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La Boulange Cafe & Bakery
Categories: Restaurants French Food Coffee & Tea Food Bakeries French, Coffee & Tea, Bakeries [Edit]
1909 Union St(between Charlton Ct & Laguna St)
San Francisco, CA 94123
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
(415) 440-4450
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7 am - 6 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Thuy M. said: "Chouquets is darling, cozy and refined. What was it about Friday, besides for staying up spontaneously late into the wee hours of the morning, getting all sorts of lucky perks. We found parking right in front of the restaurant and were…" read more »
253 reviews for La Boulange Cafe & Bakery
Review Highlights
"For lunch, try one of the open-faced sandwiches."
(in 10 reviews)
"Such a selection of delicious pastries."
(in 67 reviews)
"The almond croissant was."
(in 13 reviews)
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252 reviews in English
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Review from Jonathan F.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/29/2012
I just ate a delicious almond croissant on Saturday (yesterday). It is like a "bear-claw" pastry. Only, not as intensely sweet as some almond pastry creations can be. This one has a custard cream filling instead of the marzipan, almond paste. I like marzipan, but sometimes that type of filling can be too much. This custard cream was so delightful, not too sweet and yet it had just a subtle accent of the almond, not an overpowering taste.
The staff at the Union Street location are very pleasant and eager to help customers. When I asked for a gift card some time ago, the clerk took the extra time to wrap the card in a clear plastic envelope and tie it with a very nice French blue ribbon. A real nice touch of class, I thought. And, there are so many more fresh baked selections to choose from than from the usual coffee places. Check it out next time you are visiting Union Street.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/10/2010
I went to La Boulange on Union Street this past Wednesday and had a cup of coffee and a "morning… Read more »
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Review from BarbnSharon H.
Tempe, AZ
2/5/2012
The menu is so extensive it was challenging to make a choice before I had my first cup of coffee. i ended up with an egg/smoked salmon/tomato croissant that could have been fabulous if executed better. the sandwich was made, then put under the broiler, so the smoked salmon ended up cooked, the tomatoes mush, the eggs hard, and the bottom of the croissant disintegrating.
coffee was good, but wow, a small coffee is SMALL!
chocolate almond croissant was more almond paste than chocolate, but quite tasty.
If i lived in the area, i would be a regular once i learned the ins and outs of their menu.
ambiance is wonderful, though service at this location seems a bit stuffy. -
Review from jennifer l.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2012
had no idea this place was a chain... but so amazing!! i personally like the hayes valley location better, but this one was just as good. came here for brunch :)
food was the same. i usually get an open faced sandwich, which never disappoints!!
i always leave here incredibly full, but not weighed down. perfect. -
Review from Sarah G.
1/9/2012
3.5 stars! I always wish I could do half stars....
This cafe is pretty adorable. I mean adorable. The second you walk in you are bombarded by sensory overload with all of their pastry options, the smell of coffee, the look on the happy faces of everyone sitting at those cute little wooden tables. Plus when you order a latte to drink there they serve them in those giant mugs all fancy style, which just makes you feel warmer inside despite the fact that you are drinking warm coffee drink ha ha
The croissant Kelly D and I split also was pretty good, but for the price for what it costs, I wasn't that impressed. My latte also wasn't the cheapest either, but I guess you pay for sitting in adorable land, eh? I would still come back here, and I know the SF population likes to support more local cafe spots, and this place definitely is fully supported since literally seconds after we left there was a line almost out the door! So just plan ahead for the wait if you aren't as lucky as we are! -
Review from Inigo M.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
Pleasant staff. Tasty pastry.
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Review from Lindsey W.
Minneapolis, MN
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
I tried quite a few things on their menu while I was out in SF this past week. I really enjoyed the pear & grapefruit tart it was quite delicious. I also liked the cauliflower tart however the crust got soggy and wasn't quite as good as I had hoped.
Their croissants were great and they had a wide variety of flavors. -
Review from Lauren R.
