What a bummer of an experience. All was going well at first. I was sitting at a table by the kitchen and that the cook seemed to be plating up some food. I noticed he was wearing an N-95 mask which seemed a bit odd, but whatever. All of a sudden I heard the nastiest, wettest cough. He did not cover his mouth. He immediately lifted up the plate of food he had been leaning over when he coughed, and placed it in the window. The barista (tall, brown hair, femme, cool glasses) picked it up and carried it over to me. I said "hey I'm not trying to be rude, but I heard the cook cough when he was plating my food and he sounds pretty sick. Could you ask him if he is sick?" They looked pretty annoyed with me and returned a moment later saying the cook would not answer the question. I asked for a refund bc I didn't feel comfortable eating the food. They should have apologized, but instead they treated me like I was an annoyance. What a silly way to lose a customer--I am a local and would have been back had they not treated me that way. read more

I was looking for a thrift shop that was pinned here, so I popped in to ask if they could point me in the right direction. Plot twist it doesn't exist lol, but I'm happy I came in because I got to try something new! I had never seen a croissant cube so of course I had to get one. It was deeelicious! I'm not a big pastry person and I'm new to matcha, however, this was a 10/10. I highly recommend :) read more

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I have never been anywhere and ordered chicken salad and been served dark meat. Yuck! If that's the type of chicken that's used, it should be noted. Not pleased and did not eat. Butternut squash soup was bland and thick. Cronuts were delicious though. Two stars for cronut and friendly staff. read more

West End Bakery and Cafe - Chicken Salad Croissant with Butternut Squash Soup - Bakeries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Feeling homesick for the holidays, this displaced Texan was thrilled to find kolaches when we stopped in after Christmas. They weren't quite what I grew up with, but they were satisfying, as were the donuts and croissants. read more

I regret going here. The items we bought weren't well made. and the staff was very off putting. We went in to try the bakery, it's been there a long time so I assumed it was either great quality or a comfortable place to be or at the very least cheap. None of the above. We came in to get an assortment of goodies for a breakfast. Got there around 9. The person at the counter just waited and stared at us. We looked at the case for a while without any help till I had to ask how much anything was. (No signage.) they said "it's a range between 4-6$" but no specifics or suggestions or even coming to that side of the counter to help or suggest. ~40$ for 5 items. Then we had to go to the point of sale to order rather than by the case aka we had to remember what all the things we wanted were called and walk across the room to order them. Which would be ok if they were made well. The muffin was so dry and not particularly flavorful. The donut was tough and so oily I could wring a puddle out of it. We haven't tried the bagels yet but my hopes aren't up. Our experience explains the lack of patronage in the place. It was empty. And I'd guess it will stay that way. At the very least we won't be back. read more

The baked goods are excellent. The service is great. Ambiance couldn't be better. One of my family's favorite local spots.

Rude! I looked at yelp and saw they were open today so I walked in and it smelled great. As I walk to the counter, I was asked if I was w a group waiting for their breakfast. I wasn't. The lady behind the counter says pointing to the door, "You didn't read our hrs on the door?" No! I looked at yelp and online! I'm wondering why she just didn't lock the entry door. Never again. I went to Rabbit Hole bakery and cafe instead and gave them my money for some fabulous pastries and a hot chocolate. read more

Nice that they had multiple vegan options for lunch. One person was waiting on everyone AND making the food ... maybe they have a Plan B if it gets busier. The vegan chocolate chip cookie was good! read more

Yummmmmmmm! Don't let the simplicity inside fool you - this place is SO good! Soooo good. We found ourselves here for breakfast on accident when another spot fell through. A local recommended this bakery and we had already parallel parked so we walked over. The gals inside were super sweet and helped us make all our choices. My friends got hibiscus mojito iced teas and they were very good. I had a iced latte and their coffee is good. Great flavor. We tried the Ham and Jam biscuit which is a huge fresh biscuit with strawberry jam and prosciutto. Very good. Lotsa filling bread - this biscuit is thick! My friend also got the Boston cream-filled cruffin (I took a photo) it's a pretty little pastry with gold fleck on top. It was very moist and fresh and decadent. My other friend chose one of their savory pastries of spinach and cheese. They had several interesting flavors like pizza, Mediterranean, etc. all looked yummy. They warmed hers and it was moist and fresh. Super good flavor. I chose the breakfast sandwich on their house-made milk bread. It had eggs, cheese and I added their sage sausage. Let me tell you friends, ooey gooey warm and chewy! It was amazing. Potentially one of the best breakfast sandwiches of my life. I was worried when I saw it at first as it looked plain. But the cheese was melty and soft, the sausage was delicious, eggs perfect and fresh and the bread, how do I describe this thick but light, fluffy and heavenly bread?! Soooo good. Not too heavy despite the size. They sell it in loaves and if I could - I'd take it home! To go I got a large chocolate chip buttery scone. It was tough to choose bc the cinnamon buns, doughnuts and other items looked so yummy. I don't think you can make a bad choice here honestly. Plenty of seating inside and a restroom for customers. read more

