J’s Pots of Soul

NOOOOOOOOOOO!
Oh J’s Pots of Soul, why have you abandoned us???
I will miss your pumpkin pancakes and soulful food — my hangovers will never be the same without you =(
*sob*

So i’ve heard alot about this J’s Pots of Soul, and was eagerly awaiting the chance to experience it. Unfortunately, it had been closed for sometime, and didn’t appear to be reopening. Then, the other night me and my girlfriend happened to be passing by and noticed new décor, signs and menus in the window stating that it had indeed re-​opened. I was enthused yet again, and determined to get a local soul food fix, hoping it would become a staple of mine.
After passing by again last night, we noticed it looked pretty empty, but there was one person in there. Tonight we walked into a similar environment, and were greeted by a man and woman, very nice. I realized that the man was the same person i had seen in there the night before, and didn’t think much of it.
We look over the menu, and while doing so, the waitress was nice enough to bring us some complimentary pseudo-​hush puppies and cornbread, which were delicious, in their buttery glory. My girl looked over the menu and found a Veggie Jamaican Patty that she seemed excited about, and i found some traditional Chicken, and Soul Sides that I was into, so it would seem that all was well. We commented on the cheesy disco song playing in the background, something about «Love is in the air…» and how it sounded like a crappy Neil Diamond doing disco.
A few minutes roll by, and we’re ready to order. My girl starts off by ordering her veggie fare, and we are told they do not have it. It’s one thing to be a soul food place and not offer veggie stuff (that could be expected maybe), but to offer veggie food and not have it on-​hand is kind of ridiculous, as i’m sure it’s not the most popular item in this establishment. Anyways, she looks over the menu to find a quick fix, and they don’t even have Mixed Greens, so she’s reduced to yams, mac & chee, and cole slaw. I guess that’s not sooo bad. I go to order Fried Chicken Wings and am told they do not have that either. Now I’m getting a little peeved, but settle for chicken breast instead (as long as it’s fried)!
We’ve gotten our drinks, ordered our food, and while we were waiting noticed that the cheesy disco song was on again! We thought it funny for a second, and continued conversing, trying not to think much of it. A few more minutes roll by, and no one has come to check on us, ask if everything was fine. It actually felt quite surreal, being in this place that I’ve only heard rave reviews about and should expect to be packed to the gills with customers, only to find it desolate, cold, and… oh no… there’s that damn song AGAIN! Now I’m starting to lose it.
By this point, we get the food, and things start to look up. Then we taste the food, and (I really hate to say it) are not impressed. The Mac & Chee was similar to that of a cafeteria, I wasn’t into the Hush Puppies (although the Pseudo-​Hush Puppies we were served in the beginning were pretty damn good!), and the chicken was nothing to write home about as if it had been a little overcooked or something i couldn’t quite put my finger on (maybe it was just old?)…The ONE THING that they did get right was getting me officially stuffed to the point where i couldn’t care anymore.
What’s really going on here? The place is dead empty, they barely have ANY food to offer, and they don’t even seem to realize that the goddamn «love is in the air» has played at least 10 times by now!!! I started wondering if it was a front for some mobsters or maybe we were on some Punk’d-esque reality show, and I was about to win $ 100 for my time. In the end, it was neither.
Update: After waiting a week to finally be charged for my meal, (I was hoping they would forget, but they didn’t), I realized they had changed their name to «Whole Pots of Soul». We walked by again the other night, and now see that they have painted out everything on the front except the word «SOUL». So that’s a step in the right direction, not trying to bank on the fame of their previous owner (although that’s how we got suckered in). Not sure if i’ll give them another chance, but if I do, it will be a long while.

Hush Puppies! Delightfully fried balls cornbread, perfectly seasoned and spiced with jalapenos. Best I’ve had in a long time! Thank goodness for this place. I wouldn’t know where else to get a brunch as yummy as this! The number 3 is great if you are hungry and the number 1 is a gut buster in all the best ways!
Give them a try. The servers are the friendliest lot around!

I see the attraction, it’s a homey place. But compared to its neighboring eateries, it’s just as expensive, if not more.
I ordered a breakfast with 2 eggs, sausage pattie and hot cakes. Can’t go wrong with eggs, but it was nothing spectacular. The sausage pattie looked and tasted like something from the freezer isle. Didn’t taste good at all. The only thing I really enjoyed were the hot cakes. Slices of fresh bananas with a dust layer of powdered sugar. Carafes of hot butter and hot syrup added to my liking. Yummy. (
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My friend ordered the lunch menu of salmon croquettes, mashed potatoes and corn bread. The croquettes were too salty. The mashed potatoes was good but the gravy was sweet instead of savory. I like the corn bread. Savory corn breads are always goood. (
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The portions were good. But the food was a-​okay.

