Thierry André Tellier Café

THIS LOCATION NOW CLOSED — The River Oaks Andre’s was modest but first-​class all the way for many years, a great place to get a nice lunch at a reasonable price, with awesome pastries, cakes and chocolates. It changed ownership a few years ago and seemed to enter a gradual decline.
Nevertheless, my wife and I drove all the way from Sugar Land today because she wanted to go, only to discover the location across from Lamar H.S. has been closed for some time. We managed to find the one in Uptown Park (Loop 610 & Post Oak), apparently it’s the only one still open in Houston
BUT… for those who still crave the real Andre’s experience, the ORIGINAL is apparently still open in Kansas City! So… BBQ and Swiss pastries — just about enough excuse for a trip!

I recently had the opportunity to devour their white cake with raspberries. OMG this cake is so good. It’s soft and fluffy, and sweet but not overwhelming. The raspberries were fresh tasting and I’m usually not much of a cake eater but this one I just had to have another slice. I have not tried any of their other food so this review is strictly of their cakes.

Did this place close? I called several times and the number keeps saying it has been disconnected. I found another another for this location and again, disconnected. Certainly not driving across town to take a gamble.

I used to stop by quite often for their awesome croissants — they are flaky, tasty and fairly inexpensive — but as I got older I had to quit or I would have weighed 300lbs by now.
Andre has IMHO some of the best cakes in Houston, they are original in flavor and decoration look beautiful and are very reasonable.
Their bread selection on the other hand has never really impressed me — I much prefer the selection and quality of Central Market for that.

Go to any of the other Andres BUT this one: RUDE staff!
Tried calling for daily specials but the lady picked up the phone and said «I can’t help you right now, I’m busy.» Called back 10 minutes later, she said «Andre’s, please hold” — then hung up. Called back, she said «Andre’s, hold” — told her I just wanted to know the special, she said «Well I’m busy” — hangs up.
On another occasion, I gave a 20% tip but put it in the Total and didn’t bother to add it, i.e. instead of writing $ 2 tip for a $ 10 meal, I just put $ 12 total. Rosa the waitress pulled my friend who I was eating with aside and told her I didn’t tip her. Then another friend who goes there frequently said Rosa had confronted her that I didn’t give her a tip. How unprofessional and rude.
This restaurant does not deserve any business and has had the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. I heard recently that it was forced to shut down and I say good riddance.

The only reason to come here is for the desserts and pastries. If you do want a good pastry, come here. The food is aweful and if you want to keep your sanity, never special order a dessert.
We ordered our wedding cake from here and up until a few days before our wedding they could never find our order. I ordered a smaller version of our cake for our anniversary and the same thing happened! Then they slapped together a cake at the last minute and it wasn’t even right.
I would rather go to K*roger and get a cake there then order from here again.

Pastries are good Food not so good its ok

free Wifi
lovely counter/​bar stool seating right at the big window store front
plenty of electric sockets
friendly service
unlimited refills (coffee jitters, much?)
free dessert samples
decent food (quiche a bit stale, roast beef sandwich is standard, soups consistently good. sweets are hit or miss.)
a bottomless hot cup of joe + people watching at the window + laptop and textbooks = my typical weekend

There are two things that are notable about Andre’s. First, the desserts are scrumptious. Although the desserts have declined somewhat, the pastries for the various locations across Houston, to my knowledge, are made at this River Oaks location. The mango mousse and the River Oaks are quite delicious. Second, lunch deals are great. For about 12 dollars, you get a nice lunch that includes dessert and coffee. Pro tip: the earlier you go in the day, the better the pastries are.

Andre’s is a place that when you first walk in you are drawn to all the different desserts they have that you just want to forgo lunch and go straight for the desserts. I have been to Andre’s for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is decent, and their latte’s are good. I got the croissant sandwich and while it was good it was not memorable. However, I do like their lunch menu. For a reasonable price, you can get an entrée salad, coffee/​tea, and DESSERT! I always get their Seared Tuna Salad when I come here. It comes with mangoes on it and the dressing is very appetizing. Plus since I just ate a salad I have extra room in my belly to decide what dessert I want. After eating quite a few of their desserts I think my favorite would have to be the chocolate chip cookies. I have had the other desserts, and while good I find that after a couple of bites it is either too sweet or too rich.

