G H.

French Meadow is an ok place to grab some breakfast food in Uptown that is healthier than a sausage egg mcmuffin. I have found the cooked food to be better than the bakery items. Is the food French? No, unless you think huevos is French for eggs, but it is filling. I had the eggs benedict recently and it was satisfying for a cold December morning, but my blood pressure took a hit from the too salty hollandaise sauce. The baked goods are stale, tasteless and nothing that needs to be bought. Get your croissants and french bread at a Vietnamese bakery instead (the one boon of having been colonized by the French was learning how to really bake like the old world). I have yet to find anywhere in MN that provides scones that would rival those in England and French Meadow's doesn't even hold a candle to the ones that can be bought at the grocery store. Seating at the Uptown place is a disaster. There is simply not enough room to service the amount of people that arrive as people just don't eat and leave, but linger which causes a clog for those who have ordered but can't find anywhere to sit. I would not be surprised if they have had a few customers simply cancel the order as it arrives from the kitchen because there's nowhere for them to eat. Supposedly there is additional seating in the works, but until that happens avoid this place on a Sat and Sun morning. Organic vs. Nonorganic. Doesn't really matter to me. It tastes the same, but then what I order is usually smothered in some sauce so I couldn't tell you if there is a flavor difference between organic eggs and the reg stuff. Give it a try though there's no need for anyone to make a special trip to it unless you happen to be nearby.

Jessica H.

The wait time for something from the bar during an afternoon visit recently was borderline ridiculous. My companion and I each ordered a pastry and a latte, but her muffin had long since been eaten and her drink almost cold by the time I actually got to sit down after fetching my own goodies. Our order was on the same ticket, but for some reason the hodgepodge manner in which these orders make it to the coffee bar, and the order in which the barista prepares each order was really exasperating. I might stop by again if I'm in the area and it doesn't look too busy, but otherwise I'll head to one of the other fine bakery/cafes in the area.

Gabriel S.

Great food and family friendly. My son and I have the apple walnut bake with cream it was amazing.

Mark O.

I too have never been wowed by their dinner choices but our most recent was visit ranks as one of the best meals I've had in 2012! This was a going away dinner and everything was absolutely perfect. My dinner companion ordered the red snapper and I had the mahi mahi. Both entrees came out beautifully prepared and tasted every bit as good as it looked. Dessert we shared the chocolate strawberry cream cake and a lemon tart, both super yummy. Thanks FM for making this a perfect and memorable goodbye to a very dear friend. I just moved to the DC area & so far I haven't found anything evenly remotely close to FM. Twin Citians you have it so good, I'll be back next time I'm in town.

Rowena N.

I've been here so many times that it is time to pay my respects and write a review. Parking is little limited. They have a lot but it fits maybe 7 cars. Service is on point. I been here way too many times given it's steps from my back door of my residence. Every time I had someone different. But, never have I been disappointed. One of my close friends had a birthday get together here and they served all of us in a back room. Food: + flatbread: I had both their flatbread (one was duck and other seemed like a loaded potato type) and both were cooked on point. I shared them with friends but if I had to eat it myself, it actually seemed a lighter plate. + Burger: I had all their burgers here and all were delicious. They used to have a turkey burger that I think they stopped serving which was bomb too. It seems they change their menu every season so perhaps it might make another entrance come spring? Anyways would recommend. Fries it comes with are delicious. Not so sure about chipotle ketchup though. + The Rachel: Turkey sandwich with sauerkraut and firecracker slaw. I had this last year and legitimately this place became my go-to joint for turkey sandwiches. I love love love this dish. I also get this way too many times. You can opt to get salad, fries, or firecracker slaw on side. I would veer away from firecracker slaw. It's not what I expected (i.e., creamy coleslaw) but uses a vinaigrette so it reminds me of a small cabbage salad. Again, fries came with chipotle ketchup which wasn't my thing. But the server was nice enough to get us regular ketchup. + Curry chicken sandwich: not sure if they offer this for lunch anymore since their menu seems to change around a bit. But definitely good, light and the curry is not very strong (which actually seems a good pairing when it is in sandwich form). I got it with salad. + Tres Leche: I drool as i type this. Their tres lesche is one of the best I've had in the city. I would say that Chimbarazo is my first go to for tres leche though (they just got it more moist). However, French meadow's version is still very good. It's fresh, softly, and lightly moisten by the cream. I had this for my birthday as well when I had a small gathering with friends (b/f earned some brownie points!) Would definitely try this if you are looking for something sweet + Bread pudding: LOVE LOVE LOVE. This IS my favorite place for bread pudding. For about 4 bucks, it is a whopping slice of bread pudding. It comes with the rum-type of sauce and cinnamon, and was warmed. Perfect with their coffee. I would advise not to get it to go because they don't warm it nor do they come with the sauce. I made the mistake doing that before and I came home to a sad slice of dry bread. GET IT ON THE SPOT WITH YOUR MEAL. + Coconut cake: I love coconut and this met the nuttiness I wanted. It has flakes and cream flavored with coconut. The cake is light rather than dense. It is not too sweet. I can probably eat the entire cake. Please do yourself a favor and try it! Overall, great experience(s). Will likely be back in next week or two.

Kristina M.

All I wanted was a decent place to eat dinner and work after a long flight. This place was terrible for that. Uncomfortable seating, super annoying and confusing set up between the 2 places - I'm not even sure exactly what side I sat on, inconvenient self serve set up, and worst of all - virtually non working Internet!!!! The entire experience made me want to scream

Jake C.

The tuna melt with mixed greens was one of the best I've had in a long time. It was perfect with the cherry tomatoes and I believe it's made with no mayo, at least i didn't taste any. The latte was excellent too. If it's nice I would sit on the patio.

Jennifer K.

I always happy going to French meadow, they have great fresh food. I would highly recommend getting the Spa salad and tomato soup. I didn't not give them a 5 star because their service is not very good and very slow

Joanna T.

The person I was traveling with REALLY talked up the French Meadow. I was like, "hey, isn't that the café in the airport with the dry muffins?" Well, apparently they've franchised a little but this is the "real" French Meadow. In any case, I found the ordering process to be terrible - there's a long list of options available but they're up on chalkboards. I'm reading through and trying to make up my mind but of course I'm totally in the way. Some printed menus might help as it was pretty hard to see all of the options. I'm glad we came early - it was still busy but I can't even imagine what this place would be like on a busy weekend. I ordered the turkey burger and it was "ok". Clearly house made, and the patty itself was well seasoned. However, it was served on a big, dry. bready bun which made my whole sandwich dry and fairly tasteless. The person I was with ordered soup (she loved it) and a 1/2 sandwich (deemed "good"). So for 2 lunches and two iced teas, the bill was $30+. Pretty expensive for "good but nothing special" food plus counter service.

Jennie B.

Oh my goodness!!!! Delicious!! Every bite put me is a blissful moment!! Can't wait to go back!!!

Brittney H.

Decided to check this place out on 09/5/15. This place has a great atmosphere- came here to celebrate with my mother, grandmothers, aunt, and mother in law. We got to sit in the round secluded booth which was a perfect fit for all 6 of us. We ordered the ultimate grilled cheese, walleye melt, quiche, curried chicken sandwich, and a salad, and a chicken wrap and everyone seemed to be pleased with what they ordered. We decided on some dessert, many went with the salted caramel Izzy's ice cream which is always a good choice; one of my grandmother's ordered the chocolate raspberry bar from the bakery. I had tried a piece of it and then when she cut into it again to have herself a piece a dead FLY (yes the little winged creature) came out of the cooked bar. Not sure if it was baked in there or if it somehow got into the bakery cabinet and made its way into the bar. We waved the waitress down and she apologized and took it off our bill, however we were not approached by a manager or anything like that. I probably will not be going back, unfortunately. I lost my appetite after that.

Maddie B.

Organic, fresh, great place to sit outside in the sun. Eggs Benedict in the morning is to die for

Maddy D.

Some of the most delicious pancakes we have had! Very nice atmosphere and great place to bring a baby in the morning for breakfast!

Crandi N.

Worst breakfast burrito of my life. The rest of the food is alright, the breakfast burrito is just crap. Don't order it.

Alice L.

The servers are super nice here. They ran out of the soup I ordered so they turned my half sandwich into a full one. The soup, tomato basil, was very hearty though not hot when it arrived. (It was 8am so it's OK since I don't think a lot of people order soup and sandwich that early) I'm quite impressed with the sourdough, it's comparable (maybe even better) than what we have in SF. Curried chicken wrap was delicious and filling. The tuna melt with fire slaw was excellent as well. With nice chunks of veggies along a good balance of tuna salad. They have YEAST FREE breads! $4 a loaf.

Adam T.

I always enjoy coming here for brunch. My favorite dishes are the organic eggs benedict and the scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. The portions are generous and the service is quite efficient, in my opinion, considering how busy they always are. Great interior and ambiance, too.

Shila B.

I just wrote a review for the head office that was separate from this one simply 'cause the issue that I had with the product has very little if nothing at all to do with this location as they get all most of their products from the main commissary, therefore, it is a main manufacture issue. I called this location specifically to get some brownies sent to me as I was suggested by head kitchen that this location would accommodate me. I am sorry I forgot the lady whom I spoke to, however, I was charmed by her accent that I completely forgot. They packed and delivered 10 brownies to my PO box and it arrived within 2 - 3 days. The shipping was very reasonable considering that of course US shipping rates are way more fair than CND shipping rates. I appreciate the patients that had in answering all my questions before they shipped out to me.

Brenden D.

Great evening! Went there around 5:30 on a beautiful summer evening and it was a great dinner. We had the beef burger and one of the specials. Pros: - cool atmosphere. We sat outside so not sure what it was like inside but with us by being from the city, it was nice to sit out and soak in the atmosphere. - quick to be seated. Food and quick - good was delicious and very filling. Decent prices. - friendly staff. Very friendly/helpful staff at bakery counter. Lots of bakery options they're for gluten free/ vegan - dinner menu had lots of gluten free options. Cons: - service was slow at times, but they seem to have a a bit of a team atmosphere so anyone will fill your water, ask how things are, etc.. - no real complaints! Would love to go back in our next visit to Minneapolis.

Ai S.

Poor customer service! Ask me and i will tell you why! *** for the food yes 3stars! Organic food is really a healhy deal. A lil pricy but if you are a tourist you wont mind to pay a good quality food and hoping for a quality service as well! But their service is less than averge and the coffee person was as grumpy as his granny! Well dude you are at a wrog business you donot know who are you talking to be careful! And watch! He was nice to Caucasian! Not to an Asian(me and hubby)

Joni K.

French Meadow I love you but please try harder. What's going on with your $6.00 slice of cake! Delicious yes ... but a little generosity goes a long way.

Sara T.

I wanted to like this place so badly, but I felt the service and good just weren't there... Tons of vegan options!

Fiz H.

Great place! Come here at anytime of the day ...you won't be disappointed!its good for breakfast/brunch, lunch, just coffee or dessert and even dinner! Nice atmosphere! Huge menu... Especially for a tea and coffee officianado like me:) Vegan and GF options abound!

Julie W.

Wow this place is huge! And so is the menu! There are many, many options to choose from. It ranges from breakfast foods, salads, soups, sandwiches, and burgers, tons of yummy looking baked goods, plus many drinks options. I ordered the turkey burger with chips and salsa. I thought it was very good, but not great. The turkey burger seemed to be a little over cooked. 8/10 For a drink I ordered a strawberry Italian soda and it was delicious! 10/10 I would order both of these things again. My friend ordered a pecan cinnamon roll which she gobbled up so I'm sure that it was tasty. She also had the breakfast omelet with hash browns. My other friend ordered the blueberry Belgium waffles. We have finished our food with no complaints so needless to say, French Meadow did well! It was super muggy the day we came and they leave the door open. I wish they would close it and turn on the AC because at a certain point we just had to get out of there because of the heat! Wish we could've stayed longer, but it was an awesome experience. P.s they have their own parking, but only about 6 spaces. Otherwise, just park on the street in the neighborhoods behind.

Antonio J.

I love this place. Lots of different options, god atmosphere etc etc... However, I just went to have lunch with my wife and they made us wait 30 minutes for our food! 30 minutes? seriously? for a veggie burger and a caesar wrap, c'mon. It wasn't super busy or anything, and the worst thing is that the waitress didn't even check with us at all. Very disappointing.

Ram S.

Good Service, sub-par food Took my family out for some after dinner light snacks and desserts. Desserts : tried 2 different varies - both of them were pretty bad - one was a cappuccino cake and the other was a tart. Felt pretty bad that we drove all the way from Plymouth and felt like crap. We also had a Potato rosemary flatbread which was too salty and the sour cream layer on it made it a bit yuck and I could not find the 'rosemary' in it or any flavor of it. Overall - it was a pretty disappointment experience.

Eric R.

Took a visit to French Meadow with my family while in town for a family event. I knew my wife and I would be happy, but had a little worry about my parents' less than hipster food tenancies. We were all totally happy and had a great time. Food was fresh and good. Atmosphere was great too. No complaints. Good times. I don't normally make a meal of a salad, but the salad I had was plenty to leave me full until dinner.

Cindy W.

Pretty delicious breakfast food! I ordered the blueberry corn pancakes and I was very pleased with it. I liked the texture of it. It's not super soft but not super gritty as well. It's enormous so come with an empty stomach. The crab cakes eggs benedict were freaking delicious as well. The crab was very savory and full of flavor and I just loved poking the holes into the eggs and seeing the yolk spill out. It comes with a side of greens so you feel less bad about eating such an indulgent breakfast. What I really like about this cafe is the space. It's super spacious and open. You can grab a seat by the counter and look outside. The space is so ample!

Kaylyn W.

Every time I go to French Meadow I am not disappointed! I love their menus for breakfast/lunch and dinner because they are full of healthy, organic and fresh options. They have many menu items labeled gluten free and vegan if you're into that as well! That's why I love their menu because no matter how much of a diverse group of eaters you go with, everyone will most likely find something on their menu that they want or what works for them. For breakfast/lunch its quite crowded there, or at least when I choose to go. Even though it's crowded and chaotic at times, I always seem to find a table quickly each time since there is a lot of seating. You order at the counter and seat yourself, so you have to be good at finding a table and snatching that thing quickly! For dinner we usually get seated decently quick as well. You don't have to seat yourself, and you have a server. Everything I've gotten here has been delicious! I'm a fan of their salads especially. I just want to keep going back and try everything! One con I have though is that our waitress one time wasn't the most friendly, which was a bummer. If you want a delicious go-to restaurant with healthy options, French Meadow is it! It's one of my favorites and I love their menu choices!

Traci E.

Delicious food with a great ambience. The breakfast burrito, Belgian Waffle and Eggs Benedict were perfect. Absolutely no complaints. I loved the unique place cards to help the servers find your table. I will have to come back to eat here again and possibly go shopping at Mall of America. Thank you for making this Texas girl feel at home even though I was miles away.

Bridget D.

Very good service, everyone was friendly and attentive! The ambiance of the place is pretty awesome but it almost shows up the good, which is just okay. I had a cup of hibiscus oolong tea (definitely recommend), the omelette of the day, and the cajun hash browns with chorizo. The omelette was good but nothing special. The hash browns that came with the omelette were mushy and tasteless, I practically doused them in hot sauce just to give them any sort of flavor. The Cajun hash browns were not what I was expecting, I thought it would taste more spicy and flavorful. Overall, fine dining experience but in city like Minneapolis with amazing breakfast around every corner, I would try somewhere different.

Nish M.

One of the best brunch meals I've had in a long time! Organically delicious! Blueberry pancakes, Cajun style hash browns, with a Smoked Salmon breakfast plate all highly recommended!

Jeanette J.

Good service, but the egg croissant wasn't as good as my previous visits. Perhaps they have a new cook. For whatever reason, the eggs were over cooked and the hash browns under cooked. I left more than half of my breakfast. The coffee was terrific! They have reasonable prices and an extensive menu for airport food. This is my third visit. I will return and hope for the delicious breakfast I've enjoyed.

Dharmesh D.

This place is amazing. Person who was taking order was very courteous. Ambiance is nice, very casual. Menu is super big and very vegan friendly. I had Classic Vegan Breakfast, which came with Scrambled tofu, Hash browns and Vegan Sausage. Scrambled tofu was very well cooked, had flavor in it. Its not only tofu which made it even better. Hash browns was crispy and again well cooked. Vegan Sausage was little dry but was well cooked. Needless to say I loved it!

Rachael A.

I guess after 22 check-ins I should prooooobably write up a review, huh? Clearly I love French Meadow and it definitely loves me back. Healthy options, tons of flavor, and gluten-free baked goods! PLUS almond and coconut milk lattes. If you are a paleo eater there are tons of great options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some of my faves are the salmon scramble, the corncake blueberry pancake, the nicoise salad, and the bison burger. YUM. I'm making myself hungry talking about it now... even though I was there earlier today. They also have some of the best baked goods/pastries/sweets around so if you have a sweet tooth definitely stop in!

Leah G.

I have been here twice: once for breakfast and once for desserts. When I came for breakfast, it was still nice out so their outdoor patio was open. We snagged a table right away but I did notice people after us waiting for tables to open up and the line to order was out the door. Our food was brought out pretty quickly and it was great to be able to sit outside (this was in September). I have also stopped in for desserts. So many options! Many cookies, bars, and CAKES! So hard to choose! Ended up going with a big ole chocolate chip cookie. A plus about this place is they sell Stumptown Cold Brew, which a lot of my friends are obsessed with and can't find at many places. The inside is very warm and comfy feeling with dim lights wrapped around the trees. If you want a relaxing experience, try to come during less busy times so you don't have to wait in long lines to order and wait for a table.

Laurie K.

It's really hard to go wrong with this place. Love the food, wine, and atmosphere at dinner time. The green curry is downright mind blowing. I loved it, and will order again!

Mariya V.

Love the atmosphere, the breakfast and the salads. Everything is so fresh and delicious, I keep coming back for more. I recommend the breakfast burrito or the zone organic omelette (which comes with a side salad). Amazing!

W W.

I came in for an early dinner while traveling on business. I had a really satisfying veggie burger. The side greens tasted incredibly fresh-- the perfect ending to a day filled with fake airport food choices. As a finale, chocolate macaroons were amazing--so I had to have a second for the road. Will be back next time I roll into the Twin Cities.

Quincy V.

A large selection, including vegan options. I'll cut to the chase with a food review. Scroll down if you want to hear about my overall experience. I chose the (vegan) Rose Cake. It was a slice of chocolate cake with a very colorful frosting. You guessed it, the frosting was shaped into flowers and came in several different colors. The frosting itself was incredible. Hands down the best vegan frosting I've ever had. Now the cake was, well, not so great. It was very dense and rather dry, leaving me with very mixed feelings. I'll explain the 2-star rating below: I stopped by here while on a road trip and wanted to satisfy a craving for something sweet. What caught my eye was the huge menu with several (more than 6 or 7) chalkboards with dozens of items. Then I saw the dessert display and I had to go for something there. Upon walking up to the counter, I was a bit perplexed. There was one customer waiting with a cashier (for a while) and a bunch of other employees were hovering around the other registers, but they clearly weren't available to help anyone. I proceeded to spend some time looking at the display of cake and cookies and other treats. I killed time for at maybe 10 minutes and with no help near the registers, when a woman walked behind the display, I hesitantly asked if I could have a piece of cake. Then things got a little awkward. I could tell that either she wasn't waiting on customers or she didn't want to. She paused and then said something to the effect of, "oh. I suppose I can get that for you." I felt slightly out of line for asking her, but at the same time, no one else was going to help. I got back in line and the line kept getting longer and longer. It wasn't moving and had not moved since I walked in. Really? The same woman that hesitantly helped me eventually opened up a register to help out. Why were so many employees just hovering behind the counter and not communicating with the line? Several other reviews reported this same type of issue... Perhaps this is a better place to dine-in at, as opposed to order out from. Did I catch them at a bad time? It was 3-something on a Thursday, so it clearly wasn't a peak hour. I'd be willing to come back and update my rating accordingly, but my first experience deserves no higher than 2 stars.

Dave B.

Great little place, good coffee, good bagels, nice friendly service, cute. Great place for a mid-morning casual business meeting.

Ketti M.

First time to this location and yes. I will be back. The green curry with chicken was unreal today. I kept eating it and should have stopped, I was so full, but it was so good!!! Parking was an issue, but didn't mind the couple block walk. Service was ok, but not a big deal. I was with a friend and didn't care. And that curry already has me dreaming of my next visit. I thought the value was spot on and for the amount of food, totally worth it.

Dione D.

Popped in here for a solo brunch when I was in Minneapolis. Had the omelette of the day and a mimosa. My drink came out right away (of course), but I waited a long time for my food. (Always get your receipt so you're sure. My receipt was stamped 12:18, and I got the omelette at 12:33... it was a Friday and the place wasn't too busy.) Food was good. Omelette had spinach, garlic, goat cheese, bacon, and roasted red peppers. Also came with toast and hashbrowns. I know this is one of the more famous/popular spots for brunch, and I would say it's worth it to come by for a visit... just make sure you're not starving when you get here!

Myly F.

I frequent this cute spot for awhile now, however now that Yelp has come along I can brag about it! Even took my sis from Cali, here, that's right good stuff. The breakdown: Thumbs up: -you get what you pay for -local, fresh, sustainable when possible on product -delish food, drink and treat variety -veggie and vegan options, what what -consistent, never had a bad dish or different taste a same dish -out or inside seating, score! -pet friendly, double score! -friendly staff -fast to the point casual service Thumbs down: -long wait during lunch on weekends, but you know it goes pretty fast when you chatting Back again, going to try myself a energy, healthy thingy mingy tea drink!

Josh K.

In all honesty this was option 4 of the day when it came to desserts. We had tried a few other places near Red Cow, but, the first 3 were closed (check hours? Pffttt, I'm too good - or bone headed - to do that on a Sunday afternoon) or they ran out of cupcakes. And for that, F you Sweet Retreat. How the heck do you run out of cupcakes before 4pm? I mean really!? In any event, we drive up to uptown because French Meadow is on the bookmarks for exploration, and weren't disappointed, at all. We decided on 3 completely different kinds of desserts and flavors. 1. Rhubarb bar. If there is a better mix of sweet and tart when it comes to rhubarb I haven't found it. I was almost in tears eating this masterful creation. Initially though it was going to be a tough little bugger to eat given she couldn't cut it, but, that wasn't the case at all. Very easy to eat, very light though dense crust with a perfect buttery salt flavor to bring everything together. I did have a hard time deciding whether to order another one, or actually risking my hand to try and pry it from the woman. Damn rhubarb junky I tell ya... 2. Lemon meringue tart. All I want to say is mmmmmmm. But, to help my fellow yelpers, it is a god send of sour-tart desserts. The lemon flavor is paired with a great, light, custard on top of a spectacular buttery crust. It wasn't over powering lemon or over powering creamy from the custard but it was just a perfect little mix of the sour-tart-butter. 3. The berry cream tart. This was a bit of a miss between the two of us. The crust, which I personally thought was a graham cracker crust, was actually a chocolate-almond crust. To us, it didn't go well at all with the three berry mix it was served with. Would the buttery crust have been better? Possibly. But, the cream, berries and chocolate... just a miss for flavor mixing to us. Kind of makes me want to kick myself for not stopping in here before and walking past it a few times. The cake options and their bread pudding looked amazing, and are going to be hit up next. So, expect yet another review or updated one with those.

Lu B.

I've done office catering for over a year now and I couldn't have a better relationship with Jennifer who is the nicest, most punctual human being I've ever come across. To say the least, everyone at my corporate office from international visitors to our receptionist absolutely adore the creations that come from French Meadow! I've never had so many requests for one establishment before, I've also never seen so many lunch meetings - I swear they're just doing it so they can get FMB Downtown. I would recommend checking out their catering menu for any type of meeting or reception for the office or at home, you just can't be the service or the majestic quality of their food. Stay golden.

Sara W.

I'm giving 3 stars solely because French Meadow took the time to email me with a free drink based on my previous experience. That was unexpected and nice.

Kevin H.

Seems like this place should be a hit but it isn't. Food is just ok, and pricey for what you get. Cakes are TINY slices and $6+. Nice ambience, service was good, but everything else was expensive and disappointing.

Cindy T.

Ouch. This cafe is painful to rate, like, how do you rate Vegas when the uninitiated young or veteran elderly ask? Every dish -- burgers with fancy-hippie grass-fed beef or pulled pork or quesadillas or sticky gnocchi -- a real crapshoot. Once, I had a dish sent back because it was wrong. And the second dish was wrong, too.... The music volume, lighting, room temperature, ambiance -- all that other stuff -- are inconsistent from table to table. See, just like roaming around our beloved Vegas! And then the desserts are no quarter-slot nonsense. No. Pick a dessert, any dessert. Chocolate chip cookie. Peanut butter brownie. Creme brulee tart. Or even wine. That's cirque du soleil in your body, art that goes straight to your bones.

Lizzy M.

Epically bad service. It's hard to understand the level of disservice we just received and how OK the staff was with it. And we sat on the "full service" side.

Lee M.

This is a wonderful lunch stop. They have very friendly staff, and they know how to make great food, great coffee, and even greater cookies! I saw this bakery earlier in the day when I was walking though the neighborhood, and I decided to come back here for lunch. I had a very good turkey burger, which they make completely fresh from raw ingredients - even the whole wheat bun was fresh made! My friend had an incredibly melty tuna melt. I decided to indulge and ordered a cappuccino, and it came out perfectly. I've noticed a lot of coffee shops here in Minneapolis tend to overheat the milk in their lattes and cappuccinos, but not here! :) To make everything completely heavenly, my friend and I split a gingerbread cookie and a snickerdoodle cookie. Not only were they each as big as my head, but they were absolutely perfectly baked! I thought the gingerbread cookie was amazing, but then I tasted the snickerdoodle. It just tasted like straight-up butter and sugar (which is probably what it was). I would definitely recommend this place for lunch, coffee, or treats! The prices are right too!

D D.

Great baked goods, great cookies, good coffee. BUT: After having come here three separate times, I've consistently left disappointed. Caesar chicken pita that tastes like its from a grocery store (though the cole slaw was great), an insanely greasy breakfast (cajun hashbrowns with veggie sausage), and really poorly seasoned lackluster Huevos Rancheros. Its unfortunate because the baked goods definitely seem top notch, but I can't figure out why anyone would spend more money eating at French Meadow when they could go to a comfier, significantly better tasting joint like Common Roots which is less than a block away (with ridiculously great happy hour specials!). I'll stick with Common Roots from now on.

Ashley Y.

Came to the French Meadow Bakery because of the awesome deal on livingsocial.com ($5 for $10). Arrived to find parking a pain in the butt. eventually maneuvered in the dead-end lot to get a spot which ended up being for CC Club- took my chances of getting towed and headed to the bakery. Ordered the "incredible grilled cheese" with mixed greens and a baguette to go. When the food arrived I was pretty dissappointed... the cheese wasn't even melted on the sammie- a big no-no in my melty gooey cheese book. It just looked "sweaty" gross. The tomato and roasted red pepper were luke warm. I could have asked for it to be warmed a little more but with a baby on the verge of crying and a car waiting to be towed in the lot I just went ahead and ate it : / The mixed greens were good though, maybe I should have gotten a salad? I baked the baguette according to the directions on the bag, it came out like it said- warm and soft but I have to say I've had better baguettes from grocery store bakeries that were good without baking. I'll go to Turtle Bread next I want a bakery item.

Ralph M.

I realize French Meadow does many things well, but when "bakery" is in your name, maybe you should learn how to make a proper baguette. I might as well have bought the thing from Rainbow. This is a real shame, as my CSA boxes are delivered here. The ability to swing in to grab a fresh baguette at the same time would be nice, but apparently I'll have to acquire those from the Wedge.

Marissa M.

I've been going to French Meadow for going on 20 years now, and it pains me to give it a bad review since I do still think that the quality of the food is good and as someone that eats a clean, mostly plant-based diet, I am generally a huge advocate of vegan-friendly, organic restaurants. Unfortunately, the last few times I've been there within the last year, the food's been good - but the service pretty shoddy. On one occasion, when I asked if they still had a particular item on the menu, I was told by the waitress (who said she'd only been working there a few months) that they had NEVER, in the history of the restaurant, had that item. They had. It was likely a long time ago (which is why I asked if it was still around) - so understandable that they didn't have it...but the waitress was adamant that I was thinking of someplace else (I wasn't). On another trip, this time for dinner, the waitress sold us on a couple glasses of wine at a particular (lowered) price, when paired with certain entrees. We went ahead with her suggestion, and then when we got the bill, had been charged full price for everything. Today - I went a little before 12:40 to get a bowl of soup to go (I do love their vegan chili - and it's close to work). I didn't get the soup until 1:10, once I specifically asked someone about it. In fairness - the soup is delicious, and they lady felt bad and gave me extra soup (3 cups instead of 1 bowl) - but still - what is going on with their system that it takes over 25 minutes to get a bowl of soup to go?

Hari B.

This is my neighborhood restaurant/bakery in Minneapolis. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. I have had french bread, croissants, sandwiches, lemonade, other drinks. All very good. Packed with locals enjoying the extensive menu. My son ordered the ice-cream sandwich and it seems the one they have is an acquired taste. I go there all the time and will continue to do so.

Sal K.

I'm completely smitten with French Meadow right now. We had a falling out a couple years back after some disappointing breakfasts, but they've completely redeemed themselves with my dinner tonight. I was moaning with delight with every bite of my highly creative vegan tempeh cutlet meal. I could've devoured an entire pan of the coconut red beans that came on the side. I cannot wait to go back for more ambrosial vegan delights!

Alison T.

French Meadow is one of my favorite weekend spots. There are some great vegetarian options such as the BBQ Tempeh Wrap, but my main loves are the Carrot Cake and the Tres Leches Cake - so rich! Portion sizes on the sandwiches and desserts are huge. Try the French Meadow Mocha if you want to multiply the sugar rush! I have yet to try the breakfast items such as the breakfast burrito, but they all look great. Not the best place for hanging out with a group to chat, as the noise level is quite high and tables are packed closely. I love coming here for the window barstool seating to read a book while overlooking the outdoor seating and Lyndale Ave. Somehow the noise level is much more tolerable there.

Rhonda G.

This is where carnivores and vegans can eat in perfect harmony. I happened to have an old menu, and decided I wanted the hemp bread.The new take out menu is shorter, and not as attractive. I used the excuse of my birthday for getting us a piece of cake, also. I got Basil chocolate and me carrot cake(from the carrot cake discussion). It is one of the best, a very smooth cake, unlike most carrot cakes, and a better than most cream cheese frosting. I also threw in the turkey wild rice soup. I would have actually liked it better without the turkey. Several years ago it was the center of controversy regarding the spelt bread. Something about it being truly gluten free. So the health dept. storms the place and removes that bread. Not unlike ELLEN and the dog story, even a liberal place can be affected by PC red tape.

Betts C.

When I lived in the area, I used to take a day for myself to go to the museums and have lunch at French Meadow. I will say that the outpost in the airport makes me so overwhelmingly happy. The food is great, and priced well. The mac n' cheese may be the best I've ever had- it's totally worth whatever calories are trapped inside. The soups are also absolutely delicious. Everything is prepared very fresh, and the atmosphere within the original location is cute and happening. If you're in the airport, at least grab a pastry. You will absolutely not regret it. It's not exactly the same, but it's at least something.

