Lawrence surprised me and this place had something to do with it. If they weren't out of pastries I'd give 5 stars since it was a really cool spot and the food looked and tasted amazing. read more

Love the brunch menu at The Roost. It's like going to your grandma's house and she only makes comfort food. The menu is not tricky, the portions are a good size, and the prices are fair. You'll likely wait a while to get seated, but on the flip side, they don't rush you out of the place while you're eating. read more

The Roost is a fan favorite in Lawrence! It tends to be a bit too busy for me but when I'm up for a long wait and a big crowd, it is my GO-TO!!! I love the hippie take on the breakfast at the Roost and their coffee (literally any drink) is fabulous!! The staff moves quickly and tends to keep it light and not to personal but they get the job done quickly and get you exactly what you need in a timely fashion!! The biscuits and gravy is absolutely delicious! I also really like the vegetarian biscuits and gravy option it has mushrooms instead of sausage and it is pure GOLD!! Definitely have to stop by when you're in Lawrence, but I would advise to go earlier rather than later because it gets very busy!! read more

The Roost is confused. It doesn't know if it wants to be a casual breakfast joint or a swanky brunch place. It doesn't know whether it wants sparkly chandeliers and lounge seating or broken-in dining tables and cushioned stools. It has a full-service bar and fancy cocktails, but you have to get your own coffee. It has slate-colored walls, gorgeous wooden open shelves, beautiful displays, but blasts Rick Astley at volume level 10... What? My first comment upon entering The Roost today was "Everyone working here looks unhappy." That's not a great first impression, Roost. Thankfully, we were served by a very nice woman who did not seem unhappy, but why was everyone else so dreary? The service was good, but we weren't informed of any of their specials and ended up getting two benedicts. They were fine. The best part of the meal was the fresh fruit, but they charge you $2 to have it instead of breakfast potatoes. Huh? You can get a side of fruit for $3, but it costs $2 to substitute? I don't get it. While The Roost gets 3 stars from me for service and their fabulous pumpkin butter, I won't be back anytime soon. $13.50 for an average-at-best benedict, self-serve coffee, and a side of fruit? Not gonna happen again. read more

Hey Community Manager Matt E.........There seems to be an unusually high number of reviews for The Roost that are so called "newbies". This is always a red flag because new restaurants have been known to flood Yelp with.....shall we say "unbiased" reviews both positive and negative. Sugar M's recent review of The Roost having the best Latte and Barista ever is the first strike. Take a look at some of the other reviews towards the bottom of the page. Something smells fishy. Either too negative or too positive with no review history. Yes, this is a new establishment in name only......I guess? The food, looks of dishes, taste, and other anomalies look, and feel awfully similar to Milton's. Didn't we go through these shenanigans with the former Loopy's..........Oh wait, Miltons is back in place of Loopy's. The food hasn't been terrible on the three visits I've been. Nothing ground breaking or spectacular at The Roost. I assume the coffee is of the Broadway variety? Or was it the Roasterie? Anyhow, not a bad place to visit for breakfast type foods. I guess some of us are tiring of this concept in Lawrence. It would be nice if an entrepreneur in Lawrence could at least do something different with the menu besides aesthetics. Staff was friendly and eager to serve. No issues there what-so-ever. Pancakes were solid as was the biscuits and gravy. I will return a few more times and give the lunch a try. Good luck and hopefully The Roost sticks around so we can all stop playing these silly games with Milton's and their clandestine openings of restaurants in Lawrence. * No, I'm not accusing the original owners of Miltons, ie Loopy's of opening another restaurant. It's just getting difficult to trust the intentions of some restaurateurs up and down Mass and surrounding areas in Lawrence with all the address and concept changes on a yearly basis. * read more

