Food is great, but be forewarned that if you order lunch online for pickup at a particular time, it will not be ready then. In the past few weeks I've arrived at the specified time and then waited from 10 minutes to over 20. In person orders are given preference, so when your meal will be ready depends on how many people come in. read more

Consistently delicious! My husband loves his pastries and I get a bagel every so often. Great breads!

We drove la voiture with le chien to eat l' oeuf with la cuille're. Le pain is the best we have had anywhere outside of le Paris. We returned domicile with a toi croissant. Bob's Well Bread c'est l'amour! #BobsWellBread #CestLAmour #ChienTraite #BallardCA read more

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We love to stop in for brunch. It was busy, as usual. Bob was managing the register with his typical gruff manner which is kinda endearing. The croque madam was excellent and the apple kouign amann was so tempting we ate it before the photo. read more

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As a local and someone who supported this place from the beginning, I'm disappointed in how the service has gotten so bad. The employees, particularly Cesar, make you feel as if you are inconveniencing them by being there. Pastries and bread are good, food is just ok. read more

I'm extremely disappointed with our visit to Bob's Well Bread (across from The Ballard Inn). The older man working the cashier was incredibly rude from the moment we walked in. He was unwelcoming, rushed us through our order, never smiled and then became argumentative over a mistake he made on a very basic order. Instead of correcting it politely, he acted as though it was our fault. The entire interaction was uncomfortable and unprofessional, and we will never return. Two breakfast biscuit sandwiches and croissants at $55.00 + and that is how we are received and treated? Hospitality is everything in a place like this, and his behavior was completely unacceptable. Go to The Los Olivos deli for better food, much better pricing and nice folks all around! read more

We took a circuitous route back from Solvang through the tiny town of Ballard just to stop at the Bob's Well Bread Bakery! We had visited the Bob's Well Bread in Los Alamos last time we came down this way and found all the Solvang bakeries packed with lines out the door. Here there is ample parking on a lot beside the store, and you can enter through the outdoor dining patio. It is a busy, popular destination, and on the day we went, there was a virtual peloton of cyclists ahead of me, all ordering their well earned treats. The baked goods are a bit to the side of the cash register, so you need to know what you are about by the time you get to the counter! They do have a printed menu, and bread loaf samples on display. I wanted to try some pastries, so I got a Kouign Amann (Butter cake in Breton, a Celtic language spoken in Brittany) which I had longed to try ever since watching the contestants on The Great British Baking Show struggle to make them. I also got a cheese croissant stick and the favorite Pain au Chocolate, which I had gotten at the other Bob's Well Bread. I loved the light cheesy herbiness of the cheese croissant stick, and my husband loved the cakey caramelization of the Kouign Amann. I look forward to waking up to the Pain au Chocolate, as the perfect accompaniment to coffee. This bakery is nestled in the lush and lovely Santa Ynez valley, which is well worth a leisurely drive on your way north or south on 101. read more

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Food is just ok in my opinion but the service and employees are terrible. Just be prepared to deal with morons and inconsiderate employees. Bob himself is a grumpy old prick. Take your hard earned money elsewhere and spend it at an establishment that appreciates your business. read more

We came from out of town and I was expecting this place to be delicious, but we were underwhelmed and disappointed. We ordered the bagel, BLT, ham and cheese, and egg in a jar. The bagel was rock hard- we could barely cut it with a knife. The ham and cheese bread was stale and hard as well. The toast that came with the egg in a jar was burnt- as you can see in the picture. The BLT was the only thing that was decent, but not even worth the drive. The service was also subpar. I believe it was Bob who took our order. He wasn't as friendly to us as the other reviews said he is. It was apparent that he was a lot nicer to the party behind us. Overall, we would not recommend or come back. read more

