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    CIA Bakery Cafe

    4.0 (80 reviews)
    Closed 8:30 am - 1:30 pm

    CIA Bakery Cafe Photos

    CIA BAKERY CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Good for working

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    Recommended Reviews - CIA Bakery Cafe

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    Reviews With Photos

    Smoked salmon tartine
    Lydia N.

    What a treat to get a lunch at Savor! I can't for a quick lunch with a friend and ordered the Smoked Salmon Tartine. It was a beautiful slice of hearty but tender rye bread absolutely buried under whipped cream cheese, thick slices of smoked salmon, arugula, capers , olives, and caperberries! And pretty little flowers too. Delicious. Not terribly filling but very tasty. Next time if want to try their pho or a burger! It all looks so good Service was ok, our server seemed a little nervous and didn't seem very knowledgeable about the menu. I'd definitely hope to come back before cafe season ends!

    Concha ice cream sandwich
    Deliah M.

    This might be my new favorite brunch in town. Not only does this win my French (from someone who's French born and raised) stamp of pastry and food approval but it's also so conveniently located and the perfect Sunday outing with friends and your furry friends. Win. Win. Win. I ordered a Swiss cannelloni au gratin with chicken, manchego, salsa verde and cream... I'm still not able to describe just how good that was. So rich, yet not too heavy. Deeply flavorful (think Italian and Mexican flavors). Creamy with a kick. Finished that dish quickly. We ordered a couple other dishes for the table, including their croissant sandwich, which was one of the best croissant sandwiches I've ever had. The ratio cheese to croissant was perfect. And the croissant even better. We also got their mussels and fries, which was a great, refreshing dish to share in between bites. Those flavors transported me back to France. Now let's talk real foods. Desserts. Their sweets are to diiiiiiiiie for. We had their kouign amann (my favorite French pastry), a buttery caramelized pastry with multiple layers that eventually just melt in your mouth in one bite. We also ordered their concha, surprisingly moist and not too dense or sweet. A food I used not to like until I tried theirs. The Fusion and marriage of the French, Mexican flavors is something I had never tried before and something I am now craving. Overall fantastic food, service and drinks at a reasonable price for the quality of the food you're getting.

    Tea service
    Veronica R.

    Yum! I had no real expectations, I just figured we would get some pastries and be on our way...we'll I was wrong! The breakfast menu has unexpected combinations, a good variety, there is a tea service and even fresh juices! We had the best poached egg with smoked salmon atop a hash brown and a cheddar biscuit. There was also a side salad served with it, the tomatoes and arugula were fresh and not soggy at all. The lightest, perfect dressing on top. Tea was great, as well as the delicious pastries. Tip: buy bread here! We saw baguettes and more! Will definitely be back, service was great

    Matcha winter and white chocolate banana tart
    Rebecca P.

    My expectations were higher than the food quality, taste, and portions that were given. I love the concept of having culinary students working at their own restaurant. The interior is modern and well organized with a cute mini bakery stand inside. It's great that you can buy baked goods within the cafe at a separate kiosk. Our server was very friendly and treated all of well and attentively. The downside was the food being not so great. The Brie sandwich I got wasn't too bad, but the fries were overly salted. My friend got the salad and added chicken which cost $16 but literally was few pieces of broken baby lettuce and dry chicken. Portions were not impressive. If I were to go back, I will only get the baked goods.

    outside seating
    Michele R.

