Sooo good! First time here, and I got all kinds of stuff today! I had ginger molasses cookies, lemon chocolate madeleines, a baby babka, and a potato ham and cheese flatbread. Yeah... I ate most of it in one day... don't judge me! Everything was beyond delicious, but the highlight was that flatbread. Amazing! New favorite bakery in the area! read more

Loaf is hands down the best bakery in the area. The ham and gruyere croissant is my favorite savory pastry. I take it back to work and heat it up for about 10 seconds. So freaking good. For sweets I tend to go with the chocolate based croissants. I'm currently eating a chocolate and peanut butter one. It's divine. The staff are super kind and friendly, a warm smile is exactly what is needed when you haven't been caffeinated yet. Oh, that reminds me, the coffee they server is excellent as well. I wish more businesses operated like Loaf, I'm very glad I get to spend my money here. read more

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was..." CARBS. Glorious, glorious carbs. Why didn't I start coming here sooner? I discovered the wonder that is Loaf yesterday, with my purchase of three chocolate croissants. I intended for these croissants to last me at least 48 hours, but I ate them all at once. Gluttonous, yes, but oh so worth it. I went back today, and bought two more chocolate croissants, a ham and cheese scone, plus a peach and cinnamon pudding muffin. They are all fabulous. Best. Bakery. Ever. read more

I have been pining for a place like this downtown! the practical stuff: + This is a very easy place to stop in the mornings. Since it is a smaller counter service shop, you can usually walk right in and maybe have to wait for one person ahead of you. + The goodies are unbelievably tasty (this coming from a bread and pastry snob) and the price point can't be beat! Among many others they had gougere, croissant, chocolate croissant, ham and cheese scones, and some kind of amazingly buttery raisin roll thing...all ranging around 2 bucks. + The coffee is Counter Culture and always tastes fresh. the less practical stuff: + It's really pretty. The way the sunlight hits the storefront window when you are at the pastry counter is just such a warm and comforting way to start the morning. That combined with the scents and fun attitude of the staff make me fantasize about the loveliness of coming in during the winter time. + The staff is fantabulous! slightly kooky. the staff will always be a top reason of why I make a place a regular haunt. They are fun to be around in the mornings and set a great tone for my day. + I understand that this may not be true for all and has little bearing on most, but the music that has been playing the last two times I went in makes. me. so. happy. read more

This place is sheer danger. Tiny inside, no seating, yet powerful. The breads are delicious and the pastries are bewitching. Their vegetarian focaccias are worth a special trip and I wish they were open later (but it's probably good that they're not) so I could go get one right now. They have coffee - literally, just coffee, the brewed kind; don't go expecting fancy lattes; they don't have time for lattes because they have pastries to make. Do yourself a favor and try something new there. read more

Delicious pastries. I wish they were served warm and I wish there was seating inside (it's more of a walk-in, walk-out establishment), but the quality of the pastries is among the best in Durham. I tried the ham and gruyere croissant (DELICIOUS and perfectly flaky, and the cheese didn't make it greasy!) as well as the apple galette (the apples were fantastic and the crust was my favorite part - not too sweet, and perfectly textured). Hopefully this place gets the chance to expand, as I feel like that would attract a bigger crowd. read more

Loaf - Ham and Gruyere croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Loaf has some really amazing food. Unfortunately, it is so unreliable/unopen that it makes it almost impossible to be a customer there. Closed on Sundays and Mondays. Oh yea, and also closed for whole weeks, which you don't know until you go and see a sign on their door "Closed Oct 28-Nov2" Love their cinnamon rolls? Well, don't go on Wednesday to get them. You'll be informed that they have them every other day (well, except Sundays and Mondays). Everytime I am actually able to get my hands on their products, I've been happy. But, that happens only about 1/2 of the times I swing by their store. read more

The best bread and pastries in Durham, bar none. Let me skip right to the best: the twice-baked Almond Croissant is a work of art, and one of the best baked goods I've ever had in my life! A worthy splurge on a weekend morning, and one you won't regret. Every other pastry I've tried has also been delicious. The bread is also wonderful, and I especially love their baguettes - fantastic crust (rare to find a good crunchy crust like theirs), soft inside, delicious. I've had many of their breads (baguette, pan de campagne, whole wheat, challah) and they have all been yummy. For icing on the cake, they also serve Counter Culture coffee and sell local meat & dairy products from their small fridge. A fantastic bakery, all-around. read more

