Rabbit's Bakery

This little bakery is cute! On our first trip we were disappointed they close at 3pm but understand this is a smaller town and business may be slow. On our second trip by we were please they were open and stopped in to buy a treat and cold drink.

I had an unsweetened iced tea, which was citrus green tea. It was especially tart and after leaving I had wished I had added some honey, but I liked the sharp flavor and it got the spot!

We also got some chocolate chip scones for morning and took them to go. I would have liked a little more selection in the bakery case but we came by late in the day so might be getting the leftovers (see photo).

I really liked the wood fire oven in the back and discussed it would be fun to try a treat straight out of there!

My encounter with Rabbit's Bakery was an accident, the kind of delightful happenstance that makes for a special vacation memory. My wife and I stumbled upon Rabbit's while hunting for a lunch spot in Lake City after a long drive.

The experience begins when you walk through the door. There, in the back, a bright fire in the hearth of the wood fired oven. Cooling racks show off the day's production of loaves while the muffins and scones and cakes make a home in the bakery case.

The "dining room" is tiny, not more than a few tables in front of the bakery counter; the staff, the afternoon we ate there, were the owners. The service was polite and unobtrusive. The star here is the food.

My wife and I were able to split a huge roast beef sandwich and a petite cup of soup. The sandwich, served on the bakery's birdseed bread, was amazing. First, the bread was soft and crusty, full of flavor -- simple without being austere. Then, the filling is built on a bed of whole-seed mustard, piled with almost too much of the house roasted, thin shaved beef, tamarind sauce and onions and peppers. Perhaps it was the surprise or the company or the way the light hit the water of Lake Pepin, but this may have been the best roast beef sandwich I have ever put in my mouth.


The cream of asparagus soup was served in a formal coffee cup, the flavor was sweet and vegetal. The portion size was perfect.

I will definitely make Rabbit's a regular stop when I'm in the area. A local gem that is a must-stop for anyone vacationing on the lake.

Really great little place. Things on the menu were:

French Toast with whipped cream (I think it was made with rasin bread) The French Toast was perfectly done.

Baccon, broccoli, and mushroom frittata with a light creamy dressing spinach salad.

Bowl of yogurt with store-made granola.

I ordered the frittata, it was great. Good salt balance. Good small portion size. Not overpoweringly flavored by too much bacon. The dressing was light and milky. Much better than the typical paste-like ranch most places will use.

I tried a couple bites of the French Toast that someone else I was with ordered. Very well done. Good whipped cream, not too sweet.

I also ordered a really nice loaf of potato walnut bread and baguette. The round walnut bread loaf was slightly sweet, but very well balanced and nicely chewy. The baguette was well done, but had an odd, more batard like, shape rather than the long and thin classic baguette shape. This seems to be a Minnesota thing because another bakery (The Wedge in Minneapolis) did theirs the same way.

They had a good but not great coffee. I was a little disappointed by the espresso technique. The milk was over-steamed in the typical way that average coffee shops are in Minnesota. I guess I'm just spoiled by the San Francisco coffee snob places.

Overall well worth stopping here on the scenic route through Lake City on the way to the La Crosse area.

We probably expected too much ... but the croissants were quite good. The loaf of pumpernickel bread we bought was inedible, and could probably be used as a foundation of a house.

The good cop/bad cop routine by the staff at the counter was interesting. One sever very happy, smiling, helpful. The other peered at us like we were there only to use the bathroom. Glared at us until my wife ordered. No "May I help you...".

We drove 10 miles to visit this bakery. For lunch in Lake City, Bronks and the Galley seem to do it better.

I really don't recommend Rabbit's Bakery.
We now live full time in the area full time after living in the metropolitan area for many years and I have worked in some of the better bakeries in the Twin City area, namely The New French Bakery and French Meadow Bakery.
We visited Rabbit's Bakery one time and that was enough for me. Having out of town guests visiting, I popped down the road to hopefully pick up a variety of baked goods for brunch. The staff was borderline rude and totally uninterested in greeting us, much less waiting on us. The bakery good selections that day were very limited, I think 4 items only, one being a cookie item, and the others were standard fare, a cinnamon roll and 2 other bakery goods with bizarre flavorings/ingredients...did NOT sound appetizing at all. I left with nothing after being virtually ignored.
After working in the food service industry for many, many years, I recognize, value, and appreciate GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE and I do not reward bad or even mediocre service or food for that matter.
It is a little difficult to find amazing baked goods in the area and I will drive that "extra mile" for good quality product. I now gladly drive a few extra miles to Maiden Rock, Wisconsin for yummy stuff at the bakery there.
Too bad for Rabbit's, so close yet so far!!

Disappointing. Coffee was good but not great. Chocolate chip cookies flavorless. So called free wi-fi too weak of a signal to download my email. Bakery selections sparse. Out of Housemade Chai. Surly counterstaff almost pleased with the multitude of things that were unavailable.

Stopped in for a quick lunch. At counter had view of wood-burning stove. Had pomagranate-mango iced tea (pleasantly sweet without sweetener). Ordered roast beef with grainy mustard, garlic aioli, muenster cheese, and German potato salad on the side. I would have liked a bigger portion of the potato salad, but sandwich was just the right size to split with a friend. So tasty, hit all the right notes, and that bread... Mmmm. Crusty, flavorful. Made the grocery store bakery bread we had later that evening seem bleachy and bland in comparison. Sat outside. Only room to seat about 15 people inside the building, so that's my only greivance. Would definately return!

What a wonderful place to grab lunch or even just a loaf of bread to take home. Last time I was here, I ordered the Pulled Pork sandwich and Beat and Rosemary soup. Both were amazing! I left feeling very satisfied. The atmosphere is perfect, a great view of Lake Pepin and the bright and colorful bakery really makes the whole experience top notch.

Delicious fresh bakes breads, yummy sandwiches, and good coffee. 2-3 tables to enjoy your lunch outside.

Delicious!!!! We had the Italian club sandwich with a blackberry tea. Everything was so fresh and had lots of flavor. We bought many loaves to take home and share with family. We love this little place!