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Get the coconut tart!!!! This place is OG, like you walk in and there are 10 Chinese grandpas drinking coffee, reading newspapers, judging you and your young person order. I loved it!! Paid in cash, gave her $1 tip and she gave me a big smile. Ancestors were happy. This location is off the beaten path so more locals than tourists. Always carry cash for Chinatown!!
Great egg tart! Popped inside to see a large case of all the classic bakery items I've had since I was a kid! We got two egg tarts which were creamy. Service was kind and quick!
Garden Bakery - cute little dumpling shop specializing in all the delicious plates of dim sum we love. So many older men/grandpa's in here enjoying their morning coffee/tea and morning baked goods. We felt this was pretty authentic !!!! Tried a few items as I walked through Chinatown in downtown San Francisco. Easy to point at the food, order, pay, leave.
My brother came to visit from the East Coast, so we had fun at the piers then stopped by Garden Bakery for goodies (he needs snacks for the long flight home tomorrow). We got more of Garden Bakery's big, fluffy baked char siu buns, egg custard tarts, coconut buns and tried a couple of their sponge cakes in paper liners at the urging of the sweet Auntie (I think she may have been the owner). Those sponge cakes were amazing -- very light with a fine crumb, lightly sweet and addicting. I think they must be made with cake flour. Next time, I am going to get a lot more of those cakes. As I mentioned before, the ladies working here are the sweetest, smiling Chinese bakery staff I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I added a picture of the top of one sponge cake and the interior of the second one.
My friend and I came in on Wednesday afternoon and there was no line. We ordered an egg tart. It was alright; I think could've been better if it was warm. The egg flavor was strong but the crust was too dense. I prefer a more flakey crust.
This is the best pineapple bun I've EVER had! The topping was so crispy I could single handedly order a whole pink box for myself. This is a cash-only establishment with pineapple buns being $2 each and $1 per egg tart. With this shop being located in Chinatown, I would recommend parking in the parking garage and walking over! This is a small place, with Asian uncles usually already chilling at the tables by the time you get there, so be prepared to eat somewhere outside the store. Amazing desserts for a price you can't beat, can't wait to come again!
Had to come here and grab some of their pineapple buns, which were two for $3 and cash only. The inside of the bakery is limited in space with a couple of tables, and there was no line at 1:00 PM on a Sunday, though some people were sitting at the couple of tables inside. The person behind the counter is direct but friendly and convinced us to get two buns instead of just the one we were planning on sharing -- with a deal like that, how could we refuse? The "pineapple" top was so beautifully crispy and golden, and the actual bun was light and fluffy, just the perfect pineapple bun. It holds so much nostalgia to me as a kid growing up and going to Asian bakeries. They're large buns, so they could definitely be shared, and they tear with such ease and you can see how fluffy bread texture is even before you taste it. Would recommend to anyone looking for a classic bakery in Chinatown!
Walking around sf chinatown and stopped in for an egg tart. Solid egg tart for $2 each. We just had lunch so didn't get a chance to try anything else but seems like their pineapple buns are a good deal too. Service was friendly. Small place with a few tables which were all full on a Saturday afternoon.
My favorite hole-in-the-wall bakery in Chinatown, SF. The lady is very enthusiastic about all her pastries and will give you extra at a discount. She recommened me the pineapple buns (I believe that is the English name?), and I purchased two. I sort of wish I had bought more. They were so good and easily my favorite item at this establishment. The wife pastries(?) and mooncakes were great as well.
I recommend the pineapple bun when you're coming here. They're $1.50 each. The owner is nice and the shop is also full of variety of all kind of Chinese pastries and sweet buns. I've only had the pineapple bun from this bakery and will not hesitate to come back when I'm looking for simple Chinese buns.
Fresh pastries and bread!! This is definitely a bakery I love visiting. The ladies who run the shop are so sweet and the variety of items to choose from is unmatched. Prices are also so good! Esp in San Francisco! - Pineapple Bread $1 - Egg Tarts: love the consistency. Enough egg and flaky pastry. It's the fact that I got fresh, soft pineapple bread for $1! I was so excited xD!
Was hopeful to get my pineapple bun/egg tart fix here, but got let down. Both were lacking flavor, especially the egg tarts - unfortunately these were some of the most bland ones I've had. Pineapple buns go for $1 each, egg tarts $1.75. The ladies working here were super sweet and helpful, but I don't think I'll be back - there are some better options nearby.
My friend and I stopped by to try out some of their baked goods. We ordered a pineapple bun and an onion bun. The pineapple bun was definitely the star as the bread was not too sweet but also fluffy. The top was sweet but also not too salty. The lady who helped was friendly and patient as we asked about prices. There is some seating but not a lot.
