My favorite is the Crème brûlée French toast. It is absolutely amazing. I try and get it whenever I am in Bloomington. They only serve it till 2 pm so don't show up late. But if you do they have daily dishes / meals that are very good. Great restaurant and the service is always great too! read more

My daughter and I wanted to enjoy a taste of Bloomington , Indiana. Uptown Cafe did not disappoint. Arriving around 11 am on a Sunday and seating was available immediately. The restaurant was busy but service was great, food arrived quickly, and we never felt rushed. They have a full espresso bar. I ordered their Denver omelette and it tasted homemade. Great seasoning and ingredients were fresh!!! read more

Uptown Cafe - Denver Omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Visited Uptown Cafe for the first time a couple of weeks ago for Sunday brunch. Can't say that I'm convinced it lives up to the hype at $16.50 for a classic eggs benedict. The perception among students at IU of Uptown Cafe is that it's one of those places that you get your parents to take you when you're in town, and now I know why. Definitely on the higher end as far as Bloomington restaurants go. That being said, the prices aren't totally outrageous, especially for the non-breakfast foods. I'm sure their food is made with high-quality ingredients. On the other hand, this eggs benedict was good, but not good enough to warrant the cost. I say that because there are many other places in Bloomington--Runcible Spoon, Village Deli, and Btown Diner immediately come to mind--where you can get similar breakfast food for lower prices, especially Btown Diner, which I would argue is just as good or better tasting, but a third of the price. These eggs benedict were definitely good, don't get me wrong, but the English muffin was a little charred for my liking and overall they weren't special enough to justify the hype or the cost. I will likely return to Uptown sometime when I feel like splurging, or for a special occasion. read more

Uptown Cafe - Eggs benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Always get what you expect from this place. Great food, service and atmosphere. I wouldn't take my kids here but a

Sad that I didn't think to take a picture of my insanely delicious food! Definitely recommend the excellent artichoke and kalamata olive dip with the housemade bread. Could probably have just had that and been happy, but then, the crabcake and the filet medallions...OMG! Everything was impeccable and I have found my favorite spot in Bloomington. Cool art also, and the staff were all fantastic! read more

I used to only think of this place for brunch, because it's always delicious, but went for dinner a bit ago and man it was yummy! Their eggs Benedict combos are unique and always delicious, and best huevos rancheros in town. Their home fries are divine, life hack: add peppers and Swiss, so worth it! read more

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New to Bloomington, but our meal here was excellent. We had the calamari, the Louisiana hot chicken (pictured), and the grilled Creole shrimp (pictured, subbed rice for cheesy grits). We'll be back for sure! read more

Uptown Cafe - Creole BBQ Shrimp (with grits instead of rice) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Been for both dinner and lunch and both were exceptionally good. The waffle and fruit cup were amazing as well as the crème brûlée French toast. When we dined for dinner the steak was perfectly cooked and all the desserts we tried were delicious (the table of 4 shared 4/5 on the menu. We opted out on the flourless chocolate cake). read more

Food, service and ambiance all outstanding. Bartender was also welcoming and helpful.

End of conference dinner here - the food is very good. Our server, Mike, was top notch and good selection of drinks and entrees. We had a special "event" menu (see photo). On his recommendation I got the spaghetti agliana (had pesto sauce with balsamic vinegar and walnuts) and added salmon on top. Completely delicious....could easily have had two plates it was that good. Add a protein to that...it helps add a touch of sustenance. Conveniently on Kirkwood. read more

Uptown Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Was in town with a girlfriend who is and IU grad and before we hit the campus for a little tour we stopped in the Uptown Café. There was about a 30 minute wait at lunch on a Saturday, but it was worth it! We decided to get the shrimp and grits and the blue cheese burger and split them. It was an inspired idea. The burger was a wonderful medium juicy and wonderful with a great grilled bun and tangy blue cheese and was delightful. The grits were perfectly cooked and creamy, the shrimp was not over cooked and well seasoned and the sausage had a little spice to it that was perfect in the dish. While they were packed our server was great. She had great suggestions and brought us an extra plate when we said we were going to share. We were full and happy and ready to walk around campus and enjoy a cool day. read more