Danny D.

Great food and the best Sunday morning people watching in town. Apparently the beautiful people like organic eggs.

Henok T.

It's a shame I have to give this place three stars because the food is magnificent. But the folks here need to make an improvement in the area of customer service. For one, folks shouldn't have to order first and then sit down. Just imagine how much more revenue (more orders) would go down if folks were treated with table service. For a first-time visitor, I was overwhelmed by the menu list and didn't know where to begin. It didn't help that there was a long line behind me and that I couldn't take much time. Also, I understand this place is mega popular but sheesh, 30 mins for ONE pancake? That's all I ordered and it took at least that long to bring it out. No bueno. Further, the bathroom is awkward. The men's room only allows one person to enter at a time yet when you enter there's one urinal stall and one fully exposed toilet. Why? Guys, this is a GREAT restaurant but it's falling short of its full potential due to lack of basic common sense. Let's step it up so that everything else rises to the level of quality that is your food. :)

Emily R.

French Meadow's dining experience is similar to Panera. You walk up to the counter and order from a huge menu, that a sign and your food will be delivered to your table. The problem was that there was nowhere to sit and when we finally got a table we had to bus our table and ask someone to wipe it down. Besides the logistics, the food is excellent. It was organic and natural and they have a large selection GF items as well. Great place for brunch, just don't go during peak hours.

Jen T.

This place get's waaaaay too much credit for being such a meh Vegan place. However, due to my friends and location, I am forced to dine there quite frequently. Boo. Avoid lunches and hit their dinner menus. Yes, they occasionally have a bright spot on their dinner menu. The cakes are good (coconut stood out but was stingy on the frosting) but their cookies are not very original and tend toward dry. The sundaes are a good option. Skip the sandwiches and opt for the pizzas or my favorite, the Stromboli. It is the brightest star. If you're a passionate Vegan, go ahead and move in next door.

H J.

I love the dishes here, the environment is warm and inviting great for any time of day. My favorite meal is the Rachel with the salad greens and my fiance' enjoys the fish tacos. They have gluten free, dairy free, and vegan options if you have a more specific diet. Also, I love that you can order coffee and choose from any of these options if you need a milk alternative; hemp milk, almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk.

Tetiana I.

WOW! We have decided to stop for lunch at French Meadow and definitely were not disappointed by food. The service might be not the best when you are coming during busy hours and you will spend 15 minutes waiting in line probably. But I would recommend to wait! We got lunch combos for $9 which included half of sandwich and soups. I also got cappuccino there but did not like it a lot. But soups are amazing. And their bowls are huge and are really filling event without sandwich. My favorite is carrot ginger. My sister loved her tomato basil and chicken rice soup reminded home to us. The sandwiches are great as well. They have huge selection and good variety and everything looked amazing. I am looking forward to come back for their waffles.

Erin F.

Average food at a reasonable price. My first experience with French Meadow was at the State Fair. We tried the cronut copy-cat, whose name I can't remember. It was croissant dough, shaped like a doughnut and then deep-fried. It was not good at all. It was totally dried out and not flavorful. We threw it out. We were willing to give them a second chance and went to the actual store a few days later for breakfast. It was pretty empty there during the week at ~9am. It was however pretty cold in the building and they had left the windows open, which is nice on a warm day; not so nice on a mid 50s. We both ordered omelettes since there were limited non-high carb options. This is perfectly understandable given that it's a bakery, but there were so many tasty treats, it was hard to resist. Service was essentially non-existent. I believe we had to get our own water, and can't remember if they brought food to the table. I got the omelette of the day, which I believe was veggie based. I don't remember the omelette being particularly good. There were chunks of veggies in the middle, not very mixed. My fiance got a salmon omelette, which he seemed to enjoy. Overall, one of the least exciting dining experiences we had in MN.

Lorena W.

The Lyndale Ave. location was fabulous last night! A friend and I went to a late dinner and we both hadn't been there in over two years. We were both impressed by the new bar/restaurant seating area, our super friendly and flexible waiter (we had two more friends join us mid-way through our meal) who let us switch to a booth for more room, and the food! My friend ordered the tomato basil bisque and the organic French fries. She absolutely loved her bisque. It came in a ginormous bowl. I ordered the blackened fish tacos, the tuna tartines, and the Milky Way tart! Yes, I was the hungry one! They were all so delicious! I am also impressed with how many gluten free and vegan options French Meadow offers and they don't charge you ridiculous prices for those options!

Katherine L.

The pros of this place are the incredible number of vegan dessert and bakery choices, the variety of nondairy milk (hemp, almond, coconut and soy), the organic and sustainable approach and the local and casual feel. The cons: can we have more veggies? A couple salad choices and some sautéed daily veggie option do not make a vegetable-eating veg*n as happy as a clam (at least the clams around veg*ns). There are great choices like veg wraps and soup, appetizers and meat analogues, but a few more vegetable focused veg dishes would I prefer. Still, for the city and the area, I would certainly return! Brunch and brekkie (ie carb) options are plentiful for vegans- so you don't feel left out here if you are of any diet. Items are clearly makes vegan and gluten free. Nice.

Cassandra B.

My mom is a total food fascist who torments me with her demands every time she visits. Not only is she militantly organic, sustainable, etc., she's also a gluten-free adherent to the Wahls diet and seems to always have some new restriction. And every time she's in town she wants to go to French Meadow, basically her favorite place ever. Not only do they fulfill my mom's demands, they serve fresh, delicious fare that won't weigh you down. There's a pretty significant transition between day and night, though. Daytime service is more casual, breakfasty-brunchy-sandwich-and-salady. It's like a cafe, lots of sunlight, a line to order at the cash register and the stand-up cards for your order. For dinner the lights go low, they bust out the candles, and you actually get table service where they bring out bread and everything (and the bread is really good, obvs.). Dinner entrees are definitely pricier, but you can still go cheaper with the sandwiches and salads. Personally, I prefer this place as a sunny, lively, daytime cafe. In conclusion: French Meadow! Good for moms, good for you!

Jessy B.

YES. GO HERE. If you are debating between 2 places, let me settle it for you- FRENCH MEADOWS. I have become a regular at this place with the goal of trying everything (because it all looks delicious and I've never ordered anything I didn't love). For the first-timer, I would personally suggest the berry pancakes (SOOO cakey and flavorful!!) or the egg croissant sandwich with greens because the greens are CRAZY good. -1 star because the setup is a bit chaotic- walking right into the line that's usually out the cold door and it's usually busy and sometimes tricky to find a spot...also, it does run a little on the pricey side. **ALSO. Shout out to this restaurant for carrying lavender earl grey tea- one of my favs that's often hard to come by.

Z J.

I was in town for a weekend working and decided to try this place for brunch. I had the zone omelette and the blueberry corn pancake which is gluten free. The pancake was great and it's large so one was enough. The zone omelette was just ok because it seemed like it had more egg yolks than stated in the menu and the filling was mostly sun dried tomatoes with maybe one leaf of spinach. If I wasn't so hungry I would've sent it back. The omelette looked better than it tasted. They have a wonderful bakery with gluten free and vegan options so I tried the oatmeal ginger scone and it was great. I ordered the healing plate to go but instead of tempeh I had the grilled salmon. Hours later and it was still delish! I also appreciated that the waitress checked to make sure my to go order was correct.

Jen K.

I lived around the corner from this place for many years and it is still one of the first places I stop in when I'm back in Minneapolis. In fact, I love the mussels so much I've devised my own take on them and just cooked them at home in Copenhagen last night to scratch the itch. Still, it's just not the same as getting a big, steaming plate of them for basically nothing in house. It would be great if they'd branch out to Denmark (I mean they are already in St. Paul and the airport so Denmark is obvs the next logical step)! Besides the mussels, pretty much everything I've ever had there (which is LOT, over several years) has been great-- lunch and dinner. The lunch selection is huge and the dinner selection is wide ranging as well. The desserts are of course wonderful but I've been stuck on the molten chocolate cake for years now. The bread is obviously also really great. I have very fond memories of the sommelier who was incredibly knowledgeable and never tried to upsell, the aim was always to get the right wine for the guests which is how it should be. The staff generally are AWESOME, always sweet and welcoming and really attentive (but not overly so). Living outside of MN for almost a decade now gives me so much more appreciation for just how goshdarned nice everyone is back home, dontcha know. And the French Meadow staff are even nicer than normal. Also, it's one of the oldest places I know that started the local and organic foods trend and that's worthy of accolades in and of itself.

Holly R.

This place is packed on the weekends and for good reason - it's awesome! I've been to French Meadow many times over the years and never been disappointed. I recently visited again (it had been a few years) and was happy to find it as good as I remember. I got a basic breakfast - eggs, bacon, toast and hashbrowns. I love that they offer food that is organic and local as much as possible. For $9 my breakfast was huge. I swear I got like 4 eggs - it was way more than I could finish so I ended up sharing it with my boyfriend who got the yummy French toast. I also love their wild rice soup but that's another story.

Cindy M.

Love Love the Zen Salad!!! Everything is fresh and healthy great vibe and don't forget to try's treat from the bakery case or grab a fresh loaf of bread to take home!! One of my top favorite places to introduce those people who are new to Minneapolis great catering as well

Rosa V.

The tardiness tasted amazing; the flavor was fresh, well combined, the avocado was just perfect! The butternut squash ravioli was too sweet for me but not bad.

Izzy D.

The vegan blueberry cornmeal pancakes are huge and tasty, especially soaked in real maple syrup (then again, what isn't?). The patio is enormous and perfect on a sunny summer morning.

Risa Y.

Dizzying selection of gluten-free patries and cakes! Whoa! My mother had the coconut cake and I had the vanilla berry cake....The cakes were not earth shattering...and a bit on the too sweet side...but good. Service was quick and friendly. Cute atmosphere!

allie k.

I sometimes wish that I was more adventurous, but I almost always order carrot cake if a restaurant has it. I am confident that they have the best carrot cake in Minneapolis. Perfectly spiced, moist but light texture and amazing cream cheese frosting! I can only assume that the same attention to detail can be enjoyed in the rest of their desserts and pastries. UPDATE: I had their carrot cake last week and it tasted like the refrigerator and was a bit dry. Don't drop the ball FMB!

Ryan S.

Yummy. Favorite amongst the young rich people with strollers and loud conversations.

Hillary L.

It's very strange how people rave about this place because it is extremely overrated! I was super excited to try it and after visiting 3 times... I'm over it. Did I mention it's overpriced? Not surprising... My last try, I had the "beet" salad only to find about 3 slices of beets. The time before that I had a wrap with hard, dry turkey inside and a couple microscopic pieces of avocado. Save your precious pennies peeps!

Jon L.

We decided to stop by on a recommendation. My wife and I arrived shortly before noon on a Saturday. When we go to new places, we never know what to expect, that's half the fun. Walking into this place is like entering a zoo. We stood at the door for a couple of minutes trying to figure out the seating thing. Let me see, counter straight ahead, gobs of people to the left, gobs of people to the right. No one heading in our direction. A couple of other people enter, now a slight panic sets in. We overhear the two people behind us, confused as well as to what to do. I stop a server and ask if you seat yourself. "Yep, and then just go up to the counter and order". Um, OK. We beat the two people behind us to the only open table. We are against the wall on the left at a table for two. Another table opens up and the other two get a table next to us. We drop off our coats to save our seat and head up to the counter. The menu is written on the wall behind the counter and standing in line is decision making time. If the line moves fast, you had better make up your mind quickly. That could be a problem. We get to the counter and my wife asks what the place is know for. She politely rattles off a few items and we order. For me, I get the traditional Classic Egg Breakfast and my wife orders the Breakfast Burrito. We pay and get a funky sign to put on our table to notify the server where we are. We head over to the beverage area to the right and I get my water out of the green jug and she has 10 choices of coffee to choose from. She finally fills up her mug and decides she has to go to the ladies room. "Can you take this back to the table for me", she asks. Sure, I reply. OK, a large sign, a glass of water, a mug of coffee and I head back to the table. Argh, the place is packed and I am hoping the ice cold water or scalding hot coffee doesn't find it's way down someones back as I weasel my way back to the farthest point from here. I arrive safely back to my table and set up my sign. We are ready to be served. The food arrives and we ready to eat. My scrambled eggs were good but slightly cold. The toast was a couple of thinly sliced pieces of bread from a small loaf. I do like my toast and I knew this was going to be a problem. Besides the fact that it was also cold, I had to steal a half slice from my wife to finished my meal. The hash-browns were the best thing I had. Light and crunchy on the outside with rich potato taste on the inside. The bacon was fine, but I prefer it crunchy throughout. Overall, the food was just OK. My wife was not overly impressed with the burrito as well. The atmosphere is really loud and the tables are set to close to each other. It gives the place an extra crowded feeling. We also were not sure on how we tip the staff in a place like this. We can't tip when we order because no service was rendered. Do we tip the server that brought the food? They were there once for 5 seconds dropping off the food and we never saw them again. Hmmm. Maybe there is some protocol that I am not aware of. Anyway, maybe we should have stuck with some baked goods, but we didn't. The staff was great but I am not sure if we will be back.

Emma C.

Healthy, organic, and absolutely delicious. French Meadow Bakery is definitely one of the restaurants I am yearning to come back to since I moved back to NYC. I still think about their fabulous pastries - try the fruit crumble (warmed and topped with a generous topping of fresh whipped cream) and the ginger cookies. There is nothing like it! The best time to come here is not for dinner, but for brunch on the weekend. Out of the numerous things I've tried on their menu, the Breakfast Quesadilla and Breakfast Burritos are simply sensational. I've never had anything else quite like it. Whoever thinks that eating healthy was bland is WRONG! However, I have to say that my bf at the time didn't love it because since they emphasize a lot of healthy, fresh flavors, they don't feature a whole lot of meat in any of their dishes. If you are a meat lover, this is not the place for you! If you are vegan, vegetarian, or looking for a great-tasting healthy meal, then definitely check French Meadow Bakery out! You will NOT regret it!

Marian C.

Wow, amazingly extensive menu. Dishes have many local and organic ingredients.... grass-fed meat and such.... also vegetarian friendly! Carrot juice - soo good. sweet and fresh Turkey burger ... the bun, the meat, the pickle... perfect! Super casual.... order first and then sit down.... great for brunch/lunch and solo dinners. Would definitely come back to try the breakfast! if i had to live in the midwest, i'd definitely pick minneapolis...

Stephanie O.

We had a great dinner at French Meadow last night! Our reservation was for 6pm, and we arrived a few minutes early. The only open table was right next to the entrance. Without asking, the host kindly offered to find us a table away from the door if we didn't mind waiting a few minutes. We appreciated that! I had the vegan special, which was a grilled barbacoa tempeh burrito served with dirty rice, romaine, and guacamole. I thought it was excellent, and would definitely order it again. My husband ordered the sea bass special, which he enjoyed as well. Service was prompt and friendly, and the atmosphere in the evening is much more relaxed and cozy than during breakfast. I had never been here for dinner before, but I remember it being a madhouse on a weekend morning. I also really appreciate that they 1. Offer many vegan options 2. Clearly label them on the menus It makes things so much easier -- less questions to ask, and plus I get all excited and giddy when I actually have choices at a restaurant! We will definitely be back to French Meadow!

Van L.

oh how i miss french meadow. i even miss the french meadow in the airport, i love this place so much. reminds me of austin java back at home, i love the ambiance, the style, the food (it's organic). the coffee is great too! get there early to get a spot outside for brunch. order a giant cinnamon roll for the table to share. take home some bread or bakery treats!!

Jenn B.

I rated this a 3 only because of the poor service! All the food is great and great atmosphere... Problem was we came in on a Sunday evening and they were serving dinner and our server was not attentive or friendly. Every time we called him to place a order or to get something he took at least 10 minutes to come back to the table. He served us with bread and he never came back to ask us if we wanted more. When our appetizers and entrees came out he still did not clear the bread plate or our appetizer plates. When we asked for larger plates because we told him we would be splitting the food he looked frustrated and ran back and gave us the plates as if we were inconvienting him. When we had asked to order desert he said ok and walked away came back two times to clear the table and we kept saying we would like to order desert and he ran off and finally 20minutes later we waived down the hostess to get our desert and she said the server would get mad at her if she took our order?? So she grabbed him and he said ok what would you like to order and went onto telling us its a bit busy and he has been running around and wanted to clear our table first before taking out desert. By now he was fast at bringing us our tab but our server did not smile and was not friendly... On the other side the food is great I have tried there vegetarian lasagna, fish tacos, gnnochi, lobster crepe, and I love there Spa SALAD with grilled tofu! Definitely try this place if you love healthy and organic food!

Carolyn A.

I'm not sure if French Meadow lives up to the reputation and prices that they charge. I know there are some die-hard fans, but I've found it to be incredibly inconsistent. Upon moving to MPLS, I was super excited to try French Meadow as I had heard such great things. My first few breakfasts here, however, were underwhelming. I have found a few gems though after a few more attempts: the honey latte, chicken chorizo, and cajun hashbrowns. One thing I would most definitely avoid is the mac and cheese. I had two friends in town and we swung by FM for a quick snack. We ordered a salad and the mac and cheese to split. Salad was great; mac and cheese was inedible. It was watery, almost like they didn't drain the pasta before putting the cheese sauce on it. After I had told my friends FM was a MPLS landmark, it was a little embarrassing to experience that. I think I'll keep trying FM from time to time, fully knowing that it's just a roll of the dice as to what I'm going to get.

Efren S.

Great food. Horrible environment. The owners absolutely need to sound-proof the restaurant. Several people share my sentiments: it is far too noisy to be conducive to a pleasant meal. If I feel like French Meadow, I always order to-go. It is shocking how much noise 40 people can make in a concrete box.

Kyle B.

My girlfriend waited a long time to take me to French Meadow after I moved to Minneapolis. She worried that as a more carnivorous eater that I wouldn't find anything I liked to eat on their menu. I've been to French Meadow 3 times now, once for breakfast and twice for dinner and never had a single bad dish. My last trip was for a late dinner when we couldn't manage to pick a restaurant that we both wanted to go to. I opted for the most meat heavy dish on the menu and got the pulled pork sandwich with roasted potatoes. It was spectacular, the meat was tender and juicy, the bbq sauce sweet and spicy at the same time. The roasted potatoes were slightly crispy on the outside and creamy delicious inside. I don't even remember what my girlfriend ordered for dinner it was so good. Also I really love the wine list at French Meadow. There's always interesting bottles and wines by the glass. Next summer I need to spend more nights on their patio with a glass of wine and a plate of cheese. Can I make that a new years resolution now?

Sarah J.

Too crowded for my taste. I don't like to wait for a table in the morning And the morning is the only time I'd go. So I don't go as much as I might. Baked goods are definitely their forte. The rest of the food is okay, but not worth the wait in my book (pastas are a pretty good bet if you do eat-eat). But the endless coffee, the scones, the muffins - all super. Cute place to eat outside if you can get a spot (unlikely). Interesting people watching too because the crowd is fairly diverse. (Very) young hipster parents, college kids, retirees, the occasional cop.

Kevin L.

What a breakfast? After a party in Uptown. In my walk of shame to my car I found this place. GREAT food... yum service was awesome and I liked the dynamics of it all!

Alison M.

Ironically, the bread was my least favorite part of my meal here. I had an iced tea and the spinach salad with onions, warm pepper goat cheese, bacon and chicken. Very fresh, good, and fast. They did do that weird thing where the salad isn't tossed... it was sort of presented in four quadrants that I had to mix up. The bacon was allllllmost burnt, but not quite. In the bread basket, the only appealing and flavorful option was the lavash. But, like I said, I liked the salad. I'd try the place across the street before I'd go back to French Meadow - as they both have outdoor seating.

M L.

I guess this is good if you enjoy a yuppie breakfast. That's right, and I challenge anyone to refute that claim! Just glance at the other reviews with their "baguettes" and "vegan options." I know people who really like it, but it's just not for me. The service was half decent; and when I say that I mean the guy at the counter was completely unhelpful but the waitress who brought the food was good.

Live G.

This is one of my all time FAVORITE places to enjoy any meal. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or just Desserts! The wine selection with dinner is wonderful, and if you go on Monday night it's half price glasses for those of us who don't want more than a glass of wine with dinner. The food is expertly crafted with fresh, I mean the freshest, ingredients possible. Every time I go I try to order something different, I have yet to be disappointed. I am gluten free due to Celiac, so for me to tell you I have had choices, and options, without abandon is absolutely HUGE! I love this place, and I would give anything to live just a little bit closer. If you have to choose just one dessert, choose the coconut cake. It is made with almond flour and gf, but if I hadn't told you that, you would never know. I promise, it tastes like what I imagine the best wedding cake would taste. Perfect..... but then again, so is just about everything else here. Go, you will not regret it. I am giving 5 stars, but would probably give 4.5 because parking is a bit more difficult and there are moments when it is extremely crowded and you are more than a little too friendly with strangers seated almost on top of you. The food is so good, you can overlook this and the clientel is pleasant so sometimes that isn't a bad thing!

Isaac A.

Yummy healthy good food.

Ella R.

DELISH! I had the Duck Confit and it was fantastic. Others at the table got the seafood ravioli, and the nicoise salad. All of which were good. There was not a bit of food left when we were done. Needless to say, we did not leave room for dessert, unfortunately. I have yet to try more baked goods, since I've only been for dinner the one time. Service was good and timely. Prices were reasonable considering the quality of food. I will be back!

Josh M.

I never understood why this place is so loved. I want to give 2 stars but I would feel too contrarian. Every time I have ordered a sandwich here it has been either too bland, over-seasoned, or too oily. I keep coming back because my friends will go here. I once had an excellent ahi tuna, that is about it.

Dirk W.

Now that I'm in So Cal I really miss the French Meadow. This was a breakfast stop almost weekly for the whole family and a dinner stop for my wife and myself monthly. They have a great variety of beer. The white bean chili is a fantastic staple and the best server is Carmen (hope I spelled her name right). We miss you Carmen! Oh, and I miss the granola. House made and the best I've had anywhere.

Kelsey K.

Been there on multiple occasions. Sometimes it hits the spot (like perfectly made avocado gazpacho that was a inspirational dish) or other times when it misses (just not what I am craving). But I would suggest it. I am not such a fan of the table service in the evening.

Michelle W.

I only wish they had something like this in Chicago. French Meadow is one of the few things I miss about Minneapolis and I definitely stop here when I am in town. They have AMAZING mixed berry scones and hemp brownies. It is a great place to have brunch on a lazy weekend too!

Jeff A.

Great place to get a great healthy breakfast. Get here early cause it fills up fast

Brad L.

Seriously. $15 for a waffle, 3 slices of bacon and a cup of coffee?

Tanya T.

I miss French Meadow. Their specials are usually the way to go, as they usually taste ah may zing. They have a really good vegan selection of EVERYTHING and I usually leave inspired to cook up something new. My favorite menu item by far is the orange tempeh. I drool just thinking about it.

Jessica G.

A really solid deli. Wide selection of great food with fresh ingredients. We ordered several sandwiches, a salad, and then several desserts to share. Everything was very good, just yummy. The staff were friendly too!

Alice C.

HOLY FUCK MOTHER OF CHARLIE CHAPLIN! French Meadows is absolutely incredible, even for this incredibly picky vegan. Where do I begin? Well I tend to eat my dessert first, so I'll start with their vegan turtle cake. This moist, fluffy, decadent chocolaty cake with layers of vegan carmel and pecans is the best vegan cake I have had this side of the Mississippi (just go with it, as I know that geographically French Meadows also is West of the Mississippi), only with competition with one small vegan cafe in Santa Monica, CA. I love the fact that they do not add frosting, as it would be out of place, overwhelming, and to be frank, I just don't really care for frosting in general, so sue me. Their cookies are outstanding, and their crisps are orgasmic. Overall they deserve a million out of 5 in the dessert category. As for beverages, they have fresh juices, great coffee, and the only chai latte that I will drink. Their Healing Plate is simple yet addicting with its brown rice, steamed squash, and sautéed spinach drizzled with balsamic glaze... and I don't even like brown rice! Their butternut squash gnocchi deserves a medal, however the last couple times it was way too salty :( I was not a big fan of the corn arepas as they either need more sweetness, saltiness, or spice (just give me a kick in any direction, please)... I would have been much more satisfied with a sweet yellow corn tamale with tomatillo sauce. Their bread baskets keep me humming, and I adore the murals on the bathroom walls. Lastly, the prix-fixe menu for Valentines Day was incredible, and since I cannot stand mushrooms, they let me substitute the main dish AFTER trying it... it's a texture thing, nothing to do with flavor. They say a way to man's heart is through his stomach...well the way to this girl's heart is French Meadows!

Yvette W.

The food here is always one million per cent fresh, healthy and delicious. I love stopping in for lunch, whether as a break from work during the week or a lazy Sunday. My favorites are the Spa Salad (spiced tofu, soy beans, beet, carrot etc) and the Beet Salad (with amazing blue cheese). The sandwiches are also fabulous too - and you CANNOT miss the creamy tomato basil soup - bliss. The only thing I'm not big on here is breakfast - it's simply too busy to be relaxing because its not table service, so you have to line up for too long. We haven't yet been here for dinner but I will definitely try it one day. Oh and the bakery goods are just orgasmic - try the hemp brownies for a rich, decadent treat.

Elissa L.

I am a very picky eater, and I have never had less than the most amazing experience at the French Meadow in uptown. The service is good, the food is great, and the options are endless. I have probably been there 15 times in the three months that I have lived in the cities, and I have gotten something difference and equally as delicious every time. Also, the food is local and organic, with free-range chicken and cage-free eggs, grass-fed beef, and a ton of vegetarian and vegan options. You really can't go wrong for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Jason M.

Are there way too many hipsters here then you know what to do with? Yes. But the food is delicious and creative. Breakfast is the only thing I've come for. The bakery is great. The atmosphere is busy but the wait staff is friendly. Be prepared for lines on the weekend. Al Fresco dining is a must when the weather is nice.

Doug G.

I ended up here for breakfeast while visiting from Chicago. At first, I was fairly annoyed that I had to order my breakfeast from a cashier, since I went there to sit down for a nice breakfeast. There was not much of a line, which was good, but if there was I probably would have been more annoyed. Also, you get a tiny coffee cup, and when you want a refill, you have to walk across the place in the middle of your meal to fill up, since there is no waiter. So, you have to leave your meal and interrupt your conversation for each refill. Anyways, the food was good, but it was nothing special. I had the eggs benedict, hash browns, and coffee. I may have given a higher review, except for the fact that the prices were ridiculously high for a breakfeast you could get at any other diner for half the price. Sure they use organic ingredients, but they did not taste any more fresh than any other breafeast restaurant. Essentially, you get a predictable breakfeast for twice the price of any other decent diner, without any service.

p a.

This place just seems to get worse and worse. I went for brunch with a friend recently- the place had one dirty table available. Our food arrived quickly- too quickly- because it was all PRE-MADE! My $6.00 pancake was cold and rubbery, the side of sausage cold and dry, and my friend's scambled eggs hardened and cold. I asked one of the food runners to replace said pancake with a fresh one- she just stared at me, and walked away. The coffee was self-serve, shich would have been ok if the thermal coffee urns actually were full- alas, all but the decaf were empty. A terrible experience, and not cheap at over $30.00 for the both of us.

Laura A.

I'm giving this place five stars, mainly because I'm in school right now and enjoy eating at weird times, i.e., dinner at 4 PM OR 9:30 PM, but no time in between (waits can be long). Also, it's within walking distance of my apartment (parking can be iffy). Anyway, everyone talks about their brunch, which is fantastic, but I would really recommend you go there for dinner and have some amazing homemade fettucine, particularly after a long day of moving boxes up three flights of stairs. Wine list is good, too.

Katina M.

You gotta love a place that serves its fabulous scones at the crack of dawn to all the farmers showing their livestock at the State Fair. Three cheers for French Meadow.

Patrick D.

The fact that it is a certified organic bakery is great. The Chicken and Fontina Pizza is a very good appetizer. The food is pretty good and the fact that it is also a bakery means that there is a huge dessert selection. They offer a lot of sandwiches and the like, but the last time I ate there with my girlfriend we both ordered pasta dishes, which were very good.

Rachel N.

OMG baked goods. The food is alright and a bit overpriced for what it is but goddammit I cannot resist all those sweets.

Barbara K.

A new comer to Minneapolis, I wondered if we'd find a good place to frequent for brunch. French Meadow Bakery is a nice walk, even in the dead of winter, from our apartment and it's well worth it. The breakfast quesadilla was well-prepared with organic fixings and a spicy chicken sausage. The hard part is saying no to the pastry choices.

Elizabeth G.

I am a little skeptical anytime a restaurant located in one place invokes another place far away. Still, this place really did feel like a cafe in a sleepy French village. It was an adorable place to spend an afternoon taking advantage of the free wifi whilst sipping on the $3 tap beers (or wine) they offer from 3 to 5 pm. Apparently this was the first certified organic bakery in the United States (what what!). Their appetizer specials also kick butt. How about mussels, or brussels sprouts, or rosemary potato flatbread? A yuppie's dream come true, and mine too.

Eleni F.

Oh French Meadow, I miss you. :( I moved to New Orleans four years ago and still every time I go back to MPLS to visit family I make sure and visit FMB. Years ago you posted your vegan chili recipe in the strib and I saved that recipe. I still make it every fall. YUM! But my favorite is the pancakes. But all the breakfast is delicious. And the bakery is out of this world. Thank you for being fabulous :)

Natalie G.

I absolutely love French Meadow. Even though they have quite a few locations and national business ventures, you feel like you are at a one of a kind neighborhood café. There are There is a small parking lot and it is relatively easy to find a spot on Lyndale within a block or two radius. Their brunch is amazing but be prepared to wait, especially when it's nice out. It's a bit hectic inside but that sort of adds to the charm and the food is always great. For dinner they switch to table service. They create a nice ambiance with candles and low lighting and I have been impressed with the service and menu breadth. I do wish they still let you order at the counter to cut down on time and price, but I supposed table service keeps them competitive with the other nice restaurants around. One of their wines, Fetzer Mendocino red blend, is my favorite wine I've had at a restaurant. The butternut squash ravioli and bison burger got particularly rave reviews. They haven't been able to tell me where to buy bottles (apparently it may be hard or impossible to find by the bottle at liquor stores?) so I just get my fill each time I go in. This past weekend I went with a group of 7 friends and every single person loved their entrees. I had my usual - Spa Salad and soup - and was satisfied as always. Their soup changes on a daily (I think) basis and they always have a pretty wide variety (3 or 4 including Chili) Cons: Breakfast/Lunch drink system is super annoying. You have to hover around the crowded counter hoping you hear your drink being announced and make sure you don't grab the wrong drink. Not sure why they can't just bring drinks to the table like everything else. Food is a little pricey, if everything was 25% cheaper it would be PERFECT. But I do understand if not enjoy the price hikes for organic food.

Kahley S.

I LOVE the tofu scramble!! Very well prepared, although I wish there were more vegetables in it. The sprouted toast is also very good. The vegan sausages have that smoky flavor you'd expect of sausage, but not the spices, which disappointed me a little. All in all, fantastic experience and I'm definitely coming back!

Elyse M.

The breakfast food and the desserts are top notch. I've never been a huge fan of the other stuff. The quiche is HUGE and to-die-for. I couldn't finish an entire piece, and I have an addiction to things with flakey buttery crusts. It's not pricey, especially considering nearly everything is organic. Plus there are loads of DELICIOUS vegan options. I'm a fan, hence the four stars. It's the best of the best, but it's damn good.

