Made it to Scratch this past Sunday. Being GF is definitely a challenge surrounded by such amazing bagels. I had almost given up on finding a treat when staff pointed out the GF option. I wasn't terribly excited about it but gave it a try. The Almond Horseshoe is just about the best GF treat I have eaten. And eating at Willard Beach makes it even better. Sorry I didn't get the photo. I wish I had bought more. I will certainly make special trips to get that again! read more

A friend took me here when I was visiting town and I immediately fell in love! Their sourdough bagels are absolutely delicious. They have staple flavors and rotating "guest stars". The honey rosemary guest star was a favorite. The Maine Sea Salt with their herbed cream cheese was also impeccable. I'm here for a few more days, and plan to visit as much as I can. The staff is great- spelled my name right, which is a rarity for me. Go early if you want bagels. Sometimes there is a line, but it moves quickly. read more

Scratch Baking Company - Bagel of the day - can't remember what it was, just that it was delicious. - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

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Such a staple to the area! Bagels are top notch- especially the rosemary bagel ranking first then the Asiago with a close second. They're freshly made and so soft in the inside and crisp on the outside! Their freshly made staff is always super friendly and great at helping with suggestions if you're not sure what to choose! The savory scones are also to die for, LITERALLY! read more

If you're a bagel snob (like me) who grew up around NYC/NJ bagels, this place will absolutely blow you away. Scratch Baking Co. in South Portland makes the best bagels I've had outside of the Tri-State area--hands down. The texture is unreal: plush and chewy on the inside with that perfect crusty exterior that gives the ideal bite. The salt bagel is my go-to (flaky, briny, perfection), but the Montreal spice and salt combo changed my life. Seriously, try it. They've got a unique setup too--grab your bagels and then choose a "rip and dip" style tub of cream cheese (about $2 each). Two bagels plus two cream cheeses came out to around $8--great quality and value. Beyond bagels, they've got sweet pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and a bunch of local Maine goodies. Definitely plan to come back every time I'm in Portland. Service was also very helpful and friendly to help you navigate as a tourist. Pro tip: there are two locations, they're closed Tuesdays, and parking on the street can be a bit tricky--so plan ahead. But the bagels are 100% worth the effort. read more

Scratch Baking Company - Salt bagel - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

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I stopped by here during the morning walk and I'm so glad I did! This food is absolutely amazing and must try if you're around the area. I tried the sea salt bagel and I paired it with an herb cream cheese, which was delicious. The bagel was the perfect texture nice and warm on the inside with a nice bite on the outside. I also tried the Cubano danish pastry, and that was probably one of the best pastries I've ever had!!! I did take the pickles off, but that's just me. read more

Scratch Baking Company - Sea salt bagel + side of herb cream cheese and a cubano danish (i took the pickles off) - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

Was gifted one of their large ring ding cakes by my partner for Valentine's Day and it was soooo good! Also tried the mini ganache cakes and haddock spread. Really nice bakery and the pink box was a nice touch. read more

Scratch Baking Company - Ganache chocolate cake - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

Well I can attest that the ham and cheddar scone was great, the ginger scone was fantastic, the honey-rosemary bagel was wonderful and the berry muffin was incredible!! Had a bite of each!! Followed the next day by fabulous blueberry bagels and a zucchini-sun-dried tomato scone! This is a must stop kind of place! Close at 1pm. Open at 7 am. If you want the special of the day bagel you need to be there before 8! read more

Scratch Baking Company - Bakery items - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

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Can't miss the big blue exterior, another spectacular bakery in town. I adore the bagels and could eat the scallion herb cream cheese alone with a spoon. I came here on my birthday alone to get myself a little treat, so of all the great places in town, the fact that I chose scratch should tell you a lot! I've had everything, salt, and Montreal spice bagels here which were a special. All were great - I love that their everything spice blend mix includes (I think?) fennel! It gives it just a little something extra. It's a well oiled machine with the way the line flows through the space with the cash register at the end, and friendly knowledgeable staff. My husband always picks several new pastries to try when he comes in and I haven't had a bad bite. I am a little bit of a pastry snob and they do a great job. This is simply a staple in the area and I'll continue to return and stuff my face with carbs and cream cheese. read more

Scratch Baking Company - Exterior - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

WOW!! If you have not made it here for a quick breakfast bite, treat or coffee you are missing out! Huge selection of items to meet your grumbling stomach needs. Service is quick and very friendly to quickly move you from bagel station, sweet treat or coffee. Good vibes to start your morning off with Scratch Baking Company, will definitely be back! read more