Uptown Cafe - Shrimp n Grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

We went here for our fifth anniversary. It's in a great spot in downtown Bloomington on Kirkwood and the inside is beautiful. I loved all the black art on the walls and the comfy private booths with candle light. This place is known for its creole cusine, so that's what we went with. I got the Andouille and chicken gumbo with basmati rice. You can sub the rice for mashed potatoes for $1, they call it "Hoosier Style" but my family is from the south and has been cooking these dishes for years, it's made for rice, so that's what I stuck with. My fiancé got the Crawfish etouffee with rice. Both dishes had GENEROUS portions of meat and were well seasoned. It was so so good. We also got the smoked salmon paté as an app and it was delicious! Uptown also has a bar connected to it and is known for their speciality cocktails. I had the Piso Punch with my meal, which was very good. After dinner we walked over to the bar side where I got the Sherry, it was good, but there was more ice and fruit in the cup, than drink itself, so that was frustrating. The drink menu also feels overly complicated in comparison to the rest of her menu. The menu is pretty straight forward and all the foods are ones that would be widely known. The drink menu, however, spends a lot of space listing long names for spirits when they could just say "tequila," "gin," etc. It was only a turn off because when asked about the different spirits the bartender seemed annoyed that we didn't just know what they were. Maybe other patrons did. We may not be that fancy. ‍ Lastly, a word about the service. It starteflf off really great, but as things picked up both on the restaurant and bar side, service went down hill. I had to ask a different waiter for our check and for more water. Our waiter on the restaurant side walked past us three times (despite us making eye contact and waving) after checking on all his other tables. Our bartender gave us our drinks and then spend the rest of the time at the end of the bar chatting with friends. Which is fine, the bar wasn't busy at all, but when I've got to ask a other bartender/waiter for my check, another drink, water, etc. it's not a good look. Overall, I recommend this place. The food is so so good, the portions are generous and the atmosphere is nice, I just hope you have better service than we did. The food is easily 5-stars, but the service is 2-stars. read more

Uptown Cafe - The Pisco Punch, topped with a cute flower! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Seafood gumbo is delicious and service is second to none! Highly recommended. Will come more. read more

Delicious! It's been a few years since I've been in here, and I wandered in by myself for dinner at the bar this week. The Uptown Manhattan was just the thing to take the edge off a rough few days, and my chicken andouille gumbo arrived in lightning speed. I ordered it "Hoosier style" with mashed potatoes instead of rice, and was totally happy with my decision. An upscale place for Bloomington, but a laid back vibe. read more

Uptown Cafe - the Uptown Manhattan - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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What a great place. I was there on a business trip this week and we all went out to dinner here. The place was popular even with the University not in session. I had the crawfish etouffee and it was delicious. Who would have guessed Cajun in Bloomington, Indiana. Everyone enjoyed whatever they ordered. The service was excellent and the casual atmosphere made it very enjoyable. read more

This is the place to order anything off the menu and be overjoyed at the level of care and flavor and attention that is on your plate. The music along with the atmosphere hits just right every time i go. If you ever love to reward yourself then go here and be happy. It's worth every minute, every bite. read more

The new lunch menu is terrible. I overheard the dinner menu is changing tonight. A staff member told a patron "we were told to be prepared for upset guests over the menu changes". Why in the world would they change the menu knowing this would upset guests. I'm baffled! read more

We enjoying going to the Uptown Cafe whenever we are in Btown. I usually get the same thing, the spaghetti with the blue cheese, pecans and balsamic. It's very unusual and quite yummy. My party had the pot roast, seafood gumbo, and the Louisiana hot pepper chicken. We shared the blackberry cobbler for dessert. Everything was good. Large portions. A tad pricey but nothing terribly unreasonable. It's nice dinner for something fancier than the nearby pubs. read more

Uptown Cafe - Agliata pasta. Spaghetti, pecans, Gorgonzola and a balsamic sauce. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Great atmosphere, delicious food and attentive and friendly service. A great place in Bloomington.

I went to Uptown multiple times for breakfast over my years attending IU - it's good for sure! Nothing great. Certainly it is always packed and you're most likely going to have to wait a bit for a table. The location is awesome and right in the heart of Bloom. Overall though, I wasn't drooling over the brunch. read more

Great breakfast in Btown that gets you away from the craziness of village deli and runcinble spoon (love these places but they are always so packed). read more

Went for my birthday and Wendy was our server Absolutely amazing, couldn't ask for more!!! read more

In town for the NCAA regional championship, ran across this spot. It was really nice and was seated quickly. The shrimp calamari appetizer was great! We ordered the fish and chips, shrimp and grits and seafood gumbo was packed with goodies, it was more than enough so I have a good leftover box. We got the order of bread late after noticing everyone had some on their table‍ read more

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This was my first visit to Uptown Café and I highly recommend! I had the eggs Maryland, and it was fantastic! Also, our server,Lilly, offered impeccable service by anticipating our need before we realized we even needed it! read more

You wont be disappointed. Worth the money. Great food and great atmosphere in general. read more

This was my first time going to uptown cafe and it was wonderful!! We had one of the best servers I've ever had in my entire life. Her name was Julia Pearl and she was there for our every need, she was kind, and she kept up with us and many other groups! This girls deserves a raise ASAP! 100% recommended to go to uptown cafe! read more

