I wish this could be my cologne. I would name it "Ode To Bread," and it would have that sweet smell of fresh baked bread with a hint of sourness, just like me. But seriously, this place smells amazing! I've been making my own sandwiches lately (fake applause) and I've been coming here to get some artisan bread for my smoked salmon and dill or pastrami sandwiches. The bread here is super fresh, and the staff here is kind. I like supporting these local businesses because they make this neighborhood better and more unique. Their sourdough is as large as a big turtle. I call it turtle bread, even though it's sourdough and not shaped like a turtle. Their savory pasties are good too. Their scones, not so much, but not a complete failure--just too chewy and thick for my taste. Come here for the bread or pastries, the cool people, and support an awesome local business in the process. read more

Backhaus - Bakeries Near Me - San Mateo, California

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5 stars on coffee, service and baked goods No WiFi. Would be good if it was disclosed on yelp listing read more

Best local bakery in the area! Their galette is to die for, their bread as well. Chocolate bread on weekends, seedy bread (if you like dense bread), morning bun, kouign amann, croissants are what I usually get. Come early before 10AM! read more

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What a great gem of a place amongst so many coffee tea places in San Mateo. Had the everything bagel basket with their homemade cream cheese, crunchy flaky wonderful with a strong hot cup of coffee. Brought home a cheesy stick was flavorful and crunchy and soft in the inside. They have little seating inside but they have outdoor seating in the back. read more

Backhaus - Front counter - Bakeries Near Me - San Mateo, California

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A lovely modern bakery! This has been on my list to try for quite some time because of the pastries! The butter croissant is light, fluffy, a little crispy and a little messy. The best croissant I've had. I am not a coffee drinker, so I ordered the hot cocoa with oat milk. Tasted bittersweet which I really liked. My sister and her bf ordered the Cinnamon Girl Latte, a seasonal drink. They enjoyed it a lot. A few other pastries we ordered were the Kouign Amann and chocolate pretzel bite - both super yummy! The bakery itself is a bit small but they do have an outdoor patio located in the back of the bakery. I was expecting our drinks to be served in coffee mugs and the pastries to be served on plates. The worker bagged up our pastries and our drinks served in compostable to-go cups. It would have been nice if they asked us if we were ordering "For Here" or "To Go", cause seeing other customers they had coffee mugs and plates. read more

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My wife and I casually stopped by on Sunday around 11 and they still had plenty of options available to us. We only got a couple items to share and some coffee, but the everything croissant bowl with cream cheese was everything. The mocha cream scone (not pictured) stood out in name rather than flavor. Maybe I had a bad piece but it was too burnt for my liking. I would definitely come back to try their bread and other pastries but I would order coffee elsewhere. They don't have many options and it took around 10 minutes before I got my cappuccino. Improving the efficiency in this department could be an area of improvement. read more

Backhaus - Everything Croissant Bowl with Cream Cheese - Bakeries Near Me - San Mateo, California

Best quality pastries and coffee Good vibe Great location Good prices Friendly staff read more

Backhaus - Bakeries Near Me - San Mateo, California

I had a frustrating experience today. I wanted to buy a $13 country loaf and asked if they could slice it, but they said no--not even one slice. They told me they only slice bread for dine-in. Instead, they offered a 1/4 loaf for $8, which felt unreasonable. Overall, I left feeling disappointed. read more

Good environment, chocolate croissant tastes balanced but chocolate hazelnut croissant tastes too sweet

Amazing bread and the most delicious pastry selection. Absolute perfection! My most favorite indulgence is their kouigen amann and the fresh baked bread is not to be missed. Their country pan loaf is a staple in our house. If your timing is just right, the bread might still be warm. Everything is amazing, you can't make a wrong choice! read more

overall: 4/5 service: 4/5, staff was friendly! traditional kouign amann: 4/5, flakey, sweet delicious! iced vanilla bean latte: 3.5/5, decent latte but had some headroom (???) not sure why they didn't fill up all the way??? inside is really modern & i think they even have a backyard/outdoor area that looks really nice!! read more

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This place needs to report to the health department, workers have no knowledge about cleanliness or sanitize They are bare hand, clean the floor and pick up pastry and coffee. Oh my goodness. Hello Anna Maybe you beed to go to the shop more often, We were waiting for our coffee, we both saw the person with lots of tattoos removed the rubber carpet , clean it rolling it to the side bare hands, next thing is service coffee and pastry ,collect money all at the sametime The latex glove was in top of the counter and the sink is behind the counter, neitger of those were used read more

