Blue Jay Cafe

Doesn't Recommend

RJA

Joined 4 years ago

Gone Nasty. I used to love this place like no other. But, based on several visits I can't face it again. I've revisited about 3 times after my first bad experience hoping that that latest visit would absolve it of all past sins. Nope. And I'm not really a fussy eater. Greasy spoons have their place in the world and with me. This place didn't even do comfort food close to passable. Cold biscuits and gravy? Raw potatoes? I think maybe there was a disgruntled chef (ok, cook) or something for it to be so obviously bad.

I make these comments because I would absolutely love it to get turned around and not just shut down. PLEASE CHANGE BLUE JAY!

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riskysubmarine

Joined 6 years ago

Great comfort food!. When you are looking for food to make a bad day go away- heavy and hot, then Blue Jay is your local answer! Fried chicken & mac and cheese in a slow, down to earth environment. The lighting is dim and the music is hip- a great place to stay hidden when you want to go out, but not be "scene".

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Delicious Southern cooking at rock-bottom prices draw locals to this Western Addition must-eat.. In Short
A U-shaped counter occupies the center of the easygoing room, and eye-catching paintings by local artists grace midnight-blue walls. Long-backed wooden benches provide much of the table seating. A hipster crowd downs beers as they try to catch the waitstaff's attention. Familiar Southern-style comfort food is the focus.

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eatforto

Joined 7 years ago

Good, very cool and so tasty. I went there on Friday night with 3 friends around 8 p.m, it was slightly busy, but we were seated after a 5 minute wait. The atmosphere is very casual with a "helpful" and friendly feel (the server who waited on us seemed very happy to be there, not a typical San Francisco server attitude). Now the food, it was GOOD. The menu is where you pick your desired meat or fish with a sauce and you get to choose two side ingredients (that is the fun part because you can tag a bite from a friends plate). My friends and I ordered lots of different things and we had a blast trying the different things, I suggest the Snapper with the green beans and mashed potatoes. We then shared a pecan minature pie, it was to die for. For the tab... I felt it should have been more for the service and food I got. Downside, the bathrooms are kind of unusual. I will return soon

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sfnative718

Joined 7 years ago

Good food, casual atmosphere. Friendly service, live jazz, casual, and unpretentious. This is not a fancy place. You don't go here for pomp and circumstance, you go for simple good food. I've been several times and taken several different friends. The fried chicken is consistently the best thing on the menu.

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jimsimipson

Joined 7 years ago

WHAT AN IMPROVEMENT!!!! GREAT BRUNCH. Yes... what an improvement. I went there about a year ago a couple of times because it was the local buzz and I was very disappointed in the rude service and average food (not to mention, so slow to get anything). I vowed to never return until a friend convienced me about a owner change that had made it so much better. Brunch with three other friends was so "overallly" good, friendly and sincere service, very tasty food (especially the blueberry pancakes) that took no time at all to get and great orange mimosas. I was amazed at how fast the place moved but was never rushed.

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sfcp

Joined 7 years ago

Probably wouldn't go back. I heard great things but was I pretty disappointed. The food was cold and the wait staff was pretty clueless. They were nice people but forgot multiple items and left us sitting there waiting for the bill. I probably wouldn't go back.

Doesn't Recommend

etaw

Joined 7 years ago

Dirty counters, stale muffins, cold food. I went to the Bluejay once months ago, for breakfast, and I loved it. The atmosphere is classic SF casual hip, and the menu was full of organic ingredients appealingly prepared. Recently I was in the neighborhood and stopped in excitedly for an early dinner.Though the places were all freshly set, the counter beneath them was sticky and dirty. The corn muffins were stale and tasted as if they'd been stored in a plastic bag in a big smelly fridge. The chicken somehow came off it's rotisserie with pale, flabby skin which was not so cleverly disguised by an over-use of parsley garnish; it tasted reheated yet it was cold in the center. The beef dish was "tough as old boots" and swimming in a watery tomato broth. And the bathroom! Don't get me started. Our waitress didn't bother to ask about the food, but I suspect she already knew. It was a terribly disappointing experience for a place that had such promise, and it made me sad enough that I had to open a Citysearch account and write this review.

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bama123

Joined 7 years ago

Great Southern Fried Chicken...reminds me of home. I am from the South...the real south and found the fried chicken to be second only to my mom's. The mashed potatoes were hot, thick, and had a few lumps that confirmed they were made from scratch...just wonderful! My wife had the skirt steak which was done to the correct temp and tender. We loved the corn bread and the casual atmosphere. The prices cannot be beat. We will be back again often!

Doesn't Recommend

babysister6

Joined 7 years ago

I'D RATHER EAT WORMS!!. Ok, where should I start.

1)The small menu selection should have been a clue but since I paid 3 dollars to cross the bridge I stayed.

2) It took forever for us to get menus

3) I asked for my bacon to be crispy and they brought it out dam near R A W and when I brought to the servers attentions he did not seem to understand what I was saying. Ok, he took it I guess to cook it and never brought it back.

3) The grits taste like paste with cheese.

4) QUESTION? Should I always have to ask for a coffee refill?

Basiclly. after eating at The Blue Jay Cafe I would rather eat worms!!