stopped by French Meadow in Minneapolis and the vibes were great. It's exactly the kind of warm, bustling spot you want for a solid meal. The food was the highlight. We loved the Shakshuka and the open-face sandwich.. both were delicious, fresh, and hit the spot. Service was decent as well, keeping things moving even though they were busy. The bakery case looks incredible, and I'm already planning a trip back to try some treats and grab a few drinks. Definitely a spot worth returning to for more. read more

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I hadn't been here since pre- 2020 and honestly based on this experience there's no reason to go back. My friend made the reservation last minute and not wanting to cause any back and forth, I just went with it despite having mixed feelings about the establishment. The reservation was at 2pm on a weekend. When I arrived, the things felt chaotic. Oddly, there was a sign in front of the dining area stating closed, despite diners being there. After finally finding staff to check in with, I interacted with 3 members of their team that were all confused about the reservation. I was asked several times for the reservation details and group size. Each time I had to repeat I dont know, a friend made it, and why couldn't they just look in their system. No one ever bothered to look for anything. It al felt unwelcoming, disorganized, and suspicious. A waitress finally brought me to a table and left 4 menus one being a dinner menu. Then a guy came over with two glasses to fill with water. When I asked what time the area closes, he advised (with uncertainty) kitchen closes at 2:00, 2:30. Then the waitress came back and said when my friends arrive are we okay ordering from the cafe side. I thought that was bizarre and just said we'll handle things when she (who made the reservation) comes. My group came not long after. However, as I waited I noticed that the menu stated breakfast/brunch ends at 3pm. So why were they behaving like that?!!! Ultimately we stayed, but we all felt very uncomfortable about the ordeal. When the waitress came to take orders, another friend called out the behavior and questioned the reason for their behavior considering brunch goes until 3pm. The response was a bunch of mumbling, just above a whisper. She said something along the lines of wanting the kitchen crew to use the time to instead wrap up/close shop. Then why advertise brunch goes until 3p if you dont want to accept patrons past 2pm?!!! To add insult to injury, while we were seated and food had already come out, we saw them escort two other groups into the area. Facing the entrance I didn't see any of the back and forth that I had received. Interesting, huh! As for the food, I got the grilled cheese and fries, which the waiter assumed was for the teen at the table and just placed it before him. The sandwich was 3/5... no issues there, but the experience overshadowed it. I would not return or recommend this place. If someone know makes a reservation, I'm shooting it down or opting out. read more

French Meadow Cafe & Bluestem Bar - Beef burger w/ fries ($2 upcharge) and Arnie Palmer - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Great menu selection and sitting outside on a nice spring day is a great thing to do there. An uptown staple. Lots or organic and gluten free options. read more

Okay, I did enjoy my time here but I ordered the wrong thing. I want to return to try the blueberry corn pancake because this time I got the Belgian pancake and it was not good. At the end of the day, it was a pancake but it was the worst pancake I've ever had. I also got a hot chocolate, it was fine, and the side of bacon was really good. Those I was with really enjoyed their food and the service was great. I just made the wrong choice. So I'll definitely be back! I did like that this place had dedicated parking and it was quite large on the inside so great for groups. read more

French Meadow Cafe & Bluestem Bar - Belgian pancake bacon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Service was horrible. We were seated for about 15 minutes before anybody even walked up to us to take our order, and once the orders were placed, and the food was in front of us, everybody's plate had something wrong with it. Our coffee came out late as well. We asked for hot sauce and one of the employees slammed a couple bottles down on our table and walked away and a huff. The coffee was not good. Would not recommend. read more

