Jax Café

It’s hard to believe that Jax Café, a third-generation family restaurant open since 1933, has been serving brunch since 1982. Owner Bill Kozlak remembers introducing it to appease hungry Vikings fans looking for pre-game fare when the Metrodome first opened. Twenty-eight years later, Jax is still soldiering through buffet Sundays with a future, it wouldn’t be outrageous to suggest, looking more secure than that of the Vikings. For many serious eaters, though, buffets are a tough proposition. While impossible to resist, three heaping plates of disparate foods tend to leave us gut-busted and self-loathing rather than satiated and well-fed. But the well-executed buffet, as the Jax brunch is, is a no-brainer for large group dining and the comfort of a remember-when-you-used-to-do-church ritual. Plus, the lush green Jax patio, with its melodic trout stream, is one of the city’s finest. The buffet itself is straightforward, organized by table: a cold table with fresh fruit, salads, and freshly baked caramel rolls; a hot table with waffles, stratas, eggs Benedict, two roasted meats, and made-to-order omelets; and an ample, enticing dessert table for those who dare. I’d suggest a summer visit with the whole fam during peak patio season—go on, keep the tradition alive!

1928 University Ave. NE, Mpls., 612-789-7297, jaxcafe.com, Su 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Order: Exceptional poached salmon, good crispy bacon, caramel rolls, chicken salad, and nice rolled omelets.

Libations: Coffee, juice, waters, and bloody marys. Jax takes a simple approach to the bloody—vodka and tomato juice, plus a pickle, but sans the other “stuff.”

Brunchmeter: