful town of Ferndale.

This place is an iconic gem. A historical building, this breakfast joint breathes its history on its walls and furnishings. I ordered a standard egg breakfast and it was killer---crispy hash browns , eggs cooked as requested and crispy English muffin. Service was awesome and the jam was clearly home made! It's a must if you love a good breakfast . Cash only---so be aware! read more

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My husband has been looking for a local restaurant with delicious lemon pancakes and he has finally found it! Pancakes were scrumptious and the service was great. I'd venture to say this place is a "hidden gem" in Humboldt Co. read more

Pappa Joes' cannot be missed!! It all starts with Grazie our waitress and graduate of Fortuna High. She exudes small town charm and warmth. Pappa Joes is an old fashioned blast from the past. Kinda reminds me f a diner in Minnesota or North Dakota. The kind of place where the farmers are all in there sitting together or apart, because they have some sort of beef over a prized cow., Where the Biscuits and Gravy are ONLY served on Wednesdays. Why Wednesday's?? who knows but 's worth the wait and the $8.50 for a man sized portion. Love this place!! read more

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I LOVE POPPA JOE'S! I have been going for many years. Had lunch there today! Because I live in Fortuna and it's a 15-minute drive to Ferndale, I called ahead and they had our meal out and served within minutes. It was delicious as usual, and the new cook is familiar to many around Humboldt. He is fast, and his skills as a cook are the best! Can't wait to see if they start offering dinners a few times a week! The service is always impeccable, and the ambiance is so nostalgic, especially the tractor collection belonging to one of the original owner's grandson, Christian. I will keep going back as much as my budget and diet allow! :) read more

Nov 2022: Came in the day after Thanksgiving. Clearly a local's hub, nice warm and nostalgic vibe. Nothing fancy about it. Food was delicious and very generous portion sizes. We brought half our omelet with us and had it for lunch. One young server - very sweet, and one woman cook. Things took a reasonable amount of time based on staff. Coffee is very basic - but hot. Keep in mind this review is for you - Yelpers - as this business is caught in a time warp and whether you go there or not - they will survive. Only real sit- down breakfast in town. we went back again the next day and were greeted like locals. Bottom line - food is good, prices fair, service reasonable. NOTE: CASH ONLY read more

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4 Sept. '24-10:00-Hamburger was excellent. Very juicy and cooked to perfection. Bread was fresh and moist. Service was excellent. Very historic building. Highly recommended! read more

Nothing worth a drive. Heard great things, but it was busy. Took forever to get my food and saw them making pancakes with Costco Krustaz batter. Rarely have biscuits and gravy, which is usually a telltale sign of a great breakfast place. read more

We absolutely love Poppa Joe's. The food is great the service is great and can't imagine life without them lol. My man and I have Ranch families and we are used to good food and when go here we get great food and our money's worth read more

Poppa Joes is a lost in time restaurant with lots of history since the 1880's. It's a home town feel and the food is delicious.

Went in at 1130 for lunch. Only one other table with customers. They don't start lunch until noon so we couldn't order lunch. We weren't greeted when we arrived. Both staff pretty much ignored us. When we asked if we could order lunch we were told no we had to come back at noon. Left and went down the street to Tuyas which was wonderful and let us order lunch at 1130. Poppa Joes seemed very run down and not especially clean. read more

The owner made up the price when I got there and said they only serve biscuits and gravy on Wednesdays... it was Wednesday.

In the quaint town of Ferndale, Poppa Joe's is the perfect complement to the look and feel of the Victorian village. The small town atmosphere here is conducive to taking it slow and easy. And that's par for the course when you're in these parts, the Redwoods country. I only had a simple breakfast here, French toast and a glass of milk, but I sat at the counter and I saw dishes go past me. They looked great and an additional testament is how the folks to my right enjoyed their breakfast. They said so. read more

Poppa Joe's - The interior is cool looking, a throwback to the past. - Diners Near Me - Ferndale, California

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Took 45 minutes to get uncooked eggs . Ordered eggs over medium. 2 x they came back uncooked . read more

