Fromage

Atmosphere was nice, France done Texas style. Food had good flavor portions were really small. Prices were rather high. And then to top it all off with no posted disclaimer the host/​waiter automatically puts an 18% tip on the gross of the bill including tax! W O W customer beware!

This review is a difficult one. The food is by far a 5, service a 5. The restaurant frustrated in the more simple things. For instance the food is pricey but a good value. Unfortunately they have decided to cash in on marking up wine over 400%. That’s right they’re base wines (retail about $ 8) are priced at $ 40. This means to enjoy a vino matching the high quality of the food you need to pay well into the hundreds. High prices for the sake of high prices isn’t classy, it’s a scam. Another mis-​step that seems like it should be illegal is an automatically included 18% gratuity on the bill. This is not declared prior to ordering or anytime before you see the bill. Our server deserved at least 25% but having it forced upon us is insulting. This restaurant has great chefs, ambience, and service but management is shooting itself in the foot trying to cash in on the other elements. It makes us appreciate the much better run Alberico where at least you get what you pay for. We won’t be back.

Alex has done a great job with putting a touch of class in to a dull town. To enjoy Fromage you must be willing to try something new and get a away from the normal bathe plates are portioned perfectly!!!

Place is nice, ambience is good, service is better than food and i dont think is right nor courteous to charge a 18% tip in a table of three without asking.

The food was good, but not excellent. My asparagus soup was cold and the Brie appetizer was not even baked (and it was $ 20). I had the duck, which was actually very well cooked. Overall, the food was good but it was overpriced.

This place was good. I ordered the ahi Tuna and my friend ordered the duck. I also had the peach blossom drink (champagne with fresh frozen fruit). The size of the portions were a bit small. I had 4 pieces of tuna and a scoop of risotto (bland) and 3 pieces of asparagus. It did taste good though.
Also I was very confused on why they charged me gratuity of 18% on the bill automatically. I did not come with a party but only with one friend. I am sure other people may not have caught this and given a double tip. So beware!
There was one guy (he was the host and waiter). Even though there was only 3 tables he was very slow. He kept on talking to this other table and would forget about our tables. Very annoying. It took us 15 min to get his attention to get our check. And then 30 minutes for him to come back and pick up my card… :/

I think this restaurant is too pricey for its service and food and décor.
Décor-​paint chips on wall. Bathroom dirty. Entrance rug dirty and door frame chipped
Service. Waiter did not know the dipping sauces for the fondue. Waiter brought the wrong salad from ordered and did not know the difference
Food. Though good not superb. It is hard to mess up a meat fondue but I think the dipping sauces could have been tastier. The Swiss cheese fondue was not authentic as the cheese was over a boiling water bath and did not get the crusty stuff at the bottom. The chocolate fondue was chocolates chips melted in cream. Fruits and marshmallows for dipping
I think a pound cake for dipping would be better than the pretzels given.

Necesito comentarles que este Sábado pasado visite su restaurant por primera vez por el cupón que salió en Groupon y sus platillos estaban deliciosos, supe que les había faltado empleado, pero a pesar de eso el servicio que recibimos de Alejandro fue excelente, tanto nos gusto que vamos a regresar muy pronto. Gracias por el servicio y la comida !!!

This is the first place of this type of cusine in the Valley, very typical in larger cities. The founde was excellent, the service was outstanding, the poor reviews given on this site need to understand about this type of restaurant, this is not your typical dinning. This restaurant measures up to the equivalent type of restaurant in the big cities. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are looking for somenthing different and with great service. I have been to the famous melting pot restaurant and this restaurant not only holds up to that level but more affordable.

New and now a place I will be back great food and service this is a little secret that needs to get the word out new manager that truly understands the concept of customer service must try in the valley Dallas has nothing on this place

This place was great! We had goat cheese and honey appetizer that was so delicious. Duck and pork chop for dinner and the French Lover crêpe for dessert and it was all cooked to perfection. The duck was the best Ive ever had. Service was good too. Prices reasonable for the type of food, and portion sizes pretty fair. To those other reviews who have said they want larger portions sizes, I say Its not a buffet people! Larger portions are for when the food lacks flavor and is made with cheap ingredients. This food had great flavor and was cooked well. If you want a good meal that is different from anywhere else in McAllen, then this is it. I will definitely be going back.

