Prices are high and freshness can be slightly under-regulated, not to the point of safety issues, just could be more perfect if they're gonna charge so much. But great selection of tasty, healthy options and delicious, quality desserts. Best coconut cake and lemon tarts around! Cookies really could be fresher, chewier. Hard to find, homemade-style foods using healthy ingredients. They've nailed that with their soups and variety of veggie salads! Maybe they just need to re-focus the menu a bit on what they're strong at. They could be very successful as a bakery, or could re-tool as a farm-to-table or organic cafe with a more limited, strictly fresh menu. (This review is for the café only). read more

I was here for lunch, earlier in the week. Sadly, the second visit did not match the solid food and service of my first, which was about six months previous. The first visit is the reason that I am giving a three star review, rather than a two star, but it is not enough to bring me back. This place is not inexpensive. For example, one might expect that a $13 lunch entree of pork ribs would include more than two fatty ribs: one would be wrong. I specifically asked, upon ordering, whether the ribs were fatty or on the leaner side, and was told they hardly had any fat on them. What I received was about 75% fat, rendering it inedible. The side dish, yellow and white mashed potatoes, was watery and flavorless, and the sauerkraut, which I usually enjoy, was a bit gross. I will say that the presentation was nice. I had good luck, both visits, with the soups here; thus, should you find yourself eating here, soup should be a safe bet. The bread is great, being soft and doughy- and they will gladly bring you a second loaf. I had dessert on my first trip, and found it a bit over-sweet, and very rich, but good. The service was slow, absentminded and somewhat indifferent. I will give her that things were busy, as about 75% of the tables were filled. The coffee is A&E, which is great, but the execution was off, my late being tepid and weak. I would rather just head to A&E (down the road), grab a well made drink, then go to one of the many restaurants on Amherst St. (see: Great Harvest Bread). The people I went with were indifferent to positive about their meals. While not outrageous, I still find that $11 for a sandwich puts a certain expectation in one's mind. And while they enjoyed the taste of said sandwiches, the value just wasn't there. My apologies that this review is a bit scattered and distracted, but, appropriately, that pretty much sums up my feeling on this place: a mix of good, bad and indifferent. The next time I go out, it will be somewhere else. read more

The Black Forest Café was a great find. We were referred there by Labelle Winery as the place to go to enjoy lunch before or after our tasting. Our party of six was as discerning a group of eaters as one might find, including vegetarians, near vegan's (if there is such a thing), and a broad interest in healthy, local food. Black Forest did not disappoint! Starting with home made bread delivered before our lunch, good coffee (could have been better), and great selection of tea. The menu provides a wide range of fun choice that seemed to suit everyone at the table with ease. Most choosing the Moroccan Stew for its assembly of fresh vegetables and great sounding spices and international flare! Also ordered were the vegetarian chili, and the quiche, the daily special. I had the stew as was very pleased in every way. I felt full yet not stuffed. The spices were bold yet not too bold, the vegetable were amazingly fresh and cooked to perfection, not to soft, yet soft enough! This dish was simply perfection. To top it off, the owner has since offered to share her recipe so I may try it at home, wow! Everyone was very satisfied with their meals and the very friendly and prompt services that we received. There were no complaints to be heard. If I had anything negative to say, the atmosphere was a little bite non-descript, strip mall feeling, and I had hoped for a more bold flavorful coffee. However, the place was impeccably clean, bright and comfortable. The attached bakery atmosphere was much better with all the fun stuff to look at. However, considering the absolutely great food and services, I would put this place high on my list of places to return to. The price was right, quite reasonable in fact and everyone in our party left happy! It was a dining experience I find quite rare these days. I only wish I lived closer! read more

Yummy and comforting are two words to describe Black Forest Cafe. Whether you are sitting down in the restaurant, snacking in the cafe, or taking something home from the bakery, this spot turns out delicious food. I love their crab cakes, soups, and especially the deserts! Their mile high apple pie, seasonal berry pies, and chewy bars like Almond Apricot, Florentine and Lemon Bars are all scrumptious. If you are looking for an impressive desert to take to someone, take a look at their cakes and pies! read more

Best bakery with the best food as well . Nothing like their old fashion home baked cookies JUST the best

Great food and bakery , nice staff very friendly great place for breakfast with family .

