Loved this place. Amazing quiche and pecan sticky buns. Our first stop every morning.

Have you ever been to a place so delicious you turned around and came back for the very next meal? Listen, Moran State park is spectacular, but the real beauty on this island lies in Brown Bear's gigantic pastries and warm service. This is my second time on orcas and i made sure i was coming on a day this gem was open. I've been thinking about that pumpkin muffin for the last two years, and I'm so happy another one is in my bag for the ferry back to San Juan. Don't miss the Croque Monsieur! read more

Great little bakery on the corner! Friendly server! Yummy cookies! Had a PB sandwich, it was 2 cookies sandwiching pb creme inside! read more

Overwhelming choice of baked goods, friendly atmosphere and very busy. Good service, but hard to make a decision, because of so many choices. However, don't think it matters, everything is good. read more

For food, we ordered a pecan sticky bun and a kouign-amann. I thought the sticky bun was pretty good, my wife would've wanted it sweeter (she does have a sweet tooth and I really like bitter, nutty flavors). The kouign-amann looked a little over-baked but I tried it anyway since I love kouign-amann; the problem was the salt. They did describe it as "wildflour [sic] honey and Maldon sea salt" but it tasted like pure salt, I couldn't even finish half. It would've actually been fine otherwise. For drinks, I only ordered a decaf espresso and it was horribly sour--undrinkable. The service was speedy and friendly, the ambiance was decent but not as cute or whimsy as other places. I wouldn't go again even if it was the only place open. read more

What a LOVELY little bakery! Friendly, warm staff and delicious pastries, coffee, and more. The ham and leek quiche was incredible.

Brown Bear is always my first stop when I visit Eastsound, Orcas Island because it sets the tone for my stay, warm, cozy, and delicious! read more

Brown Bear Baking - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Eastsound, Washington

Went there twice while visiting, excellent food both times, service was lax the first time, hence one less star. Apparently you can't even spare the time to say "I will be with you in just a moment" while you are yakking it up with a girlfriend keeping a customer (the only customer) standing there waiting for at least 5 minutes! read more

Visited Orcas for the weekend and had the pleasure of trying Brown Bear Baking. So yummy and fresh. Everyone working was kind and warm. I had the seasonal veggie quiche (roasted tomato & kale), orange morning bun, and a pain au chocolat with a chai tea to wash it all down. read more

The smoked salmon quiche might be the best quiche I have ever had! Wonderful peach croissant and almond milk latte as well. Will definitely return to try more next time I'm on the island! read more

Totally adorable space with lots of outside seating. We got six pastries to go and each one was completely delicious. All managed to be both light and rich and buttery at the same time - and there was the perfect balance of flavor for the ones with some additions. We got two bear claws, a chocolate croissant, a peach danish type thing, and a scone. I think I would rate them in the order I listed them but please don't take that as the scone being bad - it was just a personal preference thing. In retrospect we would have only gotten the amount of pastries we could consume in one day because as with many well made baked goods it was best when it was freshest. That also would have given us an excuse to go back to the cute shop a few times! read more

Brown Bear Baking - Six amazing pastries. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Eastsound, Washington

The owner is a man passionate about baking. The cafe is a working bakery. You can see the bakers shaping the loaves, seeing it rise in the bannetons and them coming out of the oven smelling of heaven. read more

The orange morning bun was sold out by 1 pm. We got the savory ham and cheese croissant w came w a small salad and the peach croissant. Both were delicious. Line was long but it moved fast. read more

Brown Bear Baking - Ham and cheese croissant w Brie, small salad, peach croissant - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Eastsound, Washington

Thank goodness for this place which fed us for multiple meals on Orcas Island. Open early, I was sure to drop by before the line formed for some pastries and coffees to start the day. Later we dropped by for a pick me up before they closed. They had great, prompt service and every item was well made and delicious. Definitely utilize them if you're staying over or swing by on your day trip! read more

