Brown Bear Baking

Amy Biemeck

2024-04

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Martin Matahari

2023-08

Quaint little cafe with delicious baked goods. The staff were all super friendly and decked out in rainbow tie dye shirts. Everything I tried (and I went there multiple times) was tasty. I particularly enjoyed the bear claw, savoury mushroom pasty, and the almond berry coffee cake. The lamination on the pastries was sublime, you can tell these guys know what they’re doing. I liked that they served the savoury pastries with a side salad. Coffee was great too. Limited indoor and outdoor seating available. There were long lines on the weekend.

Smartmomma

2023-12

This bakery is a must for Orcas Island visitors! The croque monsieur is famous (all options are fantastic), quiche is a delight (I’ve tried ham and leek & tomato and kale), and the croissants —which come in a plethora of choices — make for a delicious breakfast. But the tarts and pastries are worth finding more room in your stomach or taking them to-go so you can devour them later. The lemon and key west tarts are a good size for the sweetness (honestly you should share). The indoor seating is crammed, but on a day with decent weather there is plenty of outdoor seating available. You really can’t go wrong with Brown Bear Baking!

Aaron R

2024-02

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Karen Crye

2024-03

We went to the bakery on Monday afternoon after we got off the ferry and were starving lol. We had the veggie quiche, tomato soup, and chocolate croissant. Unfortunately the lady in front of us got the last lemon tart which looked fantastic. As a former bakery owner, I’m pretty picky and this place did not disappoint. I read a few negative reviews that mentioned pricing…first, every eatery on the island was pricy, probably because it’s an island and the costs of goods is much higher. Second, you get what you pay for. And the food we got was worth every penny. Lastly one of the owners was the one who helped us and he was so friendly and helpful. You could tell that the bakery was a labor of love for him and his partner. I only wish they were open again before we left so we could have tried more. It was our first time on the island, but will definitely go back. Thanks Brown Bear for a great experience. Wishing you continued success!!!

Martha Gavinski

2024-04

Good LORD what an incredible bakery. Everything we've gotten from Brown Bear has been exceptional - from standard (but pitch-perfect) bakery fare to more unique patisserie that you don't see everyday. Brown Bear produces the kinds of pastries - like their Currant Scone - you day dream about well after finishing them. Their coffee menu is also excellent and dialed in to perfection.

Heather R

2024-05

Wow, everyone seemed a little burned out with tourists even though it's mid-May and the season is just picking up. The staff were distracted and trying to chat over my head with some folks they knew while I was trying to order. Forgivable, but it wasn't very welcoming. We had been looking forward to coming here after a great review from friends. Maybe our expectations were too high. We tried the almond crumble. It was dry and disappointing. The fruit on top was nice if sparse, but the base was tasteless and dry. We will be looking elsewhere next the time we're in town.

Sara Rautenberg

2024-04

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Francesco

2024-03

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Leah Hall

2023-07

The place was absolutely packed and yet we got everything so quickly and it was all delicious. We got the ham and leek quiche, the veggie quiche, banana pudding (had to start eating before we took a pic), the blueberry tart, raspberry tart, and a chocolate muffin. And then of course we got a few lattes. It was easy to see why it was so busy!

Kevin Rodal

2023-05

So many pastries to choose from! We ended up having a great time while we were there and the staff was friendly! We went with a savory and a sweet item; trying the ham and cheese croissant which was buttery and super flaky. As well as the almond fruit crumble which was sweet, and, well, crumbly! Would recommend!

Laurent LATHIEYRE

2024-04

Great food (we tried the quiche, croque monsieur, scone…) Great outdoor patio.Friendly service even if they were super busy. Brought us our remaining order outside to our table.I am partial to scones. Their currant scone was DELICIOUS.We will come back.

Rob Wingard

2023-08

Fantastic bakery. The line was out the door when we arrived on a Saturday morning but it moved quickly. The pastries are top notch, my favorite was the almond croissant. But don't miss the quiche, whatever they've got that day go for it!

Lynn Gilbert

2023-05

Oh! Glorious baked goods: let me extoll thy virtues!The craftsmanship and flavoring brilliance of these bakers is legendary. 15 minutes past opening and the line snakes out the door and down the steps—and for good reason.We sampled 4 or 5 pastries and were transported by each new wonder. The Orange Morning Buns are not to be missed. (Unless your fate is like ours, when we arrived 30 minutes after opening and the first batch was sold out. A sad and wasted day, indeed.) The balance of bright orange and subtle Vietnamese cinnamon is rapturous. I’m in love.My first taste of the almond themed Bear Paw and I fairly sang my joy. Oh, Good Lord, I rarely encounter such baking perfection. Rather sweet for me to eat the whole, but it was still delightful that evening.I’m confident Brown Bear closes 3 days/week for the good health of all of us who would find self-control a serious challenge were these offerings available every day.Thank you, sainted bakers, for your selfless consideration.

Spencer Naomi

2023-07

I am picky about my croissants, but I was so impressed with the bakery! To my great surprise, even though almond croissants, or one of my top five favorite foods ever, I prefer the croque monsieur over any of the pastries that I had here. I came back again the next day just to get another croque monsieur!! I would also highly recommend the orange roll (like a cinnamon roll). Folks in my group reported the yogurt&granola were good as well as one of the scones.

Tavish MacLean

2023-11

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SoMo Rider

2024-05

Coffee... ExcellentThe wife and I had a lemon bread and some sea salt chocolate chip cookies... ExcellentThe owner and their crew... Most excellent people. Thank goodness there are people like them out here. They make the world a nice place.

Zachariah Roberts

2022-05

Popular local bakery with a huge variety of pastries. There was a line out the door the whole time we were there, but your patience is rewarded with wonderful treats. We tried a croissant, sticky bun, cookies, and a bear claw. There are some seats inside to sit down if you don't mind want to wait. Parking in downtown is free and you can't miss the big orange sign.

