Roost Farm Winery and Bakery

Owners should DEFINITELY pay more attention to the cleaning. This restaurant is insanely filthy, tables, floors, everything.and cutlery is not even washed properly? Not hard to imagine how the kitchen looks like. On top of that, arrogant and disdainful customer service. Last time we came the owner seemed to be yelling at her employees. Everybody deserves a second chance but we won’t never come back to support this business.

My husband and I visited Roost on the weekend for a late-morning treat. I will say we were a bit confused about where to line up/order etc.but figured it out eventually.

We were very impressed at the variety of baked goods, so much so that we ordered extra's to take home. I also greatly appreciated the gluten free options - the lemon cookie was my favourite!

When we ordered/paid the employee at the checkout literally could not have looked more unimpressed. I understand that working in retail is hard, and customers can be the worst, but a friendly greeting and positive tone go a LOOONNNNGGG way. There are a lot of other local cafe's that I have had much better experiences at so will likely go to those places before making another trip to Roost.

Overpriced, over salted. 15 minutes and 20 bucks for "soup of the day". Will not return

Let me start off by saying that I have no history with this place. It was my first visit. Almost every sandwich on the menu comes with aioli sauce, when we asked if we could have plain mayonnaise we were told that they don't have plain mayo. Since most of their menu at lunch time is sandwiches you would think they would have regular old mayonaise. My mom ended up having the ham and cheese without the aioli. They did have mustard though so she had that on her sandwich.
I ordered the roast beef on pretzel bun and it was the driest sandwich I've had in a long time. I ended up putting lots of mustard on it to compensate. I can eat garlic so I had the aioli sauce but there was hardly any on the bun. The only person at our table that was happy was my aunt who had the turkey and it actually looked pretty good so I guess I should have ordered that.

For what you get the food is overpriced. I probably won't be going back.

It's really hard to mess up a sandwich imo. But they seem to have accomplished it quite well. Restaurants these days need to take into account that a lot of people have food sensitivities. How hard is it to keep a few extra condiments in stock?

Americano coffee comes from a machine. #next

Over priced menu and low value.

Overwhelmed and frustrating counter staff. Makes our coffee, let's it sit right there while taking orders. Asked for coffee and told to wait while she takes another order. The customer was nice enough to say "oh, I can wait". The staff member then dumps out coffee and uses same mug to make a new one. Just unreal! What a sideshow.

Booth seats look like they came from a junkyard. Seriously, what is up with the booth bench seats being worn through to foam and other bits? My goodness, get those things refurbished.

Made a quick pit stop to The Roost Farm Bakery & Vineyard.

Tasting is $5.00/person for four 1oz pours or $15.00 for 3oz pours. Fee is waived with a purchase of a wine bottle. At least you can pick which wines you want to try.

- Tasting ($5.00) - best of the four was the pet-nat. Ginger port was decent. Did not like the big red rooster or the highland bramble (unrefined, rough, needed to be airated).

The older folks come for the sandwiches. Wouldn’t go out of the way to visit.

Lovely atmosphere & decent counter staff, just wasn’t planning on eating fly gravy today. Maybe kitchen needs extra attention?

Love this place, been going for over 10 years. Trying to call them today to confirm if the bus is open to eat on.first call was declined, second call I was put on hold immediately for 7 minutes until they hung up on me. Called a number of times after that, the call was obviously being declined. I get that you’re likely very busy, but that was extremely unprofessional. Trying to take my 4 year old son there for an exciting experience but don’t want to make the drive if the bus isn’t open, he’s majorly bummed out.

Great food it didn't disappoint and nice staff. However our wait for food was excessive as they were low in staff.lovely outside location. Sadly, no wine tastings available it would seem.

I just had the most amazing soup. Turkey and chorizo. I wish I had a ordered a bigger portion. I hope this soup never stops showing up.

The roost used to be amazing, sadly not the case. Got a cupcake today and was treated to cardboard topped with icing. The buttercream was delicious, but the cupcake must have been multiple days old. So much for good fresh baking!

What a let down. The breakfast included a slice of cold deli ham, bland Hollandaise and the greasy potato was served with black chunks scrapped off the grill. Food wrapper/dirty floor. Bathroom first thing in the morning? Not cleaned for awhile and door frame broken off no privacy. Never again.

Ordered the special late 3: 45pm today, chef made it work;) Great food, even better staff make us regular weekenders!

Some of the best quality food I've had anywhere, great atmosphere and a beautiful set up.

Very disappointed with our meal.overpriced and underwhelmed! We understand there may be staff shortages and the cost of everything has gone up. BUT my cream of mushroom soup was a weird, bland and gelatinous concoction that congealed when cooled. My Caesar Salad was full of brown lettuce and lacking of dressing which was watered down. My husband's meatloaf sandwich was ok.a bit dry. His fries were ice cold. Probably will not make the drive out there to eat here again.

