I tried this place after seeing it all over instagram. The cinnamon raisin bagel was dense and lacked much flavor (or raisins). Sliced and served with a side of cream cheese. The croissant was very good (not pictured) and there were many other breads and pastries to choose from. The line here is practically out the door every weekend. They're only open on weekends. That being said, I encourage everyone to try this local small business and follow them on instagram because they have so many different things to try each week. read more

East Rock Breads - Cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese - Bakeries Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Delicious sourdough bread and great service! The bagel sandwich was also really tasty. One thing I wish though was the loaves could be cut since many bakeries offer this! read more

East Rock Breads - The sourdough bread was my personal favorite, but they have a huge variety! - Bakeries Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I wish this place was open beyond Thursday-Sunday. But, I get it. I have enjoyed several chocolate chip cookies that are definitely in my top 5 bakery cookies ever. The pistachio croissant is my favorite. Looking forward to trying more! read more

I love this place. I love to try their new sandwiches and baked items. One of the best bagels I've had, it's soft and chewy and does not break your jaw. Great service and ambiance. read more

Gotta get here early! We arrived just before noon on a Sunday in search of some sourdough bread. Sold out! Everything is made on the premises. We did get some special pumpernickel bagels which were excellent and also a rye bread that was hearty. Looking forward to returning soon. read more

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Just when you thought things could not be anything more delicious than sourdough bagels, you find sourdough Challah bread. East Rock Breads and its Baker Bill are pure genius. I brought a friend with me today and the first comment as we entered the bakery and smelled all of its deliciousness was 'this is going to be a dangerous adventure'. We didn't even make it home and half of everything was devoured. People were pouring in as we left like ants to sugar. It is truly and definitely worth the trip!!! read more

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East Rock Breads recently opened on State Street in New Haven. They've had some buzz in the CT Bakery Fan circles and I visited a couple weeks ago. East Rock Breads is a functional bakery with no inside seating. Aesthetically, the bakery is fine, but they're not trying to make it cute at this early stage. East Rock Breads is easy to drive by because there is no big sign out front. East Rock mixes their daily menu, but from what I gather, they make bagels and breads every day, and at times they have cookies, croissants, cinnamon rolls and other baked goods. Everything looked great. They also do coffee pour overs. Be warned that they seem to sell out and you should arrive early. I think East Rock generally executed at a high level for what they tried to do, but for some things, their style is not my personal preference. My family shared a few bagels. I tried a sesame and an everything. I believe the bagels are sourdough based and they're heavier and denser than most bagels. If that's your preference, you'll be a fan. I prefer a less dense bagel. They didn't advertise in a visible way that they were serving bagel sandwiches or adding the cream cheese for you, which makes sense since they're primarily a bakery. They do sell individual servings of cream cheese. The one I had with my sesame bagel was decent, but wouldn't be a draw for me. We bought two loaves of bread. One was a sandwich style of sourdough and one was more rustic. We used the sandwich loaf for things like toast and sandwiches right away, and froze the more rustic loaf. The general consensus was that the sandwich loaf was good, but it was somewhat moist inside as if steam had been trapped inside even though we first cut the loaf hours after buying it. The bread was cooked through, just moist. I'm not a baker. So I don't know what causes that. I do know that we didn't seal the bread in plastic before using it so it seems like there must have been some process issue. The more rustic loaf was good after we thawed and used it. Good texture. Good sourdough flavor. It was good as toast and it was good for an egg and cheese sandwich. I also bought a chocolate chip cookie. You're primarily a hard cookie person or a softer cookie person. East Rock makes a harder style. I prefer a softer cookie. It was well executed for a harder style. The East Rock crew was very friendly. Service was definitely a selling point. I would buy bread there again if I was in the area. I'd be unlikely to buy bagels or cookies there for personal preference reasons. I'd love to try some of their other offerings. Notwithstanding my preference on certain items, East Rock has good buzz in the CT Foodie Community and I would recommend that you try them at some point. 4.25 Stars read more

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I have bought probably a dozen sourdough loaves in recent months and have yet to be a repeat customer. Some are better than others, some have come close to repeat purchasing but none compare to yours. It actually has the correct sour flavor as the icing on the cake of everything else that's perfect about it. I can now stop shopping around! Thank you! read more

This sourdough based bakery opened on State Street recently. I was really excited to try since they have had home order style service and people have said great things about their bagels. I'm very particular about my bagels and I prefer a chewy bagel (more like a New York style) and it's not always easy to find around here. I also heard fabulous things about their cinnamon rolls, so I was hoping to go early enough to get one. There was a line outside, but it moved pretty quickly. The shop was small, but dog friendly for the line. There's no place to sit so it's pick up only which we had anticipated. We grabbed some cinnamon rolls, bagels, and a baguette. Wow. We were truly impressed. It's not easy to be added to my default bagel locations and this has made the cut without a doubt. The cinnamon rolls are fantastic. You could taste a little bit of that sourdough, and it just made the flavor so good. We will be back there many times. read more

