Coffee Rani - Mandeville — Restaurant in Mandeville

I used to eat here regularly years ago when I lived in the area. This was my first time back since then and I wanted to bring my wife to try since we were passing through. Let me state I’m not someone who complains or writes reviews ever, this is my first food review I’ve ever left and as a restaurant manager myself I found it necessary to comment. Upon arriving I went to use the rest room and stood in a hall outside the kitchen to wait where i naturally looked at their production setup. I watched the cooks preparing ready to eat food with their bare hands. Where I’m from gloves are required whereas I believe they are not in Louisiana. Normally that wouldn’t bother me but I watched one of the cooks use his finger as a spoon to scoop and spread some sauce on someone’s sandwich, then use is dirty apron go clean his hand. That def was a little unsettling, though I brushed it off and went about my business. I ordered and we ate, the food was subpar compared to my past experiences. It hit the spot but my wife wasn’t impressed we detoured just to go eat there. I got the crawfish Monica which was good but was barely warm which made me think it wasn’t held at the right temperature. Again I brushed it off and came home. After a few hours my food digested and hit my stomach really hard which had me back in the restroom. I hadn’t eaten anything else today so it had to be their food. Here i sit writing this, now regretting going to eat there. However I felt the need to share my experience, not to tell anyone not to not eat there, but rather in hopes of management reading this and running better controls on their food safety...

Located in the Pontchartrain Square Shopping center, Coffee Rani has good food at reasonable prices.

I always thought it was only a coffee shop, but was pleased to learn it has an extensive menu. After trying it last week, I enjoyed it so much that I came back the next day and several more times since.

On my first visit, I dined in. I was not a fan of the way the dining area was set up. While there were some booths, many of the tables were set very close together. I dislike restaurants that do that because it makes having private conversations difficult. Some of the tables also were right next to the area where people ordered or waited in line. Sitting there when there was a line would be a tad awkward.

Despite my issues with the dining area, the food has always been very good. The salads are the best I've had on the Northshore. Portions are large enough for a meal, and the ingredients have always been fresh and of high quality.

On my first visit, I stayed in my comfort zone and ordered a club salad. On later visits, I decided to trust their salad making expertise and I ordered the Jamacian Jerk salad. Who would have ever imagined a chicken salad with olives, grapes and apples could be so good? I sure didn't, but it was great. I guess the point that I am trying to make is that, the food here is very good. Even if you aren't sure about the listed ingredients, trust that they know what they're doing.

In closing, go to Coffee Rani and you'll enjoy it. Order to-go, and you'll enjoy...

This place is wildly successful and I’m glad —I hope everyone enjoys success. It makes the world go round. However I do have a few gripes.

I had ordered a very pricey coffee that came out lukewarm and had to chase down wait staff to fix issue. The original wait was 10 minutes for the latte for my family member. When I said it was lukewarm they replaced it in less than a minute. Squeaky wheel gets the better coffee, maybe?

Secondly, I have been there multiple times just because my party wanted it. I’ve been tired of it for a while. The food is very pricey and scores a 3-4/10 in my book. The flavors are mediocre. The execution of the dish is not what the menu says, on more than one visit. There is always something lacking (too few proteins or no pesto sauce, etc. In other words inconsistent performance and plating/presentation). It’s as if the mission of the business staff is how much can we get away with in not giving our customer a decent amount of chicken yet charge premium prices for it.

The staff are helpful for the most part but the coffee story above was glaring.

It’s really just fashionable to eat here and I can’t justify bland food and sparse servings for high prices. It is busy often so people enjoy it. And places that are not impressive, service-wise and in regard to flavors, continue to thrive. As the saying goes, “There’s no accounting for the...