David L.

I had a hankering for a good sandwich in Uptown, so a friend of mine suggested that we try French Meadow. When I first came in, the menu seemed somewhat overwhelming, but everything was divided quite well. Gluten-free options are highlighted, which is pretty awesome. There is no table service at lunch, which allows guests to order and seat themselves pretty quickly. I ordered the roasted vegetable sandwich with mixed greens and a latte, while my friend ordered the curried chicken croissant with slaw and a unique ginger ale with pomegranate and hibiscus (they had a wide selection of cold and cafe beverages). The food arrived quite quickly for how busy it was for a Friday lunch. The sandwich was pretty awesome! I'm a sucker for mushrooms, and the portabella was delicious. The bread was OUTSTANDING! If you have to try one thing, it should be the bread. Seriously. Get. The. Bread. The sandwich had goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette, so it got a bit messy...still delicious. The latte was alright; I feel like it's tough to screw up a latte, but it's also a tough drink to excel with. My friend said the curried chicken croissant was pretty good, but the slaw was just alright. The place was quite noisy, but only because it was very busy. For how busy it was, the service was great. I'm not really a "sweet tooth" type of guy, but the pastries and cakes in the display case look fantastic. I will definitely come back! There are so many great, unique options to choose from that I will never get bored with the menu. I want to try something different every time! (except the bread...must...have...more...bread)

Kyle F.

Had the Cajun hash browns, very delicious. I just didn't enjoy the corn meal pancakes, personal preference. Overall great meal, service, and atmosphere.

Tiffanie S.

The food was really excellent. We enjoyed the Edamame Dumplings. The ponzu sauce was citrusy and bright. My sandwich, the Thai Basil Pulled Chicken, was bursting with flavor and texture and the bread was spectacular. I chose mixed greens as my side and I enjoyed them, though next time I will ask for the dressing on the side. The dressing is quite good, I just didn't need so much of it. My husband raved about the Free Range MN Chicken. We shared a piece of the Chocolate dipped cake, which was to.die.for! They serve People's Organic coffee, which is one of my favorites. I also had a glass of white wine that I loved but I cannot remember the name of... Cuvee something. Ambiance was nice though a little loud for my taste. Kitchen staff was very on top of things and brought things out with excellent timing. The wait staff, however, was a little slow. For me this is pretty close to as good as it gets. Just a really great dining experience overall.

Shawn S.

I went there with an expired groupon (not relevant to my rating). I had the salmon and a craft beer. I liked the food but I was really surprised that the prices were priced for a pretty nice restaurant (this is a bakery after all) and the bread was late and not all that great. I had the mussel appetizer and née a nice piece of sourdough not a thick piece of buttered focaccia. My wife enjoyed the mini cupcake on the way out. Service was good, and free parking which is a plus for uptown.

Dana W.

This has the best gluten free selection we've found in the Twin Citiea ... Outstanding!

Lori P.

I've been to the French Meadow several times and can't get enough of the quiche! The last time I was in was for dinner though so no quiche but I had the Apple Bleu Salad and tomato soup. Yum. This is what REAL food tastes like! The staff I encountered were also all very friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. I'll definitely be back.

Rachael L.

Go to breakfast spot in uptown. Love the variety on the menu, however I get the same thing every time, hooked on eggs benedict and my boyfriend raves about the huevos rancheros! It is always packed, and we always have to wait in a huge line, but the food is worth it.

Lindsey H.

Love this place, especially the new expanded outdoor patio. They nailed it with the wine tasting room (I think that's what it is?) in the back between French Meadow and the CC Club. Would be a fun space to rent out if they do that. Ok now about the food at French Meadow - LOVE their spa salad. It has tofu, edamame, beets, carrots, scallions, and delish dressing. Also love that they use sprouted grain tortillas!! I'm overwhelmed with joy by their healthy menu. I could go ON and ON about their ah-mazing desserts. Their vegan cupcakes and the beet frosting cake (sounds weird, I know) are phenomenal. It can take a liiiiiiitle while for the food to come out. Just FYI for your planning. Not a place to go if you're in a rush, but if you have a little extra time it is delicious.

Colleen M.

French Meadow is a South Minneapolis classic, which is well deserved. It can get a little nuts on weekend/holiday mornings and the 'order your food, then find a table' set up stressed me out when there's a line down to the CC Club to order but no free tables. Somehow it usually works out, though. Food is very good and I can't think of a better place to bring your 'OCD About Food with Questionable Food Allergy' friend. There's vegan, there's gluten free, there's plain old vegetarian and nut free. The Mister and I stopped here for breakfast the Tuesday after Labor Day. We had the breakfast burrito, the Cajun scramble, coffee and a croissant. It was about 12$/each before tip. Would have appreciated clarification on how we got our croissant, but its buttery goodness made up for it. Coffee was a straight up disappointment, but we are notoriously picky on that front. The breakfast burrito was solid, but has not broken the Top 5 on my list of all time best. (The Coffee Company in LA took top honors, BTW.) I snagged a few bites of the Mister's Cajun scramble while he was refiling my coffee. (Sucker!) It was Midwest spicy, not Cajun spicy, but very, very tasty. As others have said, sit outside if you can. Even with the noise of Lyndale, it's still a great location. But park on the street -- that lot is the devil!

Lauren D.

I had the vegan gnocchi. It was amazing. I'm definitely coming back. It had the most delicious sauteed mushrooms. If you avoid dairy, watch out for the oatmeal stout... it contains milk.

Sarah S.

Love love love French Meadow for breakfast, lunch, brunch, coffee, drinks, snacktime, dessert. Love the baked goods, the strong coffee, the million options for brunch, the choices for people with food allergies/limitations, the CAKE, the surprisingly good happy hour (is it Tuesdays when they have $2 beer bottles? Great deal). Lots of things to love. Did I mention the CAKE...? Do not love French Meadow for dinner. Their dinner menu is much smaller than the brunch menu, and over the years they've eliminated a few of my favorites and I haven't found new loves to replace them with. In particular, last time I went for dinner I tried the Thai Basil Pulled Chicken and it was so dry it was hard to eat, but as the server didn't check on us for quite a while, I was too hungry to send it back... I like the atmosphere of this place a lot, it's bright and airy with a casual feel. The ceilings are super high, which is gorgeous BUT when it gets busy there's no carpet or curtains to dampen the noise, so it gets loud. On occasion it can be hard to hear across the table. Regardless of my strong feelings about dinner, I still love this place. It's a wonderful place for out of town guests because it's got a wide selection of items and a nice patio in the summer months. Bonus, the patio is pup friendly! (But your dog will need excellent table manners, as the tables are sometimes close together, there's often kiddos dropping plenty of crumbs at a nearby table and there's a lot of distracting foot traffic going by!)

Raffi M.

Extensive menu and a mouth-watering bakery case. This probably isn't the place to come for some peace and quiet, as it gets quite busy during lunch, but it's definitely the place to come for a cafe meal and wonderful dessert. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus are all written on the walls. Look for the daily specials and soup selections right behind the registers. There are lots of griddle items and omelets for breakfast, sandwiches and salads for lunch, and entrees for dinner. Unless you come for dinner service after 5pm, the ordering system is a bit different than a regular restaurant, which is as follows: Breakfast or lunch orders are placed at the registers and a table card is issued to place on your table. If you ordered any bakery goods or coffee drinks, they are picked up immediately at the bakery to the right. After you take a seat with your table card, the rest of the meal is brought out to you. The napkins and silverware are at the tables already and after your meal you just get up and go; the restaurant staff buses the tables. Of the items I tried, they were mostly good; the main sandwich was wonderful but the side of slaw lacked flavor. The apple and fruit crisp I tried for dessert was outstanding; the gooeyness combined with the crunch of oats on top was terrific. A little on the expensive side for one sandwich, but soup and half sandwich combos are priced really well, plus the food is organic and unique so splurge a little for a healthy and hand-made meal.

T S.

Decided to give this place a try for breakfast, after hitting the farmers market. Definitely impressed. I had the huevos rancheros, which were delicious and filling! My boyfriend had the classic egg breakfast and was very pleased. He said it was the best bacon he has had! We will definitely be back!

Hale L.

I have GERD. Which means if I drink coffee, my stomach produces way too much acid and it starts to digest my esophagus. However, I will not leave this place without a large cup of cafe miel. Also, I'm not supposed to gorge myself. I will not leave this place without stuffing my pie hole with 2, yes 2, very large blueberry corn meal pancakes. My wife just rolls her eyes when I moan in the car on our way home. This is hands down our favorite breakfast place. It's a bit pricey for our meager salaries (someday we use the words meager and salary in difference sentences), but you get what you pay for. Also, you can brag to your foodie friends that their menu is full of organic fare. Eat outside and enjoy Lyndale on a sunny Sunday morning. Then hop into your Prius and chew on some antacids after a delicious meal.

Molly K.

I had the Turkey bacon croissant, which had a chive aiole. It was amazing! And their chips and salsa was also very good. My 2 year old son had the Mac n cheese and he seemed to enjoy it. My only grumble about the place was the price for the kids size Mac n cheese. $7? A little pricey for a kid offering. But I will definitely be back! There were a lot of things that looked amazing and I can't wait to try!

Buffy Y.

great place for brunch with the gal pals. coffee is awesome. esp the French meadow one

Sam H.

My girlfriend was picking out a restaurant on yelp -- she shows it to me. I do a double-take. Me: "V- v- VEGAN?!?!" Her: is that a problem? It looks healthy Me: I mean no, it's cool, it's fine. I'm ok, I'll be ok. It's cool. Let's just go. So: to save any other couples the drama: the French Meadow Bakery **IS NOT A VEGAN OR GLUTEN-FREE RESTAURANT** they do have those options but they also have a wide selection of food -- something for everyone. Including meat. MMMMmmmm, meat. I had the burger of the day, which was a tuna steak slathered in rich aioli. It was on the small side, and didn't really look like a burger (it looked like a sandwich on wheat bread.), but it was really good. I got potato wedges on the side. They were a little squishy for my taste, but they were spiced perfectly. I guess they had rosemary sprinkled on there, which lifted them above your average potato wedge. GF got the "spa salad", where you order a salad and they massage you while you eat it. Actually, it's just a regular salad. I don't know what was in it, but it was a little spicy for her. Almost forgot: I sprung for their house bloody mary. They make it spicy, and with sake. I don't often order bloody marys, having gotten tomato juice and vodka too many times. But here, they take pride in the bloodys. The sake gave it a different flavor, but not unpleasant. It was just the right spiciness, and came with a celery, peppercini, and maybe a pickle. A solid bloody mary. They've also got a nice dessert selection - on display so you can gawk at it before you eat. The GF loved her slice of carrot cake, declaring it carrot cake by which all other carrot cake should be judged. I got a chocolate torte which was fudgey and delicious. The service was friendly and casual, just the way I like it.

Andre M.

Simply Excellent food here. I have tried a great amount of their pastries which have all been quite delightful and very fresh. Every server we have had was very kind seemed genuine although not very informed about the intricacies of their own menu...which is part of what you want the server there for. Either way sometimes and I mean sometimes kindness and a generally nice server can trump that a bit. I suggest the Pan Seared Chicken with an Apricot Demi-Glaze, Garlic mashed Potatoes and Sautéed brussells spouts, simply incredible dish!

Heather G.

Best bread & baked goods ever! The food is pretty amazing as well & organic, very vegan/vegetarian friendly. My favorite dish: the grilled tempeh reuben. Drooling over their amazing selection of cakes & other delicacies is an added bonus. Never leave disappointed!

Kelly H.

Truly as good as it gets, especially for someone that enjoys social dining but has dietary restrictions: something for everyone at every meal time for a reasonable price. I've eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner here and am always pleased with my plate. I try to come hungry because it's hard for me to stop eating such a delicious meal and the portions are large. Tofu scramble, potatoes, tempeh sausage, nicoise salad with tofu, gnocchi, I could go on. It's a vegan haven in which you feel prefectly immersed in a setting without thinking of substitutions, exclusions and perceptions as barriers to a lovely evening out. The experience is always delectable, comfortable, and memorable. It's worth every minute in line and every calorie consumed.

Erica C.

Bleh. This place is not for me. The atmosphere is eclectic and interesting. Instead of table numbers they use celebrities...quite unique. When I walked in, it felt like a La Madeleine. We ordered a Mini Newman, Caesar Salad, Chicken Noodle Soup, a wrap, and the incredible grilled cheese. Everything was par or sub par. Something like a grilled cheese is better off simple without any fancy cheeses or roasted red peppers. It tasted aweful. I couldn't eat more than 2 bites of it. The only thing I liked was the mini newman (bread with cheddar cheese and scallions). Not what I expected at all and a big let down.

Mon P.

Took my mom to dinner here tonight. My mom is a pretty picky eater but she really liked everything that we tried tonight. We ordered chicken wild rice soup and tomato basil soup to start. The chicken wild rice soup was really good. It was one of the best chicken wild rice soup Ive ever tasted. The tomato basil soup was nice too but a bit too sour for us. We then order Nicoise Salad and pan seared duck breast with brussel sprouts and mashed potato for to share. The salad was good. The dressing was flavorful but not too overpowering. My mom enjoyed the salad very much. The duck breast was decent. Sprouts and mashed potato were really nice completion to the dish. The duck by itself was kind of bland and dry, but eating it along with the sprouts and the potato was pretty good.

Durga G.

Where's the SIX star option? Charming and delightful from the moment you enter until the moment you're licking the remains of berry deliciousness off of your children's waffle plate. Of course no judging please, because I only had about five bites of my cooked-to-perfection farm fresh poached eggs and sour dough toast and another two bites of crunchy topped hash browns. Truthfully one of the most fabulous veggie sausage patties I've ever eaten and yet due to age.. I couldn't slap my child's hand away fast enough in order to have more than one taste. Meh. Service was flawless and fast-- the meal arrived piping hot. I'm coming back and hiring a sitter.

Betty C.

I've visited French Meadow several times during the past 7 or so years. The service has been good each time, and quick. Sunday brunch-time can be really busy, and we experienced this today when our food came out before we had found a table (there's no good place to wait for a table without getting in the way). We took a spot right by the door and all the newspapers/pamphlets, but only had one chair. The server found us an extra chair but our food had cooled by the time we were able to sit. FM is great in lots of ways but I think they could set up a smoother system for the people waiting for tables.

Kayley E.

I would move to Minneapolis for this place & just might.. SO MANY VEGAN CHOICES, reasonably priced, great service, & I'm missing this place a week later back in the boring state of CT. I had the vegan Reuben sandwich, with a side salad, and since I was in vegan paradise, I also grabbed a cup of their vegan chili. My mouth is watering... The sandwich was perfected. I don't like rye bread normally, but for a reuben sandwich, it had to be done, and done so well. Just the right amount of tempeh, dressing, and sauerkraut. The greens on the side were so fresh and the dressing was just enough. The chili was delicious! I'm not huge on coffee, but decided to try what they had and wow...what you pay for and what you get is just amazing. Maybe I'm overhyping this place because of lame CT or it's that good.

Joseph W.

I came here on a Sunday morning, so it was packed as expected. At this restaurant you order then find your spot. So in a restaurant that was over capacity, this was a dicey proposition. My group had me order and everyone else just kept an eye out for open tables. Somehow it worked, but I imagine that this disorder could be very frustrating if you didn't get lucky. The restaurant itself is really nice. High, high ceilings, wonderful aromas, cool looking people... so you're in the right spot! The food was good, not great. I had the cajun hashbrown breakfast. It had lots of bacon, but the bacon wasn't very high quality. The mocha that I had was excellent and it seemed that the guy making coffees here was an expert of all expert in fancy coffee making.

Michael L.

Yes, service is clearly not intended to be important, and it is quite annoying actually because you stand and order, then SOME things are brought to you, others you have to get yourself, and others you have to wait for at a different counter. It was not really adequately explained to me and I had to ask around a few people to find my way a few times. But they are VERY busy so I guess I can understand. The food, coffee and desserts ARE really good and reasonably priced, and it's a nice bright atmosphere. Love the curry chicken on croissant. Once I got a fish special dinner entree and it was great as well.

Melissa L.

I've never understood the hype. The food is fine but the crowds make it hard to justify coming here when there are a lot of other great places to go to nearby without the wait times.

Kate M.

My first visit to French Meadow Bakery was underwhelming. I thought it was good, but didn't blow me away. I've been back several times since then and really enjoyed the food. The Thai Basil Pulled Chicken is delicious and the main reason I went back. Also really enjoy the beet carpaccio and spa salads. I prefer it for dinner and sit-down dining, but I've had good brunch there too.

Dar E.

I went last night for dinner due to all the gluten free choices. We decided on the Chicken and Waffles. I was highly disappointed. The waffles was dry and no taste. The chicken was dry and no flavor. I was highly disappointed. I did give this place 2 stars because of the lovely selections of wine! I did have the suggested red blend wine that was hand picked and their choice of the night. It was delicious. I probably won't come back because I do have celiac disease and I was glutened from cross contamination or their "gluten free" meal.

R E.

Breakfast is good, pretty much everything on the menu. A bit expensive, though. Desserts are good, especially the berry chocolate cake. The rest are a little heavy for my taste. Servers are very friendly, overall nice atmosphere

Ronald B.

So much potential - wanted to love this place, but NEVER again. We went to French Meadow for a graduation dinner, per my daughter's request. It was early in the evening and the restaurant was relatively empty. I asked for a booth, for a party of four adults, and a location that was somewhat quiet and did not have a lot of foot traffic passing by. After being told that the five empty booths were not available, the hostess assured me that she had the perfect table that met all my requests. Our server was initially attentive and prompt. The menu is quite nice and there is an array of staples and specialty dishes. Prices were reasonable, the portions were adequate and food quality was very good, especially the salads. At the end of the meal our waiter abandoned us; after asking for his return, he appeared some 15 minutes later, took our dessert order and disappeared, again, for some 15-20 minutes. The décor is nice, sort of a bare brick and metal antique-like aesthetic, with high ceilings. However, the music was loud and the acoustics were horrible. As for the hostess's guarantee that she had the perfect table for us - Wrong! Initially, this was a fine location. We soon discovered that we'd been seated in the table by the kitchen that they could not give away and someone would only take if it was literally the only seating arrangement available and the party could not wait. The restaurant became very crowded and every dish that was served during our stay passed by our table. The room next to us was now being opened and employees were dragging tables and chairs by our table, across the floor making high pitched screeching noises. Large parties of customers paraded by our table. And, of course, this table was located by the restrooms, which provide a steady flow of customers mingled with the nonstop parade of servers entering and leaving the kitchen. To make matters worse, they set up a serving table at the intersection of our table, the kitchen, bathrooms and what appeared to be the banquet area. After settling our bill, I spoke to the floor manager, expressing my irritation with the hostess misrepresenting the table where we sat. She listened and I could tell by her nonverbal that she just wanted me to leave. She was quite ineffectual and eventually blurted out, "what can I do to have you return again." (Well, you can pay my mortgage and my daughter's school loans.) But, actually, if a manager is unable to take responsibility and provide a reasonable service recovery offer, based on the situation, it reinforces my concerns and doubts about the establishment. This was an extremely disappointing experience during a once in a lifetime family experience. With the competition in the restaurant industry they should know better!

Megan T.

This is one of my all time favorite spots in Minneapolis, so when we were in town for the weekend it was an obvious place to meet friends for brunch. It gets crowded but the service is usually pretty quick and the staff is super helpful. This is the type of place that I look at the menu and want to order one of everything and I have never been disappointed with my choices!

Jodi B.

Bring on the coffee The classic vegan breakfast My MN staple

Rachel H.

This place is always packed when I go there. I've been to French Meadow about 5 times now and I am never disappointed with what I order. Their soups are usually very good and the breakfast hash was memorable.

Kelly S.

Large coffee shop meets nicer than casual dining. The refreshing atmosphere pared nicely with the food at French Meadow Bakery & Café. This welcoming spot had a friendly staff and I was very pleased with the service. And where ever I go, if they have one, I will always get the beet salad. It was topped with yummy goat cheese and included heirloom beets. Scrumptious to say the least! For my inaugural visit, I went with the melt in your mouth gnocchi dish made with butternut squash. It included some flavorful pop-in-your-mouth cherry tomatoes and some wild mushrooms throughout the plate. All and all a great visit and I'd like to leave room to try their bakery items next time.

Meghann F.

French meadow is a decent organic-y type place that has a plethora of options on the menu and some are really quite amazing. The last time I was here - a day or two ago - i tried the turkey burger - which was fantastic! It was definitely a good combo of onions and cheese and turkey and bread - and whatever else they put on it - i don't recall right now. My boy tried the bison burger - the combo of bleu cheese, bacon, etc was pretty spot on - but they overcooked the burger - so it ended up being dry and well - not the amazing culinary feat it could have been. Since the cashier barely paid attention to how he requested it be cooked - well let's just say it was a bad sign from the start. They definitely have good food here - prices are reasonable as well - and they have a great reputation - just wish they would make sure that they live up to it all the time

Keith F.

I've been here once and I just don't get the hype. It's local and organic, fine,but it just does nothing for me. I went here for lunch with a co-worker and during our meal we kept commenting how it was "different than what we usually did" and the food was decent. When I got back to the office, I ran into my coworker at the vending machine because he was still hungry. We laughed and vowed to not go back to this place. As others have said, it's kinda snooty and gets a snooty crowd. The menu tries to be unique, but I feel like my meal was severely lacking taste. Granted, I had an Egg Salad Sandwich and Couscous, so the lame-ness of my order choice might have had something to do with my dissatisfaction. However, I generally love 99% of what I eat and this place just did nothing for for me. It wasn't exactly a cheap lunch either. The Cinnamon Rolls looked delicious though, and I might go back for one some day.

Michelle R.

Organic, vegan and GF options....the food is heavenly....

Brian I.

A friend suggested that we meet at French Meadow for lunch and I was astonished at how thoroughly unfriendly the menu was to a person like me with simple tastes for what I consider to be regular food. When I look at a menu, I skip over anything that includes the words "vegan" or "organic" or anything else in the description that signals a high-priced menu item. That pretty much eliminated everything on the menu for me. I ended up going with the tomato soup only. It was edible, but nothing special. I really did not appreciate the sneer on the waitress's face when I asked for something that was not organic or otherwise overpriced. This place caters to people who like to signal that they are not price-sensitive, so I definitely did not feel comfortable in this environment from the moment I sat down.

Matthew D.

Forget breakfast-- dinner is one of the best in town!!

Jonathan T.

Yo, I went there and the place didn't honor our reservations! Word is bond, yo! Super whack! Of the many times I went there, I've only had good service once. This is a shoutout to the waitress aka my home-girl Natalie that I grew up with, yo! If you can get a table, there are several things that I would recommend. If you want I burger, I recommend the North Star Bison. Pasta? All delightful. For desert, Natalie recommended the Tres Leches. I want to rate this place higher, but the service is too terrible. Rude is one thing, but French Meadow shouldn't lie and say that it has reservations for us when the manager just wanted to overbook to make money.

Paul J.

Usually have had good experiences with this place, but my partner and I went here late one night to grab dessert to go. Stood at the counter for about 10 minutes as 2 or 3 workers walked by us without even acknowledging our presence. No "Can I help you?" or even "Sorry, we're closed." We just sat there looking stupid as they ignored us until we left. Ended up going to Glam Doll Donuts which was a MUCH better choice. Used to like this place, but they've gotten pretty snooty. Would rather go to Common Roots next door.

Fran D.

First visit here & not my last. Great menu with vegan, gluten free & vegetarian items. Our waiter was great. I had the turkey burger that was clearly not just a frozen turkey burger. Topped with Guacamole, bacon & chipotle mayo it fresh & full of flavor! I devoured the whole thing! Dessert was a salted caramel bar that was to die for!

Oliver L.

Originally excited for all the veg options. Came in from out of town. The vegan cakes and such were delicious and unique, and the food was pretty good. Not the best vegan food I've had, but still really good and appreciated! The bartender was the best staff member in the whole place, where I got my meal. I found the crowd and energy in there be a bit pretentious and rude. Def weird energy. I'd say if you wanted a warm, inviting experience then go next door.

Palak A.

A variety of soups, pancakes, free wifi, plugpoints and free refills on coffeee...can't get better than this!

Turi F.

A gluten-free haven. Also nice ambiance, good service, and no wait. Definitely check it out!

Shelby F.

Yum, yum, YUM! I love this place! I've been there once for dinner and another for bakery items. I love how they clarify things as gluten free, vegan, ect.! It makes it so easy for people with dietary restrictions. All their food is so fresh and (mostly) healthy. I love it and will recommend to anyone!

Mike C.

I hate to be negative but oh man, that was bad. Our orders were completely screwed up so many times that we eventually just left. We were there an hour and had to eventually leave without eating because they were unable to bring out a simple order of the zone omelette - they kept bringing Cajun hash. It was funny because it was so ridiculous.

Amy W.

Very busy place. I've only had the tres de luche cake, and it's to die for!! Spendy- $38, but worth it for birthdays, etc...

Jacqueline S.

Always great prior to table service. Table service hours are miserably slow and overpriced (after four attempts at dinner I have given up).

Ellen C.

I've been to this place a few times now, since we live so close to it and it's such a popular place for people to gather. The space is pretty large considering it's a cafe style place, but it's always been packed when I've been (granted I've only ever visited on the weekends). I've never had trouble finding a table though, and if you really don't want to wait you can go to the back where they've opened up a restaurant with good food and beer. Everything I've tried here has been pretty good so you're pretty golden whether you're feeling adventurous or whether you're feeling traditional. A friend of mine turned me onto their cafe miel, which is essentially a honey latte. It's amazing!!! I don't even really enjoy coffee that much and this was perfect. You could still taste the flavor of the roast but it had a twinge of sweetness, to die for. I'll be back! Forever and ever! Added plus for location: If you're with a friend or two and you don't want to take up space during a busy French Meadow time, there is a bar (CC Club), another restaurant (Bulldog) and a cafe (Common Roots) right down the block. Score!

Melinda K.

Dear French Meadow, I must say I am thoroughly disappointed with your take on chicken and waffles. Upon reading the description on the menu I was intrigued but was let down when it arrived at the table. At first I wondered where the waffle was and then found two quarters of a waffle tucked under the chicken. For the price I would have hoped to get a full waffle. As for the taste, there was too much going on with the flavors and the waffle tasted stale. The chicken was edible but not great. Nice try but I think you would be better off keeping it classic and simple. I have never been here before and heard good things but I don't think I will be returning anytime soon. The ambiance is cute and casual. As for service, I think it could be better. When our server asked how the meal was I said it was ok and he could have done a better job at listening to my concern. Instead he shrugged it off and went on his way. Overall, not a great experience.

Jeremy H.

I'm honestly shocked, based off of my experience, how this place could have an overall rating of more than 2-3*. I ordered a turkey/bacon croissant with coleslaw and a peanut butter brownie. The sandwich was delicious. Perhaps one of the best turkey sandwiches I've ever had, no exaggerations needed. Perfect croissant, tons of flavor, it was just fantastic. Unfortunately, the coleslaw was beyond disgusting. Their version of coleslaw is just shredded cabbage with some kind of vinegar on it. It's not creamy, seasoned, tasty, nothing. It's just bad. I took two bites out of it and left the rest, and I'm someone who loves coleslaw. The peanut butter brownie.. just.. what? How could peanut butter and chocolate be that bad? The brownie on the bottom was hard, hard enough that I had to literally leverage my arm to get my fork in it. It also tasted like stale bread. The peanut butter/chocolate on top was creamy, but it had an off taste that wasn't pleasant. Think about a reese's cup, and then think about what the opposite of that would taste like. That's what french meadow was able to coax out of peanut butter and chocolate. I ate about 1/3 of it before I gave up. One thing that always irks me about a restaurant is if you leave the majority of your food on the plate and the server picking it up doesn't ask you if everything was ok. Obviously I didn't enjoy it as I didn't eat it, but the server just whisked away the plate without a word. I didn't say anything because I was planning on staying for a few hours to read a book. if it had just ended here, I would've given this place 2* since the sandwich was, admittedly, quite delicious. However, the temperature they keep this place at is simply unacceptable. I was planning on staying for a few hours to read - I left after 15 minutes because I was uncomfortable with the cold temperature. Looking around nearly everyone was still donning their jacket while they ate- shouldn't that tell them something? Also, since I'm annoyed I just spent $15 on a sandwich, I might as well nitpick - the water here tastes like sewer water. Seriously unappetizing to drink that, but perhaps that's just their way of pushing you into a drink order. Who knows.

Joy H.

One of the best restaurants for vegetarians in the twin cities. I frequently go here for a good beer selection, nice outdoor patio and a diverse menu with unique veggie options. The veggie burger is very flavorful and comes with a healthy portion of guacamole. All of the mexican-style dishes with imitation meat are delicious. The veggie style version of a a Reuben was a little dry for my taste, however, but I do like that they allow you to have a salad instead of fries for no extra price.

Peiwen T.

Gluten free heaven. We love this place so much that we ate here twice on our short weekend trip to Minnesota for a friend's wedding. The corn blueberry pancake is crispy and sweet, especially with butter slathered on. Didnt even need the syrup! We also got gluten free toasts with the daily omelet. Coffee was also good. Other things we tried that are also good were the crab cake benedict (gluten free), berry tart, and choc. chip cookies.

Lindsay D.

Long standing favorite in Minneapolis, excellent food, fast service. I suggest their Spa Salad, Rachel or Bison burger. Anything you get here is good, and don't forget to get a cookie to go! Local, organic, hand made. Does it get any better?

Kim R.

Stopped by French Meadow last night for dinner to use a groupon before it expired on May 1. I've been to French Meadow a lot for breakfast, and have to say I prefer their breakfast/lunch to their dinner menu. Everything tasted fine, it just wasn't quite as great as their fabulous breakfast pancakes and burritos. We started our dinner with an order of crab cakes. These are definitely a unique take on crab cakes. They are Mexican-style cakes seasoned with cumin and the crab is mixed with green onion and black beans. They're served with a Mexican sour cream. I like my crab cakes a little more traditional. With these cakes, the seasoning and black beans really over powered the crab so you could barely taste it at all. Plus, they were a little on the salty side. On to our entrees, I ordered the chicken and black bean quesadilla and my hubby ordered the bison burger. Both entrees were good, but nothing too special. My husband was less than impressed with the four measely potato wedges, and thought the portion size was a little small. My quesadilla was good and came with seasoned sour cream, salsa and guac. It was nice and crispy with lots of melted cheese, but it could have used more chicken and spinach. French Meadow is known for their desserts, so we made sure to save some room. It was a tough decision but we passed up the fruit crisp and the molten chocolate cake for the lingonberry almond cake. This is the perfect dessert to share and comes in your own mini square cake that is covered in a fudgy chocolate coating. The almond flour angel food cake is light and not too sweet, but a bit bland on its own. I really enjoyed the tart, lingonberry filling. The chocolate coating was nice and rich, but it made the cake a little heavy. I think I'll stick to getting breakfast at French Meadow.

Finn K.

