Jazzy Ladies Cafe & Club — Restaurant in Eugene

So service and atmosphere was pretty good, not perfect; I prefer a warmer more welcoming vibe than what existed. They were very nice about my partner spilling her full mocha, but didn't ask whether she wanted to get a new one, and I feel like usually similarly priced (or most) places I've been to where something like that happened the restaurant will comp a drink.

On to the food though I was pretty disappointed. The last time I was there was about 2 years ago I think and the food was really good actually, and we went several times. This time it was blander, smaller, and more expensive.

I got the chicken fried steak, and my partner got chicken and waffles both today and our previous visit. Everything I'd say was cooked properly (I.E I don't blame the cooks), but the recipe tasted changed or maybe the ingredients were sourced differently. Overall the taste felt subpar for my pallet.

My biscuit tasted musty, and was very dense. Perhaps they added some kind of spice, like sage perhaps, for flair that backfired. The chicken fried steak was fine, but the breading could have used some seasoning to develop the flavor. I like to mix in a little mustard, and a few other things to a batter. I think the bland steak would have been fine if it hadn't been for the gravy. The most dominant flavor in the gravy was the milk taste, that tasted like maybe Lucerne? I'm not a fan of Lucerne, and I feel like it has a very musky flavor that overpowers almost anything it's used for. Nothing in the gravy matched up to the flavor of the milk to combat the musky aftertaste and mouth feel. It needed some more flavor profiles as well. In my opinion a good gravy needs a mix of savory profiles, very very mild bitter/sour, creaminess (which in their defense it did have), and a light and pleasant lingering taste of fat. Only had the creaminess in my opinion.

My partner's chicken and waffles were less disappointing. I didn't try her chicken, but she liked it. The waffle was not as good as it once was. It had a watery aftertaste that I associate with too high a ratio of oat flour. Could probably benefit from less oat, and more (or some?) cornstarch. The smoked bacon bits were a bit risky to add directly to the waffle, and I personally felt it tainted the dish, but my partner didn't mind it (though she would have preferred it separate).

It felt like so much money went into a remodel that corners are getting cut where they shouldn't. Really love the interior design though, it looks great.

Disappointed in the cost to flavor value. Everything looked amazing though if that's what you're at a...

Customer Service: Once you realize that they are busy (understaffed?) and that they are not trying to be rude or make you feel rushed, the experience improves. They are at the core friendly and helpful. The food comes out hot, as it should, and at the perfect time.

Food: Everything tasted fresh but if you need more, keep on reading. Portions are on the smaller side. All gluten-free kitchen!

Biscuit was soft on the inside with a flaky crunch texture on the outside. It is served in the middle a peppery gravy bowl. The gravy is flavorful with a surprisingly expected viscosity. Not runny nor putty like. Egg was medium but not fried as requested.

Chicken and waffle is where it's at. Chicken is meticulously encased in golden breaded crunchiness and sitting on an equally divine waffle.

Honey bear latte (almond, cinnamon, honey) was an excellent combination of flavors that also allowed the smooth espresso taste to come through. Despite the name, Goldilocks would approve; not too sweet, not bland, but just right. The presentation included artful foam but mine did not include the additional art patterns, but looking forward to it for next time.

Ambiance: Eclectic decor surrounded by complementary jazzy tunes. Even if you are not a jazz fan, the vibes seemed carefully curated. At least during our experience, we dd not hear the asynchronous tones that might be off putting for some.

Extra notes: restroom door located out and around the building. You will also need a key. Essentially, the restroom is in the back of their kitchen but there is no walk-through. Overall, not a big deal but just in case it matters to some. As noted below, this is temporary.

This may not be the best place is you are in a rush. This is a popular spot so reserve sitting accordingly. Also, this is a cozy place with additional outside sitting so you cannot wait inside for your table. If you are just ordering from their bakery, you also requested to wait outside for your items including payment.

We are looking forward to their...

I really wanted to love this place. The food on the menu sounded amazing. The apps and drinks were great. I had the Aperol Spritz. We shared the coconut shrimp and the figgy flatbread. Yum! We arrived at 5:30 for our reservation and were seated immediately. Our server took our orders probably around 5:45 because we were talking a bit prior. First thing we were told is that they were out of polenta. Okay, that eliminates a couple entrees off the list. They were kind of busy but not full. I ordered the Stuffed Delicata Squash and was so excited about it. Around 6:10 the server comes up to our table to let me know that the squash is going to take 30 mins. I was a bit confused bc he took my order over 20 mins prior and there was no communication that they were backed up or short staffed or anything. I said Ok because we had a play to go to that started at 7:30 and it was likely too late to order anything else at that point. Food took longer than I was told it would. We got our dinners around 7pm. The quinoa in the stuffed squash wasn't even cooked all the way (still crunchy!) and they forgot to add the Brussels sprouts as a side on my plate. So about 5-10 minutes later I got a plate of nearly burnt Brussels sprouts. Idk if they were supposed to be that brown but I ate a little anyway. No time to eat dessert as we planned so we just paid and left. My friend's Caesar salad and Diablo shrimp were very mediocre as well. Really disappointing. The sauce on the shrimp was really watery and there was no other flavor to it besides spicy. It was very bland. If we go a next time it will strictly be for drinks with apps and perhaps dessert. Not sure if it was an off night for them but there wasn't a lot of communication from our server overall. Seemed he may have been the only server working? Either way a heads up that a cook called out or that they're short-staffed would have been great. They were all really nice, but the food was an...