I work in the same building as Grand Central and only eat here when I'm desperate. Today I got a grilled cheese sandwich and waited 12 min for my order to come up. Meanwhile, several BLT's and 4 grilled tuna sandwiches that were ordered by people behind me in line came and went along with a multitude of other orders. WTF? read more

Grand Central Bakery - Where's the cheese? - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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It's a very good bakery. You can find many delicious treats and everything you can see has been baked on site. This location doesn't really have a lot of parking available, so the locals really luck out by being within walking distance. I tried the tomato soup and it was really nice. They also have a really great breakfast menu. Give it a shot. read more

The very best quiche's I have ever had, I recommend the asparagus and cheese quiche. I have been going here every other week for a year.

Perhaps it's just me, but their coffee is awful. I ordered a shot in the dark and feel lime out should've been called a shot to the nether region. It tasted sourish and wrong (Nothing was added as I drink it black). I'm not sure why any cafe, especially in Seattle, doesn't have dark roast. Really? Though I'm certain that wouldn't habe made a difference. Maybe their food and pastries are their selling point? I had a bite of a pastry and again it was just okay. I don't think there's another cafe nearby, which works to their advantage. The cashier needs some more customer service training. That's all I'm going to say. Don't try to rain on my parade, especially when I'm about to drink this horrible thing you guys call coffee. read more

Super super expensive. One egg and a sausage patty on a (dry) biscuit is like $9. Other egg sandwiches are meh. I wouldn't recommend this place for breakfast I have not had their lunch or bakery items so those could be good, but not sure. read more

We live within walking distance of this place, so we have been on multiple occasions. Both the breakfast sandwiches and many of the lunch sandwiches are pretty delicious. The Blue Ribbon is definitely my favorite! The coffee, however, is pretty meh, as is the service. I do really enjoy hanging out on the patio with my dog. You'll normally spot a few other dogs there on any given weekend morning, which is always nice. read more

Food is good. Love the tuna salad sandwich and cookies/pasties. My main issue is the wait time. I come here about once or twice a week and often times during non-lunch rush hours (11am or after 1pm) and it still always takes 20+ minutes to get the food. Last time I came, I ordered a salad. It wasn't super busy but still took 50 minutes for the food to arrive! I had to go up and ask after noticing several people who were behind me in line get their food before me. Food is great, but make sure you budget enough time. If you're in a rush, I would recommend elsewhere! read more

I've been coming here for years, the salami grinder on the seeded baguette was always my go to. They stopped making that a few years ago, and only had a veggie grinder, so I would usually just add salami for a little extra money, no big deal and they were always happy to do it. Went in today, asked if they could add salami to a veggie grinder, and the nice woman at the register said she thought she could add it as a side but wanted to check with the manager who just gave a flat out 'no'. Fine, whatever, ordered a different sandwich, asked if I could have it on their seeded bread since their hoagie rolls are pretty mediocre, same manager said 'no, the sandwich is already expensive to make.' I would've been happy to pay a little extra, but they straight up just didn't want to grab a different piece of bread. read more

I love Grand Central Bakery! I love the tomato soup which comes with a free bread roll. My second favorite is their grilled cheese sandwich with salami and on olive bread - must try!! I used to go to the pioneer square location all the time and now I walk to this location from my work in SLU. I wish it was a little closer to SLU but it's perfect because it isn't too busy during lunchtime. The PSquare location always took 30+ minutes for a sandwich! read more

Modern version of an 18th century London coffee house, in that people like to gather here to visit, gossip and plot. Excellent croissants and pastries, sandwiches and soups. It's my favorite place to meet friends and business associates. read more

I love this bakery! The staff is friendly and courteous and always helpful. It is so nice to walk in and get a smile and immediate service. The freshly baked goodies are always delicious and fresh and the coffee service is top notch. Service is always prompt even when they are really busy. I really love grabbing frozen to go items like the chicken pot pies-they are easy and delicious go to dinners when you are busy. They deserve extra stars because even during this pandemic the staff is kind and helpful and management has taken visible precautions to keep guests and staff safe, which I appreciate very much. If I could give them 10 stars I would!! read more