I've decided to update my review based on more recent experiences. The Rocket delivery to the immediate area is a major plus for me, allowing me to order from the delicious breakfast menu on weekends when I wake up late with zombie breath and don't want to go out until I've had something good to eat and downed my first coffee. I am not a vegan or vegetarian so can't really help with anything in that area. I cant see the logic in replacing one scientifically corrupted rDNA food for another anyways. However, I enjoy the atmosphere, culture and health-conscious purpose of FM because of the implied care for the preparation of the food and for the environment. It reminds me of Berkeley, CA and until I step outside I feel like I could really be back again. French Meadows indoor experience provides a Goldilocks atmosphere suitable for socializing, not too loud as to ruin conversation and not awkwardly silent either as to ruin anonymity. Every time I eat here I experience a little cognitive dissonance regarding tipping, torn between my generous nature as a tipper and my schema of what constitutes a full-service restaurant. The new renovation added a sit down style off-shoot but this wasn't the same for me so didn't resolve this. Needless, to say I usually give them the benefit of the doubt. The food, while usually delicious, can be on the expensive side portion-wise. My favorites here are the Classic Breakfast, with a side of the hemp/poppy seed bread and sour dough french toast. The coffee is very high quality also, far better than any near-by franchise. The pastries sinfully decadent, albeit overly buttery. I ate a croissant once and could literally feel my arteries calcifying. I once heated a tart too and had it melt into a blob at the bottom of my stove in minutes. I hope my review has been helpful. I would definitely give French Meadows a try.

Irina R.

I sat at a table outside and was getting annoyed that no one came up to take my order. After chasing a waiter down, I found out that they only have table service after 4pm and you have to order at the counter. Wow, am I a snob? After standing in line and finally placing an order, it was promptly delivered to the table even though it was extremely crowded. The food was good and it went down nicely with some fresh coffee refills. You definitely have to make sure that you are not in a rush before going there as it gets very busy on the weekends.

Kimberly T.

5 stars for breakfast, 3 for dinner = 4 stars. I love coming here for breakfast. If I can snag a table outside, even better. The egg & bacon croissant is my favorite item on the menu; eggs, bacon & guacamole on a fluffy croissant. However, my dinner experiences haven't been as stellar as breakfast. The sandwiches & burgers I've tried have been just 'okay'. The seating is a bit tight on the interior to the point where I find myself lost in conversation because I feel like I'm in a couple other ones!

Noey D.

I like this place and have been a handful of times when I'm in town. On my last visit we went for their breakfast burrito which I love love but it was the wrong time of day and I couldn't get it so I settled on the veggie burger after debating over the vegetarian options. I expected it to be yummy because everything I've had there is pretty great but wow...the veggie burger is bad. It was a big mush patty. When I put the burger together and picked it up to take a bite about 1/2 of the patty gooped out of the burger on to the plate. The taste wasn't horrible although not nearly good enough to counteract the texture. Ew. The texture was absolutely disgusting mushiness. Baby food is probably better! This recipe really should be reformulated because as it is, it's bad and there's no reason to eat a yucky veggie burger because there are decent ones nearby at other restaurants! What was more annoying was the service I experienced when I went to the counter to return it. I showed the guy my plate and asked if the veggie burger was always like that to which he said yes. I was confused and told him that it was bad, that I'd never seen one like that and that I didn't want to eat it. Another staff member piped in and said that's always how it is and that you have to eat it with a knife and fork. If that's true, it should be listed on the menu as a knife and fork burger because you surely can't eat it any other way. Anyhow, I was unsure why "the customer was always right" obviously wasn't being observed here and that they didn't immediately offer to make me something else. The guy reluctantly told me that if I was dissatisfied (duh!) that he could send a manager over. So I went back to my table. After another about five minutes (and my friend half way through her meal) I returned to the counter to ask if someone was going to come over. He said the manager was on the way. I told the guy I just wanted to get something else and he said he couldn't authorize it. Soon after the manager came over and apologized and immediately told me he'd bring me something else out. Thank you for trying to make up for not only bad food but your semi-rude coworkers. Eventually I got the mediterranean wrap which was pretty good although I wouldn't order it again. Too bad I have a sour taste in my mouth for this place because I do really like that damn breakfast burrito. I won't stray away from ordering it in the future!

Mike G.

I know people love this place, but every time I go I just get annoyed. FOOD: Over priced and not very flavorful. I paid $9.50 for a Rachel Sandwich and a side salad. The salad was small, completely lacking any taste. The sandwich was small, poorly put together and very oily/greasy. ATMOSPHERE: Cool, open space, which I like. The servers seems so trendy cool and totally uninterested in helping you. And I can only handle so much chunky-framed glasses and cool hipster T Shirts from the other patrons. So, in a city with a TON of great, small, local cafes, I think I am officially never going to French Meadow ever again.

Chelsea V.

I went here with my mom on May 6. I arrived first and was seated, my mom arrived about ten minutes later. After another ten minutes of waiting we finally stopped an employee that was walking by and asked for our waiter. He finally showed up and took our drink order than came back and took our food order. He came back fifteen minutes later saying he forgot our drinks, we told him to just forget it we'll stick with water. He brought our drinks (I had the turtle mocha which was good my mom tried the arnie Palmer tea which tasted like straight lemon juice) with our food saying the drinks were on the house. I got the Caesar wrap the first half was really good but the other half had tomato in it which just made the wrap taste like tomato juice not a Caesar. Overall I would recommend the food but the service was horrible. When our waiter came up to our table he would just stand there and stare at us until we spoke to him. It was really weird and uncomfortable. There's a self serving side that you can sit at. I only recomend that side.

Laura P.

The best sign of a good meal, to me, is the amount of times you crave it after having eaten it. Which is why French Meadow has earned 5 stars from me. I had their cranberry chicken sandwich, let me tell ya, now honey, now baby, this sandwich has me beat. It's a delightful, light sandwich that won't sit in your gut like a brick. Spinach leaves, perfect chicken breast, cranberries, some swiss, and some kind of tangy dijon mustard. It's perfect! And I crave it all the time! The multigrain bread they serve it on is wonderful!! Those sandwich halves have danced their way into my dreams! They also have wonderful tortilla chips with salsa that comes with it. All around celebration of yumminess in my mouth! *mwah!* I should note that I have been able to restrain myself from shamefully gorging myself on their baked goods in the case..... It has taken a lot of will power..... But every single one of their cupcakes, cookies, cakes, bars, etc have been calling, nay, screaming my name.... Must. Stay. Strong!!! My gut is already too lumpy! I find the atmosphere inside the French Meadow to be a little chaotic. The menus are neatly scribbled on chalkboards hung high on the walls. It's nice because the view can been seen from anywhere you are standing while figuring out what to order. The menu is pretty cut and dry, which is also nice, because it's always busy when I go there, so once you get to the register, you can order without holding the line up with questions about what you are ordering. I haven't ever sat inside while eating at French Meadow, as I find their street sitting to be agreeable for a nice sunny day. The food is actually fitting for such a day; light, filling, not too filling. It's perfect for a lunch date with friends, relatives, or lovers. The staff are nice enough and prompt. The food I've always had is impeccable, my compliments to the chef! I had a cold pressed coffee here once and was not impressed..... though the price was right for what I ordered. I highly recommend this place for summer lunches. It's also great for soups in the winter months.

Siddharth D.

The service at French Meadow leaves you wondering if they really think, you as a customer are any important to them or not. The waitresses all seem to be in some sort of mad rush and are buzzing around the place looking busy, but don't really seem like carrying a lot of food in their hands. I have been to many places which are extremely understaffed and yet the service is decent. Not so at French Meadow. The waitresses hardly have time to answer your queries about the menu and basically just tell you what a particular item consists of in rapid fire and then hastily leave your table. I was struggling to get all my menu questions answered satisfactorily. We got two hamburgers, one bison, one grass fed beef. Both were extremely dry and had sweet glazed onions on them which was a very bad idea. They tasted below average. We also got Minnesota organic chicken which came with mashed potatoes, carrots and some cherry based sweet sauce. The mashed potatoes were dry and not very tasty. The chicken was pretty decent but nothing spectacular. It was priced at $21 which I think is too high given the quality of the dish. I have liked their desserts in the past and also find their house bread to be generally good. Overall I think it is overrated and there are tons of similar organic food serving restaurants which do a hugely better job when it comes to tastiness of the food and the finesse of the wait staff.

Mary H.

My husband and I ate dinner after the Sunday matinee at the Jungle Theater here at French Meadow Bakery & Cafe. Early evening they turn down the lights and put dinner menus on the table with candle light. We ordered Mahi Mahi salad sandwiches and a fresh salad on the side and it was delicious. Their bread is homemade and salad greens organic and fresh. We topped off our meal with carrot cake which was delightful. All their desserts are wonderful. It is hard to decide which one to choose each time I go there. The rhubarb crisp bars are always my favorite!

Brittany E.

Great organic options. Food is delicious and a great atmosphere! Sometimes the service is slow when it is packed...but that is expected!

Ryan P.

Everything I've had here is delicious. The vegan dishes are especially tasty. The baked goods are fresh and there's a wide variety from which to choose. The coffee is excellent and so is the Chai tea. The staff is very friendly and this place is always bustling making for a warm atmosphere.

Lori G.

I went there on a Wednesday night around 8:00pm. Their bread is amazing. The special pasta for dinner is too good to be true~ The quantity is just right for me. I usually can't finish the whole plate. And I like the way they put cranberries in there. I enjoyed the fruite crips, the gluten free coconut cake and fruite bar from the bakery too! The environment is cute and sweet. They have lovely flowers on each table. And the service is wonderful too!

Anon X.

We went out for dinner on a Sunday night. Our bill was $60 total. We ordered the Chicken Quesadilla, Lamb Risotto and Wild Acres Chicken. The food itself, was very average. It was edible, however, it didn't "WOW" by any means. This was coupled with very poor service. The restaurant was not overly busy yet we had to wait 15 minutes to order, 10 minutes to get our drinks - which turned out to be wrong. They gave us two Diet Cokes instead of a Coke and Diet Coke. After that, it was almost another 40 minutes before we got our food and the bus boys, not the server, was the only person that checked on us throughout our night. I would not recommend this dining experience to anyone, especially with the price tag that comes with it.

Sadia K.

Ok i haven't had food here but i have had their desserts. First of all, there are two parking lots on two sides of the buildings and theres street parking. Second, this place is huge; there might not be a lot of outdoor seating but theres plenty inside. If you are in a mood for desserts and coffee this place is a great option. We had the almond torte and the flourless chocolate cake.. The almond torte was really really good; it was spongy and the chocolate icing just went really well with it.. The flourless chocolate cake was decadent and rich but it felt like they used honey in it and that was a big put off since the flavor of honey overpowered the bittersweet chocolaty goodness; not that i hate honey i just dont like it with chocolate..

Ken W.

Have been eating here for literally decades and I've never once been disappointed with the food or service! French Meadow is one of those places that always delivers! Great location, food, service and atmosphere!

Charlie B.

The apple crisp sucks and the blonde broad dishing it up had an attitude problem. Everything in the dessert case looked f*cking awesome, but after the apple crisp I'm certainly not holding my breath.

Emily V.

Heard about this place for a very long time, but have never gone. I had heard that it caters to vegetarians (which I am not) and so I just imagined a super hipster place that is snobby and high priced. Imagine my pleasant surprise at the fact that the service is excellent, they have tons of options for us non-vegetarian types (and really interesting ones for those that are) and did a wonderful job with the party of 9 that I ate with last month. I did go with mostly vegetarians, and a lot of them ordered the veggie burger (to rave reviews). I ordered the goat cheese ravioli (even though I love meat) just because it sounded good, and it did not disappoint. Packed with flavor and very savory. I also split the seared scallops appetizer with someone and thought they were perfectly cooked and wonderful. I tried a bite of someone's Milky Way Tart, and wished I had ordered the Mexican chocolate version, but I'm not super into sweets, so I knew that I wouldn't want more than a bite. Maybe next time ;) The service was great. Our waitress was very attentive, had opinions when asked about particular dishes, and was friendly but not overbearing. I'd definitely go back. Vegetarian or not ;)

Sarah H.

This place is perfect if you're on Lyndale Ave with picky eaters. I love the sandwiches here, and the soup is good, although it somehow takes way longer than you think it will when you order it to go. I ordered the Zen Salad one day and it was such a good decision - hummus, kale, tomatoes, guacamole, and a bunch of other things that make me feel like I'll never die.

Emily H.

Hands down the best breakfast/brunch place. Splitting their breakfast burrito and having soup on the side is totally doable for two. After eating here it makes you feel good since they use mostly if not all fresh ingredients. Two thumbs up! I go here at least once a month one of my favorites restaurants.

Ellie P.

Originally excited to come here, left never wanting to come back. Was recommended to come here by a co-worker. A lot of the items on the menu sounded delicious, mostly from the breakfast menu but we were going for lunch. The food was extremely overpriced for what it was. I got a quesadilla and my boyfriend got a wrap and our total was around $30. I couldn't even finish my food, I'm still not sure what it was about it that was so gross. We left asking each other where else we should go eat because we were both still hungry and basically disappointed. I just think this place is overrated.

D. I.

BIG portions! I got the omelet of the day... red peppers, feta. Cooked perfectly. Yummy salsa too.

Marilyn C.

Every time I have gone to the French Meadow, they have been incredibly consistent with their menu and service. I am partial to going when the weather is nice and eating outside. Cuisine technique is classical french. Plating and presentation is superb. If you get a chance to eat their on a weekday afternoon, it's not so crowded, but due to it's popularity and location, weekends are generally packed. The environment, warm, friendly and inviting. You have a location for private events and tastings. The bakery area is casual and in the restaurant, you can have a more formal dining experience. They take immense pride in their food and service. I always opt for the formal sit down dining to go through their menu. Some people don't like the chalkboard menu in the bakery area, but the selection and quality is superb. I love going there when scallops are in season, and everything on the menu is farm to table, another win for the consumer.

Cheri K.

After eating, I observed a manager responding poorly(ineffectually) to a customer who was complaining of being neglected. Customer had waited an unreasonable amount of time for a takeout order, approximately25 minutes, while many other clients who came in after her order were served while she continued to wait. The manager offered no explanation, apology or solution. Client left the cafe frustrated, canceling her order. The manager really blew an opportunity to provide service. A poor choice by management.

T M.

Hopefully something was off when I went. It was the beginning of spring, warm enough that some people sat outside, but it was uncomfortably chilly for me. The only indoor seats we could find were near a door that was kept open, so I shivered for most of the meal. I ordered the famous fruit and nut waffle. The berries were fine, but the pancake tasted like straight buttermilk. Maybe their buttermilk was old and more sour than usual. The bacon was tasty, but I couldn't eat more than a few bites of my pancake and the open door ensured that the bacon was cold before I finished it. The hash browns were okay, but not the glorious combination of soft potato inside and crispy brown outside that I was hoping for.

Jacky W.

French Meadow is a great option for anyone looking for a delicious, organic, locally grown, vegetarian/vegan option loving menu. Everything that I've had from French Meadow has been delicious and none of my dining partners has ever complained about their meal either. Extra bonus: on Mondays you can get any of the wines for $5/glass. It is a great night to meet up with a friend, grab dinner and a few glasses of wine, and rehash the weekend. Or prep for the week. The ambiance of the restaurant is unique and interesting - it is a very open restaurant and you have the option of seated ordering or ordering from a cafe type counter at the front. The coffee/tea drinks, baked goods, and desserts are delicious and worth trying. The brussel sprouts are perfection and I always order them when I dine here. Which is not often enough. EAT HERE IMMEDIATELY.

Justin B.

I always recommend eating at this place when I host someone from out of town. Yes it's loud, but there's a reason for that and unless you're going somewhere quiet to talk, you'll find the lively atmosphere fun, and great for people watching. It's hard to find a seat for breakfast on the weekends, but you'll get one eventually and usually it's totally worth the wait. The food is outstanding, and there are a dozen or so vegetarian and vegan options. The service has been great for me every time and the staff are friendly, but seem very busy. You can really taste the freshness in the food here. The great variety and quality of foods is what gives this place a five star rating.

Geneva H.

I've never really been a fan to begin with, maybe I could have given it 3 stars on a particularly good day for them. The service is just fine, and I do like the ambiance, but the food only deserves a "meh" and its always way too expensive. Anyway, I just experienced French Meadow's catering for the first time and it was AWFUL! I originally wanted to order an individual breakfast but then was told the only thing you can order for individuals are the boxed lunches. The options were limited and nothing sounded that great. So I went with the grilled turkey and bacon croissant... well that showed up completely cold, my "melted" cheese had completely solidified so I had to microwave my $14 unimpressive sandwich.... I took one bite into my artificially heated sandwich only to discover that my bacon was completely raw. I even prefer my bacon on the "soft" side, but this was nauseating. I saved the turkey to feed to my dog as a treat later on, but had to throw the rest away. French Meadow: Please, for the love of all things local and organic, please change your catering menu and practices! This was completely unacceptable and profoundly disappointing! I will still continue to stop in for the occasional cup of coffee.

Rose W.

This was in such a convenient location - that I knew I had to visit when I read the menu. There were so many good eats for breakfast and lunch! It was quite popular and crowded when I arrived at 10:30AM, but I was promptly seated at the bar. Everything was pretty good and the portions were large - even the chai tea latte and the tempeh BBQ sandwich. Next time however, I'm sticking to real meat rather than the vegan alternatives (my fault). Service was a bit slow, but expected because it was so packed. Also really like the name of the place!

Alexandria M.

Amazing Food and Service! Definitely Better than Grand Ave location. Staff is always consistently friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and professional. I will continue to eat at this location, and recommend that others try it for themselves.

Beth R.

Going to French Meadow is always an easy decision. Great food, good service, and a "something for everyone" menu. I always feel good about ordering from it's locally grown, ethically sourced, organic menu. I've had lots of different things here, so I have to mention the fries, the brat, any sandwich, the breakfast. I wasn't a huge fan of the desserts, but I'm not much of a dessert gal so I'm not sure I'm qualified to review them :)

John M.

French Meadow has an amazing menu and an amazing atmosphere. The only downside and the reason I'm leaving out 1 star is because how slow it is and the service really sucks sometimes. I went in there twice in a row in a month and both times they just completely forgot my order and my drink.

Emily O.

When I was still in high school and my sister was granola'ing it up on the West bank, I drove my Honda civic to meet her for lunch at what seemed like another universe: Uptown. At the time, she had a host of perceived and real food allergies so we met at the French Meadow because they had a lot of options for people with these kind of allergies. I remember leaving feeling so nourished, and also so cool. It was the 1990s. Fast-forward *20* years. I must have had the Meadow categorized as "behind the times" or "where people went in the '90s" because even though I live in the Wedge, we rarely think to eat there. Reasons this place still rates: Bakery - serves plenty of gluten free and vegan options too Breakfast until 2! The Tomato Soup Wine Drawbacks: crowded, overpriced? I plan to think of this place next time we're trying to decide on a place to eat.

kenneth h.

I came here twice on vacation. This needs to be qualified. I never go anywhere twice on vacation. This includes bathrooms or bedrooms.... not. But close. Not even coffee shops. I'm a wanderlust guy who ventures to the same place never. This place haunts me with its breakfast assortments. Glad to find a yet another awesome cafe with GF options in Minny because I will be back and this may see me yet again. Next time would be three. You do the math.

Tommy H.

French Meadow is my favorite place for a morning brunch! There Vegan Breakfast is so delicious with their tofu scramble, vegan sausage, and toast is so tasteful and filling. Sometimes (like all good places) it is hard to find a table, but the sitting is rarely large so you should find one within a few minutes on a busy morning. French Meadow also have a selection of vegan pastries which are good (especially for being vegan). If you are a vegan and have not been to French Meadow, then this is a must go to restaurant!

Bethany S.

I've never been disappointed with the food here. I love that they have so many options for all different dietary needs. Gluten free? Dairy free? Vegetarian? Vegan? No problem! They have it all and it's all delicious. I'm none of the above, but I still eat and drink the vegan/dairy free options because I think they're delicious. Always fresh and quick to get your order out to you. The only con I've found is that on weekends around brunch hours, it can be a nightmare finding a table or just walking in to order a coffee to go because everyone orders to-go and eat-in from the same counter. If you have time, though it's worth the standing in line. One of the best places for coffee, dessert, and breakfast in Uptown.

S M.

Cappucino Torte for President! Lovely place for dessert and coffee. Expensive if you do app, entree, drinks, and dessert. Enjoy the ambiance and decor.

Jordyn P.

Yum! My hubby and I went here for breakfast and were both impressed. Great quality food and delicious coffee. Definitely worth a visit!

Lorraine N.

love it as a bakery, coffee, and treat place. I could live without the food as it was overpriced for what it was. I did not feel it was anything that special and ended up paying 45 for a simple breakfast for two people in a crowded noisy environment....yeah ---i think you should go when it is perhaps a little less busy and have a nice warm beverage and a treat. Definitely go here frequently and pick up goodies to have at home or put out for company.

Eve V.

You walk in to a bustling restaurant and cafe, with lines out the door for the quicker service side. The decor and restaurant are beautiful and the staff are very helpful. I loved the soy latte, but once our vegan breakfast specials came we were sorely disappointed. The tofu scramble was vinegary tasting with the only veggie being a load of bell peppers, the toast half burnt and the veggie meat was blah. We did, however, really enjoy the hashbrowns! Before we left we decided to give the pastries in the front a try to make up for the lack-luster breakfast and were 1/2 successful. While the vegan options were plentiful my husband was less than thrilled with his selections. I personally loved the raspberry and chocolate bar and would go back even if only for a latte and the lovely bar. However, I wouldn't in good faith recommend the vegan breakfast special to anyone.

Jack F.

I haven't been here since they expanded. I like the additional space! If you haven't been here, keep in mind they are busy and it is a challenge to park. I would suggest looking for off street parking because the parking lots can get a bit chaotic. This is a self service restaurant from water to condiments. Their deal is organic and local if possible sourcing. They even use the organic Heinz Ketchup! They have great coffee and deserts, I order the classic eggs breakfast this time, but I have had the Huevos rancheros (or what ever they call it there) and it is good. They have yet to disappoint me and I've been there many times. For some reason I can't upload photos right now of the food I ordered. I'll be sure to get some up once I can. Final Word: I will definitely go back, this is one of my staple brunch/hangover cure joints. Give it a try, get a cocoa nut water to cure the hangover! ***If your are going during any busy meal times, be prepared to stand in line.

Carly B.

Came here in a very quiet Tuesday morning. The place was nearly empty. You would think this would translate into fantastic service but it didn't. They don't accommodate subbing out any items-- even for food allergies. The only option is to pay more for a side. And a side of fruit is $5. I'm not sure why people love this place --my omelet was very so-so. I certainly wouldn't go back again.

Andrew R.

My friends and I have been coming here for a couple years pretty regularly. Been here a total of 15 times I'd guess. Most of the time the experience is great and food is fantastic. However I don't understand how every time we come here and ask to be seated the servers always tell us there is a wait even when there's always 3-4 tables you can see open. Maybe it's for a good reason I'm not sure so I won't be too picky there. However the last time we went our server was so painfully slow. (I won't name her on the review.)We were sat at 5:50 pm ordered right away and got our food before our drinks! That is the first time I've ever had that happen at a restaurant. Next thing was we were done with all our food around 6:50pm and hadn't seen the server in a while. She never refilled our waters or asked my friend if he wanted another drink. We patiently waited and after 15 minutes another staff member noticed we were waiting and asked us if we wanted the bill. I kindly replied yes if we could and he left saying "I'll find her for you" it wasn't until 7:30 that she finally got back to us with our bill! 25 minutes to get the bill what the heck... We saw her walking around table to table too she didn't seem like she was in a hurry. The table next to us complained they waited so long with her. I will take a break from the restaurant for a while and hopefully never have that waitress again when I return.

Zoey Z.

Once, twice, three time and you're out! The last time 3 times I've been to French Meadow the wait time for basic breakfast or sandwich has been over an hour! Food is decent but not worth the hour wait..staff was visibly flustered and guests were clearly all upset about the delay...all 3 times there was never an offer to comp a drink or add a dessert...something small for an apology to make up for the annoying wait time.

Heidi B.

The service and atmosphere here is great - very personalized and friendly. I docked a star for my dish the butternut ravioli - because it was a bit sweeter than expected. But shame on me because butternut ravioli maybe is supposed to be sweet. They also add cinnamon and I prefer my raviolis more on the savory side. So beware should you order that! But the mission statement and focus of this sustainable , farm to table Minneapolis restaurant is fantastic. I would come back to try something else!

Helena D.

For the gluten intolerant: This place is a gluten free paradise. They had so much to offer and I was even surprised to find that the majority of their desserts were also gluten free. This made me happy. I had the Macaroni with bacon and peas. I know I know. Mac and cheese is all the rage these days and you can find it in almost any hipster hangout but this one was actually quite delicious. Every mac and cheese is different--some prefer drier varieties or smokey flavors... This was just a good creamy basic with added flavor from the bacon and peas. Huge portion--I have leftovers!!! For dessert I tried the vanilla berry cake. It was good. Not my favorite but again--they have so many to choose from. I will go back and I will try them all :) It's a tad pricey. Not horrible and I think it's on par with the food movement happening right now. Mac was 14 + 4 for bacon and peas Dessert was 6 Not exactly cheap but worth it for a nice evening out with friends or solo and you want to treat yourself a bit.

Julie K.

The patio is fantastic, service attentive and friendly. Food is very tasty. The only bummer is this time and the time before they were out of so many bar items. Both times we were told they were revamping the bar. I get that. I work in the service industry, but it can be annoying to order four different beers and they are out of each one.

Ebony W.

This place had a huge menu. We had brunch here on a Sunday and there was a slight wait, but no more than 15 minutes. We had the Cajun hash browns and they were good. They weren't that spicy, but was loaded with bacon. We had a apple walnut pancake and it was huge, so don't order the double unless you are a big eater. Latte was good. Fresh OJ was great. We will be back for breakfast/brunch again.

Karly A.

Absolute vegan heaven!! The vegan breakfast combo will make you question if it is vegan. Sausage yayyyyyy! Welcome back to the world of epic breakfasts fellow vegans!

Ramesh P.

Went here for Sunday lunch here's what we ordered: 1. Grilled cheese from kids menu comes with Nacho chips I don't get the Nacho chips for kids and the grilled cheese could have been better. 2. Black Bean Chilli was excellent didn't get care much for the bread it came with and would have really loved some cheese to go with it but overall chilli by itself was awesome. 3. Veg Burger with fries - fries were excellent burger was really sloppy and could have used more seasoning so the 4 stars! 4. Marinated tofu was excellent! Overall service was slow and it took forever to order-eat-pay!

Ice T.

did not like. this seems to be one of those overrated institutionalized places. tried a couple items from the case. one tasted like its toppings came from a grocery-bought Hershey canister - the other tasted like it had expired as the "cream" layer had become gel-like.

Jessica S.

I finally learned my lesson tonight. After recent mediocre dessert experiences, I had the absolute worst chocolate turtle cake tonight. Bone dry, disintegrating with the slightest touch of the fork. And, for that, I am charged $6. What an insult! I'm not sure if the cake was stale or just formulated from an awful recipe, but their vegan cakes are just terrible and not even deserving of a single dollar from my pocket. I recommend that you continue down the street to the Wedge for some more moist and economical goodies. The only reason that French Meadows is clinging to 2 stars rather than 1 is because the rest of their menu is somewhat better than their cakes. And, I do find the space to be warm and cozy. Service is hit or miss, but seems to be improving from the rude, irritable, and disjointed gang that I frequently encountered.

Marisa R.

I just tried this place for the first time and LOVED it! The service was amazing and the food off the hook. I had a bison burger which I was a bit reluctant to try as I had never had bison but I loved it. I was happy with the fact that they offered a gluten free bread option for the burger which I went with. My friend had the mac n cheese which was also off the hook. The portion was generous as was the side salad. I really wanted to try a gluten free dessert but didn't....will definitely next time. Overall the ambiance was comfortable. The music was not so loud that you couldn't hear what the person across the table was saying. The music was eclectic (good). I will definitely be back and perhaps keep going until I eat my way through a good portion of the menu! :-)

Caroline A.

I lived in the Loring Park neighborhood so this was my go to spot for brunch and lunch. I was always happy with such a variety of breakfast foods and everything always came out fresh. What really impressed me was the vegan friendly menu options they have. I only realized when I had a friend in town and I had to look up vegan restaurants and French Meadow came up. My friend was really happy with their Vegan Breakfast Plate, and even happier with their baked goods display. She grabbed a mix to go for the weekend for us to share. Happy to know we could both enjoy our meals!

M. A.

Food is always fresh and well prepared, I've been going for decades and French Meadow has never disappointed. Sometimes getting a table can be briefly hectic but it's worth it.

Wayne S.

One of my favorite brunches in the twin cities! This place gets a bit crowded for brunch so try to get there early. The food is consistently good and the coffee is great. I love the quiche and the breakfast quesadilla especially. Both are great choices but honestly I don't think you can go wrong with any of the food here. I've only been for lunch once a long time ago so I can't really comment on other meals.

Katie M.

Easily one of my favorite restaurants in Minneapolis. INCREDIBLE brunch. They source locally, the food is fresh, the atmosphere is relaxing, they have outdoor seating, the service is quick, they have bomb dot com bakery items and a great wine list...I could go on. Their menu looks different depending on what time you're dining. The brunch/lunch menu (until 2PM Mon-Thurs, until 3PM Fri-Sun) has breakfast and lunch items. It's fairly expansive. Some of my favorites include the Zone omelette - spinach, scallions, sun dried tomatoes, goat cheese (yum) and the Classic Egg Breakfast (eggs, hashbrowns, toast, bacon). They are extremely accommodating in labeling and adjusting for dietary needs - Vegan, GF, etc. Finding a seat for brunch on the weekend can be tough sometimes - you order at the counter and then find a table. For dinner dining, a waitress seats and serves you. I love their Grass-Fed Beef Burger - Grass Run Farm's beef, swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, garlic chive aioli, organic milk bun, and have also enjoyed their Grilled Romaine salad and Pulled Pork. I'm sure every bakery item is to die for. The ones I've tried are the flourless chocolate torte and coconut macaroons and I was not disappointed. French Meadow, I love you.

Tim E.

Had a fantastic dinner. Started with chips and guacamole ; the chips were warm and thick and very good. we shared a vegan flatbread and the tempeh taco salad; both were outstanding. Finished with a peanut butter crisp and vegan ice cream. Also great. All.vegan and all good.

Stacy W.

If you are looking for a fresh and reasonably healthy breakfast option, this is the place to be! My husband, 2 year old daughter and myself stumbled upon this gem while traveling through Minneapolis and man are we glad that we did! A month later and that delicious cherry and dark chocolate scone still comes up when we talk about vacation. The decor is lovely and a nice change of pace from similar cafes. We were also pleasantly surprised to see a sister store in the airport as we were leaving town. Keep up the great work!

Susie A.

Been here three times for brunch/ lunch and haven't been wowed any of the times although I really wanted to love the place. First time had the quiche and was excited for all the lovely ingredients, but didn't notice any of them. Second time had the tempeh reuben sandwich which was just o.k. Maybe I'm not a tempeh fan. Had the salmon eggs today and they were overdone with no cream cheese creaminess or flavor. Phooey. Today I wanted decaf coffee and the decanter was empty so I waited for the lady behind the counter to replace it with the one behind. When I filled my cup it was full of grounds with oily residue on top. So I had to wait again to get her attention so that I could get a new mug (or empty it) and then the next coffee choice was also empty, so I had to go with my third choice.... This wouldn't be a big deal if my food wasn't getting cold and I hadn't spent a fortune. It's also a Monday. Not a busy weekend. Someone should be in charge of the coffee at a cafe! I did buy a gluten free chocolate cake for a friend's birthday in May and it was beautiful and delicious. I also regularly purchase their sprouted bread from my co-op. Because their menu is so unique and large I might go back and give them yet another try. I do like their support of organic and local farms.

