Best French toast in central Illinois. I think for Jesse has a lot to offer and the ambiance is lovely

This is by far the best breakfast / lunch spot in town AND surrounding areas! The menu is outstanding, as you can not go wrong with any choice. I prefer the chicken & waffles, have it almost every time!! They usually have a very authentic special daily, also. You can't go wrong. Don't want to stay home and cook for yourself, head out here and have some home cookin' away from home!! read more

I had heard of this place, however, with it being quite a distance from where I live had not visited.....until now. I was missing out! The place is smaller and if you go for lunch, I advise getting there as close to 11 as you can. It gets busy - and for good reason! The food is really good. I jade the turkey blackberry pain in (turkey, bacon, blackberry jam). Oh my was it good! My friend had the special - chicken fajita nachos. Also very good - maybe even better if the chicken was a bit smaller (but is is chicken Fajita). I would definitely like to try their breakfast. The menu is limited, but that is a good thing in my opinion. Well worth the trip. My sandwich with homemade chips and water was $8.75 before tip. Head there now! read more

Fort Jesse Cafe - Turkey blackberry panini - eat it! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Normal, Illinois

THIS PLACE IS NOT CLOSED, IT IS REOPENED WITH NEW OWNERSHIP! This time around I got the corn meal pancakes. Really, really awesome. This place is a new favorite. Service is great, but be prepared to wait if you're coming on a Saturday. This place is busy, but totally worth it! read more

Love this place! Why can't it be open later?!! Creative menu, and I LOVE that the wait staff don't go around throughout the meal and ask that obnoxious question you seem to hear everywhere now-- "how's everything tasting tonight?" Dining is about more than just taste, and the question just strikes me as odd. I really like that the staff here are actually personal but not intrusive. read more

Just finished an excellent breakfast at Fort Jesse Cafe. Waitress was great and helpful. So thankful my husband and I split the Skillet special--roasted sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, red onion plus tasty pieces of bacon, melted cheese topped with a drizzle of hollandaise and two eggs. We did add one more egg and a side of their scrumptious jalapeño cornbread. More than enough for the two of us. It's easy to drive past this little gem but worth finding it! read more

Great place to go out to eat a yuummm breakfast! The Staff , the food , the decor and location are excellent! I'd recommended this restaurant to all those who like breakfast! read more

I friggin' LOVE this place! The food is excellent and not too expensive plus the staff is always friendly. The only drawback is it's always SO busy! They should open another location. (Really) read more

Came in for brunch and was pleasantly surprised with the variety of options and combinations across the breakfast, brunch and lunch categories! I had the Grandpa's Breakfast, which was pretty basic with eggs, bacon or sausage and toast and hashbrowns. The toast came with their blackberry jam. I really enjoyed the blackberry jam! The rest of my meal was great, however, I would have liked the hashbrowns a little more crispy, but that's a personal taste. My fiancee had the chicken and waffles, which he devoured--so I knew it was good. My friend ended up with the breakfast burger which came out HUGE but looked tasty. read more

Our waitress was wonderful. On top of things as well as funny. It's a small little gem of a place but their food is large with flavors! My family and I really enjoyed our visit! I highly recommend the Breakfast Sanny! read more

Crowded for a reason. Delicious menu, with classics and fun unique items. I had the BBQ Benedict and it was amazing. I think it's fair to judge a restaurant on how they can poach an egg... it was perfect. Great staff that love what they do and it shows. Great coffee as well. read more

No doubt in my mind that FJC is the best place to go for breakfast in town. It's unreal. Like seriously, the breakfast burrito is maybe one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life. Next to the burrito, their chicken and waffles and skillets are crazy good too. Great coffee and great service as well. Just make sure to go fairly early in the morning because the place gets packed pretty quickly! Can't wait to be back. read more

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I was able to get a reservation for a table for 1 within an hour. My waitress Gwen Lynn recomended the special: Chorizo Fire Skillet with white cheddar 2 eggs Avocado Crema, sweet potatoes, black beans and corn. I went with that and marble rye toast it was simply amazing paired with two cups of coffee it woke me up and definitely got me going. read more

My husband & I were traveling home today & looking for a local breakfast stop when we found Fort Jesse Cafe! Great food! Great service! Our server Mike was very personable & wonderful smile! We will stop here again in a heartbeat! A bit on the loud & noisy side due to a number of small children & loud patrons on their phones but this is not the fault of the restaurant! read more

Fort Jesse Cafe - Eggs Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Normal, Illinois

Cute little breakfast and lunch spot in Normal. Totally recommend it. It's real good so expect a 20 minute wait to be seated but definitely worth it! Good skillets and the cheese curds were to die for! read more

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Get reservations! This place stays packed for a reason. The eggs Benedict is HUGE and the QR code menus and payment options are very classy.

The Fort Jesse Cafe has a bit of a Hipster / Millennial feel to it but that aside. This is a great place to experience some great renditions of Americana fair. Shrimp and Grits is a great example of this. If you hit this place at the right time you can get seated right away and your food is prepared well. However if you venture to go when they are slammed this is when they lose consistency. Mixed up orders food prepared hastily and they run out of their popular dishes. Servers can be snarky and forget their place. So lots of talent and potential but misses the mark on execution when in the weeds. read more

Traveling thru the area and stopped here for breakfast. Tried the Autumn Apple Skillet and it was fantastic!! Very reasonably priced for quality of food they serve. read more

Chef Nick and the crew are the real deal. Food is a 10 plus. The staff is professional, and yet they treat you like you are a known family member from years back. Fried Mac and cheese, with BBQ pulled pork, hollandaise sauce and poached eggs with Hash browns. If you want to see what heaven is like, try this meal. This please is for real. The food is absolutely the best around, and Im betting Chef Nick has a surprise or two up his sleeve. Go there, Try this place, you can thank me later. read more

