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

Have the best staff working there. The food is always creative and extremely tasty! The atmosphere is great for community cohesion and support. read more

Best breakfast in town. Food is original. Staff is always friendly. Place VERY busy and has a small location. Expect to wait 20-40 mins for seating most days.. read more

Love Fort Jesse. Worth the wait and I normally won't wait. If there is an hour wait I will happily comply. Staff is always attentive and food is unique. Great breakfast options. Took some coworkers from Boston and they were amazed that BN had such a great breakfast place that wasn't a chain. My go to is shrimp and grits but honestly everything on the menus is awesome. read more

Best restaurant in town! Great coffee. Great food. Affordable price. You have to go here.

Inventive menu, friendly staff and good coffee. Will definitely be back! I got the pancakes with pulled pork, blackberry jam, etc. and it was super good. read more

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

I wish they had more options for vegetarians. The food and service otherwise was great! I highly suggest the bruschetta skillet!

Never disappointed with the food here! The chicken and waffles are fantastic! Definitely our top choice when eating out for breakfast.

I've been here dozens of times and have always had a great experience. The wait can be long but for good reason. The staff is incredibly friendly, the service is fast and the food is excellent! read more

You pull up to this cafe around peak hours and there are people crowded around the front door waiting for a table. Once you finally get in to the restaurant the place looks like an average locally owned diner. When you finally sit down you notice the freshly cut flowers on each table and the incredible food that is being eaten all around you. The menu is diverse and changes often. This place is awesome and I go as often as I can. Totally worth the wait. read more

Ok, so went for breakfast here a week ago....not impressed! Thought I would give it another try and went for lunch. Ordered a burger - still not impressed....burger had no flavor. Fries were good! Won't be going back. Based on all the good reviews, I really thought this place would be better! read more

Great food and service. A menu that doesn't over do it. Be prepared to wait just a bit in the mornings, but it goes by pretty quick.

This has become our favorite breakfast place. Everything we have had is great and the staff is very friendly. It gets busier and busier each week. We now try to get there by eight a.m. on Sundays to avoid the wait. read more

Fort Jesse Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants! The food, service, coffee and atmosphere are all amazing. It doesn't matter what you order, everything on the menu is DELICIOUS! read more

This place is way to small and cramped. They really need a bigger facility. 1 bathroom for a zillion customers too. The waits are always long and the waiting area is practically non existent. I would try it a few more times if I didn't feel so claustrophobic in there. Food is good-- but not great enough to wait in a 30-45 minute line though. Service is slow and the place is so loud it's hard to talk. With folks wadding in the "waiting area" you feel pressed to eat and run. Can't say I would go back and dine in but I might order to-go. read more

Great spot! It is close quarters, a busy place but worth the wait. Enjoy a cup of their coffee while waiting. The food is delicious, a little twist of flavor. We enjoyed the BBQ pork biscuit and the breakfast burrito. The help works well together making sure dishes are cleared, water and coffee is filled and tables are turned smoothly. The place is clean, well run and bright. Fresh flowers at each table add a nice touch. Only suggestion is to get more tables for two; you can always put two together for a group of four people. read more

Went in today and asked our waiter what he recommended. He suggested the shrimp and grits (which were great :D), but what I really appreciated was that he offered to get me something else if I didn't like it, the service and food are both equally fantastic. read more

Dude this place is just straight up mega tasty. You're pretty much gueranteed to have a bit of a wait most of the time but it is very worthwhile. 5/7, perfect score. read more

The best place to get a high quality breakfast in town. I always love their iced coffee of the day and the chicken and waffles is to die for. read more

I finally was able to make it to Fort Jesse Cafe after moving out of Bloomington just after it opened. Our party of 6 (and a toddler) arrived right around noon on a Sunday, so there was about an hour wait. We came knowing we would have to wait and were fully willing, the restaurant is fairly small. While we first sat down outside to wait, a table was leaving, and as they were walking out, their waitress ran out after them to get them their leftovers they had left on the table. I already liked this place. While we waited, we were offered coffee, which tasted amazing, and were able to play cornhole out in front of the restaurant to pass the time. Once we were seated, we ordered drinks and food and were brought them in a timely manner. I ordered the chicken and waffle and a lemonade, and everything was seriously perfect, even the lemonade was some of the best I've ever had. Every single person I came in contact with was so kind and accommodating. Would undoubtedly recommend to any and all. read more

This restaurant lives up to the hype! I finally had enough time to wait in line for this restaurant (there's always a line) so I made the trip. For a table for two we waited about half an hour which wasn't bad for a sunday morning. They offer coffee while you wait. I had the best breakfast burrito I have ever eaten! Delicious flavors, perfectly cooked and filled me up! The menu had common standards and unique options. I had a hard time deciding which item to try, they all sounded so good. I can't wait to go back! read more

