CJ’s Eatery

CJ where did you go? We have driven by several times and it looks as if the doors and windows are covered for good. So sad to see such a fantastic place close down. I hope in my heart that you will re-​open. Your food was delicious and the vibe at your location was amazing. Again thank you for the fantastic breakfast… just when we found a place that was so good… we lost you! Why???

*** CJ’s Eatery is CLOSED from Monday-​Friday and OPENS only on SATURDAY-​SUNDAY 9am — 8pm, with brunch hours from 9pm-​2pm. ***
Thanks to Timeout Magazine, we found this terrific little place. The reason we give it 3 Stars because my partner thought the fried chicken and waffles was just okay. For me, of course, it’s 4 Stars all the way. Our wonderful waitress told me that her favorite dish in menu was Shrimp and Grits + Eggs over-​easy. OMG, she was right. That was amazing! I was totally in love with it.

OH CJ. SAY IT AIN’T SO!
I’ve been coming here for 3 amazing years of goodness. Three years of chicken and waffles, the BEST shrimp and grits i’ve ever had, a mound of meatloaf over mashed potatoes with fried onions, banana bread pudding with the creamiest peanut butter anglaise sauce, tender and perfectly seasoned pulled pork, fluffy and delightful buttermilk biscuits, and sweet, yummy blueberry lemonade.
I’ve stopped by twice recently (in the past 2 — 3 weeks), and both times they were closed with no note anywhere. Also, the phone number is disconnected. It used to say «temporarily disconnected» and now it just says «disconnected.»
OH CJ. PLEASE COME BACK! What on earth is a southern girl’s heart going to do without your amazing soul food in Chicago!!! … No one else even comes close.

I found this place on Unilocal,I picked it at random and decided to try it! I enjoy trying local business vs. going to a chain restaurant.
I had the chicken and waffle, my friend had the banana pancakes with bacon and hash brown. I tasted the banana pancakes, they were great. The chicken wings were seasoned well and the pecan maple syrup was great on the waffle!
Good menu selection and the food was good! I liked the décor of this place too!
It was about Noon when we arrived, I found a good spot to park and it was not busy.
I would recommend this place and plan on visiting again next time I am in Chicago!

After hearing all the praises that were sung for this place it was only right I give it a shot. Drove over yesterday and street parking wasn’t so bad. Walked in and was greeted by our nice server Monique who told us to sit wherever we wanted.
I had been hearing about the shrimp & grits for quite awhile and our server told me she was enjoying some when she came in to work that morning so I took her advice. The meal was great as it came along with a side of eggs and a biscuit. To drink I went with the Southern Sweet Tea. I did my undergraduate studies in Arkansas, so the tea definitely took me back to my collage years. Very sweet and on point!
While eating we were able to listen to some old and not so old soul grooves. The staff is very cool and helpful. Very southern menu so if you’re into soul food you gotta check this place out. Good stuff from CJs!!!

PROZAC IN WAFFLE FORM
Are you in a bad mood? Rough week at work? Do you need a break from your low-​carb, low-​fat, low-​taste world? Well if you need an attitude adjustment, skip the Prozac and head on over to CJs for food that will fill your belly, warm your heart, and lift your spirits.
Imagine buttery biscuits smothered in rich chunky sausage gravy, fluffy banana pancakes with crisp smokey bacon, freshly fried chicken on a Belgian waffle smothered in gooey pecan maple syrup… Are you drooling yet?
After having so much «soul food» minus the soul, it’s refreshing to find a place where you can really feel and taste the love in every bite. You can tell they take pride in every dish they make and the service is so friendly you’ll feel like family.
The only thing that broke my heart was that this place was so empty on a Saturday when the food and service are so excellent. Come on people! You’ll wait for an hour for a mediocre brunch at Orange and Toast, but you won’t make the quick drive over to Humboldt? You are missing out if you don’t give this place a shot!