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This was a bakery in the heart of a cute neighborhood. I had the BEST chicken salad sandwich served on a soft pretzel bun. I usually get worried about pretzel buns because they tend to be too chewy, but this was very, very soft and fluffy. There was also a layer of coarse mustard that was a pleasant addition. There was a really long line when we walked up, but it moved very quickly. Stood in line, ordered, and checked out all within about 10 minutes. read more

Scratch Baking Company - Chicken salad sandwich on a pretzel bun - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

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I keep coming back to this bagel place in South Portland Maine. They make the best bagels in Maine, I assume. Maybe I'm exaggerating but maybe I'm not but I do love their bagels. The first time I tried them back in 2015. I came back in 2018 and they do still make the same quality. Again with family in 2023. They run out of the good bagels by 9 AM. Yes that's good. So that means you have to wake up early come here. Grab some bagels and coffee and take it to the lighthouse and enjoy the scenery over there. They have the oldest lighthouse with in five minutes from this place. The staff are standard and to the point. The place has no seats. So it's only for grab and go. read more

Scratch Baking Company - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

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Great choices! Everything looks yummy! Prices are reasonable. Give them a try! Everyone very helpful

Reasinably priced, adorable bakery and yummy coffee joint. Super busy on a sunday morning but had a great selection of pastries and bagel. It's a bit overwhelming at first to decide what you want since it all looks so good! They have a system in place so you open a tab under your name and order different items from each counter and then pay for everything at the end. Friendly and helpful service. Tons of street parking available in a quieter area read more

Scratch Baking Company - pastry - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

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Probably my favorite bagel/ bakery in Maine. Always a line so go early as they sell out pretty quick. The salt bagels are my favorite. I usually buy a dozen and freeze them. They freeze well. After you walk past the bagels there are a couple cases of desserts. No one can walk past without grabbing one or two items. So good! Don't forget to grab some cream cheese from the last case before the register. read more

As a new resident to the South Portland area and no stranger to the Portland culinary community, I mean this with my whole heart: these are the best bagels in the area. They are fluffy. They are savory. They are pillowy baked goods that deserve to be purchased in bulk and shared with anyone with a gluten-positive pulse. I will say that the bakery has a well-oiled workflow that makes it less "mom & pop" vibe, but when you're that good and you have this many visitors a day, they needed to manage the chaos! There is no seating available, except for one or two benches immediately outside. In the summer months you can mosey on down to Willard Beach to enjoy your goodies. read more

I just wanted to add that I have since been to Scratch several times and it does not disappoint. The bagels are outstanding, the bear claws are, as my niece said, "life-changing", the banana bread is dense without being heavy and rich with banana flavor, their graham cracker is a revelation--and the small selection of to-go salads and sandwiches are excellent. read more

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What a fantastic find! Service and staff are helpful. They are efficient in getting people in to the store, helped and checked out. The bagels are literally some of the BEST I've ever had! All the desserts looked wonderful! read more

Everything they make is delicious. The bagels have always been a staple and I appreciate that recently they've been mixing it up with more flavor options. Service is friendly and they manage to keep things moving even when it's packed. This is a great neighborhood spot that is beloved by the community, and vice versa. read more

This place is amazing. The bagels and bread are great. I loved the Maine sea salt bagels. They are super addictive. I had to stay away after a few days because I do love bread. They paired well with the herb cream cheese. I came here last year while staying at my friend's place, and I was excited to be back. It did not disappoint. She is very lucky that Scratch is in her neighborhood! read more

I came here on a whim as I just found out about it through Instagram. The bagels here were the best bagels I've ever had. They were so good. They were exactly what I would expect from scratch bagels. They were so moist and so fresh well seasoned . Even though the place was kind of busy they did a really good job of getting through all the customers in there. I also got the latte which was pretty good. The only downside is that there's no seating in there. However, there is a beautiful beach we can sit next to. read more

Was so excited to find this bakery when I moved to Portland a few years ago. They truly have the best selection, the best quality, the best prices and the best service of ANY bakery in the greater Portland area. Yes, I have indeed visited them all. This place is truly down to earth, unpretentious, joyful and delicious. I know the owners thought they were opening a quiet business to retire to, but they did everything right and are greatly acknowledged for it. I wish them continued great success! I love their bagels. I always say I am going to get one thing but I always seem to get a chocolate chip cookie, a brownie and a chocolate raspberry ganache cake. Thank you so much for satiating my sweet tooth! Rock on!!! read more

I was super excited to try this place having read it was the best bagel in Maine. These were okay, tasted a lot like Einstein bagels that are puffy vs a dense ny bagel. I will say they are very efficient and I was in & out in 5 minutes. Their other bakery items were very good but sadly for this New Yorker fuggetaboutit. These are fugazy NY Bagels. read more

Scratch Baking Co. in South Portland is a must-visit for bakery lovers. Their sea salt bagels are incredible--chewy, flavorful, and always fresh. The pastries, especially the cinnamon rolls, are just the right amount of sweet. It's takeout-only, but the staff is friendly and the service is quick. Get there early--things sell out fast! read more

Their Montreal bagel and other bakery items are simply amazing. Easy to order by your first name as your selected items are packed for you.