Been here several times before. There are several locations, and this one on Lyndale is close to lots of retail shops and restaurants. There are plenty of seating options, including patio seating outside, indoor seating by the coffee area, or a more formal sit-down dining area with servers. Usually there is a line to place an order, but this time it was quiet. To order, they have a large wall-mounted menu board, or hard copy menus you can study at your table. The pastry case on the left as you approach the cashier is filled with croissants, muffins, scones, and other baked goods, with plenty of amazing choices. To the right are the more formal desserts, including cakes, tortes, and tarts. I ordered a London Fog Tea Latte (little lavender, little vanilla, extra foam). Normally I would get it in a mug, but we had to dash off. The barista did a nice job with steeping the tea and creating the extra foam. Next time we will stay for breakfast. A very nice place for breakfast, big or small. read more

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Stopped by for a coffee and croissant. The butter croissant wasnt warm and wasn't very tender. I would skip it next time. My iced coffee came out fast and wasnt too sweet despite having whipped cream and caramel. I ordered a small and it was a tall but very skinny drink. For the price I wish it was a little more sizeable. I sat in the self serve section, but there were still people coming around and replacing things like the utensils which was nice. The ambiance is lowkey with ample indoor seating and some out on the patio as well. read more

French Meadow Cafe & Bluestem Bar - Butter Croissant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

We had lunch for five on a Saturday. We got a table right away, and the food was very good. The service was horrible. Every interaction with our "waitor" was initiated by me. I felt like I was in Europe. It wasn't super busy, so there is no excuse. I've had better service here before, so maybe this was just a bad server. Do better. read more

I'm not one to leave bad reviews, but this was beyond the pale. I used to eat here all the time, but it has really gone downhill since the change in ownership. Besides the food being obviously lower quality, the entire front of house staff appeared to be between the ages of 14-16, no adults in sight from what I could tell while I was there. Took 15 minutes of standing there to be seated and when I was, it was at a dirty table with no water, silverware etc, and another 15 minute wait before someone came back to the table, and I never did get water. I confirmed my food was gluten free and then halfway through eating was told it was not, then another kid told me it was. I don't blame them - they were just kids - but a pretty serious issue as someone with celiac. Saw multiple bugs while eating and lost my appetite reading reviews about the recurrent rodent issue. I hope they get some better leader/ownership in place and back to the French Meadow I used to know and love. In the meantime, I will only be dinning at the St. Paul location which appears to have retained original ownership. read more

extremely understaffed. Over 15 min wait to get table with many open and available tables just due to how hostess was handling incoming people. Dirty dishes on multiple items (goop in coffee cup dirty plate) Long wait on food. Outdoor tables in disrepair and not maintained, had to put wallet under table leg to keep coffee from spilling. Also tables are damaged in the middle leaving jagged edges exposed and could cut fingers Unfortunately this seems to be the usual for owners nowadays. Being lazy and to cut costs having way less staff than needed to run the restaurant properly but still charging you the same amount There were 2 servers for the entire restaurant that we saw and were extremely stretched thin For a restaurant where the standard is roughly 20$ a plate, ownership needs to be held responsible for creating such an unfortunate s read more

i'm guessing it was the owner that served my friend and i . she sat us at a dirty ass table , took forever to take the initial order via notes app on her phone...she was rude , didn't check up on us until after we finished our food, i had to get up from my seat to grab napkins and to top it off put us under one bill and said "its on one but i guess i can separate it into 2" 0/5 stars. read more

Had been a while since I've been into the French Meadow Café. Stopped in for some lunch and was immediately reminded why I had come here in the years past. I looked over their vast menu and noticed they had a grilled cheese. I ordered the grilled cheese with a cup of tomato basil soup. The bread was perfectly toasted, and the cheese was rich, and the perfect pull. The tomato basil soup was perfection. Perfectly balanced flavors .... the ultimate dipping co-star. My guest ordered the Rachael turkey sandwich with coleslaw, and he claimed it was fantastic. We decided that we would definitely be coming back to try some other things. It's good to be back at the French Meadow Café. read more