You know how when you like a band, and no one else really knows about them, and you tell all your friends about how great the band is, but still no one knows who they are, and you can walk up to scubas or empty bottle and get tickets for their shows, and it’s only like you and 25 other people in the crowd, and you don’t understand how they aren’t bigger, how some crap song can get played on the radio a thousand times a day, but this band can’t? And then maybe the band does blow up, and they get a song on Q101, and then band goes from the Metro, to the Aragon, to Alpine, and then you sit there and complain about how you knew them way back when, and you wish they were still that little band?
That’s CJ’s, only it hasn’t blown up yet. I don’t care how far, or how long it takes to drive to this place, I’m going there every Saturday. There, I’ve said it. If this place was in another neighborhood, there would be a 4 hour wait every Saturday and Sunday. We headed out there one Saturday morning. Yes, it felt like we drove forever, but we were able to park right in front.
The place is beautifully designed. They have a full coffee bar in the back which you can also order to go coffees, lattes, etc. There was only one other table in there, which is great if you’re starving, but not good if you love the food at this place.
We started out with an order of biscuits and gravy. I’m always in search for the best biscuits and gravy, and these are right up there. The biscuits are light, and thin, and full of buttery flavor. The sausage gravy had a nice spice to it. (I think I’m the only person to order an appetizer for brunch). For my meal, I ordered the sausage casserole. It was fantastic. It’s eggs, sausage, and veggies baked in a small dish, and a dollop of sour cream – heavenly. The GF had huevos racheros, which come on two homemade crunchy tostitos. They too were amazing.
The service is great. They are beyond friendly, the waitress joked around with us every time she brought something to us, and the chef came out to thank us for coming.
This place is great, I can’t say enough good things about it. I hope everyone goes, and they have lines out the door. Just not when I go.

She warned me about messing with the biscuits and gravy before my meal…
But I’m not one to listen. Face it, I’m bossy, but I don’t listen to the bossing. It’s an attitude choice. Deal with it.
In any event, after careful pondering, we decided CJ’s was our place du jour for brunching on a Saturday. It was a bit of a drive, but fortunately, there is ample street parking, no meters. Niiiice.
It was nearly empty in there, which is a damn shame. This place takes its breakfast serious, as it should, and people should recognize. Actually, just ignore this. Patience ain’t one of my virtues and the fact that I can get my food and coffee with no wait is huge. So, go back to sleep, pretend you didn’t read the no wait tip I just left for you.
So, obviously, we couldn’t resist the side of biscuits and gravy. Homemade, perfectly sized darling little biscuits with the perfect gravy. Not to heavy or thick, little bits of sausage strewn without. Lovely.
I went with the huevos rancheros. In my effort to make 2010 my year where I start to eat eggs with runnier yolks (don’t you have yearly food challenges too?), I got my eggs over-​medium. They were cooked to perfection, topped with cheese over a crispy tortilla with black beans and a spicy side of salsa. Awesome. A few bites of my guy’s sausage casserole, smothered in cheese and sour cream, had me convinced that he had ordered well too.
Service was friendly with a smiling visit from the chef at the end of the meal and plentiful refills on my coffee. (One *baby* complaint: get some real cream up in here!!! I dig my dairy!)
Also noted: this place is BYOB in the event you like a few mimosas with your brekkie… brunch bunch, I’m looking at you.
So, the moral of this brunch story? Mess with the biscuits and gravy. You run with the risk of being scolded for not cleaning your plate, but it is so worth it.

So just as I said I was going to give less 5 star reviews, I start eating at amazing places like CJ’s!
We went for a true flavor tour. It was phenomenal!
Sunday Brunch 12:15pm and the place had plenty of seats, something tells me not for long…
We kicked off our smorgahhborgh of soulful delight with banana bread pudding, and it rocked, I am a glutton for bread pudding, not too sweet and oh so moist it was on point! 4.5stars
We split 4 entrees amongst the three of us…
Banana pancakes with bacon, both were out of this world, the bacon crisp and melt in your mouth fatty, just the way I like it! The pancakes were ridiculous, so tasty, so moist, so buttery, so amazing, I can’t say enough, these may be some of the best pancakes I have ever interacted with! I think as long as they are on the menu, and I am here, these will be part of my feast! 6 stars!
Breakfast sausage casserole… Yeah that good! really freaking good… chuck full of all the protein you will ever need eggy meaty tasty! 4 stars!
My least favorite of the buxom brunchy bunch was the catfish breakfast, I like a lil less fish flavor in my cat, it was still good don’t get me wrong, the eggs were fluffy the grits were cheesy and wonderful, it was an all around good dish! 3 stars…
OMG I saved this for last… Rock and roll was the Chicken and waffles with pecan maple syrup happiness! Juicy chicken wing all atop an off the chain waffle, it was malty, it was creamy, it was moist, it was heavenly like a cloud, it was amazing; CJ hooks up his griddle goods, it is clear to me, pancakes and waffles are off the map here, you will need to hook up on at least one griddle creation or you are missing out for sure! 7 stars!
All this served up with some of the best tea and coffee this planet has to offer and served to the table with true passion by the lovely Monique! Thanks Monique you made our Sunday! 10 stars!
I will be hip hoppin my way back to CJ’s often, and for now it looks like they will have a seat for me… Yay!

