This place is went downhill a lot since the change of ownership and management. The quality of the food is simply taking a backseat.

A staple in downtown Novato for sure! Freshen baked breads and sweets, this place offers a healthier alternative to have breakfast or lunch. The staff is always friendly and ready to answer any questions. It's got a nice outdoor area to sit and they're environmentally friendly with reusable plates, cups, and utensils. All their to-go packaging is compostable, too. Today I went into get my fav, avocado toast. It's a good combination of toasted bread, avocado, and what tastes like everything bagel seasoning. I git mine without cilantro (I'm one of those who unfortunately tastes soap when I eat cilantro). There's no prob in eliminating the item. I sometimes add an egg or bacon but today I just wanted the avocado to shine. And yes. It was absolutely scrumptious!! By far the favorite here. I also picked up a chicken salad, too, for later. Great way to spend a Tuesday afternoon. read more

Trust the terrible reviews. I learned the hard way today. Tried to get my regular iced latte this morning. I should've known that the two parties ahead of me getting refunds for incorrect orders were a warning sign... At first I thought it was customer misunderstandings, until I had my chance to interact with the staff. DISORGANIZED CHAOS! All the others were wrong so nobody knew what orders went where. It was comedic watching the dysfunction until it came to my order Girl making coffee was so condescending and rude to one of those patrons. When I went up to order, she made an offensive comment about him in front of me. I waited 15 minutes for her to make my coffee. When I asked for an update, she was too busy discussing the latest complaint from a woman whose order was wrong. After waiting 20 mins to order and then wait for an iced latte... I had to walk out. When I told the girl to cancel my order, she didn't even bat an eye or offer a refund. I will be refuting the charge. This place needs a major customer service overhaul. As I said, I didn't believe the other horrible comments until I had the unfortunate experience others have described. Food is for, but stay away! read more

second time reviewing! i was compelled once again by the café mocha i enjoyed today. prepared by the same employee as last time, the drink can only be described as splendid. an eruption of flavor and joy waging a war on my taste buds. not only that but i was treated to incredible service as the employee (who's name i've still not learned) delivered the coffee to my table and added whipped cream to the top of the drink. i will always hold a special place in my heart for rustic bakery. i've been a customer for almost 10 years and their service and quality of food continues to exceed my already high expectations. thank you again and if you're on the fence i urge you to try rustic bakery as soon as possible! read more

Rustic Bakery - Cafe Mocha, 16 OZ - Bakeries Near Me - Novato, California

Rustic Bakery in Novato is cute, but the prices they charge do not reflect the product recieved. I had a decent blueberry muffin the first time I went there 5$+ tax & tip. It must be there bedt item, because I was never there in time to have another one! Had a tuna sandwich the 2nd time hard bread couldn't find the tuna $$$! Tried a peach pastry I think the 3rd time, not sure because it was dry and missing any sign of fruit!!! I tried, for the last ltime, a week ago, a "Meyers Lemon" pastry soooo dry barely a drop of lemon close to 6 $$$$ for what? They put on the fancy act, they charge the fancy price, but it's all far from delicious in any way! Sorry Rustic Bakery, I won't be back for any more dry taseless skimpy over priced food.! read more

We just got little treats from here for breakfast: chocolate croissants, avocado toast, and hot chocolate! It was interesting to watch the bakers do their work as we ate. Everything was delicious! The space is precious. I'll be back when I'm in the area for sure! read more

No meat means...well, I guess keep the bacon. ‍ There's a specific note I left in the app when I order. You all highlighted it and still managed to get it incorrect. read more

Rustic Bakery - Is it really that hard to understand? - Bakeries Near Me - Novato, California

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I work in Novato, and this is the first bakery I decided to try for lunch. The smell of fresh breads and the inviting atmosphere is what lured me in, and I was not disappointed. I think I already tried most of their pastries and sandwiches. My favorite is the Prosciutto Sandwich, the blueberry muffins (when they have them) and the fresh fruit juices. The staff is always nice seven when they're super busy. I recommend, especially if you like European style breads (no sugars). read more