I have to admit I have a bit of a soft spot for Andre Tellier. It was the first true bakery I discovered in Houston and as such it will always have a warm place in heart. I had all but given hope of finding a place where I could just walk in and order a flavorful pastry coupled with a great cup of coffee. But one fateful day, as I was driving towards my Girlfriend’s house I saw the sign and had to stop. When I saw the french sounding name I immediately expected the worst when the time came to pay for the two ham and cheese croissants, the almond croissant, and the chocolate mousse I ordered. Nevertheless, I was surprised when the total came out to under 10 dollars.
The pastries made satisfied us in the way that the magical, endorphin producing pairing of dough and cheese only can. The almond croissant was equally good, and the mousse was superb. We quickly became hooked, going often and enjoying the fresh made pastries time after time. Each time our experience was nothing short of wonderful, but we had never had the chance to dine inside; the option of eating in the comfort of our own home only a few miles away always seemed more enticing. Yet one day we happened to be craving fresh made pastries and the thought of having to wait yet another few seconds to enjoy our treats seemed nothing short of criminal; so naturally we sat down in one of the tables and waited to be served. The service was spotty at best, and they took half an hour to serve a couple of croissants and coffee from the counter to the table. I kept glancing at the pastry counter with a madman’s look in my eye that I’m sure scared the poor girl working behind it. I briefly considered storming the display case bank-​robbery style, but too much time had passed and my unsatisfied need for fluffy, cheese filled dough had left me too weak for the task. Finally, when our meal arrived we jumped on it like starving hyenas, poaching food off each others’ plates. I’m sure the pastries were still amazing, but I scarfed them down much too quickly for my taste buds to register anything.
Even worse than the sit down service is the fact that, of all days of the week, they decide to close on Sundays. Blasphemy! Don’t these people know that its been scientifically proven by a crack team of researchers (My SO and I) that Sundays are the day in which the body craves dough the most? In all seriousness, I understand the need to close shop for one day, but Sundays are a sacred baked goods day in which most families actually purchase them. I am left stranded on Sundays, searching all over the city to find a place which serves pastries filled with cheese and ham.
These fatal flaws reduce this place from what surely would be a solid four or even a five to a lowly three and a half, rounded up to four. All in all, stick to the counter and come away with a smile, pastries are best enjoyed during a picnic in a park anyways.

This is the second time visiting this bakery, and while it is still decent, I remember it being much better in April 2007 on my first visit to Houston. I remember that I had bought a half dozen of the amaretto (Italian almond paste) cookies and they were divine, absolutely melt in your mouth. With high expectations I returned again with my husband to gorge ourselves on sweets and pastries. However, I do realize that we visited late in the afternoon (usually a no-​no for pastry lovers like me, when the best items sell out first thing in the morning).
Unfortunately, the lemon bar practically crumbled in pieces when I picked it up; caked on top was a thick layer of icing sugar. It was so saccharine that I couldn’t really taste the lemon flavour and in the end, I was too disgusted to finish it. The amaretto cookies were overbaked such that they were brown, tough and bitter tasting, bringing out a little too much of the almond flavouring. As for the almond croissant, it was a little skimpy on the filling and too heavy on the icing sugar.
However, on the plus side, the cranberry bar was perfectly tart and delightful and the pecan bar just as good with hints of honey. And I absolutely loved the rich ooey, gooey, caramel-​tasting macaroon… I don’t normally like macaroons but this one won me over. Also, the butter croissant was well done except that the dough contained a little too much sugar for my taste — I like them slightly salty, not sweet.
The staff was friendly and the server nicely threw in a free pastry for us because we were buying quite a bit. I would definitely come back for the buttery, sweet coconut macaroon but I would say that I’ve had better pastries at other bakeries elsewhere. Three and a half stars.

Went here for lunch on a Saturday around 1:30pm and it was not busy at all. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwhich and my hubby got the turkey and cheese sandwhich– both on croissants. We split our sandwhiches so we could try each of them and they were both really good. The meal comes with a dessert, so thats awesome. They bring out a tray of different things, I dont think its the same every time though. But still a lot of different desserts to choose from. The combo was only 11.50 each. so I thought it was a good deal. Wish they had more selections on their lunch menu, but all in all it was good.

