Great menu selection of food and lots of beverages. Great place for vegetarians and vegans too. Cool to see lots of local sourced products and goods. Looking forward to visiting again. I want to try the vegan cheese steak next time. read more

It's my new thing now to try every sandwich on their menu and highlight my favorite ones on the paper menu I keep in the car. I'm an indecisive person with big eyes, so I am trying to narrow the large selection of sandwiches for less time consuming future choosing. I ordered the New Yorker. It amused me, being a native New York City chick with sometimes FOMO and a deep appreciation for the magazine with the same name. And their food. It's phenomenal. The flavors scream, "Fuck you until I finish this sandwich". But in the nicest way. read more

We tried to like it; we even gave it a few tries. Staying in a hotel local to one of the locations while we wait for the house we're purchasing to close, we originally thought great place, really good food, good enough coffee. After being treated really rudely at the Lansing/Cayuga Heights location the day after Memorial Day, we decided to give one of the downtown locations a try; North Meadow St. Again we were treated rudely. I could go into the stories but I won't bother. Perhaps they don't like tourists? I don't know; there's no excuse for it. There are so many great coffee shops in Ithaca! We're at one now where the coffee is significantly superior to the offerings at Ithaca Bakery, without the attitude. The reasons for the 3 stars; if you do happen to get a staff person who is kind and gracious, we've also had that experience, the food is good. I'm partial to the "Down in the Valley" sandwich. And we've had their bread that was being served at a local restaurant; it was some of tbe best bread I've ever had. Maybe they should just go wholesale and provide bakery items to other restaurants and avoid dealing with the public at all. Either that or get some customer service training. But do yourself a favor if you're visiting from out of town; avoid the long waits (even when it's not busy) and mean-spiritedness. There are too many great food experiences to be had in Ithaca. read more

Ithaca Bakery is in a league of it's own. It's simply amazing. I lived in Ithaca for 5 years while attending undergrad and grad school. I brought every out-of-town guest to Ithaca Bakery and across the board, was everyones favorite. Space used to be a big issue (as this place gets PACKED on the weekends) but since the recent renovation there is a ton of seating inside and out. I miss this place most of all. read more

My son is a super picky eater and he likes the Reuben sandwich here. Coffee is pretty good. I love the vast selection of different types sandwiches, however it made choosing one too hard when you can only order one. read more

Ithaca Bakery is a personal favorite of mine for breakfast in Ithaca. Great selection of breakfast sandwiches, the Brooklyn Bagel sandwich and the Bronx Bagel sandwich are both top picks. The whole bakery is very into farm to table and support local farms and farmers, it's nice to have food you feel good about. The bagels are delicious, they have a wide variety of pastries and breads, and there is always hot foods available. I would recommend getting here early on the weekend as it tends to get very busy! read more

I love these folks. They're a great place to bring visiting family and kids, since they're not in the thick of the Commons craziness, and they happen to be around the corner from the Book Sale, which is very convenient for those times of the year. There's actually a kid area in the back, by the bathrooms (useful). They've got a huge selection of stuff and are very vegan-friendly. Today I'm having a vegan black forest muffin (made by Laurie's Gluten Free I think) and a decaf. The decaf precipitated this review: Not only did the dude ringing me up notice that the decaf was at the end of its life and have a new pot brewed up, he actually brought my coffee out to me when I was slow to come see if it was done. Thanks, man! read more

Great place to take a family (or yourself) for a healthy breakfast or lunch. The menu is diverse enough for all tastes and the restaurant is very laid back. The coffee is also exceptional. read more

This place is simply fantastic! The people, the atmosphere...and the food!! I have tried several dishes from here including the salad/food bar. Never had a bad meal. I have personally grown a favorite to their freshly made to order sandwiches. Favs Are: "The Octopus" & "Turkey Hill BLT". read more

We pick up dinner from Ithaca Bakery at least once a week. Awesome variety. Lots of vegetarian options. Soups, hot bar, and deli case items change all the time. If there isn't a ready-made item that is appealing that night, there is a huge selection of customizable sandwiches. Bagels and breads are great too. Blueberry bagels are a favorite at our house. Super fast service. Ithaca Bakery uses and carries lots of local items. Vegetarian friendly. Some vegan options too. Can be crowded at lunch. The expansion a couple years ago makes seating area much more spacious. read more

