How I heard of this place: While Avenue Bread has been a Bellingham staple for a number of years, it was my sister, visiting from out of state that introduced us to the Fairhaven Cafe. Type of cuisine: Bread. All things freshly baked: bread edition. And all things on freshly baked bread. Sandwiches, pastries, coffees and more. Ambiance: Cozy, and vast, the space is equal parts grandma's country house charm and idyllic Fairhaven. The front is quickly bustling as we enter right as the doors open for the day, a line immediately building up behind. us. This spacious entryway full of menus in chalk and digitally are graced with a plethora of tasty options for snacks, meals, and treats enjoyed in the large, expansive restaurant or outside in the parking space-turned patio seating area. What I ordered: We selected four of their breakfast sandwiches on signature rosemary bread, each one as delicious as the last. For beverages, a mocha, an americano, and two steamed milks made their way to our table. What I loved: The sandwiches. Greasy, full, tasty and full of a novelty of tastes. They were devoured. Why I loved it: Quaint and cozy, a space for couples, families, friends and everyone in between. Cost: Average to high read more

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Great little breakfast sandwiches, some of the best I've had. Lunch menu is a bit pricey for what is offered but it is good quality across the board. Right in the middle of lovely Fairhaven, a nice spot to grab a bite before hitting a book store or some of the numerous other stores available to browse. read more

This sandwich shop is so cute! Even on a busy day there was plenty of seating. They bring your sandwich right to you and it is made to order. The lettuce and tomato on the Turkey BLT were fresh and the bacon was extra crispy. They have water and other to go containers at your convince so you can take whatever leftovers you want to go. Parking can be a little difficult on a weekend but if you drive around for a while and are willing to walk you will find a spot. read more

Avenue Bread - Fairhaven Cafe - Turkey BLT - Bakeries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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This restaurant has several locations throughout Bellingham. This particular one is located in downtown Fairhaven across from a large sunken parking lot. During business hours, there is metered street parking. The inside of the restaurant is spacious and clean. Orders are placed at the counter and the staff brings out the food to you after its ready. I tried the Pork Bahn Mi sandwich for $15. The toasted bread was great, but everything else was only average. One thing I noticed was that the ingredients were all very fresh, although the flavor wasn't quite up to par for the cost. read more

Avenue Bread - Fairhaven Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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3 of 4 breakfast sandwiches missing ingredients as per stated on menu. Bacon missing from 2 sandwiches and the veggie version missing 2 of 5 ingredients. Chai tea had no flavor. Management offered iou's in lieu of a refund. Won't ever go back and don't recommend this location read more

Had no idea this place was a local chain until going to write this review. We stopped by here for lunch as it had some lite eats as well as full meals for those more hungry. There was a short line that almost reached out the doors. They had pastries, sandwiches and soups, along with coffee on the menu, typical to a place like this. There was plenty of indoor seating, but we chose to sit outside since it was a nice day. They had 2 tops and 4 tops and we were able to squeeze our larger group into a 4 top. The tomato soup was really good and the sandwiches came with nice thick, fresh bread. The salads are huge and it was a great experience overall. It is a bus yourself situation so don't forget to do so! read more

We walked by on my way to the bookstore and just stopped back for lunch places to eat inside an outdoors Friendly service and a unique list of sandwiches About a 20 minute wait to eat. Interior was old school and good selection on breads We enjoyed the sandwiches. They do have some veggie selections and beef depending on what side of the fence you're on. free water outside. Typical list on coffee they do decade or regular.The eggplant sandwich was excellent read more

Avenue Bread - Fairhaven Cafe - Eggplant sandwich - Bakeries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Went to this location yesterday for a quick bite. Had half a tuna melt (no chips or pickle) cup of drip coffee and a can of Pepsi. $20. And they wanted a tip on top of that! Nothing wrong with the food other than its vastly overpriced. Won't be going back. read more