A wee bit pricey, but the food is to die for. I've been many, many times and I haven't had a bad experience yet. Hell, I've stopped in just to grab a few delicious cookies and leave. My family knows a few people on their wait staff and all of them are genuinely kind and caring people. If you want a quality meal, and don't mind spending a few extra bucks to get it, this is the place for you. read more

Do not judge the food by the dated decor. The seafood crepes were excellent. The homemade soup was really tasty. Reasonably priced, easy to find right on 101 west of Manchester or Nashua. read more

This place was incredible homemade jams homemade ketchup (who knew) taste presentation and service were top notch

They have a lovely dine in section and a GREAT much frequented take out area with pastries, soups, and meals to heat up. Their cakes and tarts are delicious. Make sure to try a sticky pecan roll too! The staff are always incredibly friendly. I've been going here since it was located down the street. They have gotten to be so big and even more delicious! The have great salmon and a good selection of soups every time you go in. Make sure to grab a chocolate chip cookie too! read more

Another yummy experience. Stopped in on a Saturday afternoon around 3:00 for a late lunch/early dinner. The curried butternut squash soup was super tasty, as was their take on mac and cheese (ziti with four cheeses). I had the meatloaf, which was delicious and not at all greasy or starchy. Broccolini was tasty, as were the white potato/sweet potato/caramelized onion mashed potatoes (not entirely my thing, but interesting). The tomato chutney sauce on top of the meatloaf was a nice surprise. Topped off with some apple pie and a cookie to go from the bakery, it was another great experience. read more

"The world's best scorn.' That's what I tell to my friends. I live close to this place and whenever a friend visit us, we them them to Black Forest. They are always impressed with the scorns and they often take some home to share with their family. I began going to the restaurant recently (4 times total), and the experience has been great. The food is unique and creative. If you are tired of having same type of dish and want something new, check this place out. As a bonus, you get a complementary bread/scorn at the table so you can judge yourself if their scorn is the "world's best"... read more

I ordered the Chicken Pot Pie with a delicious flaky homemade crust. It was served with a small green salad and I chose the sun dried tomato dressing which I enjoyed. The pie was a very generous size, especially for lunch. I wasn't able to finish it all, and it easily could have become a second lunch if I had been inclined to have it packed to go. I liked the iced tea and appreciated that they had black and green tea to choose from. The service was friendly and responsive although not overly attentive. Overall, I think this was a good choice for lunch. Be sure to stop at the bakery for a delicious dessert. Their cookies are worth the trip! read more

I went to the Black Forest Cafe for the first time when, on the way to meet a relative for brunch on the Seacoast, got a call that she would not be able to make it. John and I found ourselves on Rt 101 heading back home and were starving. We needed to find breakfast fast! The parking lot was very full and having driven by the shop many times, we decided to check it out. Small baskets of the daily baked sweet breads (I think on this day it was a cranberry/orange bread) are placed on your table when you sit down. Not something you would usually expect at a breakfast place, but well received. The bread was soft, moist and hearty. It was sunday brunch, and it was crowded, but we did not have to wait very long to be waited on, or to get our meals. I had the Crab Benedict which comes with fresh fruit and homefries. Two poached eggs placed on top of Two gorgeous crab cakes and drizzled with a lemony, butter hollandaise sauce. It really was enough food for two. The crab cakes were rich and creamy without overpowering the rest of the plate. The coffee was very good and refils came often. The rest of the menu consisted of typical brunch items like omlettes, and pancakes, but also had some surprising elements, like Seafood Crepes and Eggs Toscana. A description of the Toscana dish from their menu: "Scrambled eggs with portobello mushrooms and scallions served on top of grilled parmesan polenta spread with handmade farmhouse basil goatcheese and garnished with sweet red pepper coulis. Served with your choice of homefries or fresh fruit salad". Mmmmm, I think I'l be trying that next time we go. The only thing I didn't like about the Cafe was the decor. I felt like I had stumbled into a combination of someone's grandmother's house and a Denny's. Boring, patterned, brown fabric covered the spaces between booths (like a window covering) and similarly colored table cloths draped every table. Fortunately their website says they will be doing some interior renovations this spring. Good idea folks! read more

