I love Hungry Ghost. This used to be a chiropractor's office, but about two years ago Hungry Ghost moved in and I have not been able to stomach bad bread ever since. I have not had a single loaf that I did not enjoy here, but my favorites are the challah and the rosemary, both of which are only made on certain days of the week. Grab a flier with the weekly schedule next time you are there so you can plan ahead; both these breads are in fairly high demand. read more

Vegan pizza! Yes Hungry Ghost Bread makes a killer vegan pizza. Super tasty homemade vegan cheese and plenty of vegan friendly toppings. The brick oven crust is perfect. After moving here from Philly, which is fast becoming the most vegan friendly city in the country, I was totally amazed to find such a great vegan pizza. read more

"I'm convinced that the Hungry Ghost is one of the world's great epicenters. The bread, the joint, the vibe, the clientele and the staff, all converge in iconoclasm, which feels like home to me. It's urbane beyond Northampton". Anonymous Quote read more

The best bread available in western mass! Wholesome environmentally friendly and delicious! You can tell how passionate the owners are. A wonderful spot. No other bread will do! The outside garden is lovely and hosts herbalism talks. Give the owners bread poetry at the cash register a look through...it's obvious he loves his work! read more

Their bread is good and fresh, and it's really convenient if you're a Smith student. However, their bread is only good if you're a sourdough fan. I heard their challah on Fridays was delicious, so I finally ran down there to get a loaf...it was sourdough. That's not how you make challah. read more

Excellent bread, if you can get it. The last FOUR times I have been there, they have been out of bread. I go at different times of day, to no avail. Yesterday, they had a six foot tall sign out front saying "YES", at 1:00pm, and inside, the answer was NO. Shelves were completely empty. I could put up with the rude service (seems like you have to be an unpleasant child to work there), but no bread? Forget this place. Also, the pizza is bland and flavorless. Don't bother. read more

The loaves I've tried here have all been pretty good, though dense. Not completely surprising given New England winters: bread generally just rises better in warm and/or slightly humid weather. So the crumb at Hungry Ghost tends to be better in summer months--lighter, more bubbly and airy. Crusts are nice and crunchy/chewy year-round. My favorites are the French Batard and the Country, which is 20% rye. Both are great for toads-in-a-bucket. Be warned that it's cash-only here. Most of the loaves go for $5-7 each. There's plenty of side-street parking which I think is free. Not sure about bike parking, but there's a handrail outside the building that you can chain up to for a couple minutes while you pick things up. The staff here is efficient and friendly, but quiet. Classic New England types in my opinion. I definitely prefer the low key over the counter interactions I get here to the offputtingly aggressive enthusiasm of Californian service workers. And I'm from California. Overall: totally solid. I love that I can get fresh bread around the corner. But the crumb can't hold a candle to Cheeseboard in Berkeley CA. read more

This past week 3 friends & I decided to go to the top pastry shops in Northampton, in hunt of a potential haunt! We each ordered something, split it 4 ways then compared notes. Our opinions were somewhat unanimous, but since we're friends maybe our "tastes" are alike, that's a for a sociology major! Admittedly, we went at 3 pm in the afternoon, perhaps this changes things in the world of pastries/breads. I still think things should hold-up though so I'm not looking the other way on the timing issue, besides they serve Pizza after 5. We ordered 2 stuffed bread-like tarts (like mini calzones), an individual chocolate-banana cream pie and an oatmeal cookie. Both bread/tarts were very tasty, bursting with flavor and seasoning. However, the down side was both could have used a lot more filling and the crust was very (think dragging your feet) heavy. If they doubled the filling and went easy on the dough they would have been a perfect 10+, but that was the fantasy more filling less dough. In eager anticipation, I rushed my friends to eat the later ...I couldn't wait to dive into the chocolate-banana cream pie. Whaaaa what a disappointment!! I am sure I looked like I bit into a lemon, and in a way I did. It looked Amazing (!!!) however it was all (ALL) whipped cream and very little flavor. A thin layer of chocolate on the bottom 3-4 slices of banana and 5 inches piled high "All Whipped Cream". What a downer! The oatmeal cookie was very good, we all agreed; perfect size, texture and flavor. Maybe the Pizza's/Bread's are better ??? Maybe one day ??? But I won't be fooled by a piled high pie again! We all agreed Hungry Ghost wasn't going to be haunting us to visit again anytime soon! read more

