Java Jive Coffee House and Cafe

Good coffee, biscuits tasty otherwise food average. Cool 50 style tables. Interesting visit. Should open early than 8 am…

My family has been eating at Java Jive for well over a decade; now that I think about it, it has to be closer to two decades. We used to live a block away, so we don’t go as often since we moved. I’ve never been disappointed in the food. I believe I’ve tried everything they offer, except their pork dishes (see my comment below about this).
When I go here I have a very hard time deciding what to get because I want a little bit of everything! I love the turkey sausage and biscuits, but I also want the garden scramble and some pancakes. It is a lot of food. I usually end up getting the garden scramble, turkey sausage, grits, and a biscuit. The food is good, comforting, and the quality is consistent.
My husband either gets a veggie omelet or the tofu scramble, both of which he thoroughly enjoys. We share a short stack of pancakes. They come out hot, fluffy, and delicious. He also enjoys the coffee. I’m not a coffee drinker, but I do like their orange juice.
My husband eats all of his food and then starts ogling mine. I get my fork prepared to jab him when he starts getting too close. I always have some to take home and enjoy the next morning.
The service can be hit or miss and has never been overtly friendly. It is a family run business and they are very serious about their food, but for some reason are not too focused on friendliness of service. They used to make wedding cakes, have no idea what happened with that, but I used to enjoy seeing them in the case.
The parking in the back is lacking. On a weekend morning it is impossible to find a parking place so you end up parking on the neighborhood streets. We prefer to go on a weekday after peak hours.
The décor is very much 50’s diner and when you walk in it takes you back.
I’m confused about the young lady’s comment that she could not find any options for a non-​pork eater. My family does not eat pork and not only are there are numerous options that don’t have pork, they also have several vegetarian options including, but not limited to turkey sausage, veggie sausage, pancakes (no meat), waffles (no meat), tofu scramble (no meat), garden scramble (no meat), Greek omelet (no meat), Black bean omelet (no meat), grits, yogurt w/​granola, etc…
Both of my sons, now in their mid-​20s, who grew up eating at Java Jive prefer the Flying Biscuit. However, I don’t know if it is because the Flying Biscuit is the «in» place where a lot of young people flock to or if it is because of the food. When we all go to Java Jive together they always enjoy it.
Overall, we highly recommend the food and going after the morning rush.

Parking horrible, there’s a tiny lot behind the building. Don’t park next door because they will tow! There was one way in and out the lot = big hazard
There aren’t many food options especially for those who don’t eat pork like me. I ended up ordering the garden scramble with home fries and biscuit. The large potatoes weren’t typically home fries, the biscuit was excellent but my scramble had pinions even after I requested none bc I have an allergy.
We only had water couldn’t drink it due to bugs floating in the cups. We never got napkins, ketchup and had to ask for jelly etc.
I should have checked their health score. Can’t say I’ll be back even though I was interested in trying a waffle.
I was sadly disappointed with my experience

Solid breakfast/​brunch spot. I typically order the Mediterranean omelet with homefries and a biscuit. Delicious and a perfect portion. The 50s vibe and décor adds to the charm, between the old appliances in the waiting area and the tables and chairs, it gives the feeling that you’re on the set of ‘Leave it to Beaver.’
Parking lot is behind the restaurant and cash only!

Have eaten at JJ many times and have always enjoyed! The place has a neat feel to it and the help is always pleasant. I don’t do the brunch thing every weekend, but when company is in town l make sure we stop by JJ.

The food is good and the coffee is decent but over priced. The main issue I have is the service. Though it is decorated to look Classic the service is anything but. They definitely don’t go above and beyond for the customers and its cash only… Come on its 2016

The food is avaerage. Theu do not accept separate chechks nor credit cards. The sodss are served in small bottles so no refills.

Food is alright here, nothing too special. It’s kind of a diner feel, with food slightly better than that of a diner. To me, the bacon was a little overcooked. The pecan pancake came out lukewarm.
Overall, it’s an okay place for breakfast. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go, but it’s good if you’re already in the area.

