French Roast Uptown

05/27/2008 Posted by searcher05

We went there for brunch one nice bright sunny day this Memorial Day 2008 weekend. The food was horrible, cold, tasteless and unimaginative. Our server had dandruff that showed clearly on his black shirt and forehead! The waiter dumped our food when he served it. Tabasco, coffee refills and toast was extra and took forever to come. It was just a horrible experience. I would never ever go there again.

Pros: Bloody Mary

Cons: Food and service

05/20/2008 Posted by EATandBEmerry247

I stumbled upon this place a few months back and stopped in for a quick bite. Ever since I've been coming back and bringing friends. To start, the food is a great value and the menu has a lot of variety. The warm goat cheese salad is one of the best I've ever had (the goat cheese is in peko breading, and it is gooey and wonderful...the rest of the salad has mangos and citrus dressing, over arugula). I also highly recommend their burgers, croque vegetarian, steak au poivre and hummus. Their brunches can be quite busy but are worth the wait for their breakfast quesadillas...which I have yet to find served better anywhere in the city. Also, they serve the best cafe au let in town & do make coffee to-go, for those who need their morning caffeine fix (like me). As much as I enjoy the food, I think the ambiance and service are what charm me most. Black checked floors, French vintage signs on the walls and other details make the place feel like it was ripped from a random street corner in Paris. The waiters are uncannily friendly for nyc, as well as warm and knowledgeable. Since I started frequenting this place I have never had bad service...and as someone who used to work in restaurants I can be quite the critic! I was tempted not to review this place because it is already fairly busy most of the time (and I would like to think it's my little secret, though it's not), but it truly does deserve a good review so...here I am reviewing! Definitely a place to try. One visit will convince you to come back.

Pros: service, food, ambiance, 24 hours, good value

Cons: can have a wait when busy

12/19/2007 Posted by amsterdamgoodtime

I came to French Roast with high expectations. While the place has a great atmosphere, I cannot say the same for its wait staff. After being seated, my friend and I were greeted by an extremely rude waitress. While we simply stated our order, sans any attitude what-so-ever, the waitress mocked us, rolled her eyes and responded with sour facial expressions that implied a sincere hatred towards us. I regret to say that in fact we were treated so rudely by this waitress, we walked out. She was so crass and cruel that we would rather take our business elsewhere. While this is NYC, where people are known to be rude, we were actually shocked by this woman's ill-spirited work.

Cons: VERY rude staff

04/07/2007 Posted by atoato

i've lived in the neighborhood for quite a while and have to say that this place is the best for all occasions. it offers far more than a casual dining experience (quality wine list at good prices, variety of beers, great lunch & dinner specials, various french items as well as more traditionally approachable stuff, and always friendly service...need i go on?). this place really hooks you because it's 24 hours! escargot at 4am? ok! freshly made hazelnut latte at 5am? that too. definately come for their brunches, which have the best breakfast quesadillas in town. also do their dinners...candle light, knowledgeable staff, just the right amount of flair and personality, and a warm chocolate cake that is to die for! and for late-nights this is the only sane choice to make (why have diner food when you can get REAL food for the same price?) the kicker is that if something does go wrong (i.e. your burger is even slightly undercooked, even at 3am) the managers are very cool/gracious about making sure to get your dining experience right. bottom line is this is the best bistro around, particularly for a good atmosphere & value

Pros: service, management, ambiance, value

Cons: tables are close together. can be a wait at peak hours.

03/04/2007 Posted by kimberlee_s

I come here all the time, I work late right around the corner, and I usually stop here on my way home. Whether I take something to go, or eat it in their cute bistro, the food is always great. Having a 24 Hr. place is the neighborhood is such an awesome treat! Their french cuisine is delicious, and their wine list really has some nice finds on it. Love this place!

Pros: Comfortable

02/23/2007 Posted by jaredmiller27

This is where I eat all of the time...three times a week. The staff is fantastic and they will get to know you and almost predict what you will have. For the record, I have been there 4 times within a 48 hour period in a wild weekend and I just loved knowing it didn't matter. Go in for a burger, onion soup or a dessert...they don't mind...just go!

01/25/2006 Posted by beileen

I found the food, service and value exceptional everytime I have been there. The food was authentic. I felt as though I were eating in Paris. The service was excellent - friendly and attentive. The prices are wonderfully low. Very good wine choices.

Pros: Food, Wine, Service

10/20/2005 Posted by 1jess1

I live right near the rest so have been for both breakfast and dinner - I agree with the other reviewers - it is nothing memorable and you can get better meals a block or two away. But French Roast is perfect at 3am on a Sat night on your way home from a night out - they have great burgers. They really hit the spot.

Pros: late night dining

Cons: breakfast, dinner

12/29/2004 Posted by curious_monkey

This cafe is right around the corner from my apartment and I probably eat there about twice a month. The food is decent, but not memorable, and the service when I go is never consistent. Not a bad experience - I've never had a bad meal there, but never had anything GREAT, reasonable prices, open 24 hours.

Pros: Open 24 hours, decent food

06/03/2004 Posted by pippa82

I went here in the afternoon with a friend. The cafe itself was really nice with comfortable outdoor chairs and tables, but the service could have been better. We only ordered desserts and drinks, but no refills were offered. Anyhow, we were able to sit as long as we wanted and chat, which was nice. I'm told that it is open 24hrs which is good.