This place is incredible! Had the cheese fondue, the asparagus, and the kangeroo entrees. Everything was dine perfectly. The executive chef was wonderful.

Fondue! So sexy! So cheesy! So 70s! But why the heck not? It’s frankly kind of funny that all of us have that wedding gift fondue pot at home but we decided to go out and have someone melt the cheese for us.
We tried to start with a free appetizer coupon I found on the internets. However, we were informed that it had to «be printed» which seems to defeat the purpose of an internet coupon… but okay. We got the bruschetta anyway and it had great flavor though the portion was meager. I mean, it’s tomatoes on bread people, pony up the goods. We were to learn that’s pretty typical of all of the dishes.
We decided on a cheese fondue to be followed by an oil fondue with chicken, beef and shrimp. The cheese fondue arrived with a flourish. The heating element is IN the table — so its like those fancy stoves that just have flat tops — so if you’re trying to share with a group, it’s pretty awkward. At least two people have to be helped out by the middle person or they’re having to stretch over. We had five in our party, which meant my brother was constantly having to skewer things for his wife. Annoying for him, I’m sure. And again, the portion size was small. You just got a small amount of veggies and bread for the pot of cheese.
Surely the meat fondue would be larger. Not the case. We received about three 6 oz portions of meat for the bargain basement price of $ 25. It comes with additional veggies and sauces but still, after all the meat was skewered and cooked, we were hungry. And two bottles of wine in, our meal was becoming quite pricey. Also, weirdly enough, the cheese fondue was served with colored skewers but the meat fondue wasn’t… that left all of us going «wait, is this your shrimp or mine?» There were also no cooking times on anything. «Cook this raw chicken with everything else until it’s ready» isn’t exactly a useful directive.
At the end of the meal, we received our bill. I grabbed it before anyone else had a chance and paid for our dinners. I was surprised at the amount… but thought that those 3 glasses of wine might be doing something funny to my math. On the trip home I discovered that we were gratted 20% already on a table of five. So our server got a 40% tip. I mean, he was a nice guy but that’s a big excessive.
We did have the «secret» drink that was really delicious with fresh strawberries but it didn’t salvage the experience.
Not that anyone’s asking, but here’s what I’d do:
– Accept internet coupons. Who has a printer at home anymore?
– Find a way to fix that heating element problem. If you want big parties, it’s going to continue to be an issue.
– Double your portion size. The prices are too high for what you’re serving now.
– Give everyone colored skewers always.
– Don’t grat tables under 6. I had half a mind to deny the charge since it felt so sneaky.

