Jerry Joy — Restaurant in Melbourne

Read the reviews and decided to try this place before shopping at DFO. Was a Sunday beautiful day ruined. To add, it was not a busy day - only a handful of tables and most had their meals served.

We thought service was great up to the point where there were a couple of red flags. We were told to sit anywhere we like so we sat at the outdoor area, consciously avoiding a table that had a tag on it indicating there is a booking. We were asked rather bluntly if we had separated the tables, we had not. We had to offer to move over to another table after some judgemental side glances from staff. Fine.

The party of 2 for the table that had the booking arrived 20 minutes after we did and we soon realised they were food influencers. They were offered a bunch of free things. Fine. Whatever a business has to do to make money in this economy, we understand.

Coffee arrived quick and when table next to us had their coffee, food and left that's when we noticed we hit the half an hour mark of waiting for our food. Fine. We understand we're sitting at a blind spot and there's not much waiter foot traffic so we patiently waited.

My partner got his food after 45 minutes of waiting and I was still waiting for mine. The waiter came 5 mins after with 3 plates of food after and naturally I thought one was for me but all went to the influencers' table. I had to go up to the counter to voice my dissatisfaction and was told they didn't understand how the system "lose" my food ticket.

We were compensated for my dish (not the whole bill) which warrants a 1 star but it's absolutely ridiculous to have to ask for it instead of being reassured that my meal was coming or being apologised to without having to confront. Having a meal out is an experience and waiting close to an hour ruins your perception of the meal so I can't comment on the food.

This cafe needs to understand that yes influencers gives you a far reach but you don't have to put them on a pedestal. You dropped everything to serve them but forget your existing customers. I have told my friends, family & colleagues to avoid this place due to the disappointing...

We stumbled upon Jerry Joy Café while looking for a relaxed brunch spot in Thornbury, and we’re so glad we did. Parking was easy to find on the street nearby, and from the moment we walked in, we were warmly welcomed by the lovely staff. The café itself is simple but super cute, with a laid-back, cozy vibe that makes you feel at home straight away.

Even though we were in a bit of a rush, the staff went out of their way to accommodate us and still managed to prepare a fresh breakfast quickly. We ordered a skinny cappuccino and an almond latte – both were excellent and perfectly made. It’s clear they take their coffee seriously, and it definitely shows in the quality.

For food, I had the Turkish eggs, which were delicious – poached eggs served over yogurts with herbs and perfectly balanced flavors. My husband, who is lactose intolerant, ordered the granola with coconut yogurt, and he loved it. It’s great to see thoughtful options on the menu that cater to dietary needs without compromising on taste.

They also have a glass fridge stocked with fresh, premade food for takeaway, which we’ll definitely keep in mind for next time. The overall experience was warm, friendly, and satisfying – the kind of place you want to return to and try everything on the menu.

We’ll definitely...

We had hoped to dine here in December shortly after lockdown restrictions were lifted. We had three children under 3 years old so I understand it’s difficult to accommodate us but the staff did offer us a table inside. From then on the staff were absolutely horrible and bullied us for around 15mins before we ended up leaving without ordering food. They constantly nagged us and complained about us taking up too much space and even told off our three year old toddler for touching the table next to us because they would need to sanitise it. Also complained about the noise of a toddler tapping his foot on the wall when there were no other patrons inside at the time and the juicer and espresso machines were roaring over the top of their lame music. I’ve been here several times before with just one toddler and the staff were wonderful. The food is good but expensive and the cafe is too small for anyone but a couple. We wouldn’t have come back again anyway unless we could have got an outdoor table, but now will just never go again. We had three month old twins and I was trying to do something nice with our family after a brutal lockdown. In the end it was...