French Meadow Cafe & Bluestem Bar - Grilled Cheese & Tomato Basil Soup - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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I haven't been to French Meadow in years but decided to order a to go lunch and found myself regretting not visiting sooner. I ordered the grilled turkey rachel sandwich. It was a substantial and filling meal. I was pleasantly surprised to see how "hefty" it was. There was no skimping of turkey or firecracker slaw side. The only bummer is this sandwich doesn't travel well. The bread bottom was pretty soggy by the time I got home but I can't fault French Meadow for that - just means I need to dine in next time. I have to also give them kudos for not adding a bunch of surplus charges that so many restaurants are doing. I appreciate the menu price being the final price, no surprises at payment. Thank you French Meadow for still keeping the menu affordable and delicious. :) read more

French Meadow Cafe & Bluestem Bar - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Had a great time here. Food was solid, environment was cozy and awesome service. Would definitely go back if I'm in the area. Parking can be tricky and inside can be a squeeze. Best suited for a small crowd. read more

French Meadow Cafe & Bluestem Bar - Baked Cinnamon French Toast with Eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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We got the pistachio latte and a cafe miel as well as a ham + Gruyère croissant, it was all SO GOOD. Props to Duncan he was incredible as a barista and we would come back just for him read more

This is always a great place to come for brunch/ breakfast. The wait can get pretty long but the food is worth it! The menu is full of great homemade options for everyone. Whether you're a vegetarian or meat eater, you really can't go wrong. Fresh pastries, bread, scones and muffins. They also have a great selecting of tea and coffee to drink alongside your food. Pro tip: I like to take out of town guests for brunch! read more

French meadow is the cutest cafe and bakery! Their interior is cute and aesthetic. I love the front wall with the large menu. I have gotten the breakfast burrito and the breakfast quesadilla and the blueberry corn pancake. The burrito is massive and smothered in beans and salsa. They load you up! The quesadilla was really good as well. There were good toppings like seasoned sour cream, salsa, and guac! The blueberry pancake was nothing to write about and wasn't worth it. I want to try the baked French toast next time because that sounded very yummy! read more

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Disappointmenting on all levels - food was not worth the wait nor the money. Beet meatballs were dry, pasta was mushy, fried oyster mushrooms were 95% coating, tempeh sliders were all bun, and we ordered a Pinot Noir from West Coast region that was replaced with a lower quality one (totally different flavor profile). Tortilla chips were thick, stale, broken in to small pieces, and store bought. Our waiter was inexperienced in his customer service skills and with the menu. He rarely came to the table which meant a kitchen staff person did the work for him. The spot wasn't busy yet. The place is dated and needs some refreshing decor touches to revitalize it. We won't go back. read more

I don't know what draws me to happy hours. Maybe it's the deal of it -- a bit of a discount to make my dollar go further. More likely it's the idea of it. A happy hour with friends! It's right in the title! I am also drawn to the luxury of it. Happy hours happen early, and so to be a part of one, you have to have a day that allows you to meet and drink with friends in the late afternoon. Yep, luxury to me. Recently I visited again one of my standby favorites, the Bluestem Bar which is off to the side of the French Meadow Cafe. Kind of like a private club, it's interior is warm, inviting, moody and fun. It's an interior design success to have expansive high ceilings and still capture a warm mood and cozy feel. The bar runs the length of the room, the booths are generous, and the space somehow handles sound well enough to be able to catch up with your best friends. Yesterday afternoon, we had drinks (Elderflower spritzer for me--sounds pretty and was very tasty!), and then stayed for dinner. The green curry with rice and salmon was fantastic. Generous, delicious and beautiful. And seriously, the space is so very welcoming and warm. The color is immersive. The Happy hour drink specials (Wednesday: half price bottles of wine; Thursday: half price "BLUE" cocktails; Friday: half price sparkling; Saturday, half price tap beer) are varied. There are also specials on martinis, wine and food! Fries with aioli, "earth wings," plant tacos, and warm baguettes are all on special for starters. My only criticism is that it's easier to find the happy hour specials on their website than in the menu -- an easy fix, I think! I always seem to find parking in the restaurant's lot, to the south of the building. Easy. I will be found hanging out at the Bluestem again. read more

