The French Hen Café
518 Selby Ave, Saint Paul, MN, 55102
The French Hen Café Menu
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Address :
518 Selby Ave
Saint Paul, MN, 55102 - Phone (651) 222-6201
- Website https://www.frenchhencafe.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :8:00 am - 2:3
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Brunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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Ry S.
Well-crafted menu and well-executed. The Croque Suzette and the French Quarter are really quite amazing. This has become one of the best breakfast places in town!
(5)Rochelle A.
Went there for breakfast with my hubby today. Good thing we got there early, (9:30) because when we left at 10:30 there were several groups waiting. They closed the main door and you go in through the flower shop to get to the restaurant, which is a good idea. However, a good idea would be for someone to be working in the flower shop while they have so many people passing through. There had several egg dish options. I opted for the Eggs Florentine and Root Hash. I liked the thick slices of portabella mushrooms in the omelet. The root hash is a combination of potatoes, parsnip, carrots and other root veggies. They served barely warm. I was very happy to hear that gluten free bread is one of the bread options. The wait staff was very friendly and stopped by frequently to check on us. The prices are very reasonable and they donate a meal to Second Harvest Heartland for each meal purchased.
(3)Alissa L.
I went to the French Hen for the first time on Sunday, and it was a wonderful experience. The weather was fairly poor, which meant that we were lucky to get a table for 2 at 10:00 without a wait and we lingered past 11:00 without feeling at all guilty. My friend ate the Croque Suzette and thought it was very tasty, with large portions (she left half a plate of hash browns as she was on her way out of town). I ordered the Creole Market Hash, which consisted of delicious root vegetable hash along with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. It was very filling, and I brought 1/3 of the plate home with me and it made for a wonderful filling for a burrito the next day. Service was excellent. My only hesitation is that the price seemed a bit high, $45 brunch for two including tip. The meal itself was wonderful, and I'd certainly go again, but it won't be my go-to brunch spot because of the price.
(4)Peter B.
I walked in just a few minutes after they'd opened, but a large party of 10 was just sitting down... a recipe for a long wait, if ever there was one, under most circumstances. Despite the confusion, Tony was on the spot to take my order and whipped up a fantastic concoction!! I asked for "The Kitchen Sink" and he delivered, an omelette that had fresh veggies, portobello mushrooms, a swiss cheese, and just enough of a hint of meat to satisfy my inner carnivore. The toast was thick but light, and perfectly toasted. I can't say enough about this place, the decor, the service, the quality of the ingredients, and the preparation. This ranks as one of the best places I've ever eaten breakfast (my favorite meal of the day), right behind "Dottie's True Blue Cafe" in San Francisco's Tenderloin District.
(5)Katie K.
We LOVE The French Hen for breakfast after Sunday morning mass at the Cathedral! It's a great place for breakfast favorites or to try something new like their root vegetable hash. My favorite is the Cajun Market Hash. Cheap mimosas are a bonus. Excellent place for dinner as well. I had great salmon and my husband liked the mushroom risotto. Very friendly staff, cute decorations and comfortable atmosphere.
(5)Jeff J.
Just went for dinner. Great food. Friendly service. Good location. The scallop risotto was fantastic. The baked chicken was a reminder of how delicious chicken can be. Sidewalk seating is a nice touch on a warm evening.
(5)Maria L.
Delicious food and a relaxing atmosphere. The waitstaff is incredibly friendly. The wait time on food has significantly improved since it opened. Highly recommend.
(5)L R.
The French Hen Café is nestled in a rather competitive strip filled with other breakfast joints. The name of the restaurant itself sounds sophisticated. I've made mental notes to try this place each time I've driven by and finally got around to it. I shared a wonderful breakfast with my boys here for my birthday. The offerings on the menu all sounded enticing and colorful so it took me a while to decide but I settled for the smoked salmon benedict. My husband ordered the French toast and a giant pancake with a side of ham for my three year old. Our waiter was very friendly and tentative without being too overbearing. While we were waiting for our food, he even brought some coloring books and a pail of crayons over to keep my son occupied. The amount of time it took for our food to arrive at our table was reasonable. As a matter of fact, it was comforting knowing the food was cooked fresh because you can see the chef working in the exposed kitchen. The French Hen Café also earned extra points for preparing and serving the youngest member of our party first (my son, of course). My smoked salmon benedict was fantastic despite the emulsified hollandaise sauce. Which, our waiter apologized for ahead of time. I was appreciative that he pointed it as he sat my plate down. I am not royalty...I understand how precise you have to be when preparing hollandaise. Anyway, I loved that the smoked salmon was served on top of risotto cakes instead of a cookie cutter English muffin. The eggs were perfectly poached and there were even pieces of grilled zucchini and carrots that completed the presentation. The boys were also pretty pleased with their choices because neither one of them were talking while they were eating. I would recommend The French Hen Café to anyone who enjoys a not so boring brunch selection, based on my experience. Great food, awesome service and very nice ambience. I will take 100% credit for having picked this spot to kick off my birthday.
(4)Valerie S.
