Java Jive Coffee House & Cafe

I always feel like I'm not the sort of ""hip"" (euphemism) customer they're looking for when I come in here. The service has always been dismissive. Pancakes were good, but everything else was forgettable. The reviewers weren't in a bad mood, it's the restaurant staff that doesn't seem to be in a very good mood, like maybe they should be doing something more grand than running this coffee shop. Friendly service should be easier in such an intimate setting more

Some of these folks writing the scathing reviews must have been in a crappy mood when they went to Java Jive....... I have been going regularly for the past few years and besides occasionally having to wait longer than I prefer (that happens in popular places), I have never been disappointed. Fantastic egg dishes, delicious pancakes and the gingerbread waffle is the ultimate side-item if you have a sweet tooth. If you are tempted to try the joke of a breakfast establishment a couple doors down from Java Jive, you will always get a table, but expect lousy food and even worse service. Java Jive ROCKS! more

this place was awful. i popped in for a quick breakfast because i was too early to meet a friend. the food took a long time, the pie tasted like cardboard, and they only took cash, which required a trip to the ATM. not a good place at all Cons: cash only more

With so many places to compete with these days, Java Jive is the little engine that could of breakfast spots. But this kitschy restaurant which pays tribute to the ’50’s with its dining decor, blows the competition out of the water with a menu that stays true to what breakfast should be, with a few surprises thrown in along the way. With a bevy of classic egg dishes to chose from, make room to also try favorites such as “PB&J Goes To France” - challah bread with PB&J french toast style, and a rare find in Atlanta - “Matzoh Brie”, just like bubby used to make. Pair it all with the in-house coffee which hits the spot when you have it iced, and their doughy and delicious biscuit which puts The Flying Biscuit to shame. Hangovers and late mornings are no longer torturous now that you know where to find one of the best breakfasts in town, period. Pros: great food, great coffee, parking Cons: cash only more

You'd think with JAVA in the name coffee would be good. Nope. I drove 15 miles to get a good breakfast. Nope. Don't ever, ever try their gingerbread waffles. They say the lemon curd is home-made. Nope. Tastes like from a jar. Awful. Save a trip. Pros: Really shouldn't get one star. Cons: Bad food. more

We were in the area and wanted something good to each for breakfast and had heard about Java Jive. So we looked them up and the experience was great. This quaint little spot on Ponce is a wonderful treat to the taste buds. After reading some of the reviews from this sight I had mixed emotions about go there but no more. This little diner that blends retro décor and charm with the new age St. Charles, Green woood and Highlands area without missing a beat. The service was terrific walked in on a Sunday at 11am, and sat right down. The hostess was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. My wife has the French toast, bacon, and biscuit. She loved it all and thinks that the food here is better than the Flying Biscuit. I am still in the air about that one. I had the buttermilk pancakes with a surprising cinnamon butter dollop atop, turkey sausage, grits, and coffee. The pancakes melt in your mouth with every bite, turkey sausage was a little salty but still very flavorful, grits were ok but I prefer Flying Biscuit. Coffee was the very best, you can taste the quality, and it was bold yet light with a velvety finish. Overall I would recommend this restaurant and return again. Sorry that so many people had a bad experience. Pros: Food, customer service, and coffee Cons: Parking, and cash only more

My friend recommended Java Jive, and I was so looking forward to a casual and delicious mid-week brunch. I didn't know they only accepted cash, and I didn't have cash, so I was forced to use their ATM machine which charges a fee (which I'm certain Java Jive receives a percentage of.) This wouldn't have been so annoying if the food was delicious or if they kept my coffee cup filled, but it wasn't and they didn't. On top of that, the waiter got my order wrong, and it took a long time to get it right. (You would think with so few people in the place at 12:30 on a weekday that they would have better service.) I have to say Java Jive was not worth the money or the time. We will not be going back. Pros: ample parking Cons: food, price, don't take cash, not enough coffee, service more

worst place ever. took me 3 hrs to be seated and eat a mediocre omelette. i want that time back java jive! Pros: nothing Cons: shirt stains, waitresses, no credit cards, utter stupidity. more

I never write reviews, but had to after this morning. We waited for an hour and people that came in after us were seated before us because the host marked through our name without seating us. She didn't aplogize for the mistake. Then we had a server that was anxious and rushed us through ordering. She then forgot to bring out our apple juice, then when we were almost done eating she remembered and said she'd bring it out. We let her know that we no longer wanted it, and she said, ""I'll bring it to you, I already rung it up."" She then brought it out. When she brought the check, she wouldn't allow us to pay separately even though we were paying with cash. It was very disappointing to have such AWFUL service because the food is excellent. I've never had someone refuse to take something off my bill that was not brought to my table. It was really rude and if it was my restaurant, I would be really embarrassed. And I think that they stop seating people at 2:00pm or so, there were 3 people that came in about 2 minutes after that and they were turned away when there were people that had just been sat a table and it would not have kept the staff there any later. What an awful experience! Don't go there, the food is not good enough to overcome the staff. more

We've been coming to Java Jive for years and it's always great!! The coffee is the best in town and the biscuits are incredible. The staff is really friendly and my kids love all the neat things to look at.(They also love that the waitress knows their names) The pancakes are delicious, I like the wheat ones best. My husband gets the Greek omelet with fresh spinach. Yum! Sometime there's a wait, but when you get seated the food comes out fast. We always bring in out of town guest too, so we can share a little bit of old school Atlanta. Pros: Kid friendly, great food Cons: Small parking lot more

