Besides the line to be seated, and early closing hour, Excellent food, busy but on task staff. read more

Very good food, friendly staff. We finally had the chance to visit and breakfast was great will definitely be returning in the future. Plan for a wait for a table it is a small place that is typically busy, worth the wait. read more

My wife and I are here recently. The food is always good. They are busy so there tends to be a wait unless you get there early.

Very delicious food! Not enough room/ not enough seats for the crowd they drag in. That was the only down side because it means a longer wait time. All in all though, I highly recommend this delicious and friendly place. read more

I absolutely love this place! The iced coffee is unreal! The food tastes great every single time!

These place has great chicken and waffle Benedict. You should come early though or on a weekday or the wait will be at least 40 minutes long. Great local place. read more

This place is fantastic! Love the food, literally crave the shrimp and grits. Only suggestion would be to ask small groups if they mind sharing a table. Many 4 tops with 2 people who would not mind sharing and it could speed up the wait. One of the most popular places in town for good reason. Worth the detour off the highway if you are traveling through the area and hungry for something other than chain restaurant food. Highly recommend read more

The wait is long but worth it. Had the cornmeal pancakes and my girlfriend had the shrimp & grits. She claims they're the best grits she's ever tasted. The cornmeal pancakes were unique and delicious; the perfect balance of salty and sweet. read more

Mmm... so good! I wait in line with my twin toddlers all of the time for the yummy food!!! I have loved every meal I have eaten here! It's all fabulous!!!! My kids love eating here and the wait staff is always so kind to us! read more

Love the breakfast at this place! Super friendly staff and overall cozy atmosphere. Definitely recommend anybody to check this place lut

Excellent. We ordered the chicken & waffle and the shrimp & grits! Both were amazing!!! Will be back soon!

Best breakfast in Bloomington Normal! The food is amazing, you usually have to wait about 10-20min for a table because they don't do reservations but it is worth the wait. I've been going here since they first opened (one of the owners was my favorite bartenders) and it just keeps getting better and better. The lunch menu is amazing as well. Come hungry! read more

Best breakfast spot in town. every single thing on this menu is delicious and unique. these chefs truly are very talented. It's affordable and filling. recommend the biscuits and gravy fam. Order over the phone and pick up in person. read more

When I tell you I love this place!! Being from Chicago there are plenty of little spots like this with great food and I was extremely happy when I was recommended this place. The long waits are worth it!! I've had the shrimp and grits which are very flavorful and one of my favorites. Also the Cuban pork/corn cakes and breakfast brunch hamburger (I think that's the name) are items I've ordered however I've tasted the chicken and waffle, a breakfast burrito and a few other items via my kids or boyfriend's plate... lol! I will continue to go back and back until I've tired everything. The Chef is very talented and the staff is amazing!! This is indeed my favorite breakfast spot!!! read more

The cornmeal pancakes were every bit as wonderful as advertised. A wonderful and unexpected combination of flavors that make it clear that there's a real chef involved. Service was also splendid; friendly and prompt. I had a 20-ish minute wait on a Thursday morning around 9, but it was totally worth it! read more

Been going here since I was little. It's like a family thing at this point we always meet here a couple Sunday's every month. Food is good and cheap which makes it ever better. Nice homey feeling where you're sure to see all the locals. I would definitely tell anyone to try them out for breakfast read more

Love this place. I had the Forte Buster and my wife had the chorizo burrito. Delicious. My wife's comment " we need to come back and try everything ". Highly recommended. We lucked out. No wait. Be prepared, there are wait times, but that means it's good. read more

Used to be a 5 but since they switched to the servers collecting instead of paying at the counter, it slows down the process

Great food and great service. Oh and did I mention great food! Good coffee (mo-joe) biscuits and sausage gravy I have to have with every meal! Waffles are the best and biggest in town. Will definitely fill you up cheap! read more

Excellent place to have lunch - food / service very good. May have to wait a few minutes if you get there at noon - but worth the wait.

Food is absolutely amazing ! Every time I go I have outstanding service and fresh food

Love this place. Staff is good and food is great. The shrimp and grits is so good..

Only downfall is parking and amount of seats are limited. Other than that their menu is diverse and food is great.

Great is there only way to describe this place. Friendly staff & always there when you need them. Couldn't ask for a better breakfast spot.

Imo if you are going to call yourself a breakfast and brunch place, you should serve breakfast until at least noon! We showed up at 11:15 and were told they had already switched to the lunch menu when we had picked them specifically for a brunch selection. I, as a picky pregnant woman right now, was hugely disappointed. However there were three brunch-ish options on the lunch menu and the chicken and waffles were pretty yummy. Chicken tenders had a great texture, if not a little bland, but comboed nicely with the Chipotle mayo and cinnamon butter. Ingredients seemed high quality and the waffle was the best part. Staff was very friendly. I didn't leave feeling as sour as when I arrived. read more

Good vegan options. It's nice to be able to go there w/ non-vegan friends. Something for everyone.