This place reminds me of a brunch place that should be on Portlandia. Bring your own champagne to make your own mimosas. About ten tables in the place. Wait for like a half hour to get your food. Prices averaging around $11. Faux foliage and trees scattered around the tables and attached to a flower shop? Anyways, the Portlandia thing works for them.. It's a great place to spend your Sunday morning and their menu item "Perfect Parfait" actually is perfect. This is seriously better than ice cream. GET IT.
(4)Kristan N.
I went here for brunch with my husband and a friend around noon on Sunday, and it was packed! There happened to be a two-seater table open, and a very nice couple at a table for four was kind enough to move mid-meal in order for us to sit down (if you're reading this now, thank you again!). The set-up is simple and casual and the fresh tulips on each table were a cute addition--one of the plus sides of being adjacent to a flower shop. Our server was prompt, friendly and generous on the coffee refills, which is always a plus in my book. After much debate, I ended up ordering the Creole Market Hash, which was simple yet tasty. The root vegetable hash was fresh and the eggs were perfectly poached. The only complaint I have is the wait for our food, which took nearly an hour. Being a service industry vet, I understand that this occasionally happens and will chalk it up to a busy Sunday brunch rush.
(4)Griggs N.
Saturday morning. 9:30am. Breakfast. Full restaurant. One sever. WTF? She was obviously trying to her best, but had way too much to do ... We saw one table get up and leave before they were ackowledged with beverages, etc. The barista finally started to assist with table clears and such, but he should've recognized the growing weeds much sooner than he did - maybe next time. Meanwhile back in the kitchen... ... ... ... Food took close to 40 minutes to exit kitchen. Note to the chef du jour: Boys, you're going to have to be better prepped and/learn how to cook more than one meal or table at a time. (trust me, I know this drill - I've cooked my share of over two cases of eggs in a breakfast rush) Back of house needs to figure this issue out or it will be the slow, painful death of The Hen. That being said, I ordered the Bayou Biscuits and Gravy, eggs poached. When our food *finally* arrived, my eggs were cooked HARD and so far overcooked I could have used them for egg salad sandwiches (lunch special!?). I pointed this out to our server and, surprisingly, they were fairly promptly replaced with properly cooked eggs! (I didn't let her take my plate of biscuits and gravy for fear they would never return!). Beyond the overcooked eggs, I was quite happy with my meal. Well seasoned and quite good. My bottom line is this - if you're in a hurry, keep away until they get better at service. If you're ok with a lazy, slow morning, stop in. The problems here aren't as bad as I make them sound, and they are very fixable, if ownership pays attention. I'll stop in a again and update my review as needed.
(2)Nicholas L.
I second it - this place is VERY portlandia. I'm pretty sure chickens served there all pal-around, getting all up under their chicken buddy wings..... But, I digress. Adorable little locale, an intimately sized dining room, connected to flower/tchotchke shop. Fairer of the species might find it quaint. Service was charming, and the menu was sorta Provencal. The one gripe I had - overcooked poached eggs over the Creole market hash! I was disproportionately disappointed with the yolk NOT oozing out over the delightfully seasoned cajun/creole crispy hash. Since I'd treat this place as a breakfast joint - getting eggs right are extremely important. Hopefully it was an off day, or something - but another visit, will merit a revised review.
(3)Eric L.
A quaint restaurant with amazing service from the staff, with food that will make your mouth water. My girlfriend had the salmon cream cheese omelette and I had the biscuits and gravy which were both to die for. Awesome breakfast spot in a great St. Paul neighborhood, definitely at the top of my recommendation list for breakfast places in St. Paul.
(5)Jessica T.
Had lunch with a friend one week day afternoon. Server was very friendly. I had the Fromage Sandwich-peasant bread, brie, tomatoes and pesto. It was a very tasty sandwich and the best part of it was the bread was toasted and buttered. Very rich and delicious. I could only eat half. My friend had the Portabella sandwich was also delicious. We both had the chickpea/black bean? chips. Surprisingly wonderful salty heaven! After eating, it was nice to walk through to the connected glower store, Fleur de Lis. This store not only has flowers, but tons of gifts and jewelry.
(4)Maggie C.
We walked in with a party of 6 and were told the wait would be about 20 minutes. After 40 minutes and watching at least 12 people be seated before us we decided to leave. We paid for the mediocre coffee (that we drank as we waited in the gift shop) and let the hostess know we were leaving. She made no attempt to address or rectify the situation.
(1)Kelly M.
Today was my first trip to the French Hen. The consensus is already in, it's a spectacular brunch place. When choosing a spot the indoor is fine but if you are able to dine on the patio, do so. There is only one criticism of the patio and fortunately it does not relate to the service of the staff or the quality of le omelette du jour. I was sitting next to the vines and enjoying my meal when a crusty hand reached through the vines and grabbed some of our food and pulled it to the other side. The management really needs to install a fence to keep people from doing this. Cute staff! Update: the management has swiftly resolved the rampant food grabbing practice of famished onlookers. There is now a military grade titanium wall with plasma fueled automated machine gun turrets protecting the best brunch patio in Saint Paul.
