Esther’s German Bakery

Great service great food. We had the pancakes with and without apples — delicious! I cannot wait to go back and try the rest of the menu. Even the latte was really good.

The food was good. Nice big omlet abd nice atmosphere. The price is a little high to my opinion. There is no side dish for the omlet for 10 $.
Other than the price issue we enjoyed sitting there

I have had Esther’s for take out many times and it is always great.
Going into the restaurant was a little bit of a different experience. Parking is limited and this spot is kind of easy to miss. The restaurant itself is a little small. You order at the counter. It was the first time I had been in the physical restaurant location so I was kind of looking around at the items on the wall and trying to figure out what to order. The man at the counter did not greet us nor ask us if we needed assistance. Eventually we ordered and seated ourselves. The food came quickly enough and was great as expected. The potato pancake dish is great to get to share and the schnitzel is a good safe option. The portions are just right.
Overall, the food is always good — I was just a little bit thrown off by the vibe of the restaurant. Still worth trying if you are in the area and stumble upon this restaurant.

Came by Esther’s this morning to see what all the reviews were about. First — yes, unfortunately the parking situation isn’t ideal. I was lucky enough to get a parking spot right in front, however, when I went to leave I had to back out onto a very busy road and was almost rear-​ended. I would suggest parking on a side street or someplace else rather than right in front.
Esther’s itself has a quaint vibe to it — plenty of tables and couches. A very nice little café feel to it. The service was prompt and very friendly.
I decided to try the apple pancake and a mocha. The apple pancake was the size of a dinner plate and everything I hoped it would be. Perfect balance of crisp apple, fluffy pancake, and sweet syrup. I highly recommend. The mocha was delicious as well.
I ordered a few bakery items to-​go to try later. I ordered a pretzel and a piece of the hazelnut chocolate cake. The pretzel reminded me of traditional German pretzels I would get when I traveled through Germany. And the hazelnut chocolate cake … Out of this world. It was so moist and delicious — I would drive back to Esther’s for the hazelnut chocolate cake alone. Quaint spot with authentic German cooking — can’t go wrong!

An unique truly German bakery and also a next-​door beer garden at the heart of Menlo Park, perfect for a hardy omelette breakfast with whole grain seed topped German bread. The service is amazing, lots of energy, lots of smiles. Highly recommend! The pretzels are excellent too. Try the hot chocolate, a large cup size only, which is sweet and creamy.

Price:
$ 3-​$ 4.50 per slice of cake
I was recently charged with finding a birthday for one of my co-​workers. I always experience a small conflict of interest whenever I have cake duty as I hate chocolate cake, but everyone else loves it. Well, I think I’ve found a way to fix my cake buying conundrum from here on out. I chose Esther’s because you can buy cake by the slice, and they have a pretty great assortment of some really classy flavors. Instead of buying one cake, I selected slices from a few different cakes and got a box together of 6 different flavors. These included: hazelnut chocolate, marzipan, a cheesecake with a layer of chocolate across the top, a berry tart, apple crumble, and a slice of some type of chocolate on chocolate with raspberries. They had other options there as well including vanilla lemon and a sour cherry chocolate. The cakes were well balanced and not too sweet. I didn’t get a chance to try all of them, but the three I managed to sample (marzipan, hazelnut chocolate, and the berry) were all delicious. I may never buy a whole cake again. Stop by Esther’s if you’ve got a sugar craving and want to try some delicious and unique cakes.

If I’ve learned one thing from the Jewish/​German family I married into, it’s that you don’t turn away a person who is feeling hungry, especially when it’s cold out. So I was pretty taken aback when, after waiting a few minutes and looking at the hot food menu, the man behind the counter condescended to us that the kitchen had just closed «a couple minutes ago” – 45 minutes early – because it was slow… even though there was another couple there still eating. I see why they’re so slow, with such bad service and attitude!
Instead, we had a delicious Chinese meal at Chef Chu’s just a few doors north. If it’s cold out and you’re hungry, go there instead!

