The bread here is quite good. I had their sourdough, since I used to live in San Francisco, and it's not as tangy as SF sourdough, but it's got a really good crumb. They prepared it in a sandwich, and it was cooked just right. Their pastries are also amazing. I think if you like a good bakery cafe, this is one of the better ones you can choose. Not a lot of seating at this location, and it does get busy, so be warned. You may not have a place to sit. read more

They have a great BLT. Real fresh tasty tomatoes they are a game changer on any sandwich. I also love a good hash brown but would prefer it was made fresh instead of store bought and frozen. Only once did I have an issue here and they left the sticker on the sliced up apple in my sandwich. Which I ate some of. They offered to make me a new one but never tried to compensate in anyway. (Would have been okay with a cookie or discount or something but no one wants to wait for another meal to be made) read more

So I got a gift card to this place and had to try it out. I would not recommend getting a specialty drink here, because the employees are not really baristas. So stick with the food and pastries. I got the Union special signature sandwich/croissant and I thought it was too greasy. But they have many other options that sounded good so I'm guessing I just chose wrong. Another time I got a few different pastries and they were all pretty tasty. I have authentic French pastries to compare them to, so that's saying a lot. The poppyseed roll was by far my favorite. The chocolate croissant barely had any chocolate in it, which was soooo not shwae. All in all, I will come back here, I think I just need to give it a few more chances. A bonus: there are windows into the back kitchen where all the baking takes place that you can see from the seating area! read more

I would die for Union Special and their Turkey Philly. That sandwich is amazing, from their crisp, toasted baguette that is more than enough bang for buck to the amazing medley of caramelized onions, sautéed meats, and soft cheeses that give a French twist on a American classic cheesesteak. It also has a side salad that you can put into your sandwich if you so choose for a healthier option. I got the order to go, but there is really nice outdoor seating that is similar to a brewery. The next time I go I'm going to try their winter hash! read more

Union Special - Turkey Philly - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

We drove 6 hours with the express purpose of eating at Union Special. Our only regret is that we couldn't do it sooner, and we are already trying to figure out when we can get back! Everything is amazing!!! read more

Union Special - Pecan "Monkey Bread" - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

Putting the Special in Union Special. Between their bakery and pastries they're out of control then add the kitchen menu in there... Every right to be called special. The brunch specials are always on point and so are the special sandos. Coffee Cake. it slaps. Chocolate Monkey Bread and Pecan Monkey Bread. Delicious. Union Egg Sandwich with bacon added. I can eat two in one day. Pound cake is thicc with two C's. It's delicious, freshly made food by awesome people that love what they do. Also the CSVANW menu was just unreal. The pork chop and roasted grape toast were amazing and that cabbage steak & potatoes just stole the show. read more

See all

We came in for Sunday brunch. I wanted the artichoke melt, but they were out, so I had the vegan sandwich. It was ok. I also ordered grits, and they were runny and didn't have much flavor. The strawberry salad I ordered was good, and probably the best thing I had. My boyfriend had the local nc grits and greens. He said the greens had vinegar on them, which is fine, but the vinegar was also in the grits which tasted pretty bad. He added sausage, but he said the seasoning on it wasn't good. He will never order this again. I'd come back to try the artichoke melt, and I'd get the salad again most likely. They bring your food out in a bag which makes sense, incase you can't finish your food and need to take it home. It's also pretty cool to watch them making bread while you eat. I'm going to give it one more shot. read more

This spot was so cute but I was not impressed with the wait time for my food. I ordered a waffle and side of grits. Luckily my mom and I ordered a slice of delicious lemon cheesecake to split while we waited. The meal itself was just okay, I would not order it again. I'd like to try a few of the pastries next time. This plaza is growing with so many great businesses so it's worth checking out. read more

See all

The best dirty chai latte you'll ever have! Very kind people and excellent service. I take all my friends from out of town here to have a dirty chai, and it never disappoints. read more

Such a great addition to the area! This shopping center has gotten a total makeover. It's now very trendy and nice, and it seems like there will be more opening here in the future. Union Special is a great little bakery and lunch spot. They have a daily bread schedule, so you can get different kinds of fresh bread each day. They also have a good lunch/brunch menu. It's not huge and not super cheap, but a solid variety and the quality makes sense for the price. The portions are moderate. I got the grain bowl, which was like a chilled kale and quinoa bowl. It also had some dressing, cilantro, seeds, and I think sweet potato. It was delicious! Again, not a huge portion so it was good for a small lunch. I'll definitely be back to try the pastries! read more

Union Special - Grain bowl - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

Gorgeous bakery and tiny cafe. The baked goods look beautiful. Check out thisAiry, cheerful space right off Capital Blvd. The only serve drip and ice brew coffee but it is great quality. They serve other cold drinks and canned beer or cider. It looks like they always have a vegan baked treat option but gluten-free bread is hard to find. There are lots of gluten-free and dairy-free options on the cafe menu. read more

See all

My first time trying, they forgot about my order a simple soup and grilled cheese, I had to asked about my order for them to make it . Not worth the wait. read more

The food at Union special is consistently amazing! The service however, is consistently unfriendly. The staff seem put out by customers.

