Turtle Bread Company

This location, a 2-​minute walk from my front door, stood vacant for over 15 years according to my neighbors. We all looked forward to what was coming and I was thrilled to learn it was a bakery. The opening was painfully dragged out and with very little information available except to watch the progress from the outside. A huge contrast to The Blue Door Pub down the street which gave a clear opening date and immediately let the community in on what would be there!
All that aside, it finally opened and Husband and I went in to see what was offered. That day I had undercooked quiche with a side of hair and the shock of a $ 30+ bill for the two of us to have a very simple, unsatisfying breakfast.
Since then I have repeatedly tried to open-​mindedly visit and continually have made excuses for the poor service and over-​priced mediocrity. I have found they carry a Brie and make a chocolate roll I enjoy plus some darn indulgent cupcakes, but I have learned not to expect too much quality of the other food. Yesterday I stopped in to buy a Naked Juice before work. I waited behind one other person for 6 minutes and wasn’t so much as greeted. People generally have places to get to when they are up at 7am and they aren’t staffed well enough to serve 2 people at once?! At least a glance up to acknowledge my existence! Yeah, I’m sad to say this will stay on my last resort list until some obvious changes are made.

After being utterly underwhelmed with the «service» at New French in Seward, I called Turtle Bread and not only did they have what I needed, it was inexpensive and the service was delightful. Thanks for great service, a great product and making our dinner party a success, Turtle Bread! Update: They made the wrong damn rolls and I liked them BETTER than pretzel rolls! Their potato rolls are soft, floury delights. They were extremely apologetic and gave us extra rolls for a fraction of the price. I love them and I’ll return.

I love that they are in the my neighborhood and in theory this should be my go-​to place for pastries and bread. I went to TB on Sunday late afternoon. There wasn’t much of a bread selection so I asked the girl at the counter what she recommended for bread as my favorite type of bread, sourdough was gone. Her response was «hmm. I don’t know». «o.k. so what is your favorite type a bread?» I asked. Then she says «Well I don’t know what to tell you, I don’t eat bread… we’re about to close so this is what is left… a lot of people buy the champagne bread».
+2 good products and location
–1 for the unhelpful service –1 for not clearly posting their hours –1 for not selling discounted day old bread

The food is delicious. I walked in at 3 pm on a sunny autumn afternoon and there was almost no salad left, and only one mozarella sandwich. I stood there for at least a minute, and neither of the staff at the counter acknowledged me in any way. I asked if there was anyone to make me a sandwich and they said no. Very unfriendly. I have had this experience before; don’t know why I keep going back. This Turtle Bread location has a reputation for poor and rude service. I know people who do not go there for this reason. Your staff needs customer service training!!!

The girl working the counter was not friendly — she seemed VERY bored. She took quite some time to make two lattes. She must have been new? Took forever. Sigh.

I’ve been here quite often and it’s not for the food, more for location. The food at this place isn’t good enough to keep me coming back and the service isn’t good at all. The staffs aren’t friendly but rather snobby and could careless if your experience there is good or not.
The only thing I like about this place is that it’s a good place to do an interview since there are plenty of open seats. Otherwise there are better places for food and service.

I loved the idea that Turtle Bread was going to be open just a few blocks from home. I had dreams of stopping and picking up coffee and a pastry on my way to work in the morning. But that all changed when I went in to inquire about a birthday cake for my sister and was told they didn’t have cake. I don’t get it, I was staring at a couple options right there in the case. I have not been back since. You lost me, and I won’t be back.

Solid breakfast, excellent chrostini; lots of selection. Had the salmon scramble– not fido in Nashville good, but good: the dill sour cream was nice addition

I visited this location on a weekday afternoon. Finding street parking was no problem at all. I liked the arrangement of tables and booths. There was a lot of natural light, which was lovely. There were only two or three tables occupied when I arrived, and maybe four or five other tables needed to be cleaned. The counter service was basic — no greeting and I had to wait a bit because the staffers were engaged in a conversation with one another. It was a little bit uncomfortable because I was ready to order but I was not sure if I should interrupt their conversation or wait longer. I ordered soup and a sandwich, both of which were okay. The food was ready quickly and brought to my table. The cupcake I had for dessert was very good. I did not see any of the staff members clean any of the dirty tables during the two hours I was there. The window near my table was filled with dust and cobwebs.
My overall impression was that this is a quiet, simple neighborhood shop. The food was just so-​so although the cupcake was really good. Hopefully it isn’t always as messy as it was when I was there.

I won’t be coming back. On Easter I was told that the order I had hand walked into the store and paid for had been lost. I gave them a star because even though they didn’t give me a receipt to the customer (I won’t make that mistake again) I did get a substitute order as they were out of what I had originally ordered.
The reason I have an issue is that I did not leave with a sense that they cared enough to correct the mistake. They checked one folder and the buyer said she never saw the order. I asked what they did about that sort of thing and was told «have a nice day» and the buyer turned her back on me and walked away. I didn’t expect really anything but I was hoping that maybe they could look to see if the order had been misplaced or something that would look like an effort. I guess I expect too much because if that happens where I work we have to do a corrective action request to find the problem. I guess TBC has enough customers so that they can be apathetic.

Great breakfast and coffee… and cupcakes… and lunch!
They just need to add wine and they are golden!!!

There’s really nothing to mention in the way of service here, not particularly friendly, but certainly not rude either.
The presentation of the baked goods is their main point of differentiation– it’s a pretty impressive spread without actually being all that much in terms of quantity or variety.
The baked goods are quite delicious. I cannot comment on the eggs, etc., as I skipped that route thanks to another Unilocaler’s review.
The space is CLEAN, albeit fairly austere. Tables, chairs, and booths– pretty straight-​forward. No cushy chair or private corner.
I’ll be back, but I won’t go way out of my way.

