Boudin SF

Well, I found myself ravenously hungry at South Coast and rather than spend a million dollars at one of their few restaurants, I found myself beelining for Boudin SF which is tucked away in a corner down the stretch where there’s a See’s Candy.
Despite my misgivings from before, I went ahead and ordered the beef chili along with the chicken club sandwich with a side green salad. Unlike my last experience here, the bread bowl was gutted so it was a thin shell with just enough sourdough left to scoop into each spoonful of chili. It was really good. My chicken club was also pretty good. It was made of an all natural turkey breast, applewood bacon, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato sandwiched between sourdough bread. Sourdough gets a little tough when toasted and left alone for a while, but otherwise, I thought it was a solid sandwich.
If you find yourself hungry while shopping, make your way into this corridor.

I know this is a chain restaurant, but I find the food at Boudin to be completely uninspiring.
I recently tried the beef dip and the sourdough bread was so tough that I almost lost a molar. I’m sure Boudin does this so you’ll move on to the soups.

I’ve always liked Boudin, but this location is particularly awesome especially after power-​shopping. Din Tai Fung is ridiculously packed, and you’ll probably never be seated. However, Boudin will not let you down even if they are busy!
My boyfriend got a grilled cheese sandwich with fig jam and tomato soup. I got butternut squash soup in a bread bowl, which was $ 7 or so. It was awesome soup (super creamy, and a bit crunchy with pecans on top) in an awesome bread bowl. The store manager (I think) was walking around, clearing the tables and asking everyone if s/​he was enjoying the food. I felt welcome and taken care of.
I’d order the butternut squash soup again and again. It was quite hearty and delicious!

Just got back from San Francisco a day ago and I already miss their clam chowder. Since I saw there was a Boudin in the outlet, which I never knew there was a Boudin in LA. I went there to eat.
I ordered a Clam Chowder for $ 8 in sourdough bread bowl. It reminded me of SF once I ate it. The sourdough wasn’t as sour as the one I got at SF. I still love calm chowder I can never get sick of it. I would only eat the interior of the bread and rip it into pieces to dip into the clam chowder. The exterior is a bit hard even dipped in the clam shower. Also the sourdough bread is a bit smaller than the ones they give at SF. They seem smaller to me, but I can’t be certain. My boyfriend ordered a tuna salad sandwich for $ 5. It was okay and the tuna was a bit dry. He wished it was a bit more saucer. The crust was kind of hard which made made him peel off the crust.
I would recommend coming here and getting the clam chowder and if you miss SF clam chowder this is the place to go. I wish they had one closer to LA because the drive was far.

Yum yum in my tum tum!
I love their chowder, I did the half half where I got half a sandwhich and half a bowl of chowder! Reminds me exactly of the ones I used to have at SF pier at fishermen’s wharf! The portion size is perfect for a good price! Definitely recommend getting that option!
Heard their grilled cheeses are really good too so excited to come back and try those next time!

I was never a fan of sourdough bread, well, i thought i wasn’t until i had it here. Was so delicious, never had sourdough like this before, strong exterior crust and beautiful light doughy interior.
After saying all the i had the Asian chicken salad and it was out of this world good, served with a delightful sesame orange dressing and a delicious sourdough roll on the side, highly recommended.
Other diners in our group had sandwich’s and the caesar salad all were very well received.
Order at the counter and take a little number token to a table and the helpful staff will deliver your food to you when its ready, simples.
All in all a great experience, very clean, reasonable prices and awesome food.

Costa Mesa, CA: First time actually sitting in
Missed an opportunity to dine in at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf location so this sounded like a chance for some good comfort food. Didn’t know it was order up at register, then they bring your food to you, via a number on a flat coaster. Loved all the specialty shaped sour dough breads I saw previously but only a view utilitarian display holder turtles were seen here. Fountain drinks abd Peet’s Coffee were self serve. Both booths and tables are available inside. A series of tables lined the outside wall in the mall corridor. Many tables were also available in the patio outside the end of the mall corridor.
FOOD
*Grilled Cheese & Ham sandwich, side salad
*Half Chicken Salad sandwich and non-​bread bowl of Clam Chowder
Delicious Grilled Cheese but too rich and half unfinished. Chicken salad was very crunchy and crumbly, containing seedless grape halves and slivered almonds. The bread, sourdough slices for both sandwiches, were browned just right and crispy on the outside. Clam chowder was salty, tasting like a disappointing mass produced, meh soup. Unimpressive.
The order at counter, seat yourself process reminded me of another widely popular sandwich/​bakery chain. They, at least, have a broad offering of baked goods. The soft, chewy chocolate cookie we had was was fresh and yummy. I’m not sure if I would go off my chosen gluten free diet to make room for a repeat visit soon.