I've been wanting to go to Hungry Ghost Bread since I moved to the Northampton/Amherst area, and needless to say it didn't disappoint. The bread is fresh with nice crunchy crust and fluffy, decadent bread on the inside. The place itself has a cool atmosphere - it's tiny, but has that big oven and flour all over the floor. When I went the people were flipping pizzas in the air, classic-style. I tried the rosemary bread and the french bread, and both were delicious. I haven't tried the pizza yet, but I want to in the future because it looked delicious going into that big brick oven. The workers weren't overly friendly, but they weren't rude as some suggested either. They seemed tired and frazzled, which makes sense since they had been making bread all day. read more

You don't come here for the service. You don't come here to "hang." You're in, and you're out. You're here for a brief, transcendent bread experience. Maybe you come for the ambiance, if you want to know what it would be like to be a loaf of bread in a giant oven. I've been patronizing Hungry Ghost since it opened back in 2004 (?), before the pastries and pizzas and the "expansion." (If you never went to the old HG, you might find it hard to believe that this is the expanded form.) I like all of the sundry snacks and I love that vegan pizza, but the bread is the thing. If you can get your hands on a still-warm loaf of rosemary bread, everything will make sense. read more

Wow -- looks like an old post office or something, but you can smell the place down the street. Great breads - we had a Rosemary round and also a loaf of Batard. Both were excellent - freshly made. We didn't try their tarts but they looked great! read more

There are no words to express how much we love this bread! A fun location with the most delicious treats. Don't pass this by. Kind and patient staff told us all about each kind of bread and each was so unique and special. They taste just as good as they sound. The biscuits are out of this world! Definitely a new part of our road trip routine. read more

Yum. YUM. I dare you to find this place, though. I wound my way around downtown traffic, hungry as all get-out and not having found anything worthwhile on Routes 5/10, and then spied this tiny place up on a hill on a street corner. I could barely park in the driveway - had to sit while one guy backed out, then maneuver into his spot while the other guy backed out. You want to consider street parking. All is absolved by going inside. You can buy entire breads, which I imagine were mostly gone by the time I arrived (2 PM on a Sunday). Of the remaining smaller items, there were some good deals and some iffy ones ($4 for a tiny fruit tart that's mostly tart and not fruit?). I picked up a scone slice and a molasses cookie. The scone slice had at least as much fruit scattered inside (raisins, maybe cranberries?) as the tart. Delectable even hours later. The cookie was getting a bit hard by that point, but had very nice flavor to it and was still chewy. Maybe not as gingerbready as I hoped, more of a four star cookie than a five star. Bottom line: Local bakery, delicious food. Get your grains here. read more

The hours stink. They don't take plastic. They don't always have the type of bread you think you want. But... What they do have... Is amazing. Simply some of the best bread I've had that I haven't made myself. (I'm still getting the hang of the texture.) Frequently still warm from the oven. The help has gotten dings but I've never had that issue. they've always been nice, if a bit frazzled or stressed. read more

Note that this place is take out only and accepts only cash or check. There is a bench outside on which you can sit and eat but they do not provide water or tissues. Wait time for the pizza is around half an hour. We ordered the vegan pizza with green bell peppers, garlic, onion toppings. In hindsight, we should have added a topping like broccoli or mushroom. Anyway, the pizza was tasty. The bread and sauce were okay, not great. We also tried their vegan chocolate peanut butter cookie. It was tasty but it wasn't soft. It was breaking easily because the binding wasn't good. read more

Recently stopped in to see what they offer. The lemon rich tarts $4 and the coconut cream rich tarts lined with caramel are superb $4.50. The chocolate chip and choc chip pecan cookies are delicious. Personally, I like more salt on my pretzels, yet these are scrumptious with black sea salt. Have not tried the breads yet. Will start with the french batard.... Have come back 5 times so far. Is now added to my route of favorites when regularly in Northampton. I have never had any issues with the service. They have always been sweet and professional. read more

This bread will change your life. (especially the Potato Fougasse and Kamut, but basically all of them.) (Oh, and their pretzels too. And all their baked goods. But mostly the breads.) read more

First time going there on April 20th 2018 got the Rye bread when I got home the bottom of the bread was burnt black !!

The perfect loaf of bread comes from Hungry Ghost's ovens. If you get there early enough in the day, you have a great selection though the really popular flavors (the rosemary bread goes fantastically with a small wheel of brie) go fast. Don't forget to peer behind the tiny counter to see what cookies they've got that day. They make the cookies and brownies as a sort of aside and don't really openly market them but they're delicious. Be wary. This is VERY crusty bread. You can always cut the crust off, but it's a rustic style. enjoy it! Hungry Ghost also scores mucho points for supporting the community by hosting a number of little farmer-market like sales on their lawns. read more

This is one of the best bakeries I've ever been to. It's as good as it gets. I don't eat bread (carbs, all that) too often but when I do, I like it to be GOOD. and every time I went to Hungry Ghost, I was blown away. Everything they made was delicious. Get... everything! read more

