Four siblings who grew up attending El Cerrito schools have opened a breakfast-and-lunch spot on San Pablo Avenue named for their own family. H&J's, run by Jennifer, Jessica, Jenna and Jeffrey Tran, has set up shop at 10841 San Pablo Ave., serving homestyle meals and coffee near the Richmond-El Cerrito border.
The name itself carries meaning: the H stands for Hong, the siblings' father, while the J represents each of their own names, according to Richmond Standard. The Tran family isn't new to the restaurant business — they have operated Inn Kensington since 1993, after patriarch Hung Tran got his start as a dishwasher there before buying the place in the early 1990s, according to SFGate. Inn Kensington itself dates back to 1981, when it opened at 293 Arlington Avenue in Kensington as a neighborhood dining hub three miles north of UC Berkeley.
Nibs Restaurant's History
Nibs Restaurant was a diner that opened in 1949 and became locally famous for its charbroiled burgers and homemade pies, per Patch. After a kitchen grill fire in late February 2013, Nibs was still closed in September, and it was unclear whether or when it would reopen.
The siblings say they opened H&J's to give Richmond and El Cerrito a friendly, familial sense of community, according to H&J's Restaurant. The restaurant’s menu reflects that family focus with dishes such as Jessica's Favorite and Jeffrey's Favorite egg scrambles, according to H&J's Restaurant.
What's On The Plate
H&J's serves breakfast Wednesday through Sunday and lunch Wednesday through Friday. It is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a parking lot in back. The menu offers breakfast and lunch fare.
The sibling-named scrambles give the menu a family-specific touch alongside its classic breakfast and lunch offerings.
A Family Touch on the Menu
The menu’s range—from traditional diner staples to the Tran siblings’ signature scrambles—keeps the focus on familiar comfort food.
Part Of A Changing Corridor
H&J's arrival comes amid a longer planning effort for San Pablo Avenue. El Cerrito adopted the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan in 2014, with a goal of making the corridor more walkable and community-focused, including mixed housing and retail, according to Hoodline.
The Plan's Next Chapter
City of El Cerrito records show that the City Council adopted an update to the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan on December 6, 2022. The adoption record confirms the update but does not specify which corridor changes have been implemented near H&J's, according to the City of El Cerrito.
For the Tran siblings, H&J's is a return to the schools and streets where they grew up.
