Farrago World Cuisine Hours: See Profile   318 Gray St @ Bagby Houston TX 77002 713.523.6404 You might also be interested in these:     Continental Cuisine    Sunday Brunch    ZIP 77002 Profile Description: far•ra•go, fuh-rah-goh, a mixture, hodgepodge; medley; an assortment; a conglomeration. When the restaurant opened in 2000, it was one of the first located in the newly renovated Midtown section of Houston’s downtown. The concept and vision was, and still is, to provide fine dining in an urban, social atmosphere where people enjoy the charm and innovation of the restaurant. Throughout the seven years, Farrago lives up to its name from the unique menu choices, selective wine list, house specialty   Add Review PROFILE     MY REVIEW: I'm torn about this restaurant. They have very interesting and well thought out items on the menu. Most of the food is excellent and the atmosphere is great. Avoid the lamb shank, it was not tender likely from not searing the outside sufficiently before braising. I can't stress enough that everything else is wonderful. NAME: busakisama SUBMITTED: 3/6/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: Jan 2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I LOVE this restaurant. I love the food and the service is OUTSTANDING. I truly miss dining with them at least once a week. My co-workers from New York were in today and loved the atmosphere and dining experince as well. I've always ordered the vietmanese salad aka crack salad. It's addicitng. However I have two new favorites, the Farrago Burger and the Jerk Wings......To die love. Garrett and Staff keep up the great work. See you soon!!!! NAME: Darlene Alexander SUBMITTED: 9/19/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 09/19/2007 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I started going to Farrago when it very first opened. The early days were grand! Service was outstanding, food was amazing. I moved away for a while, and upon return, I have been to Farrago twice. I am now under whelmed with the whole experience. The menu has changed very little throughout its lifetime. The old favorites from the past are lacking their former appeal. Although some of the more recent reviews report terrible service, I report only mediocre service. The staff doesn't seem too concerned with good service. You might get refilled, and you might get what you ordered, or you might not (like my last visit!). Not ready to write this place off totally, but they need to improve their service and update the menu to keep me interested! NAME: Rob SUBMITTED: 4/7/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/5/07 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Great food, service is always iffy. Worst thing about this place is large groups - Farrago's is highly notorious for, if you even split a large bill three ways, they DOUBLE GRATUITY everyone - so you end paying 40% on the check. Basically, you get the gratuity for a party of ten or more anyway, but when you divide the final total (the one with tip) and split that a few ways, the waiter then gratuities the new total, you end up charging everyone gratuity on the already gartuitied bill. The management always has to come back and fix everything, and your large party is there waiting an additional thirty minutes. They have still not fixed this, and we have to now warn them everytime. I will say, if their food was not good, I would not tolerate this - every other restaurant in Midtown or Downtown can get this right, or has the correct waitstaff software... they need to upgrade the system. Dividing $270 total with tip only needs to be $90 each. NOT $108 each. NAME: Gil Velasquez SUBMITTED: 3/29/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 03/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: It had been over a year since I last visited Farrago and the food was as incredible as I remember it. The crowd, however, isn't as hip as it was once, perhaps owing to the fact that there are newer and trendier restaurants in mid-town these days. Our group didn't experience problems with the staff, and even if we did, the stiff drinks poured by the bartender more than compensated for any of the staff's shortcomings. NAME: the new thirty SUBMITTED: 3/2/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/07 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: i've always liked the food and atmosphere here, and usually the wait staff. But today i called to find out about NY Eve's, and got a manager response that was curt to the point of being rude. Reading other reviews here about poor customer service from management confirms it. Farrago needs a change in management attitude or the very large Houston restaurant choice will lead discriminating patrons other places. NAME: Former Farrago Fan SUBMITTED: 12/30/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: Oct 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I've been going here for a few years now and the food is always good. The house and asian salads are really good. The service is hit and miss but not bad more often than not. NAME: Mean Troy Dean SUBMITTED: 11/16/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/2006 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: Took my son there for lunch after the zoo because he loves the french fries. I had a Vietnamese Salad for the first