I have been going to this place since my childhood years, and when I tell you that Chinatown has its historic roots, this place tells it all. The design of Garden Bakery has been the very same, and they sell the cheapest pastries that anybody could ever drink of. They're one of the "pink box bakeries" that are slowly dissipating or disappearing in the Bay Area -- and Garden Bakery is no surprise as a delight to the immediate Chinatown community, but in all of the Bay Area. Some of the pastries literally still go for $1.25 or at highest, $2. They have one of the best egg tarts and pineapple buns of region, and I'm so thankful that they are still around. The aunties that run the storefront are so nice and courteous -- and they've been the face of Garden Bakery for the longest time. Once you make a good connection. If you're in Chinatown, PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE go check out this place. You will definitely not regret it. read more
6 months ago
Fair variety, open until 7 (a bit later than other bakeries), and pretty good! Average price, not too busy. Not my first choice relative to Chinatown, but solid. Bread dough itself was pretty bland, but it was still worth the price of $2-$3. read more
1 year ago
Came here to try out their pastries. Got some baked pork buns and pineapple buns. They were alright. I was expecting my pineapple bun to be plain but there was some kind of custard filling which wasn't appealing to me. Maybe I'll try some of their other items next time. read more
1 year ago
Get the coconut tart!!!! This place is OG, like you walk in and there are 10 Chinese grandpas drinking coffee, reading newspapers, judging you and your young person order. I loved it!! Paid in cash, gave her $1 tip and she gave me a big smile. Ancestors were happy. This location is off the beaten path so more locals than tourists. Always carry cash for Chinatown!! read more
1 year ago
Garden Bakery - cute little dumpling shop specializing in all the delicious plates of dim sum we love. So many older men/grandpa's in here enjoying their morning coffee/tea and morning baked goods. We felt this was pretty authentic !!!! Tried a few items as I walked through Chinatown in downtown San Francisco. Easy to point at the food, order, pay, leave. read more
9 months ago
My brother came to visit from the East Coast, so we had fun at the piers then stopped by Garden Bakery for goodies (he needs snacks for the long flight home tomorrow). We got more of Garden Bakery's big, fluffy baked char siu buns, egg custard tarts, coconut buns and tried a couple of their sponge cakes in paper liners at the urging of the sweet Auntie (I think she may have been the owner). Those sponge cakes were amazing -- very light with a fine crumb, lightly sweet and addicting. I think they must be made with cake flour. Next time, I am going to get a lot more of those cakes. As I mentioned before, the ladies working here are the sweetest, smiling Chinese bakery staff I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I added a picture of the top of one sponge cake and the interior of the second one. read more
My friend and I came in on Wednesday afternoon and there was no line. We ordered an egg tart. It was alright; I think could've been better if it was warm. The egg flavor was strong but the crust was too dense. I prefer a more flakey crust. read more
This is the best pineapple bun I've EVER had! The topping was so crispy I could single handedly order a whole pink box for myself. This is a cash-only establishment with pineapple buns being $2 each and $1 per egg tart. With this shop being located in Chinatown, I would recommend parking in the parking garage and walking over! This is a small place, with Asian uncles usually already chilling at the tables by the time you get there, so be prepared to eat somewhere outside the store. Amazing desserts for a price you can't beat, can't wait to come again! read more
2 years ago
Had to come here and grab some of their pineapple buns, which were two for $3 and cash only. The inside of the bakery is limited in space with a couple of tables, and there was no line at 1:00 PM on a Sunday, though some people were sitting at the couple of tables inside. The person behind the counter is direct but friendly and convinced us to get two buns instead of just the one we were planning on sharing -- with a deal like that, how could we refuse? The "pineapple" top was so beautifully crispy and golden, and the actual bun was light and fluffy, just the perfect pineapple bun. It holds so much nostalgia to me as a kid growing up and going to Asian bakeries. They're large buns, so they could definitely be shared, and they tear with such ease and you can see how fluffy bread texture is even before you taste it. Would recommend to anyone looking for a classic bakery in Chinatown! read more
3 months ago
Walking around sf chinatown and stopped in for an egg tart. Solid egg tart for $2 each. We just had lunch so didn't get a chance to try anything else but seems like their pineapple buns are a good deal too. Service was friendly. Small place with a few tables which were all full on a Saturday afternoon. read more
1 year ago
My favorite hole-in-the-wall bakery in Chinatown, SF. The lady is very enthusiastic about all her pastries and will give you extra at a discount. She recommened me the pineapple buns (I believe that is the English name?), and I purchased two. I sort of wish I had bought more. They were so good and easily my favorite item at this establishment. The wife pastries(?) and mooncakes were great as well. read more
I recommend the pineapple bun when you're coming here. They're $1.50 each. The owner is nice and the shop is also full of variety of all kind of Chinese pastries and sweet buns. I've only had the pineapple bun from this bakery and will not hesitate to come back when I'm looking for simple Chinese buns. read more
