Popular Bakery has it's name cut out for it, on the corner with it's big bold black sign with 3 different names making it super confusing for any newbies out here. I didn't quite know what to expect walking in, if it was more of a takeout bakery style or a sit down and enjoy sandwich and chicken eatery? Well, we got to try it out and 100% more of a take out shop than anything else. Similar setup to Handy with breads and desserts displayed on the center glass counter display with a few shelves on the side acting as a mini market, the backboard had a few food food items but nothing special. The space is roomier with plenty of seating, but with a feeling of more of a concrete room as opposed to being more welcoming as Handy. We left with a few Portuguese tarts and they were cold? She didn't offer to warm them up or anything either, so my cold tarts were pretty disappointing. Though the filling did taste really good. Maybe we need to visit again on a busier peak time for some better service? Not in a rush to try this place again though. read more

Popular Bakery - a hand holding a pastry - Bakeries Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

Popular Bakery is many things - including living up to its name. It is a bakery, grocery store, sandwich shop, cafe, and hang out, all in one. Located on Alberta Avenue, Popular Bakery fits well into the multicultural atmosphere of the area as a Portuguese bakery and restaurant. One of the few places where one can sit with a cup of coffee and enjoy conversation with friends (except when community coffeehouse The Carrot is open), Portuguese Bakery sells fresh baked goods, sandwiches made to order, and a few hot entree items such as Portuguese flame-grilled chicken and pork. A cooler contains a variety of beverages, both domestic and imported from Portugal, and there are a few short aisles of groceries, again, mostly Portuguese. Despite being large and spacious, tables are precious few. I can imagine this place getting very full at lunch time, and doing a mostly take-out business. I was there around four in the afternoon, and the tables were around half full, mostly with older Portuguese men and women sitting around enjoying coffee and pastries, speaking in their mother tongue. My server was Portuguese, and I really felt like I had stepped into another culture - which is exactly what I want when I am visiting an ethnic establishment. I ordered a quarter chicken meal with french fries (my other choice was rice) and a salad (which comes with the meal). I was asked if I wanted my food served regular or spicy and I opted for regular. My food was brought out to me a few minutes later, and consisted of a large plate almost overflowing with chicken, fries, and salad. The salad was a mix of vegetables in a light, almost Italian style vinagrette with a bit of a salty kick to it. The fries were average, but crispy. I thought perhaps they might make their own here, but I was wrong. The chicken, however, was the star of the show. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, the meat was infused with a tangy season mix in oil, accented with salt and garlic. The grilled flavour of the chicken came through as well. Instead of giving me an entire dark or white quarter, I had a wing, a chunk of thigh, and two chunks of white meat. I enjoyed the variety, and it also made the meal easier to eat. For dessert, I decided to try one of the many tempting treats in the bakery's showcase. An egg tart is a standard Portuguese favourite of mine and they were here, but looked rather burned. Some of the other items, such as danishes, eclairs, and other pastries looked delicious, but a bit too much to follow the meal I had. I opted for what looked like a smaller dessert - a slice of caramel pudding. As soon as my server handed me the plate, I thought my arm would drop. It was heavy for such a small slice! I also had a cup of coffee to accompany my dessert and keep me occupied as I finished reading a book. The pudding reminded me of the filling of an egg tart, very firm in texture. The caramel part was probably the light syrup at the bottom of the slice, which tasted more like a lightly burned sugar than caramel. It was good, though, and it took me a while to fork my way through it. The big disappointment of the afternoon was the coffee. It was very, very average. However, it was also inexpensive. The price for a meal is in the $7-$10 range. The sandwiches are on fresh bread or rolls and include a variety of meats. There is also soup. I plan to come here again to have more chicken and try the rice. Portuguese Bakery closes daily at 6:00 p.m. and is closed on Sundays. read more

I'm surprised by the number of interesting businesses that dot the Alberta Avenue neighborhood. Popular bakery is exactly one of those. Old school, been there, been renovated etc., this bakery carries the charm of an old neighborhood like none other. They're a portuguese bakery and cafe, with reasonable amount of seating space and big glass windows that makes this place inviting and worth it. The coffee is nothing great, I'll be honest, but then again if you want coffee that you're going to drink in Portugal, you better expect it not to be Italian. What I would highly recommend is their single serving custard pies. So freakin' delicious and goes great with a warm cup of latte. The bakery section looks nice but I haven't bought anything other than their ciabatta buns. Those buns are creating quite a wave around in Edmonton. Popularized by Drift Food truck who make great use of them in their sandwiches, these buns are so delicious and worth their price at 6 buns for $2.25. Spongy, tasty and capable of holding a lot of material in it, these buns are certainly my favorite in Edmonton. I would love to come again and not only shop for buns but try some of their sandwiches etc. I love how affordable this place is, yet is all neat and tidy. I could totally picture myself doing work here, if my work warranted sitting on a laptop in a coffee shop (well, on some days it does). read more

Popular Bakery - Cappuccino and custard tart for $3.75 - Bakeries Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