After 36 hours without food and cameras shoved every which way (I'll spare you the gruesome details), I thought it was time for some carbs and protein ... the biscuits and gravy tasted great, although quite pricey at $7 for a full order, the biscuits being rather small with barely enough gravy to cover them completely. UNSAT! I had the Kansan ($8) with eggs, bacon, home fries and English muffin on my first two visits. It was good, not spectacular, and a fair sized serving, but the bacon was a tad too crispy even for my taste. Being primarily a breakfast joint, they have very few popular or traditional options to choose from (can you say skillets?), so on my most recent (and likely last) visit, I ordered an omelette ($6) with bacon ($1), onion, peppers, and mushrooms (50 cents each for a total of $8.50). When the server asked me what kind of toast I wanted, I asked if they had English muffins and she said that they did. What she failed to tell me was that there was a 50 cent up-charge, a fact I spotted only after the check arrived (see bill below). The 50 cent English muffin dominated the plate, dwarfing the small, yet tasty, omelette and a smattering of bland, unseasoned fried potatoes (see photo - objects are smaller than they actually appear). The ALL YOU CAN DRINK self-service coffee bar ($2) is the The Roost's highlight, a superb selection of four premium coffees with your normal choices of additions (half-and-half, skim and soy milk, cinnamon, sugar) available as needed. The service is adequate, not bad, not great, with little interaction and a bit of a "high brow" feel. A breakfast place should have a warmer, more inviting, friendlier ambience, especially in a small college town. For example, when I asked to barista to replenish the half-and-half at the coffee bar on our most recent visit, all I received was a scowl as she was poured a complimentary glass of alcohol by a cohort at 11:30 in the morning. Their prices are quite high on most things, so I have to deduct a couple bombs when it comes to "value". For example, $5 should be the maximum price for biscuits and gravy no matter how big the order is or how good they are and if you are going to up-charge customers, they should be told in advance in order to make an informed decision as to whether or not they choose to pay the difference. Oddly enough, for a place that is only open for breakfast and lunch (7am-3pm), The Roost has a bar and will serve you rather expensive cocktails ($7-$8) or wine ($5), so if you are looking for a mid-day buzz along with your biscuits and gravy, this is the place for you. But based on the high prices, small portions, uninspiring cuisine, and mediocre service, I think I will keep trying to find a decent breakfast place in Lawrence. I have my doubts. CombatCritic Gives The Roost 4 Out Of 10 Bombs ... BOMBS ARE GOOD! read more

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I'm really torn by the Roost. I've followed their progress since Kickstarter so I was excited when they opened their doors. Two meals later and it's still settling in for me. First the good, the food is fantastic and the staff is friendly. I think they might have the best graphically designed menu that I've ever seen. Everything else I'm going to chalk up to them just being new. I deleted my long winded essay and I'm just going to summarize. Roost just isn't baked yet. I've had the same waiter twice and while he's friendly he seems like he's just working there to do his friends a favor or he has better things to do. I'm just going to assume that my experience both times are the result of one friendly yet well meaning waiter since a few of the other staff have waited on me before when the place was Milton's. Because right now Roost is a mix of long waits (for a seat, once you have a seat, and once you've ordered) to feeling rushed out the door and served your check before you've taken a bite of food. Then having to wait forever for the waiter to come back to actually take your ticket. I don't get it. I was also annoyed to wait 20 minutes and have someone walk in and basically tell the hostess that she and her friends will just sit at the bar and jump 6 or 7 spots in line. We were then asked if we minded bar seats. Seems 20 minutes sooner would have been the right time to ask. Grr. I want to like Roost and despite their problems I really do. I'm just annoyed that the growing pains of a new restaurant are so damn painful to watch and experience firsthand. read more

Not impressed. First of all, not a kid friendly place. No kids menu, no crayons, nothing. Secondly, it's probably the slowest place I've ever been to for breakfast. Yes, they're busy but breakfast food doesn't take long to make and if you keep your tables full, you can get people in and out faster. There was a long wait but always empty tables. Perhaps they didn't want to overwhelm the servers? Then the food took a very long time. Had I known, I would have bought something for the kiddo from the bakery. As for the food, I got the veggie Benedict. The eggs were way overcooked - pretty much hard boiled eggs on English muffins. The potatoes that came with were not very good. Just not flavorful. The short stack of pancakes was okay. I would not come here again with so many other great options on Mass. read more

The dumbest human on earth is the blonde occupying the hostess stand. Empty tables are everywhere and she has 60 people waiting.... I counted 6 empty on the way to the half empty bar... she tells people there is a 60-90 minute wait! When I complained a server said, "ya I don't know anything 'bout it... she's probably just doin her job, man!"... I ordered a large sticky bun ( great!) and 20 oz. Americana to go from the counter, got them... Finished them and continued to wait.... After an hour, I got a bar seat... The only thing missing is a soup nazi to verbally insult you.... No one seems to eat here... They just wait... After sitting at the bar for another 20 minutes... I left hungry! read more

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Stopped on my way to a Chiefs game and was blown away with this place. When was the last time you said something like "That is the best tasting tomato I have ever had"? The breakfast sandwich (forget which one) was excellent, and the ingredients were fresh and delicious, but the biscuits and sausage gravy made the meal. They were home made and perfectly seasoned. Most of the time I have to add salt and pepper to get any flavor from other attempts at sausage gravy, but this place has it down. We waited about 30 minutes for a table on a Sunday morning, so plan ahead, but it is worth a wait. read more

