I absolutely love this place and I'm going to miss it so much when I graduate. This is the best restaurant to get breakfast/lunch food at! I have gone here so many times and I've tried so many things on their menu and everything has been phenomenal. The staff are so friendly and super helpful when I can't decide what to get. The food is always great and I can see why this place is a local favorite! read more

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The service was great. The atmosphere is amazing. I had a small OJ which was delicious, it has pulp! I got the biscuits and gravy which were delicious and a half order of the French toast those were incredible. read more

This was a wonderful place to stop at for a quick and filling breakfast! The restaurant was packed but the friendly Staff made sure to seat people quickly while offering excellent and personal service. Our server offered suggestions for vegan options and the the food was amazing! read more

Great service great food. Couldn't recommend a better breakfast place around here. Definitely worth the money.

The ideal wake up restaurant, superb menu offering original items, good value, and enticing simple atmosphere with lots of friendly people. Us five kids enjoyed the pancakes, hash browns, very fresh fruit, and eggs in all sorts of ways. My barbecue Benedict was especially wonderful and fixed up with the jalapeno corn muffins and fried jalapenos had me winning all day. Too few places make good use of the spicy green fruit. We didn't even make it to bedtime before musing about going back again! One of those things that sets apart the typical brunch station from the special ones. I personally noticed that most places make pancakes way too sweet; true here, my buddy ordered the mascarpone pancakes didn't need syrup. That might be my one calm with pancakes in general is that I would want more flavors that call for a little sweetness. That small matter because this menu is perfect in every way and offers so many options I will have to come back to try. read more

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Nice place inside, we went there for breakfast on Sunday. They had few specials for the season. One of them was Mac-n-cheese Benedict. So we gave it a try. We also ordered bbq Benedict with sauce on a side. Mac-n-cheese patty was good but too big. Bbq Benedict had jalapeño corn cake as a base - very good. Both came with pulled pork. The problem was - eggs were overcooked! They were like a hard boiled eggs, not even close to the poached eggs. If I go to that place again, I would order eggs, but not bennie. read more

Fort Jesse Cafe - Mac-n-cheese egg Benedict on the left and bbq Benedict with jalapeños corn cake on a right - overcooked!!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Normal, Illinois

Great food and service. The waffles are excellent. The bacon was great. The service was perfect. The Cafe was clean. read more

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

I love this place. I grew up in BloNo and this place is one of my favorite stops when I come back to visit. Heck, it's one of my favorite brunch places of all time. My first time was the cornbread pancakes with blackberry whatever, which was freaking delicious. I've also had their shrimp and grits, cinnamon rolls, chicken and waffles with chipotle maple syrup, andouille sausage chili... No matter what you order, it's gonna be great. Which is why I have no idea why they're still in that location, which is bright with natural light and nice home style wood tables, but there is always a line. And now you know why. read more

Fort Jesse Cafe - Chicken N Waffles Benedict w/ hash browns - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Normal, Illinois

I was out of town and Yelped breakfast places. This one came out on top, so I went. I had the Chorizo Burrito which was really good and filling. The coffee was OK and stayed full. The waitstaff (Taylor) was very fast and attentive. Homemade breakfast as quick as at home without the fuss! It is in an easy to get to strip mall on a main road. Their menu is quite varied including Eggs Benedict and sandwiches. Just a great local restaurant with well made food! I would not look elsewhere for a local diner - this one does it all! read more

Visiting for the holidays Fort Jesse Cafe it was recommended to me. Not impressed at all. read more

Great food and service. I have heard there is typically a wait which would be worth it! We had none!

About 2 years since my initial review, and not only has the regular breakfast/lunch menu expanded nicely, so have the specials, some that change weekly and others that change monthly...and each one seems to top the last! They are consistently making me hungry on social media while the quality and efficiency of both the food and the employees hasn't wavered a bit and that's hard for any place to do consistently. Kudos to the entire FJC family! read more

Fort Jesse Cafe - Country Fried steak over hash browns smothered with gravy and eggs (with plenty of Tobasco!) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Normal, Illinois

The food was amazing and service were amazing! My only regret is I wasn't in town long enough to try some more of the menu.

