Joey's Café — Restaurant in West Hollywood

The service was really unfortunately subpar. I came in to Joey's for the 1st time in years. I had previously had good experiences while dining there. I came in to make a to go order. I sat at the counter and ordered fairly quickly. I paid and tipped and continued to sit at the counter and wait for my food. While waiting I wasn't offered a drink, paid or otherwise. I thought that was strange, but it wasn't a big deal. After waiting not very long an order from the kitchen came out and was placed on the counter approximately 5 bar stools away from where I was waiting. None of the staff, waiters or busboys questioned whether the food was mine or asked for a reminder of what I ordered. My waiter came back to the counter looked at the slip and said nothing, so I rightfully assumed the food wasn't my order. 5-7 minutes passed, I'm still waiting at the counter thinking my food should be out shortly. My waiter looks at the slip a second time then calls out the order to me. The food was mine after all. I comment as he places it in front of me that the food has been sitting there for at least 5 minutes. The waiter pretends like he either doesn't hear me or chooses to ignore me. I take my food and proceed to leave the restaurant.

Now overall not a huge deal but incredibly annoying when you consider that I wasn't offered a drink, whether they tried to up sell me a beverage or just inquired whether I wanted a glass of water while I waited for my to go order. I also want to mention that I was the only person sitting at the counter during this whole process. Not one waiter who passed the food sitting there or passed me inquired if it was my food. The restaurant was not busy at all. For the food to be made so quickly for a to go order (which is great) then to be placed on a counter and sit there for 5 minutes in an unbusy restaurant before it is presented to me, which completely defeats the purpose was very disappointed. Probably my last...

Deeply regret that this was my first dining experience during COVID. Yes, there was patio seating, plexiglass barriers to block off street traffic, and the tables were seemingly spaced 6+ feet apart, but the tables were obviously not wiped down in between old and new guests. And I'm not just referring to the table I was seated at, I mean all the tables were covered in crumbs and had water rings on them. The waiter did not try to wipe off our table and did not wear gloves throughout the whole meal. Perhaps that's not mandated under COVID guidelines, but he also carried out and then handed us our waters with his bare hands wrapped around the rims of the glasses and we had to ask for straws. I get that none of these things are egregious, but neither do they indicate that this cafe is even trying to give off the impression of doing more than the bare minimum to keep diners safe. And I don't know about my friend, who had a chicken sandwich, but I ordered the grilled vegetable salad, which was basically just a handful of zucchini slices and a bit of avocado on a bed of shredded lettuce and it was not only mediocre, but not worth $15. It seems like everything on the menu was $15. 2 stars instead of 1 because the food was edible, the waiter wasn't rude (just incautious), and they weren't doing anything blatantly illegal under COVID guidelines. I don't know why I agreed to eat here, let alone stay after the water thing, but safe to say I am not coming to this place again even in a...

I write for a music and coffee blog called Crooners In Coffeeshops, in which I interview local musicians at local coffeeshops. My writeup reflects the positive experience that I encountered at Joey's Café on our interview date.

Located in the heart of WeHo, step through Joey’s doors to find yourself inside a Hollywood-esque, casual upscale version of your classic diner set to a soundtrack comprised of trendy pop and EDM style music. Cool blues and grays make up the cafe’s color palette, while their furniture is exactly what you would want from your neighborhood diner – cushy, retro, and plentiful.

If you’re looking for a place slightly off the beaten path of the high trafficked tourist areas, Joey’s Cafe is here to serve locals and visitors an array of delicious food options, including all-day breakfast! From classic home style favorites to the food embodiment of the Angelino lifestyle, there’s something for every type of customer. I opted for a (very large) Dijon chicken sandwich and a deliciously creamy and fresh latte this time around, but let’s just say I might be making a few more visits so I can try some of the other items that I was eyeballing...