french pantry

as good as we expected. great lunch. we've been waiting to go for a while and we were impressed. shrimp po boy was superb, excellent flavor combinations. bruschetta was delicious. napoleon for dessert was superb. we will be back. freshbreadmakes all the difference.

ate lunch here today -french dip w caesar salad and brown butter cake. the sandwich was good to very good. most of the flavor was in the dressing. the beef was moist, tender and ample. it wasn't huge, but adequate. thebreadserved on was good -had a nice crust, but not very flavorful. the salad was good and fresh, but had little flavor. the asiago roll served w was very good -nice texture and flavorful. the cake was topped with very good fresh strawberries and a very good fresh strawberry puree to cover it with. the top layer was full of blueberries. they were good, but not very flavorful. perhaps they were fresh which this time of year usually have little. the crust was excellent. for $23 plus drink it was pricey. overall, most all they have are sandwiches which is easy enough to make at home so i probably wont be back. i can do better at home. 3.2 stars.
i did take a danish home which proved to be excellent -great pastry dough had terrific texture and wonderful flavor. that was the clear best item i tried. since they do have a separate register/counter for take outs there's no need to wait in line with those who dine in. i may stop in when nearby to get another to go. on a return i will skip the meal and head straight for their danish. it's a gem. that i will be back for and highly recommend.

for what this place is it is excellent. anything you order here will be good, so just pick whatever looks good to you. thebreadand desserts are excellent too. the staff is good considering how busy it can get, they seem to somehow find seats for you. only drawback is the long lines!

there is not a better place in jacksonville than french pantry. only open for lunch, you have to get there early because once they are out, they don't make any more. it is walk up and order with a slew of breads and desserts you can also get to take home. the goat cheese rolls are phenomenal. all meals start with freshbreadand olive oil. i went with the shrimp and goat cheese bruschetta. we also couldn't resist the strawberry napolean. if you haven't been you must go. they also just recently bought edgewood bakery so i am anxiously awaiting the new location!

yummy in my tummy! i ordered the grilled cheese with beef short ribs, arugula and brie. let me tell ya it was amazing, my only complaint is that thebreadportion was a bit too greasy (buttery) for my liking. thebreadprior to the meal is always delicious as well as the deserts. got lucky today and the line wasn't too long which it normally is waaaay too long to stand in for my lunch break.

i don't even like dessert...but i order it here 75% of the time. this is seriously one of the best restaurants in jacksonville! if you love bread, then you have found your new favorite place. the lines are typically long...so try and go around 11 or at 1:30 or expect to wait. you also might sit with people you don't know because the seating is a hodge podge of wooden tables and chairs. my favorite is any of the bruschetta; chicken, artichoke and goat cheese or chicken and mozzarella (pictured). i typically can't eat more then 2 pieces because i fill up on thebreadand oil and seasonings before lunch comes and i eat all the tomatoes (i could eat an entire plate of their tomatoes)! my husband loves the burgers. their french fries are also amazing. this place never disappoints!

i wish i could eat here every day. seriously great food, simple but so well executed! we got there at 10:30 (they open at 11) and there was already a small line that got longer quickly. they opened the doors a few minutes early and the order taker worked quickly, so by 11 we had already ordered at the counter and sat down. there were 2 women delivering food, so it didn't even take 5 minutes to get our drinks and desserts. yes, they apparently follow the "life is short" motto and brought desserts first. i saw some people put them to the side in favor of the freshbreadalso delivered to the table, but i couldn't wait and dug into the heavenly tiramisu. rich cake, light topping, a noticeable hit of alcohol that kept me on my toes (and happy i was going to have time to metabolize it). my companion had the vanilla cheesecake, which was apparently also a winner, but didn't interest me enough to try some. our sandwiches showed up quickly, and we're also delicious. how can they make a simple french dip taste so much better than other places? all in all it was wonderful, although i can understand the complaints about the wait- the line continued to be out the door the whole time we were there. i've heard that the owner doesn't want to expand because the quality would suffer, so i'm willing to put up with it for the fantastic food they're putting out.