Awesome food and friendly atmosphere. They do interesting combinations of food. It is no wonder they are always busy. Our group meets here often. read more

When the staff wears chicken and waffle earrings, you know you've come to the right place. They have several Christmas specials which were all magical and I recommend you try them before the month is over. Even if you can't get there in time, that's okay. Their menu still rocks. The restaurant is very clean and staff is friendly. You'll feel at home sitting at what reminds you of your kitchen table, and start to wonder if its actually yours. HAPPY HOLLANDAISE!!! read more

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

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Ray was my server. I think he knew I had had a rough go @ life this year and I just have to say there is NO PLACE like home. This place is the ABSOLUTE undisputed best place for a meal in my opinion. As for anyone who disagrees, well...you know what to do. read more

Had a delicious breakfast to start off this Saturday morning. The special was a peach skillet and mmmm the flavors were delicious! My party also had French Toast and Grandpa's Breakfast and all had great reviews. Do recommend getting a reservation ahead of time! read more

Food and service were great, I highly recommend calling ahead for a reservation! The ice coffee with pistachio was a great sweet treat and my sister loved the Irish bread pudding special. read more

What an amazing stop on my way through town! I seek out places that have unique menu items, and I thought this place was going to be an exception to this, but it certainly did not disappoint. On the menu were a couple different fun versions of standard Benedict type plates that looked interesting, and some unique breakfast sandwiches. But their "specials" were certainly that! I ended up ordering a Nashville hot chicken skillet which was amazing (and def on the spicy side), and got an order to go of key lime pancakes.to go. The skillet had me full for long enough to where the pancakes were cold and they were still great. The server (Maria) did an excellent job keeping my water and coffee full and was super pleasant. This is a must stop in the Normal area for breakfast. I'm excited to see what the specials will be next time I'm in town read more

One of the best breakfasts ever. The lunch menu looks fabulous as well and we have already made plans to come back soon! The restaurant is quaint. It had continuous turnover of patrons. We only waited a few minutes- which is a good sign! I don't mind waiting a few minutes for food this good. Service was prompt and friendly. Ok down to the real reason this place is so amazing: the food. All four of us ordered a different plate and shared bites. Every single plate was out of this world in flavor. The Cuban pork corncakes were the highlight. There is a drizzle of jelly that surprises your tongue and delights and compliments the meal. The menu is fresh and creative, and caters to the traditional tastes as well. I highly recommend Fort Jesse Cafe!! read more

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

CHO CO (Cajun for 'WOW')! The shrimp & grits just BLEW MY MIND! The creamy, cheesy grits were topped with a fried egg, then a mini mountain of plump, juicy shrimp, fried Andouille slices and a dash of green onion. The whole affair is then, ever so delicately, drizzled with a slightly buttery, slightly spicy Cajun sauce. Likely made from a Cajun angel's tears of joy. I actually heard Zydeco in my head as I took my first few bites! I also had a few bites of my boyfriend's country fried steak - the best I've ever had. I know what I'm going to have tomorrow! Service was great. Our server warned us that the kitchen was behind before we ordered and offered some free toast to pass the time. We declined but the biscuits we saw coming out to other tables looked divine. We got here on a Saturday around 1pm and the place was pretty full. We were told it seats 70. It was totally worth the wait. Our food got to us probably 30 or so minutes after we ordered. The AWESOMENESS that appeared after our wait was well worth it. Jessica S.'s review nails it when she says 'best breakfast in town'. No joke! We can't comment on the coffee though since we had tea and soda this time. Our server was generous with refills even offering to get us to go cups. The breakfast/brunch menu is the only menu on the weekends with breakfast only type of dishes. During the week, they have a lunch menu with sandwiches, burgers, salads, plus a few brunch items from the breakfast menu. They close at 2:00! I'm already planning to pop in for breakfast carryout to drag to my desk at work and make my cube mates jealous! read more

Fort Jesse Cafe - Shrimp and grits. $7. BOOM! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Normal, Illinois

Great food that tastes homemade and great service too. Love to get breakfast here with my daughter. Ambiance is nice.

Great restaurant! Good food. I love their creative dishes. Everything is always fresh.

What an amazing little café far away in Normal, IL. I was visiting one of my best friends who is a student on campus, and she heard about Fort Jesse Café through a classmate. It's located on the edge of a strip mall, and would've been very easy to miss were it not for the crowd milling around the entrance on Sunday morning. Since their building is closest to the street, they also had corn hole (or "bags") on a mini stretch of grass that semi-wrapped around the outside, for guests to kill time while waiting to be seated. We were a party of 3, and put our name down for a 30 min wait time. Given that this was "small town Blo-No," the lines were a clear indication that FJC was going to be glorious, and it was. What we ordered: Me: Chicken Biscuit (special of the day, not on the menu). Spicy fried chicken doused in Tabasco & gravy on a biscuit + side of hashbrowns. 2 Friends: Both ordered the Bruschetta Skillet (cherry tomatoes, onion, basil, arugula, cheese curds on skillet potatoes w/two eggs. One got a side of sausage links. We had coffee all around and I was dying to also try their shrimp & grits, but my sanity trumped my gluttony that day. Next time. On their wall, there is a huge sign that says "I like big cups and I cannot lie" on a chalk board. Indeed, I prefer my coffee cups big, my chicken fried, and my brunch at Fort Jesse's :) For a place that my friend affectionately calls "Blormal", calling all Blormalites to head to FJC. read more

Fort Jesse Cafe - Sunday special: chicken biscuit (with an added side of hash browns) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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It was decent and the customer service could be more consistent. As well as more people working as well.