    Better late than not at all for this review given our experience at the CIA Bakery in San Antonio was a wonderful one when we visited last year. Having been to the Apple Pie Bakery Cafe at the CIA in Hyde Park, I suppose it is heresy to say I liked this San Antonio outpost bakery better. But there you have it. I did. If you're in San Antonio, look for this gem in The Pearl complex. Well worth the visit and the calories. THE DRILL Order at the counter inside from either the sweets selection in the bakery case or from a selection of soup, salad and sandwiches posted on the chalkboard above. If sweets they'll serve them up to you at the counter for you to take to your table in or out, or in a to go box for take away. If savories, seems they'll deliver to your table when ready. SEATING The space is small inside, but there are a few tables there and more outside on the sidewalk and patio surrounding. SERVICE Very friendly counter person who knew all the goodies in the case very well and could help us narrow down our choices. FOOD / VALUE So many good choices of sweet temptations, which is what we were after to take away, and only so many calories to invest. We loved all three of our take away items, which were carefully and beautifully boxed. Big woohoo here that they make alfajores! These delectable Peruvian cookies filled with dulce de leche are uber difficult to bake at home and super delectable as made here. Also, if they have the Monte Alban Oaxaca ($3.80) do not pass it up! Hazelnut dacquoise, hazelnut chocolate cris, dark (72%) chocolate ganache...it IS as good as it sounds. We thought all items were a great value for how delicious they were. TH'S N THAT: 1) ACCESSIBILITY: Level in and throughout. Standard height seating in and out. 2) PARKING: Pretty ample parking in an adjacent lot. 3) RIVER TAXI: You can get here by car and park in the adjacent lot. Or you can take the River Taxi from downtown San Antonio through the Museum Reach to get here. We did that one day. Or you can take the River Taxi from the Pearl here down through the Museum Reach to downtown San Antonio. We did that one day too. Point is, use the River Taxi. Great fun. http://www.yelp.com/biz/rio-san-antonio-cruises-san-antonio#hrid:uT8_CBTmPQkL-odl8rlO5w/src:self 4) IL SOGNO OSTERIA: Is just across the parking lot from CIA. Our meal at Il Sogno as outstanding. One of the best dining experiences ever. A tip...don't miss it! http://www.yelp.com/biz/il-sogno-osteria-san-antonio#hrid:J0_gPggV5jfKm-ctD2BSaA

    Valerie G.

    The overall atmosphere is very nice and welcoming. There is a great display of the pastries and other food they have available. I ordered the brioche french toast to go. Boxed up nicely and came with containers of butter,syrup, fruit preserves and something that looked similar to nutella. I only added the fruit preserves to the french toast and it was fantastic! I would definitely recommend if you are a fan of french toast. S'mores Log (not pictured)- It looked nice, but it wasn't what I was expecting. It was decent. Staff was okay. Their customer service was not something I would rave about. I will be returning while the shop is still up and running. There were other items that looked worthy of trying.

    Cranberry Orange Scone
    Mike M.

    Wonderful indoor and outdoor seating bakery at the Pearl. The atmosphere was calming. I tried out two Scones and a latte and they were quite delicious. The two scones I tried were the Manchengo sausage and the Orange cranberry. Both are different ends of the flavor spectrum and should not be put together, however I was adventurous today. The Manchengo Sausage Scone was a delicious square scone with a little kick and bits sausage with every bite. The Orange Cranberry scone was a favorite of mine. Even the birds came over to try out my food! Filled with oranges and cranberry, I throughly enjoyed this slightly sweet, tangy, and delicious scone. Employees were very friendly and attentive. I ordered and they asked if I was going to sit inside or outside. I elected outside and they brought my order to me. They even checked on me to see if I needed anything else. They also have a lunch menu and I will return to try them.

    Left - Guava Delight  Right - Pecan Bar
    Jai C.

    Guava Delight. Pecan bars. My heart hurts knowing that these little guys went *kaput* in my tummy. But they brought sheer joy for those few minutes of my life so their death was not in vain. I'ma pour one for my homies...

    Aliyah K.

    Wonderful spot for a fresh made lunch! I really like the Vegetable Panini with the side of Arugula. The sandwich is packed with fresh veggies and a wonderful sun dried tomato spread is a stand out flavor. On my visits I have tried the Key Lime Pie, a simple Croissant, a Chocolate Cookie and took home a loaf of Ciabatta to accompany a warm stew dinner. I was really happy with each selection. In house, seating is limited, outside there are tables but also an area of grass which works for a picnic spot. Behind the scenes, the place is impressive! We toured it and felt such an energy even while the space was empty with no chefs to be seen or cooking to witness. If you can't find outdoor parking, check out the garage as it is open to the public and free.

    pretty sweets!
    Paul S.

    like a kid in a candy shop..... oh yeah. I am a big kid, in a pastry shop... so yes, we'll have one of each! ok, we got four pastries, a loaf of bread and a latte to go. we were in the area and I always loved visiting the st helena branch of the CIA (greystone) so I was anxious to try their new san antonio cafe. we brought them back to austin and surprised the kids and my mom. we were like heros as we unveiled these sweets. it was a chilly evening, we enjoyed these by the outdoor fire place, we had a glass of 10 yo tawny port.... it was just perfect!