time which is outstanding. The service was great and the patio was packed on a beautiful day. Great cap to the end of an afternoon. NAME: ERG SUBMITTED: 4/11/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: April 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I used to love and look foward to Sunday brunches at Farrago. The upbeat atmosphere and bottomless mimosas were a great way to cap our weekend. HOWEVER, I think it's time for us to search out a new Sunday a.m. locale. A couple weeks ago, we had a mildly bad experience: Our party of 6 arrived for our reservation and were told it was going to be a few minutes b/c our table was not ready. THe previous diners weren't gone. OK, no big deal. After my husband went to the hostess stand to check on status a couple times, we started to get concerned. Finally, I went to the hostess/manager and asked if there wasn't another table we could have. We had been waiting about 30 minutes for our reservation. She was... well, rude isn't even the word for it! She told me that she already explained the situation and that it wasn't their fault if the people weren't getting up from the table. They couldn't "force them to leave." We should have left. It was almost an HOUR before we were seated. Well, since we go there pretty regularly, we chalked it up to a one time bad day. Until yesterday. BAD BAD BAD! Our party of 9 was complete but for one person who was driving in from the West side. There were some traffic issues adn she called my cell to say she was on her way and that she was about 15-20 minutes behind. So, 8 were there one was close and they WOULD NOT seat us!! After 10 minutes, we were appraoched and told that if our party wasn't complete within the next 5 minutes we were going to lose our reservation. WTF is that about?? I said "Well, can we just get a table for 8?" She actually had the nerve to say "Let me see what I can do. We have a lot of reservations." YEAH, LIKE OURS!! We ended up just sitting at our table and our friend joined it late. How rude (the tone of voice and condescending looks) can't even be written in to this review. Thank goodness for this website where I can find out about some new brunch locations b/c this one is over for us! NAME: eastender SUBMITTED: 3/20/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/19/06 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I have eaten brunch at Farrago many times and there have always been minor inconveniences. However, after this past weekend I will NEVER eat at this establishment again. I was accused of lying when they didn't have my reservation for 12 people and told by the hostess (who also said she was a part owner) that I didn't need to come back there. We didn't even bother to stay at that point. She was so rude and has no concept of what customer service is about. They're lucky they have a good location and not much competition in the Sunday brunch arena, b/c they wouldn't last long based on food and service alone. NAME: heights foodie SUBMITTED: 3/13/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/06 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I went to Farrago's for the first time last night. The atmosphere is nice, including exposed concrete ceiling, good lighting, nice colors, not overboard on decoration, etc) The menu looked very interesting - it was tough to choose. I was not very hungry so I got Posole soup. The soup had great flavor - but it was WAY WAY WAY too spicy. I was sweating and coughing as I ate it (and am used to spicy food!!). The waitress asked me if I wanted regular or spicey. I said spicy.. but this was way more than spicy... it was borderline painful. She should have warned me that "spicy" is an understatement. It was reasonably priced. Not cheap - but certainly not absurd either. Entrees seemed to all be $15 to $20. The large soup I had was $9. They have good attention to detail there as well. The person i was with ordered hot tea - and instead of asking what flavor - the waitress brought out an entire little glass trey filled with various tea packages - and left it there for my friend to ponder through it (rather than feel rushed to pick one). So I thought that was a nice and original twist - for something as simple as ordering tea. So despite my "absurdly burning hot spicy soup", I would certainly return! Just be sure and get some clarification on "how spicy" is spicy! NAME: MJ SUBMITTED: 11/19/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/17/05 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Strong - Great food, interesting menu, timely service. We went for lunch early enough to avoid a wait or crowd. Weak - Can't think of any The salad I had was fantastic and I am a picky salad eater! It was the Goat Cheese Brulee with grilled chicken. Good portion size, great flavor. I will definitely be back for more. NAME: jenx SUBMITTED: 8/19/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/19/05 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This place is excellent. I've been twice and the service has been great. It's crowded on Sunday mornings. It took us about 15 minute to get a table, but the wait allowed us to hang out in the bar and enjoy a bloody mary before being seated. Once we were seated, the waiter quickly took our order and was very attentive in refilling our bottomless mimosas. That's important... The