We walked in to the Yellow Umbrella on a somewhat rainy, dreary day and our mood was instantly lifted, as soon as we walked in the door, with the sight of the bright yellow umbrellas hanging from the ceiling and as the subjects in most of the photos around the restaurant and the bright yellow chairs at all the tables. You cant help but smile when you walk in the restaurant and I'm sure you will be greeted with a smile as well by the very friendly staff. You might ask, why the yellow umbrellas? I know we did. Well, the owners are fans of the show "How I Met Your Mother" and got the idea of the yellow umbrella from the show but also say it represents perseverance and a quest for dreams. The owners have had an interesting past. A husband and wife team of culinary school of Indianapolis graduates and trained chefs own the restaurant. They have worked as chefs for such places as the Indy Eleven, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and several restaurants. They returned home and started working at the location's previous restaurant then decided to purchase when it went on the market.

This is a family restaurant in every sense of the phrase. The owners do the cooking, their moms both help serve, their uncle is helping with the books and took the photography hanging on the walls and their son is a frequent visitor (at the time of our visit he was only one month old). Some of their recipes are even their family favorites! Such as their marinara recipe that is over a hundred years old and passed down from their Italian family members. Currently they are open Sunday-Saturday for breakfast and lunch and only Saturdays for their dinner menu but are hoping to expand those hours.

From what we tasted, everyone should be running there for every meal! This food is absolutely fabulous! They know how to do the classic, simple flavors but also spruce it up and have contemporary flavors and dishes. Such as the classic chicken salad sandwich we sampled while there, a delicious, chunky chicken salad, served on a wonderfully flaky croissant. Yet, we also tried a small plate from their dinner menu that was pan seared pork with a beet and a carrot puree, topped with skillet fried corn and served with watermelon gazpacho, topped with feta cheese. Tasted like something youd find at a fine farm to table restaurant in Chicago or Indianapolis. So, delicious. The mix of flavors were perfect; cool, crisp, creamy watermelon gazpacho paired with warm, crispy pork tenderloin and corn as well as the smooth, silky vegetable puree. Absolute perfection! If that wasn't delicious enough, we also had a Stuffed French Toast that was to die for! It was brioche bread stuffed with a pastry cream and topped with a blueberry and strawberry compote and powdered sugar. My mouth is watering. I could eat this every morning for sure! Good thing I dont live in Rockville, Id weigh 100 pounds more! For those who like a hearty breakfast, be sure to try the Hungry Like the Wolfe sandwich! It is a croissant crammed full of 4 scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, ham and Swiss and American cheese! A meat lovers delight!

For those of you who are coffee drinkers, be sure to pop in for one of their wonderful coffee drinks. We would recommend one of their specialties, a doppelganger cortado, an espresso drink. For those non-coffee drinkers, try a milk shake! I tried the smores shake. Oh, my gosh! One sip and I was transported to childhood (or who are we kidding, last fall) around a campfire waiting for the marshmallows to roast and then building my own smore with my chocolate pieces and graham cracker and having the marshmallow smoosh out of the graham cracker in my mouth for a sweet, melty, very messy treat. This was just like that only better, and not quite so messy!

The atmosphere is inviting and family friendly and in the summer months there is a large patio, of course with yellow umbrellas for dining al fresco. So, the next time you need a place to relax and enjoy some great food, take a stroll or a drive to Rockville, Indiana and give the Yellow Umbrella a try. Its a small-town coffee shop and restaurant with big city flare run by a superb culinary team with a passion for good food, great company and a touch of whimsy and spunk!

Be sure to tell us what you loved by sharing your experience on our social media pages!

You will find the Yellow Umbrella on the Coffee & Tea Room, Rise N'Shine and Soup, Salad & Sandwich Trails.

Blog Written by Ashley Gregory