The story of a (very small) $15 sandwhich... ****Update**** Ok, so I realize that this is the lunch rush, and I understand the staff is working hard to get throught a difficult shift. In hind sight, I am grateful to the kitchen staff for taking the extra effort to make sure I was taken care of by coming out personally and delivering my sandwich... So, thank you! -------Original review------- I've been coming here for a while now (it's in my monthly lunch rotation). Service is usually slow, but today, I ordered one (very small) sandwich for $15. Then, I waited over 25 minutes... When I asked about my order, they kept saying, "It's coming right up," but they had no idea what was going on. The staff seemed confused and totally lacking in empathy. Other patrons ordered their meals and picked up their food while I continued to wait. It was very frustrating. Especially since (today of all days), I needed to get back to work quickly. I saw another man (who came in 10 minutes after me) pick up the exact same sandwich I ordered. When I said, "I think that might be my sandwich?" the lady said, "No, that's his." I finally lost it and said I had been here longer than him; and to which I was rewarded with a blank stare. Finally, someone came out of the back kitchen with what seemed to be a hastily assembled (very small) $15 sandwich. read more

Boudin - Very small $15 sandwich... - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been coming to Boudin for lunch for the past 3 years. My favorite here is the Toasted Chicken Club which comes on a fresh Boudin baked Schiacciata bread. I've been to many sandwiches places in my life but this one has got to be near the top of the list for me. The crunchy outside of the bread with a spongy soft inside to pair with crispy bacon surrounded by chicken and avocado makes this a perfect combo. You can get chips, salad and now fries to pair with this fulfilling treat. Staff here are friendly and working hard all the time, even as they are working under hot temperatures with those ovens on all day long, which is why I take my orders to go. But don't let it stop you from getting your hands on these sandwiches. Soups and salads are also great here too and would highly recommend the Chicken Avocado Caesar as well. read more

Boudin - Toasted Chicken Club and side salad - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Really mediocre experience with the highly acclaimed protein bowl with beets and black lentils. The price of these dishes has significantly gone up while the quality is definitely worse. Definitely not a place I'd be tempted to go to again! read more

I love Boudin. And the girl that always takes my order is super fry and accommodates my special requests very well. The bread is absolutely delicious. Pastrami is amazing. They have great sandwich, sandwiches, soup, and pastries. read more

Boudin - Hot pastrami - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Really good bread, nice place in which you can see the bakers doing their thing. Plenty of food options and baked goods. Don't skip the original sour dough animals! read more

We arrived just before the lunch rush. With lots of seats available we took a metal four top outside. It was our baby's first time having the bread bowl. It was very messy and she LOVED it. read more

Placed an order at midnight on Sunday for two 1-1/2lbs sliced rounds to be picked up after 10 on Monday morning. Get a call at 930a they sold out my rounds because "the cashier didn't look at the orders printed from the weekend" WHAT??! You're a bakery, it's only 930, & you're sold out?! Make more? Nope. Unfortunately this was a gift to my mom; she has weirdly specific tastes - it can only be this round. Which was precisely why I ordered it more than 24 hours before pick up. Terribly disappointed read more

Boudin - Receipt from order placed at midnight more than 24 hrs before order due - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Had breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches catered for our office breakfast. Everything arrived COLD. Not just "warm" but cold. The tortillas were hard and the cheese was starting to solidify as if were previously melted and then sat out. The bread on the sandwiches was hard and rough. Would not order as none of this was fresh at all. Oh and everything was super salty. read more

Child craving chili in bread bowl, made trip to Embarcadero Boudin especially for this signature dish; did all the work ourselves of placing the order on the large touch-screen (really hate this impersonal touch--the customer gets nothing out of it), paid, sat down. About the time our food was due, a sweet employee came to inform us they were out of bread bowls, offering '2 or 3' bread rolls instead... !? A real-live human taking the order could've told us that and saved us the grief!! My child was SO disappointed. The bread bowl was The Thing. Meanwhile I'd ordered an egg-and-ham croissant: worst 'croissant' I've ever had the misfortune of meeting--flat, dry, tasteless, just no. In a bakery! Eggs bland, ham low quality. Also the ambiance is generic fast-foodish. read more