stuffed french toast is to die for and I'm not one who usually likes stuffed french toast or anything else that is very sweet for breakfast. This dish will make you want to slap your momma...it's just incredible!!! Burgers on other tables looked quite tasty and people seemed to enjoy. We also tried the breakfast calzone and thought it was very good. (You just can't beat the french toast, though) NAME: GL SUBMITTED: 7/23/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: July 17, 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This restaurant is usually excellent and has great service. On May 12, however, we had a very bad experience, primarily due to the management. The bar smell that we had to wait in before heading to the dining room was completely unacceptable and we almost left on that count alone. Usually the service is great. But we were not acknowledged in any way for at least 10 minutes, and when we finally grabbed someone to seat us, at least 4 people hovered around, none of them knowing what to do. They (one of them being the manager) gave us a table we definitely didn't want but before we could say anything, everyone had disappeared again. We chose our own table. After many minutes without being offered anything I went to talk to the manager, whose response was outright hostile and clearly he had no interest in what his customers were experiencing. He quickly attempted to terminate the conversation by 'asking' me what I wanted. After I said 'service', the waiter was quickly there, perfectly nice and attentive, as I know they typically are there. (After I sat down, the couple sitting next to us confirmed that their experience had not been any better.) Everything was all right after that, including the food. But I would never return to a restaurant where the management was that poor. Too bad because I love the place. NAME: CCameron SUBMITTED: 5/13/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: May 12, 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Farrago is just one block up the street from us, but my boyfriend and I had only been there once last summer for a friend's birthday. We didn't really enjoy what we ordered on that visit and really never considered going back. However, last night I was craving asparagus and we opted to give Farrago another shot, primarily because of its proximity and the presence of grilled asparagus on the menu. I was worried there would be a wait and that we wouldn't be able to get a seat outside, because the evening weather was so lovely and it was 7 on a Saturday. But no, we were seated, without wait, in their charming courtyard! Our waiter was extremely kind and the service was excellent. I asked him about the posole, a pork and green chile stew with hominy and fresh cilantro, and he said it was excellent and not too spicy. He was correct! It was well priced, too- I ordered the half-size portion for just 5 dollars and didn't even finish it. I also ordered a side of asparagus, knowing it was offered with two of their entrees. My boyfriend ordered the tomato and tomatillo pasta, a gemelli pasta tossed with chicken in a cilantro, toasted pecan and cojito pesto cream sauce. It was so delicious we had to ask our waiter to list the ingredients again. But the best was yet to come- dessert. We couldn't decide so we had two- even though our waiter warned us that they were large portions. The berry cobbler was a mix of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries, and I was impressed that it wasn't mostly blueberries. The white chocolate bread pudding, with golden raisins in a Jack Daniels creame sauce, was like nothing I have ever had before. Easily the best bread pudding I have ever tasted. I must admit that between the two of us, we plowed through both desserts without slowing down. We had to relax over another glass of tea just to unwind after such an exciting, enjoyable meal! I have only one concern When I go back, which will be very soon, do I get the same dishes, or should I try something else? There will definitely be many more visits to come! Farrago is an excellent choice for a casual and well-priced meal in an upscale dining environment. NAME: Meg Whitmore SUBMITTED: 4/24/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 04/05 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This was our first experience. The food was fabulous (each of the 4 of us tried a different entree). The prices were very reasonable. The outside dinning was most enjoyable. Location, parking and access to many wonderful shops in the are is a plus. Wait staff was the best and the serving time was quick. At the brunch, the never ending mamosas are a real bargain. NAME: Baytown patrons SUBMITTED: 10/30/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/24/04 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: LOVE this place for brunch on Sundays. Really busy, but the bottomless mimosas make it well worth the wait. The food is SO good. Breakfast calzone is wonderful, Cajun Benedict, Stuffed French Toast, Huevos Rancheros...all good. Very interesting crowd and not the GREATEST service, but plenty of TVs at the bar so you don't really care about the service if you're into your mimosa and a fball game. NAME: SD SUBMITTED: 10/12/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 09/04 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I've