Friendly service with breakfasts that are interesting. , tasty and filling. The blackberry jam truly tastes like summer.

Wonderful place for a more upscale breakfast. They only take reservations but Ive never had trouble being seated

Fantastic! Had the pumpkin pancakes. Marvelous. Great service. This place is over the top fantastic! read more

Good restaurant, food was cold/ Luke warm at best. Too cramped in the interior of the cafe. Very loud, coffee was okay. Nice staff, nice decor, place is small. read more

My hubby had never been here! So I had to to take him for a early morning date for coffee and breakfast! The food here is AMAZING!! The service was even better! read more

Fort Jesse Cafe - Chicken & Waffle with a side of bacon of course! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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I was shocked when I found out that you had to have reservations on Sunday afternoon. Was looking forward to enjoying a meal

If you are in town and don't stop by this amazing place to get breakfast you are missing out. Our good friends took us to this amazing place even though they had been there the day before, it's that good with so many options that you could go back everyday of the week and be satisfied. In fact we tried to go back on our second day but the wait was to long for us to try and get back on the road and get home. We got in around 1:30 pm on a Saturday and they were busy, but we were able to get a table right away. Our server came quick, drinks soon after and then they told us about the special. Chicken and Waffles Eggs Benedict!!!!!!!!!! What, say that again!!!! That's right, 2 waffle quarters with a crispy chicken tender topped with a poached egg, hollandaise sauce and sprinkled with bacon. My mouth was watering before she finished the description, and the entire table was interested 3 out of 4 of us decided to order this for breakfast, never mind the fact that our friends had this special already the day before. This was by far one of the best things I've had for breakfast in a long time. We can't wait to go back and see what they are cooking up next time we are in town, I can't wait to try out more of their menu. read more

Fort Jesse Cafe - Let's dig into some good eating - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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Best breakfast in BloNo! The chicken & waffles and bruschetta skillet are parent favorites. The kids love the pancakes and cinnamon rolls. Service is fast and friendly. read more

I love FJC. The food has always been amazing! We tried curbside pickup for the first time, and it did not disappoint. The food was absolutely perfect! Best breakfast in Blo/No! read more

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

good, quick service. delicious food. seating area is so aesthetically pleasing. the waitresses were so nice and i suggest trying the homemade blackberry jam, it was so good we bought 4 jars of it! only 20$. read more

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Always have had great service and incredible food! Check it out, you won't be disappointed!

I was amped up for our long-awaited visit to Fort Jesse Cafe...ultimately a bit let-down. First off, when ordering "eggs scrambled with cheese" from any breakfast joint, one would expect just that: scrambled with melted cheese. In the case of Fort Jesse Cafe, they lazily sprinkle the white cheddar atop your eggs--much like McDonald's does for their Big Breakfast that the younglings adorn. Disappointment! A lot of folks at The Farm (my workplace) tell me this place fills up fast. Boy, where they ever right! We came on a Sunday morning at 7:30 and the crowd was already there! We luckily snagged the last open table, but soon after, there was a line of folks just standing awkwardly there, waiting. Yikes! Apart from my cheesy scrambled eggs fiasco, the hash browns and French toast were they standouts. Oh! The house "brown water" drink was abysmal. So bad, that we trekked on over to Coffee Hound to remedy the experience. Honestly, I don't think we'd come back. We miss our little diner back in Dallas - Pete's Diner. Sadness! read more

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I really enjoyed having lunch here. Very welcoming and casual atmosphere. The staff were friendly and the service excellent. The food is delicious and you can tell only quality ingredients are used. They add their own unique twist to traditional breakfast and lunch favorites. Lots of variety to choose from. I will definitely return soon. read more

The food choices were diverse with something for meat lovers as well as vegans. I had the turkey bacon sandwich that had a sweet homemade blackberry jam on it-fabulous. My friend ordered the Cuban and both were large portions that had to be cut to eat. Wait staff was attentive. Don't miss this one. read more

Their Southwest tofu skillet is tasty, the ambiance is cheerful, the huge windows are fabulous, and my server Sage is excellent.