Wow, this place totally lives up to the hype!! Went in today, just to check it out. Ended up leaving with a blackberry soda, peanut butter pan au chocolat, and a loaf of polenta bread. The croissant is filled with peanut butter and chocolate and it's amazing. Period. No explanation needed. The loaf of bread is perfectly crusty on the outside while soft and squishy on the inside. I've already made quite a delicious grilled cheese sandwich with it :) This visit makes me want to go back and try one of everything! read more

Crossaints are inconsistent. Sometimes burned, sometimes drowning in butter. Flatbreads are pretty good. Selection is sort of exotic, there's a lot I didn't try. Overall this is not a convenient place to stop for coffee and a pastry, which is what I was hoping it would be. read more

Since moving nearby, Loaf has become one of my favorite go-to places. Everything I have had, from the pastries to the bread, has been fantastic. They are a fairly small place, so the menu changes day-to-day. This is great as it means there will almost always be something new to try. However, if you are more of a creature of habit and want to know what is going to be there on any given day, they have a chalkboard on the wall that gives a basic rundown of what they will have each day of the week. There is also a menu on their Facebook page that shows which breads and pastries they make each day. In terms of the food, the croissants and the pain au chocolat are always a good way to go. But keep an eye out for their more seasonal things - they are always great. For bread, I can't argue with Bon Appetit naming their Cumin Gruyere as one of the best loaves in the country. As to the people that complain about the hours of the place, I'm not quite sure what they are expecting. They are closed Sunday and Monday, but so are a lot of places. Bakers work very hard hours, so I have no issue with them taking a weekend off. They aren't Panera. Otherwise, they are open at 7 or 8 AM everyday. read more

Stopped in for some house made pastries and jam as a local souvenir from NC for Mom. I had a curried okra and tomato stuffed croissant and the fiance had a chocolate one. I inhaled mine and couldn't stop making Mmmm noises while eating it. Just enough salt and curry flavor and the okra was soft but not slimy. It sounded weird but being a lover of anything okra I was a believer. The chocolate croissant was tasty and not too sweet. I would have loved this place even more if they offered more savory pastries like the curry okra. They did have fresh loaves of bread, local milk, chevre cheese and salami perfect for a picnic outing. read more

Despite popularity of no carb diets, I refuse to give up my carbs, especially bread. Thankfully we have Loaf in town to satisfy this primal desire of mine. I rarely pass by their stand at the Saturday morning Farmer's Market without picking something up. The breads, not surprisingly, are the best of Loaf's offerings. My favorites are the whole wheat and the flaxseed, which both have nice chewy crusts and a soft pillowy insides, and are full of nutty complex flavors. Fantastic for toast, sandwiches, anything you might want to do with bread. Sadly they don't have a bread slicer and the crust is so thick that it's difficult to saw through, but I am resigned to make that effort (if nothing else, it's a good workout for the arms). I'm less enamored of their olive bread and multigrain bread, which were pretty bland in comparison to other bakeries' superior versions. As for their cookies and pastries, I've only tried their chocolate croissants (also known as pain au chocolat) which are pretty good if not superb. They're small and buttery and flaky, though a bit too soft (I prefer crustier versions). When I've gotten the croissants in-store, they were warm and the chocolate melty. When I've gotten them in the Farmer's market, they were cold and the chocolate was a hard nubbin. I thus recommend you only get the chocolate croissants in-store. I must admit that I inwardly weep when I hand over the $3 for a single croissant, when I remember spending less than a euro for a superior one in Paris. At their brick-and-mortar place, they also have a number of fresh local offerings, including milk, cheese, meats, coffee, sandwiches, and other goodies. Check 'em out and you will find something delicious to make your carb-craving self happy. read more

I am somewhat of a baked goods aficionado. It's one of my obsessions. I adore Loaf. I have tried any number of their treats, and plan to continue to excavate their menu. The chocolate hazelnut croissant is perfection, the gougere light, but rich with flavor, and I am also fond of their dark chocolate brownies and ham and cheese scone. Excellent ingredients and skill make for delectable treats for happy me. My husband works near Loaf, so he stops there twice a week to pick up my requests. Sadly, he'll relocate slightly in April, but he has agreed to do a weekly visit for my needs. :) read more

