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Category: Restaurants [Edit]
102 E Kirkwood AveMonday Half Price Wine, Fat Tues Every Tues $10.95 Dinners , Wed Home Cookin Nite $10.95 Dinners , Thur Seafood Nite $11.95 Dinners
Mon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Sat. 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
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One of the best restaurant in Bloomington.
Flavorful and well prepared food that leans a little toward Louisiana. Great steaks, salads (spinach salad with pear, gorgonzola, and candied walnuts), deserts (persimmon pudding), brunch (Eggs Hussard), service, wine list, and everything else.
They aren't quite Tallent or Scholar's Inn, but for my money, Michael's is definitely at the top of my short list.
Always come for breakfast on my annual trips to Bloomington. Great coffee, tasty, inventive dishes and friendly service.
I've been to Uptown twice, but for only one meal.
The first time was for brunch, which didn't live up to my expectations--my date and I had the creme brulee French toast and cottage cheese pancakes, respectively. Both were mushy and dull, though our sides of sausages were nice. The only bright points were the coffee, which was great (and bottomless), and the service, which was professional and unfailingly friendly.
My second visit was to the attached Uptown Bar, which was showing a soccer game my companions couldn't find televised anywhere else in town. We camped out in a corner for two hours, shaking fists and yelling (all in fun) at the screen. It was between mealtimes and early in the day, so we didn't even drink beer, much less order food--just nursed coffee, juice, and a single fruit plate between us. Nonetheless, and shockingly, the servers were unfailingly pleasant to us all morning--and when we finally asked to pay our tab, they had even given me coffee for free! Needless to say, we tipped well and vowed to return--the warm and fuzzy feeling that inspired makes me entirely disposed to give their brunch another try.
Good Cajun spot! Gotta go for the meatloaf with the Creole topping. Mom never made it so good! The black bean and rice soup was good. Others at nearby tables were raving about the Mesclun salad and gumbo (market priced daily reflecting the chef's desire for fresh fish in the gumbo). Others in my group had the pork chop (good sized and tasty) and a shrimp dish (not a crumb left on his plate which I'll take as a good sign). Enjoy!
Every trip home, I try to hit the Uptown for a Cajun meatloaf sammich, garlic mash and a latte. I envy those who can go whenever they wish.
I had my rehearsal dinner here before our wedding.
The food was outstanding, service was out of this world, and sadly completely overshadowed the wedding reception food (that was for more expensive!). Highly recommended if you're looking for a place for groups or special occasions, they can handle a big group with style.
It was a Sunday. I was nursing a hangover, and it was a two mile walk into Bloomington from my hotel. I was thinking "this place better be pretty damned good". I rolled into the Uptown Cafe around 11:00 am for a ridiculously large breakfast and some coffee with the paper, and there was a 30-minute wait. Not a good start. But I had heard good things so I decided to wait it out.
When I was seated at a table in the corner (which was luck but much appreciated), I explained to my server my situation, and from that moment on we were a team. I ordered coffee, huevos rancheros, & creme brulee french toast. It was suggested that I also try a dufrain, which is guinness with a shot of espresso. A little hair of the dog, if you will. My server recommended it as a great hangover cure. It turned out to be a life saver.
The huevos rancheros deserved an earnest tip of the hat, with corn tortillas, refried black beans, eggs perfectly done, pico de gallo, and a small dollop of sour cream on the side. It was tasty to say the least. The creme brulee french toast was definitely the trophy winner on this one, though. It reminded me a lot of a bread pudding, with a thin caramel-like glaze on top. It was so so so tasty, though a bit rich. This will definitely be a standby dish for me.
I didn't have high hopes for the coffee, as it is a small step above a diner, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was rich and full, and I didn't have to dress it up to make it palatable, which is usually the case any time I get coffee outside of coffee shops. Thank you, Uptown Cafe, for giving a rip on the coffee. Spread the gospel, please...
All in all, it was a marathon breakfast, with a great server, great food, & a cute and comfortable atmosphere. This was my first time at Uptown, but I can't imagine that their lunch and dinner could be anything less than great.
It was a bit spendy, with the final tab ending up around $25, but considering the absurd amount of food that I consumed, and the fact that my server was a star, I consider it well, well worth it.
I'll definitely make it a point to hit Uptown Cafe for breakfast anytime I'm in Bloomington.
Three cheers for Uptown Cafe!!
Wasn't really that impressed, have only gone once since we moved to Bloomington 6 years ago-mainly because our only experience wasn't that great. Tables were pushed too close together and the food was ok for the price. I think Opie Taylors has better burgers (can't speak to anything else on the menu). They are always busy (it appears) so there must be some good stuff on the menu, maybe we need to give it another shot...
Overrated Bloomington restaurant. It's good for Bloomington, but wouldn't survive outside of this bubble.
For whatever reason, this place has almost no good tables to sit at. They are all smashed in with a very awkward layout of the restaurant. If you are a 2 top, you'll sit at one of the free standing tables with the wait staff and patrons brushing past you.
The cornmeal pancakes though, now that is something truly special. My boyfriend CRAVES these pancakes. NEVER order a small glass of orange juice, you'll get it in a shot glass practically. But the orange juice tastes fresh squeezed and it's awesome.