San Francisco, CA
1/3/2012 4 Check-ins Here
Cute, little neighborhood chain of French bistros.
I've tried quite a few things on their menu, things that stand out are:
1) yogurt, granola and fruit- so fresh, and just the right combo of ingredients.
2) Chai Latte- so creamy and good. Oh and coffee in a big bowl, amazing.
3) Tuna Melt- Fresh Bread, good tasting tuna. Probably not so healthy but worth the calories.
4) Anything from their dessert case, but especially their Chocolate Croissants.
Line does get pretty long, especially in the morning and on weekends, but it's worth it. A few tables outside that you can bring your dog-friend along for breakfast. -
Review from Mike V.
12/20/2011 2 Check-ins Here
We came here the morning after Santa Con, and fortunately for this review, the last thing we ate was Golden Boy Pizza sometime around when we were escaping the naked Santa's in Washington Square Park (so basically, we ordered everyone on the menu).
(1) the Croque Monsieur was delicious. heavy, melty, delicious.
(2) the little torpedo BLT sandwich in the window was also really delicious and fun to take to go.
(3) the egg melt on croissant...not so great, kinda bland, glad we had back ups.
(4) the chocolate "sorta like" pudding in the glass cup....dear lord was that good! (although we debated for a while whether it was body paint, pudding, or chocolate sauce intended for some dessert item. My gf settled that argument pretty convincingly. I won't go into details)
(5) the VAT of apple cider I ordered was probably some of the best I've had. sure, I look ridiculous cupping this bowl of cider, but it was well worth it.
If you enjoy Sunday morning people watching, great croissants and some of the best walks of shame (aka strides of pride) in Cow Hollow, come sit outside at La Boulange on a Sunday morning and soak it all in. :) -
Review from Emily R.
San Francisco, CA
12/27/2011
Much better selection of pastries in the case than the one I usually go to on Market. Today I got the vegetable croissant, which was fantastic, though I highly recommend the almond croissant. It has a thick layer of almond paste in the middle and is to die for.
Again, a bigger selection of macaroon flavors than I'm used to. The pistachio is my favorite, but they're all chewy and have a nice layer of cream in the middle. Perhaps, slightly too sweet, but still delicious.
The only downside to my visit was that the barista was really slow in getting coffees out. Otherwise, I was very satisfied. -
Review from Dianna M.
Downtown Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
1/9/2012
GREAT little sidewalk cafe/bakery. Food is consistently good. Great variety and enjoyable anytime of the day. Their breakfast items are delicious (especially the French toast) and I love all their tarts, quiches and sandwiches. The only item i didn't care for was the French onion soup. It didn't have any cheese on it and I like mine smothered in cheese.
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Review from Whitney S.
San Francisco, CA
10/13/2011 10 Check-ins Here
I really love La Boulange. From their cappuccino's to their croissants, this place always delivers.
Favorite items: veggie croissant, chocolate/hazelnut croissant, almond croissant, breakfast pizza with asparagus, bowl of fresh fruit, oatmeal
The place is always packed! They have inside and outside seating but the tables are crowded together.
Staff can be kind of rude and look irritated most of the time -
Review from Elizabeth D.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011
I've been missing St. Emilion's macarons since my trip to France 3 months ago. Imagine my delight when I came across a box of Macaron De San Francisco while browsing the shelves of pastries at La Boulange. I quickly bought a box and tried them at home. Memories tend to puff up good things and La Boulange's St. Emilion's type macarons tasted as good as the originals in St. Emilion's. La Boulange's cookies are crispy on the outside and I can taste the hazelnut flavor.. The inside is moist. For people who've had many of the standard French macarons and want to try something else, I would strongly recommend a box of Macaron De San Francisco from La Boulange.
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Review from Wiliam W.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011
Great Coffee. Great Food. Friendly neighborhood place. This spot is a regular for me.
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Review from Amy J.
