Janet's Montana Cafe - Alpine, California

stephanie graham

I gave the Cafe 4 stars mostly because I really enjoyed the ambiance, especially on the patio. It's also great they are dog friendly! I've been there 3 times. The hostesses have always been very friendly. The waiters, not so much. Overall, I say the food is only a low average but the large portion sizes will certainly fill you up!

Dishes I've tried: 1) Biscuits and gravy--nice, fluffy biscuit but the gravy was bland; 2) Bacon, avocado cheeseburger with potato salad--the burger was tasty, it had meaty bacon nicely cooked, fresh bun, the potato salad was homemade but surprisingly sweet; 3) Chicken friend steak--a very large meal! In fact, I would say a HUGE amount of food especially with the sides! But my husband compared the flavor to Denny's.

Now, onto the good stuff~~desserts! I tried 3 of my go-to favs: 1) Carrot Cake--I would definitely recommend and buy again. It truly was delicious! A moist, dense cake with cream cheese frosting and not too many raisins. 2) Coconut Cream Pie--always my favorite pie. But.... There's was crushingly disappointing!! ? It had WAY too much cream topping and VERY little coconut filling (at least 2:1 if not 3:1 ratio of whipped cream to filling). Plus, if it weren't for the coconut flakes, I would've thought it was a vanilla cream pie. 3) Lastly, Banana Bread--I took a loaf home to enjoy with the family. Although it was a large loaf, I'll not buy it again because it was just flavorless.

I tried to be honest in my review and highlight the good. But at the same time, not to hide the not so good. The outside patio area is very pleasant and enjoyable. The atmosphere is inviting and happy which helps to balance out the lack in their dishes.

Daniel Jones

The building is inviting and the staff are friendly and attentive. There is indoor and outdoor seating.

The parking lot gets full on Sunday.

The restrooms were well kept.

As for the food itself, it seemed made with fresh ingredients, but the taste was a bit lacking, at least in the eggs. I ordered the Asparagus Scramble (Sunday special). While I really appreciate the mix of fresh veggies, it tasted a bit bland. Adding some spiciness would go a long way towards improvement.

Someone in my party ordered the machaca burrito; it was mostly filler potato with a bit of shredded beef.

The pancakes and the biscuits are huge. We ordered a half-serving of biscuits and gravy, and it was still enormous.

They didn't scrimp on the hash browns and home fries portions.

James Camacho

Janet's Montana Cafe was a delight to experience! On a rainy day at the beginning of this year, my friend and I brought our hunger and we enjoyed what we ordered. We ordered the Italian Sausage and the veggie omelets. They were both hefty and delicious. Then I also ordered the Boysenberry pie. It was fruity and tart in all the right ways. The decor was homey and comforting. The customer service was excellent! Pedro was our server, he was friendly and accurate. Also, the hostess at the entrance was great as well. These people make this restaurant a must. I will definitely be back. Eat up!!!

My Le

Cute little cabin lodge style restaurant like in the snowy mountains. Except it doesn’t snow around here.

It has a nice parking lot with indoor and outdoor seating. Not that large of a dining room which I expect it to have a wait on busy days.

To me, the food was average. It’s the service and ambiance that takes it over the top. Super friendly and attentive.

I’m a sucker for eggs Benedict and got the Egg Benedict country style - choice of hash brown, fruit or home fries. It’s a sausage patty served on a super soft square biscuit smothered in gravy. The gravy is not salty like other places and has the right thickness.

Country fried steak - choice of hash brown, fruit or home fries. Choice of toast or upgrade to biscuit and gravy.
We upgraded.

We also got Hazelnut mocha and peppermint mocha. Make sure you stir evenly because the syrups are stuck at the bottom.

The desserts and pies looked so tasty but we were stuffed!

Tani Wade

Hands down you must eat here!! Super cute little diner! Excellent service!! Oh my this food was top notch!! I rarely find a place that is a better cook than me, but this place had amazing cooks! I wish I had more room to eat even more delicious food! I can’t wait until I’m in the area again so I can eat here again!

Deena Quitugua

I want to give them a huge shout out to the staff. We just had our traditional Christmas brunch here. The manager, Ryan was very attentive to our 3.5 year old sons food allergies. They cook eggs with coconut oil. They used butter instead. This is a big deal in the allergy world. I will be posting this in my allergy group to give others a safe place to eat. Also, they are friendly, quick, and patient. They're on top of making sure we have everything we need. The food is awesome. I even took the syrup home. Lol! They have the best mocha. I loved my Belgian waffle. The flavor was bomb. Their chicken fried steak is popular in our family. Our son ate pancakes, eggs, and bacon safely.

-Thank you to your entire team, Deena

David S

Brought my family here for breakfast on a Sunday morning around 11:00 a.m. We only had to wait 15 minutes to be seated. This place is an absolute gem for breakfast and lunch. Every time we come here the food and service staff is always top-tier. My lady ordered spinach scramble 5 ? s my boys ordered the kid's French toast 5 ?s and I always order the biscuits and gravy with bacon 5 ? . The food was delicious and the atmosphere was a country-style Cafe. If you want delicious Quality food, Great Service, and a quiet atmosphere this is the place for you. Best breakfast in San Diego!

Mercedes Martin

We come to Janet’s regularly and are always so pleased with our experience from the cozy ambiance to the great service every time. All of the staff go above and beyond to anticipate the guests needs. They are friendly, sincere and hard working. We appreciate the staff and having such a welcoming nice place to come to. Worth the drive even if you don’t live in Alpine!