Cars are lined up on the block in front of Jake’s on De la Vina Street from breakfast through lunch, and now at dinner time Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

The breakfast menu includes great specials like a Protein Starter A-Plenty, a breakfast dish overflowing with grilled meats and eggs. For fancy egg folks there are the traditional Eggs Benedict, made with spinach, mushrooms and Canadian bacon, that are covered with sinfully rich Hollandaise sauce. Complimentary homemade muffins are brought to each table for patrons to sample while they wait for their selected entrée. Breakfast specials range in price from $5.95 to $9.50.

For lunch, Jake’s Backyard Burgers are a delicious choice, and come with a variety of sides, including really great coleslaw. Another popular lunch favorite is homemade soup with one of the restaurant’s many varieties of sandwiches. Breakfast is served all day so the assortment of omelets, waffles or pancakes are always a tasty option. The grilled Ahi, Greek, Caesar, Cobb, Shrimp or Chunky Chicken Salad are great light lunch options. Burgers, salads and omelets are in the $6.95 to $9.50 range.

The eight-ounce Angus steak, Southern Fried Chicken, Ahi Tuna, Pork Chops and Chicken Fried Tri-Tip Steak are served with a choice of five steamed veggies, baked and mashed potatoes, sweet potato souffle, rice, gravy, cornbread, house salad, home-baked desserts, and coffee or soft drinks every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening from 5 to 8 p.m., for only $12.95. Beer and wine are available separately. Domestic and imported beers are $3-3.50, and house wine by the glass for $3-3.95. Champagne is $1.75, and Mimosas are $3.50 each.

The family breakfast was invented for a place like Jake’s, with a menu that offers something for everyone, and an atmosphere that is as close to your mom’s kitchen as you will find anywhere. Kids and adults are equally welcome and comfortable, and they all know Jake.

Saturday and Sunday mornings are beginning to be waiting room-only events, where hungry locals rush in for their weekly fix of Jake’s renowned Southern grits. Jake’s grits can stand up to any chef’s signature dish. The recipe is a secret, and they are like nothing I have ever experienced. To taste Jake’s grits is to love them forever!

Jake Keasler is one of the most hospitable restaurant owners you’ll ever meet. He has been in the food industry for many years and it shows in every detail of the cafe. The ambiance is hometown friendly, the food is fresh and flavorful, and there are plasma TVs and a wireless connection that make it easy to get the news or your e-mail over a cup of coffee. All the servers are helpful and cheerful; they strive to make the customer happy while keeping their coffee cups full. It is really no surprise that this neighborhood spot has so many people coming back for more.

Writer Bonnie Carroll publishes Bonnie Carroll’s Life Bites on the Web and hosts a monthly radio show, Life Bites News, on Cable Radio Network.