My boyfriend loves eating here for the sandwiches. I do not like the food, but with my lunch combo, I get my choice of their delicious pastries. If you like chocolate, get the River Oaks. I am salivating thinking about its rich, chocolate mousse *insert homer simpson drool here*.
They have the same waiters, so I get really good service with the ones that recognize us. However, be prepared to wait during the lunch rush.
If you just want pastries, I recommend anything chocolate to go.

I’ve only been to this location on River Oaks Blvd. and then only for breakfast.
Décor — if you’ve been to some of the local restaurants and cafes in Switzerland in the smaller towns and villages then you’ll be familiar — it’s not warm and cozy — it’s functional and Swiss. (Lived and worked there so I know whereof I speak).
Service — reasonable — it can get crowded on a Saturday morning and the servers do a functional job of keeping you supplied.
Breakfast is good — simple (like Swiss food), reasonably priced, reasonable quality, reasonable quantity.
The «dine-​in» portion of this location lives up to the «Swiss – ness» in the name — Functional, reasonable, focused on a particular thing.

I’m not crazy about this place, and being that this place is a popular lunch spot for old money is puzzling. Then again, «old» is the key word here… what’s the average customer’s age? Probably around 50.
Since the sandwiches and hot meals are not that tasty, I’m pretty sure their regulars don’t mind.
Meals come in three courses. Soup or salad, entrée, and choice dessert. Drink is included as well. You can just order the meal w/​o the dessert and it’ll be a tad cheaper. I suggest not to do so because the best part of your meal is the dessert.
The pastries here, they do well. I’ve ordered cakes for birthdays and events. So I do like their pastries. If you want a sandwich, head somewhere else and save the trouble.
Note: they do wedding cakes as well, not known for it but they are trying to start up that side of their business. Therefore, cakes are not that expensive compared to a «Who made the Cake». Plus they can recreate almost any cake you see in a picture.

It was this or PF Chang’s. Obviously I would try this place before going to PF Chang’s again, given my insistence for real Chinese food. So we tried it, and for a quick lunch, it’s not bad. It looks real low-​key, but supposedly society doyens dine here. The service was ok. Supposedly their pastries here are all kinds of awesome, but I’ve never tried any, so maybe I’ll bring someone who will try some for next time.

A decent pain au chocolat, a chain restaurant décor, and around the corner from a beignet/​new orleans breakfast joint.
I walked in, bought my $ 1.50 pain au chocolat, and walked out. The dining room has no windows, and the décor is fake «swiss», but packed on a saturday morning. My croissant with chocolate was pretty good. I ate it on the way home from the stone’s throw away farmer’s market (3000 Richmond). The chocolate bar was excellent — semi-​sweet which is the point of original pain au chocolate. The pastry itself lacked the butter/​salty unctuousness of other pain au chocolats. But I enjoyed it.
The chef, Frank Tellier, won a «pastry chef of the year» from the Houston publication My Table. And if you don’t like the décor, you can buy pastries, and sit outside around the corner with a round of deep fried powdered sugared beignets and chicory coffee. It’s a good block.

I have waited years to visit Andre’s because a friend told me how exclusive and expensive it was, and I didn’t feel up to the task.
It’s a good thing we’re not friends anymore.
I tried a variety of things from their bakery today and, while they were fresh, they were not the best I’ve had in Houston. Their case this morning featured a variety of croissants, danish, cookies, meringues, and tarts. Croissants were tender but the flavor was off somehow and the outer crust was too crispy and thick. Don’t get me wrong — this is far above grocery store baked goods, but I’m not sure they’re good enough to justify the buzz/​prices. There were also a bunch of good-​looking and unique cakes, so this might be a place to get something for a special event (they also do a lot of catering).
The thing that really dropped them to 3 stars was the service. The people in front of me in line were oblivious penny-​pinchers, but the counter girl was so incredibly rude that we almost left. The girl who waited on us was much kinder, but the overall vibe of the service was not nearly as upscale as the red-​checkered tablecloth seating area clientele implied it ought to be.

During lunch time this place has good deals. It is something like $ 12 for an exquisite multi-​course meal which includes one of their delicious dessert. There’s another one in Uptown Park in the Galleria area but the food is delivered to that place from this River Oaks location.
Warning: for the big eaters out there, the portions of each course may be small.