We were driving through Salinas, CA, and stopped for a quick nosh at Subways which happened to be next to Emmas's Bakery and Cafe. I noticed Emmas as I was walking back to the car. And I luv pastries and baked goods especially if they're authentically fresh made from local bakeries not franchises. So even though we were on a time schedule, I made time to check out this place. So glad I did. Delicious baked items at reasonable prices. Right when I walked in, I was greeted by a young woman that had the best smile and attitude. She was super helpful. I chatted her up a bit and found out they opened in 2021 and it's a family business. The recipes are family recipes. Luv that! Also I had to ask about the prices, there are no prices marked for the baked goods. The case had cookies, cream pies (whole and slices), croissants, muffins, scones, cream puffs, eclairs, mini fruit tarts, cheesecake (whole and slices), and danishes. They all were just so gorgeous. Sitting so pretty in the case. We bought a carrot cake muffin, slice of banana cream pie, a Grandpa David's peanut butter cookie, and a chocolate chip cookie. The cashier packaged everything carefully and provided napkins and forks. The muffins were big, fat and hefty sized. The carrot cake muffin was moist but not so much that it fell apart. So darn good. The frosting was heavenly, not too sweet and just the prefect consistency. I devoured that right away in the car. While I was inhaling the muffin, Hubs scarfed down the banana cream pie slice. The cookies were nice "biggish" size. These cookies were moist, which I prefer over crisp crunchy ones. Grandma Dave's PB was one of the best PB cookies I've ever had. They are also have breakfast menu and lunch menu (burgers, sandwiches, and salads). The place is very small with few two person tables. It's more of takeout place. read more

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I love the cookies from here. Taste like real butter, not like Crumbl. Haven't tried other things, but if opportunity allows, I will definitely. read more

We tried this place out and it was pretty good. It was fast and friendly service.. there's a few tables to sit at but it's not a lot.. we went and it was pretty calm and quiet. We o my tried the pastries and they were delicious. I ordered the strawberry croissant and I highly recommend. Éclair was delicious however it was a bit too dry. Will definitely be back.. read more

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Customer service was great. I had a tuna melt and it was amazing. Perfectly toasted, full of yummy albacore tuna. Ot was accompanied by delightfully crispy fresh-cut fries. I also ordered a couple pastries to go - a twice baked almond croissant and a strawberries and whipped cream-filled croissant. The strawberry croissant was perfect. Huge mound of yummy whipped cream with chunks of strawberries in it and more sliced strawberries pressed into the outer edge. The croissant was deliciously flaky and buttery, as it should be. The almond croissant, sadly, was super dense and soggy. Full of what may have been an almond custard, given the texture and flavor. It was still tasty, but not at all the crispy croissant with the crunchy toasted almond topping that I was hoping for, given the twice-baked name. read more

Emma’s Bakery and Cafe - Tuna melt - Bakeries Near Me - Salinas, California

I'm tasting the love here! A real gem of a cafe/bakery that we almost overlooked! So of course we bought more than we needed, and ate everything before the day was over. The sandwich and salad was delicious and the assorted pastry was like a European delight. read more

This bakery is fantastic! There's only 2 tables inside and 2 outside but that's okay. The young lady was nice and professional. This place owns the 31st Grill on John Street. The old Golden West. I ordered the Banana muffin oh my goodness it tasted like a real banana, moist and yummy! This place is too good. read more

The best peanut buttah cookies are the best!!! Consistency keeps us coming back and satisfying our peanut butter cravings!! read more

Emma’s Bakery and Cafe - The best peanut butter cookies and bday treat ever yummmm - Bakeries Near Me - Salinas, California

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Get a sandwich or salad there almost every weekend. The serving sizes are great. You can get 2 meals from a salad or share with a friend. All the pastries and cookies are good as well! read more

I sometimes stop here when I'm craving a big cookie. Cookies are all I've ever had here but they're really good! The other stuff looks really good too. Not cheap, but what is these days? read more

Found this place because of my coworkers. They were big fans and one time I tagged a long and boy, were they right. So many yummy pastries! But also, salads and other food options good for lunch. Everything I've tried has been super tasty and full of flavors. My absolute favorite thing from them is their ALMOND CROISSANT - the best I have ever had. I can't even describe how good it is. It's just all around perfect! I've made it a thing to treat myself to one every birthday. Otherwise I'd want one every day. I Highly recommend it! read more

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I love Emma's but I think they are way over priced. They close early, closed Sunday so if you want something plan to pick it up early.

