P. J.’s Place

2110 Francis St.

232-1963

Paul Williams and his wife, Janis, opened up P.J.’s Place about five months ago. It’s one of those long-time, dream-come-true stories for Paul, who previously cooked at Cascone’s in Kansas City, the Holiday Inn and Ramada Inn, among others.

P. J.’s is a small, 49-seat capacity restaurant that has a very cozy feel, kind of like going over to your neighbor’s house to eat. It’s nothing at all fancy — just plain diner-style tables and chairs, paneled walls and a small sit-down counter.

Paul says he was trained to cook gourmet style in California, but after coming back to St. Joseph, he realized that’s not what people want. So he offers down-home food like chili, fried chicken and roast beef dinners with mashed potatoes. A News-Press reader also recommended his Denver omelet for a Best Bite. P.J.’s has a daily lunch special for around five bucks and soups for $1.99. There’s also a C.C. burger, named after his granddaughter. It’s almost as popular as his P.J. burger.

P.J.’s is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., six days a week. They are closed on Mondays.