Andrea R.

What can I say, I'm a burrito lady and this place just happens to have the best breakfast burrito in town. The cafe au lait is made to perfection (helloooo, frothed milk, not steamed!). The crab cake Benedict and the sour dough French toast hit the spot, and the cappuccino torte is out of this world so good! The down side is that it can get too crowded, but even so still worth it.

Amy L.

It's always nice to find a place where I can actually eat something tasty. Between a gluten and dairy allergy (among other things), I actually have some options at French Meadow. They have great coffee and beverages (adult or otherwise:) and I love their breakfast options.

Megumi T.

Usually I expect "French" places to have lighter fare, but everything we got was packed with flavor (and delicious): French Meadow Bakery Mocha: Delicious and sweet Signature Deep Dish Quiche: This was great because usually when I have quiche, I feel like there's not enough of it, but this was at least 3" deep and had plenty of egg and goat cheese to be filling. Cajun Hashbrowns with Vegan Sausage: Usually, I like my hashbrowns super crispy, but this had enough "fixins" (garlic, onion, green onion, tomatoes, plenty of cheese, and vegan sausage) to make it delicious all the same. For you omnivores, the texture and taste of the vegan sausage is pretty damn good (non-vegetarian boyfriend approved).

Thomas R.

French Meadow is a large bakery and cafe focusing on serving organic, fair trade, and sustainable foods. They have a large menu including breakfast, salads, sandwiches, entrées and various bakery items. If organic, fair trade, or sustainable is your thing, this is the place to go. Personally I am not particularly into all that but friends of mine were so we stopped for Sunday brunch. When we arrived we learned that there's apparently only counter service at this time and we were met by a long line snaking out the door and down the sidewalk but it moved quickly. Once we ordered we found a seat outside on the patio and waited for the delivery of our food. My wife and I shared a bowl of the black bean chili which was fantastic. The bowl was perfect for two people share the chili had great flavor, quality vegetables, and was really was well-made. We each also had a wrap. I have a turkey blt and she had the Mediterranean. Each wrap was very well-prepared with quality ingredients making the final products very tasty. For sides we had the coleslaw and chips and salsa each were very nice accompaniments. Overall, I feel that French Meadow is a very nice spot for breakfast or a light lunch. The prices are a little high due to the organic, fair trade, sustainable nature of the restaurant but that should be obvious prior to entry if you are actively seeking out those types of options.

Melissa C.

Usually I love this place, but NOT today! Four of us went here for brunch to celebrate Mother's Day. First, if you want to ask them to hold onions, or any other food ingredients, even due to food allergies, they WON'T do it! Second, they managed to screw up four of the four orders! 1) my mom orders a Belgium Waffle with maple syrup and they gave her some apple paste stuff. 2) my Brother-in-Law ordered sour dough and they gave him wheat. And it gets better. 3) my sister ordered yogurt parfait with fruit and granola and they FORGOT THE YOGURT! 4) I ordered the Vegan breakfast and the sausage patties were ice cold in the middle and everything else on the plate was cold except for the When we told the manager, she was very apologetic and immediately fixed our orders and offered us free dessert. I will go back again because I like this place and I'm going to chalk this up as just an off day, but it was a bummer it had to happen on Mother's Day. Hopefully next time will be better!

Samantha T.

This was my first time there and I really good enjoyed it. The setup is fun. My husband got the bacon crossiant and I got eggs Benedict. Over all great place and next time we will try lunch!

Isabel F.

Fantastic desserts, great service, good food. The value for the food is a little lackluster, but still a fun date place. The ambiance is absolutely lovely. Bring everyone!

Ali O.

i love love love love love this place. go there for breakfast. i've had a ton of great food here, but i always gravitate towards the zone omelette, it's gotten to the point where i crave it. i die for the goat cheese thats in that omelette. it's the perfect blend of healthy, savory, satisfying. its ALL THE THINGS. and it comes with a lightly dressed side salad. I would eat that meal everyday i i could. also, its so well priced for the quality and amount of food you get. and that patio, oh my lord the patio. with the classical music and the flowers and the hovering of little birds. its magic. i've read many a book on that patio and had many a saturday morning coffee dates with friends there and it is just perfect. the staff is always so kind too. ALSO i love that i can get Kombucha there for like a mere 10 cents more than it is at the grocery store. i love you guys. srsly

Julianne Z.

The morning after New Year's, we decided to grab brunch to get some food back into our systems after a long night! They have a French Meadow Bakery at the airport so I never knew how popular the place was for food. I got the Grass Run Farms Beef Burger, which came with swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, chive aioli and was on a sprouted bun. The burger was a bit past medium but I really liked the toppings on the burger. A little bit of chipotle tabasco hot sauce really hit the spot! The service was a bit slow and people around us kept getting their stuff before us despite us having arrived 20 minutes before. The waitress also messed up my order a bit, but we were a large group so I think things just got lost in communication. The food was decent but not enough to give 4 stars. Hopefully next time, it will be better!

Andrea R.

The gluten free toasted coconut cake was absolutely delicious! Highly recommend it! I also tried a soy chai latte that was really good. The prices are a bit on the higher side but for a gluten free, organic, posh spot...it's pretty good.

Jasmin C.

Ate here around this time last year on my first trip to Minneapolis and I'd do it again. They had so many choices to choose from, not to mention if you're vegan or only eat organic, they've also got something for you. I ordered the eggs and smoked salmon which came with a nice mix of greens and some hemp seed toast if I'm not mistaken, and my boyfriend ordered the crab cake benedict, as well as our lattes which were pretty good too. Not to mention, we sat along the window so we had a nice little view of the houses in front with all the yellow and orange leaves on the trees. My only regret is not getting to try their desserts! There was just so much food on my plate. Definitely worth the wait and hype!

Scribbles T.

I recently stopped here for Sunday brunch with a friend. I ordered an egg and hash brown dish, and for once I even got to eat my included toast because they have 2 kinds of gluten free bread! I also ordered a lavender mini-cupcake (gluten free), and it was lovely and fun, and not overly sweet which was exactly what I wanted. The celebrity table signs are cute too. I do have to knock off one star because the ordering system gets chaotic - being able to read all of the menus means you have to move around a lot and it gets confusing trying to figure out which people are standing in line, waiting for food, or just reading menus, especially on a busy day like Sunday. Also, there are condiment tables on either side of the counter, and I didn't realize at first that they don't have exactly the same things. I spent a good 7-8 minutes wandering around trying to find butter for my toast. I even stood at the counter for a while but the staff was busy getting food out. Eventually I happened across the butter on the condiment table on the far side of the counter, the opposite end to the restaurant where we were seated. It seemed like a lot of work to get something that most people want to come with their toast. It wasn't a big deal though, and the food was SO good, the selection was great, and the commitment to having multiple good options for people with food allergies will keep me coming back :)

William S.

I continue my quest for Minneapolis' best oatmeal. Definitely didn't find it today. I loved the ambiance of FMB though was let down by the oatmeal. It was delivered tepid in spite of a very quiet morning. I loved the added bananas, apples, raisins and sunflower seeds as they enabled me to get past the generic Quaker oatmeal. For whatever reason, mine didn't come with milk which was ok as I wouldn't have added it, though it was on the menu. The sourdough toast was also chilled. Time to keep looking. If you've got recommendations please send them my way as I miss the best oatmeal I've ever had which was in Wichita, KS at the Good Egg restaurant.

Yana D.

This is my favorite restaurant in Minneapolis, and I love eating here guilt free! Everything on the menu (from what I've experienced) is spot on. They do a good job of accomodating to dietary restrictions, and have plenty of vegan and gluten free optoins. The Zen salad and the grass fed beef burger are my top faves. Brunch here is also amazing. Service is great, especially if you eat up at the bar. Ambiance is very cute and quaint. LOVE this place!!!

Jana H.

Why Do I LOVE French Meadow Bakery & Cafe? 1: Everything on their menu makes my mouth explode in pure happiness 2: I feel good about eating here! EVERY item on the menu is organic & locally grown 3: There's something for everyone! Whether you are looking for a giant plate of comfort food, on a strict diet and or have special health concerns; French Meadow has you covered 4: Gluten Free, Vegan and Low Carb (Zone) options available. If there is something you would like modified, they are more than happy to accommodate ya' 5: The portions tend to be large, leaving one full and satisfied 6: Busy during peak hours, however you can get through the line pretty fast 7: Breakfast is served until 3PM on the weekends 8: Reasonably priced for organic, locally grown and fresh food 8: AMAZING baked goods French Meadow Bakery & Cafe is in a great location, however the restaurant could be a bit bigger and parking is hard to come by (this is the case for many businesses in this area)

Ali D.

I appreciate French Meadow, and I love that it's just a few blocks down the road from my residence, making it a go-to spot for family brunches, quick coffee stops, and quiet weekday dinners when I'm in need of some soup and free wifi. There's not much I can add that's unique from the 292(!) previous reviews, but I will offer up a few of my favorite items: the tomato soup (it's killer), Zone omelette, and anything that they make with tempeh. I also had quite possibly the best quiche of my life at FM the other day - it's DEEP DISH, so that's a plus, and stuffed with goat cheese, roasted peppers, leeks, and mushrooms - served with a lightly dressed mixed greens salad and toast. I couldn't ask for a better pre-marathon or (on any other weekend) hangover cure. The crust of the quiche could stand to have a little more color to it, but that's my only complaint. Service isn't perfect, and the place does get packed on weekends (a testament to its stalwart reputation in the Uptown neighborhood), but all in all, it's a trusty choice for basically any occasion.

Christina H.

Delicious and big portions! I went with the safe option of Classic Egg Breakfast and for only $9 I got a ton of food! It's a cute restaurant with more formal seating or else order at the counter and they bring the food to your table. After our brunch we went to the bar and had a cocktail, delicious drinks and the bartenders were friendly! I will definitely go again sometime!

David G.

I've been here a few times and wanted to give a better review, which is why I waited to review the place. For Sunday brunches the service goes from mediocre to non-existent and you will have to vie for spots with other customers. We saw people take spots who came in after us. Once we found a spot it was to the great disappointment of a grandma and her grandson also racing across the dining area. Your excitement for seating may come with a side of guilt.The French would never allow stress in a dining setting. I can think of so many utterly simple ways to solve this problem... Should you use card, you will be asked to tip when ordering (before receiving food and seating), another solid faux pas. Okay the food. It's good. The breakfast is no Al's Breakfast, but well above a typical place offering brunch. The dinner entrees also are consistently above average. Hard to go wrong.

John C.

Half the fun of coming here is to drool over the cakes in the display case. I'd discuss the desserts I've tried, but why bother, they are all incredibly good. EAT ALL THE CAKE. I've had a number of dinners here, and always truly enjoy the atmosphere. Organic cuisine isn't my thing, and I've been disappointed by quantity, but the Bison Burger was very tasty, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the leafy salad. Fish Tacos, well fish tacos can't be bad, anywhere. Many restaurants have half priced bottle of wine night, but for the non-lushes, on Mondays they also have half price glasses of wine.

Keith M.

Spent over $3 on a cakey brownie with hard crumbly frosting on top. Brownies should be dense,moist, and rich: if I wanted cake I'd buy a slice of cake and even then I wouldn't want the frosting to be hard and crumbly. If you can't even manage a decent brownie then there's no reason for me to trust you to make items that are more complex than that.

Elizabeth E.

The bakery and pastries that greet as you enter are a work of art. The food doesn't disappoint. While the salad descriptions were not a good indication of what you would get, the waiter was very helpful and I had just what I wanted after asking lots of questions. Desserts were more beautiful to see than delicious to taste.

Ashley P.

There is something for everyone. When my friends from out of town come visit this is where we go. Gluten free, vegan, meaty... they have it all

J. Geoff S.

A lot of vegan and vegetarian options made this place a restaurant I would like to visit whenever I was in the area. I come up once a year to visit family, and this is often on my list of places I like to eat at. If you go at 5pm or after, good luck getting good service at all. We went in there a little after 5, unaware that they stopped serving all the wonderful things on their main menu, and had to ask for a menu. A rather beat up copy of a menu was just thrown to us by a surly employee, and only one copy at that for two people. As we were discussing what we wanted to eat, a male staff member walked by to tell us the things we were talking about weren't served after 5. OK, so what was? Nobody seemed to give two squirts of a rat's butt to tell us. When I have been there in the past, we ordered at the counter. We stood at the counter for a good five minutes before some girl just standing there said she couldn't help us, to have a seat, and somebody would be out to take our order. We waited for 10 minutes. No drinks came, nobody came by to take an order. We eventually got a small and limited menu but then nobody ever followed up to see what we wanted. It was, hands down, the worst experience I've had in any restaurant. And I've eaten at Denny's in the past. This place isn't even up to par with that place. There are restaurants all up and down Lyndale Avenue and Lake Street. Go to any one of those for a better experience. Especially 5pm or later. Maybe this is a great place for take out before 5pm, but it's not worth it to go there to put up with unprofessional and disrespectful staff. That is if you can find one willing to talk to you and take your order.

Mark R.

Being in a gluten free household, you can imagine we come here often enough. My wife, probably too often. That being said, this place is great. The food is good, the wine selection is generally pretty good, the desserts outstanding. Whenever I walk in I expect the hipster servers to be rather snide due to an air of confidence in each one. They never are and are all quite nice. It might be that some know my wife as a regular or it may be they know what they are doing and it shows. As other reviewer have pointed out, the cake. I'm not a cake person unless I'm here. Many of their items are gluten free but you would never know. The coffee is wonderful as well. The drawback? Always something isn't it? Parking sucks as FM shares the tiny lot next to them and you best not park in the wrong spot. Otherwise it's on strreet parking and you may be walking a bit on a busy weekend night.

Taffany H.

I had a pretty tasty breakfast here while visiting and I'm all about the women entrepreneurship and the history of this establishment. But maybe I've been spoiled by the better tasting brunches and baked goods in the Bay Area and even ones in New Haven that I can't honestly give this place more than 3 stars for the food.

Matt B.

Great food, appalling service. I really appreciate any restaurant that sources their food locally, so I was very excited to try French Meadow. The food was great! I ordered their daily omelette and it was delicious. However, I won't be returning solely because of the service I received. I didn't get my toast with my meal. "Not a problem," I thought. "I'll just flag down the waitress over there who is taking care of everyone else on the patio." The waitress walked over to the table with a what-do-you-want? look on her face. So I explained to her that I didn't receive my toast and she replied: "Well what do you want me to do about it?" I don't think I need to say much more.

Karisa J.

Came in on a Sunday morning for breakfast staff was very helpful and quick. Be ready to wait for a table during the busy time as the resturant is seat your self. Worth the weight awesome pancakes and fair trade coffee.

Joy P.

5 for the food. Best quesadilla I have ever had! It was black bean, chicken, spinach and cheese and it was unreal. I would have ordered another one immediately had I not been so full. 4 stars for the price, a little high for a cafe, even for the location, and service was a little slow, especially considering we were there at 4:00 on a Tuesday. Cashier was extremely nice. I will be back again and again for the food though!

Dominick B.

It was ok but I honestly don't understand the hype. My mushroom and goat cheese omelette inexplicably came with salsa on the side, apparently because that's what they always serve with the omelette of the day. The potatoes were bland. In the scheme of all brunch places not a winner.

Maria S.

Found hair on my oatmeal the first time... And then when they gave me a 2nd bowl, found another... Grossed out. Will not come here again. Yuck!

Poppy W.

I had the crab cake Benedict with my girlfriend here on Saturday morning, I was even high maintenance and ordered a coconut tea on ice...Ian was phenomenal and even laughed at my lame jokes. And we really love his overly tight pants...it leaves nothing to wonder! Two thumbs up to him and this place. Incredible!

Chris L.

I get why everyone likes the place and I liked it much better when I was younger and there were fewer options for food in this area. At this point in life, there's a bit too much chaos here for me -- lines can be long on weekends and you have to play the "where can I sit" game. Food is good for brunch food and probably better than that for ex-hippies, hipsters and those with food allergies. I prefer other brunch places.

Lisa B.

So I came here with a girlfriend last week and had an amazing meal. It was great. I enjoyed everything about it. A week later.. my boyfriend had been out of town for two weeks for business. I was raving about French Meadow Bakery and how great the food was, especially since we like to stick to a gluten free diet. So we made a night out of it and went there. My boyfriend dropped me off and it took him 10 minutes to park the car. 15 minutes later he arrived and I still hadn't been greeted by a server. He sat down, another 10 minutes later, we still hadn't been greeted. So he asked the hostess if we could have a server, and one of the servers in the background (indiscreetly) gave a big sigh and rolled her eyes at him. About 5 minutes later, a server finally came, and we ordered our drinks. Thinking that was the end of the ordeal... another table sat down, ordered a fancy coffee (they got it right away), and it had been 15 minutes since I had ordered my drink and I never got my bottled beer. I kept setting the timer on my cellphone saying, "okay, I'll give her 5 more minutes.. if she's not back by then.. we have to leave." I did this 3 different times. A complete waste of 45 minutes and our night. Ended up going to Pat's Tap and having great service even with a packed restaurant. French Meadow was going to be a favorite too. Such a shame.

freddy f.

We have lunch there once a week and I must say they have the best Huevo Ranchero in town. I used to be stressed out about self serve seating when we go there but now they have expanded seating and it really has made a big difference.

Summer L.

I've been to French Meadow for lunch and my sandwich was divine. My husband was there for brunch and he reported that it was god-awful. These were both some time ago, so circumstances may have changed. However, we did recently head to French Meadow for dinner. Our chipotle goat cheese quesadilla appetizer was fantastic, but the sandwiches we each got were... meh. My husband reported the pulled pork as being on the dry side, while my grilled rachel felt like it had been soaked in a vat of butter. In general, there was a lot of greasiness to be found, which certainly was not expected given that this is a restaurant steering towards the healthy organic side of the spectrum. Service was sufficient, although my server was not aware that you are supposed to swirl a Crispin Saint to distribute the sediment before opening it. There was also an issue with them not being able to find my reservation, although it was eventually straightened out. Still, that quesadilla gave quite the hint that there are some wonderful things to be had at French Meadow. I'm willing to give them a fair shake if I'm with a crowd that wants to go there for a meal, but I don't know that I'm going to initiate that suggestion or seek it out otherwise.

Darshy N.

Dear French Meadow, You know me - when I find a place like you I'm a fan for life! 4 LYFE! Because even though I love me some variety, I'm a dead heart loyalist and you do a pretty good job at keeping me happy. I take my hunny bunches of oats there for lunch some times, we especially love your Tres Leches Cake. I wished my hunny bunches of oats, didn't love your Tres Leches like how I love it, sometimes I tell him that it isn't good to eat desserts, because his rear would expand, but he just rolls his eyes at me, and then takes a huge bite of your soft, moist cake. And then, I sighed - I wish we didn't have to share. I wish he would let me be a fat arse on my own, because he doesn't realize that sometimes, I don't like sharing, especially when it's desserts. I guess saying that you make vegan stuff taste actually good, and not the cardboard that I think all vegan things are, is saying a lot. You also have a million other milk substitution for mah friend, Julie [Ali G style] but really, my friend Julie S, is lactose and soy intolerant and she loves your coconut and almond milk. That's hard to find in any city. I love your chalkboard specials, and your beautiful penmanship and sometimes I think Landon Pigg is going to walk on your counters singing about how they are falling in love [with me] at this coffee shop. But it doesn't happen. I dig you - but you know, baby, I want a totally orgasmic experience, and it doesn't happen with you. I love your warm soups, but you can't possibly think that bringing warm tomato basil soup with a piece of bread that isn't toasted, can go well with each other. Your bakery- your bread products are delicious, and fresh. And not made with things bread shouldn't be made of - but that's just it - you know, that your bread needs a bit of heat before it can get to it's nice soft, sponge-y even if it's just a day old. So all your sammichs would be infinitely better if they came on top of a freshly toasted, warm piece of bread. Love, Darshy

Jason W.

We came here last Friday Night before heading to the CC Club for one of their 80th Anniversary Shows. I have to hand it to them. I thought their menu was overly huge but they were able to execute on everything we ordered. I was impressed to say the least. My Wife got the Grilled Rachael with the firecracker slaw and I got the Thai Chicken wrap with chips and salsa. We shared the apple bleu salad. The food was tasty and fresh and a meal that didn't leave you bloated and uncomfortable or covered in grease. The only thing I didn't really care for was the slaw. The Salad was really really good. I also loved the salsa. The place is bigger than it looks from the outside and it is somewhat off balanced but the décor is pleasant. Service was excellent, efficient and polite. We let our Waitress know we had limited time and she let us know she could expedite our food and that's exactly what she did. We were in and out in about 40 minutes. When I'm in the neighborhood I will definitely be back.

Samnang B.

This place is awesome! Their tuna melts are irresistibly mouth-watering. It gets pretty busy here at lunch time. Their menus are written on the walls so if you can't see far.. I suggest you bring your glasses with. Parking sucks!

JoAnn B.

The food is always wonderful! Organic and flavorful is the rule here. Their omelettes are possibly my favorite choices. They make a wonderful Reuben and french toast, too. The salads and soups are especially tasty.....great light dressings! Just a wee bit too noisy and sometimes too busy!

Jean P.

On Monday, Nov. 3, at about 6 p.m. I had the fish taco and a glass of water. Then on Wednesday afternoon while I was at work I had extreme nausea, chills and I had to find a bathroom fast for diarrhea. I could barely drive home and then had to call in sick the next day because I couldn't function. (I was not sick at all before I ate there.) I used the bathroom while I was at the French Meadow and it was scummy and had a pool of urine on the floor by the toilet.

Bear S.

Great place with great food. Nice and fresh. I would only comment that service tends to be quite slow. Also- the 'chili' is more like tomato sauce....not really 'chili'

Jessica L.

Decor: It feels almost like a family-run restaurant inside. (I guess it feels like an outdated decor), but it's cozy and warm. They have a lot of seating, actually, and when the weather is nice, they have seats along the front of the restaurant and also in their little side patio- awesome! Service: They have the most extensive menu-on-the-wall I have ever seen. Take your time to read through everything, order up front and then take your number with you. My food came out pretty fast, considering that the place was about 75% full. Food: Tons and tons of choices, but I was feeling a salad that day, so I got the seared tuna salad. I really enjoyed it; it was plentiful and fresh. My friends got more substantial dishes and they looked absolutely amazing. Overall: I know I had a salad, but do you know how few places I think have good salads? I can only think of 2 places in Minneapolis, and this is one of them. :)

Gretchen V.

I was SOOOOOO happy to come here for breakfast and meet a good friend after multiple family dinners with Ham and potatos. Craving greens this bakery completely delivered a healthy side salad with my organic scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. I loved the menu so much I wanted to come every day but snow and cold prevented us from venturing out again. I thought the lemon blueberry muffin had a strange taste though and I didn't check- it may have been the gluten free variety. The high ceilings and cozy atmosphere was a great place to visit with my friend. I could have stayed there all day and been very content. We went to the Museum of Russian Art afterwards which is only 2 miles away. Makes a great combo for a great day!

Lindsey P.

I came to French Meadow with my book club. Unfortunately, the Saturday I came was the morning after strong storms came through and took out all the power around French Meadow. They were the only place open with coffee, so they were busy! It is a place where you order and pay at the counter, and take a number (or celebrity) to your table. I think I had Miss Kitty. (I believe there is also table service inside). I ordered an iced chai and the Classic Egg Breakfast. I saw hashbrowns and I was sold. With how busy the place was, we were able to score a good sized table for the group of 7 of us. We were outside, which may have helped. The food came out VERY quickly, considering how long I assumed it would take. And it was made perfectly. The hashbrowns were perfectly browned, the toast delicious, and the bacon was perfectly crisp. I hope to come back again for a brunch, there were a few more menu items I'd like to try.

Kre C.

I want to love French Meadow because it reminds me of a restaurant I used to work at in Corvallis, OR called 'Nearly Normal's Gonzo Cuizine'. I also wanna love it cuz of the organic/local sourcing. Alas,when we recently spent $26 on a basic egg/bacon breakfast and one pancake...and neither was tasty or even warm...I mostly want shake the cook. Hashbrowns -cold. Toast-hard & cold. The egg was good. Corn pancake - yuk...rubbery and cold. We didn't feel like sending it back, but I definitely normally would have. It was late Sunday morning, but wasn't busy. Perhaps we got there at the end of a rush -- the server looked and acted like he had been up all night (no eye contact or communication, no...how was you breakfast). I believe I'll stick to Maria's (best corn pancake in town). Coffee was tasty.

Dora P.

This place is awesome! Parked on the street for Sunday afternoon brunch around noon, found a spot less than a block away. Found a table, with help from a host who was really friendly and welcoming. The food was delicious. We ordered from the breakfast menu. Lots of vegan and vegetarian options. Huge portions, fresh ingredients, kid friendly, nice staff. Coffee was great too! No table service, which for us was totally fine as water and coffee refills were easily accessible. Outside seating was gorgeous, spacious, and breezy. Overall fantastic experience.

Ben J.

Quite possibly the quintessential Minneapolis weekend, daytime "scene" restaurant. Come for the overpriced food, stay for the yoga pants.

Sabine D.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Minneapolis, and with good reason. The food is excellent and there are plenty of excellent/delicious vegan/vegetarian options (wow, even for dessert!!). The atmosphere is lively, casual, and warm. The Blue Stem dining room is a little more formal but still a relatively casual place to dine. I love that you can get excellent food here without the stuffiness that you might experience elsewhere. And above all, French Meadow, more than any other restaurant that caters to a range of diets, pays more than lip service to ethical eating: clear information is provided about their producers right on the menu so that you know where your food came from and that, for example, the animal products you are consuming are not from factory farms. Also, the menu items are labeled clearly so that vegans know what they can eat, which is something that more restaurants need to get into the habit of doing. Additionally, they are flexible about modifying dishes so that they are suitable for vegans. Great place for breakfast, lunch, brunch, or dinner, anytime!

R. J.

Nice clean place with friendly wait staff. I ate here twice - had the tempeh dinner plate with firecracker slaw and it was pretty good. The portion was HUGE though. I also came here for lunch and had the tempeh ruben, which was a little too greasy for my taste. The firecracker slaw is not to be missed, so I suggest it as a side. Atmosphere is nice - a really big spot where you can grab a sandwich and go, or dine in. I recommend it.

Lori C.

If I could move in here I would. I LOVE this place. I love the people that work here and I love the food! They have a parking lot but it is also easy to park on the street. The only thing I want to change is that there isn't one in my neighborhood.

Brody L.

The food is pretty good and the table cards you get are usually of bands or things I like. I enjoy sitting outside when the weather is nice. It's usually seems busy so they must be doing something right.

Jennifer H.

Went here on a groupon over a year ago and LOVED their food. I had the squash gnocchi and it was so fresh and delicious even though I am die hard meat lover. Also had coconut cake which was amazing and super coconut-Ty for all you coconut lovers. The Cullen de leche was also amazing and I tried to save some for the next day but didn't even make it to the fridge. Fresh ingredients and great cakes.

Naomi T.

We went here for brunch on the weekend, and there was plenty of seating even though it was busy. We had a breakfast burrito and breakfast quesadilla, which were both amazing and huge. The guacamole they came with was delicious. Lots of vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free options. The tea was very good. Later went back for dinner, which was also wonderful. They have a lovely side patio in addition to the sidewalk seating. Food and service are great. Our current favorite place to eat in Uptown.

Kathleen R.

Wonderfully delicious, great ambiance, lovely coffee, all in all a solid place. French Meadow is a delectable farm-to-table style restaurant. The offerings are fresh, portions are good and I have not been disappointed over multiple trips. It can get extremely busy so be aware of that, especially if you are in a time crunch, takeout may be your friend. I can't even recall the various things I have eaten but across the breakfast and lunch menu they do not disappoint. I also bought a loaf of truly excellent bread there (get it early, they run out!).

Emily T.

I'm really sad to be giving this place a negative review, because I know a lot of people who enjoy their food. Unfortunately upon arriving at 7:15 PM for dinner, we were not greeted by anyone and there were people standing around, so it was really unclear whether or not we were supposed to seat ourselves. Once seated, we were given water right away and put in drink orders (7:30 PM). By 8:00 we still had not received our drinks (bottle hard cider, not mixed drinks) and nobody had been by to check on our table. By 8:30 we got our bottles of cider, and we were notified that our order had gotten lost and our food would be out as soon as possible. We finally got our food around 8:40 PM, and while it was pretty good my dinner guest's chicken was dry and it certainly was not the high quality meal I was expecting. After poor service and almost 1.5 hour wait for mediocre food, we did not receive any money off our bill or our drinks for free, which I've experienced from a number of establishments when things went wrong on their end. Probably won't be back anytime soon.

Mark L.

Excellent for breakfast, lunch or dinner. With very fresh food including great selections for vegans and vegetarians, a friendly staff and amazing smells every time you walk in, this is a great dining experience, whether you are with friends, on a first date or alone catching up on some work. This is a great place for soup, sandwiches or a nice entree. In the fall, their butternut squash ravioli is amazing. Thumbs up!

Whitney F.

This update is going to capture a few more experiences @ FM... A few months back I swooped in for a Sunday dinner with my dad. This place is a 180 for dinner. The patio string lights and candlelit tables makes this order at the counter brunch spot a full on 'dateworthy' restaurant. I had the heavenly creamy mushroom risotto. We also had the chicken quesadilla as an app, amazing, its on my "when I'm going to splurge and get fancy take-out" list. I came in this morning for a quick brunch, and like always ordered the corn pancakes. This place is like Micky D's where you know exactly what you're going to get. While it's pretty much perfection - there are so many other brunch joints popping up around the twin cities. I was mildly annoyed when they added $1 for a side of PB, a TABLESPOON of peanut butter... and then slowly realized that an OJ was $4. As much as a love french meadow, this was a bit of a turn off.

Kampi C.

Great spot in Uptown with tasty organic dishes. Tried the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. Yum! On another occasion I had a slice of the cappuccino cake - rich and delicious. All the bakery items look so delightful. It's tough choosing just one. I have always ordered my food to go. Fast service considering how busy they always seem. Plus, it's right around the corner from a yoga studio where I practice, so it's a nice treat after class.

Richard L.

The shrimp and grits was superb! Very flavorful and filling. Also had the chicken jerk app and the rosemary potato flatbread both of which were almost the best part of the meal. Such great ambiance and very cute and helpful staff. Definitely highly recommend.

Lisa E.

Though a bit pricey, the quality is far worth it! Breakfast is amazing! Breads are that special chewy, whole grain goodness that salty butter compliments so well. I've been coming here for many years.... and the quality is always spot on! The Hemp bread is really good! Grilled cheese is to die for!

Amanda A.