I've been a regular and love their cookies. They're so soft and worth the price.. I would buy their sandwiches and salads often, once a week at least.. things have changed with the quality in their sandwiches, especially their bread. Their croissants sandwiches, the bread has been hard.. far from fresh considering they make croissants, they should be fresh. Also twice they didn't put bacon in my croissant lunch sandwich. I noticed it was missing bc I had it frequently.. so I know what's in it. So I started buying more salads since the sandwiches failed me. My favorite has been the Asian salad. Now, with my recent purchase, there was a bug on my salad. Grossed me out to also see the liquid at the bottom of the salad being so dark. I've never had liquid at the bottom of my salads, it was disgusting. + Some leaves were not fresh at all. When I was picking out the brown leaves that didn't look fresh.. that's when I found the bug. I loved their salads but I can't go back after this. Bye Emma's read more

Emma’s Bakery and Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Salinas, California

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Emma's is AMAZING! I love the huge croissants and the amazing selection of pie. My in laws request a visit to Emma's anytime they know I will be near Salinas. The cute little restaurant is perfect for meeting with a friend and the service is fantastic! read more

Emma's will surprise you. Yes, their baked items are amazing (pumpkin muffin and croissants are favorites) but you'll be surprised at their amazing salads and fresh menu items. Their quinoa salad (add beets in place of chicken for veggie folks) is the best. The service is always friendly and fast. Some seating inside, a cozy small space. read more

So many desserts so little time. If you only have time for one item get the almond croissant. Although pricey, worth it's weight in gold. Delicious, flaky, buttery, with the perfect amount of almond. Service is always quick and pleasant. Quiet eatery, tables to eat inside or get your order to go. They also serve a whole host of food, sandwiches, pies, cookies, to name a few. read more

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My mom looked all over the peninsula and this was the only place she could find lemon merengue pie for my dads birthday. It was absolutely delicious. Big thank you from our whole family! read more

I love Emma 's bake good as well as the Blue Zone lunch menu. my favorite is the Asian chicken salad. Please check out their other location 31st St., Grill take the family. It's a wonderful experience. read more

Loved their pies! Took a peanut butter cookie w me for later PLease stay great!!!!! read more

Our lunches were great! My partner got the cubano w/ fries and got a clam chowder also. All super tasty! I got the beet salad, DELICIOUS!! We both got cookies choc chip for him and peanut butter for me. Huge-we had to save half for later. And possibly best peanut butter cookie I've had since moving to CA 5 years ago. This place is a little hard to find, tucked away in a strip shopping center-look next to the Starbucks-and you will be rewarded with some super tasty food!!! read more

Emma's is now the second restaurant that I am proud to recommend anyone living, visiting or passing through Salinas. I happen to be a breakfast snob so I scoured the options on YELP and found Emma's. It looked more like a bakery than a breakfast joint but once I saw the Lemon Ricotta pancakes on the menu I drove straight there. Even though this place is located in a shopping mall with lots of traffic, it still has not deterred me from coming back for a third time!! The place is a bit small for a cafe (only two tables and 4 chairs to be exact) but our usual table has been available to us every time we have been here. I can literally touch the baked goods display filled with things that Willy Wonka would trade for some candy! We have now found our favorite breakfast place in Salinas and we have the receipts and the happy stomachs to prove it. The Lemon Ricotta pancake breakfast comes with two eggs, country potatoes and some torpedo sausages that sink your appetite like game of battleship! Even though they are located a few yards from Starbucks, the coffee here is something Juan Valdez would drink all day. I love an all stop shop especially when it comes to food and Emma's is just that: a place where you can have a fantastic breakfast, some great coffee, great music and some cookies that you can exercise with before you eat them. I haven't seen Emma during our three visits but she is definitely present in the food. I know that some of the comments state that the prices are a bit high but I can tell you first hand that the only thing high will be your emotions and the gratitude you will have after your experience here. Just like the people that I see picking our fruit and vegetables I'm also grateful that Emma's exists to make Salinas and the world a much tastier place! read more

Emma’s Bakery and Cafe - The Lemon Ricotta Pancakes! - Bakeries Near Me - Salinas, California

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What a hometown vibe this place is! It's newer to the area but it gives you that homey feel good feels inside. Simple, cute, and delicious baked goods. My fave are hands down the cookies. And the SIZE of them... WOW!!!! You get 4+ cookies and get to say you're only eating one LOL read more

A delightful gem in Salinas. Excellent salads, very healthful and fresh. The tomato rice soup was hot and fantastic. The bonus panini toasts with cheese were the icing on the cake! The muffins and desserts are beautiful and tasty! My only 2 minor pet peeves are the plastic containers for dine in and the prefigured "suggested tips" include tax in the total...and I find this happens more and more in this digital age. Overall a wonderful place to grab a sandwich soup or healthy salad and scores some fantastic desserts and pastries. read more

Bought some fresh pastries to bring to my boyfriend's family and they really enjoyed them! I was able to try a bite of the oatmeal raisin cookie (not pictured) and it had more of a light sweetness that I was not expecting. Mariana gave some yummy recommendations and was patient with me whenever I asked questions. The only downside is that it's a bit pricey and 5 pastries cost nearly $30 and I find myself saying what in the inflation frequently these days. read more

Emma’s Bakery and Cafe - Chocolate eclair, strawberry croissant, carrot cake muffin, and banana nut muffin - Bakeries Near Me - Salinas, California

Great pies, every time I come to Salinas, I have to go by Emma's. Their banana cream pie is out of this world!

