Great breakfast/lunch place, show up early because there will be a wait...its their fault because ethe food is so good its worth the wait!

My only complaint is that it isn't open all day!!! The food (and drinks) are INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!! Worth the wait and can't wait until they open the new, bigger location. Every great review and the notoriety they're getting is beyond deserved! A++++++!!! read more

Still one of the best places for breakfast and lunch around. And now they have homemade onion rings.......DELISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The food was very good, but the music blasting was bad, My friend and I came so we could talk while eating during our lunch break. My friend had a hard time hearing me and also the waiter could not hear us give our order; the music was that loud. Food was good, but could be improved a little better, by using blue cheese dressing instead of pure blue cheese which was too strong. Making sure tomatoes were fresher and so forth, only giving it 3 stars out of 5, Will come back when they lower the music. read more

the food was good. but the wait was wayyy too long. they said it'd be 40-45 mins and we ended up waiting an hour and a half. i didn't think the food was worth that long of a wait. if you plan on coming here check in and leave and do whatever else you need to do then come back. read more

I was in town for a conference and we stumbled upon FJC. It's very unassuming from the outside but it was packed (which was a great sign for a Thursday). We arrived at 10:57 am so we had to choose between the breakfast and lunch menu. 2 in our party wanted breakfast and only one wanted lunch but we couldn't have both (which I thought was odd). We chose breakfast and ordered the bruschetta skillet and French toast. Amaze-balls! Seriously. Great flavors and and top quality food. Service was great. read more

The service was a 5 star! But this place is LOUD! Mt special ( brisket with sauce) was flavorful but greasy. $11+ for small amount of meat homade chips and ice tea was a bit steep. And it is LOUD! Also very small menu choices. read more

I'm OBSESSED with Fort Jesse Cafe! My whole friend group is in love with the breakfast here. I've tried eating here about six times but have only actually eaten three times because of the consistently long wait (which is for good reason -- FJC is worth waiting for if you are not in a rush!) The French Toast is peculiarly amazing. I don't even like French Toast normally but somehow it tasted like Heaven here. I've also had the waffles and the traditional egg and bacon breakfast (best part - toast with their special blackberry jam). My friends love the chicken and waffles and the cornmeal pancakes. I hope to become more adventurous with my choices here, but the classic stuff is just as good! :) If you are wiling to wake up extraordinarily early or wait for sometimes an obscene amount of time on the weekends, the breakfast of your life is waiting for you here in Normal! read more

This is the best breakfast restaurant in BloNo. The basics like biscuits & gravy, French toast etc. are done very well but where they excel is in the modern touches on classics. The shrimp & grits are amazing, the cornmeal pancakes are unlike anything else in town and to top it off the fresh ice teas made daily are always excellent. read more

My boyfriend and I came to the Fort Jesse Cafe around 12:30pm on Sunday. We waited about 30 mins for a table but it was worth the wait. We love coffee and the coffee here was so good! I ordered the Chicken and Waffles and a side of white cheddar grits. My boyfriend got the Grandfather meal even though I told him to get something different. Both of our meals were delicious! My boyfriend kept eating the chicken and waffles from my plate. ;) We will definitely be coming back. Bloomington Normal lacks good breakfast places so this cafe is a gem. read more

Fort Jesse Cafe - Chicken and Waffles and a side of cheddar grits. Soo good! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Normal, Illinois

This was my wife and I first time here. We have been looking for a go to breakfast place . To start it was a nice atmosphere and very friendly soon as we walked in the door. My wife ordered the breakfast burrito and hash browns very generous portions to say the least and the taste was outstanding! And myself I ordered the biscuits and gravey with hash Browns. The best I have had to date. The biscuits where big and fluffy and taste fresh out of the oven. The hash browns were cooked perfect. We have found our go to place for breakfast!!! read more

Bloomington finally has a breakfast place worth making a special trip to! We loved Fort Jesse Café. I had the cornmeal pancakes, which were amazing, and actually packed quite a bit of kick. My husband had the Cajun skillet, and he really loved it. My son said it was his favorite, and he just got the Mickey pancakes. The restaurant is somewhat small, and on a Sunday morning, the wait was 30 minutes or more. I recommend calling ahead before leaving to get your name on the list if you are going on the weekend. We will be back to try lunch! read more

One word.... yum! One of my favorites for breakfast. Great atmosphere and great/friendly staff. There's usually a line in the morning during breakfast hours but don't worry, help yourself to some free coffee while you wait... yes! read more

Great atmosphere with big family tables. I got the cornmeal pancakes. The concept was great. The components worked well together. Make sure you ask for extra maple syrup, which is smokey and not too sweet. Coffee is a fruity, toasty breakfast roast. I want to try everything on the menu. Someone put a lot of time into developing that menu. Currently, this is the best place for breakfast in BloNo. I hope they keep up the good work, so I can come back again and again and again. read more

Really good food and great customer service. They have one vegan option but plenty vegetarian. Decent price.

