Culp's Café at Carillon Historical Park — Restaurant in Dayton

Soooo, today my friends and I went to Carillon Park for brunch. There is a restaurant there next to the brewery called Culp’s Café. It’s a throwback to the 1900’s with a lunch counter, soda fountain drinks, and a trolley train to boot.

Friend one started off w/ a decaf coffee and was not pleased. It was weak for a medium roast. A switch was made to the French press coffee and I quote, “this French press is pressing on my soul….its sooo good, I need to get one.” Friend one also ordered the all American platter which consisted of two eggs, smoked bacon, sausage links, breakfast potatoes and toast. A swap was made for a pancake instead of toast. As I looked at the platter, I could tell that was some good tasting bacon by the way it looked, and I was right. It was felt that the bacon was cooked perfectly, even the fat. The potatoes were giving life. They were seasoned perfectly, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside…chef’s kiss. Although friend one prefers a thick pancake, this one was sufficient; not too thin, but still not thick enough. The downside was the sausage links. It somehow tasted watery.

Friend two also got the all American platter w/ a side of grits and fried green tomatoes. Although the grits were a little lumpy (a creamier grit is preferred), they were still good nonetheless. Friend two did not feel the same way about the potatoes. It was felt they were too crispy, verging on burnt.

Friend three ordered the chicken salad sandwich and potato leek soup. Although the sandwich was good, it was nothing to write home about. The highlight was the soup. What made it extra special was that the potatoes were smooth, not lumpy and overall very flavorful.

Friend four had the loaded shrimp and grits which consisted of cheesy grits, topped w/ buffalo shrimp, fried green tomatoes, spinach, bacon, hollandaise, a basil puree, and a sunny side egg. The shrimp and grits were delicious. The negative was the spinach. There was too much of it and did not add anything good to the dish.

Friend five ordered the brioche French toast w/ a mixed berry compote and whipped cream. Although there were only two pieces of toast, looking from the other end of the table, those were some thick pieces of French toast. The dish looked good and tasted good as well. There was enough left for friend five to take half home.

Friend six ordered the create your own omelette which consisted of ham, sausage, onions, tomatoes, spinach, and mozzarella cheese w/ a side of potatoes. The omelette was fluffy and delicious. The potatoes were thoroughly enjoyed.

Friend seven had the shrimp and grits as well, along w/ a bloody mary. The bloody mary was divine with a nice spicy kick that left a tingle on the tongue. The combination of flavors in the shrimp and grits was excellent; however the spinach was unnecessary.

As for me, I had the nectar cream soda which consisted of vanilla ice cream w/ almond and cherry flavor, and soda water. It was very good. I wish I would have taken my time to drink it slowly to enjoy it more. I also had the shrimp and grits. I enjoyed it enough to do a little shimmy. As mentioned before, I also feel the spinach was unnecessary. As I am writing this and mentioned hollandaise in the description, I am not sure I got hollandaise. Perhaps its because I swapped out my sunny side egg for a fried egg. In any event, it was delicious and I would order it again.

Bottom line, Culp’s Café is worth a try. The prices are reasonable and there are quite a few dishes on the menu that sound good. Be sure to check the hours before you go as I believe they are only open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and closed on Mondays. In the parting words of friend one, “We have dined...

This was my second time to Culps Cafe. The first visit did not start out well because I sat for twenty minutes before anyone waited on me. A nice server actually picked our table up and turned what was a disappointment into a decent experience. I reached out to the manager, Carol, and shared with her my experience. Carol and I had a great exchange and she invited me back for a second visit. Today I returned for a second chance at a first impression and it did not go well at all. Once again, I was seated and it all went downhill from there. Six servers on staff and not one of them stopped by my table to take my order or anything. I waited twenty minutes and then I left. On my way out of the door, I stopped and asked to speak with a manager and when I told him what was happening, he just shrugged his shoulders and said , sorry. I asked for Carol and another employee went and got her. Carol and I spoke again and she was very nice and apologized again, and she offered to purchase my breakfast for today, but I declined because after two visits and the very same thing happening, I just wasn't in the mood. I'm sure Carol will reach out again and we'll speak again. If you're thinking of dining here, just be aware that the service is very lackluster and Culps should consider training their staff to better accommodate and serve their guests in a much more...

Went here for Mother’s Day. Sat out on the patio. It was beautiful. There was music by frank which was really nice. The problem we had was having to wait over an hour after ordering for our food. We kept being told that the kitchen was behind which is understandable but everyone around us including people who came after us had their food within a timely manner. Our server AJ was nice until I asked about the pickle spear that was supposed to come with my veggie burger and was told it doesn’t come with my meal. So I asked to see a menu and she said,”Why? do you want to order dessert? And I said I’m not sure yet I’d like to see the menu and she got a little verbally aggressive. Any ways my meal did come with a pickle spear according to the menu. Also we were asked if we wanted a shake while waiting as we thought it was a courtesy but was charged for it . And when we asked about it we were told no it was not a courtesy and that everyone was waiting an hour which was NOT true. I will not be returning here. Also. My card was charged the full bill plus over 20% tip added prior to me signing anything. I spoke with the manager Carol Calzada, who was very friendly and resolved all of the issues we had. I really...