I was looking for a spot to grab something sweet & found this spot. There was a small crowd outside the shop. They make you order things outside the shop and they go and get it for you. I got a red bean moon cake & a couple of egg custard tarts. They were served warm and fresh. The tarts were delicious. Warm filling and a flaky crust. The moon cake was thick, warm and slightly sweet. Yum! They have their bakery items in a window in the front of the store. And they have a table set up with prices of their items and drinks. They are cash/Venmo only. read more

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Stopped by here while exploring Chinatown and got a baked bbq pork bun. I paid $3 which is on the high end of what I would normally pay for a baked bbq pork bun. The flavor was good but I've had a lot better, and there was too much bread compared to filling. Not to mention the bread could have been better. The place itself is a to-go bakery so there isn't any seating. And they take cash or Zelle. read more

Eastern Bakery - Baked BBQ Pork Bun - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

$69 for a 10" coffee crunch, think $9X for the 12? $45 for 8"... that wonderful 101 year old recipe. Lighter than a tiramisu, but sweeter. Their egg custard tarts are sub-par. Not very good at $3. Wont b ordering that again! read more

Eastern Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

While walking around China town, I came across this stand. They had a few bakery items on display. You order from them in the front as you cannot go inside. They have a window with the items they have and pricing on the wall. I ordered a mini moon cake since it was the occasion. I didn't know what to expect from it. It has a thin soft but firm dough on the outer layer and the inside is a dense texture. Not sure what it was. I got a bag an almond cookies which the attendant said were very good. I agreed! Reminder me of pecan cookies. I also got a sweet and crunchy pastry. I thought they would be like buñuelos but they were very sweet. To much syrup in my opinion. Very friendly guy taking orders. He speaks several languages, even Spanish. They only accept cash and Venmo. read more

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Bakery in SF Chinatown, but you don't go in - you order from outside and they bring your order out to you. Basically a grab and go. I know of this place because the cow ears snack and the egg tarts. This time I got the egg tarts finally, and they were delish. Made for a good snack while walking around Chinatown. The egg tart was a good size and tasted fresh. Crust was flaky and the inside was smooth and rich. Try one if you're in the area. read more

Eastern Bakery - Outside - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Only tried the dat taht (egg custard tart), but it reminded me of Chinatown in L.A., back in the day. Buttery, flaky crust and rich custard inside. It's $3 a tart, which is definitely more than when I was a kid, but I get it - prices are higher everywhere. Still delish. Almost got the sesame ball with red bean paste (big!) but we were going to eat lunch, so we didn't. Little mom and pop shop with authentic old school feel. The elderly lady reminded me of an auntie. Lol. Whenever I'm in SF, I'll come by. read more

Eastern Bakery - Dahn taht - $3.00 but so good! - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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So sad to post this but Eastern Bakery has gone downhill and keeps on rolling. The only thing that they still have going for them is their coffee crunch cake BUT unfortunately, terrible customer service won't bring me back. Ordered two 8" inch round coffee crunch cakes (a WHOPPING $45 a pop - cash only) and although the taste of the cake is still spot on, they are NOT consistent with the way their cakes look or the attention they give to their cakes. and Ali's ordered one Chinese rice krispy (which generally is shaped in a square but this time it looked like a bunch of leftover pieces that were rolled together in a mashed up ball) and three pieces of their sweetened rice cake (which definitely was not fresh and was hard, when generally its very soft and springy). Called the day after to ask if their Chinese rice krispy was still made in a square and they confirmed it was. When I told them that I picked up two cakes and the other four pieces the day before, and how disappointed I was in the pastries because of the lack of freshness and how terrible they looked, the rude lady who speaks both English and Chinese perfectly, hung up on me! Customer service is definitely not at its finest. No apologies or acknowledgement whatsoever. Last time I'll be a customer and think twice before you become one. read more

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Another amazing place in Sf in Chinatown the eastern bakery dies it great! Their red bean and custard buns were fantastic so flavorful and good and the owner was very friendly and welcoming. Price is ridiculous three or four dollars for each bun with all that flavor Omg. Can't wait to visit again! read more

Eastern Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Recently read an opinion article on the sesame balls here so I thought I'd give them a try. The author was right. These are one of the best I've had in SF. When nice and hot, they were perfectly chewy and just melts in your mouth. The red bean was also not too over powering like others. At $3 per balls, cash or zelle only with one man manning the shop. read more