French Meadow Bakery, please come to California. I ... think I love you. Seriously. French Meadow Bakery. You are awesome. I had to take a trip to Minneapolis, recently, and I have a gnarly gluten allergy that restaurants may accommodate, but the cross contamination is enough to make me swear off most places. But I have to say, French Meadow Bakery is one of the few places I've eaten at and not gotten sick. The food was great. Their GF baked goods were also really good. I may or may not have tried one of everything. Later that night we went down to Pizza Luce, where they served these AMAZING gluten free rolls for the dip. I asked where they got them - French Meadow Bakery again! Last but not least, flying out of the Minneapolis airport I saw a French Meadow Bakery. I got a GF sandwich, delicious, and again, not sickening. I was sad to come home where there is not one. :( French Meadow Bakery, come to LA, I will play with you every day and take you for walks!

Jane D.

Delicious local, organic food any time of day!

Becca G.

First of all the service was horrible. Unfortunately this morning my friend found a piece of wax paper in his salad. Told the server, she didn't even offer to take it off the check or offer an apology, after picking up the paper on the plate saying "wow". And to make it even worse, 3 of us got stomach aches after brunch. None of it was cool. Not gonna be going back for a while, which is a bummer cause it's a usual spot.

Heather J.

I plan my flights around their airport location so I was very excited to be able to frequent the original. Must have been a bad day! I ordered my soup and a beautiful looking pastry. After paying I was given this picture of some actress that I was to place at my table after I picked up my tart and found a seat. So I did. 5 minutes later my tart is really looking tasty but I so wanted to savor it after my soup. 10 minutes later, OK just a few bites as I wait for my soup 15 minutes later, wow that half of the tart was delish...save, save the rest for after the soup. 17 minutes later, a kind waiter inquires on what I ordered and explains that he noticed I have been waiting awhile and he could not find any ticket for me. He promptly apologizes about my cup of soup misplacement offers to upgrade me to a full bowl and delivers it to me within a minute. Thanks. Soup was not as savory as I have had at their airport location but in all fairness maybe I was a bit peeved about the order screw up?! But that tart...beautiful and tasty. And that waiter...cute and kind! So for now I am sorry but 3 stars it is. Don't worry though because that tart is bringing me back and I am sure you will do better next time!

Jason G.

Great atmosphere and a unique menu. I like trying new dishes when I go out and this place has plenty of them!

Patty M.

I don't get it, guys, I just don't get it. I've been to the Lyndale location, as well as the one in the airport a couple times (a moment of desperation). The scones were awful, waffles terrible, and the croissants tasted like day old dinner rolls. I avoid this place like no other now. I wish I could like it, as everyone raves, but it's just not there.

Alexandra H.

I moved into the neighborhood awhile ago and due to the number of trips I've made back since then, I figured it was time for an update. Let's do this list-style... Things I Love About French Meadow (in no particular order): 1. Local & organic! 2. Epic dessert case (see previous review) 3. Options for vegetarians & vegans (LOTS of tempeh) 4. A side salad that doesn't suck 5. Above-average veggie burgers 6. The atmosphere--if you want a candlelight dinner, look no further!

Jules M.

The soup came out warm, not hot. People were friendly, but not overly helpful. Not a bad place if you need a quick bite to eat.

Ryan L.

This was my wife and I's favorite place to eat when we lived in uptown. They make the best turkey burger either of us have eaten. Everything on the menu is locally grown and organic. Great service and always clean. Must try place if your in the area.

Takashi S.

great healthy organic food. wonderful sweets.

Jana C.

3.8 stars, with much deliberation. Well, isn't this famed bakery just charmed on the interior, and lacking on the exterior? Isn't it ensconced in an obviously moneyed neighborhood, just east of those multiple gorgeous lakes in Uptown's LynLake? Isn't it rather cool that they open at the cockadoodle hours of 0630 and exist to help all carb addicts with another hit, so that we don't languish? I'm a true believer in solid, reliable, and established 'brands', of which this is one. In fact, I sampled one of their scones in Portland years back, and remember the quality vividly. And so before all of the commuters wiped their eye snot away and zombied their way to the showers, I arrived easily without fighting any stop-n-go for an early brekky. I ordered one fruit and *nut* pancake, and a French croissant (quality baking should always be vetted with the inclusion of one, in my opinion), grapefruit juice. The former was one spongy, moist, fluffy disc of beautifully impregnated bananas and -------(yeah, so that was the problem) ....so therein lays the matter at hand. Just where were the nuts, those beautifully textured protein pieces that add such quality and richness to fruit? And was the Ecuadorian clustered wonder the only one who would grace my mouth and digestive tract this day? Lo and behold, I *barely* (and i sincerely mean that) tasted a modicum of *perhaps* a nutty bite in the NE quadrant of the large thing. And then it was all over, never to be had again... the glory of fruit plus nut. Could they just be honest and call it a banana pancake (that was absolutely well-executed and delish), but I think honesty is a missing trait today. This place did not help. The croissant was not bowl-me-over perfect, neither in aesthetics nor size or flakiness. It was all, for me, a little above average. Factor in the very charming decor and the cute, creative way that they doubled an antique metal buffet table to store accoutrements and tabletop for coffee fixings, as well as how they present you with a charming laminated id placard in lieu of boring #, tag to that the great al fresco option and cozy, warm neighborhood street view, I'm generously giving them a 3.8 Truth--now, having spoken my mind on the quality of fare at their urquell, this certainly didn't stop me from grabbing one of their cran-orange muffins at the branch in MPLS' airport before taking off, to be enjoyed with AM coffee on the plane. Server told me I could pick up French meadow pastries in fine markets in SF???? PS Ethical quandary: so did you happen to notice a common theme between my review and the one of Lindsay K's? We both seemed to pick up on something here.... tsktsk.

Jen S.

The food here doesn't really impress me. I've given it about 3 tries just because of the outdoor seating on a nice day. I've had the veggie sandwich, which totally came apart while eating it, tofu scramble, which totally sucked, and some other forgettable dish. Wish the food was better.

Bryan P.

I've never been to French Meadow after 11 am, so if you're looking for a lunch/dinner review, keep on moving! As a breakfast enthusiast, and as a part-time health nut, I want to give French Meadow Bakery & Cafe 5 stars SO badly. They fit everything I look for in a breakfast place: good to incredible food, healthy ingredients, friendly staff, locally minded... but there is something about French Meadow that always leaves me wanting. Maybe the coffee mugs are too small, or it's too busy during peak hours, or I expect a bit more service for the amount of sheckles I pay here... or maybe it's a combination of all of these factors. Either way, against all odds I can't give French Meadow five stars. That doesn't mean it's not a wonderful restaurant.. their breakfast quesadilla is one of the best breakfast items I've encountered in awhile and their coffee (when it's fresh) is quite delicious. If you've never eaten here, come try it! I would avoid it during the busy hours, but it's usually worth the wait even if you do come during the rush. And if you figure out what exactly it is that keeps this from being a 5 star breakfast place, let me know!

Sheila T.

I paid $2 each for four mini gluten free cupcakes. They were horribly dry, and the icing had no flavor. What a disappointment!!

Mike S.

Took our group over 15 minutes to get menus, then another 5 minutes to order drinks. The waitress was just too busy and running around, so I can't blame her... Thank God she picked it up and the food was good.

Brian S.

I went there for breakfast this morning and ordered the Cajun hash browns and coffee. The coffee was fabulous , but the Cajun hash browns, not so much. The menu stated that there would be garlic in the meal, which is fine. The big problem I had with the meal was there was more garlic that hash browns in the meal. There was so much garlic in the meal they should rename it and call it Cajun Garlic.

Maram K.

I was worried about going to a highly-rated breakfast/brunch spot at 10am on a Sunday. We got to the line and it was out the door. We ordered rather quickly and found seating indoors. For such a long line, it was such a short wait! My husband and I shared a cinnamon roll and the omelet special (chicken chorizo, gouda, red pepper). Both were AMAZING! I really enjoyed the coffee as well. Sucks that they charge $1 for almond milk or soy. I mean, its not my fault I can't have "normal" milk. In any regard, I am looking forward to our next visit to MN. I plan on stopping by here!

Allison M.

Food is good, though staff was usually quite rude. It's very popular and usually very packed. They do have vegetarian options which is a plus, but overall I could find food just as good or better somewhere else, sans attitude.

Andrea O.

Oh French Meadow, how I love thee! With your eclectic ski lodge meets uptown atmosphere, and your local, vegetarian, gluten free fare what's there not to love? Until last night I'd only ever been to FM on a crowded Saturday morning. The breakfast and lunch menus offer a diverse mix of items that are sure to please just about every palate. Breakfast items range from something as simple as a bagel and lox or a dolled up serving of oatmeal, to your not so typical fruit and nut pancakes or french toast (two, 1" thick cross cut sourdough slices that are 6" long!), or for the more discriminating, entrees such as crab cakes benedict, deep dish quiche, or my personal favorite the cajun hash browns (with two poached eggs please!). Lunch is equally eclectic showcasing a diverse selection of items, but with fresh twists on old favorites that are sure to leave both your taste buds and tummy satisfied. Got kids (or are you a kid at heart)?! They even gotcha covered there with a sampling of family friendly items such as grilled cheese, pb&j, or mac and cheese. Then comes nightfall, and with it the ambiance of FM abounds. Whether you stop in for a late night dinner, or just a cup of coffee and dessert, you won't be disappointed! While the dinner menu is pared back from the day menu (and isn't always compliant to what is shown online), there are still plenty of tasty items to choose from, again offering playful twists on what would otherwise be standard fare. The smaller selection ensures that each meal is given adequate attention, and is cooked and presented to perfection. My daughter and I tried the black bean crab cakes, which were a tasty twist from the traditional fare, and were well loved by the both of us. My only disappointment was that there weren't more! Then, I ordered what turned out to be a to die for bison burger (on gluten free bread) and it came piping hot, yet not overcooked, with a divine mix of blue cheese, thick cut bacon, and onion marmalade. The combination was heavenly! My daughter ordered the tempeh cutlets, which were served with greens in a citrus vinaigrette, coconut beans, and seasoned rice. While the tempeh wasn't quite what she was 'expecting', it was still very good and the combination of flavors would leave most well pleased. And, if your just looking to debrief or destress over dessert, look no further! With an ample dessert selection that will even leave us gluten free or vegetarian girls (and guys) with a real selection for once, you can't go wrong. Just make sure that if you shimmy up to the desert case, you bring a napkin, because all of the delectable delights are sure to leave you drooling! No matter what you choose you just can't go wrong here. The only reason I didn't give this place five stars is because no matter when I've gone this place just is never truly quiet. However, because of the background noise, and music, they can (and do) sit you practically shoulder to shoulder with several other dining companions, which oddly enough aren't obtrusive because of the noise. I was even able to bring my newborn and not feel like the whole restaurant was staring at me when she began to complain a bit. However, on the upside, the slightly cramped, but open seating scenario also lends itself quite nicely to people watching, which always proves to be entertaining. All in all, I do just love this place and am sure to go back...again and again...

Yvonne W.

After going (mostly) vegan, my options here have shrunk, but I really don't mind. They have a vegan special every day and easy-to-read menu symbols to identify what I can eat. You're not giving up anything when eating here - flavor, portion size, happiness... I'm still coming back!

Valerie S.

For an entirely organic place, French Meadow has such a large selection to choose from. It is really rare for me to go to a place where I feel like I could get 3 or 4 things off the menu. This was a great place to take my mom to on a "Mom and I" afternoon and both had to argue about getting the same dish. We both ordered salads... She ordered the Spa Salad and I the Sesame salad. My salad was 10.50 because I added the tofu, so I was thinking this would be a gigantic salad...but it really wasn't. The greens, cabbage and red peppers were so fresh, the tofu was to die for and there was just the right amount of dressing. The Spa salad was colorful and fresh and equally as amazing. Great spot, next time I'll try an entree though.

MALEAH A.

Went here for a late brunch. It was pretty busy and the A/C seemed to not be working, but that's were the negative points stop. I ordered the french toast with a side of the bison bacon with a cup of coffee. Service was friendly and quick. The french toast was nice and thick (it was sourdough, just wish there would've been some cinnamon on it) with yummy syrup. The sausage was tasty, and I was glad they only give you two links, cause I probably would've regrettably eaten more. The coffee was very good as well. My friends all enjoyed their meals (half lunches, half breakfasts), and everything looked delicious!! Can't wait to come back!

Dena S.

Do not give me the Sarah McLachlan dog commercial eyes, staff of French Meadow. I know you do takeout-- Yelp says so. Maybe you don't WANT to do takeout, but I know you can. And maybe you don't WANT to run a Visa gift card, but I know you can. We are throwing this slumber party, girlfriends. Your risotto is like Christmas morning. With cheese. I'd just rather eat it while sitting on my couch watching Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network than listening to you pipe the NPR classical station through two sub-par speakers. This is not a crime, staff of French Meadow. So smile like you mean it and quit acting so. . . French.

Cook S.

I've come here for brunch I've come here for dinner Their scones are superb And go well with their coffee Their eggs and burritos Are almost terrific And people who work there Enjoy what they do (whatever, I am no poet but the food and the atmosphere there make me think I am).

Ashley P.

While the seating was a bit awkward and cramped, even though I made a reservation, the food was outstanding! I took my boyfriend here for his bday and we were impressed. He had ravioli and I had duck--some of the best food we've had. Lots of vegan and gluten-free options for those with dietary restrictions. We had a gluten-free flourless chocolate cake that was delicious! The service was fine as well. Will definitely go back soon!

Steven S.

I have been going to French Meadows for years. I have never been disappointed. For breakfast, I like the breakfast burrito. The sandwiches and soups are very good.

Erin H.

Their food is AMAZING! I keep going back for their quiche and coffee. The coffee refills are free so you can try different ones. Their gluten-free and vegan poppyseed muffin is great too. The only bad thing about the place is that they are often very crowded, but I've learned to get over it. Yum!

Jesse J.

For a cafe I can't think what else it might need. Being a vegetarian I could see how the menu could include more items for my kind of person, but I think they have a wide range currently and everything there is a great. You are going to spend a bit more here than most cafes. I assume it is because some of the items are locally sourced/organic, etc.

Kristi C.

Okay French Meadow, I can only give you three stars for now. Your coffee and sweets are five star worthy, but the only meal so far was two and a half at best. By the way, I enjoyed watching the parade of food as the servers made their way to their final table side destinations. There's nothing better than organic greens dressed with a simple viniagrette, but don't skimp so much with the dressing ...otherwise it's just a pretty pile of greens left on my plate. The mac-n-cheese was more mac (you get points for whole wheat), than cheesy. I thought the description of white cheddar and guyere would be the a perfectly rich dish for me to enjoy on a cool fall day, again like the greens...you were a bit stingy with the cheese. A thin consistency that lacked cheese flavor...back to the $1.99 bottomless cup of coffee to save the afternoon. I love the vibe and the wide ranging menu. Something for the vegan, the health concious and gluten intolerant, therefore I'll be back to give you another chance next time I'm in the neighborhood.

boulder n.

Great vegan options and a fun selection of microbrews. Thanks for giving me my first Colorado beer in months!

Anna P.

The breakfast situation is still lame, but I had some damn good cake here. It is gluten free coconut cake that I actually dreamed about a few nights later. Seriously.

Nadine G.

Great atmosphere, tasty desserts. Got there in time for happy hour, wine was great, they could use a few more items on the happy hour food list, but the flatbread with potatoes on it was AMAZING!

Dhruv P.

I was here just recently for the first time. Love the high ceilings and the atmosphere. There wasn't any wait and sitting outside in the last remnants of summer was a great experience. I got the Cajun Hashbrowns. It wasn't mind blowing or taste shattering. But it was good. While I can make it at home, when I looked at the menu, it just jumped at me and I wasn't too disappointed. Only thing is that I wouldn't order it if I only visited French Meadow Bakery infrequently (there other items seem more suited for the occasional visit) I also tried their cinnamon roll. OMG, I though Ann Sather in Chicago had the most obnoxious size of rolls (in a good way), but French Meadow out did them. And the cream cheese frosting... HEAVEN.

Nicole B.

I cannot say enough good things about this place. My husband is gluten free, and we are avid GF bakers, so it takes a lot to impress me. But impress they did. This place has it all - fluffy omelets, crisp greens, crusty breads, chewy bagels, moist cakes...and a large majority of it was gluten free, though you would never be able to tell. Well worth a visit.

Prachee M.

What can I say that hasn't been said in the 50+ reviews that precede me? I love the energy of this place and it makes me feel warm to think of French Meadow on a blustery cold day. My favorites: Waffles with whipped cream with a fruit sauce haunts me for days afterwards. Zone omelette, light and fluffy with spinach and goat cheese...perfection in a dish. Hash browns are made well, crispy on the outside and soft on th einside. Fresh squeezed orange juice is a must. Service is friendly and super-informative. Go prepared to wait in line - you can browse their 10 or so blackboard menus - and wait for an empty table. Consider it part of the experience. 2010 will be FM's 25th anniversary and it's the longest continuously-running certified organic bakery in the country.

E A.

Love the atmosphere. This is a great place for a cup of coffee or a drink, especially when the weather is nice. Unfortunately the food was mediocre at best. I has the bagel and cream cheese, meh. My friends latte was warm not hot. And I had a bite of my friends crab cake eggs Benedict and was not impressed, too spicy. Staff was sweet and helpful atmosphere beautiful but they need to work on their food.

Steve K.

Great coffee, organic breakfasts etc. comfy spot. Def recommend. Great bathrooms!

Keri S.

Yesterday I went to French Meadow to experience lunch there for the first time. I love the Zone omelette, which is why I was disappointed with the almost-less-than-mediocre meal. I had a friend in from out of town who requested a light lunch. These can be hard to come by in the cities, but I figured French Meadow was a shoo-in. Au contraire. My friend ordered the Sesame Salad which was too spicy for her taste and drenched in dressing. Whatevs - lesson learned and we should have asked for dressing on the side. I ordered the Greek Salad and the Roasted Squash soup though, and was equally disappointed. The salad again had too much dressing and the soup tasted like nothing with a side of maple syrup. It's not like our meals were inedible or anything. They just weren't very good. This in light of the fact that the salads were 10 bucks and over left me with a bad (over-dressed?) taste in my mouth. I'll look elsewhere for light fare in the future.

Monica S.

I feel like I've done a disservice by writing this review based only on their brunch options, but nobody likes a liar and to be honest - their sourdough bread and eggs benne, as well as the ambiance, are enough to get me to write a review. My mom and sister were in town so I took the crew here for a Sunday brunch. Crowded as hell, we found a spot and dove into some incredible food. I love that the vegetarian options kept my sister happy, and my mom raved about their eggs benne.

Amy S.

I had been wanting a burger and the bison burger sure did delight. The onion relish was a fantastic addition to the burger patty, cheese and bun. You even had the option to have fresh greens instead of fries. Thanks French Meadow for not charging an up-charge! The chocolate peanut butter bar was delicious, the berry tart was just average. Outdoor seating made a great meal even better! I will be back!

David P.

I went here on a warm Fall Saturday mid day. It wasn't very busy, so after one or two others made their orders we were up front. They have quite a few interesting sandwich options, most of which I was afraid to order without first trying a bite or two. I ended up getting a chicken sandwich, and my wife got the chicken wrap. They were both pretty good. The biggest plus I can give this shop is its bread options. They do have very good thick cut bread. They also have what looked and tasted like homemade chips for the chips and salsa. It was very good, but the portions were pretty small. Overall, this is a big hipster joint, and you'll see every element of this play out when you are at this restaurant. The food is good, makes you feel good, and is reasonably priced. The interior of the bakery is warm, and inviting to sit down and read a book, or joke around with friends for an hour. We actually sat outside because it was quite nice out. One thing I did enjoy was the fact that they allow you to have your dog outside with you while you eat. To sum it up, they made good sandwiches, a bit more expensive then I would normally spend, but worth a trip every once in a while.

Mere W.

This is one of my favorite brunch spots in the Twin Cities. Note - I am not a very picky eater at all but I do enjoy great food. While I enjoy organic treats, I am not a strict organic / vegan /or even local eater. However, I do appreciate good tasting food! French Meadow is the ticket for taste! I really enjoy that they change their omelet, pancake, and waffle flavors weekly. It always gives me something new to try. At the same time they have a few great staples that I love - oatmeal, enormous cinnamon roll, huevos rancheros. Also, their coffee is delicious and their lattes are even better. Be sure to make room for some during your brunch! For the food I give FM a 5. Now my words of caution. You have to really be up for fighting for a table if you go to French Meadow. It is seat yourself and some people can truly be ruthless - I've seem women over the age of 70 running to a table. It does seem to be better in the warmer months because you don't mind waiting outside and they do have about 10 outdoor tables. My tip would be to go with at least one person that is willing to "hold" a table while everyone else waits in line to order. My second tip would be to go early (before 10 AM) on Sat / Sun if you want to avoid the rush. Lastly, I would note that French meadow is on the high end in terms of pricing. While I think the food is worth it, it could get pricey for a family. As long as you know what you are getting into your overall brunch experience will be great!

Marissa M.

I was looking for a place to take my vegetarian sister, and stumbled upon this place. It is one of my favorite places in the Twin Cities to eat. Great food and good options for all omnivores, or people with dietary restrictions by choice or not. They even have gluten free treats, which is perfect for kids or adults with allergies who need sweets. I have never been to a place that specializes in vegetarian/vegan/gluten free food that had so much flavor and options for diners. Don't worry they have options with meat! They have a small parking lot too! I go whenever I can.

Ethel C.

The first French Meadow bakery first originated in Minneapolis. They have many food choices especially for vegetarians. I have the veggie burger with mixed greens. It was a good veggie burger. This place is great for meetings and hangout as well. Highly recommended eatery in MN and in various airports where this restaurant is present.

Trish H.

I have been coming here for years now and not one time has it disappointed. The food is great. One of my favorite lunch spots, however, I have also enjoyed a dinner or two. Although always busy, I have never had a problem finding a table in a timely manner. I, of course, prefer to go patio side. Fun place to sit and people watch. Service is always friendly and prompt.

William B.

Was visiting the MSP area for the weekend (from Chicago area), and found the French Meadow Cafe thru Yelp, as a most likely place for a meal to meet some of the fam's dietary needs- gluten-free, etc. We ended up here for two breakfasts in a row. One on a super-busy sunday morning (line out the door), and the other on a much more relaxed monday morning, before our departure home. Wife got the classic egg breakfast both days. Much better on the relaxed monday, as the eggs were made to order, not more mass-produced, and the hash browns were much more well done- nice and crispy. On the sunday, I'd ordered the oatmeal for my kid, but didnt specify the kids oatmeal, as the board on the wall didnt even have the kids meal posted (that I saw), and we actually wanted the full oatmeal with fruit, nuts and all, but we ended up getting the kids oatmeal- so be sure to specify. Kids loved it, though not much to the kids menu order. The grass-fed burger was excellent- we got it without mushrooms & onions, and with the sprouted grain bun, as the daughter wanted it fairly plain. the meat was very flavorful & juicy, and the bun was delicious. The firecracker slaw was very good- definitely worth getting. I didnt think it was spicy at all, though the daughter didn't care for it. The french toast was fairly boring. The breakfast QUESADILLA was excellent. the sprouted grain tortilla was worth eating plain. That I would most certainly order again. the little side of guac was spicy. On sunday, we did end up leaving with a very expensive triple chocolate moose cake. as we were heading to a nephew's birthday party. Outstanding pastries. Wanted one of everything in their bakery case. I would definitely make the effort to go here next time I'm in town. Oh, and I think one of the other check-in apps, four square I believe, has a check-in offer for a free cup of coffee upon check-in, so be sure to do so before ordering. I didn't check in until I'd already sat down after ordering.

Chimeren P.

I've only been here once and it was pleasant enough. I had the roasted veggie sandwich which had lots of goat cheese and a nice balsamic portabella mushroom that I really enjoyed. My boyfriend tried the corn cakes which he seemed to like even though they where vegan and he's in no way a vegan. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here but the food and service where good and if I was in the area again and was hungry I'd go back.

Josh A.

THIS PLACE ROCKS! Had the zone omelet, it was freaking great. Seriously, hands down the best omelet I've had for a while. Not a big bread fan, but the bread that came with the omelet was out of this world. The pancakes looked unbelievable, so did the waffles. Had a latte, it put Starbucks to shame (sorry ). PLEASE check this place out, it's great.

Tiffany N.

This is an interesting spot. Kind of quick serve, kind of coffee shop is, mostly delicious, and all organic I believe. You can get standard breakfast items like pastries or you go one-up your dining partner and get the specialty pancakes. Me? I went with a standard breakfast - eggs, hash browns, bacon and toast. The hash browns were probably my favorite part because they were extra, extra crispy. Everything else was standard. Except the coffee. That was also delicious like the hash browns. I don't know that I'd go here all the time if I lived in Minneapolis, but it served its purpose well for us the day I did go.

Tony M.

GREAT place for good breakfast. All organic...and VERY good. Service was awesome. MY NEW favorite place in Minneapolis!

Barbara C.

One of my favorite places in MPLS- I have never had a bad food experience. In fact, I love the flavors they create and that they have so many meat-free options. I am not vegetarian, but it's nice to not always have only a meat option as your meal. Fun atmosphere, and the staff is always helpful and well trained.

Terence A.

To me, the quality of the food and ingredients is the major draw here. The menu is huge for breakfast and lunch and the dinner menu is always changing, for better and worse. I have my own nitpicks of the place like much smaller portion sizes of some their meals and desserts. And they have completely overhauled some of their dishes to try a completely new take on it for the worse! But that doesn't take away from my rating as this place is still good and their aim is to have healthy good taste as ghood as possible.

Michelle O.

I used to LOVE French Meadow and absolutely appreciate how they label what is GF and what is not..... HOWEVER about a year ago, I ordered an omlet for breakfast along with a piece of gluten free bread. I ate my meal, it was good, went on with my day. A few hours later I fell ill and realized French Meadow had given me REGULAR bread instead of GF bread (their organic bread looks very similiar to the GF bread, so I couldn't tell). I called to inform them and they were very apologetic and asked for my address, I didn't know what to expect in the mail... WELL LET ME TELL YOU. They sent me a card that stated "Sorry we got your meal wrong, please come back and we will get it right this time" and enclosed was a $10 giftcard. A FREAKING $10 giftcard are you kidding me?!? They didn't bring me out soup instead of a salad, they FREAKING poisened me. I was insulted, the audacity they had to act like it was no big thing (that's what the $10 giftcard told me). Sending nothing would have been better. Haven't been back since and encourage people I know not to go there.

Andrew S.

Oatmeal didn't have bananas, didn't tell me before I got it. I am reviewing the French Meadow Bakery & Cafe in the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. I know that it's impossible to find good food/service in Airports sometimes... but if this restaurant is so good, then it should have considered its brand reputation before putting itself in the F terminal of the Minneapolis airport. All the staff was friendly, until I called them out on the fact that their bland oatmeal would have been much better if it had bananas (which were listed as an ingredient on the chalkboard). They neglected to mention that they were out... and I told them that they should tell a customer before he/she orders. The staff then began speaking in a foreign language (I suspect Farsi) and laughing, which I found to be incredibly rude. I went back and asked for some honey or syrup, because the oatmeal was so tasteless (even with the few apples)... they were quick with me, giving me lip and acting as though I was being an inconsiderate and ungrateful customer. They're wrong... I am actually a very nice human being. This may be a one-time occurrence... but it was enough to guarantee that I wouldn't be coming back. Bottom line: Don't put your name on a new location if you can't guarantee that the standards of quality and customer service are maintained at a relatively equal level to the original location.

E L.

3.5 stars. Place was packed on a Sunday about 2 pm. Wasn't thrilled that they didn't have table service, and the line to order was long and slow-moving. We had the breakfast quesadilla, huevos rancheros, and coffee. Coffee was good, food was perfectly fine, but not something I'd order again. Their guacamole has cilantro (not a fan), but the housemade salsa was great. I'd possibly come back to try the pancakes and bakery items, which looked really good.

Peter K.

French Meadow is great. Went there for dinner and had the pasta special (hand made pasta with turkey meatballs) and bruschetta. The bruschetta was huge and I could only eat 2 of the 3. The basket of bread was phenomenal as you'd expect from a bakery -- contained 4 or 5 different kinds of bread. It's not a vegetarian or vegan restaurant but there are definitely some veggie/vegan entrees along with meat. I don't know how anyone could complain about it not being vegan-friendly enough. 95% of Americans eat meat, so you should just be happy that there are restaurants like this that are even willing to partially cater to your niche preferences. Service was a bit slow but it was worth it. I was also not a huge fan of the non-existent lighting. It doesn't seem to fit with its personality.

Linda B.

Went to French Meadow tonight for dinner. We were happy to know that we could choose any glass of wine for a mere $5 dollars, a regular Monday special. Shared the lovely, lightly braised kale salad with carrots and a citrus/soy vinaigrette, followed by our own summer vegetable ragout. There were also some very good wild mushrooms mixed in with a fresh herb and olive oil sauce. It was so perfect thus far. We should have come to a screeching halt before the dessert. He had the dark and white chocolate torte and I had the vegan Milky Way tart that was drowning in sweet caramel. When I pondered dessert, I didn't hesitate for a moment since, well, this was a bakery, right? Stick to the salads and well executed entrees and skip the dessert!

Denise L.

Oh, my, yes please! The food is great, but it's so hard to find a place to sit. It's a cool place, definitely a good meet up spot for Sunday brunch (which was what my friends and I were doing). The only drawbacks are the craziness of the crowd (the line was out the door when I left) and parking is pretty limited since its a tiny lot. I did love it and can't wait to go back for more. Next year! Almost forgot, there are gluten free items, vegan food, but it's got seafood on the menu. If you're allergic, like I am, just ask a lot of questions. I'm sure I annoyed the girl at the cash register since she handed me the allergen info sheet and sent me on my merry way. Anyway, it's safe though, just let them know of your allergies.

Ethan L.

I've been here twice: once for breakfast quite a while ago and once for lunch a few months ago. Breakfast was decent, i had an omelet of some kind. It was okay, but nothing I couldn't have easily made at home for half the cost and twice the taste. Lunch was AWEFUL. I got some kind of pasta dish with pesto and it tasted like I was eating a handful of basil leaves with a clove of garlic. It had far too much sauce and no deftness-of-hand at all. Clunky. Not sure what people see in this place. Atmosphere is okay but it's loud. They make you wait in line to order, as if you're going to the kind of place you can get a cheap lunch, but then charge you prices of a sit down restaurant for mediocre food. I think people just like it because they think they're getting the French bistro experience in some way, but as someone that has eaten in several bistros in Paris, I can tell you that I ate way better for similar prices there -- which is saying a lot, considering what you pay for even a simple ham sandwich in France. Don't believe the hype, there are way too many good places to eat in this area to waste your time on French Meadow.

Kedar D.

I love this place. The decor and atmosphere are sophisticated and European in feel. The service is super-friendly and attentive and knowledgeable. The food is spectacular for the most part, but take a pass on their attempts at Asian-style dishes. Their vegan stromboli was succulent, subtle and filling. Their tempeh sandwich is spicy and tart and delicious. Their vegan turtle cake was the best cake I've ever had, vegan or otherwise. It was moist, not overly sweet, and well balanced with cake, sugar, caramel and nuts. The prices of the food are extremely low given the high class atmosphere and the high quality of the food. The vegan dishes max out at $12 and most are closer to $9; their desserts are $3.95, though in other places, they'd be twice that price, with half the taste. This is one of those restaurants that represents Minnesota well and is now expanding (they opened a small branch at JFK airport in NYC). They're helping to make vegan mainstream and show the practical, progressive side of Minnesota business. Highly recommended.

