The best burger I have ever had!!! I mean maybe I've had better I don't keep track but this was a really tasty burger. The mac-n-cheese needs improvement, however, with the combination of fantastic service and the amazing burger it was a five star experience. Went back there again and got the trout dish. Was ok... Not really impressive but I think fish isn't their thing... Their service is good though so props for that. read more

My wife and I visited after hiking at Griffy Lake in the morning. Our waiter was very polite and he was very helpful with assisting my wife in picking something that was dairy and gluten free. She enjoyed her club sandwich with avocado, and I enjoyed my red beans and rice with sausage. Good stuff! read more

This was recommended to us by a lady passerby on the street and it did not disappoint! We loved it! I ordered the Ararat Chicken Pita with Home fries and loved it. I tried the Cajun steak fries and Mac and Cheese and enjoyed both of those as well. They have a fun drink menu too. Unless I was missing it, there was only a one stall ladies room, so that was kind of a hassle, but not enough to not go back. And again, I could have been missing the main one! read more

Popped in for a late lunch after a business appointment. Hostess and wait staff were very pleasant and knowledgeable. The dark wood atmosphere provided an elegance to the establishment. The Cajun liver pate is off the charts though not as spicy as I had hoped. Served with chewy and crusty slices of French bread, it was an ideal palate pleaser. Now - let me get serious. I'm a bonafide, dyed in the wool, self proclaimed Shrimp & Grits expert. The Uptown version is perfect. Six large, succulent shrimp cooked to perfection leaving them moist and chewy bursting with shrimply flavor, paired with slices of grilled andouille sausage nestled atop a creamy bed of cheesy jalapeño grits. Just enough heat as a counterpoint to the sweet shrimp. Honestly, I don't know when I've savored each mouthful with such delight. The nitro dark beer was a perfect complement. I couldn't be mare satisfied. read more

One of our all time favorites. Went there tonight. Their specials are always good. My son had the ribeye and it was excellent. I always get the wedge salad. Very good and hardy for a salad. The Mac & cheese side dish is amazing. Their crab cakes are excellent but pricey. Service is good. They don't carry Dewars Scotch or a Sauvignon Blanc by the glass. We will forgive them for that. Try the pot roast, the Louisiana hot pepper chicken, the crayfish ettouffe, the bbq shrimp...all excellent. They have special during the week that save $. Love this place. read more

One of the best places in Bloomington. The meatloaf is delicious! Great spot for breakfast or brunch! Service is usually great! You cannot go wrong with uptown! read more

I love love this place. I was there for my birthday this past weekend and enjoyed the West African Peanut Stew, which is out of this world, and the creme brûlée. Never a bad experience here. read more

Uptown Cafe - African Peanut Stew - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Wow, what s find. There is one of these in almost every small town that has a major university. Tremendous service incredible food. Awesome meal!! read more

Best place I've had food in Bloomington. Everything about this restaurant is fantastic. The staff were nice, the wait was short (for a Sunday brunch) and the food is amazing. 10/10 I highly recommend the Creme Brulee French Toast. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu but that french toast is amazing and I have never seen anything like it anywhere else. read more

Probably one of the best breakfast places in town, and they don't do to shabby a lunch or dinner either. I almost always order off of their daily specials, as they do change rather frequently. I can't honestly say that I've ever had a bad meal here, and I used to eat here almost weekly through college. Also, if you're a soccer fan, the bar here is one of the best places to catch a game, and they get almost all of the soccer channels, so you can even find some random European games too. read more

