Le Petit Marche — Restaurant in Atlanta

I've been in the neighborhood nearly 12 years and always frequented this establishment on Sunday's after church or pick up a call-in order on the way to work. I always bring visitors here for brunch/lunch. Previously 5 star rating.

I haven't been in several months due to travel and COVID-19. However, I've seen the posts on social media that they were open and offering online ordering (one step up from call-in in my opinion). So I placed an order online at 12:30 for a 13:00 pick up. I received a text notification that my older was placed and received. I ran errands and arrive to pick up my order at 12:55.

There is one sign on the patio that reads "Pick-Up Order Entrance." But there aren't any signs of the flow, just people hanging out on the patio. So asked a few patrons the flow. "So we just wait until our name is called? Do we tell them that we have arrived?" "Yes and Yes" was their reply.

One couple informed me that they placed an online order 1 1/2 hours prior and it wasn't ready. I'm not trying to wait that long so I inform the runner that I'm here for a 13:00 pickup. It's not ready, but should be out shortly. Meanwhile, she is now asking other patrons to remind her of their name on the order. People after me arrive to pick up their orders in no time.

After 15 minutes of waiting I go inside and asked, "What's the status? We're now approaching the 45 minute mark since the order was received." She proceeds to tell me, "That the weekend are the busiest days and we are 45 minutes behind on online orders." In which I respond, "I know. I've been coming here for 12 years. But I ordered the Salmon Croquette. It is literally grits (that's already made), scramble cheese eggs, with a salmon croquette on the top. But based on your theory my food should still be ready because it has been 45 minutes." She said, "We're really only behind 20 minutes (since the pick up was scheduled for 13:00)."

But as a process improvement expert, I immediately see the problem. There's too many people in there and most are standing around idly. At least 3 people on the griddle side and three people between the prep space and the counter. Another 4 people on the outside of the counter chilling (all they're doing is taking the completed orders and placing it on the table next to the patio). The one who is managing the online orders is seated and doing absolutely nothing.

Literally a lady in the back comes out as asks if they need any help? No one responds. I finally say, "Yes, they need some help." She jumps in and begins to help calling out names of completed orders.

While I'm still waiting, the runner takes a walk-in order then comes back and asks my name for the 3rd time then provides a coupon for a free meal for my next visit. At 13:25 I receive my food (see image attached). I get home. No utensils for a to-go-order. SMH The salmon croquette is hard and dry. I bite into it, too salty. But in comparison to the bland grits, they counter each other and it's palatable.

Then I get a text at 13:32 that my order is ready. I know. I'm eating it now. SMH

Also the online fee of $1.50 covers what? Paper supplies, utensils, that I didn't receive? Service charge that is pushed to the customer? In addition, online patrons HAVE to select a tip of 15% or greater to proceed to checkout. Service was terrible and not worth any of it!!!

Bottom line, based on this one experience I have changed my rating from 5 stars to 2 stars. Once they're open back to their full capacity, I'll consider returning. If Marchet doesn't tighten this up and she will be out of business sooner than later and I don't want that for...

