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Culp's Cafe

3.7 (50 reviews)
Closed • 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Services - Culp's Cafe

Catering services

Culp's Cafe Photos

Business Info

CULP'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Classy
Casual
Quiet
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Culp's Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

Kim S.

We had not been to Culp's Cafe since they reopened in the current space six years ago so when we were invited to go to their Christmas food and wine pairing, we jumped at the chance! We signed up for dessert and a wine flight and had a relaxing evening listening to live music and learning a little bit about the wine they served. The staff was very friendly and kept things moving along quite nicely. I look forward to coming back for brunch sometime soon. The menu looks really good!

Too thick for French toast.
J L K.

Always like coming here after church. Have tried several different dishes and have enjoyed almost all of them. Today I had the French toast which is brioche and way way too thick. The only part that has the egg custard are the outsides. And please stop using individual plastic containers to put the butter and ketchup in. It is so wasteful because I'm sure they're not recycled. Just give me a pat of butter on my plate and a ketchup bottle.

Sasha M.

The food was cooked to perfection. This is the first time I've had over medium eggs that were over medium. The potatoes were crispy outside and pillowy inside. Delish! It was a neat step back into the past too with the decor and the uniforms. Our waitress was great also!

The apple desert tart with goat milk Carmel sauce was amazing
Dan S.

Fun evening for a wine pairing dinner. The atmosphere was festive with live music and the staff were busy bring out each round of food and the wine pairings were spot on. We were just their for the wine and desert and I think that was a mistake, next time I'm ordering the dinner as well. The live music was very good as well

Train car dining!

We are from Columbus and every time we are in Dayton we try to stop at Culp's Cafe. It's such a nice experience! We always try to dine in the train car. We have always been greeted and seated promptly and service has always been wonderful. Food is delicious. My son always takes the opportunity to get a cherry phosphate too. Dayton is lucky to have such a wonderful historic park and such a great cafe too. We've created many memories just even visiting only the cafe.

Chicken and waffles

First of all, just let me say that the ambience as soon as you walk in to the point of where you sit down, it's just a beautiful bright café. The customer service was wonderful! It is a family-owned family-ran business and I loved seeing the family work together. You could feel their closeness. I love that! My husband and I were celebrating our 19th anniversary and the owner was so nice. She gave us a milkshake on the house. The food came out and it looked simply amazing. Everything that came out of the kitchen looked and smelled so good! My husband got the All-American breakfast and I got the chicken and waffles and tried the fried green tomatoes. Everything looked great and tasted as good as it looked. It was fresh and you could tell it was all made from good quality ingredients. Best dining experience in a long time. And right here in our hometown of Dayton, Ohio! Where have I been?! Carol was a fountain of information about the area & was sooo personable! She even asked if she could hug me on the way out. She is just a warm person and I am so glad that we had this experience and that this was our first step on our anniversary day! Culp's Café definitely set the standard & tone for OUR day.

Entrance from inside the visitors center
Marissa C.

Very cute location right in the visitor's center for Carillon Historical Park! There is a restored interurban railcar in the back, which caught the kid's attention from the front desk where we purchased tickets. The Culp's staff was so friendly and gladly invited him into check it out and walk around. They had a little screen showing before and after pictures for the restoration, and you can sit inside it when you eat (which we did later, when we returned for lunch)! They also have a soda fountain with stools that you can sit at, as well as standard tables and chairs out on the floor. They serve breakfast and lunch, with a kid's menu, and you order and pay at the counter and then they bring it out to you. We opted for some burgers - the Kid's Burger came with a choice of drink and side (kid went with fries) and the standard menu offered the Culp's Smash Burger, which came with pickle spears and chips. They also had some goodies on display at the soda fountain, and we couldn't resist getting a slice of cake, which was rich and delicious (chocolate cake with vanilla frosting). They also had brownies and muffins at the time of our visit, which looked delicious, as well. You do not need to pay entrance fees if you just want to eat at the restaurant, and it is a good option if you are going to the park and want to eat onsite too. There is a good sized paved parking lot available outside of the visitor's center/restaurant area.