(5)Rhonda G.
Sat. noonish got a parking space to pick up some bread and decided to stick around and go here. I got the poached eggs on root hash and substituted mushrooms for ham. The eggs were over cooked with some runny yolk. Not bad enough to send back, and they gave me a good amount of hollandaise. Not a true fan because the noise level is concert hall pitch. You can't help but compare to the nearby cafes and I like those better. It may not be a favorite, but you will most likely find something you like.
(3)Linda H.
This started out bad, like a two star bad just because when you enter, its very confusing. No one greeted us. We even went and stood for awhile where the sign was to wait and nothing so we finally sat down. Eventually, someone came and she was very nice. We actually moved tables because the one we were sitting at was very wobbly. Our server was good. I think they were understaffed which, from reading other reviews, tends to be a trend here. The coffee was horrible- like worse than old people coffee and you all know what I mean. Such a shame that a place like this has terrible coffee. It tasted burnt and old. The food, however, was amazing!!!! What we had- The coconut lime French toast-Yummy!!!! That's all I have to say is Yummy and get it! Biscuits and Gravy-Incredible gravy but the biscuits were a bit hard. The gravy also could have been hotter but the taste was amazing. It came with eggs and hash browns and the entire entrée was delicious. Poutine -This dish was similar to mine but with no biscuits and with some kind of cheese. I would get this dish next time instead of mine because who needs biscuits with that delectable gravy. We had a restaurant.com certificate which I rarely use because so many of them are not valid but we asked before we ordered and they said yes. What was weird, was they only deducted $10 instead of $15 with no explanation until I asked. The server, told us that was how the register rang it up and we told her to just leave it on for the tip. I would suggest, in the future, to not just drop the check off with no explanation. Most people are going to notice the wrong amount was deducted. We chatted with her awhile about restaurant.com and how they never expire and what they could offer customers instead if they have an older certificate. She seemed to really care that they do honor them in some fashion. They no longer are on the site but there are some old certs still out there like mine! Even with the crappy coffee and the non existent hostess, I would definitely return because what I ate, was incredible. I think, if they would just work out a few kinks, they could have a real prosperous café. If they don't, not sure... because there are so many great café options in that part of town.
(4)Caro B.
Had breakfast there with a friend this morning, sitting outside in the beautiful weather. Service was a bit slow and confused cuz they were understaffed today, but they were super nice and even brought us an "apology muffin" to make up for it. We had tea and cafe au lait. I had the pulled pork eggs Benedict with some salad instead of hash browns. Delicious but a bit spicy. My friend had omelet du jour, which was with onions, tomatoes and they substituted some beef for the pork without a problem. Her meal was a bit oily. So all in all a great experience!! I'd come back
(4)Justine L.
I'm sad it took me so many years to discover this place! I've always gone to Highland Grill (Blue Plate) for my favorite breakfast, but after discovering this place on Yelp, I fell in love and changed my loyalty. Located in the Cathedral Hills area of St. Paul, The French Hen Cafe is located on Selby Avenue and attached to a beautiful florist. Great hardwood floors, amazing ambience, and INCREDIBLE food. Worth stopping by for best-brunch-breakfast-ever!
(5)Liz K.
Seriously such a cute little cafe!! I was in awe the first time I came here. The Atmosohere kind of has like a vintage/garden feel. You'll see what I mean when once you go there. :) My friend & I started off with blood orange mimosas. Yum. When my friends and I go out to eat we usually order food to share. Marissa had the salmon scramble which came with sweet potato hash with creamcheese. It was goood. I had the bayou biscuits with gravy. It was bomb. I actually came back today. I ordered the Quiche Lorraine. I've only had it 2 times in my life. The first time is when a friend made it and that's when my newfound obsession started. I had it the other day from Patricks Cafe and it was okay..it could have been warmer. So now I'm ordering it again today, here at the French Hen, because im fucking obsessed work quiche Lorraine's and I'm determined to get a delicious one!!!
(4)Anna C.
I had the breakfast burrito and it was very tasty. The coffee is excellent and the environment is light and airy. I brought an out of town guest and the food and venue led to a great experience. I wanted to buy a few things from the attached flower shop, but no one seemed to be manning the till and with all the people milling about waiting for a table, I decided to simply leave with a full belly.
(4)Jenny A.