One of our favorites. Small, simple, inventive menu. Great, affordable food. And the servers - all of them - actually seem to enjoy being there, which makes us enjoy being there all that much more. Love this place. read more

Great place to eat breakfast lunch or brunch. If it wasnt for yelp this would be the best kept secret in Normal. I had the waffle and chicken strips. Wife had the corn pancakes. Both delicious. They do have daily specials not on the menu. Great food, ok prices, hipsters serving you, coffee as you wait 30 to 45 minutes. Have an italian ice next door at Teresa's while you do. It is worth the wait. read more

The inside needs some improvements and updating...but look past that and the food is delicious. I am a student at ISU and my first time going was my senior year. I was so mad because I wish I had heard of this place as a freshman at ISU. Best breakfast in Bloomington, worth the wait! read more

This place is "ok" for my taste when it comes to breakfast in town. The menu is limited and they are trying to do too much in my opinion for breakfast food. Infused this and that.... not for me. I take my brunch money to other local places that I feel a better. Also, the wait times on the weekends are un-Godly. An hour for some breakfast?!? There isn't a breakfast in this world worth waiting that long for. read more

I never write yelp reviews, but I can't NOT write one for Fort Jesse. This place is THE BOMB. Best breakfast in town, hands down. I could close my eyes and point to a menu item and be happy with whatever I get. You can't go wrong with ordering. The shrimp n grits is unreal, chicken and waffles are delicious, cajun and bruschetta skillets are inventive and so good. Staff is super friendly, coffee while you wait. It doesn't get better. read more

I've heard such good things about Fort Jesse Cafe, but during my third try, I learned they don't serve omelets, did not have mushrooms or spinach, it smells like they may have a backed up grease trap and one of their waitresses did not have on a bra. Our waitress was very kind and apologetic, but it took ten minutes after we were seated to hear from her. I won't try Fort Jesse again. read more

Everyone warned about the wait and they were right. Stood in line for about 25 mins at 8 a.m. on a Saturday. The worst part was that after a table would leave, it would take 5 to 10 mins to get it bussed and set up for the next diners, all while 25 people stood in line. They could do 15-25% more volume if they hired just one busser for this time. At one point before we were seated, there were four dirty tables sitting there. If they could get that aspect tightened up, it would do wonders for their bottom line. Now, the food was VERY good and once we were seated we had food in front of us in about 10 minutes. Daughter said she had the best pancakes of her life. Creative menu and they do lots of food things right. A little pricey for breakfast, 45 bucks for three but we did all get fancy coffees. read more

Fantastic homeste food. Busy busy busy, simple decor. Great dinner, I'll return when in the area.

Don't get me wrong, this place is good but too many people are obsessed and always a long wait... it's just a good home style breakfast that's consistent and reasonably priced... there are several around town just like it. read more

We were waiting on our car at the Subaru Dealer so we decided to walk down the street and grab a quick bite to eat. Amazing Cornmeal Pulled Pork Pancakes!!! Best I have ever had so I ordered them twice. We both highly recommended it. read more

Great breakfast for BN! Small location but worth the wait! They have big tables. Need more for parties of two then they will have a full house! read more

This is the best place in Bloomington normal for breakfast the Cajun skillet is excellent

Update! Just as good as ever, but now with a diaper changing table in the restroom!

We love this place. Usually do a chicken and waffles and the cornmeal pancakes. Nice spicy bbq on those pancakes makes up for no tapatio (my beloved!). Truly the best in town! read more

If you are ever in the area this is a great little restaurant. I had the corn meal pancakes topped with Cuban pork, they were excellent. The service was excellent! The staff was very friendly. We had to wait 15-20 minutes to be seated because the place was full which was a bonus because I got to see the food the locals ordered before I made my decision. Everything that came out of the kitchen look tasty, read more

Onion rings are the best, Cuben sandwich is as good as you will get in the Midwest, the Cajun skillet and others for breakfast are without equal. Wife always gets the shrimp and grits and claims it to be outstanding. Only negative is the wait which is a testament to their reputation. read more

Amazing Breakfasts with all the bells and whistles! Absolutely delicious. The breakfast burrito was amazing! The egg dishes are awesome

Yikes, I waited about 1 hour for a brunch that was tasteless. I anticipated a better experience after reading prior reviews. But I find it hard to believe that our table of 3 all had a meal that was awful given other people's meal ratings. Maybe a new chef or just a restaurant that has been living on earlier times when it served a decent meal. I will never eat at this spot again. read more

The one place in town that serves INTERESTING breakfast food! The quality and service is always on point. Abby, the owner is super friendly and remembers our names - even when we see her out in public! You can tell they take great pride in their work at FJC, and it's just a cool place. If they added a downtown location, I'd be there All. The. Time. read more

This is a great brunch spot in Bloomington!! A wide variety of flavors and dishes provide a unique palate experience for a very unassuming place. I had the bruschetta egg plate and it was really really good, my coworker had the French toast (which she gets every time she comes here) and she raves about how it is some of the best she has experienced. Highly recommend. Be aware, there is usually always a wait or a crowd no matter what time of day you go! read more

This is within the top 5 spots in Illinois. Don't get me started on their Buffalo Horseshoe. It is a game changer that has rewritten our understanding of what a horseshoe is. I wonder, how did we ever think the bland horseshoe from Springfield was good? FJC stomped that droped the mic, and created the most addicted dish EVER. read more

Very creative menu, great food, and excellent customer service. The only reason I gave a 4/5 star instead of 5/5, is because I hate how you have to stand in an awkward line at the door (right by those who are dining) while you wait for a table. read more

I love this place so much. The wait staff is super knowledgeable about their menus, and are very friendly. My only reason I'm rating a 4/5 is because of the wait time! I know this place is fairly busy (because it's great!) but I wish I could come to this place without having to wait 45mins-1 hr to get food! read more

I love this place. Good, unique dishes. Friendly staff all around. My favorites are the Cuban and the Blackberry Turkey Panini. Gotta have the gumbo, too! read more

Fantastic food and GREAT SERVICE!! This place is a gem but it is hidden away so don't look past it or else you will be the real one left out! read more