Em J’s Café

Em J’s Café 2500 Kirkman Street

The Internet came abuzz with the announcement of a soon-to-open Em J’s Cafe. Their catchy entrée descriptors, with word play, set the tone of enticement as we all looked forward to the grand opening. You can’t tell me that you wouldn’t want to be the first in town to get a Fry Me To The Moon, or a Lord Have Cinnamercy?

Southwest Louisiana diners do what they do, flocking at the chance to be the first to sample what the new kid on the block has to offer. Traditionally, I like to hold back and wait a little while for the ducks to get in a row. However, after seeing a few reports of positivity, I wanted to show my support for the new and exciting restaurant.

I mean, when it comes to homestyle cooking featuring breakfast and lunch, not only does it take the strain and waitlist away from some of the local favorites, it offers a bit of competitive variety for us customers. Don’t get me wrong, we all have our favorites. But sometimes, waiting for your name to be called is the hardest part. And options are good, especially when it comes to affordable dining.

I made it a special point to duck out of work just to peek at the menu and sample breakfast at Em J’s Cafe. “It’s been a while,” I thought to myself as I made that familiar walk from the parking lot to the front door.

Even though this is my first time at EmJ’s, the building has a lot of history. It’s been a successful launchpad for many who have built their humble beginnings inside these walls. From the old Frosty’s Bar, to Sloppy Taco, and Area337LC, there is some lineage here as we welcome the newest addition. Em J’s is a culmination of names—the owners, Emmeline, the face and frontwoman of the diner, and her mom’s husband, J, the silent partner.

Walking in, it’s much quieter and more tranquil than I remember from the past. I take a seat at what was once the bar, now four stools at a diner counter.

Looking through the menu, the time of day can slip my appetite one way or the other. Do I want to try the burger that I’ve heard so much about? Or do I stick with my initial breakfast intentions?

Honestly, everything sounds wonderful as I read through, with an emphasis on American-style big breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, omelettes, croffles, and waffles, along with a Southern favorite, biscuits and gravy.

Knowing that my wife is going to accompany me in the near future, and knowing her, she’ll order something sweet leaves me to go with one of my favorites.

The Heaping Helping offered everything I was in the mood for. Watching plates placed on the sill between the kitchen and counter, they’re quickly whisked off to their tables. Soon, I hear “order up” called from the back.

Emmeline gently places the platter before me. The presentation is remarkable and I can’t wait to take a bite, but pictures first.

Armed with a fork and knife, my work was cut out for me. It took several first bites to get a feel for everything that’s going on. From top to bottom, layer through layer, it just got better and better.

Smothered in a creamy white gravy, the over-easy eggs dripped their golden yolk. The fork alone cuts through the chicken-fried steak with ease. The crust gives way to a tender and tasty beef steak over a bed of hash browns. Grated thinner than most hash browns, they had a crisp edge and a smooth, delicate bite.

This hit the mark so perfectly, I contemplated ordering another just to experience it all over again. But I refrained, knowing I’ll have other opportunities.

Then the time came to share Em J’s with my wife, Shyla.

We get an early start on the morning, making breakfast a priority. Today, we’re seated at a table in the dining room as Emmeline welcomes us.

Instinctively, I want to indulge in the chicken-fried steak once again, but I have to curb that idea. I can’t make my decision until Shyla makes hers, and it doesn’t do me any good to order the same thing twice or I won’t have any material.

After a little back-and-forth indecisiveness, we decide to start with breakfast appetizers. I don’t know if that’s a thing, but today it is. A simple order of biscuits and gravy and a Croffle to start us off.

The house-made biscuits are mouthwatering perfection. Fluffy, soft, warm, and in that essential phase where it’s not dry, it’s not gooey, and it’s smothered in gravy.

The Croffle, a tasty little croissant-waffle hybrid, is a bit denser than either and can be quite filling in quantity.

Now, breakfast might be the most important meal of the day, but don’t think that means appetizers are necessarily a good thing. By the time we had finished this, our breakfast entrée ideas had changed. We weren’t quite as hungry for that full breakfast experience as we had planned just a few moments earlier.

With that, Shyla leaned on the lighter side, ordering a simple BLT. To be fair, the cafe is in their beginning stages, but I do think the bacon, lettuce and tomato should be the main character in a BLT, not dwarfed by the encompassing Texas Toast

Myself, I kept my focus on the Shrimply The Best Burger. Topping a beef patty with grilled shrimp, jalapeño, two different cheeses, and the entire garden sandwiched between buns sounded fantastic to me.

But just in case, I asked Emmeline to make the choice between that and the Thai Me A River.  Not a burger, per-se, but a chicken sandwich like no other. We both agreed this is something not offered by many. It sounds intriguing.

With that, I’m served a plump, juicy chicken breast, battered and fried, with crisp cabbage and topped with Asian peanut sauce. It’s a two handed sandwich that needs a big bite and bigger appetite to finish.

We walked out of there full and ready to tackle the rest of the day.

Em J’s is off to a great start and has a lot of potential. I’m eager to try other menu items, but I’m definitely coming back for the chicken-fried steak breakfast.