Who doesn't want a hot brunch on a blazing hot day? I know I do. The best thing about The French Hen Cafe that I experienced was the mimosas (big surprise, right). They had a multiple flavors and the option to have it made with Prosecco or Moscato. I chose a hibiscus mimosa with moscato, my date had a blood orange with moscato. Both were very tasty, mine refreshing while hers was flavorful but very sweet. The menu was interesting in that it had almost nothing that I really wanted on it. I'm a bitch that way. Being some-what intrigued by smoked salmon with my eggs, for no reason other than I'd never had it before, I ordered the Salmon Scramble. Smoked salmon, cream cheese and scrambled eggs with chives. It doesn't even sound good so I don't know what my deal was. I choked it down but I was not enjoying it. The cream cheese was too pasty to be paired with soft eggs, the salmon over powered the rest of the scramble which wasn't hard because it was dying for some sort of seasoning. I dashed some salt, which helped but not enough to make it taste good. I had to imagine what a chive tasted like because these had no flavor and did nothing for the dish. The eggs were perfectly fluffy, but it's scrambled eggs. If you can't make fluffy scrambled eggs then you shouldn't be offering them anyway. It came with a side of toast, I chose Brioche. It tasted like toast. Win? It also came with hash browns which were standard. The orange slice was the most flavorful thing on the plate. My date ordered the Omlette Florentine. The bite I tried was I guess what an omlette florentine should be, a garden in your mouth with some cheese and egg. That's basically what it was and it was neither good or bad. She enjoyed it and that's what counts, I guess. The service was decent and our setting was pleasant. Next time, and I'm sure there will be a next time, I want to explore the little shop Fleur de flippity flap (Can't remember what it was called.)
(3)Meg R.
I had the walleye benedict served on a fried green tomato. It was flawless with each separate component done well. This dish could have gone wrong at many points but didn't. A real testament to the chief. She gets an A+. Great service, too.
(5)Erin G.
I have mixed feelings about this. I'm a breakfast fanatic and love a good breakfast so that's why I went. The place was very cold inside. Service was slow. There was one server and he was ultra-casual. Took a while for him to seat me, took a while to bring me my water and take my order. I asked about the creole hash, and he said it was his second favorite after the walleye benedict. That's the other thing I had been eyeing, so I went with that, and subbed the creole hash for the hash browns. The food was awesome. The benedict was served on a wild rice cakes instead of english muffins, and they were very good. The walleye was very good, and the eggs were perfectly poached. The sauce was bland (I always get it on the side in case). It came with some really good grilled zucchini. The hash was just ok, decent but nothing special. The prices on the menu were all higher than the prices listed on the website, which is not cool. And I left smelling like food, which can happen at restaurants sometimes, but maybe becasue the grill is right there or the oil they used or something? Overall it's overpriced for what it was. My breakfast was nearly $20, and I only had a water. My food was good, but I don't really think I will be coming back.
(3)Kristi E.
From the looks of it below, they were previously in need of some major staff-age. Welp - they must have hired magicians. Our meal was just near perfect. We came in at 1pm (no wait, several tables open), and were able to pick the best seat by the window. We were brought our menus by another waitress, and were offered coffee by the same guy who sat us. We waited for about 10 minutes, and the guy came over and said "I am so freaking sorry - has no one taken your order?" We were not offended in the least. 10 minutes really wasn't a big deal to us. He apologized and brought out the BEST CARAMEL PECAN ROLL I HAVE EVER HAD --- on the HOUSE! How sweet. Really, 10 minutes wasn't that bad of a wait. But we'll take it. He gave us recommendations, of which we both took his advice, and thus began the journey of my taste buds, that fateful Saturday morn'. We had barely recovered from the haze of the magic caramel rolls sent straight from God Himself, along with the piping hot delicious coffee. I ordered the Bayou Biscuits - so - did they ALSO hire God as a chef? The gravy - a thick, ever-so-slightly spicy andouille sausage sauce. The golden sauce topped the incredibly moist buttermilk biscuits, with a side of perfectly crispy hash browns. Alongside the sauce was a delightfully fluffy over-hard egg. I ordered a side of Brioche toast with triple-berry compote...did the God-chef also command the fruit be plucked straight from his heavenly gardens? It was thick and tart and not at all your run-of-the-mill Smuckers packs that usually sit out for weeks on your table. NAY - this was divine. Our whole experience was incredible. We will definitely be returning - after the crowd clears out around 1 - and requesting our sunny spot in the corner. Mad Props to the God-Chefs in back, along with the long-haired waiter who also invited us to his band's show later that evening.
(5)Justina S.
Best breakfast in town. I recommend the coconut lime French toast, blueberry pancakes and any omelette. Coffee is fresh, hot and delicious
(5)Holly K.
Oh my goodness... I loved everything about this place! From the moment my husband and I walked in it felt cozy and cute. We're from Duluth and we're just on our way home from the airport and had looked on yelp for a good brunch spot. We were originally going to a different place but The French Hen was across the street so we decided to check it out. The staff was friendly and they were pretty busy but we got a table within five minutes. Our server was quiet but super nice. The brunch menu was limited but not in a bad way at all! It made it easier to choose what I wanted. I highly recommend the biscuits and gravy. It was superb!!!! We will definitely be stopping back next time we're in St Paul :)
(5)Cassandra L.
It wasn't very crowded this Sunday morning when we sat down at the French hen. There was no wait for a table. Yet, it took 15 minutes of being told that Ben would come out shortly and take our order. We would never experience the delicious sounding Bayou Biscuits or Omelet Florentine, because we waited another 30+ minutes before finally deciding to leave a five dollar bill underneath my mom's lonely cup of coffee. Too bad.
(1)Gretchen L.