Eastern Bakery - Sesame balls - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Eastern Bakery is one of those great San Francisco finds. Tucked away in Chinatown, it's easy to walk right past the modest storefront in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. But don't let the unassuming exterior fool you--it's a real hidden gem. There's no indoor seating here; all orders are placed at a small stand by the door. The windows are plastered with handwritten paper signs that serve as the menu. At first glance, it feels a bit overwhelming, but once you dive in, you'll realize it's part of the charm. The real stars are the mooncakes and the coffee crunch cake. I first heard about the cake on Reddit and was curious to try it as an alternative to my usual go-to at Yasukoi Sweet Shop in Japantown. I don't believe this cake is even on the menu plastered on the windows, so you'll have to ask for it blindly. Eastern Bakery's version is sweeter, with little pieces that are slightly burnt. That contrast--the rich sweetness of the cake against the bitter crunch--is surprisingly addictive. Personally, it was just a touch too sweet for me, but still worth the experience. read more

Eastern Bakery - Coffee Crunch Cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

So, maybe today was a slow or bad day, but the barbecue pork was extremely disappointing. I came here because I saw a video on Instagram. And we wouldn't come back. The barbecue pork bun was not tasty. It was very big, but that doesn't make it good. The price also seemed high. Definitely not worth waiting in the line. read more

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They only take cash or zelle here :') I was introduced to a new Chinese snack today! It was fried noodles stuck together (rice crispie-style) with some sort of syrup? It was honestly very much up my alley of sweets I like but my only complaint was that the noodles were too oily like they weren't properly drained after frying. read more

Eastern Bakery - Sweet noodle puff - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Just recently on March 17, 2026, I had my friend buy me a dozen red bean cakes, the old man that was sitting outside was a mean old grumpy grouch yelling and not being nice to customers. Besides that the red bean cakes had gotten a lot smaller and wrapped in plastic which made the pastry taste odd. I had bitten into one and it tasted old, earthy and moldy. It smelled like it too! I gave one for my sister to try she said she tasted the same thing and had a bad stomach ache. I wished I had taken pictures, but yes it was a waste of money. Most of them were bad had to throw away. I'm really disappointed because this WAS my favorite go to for red bean cakes. $36.00 for a dozen red bean cakes it's NOT worth it!!! Please DO NOT BUY!!! I don't recommend this bakery at all!!! Needs Immediate Improvements: Old man should improve his customer service and not be rude and yelling to customers. The baker that makes red bean cake and pastries need improvements. read more

The Eastern Bakery was one of the stops on our walking food tour. It's a very busy spot and quite small. Their moon cakes are delicious, fresh, and homemade. The stressful experience of ordering and paying disappeared once I took the first bite. If you can be patient, you should stop by this bakery. read more

Eastern Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Brought two coffee crunch. One looked great. The other was missing coffee on top n didn't taste fresh. Also brought sai kei ma like noodle rice Krispy n it was rolled up in plastic n looked awful. Brought 2 pieces of rice cake n was not fresh. Call n let them know what happened n girl said thank you n hung up. (No reply) read more

Honestly the egg tarts were really good! They weren't perfect but they were definitely tasty. I think there's a lot of other egg tart bakeries that are a lot fresher. If you're nearby and want a quick bite, then go for it! But if you're able to hunt and dig around for a better spot, I'd probably do that instead :) read more

Eastern Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Sure this place is historic - i.e, old and rundown. No entry to the store so you can only point at the tattered, aged tags. I got an ugly egg tart and it tasted like it was sitting for days. read more

Eastern Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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For fifteen years, I have been visiting Eastern Bakery; it never disappointments! The pastries are dependably fresh, and among the best you will discover are their mooncakes--rich in taste and exactly balanced. The service is polite and quick; the personnel always makes you feel welcome. The shop exudes an old-fashioned, nostalgic appeal that accentuates the experience and transports one back in time. This is the spot to visit if you're searching for real Chinese pastries in a cosy and conventional environment. strongly suggest. read more