This is a cute little bakery that saved the day for me this week. I am new to town and wanted to pick up some locally made artisan bread and cheese for the nest. My first two stops were Scratch and Reliable Cheese and they both failed me. Loaf picked up the slack and then some. I got a lovely loaf of their Campagne bread - a hearty kitchen staple well worth the $5 - and a small block of Calvander cheese from Chapel Hill Creamery! That's all I wanted - bread and cheese - plus friendly, happy, and helpful stuff to assist me promptly. I do not ask for much in this life. Keep in mind that there is no seating here - it's grab and go only. Can't wait to come back and try more! read more

Wanted to grab a late breakfast somewhere new. Wasn't sure what to expect, but came in to a homey little bakery with a bread and pastry counter at the front. I immediately told the girl at the counter it was my first time here and I wasn't really sure what I wanted. When asked for suggestions, she pretty much responded by telling me everything is good--probably true, but not helpful for decision making or for reading french pastry names I've never seen before. I settled on the gougère (cheese and herb puff) and the pain au chocolat (croissant with chocolate on the inside). Both were fantastic--flaky and light. Undoubtedly, the most fresh tasting bread I have had in my life. They obviously do bake fresh daily. They were even priced reasonably well, (even compared to corporate, chain-style coffee shops with pastries.) My complaint is they were not warm. Don't get me wrong I realize these are not made to order and have been sitting in the display case for a little while, but they were COLD, almost refrigerated-like. If they had a means to warm them up for me, I did not see it on first glance, nor was it offered to me. I had intended to (and did) eat them immediately, and that was a major disappointment. I will try them again, but earlier, and hopefully can get something warm. read more

Loaf - Gougère (cheese and herb puff) - Bakeries Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Great selection of savory and sweet pastries. The texture of the pastries are always appropriate and the flavors are spot on. This is a really good place to grab a snack or a mobile quick breakfast. read more

What an adorable bakery! I couldn't decide between the pan au chocolate (historically my fave breakfast pastry) and the almond croissant (a recent trend for me). So I did the only thing a girl could do - ordered both! The pan au chocolate was heaven. Absolutely perfect. Buttery croissant and good-quality chocolate. Ideal size. Just warm enough to be semi-melty, but not that horrid chocolate syrup stuff that some places try to pass off. And these are a true pan au chocolate vs the Americanized (bastardized?) version of chocolate croissant. I was a bit disappointed in the almond croissant, but I think 90% of that has to do with my early learning curve in appreciating these pastries. These are "twice baked almond croissants" here, so much heavier and greasier than their true almond croissant brethren (the latter of which are my preference). Thus, not to my liking. But again, all was made up with my pan au chocolate, so I remain a very happy customer! Extremely friendly staff. Coffee - Coffee Culture - is not bad. Serve yourself in the one size fits all 10 oz cups. read more

fresh bread at high prices. I have gotten the country loaf and foccacia. the former was about $7 and the latter was about $6. the country loaf was fresh, delicious, and stayed fresh for a few days after. the foccacia was slightly dry even hours after purchase and overpriced. read more

Cookie are delicious and super cheap (the chocolate chip pecan and brown sugar dusted small ones). Gotta say this place made my day when I found it. read more

This place is cute but very overpriced for what it is. Which is NOT gourmet or well done in anyway. The every day, standard sourdough was slightly overdone. It was dry and chewy the second I got it outside. The cookies are nothing but butter so they cook out flat and very crunchy. Almost no flavor other than burnt butter. The brownie was also odd in flavoring. It's just not great. read more

Holy delicious pants. That was delicious!! We had some of everything and it was great. It was failrly priced and completely worth it!!

Great bakery! Fantastic pastries and very helpful staff.

This cute bakery is so Durham! It seriously embodies just about everything I love about this town. It's in a small store on the budding West Parrish Street (seriously, so many cool new businesses are located right there--none of which existed when I moved to Durham a few years ago). The front area is a small store which has fresh baked goods (mini flatbreads, croissants, etc.) and racks of fresh baked bread loaves in a good many varieties (think almond wheatberry, polenta, pan de champagne). To one side there are large thermoses of Counter Culture coffee, and to the back is a small refrigerated section with local products (think Chapel Hill Creamery cheese, local jams, Farmhand Foods sausages). I really like that touch because you can get not only your local baked-fresh bread, but also enough products to make a whole Triangle sandwich! The chocolate croissants are really good--flakey with just the right amount of chocolate. And they're relatively small so a lot less guilt than they *could* be. The only problem is I've noticed that sometimes their bread loaves are burnt, so the crust areas, especially along the heels of the loaves tastes too burnt for my taste--it overpowers the flavors of the bread itself. But, I still love stopping by for their sweets/baked goods and a cup of coffee while strolling along in downtown Durham! read more