Great baked goods and coffee! The quiche was delicious too. The best part was the friendly and efficient team working to quickly get a lot of people served. Lines are long but worth the wait. read more

Come early - there is a line for a reason! It's always hard to decide what I want but the quiche is my favorite

And just about every city across the world that we visit, we look for the best bakeries that we can find. With the exception of a bakery in Iceland and one in Paris, this place has consistently been the best bakery we have found! We first came up here a few years ago for a weekend with family and were immediately impressed with everything that came out of this bakery. The bread is beautiful, delicious and fresh. The pastries are large, creative and delicious. The sandwiches are like a delicious bite of love each time you taste them, and the folks working here are always pleasant and knowledgeable about what they are selling. The place is busy immediately upon opening, and it behoove you to get there early is there are times where they will run out of popular items. They tend to make more throughout the day and will rarely let you go without something that you're looking for, though you may have to wait a bit. The scones are magnificent- often both sweet and savory. The croissants are some of the best we've had outside France! The Pate d'Ours is phenomenal as are the Kouign Aman, Sticky Buns and Pain au Chocolat. Really, everything is good. The croque monsieur, pastrami and mushroom sandwiches are all brilliantly crafted and presented beautifully as well. As you can hopefully tell, there's really not anything here that we don't like. It's the sort of place that you can stay near to and go there four times over two days... We may have done that more than once. It's worth taking the ferry just to check this place out and worth frequenting anytime you travel near to it! read more

Food is fantastic and service is great and friendly. Im never disappointed when I can stop by the Brown Bear Bakery on Orcas Island. read more

Brown Bear Baking - Cappuccino. One with extra foam. Yum! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Eastsound, Washington

Kind service, stellar scones and yummy coffee. Feels like a local hangout! You can get a breakfast pastry, sweet or savory scone, slice of quiche and any alternative milk you'd want with your coffee. Can't wait to go back! Next time, cookies!! read more

Brown Bear Baking - Storefront - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Eastsound, Washington

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OMG what a wonderful local bakery. The county loaf was soft and delicious. But, the star was the sea salt chocolate cookies. Each bite was heaven. All employees were working hard and the owners are so very nice and accommodating. We will be back! read more

A busy little place, there is a parking lot close by and some street parking. Not much space but they use it efficiently. So many options to chose from both savory and sweet. The sandwhich was amazing, I got a mushroom and cheese (forgot the name) but the side salad very bland and oily. Quiche had good flavor and it was nice since they keep it on a warmer plate it didn't need to be warmed and get dried out, smart. We tried almost all of the baked goods the only one I really did not find good was an apple and she biscuit thing that felt underbaked. The orange morning bun was absolutely amazing i could eat those all day long. read more

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Yum! Had a veggie quiche and a croissant peche (peach and vanilla) from here and both were so good. My friends got sandwiches and they were huge! Coffee was also good and they were really fast with making the food. read more

Brown Bear Baking - Croissant peche - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Eastsound, Washington

Staff here was so kind and friendly! Stopped in here a couple of times on a recent visit. Everything we had was yummy--orange roll, quiche, butternut squash soup, sandwiches--all hit the spot! We look forward to coming back. read more

Brown Bear Baking - Quiche - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Eastsound, Washington

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Best dang croissants and baked goods ever. I was blown away but the culinary expertise of these folks. Also, their coffee is terrific. I highly recommend this place. read more

Brown Bear Baking - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Eastsound, Washington

If you want to upset your friends and family, take a photo while at Brown Bear and send it to them. My friends that have had the chance to visit us in the summers on Orcas all go nuts about this place. I can't even recommend a favorite ( although smoked salmon quiche is addictive) whether savory or sweet. Take a couple of perfectionists, picking the best spot and mix in recipes that are measured and timed to exact degree... and that ain't just an oven timer going off, but everyone hearts. For hands down, the reply you get with those little recognizable snapshots, " Best Bakery EVER!" It's no longer open every day. So double check the hours and get in line. It's ok. It's worth it. read more