My coworkers and I went to lunch here over our lunch break. Food did not arrive after over an hour of waiting for it. When the food did arrive, the pancakes were not cooked through. We asked to remake them. When they came out again, they were burnt. My friend did not get her bacon but was charged for it. I ordered a crepe. It was a hard as a rock. We had to track down the server to ask for more water. They told us it was understaffed. That still is not an excuse. There was a huge lack of communication. We asked for the pancakes to be free. Which they did and apologized for the long wait. Our hour lunch break ended up being about 1 hour and 40 minutes. The food when it came out was warm, not hot. I would give this place a second chance if they were staffed more. The food that they got right was amazing. However I also saw flies around the muffins. The décor is cute, and that was just about the only great thing about this place. Overall, I would never go back as a group. Perhaps service would be better and faster if my party of 6 was smaller.
(1)Dawn M.
I have loved The French Hen since it opened--so much so that when my daughters asked me where I wanted to go for Mother's Day--I chose it! Now I love The French Hen Cafe even more because of the outside patio-- it makes you feel like you are in a cafe in France--and because of a kind act. In addition to delicious food, a sweet atmosphere, and lovely service The French Hen went above and beyond the call of duty. My friend and I decided to walk to the Hen, about 8 or 9 blocks from my house. We sat on the newly opened patio under the enclosure and had a delightful brunch and noticed it starting to rain. The gentle rain turned into a full blown thunderstorm with heavy rain and wind. We did not have an umbrella and were not willing to walk while there was lightning. We told our waitress our dilemma and in just a few minutes, we were offered a ride home by the owner's daughter Mattie! We had a lovely conversation on the drive home, and she dropped us off at our front door. It is small kindnesses like this that let us know there is goodness in the world. Thank you, French Hen! Dawn Morningstar St. Paul, MN
(5)Mike H.
Went this Saturday morning for breakfast. I certainly didn't have a problem with the service. The staff and service was great! Fast, super friendly and helpful. Croque Suzette sandwich was super delicious, and pretty large in portion. Not a huge menu, but a few unique and slightly different breakfast items Overall, great good/quality and good service. added two picture of our meal.
(4)Melaney S.
This is an updated review. I came back on request. The first time the oven had problems and the quiche was not available. The services was better. She would have rated more stars if my second time back had not gone the way it did. The server was wearing clothing that looked rumpled, needing a wash. Handed me a menu covered in food. Never smiled. I ordered a coffee, quiche, and french onion soup. Standers for a French bistro. The coffee was stale. The quiche strange, it had very dark nearly black hash brown edges, but the crust taxed like potato starch, not potatoes. Last time the filling was good this time it was not. The soup did show some improvement. The server did not until I was obviously finished ask me if I wanted a box. I said no as I had no eaten more than one bite of my quiche, drank any of my coffee how I felt about it may have been clear. I can not in good conscience recommend going here.
(2)Hua Y.
I had the chicken sandwich and i was not impressed. I could have made this sandwich at home. Our waitress was very nice though.
(2)Katie B.
The French Hen provided a top shelf dining experience for my party of three during the lunch hour! Prompt seating and the staff are incredibly friendly and personable making each of us feel like we can't imagine being anywhere else but there. The house quiche was a delight and the fresh salad complimented the dish nicely. I will absolutely be back again ... and again, and again...
(5)Katie L.
Very cute and quaint atmosphere. I ordered the Croquette Suzette and hash browns. Delish! I would have liked two eggs on top of it...one for each half. The brioche was perfectly done and the cheese nice and melted and gooey. My friend got the bacon pancake. She said is was good but not outstanding. It was a huge pancake and they gave her this really, really small cup of syrup, enough for about 1/5 of the pancake. And the the server didn't come back to our table for a while and her pancake was cold by the time she go more...another small cup that wasn't sufficient. We just laughed at that point. It was good food, so-so service.
(4)Kristi C.
First, I appreciate closing off the door to the restaurant in the middle winter. I don't mind entering through the adjacent flower shop - I enjoyed browsing while waiting for a table. The French Quarter's slightly spicy andouille sausage and caramelized onions were perched on a delicate croissant roll that had been grilled slightly. I enjoyed every spicy, cheesy, onion-y & crispy bite! I substituted the root hash for the hash browns, which were al dente and very simply seasoned. A delightful breakfast experience!
(4)Annie D.
I was hungry and driving along Selby yesterday. Then I stopped in my tracks when I saw that the French Hen was open. It's very similar to what I remember of Bon Vie (the previous tenant, who is now sharing A Piece of Cake's space down the street). It's a sit-down cafe, very simple and accessible. They serve brunch food every day through lunch too, which is a big plus in my book. Don't know if this is new, but I also love the tinted brick wall on one side. When I sat down, the friendly server brought me a sample of their pumpkin bread that looked very good, but is off-limits for me these days. I politely declined and she actually let me know that they have gluten-free bread available too. That's also off-limits for me, but it was nice of her to suggest! I ordered the omelette of the day, which came with andouille sausage, caramelized onions and cheddar (I asked for no cheese, it came with cheese and they made me a new one and it was no biggie). It came with hashbrowns or root vegetable hash, so I went with the latter. It was quite tasty. And the omelette was light and fluffy too, though fairly simple. My first impressions are that it's simple and solid and isn't really diverting from the Bon Vie concept much. I wouldn't expect culinary acrobatics, but you can definitely enjoy a good meal.