We were visiting Northampton for the evening and were looking for something quick but delicious for dinner. After searching yelp, I discovered this local gem. Upon entering the small shop, I noticed a sign that caught my eye: French Onion Pizza. Whatttttt??!! I had to try it. I ordered a pie, which took about 15 minutes. I also ordered a chocolate chip cookie to take home to the boyfriend. The pizza was insanely good. My mom, sister, and I loved it. If this unique special is available when you visit, try it. It's a must have for anyone who is a fan of onions/ french onion soup. The walnuts on top gave it that extra crunch, which was delicious. The flavor was out of this world good. Although there isn't a place to sit inside, there is a couple spots outside on a cement bench near their garden, which is where we ate. It was a beautiful night, so we loved sitting out there enjoying our tasty pizza. Customer service was friendly here as well. Must try if you're in the area! read more

Go here. Get three items. One of them will astound you. The other two will please you. I've never been displeased by anything I've had from this awesome bakery/kitchen. From cookies to personal snack-sized savory pies to full loaves of bread to nibble on - this hungry ghost will, in fact, leave you sated to the extent that you'll develop the attachment that causes the spawning of hungry ghosts in the first place. I've visited several times. The staff is always friendly and ready to answer my many questions. They even tried to remember my name despite the infrequency of my appearances. Be sure to ask about the daily specials. Take a schedule once you've nailed down a couple favorite items; hunt them down. If you don't see something you like, I bet the bakers are open to suggestions. My favorite is the quinoa cornbret. YUM. read more

The best bread anywhere. Or at least anywhere I've been. When friends come down to Philly, I make them bring down bread from the Ghost. It's really that good. Whatever secret techniques they have, the combination of crusty bread that's still chewy and moist inside is unstoppable. My only caveat is that the pastries aren't on the same level. Go to Woodstar or Bakery Normand instead. read more

Yummity yum yum. I've never tried the pizza, so I can't speak to that, however, the bread and the cookies are delicious. The bread is flavorful and there's plenty of variety to choose from. The same goes for the cookies, which are massive. This place is a treat, and is worth the old-fashioned notion of visiting different stores for different provisions. We always go out of our way to get bread at Hungry Ghost. Also a good place to remember when there's a blackout - they cook with a fire, so they'll still be functional (what more could you want?) Cash only. read more

The Hungry Ghost has such a whimsical name, and it's a bit of a whimsical place. When you walk in the floor is covered in flour, the smell of bread baking and the warmth of the small room take over your senses and you get a good feeling. The kind of good that comes from finding a local specialty store with great products- which is becoming a rare oddity these days. I like to walk to the HG on nights when I'm making soup, because it compliments it greatly. It's also great for making tasty sandwiches. Their selection changes because it is all made fresh, and they update on the site as well as provide a guide of their general selection calender in the store. Besides large loaves of things like French bread, etc, they also make delicious cookies, crackers, and little savory pie creations with meats, cheeses and veggies. This is not an eat-in establishment. You walk in to a very small reception spot where the products of the day are on display, buy, and leave. Everything is also priced very fairly. For a semi recent graduate on a budget, I can still 'break the bank' to go by every once in a while. Overall: It's a great little place where the chefs have a passion for their trade that comes through in the final product. I'll probably be stopping by on the way home! read more

I'd give this place 4.5 stars, if I could! Today was my first time at Hungry Ghost and it was a great experience. I can't speak to the people who said that the employees were rude, as the woman behind the counter spoke to me knowledgeably about the types of bread they sold and didn't make me feel pressured into a purchase. (She didn't try to make small talk and be my best friend, but that's not the reason I went there.) I bought a loaf of double wheat, a buttermilk biscuit, and 2 cookies. The -1/2 star is because they don't slice loaves on the premises, but that's not too bid of a problem. The outside of the bread is crunchy, while the inside remains springy and light. The biscuit was a light and buttery, without feeling too heavy and the cookies? WOW. I consider myself something of a cookie snob and the cookies at Hungry Ghost exceeded all of my expectations. I'd recommend this place for anyone who is serious about their bread and where it comes from and can afford to pay the $6 a loaf. It's pricey, but WELL worth it. read more

I love this place, and i love what they do. they are about the love and care that goes into their food, and that is the most important ingredient. you honestly couldn't ask for anything more. slightly standoffish at the counter, but i think that only adds charm! p.s. they use the best of the best of ingredients. organic and healthy! read more

