We tried Union Special yesterday for Sunday brunch. We were happy to see they are doing safe pick up and have a really good system set up for minimal contact. I ordered the weekend special kimchi BLT. We also ordered a biscuit, breakfast potatoes, two coffees, and a vegan cookie. Everything was fantastic. The kimchi BLT was amazing flavor-wise. Not too spicy. Thin little layer. And the sandwich was huge! The one downside was we waited to eat it until the 15 min drive home was over, and the kimchi made the bottom layer of bread a little soggy. Everything was super delicious including the vegan sweet potato apricot cookie. Outer edge of cookie was crunchy, inside was soft, and it wasn't "too sweet." My partner loved their biscuit and potatoes. Black&white coffee is our coffee of choice at home, so we were happy to see they use it there, because it's the best coffee hands down. We wanted to order sourdough to take home but they were already out around 10:15, so we settled for a loaf of white bread. We've heard so many good things about this business, including how well the staff is treated and how much they do for the community. Now we can feel better about eating there all the time read more

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I tried Union Special right when they first opened and wasn't too excited about it, however, after trying it a few times during COVID I must say their take out is some of the best in the area. Their baked goods are delicious. I just tried the tomato sourdough and it blew my mind how delicous it was! The outside was perfectly crisp and the inside was sooo soft, perfect for a grilled cheese! read more

Union Special - Tomato Sour - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

We got the ham sandwich and the turkey sandwich (without mayo). Ham was solid with good flavor. Turkey was ok. Bread was pretty soggy. Also kinda took a long time for the food to come out, but they did warn us it would take 30 minutes. read more

Got a BLT for takeout the other day, very messy but also very good- would definitely return

Good sandwiches, really good cookies/snack pastries, Ana very filling cinnamon roll. Also, top two baguettes in Raleigh. They also usually have a daily sandwich special. Definitely worth going to if you're around the newly renovated Gateway Plaza. read more

Cold ham and cheese croissant, super dry chicken fingers, small portions for the price, super sage sausage and had to wait for coffee

Today I was sitting and waiting for my food when the owner Andrew brought me my food and sparked a conversation. He told me that they would be spend a portion of their money with a minority owned businesses. Me being a black man he could have easily just gave me my food and went on but he went out of his way to show he truly cared. Oh yea the food! The food is really good and filling! read more

Awesome brand new small business!!! I got the strawberry rhubarb and it was perfect! The outside perfectly flaky. Would go there again. read more

Union Special - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Bread is simply amazing! I really enjoyed the turkey philly. Between the tasty bread and large portions of meat, it delivered a great meal. The brownie for dessert was a bit too sweet for my taste. read more

Best breakfast in town! Amazing breads, pastries, everything is doooope. Can't leave without a blue corn cookie- trust me on this

Could not love this place more. Their breakfast sandwich is the best in the game, without a doubt (especially if you add meat). I went today to try the special peppermint brownie twice baked croissant pictured below and got to talking to the woman checking me out. Upon hearing we may have to put our dog to sleep today she slipped in two cookies unbeknownst to me. Her little bit of kindness brightened up our day. In addition to the incredible sweets read more

Union Special - Twice baked peppermint brownie croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I can't say enough good things about Union Special. My husband and I come here for weekend brunch all the time. The egg and cheese sandwich is my go-to, always add bacon! The romesco sauce makes it so good. And who doesn't love a good pastry? read more

If you haven't been to union special you are SERIOUSLY missing out. I went for the first time because it's in my neighborhood but have gone back regularly because it's so amazing, both the food and atmosphere/people. They always have vegan options that aren't just throw away items, but are thoughtfully made and delicious. The vegan sandwich is filling and has lots of great fresh veggies. Vegan grits too????? SLAY ME. plus the vegan sweet potato chocolate chip cookie made me reconsider who I am as a person. For many years I thought no one could make as good a vegan chocolate chip cookie as me, but this cookie is so moist on the inside and just the right crisp on the outside. I walk down to get it whenever I know they have it. Plus I went down one morning to get the vegan slice but they didn't have it out yet and said they weren't making it for the day then posted a note on Instagram when they ended up making them to make sure I knew! *Above and beyond this place is.* Vegans of the triangle - make a stop, you won't be disappointed. Plus every person I've brought who wasn't vegan has absolutely raved about everything they've gotten. My sister said the egg sandwich was the best she has ever had and my boyfriend talks about the blue corn cookie like it's his long lost love. read more

So good. We've always gotten the pastries and the breakfast sandwich and they're excellent. I see the lunch specials all the time on Insta and they make me drool so gotta try read more

