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    Northstar Cafe

    4.3 (92 reviews)
    Closed 8:30 am - 10:30 pm

    Northstar Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    NORTHSTAR CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Northstar Cafe

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    Michelle J.

    This location feels elevated compared to the Liberty location. I definitely prefer sitting at the bar for continued service during drinks/food. Great lil spot. Live music every night.

    Kristina P.

    Northstar Cafe is pricey, but def worth the hype, imo. I went with a friend for a girls lunch which I highly recommend I got the Mexicali Salad, a margarita, and we shared a side of fries with aioli, and the pimento cheese dip. All get two thumbs up from me! Thankfully this location is right by my work so I will be back soon!!

    Breanna T.

    The drink menu was pretty solid, not a lot of food options though. But they do serve, breakfast lunch and dinner so I think that's great. This is such a beautiful space! Love the open layout and bar area. It was super busy when we went and felt a bit overly crowded in the front area so we opted to sit at the bar for full service. The Caesar salad was delicious! I also thought the fries were good, I just don't like that they came out first. I wanted my salad and fries to come out together. Restaurant was super busy so the bartenders weren't has attentive but that was expected as they had a lot of guest to attend to. Overall, I enjoyed my meal and will definitely try a cocktail next time I go.

    Cast-iron steak and enchilada
    Ashley C.

    My new favorite meal is the cast iron steak + enchiladas. It is a dinner item so do not go before 3p. I paired it with the rum strawberry mojito . This was a great after work meal . It's not too heavy with a lil spice . Service was great , and if you know my reviews you know I sat at the bar . Service is usually more efficient and more personable when you sit there in my opinion. Make sure you visit the one in Kenwood and to grab a chocolate chip cookie.

    Small biscuit and gravy
    Erin E.

    Came for dinner this time and loved the experience! We sat at the bar, which is full service. They had live jazz music and you get a free little appetizer- chips and pimento cheese. It was a nice evening, so the big doors were open to the outside. My husband loved the burger and I loved the fiore pizza! The fresh lemony salad on top was the perfect touch.

    Buddha bowl and vegetarian enchiladas
    Jaclyne A.

    Buddha bowl is always a 10/10 The enchiladas themselves for some reason were a little cold, however the beans were hot. But it was still a very yummy dish! The staff was and is always so incredibly kind, something I really appreciate about this place. I also love the Kenwood location, a very cozy environment!

    Caesar Salad
    Tasha H.

    Northstar Cafe is the perfect brunch or dinner spot. Located adjacent to Kenwood Mall, they offer a healthy take on classics. We stopped by for brunch on a Sunday and he had the Northstar Burger (veggie burger) and I the sweet potato hash. Both were delicious but the burger was the clear winner with the accompanying salad. We shared the truffle cookie and boy, that was the best truffle cookie ever! Brunch was so good we decided to come again that following week. This time we shared the Caesar salad that had the perfect amount of dressing (I didn't have to ask for extra on the side) and the Margherita pizza. The sauce was too mild and would be better suited on a kids pizza. Other than that, we enjoyed our meal including the wonderful jazz trio. We'll be back!

    Egg bagel add avocado, side potatoes
    Elizabeth Z.

    Busy brunch spot in Kenwood mall. Order at a counter and select a table, wait staff brings your food. Space is decently large with varying size of tables to sit at. Almost a coffee shop vibe that just happens to have full meals. Didn't have to wait too long for our food given how busy it was. Didn't love that sides had to be ordered in addition to entrees, but the portions were a good size. Bagel was steamed and everything seemed to be fresh for the most part.

    Fish sandwich and potatoes. No fries durning brunch.
    Joey S.

    This is my first time at the Kenwood location I do go to the Liberty location often. I came in with several friends for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The smell of wood burning outside was unique and very warm as you walk to the door. Inside it reminds me of the Liberty location but smaller. With that said the service was on par with every visit I have had at the Liberty location and the food was excellent as always. My go to is the fish sandwich but that doesn't mean it is the only good thing on the menu, I can say that I have tried a lot of other items and everything I have tried has been yummy. It can get very loud in the restaurant so if you are hard of hearing be prepared for noisy conversations that you may miss a lot of. But the food is worth it. I highly recommend Northstar, if I could give them 10 stars I would. Oh so tasty.