This review is only based on buying items to-go at the store/bakery in front of the cafe. I have never actually eaten at the cafe itself. Absolutely scrumptious food & desserts! I cannot get enough of the chicken salad wraps, pasta salads, pastries and cookies at this place. Whenever I would picnic, road trip or go hiking, this would be the place I'd buy lunches at before the outing. All of the food and sweet baked goods I've bought here have always been phenomenal! read more

Love this bakery. We haven't tried the sit-down restaurant but stop by the bakery regularly and haven't been disappointed in anything we've gotten there. The fruit scones are incredible. read more

The Croque Madame breakfast plate is mind-blowing. I got mine with over-medium eggs rather than sunny-side-up (as listed on the menu) so it was less runny. The béchamel sauce was perfect as was the grilled toast underneath and the flavors combined perfectly. My wife's dish (can't remember the name... spicy scrambled eggs with an avocado puree) was similarly excellent. If it wasn't so amazingly good I would have deducted a star for ambiance. It's not really there. It's very bland, I think purposefully so... the sort of place that might have attracted a bunch of grandmothers for lunch circa 1988. But just go for the food. read more

This is a review for just the bakery area. Stopped in on a Sunday morning for coffee and a pastry and the service was pleasant. The coffee was freshly brewed and really good. We ordered a cinnamon raisin scone that looked fresh out of the oven and a chocolate chip cookie. Both were awesome. The scone wasn't over cooked and absolutely tasted homemade. I am super picky about cookies from bakeries because they are usually dry or brittle and taste fake. Not this chocolate chip cookie. A nice sugar coating on top and soft and gooey in the middle. I'm looking forward to going back and trying a peanut butter cookie. The chocolate chip cookie tasted like it was just out of the oven and homemade. Yum. read more

This is not haute cuisine. This is homestyle food at outrageously low prices. The dining room is pleasant enough, though I can imagine Robert Irvine from Restaurant Impossible ripping the place to shreds. BFC does a good business, but with a bar, a more upscale decor, and reasonable hours (they close at 8pm!) they could definitely charge more and do more business. So why the five stars? Plain and simple - it's the food. We started out sharing a very nontraditional poutine - this one with roasted yukon gold potatoes slathered with brisket gravy that was chock full of mouth watering, falling apart hunks of brisket and gooey cheese. I then had the seafood crepes. They were tender, orange scented, and rich. If I had to reach for a criticism I would say that the salad dressing on the accompanying greens overly acidic. My husband had the inside-out chicken cordon bleu. The chicken was tender and juicy inside and crispy on the outside. The greens were dressed in a sweet balsamic glaze. Unfortunately my husband was not being a good sharer! For dessert we had the lemon tart and the chocolate full o' nuts pie (what a dreadful name for a chocolate pecan pie made with a variety of nuts.) Both desserts were heavenly. All the entrees were priced in the teens, which is a steal for food this good. We'll be back. In fact, I think we'll be regulars. read more

If you have the chance to eat lunch here, do try the amazing chicken pot pie! So yummy! p.s. I loved it so much, I bought some from the counter out front a few weeks later and was very disappointed. They are half the size, so mostly crust without much filling. Best to eat in house. The soups and sandwiches are delish, also. Great chicken salad and the homemade soups are so much better than most. read more

This place never disappoints. Coffee is always amazing. Pastries and pies are where it is at. They had a bacon maple doughnut today. The bacon crumbles were on and throughout the doughnut and on top the maple glaze. They also have some local food and gift items. Restaurant is not quite as exciting as the sweets, same as the deli. If you follow my instructions you will be super happy. read more