Crissy A

2024-03

This is a lovely quaint bakery spot on Orcas Island. One of the reasons I was excited to visit was to try this bakery. The photos of the food online looked so good and in person it didn't disappoint. We got 2 slices of each quiche, pain au chocolate, country hearth bread, hazelnut tart, and some of their fresh made bread with grilled veggies. (I can't remember the name.) It was amazing. The fresh baked bread was a nice crusty loaf and toasted up amazing; rustic in how it's made which made it all the more desirable. The eggs used to make the quiches were so fluffy and the crust, well you just wanted more. The croissant had a beautiful flaky golden crust, rich and filling. The chocolate base in the tart was creamy, almost like custard, and worth every cent.I live on the mainland, still local and close by the ferry and would take the ferry just to eat here. It is a small establishment with limited indoor seating. But with warm weather, they have plenty of outdoor seating with a view of some of the island and water across the street. They do offer many other nicely stocked baked goods and coffee. There's usually a line out the door so get there early, be patient, and enjoy the island life.Parking: Get in where you fit in.

Wannabe Worldschoolers

2023-07

Brown Bear almost always has a line snaking down the street. You have to get there early if you hope to indulge in their delicious baked goods. Smoked salmon quiche, cinnamon sticky buns, among other delectable incredible creations.

Sins Of Wanderlust

2021-05

Amazing bakery and coffee shop that is one of the best we've been to. Warm, welcoming and just what is needed in the morning. All baked items are fresh and flavorful. The croissants are as good as the ones we have in France!! The manager (owner?) is very friendly and recognized us with a big smile on our 2nd visit. Just go!!

Wandering Family Adventurer

2022-05

Melt in your mouth pastries with flavor combinations to make your tastebuds sing. The reviews for this bakery were great so we decided to try it. I was pretty sure it would be good, but had no idea it would be as spectacular as it was. We ordered different things and shared so that we could taste a variety of the pastries.. The pecan sticky bun ranked high with those I've had before; the spinach feta croissant was savory and tasty as I would expect...but...the Croissant Pêche was made with fresh peaches and was way above average...and the Orange Morning Bun was out of this world, melt in your mouth, taste bud bursting delicious! I've had other orange buns, but thus one blew them all out of the water...and the center was so soft and almost creamy that you just have to close your eyes and groan. A must try! The coffee is good too. 😉

Sarah M

2023-05

This place is great, so many delicious items to choose from from such as sweet pastries with seasonal fruit, savory croissants, quiches (including salmon quiche!), and sandwiches later in the day. We arrived right at 8am when the doors opened, and the line was already 30 people long. It took us about an hour to get food and coffee. Many spots on the island are struggling to fully staff up - despite the wait it was a fun way to spend the morning! Talked to other travelers and locals, definitely a morning hub. It's very windy in Eastsound, so you may want to wear pants and have a coat on hand for the wait - even in the summer!

Rachael Hope

2023-12

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Michael Hildebrand

2022-05

The owners and their staff took good care of us here! Although the shop is small and often busy, there was space for us at the baking bar both times we visited this weekend, on our visit on the island. The baking bar is what we call the spot with stools where you can watch them bake and make stuff!The second visit, we ordered a turkey avocado BLT. It was great, but we weren't expecting the spice level it came with! The owner asked us how things were, and upon hearing about the spiciness he immediately created a fresh replacement sandwich for us (my wife can't handle much spice). He even came by and brought us a nice big homemade trail cookie to thank us for letting him know, since it turned out they had made that batch of dressing too spicy and not to formula.The Tarte Citron was really good, great tang, and the cream on top cuts the tang perfectly.All in all, the prices here are a bit high but justified in my opinion. We'll be back!

Eric Allan

2023-07

If you want the best baked goods in the San Juans, Brown Bear is the place to go. But don't just take my word for it; ask all the people in the line out the door each morning! On a Friday at 930am, the wait just to get in the door was almost 5 minutes, and another 5 inside, despite 4 employees helping customers! Food was flying out of the case and being restocked before my very eyes.Everything we tried was exceptional. The Pain Aux Jambon was incredibly soft but flaky, with gorgeous lamination. The ham and Swiss taste was great too. The Pecan Sticky Bun was absolute perfection; chewy amd buttery pastry, sticky filling but not too messy. Finally, the currant scone was a marvel, with a crackly crust but moist and tender inside, and beautiful flavor.We have been to dozens of bakeries across nearly every state, and can assert Brown Bear places high on our list.

Kevin Khieu

2019-05

Very fresh, very tasty, but super over priced. We got the salmon quiche and peach croissant- would recommend both but they were pretty pricy so I’ll ding them on that. $7 for the salmon quiche and $5.50 for the peach croissant. If you’re on a budget, run across the street to the supermarket and you can get a killer ham, egg, and cheese breakfast muffin for $3.19.

Lakshmi Vaidiyanathan

2021-05

I ordered breakfast here over phone, they had it ready as there was a long queue I was able to skip it all..but I missed the pleasure of looking at their pastries and smelling their yummy bakery aroma before ordering. Cute tables around the patio, parking is tight. Park ahead and walk in the neighborhood, side walk looking at the Indian island and waterfront is a best place to enjoy the coffee and pastries.Tomato kale quiche was exquisite.Liked the bread pudding, but it's something you order for 2 people or more.. large quantity and high calories 😄

Marilyn Mers-Hardison

2023-12

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Lucrecia E. Choto

2022-05

Oh my goodness! I have no idea what kind of training the bakers have here at Brown Bear Baking but oh my! If I could lure them to Issaquah I would! The pastries are exquisite! I will be returning to Orcas for this place alone. A must try.