The Wandering Reviewer
+4
With one of the best and cheapest cinemas less than 500m away, we needed a quick meal before the start of our movie at 6.15pm. My 19 yo son and 16yo daughter chose this place because they wanted a pizza/pasta fix. Along with their partners, we arrived at 5.15pm but all the tables were set. They were booked out. But I let them know we were here for a quick meal and would be gone by 6.10pm so they kindly escorted us to a table.
The menu looked appetising with a good selection of pizzas including gourmet ones. We were offered a complimentary focaccia pizza as we were a table of five. Delicious! We chose the following: spaghetti carbonara, spaghetti bolognaise + 3 small pizzas that were margarita pizza, lamb pizza and chorizo pizza. The small size is perfect for one. The main pasta meals were generous and we asked for the leftovers to take home which they obliged.
There is a simple wine and beer menu as well as the usual soft drinks. We stuck with water.
We’d finished up by 6.05pm and for $90 felt it was good value for money.
Wheelchair accessible at the front of the narrow restaurant. Dietaries catered for. Staff were delightful. Good parking in Main Street. Will return.
🍝 🍽 d e b i 🥤 🍕
Best coffees ever! Can't fault the coffee here at all. It is my go to coffee place when in Main st Croydon. Food is also great, lunch or brekky.
Been twice and still enjoying the flavors. Small busy venue with really friendly service and great coffee. A terrific find in Croydon as the food is very tasty and has a home- cooked authentic vibe.
Very accommodating and friendly staff with great customer service. The burger was delicious and very filling!! Bit pricey but enjoyed it all the same.
Really like this place, the pizza was delicious and well priced. Easily one of the best places for lunch on main st. My mum bought me some frozen pizza bases from TJ's and I've been making them at home and I just can't get enough.
When I went in for lunch I was also offered water for $1.50 with my pizza which is awesome value.
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Such a pleasure to be invited to check out this fantastic new cafe and so lovely to see a family business thriving and passing down recipes from generation to generation.
In initially appeared that there wasn’t a lot of seating but the space continues on to a cute little outdoor area and there’s also some tables out the front. I was loving the water vessels which are apparently traditional Lebanese style jugs and are also for sale along with some other traditional Lebanese goods. Very cool.
We started with the big breakfast board which was super generous even for a big breakfast. You could almost share it between two! The homemade bread was delicious and I enjoyed the sucuk which had a yummy flavour. We also sampled a zataar at this point which I absolutely fell in love with (I even took a couple home!) I cannot conceive how they possibly got it to be so deliciously soft. Absolutely packed with flavour too.
We then tried some lunch dishes, a selection of meats and salads. I loved the tender chicken skewer and even the kofta which surprised me as isn’t something I usually enjoy. The fatoush had the vibrant addition of pomegranates which really freshened it up and it was a great accompaniment to the proteins. This was again paired by the fresh bread which I gobbled up with the hummus strongly endeavouring to leave no carb behind.
Stomachs heaving we then went to a silver beet and lentil soup which was a warming palette cleanser with some really authentic flavours and reminded me of something my grandmother used to make me when I was sick. All dishes had been lovingly prepared by various family members either that morning or the night before (the owners are two sisters and their Mum was also up until midnight the evening previous slaving away over the baklava).
It was then time for my favourite part, dessert. We sampled a range of tasty treats, honey cakes, Turkish delight served with Lebanese coffee, the aforementioned baklava, rice pudding and the star of the show; Lebanese fried doughnut balls. The doughnut balls are a long term favourite of mine and these were served with Nutella which was astray from the traditional honey but just as phenomenal. The dishes were all very reasonable priced too particularly when you are getting such exceptional quality not to mention taste and authenticity. If you like middle eastern food or you are yet to try it look no further than TJ’s for an outstanding meal
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We were delighted to be invited to come along and sample a range of menu items from TJ’s on Mains breakfast and lunchtime menu. As it’s name suggests TJ’s is located on Main Street Croydon and provides authentic in house produced breads, dips, and Lebanese inspired dishes and sweets of great appeal and at reasonable prices.
Just 12 weeks young and already there seemed to be plenty of customers popping into the cafe for meals and coffees to go. The staff greeted many on a first name basis and their interaction with other customers while we were there reflects the friendly and generous vibe we encountered ourselves.
