John’s Kitchen Cafe

Had always passed by and meant to try, so went for lunch today and was not disappointed! My husband ordered a breakfast sandwich & hash browns and I had the buffalo chicken cutlet sandwich on rosemary focaccia. Delicious! Nice staff. Will definitely come back and try more.

7:09PM to 9:03PM.
The first time is when our order was confirmed through Seamless and the second, when the food finally arrived. At about 8:30, I gave the restaurant a call to ask for the delivery’s whereabouts and got the typical «my driver is out for delivery and should be there any minute» response. Fine. 9PM rolls around and still no delivery. I call again and the same employee answers and again confirms that the delivery guy is out and that we will be the next stop. I think it’s important to note that the drive from John’s Kitchen Café to my place is 8 minutes; there is no reason a basic delivery of a chicken parm panini and mac & cheese should take just under two hours.
The food was good, even though the chicken parm came on ciabatta bread instead of the specified wrap. The fries were a little soggy although not terrible. The mac & cheese presented well and was topped with brie, definitely a plus. The panini was solid but I could take it or leave it.

Food delivery was about very late (an hour and a half) and the food was totally soaked – soggiest calamari and my sandwich was falling apart because the bread was wet. Calamari would have been good if it wasn’t so soggy but the steak sandwich was completely tasteless. Avocados were also totally brown. On top of that, they forgot the side salad that the sandwich was supposed to come with. Would not recommend.

Perfect Weekend brunch place!!!
This place has a nice vibe, great pancakes and good service! Love coming here.

Small little gourmet deli downtown jersey city. This place is a hidden gem and I’m so happy I stumbled upon it. Even though I read that the service was horrible, the lady who answered the phone to take my delivery order was very patient and friendly. We ordered a few panini’ and fries with pasta salad. (30) The food was awesome. You can tell they use fresh ingredients. Ordered for delivery and it took 80min but the food was still warm and the delivery guy was very nice and apologetic! Plus they deliver to JC heights with no up charge so that’s awesome! Can’t wait to order again!

Food delivery came about 10 minutes earlier than expected, which was nice. Except it was delivered to another apartment in my building. So after spending 15 minutes tracking down my order, I guess it didn’t matter that they were early since I didn’t receive the food myself. Seems like a pretty silly mistake to make when an order has an apartment listed on it and the delivery guy calls you to ask where you are. Unfortunately I tipped on my card before the delivery came. Maybe wait to tip in cash on the off chance you don’t actually receive your food.
The food was ok. The avocado on the grilled chicken club was not fresh and only one or two bites of it had actual good flavor. The Mac and cheese was only alright also. Mostly bland and a little watery. The mozzarella sticks were delicious, tasted like actual fresh mozzarella. But definitely wouldn’t order from them again since it was delivered late to the wrong place and food was only mediocre.

I’ve been ordering from John’s for about 2 years now and haven’t yet come across something from their sizeable menu that I haven’t liked.
Keep things simple: sandwiches (like the rib eye with sauteed spinach and goat cheese) and wraps (my go-​to: grilled chicken club with smoked gouda, bacon, avocado, and herb mayo) fare better than the occasionally over-​done entrees (two gigantic rolled chicken breasts in a marsala sauce was almost too heavy for it’s own good, spicy chicken with walnuts and goat cheese was drowned in a overpowering balsamic). Delivery can be a bit on the slow side, but worth the wait in the end.
And they make a damn fine cup of chicken soup.

**Seamless review**
I ordered from John’s Kitchen on Christmas Eve at around 10:30. I’m not sure if they were just extra busy and didn’t have enough employees working for the holiday, but it took almost two hours for the food to arrive. Maybe it’s better on a normal day.
As for the food, I only had a ham, egg, and cheese bagel so I can’t really rate them based on that — would be pretty hard to mess up a breakfast sammie. My boyfriend had the grilled chicken club (smoked gouda cheese, smoked bacon, avocado, and herb mayo). From the few bites I had, it was pretty good but it was cold.
I wouldn’t mind trying John’s Kitchen Café again. But I think next time, I’ll sit in and avoid delivery.

