Brightside Cafe — Restaurant in Bloomington

Wow!!! Just wow!! First off the food here is amazing and as anyone with an allergy or celiacs disease knows. It's so difficult to nail simple things like biscuits and gravy, but the first bite of the aforementioned food. It took me back to my grandparents house in the country. It warmed my soul and my heart like true biscuits and gravy should, my mouth is even watering as I type this while still full!! The other items that I enjoyed are just as delicious and truly crafted with care and love. The staff were all so so pleasant and beyond kind! I'm from Alabama and mentioned that there isn't anything like this down South. When I left I, did not leave empty handed. I had a loaf of bread, t shirt, and a to go container of the biscuits and gravy. It truly felt like visiting my grandparents, you never left empty handed and you always left more full of love. Truly one of the most enjoyable dining experiences since being diagnosed with my allergy in 2013. I cannot recommend this place more! The bbq chicken sandwhich was also delicious! The bread of each sandwhich was carefully toasted but also had a thickness in consistency that I've never before seen or enjoyed in gluten free bread. As I continued along in the sandwhich, the bread never got soggy as is common with bbq sandwhiches!! Truly, the food on each plate is a marvel in the craft of cooking. I will be visiting Bloomington for years to come and will be found at the tables dining for breakfast every day of each visit. Thank you to the wonderful staff up front and in the kitchen. The atmosphere is filled with peace and love, it's just as carefully crafted as each meal. This dining experience is beyond anything else I've come to experience or expect from a gluten free meal. I would give this wonderful restaurant 10 stars out of 5 if I could! Thank you all for such a wonderful experience! I encourage all to experience the feats of wonder the food...

I had a very disappointing experience at this place and unfortunately cannot recommend it.

First, the menu does not specify that lunch is only served Monday through Friday and not on weekends. I had originally wanted to order the Cuban Blonde Sandwich (with pulled chicken, not pork) but was told this was not available on the weekend. I then tried to choose something healthier and went with the option of fruit with spinach quiche instead.

The cashier told me I could sit wherever I liked while waiting for my order to be packed to-go. I sat right in front of the counter and waited for over 30 minutes, watching as multiple people who arrived after me (both dine-in and carry-out) received their orders before mine.

Finally, I had to ask one of the servers how much longer my food would take. She asked me to repeat my order, then said it would be ready in two minutes. A few minutes later, they brought me the cinnamon roll I had ordered correctly—but instead of the fruit with quiche, they gave me biscuits and gravy, something I did not order and cannot eat.

At that point, after already waiting half an hour, I was not going to wait another 15 minutes or more for them to fix...

Decided to try this place on a Sunday afternoon. We heard that the menu is completely gluten-free which, to our delight, it was. My wife can't have gluten so it was worth the hour drive we made to try it. The place is located on the bottom floor of the fountain square building in downtown Bloomington. On the weekends, the street parking is free which makes it nice. The cafe looks like a typical cafe with plenty of seating. There's some overflow seating outside of the cafe as well. You order at the counter, then they bring it to you. The staff was very friendly and very helpful. We decided to try several things and split it all. We tried a cinnamon roll, half order of biscuits and gravy and a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit. We also tried a peanut butter bar for dessert. Everything was unbelievably amazing! We couldn't even tell anything was gluten-free. We will definitely be back and are already planning our next...