Wow!! Union special hits the mark with specialty baked goods, excellent coffee, and a great atmosphere to enjoy it all in. The cafe has a light and airy mood to it, and rotates specialty breads through the week to keep you coming back to try new things! Their fresh baked bread are to die for AND they won't charge you extra for oat milk/dairy alternatives-- something more coffee shops would do well to pick up. If you're in the mood for some delicious food, this is the place to check out! read more

Best sandwiches in the triangle!!! Love Union Special for all that they stand for, too. Grab a few sandwiches&pastries and head to the art museum's green for a picnic. read more

the "Mom's Ham sando" was very good, just the right amount of everything. my mom, who didn't order "Mom's ham sando" LOVED her grilled cheese and tomato soup, saying several times "this really hit the spot" and I'm glad we stopped here. thank you for making finding a lunch spot a little easier for a couple of out of town visitors. read more

Their covid procedures are great, walk up window to keep employees safe. Chicken sandwich lunch was . Baguette, challah and man oh man is the pot pie take and bake worth every penny. What a blessin! read more

Union Special is really wonderful. Very friendly service with a great atmosphere. Every single item that we have purchased was extremely fresh and yummy. Also - the best service here. I highly recommend you try Union Special and I'm glad I found it. read more

I was looking for some fresh bread for my wife's soup dinner tonight and found this gem. I decided on a loaf of sourdough and was interested to see how it turned out. I was thoroughly impressed. Nice crispy crust with airy spots throughout. Definitely reminded me of San Francisco sourdough. I'm a fan and will be back for more delicious baked goods! I wish I could give a 4.5. If basing a rating just on Raleigh bakeries I would give 5/5. read more

I love the fact that this place is earth friendly. But I'm not sure how I feel about this place. My fries where cold when I received them. The plate where I received my waffles was dirty! read more

Union Special - Grain waffles, fries and the egg sandwich with scrambled eggs. - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I cannot say enough good things about Union Special! Truly a special place- from the food to the employees and owner. In the 3 days I was in town, i visited Union Special 6 times. Their vegan slice, which i believe changes every week, was one of the best savory foods I've ever had the pleasure of eating. The bread was delicious along with the pesto, arugula, and caramelized onions. I got this every morning for breakfast! Fast forward a few hours and i was blown away by their BLT. While BLTs are a simple creation, it's easy to get wrong. Union special got it right! The way the bread was crisped- the generous amount of crispy bacon- and the juicy tomatoes made for an amazing sandwich. But probably my favorite part of this place is the kindness. Since i was there so often- one of your wonderful employees, Elena (sorry of i spelled it wrong!) took time out of her day to come out and talk to my mom and I. It's not everyday that an employee of a busy food place will try to get to know you! Someone else chatted us up for a little and we later found out it was the owner. This place exudes hospitality and kindness! I can't wait to come back soon and enjoy it all over again! From your friend - Anne Claire S, Philadelphia read more

Union Special - Vegan slice - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Too political. I just want to come and eat and not get political messages. I'm sure they have great food. The coffee and cake were ok. I won't come back didn't feel welcomed. read more

Not great. Everything was dry and flavorless. This is the only coffee place I've seen in the triangle that doesn't have anything decaf - not inclusive to those that suffer from caffeine intolerance. Employees were rude with a bad attitude. They seem more focused on pushing an agenda than making quality food. read more

Cute place with good baked goods. Unfortunately when we went there our hash had a hair in it. When I alerted the staff member he asked me what I wanted to do about it. read more

I am referencing only to the lunch counter, as I have not bought any bakery items. Service is incredibly slow for what they are serving - basic sandwiches. I have tried twice and both times sandwiches were over sauced and over buttered and not put together with much care...toppings falling out of one side, no meat on the other side. You can't be slow AND sloppy. Would not recommend read more

Everything i've eaten here is delicious. today i had the Union Egg Sandwich. i don't ever give anything a 10/10 just because i haven't tried everything in the world so i feel that's an unfair rating. today i give the Union Egg Sandwich a 9.5/10. i'd like to think that Raleigh holds this title of essentially the best egg sandwich in the nation. thank you, Union, i will be back. hungry. for more. (ratatouille ™) if you feel you've had an egg sandwich that is also 9.5/10, please share in the comments. also, this rating is for my friend anna who had the sandwich today. read more