I’ve only ever been here for brunch, and I’ve loved it each time. This is a small shop with only 5 or 6 tables and limited parking outside, and they offer a few hot items in addition to an assortment of pastries and cakes.
The standout item for me is the pfannkuchen, which is pfanntastic. This is a german pancake which you can (and should) get with apple slices added in. Throw in a touch of maple syrup with a mocha on the side and you have the perfect start to the day.

Cute German bakery that also serves meals. Went there for dinner and had Curry wurst and spaetzle. My German friend had the beef rouladen, which he said was very close to his mom’s, so they were pretty tasty. Also had some pretzels before the meal, but was disappointed that they were served cold. Their desserts were delicious; a lemon/​almond tart, a mixed berry marscapone cake and a chocolate ganache cake. Great way to end a meal.

If you are looking for a decent breakfast spot away from the hub bub of downtown Los Altos, Esther’s is a great spot. They have indoor and outdoor seating and serve breakfast and traditional German food. I opted for the white sausage and pretzels with sweet mustard. I thought the sausages were great but I would have liked it more if they also had some other mustard options. Overall, a solid place with good food and service.

This is the best German bakery in the bay area. Everything is made fresh. I like the Frankenstein pancakes. OK, that’s not the German, but it’s close enough. Those are the pancakes with the warm apples baked right in! They have real maple syrup and all kinds of fresh coffee, teas, and breads. Owe the breads! It’s just like being in Cologne.

Super cute intimate place for brunch that’s slightly different from your standard brunch fare.
Latkes with salmon were on point. D’lox omelette with salmon, spinach, fennel, and havarti cheese was HUGE, the size of my face. Omelette itself was pretty standard but hit the spot. Polish sausage was delicious, especially with their sweet mustard (where can I get more of this to take home?!) Most importantly: unlimited German coffee refills!
My favorite part of Esther’s though was the décor and vibe. Really cute couches, benches, and small tables, perfect for families and brunch dates. Not too crowded, and food came quickly.

Loved this place!!!
It looks like an ordinary coffee shop when you walk in… BUT! there’s so much hidden here!
Biergarten! Great schnitzel, good draft beer, pastries!!! (best I had in a while!) Friendly service…
Is there anything not to love about this place? (maybe the espresso, it wasn’t good but who cares if you are having the best pastries with it?)

It happened for the second time that the bread was hard and didn’t feel fresh. The pumpkin seed pretzel was good and tasted fresh, the omelet was ok too but nothing crazy. I really try to like their bread and want to give it a third try. Not sure why some of the bread is good and some tastes old.
There is a small outside patio in the back which is nice, especially if you area bigger group.

What a cozy little place this is! I was staying with a friend in Mountain View this weekend, and I am so glad she suggested the place. Absolutely delicious and authentic food. I’m quite a few generations removed as far as my German blood goes, but I spent a couple weeks sampling German food in Weisbaden and Frankfurt a few years ago. I think I was 20 pounds heavier when I got back. No one does hearty food like Germany.
Anyway, the bratwurst I had took me back. So good. I also ordered a perfect apple strudel, and I mean perfect. Not too sweet, like strudel you get here. It was the perfect balance of sweet and tart with a fluffy flavorful crust. YUM!
I like the intimate atmosphere inside the café, which doesn’t seat too many and can get crowded. This is very European, however, and makes you talk to your neighbors. Also European was the room temperature water available and the ability to order a nice beer at 11 in the morning. If you feel cramped inside, you can sit outside, too. The service is prompt and the employees are communicative.
Also, I appreciate the little added charms like the décor, the Kinder corner, and the various available packaged food items by the door.

Love this Place! Wunderbare Brezen, großartiges Frühstück und tolle Bedienung. Esther und Familie sind bewundernswerte Menschen und ausgezeichnete Bäcker! Ich komme schon seit Jahren hier her um mein Heimweh zu stillen :-)

Can’t believe I’ve never been to this place even though I grew up in the area. I’ve always heard about Esther’s German Bakery but just never gotten the chance to give it a try until this past weekend. I went on a Saturday morning for a late breakfast around 10:30 am and the place was pretty packed. It’s a small, cute, cozy café that has a lot of character with indoor and outdoor seats. You order at the counter, grab a number, and then wait for your food to be served. They have a nice selection of breakfast and lunch times.
I went for the Bavarian Breakfast since I was trying to get a healthier breakfast that day. This consisted of two sausages, a pretzel, radishes, and mustard. The sausages were actually pretty good. They didn’t look super appetizing or beautiful, but it ended up being pretty tasty and extremely filling as well.
I’ve seen many a beautiful instas from this place… so yeah you could go for a sweeter, more presentable dish if you feel like it. I just wanted to go simple that day. They have a pretty wide selection of sweet and savory though.
tldr; pretty cute café with good food!

