Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    TJ Cafe

    4.3 (242 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated 1 week ago

    Order TJ Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    TJ Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    TJ CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - TJ Cafe

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Beth A.

    Chicken had a certain texture to it not that it was an unpleasant experience but something felt off

    Toast
    Tyler J.

    This place was quite a surprise for us when we were looking for a bite to eat after a run. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Wasn't busy at all when we walked in and were pleasantly surprised by the good prices considering the location being a block away from the ocean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was simple and tasty, wasn't too oily which was very appreciated. The food also came out quite quick, no hassle in ordering either. Not much to say about this place other than it was good food for a good price, simple and tasty.

    Breakfast burrito no cheese
    Doug C.

    Homestyle cooking from chinese owners. Healthier, not overly salty and less emphasis on cheese to match Asian palate. Potato, avocado, spinach, mishroom, egg, onion, bell pepper, tomato. Very good and healthy. Fresh. Low carb load from tortilla. No rice filler in burrito No mandatory tip with cashier hovering you as you swipe your card. Going to try to make their burritos at home and freeze. [[HIGHLIGHT]]High crime area, lots of homeless who hang out in the general area. Sleep on the beach. Most hang out at the safeway down the street. Safer to work here. Xfinity wifi and owner behind counter to shoo away the bad people[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. They can't leave drinks in a commercial self service refrigerator because of theft.

    Always good with tartar sauce and potato salad, fish and chips
    Helen L.

    4 stars for smiles and service. Really 3.5. Just this morning I told my friend, no more fried food. What do i end up getting in the afternoon? Fish and chips. We were in the neighborhood. Beautiful day for a walk along the beach. I heard about their fish and chips and has been wanting to come. They close at 6 pm and Friday to Sunday, they close at 7 pm. By the way, they have breakfast all day. My three pieces of fish and chips was crunchy. A bit salty. Panko coating was good. Instead of French fries, I got the potato salad. Didn't eat that yet. Nice people who run this place. Simple menu. Not expensive. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Plenty of seats.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    Western Grilled Cheese Steak Sandwich
    Amy G.

    Came by at 4PM on Thanksgiving after a family walk through Lands End to grab a snack, so happy we stopped in!! I feel like I've discovered my new go-to place for beach sandwiches over here. Had a Western Grilled Cheesesteak and it was so fresh and hot. The bread was soft, sweet, and nicely toasted. Perfect balance of meat, cheese, and veggies too. These are also my favorite kind of fries - they remind me of my local diner from back home. They came fresh out of the fryer and paired so well with cold ketchup! Staff were so sweet and kind, especially for working on Thanksgiving. Very grateful for them and hope they got to celebrate afterwards!!

    Geraldine L.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]Honestly not a bad spot![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I came here right after a run in the morning so I was the only one there, which made it really calm and nice to eat alone.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I got their bountiful breakfast and definitely felt satisfied with the portions, quality, and the pricing. I only paid $12 for the meal!

    The Bountiful Breakfast
    Ashley H.

    I love this spot! Breakfast options are yummy and the sandwiches great too. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Cozy brunch or lunch that can be eaten inside or taken nearby to the beach to enjoy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    Amazing service, from the staff! The burger and fries were delicious! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Perfect for a nice SF day![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    Montage of images from TJ Cafe
    Ed U.

    Remember that old chestnut from Britney Spears, "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman"? Well, this spot could sing a sequel, "I'm Not a Fast Food Joint, Not Yet a Cafe". it feels like something in between way out on La Playa near Ocean Beach. It's the last residential street before you hit the Great Highway and a convenient place to grab a lunch before embarking on a cross-city walk. There are quite a few breakfast and burger choices on the menu - though I focused exclusively on their sandwiches on my two visits here (so far). For my virginal meal, I went for the $11.95 B.L.A.S.T. which was a BLT with the addition of avocado and alfalfa sprouts stuffed between two slices of sourdough toast. It was homey goodness with a side of potato salad (photo: https://bit.ly/3PAPeP1). I liked how small and uniform the potatoes were diced. It's the little things, y'know. On my second visit, I tried a perennial favorite, the $11.95 Tuna Melt on sourdough toast. I went with the fries this time (photo: https://bit.ly/3PAQstV). There was a bit too much mayo in the melt, and the fries had a bit of that thawed texture (but nothing a little ketchup can't hide). It just hit the spot when I needed it. What can I say? FOOD - 4 stars...sammies like my mama used to make, she didn't trim the crust either AMBIANCE - 3 stars...definitely a fast food vibe SERVICE - 4 stars...attentive TOTAL - 4 stars...when something modest will do RELATED - Exploring the Outer Richmond? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2HvkBu7

    Albert H.