This review is for their take-out bread. I got a teddy bear shaped sourdough bread as a souvenir. When I came back home a day later the bread went completely stale and was non-edible. Don't know if I want to buy bread from here again. Your best bet is probably eating in. read more

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The shop in Embarcadero 4 has finally reopened, but for take-out only. It was a cold rainy day, so figured I'd get the classic clam chowder in a bread bowl. Sometimes you want to play tourist in your own city. Clam Chowder Sourdough Bread Bowl: When you get it to go, they keep the bread and soup separate, so you can assemble it just-in-time at a home. The bread itself had the signature crusty exterior. The inner bread was a bit too thick/doughy though. The sourdough from Acme Bakery just seems lighter. And the clam chowder was like the kind from a can, very thick almost like paste. It was filling for sure, but felt kinda mediocre overall. Italian Classic Sandwich: Apparently a sandwich and side soup to go will cost you $16.53 out the door. And the sandwich is pretty skimpy on the meat. Plus the meat was folded and clumped together on one side. I had to manually unfold the meat & cheese and spread it out, else half my sandwich would just be romaine lettuce. Rustic Tomato Soup: This was the surprise highlight. Lots of umami from the tomato. And richness from the cream. Actually seemed a lot fresher than the clam chowder. This might actually be a better fit for the bread bowl next time (...if there ever is a next time). read more

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The bread is always good at Boudin's & my friends and I usually buy some to take home with us. deelish. On this visit, we had salads and enjoyed them very much. Mine had nice chunks of chicken, a very fresh mix of greens; and, it was not overly-dressed (which I hate & is unhealthy to boot). I also had a half sandwich, French dip, which is my fav. As usual, it was served hot, and the balance of meat, cheese and onions very good. Unfortunately, my salad took a long time to get to me. But, the ever-courteous staff made up for that by bringing a full salad rather than the 1/2 salad ordered. The only negative was the parmesan crisps (?) in it, which seemed stale. We were there after 1 PM, so the lunch crowd had thinned. It's not the restaurant's fault that some patrons lack manners - out of town jerks. To make up for that, there are ball courts right outside & it's fund to watch the amateurs whack away. And, the Ferry Building is right across the Embarcadero. It has come back from the dead with a lot of new shops. This is a reasonably-priced lunch spot with many good meal choices and the bonus of baked goods to take home. read more

This location isn't my Boudin's location, but since I was in the area, I decided to stop by. It's located at Four Embarcadero Center facing the Justin Hermann Plaza fountain. I was here during the lunch hour and FiDi workers were dining here. Menu was more extensive than my go-to location because in addition to the sandwiches and pizzas, they had salads and soups. They had a large inside dining area and you can eat outside in the Plaza. Today I was here to get a loaf of sweet French bread. Ordered and had it sliced and I was on my way. Good FiDi location to grab something for lunch and dine there are bring back to the office or grab some bread like me. read more

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Second time here was much better. Portion of sandwich filling much better. Hot and warm bread. Crispy on the outside soft and fluffy inside. Yummy. Bit expensive but expected from location and sf. First time my sandwich was so flat and empty it was sad. Second time they actually loaded it up acceptably. Left full this time. read more

A SF institution that I just can't get enough of. Did you know that they sell Boudin sourdough bread at Safeway? Thank goodness because that saves me time when I want to get their bread and don't want to travel to far off tourist spots. I'm a fan of their sandwiches, especially their vegetarian sandwich which has roasted red peppers and avocado. Of course everyone, including me loves their clam chowder. Their pizzas are good too if you like sourdough pizza. But, my go to is their half and half soup and sandwich special. I can mix and match different sandwiches and their famous clay chowder or a heathier salad option. They also have a rewards program where you can earn points towards a discounted meal once you reach a certain point count and when you sign up you get a free cookie. read more

