JB’s Diner: Gorgeous All-Day American Restaurant with Lacklustre Food
We were introduced to JB’s Diner by a friend who encouraged us to come to Tianmu for brunch, but try someplace besides Sprout (where we always go, since it’s one of our favourite brunches in Taipei). We agreed to check out JB’s Diner, a big all-day American restaurant near Tianmu Creative Market, on a Saturday for brunch. We were very impressed with the beautiful interior, but were less pleased with the service and food. This was our experience:
The inside of the restaurant is absolutely stunning — it literally looks like something you’d find in an interior design catalogue. It’s incredibly spacious with multiple floors and an outdoor patio area. There are big floor-to-ceiling windows that let in plenty of natural light. The modern, light wood furniture looks great with all the potted and hanging plants spaced throughout the dining areas. And those trendy light fixtures add a nice touch!
We were very excited to try the food after seeing how nice it was inside. Unfortunately this took a while because service was very slow. After we finally managed to flag down a server and order our food, it took a looong time to come, and one of our meals arrived eons before the other. The service did not live up to the standards set by the restaurant’s pristine design, and as we soon found out, the food didn’t either…
The Chorizo Fried with Potatoes Breakfast Burrito ($350) includes scrambled eggs, sour cream, mix cheese, shredded lettuce, and salsa. For a side, we chose fruit salad over a hash brown or home-style fried potatoes.
Honestly this breakfast burrito was just OK. Somehow the ingredients seemed a bit bland and didn’t work well together. We definitely felt let down — it was far too pricey for what it was worth.
The Fish Tacos ($350) are made of beer battered fried fish, cabbage slaw with cilantro crema, and avocado. They come with either chips and salsa, or your choice of regular side.
We thought the tacos were better than the breakfast burrito, but they were nothing to write home about. There was nothing wrong with them, but they didn’t make much of an impression either.
We’re not sure if we made the wrong choices when ordering, but we found our brunch to be very average. That said, JB’s serves a huge range of food from breakfast to burgers and pasta — it’s possible you’d enjoy your experience more than we did! Check out the full menu, taken from their Facebook:
When was the last time a restaurant fell short of your expectations? Let us know in the comments!
What’s the vibe?
Gorgeous and spacious all-day restaurant that looks straight out of an interior design catalogue. It’s got light wood surfaces, potted and hanging plants, and big windows that allow for plenty of natural light.
Worth it?
We didn’t think so. While the interior is beautiful, prices are a bit high for mediocre food and poor service. The menu is huge, so it’s possible we made the wrong choices — if you had a different experience, let us know in the comments!
Would you go back?
Not likely. We’d go back to Sprout — our favourite Tianmu brunch spot — instead!
Last updated: August 2019
| JB's Diner |
| Hours: 8am - 9pm, Closed Mondays |
| Phone: 02 2876 1588 |
| English Address: No. 2, Lane 16, Lane 38, Tianyu Street, Shilin District, Taipei City |
| Chinese Address: 台北市士林區天玉街38巷16弄2號 |