Bob's Well Bread Bakery - burnt bread - Bakeries Near Me - Ballard, California

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I stayed around the corner from Bob's Well Bread Bakery during a weekend trip to Solvang, and after seeing how energetic the restaurant looked every time we drove past, we finally stopped in on our way out of town. Though, we were definitely not prepared for the very long wait considering the location. On a Sunday morning, we waited about 25 minutes in line to order, then placed our order with Bob at the cash register (who, as many reviews mentioned, was unfriendly and short with us), and then it took over 30 minutes for our food to arrive. The coffee was delicious and refreshing. I had the avocado toast with a poached egg. The toast was tasty, but they charged $2.95 to add an egg... then it was a single egg sitting between my two pieces of toast. When you're charging the price of a whole dozen eggs, you'd think I'd get at least one egg per piece of toast. Maybe that's just my two cents. I did leave with a Pain au Levain and a pistachio chocolate croissant. Both great and unique! Parking was easy in the lot and the outdoor seating under an umbrella was perfect. read more

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This was a super cute bakery in a small town and I really liked how warm the environment was. I ordered the BLT and the tomato was fresh and the bacon was the BEST part. The bread was hard and chewy and very tough to cut/chew through read more

Bob's Well Bread Bakery - the well bread BLT tartine - Bakeries Near Me - Ballard, California

LOL def thought I was imagining it but after reading all the reviews, my gut was 100% right. Man behind the counter, presumably Bob himself, was noticeably racist. If that's too blatant/direct of a word, one could /easily/ notice what kinds of people were his preferred customers. Easy going, fun small talk with the customers before me and my friend, but when I got up to the register, his face immediately soured and he was curt and unwelcoming. Baguette -- $6 I love bread (which is why I had this place bookmarked) and have easily devoured baguettes that size. Wasn't able to finish this one. Man's left a bad taste nahmsayn? read more

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Magic wrapped into bread! I read other reviews and I can understand what they mean, but I felt like Bob tried to make us feel welcome by asking us if we were from LA, as he is too. We got there right at opening and the line was long after us. The dining room wasn't open for siting, but it's absolutely stunning! They are still taking covid protocols and I respect that. Lots of people swarming the area, and rightfully so! It's an awesome place. I went back in to take my Yelp photos and Bob told me to wait outside- but wasn't rude at all! He was running the register, keeping the crowd (yes a crowd) organized and also caring for his shop the best way he knows how., I read some comments of people saying it's overpriced and I would have to disagree. If you want a pastry or loaf that's cheaper- than go to the grocery store bakery! This place is 1. A small business 2. Actually a great product 3. Paying a lot of employees to keep this lovely shop open I will come back every time I'm in the area to try something new read more

Feels like a French boulangerie. Stopped by for some pastries and coffee and was greeted by the smell of fresh baked bread before we had stepped out of the car. Ordered a savory ham & cheese croissant, and a cinnamon sugar morning bun to go. The croissant was buttery and flakey and the morning bun was generously dusted with cinnamon sugar. Both pastries paired well with their coffee. Would recommend if you're looking for a quick bite before a full day of wine tasting. read more

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Had to wait about 10 minutes in line to order at the counter. I ordered the biscuit sandwich with turkey sausage, scrambled eggs and provolone. After waiting 20 minutes for the sandwich and seeing people that came after me get their food, I complained. I finally was given my sandwich 25 minutes after placing the order (35 minutes from my arrival). I watched the cook put the receipt on top of the sandwich, which I was not happy about. It was removed by the man who rang up my order. I found that the thick part of the sausage patty was pink appearing to be slightly undercooked. I also didn't like the taste (seasoning) of the turkey sausage. I returned the sandwich for a refund and was told that the pink color is from the seasoning. However, it was not uniformly this color. The outside looked gray and the thin part too-only the thick part had pink in the center. I was worried because it was turkey meat. Very disappointed as this was my first visit. The only thing that went well was the guy the rung me up was professional and friendly. I ended up buying a plain biscuit to replace my sandwich. It was good but a bit over baked. The outside was tough. read more

Probably the Best sourdough I've had period. If proof isn't in the pudding wait in line when they open. And it's definitely worth the wait. To all those who have posted comments regarding poor service and inappropriate behavior, I'm sorry. That shouldn't happen and was certainly not my experience whenever I've been to the bakery. And I am half Puerto Rican so I too have fallen victim to racism. We all have bad days and for that reason, it's important to keep an open mind. Either way, there were plenty of tasty pastries to bring home.. just sad they are closed today and I'll be heading home without that loaf of sourdough. read more

