The two-stars aren't for the food, which is fabulous, but because the establishment accepts cash and checks only. For those of us without the cash, there's an ATM in the building that charged me $5.49 for a twenty-dollar bill! A fee of $3.49 was posted on the machine. I was willing to pay it because I had already ordered a BLT (best BLT in the world, btw). The additional $2 ("service charge") may have been posted, but I didn't see it until I reconciled my bank account this morning.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rob Breland
Best lemon-apricott-poppy seed scone in CO...rivals Fort William, Scotland scones! Hip, neighborly cafe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hannah Grace Kelley
What a wonderful place to come across in Paonia! I enjoyed chatting with the owner and the food was phenomenal. The drip coffee was good too. It is cash or check only so be prepared! (I was not so I had to use the ATM). Patio is dog friendly which we needed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sean Hanrahan
I wish Denver had bagels this good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tania Campos
You need to try this place!!! It’s fresh and yummy!?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scone, Kids Hot Cocoa
jpallen12357
Stopped in for a treat as we passed through town. My impression was that they’ve been over-run by their success. The atmosphere was quaint but non-functional, and it was hard to tell who was in the queue and who was just socializing in the crowded dining area. Poor signage and a lack of display cases made it hard to be prepared with an order when reaching the service counter. We were glad to find a few gluten free options but after a holiday weekend there understandably was little left. Ordered a coffee (drip) gluten free cookie, and a lemon, ginger, and cayenne scone. The coffee was weak, the cookie was dry, and the scone was amazing. Bring cash, they do not take electronic forms of payment.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Scone
Piltdown Man
Growing up in and around New York City (please don't hold that against me...:) ), I was surrounded by delicatessens and bakeries of the first order! Not only was it an olfactory head-trip, but the food was absolutely delicious! Back then, I was a round little fellow. So when we discovered Chris J's Paonia Bread Works, we felt as if we'd landed in a bakery wonderland. You cannot find bagels like these anywhere! Chewy, crisp, insanely flavorful -- we can't eat just one! These are the real deal!!! And if you toast that puppy -- Holy Smokes!!! You don't even need butter or cream cheese. These bagels are stand alone great! And you can't ignore the baklava! Light, flaky, sweet without overdoing it...and the filling is beyond compare. The rainbow of tastes meld into a perfect dessert! We have to check ourselves because we could eat the whole pan! Paonia Bread Works offers sublime pizza (thin as paper, crispy like a cracker, and some of the most ingenious toppings we've ever seen)! But it's the rye bread that wins the 10 gold stars. We've had Pumpernickel, Marbled, Sourdough, and many others -- all good -- but the rye bread at PBW ranks #1! The bakers use a magical starter, then coax it into perfection with a superior rye grain. No oils, no eggs, nothing but starter, grain/flour, salt, water. But the result is a bread that melts in your mouth. It comes in smaller, very dense loaves...but don't let that fool you. It's good to the tummy! PBW's rye bread is the best bread money can buy! So, if you're scooting past Paonia, and you're hungry, drop off CO 133 and head towards Paonia Bread Works on Grand Ave., just north of 4th Street. We make a pilgrimage here every other week...when our supply of rye bread runs out. We really can't live without PBW's rye! (And BTW: Chris and the crew are stellar hosts and bakers!)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brian Khousakoun
Incredibly friendly staff. We were delayed breaking down our camp due to heavy rain and became those annoying tourist that arrived 10 minutes before closing. The team was very accommodating and our kids had books and a few toys in the seating area to keep themselves occupied.
Food and coffee was also bomb of course!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Johnny Hollywood
Only place in town where there's any internet...have cash they don't take anything else. Super Bakery sweet treats
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
jimi adams
Food was serviceable, coffee was fine. Service seemed to think that it wasn't in their interest to care about non-locals' orders. I wanted to support a local small business; they didn't reciprocate.
Make frequent trips through Paonia for work and have tried this spot a couple of times now. The food is unquestionably great, but everything else about the experience leaves me regretting my choice.
It’s extremely difficult to get a sense of what is available outside of the cooked food that is sitting out on the counter. Questions are rebuked with short one word answers and an attitude of, “you should know better, silly tourist, than to ask questions.”
Prices seem to be determined whether the person at the counter likes you or not.
Service priority is totally up in the air. I’ve been in and out after ordering a bagel and cream cheese in 5 minutes, other times I watch my bagel languish in the done part of the toaster until the person behind the counter decides they are ready to make it. Not to mention watching local folks jump you in priority while your food sits unfinished right in front of you.