(4)Eater M.
Food/Drink: Before I start, you should know I drank heavily the night before going here. I needed a good brunch and went looking for somewhere that might fulfill this need. The French Hen did not disappoint. I had the creole hash and side of poutine. The creole hash is absolutely worth it and perfectly executed. I think the root vegetable bed for the hollandaise and eggs was perfect and I went with Andouille in mine. We shared the poutine at the table and even after that we realized the portions were plentiful. Ambiance: Good for bunch and maybe a lunch. It's setup perfectly for both of those. A little crowded on the tables, just look backward when pulling out your chair and you'll be fine. Entrance is through the craft shop next door which definitely level sets you for the experience inside. For some reason, when we were there (Saturday around 1PM) they were not busy, but I'd plan accordingly to get stuffed in during the rush hours. Service: Our server was great and there with the coffee and orange juice. We got seated, she asked us if we had any questions and went from there. My order turned into a complexity of customization (skip the toast, add the poutine, andouille instead of ham, etc, etc) and she took in stride. Kudos to her for not losing her cool. Other then that we sat there for a while longer then needed and was checked on to see if we needed anything else. Overall: Good, good, good. The food is heavy which I'm guessing is the french part of it, but other then that, the brunch dishes are smack on and I'm happy to take a nap afterwards. If you're looking for a large group or somewhere to stretch out, this might not work out in a rush.
(5)Liz M.
Food took 40 minutes. Hash browns were burnt, crepes cold and omelet cold. Waitress comped the meal and kept refilling the coffee but that was not a top 5 experience.
(1)Bruce Y.
After extensive research, I chose The French Hen cafe for my Father's Day breakfast outing. It was our first visit, but assuredly won't be the last. My daughter and I both enjoyed our Bayou Biscuits, a peppery meat sauce covering a couple of fresh biscuits. The hash browns and eggs fried to order rounded it out. My wife wasn't quite as enamored with her spinach omelet. We enjoyed the cozy ambiance, though the tables were arranged a bit more tightly than I like (being rather tall may color my judgment in that regard.) Service was prompt and reasonably attentive. My wife was more excited when the attached gift/flower shop opened for business before we left. All in all, a pleasant outing. We'll have to try lunch one of these days!
(4)Jim B.
We went for breakfast last Saturday. I'm not sure which was worse. The food or the service. The place was only half full and still I had to go to the counter and refill my own coffee. The waitress saw me and didn't even bother to apologize. Apparently it's normal. The Croque Suzette was terrible. No second chance for this place.
(1)Ron S.
Wow, what a waste of 17 dollars ! 1 omlette, and 2 coffees, you would think for the price it would be delcious, you would be very wrong ! Overcooked( chewy) 9 bits of ham, maybe 1 oz of cheese, almost burnt (on one side) hash browns. Service very me, 1 plastic server and the other server had no experience. Coffee guy was awesome !!!! Florist's should stick to flowers not food service. I thought The Cheeky Monkey had a bad breakfast, but The Hen is a new low ! I live 2 blocks from this place and will never set foot inside again.I give the place a year before the shutter the doors. Oh and did I mention the accordian player in the flower shop, how annoying that was !!!
(1)Erik R.
I was just at The French Hen Cafe this morning, (a trip to Minnesota ) and wasn't impressed at all. They are really good at messing up orders. My father ordered poached eggs and got scrambled instead. I realized after eating a really bland, tasteless spinach salad, that something had to have been missing, so I checked the menu and they'd neglected to put the candied bacon on top. When I told the waitress, she explained that it was up to me to tell the cook it wasn't right. Really? I'm to blame for not getting what was promised? A good restaurant would have offered some little thing, or maybe knocked a buck or two off of the $16 plate of spinach and chicken, but not the French Cafe. I actually watched the waitress go to the cook and ask him if he put them on. He didn't even look at her, but just shook his head. Wow. Stellar communication between staff and with customers. Definitely not worth the price or the lousy atmosphere either. So many better places to go in St. Paul, where they actually want to have customers come back.
(1)Patrick H.