I went here a few years ago, back when I was an undergrad, and now that I'm older and have a wider palate for food I decided to come back to it and get away from The Irish Lion or Crazy/Trojan Horse that I normally stick to near the square. I've been in a mood to branch out lately, though I still fully stand by the Lion, and either of the horses around Btown's square. So anyway, Uptown Cafe! Recently expanded so the place is huge now. I've always traditionally liked the decor; it's got an old time-y noir style to it, in my opinion. Wooden floors, booths half sunk into the wall, and so on. I mean, it's not one hundred percent spot on about the noir thing, but I still get the feeling from it. My friend and I were quickly seated, right in the middle of lunch, and our waitress quickly saw to us. Our waitress was--well, she was attentive, I will give her that. She wasn't the most polite lady, and was very brusque, but she was attentive and did ensure that everything was kept filled / that we were okay which, hey, is what you want in a meal! I ordered the meatloaf sandwich with mac and cheese on the side with a hot toddy to drink. My friend ordered a meatloaf sandwich with mashed potatoes, cuban black bean soup, and a ginger ale. So! The meal, the big thing that makes or breaks a restaurant (in my opinion; I can survive the worst servers and terrible decor for great food)! OPINIONS! Well, things didn't look too good at first. My friend got his cuban black bean soup, took a few bites, chewed thoughtfully, and said "I'm not sure what makes this Cuban." He took another bite, a few more moments of quiet chewing, and then said, "Or soup, really." Basically, the Cuban black bean soup was just--well, black beans, with some soggy celery cut in. Nothing to write home about. BUT THEN, OUR ENTREES! A thick slab of meatloaf (Without sauce! My sensibilities were baffled by a meatloaf without sauce coating it! My mom and grandma would have fainted!) on top of a hearty bun, with a chunk of lettuce, tomato, and mayo on top of that. And holy moly, it was good. Like--I wasn't expecting it to be that tasty. And normally, when I get a sandwich I can only manage half of it because I am as a rule unimpressed when it comes to sandwiches, but I ate that whole thing. My friend ate all of his too, dipping it in his mashed potatoes, and declared it delicious. My Mac and Cheese was good too -- no Shapiro's mac and cheese, but good Mac and Cheese nonetheless. No comment on the hot toddy. I'd never had one before, and didn't find it particularly impressive, but I honestly don't know if that's the bar or the fact that hot toddies aren't my thing. I'm very picky about my alcohol, so I don't doubt it's just me not liking hot toddies. Over all, I want to go back and try their breakfast selection--I remember I liked their creme brulee french toast back in undergrad, but I do recommend going in at lunch and trying the meatloaf sandwich. The salmon wrap also looks interesting, so--if I arrive too late for breakfast, maybe I'll grab that! Anyway, I note that Uptown is totally worth a look. Have a go if you're in the area. read more

This is one of the best restaurants I have been to in Bloomington. I went for breakfast and had eggs benedict, and it was incredible. I highly recommend it for breakfast! The food was great, service was good, and the decor was cool. This is always a good choice! read more

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

Older crowd. Relaxed atmosphere. Hometown comfortable. Way nicer than a diner, but not a classy restaurant either. The waitstaff were busy but efficient. This is the kind of place a college student would take their out-of-town visiting parents to eat at. Nice African-American themed art decor. read more

Stopped in for lunch and it was delish. DH had the salmon wrap which he loved. I had the veggie sandwich which was scrumptious but rich. This is one of my favorite spots when we visit town read more

I don't know why this is rated as one of Bloomington's top restaurants, the food is bland. I ordered the grits and they were the worst grits I have ever had. Also, every time I have gone there, I have had to deal with a bigoted customer. 10/10 don't recommend. read more

The food is nice, the service is great, the prices are ridiculous. The decor is blah and it smells moldy. Wouldn't necessarily go back.

This is consistently the best restaurant in Bloomington, hands down. The bar is also a great place to watch soccer while enjoying excellent drinks from bartenders who actually know how to make a drink. As a long time resident, I can attest that isn't always the case here. Living in a college town has many advantages, but service or drinks from first time waiters/waitresses/bartenders isn't one of them. Uptown is a welcome exception. Can't go wrong with the crayfish étouffée, gumbo, cheddar jalapeño grits or Cajun meatloaf. Everything at breakfast/brunch is good as well and their Bloody Mary's with House made tomato juice won't disappoint. Just do it. They get better every year. read more

We went here when visiting family--who are frequent-fliers to this restaurant. The menu is mainstream with many unique twists. We all tasted each other's dish because it was so difficult to decide. While my chicken pita was good, I have to say the french toast was AMAZING. I will remember that dish for a long time.... Really, they should serve it as a dessert all day long! read more

Bloomington's only soccer bar and currently my favorite restaurant in town. This is THE place to watch soccer. With that said, keep in mind that they do not show other sports if there is a soccer match being televised - which isn't a problem for me, but might be an issue for some. If you come for brunch, definitely get the home fries! Most of the dinner entrees are Cajun influenced (seems like a lot of people don't realize this). Seafood gumbo is great, but the polenta is by far my favorite. Creme brûlée is delicious. The staff is super knowledgable and friendly. Bartenders really know their stuff. They have an extensive alcohol menu and the drinks are always on point. They even have a sommelier! How many places in Bloomington can say that? While many places in this town seem to go downhill over time, this place continues to get better and better with age. I'm impressed! read more

