Jackie's Cafe — Restaurant in New Buffalo

I prefer to leave positive reviews, and I hate leaving negative ones, but this was something.

First, the food is amazing. Five Star Food. Seriously. Everything we ordered was top notch, assuming we got it. I was told 30 minutes after ordering my selection was out. 10 minutes later I was told my 2nd selection was out. That is 40 minutes after ordering, my 3rd pick was something they had. Good. 40 minutes after our first order, still no refill on water or coffee.

Our food arrived 60 minutes after ordering. They forgot my daughter's order. She is 7. They forgot the one person who doesn't understand being forgotten, the one person who is likely to cry. She ate my toast, no butter was supplied, and had some pickles while she waited. We all waited to eat for her. 70 minutes after our order was taken, we ate. We had to ask for our only water refill after food arrived and had to get the ketchup from the waitress station ourselves.

Again, let me stress, the food is amazing. The food is why I gave it 2 stars and not 1. Everything else is unacceptable. If there is a line, just leave. If the dinning room is full, just leave. If it is just you, stay. I might try it again but never during peak, never during summer.

Hire some more cooks, hire a dedicated host/hostess, and maybe not have more tables than...

Told it would be a "15 to 20 minute wait." 45 minutes later with no call or text, and after watching multiple parties be seated who arrived after us and also had no reservations, we went back in and were seated at one of the 3 open tables. Hostess had clearly forgotten about us. The water (and also the tea) tasted like a YMCA pool. So much chlorine I nearly threw it up. The tea (which last I checked consists of water and a tea bag) cost $3.75. My wife's cornbread was a pile of undercooked stodgy slop and her poached egg had uncooked runny white. It was a very small amount of food for the price - my meal was literally served on a child-sized plate. I wanted a side of bacon, but $7 for 3 slices is absurd, even in 2025. I chose a meal that came with bacon, the menu said it was "smoked" - zero smoke flavor whatsoever. The hot sauce (all they had was tobasco) was served in single-use plastic take-away cups; very wasteful. Atmosphere: there isnt any. About as bland and character-less as could be. Server was kind and fairly attentive, but unfortunately that was not enough to make up for what was one of the worst breakfast...

Came here yesterday for brunch. It is small, but I love the interior. It definitely has a spring feel to it. Our waiter was nice and we chatted with him for a bit about how we are foodies and drove over an hour just to eat here. It was a nice conversation.

We started with the potstickers for an appetizer. Let me just say this: I've been around with potstickers, and these are some of the best I've ever had! Perfect texture and proportions, and that sauce is just about drinkable! I actually took some potstickers home!

What really got my attention when I looked at the menu ahead of time was the Eggs Benedict Florentine. I've never heard of that, but based on the description it sounds amazing. That's because it is! Jackie really killed it with dish! The hollandaise sauce is spot on and the egg is poached exactly like a poached egg should be. The spinach, asparagus and tomato is an amazing flavor combination! And you can tell it's made with high quality ingredients, not just spinach from the frozen aisle at Meijer. As a foodie, if you want an above-average breakfast experience, you should...