San Rafael, CA
11/29/2011
I work only a block away from the cafe, so it's really convenient. The food is great. And I love that they give a merchant discount to the merchants in the area! The Boulange Club Sandwich with the Mushroom Soup is the BEST!
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Review from Steven C.
8/26/2011
To whom it may concern:
I just visited your union street location and had a horrible experience.
My previous experiences with coffee, pastries, and a chicken ceasar salad were great, of course these were at the polk street location.
I walked in and ordered the special of the day "smoked chicken arugula salad", a cup of french onion soup and my mom ordered a open face sandwich/ soup combo. When the french onion soup arrived, there was no cheese crusted over the top of the bowl, the crouton had cheese but it was not crunchy. The onion soup was sub par because it had hard onion stalks in it which were not edible. I had to spit them out.
The salad was horrible, the chicken was over processed not smoked and tasted like cardboard. If you had gone to any safeway and ordered hilshire farm lunch meat, it would have tasted better. The artichoke hearts tasted stale as if the jar had been opened and expired. Perhaps thats the way all of it is supposed to taste, but I would suggest management give that a try before serving it to their own family.
To top it off, the server did not put my Mom's sandwich on the order. When the assistant manager came out to serve the salad, he said " I'll take that number." I said, " we have another dish coming". We waited and waited and of course we had no idea our sandwich was not coming. We asked the assistant manager and he said it wasn't on the order. No apology , nothing to say we'll get that taken care of for you. No comments besides that we didn't order it.
I talked to the assistant manager after the fact trying to discuss the matter with him of my meal, the service etc. All of it went in one ear and out the other. He said I'll tell our main chefs and pass it along as if it was head quarters fault. I can understand that about the special of the day.
My comments back were it is your store, take more personal responsibility, taste the food before you serve it as the special. If its not good make suggestions to people when orde
---- this is where the comment box cut off on their webpage.
My suggestions were to try the food before you taste it regardless of whether it came from corporate. If it taste horrible, tell people to substitute the horribly processed "smoked chicken" card board for their regular chicken Caesar chicken. Make sure your cooks aren't screwing up the order (french onion soup) because I'm sure everything is not made at the central location and then shipped. A certain number of items are but I know the cheese on top of the soup is not. The assistant manager pretty much proceeded to act like he was listening to me. I also told him I don't want any free stuff or to take it off the bill or anything. Just listen to what I have to say, he couldn't even do that. I'm not coming back to the Union street location despite it being 2 blocks from my house. -
Review from Sara K.
San Francisco, CA
8/26/2011
I'm an absolute sucker for La Boulange! This was one of my first discoveries when I moved to San Francisco almost 5 years ago and they always keep me coming back for more.
I work right down the street from here and it's an absolute guilty pleasure to come in before work and order the veggie fritata with a large latte. There's just something about treating yourself to breakfast and sitting out side in the early morning sun that is so enjoyable.
For lunch, my absolute go-to is the Provencal BLT - Lettuce, tomato, bacon, and goat cheese on toasted chibatta. YES, PLEASE. I also love their open-faced hummus sandwich - so light and refreshing. But let's not forget about their pastries! Oh the pastries. The veggie croissant is fabulous. Also the quiches are great for a to-go breakfast and will fill you up. But the absolute MUST is the cannales! These are so ridiculously good and have actually made the 7x7 Big Eat SF - Top 100 Things to Eat and Drink in San Francisco.
It's pretty rare that a meet a San Franciscan who hasn't eaten here yet, but if you haven't, be sure to stop by!Listed in: Marina Madness
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Review from Stephanie M.
San Francisco, CA
10/26/2011
Nice staff, small, outdoor seating, good open faced sandwiches and croissants with nutella.
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Review from Lisette P.
San Francisco, CA
9/24/2011
Came here for a late Saturday brunch (after noon) and the place was packed. A few seats available fortunately for us to eat but people were constantly coming in for to-go coffees etc.