Drinks were good! I got the iced mocha which wasn't too sweet while still being able to taste the espresso & my boyfriend got a cold brew. The back patio is so lovely and feels tucked away from the busy street. They also serve a wide variety of pastries which I plan on trying next time. read more

Quite possibly the best bakery in the bay! I came here on a Sunday around 11am and they were already sold out of some stuff. It was no issue though because there was still so much variety. I ordered a chocolate sourdough, kouign amann, and a latte to go with it. Everything tasted incredible and the chocolate sourdough was especially unique and delicious. The coffee is great as well, so this place has really got it all! It was definitely crowded since the spot isn't too large. There's outdoor seating in the back which is perfect for a nice day, but it was completely full when I went. read more

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I was in the area and stopped by this first location that was very busy in the morning. They have all of the breads and pastries as the other location. I had the apple whip danish and a coffee plus the pretzel to go. Everything was expertly made and delicious. The coffee they use is ok. Great casual bakery that is one of my favorites and reminds me of Europe. read more

Backhaus - Bakeries Near Me - San Mateo, California

I was super excited to try the baked goods here considering so many rave reviews, but I was mildly disappointed. I came at lunch time, and there was no lunch/brunch menu available. There wasn't much of a selection left on pastries either by 1 pm. Ordered the savory spec and egg breakfast bowl and a chocolate banana croissant. Both looked beautifully executed, but not buttery, flakey.. I missed the crispness when biting into fresh pastry. Considering bulk of the building is the baking facility I guess I expected something warm out the oven. It was cold with no option to heat up. Limited seating outside. Also wanted to get a loaf of bread, but they seemed very pricey and overhyped based on my pastry sampling. Pro tip, come early and ask for freshest item out of the oven? read more

Backhaus - Nicely executed everything croissant! Heat it up before devouring? - Bakeries Near Me - San Mateo, California

The line was literally out the door. I got sucked into the madness. There were some real tasty pastries and some misses. Also be careful as the person giving me my pastries almost forgot about my bread. Make sure to count everything before leaving the cashier. 2/5 - Kougin Aman was ok. I've had way better at other places. Biggest problem was the top was a bit soggy. It should be crispy. 3/5 - Pear and chocolate comstock looked like a showstopper but taste was just mediocre. 5/5 - Asiago cheese and black pepper bread was $10.50 and absolutely delicious. Worth every penny. 5/5- Apple crisp was worth it. They had a big batch of apples cut up on a scale so you know it is a best seller. 4/5- Sweet potato pastry was good. Ate like a sweet potato pizza if you are into eating pizza. They also have a smaller outdoor area in the back to eat. The bill came out to $55. My companion went "ham" ordering everything in sight. Presentation was better than the taste. It is bougie and I would only go back if I won the lottery and could afford it. read more

Backhaus - Pear and chocolate comstock - Bakeries Near Me - San Mateo, California

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i had a delightful wednesday morning coffee break with a good friend. it was surprisingly busy at this time....perhaps everyone working remotely? or starting later on hump day? we'd both been to the sister location in burlingame and wanted to try this location. the interior is definitely smaller, only 2 tables with seating inside, and a narrow counter to order. they have 1 table in the front exterior, but if you walk all the way to the rear patio, many more tables appear, perfect for patio coffee drinking on a sunny day! my friend ordered the almond croissant and i chose the everything pretzel and a cup of earl grey tea. she loved every bite of her croissant, taking in each bite of delectable, flaky, buttery goodness and enjoying her pastry. the pretzel i chose was 6 nuggets connected together in a long strand, too much for 1 sitting, so i only ate 2 of the nuggets. love, love, love the everything bagel seasoning on this pretzel, and the texture was on point! the earl grey tea was piping hot, so i needed to wait at least 10-15' before i could sip it. they have a restroom in the rear as well, single unisex room, very clean and well appointed. we noticed they also had a few blankets for patio guests to use, in case it got too cold, nice touch! a delightful place to enjoy a mid-morning coffee date, we will be back! read more

I stopped by today 12Jul2024 to get a few croissants but I get carried away with so many selections. I love the crunchiness of their croissants. The best croissants ever! This place is my 'go to' place for all sorts of croissants and other baked goods! Service is fast but sometimes the line is long. So be patient. read more

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Yes it's that good. I don't even like sourdough but the chocolate sourdough is soooo good, Unique. I would definitely try it again. Service is great. Also had the pain au chocolat ... Deeelish. Coffee is really good too. Will be back! read more