    I'm usually wary of restaurants that serve fish and chips that don't specialize in fish and chips, so I didn't expect TJ Cafe's three piece fish and chips to blow my mind as much as it did. Dude. These are insane. They were crisp, light, and flavorful, everything you'd expect good fish and chips to be, and more. They weren't battered the traditional way, rather breaded with panko crumbs, which I think was a superb choice. The fries were nice and crispy, but they don't come with salt, so you'll have to put it on yourself if you like that way. Not to mention the food arrived much faster than expected. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Overall, a lovely place, lovely food. Everything is well priced, the ambience is very nostalgic.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The fact that I took a chance with the most risky thing on the menu and it came out amazing speaks to the quality of the rest of the menu. Did I also mention it's like a minute from the beach? 5 stars

    BLAST Sandwich
    Farah L.

    Got the BLAST sandwich with mayo and toasted white bread. It was great for the price. I just wished they salted their fries. Not a big deal as there were packets of salt on the table for me to season my own fries. The waitress was kind and polite. I'm not the type to care about ambiance if the food is good. I'd come back again for sure.

    Breakfast Burrito Sausage
    Preston C.

    Fantastic food especially for such a great price. I'll definitely be back. Such a comfort to be here and love the vibes. Also super fast service and great staff! Will be back.

    Pretty decent prices

    See all

    Review Insights

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bryn D.
    25
    19
    21

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Doug C.
    185
    878
    4097

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Helen L.
    185
    2113
    4765

    10 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ashley H.
    0
    121
    206

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 13
    Thanks 0
    Love this 12
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Good food and kind staff. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very clean restaurant and bathroom as well.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We enjoyed our meal very much :))

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    I try to come here every time I'm near Ocean Beach. Sweet staff and yummy food for a good price. I love the BLT and fish and chips here

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Average food not the best prices good and fast service but think that there are better places

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Anna L.
    160
    14
    13

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ry T.
    667
    2218
    7382

    4 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    It's a fantastic fusion with unparalleled authenticity.a great date night! Four stars due to limited seating.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jewel S.
    489
    65
    192

    7 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 25
    Thanks 0
    Love this 22
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Shane R.
    34
    182
    16

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ali F.
    9
    538
    170

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 7

    TJ Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - TJ Cafe

    Are the takeout prices the same as the in-store prices?

    Yes! They also deliver on postmates and grubhub but that has a charge.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Sweet Maple

    Sweet Maple

    4.3
    (5.2k reviews)
    4.2 mi
    $$

    My mother stayed at Pacific Coat Manor at Capitola, Santa Cruz for few months for a short-term care…read moredue to Hip Fracture. Amazingly, the quality of care they provide is excellent. Physician, NP and Nurses managed the medications well, their Staff (administrator, case manager, social workers, and aides) showed unending compassion, caring, treat with love, patient, and kind. They are all attentive and met her daily needs. Housekeeping kept her room always clean, tidy, odor-free, and with welcoming ambience. The food was excellent, and delicious too. The skilled team (PT/OT/ST) worked closely with my mom and created a customized care plan tailored for her specific needs, and provided a hands-on approach that promoted her steady progress and confidence. The Activities gave her something to look forward to everyday (like bingo, puzzle etc) It is a really a beautiful facility, Staff are great, and the most important is they truly treat their residents like own family. Thank you to the whole team of PCM for your gracious hospitality. Your continued support to health care is highly recommendable and appreciated. More power PCM Maria R

    i high key made a yelp account just to write a review because this was the best breakfast i've ever…read morehad and im passionate about breakfast food. My partner and I are on vacation to San Francisco for the weekend, and this was my first time coming. Arriving to Sweet Maple, there was a line out the door and around the corner. We decided to wait and I'm glad we did, because we got seated within 10 minutes and once we ordered we also got our food within 10 minutes. the food was SO FUCKING GOOD, i got espresso, orange juice, and the gardenia souflegg, it was a new form of eggs i haven't tried and it was amazing, it came with a side of delicious potato's and ciabatta. if you go to San Francisco, go to Sweet Maple! the vibes are great, food even better.