My fiance and I had egg & cheese sandwiches on multi-grain - it was served with a side of fresh fruit (really sweet grapes, berries, cantaloupe, pineapple) and the sandwiches were delicious, crisp and hot. Only downside was the coffee - tasted weak, although I am yet to find a brew in this city that gives me a good caffeine kick.
The pastries looked amazing and I do love the French branding all over the place. Did notice though that open faced sandwiches here are cheaper than the one on Sutter Street, which is interesting. -
Review from Lara W.
6/19/2011
First impression on my first (veggie) croissant: tres bon!
French quality with American quantity (of so many different choices on the menu).
I loved the people working here, and the place was packed with lunchers so things seem to be on the money at La Boulange.
Now, if only "La Boulange" meant something in French. That would be chouette. Mais qu'importe, si le pain est si bon? -
Review from S S.
Cerritos, CA
4/28/2011 2 photos
4 stars!
Excellent open-face tuna melt like no other. It's a nice twist to your average melt and has what seems like bits of celery and apple instead of the usual onion but still tasted like a traditional tuna melt without all the grease. It's served with a mix of healthy and fresh baby greens and a light vinaigrette.
The French onion soup was delicious, dark and bold with tons of flavor and just the right amount of cheese and the serving in a cup was a perfect size. Fresh orange juice was perfectly sweet and seems they use only ripe oranges because the color was a medium/dark orange and it was a pure sweet without any bitterness.
The coffee was delicious with a fresh roasted aroma and you don't need any sugar with the latte. The flavor just popped on it's own.
There's a sitting area that faces the street and instead of being enclosed, the windows to the cafe were wide open giving the feeling of sitting outside. There's also two seat tables scattered along the sidewalk as well. Extremely pleasant cafe for breakfast or lunch. This is an authentic French cafe and a must try while in SF. -
Review from Shilpi D.
Fremont, CA
7/28/2011
A friend once said, "Cilantro is a highly polarizing green"
I agree - you either love it or hate it. Since I'm in the former camp, I love La Boulange's salads and soups - they are not shy with the cilantro. Such a refreshing change from most places that dump spinach and call it a day. Spinach is not good if you have joint pain or other conditions, so I like to avoid it, preferring arugula or cilantro. La Boulange uses both in their salads, fresh meats, and healthy and not-so-healthy options. Love their hot chocolate! -
Review from Marlis T.
5/26/2011
This place is cute, and I love everything about it.
Every single tart tastes amazing. Everything is so fresh and good......
OK service, great atmosphere for some coffee and brunch.. loving it! -
Review from Liz V.
Redwood City, CA
8/15/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Cute cafe.
Coffee is small and not strong enough.
Open face sandwiches are good, not great.
French Onion soup is good.
Liked how they had self serve fresh jams and nutella. -
Review from Christine G.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2011
La Boulange has the best breakfast and coffee/tea in Cow Hollow. I recommend the healthful organic oats. Also, La Boulange gave me a gift card to raffle off at a charity event I held last year. I have been to other La Boulange locations, and they cannot compare to this location. You will love it!
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Review from Fiona S.
on the pricey side for what they serve, but seriously, how else are you going to find a nice breakfast place? BREAKFAST, that's right. not brunch, no bloody mary's, likely before 11am, BREAKFAST. these places are lacking in san francisco!
get rid of your lukewarmness and you'll be dandy. -
Review from Elias M.
San Francisco, CA
5/19/2011
Simply Superb!
Food is fresh, delicious and relatively inexpensive for the quality and local.
Va Va Va ! -
Review from Laura P.
9/30/2011
This is a great place for a casual quick lunch or coffee - the food is excellent and reasonably priced. My friend had a great quiche and I had croissant bread pudding which was ridiculously decadent and only $3! I had my fill and then we shared the rest because the portion was so decadent. I would go to this one or another location any time! Bon appetit :)
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Review from Christine L.
San Francisco, CA
10/21/2011
I frequent La Boulange and really like the food/ambiance/etc. Today I went in and ordered my favorite open face sandwich and asked for no cheese/mayo/butter because of allergies and didn't check the box until I got home! When I got home, to my dismay the sandwich was covered in cheese and I couldn't eat lunch. Just for the sake of trying, I called in and the manager Jon was ever-so-helpful. Because this slipped through the cracks, they refunded my meal as a one-time "feel good" solution and now I'm planning on going back even more often! Nice group, great food and a team that truly cares about customer service. Thank you La Boulange!
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Review from Gil S.
2/5/2011
Everytime I come here I want to spank somebody, and not in a good way.
My peeve, and it is a serious one, is that the place is seriously unkempt. Everything about the place, from how the tables are arranged to how things are stacked on the counters. But more seriously, the way every sandwich is assembled and items are stacked in the display area - the bread is cut lopsided, the top isn't placed above the bottom, the cheese is askew, all of the tomatoes are on one side not the other. There's pretty much an "I don't care" attitude about this place from north to south. If there's love here, I'm not feeling it.
That's all too bad, because the founder/owner is a serious French pastry chef, and as far as I can tell things still taste good if not fantastic. But I worry, if there's this much disorganization and lack of attention to what you can see, how are they on things you can't see like ingredient quality, cooking, sanitation? It's all very depressing. If I owned a place and I saw my employees do this, I would bust some heads. I mean, how can you look at a tray full of little pre-prepared sandwiches you're selling to the public for five dollars each, and think it's okay that a few of them are lying on their side? Or that someone's going to get a ham sandwich with the cheese slice falling out? -
Review from Mark W.
San Francisco, CA
6/4/2011
Okay I am here four days a week, it must be good!
Great, did I say "Great" almond croissants and really good organic coffee. ...and $5 sandwiches to go. -
Review from Mabel B.
San Francisco, CA
3/17/2011
I am dying to come here on a beautiful day, sit down and have a great big cup of delicious coffee. My coworker said that the coffee is served in a large mug and tastes great.
My friend even bought me a box of macaroons from this place for my birthday! The macaroons are a tad bit sweet but I'll be back!
I also really like the location of this place. Also many shops to look around in while in the area. -
Review from Becca S.
4/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Looking for someplace affordable to eat in the Marina can be kind of a task. After walking the streets for a period of time and feeling hungrier and poorer by the minute, my boyfriend and I settled upon the Boulange. I'm always torn about Boulange: their chain restaurants are alarmingly ubiquitous in a city that claims to be all about fresh and local eating, and with so many independent enterprises, I kind of hate to see space being taken up by a comparatively large business. But holy cow, their food is good!
This particular Boulange was a nice place to sit and have an early evening while the rich, beautiful, and touristy passed all around us. For a time it actually felt European, since we were surrounded by real live French people! I'm so used to there being a distinction between "places that claim to serve authentic French (for example) food" and "places where French people will actually eat. So to see European people acquiescing to eat (and presumably enjoying) the same food that I think is good, I was pretty stoked.
Speaking of the food, I had the goat cheese open face sandwich. It tasted just like a Boulange goat cheese sandwich, which I suppose is something I shouldn't actually take for granted! The cheese was melty, the pesto was rich, and the mushrooms and peppers were happily wilty. They also do a pretty mean side salad. My boyfriend got the coffee they serve in a bowl, which he said was entirely decent. I would think that drinking from a bowl would make it even better, but perhaps he is immune to such things.
The service was pretty good, but this Boulange is definitely more of a "do it yourself" kind of place. The tables were a little unkempt, and we had to wait a little bit to get one cleaned off for us, but we were also there at an off-hour. The upside of this is that we were pretty much unmolested throughout our entire meal, and could leave whenever we liked. This made for excellent lazy, late-afternoon dining.