-----17 apr, 2015-----

tiramisu. this was so good it was almost sexual


-----17 apr, 2015-----

the parisienne french dip. so delicious!!!

best place in jax. from thebreadto the sandwiches and even dessert everything is fresh amazing a home made. wish it was open on saturdays every time ive been there i had the best service they are always busy so dont exspect to have them waiting hand and foot on just you


-----08 sep, 2014-----

my favorite. this place is the best place to eat my favorite restaurant so nice

this hidden gem is worth the wait!. this is hands down one of my favorite restaurants in jacksonville. i learned of it from a friend of a friend (a self-proclaimed 'foodie') and i had to check it out. they're only open on week days for a few hours during lunch. the place is so nondescript that we drove by it and were confused by our gps telling us that we had arrived. the signage only consists of a green awning with the words 'french pantry' on it. we had to park around back because the small front lot was full and the line was out the door. there was a decent wait to order, but it was absolutely worth it.

while you're waiting in line, take the time to go over the menu board that's outside. there was also one posted on the door and a menu board right inside the front door. with so many phenomenal menu items to choose from, i had a difficult time deciding. i ended up ordering the portebella panini (yum) and my boyfriend and i split a piece of wedding cake. the inside is small, but quaint. you will be most likely be seated at a table with people you don't know, but it just adds to the charm. the staff isn't overly talkative, but they are super busy and they answered any questions we had about the pastries politely. they serve complimentary freshbreadwith eat meal. i knew when i tasted thebreadthat my main course was going to be outstanding! the panini was excellent - i loved the portabella/cheese pairing (i can't remember the type of cheese it was). onto the monstrous slice of wedding cake ... i was skeptical as i really don't like cake. this took me by surprise - it's more of a shortcake? it's very light and the cream cheese icing is perfect, not overly sweet. the slice is served with a strawberry drizzle. their strawberry, cake, icing is a winning combination.

i would highly recommend the french pantry - although it's worth every second of the wait, just be sure you have the time.

  french pantry is a teeny tiny sandwich place that only has about 10 tables. they are only open for lunch monday through friday from 11am to 2:15pm, and you better get there early! the line usually starts forming outside around 10:30am. every. day. it’s that good. now i know you are wondering how a sandwich place can be that good. reason number one? the bread.   they make all of theirbreadfresh daily. it’s so good that many jacksonville chefs buy it to use in their own restaurants! when you get a table (which is family style, so make some new friends!) you are given complimentarybreadwith oil and spices. i know it’s hard, but you must pace yourself! don’t fill up on bread; remember that the good stuff is coming next!   favorite menu items: turkey bacon swiss guacamole sandwich pastrami on rye   dining tips: get there early! i am not exaggerating! i got there around 11 one time and stood outside for 45 minutes. yeah i know that sounds crazy. but once you have invested so much time,

absolutely delicious! just thebreadthe sandwiches come on is worth the wait. last trip, i had the hot italian. the combinations of meat, bread, cheese and mustard (a grainy mustard) really put the italian sandwich over the mark for me.
my friend and i shared chocolate cake and cheesecake, both topped with fresh strawberries and accompanied with a strawberry sauce. her cheesecake had this thick, graham cracker crust yummy. mine had a thick layer of chocolate fudge icing.
we also split the truffle fries. we both agreed that the sauce that comes with it is up there with peruvian and shrimp sauce lol one of our new favorites.

french pantry is definitely a treat. you definitely have to plan this trip out and get there early. or, later. i am hopeful they will expand some day, but until then, we roll in early or not at all.

one of the best hidden gems in jacksonville!. this place never disappoints- everything from the warmbreadthey bring out when you sit down to the amazing desserts makes the long wait worth it. i would definitely recommend getting there early. or go when it's rainy.

as if the sandwich isn’t enough, there’s more. since the french pantry is a veritable warehouse full of bread, you’ll also get a separate plateful of frenchbreadwith your order, accompanied by balsamic-infused oil with herbs for round two of the dipping action of your carbo-loading lunch.

go early! loved it. finally had some time to make the pilgrimage to what is commonly referred to as having the best sandwiches in town. i arrived around 10:45am to a mostly empty restaurant, so i had plenty of time to chat up the employees about what items are most popular and all that.

taking my time, i ordered the shrimp po'boy and a blueberry cheese tart. while waiting for my food, the line of patrons appeared from out of thin air...even on a rainy, late monday morning. i was in and out within 15 minutes, and the food was amazing. po'boy was flavored to perfection, toppings fresh and crisp, and thebreadwas delicious. the tart was not overly sweet with fresh blueberries and a flavorful crust. in short, i will definitely come here for lunch again provided i can make it over before 11am.

great quality meat andbreadon the sandwiches. and did i say great bread! yummy don't let the looks of the exterior or small eating area fool you. this place is delicious!