Wow, what happened to this place? It used to be fabulous. Now, the word " mediocre" would be kind. They used to serve wonderful Equator coffee. Now, they serve some tasteless, bitter coffee from some unknown company. The quality of their food has declined dramatically. What kind of a bakery is always out of croissant by 9 in the morning? Really? The response? You need to get here early. Really? Why doesn't the bakery simply make more of the most popular item that they sell, croissant, and not make tons and tons and tons of baked goods that nobody touches. They're piled high with probably 20 chocolate croissant but nobody is buying, but they long ago ran out of simple croissant, which is what everyone wants. The food has gotten tremendously salty, which is a way of covering up bad ingredients and otherwise bland food. The food is also now greasy, would it never was before. Did the ownership change? What happened? Oh, and have they actually thought to ever wipe down their tables? This place is filthy. The chairs are dirty, there is caked on food in several places like near the coffee canisters. Also, they used to offer two types of coffee as well as decaffeinated coffee. Now it is just one kind, and it is almost always empty and when it isn't, the coffee is bitter. If they don't get their act together real soon, this place is going to go under. That's very sad, because this used to be a great place to go for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. We used to come here all the time, now we come back every couple months just to see if it's improved. Unfortunately, it is actually declined from the last time we were here a few months ago. If they want regulars like us to come back on a weekly basis, they need to get their act together. Such a disappointment. read more

This bakery is great, but I can't understand how they keep running out of items before 7:30 - 8am in the morning. It's surprising that this happens more often than not on the weekends. The Larkspur location doesn't seem to have this issue, but for some reason, the Novato one is always sold out. If things are consistently selling out before 8 a.m., it would make sense to produce more of those items. If they're selling out that early, there's no doubt they'll continue to sell throughout the day. read more

Friendly people. Very good carrot cake and coffee. Went 15 min before closing and they still provided wonderful service and did not rush us to enjoy our coffee. Thank you for being so hospitable read more

I like that no matter how busy this cafe is, the staff will treat you as if you're an individual. Lots of space to roam about while waiting for your order (for which they seem to have no issues identifying who ordered what), and there are plenty of books and other gift items to peruse during that time. One gets to look behind the glass where they make the muffins and scones. Not that it's a surprise, but everything is so fresh and so clean. Suburban life? You betcha! But in a good way... read more

The ginger scone! The preserved ginger! The texture and the crumb! All combine by an artist! A delicious pleasure to enjoy. And they also have many other tasty treats including: turkey chili, great for a quick meal when time is short; bread is delicious with a crust and good crumb. Stop in and treat yourself. Metta john read more

Baked goods, coffee and more! Rustic Bakery offers delicious variety of breads and other baked goods. There are also other breakfast and lunch options, but what I stop there for most of the time is the coffee be it drip or Italian style. I myself enjoy a good cup of Americano, but I can vouch for their espresso and latte as well. read more

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Best bakery in town. Our favorite place for Saturday mornings. It is super expensive, though. Their box of little crackers, just wheat and water, are over $6. They famous for their crackers, they are sold nationwide, in Whole Foods, I believe. But go there for the almond croissants and the ginger scones. The almond croissant is huge. You can start it on premise and then nibble away at the remainder of the week. The chocolate almond croissant, very expensive at over $5 but a great value if divide the cost over 3 or 4 days. You can watch your almond croissant being assembled (sliced in half and smeared with a delicious marzipan) as the kitchen is behind a picture window. Warning: the mountain of butter you see will make you question or limit your choice of baked goods. The coffee is very good. They use local roaster Equator coffee. You can get a refill, it's self serve. To tea drinkers, they're not as generous. We get told that they'll have to charge for a second tea bag. It's only a little annoying that a place with such high prices will nickel and dime you for a second tea bag. Especially when 2nd cups of coffee are free. First thought: what do they have against tea drinkers? But I realize I'm in America. If I really wanted to have a good cuppa, I should go back to England. Its not worth starting a pro-tea movement, organizing tea protests, or sneaking in our own tea bags. It's not going to stop us from coming every week. We'll just meekly pay for another tea bags. But while, we are on the subject of stinginess... would it kill them to cut the avocado toast a little thicker? like they used to? Do they really have to squeeze more toasts out of their loaves when they are selling the avocado toasts for more than $10. Today's toast just didn't look worth it. read more

