The theme here is books and menu items are titles. Driving around downtown looking for a homemade…read morebreakfast spot this was across the bridge. A nice neighborhood too. Luckily we beat the crowd and I was able to snag the last piece of quiche. Lots of groups gather here. I got a coffee that I think was local. There were 3 servers ours was younger and newer, Alyssa. I had to ask someone else for utensils before we got the food. We split some great hash browns. Basil got A farewell to sausages omelet and juice. We both enjoyed a local coffee. This was a great start to our trip out East to the Chicago burbs. I think it will be our stop from now on and should be yours as well.

Review Visit: November 14th, 2024…read more Maybe not THAT grand... The short trip to Eau Claire was coming to a close and I needed some food before I hit the road home. Around the corner from where Tim lives is a cafe he's been to a few times. We took the short stroll there to get some breakfast and coffee in us. We popped in after the major breakfast crowd and before the lunch crowd made the small cafe packed. We took a seat towards the front by the window so we could get some natural light to go with our meal. Our waitress was a hoot. She was professional but really chatty and we all quickly got on the topic of horror movies, spooky things, and the love for reading. I got the house coffee with a biscotti stick to go with it. Tim got a latte thing. The waitress forgot my biscotti but quickly brought it over when I asked her about it. As for our meal, I ordered just the french toast and Tim got a full course meal. I wanted to eat somewhat light as I had the long drive but... when I say I got french toast... it was the most basic two slices of french toast I've ever had. It ended up tasting decent but for $8.49, it just felt like it needed to some with a side of protein or eggs or something. Tim said his The Grand Gatsby and Bread Pudding was good, even if he doesn't care for Mango, which is what his Bread Pudding flavor was. The biscotti was really good, even better dipped in the coffee. The coffee itself was your typical drip coffee that you'd find across the country. Not great but not bad. It served it purpose. While it was a bit of a letdown that my last meal before heading home was less than stellar but the memories made at the cafe (and the whole trip) are one you can't put a rating on. With that in mind, if we visit here again in 2025, I will definitely get a more substantial meal than two meager slices of french toast.

Overall, the experience was average. The coffee was great! The food had some wait but was overall…read morewhat you would expect, nothing special. The overall vibe was honestly pretty loud, definitely not a place you could have a conversation (especially during a busy morning).

I've been dying to check out The Nucleus, and oh my gosh, I'm so happy I finally did! We had a…read morelittle girls' brunch on Saturday, and it was absolutely perfect! From the yummy food to the sweet service and the cutest decor, it's safe to say we're already planning our next visit to try more of the menu! I went for an blended coffee called The (Frozen) Girl Scout (a dreamy peppermint mocha), and they were so sweet to make it decaf just for me. Their blender was on the fritz so it wasn't blended but it was just as yummy iced!! For food, I couldn't resist the strawberry-stuffed French toast--let me tell you, it was AMAZING. They totally piled on the whipped topping, and I was living for it! I can't wait to take my sister here next time! I think we just found our new brunch spot!

Ambience and Experience: My family wanted a hearty brunch option that was just off the highway…read morewhile going through Wisconsin in the Chippewa Falls area. I Googled for places and this place had an outstanding score, so I was expecting good things. And that is exactly what we found here. It was a local diner scene with a little upscale flamboyance thrown in to make it something much more special. Food: Fresh and quality are the two main highlights on the menu. I noticed a lot of things were made in-house and prepared daily. The produce that was on each dish was bright, vibrant and at peak freshness. The berries were bold, the lettuce was crisp and the tomatoes were meaty and big. It kicked everything up a notch. And yes, the food was amazing because of it. Large portions to fill you right up and get you ready to get back on the road. Verdict: Awesome food without losing that small town feel made this an A+ stop. This will be a spot to visit again when we are back in the area.

Came late Sunday morning. There were six of us. There was a short line of people. Put our names in,…read moregot a beeper, and waited outside for about 15 minutes. While we were waiting, we were offered a couple of smaller tables, which would have split the group. We declined (but appreciated the offer). Got seated, with menus and waters. The server took our drink orders, and those items came right away. I was surprised by the fresh-squeezed orange juice -- nice touch. The server was very pleasant, helpful, and efficient. It didn't take that long for all of us to get our orders. Everything was hot, flavorful, and good-sized portions. The pancakes were big and fluffy. The eggs were moist. My avocado toast was nicely made and tasted fresh. And the two poached eggs were medium -- exactly how they were ordered. The manager (or owner?) stopped by during the meal to ask if all was okay. It was. Definitely a place I would recommend or come back to.

The food was out of this world the French toast Was good and…read morethe homemade hot coco too You order at the counter and they find ur table and cool ambiance

Ordered takeout and got an avocado toast. I did want some utensils and napkins but it did not come…read morein my bag even though I did request that. They had napkins by the counter so I did grab some but still no plastic utensils. They had cute decor and it was semi busy. I will be back again to try other items on the menu. My meal was about $14 which was a little pricey but I was in a hurry so I had to eat something.

