Aj’s Cafe

If I were being honest, I’d probably give three and a half stars based on my single experience. But it’s not really fair to judge after one visit, and there are other items on the menu that intrigue me, so I’ll likely be back. Consider this a review of my sandwich more than anything else I guess.
AJ’s Café isn’t far from Capitol Square. It’s a block a way. But even though I work right downtown, it’s not a place I think of often. For whatever reason, that block matters. Out of sight, out of mind I guess. But this past week, I was looking for something different than the usual lunch options and so I ventured in.
They have a cold case with prepared sandwiches, so if you’re looking for a quick grab-​n-​go, this is probably the quickest option downtown. No waiting even to make your lunch! The rest of the menu, while not long, is interesting. The Indian flavors present in several of the options reflect the past experiences of the owner.
I ended up with the CTM sandwich – a panini filled with chicken tikka masala, cheddar cheese, and lettuce. The highlight of the sandwich was definitely the tikka masala sauce in which the chicken was tossed. (The chicken itself was fine. It appeared to have been made plain and then tossed in the sauce.) The flavor was good and reasonably complex. There was ample cheese and it, like the lettuce, did not detract from the sandwich. But for me, didn’t add much either.
As I said before, there are several other sandwiches on the menu that sound interesting, including a tilapia sandwich and a meatball sandwich. I’ll probably be back to check them out.
One of the reasons that I’ll be back is that they’re super friendly there. The staff was welcoming and pleasant.
Also a plus, they offer mini bags of Grippos as a potato chip option. I usually pass on such extras, but if you have Grippos you have my heart!

We loved going to Taj Mahal on High Street and when we heard AJ had opened a new restaurant downtown we couldn’t wait to check it out. We were not disappointed. Delicious food!!! I had the tilapia sandwich and my husband and daughter had the Rajah bowl. Both were fantastic. We can’t wait to share with our friends and family SOON!!!