Scratch has changed *a lot* over the years, but one thing remains the same: their absolutely exceptional baked goods, pastries, breads, and bagels! Scratch is extremely popular and it's almost always busy. Like line-out-the-door-and-down-the-block busy. And they frequently run out of bagels (the goodie they're probably known the best for) because they really are *that* good (I will forever be smitten with their dense, chewy, abundantly flavorful Everything - formally known as Seed - bagels) and *that* popular. So if you're looking for bagels at 9am on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday morning and it's nice out (read: not downpouring or a blizzard)... there's a good chance you just won't get any. Before the pandemic this issue was alleviated with their Toast Bar. During the pandemic this issue was alleviated with their online ordering system (which many locals are frustrated they discontinued the use of, but we understand the importance they feel of being a community gathering space). Now? Even though the interior is brand new, we're back to the way things used to be circa 2018 (eg "out of stock"). If I want bagels, I try to get there at opening on a Wednesday or a Thursday, and I buy as many as they'll let me (there's a limit, and that limit changes depending what day or time of year it is). They hold up REALLY well in the freezer though, so yay! Two final notes: 1) For locals who haven't been inside in a while: the new interior is *very* different. It's set up in a big circle, so when you enter, you give your name and order to various people along the way (there's one employee to hand you your bread, one to hand you your bagels, one to hand you your baked goods, one to hand you your pastry, etc. - the days of help-yourself are long gone) and at the end of the loop you pay for everything. I think people (and I've noticed employees too) are still figuring out how this works, because I watch people dip in and out of the line however they want. 2) For non locals: YOU CANNOT GET A TOASTED BAGEL WITH CREAM CHEESE HERE. You can get bagels. You can get house made cream cheese (the herb cc and the pimento cc are especially delicious). And you can take them back to wherever you're staying and slice, toast, and spread yourself (some folks even bring their bagels down to the beach, rip off pieces, and dunk it in their cc containers). But it's important to note: Scratch is a bakery, not a cafe. Okay, okay two more final notes that only matter at holidays: a) If you like pecan pie, their maple bourbon version is probably the best you'll ever have. b) One of the *all time greatest* baked goods in the state of Maine is Scratch's CHOCOLATE cinnamon rolls. Their regular cinnamon rolls? Not for me. But the chocolate ones? There's nothing else like them (melt-in-your-mouth, chocolatey but not overly sweet, hints of spice, all the love). Unfortunately, they are offered about as often as blue moons occur, so if you happen to ever see one: GET THEM. And get me a couple as well, please! read more

On my way to a lighthouse, I saw a line outside Scratch Baking Company and decided to stop by on my way back. However, it was too late. I got there at 11 am and all of their bagels and some other items were sold out. I still got a ginger milk tea, which is basically a ginger syrup Chai tea, a chocolate chip cookie, and a brownie. Both the cookie and brownie were pretty big and so delicious! The brownie was fudgy, which I loved. Next time, I'd have to get there earlier for the bagels. No entrance inside the building.. Everything was ordered through a window. Items are brought out through a door and placed on a table. It's very covid-safe. read more

Scratch Baking Company - Chocolate chip cookie almost the size of a head. - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

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Until this weekend I had only had these bagels when my sister brought them down to MA for a Mother's Day brunch or similar occasion. We decided on the last day of our mini vacation to start our day here and bring bagels home for ourselves. We are (VERY, VERY!) early risers but since we knew this bakery is located in a small residential neighborhood we waited until 20mins before they open to arrive. We were about 15th group in line which kept growing in length the whole time we were there. We got a mixed dozen bagels, and some individual cream cheeses. Their cookies, sweets, loaves of bread, coffee and sweet loaf options looked amazing, but will have to wait for another visit. I like their system to give your name when you order and again when you check out/pay at register, seems like a smart way to stay on top of a morning rush. We had a little picnic out of the back of the car since I couldn't wait to dig in. The sesame, main sea salt and everything bagels are delicious. Mr Julia (who'd never tried these before) is a very picky eater, especially when breads are concerned and he only had good things to say too. read more