First Impressions: Fresh flavors abound Weight Watchers Rating: Thumbs Up The Black Forest Cafe gave us a great first impression. We visited the Cafe for lunch one day and were very happy we did. Hubby and I are both on Weight Watchers and are always looking for healthy restaurants that offer us alternatives to home cooking. While the Black Forest Cafe has lots of items that don't fit the bill, we found their salads to be tasty, low in calories and fat, and extremely satisfying. This is a very casual restaurant. The decor isn't anything to write home about, but the staff is friendly and efficient. The food is a little pricey ($13 for a salad is a bit much in an informal "cafe" setting), but the flavor made the price more palatable. Hubby tried the Blueberry Chicken Salad, and I had the Thai Peanut Salad. Both were very fresh and delicious and provided a good meal portion. The Tazo tropical iced tea was very good, as was the fresh bread served before the meal. We wanted to try the bakery goods, but given our Weight Watchers status, we declined. It will be a treat for another visit some time in the future--and there will be another visit. I noticed that the Bakery is riding the new trend towards cupcakes--I think that will be a definite "splurge" item for the future! I'm glad this will be a neighborhood choice for us. Maybe we can walk off those bakery items! read more

Black Forest is just up the road from our house...we have eaten there a number of times. Our most frequent trip to Black Forest is for breakfast on Saturday or Sunday mornings...where we go into the bakery and get their yummy Ham and Cheese scones. These are a staple at our house! For dinner, we find that their entrees are generally quite good...but find the accompanying garnishes sometimes hit or miss. It would be good, with their REALLY good burger, to be able to get some yummy fries, but, no, they don't serve those. One other thing of note is their salads...quite good in most cases! read more

The service on the phone and in person is amazing! The food is really good with the exception of the roasted potatoes are really varied in quality and serving size. read more

My Mom lives in this neck of the woods and a perfect day for me would involve shopping at all the cool antique places in this area, visiting the dogs and cats at the Bedford Animal Rescue League and then having a great lunch at the Black Forest Cafe. This place has the best sandwiches, breakfasts and desserts. I think one of my favorite pies in recent history was purchased here, an enormous, cool &sweet banana cream pie. They have great cookies and bread too. Their soups are fantastic, I really dig their cream of carrot dill. I haven't been disappointed with any of their delightful sandwiches either, if you are there for the first time you MUST get their signature chicken salad sandwich. Unusually delicious with grapes, walnuts, red onion and this mystery dressing. Wash it down with a raspberry Lime Rickey. read more

Dangerous! Warning, Will Robinson, Warning! Just the aromas that start tickling your nose as you come in are decadent! As I slowly perused all the delectable baked thingies in the glass cases my eyes started glazing over like a crumb-covered coffee cake but I managed to take control and order some house-made cranberry chicken salad and escape back out to the parking lot where I dined safely leaning against my motorcycle. If you're a triathaloner or daily long-distance runner, THIS is the place for you to refuel after you've showered and changed into your street clothes! For the rest of us, teensy-tiny portions of one of EVERYTHING, please! OH MY GAWD! Seriously, stop here on the way to the bridge party, baby shower, friends' house for dinner or anywhere else that you want people to really like you. Hand 'em something that was baked here and you've got a friend for life. read more

Really warm place, went for lunch got the quiche and it was amazing! I did not get a chance to try the bakery but it smelled delicious hopefully next time! On the other side I did not like the service of our waitress, she wasn't nice, could t see a tag on her so I cant tell you her name. read more

The summer vegetable tagliatelle here was absolutely divine. Ingredients for the dish were sourced from local providers and you could really taste how fresh everything was. We also had the berry tart and coconut cake. Both were wonderful. The texture of the coconut cake was different than usual cakes. It seemed much denser, in a good way. It was just so coconut-y! Loved it and will definitely be back to try more dishes and desserts! read more

Regarding Take-Out: What a hidden gem. I limit myself to stopping once/week but between the wine, desserts and freshly made take home meals, it doesn't get any better than this place. Tonight, wine, salmon with basil sauce, crab stuffed portabella mushroom, artichoke stuffed mushroom chicken. AMAZING They have a store credit and today I saved $30.00 So a beautiful meal with wine for $30.00 Please continue to treat take-out as first class meals that would be served in your seating area! read more

This review is for Christmas pick up as a note just now had the time. Ordered sox cookies, $20, meh..seems I was duped and cookies were ok but Very small per cost. Not decorative and I felt they were just churning out as much as they could for the holiday. Will not return although what brought me there was an Amazing chocolate pie I bought year prior. It too overpriced but holidays so I thought I get what I pay for. Now I see it's they are overpriced overall. Too bad, close & convenient. read more