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BIG TIME RIP OFF! No price was listed and should have known better to ask but.. Who could have imagined that a SMALL filled croissant would cost more than $8.50! WTF! read more

I stopped in today with my daughter to try some of their pastries. As many of you know I am a huge fan of cinnamon rolls and I am very picky when it comes to a good savory cinnamon roll I purchased the vanilla cheesecake, chocolate donut and the cinnamon roll with cream cheese. The vanilla cheesecake was amazing! I will definitely be back for that. The chocolate donut tasted stale with no flavor. Not what I expected at all. The cinnamon roll was not at all what I was expecting it was hard and didn't even taste like a cinnamon roll. I gave this bakery a 4 star rating just because the establishment was clean. The restrooms were clean. . I am really picky when it comes to my sweet delights so I didn't want to be harsh in my rating. . read more

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Terrible service, stale overpriced flavorless baked goods and staff that don't seem to want to be at work. Avoid this place!! Many other better bakeries to visit in the area. This one is just plain terrible!! read more

Just tried this place for the first time and was blown away by the quality of their baked goods. I am a big fan of kolaches and theirs are perfect. I also tried a gluten-free German chocolate muffin, which was lovely. Looking forward to going back when I have time to sit and enjoy a coffee. Staff are very nice as well. read more

It was just okay. We went yesterday afternoon and got their avocado toast, a kolache and 2 coffees. Service was a little slow and inconsistent. This is the second time I've had to re-remind them I had ordered food because they forgot. The food was alright, coffee was good and the service could be better. The space is big but I wish there was a little more in there, looks a bit empty. read more

The service was great! They offered menus to speed up service and made sure we had all the utensils needed. It was pretty calm, there was enough seating for everyone and different type of seating. I liked the back area. Both the gluten free bread and the apple square I got were good but a bit dry. read more

West End Bakery and Cafe - Gluten free chocolate muffin - Bakeries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Have come here several times and always enjoy their pastry assortment. You order from the counter and then they deliver your choice to your table. They also serve you coffee, and you can have one refill. They have good bagels, which is hard to find in Asheville. But, they have only plain cream cheese, which I think is a negative. read more

Let me preface this review by stating that I have been coming to West End Bakery since I was 5 years old. I have been a patron for over 20 years. Today I visited for the first time in years, notably since new owners purchased the bakery in 2023. The staff were rude and dismissive, telling us that breakfast was not served until 9am even though the bakery was open at 8am. This was explained to us by the cashier stating "you can order whatever as long as I don't have to go into the kitchen to get it". We pivoted and ordered the classic cinnamon roll and bagels. The cinnamon roll had good flavor, but came out cold, far from the cinnamon roll I was used to from childhood. The bagels were standard. The coffee was undrinkable. But what stood out more was the fact that the staff let an individual follow me into the store and repeatedly ask me to purchase them food. He was pushy and I was visibly uncomfortable, but the staff did nothing but glare at me as if I was in the wrong. In summary, staff are rude, the character and charm of the bakery are gone, and it was empty at 8am on a Saturday. Far from the experiences of my childhood. The food did not make up for the lack of ambiance. Moral of the story: Over a 20+ year period, you can expect a business to change. But you can do so without disrespecting your customers. read more

It was completely empty when we came in at 9am on a Saturday to get some goodies for friends - it was literally just us and the staff. The staff just stared at us while we looked at the case of baked goods - no hello, no inquiry about what we were looking for (we stood there for probably 5 minutes trying to figure out what we wanted and the staff person literally just stood and stared silently). I've worked in customer service / service industry for years and I really care about customer experience so this was unfortunate for this local bakery. The baked goods we got were all stale (muffin, donut, croissant) and flavorless. I live in the neighborhood and was excited for this to be my new local bakery but I don't think I'll be back. read more

Amazing food and service. Instead of spending all morning down the street to pay twice as much, just come here. Best breakfast in WAVL.