So, really wanted to like this place. After hearing so much about them. From YouTube's to word of mouth!!! Like Nancy Silverton gave them her seal of approval kind of buzz!!! Well, folks it's a dud and in so many ways! Had plans to grab bread for my people back home, but that was a hard pass after lunch. With all the amazing spots in the area I truly regret hitting up this spot! - Borderline rude service and the man behind the counter was odd at best! - Rather dusty full-sized poodle running around behind the counter with all the baked goods! - Sandwiches were skimpy and bread was sub-par! Charming location and the cool rustic architecture are a highlight! read more

Bob's Well Bread Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Ballard, California

Do you want to see the real life character in comedy episode of Seinfeld "The Soup N....."? Then you must visit this shop. Beautiful place with great Baguette and Pastries only to be totally ruined by a grumpy jerk behind the counter. It's like he is literally looking for trouble and confrontation with the customers that support him and buying from him. It is to a point that it is actually comical. He marked the floor with tape, and if you pass that marked line to choose your sandwich, he will give you a dirty look and rudely will yell at you with hand gesture ordering you to go stand behind the line. I couldn't believe it. One of these days he will be confronting the wrong person, who will tell him off . My friends and I bought several Baguettes and he is asking me "What are you guys going to do with all these Baguettes". I was so tempted to say what I wanted to say which would have made me feel so good, but I resisted the temptation and told him we will be eating them. Bottom line is this guy I think Bob has to get the message. It doesn't matter if he was a big shot in the entertainment business, rich or poor or who he knows. Being a bitter miserable pathetic man as he is he should stay away from public eye and make his bread and disappear from the sight of all the customers. Get the message? Help your business by making it a pleasant experience for the people. Finally I found a place that sells a great Baguette and French pastries, but I will never go back there if this idiot is working. It is truly sad. read more

Bob's Well Bread Bakery - Ham & Cheese - Bakeries Near Me - Ballard, California

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I got the BLT Tartine from lunch menu. It was pretty delicious! Had two over-easy eggs on it, the heirloom tomato was DIVINE with fresh greens atop, and I believe there was a bacon bechamel sauce added that went nicely with the two inch thick doorstep of bread under the whole thing! We also ordered Egg in a Frame #2 from breakfast menu,and were delivered the #1 instead. We decided not to make a fuss -- although it was just ok. I contributed one of the eggs from my meal as it looked pretty light on protein. We had an interesting experience here, I had to go away and think about it before leaving a review. Just myself and my mum were passing by and stopped in for breakfast on a whim. Standing in line outside the door, another customer cautioned me about "the rules" to not go inside yet (there's a note on the door explaining "the rules.") When I did get inside I observed the man behind the counter taking orders and was amused to recall the soup-nazi episode of Seinfeld. I edged down the counter when it was my turn and actually pointed at each of the two meals I was ordering on the menu. I definitely had a heightened sense of wanting to get this right with this guy. I'd already witnessed him sending out the uninitiated when they entered the counter area too soon! (There was room, I'm not sure what the deal is.) He was gruff, but not unpleasant to me. Now that I've read others reviews, I see I am not alone in finding this guy prickly. It's only funny -- if he treats everyone the same. read more

Bob's Well Bread Bakery - BLT Tartine... yum!! - Bakeries Near Me - Ballard, California

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This is a really great bakery! They offer fresh baguettes as well as different baked goods perfect stop for anyone looking to grab breakfast or lunch! They are pet friendly so bring the pups as well as having high chairs for the little ones. Super upbeat and happy environment everyone in my party was enjoying the vibe. read more