I went to Java Jive around noon on a Saturday. I ordered an omelette, coffee and biscuits. The waitress was a petite little A.A. girl and was pretty quick on the coffee and order. I had to wait a bit but the omelette was excellent and the biscuits were good, not great but good. I had a side order of potatoes that were pretty great.
The place is small and older with a lot of regulars. The place has great coffee and I’m picky as hell about my coffee. Java Jive is good, the Coffee is good and the waitress is hot.

I stayed at an AirBnB while in Atlanta. The guy running the place suggested I come here for breakfast. There were a fun retro feel to the entire place.
The food was good and the coffee was pretty good to! Both my bf and I enjoyed it. We each got an omlette of sorts and the bf also got a glass of OJ.
The best part about this place? It’s right next to Honey Bubble. That means we can go get bubble tea right after and before we drove back to St. Louis! WIN! :D

I tried a little (well ok, a lot) of everything. Turkey sausage patties, thick-​sliced bacon, grits, omelette with Canadian ham, cheddar, and mushrooms, and a huge «cat head» biscuit with plenty of coffee and OJ to wash it all down. Awesome!

Super cute retro diner. Food was good, and made from scratch. They’ve got great strong coffee, and little glass bottles of Coke and Sprite. We had the gingerbread waffles with lemon curd which were seriously addictive, the Mediterranean omelette, grits n hashbrowns, and challah French toast which wasn’t as good as I hoped (unless you like plain unflavored French toast).

I was in Atlanta working in the area, and a friend of mine found this place randomly while walking by.
The vibe is very vintage, and gives off somewhat of a 50’s feel. We were politely greeted and told to sit wherever we wanted. I felt bad upon realizing that they closed at 1:00pm and we had just sat down at about 12:45pm, but they told us to not worry about it and feel free to order anyways.
I got a delicious iced coffee, and the Bacon and Cheddar omelette with a side of home fries, which I highly recommend you get as a side if you eat here. The food was absolutely delicious and hit the spot.
I will absolutely be coming back here for food whenever I am working in the area!

I’ve lived in the highlands for almost 2 years and in Atlanta for 6 years and have passed this place multiple times thinking it was a coffee shop! It’s misleading that its called Java Jive and there’s a painting of a guy sipping coffee on the side of the building, but you guys, there are delicious breakfast dishes, coffee, tea, vintage kitchen appliances and the friendliest staff that lives here! The only reason I discovered that there was a full on brunch/​breakfast menu was thanked again to Unilocal.I walked in to a vintage dream of absolutely gorgeous stoves, shiny stainless steel tea kettles and toasters, kitchy dining tables and chairs, vintage signs, and a vintage washer and dryer. It was literally a vintage dream for me.
Had a little impromptu morning brunch date here. I got the bacon and cheddar omelet. It was just eh and tasted black. If it had the dream fillings of tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, I think it would’ve been perfect. Everything else was mouthwatering including my sides of turkey sausage, cheesy grits and a biscuit. I’m not a big fan of biscuits but this biscuit was made from scratch and was so good that it disappeared within 5 minutes. My date got the Santa Fe Scramble which had spicy chorizo sausage, red peppers, onions, potatoes, cheddar and a touch of salsa, with a side of grits or and biscuit. We topped everything off with hot black tea.
The wait wasn’t that long for a Saturday morning and we only waited for about 5 minutes before we sat down. Great, quick service and really delicious food! Cant wait to go back!

This is a cool little spot where the food tastes fresh and the biscuits are homemade. My wife and I stopped by this spot on a Tuesday and there were no lines and we could have any table of our choosing. I ordered the Santa Fe scramble wit a biscuit and the wife got the garden scramble wit toast. The chorizo is full of flavor and the green onions give it that extra kick. The biscuits are light and fluffy and can be eaten without butter or jelly. The wife said this was the best breakfast she had Atlanta so I guess that means we’ll be back.

