2020 Best Family Style Restaurant: Just Joel’s Cafe
When you eat at Just Joel’s, they treat you like family.
Friendly staff, good food, healthy portions, and everything is homemade.
The small cafe in east Kennewick holds just 24 people hip to hip inside the 900 square-foot building, and about as many at the tables outside, but that is the appeal — family dining.
“We serve people from all over the world,” owner Joel Watson said. “We had a wedding rehearsal here. We had one customer dine with us 320 times last year. We have really, really cool customers.”
Watson, who said he is more like Tony Soprano than Tony Danza, just wants to feed people, whether it’s breakfast, his special carne asada burrito or one of his award-winning soups.
And, there is no judgement if you want to have pie for breakfast.
Watson also is a firm believer in giving back to the community. He teamed with other local businesses to pay off student lunch debt, has done coat drives in the winter, and sponsored a youth baseball team.
“For me, it’s personal,” Watson said. “Everything matters. I am in a position to be a giver.”
1. Just Joel’s Cafe
1505 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick
509-396-3846
2. Sterling’s Restaurant
2500 Queensgate Drive, Richland
509-628-2414
3200 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick
509-736-1588
890 George Washington Way, Richland
509-943-1588
3. Magill’s Restaurant and Catering
3214 Road 68, Pasco
509-547-6448
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 12:01 AM with the headline "2020 Best Family Style Restaurant: Just Joel’s Cafe."