French Meadow Cafe & Bluestem Bar - Green curry with salmon at the Bluestem Bar - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Visited with a friend who is vegan and it was a great choice for vegan options. She ordered the not chicken fried chicken and thought it was great. I had the comfort bowl with tempeh and it was delicious I ate the whole thing. Lovely ambiance and service. Street parking was available and free. read more

French Meadow Cafe & Bluestem Bar - Comfort bowl - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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My perception on the challenges to live in Minneapolis as vegetarian has changed after I had a great brunch in French Meadow. We ordered breakfast burrito and classic vegan breakfast. Both are delicious and gained confidence for the rest of vegetarian/vegan choices in the menu. Definitely want to come back to try more. We appreciated fast service and nice indoor and ourdoor seatings. read more

French Meadow Cafe & Bluestem Bar - Breakfast Burrito - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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I wanted the carrot ginger soup and my husband couldn't decide between the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich and the field mushroom tostada. The server suggested getting both with the soup as a side. What a great idea and we got to taste and enjoy everything. Then we finished with carrot cake. So good. We were actually there to pick up the coconut cake we ordered. It was our first time at French Meadow. Everything was delicious! read more

French Meadow is known for its farming to table dishes coupled with advocacy for organic dishes. I've only visited the Minneapolis location. It has a small parking lot to the right and plenty of off street parking. Ambiance 5/5 French Meadow Minneapolis location has plenty of seating whether bar like seating, tables, booths, or high top tables. Low lit lighting with nice music in the background at night makes for a cozy ambiance. There is side street patio tables are nice for those who like outdoor dining however I'm not a fan of dining on a busy street .lol. Service 4/5 it can be somewhat confusing if you come during less busy times as its serve seating. If you aren't a regular, its not always obvious that you're expected to order at the register then seat yourself to be served. The servers are helpful if they notice your confusion. During busy hours, we've been seated and served our food fairly quickly. The servers were helpful in answering my question regarding Oat Milk cappuccino's and recommendations. Food 5/5 I like to try new things when I visit familiar places. On two different occasions, we've ordered everything from breakfast to dinner dishes. Their earth wings are some of the best cauliflower wings I've had. I am a meat eater, so that's say a lot. They are crispy and has an overall great BBQ flavor. Other places have been are oily, too soft or too salty (buffalo) but I was pleasantly surprised by this vegan option. Prices 5/5 Chicken Wild Rice- bowl $9 | Earth Wings $14 | Crispy Brussel sprouts $14 Jerk Chicken Wings $15 | Oatmeal Cappuccino $7 | Classic Egg Breakfast $15 Wild Mushroom Omelets $16 Overall 5/5 Its an Uptown staple with great dishes, drinks and deserts. read more

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I haven't been to French meadow in years, but the vibes were still great! It's the ideal brunch spot with tons of tables, high ceilings, and plenty of natural light. I split the pancake and eggs Benedict. Both were pretty average, but good. Love that there's a parking lot plus parking in the garage across the street because I hate looking for street parking. We got there at 8am on a Thursday and it was filling up by 9am. read more

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Perfect! Everything about our dinner at French Meadow was exceptional. The space is lovely and intimate, but with good lighting. The service was prompt, friendly, and attentive, but never intrusive. The atmosphere was pleasing - people enjoying their evening but not loud. The food and drinks were fantastic. My request for a meal with no onion or garlic was taken in stride - no worries. (This request is typically met with a concerned look, a trip back to ask the chef, then a list of 1-3 things I can order). French Meadow is clearly making everything fresh to order! The menu was full of lots of variety - choices to meet every wish - including vegetarian/vegan, gluten free, meat, seafood, etc. I had the Salmon Nicoise and my partner had the Mushroom Pasta. Delicious! And the Bread Board is worth it - fresh baguette with yummy whipped butter. We were too full for dessert, but exiting through the bakery meant we could grab a couple pastries for breakfast the next morning. This was a perfect date night spot for us and we will definitely be back! Loved it, loved it, loved it!!! read more