Stopped in Ferndale and glad we did. We had a nice hot breakfast with a great ambiance and awesome service. We highly recommend the biscuits and gravy, sure to satisfy! The pancake stack was perfect, fluffy and delicious! The Poppa Joe sandwich was a favorite, make sure you order with the sausage. I wish we took photos before we dug in, but it was just too good! read more

Poppa Joe's - Diners Near Me - Ferndale, California

Great clam chowder! Old school place Creaky wooden floors, dim lights (uh, no, not for "ambience"), friends all hanging out---looking like fixtures!, simple folk behind the counter slinging normal food: hot, brown and plenty of it! (I'm stretching my use of artistic license here). But I hope I'm getting my point across that everything here is about history and the simple life. Sometimes, a place like this is just exactly what one needs! read more

Poppa Joe's - Diners Near Me - Ferndale, California

Absolutely delightful. There is something so simple and beautiful about eating at Poppa Joe's as if you're being transported to another time when the world was a kinder and gentler place. The service is efficient and helpful and friendly. The food is old school delicious- large servings and you can watch it being cooked before your very eyes. I love all things Ferndale and I REALLY love Poppa Joe's. Don't listen to to the angry instant gratification crowd reviews. Wander in - have a seat - take a deep breath and enjoy. You won't be disappointed. read more

Stopped in here for breakfast around 9:30am. Sat down and after 20 min was still not provided menus. My boyfriend got up to ask for menus. About 10-15 min later our order was taken and coffee brought to us. An hour later from our order being taken, still no food. Seems like locals or friends were being hooked up. The cook was hardly cooking and just catching up with coworkers and locals. We decided to just pay for our coffee and leave. Not surprised to see on Yelp that another patron this morning had the same experience we had. We also noticed a few other frustrated patrons. We understand when an establishment is understaffed but the cook was not hustling or interested in fulfilling orders whatsoever, in fact the total opposite. Maybe don't go if you're not local. read more

We took our almost 99 year old Aunt there this morning. There were only 3 tables including ours and it took 45 minutes to get our food. The cook was so slow, sitting and talking. Everything was over cooked but large portions. The waitress was really nice though We won't be going back read more

What a treat to visit what looked like one of the local favorites. Extremely friendly and casual place. Coffee was excellent as was the pancake which was perfectly fluffy. Bacon was the star of the show, though - wonderful flavor and crisp how I like it. read more

Poppa Joe's - Scrambled Eggs with bacon and a pancake - Diners Near Me - Ferndale, California

Very authentic, small home town restaurant. Everyone knows each other and they say hello. The ambiance is relaxed and welcoming. The service is quick and very friendly. The food is very tasty and the price is great! Awesome place to start your day read more

I love this place! I'm a sort of foodie from SF Bay Area. My cousin lives in Ferndale and so I'm there from time to time. Poppa Joe's offers great food. The home fries are amazing. They use russet potatoes and leave the skin on. So much flavor! Their origin is Portuguese and of course they offer linguiça. Also great if you like spicy sausage. Not super hot-just well seasoned. And, if you treat the staff well, you will be treated as a local too. read more

Do not go here if you are not a local! Locals get preference. Absolutely do not recommend this place! We waited for 15 mins once we sat ourselves and since we didn't get any service, our friend decided to grab the menus for the table. The waitress never tended to our needs. They made us wait for over 1 hr 15 min and when we asked the waitress how much more time for our food, she said that they haven't even started preparing after over one hour and made us pay for the coffee which should have been free for the inconvenience they caused us. We never got our food and we finally decided to leave. The waitress was extremely flustered the whole time and extremely Disorganized. read more

Gotta visit the local eating places in Ferndale for breakfast and dinner. Poppa Joe's did not disappoint. Hospitable and delicious! They have their personalized mugs for sale so support this local business and buy one! I ordered the Joe's breakfast with sausage and country fries. Everything was hot and seasoned perfectly. All the covid regulations were being followed. My partner in dine had the sausage omelette and a biscuit, normally biscuits are another day but he lucked out with a left over....still tasty! Beautiful city and friendly people. Definitely check it out! read more