Best cinnamon roll in Asheville! Clean & fast. Easy street parking. Their food and coffee is delicious. read more

West End Bakery and Cafe - Croissant & Naked Cinnamon Roll - Bakeries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

My husband and I were in a bit of a rush and stopped at two other places before this, but they were extremely packed. And thank goodness they were! We ran in here out of desperation and they took our orders quickly (I got the BLAT 10/10, Egg and Cheese with bacon on milk bread 8/10) served us fast and the staff were so nice and interactive! We wanted to stop by on our way out of town, but sadly they are closed on Mondays!!! read more

This is a great little spot in West Asheville we happened to pass walking by, checked out the menu posted outside. I saw that there were a lot of gluten free baked goods, so I was instantly sold! They have a big open outside window with their baked goods posted up right in the front. (They also have a LARGE coffee menu and sandwich options, etc). I picked out four baked goods, two raspberry brownies, a blonde and a banana nut muffin. They were baked perfect, which is a Scooby doo mystery for most bakeries, as most crumble as soon as you touch them. These were moist and held their form and were delicious. The man helping me was very friendly, and to find really good gluten free baked goods is rare. They were about $3.75 a piece which I thought was extremely inexpensive. Well done, West End. read more

West End Bakery and Cafe - Gluten Free Goodies!! - Bakeries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I really wanted to love this local bakery, however when I went in it felt like the staff didn't want me there. It took a while to receive my drinks, which I understood because they were busy. However I couldn't help but notice other patrons received much nicer service than me when receiving their orders. After I ordered drinks and two pastries, including a cinnamon roll, the patron next in line asked to purchase the rest of the cinnamon rolls and the staff sold them to her, selling the product I ordered a few moments before. I thought they may have more in the back so I waited 20 minutes until they approached me and asked what I was waiting for and then tried telling me they were sold out of the cinnamon rolls...even though I placed my order before they sold the rest of the rolls. While they let me have another pastry in place of the cinnamon roll, the experience left me feeling very self conscious and very unwelcome. I will not be returning due to the wait time and staff behavior. read more

Grabbed coffee and breakfast here after being foiled by sunny side cafe (huge line), early girl eatery (closed), biscuit head (line) and we were very glad we did! The coffee was piping hot and freshly brewed. My biscuit sandwich was completely loaded with fresh eggs, thick and flavorful sausage and cheese. The biscuit itself was big, soft and buttery. The food did take a little time to prepare so it's not a place if you're in a hurry but the wait easily paid off in freshness and taste. Highly recommend! read more

I don't understand the low reviews of this place. My wife and I make a point of visiting this nice bakery at least a couple of time every time that we visit Asheville. The employees are friendly, they make great coffee and breakfast items, and have a nice outdoor seating area as well. I just wished that I could sample more of the gorgeous baked goods that they have on display! read more

First visit here with friends visiting from out of state. Like other reviewers two other breakfast spots were busy; that said, very happy we ended up here. Will be back not only for the food but the value. Wow, it is difficult to order a breakfast meal standing in front of a bakery display filled with seductive goodies. In fact, the 8 year old with us 4 adults, started with a designer donut and then ate a whole bagel. The pork verde burrito was perfectly cooked, with a nice verde salsa (side) made for a perfect breakfast dish. Two others had the lox bagel breakfast. Plenty of cream cheese; fish not to salty or smokey. Plenty of lox on both halves of bagel. Large slices. The boston cream (pie) donut, unfortunately lack sufficient filling. The filling that was there was delicious but left one wanting more. The coffee was better than most. We sat outside which was quieter than the indoor seating. It was a bit cool with a breeze but once the food arrived, there were no further comments about the weather. Staff was friendly and helpful in explaining some of the menu choices. read more

New favorite bakery in Asheville! Came in for a late breakfast of an egg and cheese sandwich and a decaf coffee. Sandwich was simple and delicious, with their house made bread. The coffee was perfect as well. The service was friendly and fast. They're obviously still growing into the space, and the ambiance will only grow. I can't wait wait to come back. read more

By far my favorite place for amazing coffee, great breakfast choices, and amazing baked treats!

I really love this local place. It's been here for a long time and I hope it stays. The staff are always nice and willing to make suggestions and help. I appreciate that they have an indoor and outdoor space although they could be improved (more comfortable, better flow of traffic) I love their baked goods and egg sandwiches. Lots of gluten free and veggie options. The coffee they brew is delightful and varied. The food always tastes fresh and is quite fair priced for Asheville. Great little stop- recommend it! read more

I decided to give this place another try. I ordered a coffee and an almond croissant. It was $9.50 before tip. The croissant was big- which made me excited, but the inside was almost raw. I couldn't eat it and had to throw it away. Truly disappointing. I guess fool me once- shame on you. fool me twice, shame on me. I would not recommend this place. truly disappointing. go to OWL bakery instead. It's just down the road!! 295 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806 read more

We had breakfast at this cafe this morning and were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food, service and the coffee. The atmosphere: nice, with a small-town coffee house vibe and original artwork adorning the walls. The cafe encourages guests to bus their own tables and deliver empty coffee pots to the front counter. The Coffee: self-serve and there are multiple options available including: Peruvian, Ethiopian and Mexican. Quite tasty. The Food: I had an everything bagel and my husband tried a sausage biscuit. The everything bagel was quite delicious; perfectly toasted with a crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle consistency. The Staff: very friendly and generally cheerful. read more

