Tessa Farm To Fork

Great food! Love the atmosphere. Crab cakes were spectacular. We sat at the bar and the owner even bought us a drink. This would be a great place in any City. All the food is locally sourced. We met the man who brings the seafood. It was so much fun!

Such a strange experience.
Went for brunch over the weekend with a large group of about 10 other young professionals and a couple babies. The staff was very accommodating to our group and pushed a few tables for us together in the corner of the little dining area. Briefly after the first of us arrived and were seated, a nice older gentleman (maybe the owner or manager?) stopped by the table to offer small samples of a smoothie he had prepared and dropped off some biscotti. Both were very good and it was a nice gesture. The rest of our party arrived, and that’s when it got a little weird.
It’s a small place and there were 10 of us seated in the corner — all enjoying each other’s company as we met up to celebrate a good friend finishing her first triathlon. I’m not sure if we were being overly loud and disturbing other guests, but after we placed our orders, prior to our food arriving, the older gentleman returned to our table and asked, without any provocation: «Who are you voting for for president?»
Seriously? You’re going to approach a table of paying customers, who simply want to enjoy one another’s company and bring up one of the most divisive topics imaginable? With people you’ve never met?
What’s worse is that he wouldn’t drop it — we tried to casually play it off saying things like, «I don’t know,» or «I haven’t decided» or «maybe I’m not planning on voting.» Nothing worked, and he kept asking the question, before finally saying something along the lines of «I thought this topic would quiet you down some.»
Wow.
Just. Wow.
As the older gentleman left, my friend across the table sat there with a stunned expression and said if we weren’t with a large group, he would’ve simply walked out at that point. I’m not sure what the purpose of that topic of conversation that man was trying to achieve — maybe to quiet us down or maybe he was just caught in a bad joke and tried to play it off. I honestly don’t know, but it left a very bad taste in our mouths. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the last.
After our food arrived, it became obvious that the clear winner here if you’re ordering breakfast is the Huevos Rancheros. Eggs were poached well and it was very tasty. I wasn’t as lucky with my order of the Country Ham and Pimento Cheese biscuit. For $ 7, I got a small, overcooked biscuit with country ham and pimento cheese, roughly the size of what you’d get at Biscuitville, just with a subpar biscuit. As a side, which wasn’t listed in the description on their menu, was a helping of sweet potato mash. I don’t know what they did to this sweet potato, but it was disgusting. Almost inedible. I think it was just mashed up sweet potato, maybe some oats or seeds tossed in there and no seasoning. My fiancée, who LOVES sweet potatoes, thought it was even worse than I did, so she shared her huevos rancheros with me.
Otherwise, the food wasn’t too bad, talking to other members of our party — but nothing special and nothing that would really inspire me to want to come back. It’s possible that Tessa can fix some of their issues and become a nice alternate to the solid establishments in town that support local farms and producers, so I’m not going to completely write it off. Our server was great and did a terrific job of handling a large table, so kudos to her. One thing to keep in mind is they include 20% gratuity of large parties, even though it wasn’t listed on the breakfast or lunch menu.
Maybe their owner/​management can learn to keep conversation to the matters at hand (aka food/​dining) or simply be more forthright if there is a problem. There is the still the chance that they can make brunch great again!
Server = 4 stars, Food = 3 stars, Management/​Ownership = 0 stars, Average = 2.3

I went here for lunch with a friend. We ordered the Ham Monte Cristo, the roasted chicken special, and coconut black bean soup.
The ham monte cristo and the roasted dark meat chicken were great! Everything was prepared well. The coconut soup tasted more like a bean soup, with little coconut taste, but it was still good to have. Would come back again to explore the menu.

I had asked about brunch spots for my friend and I to go to this morning. Tessa’s was recommended among so many others. My friend and I decided on it and I cannot believe our experience. Not only did we get sat right away in this quaint, little restaurant but the waitress was AMAZING! An adorable old man came over to give us our biscotti and jam and immediately started joking with us. He came back several times as my friend and I ordered three whole meals, well, because I am pregnant and everything sounded SO GOOD! He brought us our food and made sure we were happy. After stuffing our face, we asked him who he was in relation to the restaurant and he said the owner. He told us about his past and how he became the owner solely and asked if I wanted to buy the place or be hired to help out! I was flattered as I am definitely pregs and will not be as helpful as he might think. He paid for our bill!!! He was so nice and the food was AMAZING! Please go there! You will not be disappointed!

This place has a wonderful vibe, you feel as if you’re being welcomed home. The atmosphere, service, and attention to detail in the menu are what will bring me back for more. The one criticism I would give is that there were slight areas where food execution could have been improved. Overall this is a must try in Greensboro and worth leaving the beaten path for.

Going downhill fast. Keep changing menu to cater to lower class or elderly people. Cobbler gone, each menu more and more plain and mediocre. Minds Well call yourself T&W. The first chef they had actually had talent but I guess the NC country people want their grits back.