I hate giving this restaurant 3 stars because I have been looking forward to eating here since it opened. I am of the age that remembers fondue fondly! We used to have fondue parties & I’m glad that the trend is coming back because it is easy & fun & doesn’t have to be expensive.
Anyway, I was anxious to try this pretty place. The décor & atmosphere are great! Kind of sexy, cozy, quiet, conducive to camaraderie or snuggling. The only problem with the set up is that if there are 5 or 6 people at a fondue table against the wall, only 4 can reach the fondue pot & the 5^th needs to be fed — I want to be the 5^th next time LOL! Our hostess was perfect & our waiter very nice, but new — he pretty much had to ask someone about everything we asked about. One of the first things we asked about was the coupon for a free appetizer or dessert my daughter found on her phone, but according to our waiter we could not use it because it had to be printed & they could not print from her phone. Oh well — can’t use it next time because it expired in 2 days.
We ordered the bruchetta appetizer which was delicious & each of us had a small bite, which would have been a nice order for one or two, not the restaurant’s fault. Then the waiter told us the fondue dishes served two or three so we ordered one cheese & one oil. The cheese was delicious, but we ran out of cheese before the bread & veggies, also the cheese fondue was served with forks that had cute colored ends, nice but not necessary since it was just bread mostly. Still starving! Next came the meat, chicken & shrimp fondue. The oil was not served hot & we had to wait hungrily for about 8 minutes. The waiter was fairly attentive to the wine we ordered, but did not make contact with the beer drinker & subsequently while 2 bottles of wine were consumed by 3 people, only 2 beers were delivered & 1 water refill. The rest of the time he was out of sight as were any other servers. This time the forks (2 for cross contamination???) did not have any color on them & we were constantly wondering which one was whose & as for the cross contamination situation, if the oil is as hot as it is supposed to be it should kill anything. Not only that but it was almost impossible to tell whether the chicken or shrimp was cooked because the lighting was so low. No recommendation on how long to cook them either — just cook them to death I guess so as to be sure they weren’t raw. Will never get poultry fondue again. Our mistake, but would have wished the waiter had clued us in. Anyway the meat was tender & the sauces ok just nothing to write home about. But the kicker was that the bill was enormous: $ 140 & we all went home hungry. 2 bottles of wine under $ 25, 2 beers, 1 appetizer & 2 entrees. I asked my daughter if she had checked the bill & she said that he had not charged us for another entrée or anything. Ok, but when we got home, she found that he had included his tip!!! Now it is fairly usual to include the tip for 6 or more, but we were just 5 & he didn’t tell us that the gratuity was included. So he made out like a bandit! OOPS, I forgot we did have one more drink — it was the «secret» drink that someone suggested we try, so we had one of those. Delicious, vermouth, sprite & fresh strawberries. Really refreshing & could be dangerous.
So all in all hard to review because some of the problems were kind of our own making but could have been avoided with a waiter or staff that was more familiar with the restaurant & that the entrée’s do not feed 2 or 3, barely 1!

My husband made a dinner reservation for us at Fromage for our 6 year Anniversary. Let me just tell you, this is our new favorite restaurant. From the the beautiful décor, and wonderful service to amazing food. There really is no other place like it here in South Texas. We ordered quiet a variety, seeing so many options on the menu. The vegetable and bread cheese fondue we started off with was delicious. The cheese fondue’s flavor was terrific. We had 3 different dinner on-​treys, of which included duck, salmon, and shrimp over pasta. Our favorite dish that really wowed us was the duck. Amazing flavor! The salmon was charred to perfection and the shrimp was perfect. The Asparagus soup… so delicious. The wine selection was perfect for my taste and of course we had to have the crepes for dessert. And they were superb. Thank you to Eric and Cynthia, who did an exceptional job waiting on us. Would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Even though they’re the only crepes in McAllen, they’re pretty damn good. Crepes are made right when they’re ordered in an open-​air kitchen so you can watch every step in the making of your crêpe. Fondue, on the other hand, is easily passable. Way too expensive for the amount you get. Order a bunch of different crepes instead and share among the table.

A truly adorable place ~ chic décor, an easy but elegant menu and a wonderful energy.
I had the Asparagus Soup ~ divine and the yummy sandwich (though I forget the name).
Definitely a gem

Fromage Bistro is adamantly doing its part to bring a little bit of France to the Rio Grande Valley. The restaurant is very conducive to social gatherings — the dim lighting, music (jazz, contemporary) and décor sets the mood. My husband and I enjoyed watching the activity in the kitchen (open to the public) — it’s the current trend in modern dining these days. If you’re lucky, the gracious proprietor will visit your table and answer any questions you might have regarding: fondue, wine, etc. Fromage is a sexy restaurant, where fondue is best shared in pairs (there’s nothing like the smell of molten cheese) — needless to say, we ordered their traditional fondue. It was a heady mixture of strong sharp cheeses and a generous slosh of white wine that boils and bubbles. The traditional crepes (ham and cheese) and crepes with a twist are quite delicious. You musn’t leave without enjoying «The French Lover» crêpe (pears, brie) or any of their signature creamy soups (I also dipped my bread in it). Meat lovers and vegetarians will also enjoy flavorful dishes — don’t expect huge Texas size portions. This is a place where you want to take your time and savor the moment (chew your food). This is our «Melting Pot» — and our new French Connection.