I have not loved them when I have eaten in… decent portions but food was a bit greasy no matter what I ordered, kitchen staff was very noisy, overall its been just ok.
HOWEVER…
their delivery is fantastic!
We have ordered the pancakes and the french toast on several occasions and both were delicious.
Great portions, good flavor, quick delivery, good prices.
Sooo, breakfast foods in my jammies… yes ok, I can do that John, thanks!

Was walking around Grove St, just for a change of scenery from Manhattan and found this little café around the area. I tried it out. The lady in the counter greeted me and I asked any recommendations of what to eat in their café and she recommended me the burger.
Thank you and I enjoyed my burger. When I come back Jersey City for sure I’ll try to come back this café again…

Solid breakfast/​brunch. We wanted to eat in the yard, but didn’t want to wait for delivery so we opted for pick up. The girls at the counter were friendly.
Very happy about the portion sizes. I ordered the French toast and figured for $ 6 compared to $ 12 elsewhere where I’m still left hungry, maybe it’s a small portion. So I opted for bananas and strawberries on top for another $ 2 and a side of turkey bacon, and it is a huge portion! And it’s delicious. Not soggy at all like you can experience with delivery. So happy!
Mac and cheese came filled to the brim and I loved the Brie in their cheese blend.
Hubby ordered the turkey and avocado sandwich and enjoyed it.
Been back since and am always impressed with the food and the service. Solid! Open when they say they are, very dependable, always have what we order and anyone we have taken here for breakfast has been impressed. Great, warm out of the oven mini blueberry muffins on the house when you eat in. Soooo good!

I’ve had John’s delivered twice. I’ve gotten the mac & cheese with bacon — it’s AMAZING (and artery clogging I’m sure (;)! Creamy with brie and bread crumbs on top. I’m not sure about the portions at the restaurant, but delivered, the mac & cheese is easily two meals. And it tastes great reheated.
I also ordered the bruschetta. I was curious to see what it would look like delivered. They had the cheese/​tomato separate from the bread so it didn’t get soggy. Tasted great.
My only complaint is that it took an hour and a half for the food to come.
Winter’s coming… if you’re looking to stay in and order food, John’s Kitchen Café is your best bet for delicious, inexpensive and artery clogging (maybe that’s just the mac and cheese) food.

I have been a very faithful customer if this establishment. I’ve recommended them to countless people and neighbors; even people who live in NYC. After my experience today, I will NEVER order from them nor speak their praises.
First, after 2 hours of waiting from the time I placed the order, i called and was told the order never came in; yet the lady was able to read back one of the items on my order. Hmmm
Second, she was putting me on hold and then asking me for the delivery address and phone number REPEATEDLY.
Third, after another hour of waiting the order was still wrong. I called and the lady said these exact words, «You have to understand when its busy a lot of mistakes will happen.» WHAT!!! And that’s ok?!
Fourth, although the lady said i wouldnt be charged I received an email from seamless stating I would be; so I called to verify. I asked, ‘Was I charged for the order because you stated and wrote on the receipt that there was no charge.’ Not only did she interrupt me, she called me ‘Sweetie’ and yelled that I’m complaining again.
When you’re a frequent customer of a neighborhood establishment and then hear that kind of tone and rudeness, its upsetting. Especially when you are friendly with some of the staff!
Never ordering from John’s Kitchen Café.

RUDE staff. TERRIBLE service.
I placed an order at 12:36 on Seamless and then got a notification that I would not receive the order until 2:05pm. When I called the store to confirm delivery would take 90 minutes the below occurred:
1) First call– I was just hung up on immediately.
2) Second call lasted 5 minutes in which they kept getting my address wrong and could not find my order. I spoke to two different people and was finally told by the person in charge they had no order. When I said «Wow this is exactly what other reviewers have been saying» I was hung up on again.
3) I had to call Seamless to cancel the order.
4) I then get a voicemail from the person in charge at 1:01 saying they just received my order and not to blame them because it is Seamless /GrubHub’s fault. Then abruptly hangs up.
5. I call back again to make sure my order is cancelled and the woman answering just says «Yea we know.» THEN HANGS UP AGAIN!
As a business owner, who would speak to a customer that way? Is that how you deliver amazing service? Keep customers coming back? In an area where there are so many amazing restaurants, choose to spend your money somewhere where it is appreciated.
Wish I could give ZERO stars then hang up.