After about thirty or forty or fifty visits here, it's time for me to write a review. $8.75 for a perfect sandwich - ham and cheese that fits perfectly within the bread; little known fact: the sandwich is supposed to make eating convenient, and this sandwich fits the bill perfectly. The salads are scrumptious, and the soups are fantastic. The bread and pastries are wonderful, the quiches are excellent . . . and the staff is awesome. Grand Central Bakery is FAR AND AWAY THE BEST PLACE to grab a bite or a cup in all of Eastlake. It ain't even a question . . . read more

Ok, so first off, I must say I am a huge fan of their breads. I tend to prefer it over other local bakeries, because of the flavor, the length it keeps its freshness (just maybe a day longer than others), and for the tasty crust. With a larger Sourdough roll, the combo is great, but I typically stay away from the smaller rolls because the crust can make the bread too chewy, a mouth marathon if you will, which I can do without. Enter, Grand Central Bakery on Eastlake. I have gone in twice after 2 pm to pick up a sandwich, only to be greeted with amazement at the counter that I'd like to order a sandwich. "I'm sorry, we're out of that. We have the Vietnamese sandwiches left, though." Really? You're telling me you can't actually MAKE a fresh sandwich at 2pm? I guess not -- these are pre-made in the morning. Ugh. Both times, I walked out empy-handed. Third time's a charm, though. This time, I went in around 10:30 am, and lo and behold, I was actually able to leave with the Italian Grinder sack lunch, including Tim's chips and a cookie, for $8.75 -- not a bad deal. The Grinder uses Salumi salame, ham, and prosciutto, with cheese, lettuce, red onion, and tomato, and oil for dressing. The taste is very good. Even though these are pre-made, the sandwich holds up pretty well, I think due to a generous portion of oil that the bread soaks up. But it's that ROLL that makes this sandwich so difficult to eat. Chew chew chew. It's filling, and it tastes good, but jeez, my jaw is sore after one of these suckers. Many breaks are required. The other thing I dislike about this location, is that the staff seem almost annoyed to have to actually serve you. Everybody appears super busy, and I think they share duties preparing breads and baking while serving customers, or something. But on the upside, after ordering, they swiftly took my money, threw the sandwich into the bag, along with the chips and cookie, and slung it over to me in no time. Yet somehow, I, customer, almost feel like an afterthought to them, like I'm imposing on them to give them my money, even to have to choose a cookie TYPE, only to be rewarded with a bag slung at me with barely a nod of recognition, then having to put all that work into chewing their sandwich? Even my worst relationship was easier than this. While this is a very good sandwich, there are far to many other place who serve exceptional sandwiches, FRESHLY MADE TO ORDER, with friendly service, for a similar price, and with less chewy bread, for me to bother making a FOURTH trip here, in which case I'd probably only be rejected again. But I'm sorry Grand Central. It's my fault that I don't handle rejection well. I guess I can try to convince myself that it's their loss, at least, right? (Cries for days) PROS: Pretty good sandwich -- quality meats and good tasting bread. CONS: Chewy crust with smaller rolls, requiring a lot of work to eat, PRE-FAB sandwiches, not made to order. Seems like an imposition to actually want to order food here. read more

The first time I went into Grand Central Bakery, I must have killed the cat who belonged to the guy behind the counter because that would be the only reason why someone would be so rude. Shrugging it off I went back again a few weeks later. Apparently the guy got a replacement cat which I must have killed again upon entering the bakery since again that is how he treated me. It would be one thing if this place had incredible food, but honestly nothing I have had here was worth putting up with the attitude. Not going back...killing too many cats. read more

One of those places where the granola munchers go to spend $12 on an ok pre-made lunch that has been sitting for an hour or two. An interesting touch here is that their wifi is disabled between 12 and 1pm. This makes sense since it is a zoo during that hour and abandoned afterward. If you live nearby, you could use this place for a coffee and bad attitude refuge. If you want lunch, there's a bunch of better choices in this price range. read more

Great for breakfast and brunch! Had the zucchini quiche and it was super tasty and the crust was just perfect! Also had a breakfast sandwich another time I went and it was great as well! You must get one on the biscuit as it was fantastic and the eggs were cooked just right! Only thing I didn't like too much was the lunch sandwich menu, I think there is definitely room for improvement as they are pretty basic. For such a cute little bakery I'm sure they could get creative! read more