Say what you want about McDonald's, but you have to admit the egg McMuffin is one of the most perfect breakfasts of all time. Fight me. This takes the egg McMuffin and manages to improve upon it without making it too fancy. It's still a simple sandwich but somehow way more delicious. English muffin - now toasted/pressed with three different flavor options. This is a darn good English muffin. Sausage is a great texture and great flavor. And there are vegetables - but not too many. And you also get a hash brown! The cafe itself is large, yet homey. Plenty of window seating and space. If I lived closer I would be here a dangerous amount. read more

Avenue Bread - Fairhaven Cafe - Country eggenue and hash brown - Bakeries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

We each had excellent breakfast sandwiches. Mine had aioli, she had one with Gorgonzola. The coffee was good too. I am very particular about coffee, as I roast my own. There was an ambient noise that was annoying. No setting on my hearing aids could dampen it. I will try it again next time I am in Bellingham. Probably I would opt to eat outside. Service is at the counter. They give you a number after you order, then they deliver the food when they find your number. They would like you to bus your own dishes. read more

This place was great and kept us well fed during our weekend in Bellingham. We stopped by for both lunch and breakfast and were not disappointed either time. They have a deep menu of fresh, accessible sandwiches and coffee. Everything was well prepared and simple in a good way. Fair prices and kind service too. We enjoyed both meals in their eclectic dining room, reminds me of an elevated Panera. We'd be back, especially to take stuff to go out east to the parklands. read more

Amazing sandwiches! All fresh ingredients. Sat outside and had a great view of the water and brought the pup. read more

Avenue Bread - Fairhaven Cafe - Gourmet Turkey Sandwhich - Bakeries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Note that only the items on the hand-written chalk boards are available; in other words, ignore the dishes displayed on the large screen set on the counter next to the register. The Carolina sandwich on the screen looked good, so I tried to order; I was then told that this store is part of a chain and that THIS sandwich is not served at THIS location. We got takeout. FOOD: 3.5 - "Cypress" Quinoa Bowl: 3.5. She ordered this without the red onions; it was served with red onions, which took her 10 minutes to remove. She reported that the resulting dish was then quite good. - Tuna Melt: 3.5. Was able to get this, my third choice. Plenty of tuna. SERVICE: 3.5. Friendly but a bit off. In addition to the red onion issue in the preceding mention of the Quinoa Bowl, there were no utensils in our takeout order. (When the friendly server handed me the bag I asked if there were napkins; she answered affirmatively and indeed there were. I didn't think to ask if there were utensils for the salad.) AMBIANCE: 4.0. Though we got takeout the sit-down area appeared welcoming. read more

It was good, not amazing. The gluten free bread is decent and my husband said his was okay.

When I stopped in here I was actually killing some time before I had to catch a bus. But I am so glad that I did. My friend who drove me and I got a couple sandwiches, and I have to say that their bread is awesome, and the sandwiches were really great. I love Fairhaven, it's become a new favorite place of mine, and avenue bread has also now become a new favorite. The staff is friendly and accommodating, and whether it rained or not, this is a great place to have lunch, breakfast, or just grab coffee and a pastry. I now live in Oregon and am originally from Los Angeles, so I'm a bit picky with my places that I like to eat at, but this is definitely top of the list. read more

went to buy cookies, but they had a bunch of fruit flies flying around in the Case so I walked out

Quick friendly service! Amazing menu, the cafe was busy when I went & it was raining so it was quite full inside but there is also outdoor seating when it's nicer weather! Prices are fair, lots of local ingredients, will definitely be back! Highly recommend! read more

Avenue Bread - Fairhaven Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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I came in today for a quick lunch. The customer service was so lovely and I saw everyone in there with a smile. The oven was down but I still got my food relatively quick. There was a mishap with my food and they handled it incredibly professionally. They have multiple locations but I have only been to the fairhaven one. I definitely recommend it! read more

Service is pretty good. Toasted turkey melt was excellent. Keep meaning to try something else... but the melt is too good every time I get to be there. Nice view. read more