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I agree with what a few other Yelpers mentioned about overall cleanliness of this spot... Something about it just seems grimey. I think it's the sheer number of people that come through -- they must have a hard time keeping the common areas clean. When we were in, the trash/recycling and coffee stations were a wreck and most of the tables had crumbs or little pieces of trash on them. They seemed incredibly understaffed with just 3-4 employees behind the counter and a line out the door. We tipped well as I felt bad for the few employees who were clearly busting their butts to just barely keep up. With all that being said, the coffee was strong and the food was good though. So, they're doing something right! You can't go wrong with their cinnamon rolls! We also had a sausage, egg and cheese on a bagel. Not bad, but I probably wouldn't order t again. read more

West End Bakery and Cafe - Sausage egg and cheese on a bagel - Bakeries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Yummy coffee, huge cinnamon rolls, to die for quiche... and most important in my book, a little area with a couch, tables and toys on a rug to keep my littles entertained when we NEED to get out of the house. When living in south Fla I had wished there was a place like this around... read more

West End Bakery and Cafe - Hot husband and the bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I'd give 4.5 if I could. Have since ordered a grilled cheese with tomato (properly griddled, choice of cheeses, and served with delicious fermented pickled veg), BLT (fresh, crispy bacon, tasty seeded sourdough, awesome farm-ripe tomatoes), and good iced tea (free refills). Wish they vacuumed the kids' area but love it nonetheless! read more

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I drove across town to check this place out. I looked at their menu and decided I would get a breakfast sandwich and a pastry. They opened at 8 AM and I arrived at 8:10 AM only to learn that they don't serve sandwiches until 9 AM. Sorry but I'm not driving all the way over here to wait for 45 minutes to get food. The place looked nice and the pastry I purchased to go was fine. No excuse for not having the full breakfast menu available at opening time. read more

The three stars are ONLY for the friendly staff and the massive, amazingly delicious, freshly baked cinammon roll--one of the best I've ever tasted. The rest of the experience here, frankly, was subpar. My wife and I both ordered the bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich, and were left disappointed. The bread was fresh, but the eggs tasted as though they had been microwaved, and the bacon was dry. The sandwich was missing any kind of condiment--no butter, mayo, mustard... nothing. We had to walk over to the other side of the café and grab a bottle of ketchup, otherwise our sandwich would have lacked any measure of flavor. To top it all off, my wife's coffee felt flat. If you're not in the mood for baked sweets (most of which, admittedly, do look delightful), then I would keep walking. read more

West End Bakery and Cafe - Whoa... GIANT cinammon roll! So soft! - Bakeries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Nice spot - casual, open, and sunny yellow with high ceilings. Deck outside for outdoor seating. Parking lot ($2/hr) or down the street works. Saturday morning here and it's not too crowded. Espresso (as I always do) and a huge macaroon - the coconut kind. Espresso is double, smooth and very rich - excellent. The macaroon is huge ($3) chrwy inside and toast s lightly on the outside with half dipped in a chocolate coating. I'm going to take part of this with me. Here for a meeting and studying meanwhile .. The AC seems a bit cool today but the outdoor temp has recently dropped quite a bit. All-in-all a nice spot. read more

West End Bakery and Cafe - Huge macaroon and rich double espresso - Bakeries Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

This place was 'okay' but we'd probably never go back. First, it was very expensive with two breakfast sandwiches, one muffin, latte and reg coffee. The sandwiches were very tasty but we had to wait 25 minutes for them. The woman that took our order at the cash register warned us (give her credit for that) but there were 6 other people total in the restaurant. Had to wait about 10 minutes as the coffee was empty. The banana chocolate muffin had way too much chocolate and wasn't very good. With so many breakfast places in Asheville, this place will have a tough time unless they improve. read more

This place is really pretty on the inside with lots of seating if you need to get stuff done. Ordered a coffee in my own cup and she asks how big it was, I say something like maybe 20oz? She says they don't have a button selection for that quantity so charged me $7 for two smalls? I also ordered a bagel that was very good. It was quite loud in there to get work done but I'll attribute that to maybe time of day(midday on a weekend). This place was decent I was just mildly put off for paying 7dollars for drip coffee just for wanting to use my own cup? read more

Waited 30 mins for to go lattes. Both made incorrectly and they were gross. No caramel flavor. Just tasted like burnt water. Waste of $30. Ended up throwing both away. 1 star for their selection of baked good (can't speak to the taste) and their seating space. read more