Then interior was nicely decorated and we both loved the light fittings and water pourers as well as the plates and platters. There was a rear courtyard for alfresco dining which I’m sure will be used well in the coming warmer months.
For food we opted for the big breakfast platter which came out on a lovely wooden board. The breakfast consisted baked eggs, haloumi, sujuk spicey sausage, a thick yogurt olive oil dip (labne), olives and of last but not least the home made flatbreads. This was a vibrant dish and really stood out on the breakfast menu as the dish of choice for me. There were plenty of mix and match sides to option this up should you wish. The accompanying breads were soft and fresh. We sampled the zaatar flat bread with its spicey coasting as part of the breakfast platter. The zaatar has quite a zesty spice to it.
We next asked to try a range of the lunch menu items on platters so we could get a small taste of many items. These platters, though not on the menu were a brilliant idea for a tasting. We tried a trio of salads which were all fresh and flavoursome. The Fatoush was packed full of colourful pop textured pomegranates. The chickpea dip was texturally quite soft & creamy, despite whole chickpeas, and was flavoursome and garlicky and the tabouli also full of flavour. They all looked pretty as a picture on the serving board.
Our next platter contained a mixture of beef kofter, a chicken tawook skewer and falafel. The chicken was the standout here but I have to mention the falafel as well. Despite being deep fried, I have not encountered such soft light falafel anywhere else. I did find the falafel did need to be paired with the garlic dip on the plate as it didn’t smack you in the face with flavour as many of the other items did. The Kofter was also well cooked and not at all dry like it’s been at other venues.
Just when we were suitably full we had to switch over to our dessert stomachs as we were presented with Lebanese doughnuts along with a honey drizzle and walnuts. This warm doughnut dish was a definite must and was very affordable. Do yourself a favour and go and try these!!!
In addition to the doughnuts both Kelisi and myself were satisfied with the baklava and honey cakes, both family recipes and both yummo. Kelisi and I couldn’t agree on which one we liked the most out of these two dishes... Kelisi claims victory sits with the honey cakes.
Coffee was served strong and bold as we liked.
I would like to thank the team at TJ’s on Main for sharing their passion for good fresh vibrant generous Lebanese foods.
As we were leaving we realised there were so many good things left to try in the food counter... the pizzas, and the cheese and spinach pies looked very tempting for a future visit.
Absolutely amazing! so hard to find a good Lebanese bakery that is close by, but have finally found one. I am in love with the menu as it includes so many Lebanese dishes that are a must try, although also includes choices for a fussy eater. The Genovese coffees are glorious as well as the many desserts to choose from. The staff are great, always welcoming and accomodating, I would definitely recommend giving Tj's a try.
Lovely new cafe in the heart of Main St Croydon. The cafe looks just WOW. The bi-folds open up to an impressive fitout with some nice subway tiles along the back wall and side counter. The staff are extremely friendly. The food is amazing. The Kofta burger is yum, the chicken Tawook is also a favourite. Love the all day breakfast, and the serving is generous. The baklava, honey cakes and rice puddings are all homemade from generational recipes. Oh and it is all topped off with a great coffee by Genovese. The place is open Tuesday to Sunday as Monday is the rest day for the wicked team.
Great food, very nice looking cafe. Very warm and inviting. Staff super friendly. Has a nice alfresco area in the back. The food is amazing. The Baklava is homemade as are many sweets including the honey cakes, donut balls and rice puddings. Highly recommend the breakfast and that Kofta burger. OMG!!! Very generous servings. Open Tuesday to Sunday. The wicked rest on a Monday.
Amazing food amazing coffee and best staff it's a must try I was scared as so fussy with trying new things and so glad I did will defiantly be back
First visited on launch day and have been back once, thinking of turning up at opening time today too.
I've tried the haloumi cheese pies and loved them. So glad I don't have to drive to Dandenong when I want one now.
Stuffed vines lines are meat-free and quite tasty.
Baklava was a nice syrupy treat that I would definitely have again.
The food scene in the Outer East just keeps getting better and better.
So glad to see quality businesses like this pop up and really deliver on what they promise.
Excellent service and the food is unbelievable. 100% will. Revisit I had the hamburger it was exceptional my friend had the big breakfast the name.said it all looked great. Had a selection of sweets. If you have the baklava at TJ's you will not try it anywhere else.
😊😊😊😊😊
Amazing food and service, great atmosphere and decor. The TJ's big breakfast is a must try, all authenticity served and could not fault it at all!
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