Once you get over the unfriendly service, the fresh desserts are quite good. I came on a weekday afternoon and the place was still moderately busy. I recommend getting treats to go because the interior is rather tacky and the woman working the front made me feel uncomfortable with her judgmental non-​smiling glances.
I tried the «bee sting» honey cake with almonds and it was great. The raspberry cheesecake was good too; it is lightly sweetened and not nearly as heavy as American cheesecake.

I had been driving past Esther’s German Bakery for years (and I’m talking like 20 years!), but I had never been inside. Within the last 5 years, I had a taste of some of their pastries at an SAP Holiday Faire, where Esther’s catered the treats. So when my friend had asked me to pick a brunch spot, I was quick to suggest Esther’s. I had no idea what to expect, but wanted to try it.
On my first visit, I had one of the brunch specials that consisted of french toast, peppered bacon and two eggs. A great combination of starch and protein. I only mention this because the french toast is the same french toast on their menu; however, the one on their daily menu is just the carb + fresh fruit and no protein. I like being able to get a bit of both in my meal. Each component was great, but I would have to say that the French Toast was great! Made from challah bread, it was sweet, but not overly sweet, and buttery.
Because a few other breakfast items had caught my eye on my first visit a couple weeks ago, I knew I had to go back. This time, I brought my mom. She got the French Toast and I got the German Pancakes with Apples. Yes, we both had a carb filled meal, something I really shouldn’t be doing right now (but that’s a whole other conversation). The pancake batter is lightly seasoned with cinnamon, and mixed in were slices of fresh apples. I thought I had had German Pancakes before, but realized that I hadn’t, and this was a great first experience!
Can’t wait for my next visit to Esther’s and perhaps that’ll be for a more savory meal — maybe some bratwurst?!

I was in the mood.
To take my German bf to a German bakery so we can have a traditional German breakfast in a German atmosphere, the only thing missing is me speaking in fluent German! (work in progress, I tell ya!)
He had no idea where we were going for breakfast, I just punched in the address on his iphone and off we went. We were at the stoplight when he noticed Chef Chu’s and he gave me this LOOK that says, ‘you’re not taking me to a Chinese restaurant for breakfast, right?!” =P
I heard a huge sigh of relief when we pulled into the parking space right in front of the bakery. We walked in and he immediately notices «Die Zeit» next to the German sundries section. He approves already.
Order and pay at the counter before you grab a seat. Get the pfannkuchen with apples! soft, sweet apples in a fluffy pancake sprinkled with powdered sugar. The edges had a bit of crispness to it which provided a nice texture contrast. His Farmer’s scramble was a generous portion filled with polish sausage, potatoes and peppers. The accompanying rye bread is a bit dry so slather on that jam or butter and you’re good to go.
We left here with a warm and cozy feeling of being transported to Germany for a brief moment in time. I can’t wait to return and try their famous pretzel bread and Bratwurst!

Sehr gut!
Who would guess that this little unexpected hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurant has German food that comes close to what Mama would cook back home?
We came here for brunch, and left completely satisfied. The PFANNKUCHEN (pancake with syrup, $ 7) was crispy and had some cut pieces of apple inside. Good portion size and we were not even able to finish the SCHWARZBROT MIT MARMELADE (rye bread with jam) that came with it.
The FARMER’S SCRAMBLED (with potatoes, peppers, rye bread, $ 8) was also delicious and filling. I liked the fact that they put peppers into it — something my mom would definitely do back home.
I love the fact that Esther’s even provides German newspaper. «Die Zeit» greets friendly once you walk into the small store.
Probably the most authenthic German food in the Bay — Ze German approves.