Blu Jam Café

Fighting the brunch crowds at any Blu Jam Café’s six  locations—Melrose, Downtown, Brentwood, Woodland Hills, Sherman Oaks and Atwater Village—requires a special kind of patience, but that should clue you in: Blu Jam is the kind of fun, decadent and (most importantly) approachable brunch that can’t be beat. The menu here is mostly straightforward, with all of the genre’s greatest hits: French toast, crepes, hashes, chilaquiles, salads and sandwiches. But what truly sets Blu Jam apart is the kitchen’s unflagging consistency. Between the three variations on eggs Benedict that make the corners of your mouth involuntarily turn up and their signature crunchy-coated French toast that’s hard to turn down, the restaurant is well worth the lengthy weekend wait. All-around fantastic service adds a neighborhood feel to the local mini-chain, which first opened its doors on Melrose in 2006.