Excellent. I had the Surf and Turf with skirt steak and soft shell crab and it was perfect. The seafood stew and sweet potato risotto were great starters. My wife had the crab cake. The service was a little slow but we were not in a hurry. This place is tiny and it is a welcome replacement of a Waffle House. Worth a trip to check it out.

Great concept, but a big miss in terms of food and price.
Service was excellent. Staff was friendly and attentive. That is where it ended. The food simply was not good, and the prices were too high. I had the «Surf and Turf» which is Bison steak and Calamari, served with vegetables. The steak was fatty, undercooked and covered with a terrible purple sauce that did not really match up well for the meat. The vegetables were far undercooked and too crunchy. Side dishes are $ 6 and drinks (wine and beer), although a decent selection, they too were overpriced. All told, this should not be listed as a (2) $ location, more of a (3). We did not have an appetizer or dessert and had 1 drink each and for (2) of us, over $ 90 with tip. My wife had a small plate and a side, not even a large main dish.
I was looking forward to Tessa, but after this visit, I will not be going back. Again, kudos to the staff, but the chef and manager who sets pricing need to make some quick changes to make this a viable option.

This is not a good place for many reasons. Bad food, and no ability to accept criticism. We were given a comp meal based on our issues, but we’re told we were were rude for voicing concerns. But ultimately, this place doesn’t know how to cook or run a restaurant. Not much of a view of the Citgo across the street either. Avoid this place.

First time here and really enjoyed the food here! We had the soft shell crab plate, curried scallop salad, and the fish and chips. It was a nice environment with great service! I would love to see their menu grow and have more options.

Tessa is a great little atmosphere. They turned a Waffle House into something magical. The food is average. The chicken tortilla soup tastes like regular chicken noodle soup from a can. The main dish was a cinco de mayo special it was wonderful! The price is alittle overpriced, I think they need to lower the food dishes. The wine was average wine but 6x the value of the bottle per glass ratio. I would definitely continue to follow them and watch their daily specials and maybe go back for a special occasion.

I was visiting for the week and heard about this place! I Love farm to table, so when I heard farm to Fork curiosity struck me! Came in at 1:56 and they greeted me with open arms! The food is excellent and Thierry setup is classy, green and impressive! Prices are cheap and Thierry beer is excellent if your a beer lover!

I went there for the 1^st time. I had the curried scallop (scallop seasoned In curry and seared) over salad! Vinegar dressing! Roasted vegetables, was so good! Great friendly service! I’ll definitely be going there again!

I ate here for the first time tonight. The place is small but they do take reservations. The night I came in I got a seated immediately. The wait staff was very good everybody asked and help w serving.
The food was excellent and plated beautiful and was absolutely fabulous. I had the Hickory Nut Pork chop and my son had the crab cake both were outstanding. For dessert we had the homemade cheese cake. wow!
All local fresh foods.
A must if your in Greensboro.

The concept of farm to fork is an admirable one. I’m always on the lookout for establishments that locally source ingredients, and there are some good ones in Greensboro. Unfortunately, at this stage, Tessa is not one of them.
We were greeted with wide-​eyed enthusiasm, from both the hostess and server. In fact, the service was excellent and we were happy to tip accordingly. But the food, pricing, and selection are a whole other thing.
I ordered the petit garden salad w/​sunflower seed vinegarette. The cherry tomatoes appeared to be intentionally wilted, which was a nice compliment, as it brought out the sweetness of the tomatoes. Actually, the salad overall was quite good… maybe even the highlight of the meal. I ordered the fried chicken entrée. The menu description is too vague (even though I’m quite familiar with the style of menu description). The chicken came fried, bone-​in, and slathered in some sort of onion chutney. The chicken was soggy and very difficult to eat with a knife and fork – as it was simply too messy to eat by hand. The greens were dry, salty, and dusted with cumin. Inedible, which is a real shame because I take these types of sides very seriously.
My wife had the crab cake and collards. She passed the collards to me, but they too were inedible. Way too spicy – to the point where any semblance of depth of flavor is destroyed.
I was also surprised by the lack of vegetation options. The only veg-​friendly items I noted were the salads, roasted veggies, and beet appetizer (which comes with bacon, but can probably be excluded upon request).
If a place is going to charge $ 21 for a southern staple, it should be damn good. This very much was not.
I think the back of the house and weight staff need to seriously sit down and figure out what’s working and what’s not. I simply can’t see how this food passed any employees’ satisfaction. I also have to wonder if the back of the house is tasting what they’re cooking. As a former sous chef, I would’ve never let these dishes be served. I also would never let Coldplay play on repeat… for well over an hour.
So, again, a great concept and very good service, but the food is deeply flawed.

