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

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

Best breakfast food I've had in Bloomington-Normal, and the prices are much less than you'd expect for what you're getting. I especially like that they do dishes that aren't typical for central Illinois; like shrimp and grits, or poutine. At least on the weekends be prepared to wait for a table, but it's very worth it. read more

Great place just a bit crowded and their can sometimes be a long wait. But I'm giving this place 5 stars mainly because family work here. Chicken & Waffle is pretty good to eat too like the country fried steak. Good service bit the parking in not really that good. read more

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

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

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

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

Fabulous food! Menu is very diverse ranging from traditional breakfast and burgers to chefs special creations. The French toast is my favorite...my husband loves the pancakes! The staff is super friendly. We especially like that it's a local restaurant in a town filled with chain after chain... read more

This is the best breakfast in town (and the best value). Can't wait to come back for lunch! Highly recommended!

New hidden gem! The ownership recently changed hands and everything is headed in a great, new direction. The menu items are different and innovative in a very good way - with a splash of Southern flare. The wait staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and punctual. The owners are great people and very hard working. Although this place may initially come across as a simple, run-of-the-mill café, you will quickly notice it's making a niche all its own by the fresh, high quality, homemade food. Keep it up! read more

Best place for breakfast in BloNo!!! Food tastes fresh, seasoned just right and nice sized portions. I had Grandpas breakfast - eggs, hash browns, bacon sausage and rye toast with homemade jam. I can't wait to go back and try more of their food! read more

Chicken and waffles and the corn meal pancakes were amazing. Very nice people too. Great breakfast experience.

I had the best Cuban sandwich at this restaurant. Staff is very friendly and wait time is minimal. Utilitarian interior but excellent breakfast which is served all day on Saturday. Lunch is served during the week with some very interesting offerings. read more

Awesome biscuits and gravy! Friendly staff. Great atmosphere. Will definitely return to try their lunch menu.

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

First time there today (Sat about 1). It was busy but the staff was friendly, nice, and very good. The wait was not long and later I was not rushed. The coffee and food was delicious. My Creole scramble was generous in portion and pretty loaded with shrimp, sausage, potatoes, peppers, and onions. A bit pricy for breakfast, but you do get what you pay for here. Definitely will be back. read more

We've been here before, but this morning was unreal. The front of the house was terribly disorganized and half-assed. We had a party of 5 and were told to expect a 30-40 min wait. We asked at one point how much longer our wait would be--after watching pairs be seated at 4- or 6-tops when 2-tops were available. We were told we still had 10 min on our estimate--that they only had so many tables that could accommodate large groups. 45 min after our arrvival we were finally seated. At Ft. Jesse you expect to wait for a table, but to see how tables were assigned and people who arrived well after we did eat and leave....it was unreasonable. The kitchen was great and table service was prompt. Once we were seated, we ordered and were served quickly. The food was good--exactly what we expected with out of town gueats. read more

For as busy as it was at 7:45AM on a Saturday, we received excellent service. The food was outstanding (chicken and waffles), the staff was friendly and attentive, and the overall atmosphere of sitting next to other satisfied customers made this one of my best dining experiences in town. It certainly won't be my last at Fort Jesse! read more

The food was very good. The prices are much too high. $3.00 for regular coffee. A $26 bill for two ordinary breakfasts. Don't think we will stop here again. Don't forget, it is very noisy. read more

Food was fantastic, even though the dining area was a little cramped. Will def be going back to get more in my belly asap read more

I am a vegetarian so I had ordered French toast. My husband is a non vegetarian, he order chicken waffle. It looked good so I asked him to pass a small piece of chicken for me to try, and it was the indeed very tasty. Being a vegetarian, it was the best chicken I had tasted of whatever chicken I have ever tried. The French toast I order was also good. read more

Favorite breakfast place ever! You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Homemade biscuit and jam are a must for a side. Shrimp and grits are a favorite, but so is everything else! Love having this place in Normal! read more

The food and service are both great!! The fun of the wait staff make the visit that much better. The food is very inventive and delicious. Definitely worth the wait which is often necessary. read more

I've been here a couple times. The food is good and the portions aren't to bad either. I think a few of their dishes are a like over priced but that doesn't mean there not good. Generally speaking breakfast is fairly cheap to make right? read more

OMGoodness the best breakfast in Illinois! You have to try the Chicken & Waffle! The chicken is super tender inside, hand-breaded crispy on the outside, with this amazing cinnamon butter, chipotle maple syrup, and green onions on a delicious waffle. I get this every time because I can't imagine having anything else that tastes this good. Although last time I ate here, I tried my daughter's Shrimp & Grits which were also super delicious!! Their coffee is really good too, and I like that you can grab a cup to drink as you wait for your table. read more

My favorite breakfast place in town. They have a whole section called "Get Weird" and, yes, I'm into it. I honestly have not gone wrong yet with a meal choice (although I miss the skillet potatoes over hashbowns in the skillets). Go early or you may have to wait, but I find they get customers through quickly. read more

Wow! Fort Jesse Cafe is back with new ownership. Very excellent unique food with very friendly staff. The southern inspired breakfast and lunch dishes are all made from scratch in-store. Almost always busy, but well worth the wait. Will recommend. read more

My girlfriend and grandma and myself decided to try out this place. Walking in the place felt different than most diners. Rather the old country diner feel it was more like a contemporary take of diners. We sat down and the first thing I noticed was how tiny the menu was. It was a page long with about 6 items on either side so if you are picky about your food you might want to go elsewhere. I am a picky eater but I was able to find something to eat with the chicken cordon blue. When we got the food it looked appetizing and was cooked well. The fries were good and seasoned well and my sandwich was steaming. That being said the chicken was dripping with grease. It tasted well but the greasiness was off putting. Overall it was a pleasant enough visit and good food. read more

"Good breakfast" but nothing super special. Food is good and restaurant looks like a family owned place. Long wait, about 45min in line. Not sure if thats worth for a ok food. read more

Food was great. Service was good. I had the cornmeal pancakes topped with Cuban pork, blackberry jam, and almonds. My friend had the monte cristo. Both dishes were very good. Breakfast here is really good also. I wish they would serve breakfast all day since they are only open until 2:00pm. Breakfast stops at 11:00am. Parking is very tight. I would suggest this restaurant to anyone. read more

We went there after they were just open . We had to wait a bit for breakfast but the prices were spot on and the staff was great ! I hope they stay !! read more

Good food but still doesn't meet the standards of Zorro's.

Hands down the best breakfast place that I've tried in BloNo to date. Food is priced well for the portions they serve AND the food tastes great. The servers come around often to make sure you are doing well and they don't make you feel rushed. The only thing I have to say that isn't positive about this place is the wait to be seated but it makes sense when you realize that it's the best breakfast diner in town it is worth it. read more

Very good gumbo and shrimp and grits. Also try the chicken and waffles. Coffee is good too and very friendly staff. I love this place!!

Great food, happy waiters and waitresses, they actually make such a hard job look like fun. Had the turkey panini with raspberry jam, fresh sliced turkey breast and bacon. It was Awesome! Fries lightly droned and cooked to perfection. I will be back! read more

Quite frankly, not worth the wait. First you arrive at the café and you see a huge crowd of people waiting outside the door. Then you walk in, put your name in and they tell you it's going to be an hour wait. Grumbling and hungry, you sit down, ready for the long haul. After longer than eternity (a time frame only acheived when one is hungry) they call your name and they sit you at a table and give you the menu. The options are underwhelming. You order drinks and food, wait a while (remember. . . you're still hungry) and then they bring out a plate of food. The food is executed pretty well, but not nearly well enough to warrant the wait. read more