This IS what a bakery is all about. Perfect bread and slightly sweet treats such as coffee cakes.... A true unique town stop! Reminds me of visiting ruins in Italy, in Pompeii... it's a bakery where you got your baked goods and moved on... it's not a coffee shop, not a hangout... take your goods and be on your way.. and LOVE it! read more

Like many establishments here in Northampton, Hungry Ghost is delicious but esoterically expensive. And once I learned how to bake my own bread, I stopped buying from bakeries, this one included. Their hours stink, but again, this bread is pretty damn good and very fresh (minutes old, not hours) . It merited multiple mentions in the New York Times for a reason. read more

I am so disappointed in this place. My family and I been devoted customers since it opened, and have recommended it to many. However, they truly get my pizza order wrong more often than they get it right. Most of the time, I pick off whatever didn't belong (typically onions) or just do without whatever I requested that wasn't included (usually green pepper). Tonight we placed the same order we have placed since they began offering pizza: one plain cheese pizza, and one cheese pizza with kalamata olives and green peppers. When we got them home and opened the boxes, we discovered both pizzas were smeared with ricotta. IMO, they may as well have smeared them with snot--they were just totally repellent to me. I couldn't ignore it--they were disgusting. I called to tell them happened, and the worker who answered the phone told me that I had ordered a Florentine pizza. Then he told me that I had ordered a Four.Cheese pizza. I told him I absolutely did not--that it was the same pizza I've ordered for years. He offered no apology. He never offered to redo the order. He simply insisted that I was wrong. My son finally took the phone from me when he saw how upset I was, and he told the worker that he would like to have him take our number and ask the owner to call us. The worker refused, and told him that if we wanted to talk to the owner, we should come in when the owner was present, and that taking messages was "not how they did business." If treating longtime customers the way that worker did tonight is how Hungry Ghost does business, I want nothing more to do with it. read more

Have been here countless times over the past few years. I've had the potato, kamut, country, rye, olive, and some other breads. All very good. Nice cripsy crust and with nice texture in the middle. I've also had the crackers and the savoury pies. very good. Anytime I'm in Northampton, I stop by to get some bread. You can't go wrong. I would love to try the pizza, but unfortuantely I ahven't been there after 5pm when they start the pizza. And if you are worried if bread will be there, you can call ahead and they'll hold one for you. read more

This is probably some of the best artisnal bread out there. They use many local ingredients and a giant wood-fired brick oven to bake their delicious creations. We typically get their standard 8-grain loaf, which is simply yummy. It is heavenly straight up or with a little earth balance or butter. They make really good fougasses. One recently was potato-thyme, which had earthily scrumptious overtones. Their cookies, particularly the vegan ones, are also among the best around. My only complaint: A couple of the people who work there are kinda jerkish, but that's a small price to pay for bread so delicious. read more

Very interesting place with pretty garden and building. Breads are fresh and good. I want to try their cookies next time.

Best pizza I've had here in the Pioneer Valley. The sausage, pepper, and onion pie was wonderfully smoky with a delicious crust. The veggie one we had was loaded with broccoli, basil pesto, mushrooms, onions and peppers. The price for the pies was pretty reasonable: two smalls fed three people. Yes, it's a tiny space and you have to wait 20 minutes for the pizza but definitely worth it on a warm Friday night when your friends have just come from Boston to visit and all you want is some delicious pizza in your belly. read more

True sour sourdough! As a transplant from the SF Bay Area the sourdough at Hungry Ghost makes me feel like I'm back home. I have yet to try a bread I don't love from the ghost. Always delicious and their pizza is fantastic! With sourdough crust and local toppings it's my favorite pizza in town! read more

How have I not left this review before now!? The Hungry Ghost Bread has been one of my favorite places for more than a decade. I go their regularly for bread for my family, and the occasional night time pizza. The crew at Green Earth PC go here all the time for cookies and other treats - an office favorite. Delicious bread, friendly staff, and you cant beat the smell of fresh baked bread. read more

Amazing! The potato thyme fougasse was the star of our order. However, all their bread was absolutely fantastic. This is what every bakery should strive for - beautiful hand-crafted bread. read more

The rosemary bread is to die for, service was lovely, the guys are super knowledgeable and the rhubarb gallette!!! Omg!!! Such a quaint spot, I sat in the medicinal garden/ amphitheater and had a bite of my warm bread. Amazing mouth feel! And the gallette was wrapped in the best pie crust! read more

Walking near Hungry Ghost always made me hungry! I've never had their bread, but their cookies are okay. I only remember that they were open during that hurricane last year, which was great! read more

Wonderful bread and service. Their other baked goods are also delicious. During this pandemic, they have built a small lean-to over a window so that no one has to go in. You pay online after purchasing! Very community minded. read more