Fresh pastries and bread!! This is definitely a bakery I love visiting. The ladies who run the shop are so sweet and the variety of items to choose from is unmatched. Prices are also so good! Esp in San Francisco! - Pineapple Bread $1 - Egg Tarts: love the consistency. Enough egg and flaky pastry. It's the fact that I got fresh, soft pineapple bread for $1! I was so excited xD! read more
2 years ago
Was hopeful to get my pineapple bun/egg tart fix here, but got let down. Both were lacking flavor, especially the egg tarts - unfortunately these were some of the most bland ones I've had. Pineapple buns go for $1 each, egg tarts $1.75. The ladies working here were super sweet and helpful, but I don't think I'll be back - there are some better options nearby. read more
My friend and I stopped by to try out some of their baked goods. We ordered a pineapple bun and an onion bun. The pineapple bun was definitely the star as the bread was not too sweet but also fluffy. The top was sweet but also not too salty. The lady who helped was friendly and patient as we asked about prices. There is some seating but not a lot. read more
3 years ago
This bakery is really cheap. We bought two packets of cookies, one pineapple bread, and two egg tarts for $10. Since we were paying with a card we had to meet the $10 minimum. All the pastries were delicious and the older lady working was very friendly. It was super busy when we stopped by and every table was taken. Definitely worth a stop! read more
This place has a place in my heart! They have a large selection of moon cakes in the display case. You can expect to see pineapple buns, cocktail buns, sponge cake, and egg tarts. Each is affordable and not too sweet which is great for someone like my family who isn't a big fan of American sweets. I always crave their pineapple buns. It has a nice top while bread is airy and chewy. Their egg tarts are a great alternative when Golden Gate Bakery is closed. I always come here for egg tarts because there is no wait in line. Quality is pretty identical to Golden Gate Bakery. Even my brother who used to go to GGB back in the day can agree! I'd come back here and would highly give this bakery a chance when you are in the area. read more
Feb2024 We've ended up here a few times over the years. Generally less packed, and can still end up with the egg custards that we were looking for. A few places to sit but generally occupied by locals sitting for tea and snacks. The ladies at the counter have always been friendly and helpful with any questions, especially when we were shopping for moon cakes to bring back for mothers day a few years ago. While not the flaky sort of crust, these have been warm each time we got them which was nice for the walk back to the hotel. Not too sweet and easy to bite through. They were also good to get into late night after as well. Considering it was around Lunar New year, this was a much easier stop than some of the other places. read more
One of my dad's favorite treats is the Wife Cake. This bakery sold these so I grabbed a dozen for my dad. They have it available in sweet and savory. The owner of the shop is a sweet old Cantonese lady. With my broken Cantonese, I was able to place my order and ask her where I could find the fortune cookie company. She was kind enough to point me to the store down an alley and walk me there herself. It's not every day you get this excellent level of customer service! read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
Stopped by today and grabbed a few bao. The bbq pork bun was full of big chunks of meat and had a lightly sweet flavor. The red bean bun was soft and filled with a delicious and smooth red bean paste. Service was quick and friendly as usual. Today's visit was definitely 5 stars. read more
Amazing delicious wonderful--definitely don't overlook this little bakery for some egg tarts and pork buns! Service is typical and the place is very small and local. I wouldn't expect to sit here and eat, but taking it outside for some quick bites (as we did) was perfect! The pastries were really good, especially the pork buns! Perfectly sweet and savory! read more
1 year ago
As much as I hate to admit it, my parents may have been right - maybe I do need to listen more. Knowing that I've been on a years-long hunt to find a Chinese bakery to replace one of my childhood favorites that shuttered, a couple of my relatives suggested I give Garden Bakery a try. Originally recommended to them by some of their own friends, it had quickly become one of their go-to spots anywhere in SF. So, with such heady praise and my penchant for listening so well, of course it would make perfect sense that it would take me a few years to finally check this place out for myself (cue my parents rolling their eyes). While I have no idea how long they've been around, it seems safe to say they've probably been here for quite some time. Like so many of the older bakeries and delis in Chinatown, nearly everything about this place is nondescript and unassuming. However, even though nothing about Garden Bakery seems all that impressive, a lot of what they have to offer is. Their range of offerings is pretty traditional/classic, but it's stocked with a wide variety of baked goods and desserts - pineapple buns, coconut/cocktail buns, mooncakes, sponge cakes, egg tarts, mixed fruit with white cream cakes, and so much more. In short, everything in their display case looks so good! Across my now-numerous visits here, just about all of the baked items are really good. In particular, their BOLO BAO (Pineapple Buns), GAI MEI BAO (Coconut/Cocktail Buns), and NAI WONG BALO BAO (Custard Filled Pineapple Buns) are some of