I decided to follow fellow Unilocalers’ suggestions and go to CJ’s for breakfast. We were heading to Oak Park, so we decided to go to CJ’s since it is west of downtown Chicago. Hmmm yeah, CJ isn’t exactly located in the best area of Chicago (it made me think of Baltimore when we walked there).
However, walking into CJ’s was a different experience. Greeted by presumably the owner and another worker, we were serviced quickly and nicely (perhaps because we were one of the three groups of diners there?!?). I got shrimp and grits (with eggs and buttermilk biscuit) with a blueberry lemonade. I like my plate. The grits were cooked with bacon, and what can go wrongly with that?!? My friend had the chicken and waffles, and she liked it (as she described «the cinnamon brings the two parts together»). Other friend got a sausage casserole, and it was alright.
Overall, I like the place a lot as the service, food, and the price were decent. But given its location, I would go there only with a group of friends craving comfort food for breakfast.

:to the tune of Lean on Me:
–actually heard in the soundtrack de brekkie, this past Sunday, post Halloween at CJ’s. NO WAIT. None. OMG, my heart almost leapt from my chest at the thought of imminent food in front of me, and copious forms of beverage. Sweet baby Jesus, AMEN!
Ok, to the song… with commentary.
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain (hangovers)
We all have sorrow (hangovers)
But if we are wise (and drive far West to CJ’s)
We know that there’s always tomorrow…(and french toast and pancakes)
Lean on me, when you’re not strong (I think the term was…“morose.”)
And I’ll be your friend (yay, coffee!)
I’ll help you carry on (yay, ice water!)
For it won’t be long (not at all, service was quick. Monique is my new BFF)
‘Til I’m gonna need (more. coffee. please)
Somebody to lean on (scrambled eggs!)
Please swallow your pride (and banana pancakes)
If I have things you need to borrow (Splenda, Diet… errrg, Pepsi)
For no one can fill those of your needs (damn straight, thank you CJ)
That you don’t let show (I showed it, I’m pretty sure).
Lean on me, when you’re not strong (and hungover)
And I’ll be your friend (hooray)
I’ll help you carry on (liquids + breakfast + grease)
For it won’t be long (I finally feel better)
‘Til I’m gonna need (I’m never going out again)
Somebody to lean on…
So just call on me brother CJ, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you’d understand (FOOD, stat)
We all need somebody to lean on (thank you. thank you. thank you.)
Lean on me…
So as I sat in this booth… LEANED into this booth with glitter in my hair, ears, eyes, eyelashes, etc, I thanked Unilocal for reminding me great brunch/​breakfast CAN exist on the weekends without a wait, you just gotta trek a bit to get there. WELL worth it.
Best $ 25 I’ve spent in a very long time.
CJ, way to go.

The biggest issue I have with CJ’s is consistency.
On my first visit to CJ’s, the service was abysmal. We were the only table in the restaurant, yet we never received coffee refills, it took forever to get our food and everything was just, for lack of a better word, slow. I know, I know; CJ’s is all about Southern cooking and service and with that comes a leisurely pace, but come on, guys. We can pick it up just a touch, yeah?
The food is also inconsistent. The first time I tried CJ’s cheese grits and was blown away! They were thick, creamy, flavorful and awesome. The second time around? Not so much. The grits came out watery and bland.
I will say, however, that my sausage and egg breakfast casserole was absolutely delicious on both visits. Deceptively filling, it’s chock-​full of fluffy eggs, slammin’ sausage, hash browns, cheese, onions, peppers and topped with sour cream. Not exactly figure friendly, but I did show up to CJs on both occasions with a wicked hangover, so grease was mandatory. Trust me. This menu item gets the job done.
Also important to note:
1. CJ’s has quite possibly the best drink menu I’ve seen in a long time. Tropicana orange soda? Flavored lemonades like cherry and blueberry? Good God, I was in liquid heaven!
2. They have the best satellite radio station playing in the morning. It’s all of these old R&B songs, which put a smile on my face.
In the end, CJ’s just needs to tighten things up a bit. You know, work on making the food taste great all the time and pick up the service a bit. Then I’ll be their #1 fan.

The food was absolutely fantastic. I had the waffles with chicken, a side of cheese grits and the cherry lemonade. The waffle was perfection and the maple pecan syrup was served warm. The grits were creamy and savory. My cherry lemonade was a perfect balance of sweet and tart. I am so sure that I will be back and I tell others about it. I hate it’s only open on the weekend but it makes it a nice treat.
The staff were kind and made us feel like family.