As an avid weekend breakfast guru, I felt compelled to write my first review after the most disappointing brunch ever. We were seated right away and the food came quickly, but thats all the good I can say. We never saw our waitress after placing the order. Our coffee cups were empty before the food came and were never refilled, which is completely unacceptable for a joint named after its brew. And as for the food, it's just sub standard for the price. You think they could put some of the money they save on not taking plastic and charging for the atm towards fresh tomatoes. The canned ones in my garden scramble ruined the whole dish. And I thought I made the wrong side option choice when tasting the grits, but the half cooked home fries on my boyfriends plate proved me wrong. And how about the lack of ham in Western omelet (one of the very few dishes on the limited menu that is actually supposed to come with meat)! J Christopher's a few doors down wins the prize for that area hands down. more

This place doesn't accept plastic. Honestly, I don't understand what all the rave is about with this place. I much prefer J. Christophers. more

The food and service at Java Jive are AWESOME!!! The service staff at this place are super nice and always keep your cup full.\r \r However, they could use some better management. Fore example: J. Christopher is right next door and they open almost 2 hours earlier than Java Jive (Dude, you're loosing customers!). Also, the tables are layed out poorly and theres tons of old appliances wasting space - reallocate the space (more paying customers = more money ... DUHH!). The only other issue I have with this place is there's no one to deal with all the unrulley children running around the palce on saturday and sunday mornings - their parents aren't going to do it. Pros: Food, Service Cons: Poor space layout, hours more

If you want a truly unique experience go to Java Jive. The BEST breakfast in Atlanta and I should know because I've tried them all. Steven is a great chef. Shara is a great hostess. They are REAL people. They do not dress up in uniforms and play the disneyland game. Their prices are competitive to the chains all around them and they play the best music. If you're looking for the familiar skip it. If you're looking for something orginal, cooked on the spot(nothing freeze dried here) wih unique items some of the chains have stolen but come nowhere close to duplicating- this is the spot. On the weekends, get their early! Pros: Everything Cons: weekends you have to wait a bit- but it's worth it more

Me and my gf went there on a weekend - told we had to wait 20 mins, which turned into 1 hr!! Before giving us a table, they set up a table for a group of 4 that came in long after us. Staff is rude, menu limited, food is of small portion, and very pricey! Food also just average tasting and definetely not worth the wait! All of their operations are done very inefficiently which is reflected in the low quality service to the customer! We don't really understand what is so great about this place! If people want to wait 1hr and spend alot of money for mediocre food, bad service and some so called ""nice decor"", then go ahead! Pros: Coffee Cons: Everything else is awful more

When I walked in I thought the '50s decor was cute... holy mother of god! When I sat down at the table, the decor was outshined by the cute waitstaff! \r \r Looks aside, the coffee here is absolutely unrivaled. I love breakfast, but nothing ruins it faster than a sh***y cup of coffee. JJ does not disappoint! I ordered ""PB&J goes to france."" It's a PB&J sammy dipped in french toast batter and cooked on the griddle. It was a little slice of heaven! The server was super sweet - I kept slamming back the coffee to get her to come back around and the resulting caffiene buzz sent me to the moon and back. \r \r Synopsis: the coffee is kickin', the breakfast is bangin', and the service is super-dee-dooper Pros: PB&J, Service, Coffee Cons: Can't split checks - it's a bummer, but whatever! more

Excellent food. Courteous and fun wait staff. Sunday AM is crazy, Saturday AM less so. Biscuits are incredible. One nit pick; guests are required to pay for coffee while waiting for a table. Concerning available tables, about 1/4 of the available floor space is taken up by a variety of retro stoves. Just doesn't make sense! Pros: Food, wait staff Cons: What's with all of the retro stoves on the floor? more

I felt the need to respond to the idiot woman and her gabbing girlfriends in the review below. If you have ever been to Java Jive on a saturday then you know how crowded it gets. The fact that management asked them to give the table up (aka take your suv's back to the highlands) shows exactly how much they do care about their regular customers. You are not at a starbucks, you are at an extremely busy eatery. Aside from that, i highly reccomend the bacon and cheese omlette. The biscuits are wonderful as well and the specials are not to be missed. Pros: delicous food / management that cares about regulars Cons: the woman who wrote the below review ( she sounds awful and i dont want to dine with her) more

I brought a large group of women (6) for breakfast and was asked to leave after we completed our meal because other people wanted to be seated. Little did they know we were more than prepared to order after breakfast coffee drinks, and a few more entree's for our hungry husbands, at home. When I explained this to management they unapologiticly explained how Sat. mornings were there bread and butter. It's so unfortunate that they did not view reoccuring customer's as their bread and butter. If it were possible I would rate this NEGATIVE 5 stars. This experienc was terribly embarrassed. The people next door at J. Christopher's are A LOT NICER AND MORE ACCOMODATING TO LARGE PARTIES! Pros: Great food in a nastalgic environment. Cons: Me and my girlfriends were kicked out after we stayed (sipped on coffee, and caught up with each other) a/b a half hour after we payed. more

Kitschy diner food priced above average, limited menu with long waits and slow service on weekends. Pricey for the venue and long waits leave a lot to be desired. Luckily the wheat germ pancakes with cinnamon butter saved the day. Stay clear of the tasteless potatoes. Biscuits are crumbly on the outside and doughy on the inside. As service is slow it would be nice if there was someone who'd make the rounds and refill the coffee cups. Crowd is eclectic, mostly lower midtown-5 points types. Because of the value, long wait and slow service, probably won't be coming back any time soon as there are too many other breakfast joints to try.....J Christopher next door?...yet to be reviewed. Parking in rear. Pros: pancakes, kitschy decor, kid friendly Cons: slow service, value, limited menu more