the best I've had around. In fact, I'd even argue that they're better than the ones I grew up having, even though these don't come with that irreplaceable sense of nostalgia. The topping on both types of Bolo Bao is deliciously sweet, the texture of the dough is pillowy soft, and the custard filling is perfectly balanced between eggy and creamy. As for the cocktail bun, the filling is packed with buttery, coconutty goodness. Ironically enough, despite finding the vast majority of what I've had here to be awesome, the thing that I've been most underwhelmed by also happens to be the thing that most people seem to get here (with decidedly mixed results) - their DAN TAT (Egg Tart). It's certainly far from the worst I've had, but it's very mediocre. Although the custard portion is actually okay (it's not super flavorful, but the consistency is decent), I thought the crust was very "meh". Rather than a buttery, flaky crust, the texture was very soft and "mushy" (for the lack of a better descriptor), almost as if it wasn't baked long enough. Considering how Golden Gate Bakery is closed far more often than it's open (not even sure if it's shut down permanently or not), it makes sense that folks would coming into Garden Bakery looking for the same thing. However, it's unfortunate to see so many people try just that one thing when there are so many tastier items to be had instead. All in all, docking a half star for the egg tarts, but rounding back up from FOUR AND A HALF STARS considering how good their baos are and their budget friendly prices! read more
1 year ago
I enjoyed the pineapple buns I got there! Hidden gem: the 'white' pineapple bun - salty and sweet read more
1 year ago
BEST pineapple bun hands down in the universe! And I'm Asian! Served warm and fresh from their oven, this bun is out of this world. Go pass the friendly old guys who are there all day, and a super nice lady behind the counter will give you the best .. did I mention BEST...pineapple bun!! Also tried the other hot buns which were REALLY good, but the Pineapple bun is king! read more
3 years ago
Time to take Garden Bakery off my bookmarks and you should too. Egg tarts are $1.70 -- They do take credit card but they prefer cash and will sell you at a higher price claiming it's because the cc company charges a fee. I try not to patron cash only places because I feel like they're shady. Garden Bakery is an OG in Chinatown and all the elderly love to sit in their favorite old spots inside. The lady here sold me hard on the egg tarts -- said they were fresh outta the oven and has a delicious crust. I originally wanted 3 but she said if I buy 6, she'll give me a box -- as if boxes are a prize? But okay... $10.82 was my total Egg tarts tasted basic and the crust was too thick, not buttery flaky like it should be. The tart was also firm, not jello-y wiggly. The only plus was that it was not overly sweet so I did appreciate that. We ended up giving most of these away. I would say not worth visiting when you have other places to try in Chinatown. I didn't see anything else exciting on display either. Garden Bakery is looking pretty run down over the years. Time for me to look elsewhere for tarts. read more
Was looking for an alternative for Chinese egg tarts besides waiting in the long line at Golden Gate Bakery and read about this place on Yelp. I like a very flakey crust and some folks mentioned Garden Bakery tarts had that so I decided to give them a try. I got 8 tarts along with a sponge cake and cocktail bun. The sponge cake and bun tasted fine but unfortunately the egg tarts did not come close to my expectations. The crust was more doughy than flakey and the egg custard itself lacked flavor. It didn't come close to how good the tarts are at Golden Gate Bakery or the now closed Red A Bakery on Clement. Sadly I won't be back to Garden Bakery. read more
Although not the best I've had, you can get some really solid traditional chinese pastries at an affordable price here. It's also located near a bunch of other famous SF Chinatown restaurants, so you can tackle multiple great food spots within a 5 minute radius from here. Tried the White Lotus Moon Cake ($8), which was good, as well as their famous pineapple buns ($2 for two) which came out warm and crispy on the top. Great prices and overall great food if you're craving some pastries on-the-go. PS, bring cash! read more
This is the best egg tart I ever had, there's so much eggs in the middle that weight at least 10g and it balance out the buttery tart. It's only $1 for 1!! Many other bakeries has rise their prices on the egg tarts and the egg tarts is flat not as big as this bakery. Once you walked in, you see good old fashion chinese grandmas hangout, having their egg tarts and coffee talking among with other's grandmas ( just like the old good times) then we know this bakery is great! The pineapple bun, is so delicious it reminds me of Hong Kong classic style pineapple bun. So soft and buttery and delicious. Definitely a must try if you are in Chinatown. read more
My first time trying a Chinese Mooncake and Egg Tart!! The tart was so creamy, light and flaky. I wasn't expecting the moon cake to be so thick and heavy, but I loved the bean paste filling. Could do without the fermented tasting egg yolk tho Service was super quick and it felt like a local hangout spot with many older men listening to a sports game on the radio. There are a few small tables available inside. read more
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More info about Garden Bakery
765 Jackson St
San Francisco, CA 94133
Chinatown
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(415) 397-5838
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http://www.gardenbakerysf.com
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