They have polite employees. Two seconds into eating my bbq chicken salad I was greeted by a maggot looking worm. I was politely refunded but I suggest y'all chew and look slowly if you're going to get a salad here. read more

Emma’s Bakery and Cafe - Bbq chicken salad - Bakeries Near Me - Salinas, California

I ordered two pies for Thanksgiving over the phone. Made the process extremely easy. I ordered pumpkin pie and banana cream both were beyond delicious. Definitely will be going back. read more

Person at register was not very friendly! Too bad as they offer great pies/muffins/pastries/cookies & many other items. Been in 2-3 times but hard to return when treated as IF ordering and paying for their food, there is inconvenient for the people that are working there‍ read more

The pictures on here looked pretty good. When I walked in everything looked so yummy. I got a sugar cookie, snickerdoodle, blueberry scone and slice of cheesecake. Ive worked in 3 bakeries so I know if something is old or fresh. The sugar cookie was disgusting, it tasted like they baked it and froze it in the same freezer as food. I spit it out and threw it away. The snickerdoodle... it would be ok if it didn't have the freezer flavor on it. Bakeries need to bake stuff fresh, not bake and freeze. Also keep desserts in a different freezer/fridge than food. The cheesecake tasted like it had been in the case for a few days to a week. The blueberry scone was very tasty and fresh though. read more

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Skip the Panera and visit Emma's instead. A clean, high-quality meal served fresh alongside some of the most remarkable pies and pastries Salinas has to offer. I stopped in for lunch thanks to Yelp, on my way to SLO for the weekend. I ordered one of the quinoa salads and was really impressed. It took it a while to get to me, but after all, this isn't Starbucks we're talking about. The salad itself was super fresh and obviously made-to-order. They gave me a bit of extra dressing on the side without any hesitation. I'm trying to cut back on excess sugar in my life, which is a shame, because the pastries and pies looked like they were absolutely to die for. The ambiance isn't fantastic--I ate there, but wasn't super comfortable. I think this is probably more of a grab and go place. Plus there isn't any free tap water -- I had to buy a bottle, which I suppose was okay, but I really appreciate a water dispenser and cups in the corner, which is how most of these local places do it. I'd stop back in again now that I know what I'm getting into. read more

I've been to Salinas twice now since this summer and both times I stopped here for pies. The first time I spend close to $200 on a few pie selections. They didn't have pumpkin at that time nor this recent visit. So I got an apple pie. The pies here are good but definitely overpriced. But I will stop here when in town just to drop pies off to family. read more

Emma's is a quaint bakery that has a variety of pies (by the slice or whole) cookies and pastries. I love the twice baked almond croissant, snickerdoodle and cannoli, they also serve breakfast plates and bowls, soups, sandwiches and salads. The staff are friendly and welcoming. It's very clean and always smells amazing. Reasonably priced, large portions are more than enough to share, I typically like to walk here from my house so I won't feel guilty about treating myself to a sweet treat once awhile. read more

First had this place a couple of years ago and I always always get and LOVE the breakfast croissant Sandwich as well as their strawberry croissant pastry! You will not regret trying this place ! The service is always great and fast TOO read more

The Best Pies, service, and welcoming atmosphere. Visit with your work colleagues for lunch or your family for a quick bite! I highly recommend. Locally owned too! read more

Family Owned Businesses are truly the heart of our community. This place is my new favorite for all things delicious! We started with the snickerdoodle and then the almond croissant and then then the club croissant sandwich... It's been amazing. The snickerdoodle is so light and flakey and just melts in your mouth with every bite. The almond croissant is one of the best I have had and no way will I share this one. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this family owned business expand. read more

Emma’s Bakery and Cafe - Let's just say... It was really good - Bakeries Near Me - Salinas, California

I had a few friends rave about this place so we had to try it and it was so good! I got the lemon ricotta pancake breakfast and my husband got a breakfast bowl and everything was delicious. He didn't even put hot sauce on anything. And my pancakes were gone in seconds. I can't wait to go back to try something else. read more

Pies and pastries are fantastic although whole pies are a bit pricey. Can't argue quality, though. Sandwich selection is limited, but they are the best in town. Love this place for lunch. read more

A friend and I tried a delicious small pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin muffin, and blueberry muffin. They were so good!! The muffins are large; even the cheesecake was a good size for being a small "personal-sized" cheesecake. Good to see a new small business in town....very friendly workers. They have a nice menu with drinks, sandwiches, etc. I'll definitely be back! *ate the muffins before we remembered to take a pic....woops! read more

Emma’s Bakery and Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Salinas, California

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Went to Emma's for lunch on Friday. Tried their avocado chicken super green salad, don't quite remember the name of the dish actually but it was very good. Looks like the chicken was cooked once I ordered and the salad was loaded with feta cheese, walnuts, quinoa, and dried cherries which was a surprise to see. Overall great experience and a filling lunch that didn't leave me regretting what I ate. But that cubano on the menu caught my eye so I might get that next time. read more

Emma’s Bakery and Cafe - Avocado & Quinoa Superfood Salad - Bakeries Near Me - Salinas, California

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Best salads in town! I live in Prunedale and drive into town just for Emma's. Highly recommend the beets salad! So good!!!

The croissants here are absolutely to die for! Yes, it's a bit pricey, but trust me, it's worth it. I find myself recommending this place to everyone. read more