What is up with Toast on Market???

We are spending the weekend in Louisville and making it a point to try some new spots for breakfast, breaking our usual trips to Lynn's and North End Cafe. At Toast, we were told it would be a 55 minute wait. We patiently waited outside to see people come in off the street and be seated before us. I can chalk up a couple of groups moving in front of us (we did not see everyone who put in there name) but at least 7 groups walked up after us and were seated promptly. I just kept thinking this place has to be special if people are willing to wait this long. We have waited at our other favorites as well. My biggest disappointment was when they called our name was the fact that the inside dining area had 8 open tables when we were seated. They continued to have open tables during our meal. Our meal was good for your standard breakfast fare but certainly not worth the hour wait. If we could walk up and in and get a table and be served promptly then I would not have a problem going back but to wait that long for an average breakfast, no thank you!!!

Just curious as to what the problem is with the empty tables and the long wait.....seems like this is a problem for the business and they need to address it.

Call ahead seating. If I am not mistaken.

You know, you could drive across the river and go to the one in Indiana. Nicer staff, less wait times and I do believe the food is even tastier,

I understand call ahead seating and I give some credit for it but why the disconnect between the long wait and the open tables? Is it lack of food prep employees or waitstaff? Host or hostess not doing their job?

Even if call ahead seating accounted for all those people that came in late and seated before us it still is not a good business decision to leave all those tables empty when you could be seating all those people waiting.

We have been around a great number of restaurants and understand the game of waiting. When you put your name on a list and then when you go ask how much longer after say a half hour and you see all the names below yours that are marked off that is not due to call ahead seating. We observe what was going on and it was not nice to be treated like they way we were.

Here is the other thing, improve your quality and then the wait makes more sense. I could have received the same breakfast at waffle house without the wait.

Here is the other thing, improve your quality and then the wait makes more sense. I could have received the same breakfast at waffle house without the wait.

I have never been to Toast, but I cannot believe that the Waffle House has the same standard of food!! If that is true, then Toast would surely not have the reputation it has. Waffle House sucks, from the coffee, to the very cheap and nasty tasting margarine they put on the barely toasted toast.

I understand your being frustrated about the long wait and the open table, but to compare Toast to the Waffle House is surely not being fair.

Here is the other thing, improve your quality and then the wait makes more sense. I could have received the same breakfast at waffle house without the wait.

I have never been to Toast, but I cannot believe that the Waffle House has the same standard of food!! If that is true, then Toast would surely not have the reputation it has. Waffle House sucks, from the coffee, to the very cheap and nasty tasting margarine they put on the barely toasted toast.

I understand your being frustrated about the long wait and the open table, but to compare Toast to the Waffle House is surely not being fair.

I actually don't think Waffle House sucks - I've been known to bring my own butter.

That is not a bad idea!! I have been known to take a jar of instant coffee to "beef" up the coffee at Waffle House. If I ever went again, I was thinking of asking for no butter on the toast. Yeah, to be fair it doesn't actually suck, but Toast has to be far superior or else it wouldn't have the rep that it does would it?

Here is the other thing, improve your quality and then the wait makes more sense. I could have received the same breakfast at waffle house without the wait.

I have never been to Toast, but I cannot believe that the Waffle House has the same standard of food!! If that is true, then Toast would surely not have the reputation it has. Waffle House sucks, from the coffee, to the very cheap and nasty tasting margarine they put on the barely toasted toast.

I understand your being frustrated about the long wait and the open table, but to compare Toast to the Waffle House is surely not being fair.

I actually don't think Waffle House sucks - I've been known to bring my own butter.

Well, as far as the butter on the toast, there was none on ours at Toast. If you want eggs, sausage, toast, hash browns and pancakes, Waffle House does a good job of getting it done in a prompt fashion.

Hey, if I was going to try to build a reputation for a long run, I would do things a little different. I am not trying to put down Toast. I want the place to succeed and the problem is not with the food. I merely suggested that if the wait and dining room management is not improved, the food will not carry this joint alone. I would like to return and have a nice breakfast but I will not wait an hour for it. Just my honest opinion. I am sure others will think the same thing....you could see the same frustration in others making their way down there.

Did you know someone actually has a patent on toast. Not speaking of the breakfast local I am very fond of next door - but the actual act of heat crisping bread.

if you think toast has a long wait. then you won't like wild eggs... they have just as long as a wait...
thank goodness for beepers. lol

I won't wait for breakfast - it's just not an option for me so Toast has never been high on my list for the reasons cited. Weekends at Wild Eggs is the same. Obviously there are plenty of folks who will wait so have at it. Options that I go to where I don't have to generally wait - Dish on Market, Verbena Cafe in Norton's Commons, The Bristol Brunch (that's about the only reason I'll go to The Bristol these days), Waffle House.

Verbena is so overlooked because of the location! My mom and I went there on a weekday and it was virtually empty! Love Wild Eggs, but I either go really early, or I sit at the bar on my lunch break. Neve been to toast as it's a haul from Shelby county for breakfast!

Did you know someone actually has a patent on toast. Not speaking of the breakfast local I am very fond of next door - but the actual act of heat crisping bread.

There are thousands of patents on the same thing. Its the reason our patent system is so retarded.

harvest has brunch starting at 11 on sundays. we went yesterday, walked right in and sat right down. on the way out we drove by toast and saw the sea of humanity waiting for tables. it was kinda funny to me that people were waiting over an hour for breakfast with harvest open just a block away.I also will not wait for breakfast, no matter the locale. wild eggs is great, but i make it a point to go very early. same with toast.

toast is moving to the old white oak location so i wonder if this will shorten wait times? i've never been in that building so i don't know if it is bigger than the current toast.

if you think toast has a long wait. then you won't like wild eggs... they have just as long as a wait...
thank goodness for beepers. lol

I haven't waited more than 15 minutes for a table at Wild Eggs in a long time. Pretty much since the new location on Shelbyville Road opened. If you are a poor planner and show up at 11:00 on a Sunday you might wait 30-45 minutes. Go before 10:00 any day of the week and it is immediate seating.

IMO, Toast is average at best. I've personally never understood the hype. I chalk it up to just that. Hype. A lot of people convincing themselves that they had a special meal because they had to wait a long time and get treated poorly to get it. Their specialty items are OKish (nothing as good as what you find at WE), their normal breakfast stuff is really no better than Waffle House (I happen to like WH) or Cracker Barrel, but then really neither are Wild Eggs'. Eggs over easy is eggs over easy, no matter where you get it, and if there is such a thing as bad bacon, I haven't found it. Bacon is just degrees of good.

Verbina and Wild Eggs are head and shoulders above Toast. They just aren't in a hipster friendly part of town.

I agree that the food there is good but not spectacular, but I have never been treated poorly there by anyone. the owner recognizes me and my wife and always makes a point to stop by our table (we are by no means regulars, have eaten there maybe six times). I have always recieved good service there as well.

I also agree that wild eggs is far superior. posiibly the best breakfast place I have ever eaten in, anywhere.

while we are on the subject of good breakfast with no wait, i still love twig and leaf.

Toast is overhyped and underwhelming. Save yourself the trouble and go to Dish on Market or Wild Eggs.