Chili John's Cafe

Great food! I tried the Chili and a tuna sandwich on sourdough and enjoyed my meal. My brother had the bacon melt and chili fries, and my husband had a burger with the cheese potatoes, all of it was fantastic. Owner was friendly, would go again.

Well first of all I absolutely love that they even have roast beef hash on the menu. I am not a fan of corn beef, but it's available as well. Portions are good and prices are reasonable. However, credit cards are not accepted, so that is part of the reason why prices are reasonable. The chili of course is delicious. Personally, I wish it was a little more spicy. Unfortunately, lots of people don't like or can't handle spice. Most if not everything is home made and has that great homemade taste. Older pictures show that Bloody Mary's and beer are available.

Love the local character of this hole-in-the-wall place in downtown BD. This place has been around for decades and the interior is a testament to that. A quirky mix of a diner and a bar. Actually somewhat confusing given all of the TVs for watching sports, the booze and the beer. You'd think it would be open into the wee hours but no it closes at 2pm! Odd.Everyone was a local there except for us - we were the only ones who needed a menu! The banter between the staff and the patrons was entertaining. A real hoot.I ordered a chili cheeseburger which was pretty good. My wife ordered a bowl of chili and a grilled cheese. Both were solid though the chili is more like a chili soup than a typical beefy chili. Lots of beans and good flavor.I am glad places like this are still around - a real historical gem.

Cool atmosphere and family-run business.Visits: about 4Recommendations: burger and fries

We stopped at Chili John's for lunch because it was well reviewed and I love a vintage dive diner. Honestly, I'm not really sure what to think about this spot so I'll put it out there and you decide. First, despite being in the middle of a pandemic and under a mask order, CJ's appears to deny the existence of COVID altogether. No masks on any staff, menus are dirty and tattered and condiments are on the table to be touched and shared. No attempt to enforce masks (not a soul had them on at any point) or social distance tables. We stayed because it wasn't crowded but I was very uncomfortable (and yes I did wear a mask). The inside is vintage and pretty crowded with stuff. The hall to the restrooms doubles as storage space and is cluttered with supplies. The men's restroom was out of order and the ladies wasn't great (stepping around a tub on the floor catching leaks in order to wash my hands isn't great). A scrubbing wouldn't hurt is what I'm saying. Two thumbs down for infection control in general. Now - food wise. You are going to get grilled staples - eggs, burgers, hot dogs and "world famous" chili. The place is called CHILI John's so the mister ordered some and it's excellent - just slightly spicy. Two thumbs up for the chili. The Mister also had a double cheeseburger that was clearly hand formed ($6) and served on a great bun. He loved it - two thumbs up for the cheeseburger. I had a ham and cheese omelette ($9, comes with toast). Now, I am a Wisconsin girl who celebrates dairy in all its forms, especially cheese. Today I learned that you CAN have too much of a good thing as my omelette appeared to consist of 70% melted cheese, 25% ham bits and in theory, maybe possibly some eggs? I swear to god, I could not detect eggs in my omelette - it was literally a plate of melted cheese and ham bits. I dug around for a good while trying to scrape through the mountains of cheese and ended up determining that this dish was inedible. Toast is served with egregious amounts of butter, so know that CJ's truly embodies Américas Dairyland. Two thumbs down for serving me an omelette that appeared to be eggless. The prices are pretty cheap, the (maskless) staff are really nice and it's clearly a local favorite. The chili and burgers are legit delicious. If you enjoy eating a pound of melted cheese, you should get an omelette. Thumbs up or thumbs down? Honestly, it's a draw for me.

Chili John's is a Beaver Dam staple! You are heading back into time when you walk in. We went with our grandparents and now they've started to go back.The menu has something for everyone, and things aren't greasy like some diners. The chili wasn't super interesting when I went, but the other food was good. The bloody mary was a highlight and they have a decent tap beer selection to keep you going.

Great place to get breakfast or lunch. The chili cheese burgers are awesome and so are the black cows, only rivaled by Blue Boy. I only get to go here once or twice a year they still remember who I am and what I order. Great experience every time, highly recommend.

Should have gotten takeoutThen I wouldn't have noticed the complete lack of acknowledgment that there is a global pandemic going on right now. I wouldn't have tripped over the mountains of stuff stored in the back hall on the way to the only "in service" bathroom. I wouldn't have wondered how bad the "out of service" bathroom was if this was the good one. I wouldn't have been given a paper menu that was clearly used by every patron in the past six weeks. Had I ordered takeout, I would have only remember one of the best cheeseburgers I have had in recent memory. I would be waxing romantically about the love I have for their namesake menu item. I would only remember the warm greeting and friendly service. I would have walked in, glanced around quickly and been overtaken with the charm of a well established, old school diner. I would have grabbed my food, turn around, and then depart with a smile on my face.But we dined in.

Small Local owned Hole in the wall but Great food, Nice Owners, and YEARS of Good business

Chili is superb and so are cheeseburgers.Nothing could beat the delight waitress. Funny and cute and right on the ballFamily owned since 1920. A must visit when in Beaver Dam.