Eastern Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Eastern Bakery is the OG bakery of Chinatown at 100 years old. Staff takes COVID seriously, so now you order at the front door. However, you can see the bakery's options in the window to the left of the door, which is very helpful. With cash in hand, I paid $3 for a huge sesame ball with red bean paste. I enjoyed the red bean flavor, but it was trumped by the flavor of the fry oil. That was a bit of a bummer. read more

Oldest Chinese bakery in Chinatown [San Francisco CA] When in San Francisco I always stop at a bakery when I get a chance. I purchased my "must haves" but I should've bought more to take home. I got in the queue with the customers who already formed a line. No customers allowed inside the bakery so we were placing our orders at the door. I purchased a couple of the Custard Tarts (sweet yolk in a flaky pastry shell but creamier in taste than an egg tart). if you find a similarity in taste with the Chinese Egg Tart from Golden Gate Bakery (down the street) it's because both owners of Eastern and Golden Gate Bakeries are brothers. I also purchased Pineapple Bun and BBQ Pork Buns. So gooood! CASH ONLY. Eastern Bakery was founded in 1924. Review #3384 read more

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Tasty sesame balls with red bean paste. Oily, but not too sweet. Cash only, so come prepared. Service is friendly, but it is a bit confusing to order at the door. Just go with the flow and have fun. read more

I've really been slacking with my Dim Sum reviews. I've eaten at like 13 of them in China town more than once and reviewed like 2. I'm sorry. Taking pictures is hard for me. I'm too excited to eat. Eastern Bakery is really old school and cash only. It only has so many selections in the window so it can be hard for a novice like me to know what to order. One thing they do have in the window is this Bow Tie speciality. It is magnificent. Just imagine like a wonton but coated and glazed in sugar. A dessert wonton?! Like you're talking dirty to me! The BBQ pork bun was filled with as much pork as any pork bun in China town. I mean it was noticeably stout and served piping hot. Also, had this chicken bun which was absolutely horrible. I mean not the target market for that or maybe it really just needs to disappear into oblivion. This was overpriced for dim sum in China town but there are some gems here. (4.1 Stars) read more

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All I can say about this place is: coffee crunch cake. I've been buying cakes for family events here since 2008. They never disappoint. Their other desserts are very good too. I've been the mine out the door for their moon cakes. read more

I was just walking by when the lady at the front goes, "Buy! It's hot!" I told her I wanted 3, and she says $5. Then her husband (I'm guessing?) takes my money and suddenly says $9. I just laughed because I had no idea what was going on. They handed me a little bag with 3 warm egg tarts, and as soon as I took a bite -- I was in heaven. I literally had to stop walking and sit down to eat it. Super fresh, warm, flaky, creamy -- honestly so good. Was it worth $3 each? Yeah... I'd say so. It's a little storefront at the entrance of Chinatown. Cute and old. read more

Very good since the 70s. Tradition. Family recipe. Tasty. Parking pain the ass so bring someone to drive around block while you go inside to bargain on the prices. Always a challenge but the cunning always dominates. read more

Not fresh , dirty . The food keeps many days still sale them it takes very terrible.

It saddens me that 4 days ago Eastern Bakery sold me white rice cakes which were severely dried out and inedible. Each of the 6 pieces that I bought was wrapped in plastic wrap so the condition could not be seen before purchase. As soon as the wrap was opened, dried crumbles fell out. The piece was extremely dry and difficult to hold as it crumbled to the touch. Re-steaming another piece did not help to restore to the proper original moist condition. These pieces cost $3.50 each, the most costly white rice cake which should never have been sold to the public. There were also overaged problems with the steamed black bean paste buns that I bought, but not nearly as bad as the white rice cakes. I sent a complaint with a picture to Eastern Bakery, but they chose to ignore my concerns. read more

This is a pretty legit place for Chinese snacks and breakfast items. We ordered ma qiu (Chinese fried sesame dough balls). They are huge and taste 100% legit. The downside is case only. $5 for two. read more

Eastern Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Excellent. I ordered the pork buns & they were great. Great service . Authentic with same owners

This place was the best for classic Cantonese baked goods. Fast forward to now...melon cake pastry had an odd flavor, maybe rancid oil to make the pastry. Service borderline rude and abrupt. Order from a table in front of entrance-pick your d$&n pastry, pay and get the heck outta here, no time for questions! Sad read more