Rustic Bakery - Newly enlarged - Bakeries Near Me - Novato, California

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Decent eat! Went with a group of coworkers and they raved about this place before we went. To me it was a tad pricey for no reason at all.... but some sandwiches and soups. The sandwiches were just as good as the Fiance makes for me everyday. Didnt order a soup, but 2 coworkers did and they enjoyed it! A little basic for the price, but the outdoor heated patio is a suave touch. Allows you to enjoy the street view without compromising your warmth. Somewhat easy street parking. Dogs welcomed in the patio. Daily specials posted on a Board. Friendly and helpful staff! Quick to help. 3/5 -- feels basic and maybe that's just because it wasn't my cup of tea. read more

Rustic Bakery - Grilled Sriracha Chicken sandwich with salad. Background: quiche with soup - Bakeries Near Me - Novato, California

Waited 28 minutes for a breakfast burrito and chickpea sandwich to go. Was not busy- never more than 2 people ordering & not a steady stream- and eating areas had plenty of open tables. People who had ordered to eat in after I'd ordered received their meals and were well on their way to finishing by the time I finally got my food. Avocado in breakfast burrito was disgusting & black- NOT mushrooms in pictures but avocado. read more

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DO NOT ORDER VIA DOORDASH They ALWAYS miss an order or 2. For big orders, expect to miss close to 10 items. Our 19 item order missed 8 orders today. read more

What a great local bakery!!!! Food is amazing staff is pleasant and polite! Bread is really good! Highly recommend!

I have to downsize my rating for 2019. I have been frequenting here since they opened and have tried just about all the pastries and half the sandwiches, salads and soups. My visits will be less frequent and begrudgingly now that my love is lost. I've been informed that they will no longer bake or serve my go to chocolate raspberry croissant, without any reasonable explanation when asked. I know it was a best seller because they always ran out of them early. So what gives baker folks? I know my excuse sounds petty but that was an incredible pastry that should be revered above all and placed into the Croissant Hall of Fame! read more

Baked goods, breads, sandos, avocado toast are AMAZING!!! Salads, not so much - in fact I'll not order salad from them going forward. Two weeks in a row our order included salads (quinoa w/ chicken) both times the cherry tomatoes molded (fur) - yes, they were refrigerated. Lastly, and this may be because they're so good and busy, the online orders are not read properly, if at all. But definitely go for the baked goods etc. read more

My Barcelona salad special I ordered was soooo good!! I'll be thinking about this salad for a long time to come. Decaf coffee was also good and had free refills which made me want to stay longer. Came in at 12 on a weekend and found seating but over the two hours of being there it did get super busy. I will definitely be visiting again. read more

Rustic Bakery - Special Barcelona salad - Bakeries Near Me - Novato, California

They never did train up those cashiers. Still with the, "Is that all" after every item I order. This time I placed an order to Novato I needed to revise. Called their phone for no less than 25 minutes and no answer. Absolutely ridiculous service. This is getting to a point where the Novato location is going to force me to stop buying lunch at your Larkspur Landing location 3-5 times a week when I'm in the office. read more

What happened to Rustic? Based on some of the other reviewers it looks as though it is under new ownership and management? The staff seem a bit confused and nervous. I ordered a coffee and pastry. The coffee is self-service. When I went to pour my coffee, it was sputtering and full of grinds. When I brought this to the attention of the staff member, she checked it, and then checked the carafe behind it, which was empty. She offered an Americano or else I would have to wait 5+ minutes. I accepted the offer for the Americano. She then turned around and management redirected her. No Americano. Two customers after me were waiting for coffee as well. We ended up waiting for at least 10 minutes while they cleaned the coffee carafe out and brewed more coffee. Within that time, one customer talked to a staff member about how long it was taking and was inquiring about how much longer it was going to take. The response was a blank stare followed by walking away. During this time you could see the manager was unpleasant to put it mildly. We (patrons) observed, and actually commented to each other about it. Finally, we got our coffee only to find that this batch still had grinds in it. Based on the treatment of staff and customers I won't be going back. The pastry itself was fine hence the 2 stars. read more