My wife, and some friends from Nanaimo, and I checked out Roost Farm after our friends picked us up from the Victoria airport. We had breakfast here, and the food was amazing. All the staff are incredibly kind, and this entire place is actually really cool and cute. They have lots of bakery items and everything we tried was phenomenal!

Self serve now. Not what it used to be. Coffee served in paper cups. Lots of unbussed tables. Scrambled eggs were terrible. One thing hasn't changed- the chairs are uncomfortable. The baked goods are delicious however.

Ok, let's talk Nanaimo bars. The Roost knows exactly how Nanaimo bars are supposed to taste and they nailed it! These are thee BEST Nanaimo bars I have ever tasted! They are the perfect size to share or if you're like me, enjoy all to yourself. The veggie wraps are delish too, and the poutine. Oh yah, and their meringues are perfect, fluffy clouds of sweet delicious-ness too!

Try the pies! They are delicious.
Great friendly 5* service, good menu choices and lots of options for seating (indoors/outdoors sun/shade).
Have been here for their pizza nights too and they are really tasty.

Self serve now. Not what it used to be. Coffee served in paper cups. Lots of unbussed tables. Scrambled eggs were terrible. One thing hasn't changed- the chairs are uncomfortable. The baked goods are delicious however.

Nice area to stop for lunch, with local wine tastings and different options for food. Recommend the wine flights to get a nice variety of flavours. Nice seating area outside with options in the sun or shade.
Had to clear the table myself, as well as pick up the food when they called my name.

I really loved the place. The sandwiches were good as well as the fries.
They have a back patio where you can seat and chill out. Will repeat for sure in my next visit to the island.

First time visiting. I had a Montreal smoked beef sandwich with a Caesar salad. Both were awesome. This place also has really awesome desserts. I bought a couple to sample at home. They also make and sell their own wine there. It is a great place for wine tasting.

Bought the take home frozen lasagna. Cooking instructions said 425 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes from frozen, not even close to warm after the 45 minutes. Had to turn up the oven to 450 degrees and heat for another 30 minutes. Found the lasagna to be very watery with an overwhelming amount of oregano in it, so that was all you could taste. Would not recommend.

I used to love The Roost and felt that it was a special place.
However, the last two times I visited I was extremely disappointed.
Counter staff was cold and unfriendly. Not welcoming! (There was only one staff member who was friendly).
A member of the kitchen staff was running her hands through her hair and scratching the upper part of her back (hands under shirt). She didn't wash her hands afterwards.
When I received my food it was cold and soggy.
I keep going back hoping that it will be like it used to be.
On a positive note.
My coffee was delicious!

Bought the take home frozen shepards pie and it was terrible. After following directions on the lid (cook for 40 min at 425) the pie was still frozen and my oven works well. When we finally got it cooked we found very little meat in the bottom, just a lot of very watery mashed potatoes. This was second time that have had trouble with their frozen food. Never again.

Nice atmosphere with pleasant staff, but the service was slow and disorganized. Food and drinks were average.

With the array of breakfast spots available in Sidney, we had the misfortune to end up here. The three of us had time to spend prior to a departure from the Victoria Airport, so we went for a bite at The Roost before checking in. Big mistake. It left me with indigestion and upset stomach for the remainder of the day. Visit at your own risk. And if you're not fussy about cleaning, you'll feel right at home there.

We recently held our small wedding reception at Roost and it was fantastic. The food was excellent and the service was outstanding. The team readily created a menu for us that took into account some allergies amongst the group, provided a wonderful clean space for us, and even stepped up to sew my wedding dress strap when it ripped! If you are looking for an event venue or event catering, I highly recommend Roost. Our wedding was incredible in large part thanks to working with them. Thank you Tara, Rob and the whole team for making our day so special.

The ingredients are good, but both the wrap and the sandwich we had, contained little to no sauce creating a very dry meal and the meat was not well distributed through the sandwich at all & I'm positive mine was missing the cranberry aioli.
Super expensive for what it is, good quality ingredients only go far if you know how to make a simple sandwich properly.
Nanaimo bars don't taste true to the original not the correct filling, Nanaimo bar but was a very fat treat either way.
Also why are you asking for tips on the terminal, the staff do nothing extra for me. Do you guys pay a livable wage at the price of your products?
Nice staff, okay wine, poorly made and thought out food, lots of treats to choose from but mine was a dud but yet I left with a nice heating pad as well.

