A few years ago I went to a barbeque where friends served sausages in Starter Bakery hot dog buns. I never thought much about hot dog buns before but these were the best I ever had so I found out where I could order them and did so periodically. I ordered them from the wholesale location on Gilman. Since then the retail location opened on College Avenue. But when I'd go by there I never saw the buns for sale so I forgot about them. I'm giving a birthday celebration for a friend on Sunday so yesterday I called Starter Bakery on Gilman to see if I could order some hot dog buns. I was told I could pick up two packages of buns today at 7:30 AM when they opened on Gilman. I went to pick them up at 7:30. There were no buns but the general manager, Mr Suk, took my number and said they would call when they had some buns. I received a call saying they had two packages of buns for me at the College Avenue store. So I drove there and picked them up.Thank you all for your kind help! read more

This review is based solely on the Panettone. Truly. wonderful. If you got one of those boxed ones made in a factory somewhere, I'm sorry. Get this one. It has a chocolate crackled top that was different and I was worried I wouldn't like it but wow. We picked it up 12/23 (distanced pick up, text when you get to the parking lot) and had half for dessert today. That was after a full dinner and i wasn't really hungry but it was so perfect - pulling apart into these fluffy, rich, lightly sweet heavenly bites with the tang of dried fruit. Thank you, Starter Bakery, for making the holidays so much better when I really needed it. read more

Starter Bakery - Panettone loaf - this smelled so magnificent - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I was getting coffee beans at Highwire a couple of weeks after the Shelter in Place started and wanted to get Starter's Kouign Amann with my coffee but they didn't have any. I was so sad. I looked on Instagram to see if Starter was still baking and selling their pastries via coffee shops and Farmers Markets, and found that they had just started taking orders online for pick-up. I was so happy to hear that! I asked them on Instagram why the Kouign Amann was not available a la carte and they responded right away and said that they will soon be. I ordered a box of pastries for $25 and a single Quiche Lorraine. The box came with 2 each of the following: Butter Croissant, Twice Baked Almond Croissant, Cinnamon Roll and Chocolate Kouign Amann. It was a lot of goodies and as there are only two of us at home, it took us a few days to finish them. We had to start with Twice Baked Almond Croissant. It reminds me so much of the Almond Croissant we would get from the boulangerie across the street from our AirBnB in Paris in the 1st arr. Has so much almond paste and so flaky. That and that Kouign Amann are my favorites. Their KA is better than B Patisserie's and other places. The flaky texture and balance of salty and sweet reminds me so much of salted caramel. So delicious. My husband loves their Quiche Lorraine and let me have a bite of it. We had the cinnamon rolls (not too sweet, stretchy dough) the next day with our coffee and used the butter croissant for a bacon and egg sandwich. So good! If I'm at a Farmers Market and Starter is there, I always stop to get an almond croissant and a Kouign Amann. I love their pastries! read more

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I use to purchase their baked goods at the lake Merritt farmers market when I use to live in Oakland. I've moved out of Oakland and don't go to the farmers market unless I the area during their hours which is once in a bloom moon. I was excited to see they are at the Berkeley bowl which is where I go grocery shopping at.... Yipeee! read more

There is always a line here and the pastries run out so fast! I picked up a tartine that had fresh fruit and a pistachio filling. I also got a cinnamon twist since they were out of morning buns, an almond croissant and a bacon cheddar scone. Everything was so tasty and I regretted not buying more when I was there. Next time I have to arrive earlier and hopefully I can try the kouign aman. read more

They were at the SR farmers market and they had a long line so I decided to see what was all the hype. They had a beautiful display of various kinds of carbs, such as a beautiful loaf of sour dough. I snagged me one loaf and couldn't resist to pick up chocolate croissants and a vanilla bean scone. The croissants were not flaky it was more doughy which disappointed me. The scone was standard and nothing unique it was still good/flavorful. Sourdough was delicious! read more

The baked good are fair, employees are the problem. Very rude. After last visit decided there's plenty of places to take my business to or make it myself. read more