been going for about 6 months. I love the Sunday brunch atmosphere, but if you get there after 11 it tends to be crowded. You can make reservations though. The Huevos Rancheros (although you may want to order the sauce OTS) are yummy as is the calamari. Their pizzas are also interesting (in a good way) and the hummus and tabouli rocks. The salads are on the weaker side and I wish there was a bit more to offer on the menu (more vegetarian would be cool). Thursday night is supposedly a happy hour and there seems to be a decent after work crowd. +: This is an atmosphere restaurant. The food is unique and it's fun to come with a group. Say hi to manager Daniel -- he's a sweetie. -: Some food is overpriced, not a lot of variety on the menu. The bartenders are decent and could be a bit more attentive. It's the kind of place you'd get to know the servers to ensure great service, otherwise, you may be disappointed. NAME: wakingthedead SUBMITTED: 6/2/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/04 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: My daughter and I went there for lunch today (Thur, 5/20). This was our first vist and we sat on the patio. A young girl waited on us. We moved to another table (under an umbrella) because it was too hot with the sun beating on us. We really enjoyed the atmosphere but the service wasn't very good. It took 45 minutes for us to get our Goat Cheese salad (which wasn't a very large portion for the price) and Curried Chicken. My daughter did enjoy her Curried Chicken but the price of your salad is not worth the quantity. We like trying different places and found your ad in the downtown magazine. I understand lunch hours are busy but you should be prepared for the crowds. I wasn't happy with the service and not sure if I will revisit the restaurant. NAME: Judy Rochna SUBMITTED: 5/20/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/20/04 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Each time I have been to Farrago I have been impressed. Whatever I have had has been good - from the chicken caesar salad to the seafood paella (heavenly!) to the cajun-style eggs benedict at brunch. Last night I had the Farrago burger after many had recommended it...it was decent, although I've had better gourmet burgers. But the service is always wonderful. Last night I was one of a party of about 30 and the servers pulled it off without a hitch! I definitely plan to return to Farrago a lot in the future. NAME: Jim A. SUBMITTED: 4/21/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: April 2004 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Great for Brunch on the weekend, , , you gotta try stuffed French Toast - -actually, get one as an appetizer for the table - it's very rich. Going back for dinner tonight. NAME: Jim . . . SUBMITTED: 2/2/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/03 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: The restaurant is hard to find the first time. Take a map. You can park around the corner on Baldwin or Gray. We've found this to be an excellent spot for dinner before going to the Alley Theater; the food is better than the restaurants around the Alley and it's a short hop to get downtown. The outside patio is nice in the summer (although there are condo apartments all around). Mostly this an unpretentious neighborhood restaurant with good food. NAME: LEH SUBMITTED: 1/14/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: October 2003 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: The best mussels I have ever had, largely because of the lime-based delectable sauce. The restaurant is noisy, but we normally eat on the patio (fans make it tolerable even in summer). Service is sometimes excellent and sometimes...... We will go back; on our list for informal eclectic dining. NAME: Bob G SUBMITTED: 11/28/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: June/July 2003 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This is my recently discovered favorite place. Strengths: attractive interior, and even better, a large, quiet interior courtyard with fans for summer and even a fireplace for winter! Interesting, filling, varied dishes. For example, I had a delectable risotto with grilled shrimp and a venison osso bucco, on two visits. My husband had a lighter Mediterranean plate, with hummus, tabouli, etc one time and grilled salmon another time. It is the kind of menu I enjoy reading and sometimes have difficulty choosing among several offerings. Service has been pleasant and attentive. Weaknesses: chilly inside when not crowded, and too loud when it is full. We definitely plan to return occasionally, and have recommended it to others. NAME: Foodie SUBMITTED: 10/18/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/2003 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This is our 'local' (British people will know what I mean by that). So much so, they start pouring the drinks as soon as they see us walk in. Consistently good, Very friendly and helpful staff on the whole. A bit noisy when it gets busy, not the place for whispering sweet nothings, but you can usually escape the noise by sitting outside in the courtyard. NAME: L A J SUBMITTED: 10/10/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: October/2003 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY