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super duper cute place! it's located on bainbridge island across from seattle... i took the ferry to check out the island and the main street here which is very tiny....
i wanted some coffee so i stopped by this place because it looked so inviting.... i had an americano and one of the best brownies i've ever eaten in my life... it was sooooo good i don't know what was in it except for the fudge.. maybe white chocolate? mac. nuts?
the espresso in my drink was superb.... it's no starbucks i tell ya
Well, the baked goods are consistently amazing. My first thought was that they must have crack in them, but Bainbridge is too snooty for that - my bet is on opium.
The inarguable appeal of the bakery - seriously, it's amazing - probably makes the very legitimate gripes about crowding and surly staff inevitable. Honestly, I love the food, but I almost never go there because every weekend tourist and 20% of BI residents get the idea of "relaxing" there on Saturday and Sunday morning. Bakers can be testy anyway - you would be too if you got to work at 4 a.m. Although some of my reviews suggest otherwise, I'm okay with crowds; it's long waits and a borderline-unfriendly atmosphere that keep me away.
Yes, the food is so good I still give it four stars. There's a Cola War on the island between this place and Mona Lisa. I live here, so I'm not choosing sides.
I was discouraged from ever wanting to come here again when I discovered that it is "normal and no big deal" that your name is screamed over and over again when your order is up.
It was clearly busy, but when I went over to pick up my cinnamon roll the girl at the register looked me in the eyes like I had slept with her boyfriend or something. I was so worried about this girl, and the others who seemed to be in a rage..
Blackbirdgirl#1:"What...can I help you??
Me: "I had the cinnaroll thank you."
Blackbirdgirl#1:"WHERE IS THE CINNAMON ROLL?"-she yells to blackbirdgirl#2..
Blackbirdgirl#2:"IT'S BEEN RIGHT HERE DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME YELL YOUR NAME..?"- She than shoved the plate to me and stormed off to take her anger out on that cash register. I didn't know anger management groups worked together as a team at Blackbird?
Now when the show "TRUELIFE: I have anger problems" comes on television, I won't need to watch. I just will stroll on over to blackbird in the morning time and observe. I'm sure it will be just as entertaining.
By the way, I gave this place two stars because I really did like the cinnamon roll.
This bakery is really yummy!
Try their delicious cakes, or my favorite chocolate chip walnut cookies. Definitely a place to try on Bainbridge!!
I'd give them a 5 star but their service is too often missing the friendly spirit you'd expect in a place like this.
Expect to wait in a substantial, slow-moving line on most days. But I have to add, it sure is worth the wait!!
Although we just stopped in for coffee and tea, we left with some baked goods and something called a winter elixir. This place smelled amazing and was filled with so many cakes, cookies, muffins, tarts, breads. We couldn't help but comment on everything as we waited in the busy line. The wait was worth the blackberry banana muffin and winter elixir, which was a hot blend of cranberry juice, herbal tea and fresh ginger. Next time I'm up here, I'm saving room for some soup, sandwiches and another muffin.
Cool cool indie bakery and coffee house on the main street on the lovely island of Bainbridge WA. Stopped in for a post cycling ride around the island taking in the beauty of the forest, beaches, boats, homes and shops that make this large island such a great attraction just 35 minutes via ferry from downtown Seattle.
Tired by climbing more than we expected (!), we opted for the apple pie and two cups of their coffee. The pie was traditional (thank you!) and very good. The coffee was dark and rich and accompanied by optional accoutrement. We carried both outside to their many teak chairs and tables and enjoyed replenishing ourselves in the warm afternoon sun. It's easy to see that this is a very popular place to enjoy breakfast, lunch or snacks any time.
Simply delightful.
Tummies full on ice cream, I venture on in while my son entertains a cute dog who is patiently waiting outside for his own Mom.
Ohh YUM, look at all the choices. I decide to pick up a couple of things to eat back at the hotel that night. I went with two triple chocolate cookies at .80 cents a piece and a slice of apple tart that was topped with sliced almonds. Out the door for under 6 bucks? shut-your-mouth!
Of course, I had to break into the tart on the ferry because it looked so interesting. I had to figure it out. What makes it tick. Sure enough the answer was a lot of butter, and sugar. OMG. Yes, I would do it again, and again and again. Color me insatiable.
Later that night, we broke into the 3x chocolate cookies. HEV-IN! Heaven....! I love Mrs. Fields cookies but it doesn't add up that these which were only .80 cents compared to those of the Missus....about $1.50 each? Que Serra Serra.