Avenue Bread - Fairhaven Cafe - tables and chairs - Bakeries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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I used to love this place, but since there recent remodel and reboot of their menu, not so much. Previous menu had a very cooked to order, unique flavors sense about it. New menu is just kinda like a lot of other places, less interesting and less fresh/flavorful. Sigh. Back to Old Town Cafe... read more

Cure little shop in a nice location offering quite a few tables with good privacy. The pastries and the bread​ are just the quintessential definition of homemade bakery. Their stuff is addicting! Sweet little cafe offering both great bred and pastries, too good to go just once! read more

Avenue Bread - Fairhaven Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Everything!! You can't beat the food, service or ambiance!! Very organized and they use quality ingredients!

Are here 3 times over a month while in town. Great food every time. Highly recommend for quick service meal.

I love this place. Their Gluten Free "Glutenless" options are delish. And I have the "egge-nue" breakfast sandwich weekly. But last week my mother and I stopped by for lunch and their delivery person was in and out of the store without a mask. I probably wouldn't have been so concerned if I wasn't their with my 70yo mother and planning to see my 94yo grandmother in a week. It was frustrating and kinda soured my opinion of the place. However the counter staff were all wearing masks which was nice. I just hope they have adequate ventilation inside for their indoor seating! read more

Avenue Bread - Fairhaven Cafe - Bread delivery guy definitely not wearing a mask for entirety of his time delivering. - Bakeries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Sandwiches and coffee so good you'll want to move to Bellingham. The cinnamon rolls are delicious too!

The food is generally pretty good. My only issue is the revolving door of cheap college-aged labor; you'll be lucky to get your order correct even 50% of the time for something as simple as a different type of bread for your sandwich- the kids just don't care. Make sure and check your order before you walk out the door! read more

I forgot to write about this little piece of heaven. My mum and I went to Washington, as I was visiting my new place of work. We went a few days early to explore the area, and what a beautiful, lush green state. Lots of places to hike. Well we found this little cafe and oh my the sandwiches were so good, that we ended going back three different occasions. The staff were very friendly and helpful. ***** we went in October When I'm back in Washington, I will definitely be coming back here. read more

I love their breakfast sandwiches the most! Especially the Italian with pesto, provolone cheese and ham on rosemary bread. They have the neatest chalkboard menu and the Fairhaven location is the best one out of the 3. Sandwiches and soup together can end up being a bit pricey but it's more wholesome than Panera Bread. I can't believe they charge extra for just chips with sandwiches now so it's great for a once a week brunch. read more

Avenue Bread - Fairhaven Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Great food and atmosphere! Service was friendly as well! Will most likely turn into a regular spot for me!

Similar experience regarding staff not being engaged with customers. Things like not saying hi or acknowledging customers when they come in or leave. Leaving people awkwardly waiting for help or acknowledgement that they're even seem at the counter without a "I'll be right with you". It would feel better if the staff cared more about customer experience. That said, the space has a quieter warm homey super casual neighborhoody feel (as opposed to loud trendy hip vibes) and westerly water views. Breakfasts, salads, sandwiches, bread (of course), pastries, and expresso. I'm a simple pastry person, always trying the plain croissant first. I've found that if a place can score on a delicious plain croissant they usually do well on the more intricate offerings. Here I prefer the pesto goat cheese savory roll warmed up. Yummy. read more

Ordered the hot BLT+T sandwich. While the bread is toasted the sandwich fillings are cold. It was still very tasty! But if you're expecting a hot sandwich this may not be the one. read more

Avenue Bread - Fairhaven Cafe - Hot BLT+T - Bakeries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Relaxing with plenty of seating and many choices on the menu. They are famous for their EGGenues and serve breakfast all day. This location is my favorite because it's in Fairhaven. The vibe is different here and feels less rushed and hectic. I I usually end up taking a fresh loaf of bread or some pastries. Their bread slicer broke, so they are no longer slicing the bread you purchase. This is a favorite for out-of-town guests, especially in summer months. I came here this visit specifically for a Reuben and am knocking off 1 star because it was not as good when I had it before. Why put pastrami on a Reuben? I remember it being a true Reuben last time I was here. Why is it so hard to find a CLASSIC Reuben in B'ham? Okay, so I'm officially a Reuben snob because---just leave the sandwich as it was meant to be. read more