Cassandra M.

Good atmosphere, but the service was mediocre. When we walked in no one was at the hostess stand and we stood there for 5 minutes until finally a random waiter acknowledged us. After denying I had a reservation, a server from the OTHER counter (this restaurant recently made an addition) came over and seated us. The food was mediocre. If you're going to have veggie and vegan options it should taste delicious. The veggie burger tasted like beets and the bacon and egg sandwich was nothing special.

Eric M.

So with my recent gluteny issues, I've been here a few times. They know their gluten-free stuff. Breakfast feels chaotic, while their dinner layout is better (breakfast is order at the counter, sit where you'd like, dinner is much more traditional). I highly recommend trying this place out, whether or not you have a gluten allergy.

Timothy G.

My parents took the beautiful wife and I out to breakfast on Sunday here after a weekend of my mother's cooking and baking (which isn't an insult toward her -- rather, she needed a break). Short story short: -friendly staff -really good coffee -chicken chorizo is freaking horrible if you're a slave to "real" chorizo. This is dry, boring, cat treat crap. -The Cajun breakfast doesn't just have garlic. It has whole cloves of garlic. This is a good thing. I really don't care about organic/healthy/whatever. What I do care about is flavor and price-per-portion (hey, I'm a glutton). So all said, I wasn't blown away by French Meadow, but I wouldn't object to going back. Minus the "chorizo" of course.

Allison L.

Casual by day and romantic by night. I have actually created a French Meadow Friday with a good friend. We meet in the sun under an umbrella at 7am while drinking amazing lattes and macchiatos. She gets a vegan scone and then something for her dog, no joke. This is great for vegans and hearty meat eaters. I eat the smoked salmon and cream cheese scramble with a side salad and toast. I am VERY picky when it comes to good toast, and this is toast perfection. Thin chewy and crispy...you can taste all the ingredients. I would stay away from the case of goodies, not really their bag due to it's inconsistency, you never know what you are going to get. In the evening this french inspired cafe becomes dark and romantic and the dishes are wonderful and a bit pricey. Menu is unique fresh and healthy. I would say this place is best attempted when not busy. I can see the waitstaff being a bit overwhelmed. Come with friends in the morning and for a date in the evening.

Kelly E.

Love Love Love. Organic, fresh, fun spin on traditional dishes, love the relaxed cafeteria setting, loved the organic eggs benedict...one of the best I've ever tasted. Good coffee. I'll be back ;)

Todd S.

Simply put, French Meadow is exactly what it should be, an awesome bakery and cafe, with extremely tasty food. This review is based on breakfast/lunch and coffee, I havent eaten dinner here yet. I think I come here at least 3 or 4 times a week for breakfast which normally consists of either a delicious french toast with organic maple ($8) or usually a blueberry muffin ($3) and a mocha ($2.75) Always good and probably the best blueberry muffin i've ever had, crispy on top and soft and blueberryish all over, ive heard there other pastries and desserts are excellent as well. As for lunch i havent had much yet Turkey and Gouda ($8) was pretty good, served on white bread with side salad, bread was kinda dry but the turkey was good and the sandwich is very fulfilling. I've heard The Rachael ($9) is also good, I will have to check that out and report back. Service is cool, but they are usually extremely busy at any given hour of the day. They still do a good job of handling everything there. Finding tables can sometimes be tough and lines can sometimes go out the door, French Meadow is very popular, and for good reason, fair trade and organic very tasty food, reasonably priced. Enjoy

Ali H.

I came to the French Meadow Bakery last weekend for brunch with friends. I was pleasantly surprised by the availability to go in and sit right down even during a heavy rush-period for brunch. After ordering at the counter, we got a nice table outside in the sun. The food was good, although aside from the cinnamon roll which was pretty unbelievable, nothing else was particularly memorable. I did appreciate the variety of savory vegetarian options, I feel like I don't see that much at breakfast joints. Anyway, we had cajun hashbrowns with vegan sausage... it was tasty but pretty simple, and drenched in cheddar cheese. I liked it but felt as if I could easily make it at home. Nothing outstanding. Now, the cinnamon roll. WOW. YUM. So delicious! I was torn on ordering it because it was SO big, and can anything that big really be delicious? Are they sacrificing quality for quantity? I asked the girl at the counter and she assured me that it was the right decision. Scone? Delicious, but no. Cinnamon roll, yes. It was great. They heated it up for us (3 of us shared it and it was more than enough) and it was moist and flavorful and everything I could have hoped for in a cinnamon roll. Including a perfectly sweet cream-cheese frosting. I don't care what else you get when you come here. Just don't forget the cinnamon roll!

Tom L.

Think Panera bread but organic and local. It's a big warehouse loft bakery with parking. The soup and sandwich selection aren't that great but it is very good. They also serve breakfast. Wraps, coffee, and bottled drinks are on the menu as well.

Donna P.

This place was disgusting. Floor was sticky. Couldn't find a clean table. Took 15 minutes to get a breakfast sandwich. Overpriced, bad food. Eat somewhere else

Titi P.

I went for the first time two years ago and I don't even remember what I got because it doesn't matter. I went back yesterday and got the "nicoise salad" and I'm gonna forget that too. Tried the quiche and it was sad and bland, total white people food. Anyway, apparently what's "good" there is the basics, so if you want bougie eggs, go to French Meadow.

Tan N.

This is a really popular spot, and given the "first come first to be seated" rule, i'm basically jousting against other would-be patrons for a seat. in practice, that means that im hovering over people who I think are about to be finished. i hate feeling like a creeper, especially on my first day in a new city. But this is where I had the first meal in Minneapolis....and it's alright. the salmon tasted like salmon, the salad like salad. nothing special. the pancakes definitely tasted hearty, wholesome, and "organic", but not good enough to push the yelp ratings higher.

Dani H.

They have a pretty good happy hour going on. The appetizers are a great price and I highly suggest them. The mussels are out of this world!! Service was good, but it wasn't too much of a madhouse yet. I would definitely suggest going.

Sam O.

So Sad, the French meadow in the airport is my favorite restaurant to go to when I'm at MSP, but this was highly disappointing. My wife ordered the waffle with fruit, and bacon. The waffle was soft and rubbery, kind of like an old pancake. The bacon was very thin, and flabby, without much flavor. The only plus here is that they use real maple syrup. The orange juice was even a let-down. I had the eggs benedict. The poached egg was solid, and the little bit of sauce was very tart. I usually appreciate hollendaise that is tart, but the dish overall was dry. The side greens are a nice alternative to hash-browns! I suppose I could have gone up after receiving our food to let them know how the food didn't meet our expectations, but it was a very busy weekend, and we had waited long enough. In general, I expected more, but for the price, it just made it worse. The get an extra star for using real maple syrup, and that's about it. The desserts looked good, and my experience at MSP might bring me back to give them a second chance.

A. M.

Went here for afternoon tea and cake. While the tea was very reasonable and tasted great, the cake was good too but quite costly, which cast a small, negative shadow. So 4.5 stars.

Mariel L.

I suppose it's almost useless to write another positive review when so many members of the Church of French Meadow have already sung their songs of praise, but I'm gonna join in anyway!! I went there for Sunday brunch, which I thought was going to be ridiculous, and it looked like that based on the line going out the door, but the food was actually served fairly quickly and it was easy to grab a table for 2 @ noon-ish. It took all of my might not to order more than one dish because everything read so damn delicious, written in that coffeehouse chalkboard in multi-colored chalk. I eventually settled for the "famous" deep-dish quiche and a caramel pecan roll, and my friend had their basic egg/bacon/hash brown platter. I've never really been a big fan of goat cheese just because the aftertaste takes some getting used to. But I seriously reconsidered the merits of goat cheese after eating -- nay, engulfing -- this AMAZING dish. They most definitely don't skimp on it, either; every bite was loaded with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, leeks and spinach. I am that person who takes pictures of my food and YOUR food (I mean, if we're dining together. I don't, like, approach every table and do a food photoshoot), but I think I was too engrossed in eating the thing that I forgot to do it. The caramel roll was wonderful; it wasn't too sweet, the portion was huge, and overall very satisfying. I left the place knowing I'm going back for more, perhaps even making this place another Minneapolis staple for me.

Marsha Z.

French Meadow became my last dining stops before I left for Cali. Their menu is extensive, and very veg friendly; I wanted to try as much as I could. So, I went to this location for breakfast, then had lunch at their MSP location. I had their classic vegan breakfast and their tempeh reuben. Both were solid. It's all casual (one of those, order at the counter-type eateries). But instead of giving you a number, they give you a pic of a celebrity--very unique. (I think I had Oprah.) A lot of emphasis is placed on the food being organic. It's a great stop for meat eaters and veggies to eat in harmony, especially for breakfast//brunch.

Meredith P.

I wish I found these restaurants ages ago. I'm a vegan from PDX, and this gem had a delish vegan reuben, lovely salad and fun ambiance. The location on Lyndale is much better than the airport, but I have to give props to the airport location for serving tempeh. This is the first time I've ever found edible tempeh in an airport. A word of caution, the Lyndale location can get very busy, so if you can swing it, I would recommend going at a non-peak time.

Zach F.

Great food, always fresh and done well. I really enjoy the coffee and once you try any of their baked goods you will be hooked. Staff really friendly and were able to tell me everything about the menu. Great food and great people from breakfast to dinner

Jasmine L.

There are a ton of good reviews talking about all the different stuff that is good about French Meadow, so I will just review what I have had mostly. Here is what I have had from the cafe: Grilled Rachel with Soy Aioli, the Vegan Blueberry Corn Pancakes, the Grilled Tempeh Reuben, the Sweet Corn Arepas, and one of the dinner entrees (but I can't remember which). All were delicious but the Grilled Rachel is my favorite as I usually like to go here for lunch and this is a really good lunch sandwich. I always get the coleslaw (which is Asian style, not like the slaw you have at picnics usually) and it is so good. From the bakery have had baguettes, numerous different loaves, and a few different vegan cakes. The sourdough loaf is amazing and priced decently ($4 per loaf) and so are the vegan cakes, though the deserts are pricey, as deserts always are. Nice variety from breakfast to lunch to dinner. Great atmosphere although I sometimes avoid it on the weekends as it can get very crowded.

Brian B.

Loved it. Was very happy to get breakfast at close to lunch time on a Wednesday. I had some eggs, bacon and some of the best hash browns every made. They had several choices of coffee that you serve yourself an the orange juice tasted like it was fresh squeezed. They have a very large and interesting menu and I would surely go back here again if I had the chance.

Leslee M.

I discovered French Meadow when my 16 year old daughter went from vegetarian to vegan and I wanted to find a nice cake for her birthday. French Meadow came up in a search for vegan cakes and was the only bakery of those I called who said they had vegan cakes and other bakery items daily (most other places who offer vegan goods have to be called two or three days in advance). The cake, chocolate with beets and pink frosting was amazing - even all of the non-vegans scarfed it down. For my Son's birthday we got the black-tie vegan mini-cupcakes and again they were a huge hit. I'd keep going back if only for the cakes, but the service has also been exceptionally good both on phone and in person.

Sven T.

I would give the French Meadow three and a half if the computer would let me. Well, maybe three and a quarter. Sure I'll go back, and sure I'll recommend it. But the service (granted after only the last visit so a few more chances are in order) was on the snooty side considering that the price for the value of the food ratio was not quite right either. Not to say the service wasn't professional which it was. Don't worry my friend, I too have been on the wrong side of those dark shots and too pure party favors the next morning. The music was pretty pretentous for Uptown (like they should go hang out at Java Bobs to get an appreciation for what good music is) but oh well. All around a good experience, but probably not quite as good as they would like you to think it would be.

David U.

If I am not traveling, I am at French Meadow at least once a week for breakfast/lunch. The cakes and breads are some of the best in Minneapolis. Others have commented plenty on the food...a couple other points regarding French Meadow. The restaurant has become increasingly busier, if you want to stay away from the craziness you need to get out of bed and get into the cafe before 11 on the weekends. Another item, if you park in the CC Club/French Meadow lot, be sure to pay attention to the parking signs as to which locale you are frequenting. I have parked on more than one occassion in a CC Club parking spot, only to have my car booted and out $100. Kind of makes breakfast a bit more expensive. If you are at the MSP airport, there are two French Meadow locations which are great and are really a nice break from standard airport food. As I travel around for different adventures, I appreciate french meadow and the uptown weekend breakfast scene more and more. The number of locally grown and organic restaurants is really impressive and is on par if not exceeds SFO, NYC, and other major cities. It something we do pretty well on the frozen tundra

Kathy C.

On Lyndale across and down a half block from Bob's Java Hut, French Meadow is an organic emporium. They serve bread like a bakery and do the soup/sandwich/salad thing like a deli. Their food is really good, and they always have some interesting and tasty soups. It is also nicely decorated and warm feeling, so you feel that rustic-ness in the summer and warm comfort when it gets cool. It is highly delicious, if not slightly overpriced. I always try to remember that you shouldn't put a price ambience or quality.

Kelly S.

French Meadow Bakery. How I loved this place when I lived in Minneapolis. Great bakery selection. This is the place where I was introduced to vegan baked goods! Yum yum yumminess. French Meadow Bakery serves great food three meals a day. My personal favorite times to visit are weekend brunches. Lunch is good too. Personally I'm not so sure the ambiance is that great as a dinner place (especially in the Lyn-Lakes neighborhood where there are so many other places with great ambiance for dinner). I also love the fact that they named a bread "Women's bread". Even more I love the fact that I can buy that Women's bread all over the US in Whole Foods or other co-operative markets and I can tell people all about the wonderful French Meadow Bakery in Minneapolis.

Tara J.

I'm bumping them up to 5 stars. I just went for dinner again last night, and it was nothing short of amazing. I had the vegan special; it was flat bread roll-ups with tempeh, carrots, onions and shitake mushrooms inside service on top of peanut sauce with a side of brocolini. The mushrooms gave it a delicious woodsy taste and the flat bread was flaky and wonderful. I spit a piece of the vegan German chocolate cake for desert, and that was equally tasty. French Meadow just gets better and better every time I go. Just need to add that I had the tempeh cutlet tonight and it was one of the best meals I ever ate! I'm still on a food high. AMAZING.

Scott F.

The plain croissant is very flavorful, but not quite as flaky as I prefer. The pecan roll was hot out of the oven, but it was merely OK. I greatly dislike their espresso (see photo). The almond tuile cookie was OK; a little too chewy.

Dan S.

French Meadow is one of the only places that I can think of that has half price bottles of wine on Saturday. They also have some of the best desserts around. I have only had the food once and it was better than I expected. I just had pasta, but the roasted tomatoes were awesome. This is somewhat remarkable because I don't really like tomatoes.

Finn M.

I was walking down Lyndale last time I was in the Twin Cities, and noted that French Meadow opened at like 6am. Knowing I had some time to kill the next morning (don't ask), I made the decision to be there when the doors opened for my last breakfast before hopping on a plane back home. I couldn't have made a better decision. French Meadow is an organic bakery, and I can't imagine a single person -- from vegan to rapacious carnivore -- not being satisfied here, whether they order vegan blueberry corn pancakes (what I got) or some delicious free-range chicken chorizo (had it on the side). The staff was super-friendly, and everything looked, smelled, and tasted incredible. The menu is exactly what you want to see from a place like this. They don't waste their fresh food, they let it shine. This is the sort of place that every organic eatery should strive to be -- true to the food, true to their attitude. It's enough to make me wish I lived in Uptown Minneapolis.

Jen B.

How have I not reviewed French Meadow yet? This was the first "nice" dinner the BF and I went out for upon our arrival in Minneapolis. I have since been in about a dozen times, for both brunch and dinner. Brunch is delicious, but hectic, since everyone comes here. Expect a 20-45 min wait at primetime. Note that Sunnyside Up and Egg & I are nearby, if you just can't manage to stick it out here. But you should stick it out, the food is amazing. It can get a little dicey trying to order then grab a table, since you might be left to eat standing up. If you can snag a table outside in the summer, it's just about the most awesome thing ever. Sunshine. Daydreams. Eggs benedict. Mimosas. They have excellent dinner specials, in the $11-$19 range. On Sunday nights (and probably more) they have 1/2 off bottles of wine, so you can try something a bit more expensive than you normally would, or be like me and get your buzz on the cheap. Pasta and fish are surefire winners. Live music on Sunday nights as well. Consistently excellent food and service. One of the few places we always agree on. Just go already.

Tara R.

Went on a Sunday and it was incredibly crowded during brunch, but that's as to be expected in Uptown. I had the curry chicken and it was meh...nothing to write home about. However, the pastries were pretty damn good. A little overpriced.

Tori M.

I live not far from here and I will brave the snow and ice to walk down and get my little hands on a loaf of their sourdough. If it was not crusty and abrasive, I quite possibly would make love to it. It is divinity. In all seriousness though, I love coming here for dinner because they always have creative combinations that are surprisingly delicious. I even find myself ordering their vegan dishes, though I am most definitely not vegan (although if every vegan meal was as delicious as the squash gnocchi I had the last time, I very well could be.) I've also been for breakfast and the french toast is sublime. Their wine selection is also pretty darn good and I could write a treatise on how wonderful their baked goods are (but I shall refrain). Try something fruity, though. I think they are the best.

Dee T.

My plane landed in terminal D and I thought to myself "Oh good, I'm close to French Meadow, I can grab lunch there." Then I came to my senses and realized that I could just go to the original location and finally check it out. It's a cute space; I went at mid-day and the sidewalk tables were packed, and since I like dining al fresco on those precious few sunny summer days, I headed straight back outside once I placed my order. The menu board is overwhelming but I zoomed right in on the soup/sammy combo. The tomato basil is indeed quite yummy, but the egg salad was pathetically bland with sadly dried-out bread (I am particular about my egg salads, as Heidi Swanson is: 101cookbooks.com/archive… ). I made up for it with a chocolate chip cookie, which helped a lot. Looking forward to checking out breakfast...and that tempeh cutlet that is getting raves...

May S.

We visit here every time we go to Minneapolis! One of my best friends is vegan, so this place is perfect for her. The first time I went, it was dinner, and I remember liking most of my dish. I just remember I wasn't completely happy with it (maybe because I tried something vegan and I'm a meat eater? Haha). But the last few times have been breakfast. I highly recommend the quiche, breakfast burrito, strawberry rhubarb muffins, any of the scones, and the vegan chocolate turtle cake. The coffee was okay. And if you try the Miel - (espresso with honey and cinnamon), I gotta warn you that it's pretty sweet! The workers were all very nice and friendly. All in all, a very good place :)

Nancy R.

Disappointing food at FM today. Corn chowder was the worst I have ever had. I have had better food there, and will think twice going there again.

Jeff A.

I'm a new Yelper, so here goes my first at-bat... My parents were visiting my wife and I here in the Twin Cities this past weekend, so we took them to French Meadow for breakfast Saturday morning. Prior to this visit, I'd only peered into the place when passing by recently but was intrigued enough by the 5 seconds of ambiance I absorbed to show it off to the 'rents. It reminded me a lot of the places I used to go to when I lived in NYC. I have to say I was not disappointed. First, you can't go wrong with an 8 x 20 ft chalkboard menu. Second, everything that came out of the kitchen looked amazing. I decided to go with a simple "classic egg breakfast" (eggs, bacon, hash browns, and sourdough toast). The classic breakfast was fantastic, but the cinnamon roll I ordered on the side was the best I'd ever had. Somehow, they made the frosting extremely light, both in terms of healthy eating and texture - I could've shaved with it. I can see why this place is consistently voted as one of the best breakfast spots/bakeries/cafes in the Twin Cities. Definitely going back... maybe even this weekend...

Chris S.

You know you're in for a great experience when you walk in the door, and the smell alone makes you hungry. The long dining area and cathedral ceilings with large windows overlooking the street gave a comfortable, open atmosphere. I had the omelet of the day, and my friends went with the pancakes and hash browns. We were all very happy with the food. I knew nothing about the French Meadow's leaning toward local and organic ingredients, but that's just an added bonus. The food was just great. Other posts have hinted that the service wasn't always top notch, and I'd agree for my one visit. But they were swamped; so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt until the next time. And I will be back.

Rebecca Y.

Tried and true. Never disappointed. Today I had the Zone Omlet - egg whites, goat cheese, spinach...with a side salad and hemp bread. Utter goodness. Be prepared to scope out a table as the lines are always long. And LOVE LOVE LOVE sitting outside. Unfortunately, it was too cold today.

Kristin G.

The food here is amazing. When I visit Minneapolis I am sure to pick something up here. I loved eating there when I lived there, and I still look forward to it now.

Marc K.

How may ways can you enjoy French Meadow? #1. Arrive at 7 AM, order a drink and a scone, and kick back with a newspaper as the city wakes up. #2. Bring a friend for brunch. Have a nice chat while you wait in line. Order something with the vegan sausage or tempeh. And try each other's food from across the table. #3. Don't wait for this reviewer to go for dinner, try it yourself! Quality stuff. Order something new; you might be very pleasantly surprised.

Lisa T.

This is one of my favorite places on earth. Lynn Gordon has done everything right. My husband and 3 year old eat here once a week - they're always wonderful to my little boy. The food is always terrific - quality ingredients, great wine list and the staff is always welcoming. I crave the Mussles and anytime they have the Guiness Pub cake, I always order a piece - whether I'm dieting or not. My vegetarian hubby can always find a happy satisfying meal here, too. We love Erin, the evening manager. She's so warm and friendly and always gives us a taste of one of the new fun wines they're featuring.

Nicole P.

I go to French Meadow on a pretty regular basis because I live in the area. I really appreciate all of their vegetarian and vegan options (I'm a vegetarian and a close friend of mine is vegan, so I often take her here when she visits). Brunch is amazing at French Meadow--the omelettes, hashbrowns, and baked goods are delicious. I strongly suggest the breakfast burrito or breakfast quesadilla -- YUM! I've also come for lunch and dinner (dinner is typically much less busy than brunch). They have good salads and I have enjoyed the bbq tempeh wrap, the healing plate, and the veggie burger.

jeff m.

Went here on a Thursday morning with my special lady friend, no wait to order, food came out in minutes. I got sucked in by a giant cream cheese frosted cinnamon roll calling to me from a rack behind the order counter. Got that and a latte & hot chocolate almost right away, so it felt a little wrong eating this massive blob of frosting on bread before a much healthier main course, but one bite into that soft chewy bread and dense yet fluffy frosting and it felt oh so right. My girlfriend and I together could barely polish off the roll, but we managed (I stuffed down the last quarter like a man), and just in time for our meals: hers a hemp bagel & lox, mine a zone omlette with hemp toast. The food was very tasty. Both of us were new to hemp, and while it's fun to try new things, I prefer a little less sweaty gym sock flavor in my toast. Perhaps if I try it a second time, hemp will taste less like something my brain tells my mouth to eject, but I doubt it. My omlette made good use of the spinach and goat cheese, and I scarfed it down with no objections from the taste buds. Overall, French meadow scores high for the fresh and open interior and the huge selection of organic and vegan menu items. But, the perplexing parking lot is a negative - back out onto lyndale if you want to die in a car accident with a belly full cream cheese frosting and hemp.

Emily S.

I guess I can't complain too much, this place is really delicious.. most of the time. I've been here a couple of times, probably like 5-6 times in all. Each time, the service was not at all impressive, but the food made up for what was lost. The desserts are really great, and breakfasts with friends is a must here! Weekend mornings, the place can get packed super fast, so if you are serious about a good meal, get here early and be ready to wait!

Heather T.

YUM. French Meadow has delightful food. My group started out by sharing the Chipotle Goat Cheese Quesadilla. Soo tasty--it's a good thing there were 4 pieces and 4 of us eating it, or we may never have fit into our jeans the next day. I moved on to the Duck Confit Fettuccine. This was a mix of veggies, shredded roast duck, noodles, and a great big blob of goat cheese. It needed salt and pepper (I felt like I was in California with the lack of seasoning), but once they were added, it was serious deliciousness. I also got to taste the Butternut Squash Ravioli (very good), and the Bison with Chimichurri (completely drool-worthy and awesome). The ambience is lovely, though the 5 of us were really crammed into a small table in the back. This didn't ruin our good time, though I think we may have annoyed the older couple who was about 1 1/2 feet away from us. I definitely suggest making reservations on the weekend, which I'm glad we did. The service was on the pokey side (we actually had to ask if we could order), but since we weren't in a rush, all was well. Overall, French Meadow was a wonderful experience and I recommend it highly.

Erin L.

I love places that make me feel like I'm not in America. This is one of those places. The food is always tasty and somewhat adventurous in a European and vegetarian kind of way. The tempeh sandwich is always good and the baked goods are all beautiful AND delicious. The decor on the inside is lovely, especially at night, and the outdoor seating is beautiful when the weather is right. I didn't mean to make that rhyme! Maybe this place brings out the inner French poet in me. If you're looking for a lovely dining experience with a fun selection of drinks, foods and desserts, this is definitely a place to try.

Scott J.

My wife and I biked here from the mean streets of Eden Prairie, devoured our breakfasts (Zone omelet for my lady, scrambled eggs and bacon for me) and washed it down with a couple of cups of dark roast coffee. Read the NY Times and headed back to the sanctuary. Yes, you can lean conservative and still do some fun lefty things...

Kat W.

French Meadow, you are one of my favorite breakfast locations. Why? Let me count the ways. 1. Carnivore, vegetarian, or vegan, it mattereth not. 2. You can have breakfast, or lunch (love the overlap!) 3. You can make more decisions about bread here than you ever have in your entire life. 4. They have a seriously rad selection of free range/organic/fair trade food. 5. Outdoor seating. Oh, and the food is delicious.

Pat C.

Nice restaurant with good food.not quite five star except the desserts are!

Katy R.

I give this local organic joint a 3. Mostly because it's not very consistent. I'm a fan of the goat cheese quesadillas, but have had a few too many variations... not all being very pleasing. With that being said, I've had some delicious meals here, but inconsistency is not acceptable considering some of their dinner/entree prices. Good selection of organic beer & wine. I do however enjoy their bakery goods. The set-up is deli style. They could do a better job with the setup so you're not walking all over just trying to get utensils/water/etc...

Ashley A.

This was a great experience!! Travis and I were here for a mid-morning meal this morning and it was delicious! I had the Organic Oatmeal. Wow, it came with raisins, apple chunks, almond slices I LOVED it!I look forward to coming to this cafe again soon!

Jeannette K.

I used to haunt this place. I've tried almost every dish possible that was gluten-free (and sometimes not). So fresh!!! So tasty! Even my picky friends and family could not deny the multiple options and variety of food.

Jon H.

I've lived in Minneapolis for 6 years and have eaten at French Meadow easily 100 times. The food is great, the ambience nice but also relaxed and friendly, and somehow, no matter how crowded the restaurant, conversations at French Meadow tables always seem intimate and meaningful. This is my reconnect-with-friends, take-my-parents, gear-up-for-the-week restaurant. Love.

Lena S.

I don't like breakfast. Sweets make me feel lousy, especially in the morning. I don't have an appetite until like 1 pm even though I get up at 6 am and am on my feet running around all morning. Breakfast for dinner--sure! But if you want me to eat breakfast or brunch, it better be hearty and savory. ...Especially when you've flown into Minneapolis for your vacation just before a huge blizzard hits and you wake up to find that bus service isn't running and you decide to walk 45 minutes through knee-deep snow in the cold because you want to try this place for brunch, and nothing's gonna slow down your trip! After our epic snowy fun trek, my husband and I had the huevos rancheros and the vegan breakfast plus a side of runny tasty eggs, respectively. The food is hearty and warming and filling without being overly greasy or sick-full-inducing. The veggies in the tofu scramble are tasty and make it sort of addictive, but the scramble could have used more salt or spicing. The veg sausage has a nice flavor but is a little too charred for my liking (basically anything with any char or grill mark on it to me is gross, though, so take that for what it's worth). We came back a day later and got a tempeh reuben (points for the tasty sun-dried tomato aioli and the quality sauerkraut--when making tempeh reubens at home I'd always skip the sauerkraut on my husband's but since eating French Meadow's now he craves it) and a veggie club-type wrap to eat in the airport only to find that there's a French Meadow in the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport = healthy and vegan food options in an airport = rock on. Basically not anything extraordinary, but respect to any place that offers non-oily, filling-without-being-sickening veg breakfast options that satisfy and warm someone who would rather be nauseously hungry instead of eating something sub-par in the morning.

amy z.

I really enjoy the food at French Meadow and I am lucky to live near by. Tonight my amazing fiancee went and got a take away dinner for us from there. Normally I get the Beet Salad with Chicken but tonight I decided to get one of the specials, Duck with cherry sauce mashed potato and braised endive. The duck was a little overcooked but the flavors of the sauce and mash took away from the dryness of the duck. My other half had the butternut squash gnocchi which he described as tasty and rich. I do love the pastries there. My favorites are the scones and hemp brownie. Also, it is nice to see French Meadow in the airport albeit the staff are not as friendly.

Nicholas L.

always crowded, great for people watching, excellent for bread. had a bit much late friday night and looking for something "better" inside you? breakfast burrito! or anything else from their relatively guilt-free, organic menu. The arnie palmers are pretty rad too.

The French Meadow is one of the best places in Minneapolis for delicious French-style artisanal breads, coffee, breakfast, salads and French-fusion bistro style cookery for lunch or dinner. It has a casual atmosphere, lots of vegetarian choices, and a sidewalk cafe that is especially popular for breakfast in the summer. Not cheap, but reasonable prices, especially considering the quality. Parking can be a problem. I don't think they take reservations. They do takeaway. Family-friendly, licensed for wine and beer.

Joshua Z.

This is really two different restaurants: Restaurant #1: Busy, morning and weekend breakfast/brunch place. Very crowded, lots of crunchy/vegan dishes, Latin food, and classic breakfast dishes. Also above average coffee, very good pastries. Crowded, loud, vibrant, not good for the agoraphobic. Restaurant #2: In evenings, becomes candlelit, new American restaurant with wine and beer. Had bison pot pie, which was good. Mmmmm... bison. But DON"T come here with your two year old in the evening imagining you will be able to have a casual dinner, or you will end up walking laps around the CC Club with your noisy baby while others enjoy their meal.

Lindsay R.

Was in Minneapolis over the weekend visiting friends when we were traveling down Lyndale Street and passed by the French Meadow Bakery & Cafe. I had eaten lunch there a few years earlier when I was in town for a conference and suggested that we have dinner there. Dinner, while a very different atmosphere than lunch, so fantastic. The menu, very diverse with vegetarian and vegan options as well as meat entrees, offered a wide selection. Wine and beer menu was the same. It took me probably fifteen minutes to figure out what I wanted to order, and that is something that I usually NEVER have a problem w/! Waitress was very friendly and had great suggestions when we asked for her recommendations. Finally decided on ordering the Turkey burger and Belgian Brown Ale. Very delicious. For dessert, we had the fruit cup (not sure what it was called.) I was so full that I was kinda uncomfortable, but not in a bad way. Definitely recommend!

Andrew K.

Cute, open late, white Xmas lights in trees, great selections - BROWN SUGAR FOR THE COFFEE - GO NORCAL! The chicken, white bean chili was delish sprinkled with some additional salt. Pleasant atmosphere with high ceilings. Somewhere I would go all the time if I had one nearby!

Kay G.

This is my favorite "go to" restaurant in Minneapolis. The food is always wonderful and there are many things to choose from. Great wine and good atmosphere.

Becky S.