I'm going to generously give the French Hen Cafe three stars, if only because it is a significant improvement on its predecessor (in both location and general theme), Bon Vie. Like Bon Vie, this is a sort-of french-themed, breakfast hours-only restaurant. The portions here are about right for a solid breakfast (larger per dollar spent at Bon Vie, and less gargantuan than at Louisiana Cafe, down the street). The food quality on my visit was better than the former tenant, but still needs a little work. My girlfriend ordered the croque monsieur, and seemed pretty happy with it. She did comment that it was more American-sized than she was familiar with, but she liked the flavors. Her hash browns appeared to be properly prepared, as well. I tried a potato, ham, and gruyere omelet. I also decided to give their seemingly signature (appearing in a few dishes) roasted root vegetable hash a go. The omelet was fine, although a bit drab flavor-wise. The root vegetables are a promising item, but definitely need some tweaking. Although they appeared to be precisely hand-diced (if so, major points, guys), they were only barely roasted. They were, sadly, also only barely seasoned. The result was, although technically cooked (blanched), not very flavorful or enjoyable to eat. With something like five root vegetables in the mix, I was hoping for some good flavor contrasts via roasting-enhanced sugars, etc. Instead, the general impression was of partly-cooked potato (and maybe carrot). Too bad. I had to liberally apply salt and pepper, to both entree and side, to spike flavor. I have a test by which I place breakfast/brunch places into divisions: inoffensive budget/greasy spoon spots, creative/quality destinations, and (rarely) higher-end indulgences (say, Mickey's, Birchwood, and Grand Cafe, as respective examples). In order to hit category two or three, there needs to be enough care taken during preparation that at-table seasoning is unnecessary. Sadly, I don't feel that French Hen is quite ready for category two just yet, although that seems to be the ballpark they are aiming for. Our server was pleasant, unobtrusive, and efficient. She explained their charitable tie-in without freaking us out about our bill, which was nice (great idea, by the way!) She kept our coffee hot, and otherwise stayed out of our hair (in a good way). Girlfriend said she'd want to go back for another croque sometime, so I'll likely be revisiting this review before long. Realizing that they just recently opened, I hope I can make it a solid three (or more) stars. UPDATE: We've revisited the French Hen, and it seems like they are coming along; the place was pretty busy this time, and the food quality was more consistent. I wasn't ready to risk the hash again, but I added some andouille sausage to my omelet and gave their pancake a whirl. The sausage worked well with the solid gruyere that they use, and the pancake was heartier than the average. They also offer blood orange juice (which is neat) as well as a fairly extensive build-your-own sandwich menu (which is intriguing). The house coffee continues to be of good quality for the genus, generously poured, and hot. And the waitstaff continues to be friendly and non-annoying. Promising signs, and definitely in three-star territory. UPDATE 2: We are now regular patrons of this restaurant, having had several nice experiences that rate return business and increased stars. Realizing that this review is already unduly long, I'll simply share the bullets; - Servers continue to go above-and-beyond. On perhaps our third visit, our server recognized me (from my original review?) and gave us a side of "new and improved," better-roasted/caramelized root veg. For free. Just to see what we thought. - They were willing to make me a half-sized pancake once, even though I'd not noticed the item was no longer on the menu. So, from scratch. - Those root vegetables turn out to be really good in the Creole Market Hash dish, when the additional flavors of tangy hollandaise and rich eggs come into play.
(4)PaulyGirl Z.
I was so excited to try this cute quaint breakfast cafe, unfortunately it was a disappointment. We waited for over an hour for a table, come to find out it was because the service is so slow they are not turning over tables. Once we were finally seated, we were told we could not open our bottle of champagne, even though it boldly stated on the website they are a BYOB restaurant! Not happy after waiting for a table for over an hour and then receiving that news! To follow the food was not acceptable, I got the eggs Benedict and the egg yolk was completely cooked like a hard boiled egg when I broke it open. Did I mention it took an another hour to get our food? The girls at the table next to us got up and left with full plates. Yikes!! I can think of several better ways to spend your weekend morning.
(1)Connie D.
This is my new favorite place in STP! I'm gluten free and this is hands down the best experience I've had- it's like they really care! Super friendly staff and the entire menu is mouth watering, i'm exited to try it all. I attended a floral designing class there, the owner gave a design lesson and while we had wine and delicious appetizers and desserts. SO FUN!
(5)Adam G.
Really enjoy this place. Beside from having an affection for France, the place is a quiet, little place, service is slower for America, but right for the French theme. I like taking my time there. We've gone and LOVED the creole hash and walleye risotto benedict. I think the Walleye Benedict is one of my favorite breakfast dishes I've ever had.
(4)Duane F.
I had come here a few times for breakfast either with friends or alone, and enjoyed the food and the service enough to come back. Until a few days ago, that is. I go in for breakfast alone as I do often, and had a new server. She was obviously new, so I could forgive her for not bringing out water and being a bit slow. The real reason I had a bad experience was the way her boss treated her. This woman came in halfway through my breakfast and proceeded to yell (literally, I was a bit jarred by the volume of her voice) at my waitress for this and that, and I really couldn't help bit feel bad by the way this woman was treating her. She may have made mistakes but to treat her the way she did, especially in the front near the diners, is completely unprofessional and I probably won't be coming back because of it. Also it makes no sense to me why the customer must enter through the side door in the flower shop. There's its own front door. It's confusing.
(2)Jen S.
It was pretty good. Both my honey and I ate the same thing, though, so I'm interested what their other dishes are like. We had the Croque Suzette, but both our eggs were a little runny, not the yolk, the egg white. We will have to specify next time we prefer our eggs over medium to avoid that happening. In my opinion that is an underdone egg. Glad there was no problem with the health of it!
