JFAT's Brunch is Tater Tot Heaven. Napoleon Dynamite's Dream Come True!

jfat totchos
Totchos are nachos snuggled up with tots!

To say Jimmy's Famous American Tavern, aka JFAT, is steadily expanding, with currently five locations spanning from San Diego up to Woodland Hills, means more than just geographically doing so. You need to simply look at my midsection after I housed the restaurant's new brunch menu selections to understand what JFAT really means when it's out to expand in SoCal.

JFAT's new brunch isn't your grandma's brunch, kids. This is brunch meets Man v. Food. The portion size for each entree is enough for more than one, unless you're me because I had several entrees with portions adding up to the total calories intake of a small village in Samoa. Even Adam Richman himself would find the closest corner and curl up in a ball at the enormity of my JFAT brunch!

And, no, I didn't just insta my plates, post 'em, push the dishes away and wait for the likes to roll in. I ate this food! I'm not an influencer. I'm a hungry food writer with no off switch! None!

Another thing I immediately noticed when my brunch brawl started, JFAT really loves tots. And I mean all kinds of tots: tots as sides, as the main event, as garnish, as car antenna ornamentation. Really, anything that can be done with tots, the kitchen will dream it up. JFAT is Napoleon Dynamite's tots dream come true in a gastropub.

Totchos is a beautiful marriage of tater tots and nachos. It's pretty straight forward: swap out tortilla chips for tots and pile on the cheese sauce, sour cream, bacon, and salsa fresca. And exactly like its inspiration plate, you'll need to gobble these potato babies quickly or else the tots can get soft and soggy. You won't have any trouble eating them fast once you get a taste. They're addictively delicious. Napoleon Dynamite might even elope with an order of them. Weirdo!

jfat shrimp
Shrimp N'awlins style

When I eat shrimp, I love it when the shell is still on because that's where a lot of the briny goodness is and, yes, that's a good thing if you enjoy shrimp. The Spicy N’awlins style Peel & Eat Shrimp on JFAT's brunch menu keeps the crustaceans' original outfit on so you can peel it off yourself, releasing all that excellent flavor.

Glutton tip: suck on the shrimp with the shell on before you peel to taste that ultimate salty shrimpy flavor. The shrimp meat is snappy yet tender. Wine, garlic butter, and Cajun spices season the seafood nicely, although it could've been spicier. You could always turn up the heat volume with Louisiana hot sauce. Also, grab the accompanying sourdough bread to soak up all that yummy shrimp juice in the skillet.

jfat pulled pork
Pulled BBQ Pork Benedict

Some of my favorite items at JFAT are created by not just mashing up types of dishes but by combining a refined plate with something more down and homey. Case in point is the Pulled BBQ Pork Benedict. This is what happens when you join forces with English muffins, poached eggs, Anaheim chile, Tobasco Hollandaise, and a heap of smoky, saucy pulled pork. Uptown meets downtown equals flavor town. (Sorry, Guy Fieri!) And, this comes with a mound of tots!

jfat bubba
The Bubba is for food lubbas!

What can I say about The Bubba other than it's got everything but the Southern kitchen sink! If you're in the mood for big and deep south kinda grubbin', then you need to buddy up with The Bubba. This good ol' bite is a massive endeavor: buttermilk biscuit filled with beer-battered fried chicken, cheddar, crispy bacon, sausage gravy, and a sunnyside up egg—and, of course, lots of tots!!!

If you manage to wrap your mouth around this beast, you're ahead of the game. Most will need to use a knife to even have a chance at devouring it, however, when you do, The Bubba will reward you with a symphony of comfort food savoriness.

jfat breakfast flatbread
JFLAT bread

The Breakfast Flatbread was probably my favorite of the brunch bunch. Flatbread as pizza has been trending for a while in the restaurant scene, and this breakfast version at JFAT is everything you could want. Scattered atop are Applewood smoked bacon, pieces of sausage, a couple of sunnyside eggs, gooey Fontina cheese, and chunky potatoes. It's all the breakfast you need in an easy to munch format. I like to dash on some hot sauce to give it some sass.

jfat sm patio
JFAT al fresco

I've eaten at two JFAT locations: Woodland Hills at the Westfield Topanga Village and, most recently, Santa Monica. The Santa Monica location offers patio seating facing fashionable Ocean Blvd. It's perfect for beautiful people watching while you pig out. It's better to eat good than to look good, I always say.

jfat sm interior

The Santa Monica JFAT interior also seems to have a bit of a nautical theme which fits its beachy locale. It's really a great spot to experience this comfort food juggernaut. Take a walk on the beach after your meal if you're feeling guilty; or drown that guilt with another mimosa. Cheers!

Jimmy's Famous American Tavern
1733 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica
424.292.5222

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