Nice place. I had the Turkey melt which came with a side salad. The sandwich was hot with thick slices of bacon and tasty sauce. The side salad of mixed greens was fresh. Nice place for a quick sandwich. The pastries looked good too, maybe next time I'll get one. read more

Union Special is a gem. It is tucked in a newly renovated plaza behind the Greyhound bus terminal off Capital Blvd. The space is industrial yet cozy and welcoming. The menu has something for everyone, but with a twist, like the egg sandwich served with fontina and romesco. I ordered the turkey sandwich (I was told it is leaving the menu soon) and it was so full of flavor it was ridiculous. The turkey was sous vide, and the sandwich was assembled with sweet potato aioli, a raisin schmear, mustard and get this- chicken chicharrones. Union Special has a big selection of breads, danishes, cookies and creative daily specials. The location is great- there's plenty of parking and the service is stellar. I would have given it 5 stars, but the ordering process is confusing. There are two stations - one says pastry and the other sandwiches or menu (?) so it looks like you should line up based on your order. Wrong. There is one line, and you just skip pastry if you are not interested. When I was there people were frustrated, waiting in a line, only to be told to move to another line. Ugh, hopefully this gets sorted out. I'll be back, can't wait in fact. read more

Union Special - Turkey sandwich - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Awesome place to grab breakfast or lunch. Love their patio on a nice day. Super cheerful spot in Raleigh!

Terrible. Grilled cheese ordered without pepper jam came with pepper jam and practically no cheese. I cant do spicy and italian came with banana rings and multiple jalepenos. read more

We're obsessed with your croissants. So much so that we got your info from our local coffee place. This morning I was so hyped to have the opportunity to go! We got there too early after dropping kids off. Totally worth the wait for the delicious goodness. Why the three stars? My excitement to be there was quickly dampened by the lack of service. Look, I know what it's like to be super busy and trying to get things together for the day. We felt we like were a burden to your morning and that sucked. I wasn't expecting the red carpet but, a hey good morning or yea sorry we can't give you another plain croissant since it's been spoken for. Instead, there was no acknowledgement we were even ordering and "I can give you one I have to fill orders." Hope things get better, I know everyone is having a tough time. read more

Been here a couple of times for both dine in and take out and it did not disappoint. One of my go-to bakeries for bread and pastries, though you shouldn't sleep on their sandwiches either. Their breakfast sandwich and the vegan sandwich are both awesome and the coffee is great. Really can't go wrong with any of the menu items and they have both indoor and outdoor seating at their Crabtree location. Definitely recommend following them on Instagram, as they post daily specials that aren't typically on their menu. read more

It's sad cos I used to love this place! Would love to bring the doggies and BF and chill outside on the benches. The last time I went the croissants were hot trash. They were SO greasy at the bottom. It was a pool of oil. Disgusting! It had been sitting there all morning. And then I tried to order coffee cake and all of a sudden it was sold out. It's annoying they don't link their online ordering system with real life. It's also literally 9am and you used opened. How are you out of stuff already? That's just poor planning. I spoke to the staff about the quality of the croissants were again was unacceptable. The baker gave me a fresh croissant which was also SOAKED in oil!!!! He said it was because they were fresh. I'm not a baker but I'm pretty sure it's oily because you didn't keep the dough cold. Also I had the croissant cold, from the counter as well. The fact they can't seem to keep the dough COLD. It was a dense oily mess, I couldn't believe he wasn't embarrassed to serve that. Also ordered other sandwiches that were meh. Place went downhill fast. Apathetic service, food is poor quality now. read more

First it's very expensive for what you get. Dry! And how are you a bakery that doesn't warm croissants and say oh I'm sorry can't cus we don't have a microwave. Kid's chicken strips are gross, my kids. Left hungry.No thanks won't be returning. Better off going to biscutville or and other breakfast spot. read more

Enjoyed a very delicious breakfast this morning at Union Special! The line was almost to the door, but they staff moved quickly to get us all fed as quickly as possible. It was so packed that the chef even came out to make an announcement asking for our patience as they are still a new restaurant and getting acclimated to the high demand. So to the food, the Union Egg Sandwich was AMAZING. Three of us tried various versions of the sandwich. I was quite happy to get a lower FODMAP version with sourdough and no romesco. They also had a great variety of pastries and fresh breads available to take home. It all looked delicious and I will definitely be back to try more! read more