Reviewing the bakery part of this establishment:
The bread is somewhat uninspired. Better than Wonder Bread, but there are a lot better bread bakeries in town. If you’ve ever eaten bread in France, you will not understand why this stuff is called bread.
The pastries are better than the bread, but they’re usually out. You have to get there early in the morning to get any. If you think you might wander down before lunch to pick up a couple pastries to have for dessert later in the day, you can just forget about that plan. All they’ll have is some boring cookies. For some reason, they don’t seem to think it’s a good business model to sell the one thing worth buying later in the day.
Prices on the baked goods would be really helpful. When I do load up a bag, I have no idea how much money I’m spending until the cashier (with bare hands) picks through my purchases and works some weird accounting magic to come up with a number.
Service at the register is adequate but not exactly pleasant. One can tell they’ve all been told to be friendly, but it’s obviously an act. I’d rather shop somewhere where the staff wants to be friendly and is not just putting on a fake smile because the boss might be watching.
I haven’t tried eating here because the smell of rotten eggs is a little off putting. Also, the prices seem high — they’re even high on the pastries. I don’t understand where the «$» came from. It’s more like a «$$». Interestingly, the other Turtle Bread locations have a «$$» rating. Are the prices actually different?

I have always been a fan of Turtle Bread, and I was so excited to see one come to this neighborhood. I am such a fan of their soup, being that there are so many vegetarian or vegan choices. Reading the other reviews, I now see how food is a bit pricey for what you get and the service issues. But, I have always over looked this. I love the interior. If you could have seen what this building looked like pre– makeover. It’s amazing. One complaint is the outside look. Please find a way to get sidewalk seating back! You had it the first year you opened, and the place was always crowded… good business for you Turtle Bread. On a nice sunny day, we Minnesotians like to sit outside… for hours! I know it’s a city issue? But I would make whatever changes there are to make it happen. Also, please remove your dumpsters right where customers walk into the restaurant. Gross! Maybe trim that aweful accident waiting to happen metal cover to the basement which is right where customers enter the restaurant. If you have to live with the eyesore, make it better with a planters or some landscaping to hide it. Come on, turtle bread… I want you to be a success… care a little more.

Between the fabulous autumn morning and the warm slice of apple pie I was munching, I was in heaven. This place is great! All the natural light and soft wood made me want to curl up, nurse my tea and pie and bust out my knitting.

Visited Turtle Bread on a Sunday afternoon. The place was a bit dead… but why? What I love most about this place is the actual indoor space and ambiance. There’s so much natural light. It’s just beautiful inside. It’s the perfect spot to read a book or study because it’s so darn quiet… maybe too quiet.
I only had the coffee and it was good. I am not sure if the food here is tasty, but I I’ll give it a try next time.
My one complaint is that they could do better keeping the sidewalks/​entryways salted and clear of ice during the winter… I almost slipped just trying to walk to the door. I appreciate when businesses care about the safety of their customers ;)

My destination was the new Blue Door Pub. We passed this place and I thought so that’s where it is. It was definitely the destination after dinner. I like the layout, and there’s plenty of seating compared to the one on Chicago. They also serve chocolate cream pie, of which I am a freak. It’s so good looking, and huge. The best part was the crust, a normal white flour crust, and a beautiful pile of whipped cream. I wasn’t crazy about the filling. It was way too stiff for a pie, it reminded me of the denseness of flourless chocolate cake. I was able to mix in whipped cream with every bite though. Between here and the pub you get 2 for 1 on this block.

Business takes me to Longfellow pretty frequently, and in turn Turtle Bread has become a convenient spot to stop in for some coffee and baked goods.
The pastries are really excellent. Danishes, muffins, croissants, and scones are all delicious and fresh made. The coffee is nothing to write home about, but its not bad either and certainly not «gas station» coffee. Cooked to order breakfasts are decent, but probably a little expensive for what you get.
And even if the counter staff isn’t overly attentive, they’re always pleasant and helpful. Atmosphere is great, with plenty of seating including some comfy booths that are great for a little more private coffee and conversation.
I wouldn’t call it a destination for brunch or coffee, but still a satisfying place to stop for a mid-​morning break or a coffee meeting in the area.

This a review of the breakfast:
I definitely would steer clear. I had an veggie omelet with toast and breakfast potatoes on the side. Veggie omelet was substandard, overcooked flimsy veggies and the potatoes might as well come out of a bag in the freezer. I’m not trying to bash but just don’t expect anything — you can make a better breakfast at home or heck even head to Perkins. The only redeeming factor was the jam.
Atmosphere — This location was a little too hectic and nosy for me for a Saturday morning breakfast. Something about the space makes all the sounds echo and bounce.

I visited Turtle Bread company with a friend of mine who had visited there several times. It was sort of a last minute decision because Patisserie 46 had closed. Seeing as how it was later in the day, they were out of a few things so I had to keep that in mind while thinking back on my experience. I definitely want to go back in the early afternoon and try it out again.
The space is interesting. It’s very open with lines of sight all the way to the back of the bakery area. The tables are big and the dining area itself is spacious. The girl who took my order at the counter was friendly. Street parking was easy.
I had tea and a piece of chocolate cake. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I been there earlier in the day – the frosting was a little firm for my liking. But the taste of the cake was very good. I enjoyed the tea, as well… But I dont know how much credit to give there since you are simply given a selection of tea bags.
Overall, I think 2.5 is probably the best score but because of the circumstances I think the more lenient 3 stars is fine until I can check it out again and try more things.