Rustic Bakery - Drip Coffee 16 OZ - Bakeries Near Me - Novato, California

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Consistently messing up my order and seeming extremely overwhelmed. Pastries are good but that's about it.

I've come here a few times for breakfast and lunch. My husband likes it more than I do and he's a tough critic. The staff is always nice and they have seating indoor or outdoor. It's a cute place with a coffee and water station. PROS: - lunch food was amazing. - salads are delicious and taste fresh. Cesar salad has capers, delicious - they have some baked goods that are great - avocado toast is super delicious! It would be great to have a "Build Your Own Avocado Toast" w/ options to add either salmon, capers, fresh Parmesan, arugula, chicken crumbles, fried egg, sauces, etc. on sourdough slices. - cucumber water available CONS: - When I came to get a latte I asked but they didn't have almond or coconut milk so I had to get regular creamer and that didn't sit well in my stomach. - very pricey for a meal here. Not realistic for me to order lunch when at work - breakfast is awful unless your getting a baked good. The frittata and egg quiche was undercooked and I couldn't get down. The day I went they really didn't have any other options unless it was a pastry. This place has potential to create an amazing breakfast menu and it would be a great addition since there are only a few places around with palatable breakfast. WISHLIST: - more eclectic or exotic hot beverage options like honey lavender lattes or cinnamon clove lattes. Just a unique natural flavors - Build your own avocado toast option - recycling bin (unless I missed it inside) - more lounge like area that would more comfortable to work at so I can have lattes all day and eat avocado toast. So cold inside all the time - some area where I can get the sun but I see that outdoor space is limited and I guess it's more hot than cold up here? Not sure. - other sweet treats that aren't so bready, more variety and cool recipes or weekly recipes. read more

Rustic Bakery - Different ways to order with access to a menu - Bakeries Near Me - Novato, California

This particular rustic bakery is always out of food. Their pastries don't last long, and once I ordered avodcado toast online and came in and they said, "sorry we don't have any bread". It's a bakery *head slap*. But when I walk in to make an order, the staff is always extremely pushy before I've had even a millisecond to glance at the menu - and they seem to huff if I don't know what I want in under 5 seconds. They've also not been helpful if I've made an order online and by the time it was ready to be picked up they just get it started and claim they didn't get it. Almost every time! I'm not sure why I keep going back, because the quality has gone downhill and the staff has never been really kind or helpful. I'm done. read more

Actually, their food is wonderful but the $8 box of a few crackers is ridiculously inadequate for the rice. That is, each cracker is embarrassingly small. I will not buy them again. read more

I just bought two croissants that were filled with almonds and lemon. I had to cut them in half because they were just giant. Super flakey and very good. Not expensive at all for the size. Definitely coming back. read more

First time to try this cafe. Just had quinoa salad and roast beef sandwich. I was surprised that the quinoa salad had more greens in them than the quinoa, like only a sprinkle of it - so why the name, that was confusing! I was expecting at least half quinoa, then the greens; there were even more quinoa at Costco's salad before (they seem to not sell them anymore). If anybody ate this salad without knowing it was quinoa salad, it would just be an ordinary green salad. You could change the salads' name or don't name it quinoa salad - it would would be lying. read more

Been going to Rustic Bakery a few times a month for the past year. Love their baguettes. Wanted to give a shout out to Chris. This morning, on Xmas eve, I was standing outside waiting for them to open at 7am. Chris kindly came out and turned on the heat lamps - he didn't have to do that (it was 6:45am) and I greatly appreciate that he did! read more