(3)jenel f.
The food was alright, nothing to die for. Waited for more than 30 minutes for our food, which is nutty. Eggs. I had the salmon, which was tasty. But, I've been running to the restroom, urgently, all -day since. Humm. Don't think I'll go back.
(2)Grace R.
My rule is to never write a review when angry. Worst, most disrespectful service of all time! It takes a great deal to get me out of Minnesota nice. What should have been a quick breakfast turned me into another brick on the wall. Funny ...for a small restaurant.
(1)Randy N.
This is our current favorite place for breakfast. Lovely space and nice staff. They're attentive and friendly, remembering preferences and informative. The food is excellent and the cook is willing to be flexible with additives and alternatives. Nice fruit optons for the crepes fillings. We're looking forward to trying the dinner menu.
(5)Yui U.
It took a little while for the food to come out by when it did it was certainly worth the wait. Best biscuits and gravy I've had in a looong time. Recommended.
(4)BB F.
Great experience, food was great and so were the lattes. Slow and laid back, great for a Saturday morning! New breakfast spot for sure!!!
(4)Colleen L.
I stopped in around 11am on a Saturday for some coffee and food with a friend. We were immediately greeted by a very friendly server and the restaurant was completely full. We were seated fairly quickly and got our much needed caffeine to the table. Despite the crowd, it was a lovely atmosphere. The colors and the faint scent of flowers from Fleur de Lis next door was enough to keep me coming back for more. I ordered the Creole Market Hash and my friend ordered the Croque Suzette. I'm a vegetarian and they happily replaced the smoked ham with sauteed mushrooms. The poached eggs were nice and runny, which went great with the Creole hollandaise and veggie hash. My friend's sandwich was not shy on the smoked ham and the bread was golden brown. The looks of the sandwich almost turned me back to a carnivore! Overall, it was a great dining experience in a welcoming environment with friendly staff and delicious food. I'm excited to go back and try the biscuits and gravy!
(5)Angela D.
We rented the French Hen for a private event. Maddie and the team at The French Hen were absolutely wonderful to work with, very accommodating, friendly, and fun! The food was wonderful. They worked with us to create a menu we wanted and let us stay as late as we liked. I cannot rave enough about how wonderful our event went all thanks to the staff at The French Hen!
(5)Emory C.
Saturday brunch here was perfect! We had splendid service from Maddie and a delicious meal. Thank you for having gluten free bread!! My French toast was divine! Food quality & service were exceptional!
(5)David Z.
New review (12/8/2014): We visited French Hen in April and had a disappointing experience (see below): slow and clueless would pretty much sum it up. However, I recently had an email from the manager saying that there had been many changes in staff and training, offering a gift certificate, and asking us to give them a second chance, so we did so today. I'm very pleased to say that things are much better: service was prompt and friendly, drinks came quickly and orders were taken right away, staff were busy, and the food was really fresh and delicious, with the root vegetable hash a particular favorite of our group. Food prep wasn't notably fast, but it was fine and this time the kids were not melting down with hunger. There was a good tea selection, a pot of hot water was provided, and the friendly and attentive server offered to heat it up part way through the meal. I can now recommend French Hen without hesitation if you are looking for a relaxed breakfast with friends in a pleasant setting with very good food. Congratulations to the restaurant on a major turnaround. (And by the way, no, the fact that we got a gift certificate as inducement to return had no influence on my review). Previous review: I wanted to like this place and have to say that the food was pleasant and the ambiance is nice. However, we showed up at 9 am on a Sunday when not all tables were occupied, and still didn't get any food till 10:30. It took about 20 min to get some coffee and tea and about as long to place a food order. There was one waitress doing her best but clearly overwhelmed. The food arrived in three batches with no idea of who had ordered what and there were no apologies for the long wait. The barista helped with drinks but was spacey and slow, didn't seem to grasp that not having any sort of plain black tea available is a bit lame at a breakfast place, and grudgingly brought water after an hour (after we had to tug his sleeve as he passed since we had failed for some time to catch his eye). Regular and large espresso drinks came in the same size mug, so save your money. The food was quite good, but not worth the wait. We had kids along and had to ask for a few slices of bread after an hour to help them hold on, and this seemed to puzzle the waitress. When the check finally came the waitress said, without apparent irony "There's no rush." It's a pleasant spot and the food is nice, but 90 minutes to get a pancake in front of a hungry kid? If you must go, feed your kids first and plan to have a long conversation. We look forward to the opening of the new French Meadow!
(4)Nicole L.
Good thing that the cooks know what they are doing if it wasn't for the food I would of given this place no stars. The service was horrible. I had to ask multiple times for water and flag down the bus boy for more coffee. The waitress dropped off the food and didn't come back until I bused the table myself.
(2)Tim R.
Nice place. They had mostly French and Creole stuff on the menu and the menu seemed very breakfast and lunch orientated. Had a Creole egg dish which was pretty good: I will try one of the French dishes next time for sure. Friendly staff.
(4)