Best kouign amans ever and lots of seasonal options. Not my favorite croissant in the area though.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Starter Bakery Kouign Amann and Morning Buns
Wen-Chia Parker
Amazing baked goods and pies so
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Y K
Love the breads here, but the service at the front gate wasn't good.Decided to visit this place after visiting Oakland location several times.We had to wait outside of the entrance for a bit, which wasn't too bad. When the door opened and the women who works there came out, she didn't seem to bother to ask any questions but just told us to go to the app and slide to right for pick up, and shut the door.I didn't order through the app and didn't know they had one. I guess she must have assumed it was through a delivery app?..Anyway, I asked a lady behind me what to do if my order was through the web. She stated to let her know, which we tried but got abruptly cut off.During the wait at the outside, we also saw her(the worker) bag the breads in a rough way. The sounds of bread hitting the table were quite loud so I could hear them outside of the closed door. As a family who loves breads/baking, we don't want our breads hitting the table while being handled.A few minutes later, the worker opened the door again, and I told her my order was through the app, and she was, "Oh, then you could've told me!" ...My husband pointed out that we were trying to, but she abruptly cut us off, which then she finally apologized.The thing that made me feel more bad about the service is... after the worker noticed that we were the ones who made a huge order; her demeanor changed and was more welcoming.Although her customer service changed in one snap, I was still worried after witnessing how she was bagging other orders. Fortunately, my breads were placed in the paper bag softly, which was good.The sad part is that they missed some of our orders, and we realized after we got home. When we were there to pick up, there was no notice of missing items. I wonder if the worker double-checked for the order (mind you, my order was placed 1wk before the pick up).From my past visits to the Starter bakery in Oakland, they seemed to check the order better, even if the order was placed a day before(less then24hrs). My orders were always packed nicely. If anything missing, they notified me right at the pick up and even processed the refund beforehand, or asked if anything I wanted to get substitude instead.After this whole thing happened, will I ever go back to this bakery? Maybe, as there are some pastries I can not get from the Oakland location, and I think their breads are worth of 1+hrs driving.Compare to the Oakland location? I'd prefer Oakland location more. Can't believe the main location's customer service is far below than its branch location.I do hope the front gate person is more kind and has more attention to detail.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Starter Bakery Kouign Amann and Morning Buns
Steve Tafolla
I bought a gift certificate for family. I entered the wrong email. I contacted the bakery who helped me fix the problem. Thank you!
Joc V.
It is not safe to leave me in a bakery, much less in a room full of kouign amanns. The traditional, hazelnut, chocolate, and I don't even know what the seasonal flavor was but they were all decadent and delicious. Further doing more damage, I decided to just go big and added the chocolate babka, the financiers, a ham and cheese croissant. No, I didn't eat them all myself. In one sitting. Be patient and thankful for the glass case protecting these baked goods from drool and all that heavy breathing,
Ava E.
I love kouign amans and have been able to satisfy the craving with Starter Bakery! Whether I get them at the actual bakeries or from Berkeley Bowl....they never disappoint.Recently ordered from the Gilman location and had a hard time finding the place, not realizing that they are in the Tesla Parking lot, in one of the suites there. But I would have never known that...should be in the description of the location. One would think they were in the wrong place, not knowing and if you have never been there before.I ordered different variations of the kouign amans...the pecan one is friggin' amazing!!! Do yourself a favor and visit this place, you will not be disappointed!
Teresa Head-Gordon
While Starter Bakery might be fine as a walk-in customer, you can't count on them for any pre-order, especially before Thanksgiving. I placed a $92 order on November 8, and on Wednesday the day before Thanksgiving they had buried and forgotten it. After recovering it they could only fulfill half of it. And finally, if you think you might be getting fresh Parker rolls for the day, no, its just a pack probably previously frozen. I am assuming frozen because otherwise they must not have been fresh as they felt somewhat hard. I then cancelled the whole order and bought an alternative elsewhere. They did promptly refund the $92 later on Wednesday.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Amanda S.
My favorite bakery, and I am super-picky! The citrus pie with brown sugar meringue is heaven. The best quiche I’ve ever had! Super-moist! I get their goods once a week, but it’s not enough!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Starter Bakery Kouign Amann and Morning Buns, Fruit Pies
Rob Asher
Not a store.
Winston L.
My wife and I stumbled upon this bakery while wandering around Berkeley on a Friday afternoon. We found it on Yelp and it took us a while to figure out where it actually was. It's a tiny storefront in between Ripple and Tesla with 3 parking spots that you can park at for a short duration.Our initial excitement turned to confusion when we tried to open the door. It was locked and the front room that we could look into had no lights on and no visible employees.Ok, so here's the deal. This location primarily serves as a wholesaler, but services the public by delivering on Fridays or through pickup orders. Pickup orders work by placing and order online and setting a pickup time between 8 AM and 3:40 PM on Fridays. When you arrive at your appointment time, someone preps your order, unlocks the door, hands you your goodies, and then disappears back into what I imagine is a baked good fairyland.Almost everything we have had here has been top notch - various flavors of kouign amann and croissants, chocolate babka, and the sesame pain au levain. The pan de muerto was ok as is, but when we sliced and toasted it, it was pretty good - kind of like orange flavored brioche.Planning a pickup or delivery around Friday treats at a bakery is a bit cumbersome, but I think it is well worth it. They also rotate their menu with seasonal items to keep things interesting.I overheard the employee saying the Oakland location is more friendly to the public (cafe style), so that could be a better option for folks.
