Today I thought I’d do a bit of a mini post considering where I went. LJ Cafe is the little semi-permanent shop set up in front of the Home Depot on N. Sunrise. I’ve had this place rattling around in my brain for a few weeks deciding whether or not to include it. Today I figured “why not?” since I happened to be pretty hungry right after work and I didn’t have the time to set aside for a full on post somewhere else.
I don’t know much about LJ Cafe. I know this has been a little stand for quite a long time. The sign says “est. 2012” so LJ’s itself is fairly recent (they’re younger than this blog, which says something, although I’m not sure what). Aside from the fact that it’s basically a parked trailer it’s set up pretty nicely. The menu is bright, clean and easy to read (click the photo of it below for a bigger version). The structure itself looks well maintained and the presentation by the order/pickup window had little pumpkins for the season (and a sign saying they had pumpkin pie). Seating consists of a few metal tables with umbrellas. I suspect most people coming here are taking their orders to go though.
I arrived at 4PM sharp and looked over the menu. It reads a lot like a coffee shop combined with a little league snack shack. The main items are mostly variants of hot dogs, and they also have a hamburger & cheeseburger. Some other items are nachos and pretzels. They also serve breakfast including churizo burritos, breakfast sandwiches, bagels and muffins. I went with their basic hot dog, “The Rusty Dog” (Couldn’t stop thinking about the Simpsons episode where George H. Bush didn’t think a Krusty Burger sounded too appetizing). I got it in a combo which included a soda and a bag of chips [$5.75]. They had Cheetos, Doritos or Lays to choose from.
I paid up and a little less than 10 minutes later my name was called out from the little window. I grabbed my dog, drink, chips and napkins and had a seat at one of the tables. The Rusty Dog regularly comes with ketchup, mustard, onions and relish. I skipped the relish. There was quite a bit of ketchup and mustard on it, but at least it was applied in a visually interesting way. It was much more than I would put on a hot dog myself. The onions were crisp and there was just the right amount. The hot dog itself was tasty enough for a basic dog. The one thing I wasn’t crazy about was the bun, which I found to be a little overly chewy. The chips and soda were exactly what you would expect.
Overall, not too shabby for what it is. The service was extremely friendly. The people watching was slightly more interesting than the food to be honest. I can’t say I’ve ever sat in front of a Home Depot for more than a couple minutes, but I bet they could figure out a way to make a reality series out of it. Coming here for the food and not stepping foot in the Depot was an odd experience.
Eating Through Roseville 