This is the type of restaurant that I could go to once a week. They have great specials-I love Wednesday Homecookin' Night and they used to have a $2 pint night. Brunch is also excellent and they do a really good job of handling the crowds, which you can't say for a lot of Bloomington restaurants. They don't seem to have jumped on the local foods bandwagon, or at least they don't advertise it, but they have a good product. Service is generally very good. Atmosphere is nice-it's usually a little too bright, but the acoustics are pretty good so you can talk to your table even during a busy brunch.
I ate here 3 times (dinner twice and sunday brunch) on a recent week long trip to Bloomington. It was a great find (thanks yelp!) and I'll definitely go back the next time I'm in Bloomington.
Very nice menu with an interesting mix of items.. I would describe the items I tried as comfort food with a little cajun flair. I ended up eating dinner here twice. If you like beer be sure to check out the Vanilla Porter (Breckenridge Brewery) on tap.. it wasn't on the menu as they just added it. Very tasty.. and I think tuesdays and thursdays are $2 pints!
I also highly recommend them for brunch which was excellent. I had very well prepared huevos rancheros with a side of linguica sausage... yum!
Oh and try the coffee cake if you have room.. they'll warm it for you and it's very moist and tasty.
Uptown Cafe is probably my favorite restaurant in Bloomington. Yes, it is a little pricey, especially for dinner, but it is well worth every penny.
I've only ever had breakfast here once, just because I happen to believe I make the best pancakes in the world, but the one time I did have it, I remember everyone at the table being completely satisfied.
Dinner's are decent. I appreciate the constantly changing special menu that gives contrast and choice to a somewhat limited regular menu. The cajun meatloaf is my favorite so far.
My favorite meal here is lunch. I constantly walk down from work for a treat, usually about once a week. At $8 or so a lunch, it's a bit more than some other places, but it certainly won't break the bank at once every week or two. The gumbo is great, but my favorite so far has been a smoked brisket sandwich. To this date, it is the only truly well-smoked brisket I've had in Bloomington. There was absolutely nothing else on the sandwich but bread and a touch of BBQ sauce (which I requested), but it didn't need anything else.
Also, I had the cheesecake the other night. It was good, but dense and creamy. I prefer a little lighter and fluffy. They call it New York style, but let me tell you, it is not New York style. That being said, it's hard to go wrong with cheesecake! FYI though, Lennies has the best of that in town.
I worked as a hostess, bartender and wait person at the Uptown for 3 years in the early/mid 1990s and I have to admit it still holds a special place in my heart.
Yes, the prices are high for the area. Much higher than when I worked there, to be sure. But having lived in Chicago for a decade now where many greasy-spoon diners have the nerve to charge $9.95 for crappy omelettes or flimsy grilled cheese sandwiches, I now find the price for the quality of the food the Uptown offers downright cheap.
I miss the Cajun meatloaf sandwich and the potato omelette, as well as the gumbo and various specials. What I would give for a bowl of that West African Peanut soup right about now. I could do without the creepy new Irish-themed bar area (edit: it's not Irish-themed anymore!), but I will always make at least one, if not more, trip to the Uptown when I visit.
And I'm happy to report that they've finally switched the music from the same 5 jazz CDs that used to be in constant rotation there. I still sometimes retch a little when I hear Miles Davis or John Coltrane. "Take the 'A' Train" alone makes me shudder with flashbacks of students' parents bitching at me because they had to [gasp!] wait to be seated at the most popular restaurant in town.
I've been to Michael's for both breakfast and dinner--and both were very very good. Their challah bread french toast is tasty and pumpkin ravioli is unmatched to date.
It's a local treat--filled with out-of-towners, alumni and townies--with food that always satisfies. Plus, Michael is a great guy--very nice, very personable.
They are a little pricey, but the sunday brunch is great. It's actually the best I have had in town. They usually have along wait for the brunch, but you can call ahead. They have mimosas which are really good. Friendly service. Great place to come for the dining experience with a special someone.
The Uptown is the longstanding best restaurant in Bloomington. Wonderful food, wonderful service, beautiful space with art on the wall, local beer and wine. Lots of places come and go in Bloomington but over the years the Uptown has stayed consistently good. I have a lot of nice memories of the Uptown: Eating pork chops with my grandad, chicken piccata with my prom date (boy did we have bad breath), cajun liver pate and salad with creamy garlic with mom, red beans and rice with dad, carried out steaks and creamy mashed potatoes with my best friend, and a six month anniversary dinner of scallops with my boyfriend of now five years. This will always be a special place for me I just wish they'd put that chicken piccata back on the menu, totally worth bad breath!
My cousin brought me here - one of the places to bring out of towners. I had delicious french toast made with baguette and a layer of custard and my cousin had the andouille sausage omelette. It's not the kind of place where you're plied with home fries to go with your meal (you must order it on the side) but it was a treat. Efficient, friendly.
Cool local business right off the square. The food is good, tastes fresh...but I'm still not sure if it's good enough to legitimize the prices.
Classy bistro. Among the best run in town.
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Bloomington, IN
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Bloomington, IN
Bloomington, IN
Category: Restaurants
Bloomington, IN
Category: Pizza
Bloomington, IN
Category: Restaurants
Bloomington, IN
Category: Pizza
Bloomington, IN
Category: American (New)