We ate at Tessa for breakfast for the first time and we were very impressed. We ride past it in our daily commute and it looks very nice on the outside we decided to give it a try. We went on a Sunday morning at about 9:30. It wasn’t too busy but I did hear the servers mention it was the «calm before the storm» so I would suspect they get busy around 11am on Sundays. It was just 2 of us so we sat comfortably, it may not be the best place for groups of 6+ as it is not very large.
We had milk and honey crêpe, omelette, and a pancake. First the crêpe, it was delicious! I’ve had a hard time finding a good crêpe in Greensboro so I was very excited when I saw they have one. It is a crêpe with cream cheese filling topped with honey and powdered sugar with a few berries on the side. The only thing is that I was still a little hungry after eating it as you do only get the decently sized crêpe for $ 8. Where as with the large omelette stuffed with veggies ($ 9), you also get a side are potatoes which have the perfect crunch and seasoning to them! I didn’t not taste the omelette, but my husband said it was delicious as well! Lastly was the pancake which tasted a little like French toast to me, good French toast I’ll add. All together our tab was about $ 24 which included the above as well as an orange juice. Not bad for great food if you ask me!
We will definitely be back!

This is a former Waffle House, what a change! Although you can still sit and eat at the counter that’s about all that remains of the former restaurant. Fresh, local, and friendly, is how I’d characterize this restaurant. Our party of 4 ordered three items from the menu and one special. Although the special fell a bit short the other three were exceptional.
Since seating is a bit limited I’d suggest reservations.

Having a great experience eating out has 3 main factors for me. These include the atmosphere of the restaurant, how pleasant the staff is and, of course, how delicious the food is. Speaking for my girlfriend and myself, this place knocked it out of the park.
The place has a very cozy, inviting feel that we felt was matched by the warm, welcoming attentive service. As far as the food… awesome. Probably the best brunch we had in Greensboro all together.
We’ll definitely be back again!

Greensboro is slowly becoming less of a fine dining desert each month, and Tessa has helped with that.
When you walk into the now quaint small restaurant, you are easily impressed with the renovation. Although there is little hiding the fact that the shape of the dining room SCREAMS waffle house! I like the décor.
I also liked the food. Nicely plated, well seasoned. We got the scallops app, fennel salad, lamb chop for me and pork chop for my husband. The scallop was well cooked and wrapped in prosciutto. The meat, coupled with the seafood was borderline salty. But still good.
The service was good, although the waitress seemed anxious and unsure of what was in the drinks or dishes. We wanted for nothing and always had our water glasses filled.
Why just 4 stars and not 5? Well, first the seating is tight. Even with a reservation we were given a seat next to the hostess desk, close to the door on the aisle. When customers with walkers, crutches or big butts came by, both sides had to stop eating, move our chairs over and wait for folks’ personal areas to pass by our food.
The rolls served and butter were not the best. The rolls had a uncooked dough flavor. The butter had Tessaa’s signature and only garnish on it. A tastless bean weed.
Speaking of the bean weed, that was the annoying garnish that was on ALL items. It reminded me of my sister and I looking for 4 leaf clovers. Check out my pictures.
Lastly the price point, my husband and I are known to pay 300.00 for a spectacular meal and not complain. But this meal at 80.00 plus tip was expensive. Everything was good, except the seating, but nothing was more then good. The meal should have been about 60.00.
In short, this is a good restaurant.

The first thing that crosses your mind when you first come here is: I love what they’ve done with the place. The former Waffle House/Jenn’s Diner has been nicely transformed in to a soft, inviting restaurant, and though it remains small, with tables close together, it has a certain rustic charm.
We went for an early lunch, and the customer volume was low (3 other people when we arrived, several more before we left) so the service was very good — properly attentive and well educated on the menu, including the daily specials posted on the chalk board.
We settled on the BLT, on toasted house made white bread, with FFs ($ 8), and a bowl of soup (Chicken Tortilla) and ½ a sandwich (house made Chicken Salad) on multigrain ($ 11), and we opted to split a Garden Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing ($ 8).
The overall result was rather mixed, with a residual sense of disappointment, especially at those prices — $ 35.76 for a sandwich and ½ (a small ½ at that), a bowl of soup, a garden salad, and 2 soft drinks was definitely no bargain. The salad was fresh, the dressing was nice, the toasted white bread on the BLT was exceptional (would have taken a loaf home if I could have), and the house made Chicken Salad was very good.
The multigrain bread was just OK, and the soup was a major disappointment — the broth was overwhelmingly tomato based, more so than any version of this soup we’ve tried, and definitely more so than any version we’ve made. As mentioned, the white bread was excellent, but the remainder of the BLT was rather bland, and the bacon was rather miserly.
This very, very new place is still searching for an identity, I fear. They were open for breakfast, but now open at 10:00 AM and offer a breakfast option, or two (one foot in, one foot out approach). The menu seems in a state of flux, the kitchen seems in some dis-​repair, and the quality lags the pricing. Farm To Fork is attractive to many, faddish even, but if you don’t nail the basics of the dishes you serve, it quickly fades to ordinary, and these are not ordinary prices.
I posted 3 stars, but that’s somewhere between a reach and a hope — not a comfortable place most of the time.