As a couple of others mentioned this is NOT the place to get a sandwich. I will also add espresso based beverages to the avoid list (or maybe just americanos, as that's what I had and it was the saddest weakest thing I've ever tasted). I will, however, vouch for the veggie quiche - delish. Also my bfs parent swear that it is usually a great place (and it was busy when we were there), so it was perhaps an off day or they just do certain things well.

Very glad we stopped for lunch here. Good selection of tasty food. Nice portions, very good gravy and fries, tasty soup. Have not tried the baked goods but I definitely want to. Both outside and inside seating. This will be one of our regular stops for this area!

Lovely place to stop for a coffee and a bite to eat. Lots of outdoor seating options - under cover, in the sun. Pastries all looked delicious. Chocolate croissant brought back memories of France.)

Good food and quality nice atmosphere inside the store and nice sitting areas outside but personally I think there a little over priced.

This is my 3rd Roost review in 7 years. The place continues to be maddeningly frustrating in its inconsistencies.

The restaurant can be fine, and no judgement during Covid. I wish them all the best for a quick and prosperous reopening.

The bakery, which when ‘on’ can produce the most magical baked goods, meat pies, desserts. Glorious stuff.

Drove up the other day well within opening times. Closed. 30 minute drive to get there. No notice. This has happened before. Wrong orders in the bag, etc.

A shame, because the staff is very nice. But, it’s ‘island time’ in a restaurant/bakery.

We’ll keep trying. The muffins and scones are that good, but be warned, they really march to the beat of their own highly inconsistent drum.

The Roost has possibly the best baked goods of any coffee shop on the south island, as they still include delicious chocolate treats like brownies with icing. There are GF options too, but athletes still like chocolate after their workout, and I love The Roost!

The Roost is a real gem. New owners Tara & Rob are fantastic human beings who work hard and make amazing food and wine. I am slowly making my way through their menu, and nothing has disappointed me. Highlights include the mushroom wood oven pizza (Friday & Saturday) and the turkey pot pie with a pastry crust that is out of this world! They also support local artists and farmers which is an extra bonus. The frozen meals are also a nice time saver for the days that I am too lazy to cook. There’s something for everyone here!

Great selection of locally produced and sourced products including sandwiches, baked goods, frozen entrees, and handicrafts/gifts.

My Montreal Smoked Meat sandwich with sauerkraut on Russian Rye ($16.75) was OK - still searching for Back East version. The Broccoli Cheese soup was OK, serving size is not quite a cup.

For dessert I ordered the Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Centre ($6.35) to-go. When I ate it later - no raspberry centre! I must have got a dud. The cake is very rich and I was looking forward to the raspberry tart, tangy sweetness. Alas, it was just a piece of cake.

Due to COVID, food is served in compostable containers which took away from the experience. Also, no table service is provided: you order your items and then they call your name. This goes for beverage orders, as well.

It's a nice space worth browsing including wine they produce onsite. Prices are reasonable. The customer service is friendly, fast, and efficient.

The Roost was busy, lots of locals from the North Saanich: there was quite the line on a cold afternoon in Victoria.

Enter from the extreme right in the exterior photos and exit from the main entrance under the Roost sign.

Fresh baked bread is $6/loaf. I got a day-old loaf of Russia Rye for $3. I'm happy.

Charming spot for a casual lunch or to pick up a family meal to-go. Their baked goods are very tasty! Service is a bit slow but not terrible, I would go back.

They have great stuff. This year, they started to put out more as takeout and one big win on that front: POUTINE. It's really good: both in terms of quality and in terms of value. Their mainstay is the bakery: good breads, muffins, pastries and sweets.

Used to be a great spot for everything now three times in a row the sandwiches were just no good. Their bread is great and their baked goods are some of the best around but save yourself the disappointment get a sandwich anywhere else.

Had to wait to have been there at least 4 to 5 times before writing this review just to be on the fair side, but unfortunately, there were no improvements from the first to the last time I was there. Dining room experience was lousy at best and service at the counter needs serious improvement (or older staff and not kids). In the dining room the service was less than adequate and the food was unfortunately the same. Staff seems more interested in talking to each other than serving the clients. Pork sausages tasted like they were a few weeks overdue. At the counter the service was barely faster to get a cinnamon roll (which are really great btw) and a coffee and when I ask her to warm it up in the microwave, she did and just left to the other end of the counter and started chatting away with another employee but totally forgot about my order. After about 4 to 5 minutes I had to walk over and wake her up in order to get my cinnamon roll out of the microwave. When you hire kids, you should micro manage then at first until they get the hang of things. When I go to the shooting range I still go and get my cinnamon roll from the counter from time to time (because they really are good) but will never eat at the dinner ever again. You got 1 STAR rating because of the cinnamon rolls.