Was really excited to try this place. My husband and I drove out of the way to stop here for a late breakfast/brunch. I couldn't believe how expensive it was. Normally I don't mind paying extra in coffee shops because that's typical, but the experience ruined it. The employee who rung us up looked miserable, and seemed annoyed with me asking questions about the menu. Neither my husband or I felt welcome and almost seemed to annoy the employee just by walking into the cafe. Thankfully at least the sandwich was kinda good, but I would never eat there again. For a tea, a small coffee and two sandwiches it was almost $40 after tax and a tip. :/ husbands coffee was gone in a few sips. Not worth it in my opinion. read more

Went for the pop-up brunch this morning, and I couldn't have been more impressed! I had the brunch salad, and it was one of the best meals of my life. Slingshot cold brew on tap was a great treat! I love that the self-serve water actually has ICE! I'm so tired of drinking tepid water at coffee shops. Love the aesthetic, and I love that there's plenty of space. Definitely recommend this place and will be back. The owner was super friendly and engaging. It's also nice to see this part of Raleigh coming to life again! Bravo, Union Special! read more

Union Special - Brunch (panzanella) salad - Bakeries Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Can I just say that as a long time bread baker and pastry chef how freaking happy I am about this place!!!! It is exactly what Raleigh needed, I wholeheartedly believe it. I knocked down one star for reasons other people have already addressed and will not state because if I really had an issue with it I would send an email or talk to management in person instead of badmouthing over the internet. Anyway, I've only come on weekends, but am looking forward to stopping by on a weekday when it's a little less crowded to enjoy whatever they will be making. From being in the industry for 10 years I can tell they love what they are doing and care about their employees as it seems like they give them a lot of creativity with the daily specials. Props to you guys! read more

$5.41 for a 12oz mocha seems expensive, especially when it is poor quality. Not impressed!

Checked out this bakery cafe this am for brunch. Great addition to that part of town, but definitely a destination location- super busy- love to see that level of customer activity with new businesses. Casual, hip, chill, vibe. Ate there- ordered the egg sandwich on brioche and my brother had the BLT- Both were on the greasy side too much something on the breads - Brioche is beautiful and rich on its own no need for any additional help. BLT little heavy with the mayo and bread a bit greasy- (thinking too much butter prior to toasting) However, not all was lost, bought a box of pastries and a loaf of wheat bread all well executed! Will definitely hit the bakery up to try their Sourdough as they do not bake it on Sunday. Impressive operation- worth the field trip! read more

Super charming place tucked in an up and coming strip mall. Bright and cheerful. Cashier suggested the Union Hash as I was looking for a breakfast dish without bread (yes, I note the irony that I am in a bakery!). I'm allergic to bell peppers so I ordered w/o them. The check them came out to lmk that the pickled veggies also had bell petite's and asked of she should remove that as well. I said yes please. She came out again and said my HA was looking sad and could she add in some roasted root veggies. I said yes please again. When she brought it out she included pickled cabbage and onion on the side as she thought it might need some acid. It looked, smelled and tasted delicious! Going to get some pastries for my kids. read more

Great little shop with inventive menu and fresh baked breads. Ample parking in a remodeled shopping center that holds a lot of promise for our growing city. The egg sandwich was full of flavor with some spice. I'll definitely be back and bring more friends. read more

So good. Just go. Everything is incredibly delicious and well thought out. Friendly service.

Incredible breads, pastries and FOOD!! Amazing, friendly staff. And the best chocolate chip cookies you could imagine.

This bakery is amazing. Their brunch is spot on! Highly recommend!

Union special is... special. They just are. They know food. They're amazing at food. They'll make you the best sandwich you've ever had (think tender sliced pork with pickled collards and the good mustard on homemade roll). They'll make meat eaters choose a vegan sandwich because they're so darned delicious, and the pastries are Oh. My. Goodness. Today we had cinnamon rolls made from croissant dough so they're super light and flaky, with burned cinnamon sugar on top crème brûlée-style, so it was crunchy and cinnamony and sweet. If that's not amazing enough they also dipped half of it in perfect, light cinnamon roll frosting. They also have blue corn cookies, unbelievably creative combos in pastries and breads, and they care deeply about their community. The service is amazing. We had an issue getting to the restaurant because of snow, and they went above and beyond to make sure we got our food. (Thank you, Adrian!) They're just good, solid, kind people who are also Michelin-level pastry chefs. #unicorns read more

Great addition with the downtown place! Now I can get an Adult grilled cheese for lunch.

The breakfast hash is one of those meals that is absolutely a must-try for vegetable lovers. After a long weekend of holiday indulgence I was dying for some greens. The potatoes are crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, some veggies are pickle-y, the kale is buttery, the sauce on the bottom is awesome. We also tried the pepper pumpernickel which was very tasty, some black coffee, and my husband had an omelet from the special board which was great. I look forward to trying the lunch menu some day! read more