Unfortunately I cannot write a review about the food since I've not had it yet. My first attempt at getting food was at my job, we tried calling in a carry out order for lunch but we were turned down because the kitchen was too backed up. Second attempt was at my job again, we tried calling in a carry out order for lunch and told the same thing. The guy on the phone was rude and practically hung up on us. His attitude has turned me off from this place. I had family in town this weekend and we wanted to try it. I called twice to see how long the wait was (family was leaving town and we were on a time schedule). I was reluctant to call because of the unpleasant phone call that was last had with a person there. No answer. We go up there and the wait was ridiculously long. Granted it was a Sunday morning. At this point I've tried three times and struck out. An hour to an hour and a half wait, no carry out orders, can't answer the phone and a rude employee. I guess they have such a good business going they don't need mine or my co-workers. read more

Some people think this is the best place in town, I think it is one of the most overrated. That is not to say that the food is bad. But Milton's really is very close to the same level. For breakfast this place ranks 3rd or 4th on my list. It's a good breakfast place with fancy plating and long lines. read more

The Roost is a one of a kind breakfast/lunch joint that caters to our lovely Lawrence townies, and out of townies, a like. You get a wonderful smile when you walk through the door, escorted to a nice table and served very good food and coffee. Manda, Sean and their whole team have turned out, not only quality food, but an equally beautiful atmosphere. If supporting local food and families is important to you when choosing a dining experience, than you can feel good about giving The Roost your business. I would definitely recommend the potato pancakes (remember Paradise Cafe's?)! Eggs are fluffy, bacon is crisp, potatoes are out of this world and the coffee is rich and hot. If you want Milton's, you can find it at the bottom of the alley.... But if you want good people and good food, come here!! You won't be disappointed. read more

I'd go 3.5 if that were an option. That being said, it reminds me very much of Milton's, which is still in town but never really struck me enough for a return visit. I will return to the Roost, though. I gotta try the potato pancakes and Mac n Chz. Had the namesake for the first visit. Decent pancakes, friendly service, and a coffee bar. It seems to be an LFK tradition to offer novellas as menus, (and comparatively, the Roosts is easier to navigate than most, but still feels desperate to cover the veto,) which leaves me struggling to find an identity. I could ask the server about the concept, but I just don't think I should have to. Concept should be a show vs tell thing. Yes? If I were to guess at a concept, I'd go with ATK, or Gentrified Soul (comfort) Food, which seems to do well in this town. Yes, I'm kinda making fun of the concept because I find it ridiculous, but there really isn't much non-gentrified comfort food in this town, or many towns at all. So, I'll take it. Knowledgeable service. Well made food with good ingredients. I'll be back, for sure. And perhaps, after I try that Mac or the pot cakes, we can bump this to a four. read more

This place is Fabulous, I had so much fun the food was great the coffee was amazing. I am a loyal Milton's customer, But now it's nice to know there is a great place to go to Incase Miltons was full. I still don't know and will never know why the Milton's move from that location to another that is smaller. But this place looks great and wish them most success. read more

If I could give zero stars - I would. The food - whenever it decides to arrive, is fair. HOWEVER the service is world class horrible! Had to ask for silverware, napkins, water, drink refills. One of our drinks came at the end of the meal after all were done eating. Our breakfast potatoes were under cooked and cheese in omelette issue. Waitress was a no show from the start. She was right by our table when we were seated. Didn't even take our drink order for 10 mins! If you have endless amounts of time, patience, and zero expectations of anything professional or pleasant then your fate awaits. The one red cent tip rating is a compliment. Thankfully I have the worlds best in laws so I didn't lose my shit. read more

First time at The Roost and it did not disappoint. The place was packed and we happily would wait again. I had the French Toast, breakfast potatoes, bacon, and bloody mary...along with a hot chocolate and homemade marshmellow. This marshmellow is not your average size. It's about the size of a block/day on a full desk calendar. Bloody Mary's are spicy, but delicious. Everything was great, waiter was awesome and didn't get annoyed at my "add this, but not this" type order. We'll definitely be back. But, beware, you'll probably need stretchy pants during and a nap after! read more