    Deluxe Egg Sandwich
    Scott N.

    We don't go to the mall very often, but when we do we are going to the Apple Store. We had plans to go somewhere for lunch, but Northstar Cafe was finally open. It was still under construction the last time we visited the mall. Since it was our first time we were very confused. There was a line, but not understanding it's an order first then have a seat process, we were lost. I asked the bartender about the process and it was from her we learned we needed to go back to the line and order in advance, which we did. We then had a seat. Mark went to get water for us, but I was not going to keep getting up to get water refills. The lack of a dedicated server was sorely missed. Mark ordered the Chicken & Avocado Sandwich w/ fries and I ordered the Deluxe Egg Sandwich. I also purchased a chocolate chip cookie. Mark's sandwich and fries came out pretty quick. My side of fries followed in short order. When the fries were dropped off I mentioned I did order fries, but not JUST fries. She said she understood and my sandwich would be delivered soon. Well... Mark was finished with half of his sandwich by the time I finally tracked down someone to ask if my sandwich would be coming anytime soon. I admit, though I'm sure I said it nicely, the choice of words indicated I was annoyed. She went to check on my sandwich, i.e. pick it up after it had been sitting on the kitchen counter for a while. She did apologize for the delay. Mark said his sandwich lacked flavor, but he enjoyed the fries. My sandwich was very greasy and mostly tasteless. How in the world can smoked gouda be tasteless?! Well, I don't know how they did it, but they nailed it. The bacon made the sandwich. Oh, I suppose I should have asked because I assumed the eggs would be sliced and hard boiled. They were, instead, scrambled eggs in the shape of a wedge. There was also some sort of sauce along with plenty of arugula. The sandwich was messy, difficult to eat and as stated before, greasy. The cookie was huge and bursting with chocolate chips. The cookie, as sweet as it was, had a slightly bitter taste. It was as if they included some bakers chocolate chips in the mix. That said, it was soft and quite gooey. It was a good dessert and plenty for two people to share. The place was clean and nicely laid out. The booths were comfortable, but as part of seating ourselves we nearly sat at a table that wasn't clean. No plates on the table, but there were water glasses. In my mind this made sense since I'm used to having someone stop by the table and fill up our water glasses. Mark noticed the water glasses weren't exactly empty and it became clear we needed to move to another table. I was excited to have convenient place to eat while at the mall, but we won't be coming back.

    Breakfast sausage side
    Jackie Z.

    So glad we have a northstar close to us now! (I know of the Columbus and liberty center locations as well). Generally easy parking at the mall parking lot and fast service. You order at the counter for everything, then grab a beeper and sit where you'd like with drinks as self serve. I like their food selection and the quality seems pretty good (definitely not the mass produced microwave reheated stuff you'd get at most chains). Relatively fast service as well and a beautiful wood themed interior.

    Pimento Cheese Burger

    1000/10 Experience! I really enjoyed the live music and vibe of the restaurant, which was unexpected since it is connected to a mall. We ordered the Pimento Burger and the Fish sandwich. The pimento burger was as juicy and the fries were good. The fish sandwich SHOCKED me, it was insanely flavorful, and they use brioche bread which tops it off. I'm still also dreaming about that side salad. NEED to go back and try more menu items.

    Guacamole
    Dianna S.

    This was my first time visiting, and overall it was a good experience! The food was tasty, and the drinks were great -- especially the cider, which I loved. The staff was friendly, and the atmosphere was comfortable and inviting. The only suggestion I'd make is for a bit more clarity on the menu. I ordered the chili, which didn't list raw onion as a topping, but it arrived loaded with them. Unfortunately, I can't eat onions, and since the setup requires you to go back to the counter for any fixes, I just ended up not eating it. Also, no one stopped by to check if our food was okay -- just to clear dishes and move on. Still, I'd come back again -- the food and drinks were solid, and with just a few small tweaks to service and menu descriptions, this place could easily be a five-star spot.

    Barramundi fish sandwich with the simple salad

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    Northstar Cafe - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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