If I was rating this place on just their food, I’d give them at least 4 stars. The Prosciutto di Parma is delicious, the Cuban is delicious, Pulled Pork is tasty… most of their sandwiches are very good. In person, the staff is nice and attentive.
However, I knocked off two stars due to the rudeness of their delivery staff. What kind of horrible service is it to wait in your car… making the customer walk out and come to you?
I’ve also had a driver complain about the fact that I tipped 1.50 for a 10 dollar sandwich. I live 6 – 7 blocks away… 0.3 miles on seamless. Do you really think I should be tipping over 15% or you to drive that distance? It almost upset me enough to make me want to tell him to give me a refund… but their food is pretty good so I didn’t.
Moral of the story? Great food, best option is to go and eat there.

The one star is for DELIVERY.
I LOVE their prosciutto di Parma sandwich, but every time I order it for delivery and ask for the sauce on the side, I NEVER get the sauce and they don’t put the sauce on the sandwich either, so I get a DRY sandwich. How hard can it be to follow instructions? Just add the darn sauce/​dressing!
Also, about the delivery time… I live LESS than 10 blocks away, and when I order delivery, John’s Kitchen usually takes OVER AN HOUR!
I will refrain myself from ordering delivery from this place, and since the odds of me going to their restaurant to eat are pretty slim, I guess I’ll never have this sandwich again.
Get more delivery personnel!

Most convenient spot for me, so this review is based on it being next door and always easy and fast and the food is good.
One of the best places to get a salad in this area, a bit pricey but they are filling!
I’ve had the breakfast wrap, corned beef hash and mediterranean frittata all very good.
Their gourmet stuff is all good, for a simple bagel or muffin I may go somewhere else though.
Their balsamic chicken salad is delicious, mac and cheese is also good and a large portion.

A very simple, clean and friendly atmosphere, with simple, happy home like food with a light twist. Flavors are kept simple but well seasoned. The place does not deserve to be empty like it was on the weekend but we are sure they will do well.
Their house special pasta was amazing and so are the waffles. Service is adequate and ¹⁰⁄₁₀ in terms of freshness.

Solid breakfast place with the potential to be even better.
Not too busy for lunchtime on a Saturday. Service was a bit slow and took some time to take our order but she was very friendly and catered to our needs. Complimentary mini muffins satiate your hunger as you wait for your order. Now everything we ordered was hot and well done, crispy bacon, over medium eggs, and warm pancakes. Pancakes are actually really good, they are soft and moist and could give brownstone a run for their money. However, I did notice 2 of my 3 pancakes were burnt on one side BUT honestly it didn’t affect the taste much (I devoured them all).
This place has the makings to be really good, not exactly a diner but more of a homey feel to it. Could be more options but the food is a home run.

It seems every time I blink, a new Jersey City restaurant pops up. John’s Kitchen Café is one of the latest to join the downtown eatery scene.
One of the things I like most about John’s is how the layout is very accomodating to take-​out orders or dining in. The interior is big, open, and neatly arranged. The décor is not really much to rave about or catch your eye. It’s pretty simple in that aspect. The outdoor seating is also a nice option during the warmer months.
The service here is a bit a mixed experience. While the staff are always friendly and attentive, the food seems to take a really long time. At first I thought it was because they were new and still working on the kinks, but after subsequent visits, I’ve realized that this isn’t somewhere you want to go on a time-​limited schedule.
I’ve been to John’s about a half dozen times and enjoyed every dish I’ve tried. Their soup menu changes daily and makes for a really great lunch on the go. My favorite entrees are the Stuffed Chicken and Grilled Chicken Club. Some places tend to overcook their chicken but they manage to it just right so that it’s still juicy. The portion sizes definitely will not leave you hungry. I’ve also had a few things delivered and they were still hot when I got them. Their menu is also very extensive so you’ll be able to find something you like if chicken isn’t your thing.
During a time when the price of everything in downtown Jersey City is increasing, it’s nice to see that some establishments are still being reasonable. compared to some of the more popular restaurants in the area, you will get a much bigger bang for your buck.
Environment: ³⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Food: ⁴⁄₅
Price: ⁴⁄₅
As long as this place continues their level of quality and professionalism, I’ll continue to come back.