Uptown Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

3.5 rounded up to a 4. I've been to Uptown three times now - once for HH, once for dinner, once for brunch. Skip Uptown for HH but dinner and brunch are a pretty good option! I was primarily unimpressed with HH because an order of fries was $5 and it was such a tiny portion. I did like their grapefruit radler + gin drink though. For dinner, I had the Kyuuri Tuna (Yellowfin tuna seared rare and sliced, pickled cucumber salad, tsume, and wasabi) - this is in the appetizer section, but I wasn't too hungry so it was the perfect portion for me. I really loved the tanginess/sweetness of the sauce/veggies. Really nicely balanced so the dish was really light and refreshing. For brunch, I ordered the Number Two (Two eggs, Michael's home fries, and whole wheat toast + a 6 oz filet): It was a MASSIVE dish. The filet was nicely done. The home fries were a little on the soggy side (The Owlery has the best potatoes in town) but still tasty. Heads up, it's incredibly busy at Uptown for brunch so either make a rezzie or go to the bar where it's first-come-first-serve! Service is always great here, regardless if you're sitting at the bar or a table! read more

Uptown Cafe - Tuna app - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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The perfect creole restaurant if you don't know what creole food is. Bloomington doesn't have any 'real' fine dinning so this will do in a pinch. Clean dining area, polite wait staff, prices aren't outrages but use your best judgement when it comes to market prices. My advice is stick to the steak and brown liquor. read more

Went there for brunch day of IU graduation. Service and the food were both excellent!

Amazing service and even a more amazing meal. The Alfredo with shrimp was absolutely delicious and I recommend it again. It was also very filling! read more

Uptown Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Always a favorite when visiting Btown. Shrimp & Grits are amazing! Great for breakfast as well.

I LOVE uptown! It's a little pricey but the taste of the food is exceptional, it's unique enough that it's fancy but it's not totally weird (like peanut butter burgers). I've been here for job interviews and first dates. I guess you could just pop in but it's a little formal for that. read more

When in Bloomington, I definitely suggest that you stop in. There were quite a few cajun-inspired offerings on the menu, and the shrimp and grits is my favorite. Depending on the time and day you are there, the menu may vary ever so slightly, but the flavor of everything is just as delicious. *A weird thing to add is that the restrooms are HUGE.... like, huge! And very clean and cozy, however, there are only 2 for te entire restaurant. So I'd actually be an advocate for downsizing the 10x10 single restroom space for more stalls. Other than that, 3 thumbs up... lol read more

Uptown Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

We ate here for two meals during parents weekend since it was the only place that would even take our name ! I am in between, dinner was great and our servicer was great. Breakfast on Sunday was crazy , but they did the best they could to accommodate. Not bad , food was good and they where very nice ! read more

Hubs & I haven't liked grits in the past but omg these were delicious & all the other food we got was delicious as well! Mimosas are always a plus read more

Uptown Cafe - Mimosas - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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First time trying this restaurant on our weekend getaway. I was extremely pleased with my pick of the Sam's Benedict . It comes with bacon, 6oz strip steak(done to your liking), and tomato. It is served with a side of (fries) potato wedges. An interesting twist is the mushrooms that come with the fries. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit but waited what seemed to feel like a long time to get menus and order but I would definitely come here again! read more

Uptown Cafe - Sam's Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

We went to this location twice on my weekend getaway in Bloomington, once for dinner on Friday and again for breakfast Sunday morning. The Kalamata and Artichoke Dip w toasted bread was delicious, definitely recommend as an appetizer. It had a torched Parmesan crust that really added to it. Good size for 3-4 people as a starter. The Razzle Dazzle was a decent drink, but their May Day mocktail was syrupy (we realized later it was because of the almond syrup but I think there was a bit too much). They have a special creole section of the menu. I got the creole BBQ shrimp and my girlfriend got the shrimp and grits. Both were lacking flavor and spice that you'd expect from a creole dish, which was surprising considering it was a special part of their menu. Service was adequate until we got ghosted for about half an hour waiting for the check. We sat inside and it definitely gives off an upscale vibe, but I think they go overboard with the prices and charging even for bread. The best part of dinner was the andouille sausage from my girlfriends grits, which prompted me to get the andouille omelette. Unfortunately it was lacking in the amount of sausage so I was disappointed. The waffles were good and the African nectar tea was tasty. Overall I think this place abuses the upscale vibe to gouge prices and does not deliver on flavor. Probably a go-to for families visiting their children going to IU but I wouldn't go again. 2 stars for the great location and the artichoke dip. read more

Lordy what a magnificent meal!! West African peanut stew with shrimp. You do not find creative meals like this anywhere. From my house salad with a homemade mustard vinaigrette to my wine to my entree. WOW!!!! Thank you for the social distancing and the staff in masks. I felt very safe and comfortable! Cannot wait to come back! read more

Galen, Thanks for the note. I did say something to our waitress about the improper cook of the eggs. I did not however say anything after the meals arrived overcooked. I don't expect a refund and did not ask for one. We just now know that's not something to order off your menu again. That however will not stop us from coming back in. Uptown is a Bloomington Legend and there are plenty of other great things on the menu..... read more

I went for a special occasion for a friend's birthday. The food is very expensive and the seafood gumbo wasn't my favorite but it was okay. I will have to try a different meal from them. The bathroom was very nice and clean. read more