Backhaus is a good place to go to for tasty pastries and good coffee. The first time I went here, I got a mocha and forgot to ask to make it cold, but it was so good that I didn't care The second time, we got the Cinnamon Girl Shaken Espresso and an Americano, the former of which we both enjoyed. We also got the Tomato Girl, Ham and Cheese Croissant, and the Almond Croissant, which were all really good. There was a perfect level of flavor and the crust is flaky. The only particular issues I have are the long lines, which seem inescapable (we came in at around 8:45 and there was still a really long line) and the seating is on the outside and most of the tables aren't big enough to hold two computers and the pastries/coffee you get. However, the food is usually worth it and I imagine this space was not meant for a place for people to study or do work on, so I don't feel like it's worth removing a star. read more

Backhaus - The Tomato Girl, Ham and Cheese Croissant, and Almond Croissant - Bakeries Near Me - San Mateo, California

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So, so, SO tasty! Stopped by around 12:30PM on Saturday and there was a short line. Maybe we got lucky, but the queue went by quickly and we left with our order within 10 minutes. There are a couple tables inside and outside to enjoy the pastries. Mushroom Galette ($8.50) - Not too heavy but I only ate half to enjoy the rest. Very flavorful. Plum Almond Crostock ($6.50) - y u m. So unique. Could do with less almonds. Apple Turnover ($7.00) - Most crispy, flaky, delicious apple turnover I have ever had. If you bring it home you will certainly see crumbs on the floor. Super excited to come back and try everything else. read more

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Backhaus is my new favorite bakery! There's no pastry here I don't like. Got here around 8am on a Friday (they open at 7:30) and the line was about 10 people deep and out on the sidewalk but it moved pretty fast. Once you get in, you'll see their glass case counter of pastries, merch, and drink menu over on the left wall. When you get to one of their two registers, it's your time to order and pay. There's a small space of standing room while you wait for them to call out your name and hand you your order but it's a quick in and out situation. They have two small indoor tables and the spacious seating area out in the back of the place (hence the name). The croissants are perfection! Layers of buttery and flakey goodness. My favorite savory pastry was the Speck and Egg Breakfast Bowl. It's a flakey 'bowl' with bacon, a jammy egg, and topped with vibrant chopped scallions. Their kougin amann is spectacular, ribbons of caramelized sugar all throughout this morsel of deliciousness. I also got to try their limited run of their black sesame kumquat kougin amann and it's crazyyy good. The taste of sweet black sesame is an indescribable paste that first taste like a subtle peanut or almond butter, then something much more bold and unlike any other taste. Along with the candied kumquat slices, it's an epic flavor combo! The staff here rocks! Super friendly and welcoming to each customer. Come early to avoid crowds and find parking! read more

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This is my go to coffee shop in this area. The space is super roomy, with plenty of tables and chairs to dive into your work or catch up with friends. The vibe is so chill and organic, with earthy tones and plants all around--it really sets the mood. And let's talk about the food! The pastries are unique and they have some seriously tasty options. If you need a place to hit the books, this is the spot. The upstairs area is my favorite; the big windows let in the best light for studying (or scrolling through social media when you need a break). Plus, if you get hungry, they've got delicious sandwiches ready to fuel your brain. read more

Backhaus - Bakeries Near Me - San Mateo, California

Some of the absolute best pastries I can remember trying, ever. All of them..you can't go wrong. This place has all baked goods on lock and the latte happen to be delicious too. I came back the next day because I had to have more and loaded a bag full of all their pastries. The line can be long but goes quick. Highly recommend 10/10! read more

Love this pastry shop in downtown San Mateo! First time I came here was with my husband while we were waiting for a table at Gao. Since we came here at noon on a Saturday, pretty much everything was sold out except the chocolate chip cookies and loaves of bread. Good thing we were not trying to get pastries but just a light snack and coffee so the chocolate chip cookie was a nice treat. We both got the iced Americano and it was tasty. The chocolate chip cookie was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside (exactly how I liked my cookies). The second time I tried Backhaus was when my coworker brought it to work. He had to line up outside the door at 7:30am on a Wednesday because things sold out quickly here. I was able to try the kouign amann and the little dudes (which were small tiny sweet and salty croissant bites). Both of them were so delicious that I wanted to come back here to try the other pastries. Fast forward to three months later and I came back to Backhaus in January of 2023. Although I came on a Friday at noon, there were still a good amount of pastries left so I was able to try a few items. This time, I got both the chocolate and ham/cheese croissants (recommended by the worker), a chocolate chip cookie, three kouign amann, sweet potato feta cheese croissant, and one iced Americano and one hot latte (they used Ritual roaster beans). Total price was over $50 but so worth it! My favorite items were still the kouign amann and chocolate chip cookie. My husband's was the sweet potato feta cheese croissant and chocolate chip cookie. Backhaus definitely ranked as top five pastries in the Bay Area. However, the best kouign amann and chocolate chip cookie I ever had was at B. Patisserie in SF. The best chocolate croissant in my opinion would be Arsicault Bakery and Tartine, both also in SF. Best ham and cheese croissant would be at Jane on Larkin in SF's TL and Mademoiselle Colette in Redwood City. Overall, the pastries from Backhaus was quite delicious. Could not go wrong with any items here. Service was quick and workers were friendly. Definitely a good pastry shop to check out and bookmark on Yelp. read more