Re: Zachary from Merrimack NH: The name of the restaurant is NOT racist. In fact your comment couldn't be farther from the truth. Ever hear of Black Forest Cake? When in doubt --- look it up. I have saved you some time and looked it up for you. "The Black Forest (German: Schwarzwald) is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 meters (4,898 ft). The region is almost rectangular with a length of 200 km (120 mi) and breadth of 60 km (37 mi). Hence it has an area of approximately 12,000 km (4,600 sq mi)." Having said that - this quaint restaurant is really good. We went for Mother's Day 2009 today and although the wait was 40 minutes (no reservations) we passed the time perusing their antiques for sale as well as their shop. We were seated upstairs and our server Kim was phenomenal. She anticipated our needs and stayed on top of everything. A mimosa started my meal off and the brunch menu although limited was great. Our entrees consisted of a Caesar salad with salmon, almond apricot French toast, turkey hash, and a Black Forest scramble. Coffee was ever present, the decor was country and cheerful -- absolutely no complaints whatsoever from us. Will definitely visit again! read more

Came in this evening for the first time on a whim. Stopped in the bakery side first to take a look at the offerings. Incredible display great selection we had them hold two pies for us during dinner. strawberry rhubarb and a summer berries pie. Went over for dinner and Eric our server was most Pleasant made some selections my wife had the deconstructed cordon bleu and I had a burrito bowl with brisket both dishes were well-thought-out and presented artfully. The ingredients for very fresh the potatoes on my wife's dish were incredible. We brought the pies home and had a bit of those immediately and I give them thumbs up as well. Congratulations on a well thought out and executed menu we will be definitely be coming back. Might I suggest you add a cranberry walnut Orange oatmeal based cookie to your offerings? Then I would have to move in :-) read more

Really enjoy the food here. My husband and I would go here for dinner occasionally and for birthdays etc. The bakery portion is also awesome! Stopped in there quite a bit before we moved. I had a baked goat cheese and red pepper jelly with crackers here that was amazing! read more

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Their baked goods are always on point. Absolutely delicious, reasonably priced, and friendly staff. The meals were okay. The quiche I had was destroyed by the massive amount of onion in it (and I love onions). I'd stop back for the sweets anytime! But the meals, ehh... read more

Food was just ok and way over priced for what it was. $12 sandwich with dry, crumbly roll and not a lot of flavor. Service was friendly and prompt. read more

Delicious Bakery, always happy with what I order! My son loves the chocolate chip cookies and the cowboy cookies! There tea is very good as well. Definitely a place to try out if your in Amherst! read more

I don't get to go here nearly as much as I could, considering how close it is to my place, but the food is good, and so are their baked goods. read more

So so so delicious! Everything was yummy and fresh and the staff was so friendly. No wonder the place was packed! We ate in the deli area, as opposed to the dining room. But it was perfectly comfy and clean. The Maple Herb salad dressing was lovely. The Maple cookies, divine! I will eat here every time I am in the area :) read more

Stopped by yesterday on my way to a family event - needed a gift card so thought I'll stop here ... the older woman with accent I dealt with was so incredibly rude - sarcastic and nasty. Apparently I was suppose to grab a ticket to be helped which I didn't know - I was waiting in line my turn for 10 mins - had I known how the process works I would have complied vs getting in line. I was appalled with how I was treated - I would never speak to anyone that way especially on Christmas Eve. I decided to call and speak to management and I was even more disgusted that the manger was the person who was rude to me who treated me so terribly - Like wow!! I will NEVER return here and I cut up the gift card and stopped elsewhere on my way to event to get a gift card as I would NEVER want the person receiving the gift card to be treated the same way and send them in there! I don't recommend this place at all. Unbelievable-able. read more

I have yet to go to the bakery but I absolutely love the restaurant! It's the first place I've seen since moving here that serves lime rickeys. Very delicious! I had the most difficult time deciding what to eat for lunch. Everything looked delicious. Ended up with a veggie wrap which tasted fresh. The service was amazing. She was quick and very friendly. I felt like I was truly welcomed there and it made me feel very comfortable, only adding to the wonderful dining experience. I can't wait to go back and try their bakery. The atmosphere is cozy, casual, and clean. Definitely a place everyone should visit at least once. read more