Located inside South Coast across from Sees Candy, this is one of the more quick and efficient places to grab a speedy meal. I always did like Boudin SF. I usually get their soup bowl but this time I opted to get a sandwich as I don’t believe I’ve ever had a sandwich from them before. The service was super nice and very fast. I ordered a chicken sandwich, given a number and then I proceeded to sit outside.
They brought my sandwich to me very quickly, within 5 minutes. I took a bite and it tasted really good. The chicken was very tasty, the veggies were fresh but the bread was somewhat tough to chew on, but other than that it was quite a nice real meal to start my day of nonstop shopping. I’d return again though, the bread hasn’t deter me from this place.
Aside from sandwiches and soup, they also sell bread and pastries as well. The lines aren’t that long. There are plenty of seating areas available both inside and outside, even outside the mall too. Its a nice place to grab food at when you are at South Coast.

Let me start by saying there’s nothing wrong with the service or state that the restaurant is in, but just mainly about the food.
I ordered two sandwiches, one that sounded like Thanksgiving leftovers in the morning (yum) and then a turkey avocado sandwich.
You’d think that the harder ingredient sandwich would be where the hiccup was, but it wasn’t. How do you miss the avocado in the turkey AVOCADO sandwich? At first I thought that I had just gotten maybe a super super small slice of it and they were being stingy with it, but by the time I got to the middle of the sandwich, I realized, there was no avocado in it whatsoever… normally I would’ve went back but we were in rush to leave so I just left it alone but I did feel like I got ripped off paying for a sandwich where one half of the main ingredient just didn’t exist. Upsetting.

I came here alone after getting my hair done nearby and I was so happy I decided to eat here. I ordered a clam chowder bread bowl with a half chicken salad sandwich.
The soup was so delicious and dipping the bread into the soup made it 10x better. It was pretty filling for me so I ended up taking the half sandwich home and eating it 2 hours later and that tasted amazing as well.
The sandwich had really small grapes mixed in with the chicken and it was one of those times when you’re just sad that you ate everything !!
If I lived closer I would be here all the time
It somehow manages to be cozy tucked into the corner of the south coast plaza aka a ginormous mall
The service is really great and everyone is super kind and enthusiastic !

I stop here every time before I leave the mall to grab some bread for at home.
Clean and spacious location with plenty of seating as well as a descent to go selection.
Service is great, it can get a bit busy, but the lines move quickly.
I have no dined in yet, but have grabbed several pastries as well as bread and really enjoyed it.
My favorite would have to be the baguette, priced well and baked perfectly every time!
Worth a stop, I will have to be back to try some of their food items next time!

I try to avoid bread but it’s good! My niece loves the turtle bread for $ 1.99. Clam chowder, yum of course.
They have a reward club which is nice! You get a free loaf of bread with 1 purchase.
Crowded on cold, rainy, windy days in So Cal since there’s not much to do with that weather.

I love to get the animal shaped sour dough loaves ! We have been known to make a special trip to get one for dinner parties in SantaCruz ! Totaly worth the trip ! Everyone always «ooo’s & ahh’s «, and it just does a lot to make the night «special «with a party atmosphere. The sourdough really is destictive and special too. Aparently the «sourdough starter» is well over 100years old ! It is literally a «live culture «and gets better with age ! Boudins keeps the starter in a fireproof safe, it is such a «treasure». Certainly, their sourdough is exceptionally sour, with a firm chewy texture. The Best.

Love clam chowder. My first time having Boudin was in the heart of San Francisco. Taste just as good as where it originally came from! The guy that bought my clam chowder out was friendly and went back to the kitchen twice to make sure my order was correct. Very courteous of him. Boudin, I’ll be back for you!