Picked up 2 Too Good To Gos for a total $25 . This has to be almost $100 in delicious baked goods. Including a whole pie which says it retails for $30. The Kouign Amann is a must!! I can't wait to eat my way through these bags. Sorry we put away everyone before taking pics.
Zephyr Albright
Outstanding baked goods. Starter supplies many coffee houses and restaurants with baked goods and has a retail shop on College Ave in Oakland.
C. Yap
A hidden jem. I accidentally discovered Starter Bakery last week, and bought some to share with my spouse at home. Both of us were blown away by the taste, texture, and quality of the bakeries. Growing up in Bay Area for 40+ years, this is probably the best bakery we've tasted in Bay Area.
Chaunie L.
I finally made it to the Niles Farmers' Market this morning in time to shop at Starter Bakery. They are pretty much sold out if you arrive at the end of market.I picked up a sourdough olive loaf (smells heavenly), a multigrain loaf (ate some of that all ready, wonderful!), two kouign amanns (small pastries) and a butter croissant. Customer service was great, the multigrain bread and the chocolate kouign amann are very good. Will sample the rest tomorrow.We had planned to go to Golden Gate Park this weekend and stop at two of the fine bakeries on 9th street. Learned (in time!) that there is a BIG music festival there this weekend and changed our plans. My disappointment at missing out on the bakeries in San Francisco was completely dispelled by getting to the Starter Bakery booth in time to get a great selection of fresh breads and pastries.
Wendy L.
This Starter Bakery location is primarily a wholesale location and only has limited retail hours for online orders. If you subscribe to their newsletter, they have different fun weekly specials including the recent kouign amann sampler set that they did for kouign amanm week (who knew that was a thing??). The sampler box was really cute and definitely made for a good gift. They have wonderful pastries and breads.They also participate in Too Good To Go and have great discounted goody bags of day-old pastries and breads. The parking lot can get crowded because of the Tesla service center, but there are a few parking spots near the front door designated for Starter Bakery.
Best kouign amans ever and lots of seasonal options. Not my favorite croissant in the area though.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Starter Bakery Kouign Amann and Morning Buns
Amazing baked goods and pies so
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love the breads here, but the service at the front gate wasn't good.Decided to visit this place after visiting Oakland location several times.We had to wait outside of the entrance for a bit, which wasn't too bad. When the door opened and the women who works there came out, she didn't seem to bother to ask any questions but just told us to go to the app and slide to right for pick up, and shut the door.I didn't order through the app and didn't know they had one. I guess she must have assumed it was through a delivery app?..Anyway, I asked a lady behind me what to do if my order was through the web. She stated to let her know, which we tried but got abruptly cut off.During the wait at the outside, we also saw her(the worker) bag the breads in a rough way. The sounds of bread hitting the table were quite loud so I could hear them outside of the closed door. As a family who loves breads/baking, we don't want our breads hitting the table while being handled.A few minutes later, the worker opened the door again, and I told her my order was through the app, and she was, "Oh, then you could've told me!" ...My husband pointed out that we were trying to, but she abruptly cut us off, which then she finally apologized.The thing that made me feel more bad about the service is... after the worker noticed that we were the ones who made a huge order; her demeanor changed and was more welcoming.Although her customer service changed in one snap, I was still worried after witnessing how she was bagging other orders. Fortunately, my breads were placed in the paper bag softly, which was good.The sad part is that they missed some of our orders, and we realized after we got home. When we were there to pick up, there was no notice of missing items. I wonder if the worker double-checked for the order (mind you, my order was placed 1wk before the pick up).From my past visits to the Starter bakery in Oakland, they seemed to check the order better, even if the order was placed a day before(less then24hrs). My orders were always packed nicely. If anything missing, they notified me right at the pick up and even processed the refund beforehand, or asked if anything I wanted to get substitude instead.After this whole thing happened, will I ever go back to this bakery? Maybe, as there are some pastries I can not get from the Oakland location, and I think their breads are worth of 1+hrs driving.Compare to the Oakland location? I'd prefer Oakland location more. Can't believe the main location's customer service is far below than its branch location.I do hope the front gate person is more kind and has more attention to detail.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Starter Bakery Kouign Amann and Morning Buns
I bought a gift certificate for family. I entered the wrong email. I contacted the bakery who helped me fix the problem. Thank you!