The pastries here are excellent! We got a selection of different types including: - Traditional Kougin Amann - Seasonal Kougin Amann - Peach Danish - Cheddar Bacon Croissant - Cheddar Bacon Scone Everything was incredible but the favorites for me were the seasonal peach danish and the traditional kougin amann. I love the vanilla custard under the peach danish and the buttery, flaky layers of the kougin amanns. The caramelization was maybe a tad bit too sweet, but honestly the pastry is so incredible I'm totally willing to overlook it! read more

This place is like a Rotha or Fournee Patisserie without the hassle having to wake up early and lining up. Also has more variety and seasonal items. The croissants here are definitely not as layered and flakey as those from Rotha (to be fair, no one makes it like Rotha) but it's still nice and crispy. In other words, Starter gets the job done! I love that I can pre-order for delivery, and wake up to a bike of freshly baked goods outside my door. Fave items include almond croissant, kouign amann (Theo seasonal flavors like apple is sooo good), and veggie quiche. Loveeee their veggie quiche. Their pies are also great. Stays fresh in fridge (crust stays hard) for a whole week, unlike some pie crusts that turn soggy after a day or two! read more

My favorite bakery to stop by at the Farmer's Market. There's always a long line. Get there early so you don't miss out on the good ones: sourdough bread with olives, danish, and rhubarb and strawberry pie. read more

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Best pastries, Venoise! The tang of sourdough, perfect layers, ah! So glad they are available at neighborhood grocers like Rocky's in Oakland! read more

Fantastic bakery in Rockridge. Everything is very good. The sandwiches remind me of Italy and France, simple straight to the point and just delicious. Don't forget to take a loaf of bread home with you. read more

I have tried a variety of Starter's pastries and enjoyed them all. I am not going to repeat what other reviewers said on the sweet pastries. Today I tried the oilve sourdough batard for the first time. I like how the olives are chopped and evenly distributed so it's not too salty when you bite into it. I sliced and toasted it. It's perfect. read more

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Overall, a pretty solid bakery! Hard to find at first, but they are located in the parking lot right next to the Tesla dealership. They don't really have a big sign or door. Very incognito. Food: B First and foremost, at this time they are taking only online or call in orders, no walk-ins (although you can order right outside their bakery for pickup). I think when we got there, most of the pastries and baked goods were sold out (around 10am). But we did get a butter croissant, 6 pack of hot dog buns, and 2 cinnamon rolls. Everything came out great, but I do wish we got them earlier for the softness. They were a bit harder since they were later in the day. Parking: A They do have a shared, but designated nonetheless which is nice not having to pay or scrounge for parking. Price: B For the quality of pastries and baked items you get, I would say they are reasonably priced. You definitely get what you pay for. Overall: B I would come here again for sure, if not because of proximity to where we live and I know where to find the place. But we did enjoy the baked goods and will try to come back earlier in the day next time! read more

Everything is great but their double baked almond croissants are to die for! I've been reading that they have updated their ham and cheese croissants but haven't tried these updated ones. Can't wait to try! read more

Kouign amann is my favorite pastry & Starter does a nice job, a bit stodgy (heavier & denser) than I like or am used to but the carmelization is spot on. Love the apple version, so good. I usually don't like hazelnuts, but the hazelnut version has made me rethink this aversion. The croissants (plain, cheddar/bacon & pain au chocolate) are airy as expected, but I'd prefer them to be more flaky. Lovely fluffy scones, not dense and dry as most American bakery scones have a tendency to be; love the cheddar scones. I'd skip the muffins made here, dry & lacking flavor - for some reason the wild blueberry muffin tasted more of cinnamon than of blueberries even though it was chock full of wild blueberries. Bran muffin was very dry, even after a light reheat in the countertop oven. Employees are pleasant & patient! read more

Prepare to wait in line even before they open (Saturday morning)! BUT so worth it. Friendly staff, fresh bread, and great coffee! Tip - get the chocolate croissant and a variety of their kouign amanns! read more