You def won't miss this place as you turn onto Main street. Brown Bear Bakery had a line as we entered eastsound and still had one when we exited. The bakery, unmistakable by it's orangeness, serves up sweets, savory and coffee. They use Victrola beans. We got the bear paw, which is a almond paste croissant shaped and sized like one, was delicious to the final bite. They has other french bakes like quiche, ham and cheese and other croissants and breads. We sat outside too and soaked in some sun. There's a little courtyard and patio with very limited seating but a great place to watch the world go by. The bakery is also a dog magnet. What's not to like read more

Brown Bear Baking - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Eastsound, Washington

How many times have I been to Orcas Island? And yet in those trips, I had never visited Brown Bear. Now, it wasn't for lack of interest, as I absolutely adore bakeries above anything else in small towns. I've stopped at bakeries all up the west coast, in teeny rural towns and in the heart of the big city. No, it was more for strange timing and weird seasons. Brown Bear is closed Mondays and Tuesdays normally (but do check their current info) and I have missed out on the goods. Well, I finally visited this summer and remedied my lack of visits. It was a bustling, and despite COVID, we ventured in. They're being very cautious here on Orcas and everywhere, so social distancing and masks were strictly enforced. Once inside, we gazed at the display case. I was drawn to the chocolate croissant, but in the end we opted for an orange roll, sticky bun, and peach croissant. I think there are no bad choices here. You can also get more prepped food, and that certainly will be a goal next time around, but the prepped stuff in the case can be purchased to-go and that's a better plan during these times. We took our prizes and somehow held onto them for the long drive home the next day. Both the orange roll and the sticky bun were fantastic, though I think I should have stuck to my gut and gone with the MASSIVE chocolate croissant next time. The peach croissant was fine, but at this point we were 6 pastries in for the last three days and it was less of a standout. It's teeny, it's cute, it's a must visit if you're in town. Don't wait until after multiple visits--go and get your goods as soon as you get to Orcas. read more

Sooo I'm updating my review after stopping in Brown Bear several times over the years. This time COVID was going on, although nothing was too different in this case, besides wearing a mask of course. I got in line with my family around 11:30 on a Sunday. The line was long, and slow moving (plus people were all up in our business behind us in line... so much for the six-foot rule), so thankfully I had a small breakfast beforehand and was enjoying the sunshine and people + pup watching. By the time it was our turn to order (30 minutes later??) there were still plenty of food options, yay! And oh man it was hard to decide. I ended up going with a sweet/savory cheesy Apple Sage Scone, and a Berry Muffin. My mom opted for a Peach Pastry. The three items came to about $19 after an 18% tip (they were working hard back there and the girl at the counter was very friendly and upbeat!). We took our goods to the picnic tables in the park across from Mijitas (the mexican restaurant) and I quickly demolished my scone. The scone itself was pretty savory, with tender apple chunks and a faint cheese flavor, plus the sage notes of course. A sprinkle of coarse sugar on top added a pleasant note of sweetness. It was good. I normally don't eat pastries but the butter and carbs hit the spot in the moment. My mom enjoyed her flaky peach pastry, and my sister seemed to be a fan of her peach pastry, as well as her apple pastry. Later that evening I went in on my berry muffin, which was tender with a nice almond flavor. I would have enjoyed a few more plump berries dispersed throughout but it was tasty. I am looking forward to returning again next visit, perhaps to try out their chocolate muffin which I also had my eye on. And no it's not as good as bakeries in France, but I wasn't expecting that level of deliciousness. read more