If you are ever on the island, you would be remiss to pass on the bakery.
Enjoy!
+Soy Latte-- Full-bodied flavor, perfect temperature, add some cinnamon and you couldn't ask for a better start to your day.
+Carrot Scone w/ Golden Raisins-- So, so good. Not too dry or cakey like some scones can be.
+Triple Berry Coffee Cake-- Definitely my favorite of the two. Cake was nice and moist, split with a layer of the yummy berries and topped with a wonderful cinnamon topping.
+They take traveler's checks.
-Would have appreciated some friendlier employees behind the counter. It wasn't busy, there was hardly a line, the sun was shining, so smile!
Man, I had such a delicious quiche here. I could have eaten the whole pie if we weren't going out for dinner later. (and after the not-so-good dinner experience I had, maybe that would have been good)
The spices on this quiche has my tastebuds dancing for about 30 minutes afterwards.... very good.
My one complaint is that the staff here needs to take a chill pill or something. They were trying to be so quick and efficient that they messed up our order and caused more confusion that necessary in our group..... and there wasn't anybody else in line.
...still loved the quiche though.
hey mon, they's a rasta man serving up the tea and cakes in here these days mon.
he is one cool dude, and lends some much needed color to the joint.
He actually, like, converses with you while you pay for your bread and coffee
the silver lining in the economic downturn is that you get much better quality service in the local island establishments
it's love I'm feelin', yo
"And I ask myself: How did I get here?"
What I like about Blackbird:
Real cups, pots of tea, the fact…
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Blackbird is a fun little coffee shop with delicious, freshly made baked goods, breads, and soups. And their cake selection is gorgeous! Everything is yummy (especially the muffins and cookies, mmmm), but my favorite quick breakfast is their toast and jam. If you like chocolate and are looking for an intense but purely amazing treat, get a Super Chunk Cookie!! They offer two different kinds of Chai, a spicy variety that they make as well as a sweeter tea that is made by Oregon Chai. The place is small on the inside with a changing exhibition of local artists. There are always people in Blackbird in the mornings so if you want to grab a table, you better be prepared to wait around of a bit until you can snatch one as soon as one becomes available. Also the sharing of tables is very commonplace here so its has a nice community vibe. All in all a great place to go!
I visited here for the first time on a recent fairy trip. I had the most amazing cranberry orange pull-apart. YUM! I took away one star because my hot cocoa was only warm, not hot.
Other than that, the service was quick. My pastry was fresh. And the barista made a flower design with chocolate drizzle on top of my whipped cream. What more can I ask?
A must-visit when I'm on the island. Good espresso, good pastries, great tarts and quiche. The benches out front are perfect people-watching spots on a sunny morning.
Bluebarb pie- blueberry rhubarb pie! Perfectly tart and sweet. Now I have a new summer pie to crave for. The crust was pretty damn good, too.
What really made my knees weak was the potato cheddar quiche. Not your average quiche, but with chunks of red bliss potato and a custardy-egg filling studded herbs. I'll be dreaming of it for days to come.
They also have the best iced lemon bread evah.
Walked in, cash only, hate that but oh well.
Home-made pastries, cakes and pies that made me feel content with the state of the world.
Pretty normal coffee etc.
Go for the dessert, leave feeling like everything is going to be ok.
p.s. I try to enjoy visiting this island but I never do.
I really cannot believe that this place gets the accolades it gets?
Everytime I go, I live right across the street, I have a sub-par experience. I am greeted kindly, but then it all falls apart. I drink doppio macchiatos...not a big deal, yet each time I order one, they have the ability to lose the order, make a latte', just give me the coffee, serve everyone that was behind me and then RUDELY exclaim, "sorry, but we are very busy" after I point out, "excuse me, but I think you may have lost my order"....
This is one Bainbridge "institution" you can keep....
Fabulous soups - most of which are gluten-free! Hot chocolate is good, staff is friendly, place is clean. I can eat lunch here for about $5 - where else on the Island can you say that? Bring cash - they don't do cards. Gluten-free selection is as good as you can expect - choco chip cookies, muffins (option changes every few months), bread (awesome!), and sometimes cake.
The super chunky chocolate cookies are SOOO YUMMIE!!!! Lots of white chocolate and milk chocolate chips! The Service was also fast and friendly!! They have seating inside and some bench seating outside. A great place to relax, enjoy some dessert, and a cup of coffee.
ALWAYS BUSY, so be prepared.