I went there twice, and I enjoyed both brunches. The creme brulee French toasts were outstanding, while the pancakes with cottage cheese were also very good. Coffee was good too. The place is a bit large, and there is a lot of going in and out. But the food really makes it worthwhile. Service is fine. read more

Well, if I could, I'd give this a 2.5 stars. Just average. The main reason is that it seems a little pretentious to me, which was not what we were looking for. (That's NEVER what we are looking for). We were in town for the Hilly Hundred bicycle ride, and Saturday dawned cold and rainy. We were looking for a warm, cozy place for breakfast, to see if the weather would clear off enough to ride (it didn't) and we chose the Uptown Cafe' based on previous Yelp! reviews. Upon entering for breakfast, we got the feel that they were open for breakfast, but hey didn't really WANT to be open for breakfast. We felt lost at first about where to sit, etc. Once we were seated, our waiter was very helpful. I had a potato omelette, and it was tasty, but not spectacular. I also felt the food was overpriced. I WOULD give them a try for dinner, though. read more

Uptown is one of the best breakfast spots in Bloomington. When I go, I always get the creme brûlée French toast, and I can't even explain how delicious it is. Hands down the best French toast I've ever had, albeit a little overwhelmingly sweet. If you go to Uptown, you HAVE to get the French toast! read more

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

Part of my experience here should be featured in a sketch comedy! I came here with a bunch of co-workers and several of us ordered steak and fries. When everyone else got their steak and FRIES, I got served steak and RICE. Conveniently I was also the only Asian person present. Just to make sure I asked my companions if I somehow said "rice" by accident. Nope... they all confirmed that they distinctly heard me say fries. I should probably still give them the benefit of the doubt since I do talk too fast from time to time and in all honesty I'm more amused than offended, but this could totally be taken the wrong way.... Other than that, the 18 oz boneless rib eye was quite hearty, mostly due to its sheer size however. There wasn't a lot of flavor from neither seasoning nor the actual meat. The actual cooking part could definitely be improved as well, but considering we weren't in a big city nor a legit steakhouse, the quality was more than adequate. The calamari was also a great appetizer, and I'm a fan of how they make the sauce look like a spider web! read more

Uptown is always a great place to visit and by far one of the more quality places to eat in Bloomington. Quality comes with a price so be prepared to bring your cash, except on Wednesday when you can get a great deal (special menu) for $16 and $3 draft. Breakfast is also my very favorite the Michaels potato's are a must .. I always add peppers and white cheddar. Bacon crisp and eggs basted can't beat the flavor that comes to the table. Shrimp and grits are also one of my faves. If there is a wait swing over to the bar side for open seating...service is almost always superb and parking ugh! Metered almost everywhere ....until the city of Bloomington gets a clue this is always a downside to downtown Btown. read more

Uptown Cafe - Special order oysters for Mardi Gras - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Walked in for a late lunch after seeing that they had wi-fi and hoping we could hang out at the bar after we ate. The bartender seated us and took our order, which is usually a sign of bad service to come, but he was always quick to check up on us and fill our glasses. My salmon wrap was delicious... real salmon, grilled crispy, well-seasoned, with fresh veggies and aioli. Yum. I had the mac and cheese as a side which was kind of soggy and disappointing, but I didn't need any more food anyway. M had the red beans and rice which were under-seasoned but a little hot sauce fixed that problem. The only problem was the wi-fi... since they expanded into a new building, the brick wall blocks the signal and we couldn't pick up anything at all. The bartender said even in the old space the signal was weak, and now it's pretty much nonexistent. Other patrons were having the same issue as well. Not a huge deal, though... we managed to get a good meal and were off to find another place to park ourselves and work. read more

So delicious and reliable for so long. Just for the record, I invented and recommend the "Hoosier style" gumbo.