The food is really good here. But the $3.75 hot chocolate is just powdered hot chocolate you can buy in huge boxes at Sam's Club. I found powder all over the inside of my cup. read more

Plan on your entire morning waiting to eat here. Unless you are planning on ordering something special like the shrimp and grits don't bother. Service is slow at best and it just seemed very unorganized. Our waitress went missing for 20 minutes and we didn't have drinks or anything. Won't ever go back unless there is no wait and I have lots of time. read more

I had chx and waffles for the first time. They were so good! The chicken was just perfect! I had a bite of the bruschetta skillet and it also was great- lots of flavor! Great staff! Everyone was very friendly. read more

Just like many other folks in the Blo/No area, this is my favorite breakfast spot by far! If you've driven by during service hours, you know to expect to wait for a table, but in my opinion, it is absolutely worth the time (you can even get yourself a cup of coffee while you wait). The food is of the highest quality, often consisting of local products from around Central Illinois. My favorite happens to be the chicken biscuit, but I have never walked away from FJC feeling disappointed. The service has always been great - prompt and accommodating, even when it's a packed house. FJC has been a great addition to the B/N community, and I look forward to many more visits and many more chicken biscuits! read more

You might have to wait for a table, but it will be WORTH IT! Everything here is superb - coffee is delicious! Try the BBQ shrimp skillet! Try the chicken waffles. Try it all; you cannot go wrong! The homemade jam is yummy. Top it all off with friendly staff and good prices. Best breakfast in town. read more

Awesome service - good coffee - can't go wrong with any of the featured items. Shrimp and grits are a must try. Fried chicken & waffle is big enough for two. read more

Amazing food! Unique dishes that you don't find at your ordinary breakfast spot. Very reasonable prices too! My boyfriend loves the chicken and waffles, and I love the breakfast burrito. Really anything you get is bound to be delicious. Only downside is the wait, but just grab a cup of the coffee and it's no issue. read more

Tasty food at a great price!!!! although there was 25 min wait it went by fast! Loved the pulled pork sandwich the French toast looks amazing!!!!! Super friendly staff! read more

I had the cornmeal pancakes, and was initially put off by the smorgasbord of sweet and savory to adorn my cake of pan...Until I put that awesomeness in my mouth and my world exploded into a southern taste bomb. The pulled pork was dry, meaning not covered in a saccharin sauce, yet the most smoky...tender...spicy nuanced topping to ever grace a cornmeal pancake. I could go on, the green onion was the perfect taste and texture compliment to the pork, the jam was sweet and mellow. The syrup was Christmas morning. It was all I could do not to weep tears of joy while stuffing my face. The coffee mug was the perfect size to wrap my chubby paws around in between coming up for gasps for air. Eat here. You will not be disappointed unless you hate smiling. read more

best. breakfast. in. town. not. kidding. 1. New owners, cooks, menu since November 2015. Ignore any reviews before that. Unrelated. 2. Walk in and if there is a table open, its yours for the taking. But be an awesome human and if there is only one or two of you, offer to share your table with strangers when it gets busy. Turn strangers into friends. Thank you to the gentleman who shared with us :-) 3. Where have chicken & waffles been my entire life?! Seriously. You want this for breakfast, or brunch or lunch. Time of day is irrelevant. Don't worry, no bones to worry about. 4. Shrimp & Grits. Sounds weird if you're not southern, I get it. Then I got it. Heavenly. And to top it all off their presentation is beautiful. You won't want to eat it, it's so pretty. 5. Order the pancake breakfast with sausage links. Best sausage links I've had in town. Not hard or dry or shriveled or weird like I've had elsewhere. And the cakes are legit from scratch not perfect circles. You know its right. And my eggs were perfect too. Someone in the kitchen knows what they are doing. 6. Drink lots of coffee. It's good. 7. Pay at the counter. They take cards. Leave big tips because you're an awesome human. 8. Come back until you've tried everything on the menu. 9. Bring friends. Introduce them to your stranger friends. Everyone becomes friends. read more

Aside from the wait on the weekend or during prime hours, there isn't anything bad at this establishment. The breakfast burrito can fead three and the specialty coffee drinks are delicious. read more

We visited Fort Jesse Cafe on a busy Sunday for breakfast. The staff was un-phased, polite, happy, and friendly! Everyone was smiling, it was awesome! I ordered the Harvest Skillet (a weekend feature) and it was perfectly prepared. I tried a biscuit instead of toast and it was life changing! The kids meals are wonderful. Perfectly portioned with fresh berries, plenty of bacon, and awesome pancakes. The rest of the table enjoyed their meals, also! Ray was our server and he was knowledgeable, kind, and efficient. Abby, the owner, stopped by the table as well and was awesome! I love FJC, we will be visiting for years to come. read more

I was driving down the street and noticed this place, it has never caught my eye before. They need a big sign that catches your eye instead of one small sign amongst all the small business signs in the strip buildings main sign by the corner. (That make sense?) lol. It is kind of a creole or new orleans type menu so if that is not your type of food this is not your place. I am not a big fan of creole food but i found many items on the menu i would try. I would bet half of the people in the restaurant had chicken n waffles in front of them. I love their fresh homemade lemonade and freshly brewed iced teas. All the food ordered was excellent and prepared and presented on the plate perfectly. The chefs take pride on what they serve. The menu is not large so they make sure everything they cook is done top notch! I believe i counted 18 tables in the place but 17 of them are nice big wooden 4 person tables so the building holds more than you would think. At noon the line at the door was 8 people deep! The waitresses are on the ball always asking if you need anything. Only downfall besides needing a bigger sign is the place is kind of noisey. Not a restaurant to take a group and expect a lot of talking....the most frequently asked question would be, "ahhhh what?" read more

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I went to Fort Jesse Café for the first time this weekend with a friend. It was a bit crowded, but well worth the 15-20 minute wait. I had a breakfast burrito and English muffin with coffee and she had the shrimp and grits with a biscuit. Both meals were outstanding! I highly recommend it! read more