Whenever we are pulling into a new town and I start to wake up from my bunk coma I pull out my phone and start looking to see what's close by. Food, bathroom, cocktail,hotel etc. Today we pulled into Lawrence KS about 12:15 pm This place popped up and was only a couple blocks from the Granada Theatre where we were playing. I found a seat at the bar and was thrilled to find they were serving late breakfast. I had the Kansan Two eggs , potatoes , toast and a side of gravy. Even though I was not hung over I ordered a trad Irish coffee as well. Blk coffee with a shot of Jameson and two packets of sugar. SFP The food was stellar and the coffee was just what I needed to get my day off to a good start. Service was great, the place was packed and everything that came out of the kitchen looked amazing. I will def be back to The Roost next time we roll through town. read more

I now have eaten at The Roost too many times to count. It has become my go-to breakfast haunt in Lawrence -- and that was not an easy conversion! I have tried a variety of things on the breakfast menu, but only ventured to the lunch menu once (breakfast is yummy, I tell you!). The French toast is the best I've ever had! And I have eaten my share of French toast in my life, lemme tell ya. You can't go wrong with the Kansas breakfast -- my eggs are always cooked properly over-medium, which I so much appreciate. They serve my favorite breakfast potatoes in town, I love to slide them through the egg yolk, oh yeah! Also, the fresh-squeezed juices of the day are surprisingly good. I'm not usually a juicer, and yet I always seek out whatever they're serving. Service has sped up and improved to an acceptable level. Food comes out much more quickly, and servers are usually pretty on top of water refills and any other extras we need. I will say that I never go to The Roost on a weekend in the late morning (early morning, before 9 is ok). I don't have that kind of time to wait for my breakfast, and I'm usually starving. Weekdays are the best, in my experience. The Roost has become a Lawrence staple, and I hope it's here for a very long time! read more

My favorite brunch place in Lawrence. I always get the Breakfast sandwich. The wait is worth it. The coffee is so good too.

Place was cozy, food was great, lavender coffee was excellent and waitress very friendly. read more

The Roost - Corned Beef Hash - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

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I cannot say enough good things about The Roost. I've had both breakfast and lunch items and sampled a variety of cocktails and coffees. My boyfriend and I have found our new Sat/Sun hangout for sure! Their bread is magical and that's saying something as I normally take the bread off of sandwiches and burgers. The poached eggs on the bennies are the most beautifully poached eggs I've ever seen, not to mention they taste amazing! For all you haters that are comparing The Roost to Miltons, please stop. It's a different place and a different feel entirely. Just b/c the address is the same does not mean the restaurants should be compared. read more

I. Love. This. Place. The food is amazing and original, the atmosphere is comfortable and cozy, and the service is fast and friendly. :) read more

The Roost - Breakfast and coffee! Omelete, homemade corn beef hash and cornmeal pancakes. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

food and java perfectly fine, but the whole concept would work much better and be more relaxed if they got rid of the table service. Servers are friendly but over eager and keep you from chilling out and enjoying yourself. I guess if you wanted a quick get in and out lunch in a faux-casual environment it would be perfect. Laura H. Hit it right on the nose, the place is a bit conflicted. It interferes with the karma. read more

Great brunch spot! Expect a wait on the weekends but I promise it's worth it. My husband and I love the cinnamon rolls, French toast, chorizo & eggs, homemade corned beef hash, and THE BEST biscuits and gravy ever. They have a large selection of brunch type cocktails including mimosas and several different bloody's. Try the Freshy - champagne, ginger, and grapefruit juice. YUM! The only thing I don't love about this place is the espresso. I'm a coffee lover but their espresso has a strange flavor I can't describe. read more

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Tomato and avocado Benny is my favorite go-to brunch item here! Very tasty, and the coffee bar is great to try different blends of coffee. Service is always very friendly. read more

A homely breakfast spot in Lawrence.The food was pretty good and service was on point. I ordered The Rooster. My pancakes were fluffy and my eggs and bacon were cooked to expectation. The bloody Mary menu was impressive and they had a great offering of freshly baked goods and coffee. We had to wait about 30 mins for seating, typical of Saturday morning on Mass. read more

The Roost - The Rooster, eggs over hard. Note that my bacon was under attack! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

