BEARCAT CAFE UPTOWN — Restaurant in New Orleans

I'll start by saying I really, really wanted to love brunch here this morning! Bearcat has been recommended to me several times, but I hadn't made it over until today. I was meeting a client for brunch and this was her suggestion- she hadn't tried it yet either so we happily agreed to meet there!

I arrived about fifteen minutes early (as you do for client meetings) and I was told I couldn't be seated until my client arrived. There was no line, no wait, and a LOT of open tables inside, but no biggie! I totally get that policy and it's pretty common here. HOWEVER. I was told I couldn't come inside until she arrived. It's a Tuesday, 48 degrees and windy outside. I asked if I could at least wait inside, and she said I needed to stay outside until my whole party was there. Repeat- it wasn't crowded. There wasn't a line. There were multiple open tables. And it was so cold! I was also only waiting for one other person!! I told her I was cold and would be waiting inside, and she rolled her eyes, huffed, and said "you can order a coffee at the counter if you want to go in". I've never been to a restaurant that didn't want me to come inside but oookayyy. I went and ordered a London fog and sat on an empty couch while waiting for it, directly next to an empty table. After a few minutes, someone else brought it to me in a really hot, handle-less mug. Super cute, love the hand-made artisan thing, but I couldn't hold it. When the girl brought it she even apologized and said the cup was hot. I quickly set it on the (still empty) 4 top next to me. That solicited a glare from the hostess, so I said "I ordered a drink, may I have a table now?" She said, "is the rest of your party here?" Guess that was a no then. I pointed and started counting the open tables- there were seven. She said "it has nothing to do with that", spun on her heel, and walked away. The whole vibe was just so unwelcoming and SO DANG RUDE, I really truly wanted to leave. Again though, work meeting. My client arrived and had brought her fiancé (this was a meeting for their wedding), and we were seated at a table back by the restrooms. Fine.

Ordered our food... it was okay. I had the pancakes. I think my clients liked theirs. But it definitely didn't make up for the downright rude hostess and seriously unwelcoming, pretentious vibe. There were multiple staff members there- still between 5 and 6 empty tables for the entirety of our meal, AND a full counter of empty stools back by us. There was no reason to keep me from even coming inside. That just really threw me. Again, I've never been to a restaurant where I'm not allowed to go inside without a wait or crowded waiting area. I didn't know "we don't do indoor waiting" was a thing. I probably would have ordered a couple drinks and an appetizer for the 15-20 minutes I was waiting, and FINE, even if you don't want me waiting at a table at least let your guests come INSIDE?! weird.

If you made it this far, awesome. I won't be going back- that was enough for me. Too bad.. I treat a lot of clients to brunch while going over wedding timelines and would love to spread out to different places. PS, the London...

This is not an all vegan establishment. I swung by this location on Sunday after craving biscuits and gravy. Everything on the table is vegan aside from the latte and potentially the mimosa. Pictured is quesadilla, breakfast potatoes, biscuits and gravy, and pancake.

Mimosa - Your normal bubbly with fresh squeezed oj.

Breakfast Potatoes - This brings the addictive crispy potatoes up to another notch. The sauce brings tartness. The pico brings freshness to cut through all the starch. And avocado to give a bit of creaminess. This was really good but I think I like the crispy potatoes as is.

Blueberry pancake - This comes with vegan butter and vegan syrup. I was mind blown that I didn’t have to specify that. Much thanks to my server on that day. I’m not a huge fan of pancake to be honest, but I definitely loved this one. The batter wasn’t too dense and the blueberries makes it bright. Spread some butter on it and bathe it in syrup and it’s pancake heaven. Also if you’re anything like me, you can order one single pancake which is what I did.

Biscuits and Gravy - Oh my goodness. I’ve missed biscuits so much since I’ve gone vegan. Someone on here warned me about the hefty amount of scallions that comes on it and yeah that is a lot. I scraped most of it off. Creamy sauce with the right amount of savory. Tender biscuit but not soggy.

I didn’t try the quesadilla since I figured it’s the same as the breakfast burrito I had a couple of days earlier and while that was good I won’t be getting it again.

This location has a larger vegan menu than the CBD location. Remember that if you come on a Sunday to be prepared to wait so don’t wait until you’re hungry to arrive or else you’ll give your lunch date...

This was my first time visiting this establishment, and I have to say my experience was absolutely incredible from start to finish. The service was warm and attentive, and the food? Simply amazing. Every dish had such bold, unique flavors, and I really appreciated the wide variety of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options on the menu. I ordered the Crab Scramble with vegan eggs, which was packed with flavor. I also got a side of the bison sausage it was my first time trying bison. While I personally prefer chicken or seafood over red meat, the sausage was still well-seasoned and tasty, with subtle notes of onion and bell pepper (not sure if that was intentional, but it worked!). My mom ordered the Shrimp and Grits, and I got to try a bite and wow. It was a flavor explosion. I've never tasted anything quite like it before rich, savory, and perfectly balanced. We all shared the Bananas Foster Pancakes, which were sweet but not overpowering, with a unique flavor that really stood out. I also tried their Iced Matcha Latte delicious and classic in taste. If you're looking for a traditional, less-sweet matcha, this is the one for you. My cousin ordered the Cat Daddy Biscuit, and once again great flavors, perfectly cooked, and the sauce was on point. My aunt went with the Bearcat Breakfast, a more traditional option, but she swapped in the bison sausage, and it paired beautifully with the eggs and potatoes. The only downside? Parking can be a bit tricky, and there might be a wait ours was about an hour. But trust me, it’s absolutely worth it. Next time I'm in New Orleans, I’ll be back...