Grand Central Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

You might be surprised that one of my top meals of 2011 was a muffin. I certainly was. Even though I've eaten scores of Grand Central treats (notably the crumbly soda bread with currants, divine croissant, and cocoa nib shortbread), the bran muffin stands out. Humbly presented, this plain looking muffin hides a phenomenal flavor and texture. It's not a mulchy, dry branmuffin. Not is it a bleached flor ur muffin with a token sprinkling of wheat germ. Break it open and this baby gleams with essential oils and pops with bursting-at-the-seams golden raisins. Languid carrot gratings curl around the interior, adding some actual nutrition. And, I don't know how they do it, but the top is a crisp shell that gives to the tooth in a comforting snick. Paired with a latte, this sweet muffin has gotten me through some difficult days. It isn't the flashiest but it certainly satisfies. read more

One star for the delicious chocolate croissant and one for the soy latte. The croissant was a nice blend of crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, with those wonderful chocolate chunks inside to warm the soul! The latte was nice because it wasn't as sickeningly sweet as I have experienced them in the past. It was just... a nice soy latte! How come the low ratings, you may ask? Well, after I made the order for the afore mentioned items, I was glancing over their lunch menu and spied the Curry Chicken Salad. I just sounded SO GOOD! I ordered it to-go for lunch later. The salad itself actually was pretty damn good, and I got a lot of compliments on it at work. My problem with the salad started about 3am the next morning when I was rudely awoken with clear signs of food poisoning, which basically incapacitated me for two days. I say the salad was to blame because I did not have dinner that evening, nor did I consume any alcohol - which sucks, because if I am to feel this bad, I at least want to have the knowledge I had a kickass time the previous night! I called the store manager, who was friendly and apologetic about the situation. All she could really do was take my name and number and promise to call if anyone else called with similar complaints. And if they did then the Health Dept would be notified. read more

Grand Central Bakery (Arcade location) - If you're ever searching for the home of the BEST Almond Croissant, this is one place he lives. I admit to being a connoisseur of this much-in-demand pastry. I have methodically researched almond croissants from Seattle to San Diego, Las Vegas to San Luis Obispo, San Francisco to Santa Barbara. Even San Antonio, too. AC's from Grand Central - why so special? The size is bigger than a big man's hand, perfect balance between buttery flakiness and sweet almondness (inside and on top), special meringue-almondy topping, price hovers around a doable $2 and what else does there need to be? If you're lucky to pick one up while they're still warm, you'll smile and think of me and be happy. Trust me. (PS - they sell out before mid-afternoon, no surprise). read more

Grand Central Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I frequent this spot pretty often because I live close by so I've tried several of their baked goods, coffee and sandwiches. Love the tuna sandwiches, love the quiche, Cinnamons rolls, and latte dunkers. Always friendly customer service. read more

Biscuit lovers, beware!! I paid waaay too much for a biscuit that was CRUNCHY every bite of the way. Crunchy and hard! I get that when you go to nice little places like this with compostable spoons and free range eggs that you pay more than you would for a Burger King breakfast, but 5x the price for HELL IN MY MOUTH is not cool. I ordered a vegeterian egg and cheese biscuit. For some reason there was a ham pastry on my plate. Which I enjoyed, but come ON. You can't just go around putting meat on people's plates without asking first. read more

A cute place to grab lunch. I appreciated the simplicity of the sandwiches, but thought it was a bit too pricey considering how small the sandwiches were. Hubby and I enjoyed the turkey cranberry chutney sandwich and the Ham and Gruyere on Sourdough (instead of Rye). Both were good, but nothing spectacular. We also got the chorizo and black bean soup which was horrible. It definitely needed a kick (salt? sriracha sauce?). The pastries are where it's at. The oatmeal and chocolate chip cookie was a perfect balance of chewy and crispy. I also thought the almond paste in the croissant was custard-y delicious, but rest of it was a tad hard (maybe it had dried out from being on display). read more