Great experience and staff. The food is amazing. We loved the vegan options and the bakery as well. Will visit again! read more

French Meadow Cafe & Bluestem Bar - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

They didn't send the soup and the 18 dollar sandwich was a two ounce chicken slider with a bun ten times its size. Nonsensical waste of time and money. Seriously a two dollar sandwich at best. It takes a lot for me to write a review but this place is a sham. Now I'm gonna go find some actual food to eat. read more

Saw the reviews and recommendations from Facebook from the vegan community. The French Meadow was not that great for food and service. Location was in very odd area of town. Style of restaurant did not belong in the neighborhood. The outside had a bistro look to it that wanted to be a French look. Food: Vegan breakfast combo and cinnamon blueberry French toast. Both were vegan dishes. Tasted ok. French toast was thin and doughy. The vegan breakfast combo had crumbled breakfast sausage, scrambled tofu, had browns. The tofu was vinegary, the hash browns were strange: cooked extra crisp on outside and fluffy undercooked inside. Service was very odd. Seating arrangements were not explained to us very well and made it for awkward accommodations. All of the interaction in the restaurant was weird and doesn't make me want to go back. The quality of food was just ok. I've had better to not want to go back. It has potential to be an amazing 5 star but I think it's just ok. read more

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About 3 weeks ago I was in the cafe portion of French Meadow. A mouse was just hanging out. I told the management and they weren't even apologetic, saying they were getting someone to take care of it. Tonight I was back, since it's one of the only (supposedly) organic restaurants in Minneapolis. I sat on the dining room side, and again, another mouse. And barely apologetic. The floors are always dirty, it just doesn't seem clean, and now I am unfortunately thoroughly turned off. read more

I eat here a lot and have been for years. Truthfully I love the food. But my frustration comes from the fact that regular menu items are incredibly inconsistent in taste/preparation. I order the zen salad with grilled tofu every other time I go here. The tofu is usually incredible. But I've noticed I really depends on who is making it. It's not even like a small difference but a difference on whether or not I can actually stand to eat it. It's either amazing... or bland and not great. I've noticed a weird combination that if I am able to modify items, I get bad tofu. If I can't modify then I get the good tofu. It happens literally every time I try to remove things I won't eat from my meal choices like cilantro (on an appetizer) and just leaving off hummus because i generally don't like it. I am a person that orders the same thing over and over and I depend on knowing my meal will be the same. I have literally never experienced a menu item completely changing. So while I'll probably still eat here when I need a healthy choice for eating out, I am just always so beyond disappointed when the tofu is so drastically different. Posting a photo of the one that is not good. When I order it and it is good, the red stuff is not on the tofu at all and it has a deep brown color from marinade read more

French Meadow Cafe & Bluestem Bar - Grilled tofu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

A mouse ran across the dining area. And they proceeded like nothing happened. I WILL NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN. read more

Loved the cafe, art nouveau vibe. Such a pretty spot for brunch. The food and service were solid! Nice spot to end our time in Minneapolis.

Excellent vegan food great ambiance ............................................................................................................................................................................... read more

French Meadow Cafe & Bluestem Bar - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Came in on Valentine's Day and it was perfect! Lots of gf/df options for my girlfriend, including desserts which is rare. The tables all had little rose bouquets which added a lot to the ambiance. Also, we arrived 20 minutes later than our reservation but they kept it for us which was a relief. read more