SO ABSOLUTELY YUMMY!! I have to remind myself only two at the most at a time because I don't need the calories. I bought one of each for my bff and her family now I can't go visit without a box. Staff is very friendly and when I asked for their favs they shared. Sad when you go to a place and they said "don't know never tried". hint: not a good sign I need to comment about prices. Everything is going up; sugar, flour, overhead, minimum wages. As a retiree it's not pretty but I'll pay read more

Made a big order at Starter after I learned that they were open for pick up during shelter-in-place (https://starterbakerystore.square.site/) and could not have been more pleasantly surprised. They're right next to the Tesla repair center. I called when I got there and two very friendly young employees came out with my order. We sliced the bread and put it in the freezer - which is perfect for breakfast - and have been feasting on all of the pother great pastries. Great local people doing their thing to keep people employed during this challenging time. read more

Starter Bakery - Pasteurized! Blondes, croissants, kougin amin (and my kids) - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Kouign Amann...is that what it's called? Ffffff. It was good. If u aren't hip to the game yet u better get on it. It was so freaking good. I have no words...words are my life..:) People liken it to a croissant and a quiche mashed together...all I know is that it's deliciously flaky and a great harmony of sweet and flaky that's absolutely addicting. It's actually at a stall in the Oakland farmers market, so u can pick up some groceries and get ur sugar fix all at the same time. read more

I believe that there technically be enough butter in each kouign amann to actually qualify as a source of protein, and obviously fat as well. Not to mention the sugar. While not the healthiest of foodstuffs, one could arguably subsist on these kouign amanns for quite some time. Or at least that's how I'm justifying it to myself. Don't even get me started on the bourbon pecan pie, which may have enough bourbon to qualify as a light cocktail. These guys are absolutely destroying my Covid health regimen. Destroying it. read more

This review is mainly for their Kouign Amanns. I have ordered multiple times via their website in the last year for easy pickup (usually there has been plentiful parking inside the Tesla service center area & right in front of the bakery), and generally order their croissants and Kouign Amanns. Kouign Amanns are croissants in a different shape and with an added carmelized sugar crust, so naturally they are sweeter and richer. I recently had Kouign Amanns from b.patisserie and they were good but had less carmelized sugar than the ones from Starter. I personally love the Kouign Amanns from Starter, and appreciate that they have seasonal versions as well - the strawberry and frangipane one was amazing. Their plain Kouign Amann has a hint of saltiness in its carmelized sugar crust. Interesting that I did order their citrus pie once, and that was a little too sweet for me, yet I don't find their Kouign Amanns overly sweet. I like their baguettes too, but I'm not too picky with bread as long as it has a crispy crust and soft inside when toasted. Occasionally they have added a free item to my order which was nice. read more

Starter Bakery - Chocolate Kouign Amann x2, gingersnap cookie, chocolate chip cookie - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I used to pick up a too good to go mystery bag here regularly and it was one of my favorite things! But this week I tried them and they had doubled the price - which I was ok with since the quality and quantity was there before. But I was really surprised that all they gave was one loaf of bread and some dry pastries. What happened? They used to give 3 or 4 breads, which really went a long way for me. It takes a lot of planning to come during the limited window and for one load of bread the price and time wasn't worth it. SO disappointed. read more

Their sandwiches are delicious, their pastries and bread are flavorful. Service excellent and friendly. Ambiance is fresh and clean. Would go again, currently on vacation so good surprise stop. read more

Why 4.99* ... well.... you have to hunt one more trek to find where their delectable handcrafted baked goodies are available and sold ;-) (i found my fix at Philz Coffee) Am I an official bakery whore? Yup. Do I appreciate the time, love and passion that goes into heartfelt and handmade breads, pastries, cookies and so on? Heck yeah! First time ever I tried a Koiugn-Amman.... what a treat... a beautifully created lil crown of croissant-like pastry baked perfectly with the edges being an ever-so-lightly crunch of butter, salt and cinammon.. 3 words... Oh Ma God. That you Starter Team for a taste of heaven! read more