Oh savoury bread pudding, you woo me every single time I see you! My intentions are pure. I only want to grab a loaf of their delectable Kalamata olive bread with fresh rosemary and studded with plump olives. I might grab a tender Ciabatta or one of their beautifully chewy sourdoughs. And then it happens... you catch my eye, demurely peeking out from your glass case. I rescue you from your detention but you never make it home. A few minutes into my journey home, I pry the container open with my fingers and greedily break off chunks for nibbling. I know you'll forgive me because when I return, you're back in the case... beckoning me to buy you again. Ah well. Parking can be tricky if they are busy. You can park in the bank lot next door if you are swift but do not tarry, they will and have towed people. I've found the employees to be serviceable but not overly nice. Their location in Pioneer Square seems to have the monopoly on those! read more

Still loving Grand Central. Two of the most unassuming pastries have become my favorites. Typically I'm seduced by the siren song of the chocolate croissant with its buttery, flaky layers and dark chocolate insides. But I recently tried a sampling when purchasing pastries for a family gathering, and grabbed a jammer and a latte dunker. The jammer is a bit homely, like a lumpy scone with jam on top - but it's delicious! Fruity jam, not too dry and not weirdly moist. The dunker is a real treat - crispy and covered in caramelized sugar glaze! read more

I seriously cannot deal with this place. If their pastries weren't so delicious, I would stay clear. Also, their sandwiches are awesome. However, their service is SO.SLOOOOWWWWW. Like, abysmally slow. They are always understaffed, a breakfast sandwich took me 10 minutes to receive in the morning, and during the morning rush, you really only have 2 people behind the counter? There is 0 sense of urgency here and only when I'm seriously craving a chocolate croissant do I even attempt to wander in. It's just not worth it to me. Also, Splenda isn't meant to be put in a large glass jar to be poured out. I get the enviro-friendly thing, but please. Lets be realistic here. read more

Slightly pricey, but high quality ingredients. I always have a nice time chatting to the staff here, and the food has reasonable portions that fill me up. A little bit pricey on some things, but the egg and toast breakfast is very very good for $5 and the coffee never tastes burned. They have very good customer service-- they were once out of 2 sandwiches I wanted so on my third try they had it and gave me a free drink to make up for the inconvenience! So nice! They offer free parking, a nice patio (little birds come up to say hello... and graciously clean up any crumbs you may or may not drop). If you're outside waiting for the bus, check one bus away before you go in for a coffee. It can take a little while for the line to move sometimes. read more

Good bread and cookies. The sandwiches are ok but nothing special. I ordered a turkey deluxe and it got the job done. The staff was nice. My only problem with this place is that it's OVERPRICED...big time. $9.00 for a turkey sandwich that should cost $6. I would love to add this place to my lunch rotation but it's too expensive. read more

I agree with other reviewers. They are often out of food, and the service is slow. Unfortunately, I find that this seems to be a Seattle restaurant trait. Not sure why. Maybe it will change in the future after too many Yelp reviews say it's an issue. Anyway, the sandwiches are fabulous here. Whatever cheese they are using, which I have asked to find out, is to die for. It is delish. Nobody seems to know what brand it is. If I ever find a manager, I will beg to know. I love, and I mean LOVE their sandwiches. Just so good. I have only had nice service people here, even if they are slow. Very laid back. Oh, and the coffee? Super good. A+ for food prep training. Speed, a little slow...but maybe that's why the sandwiches are so good??? read more

Yum, yum, yum Goodies in the tum... Grab my purse Try not to curse! The prices are high. If you order the sky! I love the atmosphere. I find employees have time to be polite and fun or sometimes not so fun and nice. The windows and crowded atmosphere make it worth an interesting trip. read more

If I could give this central bakery location 0 stars I would. We love this chain; however, in Eastlake our food was ready 1 hour later than they told us it would be. They forgot half of our order and we had to go back to show the receipt and get what we actually paid for. Finally the service was horrendous! Management does such a good job at other locations around the Seattle area but oh my goodness this location needs leveling. read more