Caroline M.

This cafe is at Carillon Park. You can enter the cafe without paying for the park. I had the double cheeseburger with fries. It was delicious. I loved the ambiance. We were 4 so we couldn't sit in the train as tables are for 2. Next time. It was quiet and kind of exclusive in there. You order at the counter and they bring you your food. I'd prefer ordering at the table but oh well. The servers were great and offered refills on drinks.

Susan S.

we had a family birthday with 11 of us. wonderful service. sofie took such good care of us. and the food was delicious. the new management (Carol) has improved the service and food. it's quaint..in carrillon historical park. it's the place to visit in dayton!

Tuna melt
Melitta S.

I was looking forward to breakfast but unfortunately they had an incident where they had no eggs available. So we opted to get sandwiches. My tuna melt was good. Service was extremely friendly and charming. It reminds me of a soda pop shop.

Not busy at all, so I'm still wondering why there's an incredible lack of service.

This was my second time to Culps Cafe. The first visit did not start out well because I sat for twenty minutes before anyone waited on me. A nice server actually picked our table up and turned what was a disappointment into a decent experience. I reached out to the manager, Carol, and shared with her my experience. Carol and I had a great exchange and she invited me back for a second visit. Today I returned for a second chance at a first impression and it did not go well at all. Once again, I was seated and it all went downhill from there. Six servers on staff and not one of them stopped by my table to take my order or anything. I waited twenty minutes and then I left. On my way out of the door, I stopped and asked to speak with a manager and when I told him what was happening, he just shrugged his shoulders and said , sorry. I asked for Carol and another employee went and got her. Carol and I spoke again and she was very nice and apologized again, and she offered to purchase my breakfast for today, but I declined because after two visits and the very same thing happening, I just wasn't in the mood. I'm sure Carol will reach out again and we'll speak again. If you're thinking of dining here, just be aware that the service is very lackluster and Culps should consider training their staff to better accommodate and serve their guests in a much more timely manner.

Chicken and waffles
Jill S.

We sat outside on a Saturday late morning. We were seated immediately and a server brought water and menus. We did sit a while before another server came to answer questions about the specials and take our order. The chicken and waffles had two huge pieces of chicken. The chicken was delicious-crisp and moist. The waffle was good. The chicken salad sandwich was solid; could be better with more lettuce and tomatoes. The patio is very pleasant with umbrellas, plants, and a fountain.

Kimberly M.

This is a completely adorable brunch spot located in the middle of Carrolin Park. I was shocked to discover how large the interior was, there is even an entire train car located in the center of the restaurant. There is also a beautiful old fashioned soda counter with bar stool seating. We were seated without a wait at 9:30am on a Sunday. Both of our entrees were very good. He had a build your own breakfast wrap with turkey sausage and I enjoyed the quiche of the day (veggie quiche with peppers and onions). We also felt the pricing was reasonable. We will return.

Bloody Mary & mimosa

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7 years ago

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7 years ago

Simple concept diner. Prices are reasonable and portions are good. After a fun day at Carillon Park, it was nice to grab a bite to eat.

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13 years ago

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7 years ago

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15 years ago

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10 years ago

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7 years ago

Have been waiting for an hour And still haven't even ordered while the people who got here after us have already ate and left

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12 years ago

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Ask the Community - Culp's Cafe

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Table 33 - Chateaubriand was perfectly cooked!