Without a car or a bicycle, you don't have much capacity to go beyond Winslow when you go to Bainbridge. That having been said, my friends and I have been known, on MANY an occasion, to take the ferry out there SPECIFICALLY for a) the ferry ride, which is still novel to a bunch of Midwestern ex-pats and b) coffee and tasties from Blackbird Bakery.
But everything always looks DELICIOUS and in my experience it always is. Brownies, tarts, pies, oh my! I like the ambiance, and even though it's always packed I can't recall a time when I couldn't get ANYPLACE to sit -- they have booths as well as a bar with tall stools along the front window, and outdoor seating. I'm sure they do hella tourist business, so I can't imagine they'd lose money if they lowered their standards, but they don't, so hooray!
I always take out-of-town visitors here as well. It's a nice trip!
(p/s/ Although there are two votes on here for YES they accept credit cards, they really don't -- check or cash only, dudes.)
I just got back from 5 days on Bainbridge, and I ate something from here every day. The last day I was having such a hard time deciding which awesome treat to get that I was beginning to tremble like my sister in a shoe store.
Blackbird Bakery rules!
If you want to step away from the city life & breathe in a slower paced setting....take a quick ferry trip to Bainbridge Island & find yourself at this bakery.
Off the ferry, I didn't know where I was going so we just headed down the main road. Such a quaint town with local shops & eateries! Fell upon this place. Pretty central location.
The bakery offers pastries, cakes, cookies,desserts & of course coffee/tea. I hear they do a great lunch as well.
I ordered the Hazelnut Torte with Cream and Grand Marnier (HEAVEN-extremely moist) & a vanilla latte (lots of foam action, a plus!) It was a nice atmosphere to unwind & share a conversation. :) I'll make it a point to stop in again on my next trip~~
This is a great alternative/hipster style bakery. Good selection of gluten/wheat free and vegan bakery items (if thats your kind of thing) as well as "normal" stuff for those of us who haven't caught on to the whole I wanna be vegan/vaginatarian fad. There are some great little areas to sit and enjoy a quick bite to eat and a coffee, tea or juice.
They are great at making special orders and work well with customers to make sure you get exactly what you want.
Really delicious spinach chevre quiche. It's almost worth a ferry trip over just for the quiche. I also tasted a bite of a lovely lemon custard. This place is clearly popular with both locals and tourists alike. The two staff who were helping us were tag-teaming throughout the order and payment process which illustrated a case when two people are sometimes not more than the sum of their parts. However it was worth it for the love of quiche.
Our wedding cake was fabulous!!! It looked amazing and tasted delicious!!
If you need a wedding cake you really need to talk to Jeff at the Blackbird. We had so many compliments and it is one of the best memories of our wedding!
Thank you Blackbird!!
Krista and Bob
September 2008
We just ordered a wedding cake here and I am So Excited! The cakes are beautiful and taste amazing!… Read more »
Pretty much the best bakery/coffee/community spot on Bainbridge. For those of you who remember the heyday of Bainbridge Bakers over in Winslow Green back in the early '90s (creak creak creak), that's what Blackbird is like now. Although I'd wager that the baked good are better than Bainbridge Bakers ever were. And they serve Morning Glory Chai, which is a huge boon in my book. None of that syrupy Oregon Chai crap.
Like another reviewer, I have to question all the bitter reviews that slam Blackbird for their clientele. You're judging the bakery based on the population of the Island? It's not the bakery's fault that Bainbridge has become an upper-class community. As a native Islander/now-Seattleite who grew up on the funky side of the Island's tracks, I mourn BI's bohemian days of yore too -- sometimes it seems like my parents and their friends are the only hippies left on the rock! -- but I'm not going to blame Blackbird Bakery for the fact that rich people like waterfront property.
The baked goods here are top-notch. My favorite thing is the coffee cake, but I also like their savory selections like the cheese scone and the cheese and herb croissant. Their special order stuff is really good too. One of the best wedding cakes I've ever tasted came from Blackbird.
I don't hang out in the Blackbird all that often, though. Mainly because it's so crowded all weekend long. If you can go on a weekday morning, when it isn't so crowded, it's a nice place to eat a pastry and have a coffee. My slightly better half will sometimes bring me home a treat on Saturday mornings. He's sweet and I appreciate it, even if my ever-widening behind doesn't.
"Why do you want to go to Bainbridge?" my coworker (a Bainbridge resident) asked suspiciously when I hit her up for recommendations. I explained that a visiting friend wanted to take the ferry over and explore, and while she still didn't believe that anyone would voluntarily come to spend time on Bainbridge Island, she did suggest that we try the Blackbird Bakery for snacks.