    CIA Pop Up Store Front on Karnes
    Karen N.

    It happens. Your boo leaves. You lose a bunch of weight as a result. And then all the sudden in the paper you notice that your bae is back. They want you back? Get the stretchy pants out you're about to put the winter weight back on.. In this case, my rocky relationship is with CIA Bakery and I know they aren't in town for long. Pop up is Monday through Friday 8AM - 2PM with favorites like XS chocolate cake, alfajores, symphony cakes, sweet empenadas and a limited lunch and drink menu. Just like a dysfunctional relationship, this will end soon. Eat. Now.

    Salted caramel chocolate tart (bitten)
    Eileen G.

    Went here with my friend and her mom this morning... I had the salted caramel chocolate tart and the hot Miami (?). Also bought my husband a monster chocolate cookie. Everything was so fabulous! If you are craving something really rich and divine, the tart was soooo good. But then again, everything is so good. The culinary students are truly excited about their craft and you can see it in the fine tuned details of their beautiful creations. So eye popping! Will definitely return to try other items!

    Can't get enough of these alfajores!
    P. Luly W.

    I always get the alfajores (absolute favorite!) plus one extra item to try. Unfortunately, there have been a few misses for me. For example, the coconut cupcake. It tasted like suntan lotion and had a weird liquidy center. I couldn't finish it and threw it out after one bite. Also not a fan of their fruit tarts. For me, the crust is too dense. HOWEVER, I had the chocolate caramel tart today that was very good! Super rich chocolatey & caramely. Not sure what the white football shaped thingy was on top of it. But it had a slight tanginess that balanced out the sweetness of the chocolate and caramel. Get it. So as long as CIA carries alfajores, Nutella cream puff, and chocolate caramel tart, I will continue to be a weekly customer!

    Key lime

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    15 years ago

    The bakery is 5+ stars, the cafe only 3. Lots of great items in the pastry case.

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    Ask the Community - CIA Bakery Cafe

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    La Panadería Bakery Café

    La Panadería Bakery Café

    4.4(1.6k reviews)
    4.9 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Free parking

    Excellent Panaderia! I will come back again when we visit San Antonio…read more Ordering: there is a line you enter that takes you through all the pastries. You order those with a person, then that person takes you to a register. At the register, you can order any of the plated food. They give you a number and the. You go to a table. The servers are very friendly, and the food came out promptly. I love that there are a lot of round tables instead of just square ones, but the chairs do have arms, so they hugged my hips. Parking: They have a parking lot. We were with my hubby, dad, and stepmom, and they had never been to a Mexican bakery, so I had to do a lot of explaining. We got three items from the bakery: a bread one with cream and blueberries, a flaky cup-shaped one with cream, and a triangle flaky one with guava. They were phenomenal! Our fam got one of the flaky cup-cshaoed ones and another cupcake-shaped one that was bread. They loved them both and said they would be back later for more, or tomorrow morning. For our meal, we shared the chicken ranchero Benedict, and it was so tasty on delicious sourdough bread! We used the bread to soak up all the runny yoke and sauce from the meal. There was not a trace of anything left on the plate. Our fam got scrambled eggs and bacon and said it was yummy. They all drank water, but I enjoyed a hot tea latte. It was a little sweeter than I prefer, but it was good.

    Incredible vibe at this café with a ton of people already here as early as it opens. I ordered a…read morepick up order, but when I arrived, I told them that I was here and they immediately started making it. My order was ready in about five minutes, which was also astonishing. The staff is incredible and their communication is quite beautiful as it is super in-sync. The mere amount of pastries is impressive. This place may look like a tourist trap, but it operates as a local café with incredible vibes. It errs on the expensive side, but to be fair I think everything is worth it. El buenos dias was very good, and the bread was perfectly toasted. I did not like the beans but that was not the focus. There was so much avocado and a perfect amount of tomatoes. The egg whites were cooked perfectly and they were super fluffy. The bacon and the turkey were outstanding in quality and taste. The pan dulce was to live for. Try the Dubai chocolate and mini chocolate ones. It's worth the hype. Just go ahead and check it out.

    Photos
    La Panadería Bakery Café - The kitchen

    The kitchen

    La Panadería Bakery Café - Inside

    Inside

    La Panadería Bakery Café

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    CIA Bakery Cafe - coffee - Updated May 2026

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