First Look: Jam Café

Steelhead Benedict at Jam Cafe. Photos by Deanna Ladret

The space once occupied by The Herald Street Caffe has gone through several incarnations since the legendary restaurant closed its doors years ago. Now, with the recent opening of Jam Café, the room seems to be getting its groove back.

Red Velvet Pancakes

The decor in Jam might seem vaguely familiar: salvaged window and door mosaic up one wall, nostalgia perched on rafters… probably because you’ve seen it across the street at Union Pacific Coffee Company. Owners Jim and Candy Walmsley decided to expand their business by opening the breakfast/lunch spot, moving the family one step closer to total culinary monopoly of Herald Street. A happy takeover, indeed.

Jam is a little lighter and brighter than her brother café across the street (Candy describes Jam as “the daughter I never had”). The roomy space has roughed-up wood floors, high ceilings and whitewashed walls with minimal decor, save for an eye-catching vintage schoolroom map of Canada, a handsome pair of antlers and a traffic light over the kitchen hallway.

Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich

The Walmsley’s three young boys were clearly the inspiration behind the café’s playful menu. Items like Green Eggs and Ham, The Turkey Lurkey, and the B.E.L.T.C.H. Sandwich reflect the attitude of a cool, family friendly eatery that certainly doesn’t take itself too seriously. A breakfast interpretation of the corn dog, called The Three Pigs, features three skewered breakfast sausages dipped in pancake batter and deep fried, served – thankfully – on a generous heap of fresh ripe fruit. A nod to southern cuisine, The Harrison is a buttermilk biscuit with sunny side up eggs and sausage gravy. Red Velvet Pancakes come in a stack of three, topped with a wobbling heap of whipped cream and red sprinkles. The café also serves lunch after 11am, with items like Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Mac n’ Cheese Grilled Cheese, and something called The Angry Bird – a bacon-topped meatloaf-wrapped hard-boiled egg (I’d be angry too if that was me). A liquor license is pending, but in the meantime, there are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks to choose from, including JJ Bean Coffee, Fizzy Lavender Lemonade, Aranciatta Rossa and Coke in a bottle.

Current hours (may be extending): weekdays 8am-4pm, weekends 9am-3pm.

Jam Café

542 Herald Street

(778) 440-4489

Website & Twitter coming soon.