The interior is cute, and nicely decorated with a local artist's work, some of which is for sale. Hand-written menus on big chalkboards decorate the wall, and a double shelf of jars of loose teas offers a bit more variety than the usual rack of boxed Stash or Tazo teas.
However, by the time we got there, late in the afternoon, everything good must have already been snapped up, because pretty much all that was left were weird vegan pastries. There's nothing less appetizing than a half-empty bakery case where the few remaining items say "Gluten-Free!" and "Organic!" I chose a (non-vegan) currant cream scone, which was a little dry and crumbly but fine (though no jam or cream was offered). My friend saw nothing that she wanted to eat, and stuck to her beverage.
The ginger tea was HOT HOT HOT and really just okay-tasting. My friend's hot chocolate was small, but came with a pretty leaf decoration on top, and she proclaimed it "just right" size-wise. Service was on the slow side, but friendly enough.
This seems like a pretty popular place even late in the day, so I'm guessing they must have a better selection of baked goods earlier in the morning. I don't know that I'd make a point of stopping here, but when you're tired of browsing through tiny, insanely overpriced boutiques, the Blackbird is a welcome place to rest your barkin' dogs for a while before ferrying back to civilization.
Blackbird is soooo close to a 5. The only reason that it falls one star short is because when I have the opportunity to go (usually around noonish on the weekends) they have very limited selection. So I haven't gotten to try some of the goodies others yelpers are describing. I'm only able to make it to Bainbridge on weekends, and due to it's popularity, by noon the Blackbird selection is very limited.
Of course... That is proof to the fact that you are getting fresh baked goods and that Blackbird has lots of satisfied customers. And it's popular for good reason. Each time I've gone they've only had a couple of different types of cookies or brownies left, but each one I've tried was awesome. I found myself eating each bite of the chocolate chip cookie I had last time more and more slowly so I could savor each bite.
Blackbird Bakery was the first open bakery we came to on our day trip to Bainbridge Island on New Year's Eve.
The bakery has a small seating area and an expansive display case. On top of baked goods, they served some really good soup and bread and espresso.
In my family, there are five of us and we all ordered Hot Chocolates. The barista was surprised by the order for 5 and we put the finishing touches on their ceramic mugs - 3 were served in to go cups and they were apologetic about that.
Once people get their cars parked when they come off the ferry (it was faster to walk, we decided) the line can get pretty long, but they work through it quickly.
All of the baked goods were really good (Grand Marnier isn't my style, but the Grand Marnier, Hazelnut cake was good). I really liked the Irish Whiskey Gingerbread and had we not felt bad about paying with two checks already, we probably would have gone back for thirds.
I'm not really a tea person, but they had a nice selection of teas (not in bags).
The dining area is a "bus your self" area and the staff said thank you as I put our dishes away.
This is a great stop on a day trip to Bainbridge!
This place couldn't be more Bainbridge if it tried. It's quaint, and knows it. The staff are friendly but clearly not entirely hep to the "the customer is always right" mantra. You can tell that, sometimes, they think the customer is a moron. Prices are also a little steep. To put it short, they know their market.
Their baked goods are delicious, period. I had the coffee cake, which was creamy and flakey and an all-around celebration. I also had a mini-pizza of sorts that seemed a tad overpriced, but was filling. The bread is supposed to be good but I've never been able to track it down.
We have yet to find a great bakery on the Eastside so this bakery made my husband and I tempted to make this our Sunday brunch routine--ferry, exercise to bakery, binge on amazing quality and selection of carbs-o-rama.
So my husband and we ladies opted for roasted beet soup with thick, yeasty slices of oatmeal bread while the boys lunched on white bean and roasted vegetable chili. Then we shared a savory caramelized pear, gorgonzola, and toasted walnut tart and a dark, spicy slab of gingerbread laced with whiskey. The kids found room for slabs of dessert trio:
Double Chocolate Cheesecake.
Hazelnut Torte with Cream and Grand Marnier
Snow Ball Cake (two chocolate layers wrapped in cream and coconut).
Not surprisingly, the kids weren't able to finish and even with our help, large mounds of desert remained. Yep, it's a bakery after my own heart. Now, a la Claim Jumper, bigger is not always better with their mediocre to plain disgusting desserts, but if you can make something really yummy and make it large enough to share, yep, you've got me. Furthermore, prices seemed reasonable to cheap compared to bakeries I've been to of the same caliber in the Napa Valley or San Francisco.
Verdict: Blackbird Bakery is a must visit on a trip to Seattle/Bainbridge Island. Yum!