Taking an excerpt from another Unilocaler, Richard M., I’ve never been here before, [but I sure found a new place to get a healthy meal]. I was familiar with the restaurant name by a local theme park. However, I did not know this spectacular business had grown throughout the state. I was always familiar with getting a free slice of bread, but never getting a FREE loaf of bread. Yeah, you heard, or rather saw what I wrote. If you find one of these places, you better head on in. Welcome to Boudin SF at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.
Located on the west side of Bristol St., at the eastern portion of South Coast Plaza, you will find the elegant Boudin SF. Why SF?! Why couldn’t it be Boudin LA?! I had errands to run and I was in the Costa Mesa area. I had fastened and my blood drawn earlier in the day. Thus, making any person sucked dry to try anything. I’ve had the Boudin SF App and account for many months, but never came in. Now, I appreciate the offers that Boudin does each month.
Boudin is elegant. The service is not quite full-​service, but it sure does feel like it. You will walk up to the counter and see the many various choices of healthy options to choose from. You can pick from soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and sweet treats. Boudin has a wide variety of salads which I had my eyes set on since I stepped in. I ordered the Asian Chicken Salad ($ 9.29) with just water. When I showed my App, the cashier wanted to know if I wanted my free monthly bread. I said, «Sure!». The cashier told me to pick a bread up behind me. I wasn’t sure which one it was. I picked up a small bag… The cashier said, «Nope…to the left!» I picked another bag… Wrong. Then I looked at the sourdough, then the cashier nodded, «Yes!» What?! This huge sourdough is free?! Apparently, you get one free 1lb. loaf of bread a month by using the Boudin App. Score!
That is very nice of Boudin to offer free loaf of bread every month. Still I wish it was Boudin LA. There are plenty of seatings from booths to tables. Actually, you can even sit outside. I was still in shock about getting a loaf of bread that size. Now, countdown to every 29 – 31 days for free bread. There is self-​serve soda fountain and ice tea machines. The staff inside are very attentive since they go around making sure the customers are well and comfortable. This Boudin’s staff is very courteous!
I got my order placed on my table. With the huge loaf of sourdough on my bread, this was a weird sight to see. The Asian Chicken Salad had a very simple design. You had your greens covering a lot of the cucumbers, almonds and oranges. The salad mix could have been a little better. All the color of the salad was on the bottom of the bowl. The Sesame Ginger Dressing was also hidden towards the bottom of the salad. The chicken was sliced up. From some descriptions, I read it was diced up. A little deviation. In any case, the chicken was served cold versus the hot chicken that I was used to. Not sure if this was normal. I was a little apprehensive since I wasn’t sure what to expect. With every salad, come a little piece of bread with butter. Like I didn’t have enough bread already.
Boudin SF is definitely interesting, but worth coming once-​in-​a-​while. I did love the theme and it was a comfortable environment, I know a lot of the dishes are simple, but I would like to see more options including SF’s famous seafood. I know the emphasis is bread, but if you have chicken and beef, you can introduce some seafood too. Every month, I look forward to having a meal here and trying all their salads… Of course, free bread!
Unilocal…My passion is not to write my reviews, but to share my experiences with you. Take that journey and share your story.

Boudin SF is located inside South Coast Plaza. I enjoyed the grilled cheese I got (my family and I were on a grilled cheese kick over Thanksgiving week, so we all got the same thing), but I’ve definitely had better. The tomato basil soup was decent, but again, it wasn’t great. In fact, it was waaaaaaaaaaaaay too thick, and they put too many croutons in, which helped to thicken it more than I would have liked. We split a chocolate chip and oatmeal cookie. Those were really good. This place wasn’t bad, just average, but my daughters were interested in their grilled cheese, so I wanted to entertain whatever they wanted. You know how it is with your children… you often, if not always, do what THEY want, so they’ll be happy. It doesn’t end because they get older. :-)