This review pertains to the Ithaca Bakery "Bread Club" card. I gave Ithaca Bakery 5 Stars for so wonderfully addressing a problem with an egg salad sandwich, so I don't think I can be accused of bias here. In my family's possession now are at least 5 Ithaca Bakery "Bread Club" cards. One card which went through the laundry and is barely sticking together, has 8 of the 9 required stamps on it. Another card has 3 stamps, 2 cards have 2 stamps, and a 5th card has 1 stamp. So that is 16 stamps. 16 stamps should be 2 short of 2 free breads. But wait! Under "Bread Club" and under "Buy NINE (bold) and get the TENTH (bold) Free" is the additional sentence "Cards Can Not Be Combined." I've asked Ithaca Bakery to combine the cards, but their strict answer is a firm "NO." The only reason given are the 5 words on the cards: "Cards Can Not Be Combined." I also have two paper Cayuga Coffee company cards. Low and behold, it is owned by Ithaca Bakery and, in what appears to be tiniest print on the cards, it too says "Cards Can Not Be Combined." I have to ask: What is the loss in rewarding a loyal customer by consolidating cards? What is the point of punishing a customer who forgets to bring his/her card into Ithaca Bakery? What if the customer has a disability and cannot remember to bring the same card each time. I suppose the ADA doesn't apply to this situation. But one would think some sense of decency to a loyal repeat customer would. Contrast this with another Ithaca institution, The Nine's. Also printed on paper that won't last forever. But it does not say "Cards Can Not Be Combined." It just says "GET NUMBER 10 FREE" (along with other promotional words). In fact, I recall an instance at The Nine's when a server noticed my multiple cards and VOLUNTEERED to combine them. I didn't even have to ask. Does anyone else have a bundle of Ithaca Bakery "Bread Club" cards that can't be combined? Ithaca Bakery, what is your problem? Your company makes plenty of dough. There is no need to be so strict in a customer loyalty & reward program. It just makes it into a customer frustration program. I apologize - Ithaca Bakery Company - for being so stupid as to pick up additional cards from time to time. But not to worry, your disclaimer is working and I won't be getting a free 10th bread any time soon. read more

Very disappointed. It took 20 minutes for a hot chocolate that was made from a Swiss Miss packet. An utter waste of time and money. Had a ton of options for food and drinks, but after the less than satisfactory muffin top, I think I'll take my business elsewhere. read more

yummy cookies and breads! I stop in every time I'm in Ithaca!

This place wants to present itself as a bastion of quality baked bread, chef-created food for takeout, and homemade baked goods. Yes they have attractive bakeries, foodie items to buy, and friendly staff-but that is as far as it goes-don't believe their hype on the food they actually make. Their hot and cold bar food is mediocre, with scant spicing, and frequent overcooking: think charred veggies, overly browned casseroles, and an amount of fat that is visible as well as giving the food a greasy taste at times. The caffeinated beverages are super-expensive and unremarkable (many better options in town with better quality and better prices). The sweet baked goods are maddeningly unsatisfying, tasting of cheap sugar and flour and little else-a tasty, memorable dessert is the exception, rather than the rule. One that does come to mind is their coconut rice pudding, which is very good. Their breads also suffer from an absence of quality ingredients. Sourdough breads are just faintly sour. All foccacias are slathered in burnt cheese, for unspecified reasons. The breads have no substance to them-you can eat slice after slice, and never be satisfied-probably because of the liberal presence of white flour and sugar and fat. They taste depressingly "store bought", rather than "bakery bought". Lastly, they earn the moniker of Vegan Hell for their sparse selection of vegan options in a town crawling with vegans: they offer the same lame packaged sandwich month after month after month (how many meat or cheese eaters would willingly eat the same sandwich daily for months??) Their hot bar does have some vegan options, but they are as forgettable as the regular options (slightly burned and greasy samosas and limp sweet potato fries, with bland and greasy lo mein were featured recently). In short: go for the atmosphere (usually good) or a cup of tea (they can't screw that up!), and maybe risk a dessert-but otherwise, STAY AWAY if you want quality food that is worth what you paid. As other reviewers have pointed out, their customized cakes are just awful, worse than store bought-dry, sugary, with little flavor-most of your guests WILL leave it on their plates. Save your money! Plenty of better choices in town! read more

I come here reasonably often on the weekends for lunch. I enjoy sampling from their wide variety of sandwiches, and the service is usually good. I like that the store sells a mix of local and foreign snacks and cheeses that you can't find in a regular store. I have mixed feelings about their coffee though. The brewed coffee is pretty good, but not as good as the coffee you can get from one of the Ithaca's many local coffee specialists. When I've bought their Cayuga coffee beans to make coffee myself, I've found the taste to be disappointing compared to coffee from other local roasters. Overall, it's a great place to go for lunch. I particularly recommend any sandwich with Dinosaur BBQ sauce on it. read more