P.S. In response to other reviews, just because people are white, well-dressed, have cell phone, and kids, doesn't make the goods any less. Some reviews sound bitter, lonely, and child-hating... tsk! tsk!
fabulous gluten free!!!! Cookies are the best choco chip I have had. The berry muffins won my kids over, and they bake gluten free bread to order (order the day before you want it). The herbed dinner/sandwich rolls are great too..... mmmmmm.....
This is where the tourists go because it's right there as they wander down Winslow Way. I tried it a couple of times, but it just isn't worth the hassle. The help is sullen. The baked goods are nothing to write home about, nor is the coffee. And worst of all, it is cramped and uncomfortable, making it lousy as a cafe.
As a long time islander, I have my biases and favorite spots. I frequent Pegasus down by the marina. Best coffee and ambience and the only place with an open mike night. It's still a nice spot even under new owners, same folks who own the Pub. Pub's still a good spot, actually has gotten better over the years food-wise. Though the fries are still weird as noted above. Burnt on the outside and way greasy. I eat them anyway.
I make it home to Bainbridge about 4-5 times a year and each visit includes a drive down to Blackbird almost every morning.
You walk in and immediately are confronted with a myriad of wonderful fresh baked goods on display. The specials of the day are spread along the counter in a tidal wave of oven generated goodness. The layout of the bakery perfectly compliments the entire experience.
Drink orders are taken, then expertly prepared as you wait anxiously (both in anticipation of a great latte and also hoping you timed things right so you can get a seat).
I absolutely recommend sitting down for a few mins to really enjoy your artisan espresso beverage and snack. As you meander through conversation and scone, sit back and people watch for a few moments. The Bainbridge scene is definetely unique, if not more than a little quirky.
Honor the tremendous effort put forward by the Blackbird crew to create all those yummy treats and bus your own table.
The storefront is very appealing and well maintained. Upon entering, I notice that the display case is full of freshly baked items. Some breads, pastries, cookies, etc. There's a nice sit down area and the atmosphere is one of a cafe. It's very comforting.
Upon closer inspection, I notice rather steep prices. Perhaps that's because it's Bainbridge. I don't know.
The one shortbread cookie I had was delicious
I have been to Blackbird Bakery a handful of times, usually when I go over to "the Island" to visit my college French teacher, and I'm consistently satisfied with the baked goods. They don't take credit cards, so pack cash or local checks accordingly.
They run out of bread early, but I recommend the oat bread, which is springy and tasty and a bready dream, and there are also some really tasty gluten-free herb scones that you can order (I think they're 85 cents a piece)--I'm not a big fan of gluten-free foods, but these are so tasty, light, and crispy on the outside with just the right amount of salt that I can't help myself.
Blackbird also scores points with me for having loads of beautiful pastries of all sizes--last time I was in I was eyeing a lemon-blackberry tarte but for whatever reason was able to restrain myself. Hopefully they'll have it (or something similar) the next time I'm over.
I love the Low Fat Blackberry Banana muffin! It is always so moist with a perfectly crunchy top! the only problem I have is the attitude of some of the workers. Service with a smile? Or maybe a smirk? Something other than "your bothering me look"?
Even thought my order only equals $2.72 I still think I should get a good attitude from behind the counter.
If you're a typical vegan or vegetarian democrat who loves to sit at a coffee shop with your dog, this is it. EVERYTHING on the menu is good. I personally found the inside sitting WAY TOO HOT. I sweating beads and finally had to get out of there. That's why I'm taking a star away. BUt other than that it was pretty good.
Toast. 'Nuff said.
Coming from a coffee snob, the coffee is always pretty good. It really depends on the barista..some know what they are doing, and other lack certain skills (I watch them make my latte). Once I ordered a macchiato and it was clear the barista didn't know what she was doing. The coffee was so overextracted, i could only stand the one sip i took before throwing it away. Then there are days when I come in for a latte and it is delicious- latte art and everything! One thing I can garauntee, is the quality of soup and toast. Their toast is SO thick and GOOD, and they always have soup selections for vegetarians which is awesome in a healthy and delicious way. By all means, It is a great spot to hang out with your kids, for a meeting, or to just read solo.
But remember, get there early on sundays- it is hard to get a seat!
Bainbridge Island, WA
Category: Candy Stores
Bainbridge Island, WA
Category: Coffee & Tea
Bainbridge Island, WA
Category: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
Bainbridge Island, WA
Category: Bookstores
Bainbridge Island, WA
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