This place is really quaint, cute, and a throw back to the 50’s. We’ve been here a few times and remember to bring cash as they don’t take credit cards.
The service is fine and waitstaff is very nice, but they aren’t there to turn and burn tables. They will definitely make you wait even if some tables «look» open as to give their kitchen time to catch up.
We love their omelets and usually get the Santa Fe or the Western. The biscuits are awesome and if you are in the mood for something different, try the Ginger Bread Waffles. It’s very interesting and if you like ginger bread and had it as a kid, it’ll totally give you that nostalgic feeling.
Anyway, enjoy this place as it’s a local favorite and super casual.

This place is right down the street from our house. Until today, we had not visited it. We’ve tried in the past, but it was closed.
When we entered the restaurant, we were not greeted or acknowledged. Someone finally came over without offering any greeting and tried to seat us at the table right beside the front door. We chose another table instead.
The place is just so cute and retro. I love the music and the atmosphere. My boyfriend had a pecan waffle and I had a mexicali omelet with grits and a biscuit. I have to say that my biscuit was the best I’ve had in Atlanta. It was light, fluffy and just so delicious. FINALLY, I have found the perfect biscuit. The omelet and the grits were delicious and perfectly cooked. My boyfriend loved his waffle and my leftovers.
There was one nice server in the restaurant, but the other servers were just not friendly. They don’t say «Hi» when they come to the table. They just slapped some menus down and asked what we wanted to drink.
The food at this restaurant is wonderful, but, like my boyfriend said, they are doing something wrong because the business isn’t booming. I think it is probably because of the service. When someone enters a restaurant, they need to acknowledge them and make them feel at home. It was a rather cold atmosphere because of some of the unfriendly servers.
Still, the food is good enough that I will be visiting often.

I really enjoyed the ambience of this country coffee shop. The service was friendly, fast and they really accommodate you here. The biscuits were very fluffy and had a great buttermilk flavor. I had the Chirozo breakfast, the flavors were on point, loved it! I also love this location. Only 4 stars because I was disappointed with the coffee, although the milk cup that came with it was perfect. i like this lil authentic country spot. Definitely will go back when I’m in the Highland area.

WAIT: none on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, around 10:45am. even if there had been a wait I don’t know if I would have minded,
FOOD: ⁴⁄₅
I chose this place specifically because I had a craving for waffles, was perusing Unilocal for suggestions, and came across mention of Gingerbread Waffles with Lemon Curd!!! As a longtime gingerbread lover (of both cookies and the bread), I HAD to this try this item. The first few bites were freaking amazing, just as I had hoped – the real gingerbread deal, heavy with spices and molasses and with a mostly cake-​like density. The lemon curd was great on its own, but actually could have been a bit more tart to better accompany the gingerbread. My main regret in ordering this as my sole breakfast item was that by the time I’d eaten half of my waffle I was starting to feel like I’d overindulged in dessert – in the future I’d probably order something savory on the side.
SERVICE: 5 for having wait staff that was super friendly and attentive. As other reviewers have noted but I conveniently forgot, the place is cash only, and does not accept checks. There IS an ATM on premises, but being less-​than-​observant and also a cheap M-​F-​er who would have probably been unwilling to pay the ATM fee anyway, I left my boyfriend at the table and hauled my butt to the BofA branch three blocks away (there and back, probably 20 minutes). Our waitress was really gracious about my sudden and prolonged absence.
AMBIENCE: 4.5÷5. Kitschy-​retro-​cool. I actually dig the overall antiquey feel and washing machines tucked away on one side of the café; I think it adds to the charm. Add this to the (so far, relatively short) list of breakfast places with totally unique vibe and décor.
Looking forward to the next visit!

A little different than most breakfast spots in that they feature a cool retro theme, Java Jive excels at food and service. I just wish they would open before 9 on weekends.
Haven’t had a bad visit, ever.