Jam For Joe Cafe, Blackburn

I had a sudden revelation recently. I think I’ve run out of new cafes to visit in my area! Oh what a dilemma. It doesn’t help that I live in the outer suburbs where there’s not all that many shops to begin with. At times like this I really wish I lived in or near the city. For those of you who can pop downstairs or around the corner for a good caffeine hit or grab a beautiful sandwich, I envy you! In the mean time, I’ve had to resort to spreading out to other suburbs to satisfy my cafe finding addiction.

Although not all cafe finds are great for me, most have been not too bad. It’s Melbourne after all. 😉 One of the cafes I came across was also reviewed by Daisy from Never Too Sweet For Me called Jam for Joe and is not too far away from home. One sunny afternoon, Yuye and I visited this family owned business situated next to a church for coffee and lunch. It was right after some house hunting in the area and knowing me, good cafes nearby is always a plus!

Jam For Joe is fairly small but still spacious and simple in decor. What made the ambiance that little more comfortable and homey was the fact that the owner’s young son was at the counter trying very hard to take my orders. I love the fact that they’re training up this young one, he’ll surely grow up to be very good at owning his own business I’m sure.

Don’t expect the same standard coffee art here, nor the creaminess and intensity that some CBD cafes have, but my latte was sufficient to satisfy my caffeine cravings and was pretty in its own right.

I was quite hungry when I sat down so naturally I was quite looking forward to the food. The ordering was done at the counter and although the menu seemed limited, the food offerings still sounded quite delicious. Not the usual poached egg type food that the hip cafes in the CBD offer, the food here are unpretentious, large servings and tasty, just what I like.

I ordered the beef burger which was just delicious. The patty was cooked well, it was still moist in the middle and was well seasoned. It probably didn’t even need the bacon but its presence added even more flavour.

It was just that tiny bit too big for my mouth to fit around so I ended up cutting it with a knife and fork to eat which made a mess on the table.

Yuye ordered the fish and chips which was a little smaller than I expected but was unique in how it was presented. The batter was crispy and not too oily and the fish was just cooked through which was juicy and tender. I just wished there was another stick or 2 for me to eat. 😛

Both dishes came with fat chips which was very crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I’m starting to love eating chips this way and I prefer my chips fat over fries any day. The fish and chips didn’t look big, but we were still quite full at the end of the meal.

It was roughly $15 for each, but it’s been a while since we visited and I have no idea where I left that receipt.

Jam For Joe has a friendly and casual environment that’s perfect for catchups over coffee and a bite or 2 to eat. It’s also good if you want to sit and relax with a laptop and paper, since they have wifi in the shop. It’s too bad I don’t live close enough to visit them all the time but if I drive past there I will definitely head in for a quick and lovely meal.

Jam For Joe Cafe
Phone: (03) 9894 7774
184 Surrey Road, Blackburn VIC 3130