Cafe JJ

I often drop into coffee shops and cafes to do some work with a change of scenery, and this is exactly what I was doing today. While looking at the coffee shops close by (and there are a few actually), I stopped in here because I saw decent tea on the menu. They serve Mighty Leaf tea bags, which are usually quite nice. I had the Bombay Chai. It was served with just hot water in the teapot, a jug of milk, and a cup with an unopened tea bag in it. I’m still not quite sure if they intended for me to pour the hot water onto the tea bag in the cup, or put the tea bag in the pot, or leave it up to me. I decided to put it into the pot, since I hate repouring hot water over an already used bag in the cup. The tea was ok, but it was too much water in the pot.
I guess the staff were friendly, however I hardly saw them. They took my order when I came in and then were doing work in the back. To be honest, it was nice to have the place to myself so I could get some work done. But this also meant that there was no one in the nearby to tell them that they had been playing the same song on repeat for 15 minutes… I eventually decided to listen to music on my phone after hearing the song start for at least the 4^th time. To be honest, I felt like I could’ve walked out the door without paying.
I’m sure they must have an ok lunch and other food, etc. But with plenty of other good cafes and coffee shops in the vicinity why would I ever need to come back and find out? They wouldn’t notice.

The mother-​in-​law and I took refuge from the sun and heat in here on the day of the West End festival.
On arrival it was empty, considering the hype for the festival I thought this was strange. After having a look at the menu, by budget allowed a toasty and juice and a sandwich and juice for the mother-​in-​law.
I don’t know if I’m being spoiled in some shops, but normally when you order a toasty you get some sort of side like crisps or salad. I was disappointed when my plate came it was naked save for my toasty (which was rather good by the way).
Fortunately the mother-​in-​laws sandwich came with coleslaw and salad so we happily exchanged plates and commenced digging in.
Tasty toasty aside, I reckon it was rather expensive as our bill at the end was something like £12.50. TWELVE POUNDS AND FIFTY PENCE… for 2 drinks, a toasty and a sandwich. X’cuse meee. Sorry but I didn’t like it that much.

I’ve been to Café JJ before, and I can’t remember why I didn’t review it then, but after going last night I decided I’d pop up a review of the place! Café JJ is located in a fantastic location; right next to Kelvinhall underground on Dumbarton Road. It’s not overly big, decent sized, and has a good sized menu of paninis, pizzas, pastas etc.
Both times I’ve been in I’ve ordered different pastas, and they’ve both been of mediocre quality. One time I went in I had a fantastic waitress, the other time she was a bit lazy and appeared bored, which is the worst thing I can imagine having in a restaurant. It’s not a bad place, don’t get me wrong, the food is okay for the price, but I wouldn’t ever rush to go. For a drink, a plate of pasta, and a side of garlic bread, I was less than a tenner, so it’s a good place to go on a budget.

Cosy little café with a great range of food from basic breakfast hangover cure food to more interesting pastas and salads all at good prices, good succinct service with a bit of partick banter thrown in, bad background music, they have a great deal on afternoon tea with a variety of sandwiches and cakes and scones. Free wifi which is great bonus, a wide variety of a customers from students to oaps, all in all a nice little find!

Something of a Partick instituion, Café JJ is everything a good café should be, filling you up on good hearty fare for the cost of a pint in some of the nearby watering holes.
You’ll get all sorts here — from OAPs taking hours over a bowl of soup to students looking for a cheap hangover-​curing meal. Indeed the place is even licensed which is a real rarity for such cafes.

You’ll find Café JJ on Dumbarton Road, squeezed in between the charity shops and the bookies. Although it is in a bit of an unlikely location — I can promise you now that you won’t regret a trip in here.
As well as teas and coffees (their hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows is divine) they also sell cakes as well as full meals. Plus, it’s actually amazingly cheap — dinner will cost you under £7 and they’re even doing a deal whereby two of you can eat for £9. You’re not likely to find anywhere serving wholesome and tasty food for cheaper than this!
Inside, Café JJ feels a little rustic. Their slightly French-​inspired décor consists of pretty wooden round tables, and sophisticated black and white framed photos on the wall. Speaking of sophisticated, they also sell a great range of wines.
If all of this wasn’t enough, in the depths of winter they roll out an electric heater — so it’s REALLY warm in there!

All you see as you walk down Dumbarton Road is bookies, newsagents and old pubs. You can’t help but feeling the area needs a few more attractive and pleasant little cafes like Café JJ to take attention away from all these grubby, monotonous places.
As well as some fabulous home baking (try the lovely caramel shortcake) and some tasty lunchtime choices (macaroni with toast only £4.45, soup of the day £2.85), there are alcoholic drinks availible, such as Budwesier and Peroni. Or a range of wines form all across the world, such as Spain, Australia and Italy, making it a nice place to go for a quiet drink as well as lunch or coffee.
Acoustic country music playing quietly in the background adds a bit of atmosphere even at the quietest times. And its warm and cosy feel provides sanctuary during the winter months especially. I did notice also that being just above Kelvinhall underground, you do get a slight vibration beneath your feet any time a train passes below. But if anything I think this adds to the pleasant atmosphere.

Having undergone a renovation, JJ’s is now sporting a red brick wall.
Admittedly, I could have made that sound a little more enticing.
Aye, the redesign is all fine and well, but customer service should be the top priority of this tearoom. I’ve had a couple of iffy experiences in here — all down to one waitress — which is a shame, given the appealing décor, alluring menu and convenient location.
JJ’s produces some lovely salads, and there’s a good selection for vegetarians. I particularly like the baked stuffed red peppers.
Crucually, the Café also has a licence, meaning it holds a trump card over many other rivals, such as Big Mouth Coffee, Tribeca and Fressh.
Improve the service, and I’ll improve the rating.