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Jay's Southern Café brings BBQ and soul food to the outskirts
Finally looking past the IPAs to see what's cooking in Alpine
Huge pork ribs, smoked in Alpine
Driving around Alpine, it starts to dawn on me that there are a lot more restaurants out here than I thought. Chalk that up to a decade-plus of only going up that hill for beers brewed by the McIlhenney family, I guess. Whenever I take the Tavern Road exit off the 8-east, I might as well be one of Pavlov’s dogs, drooling at the thought of a decadently hopped IPA.
Finally, with food on my mind, the blinders have come off and I can see there are just enough options to be choosy. In addition to a bevy of taco shops, I pass an Italian restaurant, a sushi spot, and noodle bar. But how am I going to say no to Jay’s Southern Café, a restaurant promising BBQ and soul food, out here, a half-hour east and a third-of-a-mile above sea level?
Apparently, it’s been around since 2015 or so, and just hasn’t been on my radar. It also managed to be left off those support black-owned restaurants lists, passed around a couple summers ago. The counter shop is owned by a local bishop and his wife, and appears to be a family affair: their kids were the ones to bring food and drinks out to our table. Every ten minutes or so, the young daughter would reappear, to rather sweetly ask whether everything was to our liking.
A well put together sort of rustic
Most of it was. The dining room has a rustic look, only better organized. It’s got wagon wheel chandeliers and a checkerboard tile floor. Framed posters from the New Orleans Jazz Festival line walls of stained wood, and there’s maybe a half-cord of chopped oak, stacked in one corner, just outside the kitchen.
That would be fuel for the smoked BBQ side of the menu, which covers chicken, brisket, pulled pork, and hot links. For $17.59, I ordered a plate of the largest pork ribs I’ve ever seen, each some 9 or 10 inches long. Coated in a tasty dry rub, they didn’t need any BBQ sauce, so it proved a wise move that I’d requested it on the side.
Coleslaw and a brisket sandwiched smothered in BBQ sauce
The same can’t be said about the chopped brisket sandwich ($14.50), which boasted juicy, flavorful meat, while eating more like a sloppy joe due to loads of sweet BBQ sauce that spilled out onto the plate from a brioche style bun. In hindsight, I would have preferred the spicy version of the sauce, which subdues the sweetness with a fair amount of kick.
Sides available with each order include coleslaw, baked beans, and potato salad. I can personally recommend the collard greens, and so can my dining companion, who finished mine when I wasn’t looking.
I couldn’t rightfully call these Alpine-smoked meats the best example of San Diego county BBQ, but the soul food side of the menu might make a case. My most memorable order turned out to be a basket of chicken wings (8 for $12.99). Southern fried, they come out superbly seasoned and crispy as can be.
Crispy, southern fried chicken wings at Jay's Southern Café
Again, I didn’t make much use of the spicy sauce on the side, and that crispy batter crust left wishing I had taken the counter clerk’s advice to try the fried sea bass — served with fries ($14), on a sandwich ($10) or over grits ($12 from 11am-2pm). It’s something I’ll think to do next time I make it to Alpine. Because it’s not just for beer anymore.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Jay's Southern Café brings BBQ and soul food to the outskirts
Finally looking past the IPAs to see what's cooking in Alpine
Jay's Southern Café brings BBQ and soul food to the outskirts
Finally looking past the IPAs to see what's cooking in Alpine
Huge pork ribs, smoked in Alpine
Driving around Alpine, it starts to dawn on me that there are a lot more restaurants out here than I thought. Chalk that up to a decade-plus of only going up that hill for beers brewed by the McIlhenney family, I guess. Whenever I take the Tavern Road exit off the 8-east, I might as well be one of Pavlov’s dogs, drooling at the thought of a decadently hopped IPA.
Finally, with food on my mind, the blinders have come off and I can see there are just enough options to be choosy. In addition to a bevy of taco shops, I pass an Italian restaurant, a sushi spot, and noodle bar. But how am I going to say no to Jay’s Southern Café, a restaurant promising BBQ and soul food, out here, a half-hour east and a third-of-a-mile above sea level?
Apparently, it’s been around since 2015 or so, and just hasn’t been on my radar. It also managed to be left off those support black-owned restaurants lists, passed around a couple summers ago. The counter shop is owned by a local bishop and his wife, and appears to be a family affair: their kids were the ones to bring food and drinks out to our table. Every ten minutes or so, the young daughter would reappear, to rather sweetly ask whether everything was to our liking.
A well put together sort of rustic
Most of it was. The dining room has a rustic look, only better organized. It’s got wagon wheel chandeliers and a checkerboard tile floor. Framed posters from the New Orleans Jazz Festival line walls of stained wood, and there’s maybe a half-cord of chopped oak, stacked in one corner, just outside the kitchen.
That would be fuel for the smoked BBQ side of the menu, which covers chicken, brisket, pulled pork, and hot links. For $17.59, I ordered a plate of the largest pork ribs I’ve ever seen, each some 9 or 10 inches long. Coated in a tasty dry rub, they didn’t need any BBQ sauce, so it proved a wise move that I’d requested it on the side.
Coleslaw and a brisket sandwiched smothered in BBQ sauce
The same can’t be said about the chopped brisket sandwich ($14.50), which boasted juicy, flavorful meat, while eating more like a sloppy joe due to loads of sweet BBQ sauce that spilled out onto the plate from a brioche style bun. In hindsight, I would have preferred the spicy version of the sauce, which subdues the sweetness with a fair amount of kick.
Sides available with each order include coleslaw, baked beans, and potato salad. I can personally recommend the collard greens, and so can my dining companion, who finished mine when I wasn’t looking.
I couldn’t rightfully call these Alpine-smoked meats the best example of San Diego county BBQ, but the soul food side of the menu might make a case. My most memorable order turned out to be a basket of chicken wings (8 for $12.99). Southern fried, they come out superbly seasoned and crispy as can be.
Crispy, southern fried chicken wings at Jay's Southern Café
Again, I didn’t make much use of the spicy sauce on the side, and that crispy batter crust left wishing I had taken the counter clerk’s advice to try the fried sea bass — served with fries ($14), on a sandwich ($10) or over grits ($12 from 11am-2pm). It’s something I’ll think to do next time I make it to Alpine. Because it’s not just for beer anymore.
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Aug. 8, 2022