If you're reading this, then welcome to your Scratch addiction. They currently hold the title of My Absolute Favorite Bagel, and also The Best Bakery Known to Man, I'm pretty darn sure!?!?! The bagels are supreme, so if you go for nothing else, get a sesame or Maine sea salt bagel. I like to toast them, and they're best served with the herb cream cheese, which is the most decadent, creamy, dilly experience -- can't think about it without drooling. The scones and danishes come in sweet and savory :-) I love how flaky the danishes are, and they're offered with all kinds of seasonal fruits-- rhubarb, peach etc! I also can't not comment on the "Super Duper Cinnamon Roll"- if a cinnamon roll and a croissant had babies, this would be their golden child. Most of my experience with Scratch has been since online ordering became their primary M.O. It can be tricky, because you need to hop on early to get the goods before they sell out! But I like being able to make my selections ahead of time, and then you don't have to stand in line when ya get there. All the yumyums are perfect to be taken home or brought over to Willard Beach, just around the corner. If I could go here every day, I would. Fellow Scratch addicts, let's never look back! read more

Scratch Baking Company - Enjoying a Scratch sesame bagel from home. Not much could be better. - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

This is a great bakery with terrible hours and ridiculously limited supply of cinnamon rolls! BTW closed today and tomorrow open July 4th.

The food here is amazing! I got the apple spice cookie and mocha babka slice and both were delicious. I've never been a big fan of babka before, but it turns out I just hadn't had good babka! The apple spice cookie was perfectly chewy in the center and crisp on the edges. 10/10, no notes. There's no seating inside or inside, but most people seemed to grab their food to go. My friend and I sat on the single bench outside while we enjoyed the baked goods. Drinks: I got the iced tea which was a black tea with mint notes, delicious! My friend got the Dark Krystal latte which she loved. Service was great, everyone was super friendly. They were sold out of bagels by the time we got there around 11:45am (close at 1pm on Saturday), so I'm guessing their bagels might be pretty good too. read more

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The best chicken salad I have ever had! Amazing bagels, bread and the cookies? Oh my! So good. Get there early if you want bread or bagels. Arrive at 11 AM for sandwiches as they sell out quick. The ONLY bad thing about Scratch is that they aren't open enough. read more

Salt bagels were so good, maybe the best I've had, and I've had a lot of NYC bagels. Get there early as pastries run out fast.

Breakfast here this morning and while they were already sold out of bagels the ham and cheese baguette was amazing. We ate it too fast and forgot to take pictures but would definitely go again! read more

Scratch Baking Company - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

The best fresh sourdough bagels around. Did you know that fresh sourdough isn't meant to be toasted? They're so deliciously perfect anyway that they don't need to be toasted. Crusty outside with soft insides. I moved away for a few years but it was one of my bestie's birthday so of course I had to make the drive back and surprise her with birthday morning bagels. I got there at 7:30am on a Wednesday and they had already sold out of both everything and sesame bagels. Ended up grabbing sea salt, plain, and cinnamon raisin. Sea salt will always have my heart. Their cream cheese is so delightfully whipped, don't forget to grab some from the cooler! read more

This place is literally the best. I got a blueberry cornbread muffin and a giant cinnamon roll. Both of which were absolutely scrumptious!

Easy checkout process. Great bagels and the cream cheese is to die for. Definitely a place to come back to. Get there early there's a line out the door! read more

Scratch Baking Company - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

The bakery and the food is very delicious. I will start there however there just seems to be a lot of rules. Can I get a bagel toasted? No. Can I use the restroom? No. Can I look over there before I order what I want because I don't know what you have over there? No. But if you go in knowing that you just have to follow their way and their way is the only way then you will be fine. The people are genuinely nice but again be ready to follow the rules. read more

This lovely neighborhood bakery at Willard Square is worth going out of your way for (and totally worth ditching the diet for)! Their bagels, baguettes, cookies and other baked goods are made fresh daily and never fail to disappoint. They've adapted well to the whole Covid situation, offering same day online ordering, or walk up ordering at a separate place than order pickup. It was easy to social distance during the ordering and pickup, and the staff were all wearing masks. Go pick up some goodies and head down to Willard Beach to enjoy your bounty and the view! read more

Scratch Baking Company - Oatmeal Raisin cookie - Bakeries Near Me - South Portland, Maine

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Some of the best bagels I've ever had in my life. The line is no joke and I got there half an hour before opening. Employees are so nice despite the weekend rush being overwhelming! read more

The best bakery in Maine! I'm a local and have the pleasure of going very often, whether it's the winter season or the summer season. No matter the day the service is always brilliant and even if you see a line out the door it is worth the wait! Trust me! The variety they offer for sweets is unmatched. The bagels are the BEST and sandwiches are consistently GREAT! Do yourself a favor and TRY IT. read more