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Very small location with its own parking lot. At first glance just looks like a farmhouse vibe White House with black trim but as you walk in you're greeted by friendly faces ready to share about the bread of the day. Since we went as a group of girls and as our last stop before going back home we all tried various items. Bob himself rang us up as we ordered the following: 1. Morning bun (glazed and not glazed)- 4.5/5 flakey and just right, but bottoms that were a bit too baked to consume. 2. Breakfast Sandwich - 4/5 Solid breakfast sandwich, very tasty and done on their English muffin. Speaking of English muffins, it was so good I personally went back in to get some to go. 3. Salami Sandwich 4/5 -made on their skinny baguette (I forget what it's called), very tiny and comes with a side salad, when you get it but both of the ladies who ordered it said it was super tasty. The bread was the highlight of this for sure. 4. I ordered the Eggs in a hole 1- solid 4/5. Comes with a delectable shredded goat cheese on top with blasted cherry tomatoes. I just wished the egg was a bit more balanced with the amount of bread. 5. Croissants were perfectly flaky and biscuits and other bread items were excellent. 6. I ordered the lavender fog which was light and nicely flavored. This could have easily been a 5 star place, but the irritated manner by Bob himself in the beginning when we all arrived and the lack of clear posting of "3 patrons inside at a time" or "please be masked" or something to better communicate his desires/needs when a larger group arrives at your bakery would be great. I mean after all people come to visit so it should be expected you're going to receive larger groups and non locals now and again. I hope the next time we come by we're greeted with more warmth and less annoyance. read more

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I have never been to this location and I regret not coming sooner! I had one of the best experiences that I've had in a while at a restaurant. The guy at the register with frosted hair was so sweet and helpful. He noticed I have not been there and made fabulous suggestions. The energy and approach made me so happy and just having him accommodate me was amazing. I had a croissant, a macaron, vanilla latte, and avocado toast. 100/10 everything was so fresh and good !! I dream of that croissant. I will be back for the food and the service read more

Great bread. Massive attitude at the register. We came after the 4th of July parade and the felt the rudeness when we walked in. Was very surprised for a tiny, small town spot. Maybe some training on manners? read more

Great food. The wait was long on a Saturday, but worth it. Family was in from out of town and everyone enjoyed. Nothing has disappointed yet. read more

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Had a gravlax platter to go and a solid four-star rating to go with it. The onion bagel was surprisingly good, perfectly toasted and while I'd probably have preferred smoked salmon, we are near little Denmark and gravlax is the order of the day. It was very good as well and the dill, lemon, onion, and capers that came with it were all great. The tomato looked great as well (heirloom perhaps) but I don't like tomato on a bagel so I didn't eat it. Overall very good. My friends' pastries and breakfast sandwich all came in an solid four stars as well. Definitely worth a visit. read more

Bob's Well Bread Bakery - Gravlax platter to go and prepared by me (I didn't use the tomato but did squeeze some lemon on. Very good. - Bakeries Near Me - Ballard, California

This is the Ballard location across from the Ballard Inn, down the road from Solvang. It's a very cute spot! Wonderful service, wonderful food. I ordered the pain de mie with ricotta and jam, my mom ordered the egg in the hole toast and my sister got the ham and cheese baguette. She had been there before so knew what's up. She also got two cookies to go, the pistachio shortbread and everything. We also got coffee, an iced vanilla latte, nondairy chai latte and red eye. All of the food and coffee was great. My sister says the chai was well made but very gentle, she would've preferred a stronger chai. We liked the nondairy options. Bathroom was clean and unisex. TONS of outdoor tables and some indoor tables as well. Large menu with lots of baked goods, sandwiches, and other options. The entire staff was efficient and friendly. Would definitely return and recommend! I will state one personal opinion - I see reviews stating that Bob is rude. He wasn't there, as far as I know, and the staff there was average to awesome that we interacted with. Also, I'm pretty sure Bob *could* be Jewish (in response to the ONE review from a person accusing him of anti-Semitism for using the phrase Jewish American Princess which is common in the Jewish community and more sexist than anything). They make excellent lox & bagel boards and Jewish baked goods... And French style baked goods too. :) read more

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This is my first time writing a one-star review. I often visit the Bob's Well Bread in Los Alamos due to their excellent service and food. However, my first experience at the "Ballard" branch was disappointing. The Bob, displayed unprofessional behavior. On top of his rudeness, he aggressively asked me to tip him at the counter without provide me a receipt. He did not forced to tip him with other costumers and it made me feel discriminated against. From reading other reviews, I gather that he shows preference towards people of a certain race. read more