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Service is quick, pastries are delicious, coffee is good! I always love coming to Backhaus whether it's for a quick breakfast or while waiting for a reservation in downtown. They have a nice seating area out the back and I love checking out what new pastries they have. read more

The croissants are delicious. And so is their bread. I love the cheesy rolls they make for a delectable cheeseburger or breakfast sandwich.

I work close by so un/fortunately I tend to gravitate toward this bakery when I'm getting my morning caffeine fix or when I'm looking for something yummy to snack on. When I see the line forming down the block I have to usually change my plan. But if the door is clear when I'm walking up then I'm good. Being so close to this bakery, I've tried most, but not all of the delicious goodies they make in house. My favorite thing to get is the little dudes, mini chocolate pretzel bites. So good! If I had to recommend another item, it would be the everything croissant with cream cheese. Everything is good, you can't go wrong. They have friendly and smiling associates ready to help customers. The register area is always so clean. I haven't had the chance to visit their patio yet. read more

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Best pastries in the Peninsula!! The line out front and the high demand is very telling. I came here on a rainy Saturday morning and there was still a line for pastries! They sellout items pretty quickly in the morning. There's usually a line but it goes by pretty quickly. The store is quite small so I would suggest buying the items to go rather than dining in. All the employees are incredibly friendly and always have a smile on their face despite how busy they're working. read more

Backhaus - Bakeries Near Me - San Mateo, California

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We decided to come here after reading an article about Backhaus in the SF Chronicle recently. Having grown up in Germany myself, and reading that the owner is German, had gotten us excited for some authentic German "Bauernbrot". So my wife and I made the trek from Fremont to San Mateo on a cold and rainy Saturday late morning and stood in line for a short five minutes (we also came to try their Mini Chocolate Sourdough loaf which was mentioned in the article, but had already sold out before we arrived). Upon entering the shop, we were impressed with the loaves on display and ended up purchasing one Country Loaf, one Baguette, one Morning Bun, and one Everything Pretzel Épi. Total for everything was a little over $35. On the way home we stopped at Dittmer's German meat shop in Los Altos to buy some cold cuts to put on the bread. I'm sad to report, though, that we were disappointed with the bread and pretzel -- while we were expecting "Bauernbrot", this was just sourdough disguised in Baurnbrot clothing. The dough was too "airy" and had too many large air pockets that any toppings just fell through the holes. To be fair, as sourdough goes, it had a good taste and the crust was perfectly caramelized and crispy. The pretzel, however, was very disappointing and we ended up tossing it out as it was too dry and didn't have that traditional German pretzel taste (if you've been to Germany and have had an authentic pretzel, then you know what I'm talking about). The odds of us returning to Backhaus are very low, and I will continue making Bauernbrot myself at home. read more

Backhaus - Assortment of fresh loaves. - Bakeries Near Me - San Mateo, California

If you want to get some superb pastries and bread, get here early. Baked goods are made from scratch and are limited in quantity. Laid back, friendly, clean and everything a pastry shop should be. Lines are often out the door, but move quickly. Coffee and other beverages are handcrafted and take a bit of time but are worth it. Today I tried an Almond Croissant and a Cappucchino. Perfect breakfast. The rustic loaf of bread will work for lunch. read more

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Stopped by late morning on a weekend. They always have a line outside the store but it moves quick. It's a busy store with a small space in the back. This place is located in San Mateo downtown, so street parking in the mornings isn't that hard to find. We tried a bunch of their famous bakes 1. The everything bowl is basically all the flavors of an everything bagel with cream cheese in a croissant! I'd recommend sharing this so you can try other items also ;) I'd come back for this 2. The passion fruit Kouign-amann was good, not great. The bottom was a little too toffee-ish for my liking. 3. The spiced pear and hazelnut looked promising, however, I wasn't a fan of the textures. I'd pass on this next time. 4. Almond croissant- there's something about this that I liked! However, it was a little too buttery. My quest for the perfect almond croissant continues... Overall, the service is nice and the bakes are good. I didn't try their coffee. Next time I'd want to try their breads... looks like they are quite popular. I'm definitely going back :) read more