CJ’s is our go-​to brunch place. It is a little out of the way, but I guess that keeps the line non-​existent! I am torn between letting people know how good the food is and keeping it less busy so I can get a table.
Shrimp and Grits are amazing! The biscuit is soft, fluffy and buttery. Chicken and Waffles are the bomb! See the photos I uploaded… How can you resist?!

Came in over the weekend with Ericka L and it was fantastic! I had the Catfish brunch special that consisted of the crispiest, crunchediest Catfish I have ever had with the tastiest biscuits I have ever eaten, the cheesiest grits and 2 scrambled eggs. It was all very heavenly and I can’t wait to come back for more. The service was a snail’s pace but by the time my food came I didn’t seem to mind anymore. I also had their cherry lemonade which is lemonade with a shot of cherry syrup of some sorts. I’m not exactly sure what it was but it was delicious! The restaurant was quaint with art scattered all over the place. What a great find!
Stacy Y — you can fifth wheel it up anytime!

Came here today with Yvette C. and we were just outdone! I had the breakfast casserole (see a picture I took) which was a medley of hashbrowns, eggs, sausage, cheese, and a dollop of sour cream. It was perfect. It also came with a deliciously buttery biscuit that amazed me! I mean, they cooked the biscuit and then split it in half, buttered it, and then grilled it! I mean talk about a buttery crunch — I was severely pleased and tried to hold on to the biscuit as long as I could. Sadly… my stomach is no dummy and sent vicious messages to my brain telling me to «FINISH HIM»!!! SO I did…
Tried their cherry lemonade which was so refreshing and tasty. I am a lemonade fanatic and I’ll jump at any opportunity to taste different varieties and this one hit the spot!
The restaurant itself was very nice and I enjoyed the art on the walls.
Overall — I am with all my fellow Unilocalers on this one — I loved everything about this place and I will def be back with Yvette and our men!
Muah!

as big as Chicago can be when it comes to Southern lovin food the really good choices just show up on a short bus list.
Mr. Charles Jr. and family found a dang smart way to fill a niche so well I cry tears of maple syrup to smother my pancakes of joy.
Open just on weekends until business can support a full time switch CJ cooks up some soul hurting foods in the few hours he performs in the kitchen.
Everything was good as sitting down to a big table of Unilocalers allowed us to sample, moan and sample some mores.
The slow service is reminiscent of the southern lifestyle, friendly and not hurried, and its good to sometimes be reminded that life should be savored by the moments and not just gotten through.
kudos for adding to the quality of soul dining in this cold city.

One word: awesome!
DISCLAIMER: Sorry, this review is sub-​par (read: sucks). I blame it on a variety of factors: Daylight Savings Time, a mild hang over, and raging allergies that had me sneezing through my entire meal.
The miserable rain, among other things (see above) didn’t stop me and my fellow Unilocalers from trying this place for brunch. For most it’s a bit off the beaten path, but well worth the trip; just don’t make that trip on a weekday because they’re not open.
Everything our table got looked amazing and from the sounds and cleaned plates tasted amazing too. I had the banana pancakes with a side of hash browns and loved them! Service was great, I don’t think they get a lot of big groups (10+), but did their best to keep everyone happy, fed and hydrated. At the end of our meal CJ even came by the table to thank us for coming and chat a little bit.
Bottom line: Yum! Now get to CJ’s while you can still say you were a fan before it became insanely popular ;-)
TIP: CJ’s is BYOB

I think I’m the only one out of the Unilocal brunch group today who didn’t order grits. I’m just not a fan (and I’m from the South!). Hash browns just sounded so good at the time. They went well with my made-​to-​order omelet of my favorite mix: bacon, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. The portions are just enough to fill you up and put you in a food coma for most of the day… not that I just woke up or anything.
We had a good time. Service was awesome. I’m definitely coming back because I want to try the breakfast sausage casserole and the chicken/​waffle combo, both of which I am now craving, and we ate a few hours ago!
FYI: Waiting for the 65 Grand bus (which takes you directly there) is a pain in the ass, esp. when it’s raining and on the weekends.

This place is wonderful. We had a bunch of family in town and wanted a great brunch to take them to — I called CJ’s this morning, and CJ himself answered and assured me that they would be glad to accomodate out 10 person party at the last minute.
We had the crab cakes and southwest eggroll appetizers, shrimp & grits, banana pancakes, catfish & eggs, BISCUITS AND GRAVY, and everything was fabulous.
We even ordered another platter of B&G to share after we had tasted them.
Wonderful food, and our server was very courteous and helpful.