We came in around 1 on saturday after a night out and our stomachs a-​rumblin. I had read about the heavenly pumpkin pancakes and had to try them. I got a number two with chicken apple sausage, yum!, two eggs made perfectly, and a stack of the fluffy and pumpkin spiced pancakes. The clarified butter and warm syrup did me good, oh yes! The OJ was freshly squeezed and really tasty. Our bill wasnt bad and we all cleaned our plates like good children. And skipped home talking about breakfast all day.
My favorite pancakes are still the ricotta pancakes at Eats in the richmond, but Pots of Soul is a great substitute when near downtown.

hmmm, adjectives that start with the letter J?
Jumbo? Jealous? Jittery? Joyful? Justified?
Um, yeah, I can find a way to apply all of these to J’s Pot of Soul.
Let’s see, Jumbo. But of course. They certainly don’t scrimp on portion size.
Jealous? Don’t be a hater just b/​c I didn’t invite you.
Jittery. I can barely type. Too. Much. Caffeine.
Joyful? I skipped home after the caffeine kicked in and sang all the way. That was one hell of a brunch.
Justified. I didn’t invite you because I wanted the grits all to myself. And I’m NOT going to apologize!

This place is great!
Its good olé comfort food. Cooked just like mama used to (well not my mom, she would never use this amt of butter nor be cooking this type of food) but im sure many other people’s mamas.
Ive only been here once, but I have never forgotten my experience. Wonderful service and the place is wonderfully homey.
Really a great place to go for some great food and good vibes.

Gene X., Melanie N., Jennie K., Tinna H., and a couple of others gathered at this fine establishment for a post-​crazy-​birthday-​party-​night-​pre-​movie-​outing brunching. I was told to show up, so I did and ordered the first thing that caught my eye: J’s pumpkin pancakes with eggs and sausage, served with maple syrup and, prepare your arteries, a jar of clarified butter. Because that’s how J rolls. Not that the pancakes weren’t great (they were), but butter makes everything better and it did its job here as well.
Oh, and we had some fantastic hush puppies as a starter. With a side of love.

I’ve been passing this place on my way to work for several years now, always wondering if it was a true hole in the wall type of place, or just crap. I finally gave in and organized a group expedition to firmly assess J’s Soul.
This is a tiny place, so don’t expect to bring a huge group here and sit together. We had 7 of us and had to split our group in two.
The menu is overwhelming in that you want to try everything… or it could’ve just been that we were starving so everything looked good. The signage on the table states to «Try The Hush Puppies» and so we did! I wasn’t sure what to expect as I’ve never had them, but they were delicious! Warm, spiced balls of dough, basically. Our resident Southerner declared that they were good! The pumpkin pancakes are also delicious, especially with the warm, clarified butter they have on the table.
Overall, I really like this place. The servers were friendly and attentive. The woman who I assume is the owner was particularly colorful, especially when she came out to tell Tim V. that his request for a side of love with his complicated order would be denied. I’ll definitely come back to J’s…with a second stomach in tow!

Mmmm, J’s pots of warm clarified butter – er, soul. Soul. Yes.
When it comes to food, I deny myself nothing. After all, I carry a fifty-​pound backpack uphill daily for exercise, and frankly, my butt could always be bigger. What I’m saying is that this is a dieter’s nightmare. If you don’t order something delicious and pour warm melted butter all over it, you’ll cry yourself to sleep for a week.
So I am a fan. Two pumpkin pancakes, three hush puppies, two pieces of bacon, a bite of french toast, six cups of coffee, and several banana slices later, I am well on my way to achieving my goal of being fat and happy.
The only thing I didn’t care for were the scrambled eggs, but maybe that’s ’cause I didn’t pour melted butter on those, too.
Hypothetically, if a member of my party ordered one egg over easy, one scrambled, one piece of bacon, and one piece of sausage, and also, a side of love, the side of love would have been DENIED. In a sort of loving way.
Cash only. Not especially good for large groups (very, very small restaurant). Good bang for your buck.
I will be back to visit J. My arteries will feel very empty if I don’t.