Boudin is so good especially when it’s cold outside. Baby it’s not cold outside but it’s still good either way. The staple items are the sourdough bread bowl soup. Especially known for their bread and clam chowder, Boudin also serves soups such as Butternut squash, rustic tomato and soup of the day.
Today I decided to try something new; the Grilled Brie with green apples and fig jam. Who doesn’t love Brie cheese, apples and figs? It was so good, I for once didn’t care if I didn’t have protein in it. The bread was perfectly toasted golden brown, making it have a delightful crunch. The Brie was melted in with the tartness of the apples and the sweetness of the fig jam. Butternut squash soup is always delicious here. It has a nutty and buttery taste of squash with walnuts and cranberries. You can’t go wrong with the clam chowder soup. The bread bowls are also good after the soup is done because that’s when you can eat it with butter – always a good idea ;) Their salads are pretty delicious too. My go to salad is the Asian salad.
Service was good here, they come around and ask you if you need anything and brought the things we asked for. It is kid friendly, as they have plenty of high chairs and booster seats in the back.
It does get busy but that is expected since it is in the mall. Didn’t have a problem today though.
Make sure to stop by after shopping or visiting Santa’s Village like we did today :)

Soup has turned into salty gruel with hardly any actual clams in it. You’re eating more like an essence of clam in a flour based gloop which Is flavored with MSG now. I get an unmistakable metallic thirst after eating here. Didn’t get that a few years ago.
Bread is so hard that it’s almost impossible to eat/​chew. On the toasted sandwiches, I had to throw it all away because the bread was so hard that it cut the roof of my mouth. Not scrape. Cut. There was blood.
The bread is also extremely sour… even for sourdough.
But when it’s fresh it’s great.
Service is slow.
Dining area is a mess with crumbs everywhere. Drink area is always a wet and sticky mess.
Line is horrifically long due to inefficient/​slow workers.
Too bad. I used to look forward to eating here whenever I found myself in SCP, but now I go to Corner Bakery.

Boudin San Fran, located in the wonderful South Coast Plaza!
There was a semi-​long line (at least when we came on Black Friday 2015, but no worries! It goes by quickly!). The food, however, might take a while to come out: P. There is indoor seating and a good amount of outdoor patio seating as well! You go in through the door and place your order, and then you take the number and find a seat. There’s also a «call in and pick up» line as well, and that looked like it moved faster.
Now on to the food!
Got a combo (half sandwich with soup), which was $ 8.95. You could upgrade your soup to a bread bowl for $ 1 more (a great price), $ 2 more for chili. I got the turkey havarti (cold sandwich). It was small, and some of the lettuce looked a little bit iffy. But it was good, tasted like any cold sandwich would taste like, (esp with mayo: D) But kinda small. The clam chowder tasted good (but not like the awesome one at Fisherman’s Grotto in Monterey… my heart. It still yearns for that). but nevertheless good and creamy in general: P There are a good amount of potatoes and clams, but the creaminess and the ease in which you dip your bread bowl in the soup… omg Raymond loves. I think I need to try chili next though, because I think that would go down SO well.
They have other heated sandwiches as well, along with soups and salads. They have pizza for the kids menu, and they have slices of bacon (if you really want and need that) on the side for extra charge: P
Just enjoy the sourdough and the view.
El fin.

Among bakery/​café styled restaurants such as Corner Bakery, Panera Bread and Boudin, I have to admit that Boudin is my favorite… I will explain why I have given this location a 5 star review!
Eventhough, they have 2 locations in South Coast Plaza, I always go to the one by Bloomingdale’s wing… Although they get super busy, but they are super fast with getting your order and making sure that you are taken care of.
As for their wonderful Rewards program, I can’t say enough! I mean every month you get this free loaf of bread that is so yummy. Plus you receive awesome coupons sent to your email!
As for the food goes, I have tried all their soup options and today for the first time, I tried the Banh Mi salad and I have to say that it was out of this World. Let me be honest with you, I rarely buy salads at restaurants because I believe that I can make salad at home for a ¹⁄₁₀ of the charged price… But when I took a first bite of my salad today, I was soooo satisfied that words can’t describe… Lol
The salad had mixed greens, carrots, delicious pickled onions/​chillis, cilantro, noodles and bell pepper tossed in sesame oil, vinegar and ginger dressing… I mean the flavor combination was just amazing… I highly recommend it!
I can’t say good enough about this place. If you do go, make sure to sign up for their rewards card! You will be very happy that you did.:-)