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Likes: speck and egg croissant bowl. The savory hand pie is soooo good especially if you toast it so it's warm inside and crunchy outside. Their bread and croissants are always delicious. (Their croissants ruined me because I went to Paris Baguette for a croissant after having Backhaus's croissant, and PB's were deflated and soggy. I'm not even an expert but the difference was too obvious. Now I only go to Backhaus for a good croissant.) read more

Great place for a pastry and coffee! I had a cardamom swirl & a Cortado with cardamom syrup. Very friendly service. Everything made fresh in house. Busy establishment. Second level seating. read more

Backhaus - Cardamom swirl and Cortado. Pumpkin bread. - Bakeries Near Me - San Mateo, California

I went at noon and they were out of a lot of stuff, so I got only pastel de nata and everything croissant. The cashier was nice and asked if I wanted coffee, but I was mainly there for the pastry. The shop layout is interesting, with more seating in the back and a few in front. I didn't have much expectation for their pastel de nata, and it is one of the best I had! The crust is flaky with a creamy filling that has a slight cinnamon flavor. There's also a thin caramelized layer on the top and a nice buttery flavor. Definitely recommend their pastel de nata! Their everything croissant is decent. A little dry and small filling but the flavor is good. It tastes a bit like scallion pancake in my opinion. I would go again for their egg tart and try the coffee. I suggest going early in the morning if you want to secure their pastry! read more

Backhaus - Everything croissant - Bakeries Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Came on a Sunday morning and of course there was a line. The line moves pretty fast though and the person who helped us out was just delightful. The store smelled like bread, the pastry display case was clean and easy to see. They had flowers on top that were beautiful as well. All in all a very nice looking store. We got a bunch of pastries, 3 mini chocolate sourdough and 2 lattes (LOVED that they serve Ritual!). Honestly, I was a bit disappointed with the pastries. The butter croissant was just okay, nothing horrible but nothing impressive about it either. The caramel at the bottom of the kouign amann was really thick and the pastry itself was kind of dense, which made it difficult to eat. The berry coffee cake was a bit dry and had a very course texture- personally was not a fan. They were not bad pastries- unless if you hold them to the B Patisserie, La Marais or Ariscult standard. HOWEVER, the mini chocolate sourdough was delicious!! I would definitely come back for those- and maybe try the other breads too. read more

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Love this place! I used to live a block away :) everything there is delicious the only complaint I have is that they are a bit conservative when it comes to flavor. I always try their new pastries but the flavor just doesn't come through for me. If it's sage or other new pastry flavor, the flavor is very faint I would Like to actually taste whatever the pastry flavor is. read more

Absolutely my favorite bakery on the Peninsula. There's almost always a line but it moves fast Highly recommend the + COUNTRY LOAF + CHAUSSON AUX POMMES + PASSION FRUIT KOUIGN AMANN Some of their sweeter offerings are a miss in my book. The pistachio raspberry croissant was much too sweet for my taste. Their holiday buche de noel was also lacking in flavor and the cake was gummy, disappointing for a $70+ cake. Minus the holiday offerings, highly recommended. read more

For the first time ever, I showed up at the College of San Mateo Farmer's Market and it was closed due to dangerous weather (rain and high winds). My wife and I didn't want to return home empty-handed, so we stopped by Backhaus on the way home. The line was maybe 8 people out the door shortly before 9a, much longer by the time we left. At the front of the line, we ordered a few pastries (morning bun, apple danish, ham & cheese croissant), some bread, a pretzel epic, and a mocha. A few minutes later the coffee was ready, and then our bag of baked goods to go, and then we headed home, about 30 minutes after we arrived. Once we were back, I unpacked the bread (two country loaves and a baguette). The country loaf had some residual warmth, and I cut into it with a bread knife, with the crust splitting and crackling with a satisfying crunch. The inside was tender, and I hurriedly called everyone over to eat some bread. We didn't put anything on it, and it was one of the best things I've eaten in a long time, with the crust and crumb complementing each other perfectly. We snacked on it through the morning, had a few slices with our pasta lunch, and by evening we only had about a quarter of the loaf left. Good thing we have a second one! I also ate 3/4 of the morning bun and 3/4 of the apple danish throughout the day - both also delicious. What a day for baked goods! We didn't go out there today, but there's a nice back patio. As you walk back there you can get a glimpse of where all the magic happens. We've loved everything we've eaten from this lovely bakery! read more

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