ok, im gonna start with full disclosure. im a snob. some say a SUPERsnob, but whatever. oh, and im long winded with stories. here we go…
a friend said she’d been here once before, they just opened, great wine & cheese bar. great! we can share a cheese board & a couple of bottles of wine! Sounds awesome! something new in the valley!
we got there and didnt have a reservation (who knew? i guess we should have checked!). we had to wait, so we got to sit in the really cute lounge area. now, the place isnt very big. MAYBE 80 seats? i wouldve been content with staying in the lounge area, ESPECIALLY if a server wouldve offered drinks or an app menu. we were sitting next to 2 other groups waiting for seats. THEY had reservations, so obviously we were ok with them getting seated before us (they arrived after we did). it was taking a little while, so the owner came over & offered the group next to us some champagne. there were 4 of them. my group of 3 and the other couple didnt get offered anything. no biggie. but 20 minutes into the wait, i figured screw it, im gonna order from the bar (which had no seating btw. maybe because the place was so small? or did they not have a regular bartender?). so i start walking towards the bar and the owner met me half way. i asked him for a wine list which he brought over. great prices on that list! selection, eh. it could definitely be better. needs more variety in price and in varietals.
my husband was the dd for the night, so he wasnt planning on drinking, but he had a beer since we were still waiting. no beer list, or advertised. my husband asked about beer. and he says «oh! bud light, michelob ultra, or stella. theyre all very good.» not much of a selection. we each got a drink, but no offer for food.
once we finished our wine, our table was ready. (even though there were about 5 or 6 other tables available as well. maybe they were short on staff to cover those tables?). i had another glass of bellarouche (for SIX bucks! hell yeah.).
i was looking thru the menu desperately looking for a cheese platter, a cheese assortment, SOMETHING that wasnt fondue. turns out they have fondue, goat cheese, and brie. i could be wrong, but there may be another cheese or two on there, but i dont think so. unless you count the cheese slices available for the sandwiches. um. the place is called fromage. it means cheese in french.
so we ordered goat cheese, hummus, and a few other things. while we were waiting for our food, i ordered a bottle of wine. i forgot what it was, but it was a nice little spanish red blend. Really good, especially for $ 20! The waiters arent very attentive, but they do have wine service down! once the owner saw i knew what *I* was doing, he came over. asked about my interest in wine, etc. we chatted a little about wines, likes, dislikes. then he told us the difference between champagne & sparkling wine (this always makes me giggle because of a story that has nothing to do with this review!) when i asked why there wasnt any bubbles on their list. then he says «we have one, ill bring you a glass, itll be on me, you dont have to pay for it!» he avoids telling me the name, semi sweet, from california, etc etc. i tried it & said thank you. luckily he didnt ask my opinion. it was awful.
the food we had was awesome, once we got what we actually asked for. (they brought us a wrong dish, so then it took another few minutes!). goat slices covered in nuts, served with honey & fruit! Homemade hummus & bread! So good! My friend had a sandwich with ham in it, so i didnt try it, but my husband did & really liked it. (i dont like ham or bacon. dont judge. pork & eggs are the ONLY two foods i refuse to eat.)
the ambiance was bar-​ish, but with a LOT of light coming from GORGEOUS light fixtures. and at least 3 families with SMALL kids were there. (im a fan of other peoples children. really, i am. when they arent spoiled & running back and forth in what i originally thought was a bar.
so, my suggestions…
serve food & drinks while people are waiting for their seats. its a real money maker, and people are happy when they have drinks in front of them!
get servers that move a little more quickly and dont have to say «let me ask» when you have a question about the menu items.
give the place more of a bar feeling so less kids are hanging out. (kind of a mood breaker when people are trying to get away)
seats at the bar! that would be fabulous.
once again, just suggestions. gorgeous space, nicest owner ever. Good job!

Just had the most amazing, delicious, delightful lunch at this restaurant! The ambiance is perfectly gorgeous. Attentive waiter, terrific selection and reasonably priced for the quality of food. We met the chef and he was so helpful and obviously excited about this new venture. We had the Salmon Crustini which was melt in your mouth good, Pear Arugula salad which was wonderful and a Red Pepper soup that was the best soup ever!!! I can’t wait to go back and try the cheese or meat fondues which are their signature dishes. Each table has an induction burner for fondue. What fun! Highly recommend.