Long story short, despite the long wait, this place is great for healthy and good-looking brunch food! I was here 3 times before I finally got the chance to get seated and eat, mostly because of the long wait (30-50 mins). But their food is so delicious and good-looking! I recommend checking out their weekly specials, with all of them being unique and fresh. My recent favorites are bruschetta skillet and their Texas toast. A must try local business. read more

Fort Jesse Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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Food is great, atmosphere is a little cramped but can be fun. Would be perfect if you could get a mimosa with brunch but I understand that would require licenses. My husbands fav breakfast spot, and it's growing on me! read more

Excellent and delicious breakfast! Friendly and accommodating staff. Great place to bring family and guests.

Excellent breakfast started with a cinnamon roll wife had shrimp and grits I had the fort Buster breakfast. Both were excellent coffee was great ice tea was fresh and the service was excellent. Would definitely stop again read more

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Fabulous every time. Amazing food, incredible service. Every visit is the same, awesome experience.

While on a business trip this restaurant was recommended by a coworker. I really wasn't sure what to expect. It was easy to see how popular it was by the long line already forming at opening. We were greeted by servers lined up in a row with a warm welcome and promptly seated. Upon looking over the menu, the fare was your typical breakfast menu. I was greeted by Michael, who was friendly and eager to offer suggestions as a first time customer. I finally decided on the shrimp and grits, being a true southern gal. Service was very quick and the grits were delicious, served with hot sauce and scallions. Shrimp was fresh tasting, plump and plentiful. Michael maintained courteous service throughout the meal, keeping my coffee topped and making sure I was happy with my choice. If ever I visit Normal again, I will be sure to stop by again! read more

Fort Jesse Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Normal, Illinois

I do not understand the draw to this place. We were given a gift card so we tried it, glad it wasn't my money wasted. The biscuits & gravy are awful. Biscuits were barely cooked and the gravy taste like flour. There was even money left on the gift card and I threw it away with my awful breakfast. read more

Food is always on point no matter if you dine in or pick up. Excellent restaurant! Always satisfying!

Really amazing food presentation and flavor. A little expensive, when you go inside there is minimal furniture and it is essentially a small room. But what it lacks in appearance it makes up for in food. I had the breakfast burrito, and my partner had the tofu scramble and we shared... delicious. However, the food was a little rich and I could not get too into it in one sitting. read more

We absolutely love everything on the menu at Ft. Jesse. I cannot say enough about the food, the staff, the accommodations they have made for Covid....everything is top notch! Their seasonal specials are incredible and we love the staple items on their everyday menu. Some family favorites are waffles, all the skillets, Mickey pancakes and coffee! read more

Good food waiter and price. Try them out Not sure why I have to type 85 letters in this to post

We had a lovely early breakfast on a Saturday morning at this local Normal location (one of the only non-chain options in the area). We were seated quickly as we arrived at 8 am, but there was a huge wait by the time we left. One of their specialties is their coffee beverages- I did not elect to have one, but the tables around us did and they are beautiful! For my breakfast, I had the waffle special which was a peach bourbon waffle, which was just as delicious as it sounds. Our service was great as well- I would definitely come back. The only drawback is that if you want to sit and visit, this might not be the place, feels like there is pressure to leave so others can have your table as the location is small and people are "waiting" all around the restaurant. I would definitely recommend this as a delicious & affordable breakfast option in a college town. read more

Haven't been here in awhile but I still recommend!! I don't remember what I ordered but I did enjoy my food!! I know you will too!!

Such a cozy and cute place fore breakfast and brunch. All the workers were so nice and friendly. We had to wait a bit because they were full and so busy but the food was great. Mike explained all the menu to us so patiently. We asked for a strawberry lemonade, which they didn't have on the menu, but he made it happen somehow!! I asked for something salmon, and it ALSO wasn't on the menu, but he recommended the lobster eggs Benedict. My boyfriend got the Chorizo Burrito and they were both so delicious! Good portion and good price. read more

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Great customer service and engagement. We loved the menu and quality of the food. Good pricing, we'll definitely be a return customer

Phenomenal food, creative menu and vibe. Great service! Get a reservation to avoid a wait,especially on weekends.

Awesome food, large portions. Kinda pricey but we'll worth it. You should plan ahead and call the day before for reservations.

Absolutely fantastic! Worth the wait. Servers are friendly, food is always great! They have social distancing down, just call ahead for a reservation time. read more

Always love going to Fort Jesse. The food never disappoints and the staff has always been kind and attentive. I will always recommend!

This is a place that got our business due to YELP. Took my Daughter and a few friends down to ISU for a tour and arrived early enough for breakfast. A quick check found this place. One of the downsides to this place is how it's located. If you are not aware that it's there, you will drive right by it. Even with google maps, we almost missed it. The food is where this place shined. The menu is small, but everything on it is well proportioned and flavorful. I had the Shrimp and Grits. The andouille sausage had the EXACT amount of heat and smokiness to compliment the meal. All other meals were of the same quality. Service was friendly and with a smile. There is almost nothing inside except for the tables and a few wall plaques. Very minimalistic. The downside of this, it there is no place for people waiting to stand except next to the full tables. The volume when full is VERY loud. Overall - a solid performance and very good food if you don't mind the openness. read more

First time here with my son, and food lived up to all the great things I've heard. Chicken and waffles and Shrimp and grits were amazing! read more

Fort Jesse Cafe - Shrimp and Grits, the bomb! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Normal, Illinois