One of my best friends took me out today for my birthday here, first time visiting and it’s been on my list for a while. Super cute inside, loved the music, atmosphere, everyone had a smile. Our server was very nice and was patient with me since I couldn’t decide on what to order. I asked for water when he took our drink orders, and he said they only had bottled, which I was a little put off by. I know in Europe you don’t usually get tap water if you ask for water, always bottled, but this is Atlanta, not France. I knew it would be a charge but I was like whatever it’s fine. Turned out to be Acqua Panna, nice/kinda fancy but i didn’t need all that. Turned out to be $5 for the water. My friend got a Natalie’s juice, which turned out to be $7(!). He didn’t even give him a glass to pour it into which he said he was fine with but I thought was poor form. For food, I ordered the seafood gumbo, and my friend got the salmon bagel sandwich. The gumbo itself was delicious, the roux base was perfect, it was just spicy enough, really as good as anything in New Orleans (gumbo is a family thing for me, relatives are from e Texas/LA so I am a little picky!). However, the menu item was “seafood gumbo”, and it turned out to be clearly chicken and sausage with a couple (literally 2) tiny shrimp thrown in and maybe 3 tiny bay scallops…not what you think of as seafood gumbo at $19 a plate. You might as well have said chicken and sausage gumbo w fried shrimp on the side, because there were a couple of shrimp sitting atop the buttered toast with wilted romaine and a halved cherry tomato. They were cooked well, but the breading sorta kept wanting to fall off - too thin maybe? Also wish the shrimp had tails still on, would have made for better presentation. My friends sandwich was hot smoked salmon with cream cheese, arugula, some capers, and a little sliced onion I think. The photo did not lead me to expect a typical cold lox bagel so this wasn’t too surprising. It was a good sandwich but presentation could have been better, one orange slice was tossed on the side like an afterthought. Cutting it in half and deli paper on the plate would have been nice to make it easier/less messy to eat. He got “Geehi boy grits” ($4) on the side with cheese added ($1.50), which I assume was supposed to be “Geechee Boy”, which is an artisan stone ground grits brand from SC. Grits were fine, cooked well, nothing too special. They just threw some shredded cheddar on top and called it a day. Our server, always smiling and polite brought us some house made hot sauce for the table, which I balked a little at, afraid it was going to be another up charge like the water, but when we got the bill it wasn’t listed so that was nice, and it was good. The tipping options they present you with are quite high, starting at 27% but you can add a custom amount if you want to tip the standard 20%. All in all, our food was good, but the prices were high for what it was. Presentation in general needed a little something extra for the prices, and the photos on the online menu are beautiful but a little deceiving. Most entrees are close to $20, and not a ton of options for just a nice French omelet with fruit on the side or something. Overall, good experience but wouldn’t come back, there are too many other great brunch places with more value...

So I have to update my review of this place and I'm sad to say that things aren't quite the same here.  I can deal with it if either the service or the food isn't that great, but not when both are sub par.

Service:  Came in on a Sunday morning at 9 and stood at the ordering spot while the workers sort of milled around chatting.  It was not busy at all and yet nobody seemed to care that there was a line of folks building? It took five minutes just to even be acknowledged, and that somebody would be with us shortly.  Okay, fine.  A few minutes later, an employee who had seen us waiting before but oddly didn't say anything finally came and took our order.

Then there was bizarre hostility coming from the older woman changing the coffee filters or something at the beverages.  Maybe she didn't like how my husband and I had to be near her while she did her thing, I'm not quite sure why she became so irate that I needed coffee?  What...what do you think will happen at a breakfast restaurant on Sunday morning?  After my husband got his coffee, I went up to pour mine and tell her good morning (since I work in customer service, it's my habit to greet cheerfully, even when the person is clearly wishing I burst into flames):

Her:  You can get it from the black one!

Me:  Uh, okay--

Her:  Which one do you need?

Me:  The--

Her:  WHICH ONE DO YOU NEED?!

Me (looking around because I can't tell if I'm being pranked?):  That one!

Her:  OKAY, TAKE THAT ONE!

Me:  Okay...THANKS!

Y'all, she was pissed but I have no idea what her problem was.  Sorry for existing?

I could have lived with all that nonsense if the food was as good as it had been in the past.  I usually order The Kirkwood because of the potatoes but they were so oily this time that they were almost translucent.  The eggs were okay, if not a little oily and heavy as well.  Toast was fine, as was the chicken sausage, but served almost room temperature?  I was a little surprised after choosing our table how fast the food came out, so it made me wonder if some weren't freshly cooked.  The lemon pancakes at least were about the same.

On a last note, we sat outside and there was a dead cockroach on their patio.  I'm not faulting them for that, because obviously they can't control the outdoor creatures,  but it was weird how it hadn't been scraped up or anything, because it was kind of big and near the middle.

For how much of a nightmare parking can be and all the other brunch options, I probably wouldn't recommend this place any more.  It's almost as if with their popularity, they know they can treat customers and food without the same...