Fast & French Gaulart-Maliclet
| Address: | 98 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA |
| Phone: | +1 843-577-9797 |
| Site: | fastandfrenchcharleston.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 8AM–4PM 8AM–10PM 8AM–10PM 8AM–10PM 8AM–10:30PM 8AM–10:30PM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
PA
Patrick de la Pena
This place is seriously awesome. The food was delicious, the decor is fun, and I am a big fan of community seating. However, this place recently did away with tipping. Awesome right? Tipping is lame, and I would much rather just know what I am paying when going into it. If you talk to anyone who is opposed to getting rid of tipping, they will say the same thing. "Yeah it would be great, but then the service would probably suck right?". To this, I would argue that people are inclined to actually do their job, so this fear is unfounded. God damn you Fast and French. I had so much hope that finally somewhere in the Charleston area is going to be on the progressive side of an out of date practice, and you had to go and s**t the bed. The service was SO GOD DAMN BAD. Like, I am not an impatient person in general, but this was objectively wayyyyy below acceptable standards. It wasnt busy, and was on a weekday. The table never got checked on, the water never got refilled, we had to track down the waiter to get a second glass of wine, and you would have thought we had insulted the staff by asking how the frack the fondue works. (frack me for wanting to try something new right???) Anyways. I hope everyone gets fired, and this place finds staff that can properly represent that tipping is no longer needed. Or maybe it is and I am just too up my own ass about the work ethic of general population.
DA
Dawn Grasso
This is the worst French restaurant I’ve ever been to. The hostess/server was very cold and unfriendly, the place only had one other customer and I totally understand why- this should have been my que to leave but I stayed. It was early afternoon on a Tuesday and I was looking for a great French pastry, I searched the web for a spot and this one had good reviews so I gave it a shot. I ordered a chocolate croissant to go and it took a very long time to get, I stood there for at least 10min waiting which felt very uncomfortable while the hostess made me feel as if I was in the way of something or how dare I order it to go. The chocolate croissant was the absolute worst I’ve ever had, as I left with my croissant in brown bag and sat out on a bench to eat it- first it was huge and tasteless, it seems like they just used a very large regular croissant cut it in half then melted a large Hershey bar in the center . The mound of chocolate was absurd; it tasted burnt dry and soggy all at once. I couldn’t even swallow it- spit it out and tossed it in the nearest trash. Fast & French is just terrible.
MI
Mike V
If youre looking for a French restaurant, I recommend somewhere else like Rue de Jean. I was not aware that Fast and French is only going for a "French flair" (whatever that means). The music was some weird artsy fartsy crap that didnt fit (makes sense considering all the vegetarian garbage included on the menu). They dont serve espresso for some seemingly unknowable reason, which is fine, but when I asked the waitress why, she argued that they didnt have it because espresso is Italian. No duh, Sherlock, but thats no reason to not have it. Tons of places in France serve espresso regardless of its roots. French fries arent an American invention, but that doesnt seem to stop McDonalds and every other American fast food chain from serving them all over the country. She didnt know much about the menu and did a poor job serving (maybe the most French thing about the restaurant). All that aside, the food is good. Bad servers come and go, so if youre looking for decent food and arent looking for an actual French restaurant, then Fast and French is just fine.
A
A Private User
Not good at all. I didnt enjoy the atmosphere or the unfriendly/unattentive staff. The food was less than mediocre. I also ordered a cafe au lait which was offered on the menu, yet they told me they dont serve that because they have no way to heat it. (weird right?) So I then ordered a regular coffee and it took them 15 minutes to bring it to me. I was pretty unhappy at this point. The chocolate croissant I ordered tasted old and the chocolate had no flavor. I was not impressed with the cleanliness of the place. I will surely not return and I will not recommend it to any of my friends or people who are looking for a good place to eat.
J.
J. B
We visited this small, friendly restaurant on a whim while passing through Charleston. My wife and I were really happy with our lunch, service, and coffees, and Im really particular about the quality of food I eat so five stars from me is a bit of a rarity. This place definitely deserves it. As for some of the other reviews about small portions, I believe theyre comparing it to the usual gargantuan portions Americans are used to, which is usually more food than one needs anyway. The price to quality to portion ratio was just perfect in my opinion.
MI
Mike Pernecky
Such a neat little place, and no tipping allowed! They have a daily special you can get that comes with a drink (wine included) or just order off the menu. When we went here they had an awesome roasted beef that tasted like it was cooking for days in some red wine, served with some great bread and a veg. Oh and make sure to get some french pressed coffee, brewed on demand. I wish we had a place like this in Tampa, wed go here all the time if it was near us! Very affordable, great food, all in a casual French bar/cafe experience. Loved it!
A
A Private User
If you like frozen TV dinners, then youll love this place. The food tasted like it was prepared 4 days in advance and re-heated in the microwave. The beef was rubber, chicken over cooked, and nothing was seasoned (not even salt or pepper was added). The only good things about the meal was the soup, wine, and service. Its family style cramped sitting, which didnt bother me. But if you are looking for a more intimate setting, dont go here. If you just want some soup or bread, then it might work....but dont dare for anything else!
RA
Ralen Gao
Very low-key. Coffee out of French press (of course). Cramped interior filled with art, quirky lanterns, and several large farm tables intended for sharing among the customers. I dropped by for coffee and a Turkey-and-Brie Croissant with French Onion Soup. The food was decent and reasonably-priced, didnt blow up my taste buds with joy or anything, but it seems like a really nice place to hang out, read, and nurse a cup of coffee for hours and hours, with no one to hurry you along, a la traditional European cafes.
PA
Paul Blichmann
For cafe purposes I think this is excellent as the soups and bread were delish. However I would be hesitant to praise the entrees...it seemed, in my non-expert opinion, that they are not making great sauces and are approximating classical sauces with sour cream (which I noticed they use a lot of). Very cool place inside, with a rustic yet sophisticated mood and friendly yet unobtrusive service. I would like to return someday and try a lunch special or pastry/coffee.
KA
Kat Mangione
Reccomended by my big brother who visited Charleston earlier this spring... so I had to try it. Fabulous food. The restaurant smells heavenly. their daily specials and soups are listed on the website and updated daily... today we had the most marvelous toasted croissant with sautéed vegetables and mushrooms and melted cheese. Daily specials are under $10 and include the special, choice of soup, fresh fruit, and a glass of wine. Yum!