Avenue Bread - Fairhaven Cafe - Reuben- tasty, but with Pastrami? Still searching for an authentic, classic Reuben in B'ham. - Bakeries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

This place have a great location with a view of the bay . Wasn't very crowded as the other location in Bellingham. Staff were friendly. Food came out decently fast, freshly made . I ordered a breakfast sandwich on a rosemary bagel , and it didn't disappoint. Nice laid back spot if ur in the mood for a quick freshly made hot or cold sandwich. read more

My husband works close to this place so I've met him here for lunch a few times and it's been amazing service and food every time. They had minor mess ups with our orders a couple of times and offered us a free pastry each time as a sweet gesture. All of the employees are extremely nice and friendly. We will continue our dates here for sure! :) read more

There is a very warm feeling when you walk in, and you can smell the fresh bread in the shop. They have hand drawn menu boards, along with some of the best bread in the county. The shop itself is really cute. I've tried their Reuben here a few times. It's pretty consistent with being good. The toast it up nice an warm. The corned beef and sauerkraut accent each other perfectly in this sandwich. They garnish the dish with chips and a pickle. It tastes as good as it looks. You'll finish your meal up and bus your table. Walking out very satisfied with what you just had, thinking, I need to come back here again! *!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!* Please let me know if you like the review and click "Useful" Let me know what else you would like to see by clicking the "Compliment" button, any thoughts you have are always appreciated. Thank you for reading the review. See you on Yelp! read more

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This is a small, busy, often noisy location for Avenue Bread. The staff is friendly, but not always fully-engaged with customers. I was in the store on both the day before and the day after Thanksgiving. On both occasions there were errors in my order. I wish I could say this was unusual and easily attributed to additional for traffic on those days. That said, the bread and pastries are fresh, the sandwiches are deliciously well-designed and nicely presented and the soups are hot and tasty. read more

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A breakfast place that doesn't open until 8am. What? And even then things don't heat up until 8:30.

Stopped by for lunch while walking around the historic Fairhaven District and glad I did. Ordered a 12oz sugar free vanilla latte that was damn near perfect. Delicious smooth and flawless flavor, foam perfect and perfect temp. Wish I would've ordered a larger cup. Lunch was a turkey pesto cold sandwich that tasted as though all the ingredients were either freshly made or fresh picked at the moment I ordered. The pesto was truly the cleanest, most refreshing pesto I've had. If you happen to be in the area seriously stop by read more

Avenue Bread - Fairhaven Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Avenue Bread is in Fairhaven, which is a fun part of Bellingham. There's a bookstore nearby and tons of shops to enjoy. There's a lawn that hosts events from time to time. If you want a cup of coffee or a light lunch, head to Avenue Bread. They have daily soups and sandwiches, both hot and cold. I ordered the cranberry turkey sandwich. It was good, but not as flavorful as I would expect with a cranberry cream cheese spread. It came with chips and a pickle spear. read more

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I stopped in for a pastry to pass a little time this morning. The pastry was delicious. Perfect actually. That's what the stars are for. The ambiance in this cafe is terribly disappointing. There is only one other customer here but many staff, mostly all behind the counter with their heads down. I don't think the cashier ever looked at me once. The experience: Robotic. Cold. Impersonal. Devoid of human interaction. The only bright spot was a cheerful smile from the barista upon entering. The rest of this team made my visit an unpleasant experience. Come on now, you're not busy (perhaps there's a reason). You can do better. I've revised this up a star because I had opportunity to speak with the owner on the way out. She was receptive, kind and informative. Willing to receive my feedback and use it for training. read more