The best I can guess is the folks who work here love their locals and everyone else is just an inconvenience and a means to an end. I’ve worked in customer service both in food and otherwise for the last fifteen years and I’m not sure anywhere has made me feel like they want my business less.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Jeremy Upton
Such a great place to grab a quick bite! The staff was amazingly friendly and helpful. I'm more of a deep dish pie, or hand tossed (medium thickness crust) kind of pizza lover, yet their thin crust was delicious. The toppings were of outstanding quality, and their pesto was on point! They also had a bakery, which was what I expected, yet they have so much more. A great selection of local and organic drinks. I was pleasantly surprised by the scents as I walked in the door, and I'm so happy they're only one town away, I will be returning. Thank you, great job! ?✌️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scone, Frittata
Daisy
As someone who rarely writes reviews and actively supports local businesses, including being a local myself, it pains me to report my recent frustrating experience at Paonia Bread Works. I stopped in hoping to quickly pick up lunch for a 5-hour road trip, expecting a short wait for 2 pre-made pizza slices and a deli sandwich. Instead, what should have been a brief visit turned into a 30-minute ordeal. Despite the shop not being overly crowded—only one customer ahead of me when I placed my order and one behind—I found the service disappointingly slow and inattentive. The counter staff, though busy, did not acknowledge my presence at all, not even with a simple greeting, which could have eased my impatience significantly.What added to my frustration was the apparent disregard for the order queue. After placing and paying for my order, which is standard deli counter protocol, I watched as the staff member prioritized preparing and taking new orders from customers who arrived after me, leaving me waiting excessively. This was especially irksome as my order was quite substantial, nearing $40, contrasting with the less time-consuming and cheaper coffee orders that were being prioritized ahead of mine.The situation reached its peak of annoyance when, after driving 4 miles away, I discovered that my order had been incorrectly filled. This not only added to my dissatisfaction but also resulted in what was meant to be a quick lunch stop dragging on for nearly 45 minutes, significantly delaying my journey.
Jennifer Kozicki
Stopped in for coffee and baked goods during a road trip through the area. Solid lattes and the cranberry cornmeal scone was sooooo good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Robin Paz
Friendly Atmosphere & Amazing Food
Definitely one of Paonia’s Finest
5 Stars
The two-stars aren't for the food, which is fabulous, but because the establishment accepts cash and checks only. For those of us without the cash, there's an ATM in the building that charged me $5.49 for a twenty-dollar bill! A fee of $3.49 was posted on the machine. I was willing to pay it because I had already ordered a BLT (best BLT in the world, btw). The additional $2 ("service charge") may have been posted, but I didn't see it until I reconciled my bank account this morning.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best lemon-apricott-poppy seed scone in CO...rivals Fort William, Scotland scones! Hip, neighborly cafe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a wonderful place to come across in Paonia! I enjoyed chatting with the owner and the food was phenomenal. The drip coffee was good too. It is cash or check only so be prepared! (I was not so I had to use the ATM). Patio is dog friendly which we needed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I wish Denver had bagels this good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
You need to try this place!!! It’s fresh and yummy!?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scone, Kids Hot Cocoa
Stopped in for a treat as we passed through town. My impression was that they’ve been over-run by their success. The atmosphere was quaint but non-functional, and it was hard to tell who was in the queue and who was just socializing in the crowded dining area. Poor signage and a lack of display cases made it hard to be prepared with an order when reaching the service counter. We were glad to find a few gluten free options but after a holiday weekend there understandably was little left. Ordered a coffee (drip) gluten free cookie, and a lemon, ginger, and cayenne scone. The coffee was weak, the cookie was dry, and the scone was amazing. Bring cash, they do not take electronic forms of payment.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Scone
Growing up in and around New York City (please don't hold that against me...:) ), I was surrounded by delicatessens and bakeries of the first order! Not only was it an olfactory head-trip, but the food was absolutely delicious! Back then, I was a round little fellow.
So when we discovered Chris J's Paonia Bread Works, we felt as if we'd landed in a bakery wonderland.
You cannot find bagels like these anywhere! Chewy, crisp, insanely flavorful -- we can't eat just one! These are the real deal!!! And if you toast that puppy -- Holy Smokes!!! You don't even need butter or cream cheese. These bagels are stand alone great!