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Came here for the first time today, after living in the area for 5 years I'm disappointed in myself that it took me this long. I got the mortadella sandwich with pistachio pesto, stracciatella cheese on sourdough focaccia. This sandwich is heavenly. All of the ingredients meld together so well. The service was quick and pleasant! I cannot wait to get back read more

A surprise - one day there was purple sweet potato sourdough bread! As a health food person, I was over the moon. It did not disappoint. My whole family rated it the best one yet from East Rock Breads. Please continue to make it more often... Thank you, Bonnie read more

I had the Bee Pollen and Lavendar bagel with chive cream cheese. About $4 for the combo. Bagel was on the denser side. Light crisp to the exterior. Nice variety of bagels, breads, and pastries. Service was quick, and staff was friendly. No seating or restrooms, so everything is takeout. There is a small place across the street with seating. read more

Great croissants and lovely hot frittata; the breakfast style danish was excellent too.

East rock breads is an amazing place for bagels and other carbohydrate needs. The niche with this spot is, is that all the breads here are sourdough. This is greatly appreciated, as it does not seem that Connecticut really appreciate the sourdough. I have tried most of the bagels here and they are all very good. The outside is crispy. The inside is very soft. The croissants are one of the best that I have had as it is nice and fluffy soft crispy, flaky buttery, chocolate croissant here are amazing as well. I'd rather have the croissants here than at the overrated sift. The cinnamon buns here are really good too with cream cheese frosting. The only issue I felt was that it was not as big as other ones. I will definitely recommend Eastrock and will definitely be coming back. read more

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I'll start by saying the food is great. I wish the staff was the same. The person behind the counter was the most miserable person Ive seen in awhile. She looked as though it would kill her to talk or smile at a customer. I will not bother returning to be ignored and scowled at. Most people in East Rock are so happy and friendly. I have no idea where you found her. read more

Delicious seeded sourdough. The sesame seeds are packed on and have an awesome flavor! The people working there are so nice and friendly. It's a simple, nice bakery, and the smells coming out are always incredible! read more

Picked up a few loaves of sourdough to go with our Thanksgiving meal. This bakery is a gem! It smells wonderful as you walk in the door- freshly baked breads, croissants and more! Their sourdough bread was delicious, crunchy crust, pillowy interior and tastes sooo good! My order was ready and waiting for us and the bakers were friendly and pleasant. read more

The best bagels I have ever had, fluffy, fresh and full of toppings! Service was kind and helpful.

The food was nice but came out cold and the employees where a little rude I would still recommend people trying maybe it was just the day I came read more

This is a five star stop for the service. I think the bagels are very tasty. Nice chewy inside and crunchy outside. I bought plain and almond croissants. It thought the price I would be better served making a second stop somewhere else. The almond had a strange filling that was not almond paste or a filing but a cross of a gelatin and pie filling. The breads are probably wonderful but I could not buy with the char-crust. I would definitely go back for the bagels but at $3/each, it will be an occasion. I hope East Rock Breads continues to a great success and I will stop by to check out the items from time to time. The cooking style for the bread is just not my thing. read more

Best spot in town for baked bread, cookies, and bagels. This is definitely my go to for bagels and sourdough.

I've been following East Rock Breads since its Instagram DM-to-order days and it is one of my favorite local bakeries!!! I'm so glad there's a store space now - it is cute, airy, and I think the baked goods really shine there. I love the innovative bagel flavors and the classic, delicious breads and pastries. The cinnamon roll is to die for, you should definitely try it. We get a classic sourdough loaf every weekend to have for breakfast toast during the week and I think it's the best sourdough in New Haven. read more

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Service is friendly. Excellent bagels, really the best in New Haven - just a note that they don't make bagel sandwiches; they are 100% a bakery (although they do offer cream cheese/lox on the side). A little pricey, but I like that it's a local business, so it doesn't burn the wallet as much. read more

Maiden voyage to East Rock Breads today....as earlier commented get there early- by noon the inventory was slim but my everything bagel was delish and the brownie was moist and chocolaty. Already excited about my corissant for tomorrow morning! Very friendly satff at the register- a thumbs up all around! read more

BEST BREAD I'VE HAD IN NEW HAVEN!!! MUST TRY!!! Gorgeous bake on 100% naturally leavened products. Love the owners too!

Best bagels I've had. Sour dough adds a delicate bite that makes me want to bite back to savor the flavor. Bill the baker is dedicated to the art and science of baking and is happy to share his wisdom along with his delicious goods. read more

So happy this bakery opened! New Haven was in need of some more bagel shops. East Rock Breads has become my new favorite bagel in the area. My go to has been the cinnamon raisin. The bagels are fresh, doughy and loaded with raisins. We tried the croissant and cinnamon roll this week as well which did not disappoint. Huge fan! read more

Fantastic bread and other items, and friendly service. A bit pricy, but the quality definitely warrants it in my opinion.