The 30 Best Bakeries in America
Once a mainstay of any town in America, bakeries have become more of a novelty or specialty store concentrated in major cities. If you don't have one in your area, you probably have to head to your major grocery chain's bakery department. That doesn't mean excellent bakeries are hard to come by.
There are countless businesses that have brought the art of baking breads, pastries, and other baked goods front and center, with their owners decorated with accolades and nationwide recognition. Curious about which bakeries stand out among the rest? As you'll see, nearly every corner of the United States is represented in this roundup of the country's best bakeries.
This roundup includes a few chain bakeries whose success has brought them a footprint that spans the nation and true one-of-a-kind gems you can only find in one city. You'll also find a wide array of bakeries that specialize in different culinary styles. Whether you're looking for a fresh loaf of bread to pick up in the morning or you want tasty sweets to enjoy after dinner, these bakeries are worth lining up for.
Belle's Bread in Columbus, Ohio
East meets West at Belle's Bread, a French-inspired Japanese bakery located in Columbus, Ohio. The bakery is known for its authentic Japanese treats, including Kashi Pan (sweet bread), curry donuts, and sweet red bean rolls. French croissants and crêpes are also in good supply. Everything is baked in-house with the highest quality ingredients by their team of 20 bakers, ensuring maximum freshness.
B Bistro + Bakery in Miami
Miami chef Henry Hané started B Bistro + Bakery. It features freshly made morning pastries and a rotating menu of savory breakfast items and lunches. Open daily, this bakery is near Brickell City Centre and is regularly featured in the culinary-rich city's top recommended spots to grab a bite to eat.
Lysée in New York, New York
Located in the Flatiron District in Manhattan, Lysée is a delicious blend of French, Korean, and New York City culinary influences. These forces come forward in an array of menu items, including quiches, pain au chocolat, yuja cake, madelines, and a perfectly brewed latte to match. Lysée fashions itself as a boutique with a dessert gallery modeled after a sweets museum. Picking your favorite pastry is akin to picking out your favorite work of art.
Bakery Lorraine in San Antonio
This French-inspired bakery specializes in all the classics, including macarons, viennoiseries, and other cakes and pastries. Bakery Lorraine has been nominated for best pastry chefs by the James Beard Foundation and has expanded to locations around the Lone Star State, including Austin and Boerne.
Bakery Nouveau in Seattle
Seattle is no stranger to exceptional bakeries, and Bakery Nouveau ranks high among locals and tourists alike. It is decorated with national recognition and awards that go back 15 years. There are three locations in Seattle, including its original shop in the former location of the city's historic Blake's Bakery.
Cafe Mochiko in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cafe Mochiko in Cincinnati, Ohio, specializes in Yōshoku cafe fare, which results in unique Japanese takes on European dishes. For customers, this means one-of-a-kind pastries like Thai Tea Snickerdoodle, Kimchi and Egg Croissants, and Miso Honey Butter Toast. The cafe has earned many accolades over the years, including owner and chef Elaine Uykimpang Bentz being named a finalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.
Gusto Bread in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California's 4th Street is home to many memorable eateries, including Gusto Bread. Indigenous ingredients are the star here, with items made with masa madre and their in-house nixtamal. Those ingredients are used to create a variety of baked goods, from conchas to cookies. Gusto Bread is well aware of its popularity, as its website clearly urges customers to arrive as early as possible each day to ensure the widest selection of goods possible.
Bouchon Bakery in Las Vegas
Bouchon Bakery is part of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, and this location is inside the Venetian Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. Don't let its otherwise commercial façade fool you. Bouchon Bakery means serious business when it comes to pastries and baked goods.
Boudin in San Francisco
Famous for its sourdough bread, Boudin Bakery has grown into a recognizable brand across California with multiple locations up and down the Golden State. You can visit the original location in San Francisco or, if you aren't near a bakery, order many of its popular items online.
Clear Flour Bread in Brookline, Mass.
This Bostonian favorite has been in business since 1982, specializing in bread typical in France and Italy. Clear Flour Bread lives up to its name by using only a few essential ingredients in its bread and baked goods, including its unbleached and unbromated flour. Expect to encounter a long line of hungry college students each morning.
Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City
Found in SoHo, Dominique Ansel Bakery is a New York staple. Its menu items, such as kouign amann, cookie shots, and frozen s'mores, help set it apart from the many other bakeries in the Big Apple. Its founder, Dominique Ansel, is credited with creating the Cronut, which is also available at the bakery. Preorders are highly suggested.
Koffeteria in Houston, Texas
Koffeteria is located in Eado, a neighborhood of Houston, Texas, known for its wide variety of eateries. That diversity is celebrated on Koffeteria's menu, with pastries that include Beef Pho Kolache, Biscuits and Gravy, and French Onion Danish. With so many culinary styles to choose from, it's no wonder Koffeteria has risen in prominence among Houstonians in its five years in business.
El Brazo Fuerte Bakery in Miami
When it comes to authentic Cuban and French treats, look no further than El Brazo Fuerte Bakery in Miami. Savory and sweet pastelitos are always in good supply, with filings ranging from guava and coconut to beef and ham.