It is not safe to leave me in a bakery, much less in a room full of kouign amanns. The traditional, hazelnut, chocolate, and I don't even know what the seasonal flavor was but they were all decadent and delicious. Further doing more damage, I decided to just go big and added the chocolate babka, the financiers, a ham and cheese croissant. No, I didn't eat them all myself. In one sitting. Be patient and thankful for the glass case protecting these baked goods from drool and all that heavy breathing,
I love kouign amans and have been able to satisfy the craving with Starter Bakery! Whether I get them at the actual bakeries or from Berkeley Bowl....they never disappoint.Recently ordered from the Gilman location and had a hard time finding the place, not realizing that they are in the Tesla Parking lot, in one of the suites there. But I would have never known that...should be in the description of the location. One would think they were in the wrong place, not knowing and if you have never been there before.I ordered different variations of the kouign amans...the pecan one is friggin' amazing!!! Do yourself a favor and visit this place, you will not be disappointed!
While Starter Bakery might be fine as a walk-in customer, you can't count on them for any pre-order, especially before Thanksgiving. I placed a $92 order on November 8, and on Wednesday the day before Thanksgiving they had buried and forgotten it. After recovering it they could only fulfill half of it. And finally, if you think you might be getting fresh Parker rolls for the day, no, its just a pack probably previously frozen. I am assuming frozen because otherwise they must not have been fresh as they felt somewhat hard. I then cancelled the whole order and bought an alternative elsewhere. They did promptly refund the $92 later on Wednesday.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
My favorite bakery, and I am super-picky! The citrus pie with brown sugar meringue is heaven. The best quiche I’ve ever had! Super-moist! I get their goods once a week, but it’s not enough!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Starter Bakery Kouign Amann and Morning Buns, Fruit Pies
Not a store.
My wife and I stumbled upon this bakery while wandering around Berkeley on a Friday afternoon. We found it on Yelp and it took us a while to figure out where it actually was. It's a tiny storefront in between Ripple and Tesla with 3 parking spots that you can park at for a short duration.Our initial excitement turned to confusion when we tried to open the door. It was locked and the front room that we could look into had no lights on and no visible employees.Ok, so here's the deal. This location primarily serves as a wholesaler, but services the public by delivering on Fridays or through pickup orders. Pickup orders work by placing and order online and setting a pickup time between 8 AM and 3:40 PM on Fridays. When you arrive at your appointment time, someone preps your order, unlocks the door, hands you your goodies, and then disappears back into what I imagine is a baked good fairyland.Almost everything we have had here has been top notch - various flavors of kouign amann and croissants, chocolate babka, and the sesame pain au levain. The pan de muerto was ok as is, but when we sliced and toasted it, it was pretty good - kind of like orange flavored brioche.Planning a pickup or delivery around Friday treats at a bakery is a bit cumbersome, but I think it is well worth it. They also rotate their menu with seasonal items to keep things interesting.I overheard the employee saying the Oakland location is more friendly to the public (cafe style), so that could be a better option for folks.
Restaurantji Recommends
Picked up 2 Too Good To Gos for a total $25 . This has to be almost $100 in delicious baked goods. Including a whole pie which says it retails for $30. The Kouign Amann is a must!! I can't wait to eat my way through these bags. Sorry we put away everyone before taking pics.
Outstanding baked goods. Starter supplies many coffee houses and restaurants with baked goods and has a retail shop on College Ave in Oakland.
A hidden jem. I accidentally discovered Starter Bakery last week, and bought some to share with my spouse at home. Both of us were blown away by the taste, texture, and quality of the bakeries. Growing up in Bay Area for 40+ years, this is probably the best bakery we've tasted in Bay Area.
I finally made it to the Niles Farmers' Market this morning in time to shop at Starter Bakery. They are pretty much sold out if you arrive at the end of market.I picked up a sourdough olive loaf (smells heavenly), a multigrain loaf (ate some of that all ready, wonderful!), two kouign amanns (small pastries) and a butter croissant. Customer service was great, the multigrain bread and the chocolate kouign amann are very good. Will sample the rest tomorrow.We had planned to go to Golden Gate Park this weekend and stop at two of the fine bakeries on 9th street. Learned (in time!) that there is a BIG music festival there this weekend and changed our plans. My disappointment at missing out on the bakeries in San Francisco was completely dispelled by getting to the Starter Bakery booth in time to get a great selection of fresh breads and pastries.
This Starter Bakery location is primarily a wholesale location and only has limited retail hours for online orders. If you subscribe to their newsletter, they have different fun weekly specials including the recent kouign amann sampler set that they did for kouign amanm week (who knew that was a thing??). The sampler box was really cute and definitely made for a good gift. They have wonderful pastries and breads.They also participate in Too Good To Go and have great discounted goody bags of day-old pastries and breads. The parking lot can get crowded because of the Tesla service center, but there are a few parking spots near the front door designated for Starter Bakery.