Since my fiancé finally invited me on the 'guys' trip to Kansas (thank you, Valentines day), I had the pleasure of getting to eat here for brunch before the b ball game. Holy breakfast. Holy Bloody Mary. Holy blueberry sage biscuit. I could go on citing the many blessings of this breakfast joint. There was a long wait but you can serve yourself coffee while you wait (or sit at the BAR!) Seriously I wish I would discover a place like this in LA. DELICIOUS food, fresh unique 'breakfast cocktails'. Like, 8 different takes on the Mary; scrumptious bakery items. Trust me mid-westerners, you've got a food treasure with the Roost. I had a divine omelette that I created myself packed full of fresh veggies, creamy goat cheese and egg whites. I added salsa to the mix which was AMAZING. My awesome fiancé and his buddies had the chicken omelette, biscuits and gravy, French toast and the Benny, and they all had satisfied smiles on their faces. As if all this wasn't enough, we took some items back to hotel to snack on later. PB cookie, CC cookie, carrot cake and sticky bun all get thumbs up. We like this place so much we are going back to brunch today to try more items :) Ahhhhh, gotta love a good food coma. read more

The Roost - The 'cereal milk' cocktail. Tastes like frosted flakes milk! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

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It's not often you eat at a restaurant that has replaced the most popular breakfast destination in a town and find it just as impressive. The establishment used to be 'Milton's' who made the mistake of moving from main street to a smaller location with an inferior menu. But where Milton's left off The Roost has picked up and moved forward. The homemade French Toast was amazing and plump. The Salmon Omelet my wife had was mouthwatering. Fresh fruit juices were a delight and the breakfast tea was top notch. When back in town again for a trip this will be our breakfast destination. Keep up the good work guys! read more

We live in Lawrence and love to have breakfast at the Roost. We've always had a great experience here in terms of food and service. Great Eggs Benedict, and the coffee bar is WONDERFUL, serving coffee from the Broadway Roasting Company, located in Westport in KCMO (worth the drive to get some of THAT for your self...). Yes, the atmosphere at The Roost can be loud, but that's the case in many restaurants on Mass street in Lawrence, because they're all in very old buildings full of pipes, bricks and other stuff that makes for a loud atmosphere. But the wonderful food, baked goods and coffee are worth it! read more

Worth the wait! My mom came to visit KS from PA and she asks for their homemade marshmallows all the time. My work even was able to have a meeting at the big table up front. I have never had an issue here! Great job!! The house coffee is my fav!!! read more

Yelp thinks this place is good enough that I should drive from Dallas for breakfast. There is probably a breakfast place In Oklahoma City that is pretty good and hundreds of miles closer. The most disturbing for me is the possibility that the food will be good, but not +516 miles good. That leaves me disappointed and 516 miles from home. There are other reasons to go to Lawrence: Phoenix Gallery, couple of brewpubs, the location where Bob Dole assembles all of the Democrats in Kansas to see Bill Clinton (small hall),among others. Even then , 1000 miles is a long way to go for breakfast, no matter how good. Anyway, I just ate so.... read more

Best breakfast in town. Omelets are the best. Killer French Toast. Great atmosphere! This is your neighborhood cafe

Fantastic and welcoming! Ordered the corn beef. Best corn beef I've ever had. Highly recommend this place. read more

The Roost - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

This is one of my favorite brunch places in Lawrence. Great food, good drinks and great service. I've had so many great options - The Rooster, The Kansan, Chorizo & Eggs, Smoked Salmon Benny. They're all good! I've had their Bloody Mary's, Mimosas, Kansas City Coffee, the Deadwood & Sangria. I have yet to be disappointed by anything here! read more

#1 best place to have breakfast on mass street without a doubt. The staff has been very consistent for years, you can tell it's an awesome place to work and they're proud of their wares. And for good reason!! Can't beat it. The corn beef hash is my fave. read more

Great food but the layout is not conducive for the amount of people that want to eat. The staff is not well prepared or educated in how to place parties at available tables. We stood and watched parties of one being sat at four top tables with many, many bigger parties waiting. It'd be a lot better if they were better prepared with their seating plan. read more

Surprising foodie breakfast haven in the heart of Oz. This breakie joint in Lawrence KS was a pleasant stumble upon on the road trip through middle earth. Super cute place with a wide selection of coffees to pour in your bottomless mug. The eggs benny game was on point and the service was great. read more

The Roost is fabulous, I have chosen to go there several times and taken many friends new to town there. You can really tell that they put a lot of effort into the customer service but also the food in the presentation. Another great thing is that you can grab a drink while enjoying brunch. I would definitely recommend this place, especially after church. With this place being so good, you can expect a slight wait but it is worth it! read more

My favorite brunch spot in Lawrence used to come here all the time with my friend before our physics class. Definitely made the morning more enjoyable. Live in KC now but love to come back for the occasional coffee and omelette read more

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