I wouldn't say that any Boulange will really show you the essence of San Francisco, and there are probably businesses out there that need our patronage a bit more. But if you're hungry and up for food you know will be tasty, and a relaxed atmosphere in which to consume said food, why not check out Boulange? Sure, it's a bit pricey, but remember: pricey everywhere else is Marina-cheap! -
Review from Mahsa K.
San Francisco, CA
3/14/2011
Simply a solid cafe' in the hood...
Of the items ordered so far my favorites include:
- Creamy Mushroom and Roasted Chicken Open-faced Sandwich
- French Onion Soup
- Munch-worthy complimentary condiments, if that counts
Lack of wifi has deterred me from frequenting, although those flaky almond-encrusted croissants I've yet to try will probably draw me back in soon... -
Review from Glenn P.
Mountain View, CA
4/17/2011
Went down Union Street over the weekend and wanted to get something to eat. I tend to find every place on Union Street to be ridiculously overpriced. And I just wanted to grab a simple bite to eat.
So I walked into La Boulange Cafe & Bakery. Ordered the Roasted Chicken Open Faced Sandwich (with chips on the side) and a bottled water. Total cost $11....For a sandwich, chips, and water!!!!! Sounds expensive, but considering how expensive every other place on Union Street is, it wasn't really that bad!!!
The food was good and I actually liked the place. Great outdoor seating next to the street if you want to relax and just people watch while having a cup of coffee or pastries. If you're looking for fine dining or something like that, then there are a million other places in the city for that.
I'd recommend the place if you want to grab a quick bite to eat or have a cup of coffee while in the area!!!! -
Review from Svetlana V.
San Diego, CA
3/20/2011
:) Just thinking about this place puts a smile on my face.
I love it! I love their drinks, food, service, ambiance and neighborhood.
Parking can be bad, but don't forget it's SF.
I used to come there to read a book or study.
Also, La Boulange exists in nearly every neighborhood of San Francisco. -
Review from christine y.
Mill Creek, WA
8/29/2011 1 photo
I liked the French cafe vibe, but my friend's coffee was mediocre and my smoked salmon frittata was just okay. Best part might have been the thinly sliced, toasted sourdough that accompanied my dish.
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Review from Ha N.
12/17/2010
I came here with my friend after our final for a quick bite before doing some Christmas shopping. Do you remember how on the show Friends, they use to drink coffee out of those gigantic cups? Well they serve coffee and other hot drinks in HUGE bowls here. Really cute. I had the ham & cheese croissant, with a hot chocolate served in the huge bowl and a double chocolate cookie to go. They were all good, but not great where I'd call up everyone I know and rave about it. Although I really loved the hot chocolate, rich and thick. Kind of as if I was drinking melted chocolate candy bars. The atmosphere here is cozy and comfy. Best thing about this place, you can people watch while your eating!
I'd definitely come here again just so I can try their salads and lunch entrees. I hear they have a killer wild mushroom mac and cheese with truffle oil.Listed in: girl and the city
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Review from Cafe L.
Napa, CA
10/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Service without smile. Reliable pastries and coffee.
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Review from Lauren B.
San Francisco, CA
10/14/2011
Love this place. The yogurt, granola, fruit bowl is one of my favorite things to eat in this city. I usually have it at least once a week. A month back they downgraded the yogurt to another brand and it was terrible. They must have gotten a bunch of complaints because it has gotten better again recently. Though I don't think they went back to the yogurt they used to use. It was AMAZING. Now it is good but not amazing. The other menu items are great too, love the egg croissant sandwich. And the condiment bar is through the roof. Nutella and cornishons? so unique. Keep up the good work but PLEASE go back to your original yogurt brand.
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Review from Shaunte J.
Emeryville, CA
8/15/2011
Food heaven in a cafe is what I consider La Boulange. The food is so incredibly rich however, I end up spending much of my time figuring out how many calories I'm going to have to deduct for the remainder of the week. That brioche french toast is like nothing I've ever had. I was so taken that I actually bought the cookbook and still have plans of one day taking on that recipe. Until that day comes, I'll leave it to the masters:)
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