Boudin - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

I generally like Boudin but this particular location is SO slow I felt the obligated to write a review. There weren't that many people/orders so I'm not really sure why their operations was so slow. They are definitely understaffed so unless you care to wait 20mins to order and another 30 mins for your food, I don't think you should come here. After waiting forever for my sandwich order (along with the 3 patrons that were ahead of me), I noticed the people who lined up after me were getting called their orders so I went up to check, and then they either realized the skipped over my order or something, so they started making it immediately. You can get comparable sandwiches elsewhere, or walk across the street to the ferry building and get something else. For a work day, this was an excess wait for just a sandwich and I do not recommend this place at all, sorry. read more

I was visiting last week for a conference and had only one request from my daughter, "bring back some bread please." I wasn't near any and didn't have transportation in between my meetings, so ordered for delivery. My order of bread, pastry, and breakfast potatoes was good, but one of the loaves of bread I ordered was the incorrect size. I called and talked to Jackie. She offered to have me come in, but I didn't have time or transportation, or the physical ability to get there to puck it up. If I'd done another order to get it, it would have cost another 8.99 in delivery fees that I'd already paid. Jackie called me back and said she didn't have another delivery going out, but that she would drop it at my hotel at the end of her shift. I didn't expect her to personally deliver it, but I do appreciate getting the loaf I ordered. She went above and beyond to help me out. read more

** The following review reflects my experience prior to the shelter-in-place order currently in effect. ** Gee, who knew Boudin was the oldest continuously operating business in San Francisco? I didn't. Did you? You did? Well, aren't you a smarty pants? I knew Boudin from their tourist magnet location on Fishermen's Wharf where the sourdough bread sculptures in the front window offer entertainment for the entire family. No alligator-shaped loaves here since this one was more of workaday lunch spot for the office drones as well as the tourists on the Embarcadero. I was falling into the former category when I traipsed in one weekday afternoon hoping for a quick meal, but I've been off bread for some time - so I was wondering if that was even possible at a Boudin. It is (mostly) because I ordered the $10.49 Asian Chicken Salad easy peasy. Of course they couldn't help themselves and gave me a chunk of sourdough on the side. The salad itself was fine with orange slices, almonds, and cucumber thrown in for good measure (photo: https://bit.ly/2LBAEXo). Who needs bread? FOOD - 3 stars...pretty full salad with lots of ingredients AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...enough room when I stopped by SERVICE -3 stars...efficient enough TOTAL - 3 stars... Boudin knows their sourdough RELATED - Hangin' out along the Embarcadero? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2IZHU03 read more

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I frequent this boudin occasionally and they are usually so good! Until today... the clam chowder was amazing, but the side tuna sandwhich fell short. I ate more bread than anything... maybe they were busy not too sure but it was a miss for me and didn't taste that good read more

Boudin - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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A Part of San Francisco History! When Isidore Boudin established his bakery in San Francisco in 1849, he had no idea that one day it would become San Francisco's oldest continuously operating business. He decided to blend sourdough, which was very popular among Gold Rush miners, with French techniques and the rest is history! The bakery has changed ownership multiple times since the days of Isidore Boudin, and has opened multiple locations around the Bay Area and state California for that matter, but it is still a San Francisco original! This location in 4 Embarcadero Center, facing Justin Herman Plaza, offers a convenient option for those who work around here or are just vising. The menu offers a variety of options, the food is good and the bread is even better. This location has plenty of tables and seats if you get there before the daily lunch rush. You order, pay, get a number and go sit and wait for your meal to come to your table; easy as 1, 2, 3! read more

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I honestly avoided this place for so long because I thought it was a tourist trap. But its reputation is well deserved. The sandwiches are really good and not horribly priced as you might expect. Their pastries, though, are even more mouthwatering. Boudin is located very conveniently in 4 Embarcadero so it's a great spot to grab a quick lunch. And it's right by the Embarcadero Plaza seating for some nice fresh air and people watching. read more

One of my fav Boudin's because there's inside dining with nice tables and ambiance. There's also outside dining with metal tables and chairs. The staff member was really nice. We each had the lunch special, 1/2 sandwich and clam chowder. I've always liked their chowder. My go to is Turkey havarti on sourdough. Hubby had a chicken salad on Dutch crunch. There is an additional charge for the Dutch crunch and his sandwich was smaller than mine. Plan to be back when we're in the area again. read more

