***2 1/2 stars***
Our brunch at Farmhouse was a reminder that regardless of the quality of the food/menu, the service will make or break the experience. My chum and I came here for a post-hike brunch on Saturday afternoon after the lunch rush. After mild drama trying to figure out how to navigate around the slightly confusing traffic patterns nearby in downtown Cresskill, we easily found a spot right by the door and were seated almost immediately.
It was a little too nippy for it, but the outdoor seating looks very appealing; there's a bit of a vineyard vibe to it, with a patio area covered by a wooden arbor/roof. The interior also had a pleasant atmosphere; they understandably went with a rustic farmhouse theme, along with excellent lighting - one side of the restaurant is almost all windows. A good choice.
I ordered the Brioche French Toast with Strawberries (about $15), which were perfectly fine. They absolutely needed the accompanying syrup for flavoring purposes - even with the strawberries, it was a bit bland/flavorless. That's usually not the case in my experience. Maybe they need to add more butter in the prep process? I wouldn't avoid it in the future, but I also wouldn't go out of my way to order it again.
My chum got the Grilled Atlantic Salmon Sandwich (about $18). From my vantagepoint, it looked to be 75% toppings and 25% salmon, which she didn't dispute. Regardless, she enjoyed it a great deal and thought it quite tasty. She also ordered a cold mocha that visually had a lot to be desired. I've attached a picture hereto, and you can see they didn't bother to mix the chocolate - it looks more like a chocolate milk you'd order from a diner than a higher-class latte variation, but she said it tasted like it should, which is the most important thing.
What would have been at least an average brunch experience unfortunately was marred by uneven service and what looked from my perspective to be badly managed staff. I don't know if a manager or supervisor was on the premises when we were there, but it certainly didn't look like it. When I went to use the bathroom, cutting through the front/small bakery area, there were three or four employees just standing around gazing sullenly at either me or their cell phones. I don't expect a welcoming committee everywhere I go in a restaurant, but I'm also not crazy about feeling like I'm in the way or interrupting a riveting game of Candy Crush. They all looked to be around college-age so there probably wasn't a lot of professional job experience there, but the idea that someone hasn't given them constructive feedback about basic human interaction with customers and taking breaks (assuming some of them were on them) in a private area off the floor is a little eyebrow-raising to me.
Our waiter was pleasant enough but there were a few occasions during our meal where he disappeared for large chunks of time. For instance, he came by our table quickly to confirm drinks (so quickly we hadn't had a chance to look at the drink section of the menu and just asked for waters to start), but then didn't show up again for 10 minutes. That would have been easier to swallow if the restaurant had been crowded (I'd say three or four other tables were occupied at the time) and if we didn't have visual evidence to confirm that employees were twiddling their thumbs in the next room. But the food itself came out fairly quickly upon ordering, so you could argue some of the issues there cancel out.
There's definitely potential, and clearly a lot of investment has gone into the interior/exterior design to great effect. But based on our meal, they may want to divert some of their resources to staff training. ~EE
american restaurant