    Photos
    Millionaire's Bacon
    Millionaire's Bacon
    Marnier | french toast with creamy grand citrus batter (added $3 for the fired banana & candied walnuts)
    Marnier | french toast with creamy grand citrus batter (added $3 for the fired banana & candied walnuts)
    We are ready for INDOOR dining on Friday 26th April

    See all

    We are ready for INDOOR dining on Friday 26th April
    Four Chairs

    Four Chairs

    4.3
    (1.1k reviews)
    5.3 mi
    $$
    Takes reservations
    Large group friendly

    We always had great time and amazing breakfast. The food was so good and very delicious. Everything…read morewas freshly cooked. The menu was so great. We had the K-bomb chicken Benny and Nova Benny were really good and so delicious. It taste wonderful. It has nice texture in every bite. The restaurant was so good and very delicious. The food was so great. I enjoyed the food they served. Amazing restaurant!

    I ordered the Creme Brulee French Toast and K-Bomb Benny to share with my girlfriend. This is my…read moresecond time dining and it was for my birthday. I can say this is the spot for delicious asian american fusion brunch that left me really happy throughout the day. Creme Brulee French Toast 5/5 Perfectly balanced sweetness. I could eat this all day without getting tired. K-Bomb Benny 5/5 Very crispy fried chicken that's also tender and juicy. The sauce is so tasty. Runny eggs and fluffy potatoes. Service 3.5/5 Very slow in terms of trying to get an order in, paying for my tab which I had tried eyeing or waving down a server or asking for small things like napkins. I could see that they're understaffed and wished they hired more help. I'd still come back for their brunch. Ambience 3.8/5 From our seating it felt very crammed, since we could literally hear the conversation of the table next to us. It also does get loud since it's very busy. I also think their tables are quite small for the condiments and plates, which I'm glad my partner and I didn't order another dish. These are just stuff to beware of. They do have beautiful wooden panels on the wall to look at. I highly recommend having brunch here and will be coming back when I'm in the area.

    Photos
    Chipotle Benedict, Mascarpone Pancake, & Chicken Apple Scramble
    Chipotle Benedict, Mascarpone Pancake, & Chicken Apple Scramble
    Four Chairs
    K-bomb chicken benny

    See all

    K-bomb chicken benny
    Plow

    Plow

    4.1
    (3.6k reviews)
    6.3 mi
    $$

    Came for the ricotta pancakes and they did not disappoint! Highly recommend the plow as it has 2…read morelemon ln ricotta pancakes with potatoes eggs and choice of protein (we got bacon)! We also got the custard French toast which was soooo good. It would have been too sweet on its own for me but with the plow it was perfect! This is such a great brunch spot and the reason you will wait even 30 minutes on a Tuesday at 10am. Weekends get wild so plan accordingly. No reservation system! Lots of lovely outdoor and indoor seating! Great ambiance in portero hills. Will be coming back. Worth the wait!!!

    Heard this was a staple brunch spot in San Francisco and stopped by. Approximate wait time was…read moreabout 30- 45 minutes but waited ended up waiting over an hour to be seated outside for a party of four. There are a few tables outside the restaurant that are slanted on a small hill and a platform with a few tables on the street. We were seated on a table on the hill and had to be mindful of fluids/sauces filled to the brim. Blankets are also provided on each chair in case it gets breezy outside. The menu is set daily, so the dishes can vary from what's shown in previous photos. After ordering, it took over 30 minutes for our food to arrive. The summer vegetable hash comes with beans, squash, tomatoes, corn, carrots, peppers and eggs. I typically associate hash with potatoes, but surprisingly this dish does not come with potatoes. The dish was fairly mild, with most of the flavor coming from the individual vegetables. It's definitely a lighter, healthier take on hash and would be a good option if you're looking for something with more vegetables. The plow comes with eggs, lemon ricotta pancakes, potatoes and choice of meat. The lemon riccota pancakes were the star of the dish- light, fluffy and not too sweet. The potatoes were crispy. The steak + eggs was a hearty option. The steak was tender and juicy and went well with the chermoula sauce. Overall, I'm glad I got to try this restaurant at least once, but hesistant to come back because of the long wait and value of each plate.

    Photos
    Indoor ambiance
    Indoor ambiance
    Buttermilk biscuit
    Buttermilk biscuit
    Cold brew Equator Coffee

    See all

    Cold brew Equator Coffee

    TJ Cafe - burgers - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...