Table 33

4.2(445 reviews)
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We went into Table 33 with pretty low expectations. We'd been in Dayton the weekend before for a…read moreconcert and had a disappointing experience at another highly rated restaurant. Table 33 was within walking distance of our show at the Victoria Theatre, so we gave it a try. Let me be clear: Table 33 isn't good "for Dayton." This place could easily compete with some of Cincinnati's best restaurants. When you first enter, the host area feels pretty typical, so there's no indication of what's waiting beyond it. But as we turned left toward our dining area, we were shocked by how beautifully the restaurant opened up. Tucked throughout are gorgeous, quaint little private dining rooms. And I mean little in the best possible way. Some looked intimate enough for just you and your plus-one, while others could accommodate maybe four or six people. These aren't large event spaces. They're cozy, beautifully designed rooms for an intimate dinner for two or a private evening with a few friends. We told our server it was our first visit, and she walked us through the food and cocktail menus. We both ordered the Raspberry Beret. She completely undersold it. The bartender personally brought our cocktails out and explained the preparation. The cocktail is sous vide, then strained and allowed to rest for several days. I was fascinated. It arrived with three gorgeous blackberries and fresh mint attached to the glass with an adorable mini clothespin. Almost too pretty to drink. Almost. Because the Raspberry Beret was outstanding!!! From the technique to the flavor and presentation, there was genuine craft behind it. That's when I realized we'd seriously underestimated this place. Then came the Wild Mushroom Tempura and House Focaccia. The focaccia was warm, soft, buttery and delicious. Those mushrooms, however, made me ANGRY. Not because they were bad. Because I don't get to Dayton often, and suddenly I was faced with the very real possibility of driving 40 minutes for mushrooms! LOL Lightly battered, meaty and incredibly flavorful, the wasabi ponzu aioli and chili crisp brought creaminess, heat and brightness. They had me questioning my commitment to meat as a protein. I was planning my return visit after the first bite. For dinner, my fiancé ordered the Pan-Seared Scallops and I had the Chateaubriand. I don't often look at someone else's entrée and think, "You know what? I want his too." But then those scallops arrived. They were huge and beautifully golden, with the kind of sear that makes you silently wonder, "If he really loves me, he'll give me one." He did not... :) and to be fair, I didn't ask. So my eyes ate from his plate while he confirmed what they were telling me. He loved the citrus with the seafood and the velvety sauce. My Chateaubriand was gorgeous. Medium rare and perfectly even throughout. The petite potatoes were lightly roasted and salted, and as a sucker for root vegetables, I devoured the roasted carrots and beets. But the potato slaw? Brilliant. Those thin, crisp potatoes added exactly the texture the dish needed. I rarely finish an entire restaurant entrée. You would have thought I licked this plate clean. We were watching the clock because we still had an 8 to 10 min walk to the Victoria Theatre. Then our server casually said, "I noticed you marked maybe for the Dessert Room." Excuse me... (insert dramatic pause) Dessert ROOM?! I looked at my fiancé, who explained, "Yeah, I saw it when I made the reservation, but I wasn't sure what it was or if we'd have time, so I marked maybe." Well, now I needed to know. I didn't care if we had to sprint to the show. At minimum, I needed to see this room. And somehow, Table 33 delivered AGAIN. The Dessert Room is fabulously whimsical. Eclectic chandeliers stretch across the room against a beautiful soft gray backdrop, with comfortable upholstered chairs inviting you to settle in. There was nothing hard about this room. Everything felt soft, warm and intentional. The room felt designed to change the pace of the evening: sink into a comfortable chair, order something sweet or a dessert cocktail and relax. I genuinely wanted to stay, sample the desserts and try a couple of those cocktails, but we had a comedy show waiting. So we chose the affogato. Even that received the same attention as everything else. The espresso had none of that overly roasted, bitter flavor, and the gelato was incredibly smooth and creamy without a single detectable ice crystal. We enjoyed every bite, paid our bill and headed toward the Victoria Theatre. And talked about Table 33 for nearly the entire walk. That probably says more than anything else I could write. If you're in the area for a show, spending an evening downtown or simply looking for an excuse to explore Dayton, add Table 33 to your list of adventures. As for me? Apparently I'll be driving 40 minutes for mushrooms.

Did some serious yelp research to find this place. Went there for brunch on a Sunday morning…read more Downtown Dayton in the arcade parking on the street... But a great experience. They were a little bit busy on Sunday morning but we sat at the bar and were served by an inexperienced but delightful server. Great meal great cocktails great experience definitely will head back there for dinner sooner rather than later.

Photos
Table 33 - Isn't this stunning? This is the hallway with the little independent dining rooms.

Isn't this stunning? This is the hallway with the little independent dining rooms.

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Culp's Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated October 2026

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