Jem Cafe

No more cuban sandwich for me! I think this place is being turned into a irish pub.

Definitely lacking in the dinner-​time ambiance. I could see it being a great lunch place. The service was average. Maybe I should have given this 4 stars but I ordered the butternut squash lasagna, only to have the waitress come back and tell me it was gone. I ordered the burger and she said it would take 20 minutes (okay only 2 other tables in the restaurant). The burger was pretty good. I must say the homemade potato chips were outstanding. My husband had the Cuban sandwich and enjoyed it, but the bread was not real cuban sandwich bread (rather it was french loaf — the same bread they give you in the bread basket!) I had a delicious chocolate/​peanut butter cookieish bar for dessert. They heated it up and drizzled dark chocolate over the top. Yum. It was good. I would definitely go back for lunch. Very affordable, this place has potential for being in the suburbs.

Go for the butternut squash lasagna and the Cran-​nutty salad! This local business has a romantic feel and is inexpensive for a cute, satisfying meal.

their cuban sandwich is worth the trip, plus the staff is really friendly. and they serve intelligentsia coffee, which isnt very common out in the burbs.

I love this place. The owner Joyce, and the wait staff are very sweet and accommodating. I get off the train at the BNSF Riverside Stations a block away and get carry out sometimes which is super convenient. Eating in is also great. I don’t have to worry about big crowds and long waits which is very important to me. The atmosphere is very comfortable and tasteful. I love the butternut squash, the blackened tilapia salad (a special), and the burger and my favorite, The Cuban (from the Blue Parrot menu which was here before Jem). I hope to branch out and try some other menu items. Oh and how could I forget, the most important part of the meal, DESERTS! are to die for, too many to name, but you won’t go wrong with any of them. I think the prices are very reasonable. I recommend this place to everyone. They told me they do catering also!

This place is ok, although it was much cozier when it was named Blue Parrot Café and it was more of a café than another local overpriced food place with liquor added to the menu. It lost some of it’s charm switching to this and also some of it’s better menu items. I’d sooner trek the small distance out of Riverside and go somewhere else than this place.

Located in the former Blue Parrot, Jem café offers an interesting selection of entrees. Two that caught my eye were the butternut squash lasagna and the goat cheese crepes. I went with the butternut squash lasagna and boy was it good! The crab cakes were very good also.