Wow what a lunch! This place was awesome. I would highly recommend for a quick bite. Can't wait to try another meal. Lots to choose from with a terrific variety of things to try. The California was out of this world. Fresh from the start. Next time I will make more time to really get my lunch on in this joint. Quick service without the hassle. read more

I live out of town but wanted to surprise someone by having a birthday cake delivered to their work in Ithaca. Found this bakery online and found out they deliver. The staff was wonderful in helping me place the order over the phone and coordinate delivery to Ithaca College. The cake (8" chocolate ganache) was beautiful and everyone thought it was delicious! I really appreciate the confirmation phone call and attention to detail. Highly recommend! read more

It was so delicious! Lots of menu variety and the food was great. The employees are very kind and helpful.

Wow Really $2.65 for a medium coffee... What are you Starbucks...?!? And it's out of a pumper... Not even Pour Over or French Press... don't you think that's a bit greedy? read more

It is a great place to breakfast, take a sandwich, lunch, or drink a cup of good coffee. I wanted to eat only with the good smell. The sandwich that I ate was pretty good. I realized that the ingredients were fresh, and bread was delicious. I drank a cup of organic green tea, but there were a large selection of different teas. Baked products displayed like, bagels, cookies, croissants, cakes, pastries, and bread looked really nice. I loved food. Service was quickly, so I did not have to wait too much time to eat. On the other hand, the place was a little dirty. I think that it was so because it was crowded. read more

This is a must visit in Ithaca! The Italian Panini was fabulous! The staff was knowledgeable with questions on all of their offerings from beer to pastries. They were friendly and genuinely respectful. Thank you so much for staying consistent over all these years. See you soon. read more

it took 50 minutes to get my simple order. Make sure they process your order properly.

This place is amazing! Had lunch on our first trip to Ithaca because of the good Yelp reviews, and we weren't disappointed! Great atmosphere and great sandwiches. So many to choose from it was hard deciding. Can't wait to go back and try more! Thanks fellow yelpers! read more

This place is awesome with all their different vegetarian options. Really healthy and tasty. Wish we had one in Philly! Reminds me of panara bread but ten times better. read more

One word: excellence. Ithaca bakery is completely devoted to it's food. Sure, we had a snafu involving banana peppers on the sandwhich, I got the monthly special, but it is testament to the quality of food that I didn't notice until my friends asked me where the peppers were. Not only that, but the crew is friendly and willing to answer all your questions. The bread is well made and flavorful, the meats are meaty and good, and the service is friendly. Words cannot describe the excellence, you MUST try them if you are in the area. read more

I enjoyed this place during the year I lived in Ithaca. It was a good place to get a good solid meal at a decent price. I found their sandwiches to be excellent, along with their breads, and deserts. My go to was their hot food bar, its about 8.95 per lb but if you are smart you can get good value for your money. Sometimes the salads are a little wilted so you have to pick at it a little but it's not that bad. However, overall it was a good experience: solid food, decent price, and a good atmosphere to eat it in. It was fun while it lasted! read more

Lucky Ithaca to have this full service bakery in town. We went there before leaving on a road trip: gathering sandwiches, baked goods and drinks. Was really happy. Will definitely go back next time in Ithaca. read more

I have probably spent close to 10% of my income at Ithaca Bakery other CTB locations during the 10 years I've lived in Ithaca. Delicious fresh breads, prepared foods, and amazing gourmet interesting sandwiches. With that said, however, they are also the only thing of its kind in Ithaca and their monopoly power is evident in their lousy (yes, lousy) bagels. I am a former NYC metro area girl and Ithaca Bakery's bagels suffer from inferior bagel texture (too hard on the outside, too bready on the inside) and flavors that have no business being married with bagels (chocolate chip or pumpkin, for example). However, their fresh, cut-to-order lox and their in-house made whitefish salad are fabulous Sunday morning accoutrements for bagels from some place else. Additionally, their baked treats (cakes, cookies, etc) are also sub-par and you'd do better getting sweets at Wegmans. The only exceptions to that are their black-and-white cookie made in the proper tradition with the silky hardened icing and the soft lemony cookie. But as I said, sandwiches are delicious. My favorites include the Parisian (a grilled panini of turkey, brie, plum chutney, and spinach on sourdough), the T-Burg with a Twist (tuna salad, avocado, and tomato on their amazing pumpernickel bread). Saturday and Sunday mornings can be hectic, but it's fun to run into all kinds of characters from town eating their breakfasts and brunches. read more