Attached to the Lismore hotel by Doubletree makes this restaurant super accessible to…read moreout-of-towners. Service 5/5: we did not make a reservation, but staff did everything to accommodate us and get us seated. I really appreciate how kind they were and once we were seated, our server was attentive, making sure our drinks were always filled and that we were enjoying our meal. Ambiance 5/5: stunning environment. I highly recommend you take a peek and look at the bar because it's a bunch of little pennies and it is the coolest sight to see (I believe I heard them call it the penny bar too). I really enjoy that you could see into the kitchen while the chefs worked and how fluid they all seemed to be in their craft. Food 3/5: I was really disappointed by the food. I ordered the roasted lamb as a big fan of lamb and it was overcooked and very salty. Also, the mint gelée coupled with the root beer glacé de viande was overwhelmingly sweet. The dish was lacking a balance of acid and spice. My fiancé ordered the tater tot hot dish and I am thankful that he ordered that because we ended up sharing that the rest of the meal. Even he could not eat the Lamb and he is must less picky about flavor profiles. The hotdish was a cheesy parmesan dream with sweet corn, peas, mushrooms and I liked the textural mixture of pork and veal. Overall, I'm not sure if I would come back for a meal here. I have seen that their pizzas are really popular because they are woodfired and I wish we would've checked that first, but I wanted a cozy elevated dinner and I'm still really bummed that we did not get that.

Been here before, but it's been a very long time. We were passing through the area and looking for…read morea place to eat. It happened to be a very busy weekend, and the Informalist was one of the few places that did not have a long line to get seated. Got in right away and seated for some brunch. The restaurant is spacious and well designed. It's a bit upscale, but perfectly capable of making people feel relaxed and welcome. We got greeted right away by the server and settled in with menus and waters. Our order wasn't complicated: some of the Custard Battered French Toast, a short stack of pancakes, and two eggs. I also ordered a London Fog Tea Latte (a little lavender, a little vanilla, and extra foam). It didn't take long for the food to come, but the London Fog took a while longer. The French Toast was amazingly good, and the pancakes and eggs were also very good. I was half done with my meal by the time my London Fog arrived, and the server was very apologetic (saying that the coffee shop was very busy). I might have been satisfied with that, but the London Fog was just okay. While there was some extra foam, the drink itself was flat, as if they just heated up the milk and mixed it with the tea. (They need to do a better job with polishing the steamed milk so that it creates a creamy texture, especially if they ar charging $8) Overall, a good experience, and a few tweaks would have made it excellent. Would stop again if I was in the mood for the French Toast.

Went for brunch! I ordered the classic, delicious. My friends ordered the eggs en cocotte and they…read moreloved it! Service was great, will come back!

We had reservations for brunch. Waited 10+ minutes for a table when we arrived at our reserved…read moretime, and proceeded to then wait *50 minutes* for our food after ordering (fairly simple breakfast items). This was while multiple other parties who arrived after us were served their food, ate, paid and left. It was quite obvious they forgot to submit the order or the kitchen lost the ticket. These things happen and I would never fault someone for an accident when they acknowledge and apologize. But they acted like nothing was wrong when I asked (after 35 minutes of waiting), and I was also quite surprised that they didn't offer any discount or food while we waited. The food was good, but definitely not worth the wait or the $65+ bill for 4 people just ordering breakfast and nothing else. Sadly may be our first and last time here, even though we had heard great things about it.

One of many good places. There are more places like the wigwam, good food & to socialize with the…read morelocals, WITH SOME BS TOO. hahaha PS. EAST MADISON ST. UP THE HILL!

I used to love coming in here but the last year or so its gone downhill. The floors are always…read moresticky and discusting, although the food is still great, the bartenders suck!

Service and food maintains the primary reason for the 5 stars. Nailed the Chicken sandwich....it…read morewas "just right". Gravy and biscuits were very fresh and the over easy eggs were prepared to perfection. Coffee was hot and black, just what this reviewer needed. A surprising spot just east of downtown and a little up the hill on Grand Avenue. Great little cafe, simple seating area, is their music on occasion? Did I see a sign? So glad we found this spot. I would encourage to seek it out!

Great diner experience. Our young server was impressive. He had us all covered and didn't mind…read moredoing separate checks. Seemed like he was the only server on a busy morning but remained unruffled. We enjoyed the food, which checked all the boxes. Couldn't finish half, the portions in the breakfast skillets are so generous!

We were seated at a super cozy table in corner next to fireplace. Great atmosphere, hostess was…read morevery friendly, and service was very good. Drinks were great as well. BUT Food is very overpriced! Appetizers are very MEH! main course, $32 for a hanger steak and potatoes. You don't get an actual streak! You get 4-5 thin slices of meat on a MOUNTAIN of potatoes. Absolute rip off that will leave you hungry unless you feel like stuffing yourself with 30 mini potatoes. Dessert was lava cake and carrot cake. Both are not worth it. Carrot cake was overly sweet and exploding with nuts. Lava cake portion is very small and served in this enormous bathtub like trough that make ls it hard to share. Also not worth the 20-25 minutes it takes to get. I would return here though because of the good drinks, service and atmosphere. I would just get a burger next time and hope that it's decent.

Food was disappointing. $32 for a bowl of fingerling potatoes with 5 thin pieces of steak. I…read morethought I was getting an actual steak not a bowl of potatoes. Apps were good as well as service. I would give the ambiance 4 stars. Probably a nice place to stop for a drink but would pass on the food.

This is a great family restaurant. This is an Eau Claire staple. It's been here for decades and…read morestill serves great food with great service. Your greeted with a small serving of warm vanilla pudding. I almost always get the chicken gizzards and have since childhood. The hash browns are perfect. Unfortunately the "pie lady" retired, so they have "pie in a cup" instead of the whole Pies. The place is very nostalgic for me, it hasn't really changed much in decades. And I like that.

Great food at a great value. Nice family restaurant. Very wonderful wait staff..The warm vanilla…read morepudding is great ...