Stopped here because there was a higher rated place in the area that had a line out the door. We decided to try here and agreed the line here should be out the door and around the corner.Had one of their twice baked pistachio beads, a chai tea latte and a kimchi cheddar scone.Everything we got was a knock out of the park. They somehow got flavors that are normally more mild to really stand out. Some of the best bread I've ever had.To put it simply. Bakery do bread good
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Will Yumm
Perfect everything.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hannah Chou
The seasoning on the everything bagels were burnt, there was a hair in the display case, and no window shades to keep the pastries out of the sun.Why is the lowest preselected tip option at 18%? I’ll come back in a couple of weeks but right now there’s no QAQC.Updated review- the bread is no longer burnt. I haven’t tried any pastries since the last review but I’ve been buying bread every week.
Damo D.G.
The baked goods I tried were all great! Unique takes takes on classic items such as kimchi & cheddar scones, pork buns, and ginger sesame cream puffs. These were all freshly made on-site where you can watch them baking. All coffee drinks were equally superb, and the chai is was just as good!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Saood
Discovered this place because I had brunch earlier at a restaurant who used Ad Astra Sourdough. Made my way on over to check it out and was greeted with a really cool commercial bakery in downtown Monterey. Their selected of baked good is quite good. I ordered a loaf of their signature sourdough and a couple croissants. The sourdough is some of the best I've ever had. The outside is crusty while still maintaining a soft and airy inside. It's a great vessel for avocado toast. Also in the shop is a curated selection of other local goods including honey, tin fish, and ceramic cups.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Seeded Sourdough
Tracy Hydorn
When paying 10 bucks for a loaf of bread it is really disappointing to find massive holes in the center. Actually, it renders the bread useless for sandwich making. I asked the man in the “Coors” cap behind the counter about this issue and he replied that it was a “proofing” issue in the baking process which they had solved. Nope. Here’s a picture of the latest loaf I bought. Also, I was not offered the slightest apology, or even a ‘gosh sorry that happened’ type of sentiment. As many other reviewers have mentioned, there is a sort of disaffected hubris afoot behind the counter. In a business that WILL succeed or FAIL based upon their ability to keep the local repeat business, this is a huge problem. My advice to this bakery is that you get your basics right ie the proofing of your loaves, and listen to what people are saying when they come in. No one wants to have to report that the bread you sold them was not usable, people don’t generally complain for fun. You are making a big error when you don’t seem to care, and when you incorrectly assert that you have solved the problem. Having said that, your bread, on the rare occasions that it is properly proofed and not burnt, is the best in our area. I am rooting for you guys to succeed but sadly I’m not dropping another 10 bucks on the Seaside Sourdough.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Andrew
Great bakery! Neat and modern inside, with a cafe menu and assortment of baked goods. The bread and pastries are delicious and reasonable priced.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jarod Kerr
Staple every time we
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrew B.
Yikes I've never had to throw away a $7 latte before until today. The vibes when I walked into this place were chill but fast paced. It was interesting to watch the bakery folks until they seemed to not like it. Why have a huge glass window if you don't like being looked at?The price of a vanilla latte with oat milk (that's what's offered) is $6.50 and a an automatic 15% fee is added for cost of living for their employees. And then they again ask for a tip. Got the latte pretty quickly, it looked pretty then I tasted it. Yuck. It tasted burnt and had zero hint of vanilla syrup. I tried my hardest to drink it but I couldn't. My wife who is also a coffee lover tried it and had to spit it out. I would go back in but I felt like it would be very awkward asking them to remake it after already a not welcoming experience. I won't be returning. Their crew doesn't deserve a 15% cola if they treat their customers like poop.
Hamutahl C.
Good bread and coffee! Fun music. I'd be more likely to frequent again if they offered at least one vegan or dairy free pastry as my daughter is allergic to dairy. Really bums me out when places don't accommodate diverse diets.
Came on a holiday morning and the place had a small line. The location is in downtown Monterey, so parking is rough. There's some (but not a lot) of space for sitting inside, but the place looked tidy and clean. The pastry and bread looked great, and the coffee was fine. But just like everything in Monterey, it is pricey. Still a good spot to check out though!
Stephen Underwood
They've been carrying beans from Brandywine Coffee lately and I hope they don't stop because those are the best tasting beans you can get in the area. Bread and pastries are all great, you really can't go wrong. It definitely makes me happy to have this place in town as Monterey kind of feels like a food desert outside of a select few places, like this one.There are a few people complaining about the service fees and tips, I agree that tipping culture has gotten out of control, and this isn't saying to ignore that problem of tips being almost forced on every purchase nowadays, but there's no shame in selecting no tip on these systems.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
msp r.
This reviews is not for the bread. It's for the lack OF BREADWe come regularly and they've sold out the past three times. Sometimes by 1 pm. WHAT????no one else stocks it. Except Elroy's and that's a crap shoot most of the time Guys. Please bake more. You're already on too good to go so nothing will be wasted. Come on and step up to the demand. There is no other decent sour dough bread in the Monterey Peninsula so help us out.
Theresa L.
Their bread is SO good. I wanted to get their sourdough but for some reason they only had it in loaf form, which was still good. I'll definitely visit again to buy a loaf of their sourdough bread, which I've heard so many good things about.They also have a bunch of fancy looking pastries, will definitely come by to try those next time for breakfast! We had a latte as well from here and it was a nice standard latte. They do also offer alternative milks for an additional charge.
Vivek N.