This was an overwhelmingly positive experience!!! Sooooo many options to choose from. They have pastries, breakfast & lunch items, desserts, along lovely cocktails and coffee beverages. I loved that there were so many vegan AND gluten free options for me. I didn't feel limited at all. The reviews do not lie. Really great food. I would suggest the vegan blueberry pancake & the regular French toast my friend got and loved it. The chai lattes were delicious. The artwork throughout the restaurant was delightful to see. Really nice touch to the aesthetics. The place is very large which is great because it stayed busy from the time we got there until we left. There's an option for you to do a self service & eat outside, grab & go or dine in. Really great spot to eat and hang out at. read more

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Mediocre food with astonishingly neglectful service. In concept the menu is great. In execution the food is unnecessarily greasy. And although the servers were very nice, there was about as much chance of them coming to the table without request to take our order, bring us the bill, or take the credit card as there was of a random fellow diner doing those things. read more

I'd been visiting the St. Paul location but came here today because I was in the area. My favorite dish from St. Paul is the Organic Healing Plate, so that's what I got. This location is much larger. I opted for the self service section because it was less crowded. It's an old building and has that old building smell (I'll keep my assumptions to myself). I hope it's up to code. As I nestled into a window adjacent booth, I immediately noticed 5 layers of dust. I didn't have allergies when I walked in... Not sure now. Also, another small peeve: no paper towels in the bathroom. So unless you bring your own, you're touching that dirty handle (and you know a lot of you do NOT wash your hands). Nasty. The young man brought out my desserts right away. Before my food? I suppose I should have specified that I wanted them later. The vegan berry tart has a thick chocolatey crust. I didn't care for the crust. I scooped out the filling and the fruit - that was good. As I sit modeling my desserts for their Yelp photoshoot, Chef Ratatouille decided to come check on me. I didn't scream, shrill, or otherwise cause a scene. I'm vegan so I actually think they're cute. However, I knew Arthur didn't belong there. How did I catch him on video? Because Mickey was quite comfortable with his position there. He scurried back and forth, around the corner and back. This was his stomping grounds! Speedy Gonzalez wasn't camera shy or people shy either, as he Pika Pika'd around the table legs. As the waitress brought my plate, I attempted to direct her attention toward Ben. She gave a fake "Oh really? Where?" She wasn't the least bit surprised. (Keep her off Broadway). She thanked me for informing her and then went on about her unbothered business, never to return. Stuart Little did though... a few times. I just kept my feet up off the floor. I tried to focus on my plate, not knowing if Jerry was coming back. Maybe Chuck E. was hungry too. Unfortunately, this Healing Plate was in need of its own sanctified and holy miracle. The greens didn't taste right and they smelled bad like they hadn't been cleaned properly. The tempeh had a really off taste, like it was old or bad. Same with the coconut red beans (usually my favorite!). Less than an hour later, my tummy wasn't feeling too good. I don't know what the may-day, SOS is going on here, but I will never, ever go back. And I want my money back! read more

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Great service and food. The menu has something for everyone. It makes you want to come back to try other items on the menu. Quite noisy but it was a full house. read more

So good and worth the price! We ordered our food and sat on the patio. Staff were super friendly and knowledgeable. The food was fresh and tasty. I appreciate that the ingredients come from sustainable sources. I do wish my iced chai was a little more chai-y but super good regardless. Thanks for the great service! read more

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Waited TEN minutes at the counter to get order taken... the person in front of me left because they had to wait so long.- there was no one else in front of me, just no staff. wanted a child french toast as i didn't want all the extras on the adult one, and just wanted a small portion. so they said they'd do that, but then charged me for the adult one but still took off all the ingredients that made it more expensive so was not impressed. so paid for all the extras i did not have (whipped cream and blueberries) . $18 is a lot for a couple of pieces of french toast with syrup. guess i won't be in a hurry to visit here again. pretty place but they need more staff and to be honest and not promise one thing and then just charge you more. latte was not even hot. i asked them to steam some more milk and pour on top to warm it up, and it's still tepid. i give up. worst $25 i've spent in a very long time. i assure you i am not a picky karen either. read more