JJ’s Cafe in Norton is friendly, cozy and tasty

What’s on the menu?
Here’s what we tried
A greeting from the owner
The bottom line

“Make yourself at home,” someone called out from the counter as we arrived at JJ’s Cafe in Norton.

My wife, Susie, and I did just that.

The cozy diner at 1275 Norton Ave. is located in a 1930s gray-sided building in front of Sunset Village Mobile Home Park. We had passed it many times over the years, but this was our first visit.

We felt instantly welcome. Everyone was super nice, including our server, Dawn, owner Jennifer Jackson (JJ herself) and the restaurant’s customers.

JJ’s Cafe, which will celebrate its 11th anniversary in July, is a place where the regulars are greeted by name: “Why, hello, Miss Pamela. Hello, Joe!”

Strangers are made to feel like friends.

What’s on the menu?, Here’s what we tried, A greeting from the owner, The bottom line

JJ’s Cafe is at 1275 Norton Ave. in Norton.

The narrow dining area includes booths, tables and a counter with six stools. The floor is wood and the ceiling and walls are white.

The decor has a folksy charm with illustrations of horses and cowboys, colorful hangings and an artificial tree that gets redecorated every holiday. When we visited, the Valentine’s Day ornaments were just about to come down in favor of St. Patrick’s Day finery.

“It’s cute in here,” Susie said. “It’s homey.”

Some customers watched the 1992 baseball movie “A League of Their Own” as it played on a big screen behind the counter.

The smell of coffee and bacon wafted toward us. Amiable conversations also drifted in the air. The topics ranged from sports to travel to economics to grandkids and, of course, food.

“It’s a place where you can’t help but eavesdrop,” Susie noted.

We found a booth in the back and studied the photocopied menus on folded 8½-by-11 sheets of paper. Specials are posted on Facebook as well as on a sign at the entrance. Breakfast and lunch are served all day.

The interior of JJ’s Cafe in Norton is homey and cozy.

Lunch sandwiches include a Reuben, gyro, steak, chicken salad, triple BLT, triple decker club, fish and fried bologna.

There are a half-dozen burgers, too. The ones that sounded most tempting to me were the Black & Bleu (bleu cheese, bacon, mushrooms and onions) and the Cafe Western (onion rings, barbecue sauce and smoked cheddar).

Other options are salads (steak, chef, grilled chicken, house) and various sides (onion rings, fries, applesauce, cottage cheese, coleslaw, fresh fruit). A children’s menu offers grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, chicken tenders, fries, chips and applesauce.

Susie and I were in the mood for breakfast. The homestyle fare includes build-your-own omelets, country fried steak, biscuits and gravy, a breakfast burrito, pancakes, waffles, French toast and sides such as hash browns, bacon, sausage, ham, toast and bagels.

JJ prepares all omelets with three eggs and can turn them into a scramble with potatoes and toast.

Here’s what we tried

You know how some restaurants have fancy names for their combinations? That’s not needed here.

I ordered corned beef hash, two eggs (sunnyside up), hash browns and toast ($11.99) with a side of bacon ($3.99).

When Dawn delivered a heaping plate of breakfast goodness, I gasped at the portions. She probably hears that a lot.

“You get a lot of food when you eat at JJ’s,” she explained.

JJ’s Cafe in Norton serves corned beef hash, sunnyside-up eggs, hash browns and toast with a side of bacon.

It was a beautiful dish. I punctured the egg yolks one at a time and let them flow into the corned beef hash like golden lava down a pink-and-white mountain. Then I swirled the yolks into the shredded potatoes.

Silky and salty. Now that is comfort food! The hash was piping hot and wonderfully tasty. It took me straight back to childhood.

The warm rye toast was buttered nicely and quite pleasing. The little metal cup of jelly was a neat touch. Restaurants usually have plastic packets that can be difficult to open with buttery fingers.

A greeting from the owner

JJ arrived with Susie’s food. Learning it was our first time there, she identified herself and welcomed us to her cafe.

My wife had a breakfast sandwich: Two eggs (folded over), bacon and cheese on a toasted croissant ($10.99) with hash browns and a fruit cup.

“That is some big bacon,” Susie said. “The croissant is really fresh.”

The hickory smoked bacon was thicker than what most restaurants serve. JJ explained that it’s locally sourced from Al’s Quality Meats in Barberton. She’s picky about meat and wants only non-GMO food, so she shops at Al’s as well as Canal Fulton Provision.

If you’re used to thin bacon that disappears after three bites, you’ve got to try the thick variety. It’s quite substantial.

“This is a big sandwich,” Susie said. “I’m already getting kind of full.”

She gave me a bite. I really liked the combination of melted cheese and fluffy eggs on soft bread.

Unexpectedly, my wife’s meal arrived with a little cup of strawberries, blueberries and bananas. The menu didn’t indicate there was a fruit cup on the side, but she was happy to have it.

“That was a nice surprise,” she said.

The bottom line

We enjoyed our first visit to JJ’s Cafe.

Dawn is a super-attentive server who checked on us often and made sure that Susie’s coffee cup was never empty.

With tax and beverages, our bill came to $38.40, not including tip.

We definitely want to come back to try some other things on the menu. Hey, JJ, count me in for a Black & Bleu.

Everyone was just so pleasant. After we got up to go, customers said goodbye and wished us a nice day. The world could use more of what they’re serving at JJ’s Cafe.

“I don’t know if I’ve been to a friendlier place,” Susie said.