I have been here a few times and I have never had a problem. I have gotten the soups with side of bread. I have also had there grilled chicken Sriracha sandwich. They are both delicious. The staff is wonderful. Friendly and always willing to help. I order my food to go but my food as never been served cold. Which is a plus when you have to take your food to go. Place is pretty clean from the few times I have eaten at the location. read more

Rustic Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Novato, California

Pastries are good, coffee is decent. But, for a nice place, you'd think they would have better quality coffee cups!!!! I have this issue every time I get coffee at Rustic Bakery. It might seem trivial, but it's so annoying to me because it leaks all over my clothes and leaves a puddle in my cup holder. Please get better cups!!!! read more

Rustic Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Novato, California

This place is very good but don't bother going after 10am if you are there for a pastry. Not sure how they make their decisions about how much to bake but I've repeatedly stopped by at 10:30 only to turn around and leave. read more

We rate this a "take out a loan first". The food is fine. Not outstanding, not terrible. It's ok. The store itself was recently enlarged. Our issue, shared with others I overheard today, is price. A 1/2 grill cheese sandwich with a cup of soup, a BLAT (without the B ... bacon) a mocha (in a tiny cup) and an ice tea was $40. And they shortened their hours, closing at 4pm every day. The food/value here is low and their are other places you can go (unintentionally rhyme!) read more

$16.50 for a salad to go. Ok, but can you at least make it fresh? The romaine lettuce is brown, dry, and clearly been cut days if not weeks before. This is 7-11 quality. Blue barn down the street is where I guess I'll be going instead. read more

Location! Location! Very unique bakery located in the beautiful downtown Novato. When the weather is nice you can grab a table outside and enjoy the scenery. Something awesome about Rustic Bakery is you can order online ahead of time. So if you're running errands or taking a quick lunch it's a nice tool to have. I usually go here often for lunch because it's pretty close to my place of work. I see it as one of the healthier food options in downtown Novato. When I go it's peak lunch hours but I still manage to get my food fairly quickly. I recommend coming here if you like sandwhiches and baked goods! I got the Turkey Pesto sandwich this visit. I was slightly disappointed as my sandwich was a bit dry. I think maybe a little more mayo was needed. Otherwise I love the tiny pickles sandwiches come with. The Arnold Palmer is really good if you're looking to wash your meal down with something great. The staff is pretty friendly. As I was picking up my things to leave a staff member offered to throw away my trash for me. Great customer service! Parking might be a challenge I usually look for a space in a nearby neighborhood. Can't wait to try other items on the menu. read more

Rustic Bakery - Turkey Pesto - Bakeries Near Me - Novato, California

Delicious sandwiches and salads. The bread/French sourdough was absolutely perfect! The perfect taste and perfect ratio of firmness to softness. The ingredients in between this heavenly sourdough taste very high quality/fresh. The salad toppings were outstanding with fresh avocados and tasty chicken. The cookie and brownies were quality-but nothing over the top to rave about. The cookie has to be one of the largest I have seen. read more

Everything on the menu is delicious - my personal favorites are the breakfast burrito and the egg salad sando. My only complaint is that if you order to go using an app, the order isn't always right and it can be hard to get it rectified when there's a line out the door. read more

As a young naive Novato lad in the 80s and 90s, the only pastries I knew of in Novato were crappy Costco muffins/croissants, Safeway donuts, and KFC buttermilk biscuits. I'm mind blown that there's an actual classy, elegant bakery like this in my boring, cultureless, suburban drone of city like Novato(San Diego equivalnt is Poway or Santee). My refillable coffee mug and $3.95 egg breakfast thingy called a "Strata" was a light, delicious, and satisfying breakfast for under $7.00. Its also a order-at-the-counter quick service place, so no15-20% tipping mark up...yes! Weekday crowd was mostly housewives of various ages enjoying quality girl gossip time, and a few nerdy, lonely, techy guys powering away at their iphones, laptops and lattes. read more

Rustic Bakery - 3.95 Breakfast Strata...yum! - Bakeries Near Me - Novato, California