P J's Cafe - Licking

This was the first time in years that I visited while on vacation with my family. We ordered the daily special advertised on the wall, but it was extremely disappointing. The chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes tasted like a frozen TV dinner. It was bland and overcooked, and the vegetables seemed to have been sitting around for hours. Overall, it was an unsatisfactory lunch experience.

Don’t be misled by the busy parking lot; it can look full with 20 cars, but most people are just there to drink coffee and chat, with occasional meals. The atmosphere is lively and friendly, with patrons discussing politics loudly and expressing their support for Trump, but they are genuinely nice people. The main dining area features a picture of the lunch special of the day. The menu primarily focuses on burgers, and unfortunately, breakfast is not served—even if it's just past 11:00 AM. You might expect that they would offer breakfast if they had a bustling lunch crowd. I have a personal connection to this place; I’m one of the few locals left, as my children grew up enjoying the original P.J.’s. My mother specifically requested to eat at P.J.’s, but I have to say, you might have a better experience at Sonic—especially if you want to hear opinions on Central American politics. The discussions can range from insightful to quite humorous. During our visit, someone even offered us a piece of cake, which was a nice touch.

Consistently excellent food with amazing pancakes and omelets.

I visited this restaurant for the first time in years while on vacation with my family. We decided to order the daily special advertised on the wall, but we were disappointed. The meal resembled a TV dinner: the chicken-fried steak was drenched in gravy, the mashed potatoes tasted more like grits, and there was a lack of vegetables. Considering they were only open for four hours for lunch, I expected the food to be fresh and homemade. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Here’s a photo of the main dining area along with today’s lunch special. The restaurant primarily focuses on burgers and doesn't serve breakfast, even if it’s already past 11 AM. I could understand this if they had a bustling lunch crowd, but my mom and I were the only non-locals there. My kids grew up coming to the old PJ's, and my mom specifically requested to eat here. Frankly, you'd be better off going to Sonic instead. If you're curious about the political views of middle America, just sit back and listen; you’ll hear a mix of truths and some amusing takes. One nice gesture was when someone stopped by to offer us a piece of cake.