Starter Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've bought a couple pastries from here before. Today will be the last time I buy from here. The person working today is extremely rude. I must have disturbed her while she was looking at her phone. I knocked on the door and she looked annoyed. I bought something from an app and I told her this wasn't the correct bag bc I paid for the big version. She just closed the door in my face. read more

Best Seasonal Pear Kougin Amann! Must try. The dough consistency is just perfect- crispy outside and soft inside. You can catch Starter Bakery goodies at Motivat Coffee Roasters in Oakland. read more

Starter Bakery - Motivat Decaf Almond milk cappuccino and Pear Kouign Amann - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Great pastries and coffee, nice ambiance. Good for people or dog watching either inside or outside.

It's Starter. You're here for the kouign amann. And, friend, there is nothing wrong with that, nothing at all. Their new pickup setup is awesome and you could, if you wanted, just order one kouign amann, cruise up to their location next to the Tesla repair shop, have them pop that little baby right in the trunk of your car, and drive off into the sunset happy. But there is another way. You could live it up a little and opt in to the Full Starter Lifestyle (TM). Their sourdough batard (or "sour bastard", as it's known in this house) is amazing, probably the best sourdough I've had in the bay area. Better than Acme. Their presliced sandwich bread is also amazing, esp. the olive oil loaf. (It's a giant loaf! Check out the picture.) Their pain de mie hotdog buns are on point and make you feel like you're eating a gourmet meal rather than (um) another microwaved hotdog because it's the wildfire smoke apocalypse and you're only heating things in your microwave now. Their quiche is fantastic and the individual size makes for a fancy looking plate with a simple salad. Their cinnamon roll, after 10 seconds in the microwave, reminds you that there is still good in this world (also, raisins!). Hell, if you really wanna go all in, you can even order pantry stuff like flour, sugar, and oats from them. (Just make sure you're looking at their full menu, https://starterbakerystore.square.site ). And, of course, they do sell sourdough starter... though why you would want to make your own bread after tasting theirs takes a bit of imagination. read more

Starter Bakery - Sandwich bread - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Awful bakery. The staff is exceptionally rude and the bread is kept until well past stale. I've visited their booth at the oakland farmers market a few times and always been disappointed. What should be crisp and buttery crosoints are chewy and leathery without any hint of butter and just a nasty wood-bleach like aroma. TL;DR: Bad. Buy your bread somewhere else. read more

We found this place by accident on College Avenue on a day when we had been out doing some errands before joining our granddaughter's t-ball game. Tried a selection of pastries and were amazed by both the unique flavors and variety. They make some of the best olive bread we've ever had and we haven't been disappointed in a single pastry we've tried. We like to pick up a couple of veggie quiches and take those home to have with our dinner. We've held them in our refrigerator for up to 3 days and they reheat perfectly well . Also, their staff are more than willing to go the extra mile! For example, when we got in there last weekend the olive bread wasn't quite done. They alerted me it would be a few minutes and I waited and they brought me a perfectly fresh hot loaf. read more

Went here for the first time today, and i had a great experience. We ordered a couple of loaves of bread and some pastries, everything was delicious and delectable. I'll definitely come back to any of them when im in the area of them. Big fan of their chocolate croissant roll. So much chocolate, just made a perfect addition to a great day read more

No contest: the best kouign amann in the Bay Area. I've loved them for years, and would even chase them down at farmer's markets before they had their brick-and-mortar location so to speak in Berkeley. They are still out at farmer's markets in the East Bay during covid, but tend to sell out of their kouign amanns and breads quickly so I prefer to order online for pick-up. For the quality you get, they could really be charging more, and yet their baked goods are cheaper than lesser quality pastries from other bakeries. Some places charge nearly $6 for their kouign amanns! It is a truly labor intensive pastry to make, so $3.75 is an absolute steal at Starter Bakery - and you could get an even better bargain by purchasing their assorted box. They offer a "best of" box, an option to purchase pastries for frontline workers, and savory take-home kits or quiches for more substantial lunches. Their almond croissants are massive, blueberry muffins hefty without being dense, and pain de mie a simple but lovely treat. Can you tell I love Starter Bakery? Just take one look at my order and you'll rush to their Square site or look up the next farmer's market. read more

Starter Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great choices of bake goods and great service. This is only pre- order and pickup bakery only.

