The Riverside area in Jacksonville is known for its unique eateries, and the Cool Moose Cafe is no exception.

I entered the cafe with three of my family members on a Saturday afternoon, and we were greeted by a friendly staff member. I expected a substantial wait time, considering the Saturday brunch hour; however, they seated us immediately.

To start off our brunch we ordered two muffins, the “Glorious” and an orange muffin which the restaurant serves “Off The Grill”. The Glorious Muffin is essentially a combination of several muffin types. It offers a cakey texture, and with each bite comes a new discovery. It has raisins and contains an orange and vanilla flavor. This one is hard to describe, but if you love muffins and a food adventure, you’ll be thoroughly pleased with this muffin. Next, The orange muffin. If you’ve ever had anything creamsicle-flavored, imagine that flavor encapsulated inside of a muffin. Yes, it’s incredible. This muffin practically melts in your mouth, bursting with flavor.

For my main dish, I chose the French Toast with a side of cheese grits. The presentation was impeccable, the slices of bread were perfectly stacked on top of each other, and, finally, sprinkled with powdered sugar. When I took the first bite of my meal, the first and only thing I tasted was egg. I didn’t have syrup with my first bite, so when I cut the second piece of the french toast, I dunked it into the syrup, and it just tasted like sweet egg. All in all, I didn’t care for the french toast. To be fair, I’ve visited Cool Moose about three times prior to this visit and have never had to send back a meal. The cheese grits had a very rich and organic taste, and the chefs were not shy with the cheese! I had the waitress bring me out a grilled cheese instead, which was gooey with American and cheddar cheese, between slices of grilled Texas toast. I’m a total sucker for a perfect grilled cheese so naturally, I loved this.

The “Cool Moose Cafe” offers a variety meals to please anyone’s taste buds. The three other people I dined with enjoyed the Cool Moose Breakfast, a chicken sandwich, and the brisket grilled cheese. They each devoured their meals and didn’t offer to share.

The Cool Moose is an excellent choice for weekend brunch and if there’s a Jaguars home game and you wear your Jags gear, you’ll receive a free beverage. Follow @CoolMooseCafeJax on Instagram to be informed of their daily specials and deals.

Image courtesy of Mr. Mike McCall.