Union Special - Union Egg Sandwich with sourdough - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I had high hopes but we were disappointed. My grilled cheese had unmelted cheese (the flavor combo was admittedly great, though!) and the breakfast sandwich fell flat. We didn't get drinks. The setup was also a little...cold? And so were the staff. Not sure what all the fuss is about. read more

Great pastries, you should definitely order online before coming here. That way they won't run out of the delicious cinnamon rolls! read more

Union Special - Chocolate Croissant, ham and cheese croissant( just ok), delicious plain croissant, chocolate chip cookie and cinnamon roll - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I started stopping by Union Special about once a week because it was on my usual commuting route from home to work. I enjoyed their pastry and cafe options and was glad to support a local business and good concept. Then covid-19 hit and shifted everything for everyone. I stopped going to the office every day, but one day I decided that I needed a good pastry, so I ordered online and picked up. Union Special is one of those special places that has truly **improved** during the pandemic--they were great to start with, but they just got better! They figured out how to do online orders well, move customers through the pickup process, and keep innovating on their food. It's been great to watch them in this season! As for the food... you can't go wrong! I've discovered some things that aren't necessarily for my particular taste, but I've never been unhappy to have tried something. I especially enjoy the Union Egg Sandwich, the (grilled) chicken sandwich, and the summer salad. On the bakery end of things, the double chocolate croissant is wonderful, the ham and cheese croissant is succulent, and Union Sour has become my bread of choice for everyday eating. To top it all off, Union Special cares about its customers and community. They've done an amazing job of keeping everyone safe, supporting social distancing and best public health practices, and offering their voice to call for voting and social change. They have an easy option to "pay it forward" and add $5 to any online order to support their program of baking bread for those in need in the community. In the early months of the pandemic, this helped them keep their ovens going when their wholesale business dried up overnight, but they haven't forgotten this important additional effort. All in all, five stars--and I'd add another if I could for their great efforts to stay safe and engaged in this difficult time! read more

I decided to make the trek to try out Union Special on a gross, rainy day. Had seen lots of pictures of their food, and thought it would be a good place to try with my daughter. I liked the up and coming look of the location, and the Covid measures that were in place. One side for ordering, one side for call ins. With so many options, I decided to try the Union Egg Sandwich which is more basic than I would normally chose, but I was curious to see how the Romesco would tie this sandwich together. Unfortunately, there was none on my sandwich :( We also ordered the Grown Up Grilled Cheese, and a Pecan Monkey Bread Pastry. The egg sandwich, was of course basic with a hash brown and cheese, and didn't offer anything special, especially without all the ingredients. The grilled cheese however, was so delicious. The pepper jelly gave it just the right amount of heat, and the collard green pesto was so flavorful. I wish I would've ordered 2 of those. The monkey bread was also quite good. It was just the right amount of butter, and ooey goodness that you would expect. Tender dough, and great caramel at ion on top with the pecans to tie it all together. I would recommend this establishment, and would like to try a few more things on the menu that stood out to me in the future. read more

See all

The service is always good, we love the indoor and outdoor seating, and we love the food. We especially enjoy the cinnamon buns, union sour, and the egg & cheese biscuit sandwich. read more

Amazing food!! Very talented bakers, such a cute hidden gem out of the way of the hustle and bustle of downtown. Staff was very friendly and they had a lovely variety of options. Will definitely be back! read more

Union Special - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Let's start with the positives: 1) Food was good. They have a nice selection and interesting options and some solid a la carte choices. 2) Atmosphere is solid too with outdoor seating. Negatives: I had three interactions with three separate workers and all three were incredibly rude/cold. I'd be willing to write one off as a bad day or even ignore if they happened to be exceptionally busy. 3 out of 3 however is a noteworthy trend. The first I was ordered to sit down and wait for my food when I attempted to politely ask if my pre-ordered food was ready upon my arrival, "you need to sit down and wait until your name is called." The second, I ordered a coffee at the register and was aggressively 'thrown' my empty cup to fill up. Finally, when I went to fill my coffee, I found the self-serve empty and alerted someone only to be scoffed in an annoyed tone, "Fine. I'll go get another." Again, the overall tone was off-putting. It just felt like I was inconveniencing them by being a patron. Not to worry as I won't be inconveniencing them in the future! read more

I will never not recommend Union Special or their pastries to friends in from out of town. The twice baked pecan croissants are my favorite, my best friend loves their cinnamon rolls, and my wife loves their tomato pastries (seasonal item I believe). Their bread is also amazing and they offer daily specials! Canning speak highly enough of them! read more