The long line was a bit intriguing but much longer than it appears. Looking back, I'm not sure it was worth it. People order very slowly like toddlers never seeing a croissant before. You can even see the baked items available while in line. So I just didn't understand why people were so indecisive. We had some people cut in front of us 15-20min in to be with their group so maybe I'm a bit sour from the line. The pastries range from $6.50-$9. Kinda steep. But they are very large pastries. A square berry crumble sold out right in front of me. (Again makes me mad about the cutters). You could share one or two and feel very satisfied. The Bear Paw and chocolate croissant were fantastic. Flaky, rich, salty and warm. Definitely buy a beverage. The orange muffin was also delicious with a powdery sugar on top. The quiche looked amazing but I couldn't do it at $9 a slice. Due to the time consuming line, I probably won't return but bottom line, it was a delicious breakfast. read more

Brown Bear Baking is sadly overrated and overpriced. My group ordered a lemon tart, a pecan sticky bun, and a pain au chocolat. The lemon tart was completely unset and the filling ran out of the crust like maple syrup. The pain au chocolat was underbaked, leaving a line of uncooked pastry in the middle. Sadly, it came across much more bread-y than flaky. The highlight was the pecan sticky bun, which is laden with nuts and caramel. Sticky indeed! For pricing reference, most items were ~$7-9 USD. The day before, we had gone to Le Painier in Pike Place Market in Seattle and ordered very similar items for 1/2 of the price and with much better results. I understand that things are going to be more expensive on the island, but quality should at least approach that level, especially for such a hyped spot. read more

Brown Bear Baking - Pêche croissant, orange morning bun, egg brioche, pain au chocolat, pecan sticky buns, pate d'ours, quiches - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Eastsound, Washington

The logo kind of reminds me of Sea Wolf Bakers, with seemingly similar perceived popularity. I guess it is because this place gets mentioned a lot in travel guides for Orcas Island, so almost every tourist (including us haha) wants to check this place out. At 9am, there was a line out the block, and despite the volume of the line, it was about 15 minutes. I got the salmon quiche and the pecan sticky bread, both of which are decent. Salmon quiche is quite creamy, and there is a good amount of salmon within. There is a nice flakiness to the edge of the quiche, and it is buttery. Pecan sticky bread is definitely on the sweeter side, though portions are huge. Price is a bit higher than most other places, and the quality itself is good but not really something that is a must-try. Hours are convenient as a lot of brunch places here close at 12pm or 1pm which is interesting - while this place does offer lunch options starting at 11am. read more

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We love Brown Bear! My husband is French and has high standards for pastries. This bakery is the only one he loves and we have tried so many all across the country. Side comment, they miss spell the pastry names (in French). read more

Great bakery spot, and a very popular one judging from the never ending line outside. The croque monsieur was cold, but surprisingly good, great ingredients and amazing bread. I can only imagine how good it was freshly made. The bear paw (almond croissant) was huge and very good, but not as crunchy as I would expected. The short latte was very very good, way above average. If you're on orcas island definitely hit this spot! read more

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Oh, the croissant, so good. I feel sorry for the people in line behind me on my last trip. The doors had just opened and I bought all of them. Plus a few other items. read more

Cute little bakery right down town. Really great pastries and drinks. Although, the seating in there is kinda awkward and the layout of the place is tight. People working were very kinda and informative! read more

The ham and leek quiche is phenomenal! I would make the three hour trek from Seattle again for this quiche alone. We also tried a handful of other pastries! My favorites were the bear paw and croissant pêche. read more

Great offerings and plenty of flavors. Tried some of the salt cookies and they were delicious! Definitely a must stop if you're in town. read more

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Excellent, loved it! Went twice and will be back. Free refill on Victrola coffee if you return by 4. World class quality. Welcoming owners who understand hospitality. read more

If you can't guess by the lines every morning, this bakery is yummy. Actually quite classy!! They have both sweet and savory items and even quiche. We usually get both a sweet and a savory fur lunch. It's worth standing in line for awhile. People are usually friendly and it's a fun way to start your day on Orcas Island. read more

Brown Bear Baking - Turnover - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Eastsound, Washington

I hate leaving this review... but I was very unhappy with my order. The blueberry tart was not to my liking. I couldn't finish it. I also ordered an egg nog latte and I ended up throwing it out. I was very disappointed. read more