It is a bit pricey but it is worth it and it is the best bakery in NC. I think French/Japanese people would love this place because they have good pastries read more

Stopped in to loaf one morning before a long drive out of town and grabbed a coffee and a bacon biscuit. We also picked up a loaf a fresh warm bread. What a treat! Probably the best bread I have had. The crust was super crunchy, but the bread itself was nice and soft. We couldn't stop eating it! Will definitely be returning to loaf. read more

Loaf is a hidden gem. If you want a fresh loaf of bread or if you want a sweet treat they have that too. I love getting the flatbread and the crispy cookies! The staff is exceptionally nice and sometimes you can catch a peak at them baking up goodies. They also have odds and ends like local peanut butter and house made (I think) jams. Sometimes they have meats and cheeses. Also the coffee is always fresh and really good! read more

I with another reviewer that their Chocolate Croissants are worth getting out of bed:) When I want that sweet treat in the morning to have with my coffee, I always seem to end up at LOAF. LOVE, love this place. YAY read more

All I can say is that I LOVE LOAF! It's amazing how much care and quality go into all the products they make. For anyone complaining about the cost, you get what you pay for. Sure you can get a loaf of bread at Whole Foods for a few dollars cheaper, but it's frozen dough that travels across the country to be reconstituted in the store here. It seems like such a waste of resources. When you purchase bread, or many of their other products they offer, you are directly contributing to the local Durham economy. To me that is worth an extra few dollars. On top of that, it's obvious the people there love what they do. Baking is a meditation for them and I can tell when I eat their bread. Everyone is so delightful and sweet. I honestly can't say enough good things about this place! Only bad thing is that they're closed on Mondays, and right now I really wish I could go get a loaf to go with this evenings soup! read more

What an amazing place. All of the pastries were delicious and the staff was so nice. Plus, they are dog friendly! We were just in Durham for the day but this was one of the highlights! Wish my town had something even half as good. read more

My favorite bakery in Durham!! I just wish the hours were better. I find myself constantly checking to make sure they're open before I head there. I also find it best to go closer to the mornings because they do run out of certain things. It's a counter shop; more of a stop and go type place. Amazing almond croissant and you can't go wrong with any of the savory options. Definitely a go-to if in the area. read more

Absolutely great bakery. The selection of items changes somewhat by day, but it's all good. On pastries, mix of savory and sweet. I had croissant, chocolate croissant, fruit custard tarts, savory tarts, and bread. All to die for. I'm a visitor to Durham from CA, will go here any time I'm in Durham. Pricey, worth it! read more

This place had amazing food. My croissant was filled with crushed almonds and warm melted butter. The perfect way to start your day! Strongly suggested! read more

Excellent quality breads at good prices. Dessert selection is small and a bit expensive, and store is not always open at their announced hours (which I find a bit strange) however. Their refrigerated section also sells locally produced dairy products. Really, it is a bread bakery first and foremost, and it will be interesting to see whether or not it expands to include a wider selection of desserts and other offerings in the future. read more

I love everything I have ever gotten here.

Customer service is bad. I was yelled at being new to town by staff for not wearing a mask as most restrictions have been lifted by the CDC for the vaccinated. No knowing their policy I was verbally assaulted even after putting my mask on. I asked for a manager they would not provide this. I then emailed their general email and never heard back. When you have workers with no sense of customer service and they say they don't care if your a customer there is a problem and no bread is worth that. So know I buy at Strongarm Bakery. This verbal attacks need to stop. read more

Best baguette, delectable galettes. Made me feel like I was in Paris, stopping by local bakery.

Loaf is a small bakery with pastries, croissants, cookies, bars, cream puffs, and more. They make a delicious almond croissant. It was just the right texture, and the filling was delicious. I would not recommend the chocolate babka bread. It was extremely dry and not worth it. read more

I have been really wanting to to try this place after following them on Instagram and finally made it in. I had the Carrot Harissa flatbread with green peppers and red onion, and I have to say, it exceeded my expectations! It was pretty spicy, but the grilled veggies had a sweetness that created the perfect combination! All of the pastries looked delicious. I would definitely recommend stopping by. read more

Loaf - Carrot Harissa Flatbread with green peppers and red onions. - Bakeries Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Hmm, I'm going to be late with my project. My boss is going to kill me. I'd better stop at Loaf on the way to work and pick up pastries for the office. A raise is better than being fired, and this is how you get a raise. read more