And you can't ignore the baklava! Light, flaky, sweet without overdoing it...and the filling is beyond compare. The rainbow of tastes meld into a perfect dessert! We have to check ourselves because we could eat the whole pan!
Paonia Bread Works offers sublime pizza (thin as paper, crispy like a cracker, and some of the most ingenious toppings we've ever seen)!
But it's the rye bread that wins the 10 gold stars. We've had Pumpernickel, Marbled, Sourdough, and many others -- all good -- but the rye bread at PBW ranks #1! The bakers use a magical starter, then coax it into perfection with a superior rye grain. No oils, no eggs, nothing but starter, grain/flour, salt, water. But the result is a bread that melts in your mouth. It comes in smaller, very dense loaves...but don't let that fool you. It's good to the tummy! PBW's rye bread is the best bread money can buy!
So, if you're scooting past Paonia, and you're hungry, drop off CO 133 and head towards Paonia Bread Works on Grand Ave., just north of 4th Street. We make a pilgrimage here every other week...when our supply of rye bread runs out.
We really can't live without PBW's rye! (And BTW: Chris and the crew are stellar hosts and bakers!)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Incredibly friendly staff. We were delayed breaking down our camp due to heavy rain and became those annoying tourist that arrived 10 minutes before closing. The team was very accommodating and our kids had books and a few toys in the seating area to keep themselves occupied.
Food and coffee was also bomb of course!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Only place in town where there's any internet...have cash they don't take anything else. Super Bakery sweet treats
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was serviceable, coffee was fine. Service seemed to think that it wasn't in their interest to care about non-locals' orders. I wanted to support a local small business; they didn't reciprocate.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Make frequent trips through Paonia for work and have tried this spot a couple of times now. The food is unquestionably great, but everything else about the experience leaves me regretting my choice.
It’s extremely difficult to get a sense of what is available outside of the cooked food that is sitting out on the counter. Questions are rebuked with short one word answers and an attitude of, “you should know better, silly tourist, than to ask questions.”
Prices seem to be determined whether the person at the counter likes you or not.
Service priority is totally up in the air. I’ve been in and out after ordering a bagel and cream cheese in 5 minutes, other times I watch my bagel languish in the done part of the toaster until the person behind the counter decides they are ready to make it. Not to mention watching local folks jump you in priority while your food sits unfinished right in front of you.
The best I can guess is the folks who work here love their locals and everyone else is just an inconvenience and a means to an end. I’ve worked in customer service both in food and otherwise for the last fifteen years and I’m not sure anywhere has made me feel like they want my business less.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Such a great place to grab a quick bite! The staff was amazingly friendly and helpful. I'm more of a deep dish pie, or hand tossed (medium thickness crust) kind of pizza lover, yet their thin crust was delicious. The toppings were of outstanding quality, and their pesto was on point! They also had a bakery, which was what I expected, yet they have so much more. A great selection of local and organic drinks. I was pleasantly surprised by the scents as I walked in the door, and I'm so happy they're only one town away, I will be returning. Thank you, great job! ?✌️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scone, Frittata
As someone who rarely writes reviews and actively supports local businesses, including being a local myself, it pains me to report my recent frustrating experience at Paonia Bread Works. I stopped in hoping to quickly pick up lunch for a 5-hour road trip, expecting a short wait for 2 pre-made pizza slices and a deli sandwich. Instead, what should have been a brief visit turned into a 30-minute ordeal. Despite the shop not being overly crowded—only one customer ahead of me when I placed my order and one behind—I found the service disappointingly slow and inattentive. The counter staff, though busy, did not acknowledge my presence at all, not even with a simple greeting, which could have eased my impatience significantly.What added to my frustration was the apparent disregard for the order queue. After placing and paying for my order, which is standard deli counter protocol, I watched as the staff member prioritized preparing and taking new orders from customers who arrived after me, leaving me waiting excessively. This was especially irksome as my order was quite substantial, nearing $40, contrasting with the less time-consuming and cheaper coffee orders that were being prioritized ahead of mine.The situation reached its peak of annoyance when, after driving 4 miles away, I discovered that my order had been incorrectly filled. This not only added to my dissatisfaction but also resulted in what was meant to be a quick lunch stop dragging on for nearly 45 minutes, significantly delaying my journey.
Stopped in for coffee and baked goods during a road trip through the area. Solid lattes and the cranberry cornmeal scone was sooooo good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Friendly Atmosphere & Amazing Food Definitely one of Paonia’s Finest 5 Stars
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