Really buttery and flaky pain au chocolat and a dense and not-to-sweet cinnamon roll. Chai and roobois tea were pretty decent. No bathroom onsite, but public restrooms nearby. Didn't try their bread.
Stopped here because there was a higher rated place in the area that had a line out the door. We decided to try here and agreed the line here should be out the door and around the corner.Had one of their twice baked pistachio beads, a chai tea latte and a kimchi cheddar scone.Everything we got was a knock out of the park. They somehow got flavors that are normally more mild to really stand out. Some of the best bread I've ever had.To put it simply. Bakery do bread good
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Perfect everything.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The seasoning on the everything bagels were burnt, there was a hair in the display case, and no window shades to keep the pastries out of the sun.Why is the lowest preselected tip option at 18%? I’ll come back in a couple of weeks but right now there’s no QAQC.Updated review- the bread is no longer burnt. I haven’t tried any pastries since the last review but I’ve been buying bread every week.
The baked goods I tried were all great! Unique takes takes on classic items such as kimchi & cheddar scones, pork buns, and ginger sesame cream puffs. These were all freshly made on-site where you can watch them baking. All coffee drinks were equally superb, and the chai is was just as good!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Discovered this place because I had brunch earlier at a restaurant who used Ad Astra Sourdough. Made my way on over to check it out and was greeted with a really cool commercial bakery in downtown Monterey. Their selected of baked good is quite good. I ordered a loaf of their signature sourdough and a couple croissants. The sourdough is some of the best I've ever had. The outside is crusty while still maintaining a soft and airy inside. It's a great vessel for avocado toast. Also in the shop is a curated selection of other local goods including honey, tin fish, and ceramic cups.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Seeded Sourdough
When paying 10 bucks for a loaf of bread it is really disappointing to find massive holes in the center. Actually, it renders the bread useless for sandwich making. I asked the man in the “Coors” cap behind the counter about this issue and he replied that it was a “proofing” issue in the baking process which they had solved. Nope. Here’s a picture of the latest loaf I bought. Also, I was not offered the slightest apology, or even a ‘gosh sorry that happened’ type of sentiment. As many other reviewers have mentioned, there is a sort of disaffected hubris afoot behind the counter. In a business that WILL succeed or FAIL based upon their ability to keep the local repeat business, this is a huge problem. My advice to this bakery is that you get your basics right ie the proofing of your loaves, and listen to what people are saying when they come in. No one wants to have to report that the bread you sold them was not usable, people don’t generally complain for fun. You are making a big error when you don’t seem to care, and when you incorrectly assert that you have solved the problem. Having said that, your bread, on the rare occasions that it is properly proofed and not burnt, is the best in our area. I am rooting for you guys to succeed but sadly I’m not dropping another 10 bucks on the Seaside Sourdough.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Great bakery! Neat and modern inside, with a cafe menu and assortment of baked goods. The bread and pastries are delicious and reasonable priced.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Staple every time we
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yikes I've never had to throw away a $7 latte before until today. The vibes when I walked into this place were chill but fast paced. It was interesting to watch the bakery folks until they seemed to not like it. Why have a huge glass window if you don't like being looked at?The price of a vanilla latte with oat milk (that's what's offered) is $6.50 and a an automatic 15% fee is added for cost of living for their employees. And then they again ask for a tip. Got the latte pretty quickly, it looked pretty then I tasted it. Yuck. It tasted burnt and had zero hint of vanilla syrup. I tried my hardest to drink it but I couldn't. My wife who is also a coffee lover tried it and had to spit it out. I would go back in but I felt like it would be very awkward asking them to remake it after already a not welcoming experience. I won't be returning. Their crew doesn't deserve a 15% cola if they treat their customers like poop.
Good bread and coffee! Fun music. I'd be more likely to frequent again if they offered at least one vegan or dairy free pastry as my daughter is allergic to dairy. Really bums me out when places don't accommodate diverse diets.
Restaurantji Recommends
Came on a holiday morning and the place had a small line. The location is in downtown Monterey, so parking is rough. There's some (but not a lot) of space for sitting inside, but the place looked tidy and clean. The pastry and bread looked great, and the coffee was fine. But just like everything in Monterey, it is pricey. Still a good spot to check out though!
They've been carrying beans from Brandywine Coffee lately and I hope they don't stop because those are the best tasting beans you can get in the area. Bread and pastries are all great, you really can't go wrong. It definitely makes me happy to have this place in town as Monterey kind of feels like a food desert outside of a select few places, like this one.There are a few people complaining about the service fees and tips, I agree that tipping culture has gotten out of control, and this isn't saying to ignore that problem of tips being almost forced on every purchase nowadays, but there's no shame in selecting no tip on these systems.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This reviews is not for the bread. It's for the lack OF BREADWe come regularly and they've sold out the past three times. Sometimes by 1 pm. WHAT????no one else stocks it. Except Elroy's and that's a crap shoot most of the time Guys. Please bake more. You're already on too good to go so nothing will be wasted. Come on and step up to the demand. There is no other decent sour dough bread in the Monterey Peninsula so help us out.
Their bread is SO good. I wanted to get their sourdough but for some reason they only had it in loaf form, which was still good. I'll definitely visit again to buy a loaf of their sourdough bread, which I've heard so many good things about.They also have a bunch of fancy looking pastries, will definitely come by to try those next time for breakfast! We had a latte as well from here and it was a nice standard latte. They do also offer alternative milks for an additional charge.
Really buttery and flaky pain au chocolat and a dense and not-to-sweet cinnamon roll. Chai and roobois tea were pretty decent. No bathroom onsite, but public restrooms nearby. Didn't try their bread.