I can’t believe I haven’t written a review yet for this place! It’s so hard to get in sometimes ’cause sometimes she’s out of town or it’s Monday. Boo.
This is definitely one place in Hayes I’ll make that trek to because the breakfast is worth it. It’s not only the good food but the mom’s home cooking kind of feel, the art on the walls, and the magazines that make you feel like you’re at home on Sunday reading the Tribune.
My sister and I walked in one late afternoon to a dimly lit room with only one group of older men in the corner laughing and drinking coffee. There’s no hostess here really and it’s literally one room no larger than my living room. An older lady comes out in an apron and immediately warmly greets us and invites us to sit down wherever we please. I snag an old Parade and sit down to ingest the menu.
We both ordered iced tea (but they had no sweet tea available) and I had the french toast and chicken sausages which were THE BOMB! The chicken sausage was literally one of those thick chicken and apple sausages you get from Costco and oh my gosh they had grits! *clap clap clap*
Only downer to the place is the parking which is kind of difficult but quite easy to find from the 101.
Mental note to myself though: Do not show up on Mondays.

Everyone raves about this place. The food was solid but nothing spectacular. I’d come back, not for a WOW DID I JUST EAT THAT??? experience but for the pumpkin pancakes, the generous portions (bang for the buck), and the friendly yet non-​pretentious service … but that’s only if I’m willing to wait for a table.
JONASAPPROVED!

It was a gloriously sunny day in San Francisco. I made my way across the bay and held down the duty of putting our names in on the wait list. Somehow, the girl from the farthest place always gets there the earliest.
I was greeted with a warm smile and a cup of good strong coffee while I waited for the crew to show up outside.
There were 7 of us, and we all couldn’t sit together, but we all ate at relatively the same time and the staff was great. I must say, I think I’m a little intimidated by the young boy who took our beverage orders! He’s gonna be a machine in the business someday.
I’m not gonna lie, pancakes are not my favorite thing in the world, but I had to try the pumpkin stacks. It.was.good. Like James Lipton would say, «When the warm breath of pumpkin spice reached my lips, my tongue was a fury of taste buds gone mad and my eyes were wide with breakfast bewilderment». Or at least, I think he’d say something like that. Pancakes, yeah. Whatever.
The bacon was divine, and did I mention that we made a «hop on» order at the table behind us? Yeah, we made them order our chicken wings because that’s how Jen I. and I roll. (At least they knew us)
And we were not sorry. Not one bit. That’s what brunch is all about.

Yesterday, my kids and I came here for breakfast before school. I had the Denver Omelette. For $ 8.50, the Omelette had sliced Onions, Red and Green Peppers, Cheese and Ham in a egg blanket. I also got a side of Grits and a pair of toasted English Muffins. With a fresh brew cup of coffee, a hearty and complete meal it was.
My kids split an order of Pumpkin Pancakes for $ 4.50 for two «fat» slices. With the pumpkin-​taste of the pancake, making my kids yelling, «NomNomNom!»
The next day, my day-​off and I need to take wife to Santa Clara for a meeting. She had the Country Fried Steak meal. For $ 10.00, the meal come with one thick slice of the steak, English Muffins and she also took the buttery Grits as the side. Of course, we both got a cup of joe with our meal.
With my kids enjoying those Pumpkin Pancakes, I got those flavored pancakes again. And one bite of that flapjack, got me saying, «NomNomNom!»
I also gave wifey a bite of that pancake, and she went on yelling, «NomNomNom!»
The Pumpkin Pancake was a seasonal item but now it’s permanently on the menu and can be ordered all-​year round.
This cute little diner is «Cash Only.» and best to eat on the weekdays. I would imagine this small diner would get crowded on the weekends.

So they give you a container of melted butter with the maple syrup and it comes to your table warm.
I agree with fellow Unilocalers, pumpkin pancakes were insanely good.
My group of 7 people were seated at 2 tables but it worked out well. The sausage, bacon, eggs and potatoes were ok, nothing out of the ordinary, but the oj was fresher then fresh, the grits were perfect, the service was friendly and personable and the pancakes are worth the wait.
And if you leave here without getting the fried chicken wings, you will regret it. Those were the icing on the proverbial cake.
Some things to take note, the hush puppies are spicy and not sweet and if you order pancakes and your waiter/​waitress asks if you want pumpkin, buttermilk or half n’ half, they don’t mean coffee creamer.