Disappointing service, Bob is indeed a racist asshole like the other comments suggest. If you care about racism, take your hard earned money to another business to support them! __________________________________________________ I've been to bobs well bread before and thoroughly enjoyed the baked goods, food and service. Because of the great experience I had previously, I recommended coming here to my friends while on a trip to the area. It started off fine despite the cashiers attitude being less than friendly. My noticeably Hispanic husband ordered huevos rancheros and Bob responded with "si" before turning to me and asking for my order. Despite that being a micro aggression of sorts, we didn't think much of it. My husband has experienced far worse! However, after reading the other reviews I thought it was important to note. We have no problem overlooking an unfriendly attitude (not racism), especially when you're busy. We sat outside and waited about 40 minutes for our breakfast. Our food came first and our friend kindly asked if he could ask a question about his order and the person who ran the food responded curtly "it's all coming out we're super busy in the kitchen right now". It was surprising because the question our friend was trying to ask had nothing to do with how long the order was taking and wasn't asked in an unfriendly or rude tone. We're on vacation and in no rush. When their food did come, the breakfast sandwich was cold. To add insult to injury the table next to us asked a similar question about their order and was met with an overly accommodating and friendly response. I'm genuinely confused, we were friendly and I've had a great experience here before. I understand people can have a bad day or be stressed, but we weren't being rude patrons. Friendly warning to anyone visiting that although the baked goods are delicious, don't expect friendly service. read more

Food deserves a 5 star - French toast and Gravlax platter - delicious! Attitude could use a little adjustment. We were standing in line right by the sign but slightly in front of it and were asked in a snarky tone to stand "behind the sign just as the sign says." That tone of voice almost made us leave. read more

One of our favorite bakeries and breakfast spot! We always make sure to go here or their other location when we are in the area. All the baked goods sell out pretty early, I would highly recommend to order online and pick up. The site is up at 8am to place orders for pick up and it's always a breeze. You must get the Morning Buns, Croissants, Chocolate Pistachio Croissants and all the breads are good. From the menu we love the Egg in a Jar, Quiche, Challah French Toast with Lardon and Breakfast English Muffin. They have plenty of seating outside and dog-friendly. Staff are friendly and nice! read more

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Ok I get it far as people being annoying when it comes to ordering especially coffee drinks, eg. I'll take a latte with nonfat soy and 2 pumps of vanilla sugar free blah blah blah. But really Bob all I asked was to substitute a bagel for the biscuit and he said "No"with a deadpan face. I couldn't believe it. I heard he was not big on customer service, but forgot until I experienced it. Even though I don't think the food really warrants all the hoopla, I want to go back and ask for a substitution and serve him up some of my Long Island charm, such as, ( in a semi loud voice ) answering his deadpan "No" with OK just give me the bagel! What am I allowed to have with that? By the way I didn't even eat the stinkin biscuit. Not very good due to dryness. The turkey sausage on my sandwich was undercooked with pink inside and I don't think turkey is supposed to be medium rare. Many of the pastries looked perty good though and my husband liked his Egg in a frame 2, which is a creative variation of eggs in the hole, which we make when camping. It has bechamel sauce, which reminds me of the gravy that goes with biscuits sans sausage. Place was kitschy. Not overly clean interior with scuffed up floors. Bit on the shabby non chic side with mismatched chairs on patio. Could use a makeover. Perhaps a few more umbrellas to provide shade. The lady serving the food seemed nice. I heard her tell someone that wanted butter " Bob will charge you for it", so I am guessing she changed her mind, as she would have to wait on the line again. And it would probably take a half hour. Oh did I mention how long it took to get our meal? Don't get me started on that. read more