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm now a person who has bought a $10 loaf of bread. When I asked the owner what made this bread so special, he got this dreamy look on his face when he talked about the special flour that was hand milled in Maryland on an artisanal farm. I knew that anyone that had that much passion about flour must know how to make some good bread. It was honestly a beautiful loaf. Maybe a little too sour for me, but my husband thought it was perfectly crusted on the outside and had a good, soft chewy interior. I also tried the peach pinwheel, which was delicious. The space itself is bright, with lots of windows and a nice community table. I'm so happy that Union Special has chosen to make its home in this developing part of Raleigh. I can't wait to come back and try more of their baked goods. read more

Excellent food. Very simple and quaint. I really enjoy this place overall. I had the grits and greens which was complex and absolutely delicious. Loved their take on this dish! Only loses a star because of the long haired guy who works up front who is thoroughly unfriendly. Maybe he was just having a bad day? Will still go there, but man... can you act like you care about the customer at all? read more

Union Special is a full service bakeshop and café located in the newly renovated Gateway Plaza. They have a great selection of fresh breads and pastries which are both sweet and savory. Tried their Union Egg Sandwich: Ex-Voto Style made with scrambled eggs, chorizo, hash brown, union hot sauce, queso on a burer bun was amazing. The scrambled eggs were perfectly fluffy, the hash brown had a perfect crunch to it, and the bread was so soft. Also had their Smoked Carnitas Tacos with mole verde, queso fresco, onion, cilantro, lime and pepitas on top of homemade tortillas. These tacos were so savory and delicious. Definitely a place to visit for your fresh bread and pastries and to grab a quick bite. read more

See all

I ordered delivery from Union Special for the first time, and my belly is full and happily satisfied! I ordered a build-your-own egg and cheese sandwich, and it was to die for! I chose the biscuit with sausage, bacon, extra egg and cheese. It was enormous! I managed a few bites before I decided to take a break. It is probably at least two meals for me. I like the fact that they have breakfast sandwiches that are fully customizable, with a variety of options and toppings. I plan on munching my way through their entire menu! Go there, and EAT THAT!!! read more

After much anticipation we tried the Union Special brunch today! I am really excited to see this shopping center get revamped and anxious to see what other businesses join Union Special here. There are lots of good choices on the menu that made choosing tough. I settled on the egg sandwich while my boyfriend had the biscuits and gravy and a side of eggs. He orders biscuits and gravy for brunch almost every time and ranked this in his top 3 renditions of the dish. He really liked the pickled peppers. My egg sandwich was good, it had a cheese sauce and hash brown right on the sandwich. It was good but very heavy. It could have been elevated with a more flavorful or crispy hash brown to take it up a notch. We will be back to try more of the menu for sure and are excited to add this place to our rotation! read more

Union Special - Great coffee! - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

This is the bakery you should go to in Raleigh. All the food is A+. The staff is not customer focused, which can make the experience a little rough. read more

After missing numerous pop-ups, my SO and I finallllly managed to check them out at their brand new location. We are both huge fans of carbs (who isn't), and the food was delicious in every single bite. We will give them credit for having a good amount of vegetarian and a couple of vegan options as well. I got the vegan sandwich and my husband got their scrambled toast. We caved in and also got the Texas Brioche Toast, and we are so glad that we did! This place has ample parking and nice seating area both indoors and outdoors. One can imagine why they get so crowded around breakfast and brunch time. Luckily, we went in just before the crowd started flowing on a Sunday morning. The price is definitely on the steeper side but considering they pay fair living wages to their employees, I will definitely put my money on this local business. read more

See all

Came in for their Sneak Peek event with Offline Premium and their croissants did not disappoint. The owner was very friendly and his plans for the bakery sound exciting! The whole Gateway Plaza is getting remodeled and looks like it's going to be an awesome shopping center. The butter croissant is their signature for a reason, ultra buttery and very flaky. The Videri chocolate was stuffed with the namesake's delicious dark chocolate, which I appreciated very much. The whole wheat snickerdoodle was hearty, which isn't exactly what I was looking for in a cookie, but definitely get your $2 worth of cookie. All in all, I still love Raleigh French Bakery for their croissants, but Union Special has promise to challenge them, especially when they start serving brunch! read more

See all

Really fresh salad fixings tasty sandwich. We sat outside very clean and quiet.

I really enjoyed this spot, great food, good espresso drinks, welcoming vibe, nice playlist. Had the Breakfast Sandwich, unique take on a standard, was delicious. On a different day I had the home fries with two eggs, eggs cooked perfectly. Took home a loaf of sourdough, it didn't disappoint, great flavor and crust. I'll definitely be back when I'm in the area again. read more