My girlfriends and I decided to check out the 4th Street Art Festival this past weekend and were looking for a place to eat lunch. As we were hunting on our phones for a place, a family overheard us talking and recommended the Uptown Cafe. We were only a few blocks away so we headed in that direction. We were seated right away in an area next to the bar and with the festival in town, they weren't super busy. Once we looked over the menu, I decided on the Ararat Pita with the mac-n-cheese. Erin ordered the same sandwich but chose the Michael's Home Fries and Danielle ordered the Cajun Meatloaf sandwich with the Cajun Steakhouse Fries. We decided to all order different sides so we could try all 3. The Pita was very good and came wrapped in foil which was great because it was a little messy. My only complaint is that perhaps it sat in aioli for a bit in the kitchen because the bread was slightly soggy on top. The tomato-cucumber-onion relish on it was very light and refreshing. The mac-n-cheese was great and I tried both kinds of fries and I liked the Michael's better. That could be because because they had sauteed mushrooms with them. Danielle's meatloaf was also really good! If I ever find myself down there again, I think I'll order it. read more

I think that restaurants like Uptown are the reason why chain restaurants exist in the United States. The food here is OK at best. It's overpriced. It's not comfortable. Service isn't that good. Seriously, choosing between applebees and uptown would cause me to pause for one second (I'd still choose Uptown), but I've just had too many bad experiences here to give it more than two stars. Food seems like it is served from a microwave, with varying degrees of temperature on the plate. I have frequently had food that was either way too salty, or not salty at all. Furthermore, it's supposed to be a cajun style place, but all of the cajun style food here is just not very good. The rice sucks and the food is bland. It's just so blah. Finally, the prices are too high. If you think, "but hey, i've had a nice brunch here." I say to you, go to the Spoon. You'll eat better for for less money with nicer servers in a better atmosphere and not be surrounded by undergrads. Also, they mess up poaching their eggs for eggs benedict. Don't be scared to send it back! It's 12 bucks, it better be good. read more

Had the opportunity to enjoy a nice dinner here with my colleagues. A very nice and upscale restaurant in Bloomington. Would recommend for a date or an outing with many old friends. If you love Cajun food, this is a great place - make sure to get a reservation though as it gets busy at dinner time. read more

This place is fantastic, the food is superb. Pro tip: Avoid the jalapeño grits at all costs. read more

Very nice dinner. Service was excellent and very nice environment. We ate outside since it was a beautiful night. I would certainly go back again. We had the Rigatoni Bolognese and Spaghetti Agliata. Both were excellent. And make sure you get the garlic bread. read more

Not many places to eat in Bloomington! But this is definitely the best all around place to eat all 3 meals. Hard to get into during the parent visit weekends. I usually get the specials read more

Today's lunch was very good. Two of us chose the salmon wraps with a side of unseasoned fries. The other meal included steak tips in a pita. Everything was delicious. Uptown, also, has great breakfast possibilities and dinner possibilities. Their burgers are always very good. The salmon dinner with the chile glaze in incredible. I highly recommend it!! The creme brulee is the perfect finish. read more

Very good breakfast. All six of us had different meals and we all enjoyed our food. I had the huevos rancheros with chorizo, which was delicious! They were very busy and service was a little slow, but they made up for it being very friendly. read more

I had the filet and it was delicious! The mashed potato's were also so good! I got a side of garlic bread which I highly recommend. Very good food! read more

Great food, servers need a bit for enthusiasm. But I've been here many times and I love it!

Ohhhh Uptown.... Where to start..? I want to love you, I really do, but I don't. Whenever I come to town, i inevitably end up at you, because of the lacking restaurant options in B-town. I will say this, your black bean cuban soup and creme brulee french toast are good menu items. However, I went here for brunch recently. My waitress was borderline rude from the get-go. I ordered the bagel with salmon. When I asked my waitress for lettuce on my bagel, she informed me that I couldn't order lettuce before 11am because it is not on the breakfast menu. What a crazy, ridiculous statement to say. She got really nice when she dropped the check off though. Not at all sneaky, my friend. Every other menu item is mediocre and this restaurant, along with FARM, only lasts because their is no where else to eat in Bloomington. read more

Wonderful atmosphere, very yummy food, awesome service, loved our time here! The menu has a great variety and the coffee was tasty as well!

Was treated here by a friend for my birthday. The food was really good but I am taking away stars because of the space. For the prices they should really make the chairs comfier and just modernize the place a bit. We both had steak; I had the filet mignon (I usually do) and we did enjoy our meal. We had a friendly waiter who was attentive. I would go back. I just want them to step it up a bit for the prices! read more

Worked In Evansville all day. I was glad I held out for a good meal in Bloomington. I had to try the shrimp and grits, and I wasn't disappointed. The sausage has a nice kick. The French bread appetizer was my weakness. I ate all four pieces. The Cesar salad was a good choice to go with the rest of my meal. Our server had the personality of Lurch from the Adams Family. I will go back again for the food. read more

Uptown Cafe - More please! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana