Sprawling oaks, grand mansions, the smell of magnolia blossoms and French creole cooking wafting in the breeze. Sitting on a covered porch, early spring, in a rocking chair, enjoying a cup of coffee while you wait for breakfast. A slower time, a slower pace of life, that’s the feel of Uptown New Orleans.
Uptown is the portion of New Orleans upriver from Canal Street, downriver being Downtown New Orleans. Trey and Ashley, owners of Uptown Brunch, traveled to New Orleans and fell deeply in love with Uptown and the Garden District.
Trey and Ashley started in the coffee business, opening Harvest Cafe in Downtown Bryan, Texas in 2014. Then a second location in Century Square, and in 2023 the third in South College Station, Texas.
After being in the cafe business for a while, they began tossing around several restaurant ideas. Soon the couple settled on the idea of a true brunch spot, unlike any other in the area. They wanted to have a taste of Uptown New Orleans in College Station, Texas - the beauty, the pace, and the flavors. When building out the restaurant space, they traveled to New Orleans and purchased pieces of renovated historic homes to give the ambiance authenticity; the window frames, cornice, and lap boarding used as decor were all brought in from the Big Easy. They hope that through authenticity their guests will be able to enjoy a piece of their favorite area; so they make everything from scratch, from the mayonnaise to the andouille cream gravy. Authentic ingredients that can’t be sourced locally are shipped in from New Orleans, the bread just to name one.
This cafe is such a fun concept. Uptown Brunch and Harvest Cafe in the same building, order at the same counter but enjoy completely different dishes. I was able to try a few things from both to appreciate the full experience.
I’d been dying for a s’mores latte after getting one at a little spot outside of Houston a few months ago. When I walked into Harvest Cafe, the clouds opened up and the angels sang. There, on their specials board was a s’mores latte. So, you know I had to try it. Smooth, creamy, chocolatey, with a hint of marshmallow; it was lucious.
Pumpkin bread is one of the top sellers at Harvest Cafe. Fresh baked, very moist, delicately
spiced, drizzled with smooth cream cheese icing. For all my PS girlies, fear not, because of its popularity it’s on the menu all year long. You can get your fix anytime you need it!
Avocado toast isn’t normally my jam because it doesn’t typically have much flavor, but when sprinkled with caramelized onions, tangy goat cheese, and toasted seeds, you can bet your sweet ass it’s loaded with flavor and next to impossible to stop eating. With a spring mix salad tossed in a light and refreshing vinaigrette on the side, this is a plate full of sunshine and summertime.
Prytania Street was a classic breakfast dish in my book. Three beautifully fluffy pancakes with fried pecans heaped on top, maple syrup and southern butter to pour over them. Then a second plate with two eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns. Now, when I asked Trey what was in that syrup, he would only say it was just maple syrup that Ashley had “doctored up.” I’m sorry Sir, that’s NOT “just maple syrup.” It was phenomenal and then melded together with the southern butter and fried pecans, oh lawd!
The Frenchman Street is smooth scrambled eggs on top of a slice of grilled ham, nestled into a puddle of cayenne beurre blanc (Trey called this crack sauce and he wasn’t wrong), then topped with a mound of house-crafted bacon bourbon jam. Next to all of that, two pieces of thick French toast, dusted with powdered sugar. The little pitcher of Cognac crème anglaise to drizzle over the French toast is similar to melted icing, but it’s not as sweet. It was rich, creamy, and delicate. The cayenne beurre blanc wasn't spicy but was full of flavor and bright acidity that balanced the richness of the French toast for a well-rounded flavor profile on the plate.
I got to try a few new items that weren’t on the menu yet. I think they have since been released.
Fried biscuits, one with strawberry shortcake whipped cream and another with pecan praline on top, was one of the fun, new dishes. This was heavenly. I loved the crunch of the warm fried biscuit in contrast to the smooth, cool, strawberry shortcake whipped cream. Then the pecan praline was a sweet and decadent pile of candied pecans on top of a biscuit and drizzled with praline syrup.
The second sneak peak was a plate of fresh biscuits smothered in house-crafted andouille sausage gravy. The gravy smothering the fluffy biscuits was smooth and creamy with a hint of spice. Then two beautifully fried eggs, bacon, and perfectly seasoned hash browns rounded out the meal.
If you’re looking for a brunch that tastes like fine dining, but has a low-key coffee house vibe, you’ve got to take the backroads then head on over to Uptown Brunch in South College Station. Tell Trey, Ashley, and the crew that I said hi! Then be sure to come back here and let me know what you loved.
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Update: Trey mentioned that one of the new menu items would be shrimp and grits, and I was excited to make a second trip to try it. Y’all, shrimp and grits is one of my favorite meals and I knew that Uptown’s would not disappoint. Large blackened shrimp, atop a sea of cheesy grits, with a mound of bourbon bacon jam piled in the middle, then that amazing cayenne beurre blanc drizzled around the outer edge of the plate. The grits had a nice bite to them along with a robust roasted garlic and cheesy flavor. The shrimp were meaty and tender, coated in the blackened seasoning. A bit of shrimp, a dollop of grits, a few pieces of bacon, and then dipped in the “crack sauce” - that’s the perfect bite! This is definitely in my top shrimp and grits plates of all time. A must try!
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