Grand Pied — Restaurant in St. Louis

I’ll start with the positives: the food was amazing. We had beignets as appetizers and they were so good you didn’t even need dip. Paired great with their oat milk iced latte. The slinger was great (although I maybe would recommended cutting the potatoes slightly smaller to get more crisp). And the much lauded pancakes were transcendent.

The negatives: the service. So we had a party of 5 (which after reading the website after the fact is discouraged) and it was a disaster. People in my group were told on 5 different occasions to return to our seats quite rudely (not as in “would you please return to your seat sir/miss” but rather “you NEED to sit down). Now we weren’t even being obnoxious or purposefully in the way, once my fiancée was up to inquire about salt (which isn’t on the table by default) and twice my brother in law (who was seated separately at the bar was showing us something. He was even eventually asked to leave which is ridiculous.). We weren’t “in the way” so to say. I would have two recommendations: either don’t seat groups of more then 4 (literally just tell us no at the outset and be done with it if it’s such a big deal) or remove some tables if someone standing or walking in your restaurant for a minimal time is that big of a problem). How is a customer supposed to get the basics if there is zero service and they’re not allowed to move about the restaurant? Altogether 80% of the harassment was by one staff member so maybe they were just having a bad day. Further, we weren’t checked on even once. Our food was brought and that was it. We were not asked how the food was, refilled on water, etc (basic restaurant service stuff).

Atmosphere was good, kind of eclectic. Appreciated the thrifted china/glass jars and art/music. I was a bit surprised that nearly all of the service staff was showing their midriff.

That said, the food was great but if you’re charging $20+ per person then you need to have at least a basic level of professionalism with...

I will give you a genuine assessment of the overall experience for two people dining at this establishment

Atmosphere: Upon arrival it’s a small cozy little cafe style restaurant. It looks like the place use to be an actual apartment or house at one point and they turned it into a cafe. They having seating on the outside as well as seating on the inside. There is no more than 7 or 8 small tables in the instead and about 3 or 4 outside. The place is clean and appears to be kept up.

Service: This isn’t considered a restaurant to the American standard. You place your order online with a QR Code that has on the table. You pay UP FRONT before you even get your food as if it were fast food style as well. You don’t actually have a designated waiter since you purchase your drinks online as well. The runner brings out your drinks and food. They come around to see if you need a refill but your cup may have been empty for a while.

Food: EVERYTHING IS almost A LA CARTE on the menu which makes the food high priced. The pancakes are their staple food they sell and they are $15 for two pancakes. We order 2 orders of pancakes, 2 sides of eggs, he ordered grits and i ordered the potatoes. The potatoes were great and the grits were very salty so he ended up eating my potatoes with me. For us both the eat it was nearly $80 for a regular breakfast with drinks.

Overall Experience: Was it worth the $80; not at all was the food decent yes, but it was high priced. I assume it’s because...

We came here for brunch on a Saturday, the place was busy but only had to wait 20ish minutes to be seated. They have an area with picnic tables where you and your party can wait. We decided to sit outside on the side of the building, which they transformed in this adorable little patio area with tons of plants. Their ordering process is done through QR codes located on the tables, as they do not have paper menus. Definitely a smart approach to the restaurant business. The location doesn’t serve alcohol and the non-alcoholic mimosas are a must try. They have a vast menu a several vegetarian options too! I ordered Beignettes for the table. They were made with butter and cinnamon sugar dust and came with a side of jam for dipping. My main course was a herb and goat cheese omelette, which was stuffed with herb and goat cheese blend and served with a mixed green salad. Not only was it a perfectly made omelet but it also tasted absolutely wonderful! The flavors blended perfectly together! I also ordered a side of potatoes that were cooked to perfection! Their service was fast and the staff friendly. The QR Code menu goes straight to the kitchen, expediting the whole food process. Off the street parking is available. Overall an absolutely fantastic experience and I will definitely be...