My third visit to the Fort Jessie Cafe. I am not one to try different things for breakfast. I have had the Grandpa special before... eggs and sausage and hash browns. They were ok... nothing special. Today I tried the biscuits and gravy platter. I think the cook went over board with the pepper shaker... wow. Plenty of biscuits but not enough gravy to finish my plate. Not a bad restaurant but in my opinion...over rated. read more

Wonderful small cafe. It is always BUSY. Be prepared. But once we were seated, we were served right away. Pancakes are excellent. Biscuits are fabulous. read more

Green river with the chicken in waffles. Best breakfast in town hands down. Fort Jesse Cafe, keep doing you!

Great lunch, great breakfast, fairly quick service when busy. Haven't had a bad or even mediocre item on the menu. It's definitely a place to hit when visiting the area. read more

We stopped in for brunch today as we were traveling from Chicago to St Louis. The Yelp reviewers were right! Great food, nice Midwest hospitality. Best biscuits and gravy we've had in years!!!!!! read more

We've been to Fort Jesse Cafe several times now and loved our meals each time. For breakfast we've tried the biscuits and gravy as well as the chorizo skillet and the shrimp and grits. Loved every single bite of each dish. At lunch time we had their brisket-fabulous!!!! Also ordered a side of their cole. If you like a bit of spice this is great. The one thing about the Fort Jess Cafe is that if you go at tradition meal time, you are probably going to wait for a table. We try to go at off hours and have managed to right in at 10:30 on weekdays for a late breakfast or 1:00 for a late lunch. Regardless, this place is worth the wait. The food and the service are terrific. read more

After all the reviews and hype, I expected this breakfast to be the best I've ever had. With a unorganized wait system in which the time you arrive has no indication when you will be seated, the experience started falling short from the time of arrival. Our waitress was incredible nice and very good. The food, however, is average at best. I couldn't believe how much tasteless food had been hyped up. The fruit in the yogurt bowl was frozen upon serving. I assume the keen marketing and trendy style of the place have more to do with its fans than the food. read more

We always enjoy eating at this popular restaurant. They have great shrimp and grits. You may need to wait a little while to be seated, but it's worth it. read more

A delicious place to have brunch with a casual atmosphere. Expect to wait a while before getting a seat, but well worth the wait.

Best breakfast in Bloomington-Normal. Lunch is great too. The food is exceptional and the prices are unbeatable. Thank you so much to the current owners for breathing new life into this place and giving us a restaurant that we actually want to take visitors to. Love FJC! read more

Wait was predictable. She said 30 minutes and it was. Wait staff started service right away and food was top notch! We had finished eating in under 1/3 hour. Well worth the wait! read more

Other than the wait, this place is amazing! The staff are nice and the food speaks for itself. Everything I have had there has been superb. I recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for good eats in Bloomington-Normal. read more

We stopped in this morning for breakfast on a whim, and were happy to discover this gem! My breakfast mate went for a half order of the French toast and one of their delicious homemade cinnamon rolls, excellent choices. I went for their burrito special of the day, which contained chorizo, peppers, potato, onions. It was also topped with Queso fresco and green onion. Delicious! The entire staff seemed very happy, courteous, and helpful. Our waiter checked on us numerous questions times and the prices were more than reasonable. I would highly recommend anytime you are in the area. read more

What a hometown feeling restaurant. Friendly staff, great affordable food. Never a disappointment, even if we have to wait for a table.

Just had breakfast here today. There was a 20 minute wait but the food was good. I had the chicken and waffles. My daughter had pancakes, eggs, sausage and bacon. Food was fresh, hot and good. Our waitress was nice! The prices were very reasonable. The floors could have been cleaner but I would definitely go back soon!'n read more

In Bloomington for a wedding, and needed a place for breakfast. Seriously amazing food plus even better prices! Can't wait to visit again. Shrimp and grits were the best! read more

Arrived at FJC at 12:30PM on 5/191/19...there were a few (6) people waiting outside so I figured there might be a small wait. Walked in with my son and stood there for a few minutes before a staff member came over and asked how many. I said 2. The staff member told me the wait would be an HOUR. I looked at the restaurant and said there are 4 open tables right now. The staff member showed me the ipad and said they have a bunch of people waiting. There was no one waiting inside and about 6 people sitting down outside waiting. The website says they do not take reservations. My son and I left. When I contacted FJC via FB instant messenger I was told they allow people to show up, add their names to the wait list, and then leave. I was told they will then call or text when a table opens up and hope the people they call or text return. I was also told sometimes there can be between 100-200 people on this list. This is bad business. If you value your time there are other places to eat. Try Shannon's or The Original Pancake House. I will not be back read more