I love the Kouign-Amann! I always get at least 2. Sourdough baguette is delicious too. read more

Starter Bakery - Kouign-Amann - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Picked up a couple pastries at the farmer market. I'd never heard of this bakery before but was in the area of the farmers market and saw the line for this booth and the pastries looked good so figured I'd try. The kouign amann was okay. It was a bit dough-y. I was expecting it to be lighter and more custard-y in texture. Also tried the vanilla bean scone which was good EXCEPT its really just a plain scone. I didn't taste any vanilla bean and they shouldn't market it as vanilla bean because there was not a single black fleck in the entire thing. I even asked the lady if they gave me the right one and she said yes ‍ read more

Starter Bakery - "vanilla bean" scone - Bakeries Near Me - Berkeley, California

I went to the actual bakery in Berkeley. It was not easy to find. I thought the bakery was as big as the farmers market but you can't walk in. You have to prep order. I wasn't prepared. And the pastries cost more at the bakery then they do at farmers market. Also you can always get what they advertise in their emails at the farmers market. Would love to try the guava cheese kouign amann or blackberry pie but it is too much a trek to get out there. read more

Great customer service! Thank you LIZETTE (I hope I spelled your name right) for your superb customer service! I am a completely new customer to Starter Bakery. I spent a little over $100 today 9/18/20, in two transactions. One was online in the wee hours, and one in person the same day I picked up the 1st order. It's my mother in law's bday and I want to support local businesses so they can stay....also YOLO :D. If there's something you want and see it's in stock online, GET it! They sell out on their most popular items. Also their stock may be low, so you might only be able to order only one of an item. Ex., I wanted 3 chocolate chip cookies, I was limited to one online. The folx here are really nice and super busy. A very nice person (I didn't catch their name) helped me pack my 1st order. They took my 2nd order (they had in stock some items I wanted in my online order that were sold out, woohoo), and gave me that as well. I checked my orders in my car in the parking lot (huge plus, enter on Eighth, same as Tesla)). There were a few things missing and when I did the math on my 2nd order, I was overcharged (double check your stuff before you leave the premises. It's also our responsibility as customers). Unless the universe was trying to tell me something...whatever. No biggie. I informed another awesome employee and Lizette took care of me right away! She was very sweet. She offered me a refund on the overcharge, I said, it's cool, I'll just add something to the order. One of the items I pre-paid for was sold out. I'm flexible, why not, they're all yummies. She gave me a few extra goodies to make up for the minor mishaps. She was very professional and friendly, never dogged out her colleague, and took the time to make sure I was a happy customer when I left. So far I've had the twice baked almond croissant and a chocolate chip cookie. They were nice in size, pretty tasty, not too sweet. I'll have to do more research with my fam. I'll report back any remarkable findings we make . Thank you again Lizette! You rock! read more

Tried this bakery at the Montclair farmers market yesterday. My wife and I tried a wide number of different items ( highlights were a cinnamon twist, croissant, and cheesy croissant). All were flaky buttery goodness though. When we area are in the Berkeley area, we will stop in to the actual bakery. read more

This review is for the Spinach & Feta croissant (and I have every intention of increasing my stars once I go back and try what Starter is known for: Kouign Amanns!!! Silly me for getting a savory cheese croissant because I had a craving). I grabbed my croissant at the Grand Lake farmers market, and the line went quickly and check out was COVID-compliant/hygienic. I heated my croissant up at home but spinach is not the way to go in a croissant (or maybe heating it up is not the way to go but I die for warm, flaky croissants!!!). The cooked spinach was layered inside the croissant and tasted bitter and the feta, since it's not melty, was only present in certain bites. The croissant bread itself was yummy. I definitely need to "start" making better croissant decisions. read more