Fran's

[Angel]

Went again today.  Service was still great...Mohamad especially!  I decided to try to biscuits and gravy this time and they were ok.  Not great.  Chubby's is definitely better.  I probably won't order that again compared to the Kansas City scramble I had the other day.

Friends both got eggs benedict and said it was delicious.

Full order of B&G plus a glass of juice = $10

The potatoes are excellent.

[TheSmokinPun]

I'm still trying to lose weight, but I'm starting to see the KC Scramble and poutine in my sleep, this isn't good.

[PumpkinStalker]

Went again, this time with coworkers.  One whined the whole way there from Crown Center whether we were going to have to walk far from where we parked.  This coming from someone that used to commute from Louisburg to work everyday!  (But since cut their drive by moving to Olathe/OP!  WOW!)

That aside, they liked the place.  The service was good but took a long time to get our food.  Business was very good for a place that's been open a week!  One of my coworkers and I both ordered the chicken nachos.  They were pretty good for diner nachos.  Not the best I've had but definitely not the worst.  Another had a bowl of baked potato soup and an appetizer of bruschetta.  The bruschetta was quite good, had lots of flavor (got to try it).  And the last coworker ordered the shepherds pie, which is what I had on my first visit.  He said it was fantastic, and I noticed his veggies had improved since my ordering of it earlier in the week.  This time, the veggies were more varied and he got the floret part of the broccoli instead of the fibrousy stalky part like I did.  So good improvement there...

All in all, pretty solid.  I saw improvement that makes me think they will settle into what they are trying to be and pull it off well.

[mudjack]

We went Friday night. There were 3 or 4 tables in the restaurant, but I guess they haven't started marketing it yet.

I tried the poutine, shich I liked, but my wife wouldn't help me eat it.

We'll have to go back when things pick up a bit.

It should develop into a good place for people watching.

[cknab1]

The wife and I had breakfast there Saturday morning.  We both had Fran?s premium, hers with bacon, and mine with sausage.  We also had a side of B&G.  The potatoes were very good and the sausage and bacon were fine.  The eggs had to be the smallest I?ve seen in a long time.  We both had the eggs over easy and they were cooked fine just small.  The B&G was a big disappointment.  I guess the biscuits were ok but the gravy was just flour and water.  No flavor at all.  We will probably go back and try lunch, but we might be doe with breakfast there.  After the Springsteen concert tonight, if we are hungry, we might swing by.

[DaveKCMO]

anyone been lately? we haven't, after several additional reports of service issues.

[KCPowercat]

I've been twice...once brunch time and once late night...no service issues here.  I'll loving this place.

[Angel]

I've been several times for breakfast and the service is always great.  It's when I go at other times that the service seems to go downhill.  I always ask for the same waiter when we go for breakfast, so that probably has something to do with it.

[scooterj]

I've been once at about 2am.  The service was slightly slow, but the service was stil good.    Most of the group was pleased with the food, however the person who ordered nachos didn't like them.  I told her that ordering Mexican food at a Canadian restaurant probably wasn't the best idea. 

[staubio]

Took my family for an after-theater dinner last weekend. Service and food were decent. Nice to have a 10:30 dinner option with a full menu.

[LenexatoKCMO]

The times that we have been there, the service has been extremely friendly but a tad slow.  Frankly I am fine with that as I can't imagine this being a place I would ever go to if I was in a hell fire hurry. 

[ChandraNH]

We went this past Saturday morning around 11ish.  It was about half full. 

Service was slow (it took about 15 minutes for the waiter to take our drink order and another 10 minutes to bring them (iced teas).  It then took a while for them to take our food order and longer for it to be brought to us.  We were there for about an hour.

He ordered the hash, eggs and toast
I had club sandwich and their "famous chili"

His meal was just okay, nothing special, he prefers the hash at Mama's.
My meal with less than pleasing.  They originally brought out veggie chili but realized the mistake and took it away and 10 minutes later brought out the right chili.  The sandwich was meh, nothing special  The chili was the least chili like chili I've ever had.  It wasn't warm enough (as though it had sat for a while) and it was closer to a sweet meat stew with finely ground meat that I couldn't see and a ton of celery and carrots and a hint of cinnamon.  I'm a serious chili lover and this was not up to diner chili standards.

I'm not sure if we'll go back, it's just nothing great.  the drinks menu is in the middle of the food menu.  Decor and ambiance were a mixture of upscale bistro, diner and industrial space.  My husband hated the muzak-like music.

To cheer ourselves up, we went to Cosentinos for little-neck clams and sausage for dinner.

[bbqboy]

carrots and celery?!?

[TheSmokinPun]

Still, they have poutine.

[DaveKCMO]

some friends had breakfast at fran's saturday morning and reported a positive experience. they were handed comment cards, so it appears that they are at least listening?

[kccrackednut]

Service was awful tonight.  Lots of customers ignored by staff.  Seems like this place is falling apart.

[Angel]

Despite the unpredictable service, I went again on New Years eve before a movie.  Not many people, but it was early...around 7pm.  And it was snowing like crazy.  We ordered drinks and they didn't get to the table until we were almost done with our food so they didn't charge us for them.  Our waiter was really friendly, but it's frustrating that they're still having trouble with their service/timing...especially when the place isn't even half full.  I warn people when I take them that it's hit or miss.

I had gone a couple of days before that for breakfast and had to hunt down someone to seat us.  As soon as we sat down and before cracking the menus open, our waitress popped up and rudely said we better order our food right that minute or she couldn't guarantee we'd get it anytime soon.  Uh...ok.  It took 45 minutes for our food to come (she was true to her word), and we never saw her again.  I had to run someone else down for the check.

I really want to like this place, but they're making it difficult.

[kccrackednut]

The service has definitely gone downhill fast.  I am reluctant to take friends there because the service is so dicey.  The Toronto locations are a lot better.  I bet this place is gone in three months, which is too bad. 

[ignatius]

Was there over weekend before seeing Avatar.  Server didn't see us once after taking order, no coffee refill.  A runner brought the food, not the server - asked runner for refill.  Had to ask hostess for server to give us the check and immediately gave him the card when he came with it.  Left no tip.  Hate to do that because it is likely the system that is botched and not the server, but if they don't see you once after the order...

Food was also quite bland, like what I'd image what comes out of a Star Trek replicator.  Looked great, no sign of flavors and had to wonder if it was real egg.  Dousing it in Cholula didn't save it.

[KCPowercat]

Sounds like they have some real issues to overcome but I'm not ready to just completely right them off so soon.