With 20,000 Instagram followers (just under 25% the population of Santa Barbara, a figure I never cease to remind people out of SB of when explaining my difficulty in this town), Bob's doesn't need me to add to the chorus of praise. I've been following awhile but haven't been to PCPA Theaterfest since the pandemic (I was a subscriber and saw Jessica Crouch as Elle Woods on tour) and have no real reason to visit Solvang. But since I started seeing my genius acupuncturist at the Buellton office, who isn't on any social media and didn't know what Instagram was until I told him what it was last year, I'm going to start visiting places in the valley. (That's what Santa Barbarans call Santa Ynez, Buellton, Solvang, and Los Olivos. Little v, not big V, as in the 818). I didn't expect it to be so large. It's dog-friendly, not just on the large, elegant patio with umbrellas but also inside. That's an automatic plus in my book. They even have doggie toys on a bakery tray: "Life is short; spoil your dog." Owned by Bob, a Long Island native who lived for years in the Village, Bob's is known for decadent breakfast and brunch fare. They also have salads and sandwiches. I had Line Cook's Pate with two glasses of rose and worked on my laptop nearly two hours. The inspiration came from a New York Times recipe/article honoring the contributions of line cooks (the idea is that chefs get all the glory, which is fine as they also assume all the risk and bear the blame when a place goes under, as 50% of all establishments do in the first two years). I don't really do pork. An occasional BLT with heirloom tomato on very special bread (which I have reduced by 80% since menopause). I eat bacon on a Cobb. But I don't do bacon and eggs and I have no use for sausage and salami. Prosciutto I eat a couple times a year but my pork consumption is next to nil. I didn't know what lardons were and I'm half-sorry I tried them because THAT is a pork product I can't stop thinking about and would eat whenever given a chance. (My objection to pork is ethical: pigs are smarter than dogs and I feel bad eating smart things. Cf: I gave up octopus after reading a review of that documentary, which I wouldn't even watch). These are served hot in a bacon-onion gravy, basically, and with the chicken liver mousse on the grilled focaccia, they are truly transcendent. The bread is less dense than it appears. It was one of the best meals I've had in a long time and I can't wait to repeat it. I have to go to the Hitching Post before I move back to New York. A Massachusetts friend has been hounding me for years but COVID hours severely cut back. The HP2 is open only Friday through Sunday in the summer. But I am going to go back to Bob's whenever I see Dr Kar (every two or three weeks). read more

Our pastries were delicious. . It was helpful that it was right across the street from where we were staying. Bob is everything that was described in previous posts; no one is going there for his charming personality. read more

Solid breakfast spot if you are looking for a leisurely place. Expect to wait in a long line to order and then wait for your order to be brought out. I'm a fan of their country bread- I used to buy a similar loaf from Trader Joe's but they discontinued it some years ago so now I can get my fix here. The krug amin and the pecan bun are good and the freshly baked bagels with their homemade butter are awesome carby options for a snack. The tomato toast on that aforementioned bread is really good! Eggs Benedict were just okay for me - very lemony. All in all, we had a very solid breakfast but the service left something to be desired. I am sure I'll be back but perhaps only for a take away meal. read more

Bob is I think some retired exec from the movie business, and super friendly, in fact we saw a few actors come in. He loves what he does and is not concerned with moving the line quickly. The line to order was extremely slow, because Bob loves to chat and there is only one register. The pastries were good, but not great, didn't try the bread. The dog biscuits however were amazing, my pup was on her best behavior the whole day just wanting another piece. Definitely worth a stop for to go order or breakfast or lunch. read more

Food is good. Place itself is cute. Bob... is a bit of an a-hole. Have been here a few times and always forget that the time before the owner was weird and a bit rude. He's super particular about the way his line queues (which means you can't look at the pastry case before it's time to order, which is a tad stressful TBH), and he just has a generally meh demeanor. There shouldn't be an expectation for everyone to be a fake bubbly person, I'm sure not lol ...but he shouldn't be running the register in his own shop TBH. Not sure why you would even want to if you don't even seem to like your customers... read more

You know The Soup Nazi ? Well , you get the idea. expect good product,don't expect a warm welcome read more

What a cool spot in what seems to be the middle of nowhere. The vibe felt very upscale and booshie which was surprising again because we were in the middle of nowhere. All of the overpriced breads looked delicious as well as the sandwiches and salads but I had a coffee and cinnamon roll which were fresh and yummy. Super clean bathroom and efficient staff. read more

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We actually drive about 120 miles each way to come to Bob's whenever we're feeling like going on a road trip. The food, pastries and bread are delicious. We haven't had a bad meal here. Sometimes the service is a little slow and Bob is definitely a character (think Soup Nazi from Saturday Night Live), but it doesn't dampen our enthusiasm for this place. It's a pretty popular place with a small kitchen, so be prepared to wait to order and get your food. You won't be disappointed. read more

We go out of our way to go to one of his places! Food is wonderful & all home made! Service is good, always a line, but moves fast! Great breakfast or lunch, very homey! read more