J. Christopher's — Restaurant in Smyrna

I’ve driven past J. Christopher’s — Smyrna countless times, but I had no idea what type of food was served. After viewing a suggested Local Guide profile, I decided to try it this morning prior to heading to work (it’s only 6 minutes away!).

Upon entering the restaurant, I received two warm greetings and immediate assistance. I knew what I wanted, as I had already thoroughly read the menu in the car. I ordered the San Bernardino omelette, which consists of chicken, avocado, pico de gallo, and cheddar and Jack cheeses. There were birthday decorations all over the store, so I inquired about them. The hostess informed me that it was J. Christopher’s birthday and that they were offering $5 pancakes (2) or a $5 waffle. They were MUCH bigger than I expected! Pictured is an order of chocolate chip pancakes. I was only able to eat one because 1) again, they were larger than I imagined, 2) the thickness resulted in the syrup being absorbed rather quickly, and 3) they were a little dry anyway. I also asked for a slice of cake lol.

I arrived to work early — work bag, car and store keys, hot breakfast, and last night’s leftovers in tow — eager to get into this meal. The first thing I tried was the bowl of grits. If you prefer this southern breakfast staple to have a thicker consistency, these are NOT the grits for you! I left the top off of the bowl and they thickened a little and they we’re actually still warm, but I passed on them. On the other hand, the omelette and biscuit were EVERYTHING. I ate that particular plate in less than 5 minutes. However, I will say that I think most people would prefer more seasoning — the flavors would have been more emphasized. At any rate, it was delicious. The biscuit was warm and soft and all the charm southern folks expect in a biscuit.

There is so much more on the menu to try, so I will...

If I could give minus stars, I would. I took my niece to the J Christopher’s on Atlanta Rd for her birthday. We arrive at 10:00 am on Saturday, October, 27th. When we get inside the restaurant, there were several empty tables that had not been cleaned. I also noticed the floors were dirty. The Hostess tells us the wait is 15-20 minutes. Of course, my thoughts were, Why so long? First red flag about the service and the cleanliness of this restaurant. I elected to stay because this is the place my niece chose to eat for her birthday.

We were seated at about 11:30. We had a long wait on our meal. We ordered 2 of the Spinach Skillets and Belgian Waffles. When we got our food, it was barely room temperature. I would not recommend the Spinach Skillet. The presentation needs a lot of work and it just did not taste good. Why would you cover cooked eggs with raw spinach? Breakfast food should be served hot; not cold. I was disappointed, and my niece expressed she was disappointed as well.

Finally, from where we were seated, I could see inside the kitchen each time the door opened. We stopped eating, I paid the check and left. Had I noticed this earlier, we would not have eaten at this restaurant.

This place needs help. Not sure why management doesn’t see it. Busyness is no excuse for uncleanliness, poor quality and poor service in the...

Dropped my kid off at school, and found this was the closest breakfast place. It looks very generic/unassuming, but don't let that fool you. I ordered Eggs Benedict with potatoes, a single blueberry pancake, and coffee.

The eggs Benedict was the best I've had in town, and top 3 I've had ever in life. No pretentious garbage like fancy places try to do, just Benedict done right. The potatoes were unequivocally the very best I've ever had - cubed, perfectly crispy and well seasoned. Normally I'd add ketchup but these were good enough to eat simply as they come. Now, for the eggs Benedict/potato plate I've described, I want you to think of a number/price in your mind for such a delicious breakfast meal in Smyrna. The number you are thinking is too high. It's only $13.50, which is a crazy good value as far as I'm concerned. I'd probably pay $20.00 for this (please please don't raise your price to $20.00)

The pancake was also very good. Real blueberries, and they put some crumbly oat things on top, which I've never had before, but it was delicious. Coffee was very good breakfast coffee - not cheap crap.

I'll probably come back to this place every week for the...