I will never look at a muffin the same way again. I have been ruined for life. For the last 18 years, or however long I have had a Costco membership, I thought I had maxed out my muffin loving capacity. Who knew that the bulk quantity, giant sized muffins of undisclosed calorie count had competition? I mean, I was mildly disappointed when Costco discontinued their dozen count variety packaging in favor of two mix-n-match same flavor 6 packs, but it wasn’t enough to keep me awake at night. Yes, I did miss my favorite lemon poppy seed muffins that were even more refreshing when I ate them straight from the freezer with a side of ice cream immediately before bed, but again…no lost sleep. One muffin changed everything.
While vacationing in Florida, we asked around casually for a local coffee place, thinking of take-home bagels and donuts. It was suggested that we try Java Joint, famous for their French Toast Muffins. Muffins? Sold.
It was late morning and the day promised to be hot and steamy, so we looked forward to getting our bag of dessert breakfast and hitting the beach to show off our rolls. We snagged the last sandy parking spot at the oceanfront cafe and traversed the switchback ramp entrance to the upper deck. We were intercepted by a server before we ever made it inside to place our order, and escorted to the best seat in the house: the corner table outside in the shade with an unobstructed ocean view. We jettisoned the carry-out notion to honor our great parking and seating karma. Besides, it was close enough to lunchtime to merit an actual multi-course breakfast instead of just a dessert breakfast.
Our server was a master of her trade. Before we knew it, we were swept off our feet with down-home charm, stunning scenery, and extra bacon. She sold us on every menu item upgrade like it was our last meal. And while we waited, she delivered upon us the mother of all breakfast appetizers: The Grilled French Toast Muffin.
When I think of he word “grilled,” I usually conjure up images of hot dogs slipping through grate wires and blistering into carbonated oblivion, so I was especially curious to see how a grilled muffin would appear, but I didn’t actually stalk the kitchen to learn their trademark technique.
As it turns out, this restaurant hired a bunch of pros. This was the most amazing muffin I had ever eaten. Sweet and buttery, parted down the middle with a caramelized crunch giving way to a tender crumb, this muffin broke open a new world for me. It felt criminal to share it with the rest of my family. I suspected that the cooking method was actually pan fried rather than grilled, but that’s just a matter of semantics, and my mind was already racing to other applications: fried crumb cake, fried coffee cake, and OMG fried pound cake.
Thankfully, the remainder of our order arrived before I started fork-stabbing the fingers of people moving in on the last piece of muffin. I had ordered the Java Burrito with bacon and devoured every last bite. The hash browns were just how I like to make them at home, shredded potatoes pressed into a flat pancake and fried crispy. I actually like mine better than theirs, but it was nice to skip the elbow grease involved in peeling and shredding.
The rest of the family’s order consisted of a BLT with extra bacon (extra crispy), a Java Breakfast Bowl with a side of sausage gravy, and 3 more grilled muffins to go. By the time we made it to the beach, you can bet we were showing off our rolls.
ACCESSIBILITY
Parking: 12 lot spaces with 4 steps to access sidewalk. Street parking in sand. 1 van-accessible spot with graded slope to entrance
Entrance: Switchback ramp access to outdoor seating deck. One outdoor table at the corner of the switchback ramp obstructs wheelchair access. Potentially moveable, but not without displacing guests and causing a scene.
Deck/Outdoor Seating: Tall counter-height tables. Limited wheelchair clearance. Manual push/pull door to interior seating.
Dining area: Zero step, wheelchair accessible
Hallway to restroom: Accessible
Bathroom: Separate Men’s/Women’s room; no unisex room. Large accessible room with handrails around toilet, lever faucets, freestanding soap pump, and motion activated towel dispenser. No changing station.