I work a few blocks away from the Ithaca Bakery and have eaten there a number of times, and have yet to be remotely satisfied. I've had a few sandwiches and prepared foods from there extensive (excessive) menu, and while they all sound good, they are poorly executed. Everything is bland, underseasoned, carelessly made, and EXTREMELY over priced. Who makes a thanksgiving sandwich without gravey? Ithaca Bakery does. Went in to get a bagel sandwich once. Ordered the Steak and Eggs, I think it was called. Bagel was decent, but thats where it ends. There was a laughable amount of steak on it (which was unseasoned and tasted like steak-ums), the "egg" was a giant rubbery hockey puck of microwaved garbage, and there was barely any cheese. To add insult to injury, it was over 6 bucks! I'm really confused as to why this place is rated so highly. It must be the trendy college atmosphere and their appeal to the vegan/organic organic crowd, because the food flat out stinks. Especially for the price. read more

Stopped in for coffee and decided to get breakfast sando to go. The have great coffee and a decent breakfast. There was a line but it moved fast and I had my food rather quickly. Service is by people that obviously like working there since everyone was friendly. Everything seemed fresh and the pastries looked good but I didn't try any, maybe next time. read more

A GREAT place for breakfast or lunch!! I had a sesame bagel with smoked whitefish salad & it was DELICIOUS!!!

We found a little piece of heaven, right in Ithaca, NY! From the smell that greeted us at the door, the excellent choices of breakfast sandwiches, to the great selection of coffee, this bakery hit the mark! read more

The gourmet sandwiches are pretty good, I only got to go here a few times in the year I lived in Ithaca though as my boyfriend likes plain old Wegman's subs, which in themselves are great but sometimes you want something a little different. It is expensive though for a sandwich. read more

Good stuff! If only the counter person wasn't so into talking (yap yap yap!). We wanted the California brunch burrito and a phyllo dough creation with eggs, ham, spinach. Got the burrito, but she gave us french toast. hmmm. I decided not to complain and just eat the french toast (three small pieces of thick cinnamon raisin bread). You get your choice of sides- local new potatoes or a somewhat water logged fruit salad. I went back to the register to pay for a copy of the NYT, and she was still yapping away. This time she was blathering about how Ithaca is starving Latinos. OK, whatever, gimme my damn coffee already. Ithaca Bakery also has a lovely array of foodie condiments (jams, sauces, etc), soup mixes, and Ixchel tortilla (blue and white) chips. The cheese selection looked decent- could compliment their good looking breads. read more

Yikes! Where do I look first? So much pressure (in a good way). So many sandwiches, entrees, salads, bagels, bakery goodies, and a ton of coffee choices! The "Regulars" aka Cornell and Ithaca students would buzz in & out, they knew the routine, I'm merely a rookie in this well-oiled machine. Since I was just passing through town on a looonnnggg road trip...I was skeptical of where to eat. But how can you miss a place that has the biggest crowd hanging around. I thought....it must be good...let's try it. Best egg & cheese on a bagel and pumpkin spice coffee ever....so good! With a small-town local touch, countless choices, indoor or outdoor eating areas, & some heated lamps outside....I'm a big fan! I'm also a people watcher, and was definitely entertained...kind of made me wish I was back in school again. Brought back good memories:) read more

I love going to Ithaca bakery and getting their Upstate Banh Mi. They also have quite nice potato bread. I've never been a fan of CTB, but I'm a big fan of Ithaca Bakery which is strange but true. read more

On vacation and stopped in for breakfast. I love places like this. I like the vibrant atmosphere and the quick and friendly staff. The selection is incredible. What a fun place. I thought the coffee was pretty good. My egg, guac, salsa wrap could have had more seasoning but I still think a great place to stop in. read more

Got the smoked salmon breakfast sandwich here. It was good!

We had a couple good sandwiches from here, the Bahn Mi, the Upstate and Laura's sweet surprise. We had almond crescents and a raspberry crumb bar for dessert. These were all good, not great. The bathroom was filthy. The buffet food looked like it had, let's just say been there awhile. read more

Great place for lunch! Anything you could want from baked goods, sandwiches or salads are available along with great coffee offerings. Don't miss for breakfast or lunch! read more