Love this place. It's a local chain sourcing ingredients from the area and baking pastries and bread at their flagship in Pioneer Square, so the food you love is also great for the local economy. They have a rotating menu of fresh and local sandwiches, soups, and salads that will make you go ahhhhh... They have plenty of vegetarian options, like grilled veggie sandwiches, bean soups, and more. It's a little on the pricey side - around $12 for a sandwich, chips. But the food is really hearty. They also have spicy chai, a rarity in mainstream coffee shops! I never know what will be on the menu... But I always know that it's awesome! read more

Good size place with outdoor seating and free two hour parking in the structure. Grabbed a coffee and pastry while I was there and it was good. People were very friendly and it wasn't that crowded on a weekday afternoon. If your are in the area then check It out read more

Grand Central Bakery - Nice outdoor seating. Soy latte and Irish Soda bread. Interesting taste if you've never had it - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Super over priced! Took them 20 minutes to grill my sandwich cause they forgot about it due to excessive gossipping by their employees. Unprofessional is the only way I can use to describe the Eastlake location. The Pioneer Square is waaay better and quicker! Don't waste your time. read more

I work in the same building that Grand Central Bakery and of course it became my to go place. Ok is not the "cheapest" but food is ALWAYS good, staff super nice and their outdoor seating so nice when the sun is out. Pastries, sandwiches, soup, salads you cannot go wrong here! read more

Grand Central Bakery - Yummy! - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

nothing against GCB at all... i can't say it was a-okay... only because i truly have experienced better. The location itself is at an odd spot unless you live right around that area as there's nothing else to partake in aside from banking if you want to do anything else. one of my favorite things about Bakeries, be it of breads and/or pastries is the aroma. I want to salivate and have to resist the urge to purchase everything in sight until my craving has been satisfied. GCB didn't do that for me... it was more like a smaller Panera Bread atmosphere. The visuals were grand but the products didn't seem to sell themselves. I tried the Shrimp Roll... the bread itself was rather tasty... however the shrimp itself was like baby bay shrimp tossed in a mayo dressing. lacked pa-zazz and umpf of flavor. it was actually a little on the "fishy" tasting side so i knew it wasn't fresh. $13 shrimp sandwiches don't have to be the best by any means but gimme something! overall - i'd say i'd stick to other bakeries, The Bread Farm, La Painier, or Bakery Nouveau... unless i'm in the area doing banking on east lake... read more

Popped in today on a walk to grab some coffee and breakfast. We both ordered the continental (Beachers cheese and tomato jam on a bolo roll) so it was cheesy goodness in our mouths. They served a slice of orange and a small piece of pastry with it. The orange was fresh and delicious, I can't comment on the pastry bite since I handed it over to JP to eat. You can't really screw up cheese and bread, so no complaints here. It wasn't super crowded for a Sunday morning and JP liked his coffee. I agree with others it's a bit pricey for what you get, which is probably why I don't go out of my way to frequent this place. read more

I really like stopping at this neighborhood bakery. I love that it's in my neighborhood (it earned a whole star just for that). In all seriousness, I love their Challah bread, ryes and rolls. I really haven't tried a bunch of their pastries unfortunately. My most purchased bread is their sourdough, it's my favorite choice for my grilled cheese sandwiches! No preservatives but still stays fresh for longer than I expect and for toast junkie I live with, that's great news! This is a true bakery too, they discount their prices right before close too! Plus it's cheaper than you can get from the third party vendors in town. read more

Got the Chicken NOODLE soup today. It was chicken broth with chicken carrots and celery. NOT A SINGLE NOODLE. So $6 for broth & veggies. Ugh. I always check my sandwiches & salads, but didn't think the soups could have errors (other than I've gotten the wrong one before.) If you run out of noodles, use some rice. So odd! read more

Grand Central Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

A friend took me to try their chocolate croissant. I protested, since I don't even like chocolate croissants. I have since changed my mind. It's delicate, buttery, and just as a croissant should be, but the great part is the chocolate: not too sweet, not too bitter, and in giant chunks. The only hard part, for me, is getting in there before the chocolate croissants sell out. read more

The only thing that I've gotten here are breakfast sandwiches, and they are delicious. Plus they give you a random tasty piece of baked good on the side of your plate (brownie, scone, etc). A bit pricey I guess but I live near it so it's nice for a quick weekend breakfast. Apparently their lunch items are not as good so beware. read more