Well, true to my word from 14 months back, I finally came back for the legendary pumpkin pancakes. It’s the holidays after all, and Jamie W. and I were actually thinking of going to Art’s on a grimly rain-​soaked morning. But I was driving on Page and saw the rain discouraged the line you usually see at J’s on a Sunday morning.
Karma worked for us as a parking spot became available just around the corner. It was clearly meant to be for us to have those pumpkin pancakes. Both of us didn’t bother to look at the savory omelette selections on the back of the menu. There are ten breakfast options on the front. We didn’t waste time or pretend peckishness.
Jamie went for the jugular and ordered #1, so big it takes up two plates (see the photos). He got the tasty home fries, big chunks pan fried with peppers and onions; scrambled eggs with the perfect consistency (a lost art really); a couple of fat strips of bacon nicely crisp and a quartet of spicy mini-​saugage links. On the main plate were two pumpkin pancakes topped with little slices of banana. It was the priciest item on the menu at $ 10.50 but well worth it when wolfing is your prerogative.
Modest me went for the #3 at $ 8.25, which consisted of two pumpkin pancakes, a spicy sausage link halved, scrambled eggs, and a wedge of honeydew to give me the illusion I ate something healthy (see my photo). The maple syrup was heated up, so it just went on like liquid gold without the need for any extra butter.
Now they do charge an extra quarter per pumpkin pancake, but that is a pittance considering their sheer goodness. The place is the same homey place I remembered, the only difference being Ella singing «Have Yourself a Merry Christmas» instead of «It Don’t Mean a Thing If You Ain’t Got That Swing».
FOOD — 5 stars… ah, the pumpkin pancakes elevate the rating this time… just proves that if you do one thing right, the rest will follow
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… homey and Miss Laura is out and about to say hi
SERVICE — 4 stars… fast and cordial
TOTAL — 5 stars… pumpkin pancakes… get ‘em while they last!

I think I probably like this place so much because every time I eat here I’m basically still ½ drunk. You know that feeling when you’re totally hung over and everything sounds good but nothing really tastes good? THAT NEVER HAPPENED HERE! And you know how when you’re really hung over you want to eat a lot? Again, NOOOO PROBLEM!
All I have to say is pumpkin pancakes. Delicious. Actually their pancakes in general are pretty great. I would go back and forth between that and some freakishly huge omlette, which I would always say I couldn’t finish, but then would totally devour. Basically, it’s solid diner food.
The only problem is the wait. This place is small. Really small. And on a weekend, really busy. You will not only wait forever to get a table, you will wait a good long time for your food. They know this, so they put magazines and candy at the door so you won’t get bored and angry. Sneaky, and so smart. If you’ve got the time and don’t think that comedown crash is on the horizon, this is your place.

Just dropped mom off at the airport. As I wipe away my sad tears, I’ll write about my brunch with her at J’s.
I love my mom because she’s always down for whatever. Been wanting to try this place and even though it was pouring on Sat, moms said, «let’s go!»
There was a line, so we waited a bit and after being seated service is kinda slow, but it’s a take-​it-​easy Sat. and I was just enjoying my company.
She had the denver omelet with buttery grits and I ordered the pumpkin pancakes, with yummo eggs over easy, sausage, medium sliced bacon, and potatoes. Threw in a order of hush puppies to boot. Pancakes were fluffy with an aromatic dash of pumpkin and spices. Potatoes sauteed with green peppers and onions were some of the best I’ve had and not greasy at all. Eggs were perfectly done. Grits were seriously on point.
It’s a cozy and warm place to grab brunch. Not sure if I’d put it on the soul food list, but it’s definitely tasty.

I love the mama there. She’s so incredibly nice and chill. Maybe a little too chill on a day when there’s no one else besides me there, at around 11:00 that it took about 25 minutes to make my oatmeal.
The french toast was very nice, but didn’t blow my mind. Though I was happy to get something that’s very hearty, with good ingredients, non of those fancy artificial shit.
The oatmeal took a long time to make, but it was exactly what I was looking for. It has the right consistancy, not too watery, not too thick, served hot but can be balanced out by the cold milk. Some brown sugar, raisins, and banana slices. Exactly what I needed that day, when I didn’t feel like paying $ 7.00 for my oatmeal at stacks but had no time to make it at home.
Funky location and setting, but a neighborhood café that serves some hearty homemade food, and lots of magazines, I’l definitely come back.

There was a wait. We took a seat on the outside bench and shivered until they called our name.
The warmth inside greeted us immediately. Both the server and the ambiance.
Our server sat down to take our order, offering up some breakfast wisdom. I’m a breakfast pro, so only half listened. My eyes were fixated on the pumkin pancakes. All I could hear was sound as his mouth moved, suggesting up ordering tips.
It came out quickly. Fluffy pumkin pancakes drizzled in warm syrup, the butter sliding off onto spicy home-​fries. It all tasted as good as it looked. Pumpkin never gets old. Pancakes never get old. Together — they’re the perfect breakfast fountain of yummy youth.
I’ll have to come back and try the Hushpuppies. Although I’m not looking forward to a bench wait in this weather!