Every time I'm near Chinatown I go here and Vital tea leaf to pick up my favorite green tea. This place charges crazy low prices and has been around forever. My favorites are the BBQ pork buns (baked) and the egg custard tarts. read more

I haven't been here in a few years because I don't live in California any longer, but when I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, I would go up to Eastern Bakery all the time to get the flaky black bean cakes for myself and my husband. He loved those black bean cakes and misses them something awful. I would buy a few other items also. My husband also loved the black or red bean sesame balls. I liked the jelly rolls and the black bean moon cakes. Service was good. Parking is challenging. I would take the cable car up the hill and walk down to the bakery or my husband would drop me off and circle the block however many times he had to until I came out. I would try to go when it wasn't busy. It was usually always busy because their food was so popular. I wish it wasn't so expensive to have the items shipped or I'd order stuff and have it shipped to me. read more

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Stopped by to try their Coffee Crunch Cake. It is essentially sponge cake with some cream and coffee flavored candy on top. It tasted a bit cheap to me and overly sweet. I wouldn't order the Coffee Cake again but I will likely come back to try some of their many other items. read more

Eastern Bakery is San Francisco Chinatown's oldest bakery founded in 1924. I love how easy it is to place an order via email. It was all ready for pick up when I arrived today. I ordered egg tarts, pineapple buns, cocktail buns, almond cookies and a bag of smackles. You can pay cash or Zelle them in advance. In addition the buns and cookies, they also do cakes and mooncakes. Think I will try their mooncakes this year for the mid-autumn festival.. read more

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Wanted to give the oldest Chinatown bakery a try but they served us old, reheated, baos and still charged us full price ($2.50 each); that is not the right way to do business. Ofcourse, it was difficult to know this before my purchase as they served us at the door and I had already paid for my food. We waited quite a long time for them to bring us the baos too. Don't plan on returning. read more

Born and raised in San Francisco, I haven't been to Eastern Bakery in ages but I was told by the shopkeeper, they have been here for over 90 years! I remember coming here as a kid when I was in Chinatown and we would stop by to get a banana cupcake, coffee crunch cake, butterfly pastry with a drink. This place has been here for eons! My dad used to play mah jong and let me play at the park and I would have spending money to buy a snack. Those were the days of innocence. Anyway, we stopped by to get a slice of coffee crunch cake (cash only) and it was what I remembered all these years, full of tasty light and fluffy cake with crunchy coffee bits on the frosting, melts in your mouth! read more

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This review is specifically for the cocktail bun. I've been on the hunt for a particular cocktail bun I grew up eating that my dad used to always bring home for us kids after work. As I make my way through each Chinese bakery I try to compare it and unfortunately this is not the one. It did come out hot and fresh, but something about the filling just didn't taste too great. My kids usually love anything sweet, but they preferred eating the bun without the filling. So I'd have to pass on their version of a cocktail bun. Tip: this place is cash only! read more

Eastern Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Eastern Bakery is located in the heart of SF Chinatown. When I went on Sunday they blocked off the roads. I think it was for Labor Day weekend but not too sure. Before heading over to the city I decided to call to see if they had their famous coffee cake. At first they didn't answer but then a second later I got a call back from the bakery. I placed a pick up for 2pm on Sunday and when I got there was about 3 groups ahead of us. Many were getting moon cakes! Once it was our turn they brought out the 8 inch cake and I was so excited. They only take cash so make sure you have cash. The total for the cake was 32.50. Pretty Reasonable. Once I got home I immediately took a slice and grabbed a glass of milk. I couldn't been more happy. The coffee cake is super moist and the crunch on the outer layers is the cherry on top!! read more

Eastern Bakery - Famous Coffee cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love the mooncakes and the seaame balls! Almond cookies are one of the hot item too! The sweetness of the mooncakes is not overly sweet, it's just right! Not easy to find mooncakes around if it's not mid autumn festival, so it's so good they are selling it all year round! For Sesame balls, they are crispy outside, airy inside with some black beans paste for the sweet touch! AGAIN! It's not too sweet! It's just Right! I like the legendary history of the bakery and the heart they have put into for every items there! read more

Been coming here since I was a kid. Many good childhood memories. Their egg custard is consistent and still good as the first time I tried it as a kid. Happy 100yrs. Eastern Bakery!!! read more