EJ’s Diner brings old-school eats to Rib Mountain

Not long after IHOP moved out of its County Road NN location in Rib Mountain last year, EJ’s Diner moved in on March 17, 2026. It’s a breakfast hub that aims to hit just the right spot by going back to the classics.

EJ’s Diner is owned by Viki Jashari and Ardian Jashari, who are also owners of ERA Cafe just across the street. They opened the original ERA Cafe four years ago in Rib Mountain, eventually expanding the high-end chain to three locations including Waunakee and Woodruff. However, for Viki Jashari, it was one moment that sparked the idea of EJ’s Diner.

“Honestly, it was just one day I was actually just finishing work [at ERA], and I went home — because we close at 3 p.m. there, so by the time I went home it was almost 4 p.m. — and I was tired and I’m like, ‘Oh, now I have to make dinner, what do I want?’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, I just want some old-school food where I can just throw on some sweats and go out and just enjoy that comfort,’” Jashari said.

And that is exactly the mission of EJ’s.

“We just want to serve good, home-cooked food. Just that comfort food that we all want every now and then when we’re tired of eating all the foofy, fancy stuff,” Jashari said. “Just chill, relax, not have to worry about what you’re wearing or who you are. Just come eat and enjoy. I was going for an old-school diner with the old-school car and the pinball machine.”

As restaurant bills, combined with tip expectations, continue to price out many, retro and affordable options like EJ’s are drawing more and more attention from wallet-conscious diners.

“It’s really funny because not everyone wants foofy pancakes anymore, and that’s what we serve over [at ERA], so it’s just the best of both worlds,” Jashari said. “If someone does want the more upscale type of breakfast, they can go across the street. If they want just to go back to basics, they can come here. Even though we serve breakfast at both places and lunch at both places — they’re such different items that I feel like it just balances it out.”

Specifically, EJ’s menu is expansive, from sandwiches to steak-and-egg scrambles to pancakes. With lots to offer and only three months into business, EJ’s has already found feedback from the Wausau community.

“I’ve seen lots of regular faces coming, so that’s always a plus sign,” she said. “And I’ll see faces even from across the street that will be like, ‘Oh, we just wanted to stop by to say hi and see how you’re doing here.’ So it’s been very good so far.”

Like ERA across the street, deep familial ties are woven into EJ’s Diner, as the name is an ode to Jashari’s son.

“EJ’s is fun because, as ERA is named after our daughter, EJ is our son’s initials,” Jashari said. “That just really shows how family-based it is, and how much we want to keep it family-based. And just everybody, just stop by with your family!”

EJ’s Diner welcomes all, and while it serves food, it also acts as a meeting spot that brings every corner of the community together.

“Everyone, I feel, enjoys that comfort, you know? To be able to go somewhere and just order food and just kind of relax and not have to worry about upscale, picture-perfect, this, that. Just come here, just enjoy yourself, enjoy the food. I think that’s why Wausau just fits here, ‘cause Wausau is just such an open community to everybody.”

EJ’s Diner is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., located at 151508 County Road NN, Rib Mountain.