I never really thought there were any Portuguese restaurants or eateries in Edmonton until I wandered down Alberta Ave one day and saw 3. Popular Bakery, though its name doesn't imply this, is a little Portuguese Cafe. I should disclaim that I am not Portuguese and nor have I ever been to Portugal (although it's definitely a country I want to visit). In short, I'm not an expert in Portuguese food, but I've eaten at Portuguese restaurants in other cities I've eaten in Portuguese restaurants and always enjoyed getting Portuguese chicken. I was pleasantly surprised to see that dish on the menu here. Of course being a bakery there are a lot of baked good, including those delicious custard filled Portuguese tarts. While I love Portuguese chicken dishes (becuase the chicken is always so flavourful and the meat is tender and never dry) I opted for the pork sandiwch. It was served on a bun, which was soft and delicious. Definitely a great inhouse made bun. The pork itself was tender, and good cut of meat and not too think. It had a good paprika spice to it, which added flavor, but no heat. I got a meal with fries (standard fries, although they weren't super crunchy), and a pop. I added a Portuguese tart. My meal came to about $10. Not bad for lunch, although next time I come by I want to try the chicken, or I'll just have half a dozen tarts for lunch instead. read more

I ordered through the get bread dot ca website and foolishly slept through my delivery time! But thankfully the man delivering the bread graciously went out of his way to deliver my bread to me. I am so thankful, I enjoyed my coffee with a delicious danish and I have 3 gorgeous loaves of bread. I love the Portuguese egg tarts the most. Thank you so much! read more

I discovered this bakery at 93st and 118 ave because they supply the ciabatta buns for my favourite sandwich place. The buns are huge, and nice and moist inside... perfect for sandwiches. They have many other types of breads and a small deli counter. I'm anxious to try the other breads, if I ever tire of the ciabatta buns. The baked goods all look quite good, and the couple i've tried were in fact quite tasty. They also have fresh sandwiches available, and a coffee/ espresso bar with a few tables to sit and visit at, which is nice when you need to get a break before hauling those big-ass ciabatta buns home. Maybe check it out on a thursday evening, then you can head to the weekly farmers market across the street. read more

Popular Bakery is a crowded neighbourhood hangout, with long lines, but swift service. The atmosphere comes from the joyous laughter of the regulars who hang out there, in addition to the friendly staff. Large windows and a corner location make it very well lit. And everything I purchased looked beautiful and tasted great. This included: 1) The oft-mentioned ciabatta buns - large, crusty, and soft on the inside. Yum! 2) Portuguese Custard tarts - the filling was actually more custardy than I'm used to, but the crusts were as flaky and tender as I'm used to. 3) Olive and Garlic Loaf - This one big puffy loaf of white bread with great flavor and airy texture. And if you get it sliced and toast the bread, it works well for sandwiches. Best of all, the breads are reasonably priced. The bagels on the other hand looked stale and unappealing. As such, I stayed away. I didn't want poorly tasting bagels to color my perception of this bakery, the way that the bagels at the Bee Bell Bakery have. read more

Awesome Portuguese bakery with Portuguese tarts, other sweets, piri piri chicken and a small selection of European dry goods as well as deli meats. The coffee is quite good here as are their baked goods. Most of all I love their keeping inline with Portuguese culture by maintaining a European tradition complete with outside wall art, cheap espressos, great pastries. Definitely a must visit especially when their tarts and chicken are fresh and not sold out. read more

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On my way home at lunchtime sometimes brings me to new places. In Toronto, I lived a few years in Little Portugal and often visited Portuguese bakeries and churrascos. So driving along Alberta Ave, I knew what kind of place I wanted to stop at. The sign outside Popular Bakery advertised whole chickens, so I hoped they were a lunch place as well. Turns out that this is not only a bakery and cafe, but also a small grocery store too. I perused the shelves, but nothing caught my eye today. For food, I ordered spicy chicken, with rice and salad and got a custard tart for dessert. They also do custom made sandwiches, breakfasts, and bifana. The food was... Sadly, service wasn't great. Not very friendly, which I didn't mind too much, but I had to wait over half hour for my food, and the lady never acknowledged the fact that I was waiting. They weren't that busy and I saw at least 5 staff. This may have been a 4 star place, but I can't give it that with this kind of service. read more

So this morning I decided I would try something local other than my usual Tim Hortons because I had extra time. I walked into this place and the two people behind the till were talking with each other in another language - no hello, good morning, nothing. I proceeded to stand in front of the counter for an additional few minutes, while they continued to try and sort out money, at which point I gave up. This place might have good food/coffee but I don't know because I couldn't even order! The customer service was non-existent :( read more

If you're looking for custard tarts look no further. Theses ladies make the best custard tarts in Edmonton!

I use to really like this bakery but I have noticed the quality of the pastries have declined over the last year and I won;t be buying baked goods at Popular anymore. Over the last 6 months I bought desserts ther severla times, and both times items were filled with cool whip/fake whipped cream and had overly sweet icing, and were dried out. Egg tarts are still ok, but I think they nee some quality control/improvements. Alot of other, better bakeries now in Edmonton. read more

I have never had any of their sandwiches or eaten in the restaurant but their bakery section is great. We are great fans of the custard tarts, cookies and cheese cakes. I also really enjoy their pumpernickel and rye breads. They are always so fresh and delicious! Yum. I have also picked up their sausage rolls a number of times for dinner. Unlike many other places, they aren't spicy so my kids will eat them. A couple of years ago the service wasn't as friendly but in the last year or two, it has improved significantly. My kids and I often stop off to pick up a cookie each, to walk home with after a long afternoon playing at the parks along the ave. I wouldn't do that if the service was rude! I'm glad they have improved! I love to see local businesses thrive. Having good staff definitely helps! read more