Any city would be happy to boast of a cafe of this class. Organic, gluten-free, veggie--whatever you need, they have it. Coffee is always fantastic, baked goods heavenly. Take home a baguette or a boule. I've never been for anything but breakfast, but friends say lunch and dinner are equally awesome. My absolute favorite breakfast place, bar none.

Lacey P.

I'd heard mixed reviews, so I had never ventured down.. Ohh I'm sorry I did not go here sooner. I like the outdoor seating, the high ceilings inside, the free samples of desserts on the counter, the extensive menu, the local and organic ingredients, the dog friendliness outside, and the huge portions. Yeah, it's a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. And all my food was really good. Their vegan sandy cookie was good, they've got a lot of vegan options, etc. etc. Yes, I felt a little yuppie being here, but the food was really good, so oh well.

Jaymi W.

I guess I don't get it. There are other places in the area that do the same kind of thing and they also happen to do it better. I was there for dinner recently and had the vegan dinner special which was rice, tofu and veggies in a SUPER good curry sauce. This dinner actually changed my opinion on curry. Then I went home and my boyfriend made the same thing, only better. So who's the man now, French Meadow? Their chocolate covered rice (as in REAL rice) krispie type bar is good, but every other baked good I've had isn't great. And you know what I can't figure out? No matter what time of the day I've gone there, busy or not, the service is pretty lame. One time we waited so long for our waiter to come back and get our check that we ended up going to the register to pay. DO NOT DO THAT. I felt like a kindergartener who had strayed out of the line and my teacher was punishing me. We were just trying to pay our bill! Christ. It always seems like you have to wait a really long time to order baked good and coffee, too, even if there are a few people behind the counter. I'm going with 3 stars because I like the whole idea of the place, I just don't think the food is anything special. And getting your car out of a parking spot in their lot is physically impossible (unless your car can fly.)

Drew D.

I want to spit on most of the customers and kiss most of the staff.

Keshar N.

I have said it before, and I'll say it again... I am a breakfast aficionado. I love it. I eat it for dinner. I mean, I LOVE breakfast. I went to French Meadow with high expectations after reading all of the wonderful reviews on Yelp, and I have to say that I was not disappointed. We arrived at French Meadow on a Sunday morning around 10:45 and found the place busy but not crazy; it wasn't difficult to snag a table. I ordered a chocolate croissant and a coffee to start. The croissant was heavenly. The outside was flaky and buttery while the chocolate was a perfect blend of sweet and slightly bitter. The coffee was also delicious, with several varieties to pick from and an ample amount of additions to select from as well. My boyfriend and I decided on splitting the huevos rancheros and a pancake. I love huevos rancheros, typically when I see it on a menu I order it. I really enjoyed this huevos. The eggs were poached well, the sauce was spicy but not overwhelming and the chipotle sour cream was awesome. The only disappointment there was that I couldn't really taste the corn tortillas. They go really soggy from all the sauce on the plate and since they were under everything, they sort of vanished... sad. The pancake was AWESOME! Thick, buttery and fantastic! It had a great vanilla flavor and was perfect with the MN maple syrup. All in all my experience with French Meadow was on par with reviews. The only criticism I have is the ordering/seating process. I found it odd that we pay for the meal up front without knowing who our server is, and then are confounded as to what kind of a tip we leave without having received any service yet. I mean, we could be sensible and carry cash. But in the event that you arrive at French Meadow sans dollars, you just have to hope that your server meets your expectations, and in my experience that is not out of the question.

Linda C.

This review is for the French Meadow that is in MSP airport (there doesn't seem to be a listing for this specific French Meadow). I ordered three pastries to go: - Frosted brownie - Black forest scone - Brown rice muffin (?) All were the absolute worst baked good that I've ever eaten.Betty Crocker out of a box would have been better. I'm sorry but there just weren't any redeeming qualities about any of the items and I'd never return. Never. The people were friendly enough, and the establishment appeared clean, but the the pasties were beyond redeeming this place. And to think that I toted these home to California as a "gift" for the folks that picked me up for the airport? I'm sure they'll never fetch me again!

Zachary S.

good sized portions, great bakery, great atmosphere, organic all that blah blah. many things to many people, and that usually is not a good thing. but they do it all well, and without confusion.

Lindsey P.

This place is delicious. It's great to go on the weekend to spend some quality time relaxing while enjoying some good food and catching up on some reading, email, (there's free wifi) whatever... you name it. It's usually pretty busy but spacious enough you can find a seat and stay warm from the coldness outside. It also has unique dishes and plenty of healthy options available. Most recently I tried a tempeh (for the first time ever! It's a vegan dish but I'm not vegan, just testing things out) wrap with organic spinach, cheddar cheese, organic brown rice, and bbq sauce... quite scrumptious. And yes, I did say organic!

Brooke S.

how anyone could give the delightful and always pleasing french meadow less than five stars is beyond me? locally owned and operated, and offering farm fresh organic ingredients, French Meadow hits it out of the park with breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. In the morning and afternoon French Meadow is super casual and offers up nice fare like the quiche (which i always get and always LOVE), pancakes, huevos rancheros, muffins, delicious coffee drinks and other yummy brunch fare! Dinner steps it up a notch with a hostess and seating service with a printed menu. DELICIOUS. so many interesting local meats, vegetables and just the freshest of ingredients with interesting and delectable combinations. The salads are crunchy, fresh and exciting. The roasted chicken with mashed potatoes - to die for. Seafood and andouille risotta was complex and forward. They offer some nice wines and beers as well. I would be remiss not to mention the life changing desserts. yes, life changing -- i mean it. The cappucino torte is fantastical. the chocolate cheesecake was fought over by the four of us at the table and we didnt even try the lavender vanilla cupcakes, the chocolate caramel cake, tres leches or any of the cookies. aaahhh, just writing this review is making my mouth water. run, dont walk, to french meadow. any time of day, any day of the week - you won't be disappointed.

Suzanne S.

5/12/08 update: Went on a Saturday afternoon (3 ish). No wait, plenty of tables. Awesome. BBQ tempeh wrap is my new favorite thing EVER! ************ Yes, this place is busy. I hate busy places, and waiting, and whatnot. But this place is worth it, thus the five stars. My sister brought me here while I was in town for a visit. I was being vegan for that week or whatever, so I was sooooo happy to see a tempeh reuben and vegan blueberry pancakes as two of the many vegan options. I couldn't decide so I ordered both. Soooooo tasty. Even though I've now perfected making my own tempeh reuben at home, I still think about French Meadow. I now gladly take an earlier flight to MN, so I can enjoy a tempeh reuben at their airport location while I wait for my sister to finish work, or go to happy hour with her coworkers, or whatever. Ha ha.

Erin S.

Oh my gosh - I can't say enough good things about this place. From Chicago, Sunday brunch is a bit of a necessity - I wish I could MOVE this place to Chicago. Had the eggs benedict with the tomato hollandaise that was RIDICULOUS. And the coffee... amazing. I was SO excited to come here because I had heard so many good things about it, and I was not disappointed at all. Also, try the cinnamon rolls. Probably about a billion calories - but definitely worth it. I want to go back to Minneapolis to try everything else!

Clay U.

I've been here a couple times for lunch. The food was OK. It tasted healthy, if you know what I mean... not a lot of flavor. It was definitely a little pricey for what it was. It's a cute place with a cool atmosphere, but I'd rather have good food when I'm paying that much for a meal. I would be willing to try it again, but for now, I can't justify giving it a better score.

Oliver M.

This is my standard place in Minneapolis to grab a solid meal and have a tasty drink. I love meeting here with friends for brunch, lunch, or dinner. The menu is somewhat hit or miss, as the vegan/vegetarian options tend toward the unappetizing. But when they're on, they're really on. The butternut squash gnochi with blue cheese and arugula is fantastic. The beet salad is also fantastic. The wine and beer selection is also really good. There are some interesting wines, always some seasonal wines by the glass, and always local beers. The service is always pleasant and informative. Don't be afraid to ask what the servers think because they always seem to know the menus well and have strong opinions about what to get. Because there are some misses on the menu, it's good to hear that you're not getting one of those from your server. When it comes to breakfast food, don't have high expectations for portion size or complexity of flavor. They do simple breakfast food in healthy portion sizes. When it comes to dessert, go with the vegan cake. I'm not usually one for skipping butter when it comes to dessert, but the vegan cake is really good. You won't even notice that you've become a hippie. Last, make sure you explore the bread basket that comes with some of the service (maybe just dinner). There is some cheesy bread/focaccia that puts Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits to shame. Also, be careful when you wash your hands in the bathroom. The hot water gets extremely hot. You will burn yourself if you're not careful.

Briana S.

Good variety and interesting tastes combine with organic ingredients to make for a solid cafe experience. As someone who tries to eat healthy on the road, this was one of my regular spots. The ahi tuna salad sandwich is divine, and unlike any other I've had... with seared ahi, EVOO and cranberries on a nutty wholegrain bread. The flatbread pizzas make a good starter as well. The service is casual, and at sometimes lax, but the quality of the food compensates. Definitely worth a stop.

Lauren R.

Très delicieux! I took my parents here when they were in town and it was so delightful. Bustling busy for Sunday brunch, we made it just in time before all the table were full and the line was too long. This cafe reminds me of those in NYC or Paris...very chic, yet informal with a order at the counter set up, an amazing display of baked goods, and a mix of people joined together by the good-eats offered. I ordered the breakfast burrito, and I know this might sound strange since it is a French cafe, but it was the best breakfast burrito I've had. Not overloaded with sauce smothered on top, it was full of spices and I felt very healthy eating it which is ironic. I'll definitely be back to taste the other delectable items on the menu:)

Mio S.

Such a pretty place! The high ceiling, chalk board menu, dark furniture and pretty baked goodies in the glass case. Apple tart tatin was pretty good - very nicely cooked and seasoned apple filling and tasty crust. I didn't enjoy the croissant very much. Both texture and flavor seemed to be off. I prefer Salty tart's croissant better.

Anna M.

I headed to French Meadow for a pre-blizzard meal armed with a Groupon. I love trying restaurants that use local ingredients! French Meadow definitely looks like a bakery inside but still works well for dinner. I was immediately drawn to all the pastries and cupcakes in the case- I was tempted to skip dinner and just dive into the baked goods! But I had a reservation- so I had dinner and was sure glad I did. We were seated at a cozy table by the window and split the tasting flight appetizer. It had local honey, cheeses, pickled onions, pepper and hummus. We had already devoured the breadbasket when the tasting flight arrived, so our server happily refilled the basket. I had the house made butternut squash gnocchi with wild mushrooms. I had never had gnocchi without sauce on it before but it was DELICIOUS tossed with vegetables! My friend had the duck special and thought it was better than many higher-priced restaurants. We split the baked to order molten chocolate cake for dessert- it was good but we thought the entrees were the real stars of the meal. I will be going back soon to try the cupcakes! And then again for breakfast. =)

Marie K.

I love this place, the turkey burger is the best I've ever had! That being said, I will only go here for lunch. I went in for dinner once and it is sit-down full service, unlike the lunch were you order at the counter and they bring it out to you. For dinner the menu is very limited, portions are smaller and it's more expensive. I will definitely keep returning for the yummy lunch!

Becky L.

The food was delish and the service was Minnesota nice.

Alejandra M.

So good! i was visiting from LA and my friend brought me here. I had their Veggie Lasagna and it was perfect! the sauce tasted homemade. It's an adorable place for lunches with small groups of gal pals and even lunch dates. We have a chain like this back home called " Corner Bakery" it's where basically you order what you want and then the servers bring it to you. It's awesome because while it can be considered " fast food" since no one actually waits on you, but it's 5 star all the way. oh yeah and the bread was insane!

Kate C.

The food here is great, although they get quite busy on the weekends for breakfast/lunch. I really like to take visitors here, they always seem impressed by the breadth of the menu (which is intimidating upon entrance). I'm not into the organic grass-fed vegan whatever, but everything always turns out good. The tomato-basil soup is particularly good, as is the quiche. The cinnamon rolls are also good, and are great for two people. Sugar shock is probably a concern if one person eats a whole one. I've never visited later than about 1pm, it just seems geared more toward breakfast than toward dinner.

Cari S.

Amazing food, it's well prepared using quality ingredients and the flavor is spot on. They also have great vegan and vegetarian choices too! It's always fairly busy, but I've always received great service and visit frequently.

Kari P.

I have never gone to the trouble of writing a bad review for a place before, but I'm doing it now because I have given up on the French Meadow Bakery & Cafe. I live in Uptown, so I have so, SO wanted to love this place. I have given it many, many chances over the years, but it ALWAYS disappoints me. From the mediocre but overpriced food (their breakfasts are okay, but if you want better food for almost half the price, walk yourself up a block or so to The Sunnyside Up Cafe) to their snotty and often just plain rude waitstaff, this place is just not worth all the hype. I have to say, though, that the desserts are good-- the one time I had a good experience here was when I got some cheesecake to go. Even their mochas are crappy-- way too sweet! Go to Common Roots or, if you have a car or want a walk, hit up Isles Bun and Coffee on Hennepin and 28th. Their mochas are the best ever! The straw that broke the camel's back happened recently. I went to get some food and do some writing... I had only been there for about 45 minutes (30 minutes of that had been taken up with me actually eating) when, barely minutes after a busboy had taken away my plate, a waitress came over and asked me if I wanted something to eat. I told her that I had already had dinner and was just doing some writing, but she kept going, asking me if I wanted to have another drink and move to the bar seating area by the window. I don't like barstools, which is why I had not sat there originally. I got the distinct impression that I was being pushed out of my table (which was a small table for two) because I was not eating something RIGHT THEN, even though I had paid almost $20.00 for my meal and beer. Now, if the place had been busy, with a line at the register or at least all the tables filled, I would have been cool with it. But there was no line, and many, many empty tables. I ended up leaving shortly after because I didn't feel comfortable. Also, the food had not even been good! AGAIN! Macaroni and cheese without a cheese sauce? What?! It was horrid. The crust of tasty looking breadcrumbs will break your heart, because what lies beneath are sad, sauceless noodles and globs of badly melted, questionable cheese. ACK. The only good part of the whole plate was the greens. They were ok. Maybe the BBQ Tempeh is really great, but if these people can't even do mac 'n cheese like professionals instead of like high school kids making dinner for themselves without a recipe, then I seriously doubt it. Grr, Freach Meadow Bakery and Cafe! I'm done with you. I could have bought the materials for seriously awesome (and properly cheesy) mac 'n cheese at the Wedge and made it for myself at home, but I stupidly thought that eating at your fine establishment would be a nice time out for myself. I was so very wrong.

Mary O.

Wonderful surprise....tasty food in a great neighborhood. Many vegetarian meals. What a way to start my day.

Margaret O.

This used to be one of my favorite places, but then it changed to be much more formal.....and pricey. I miss the "old" french meadow that was a totally informal place to get some really great, fresh food. Now even with the table service and other amenities it doesn't really seem worth the prices. The only time in my life i've ever sent a meal back was at this restaurant...I got a grilled cheese, which you would think is pretty hard to mess up. But the cheese wasn't even melted and it just tasted bad.

mindy g.

French Meadow is definitely my favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities. I eat here once or twice a week, and am always left smiling. On their regular dinner menu, my favorite items are the Tempeh Cutlet, the Sesame Salad with Grilled Tofu, and the Bruschetta. OMG, they are all SO good! The cutlet is the best tempeh in town by a long shot. It's crispy on the outside, and served in a delicious blood orange sauce, with rice & coconut red beans. Really filling and hearty. The Sesame Salad is full of greens, peppers, and cucumbers, and the tofu is grilled to perfection, and marinated in a sauce that is divine. While the tofu is generally a little softer than I like it, the flavor is so good that it doesn't matter. The bruschetta is unique in that it is tomatoes mixed with capers. If you don't like capers, you won't like this bruschetta, but I love capers, and I find that it's a wonderful addition to a classic item. I love that they always have a different vegan special - and it's never something boring like pasta with veggies. It's always something very creative and unique. I have never been disappointed when I order the vegan special. The wine & service are always amazing too. If I had one piece of constructive criticism for French Meadow it would be this: MORE VEGAN DESSERTS! They recently got rid of the peanut butter bar that was vegan, and they don't seem to be replacing it with anything. :-( The berry crisp is fine, but not my favorite, and the German chocolate cake is hit & miss. We need vegan special desserts, too, guys! Other than that, I have not a single complaint about this place!

Jessica O.

I still really like French Meadow (especially the Tempeh Cutlet), but I do wish they had more vegan options. What they DO have is great, but variety is the spice of life, no? Also, it ticks me off that they don't have vegan butter. I mean, they obviously want to cater to the vegan crowd because they have several vegan entrees, several vegan brunch & appetizer options, they have soy milk for lattes, vegan desserts, AND they have a vegan special every night. However, if you get the vegan pancakes or toast, expect to get them dry because they don't have nondairy butter. It's not a deal breaker for me, obviously, but it's just kind of stupid, in my opinion. Their Blueberry Corn Pancakes (vegan) are delicious - but who eats pancakes without butter?! Vegans need it, too.

Peter G.

Fantastic food for a good price and in a nice setting. It's a local chain, I guess (I'm not from around here), but I think there are really only two locations. That doesn't really constitute a chain, in my opinion, or at least not in a negative sort of way that most people might view a chain. The place definitely didn't feel like a chain at all. The waitresses were excellent, and the food was unique.

John R.

Last time when in the twin cities enjoyed lunch here, and though we would try it again. After the long drive down we stopped in for dinner I found mine ok, but both f the people I was with had issues with theirs. Figured it might be because we arrived within an hour of closing, so came back two day later for breakfast. We were both disappointed for that for the cost it food was not better. In my case the tofu stir-fry $9 although a ok portion size was not as good as ether I can get back home for $6. The lady sitting beside us said here noodle dish was disgusting, and soon after without eating any more of it. We decided to not repeat this restaurant next time we visit Minneapolis.

Reece M.

After a rushed load-in/soundcheck at First Ave, I was whisked away to the French Meadow for dinner. I opted for the Arepas, my friend had the tempeh cutlets and we split a salad. All were incredibly fresh and tasty. It was a quick in-and-out, but I will say that the menu was very enticing, including the daily vegan special. I've a feeling that this might become a regular stop when I'm in the Twin Cities....

Erin C.

Yum, yum, and yum. Would swear by the scones, the coffee, and the trail mix pancakes. And the food is quality. These ingredients are the real deal! If you haven't been here, you are missing out. There is a reason this place is always packed. I'm getting hungry just typing this review!

Steph P.

lunch on day 2 of hermano's visit - French Meadow Bakery & Cafe the day's plans involved a visit the Summit Brewery and an early dinner of Ethiopean food, so a substantial (i.e., let's not pass out after one beer tasting), but light lunch was called for (i.e., we still wanted to be able to gorge on dinner). enter a regular favorite, French Meadow. i really like that this place serves quality food in a very casual setting, though the mid-range prices generally keep me from indulging too often. (aside: i love to have brunch on a sunny morning out on their sidewalk.) the hermano was impressed with all the vegetarian options, debating betwen a tempeh bbq wrap and the organic tempeh reuben. i think the reuben was an excellent choice - warm from the grill, hearty from the chunks of tempeh and melted cheese, and ever-so-slightly dripping from the tangy sauekraut. the sesame tinged slaw was good as well, though i wouldn't personally put those two flavor profiles side by side. maybe because thousands of years of evolution have influenced me to crave variety in my diet; maybe i'm just a glutton. either way, i am always a sucker for the combo lunch of soup and a sandwich. cool, peppery, and refreshing, the gazpacho embodied the deliciousness of a summer bounty. i've been less than impressed with their cold salad sandwiches (e.g., a dry curry chicken), and the egg salad was what you'd expect and a little bit less b/c i would hope for a tastier, more substantial bread to buttress the egg salad (perhaps some kind of whole grain wheat? rye? and dude, bread was DRY). perhaps you are also acquainted with the old game of "how can i gracefully eat this egg salad sandwich without getting it all over my lap." my sandwich/soup was just enough for a light lunch, but i did what any good sister would do and helped the hermano finish off the reuben. and then we were off to a busy day of sculptures, beer, injera, and song.

JP L.

I always hated the French Meadow but thought I would give it one more try today as I've not been there in 5 years or so having not lived in MN lately. Well I still hate it, mostly because its so overrated. So many Minneapolites flock to this place under the premise that its hip and cool and healthy. Well its not very healthy, everything is typical restaurant soaked in butter and sleazy stuff that makes things taste good. They have no fresh squeezed juice and instead steer you toward the $5 Naked juice in a plastic bottle. Typical patron: a frumpy office girl that drives down from Pillsbury for a dose of Uptown hipness, she's wearing an Anthropologie skirt, a shirt from GAP, some shoes from Zappos, and various tattoos, mostly the modern written word kind, with her clothing strategically placed to show each and every one. Then there is the staff, they are snotty like the French, and this is about the only aspect of Frenchness I can ascertain here, or maybe the lollygagging women who take up a table for 4 hours talking over coffee and a desert overlooking scenic Lyndale Ave. OK I am a Minnesotan so I have to say at least one nice thing, and end on a positive note: they make their own bread which is awesome.

Jasmine M.

Given the long lines, it seems like everyone knows that French Meadow is great for brunch. I have been here three times for brunch, and it was a little stressful...i.e. wait in line and order, have to scout out a table and then the servers will bring you your food based on a little sign you are given in the beginning. So if you have some cranky or lazy people in your party, this might not be a good choice. But, the food is very good. Everything tastes fresh, and wow, I feel like I'm doing my body good when I eat here with all the veggies and whole grains. I recommend the whole wheat quesadilla and the omelet of the day is always a good bet. I also liked the arepas, but don't expect real Venezuelan style here. It's more like a healthy Minnesota take on it, but still very tasty. I also love the bottomless coffee. I recommend the Ethiopian winey blend. French Meadow also has great soups and breads. It is definitely more relaxed on a weekday lunch. Try it out!

Jay V.

This place may be the closest thing to heaven, if it exists. The menu is overwhelming. They serve breakfast until 3 p.m.? Wow! I love that. The salad dressing is tasty. The place is spacious and the back bathroom is large enough to have a party in. Go, run, quickly, get there! I could eat there 365 days a year if I lived closer.

Ninja S.

People really blow this place way out of proportion. They have sandwiches and salads. It's a local, albeit better, version of Panera Bread. It is not an ultrafantastic lair of awesome, however. Like most things in this neighborhood, you'll find organic produce and veggie options. That's it, folks. Lets keep it under control.

Joy H.

French Meadow Café in Minneapolis is a fantastic place for vegan or vegetarian breakfast or brunch. It's equally good for lunch or dinner, but breakfast deserves its own spotlight. The restaurant is a partner to French Meadow Bakery, which also offers healthy breads and sweets at most Twin Cities-area grocers and nationwide. Both have been dedicated to using organic and local ingredients since 1985. On a recent visit, we had the vegan blueberry corn pancakes (single is $6, double $8.50). The plate-sized pancakes have a cornbready taste and texture, lots of blueberries and are served with pure Minnesota maple syrup. The Classic Vegan Breakfast ($9.50) is a hearty serving of hashbrowns, tofu scramble, vegan sausage and organic Healthy Hemp toast. It's all delicious. The tofu scramble is well-seasoned with onions and bell peppers, and the sausage is incredible. Each visit, I try to figure out how they achieve the texture and flavor. There's certainly fennel, but the exact savory/spicy blend is a mystery. They also offer a High Energy Breakfast ($5) of organic Men's toast served with organic peanut butter and a banana - packed with 19 grams of protein and 14 grams of fiber. The toast is made with organic French Meadow Bakery bread. You can also get a side of tofu scramble for $3 or a side of vegan sausage for $3.50. The menu offers quite a few organic vegetarian options, including French toast, a breakfast burrito and huevos rancheros. French Meadow is typically bustling for breakfast which is served from 6:30 to 3:00 p.m. daily. On nice days, the sidewalk dining is very popular. You order at the register from large blackboards where the menu looks to be printed by hand in brightly-colored chalk. A "V" symbol on the menu indicates vegan offerings. Staff brings your meal and silverware to the table. I love that each table has a dainty fresh flower in a small vase. And the ketchup is Heinz organic. The bakery area offers a number of vegan sweets -- chocolate turtle cake and a raspberry crumb bar on this visit. There's a full coffee bar, a number of teas and fresh orange juice available. For more info: examiner.com/x-10371-Min…

Allison M.

Disregard what all other reviews say. Order the Creamy Tomato Basil soup and you will be eternally grateful. However, if you don't happen to order the soup, the atmosphere is charming, the food is good, the bread is great, and the outdoor seating is a plus.

Susan A.

YUM! I agree with everyone's comments on the Saturday/Sunday brunch rush. The inside is loud during those times. My favorite table tent is "The Bobs". I guarantee you will not be disappointed eating here anytime of day. This place has something very VERY special and that is the master and art of a non-greasy breakfast. I cannot believe how good their hashbrowns are. Seriously, if you order the hashbrowns, take a couple bites as they are...delay putting ketchup and other condiments on. Just discipline yourself and indulge in the hashbrowns as they come. SO GOOD! THIS PLACE RULES MINNESOTA BREAKFAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michael B.

Tea on a stick!

Annie D.

THE tomato soup of your life... you can eat it here. There are also about a billion other things on the menu, so everyone will be able to find at least one thing to order, even if you come with the pickiest eaters. I think that's why French Meadow is a default breakfast place for most Uptowners. They have a range of brunchy entrees like omelets, huevos rancheros, eggs benedict... plus daily specials, soups, salads, sandwiches and dinner entrees like salmon and all that. There's a focus on natural/organic and there are plenty of vegetarian options too. When I was there with Gabi M., I ordered a veggie sandwich with mixed greens and tomato basil soup. The sandwich was totally good, but I prefer other veg sandwiches I've had. The soup rocked though---super creamy and tangy and just awesome. Everything else I've had here has been pretty good, though nothing as mind-blowing as the soup. The girl at the counter was really friendly the last visit and totally patient with us as we read the chalkboard menu in its entirety. The wait for our food was short too, even though it seemed pretty busy for a weekday. Breakfast/brunch time on weekends makes a madhouse out of this restaurant, so prepare to wait in line to order and then probably wait again to find a table and then again for your food. I simply avoid it during peak hours. My dining experiences have been mostly positive, though not earth-shattering. I would probably have gone with four stars if not for the bread, which I don't think is up to snuff. I know preservatives are out of the question (I'm all for natural), but one time I actually hurt my lip biting into one of their baguettes that wasn't even a day old but was hard as a rock. There's gotta be a solution for that, right?

Maggie J.

I have been for brunch a few times, and was left a little disappointed. Pros: They keep a line going out the door moving at a pretty fast pace. Lots of seating, even on busy days! Food comes out relatively quickly. Cons: What is with the drink system? Order at the register, then pick it up over the deli case? Needless to say I was not aware of that and the person who (rapidly) took my order did not fill me in. My food also left me uninspired. It had clearly been sitting in the back for a few minutes, which is not so appealing. In general, the food was a little bland for me. It is close by, so I'm sure I'll go there another time, but not during the craziness that is brunch.

Chris J.

Ah! They have lovely seating and great people watching. But hey now! There's some good food! I wish I could have had multiple meals here... But I had brunch. I ate the egg & bacon croissant which was really delicious. The guac on it was an awesome touch. I know somewhere I'll be revisiting next time I'm in town!

Steve U.

yeah, i know, it's crowded on the weekends. that's a good sign. the food's fresh, the table markers have personality and the scramble is delish. they have baked goods that are so good, i'm pretty sure they've been baked by lesbians. minor aside - i have a pet theory that lesbians make the best baked goods, basically because everything i've ever had that was baked by a lesbian was crazy delicious. i can't explain this and i'm 99.999% sure that it's purely coincidental, but this is one of my theories and i'm sticking by it. seriously, i have yet to have a bad meal here and my stepson inhaled his waffle and attacked my plate. which i've never seen him do at breakfast. they could really stand to put more bike parking and the on street parking situation has been sucking for the last 15 years or so, but i'm over it. i spend a disproportionate amount of my time in the MSP airport and the fact that they have a branch at the airport that serves real and tasty food this only serves to reinforce my love for this place.

Zenide R.

Decent food and coffee - high pressure atmosphere for Saturday brunch. I wasn't feeling too breakfast-y that day, so I got a pretty good sandwich with avocado - meh. A sweet-toothed friend got pancakes, and was pretty sad to find out she would have to pay extra to get more syrup - wack!! It was pretty busy when we went, so we were those people who were hovering, trying to get a table (then while we ate, we felt pressured by other people hovering). I didn't get any bakery items (what was I thinking??) but they were tempting - especially the enormous cinnamon rolls. holy hugeness!

Rick K.

Have to second the ninja. French Meadow is right up the street from work -- right after I started, we ate here constantly. The tofu scramble is great if you've never made yourself a tofu scramble, the produce is indeed mostly organic, the vegan pastries are generally yummy, and the tempeh reuben is, actually, ultrafantastically awesome (in my opinion). Apart from that ... meh. Also, please note that the veggie burger is not vegan. Who the clientele is for non-vegan veggie burgers is something I'll never understand.

Brad N.

Summer evening. Light breeze. Flowing conversation. Great friends. Outdoor seating. French Meadow Bakery and Cafe. I LOVED MY EXPERIENCE HERE. The wait staff was attentive, courteous, interactive, and fun. They checked in every so often but not overly so. We sat there long after our dinner was done and were never pushed into leaving, even in the sought-after outdoor seating. The food I ordered was out of this world. I crave Asian Chicken Salads on a regular basis and theirs was heaven. The lettuce was fresh, crunchy, good balance of bitter and bland. The dressing was delish (I love ginger). I topped it with free-range chicken although there are many vegan options available too. On the side I had a White Bean Chicken Chili cup of love. Effectively seasoned and extremely tasty. I've lived in Minneapolis/Saint Paul my whole life and have been aware of this place and its existence for some time. My lack of attention to this location makes me wonder how much more I'm missing in this city I've been in all my life. The atmosphere, the food options, the wait staff have only encouraged my being to be adventurous and aware of EVERYTHING around me and what offerings are out there.

john f.

i'm someone who perks up everytime I see MPLS airport on my itinerary for the sole reason that the french meadow bakery is the most genius thing in any airport anywhere. you can only imagine my elation upon seeing the mothership of the airport limb in uptown. sure enough, they had the same celebrity collages and a similar menu, only more put together and less airporty. the iced coffee was absolutely delicious as was the hot latte. foodwise, an extensive menu works in your favor as there is no wrong choice. i went for a fresh croissant with turkey and bacon, but had the pleasure of sampling the roasted veggie sandwich with portobello, which i preferred. great spot to pretend you're in Europe while you sit on the sidewalk and people-watch with a delicious espresso in hand.

Yiling W.

Tasty --for brunch and dinner too. Also, plenty of vegan and organic options. It's pretty packed on the weekend for brunch, so a small group that shows up all at once is a good idea since you queue up to order, and then find seats (first come first serve). Note for parking: there are small lots on either side of their building, plus street parking. Take the bus or carpool if you can.

Alexandra N.

Man, do I love this place. They have the best tomato basil bisque in the world. I haven't tried one thing on the menu that I haven't liked. It's all super duper fresh and great service. Try a dessert, even if you don't want to, cuz they're amazing.

Rac C.

French Meadow has a wonderful selection of high quality and healthy food. I am never disappointed!