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At work, we were gifted treats. The cookies arrived on Monday, April 29th around 11:45am. I picked the Snickerdoodle. Their site describes this as: equal parts soft and chewy. This is true, though I found the cookie at little crumblier than I'd like. And it was a touch dry. Otherwise, good cinnamon and sugar flavor. And it was buttery. I know Boudin is more known for their clam chowder and sourdough bread, but their cookies aren't a bad as well. read more

Boudin - Snickerdoodle - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Boudin's is environmentally conscious! Only pick up utensils if needed not automatic like other restaurants.They get my business for sure! Right at Justin Herman Plaza. A people-watching place & also right at Embarcadero Center 4! The employees are so thoughtful to ask if I need anything else too! read more

Boudin - Environmentally conscious & good to kids too! - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Excellent in every way. Guess we got lucky because we had no service issues whatsoever. The person that took our order was efficient and couldn't have been friendlier. The guy that brought us our food was nice as well. The food came out quickly, hot, and delicious. Got a chicken avocado club sandwich and chili in a bread bowl for under $15! In downtown San Francisco! Sandwich was delicious and chili was surprisingly good. The bread bowl was excellent as well. Cheapest meal the whole trip. read more

Oh Boudin tomato soup in a bread bowl, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. It's so simple, I know, but so good. So satisfying. So perfect every time. That bread is just magical. read more

Boudin - Iconic. - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food is good because the chain has system and its consistent. Too bad the service at this location is horrible, you can tell these ladies don't like their job and take it out on the costumers. No greeting , no care, no concern , but the sour , ugly attitudes are on full display . Too bad this location is in a good spot , nice to dine in if those employees would shape up and get with the program . My co-workers and myself work in the area and have shared stories about the service and were all on the same page unfortunately . read more

I like the ambience of this location, but unfortunately I felt that the food quality was not up to par. It was also extremely expensive. I ordered half of the steak salad, half of the tuna melt, and a drink - and my bill was over $20. This seems worth the deal except for the fact that there were only two small pieces of steak on the salad and the tuna melt seems like it had been made a while back and reheated. There is room for improvement on the food quality, but the inside of the restaurant was bright and pleasant. read more

Boudin - Sear-ious Steak Salad and Tuna Melt - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing place to visit! The bread is divine. Service was friendly, a little packed but that's to be expected! It's an institution you have to check it out for yourself when your in the city. Perfect vibe read more

Boudin - Inside - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Food was great, price was very high. $28 for a soda, sandwich and salad. The food was great I recommend eating here. I will update give 5 stars but the price knocks on off. If you like sour dough this is the spot. read more

Packaging 5/5 I like how they package a lunch box in a big red paper box. Super convenient and eco friendly. A lunch box usually comes with a sandwich / a salad / a half sandwich half salad with kettle chips and a cookie. Cobb salad 3.5/5 The full Cobb salad is a pretty big box. But I don't like the chicken in it I don't think it tastes very fresh. Ham and Brie 4/5 Very good!! I loved the cranberry that goes with the Brie bread. Ham and Swiss 3/5 I don't think the mustard inside really goes with the ham and Swiss cheese. It has a weird flavor when the three elements mix together. Turkey avocado sandwich 4.5/5 My favorite sandwich from boudin!!! Whole wheat bread with generous portion of roasted turkey and avocado spread. Italian classic sandwich 2.5/5 This is prob my least favorite sandwich. I liked neither the bread nor the sauce. Chicken pesto sandwich 4/5 Pretty good Roast beef sandwich 3.5/5 read more

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Sandwich makers behind the counter lack customer service experience! As I was gnawing on a baguette so hard, I stopped because I've been eating here for years and I've never felt like I was going to break my teeth! I asked the woman behind the counter why the bread was so hard and she looked at me like I had 2 heads and she rudely explained, it's a BAGUETTE THATS WHY - ITS MEANT TO BE HARD!! Wow was she rude!! I have choices on where I spend my money and it definitely won't be at that Boudin's!! Shame on you @Boudins for not training your staff on how to address customers! Please don't eat here unless you bring your fixodent and do not need to speak to the staff!! Just unacceptable read more

No soup in the morning?! Why did you open this store? Who would come to this store to have sandwiches?