Fat + Flour in Los Angeles
Fat + Flour markets itself as a "tiny pie shop" on its website, but don't let that fool you—it has a big following in the greater Los Angeles area. With locations at Grand Central Market and in Culver City, Fat + Flour has become a mainstay for Angelenos. James Beard Award-nominated chef Nicole Rucker runs the place.
Macrina Bakery in Seattle
Marcina Bakery has locations across Seattle. Each one features the bakery's seasonal menus, which include its MadRy organic sourdough bagels. Come for breakfast or lunch and enjoy its sandwiches, quiches, and savory focaccia.
Muddy's Bake Shop in Memphis, Tenn.
Muddy's Bake Shop in Memphis offers fresh baked goods for walk-in purchase and preorder. It specializes in homestyle Southern classics, all made from scratch. Muddy's also offers hands-on baking classes, so you, too, can learn to bake cookies and cakes like the professionals.
Pearl Bakery in Portland, Ore.
When you step inside Pearl Bakery in the Pacific Northwest, you know that your order was baked fresh that morning. This includes bread and sweet treats such as linzer cookies and blueberry scones. Local grocery chains have caught on to the tasty items baked at Pearl Bakery, and many of its items can be purchased at Portland-based markets.
Porto's Bakery in Los Angeles
Porto's Bakery is a local favorite in Southern California. That popularity is for good reason, as Porto's began with Rosa Porto's Cuban cakes in 1976 and is still run by the Porto family. The bakery has expanded to multiple locations across the region, with long lines a regular occurrence. Baked goods highlights include empanadas, stuffed croissants, and, of course, cakes.
Poupart Bakery in Lafayette, La.
Louisiana is known for its rich culinary history, extending to its baked goods. Poupart Bakery has been taking part in the state's long-standing traditions since 1967 and remains, according to its website, "the only authentic French bakery in Acadiana." Stop by for fresh-baked Mardi Gras King Cakes, or enjoy one of its daily specials.
Roeser's Bakery in Chicago
Roeser's Bakery has been in business since 1911 and is a true historic icon in Chicago. The name of the game at Roeser's Bakery is cakes, and the bakery serves them in the same way it did over a century ago. You'll find other baked goods, including cookies, doughnuts, and bread, but for the quintessential Roser's experience, order a custom cake for your next event.
Sun Street Breads in Minneapolis
Minneapolis is filled with great bakeries, Sun Street Breads among them. It opens bright and early at 6:30 a.m., with the aroma of baked goods wafting out the door for breakfast and lunch. While it's mostly a morning and early afternoon establishment, the bakery is open Thursday nights for a fresh-baked, hand-tossed pizza.
Sugar Bakeshop in Charleston, S.C.
Sugar Bakeshop is consistently ranked as one of the top bakeries in Charleston. Its selection of cakes, cookies, and cupcakes is a hit among locals, and its website warns that it usually sells out early. The bakery is known for using local ingredients, making it a true cornerstone business for the city and region.
Tartine Bakery in San Francisco
When it comes to the best bakeries in the United States, few can hold a candle to Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. It opened in 2002, and there's usually a long line of locals and tourists spilling out the door. Its bread is available for shipping if you don't live in the San Francisco area.
Termini Brothers Bakery in Philadelphia
Termini Brothers Bakery has been in business since 1921. Founded by two brothers, it has been run by the Termini family for generations, continuing the traditions that have made its baked goods memorable. Stop by for cannolis, cakes, cookies, and a wide assortment of fresh-baked pastries.
Willa Jean in New Orleans
A trip to New Orleans is likely accompanied by a mile-long list of places to grab a bite. Make sure to include Willa Jean in your foodie roundup. You can order a wide range of items for breakfast or lunch, but the baked goods stand out. These range from bread to cookies, each bite steeped in traditional Southern comfort.
Fillings & Emulsions in Salt Lake City
Craving dessert? Happen to be in Utah? Swing by Fillings & Emulsions in Salt Lake City for out-of-this-world sweets. This isn't your ordinary cookie shop. Each of its desserts is baked and prepared with attention to detail, creating goodies that are as beautiful as they are tasty. Or, you can keep things simple by picking up a loaf of freshly baked bread.
Floriole Bakery in Chicago
Shows like "The Bear" have catapulted Chicago's culinary scene front and center. There is no shortage of talented pastry chefs in Chicago, and at least a few of those chefs call Floriole Bakery home. Find everything from cakes to quiches on a menu with European influences.
Le Panier in Seattle
Pike Place Market might be the home of Starbucks, but the corporate mega-chain is only one of many places to grab breakfast. You'll likely find just as many locals in line at Le Panier. This bakery has been serving freshly baked pastries every morning since 1983, with French classics such as macarons, eclairs, and, of course, croissants.
Levain Bakery in New York City
Levain Bakery holds the title of New York's most famous cookie, a bold assertion to make in a city so large and rife with bakeries. First opened in 1995, it has had plenty of time to perfect its cookie. If you don't live near a Levain Bakery, do not fret—its cookies are available for nationwide shipping.
Liliha Bakery in Honolulu
Honolulu has many great bakeries, but few are as notable and historic as Liliha Bakery. Opening in 1950, this full-service bakery now has five locations. Enjoy one of its more than 150 freshly prepared baked goods in the morning, or order one of its famous custom cakes for a celebration.
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