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I've lived in Ferndale for a couple of months now but what got me to try Poppa Joe's is a visit from friends. I had pancakes, eggs, and bacon. They had french toast, hamburger steak, county potatoes, hashbrowns and eggs. We all LOVED our food. I totally forgot write a review yesterday (when we ate at Poppa Joe's) but considering I am literally craving the pancakes today says something. Might be the best pancakes I have ever tasted. And they were H U G E. Don't miss this place. It is truly special. As others have noted, cash only. read more

Great breakfast in a funky, old building. Portions were generous and service was friendly.

Yummmm food is great. cash only. Great people, great service. Small town hole in the wall that will bring you back again and again.

Papa Joe's is amazing place to eat. The cooks are awesome. The waitress is amazing. The obvious is amazing. I suggest when you're in town. Stop by Papa. Joe and get a great home cooked meal.. read more

Had breakfast in this quaint little café. Great service and delicious food. Best egg sandwich I've had in a long time. Sausage was amazing. Highly recommend. Service is a bit slow but to be expected as there is only one chef at the griddle. Worth the wait. read more

So glad we decided to take this quick detour to Ferndale on our trip back to Cali from our Oregon Coast drive. it's a small, really cute and quaint Victorian town. We had breakfast at Poppa Joe's and the experience was awesome. it's definitely not fancy but full of history and charm and big portions of delicious food. The place is old but warm and the service was good and super friendly. Just be prepared as they only accept cash. read more

Poppa Joe's - a drawing of a storefront - Diners Near Me - Ferndale, California

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We were driving down the coast on a road trip and am so happy we went the little bit out of the way to come here! Absolutely loved everything about this place. The food was outstanding, the staff were very fun, and the atmosphere was A+! read more

I give this place a Here there is no indoor dining, however several locals were dining inside, the waitress was rude told my wife and I to wait outside and refused to even allow us to see a menu. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Really cute restaurant. The gentleman serving us had a very warm and kind personality. We had delicious BLTs with fries that were amazing. This place is really good! read more

I'm amazed that I'm the first to review this Ferndale eatery. I passed by in the evening multiple times and this restaurant was filled with locals and tourist. Its known for its prime rib, chicken dishes and fish dinners. I noticed they opened for breakfast at 6:00am and the restaurant had its regular locals for coffee, I sat up a the bar with fresh coffee and I had one of the best breakfast that I have ever had. Travelling North or South on Hwy 101 and if your near Eureka, pull off the Hwy and drive the 5 miles to Ferndale. Poppa Joes was a great discovery. read more

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Stopped for breakfast on my way out of camping at Mattole River. Food was fresh and made to order sausage links and eggs. Hash browns were perfectly cooked a little crispy. Food was not oily. Sat at the counter and didnt wait long. Service was friendly and portions were good read more

Poppa Joe's is a old fashioned authentic diner that hasn't changed much since Poppa Joe immigrated from Portugal in the 1930's. We sat at the counter and watched the grill lady expertly make dozens of orders without missing a beat. I ordered a hamburger steak with fried eggs, hash browns, and sourdough toast, and it was prepared perfectly. Service was very friendly, and they place was filled with locals - some of them very colorful. Breakfast was accompanied with a bottomless cup of coffee, served with a smile. Highly recommended! read more

Poppa Joe's - The grill lady is working hard! - Diners Near Me - Ferndale, California

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I am in LOVE with this little restaurant!! A throw back in time. Portions are HUGE and the atmosphere is very welcoming. I was also informed that Poppa Joe's sells gift certificates! I know what I will be stuffing stockings with!!!! read more

Poppa Joe's - Diners Near Me - Ferndale, California

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I have never felt so unwelcome in a restaurant in my life. My review has nothing to do with Covid or anything like that. We walked in and were merely pointed to a table. Sat and waited. Like we were being ignored. Then finally the waitress came over and said "it''s gonna be an hour for food." They obviously wanted us to leave so we left. read more