Italian French Baking Company

So disappointed they’re gone. I wonder what the ‘closed for remodeling; new-​concept bakery’ sign in the window means… I hope it’s not another homogenous artisnal joint that occupies yet another neighborly space in the City.

I tried calling & was surprised when I got a recording saying «North Beach Baking.»
No more Italian French Baking?!
Apparently, they changed the name to North Beach Baking in 2010. But, it still says Italian French on the storefront, & on Unilocal.
Even though the bakery has fallen & is not nearly as good as it was a few years ago, I still have a soft spot for it, & I probably always will.
Why?
The apple fritters. It used to be my Sunday thing to grab one on my way to get my nails done. They are supremely decadent & most certainly not good for you. If I wanted something good for me, I’d go to the health food store down the street. That’s not what a bakery is for. A bakery is for enjoying life.
Everything in moderation, including moderation.
The zucchini muffins. Oh, how I loved their zucchini muffins. They were only available 3 or 4 days a week. What I really loved doing was going after hours (midnight, 2am, etc.) through the back door to the «kitchen,» & getting one, or 3, right out of the oven. I also did this for a hot, fresh loaf of bread, too. It was a neighborhood thing. They’d only charge a buck, if they charged at all. Those were the days.
Those days are gone. For one, zucchini muffins aren’t even available now. And when we tried to go in through the back recently, we found the doorway was blocked off w a garbage can!!!
Pa-​Leeze people. It’s gonna take more than that to dissuade me. I just moved it over & went around, much to my man’s amusement.
Once inside, an employee approached us & I asked what was hot. He didn’t seem to be versed in what was going down, so I said we just wanted a loaf of bread. He brought us a loaf of French, & I paid 3 bucks. Unheard of back in the day. What’s the point of my coming in the middle of the night if I’m not going to get the nice price?
Oh, yeah… I want fresh bread. Fair enough.
They were closed temporarily in 2013, & they’ve changed ownership a couple of times. Mixed reviews on the employees. But the bread is still tasty, & the aroma is still sweet.
Even in today’s gluten, wheat, & carb obsessed world, fresh hot bread right from the oven is a beautiful thing.
I miss the zucchini muffins. I miss the old tradition of stopping by after hours for a loaf.
I miss the old Italian French Bakery.
3 stars.

I was hungry and this place caught my eye. I looked inside and the yummy pastries were calling my name. Then I saw the bakery where they make the baked good and had to try. Inhad the chocolate croissant. It’s worth 10 stars. I want another one now!

I’m here for the sour dough bread that has a crunchy crust and soft inside, awesome! Capp’s Corner used this bread exclusively too. Very reasonable prices too.

Really good pastries, but unfortunately the staff is pretty rude.
Croissant was good. Chocolate Walnut muffin was GREAT!

A buck ninety-​five sourdough loaf, an awesome chick behind the counter who suffers NO fools and classic SF vibe (something your can veritably feel vaporizing in this regretable time,) but daaaaamn! 72 out of 100? Saigon Sandwiches ranks upwards of 95 over the past 20 years. Eesh. Not that it’s going to stop me. Americans (meaning me) are unduly obsessed with cleanliness but my own personal brand of anal-​rententiveness isn’t going to forget that…

You can smell the bread baking from a few blocks away.
I stopped by to check out the croissants and pain au chocolat that I saw on Unilocal and was NOT disappointed.
While it’s not Paris-​good, it’s great for the money at just $ 2 or so each! Plus there’s A LOT of chocolate.
Pro tip: Cash only

I came here for the first time today and oh man, was it good! I had the chocolate croissant and a chocolate covered macaroon. The croissant was the best I’ve had outside of France and the macaroon was heavenly. Definitely recommend both!

Parked close by and had read good reviews about there croissants and bread the night before. My boyfriend got the cheese Danish and I got a plain croissant, neither of us are big chocolate croissant people. I know that is what this bakery is raved for, so I got a chocolate to bring back for my mom.
The cheese Danish was superb and my regular croissant was BIG and soft and buttery! What a treat that I paired with a good cappuccino (from the Trieste close by).
Started my «tourist» day of walking around North Beach with a little pastry, not bad.
Ps. I did get to try a bite of my moms chocolate croissant and the chocolate was real, tasted Belgium. Very good.
My only regret is that I didn’t by a bread to take home, they all smelled and looked great. I was kicking myself in the bum for not taking up on a cheap purchase…

I really hate writing one star reviews. I understand that many businesses are family owned and take a lot of pride in their product and their business. However, there are instances where it is the complete opposite. Unfortunately with the ownership change a year or so ago, the Italian French Baking Co isn’t even a shell of what it used to be.
But unfortunately it’s not only the product but also the service that has been suffering. While the employees were never the friendliest bunch they were at least fair. Here’s the story: my pregnant wife and I went in to buy a baguette for a new years eve dinner early in the afternoon. They only had two selections remaining in bags in the rack. It was impossible to see which was sourdough, which was sweet, etc. So we were taking a second to evaluate. My wife asked the woman behind the counter who informed her that she could take a bread sleeve and select whichever type she wanted. As my wife went to grab the sleeve another patron pushed their way in front of us, counted out the number of baguettes in one of the bags and then took the whole bag.
Now this other patron was BEHIND us and CUT in front of us and then took ALL of the product. Being a native San Franciscan and having lived in NYC for a few years I couldn’t let that stand. So I said «excuse me, that was quite rude.» The patron made a snarky comment and I responded that she cut in front of us, and essentially stole the remaining product. At this point the employee held up a finger to stop me and indicated that I was the one who was in the wrong. She said that this other patron had «ordered» exactly that amount of bread. Well, in my experience if you order a product, it’s kept behind the counter and you don’t have to cut in front of a PREGNANT woman to grab the last of it.
The employee, obviously knew this other patron and did not care one bit about us. She expected us to wait and just stand there dumbfounded by what just transpired. Well, guess what, the great thing about the United States is that you have freedom of speech and you also have the power of the dollar.
We immediately left the store and walked right down the street to Little Vine on Grant where they sell Acme bread. It was easy, the staff was friendly and it almost made me forget what had happened.
Overall, with decreasing product quality and non-​existent customer service, there is no reason to go to this bakery. There is plenty of superior competition nearby: Stella’s Pastry for your sweets, Little Vine for wines, cheeses, bread, etc. and Liguria for your foccacia.

Nice chocolate croissant & friendly service. Scone was good not great. Very reasonable prices. Good hot coffee. Would come here again.

This was the 2^nd stop on our North Beach food tour. We got to go inside the bakery where they bakers were making the breads and sweets. The cool part of the tour was to see the large brick oven. It was just as I would expect from a bakery.
We sampled the sour dough bread, chocolate dipped macaroon, and biscotti. I only sampled the first 2, which were really good. Nothing beats fresh sour dough bread. The chocolate dipped macaroon was a good balance of coconut and sweetness.
The best part of the tour was that my friend and I were able to take back the two remaining halves of the sough dough bread. Score!!!

I can’t believe this place is:
1) So authentic. The chocolate croissant is the closest to what I had in Paris this summer, compared to croissants I’ve had in the US, including down the street at the famous La Boulange. Here the croissants are moist, not oily, not buttery-​tasting, and have soft layers that are not flaky (no mess!).
2) So inexpensive. $ 1.95 for the best chocolate croissant ever, and it’s twice the normal size. Somehow you don’t feel heavy after eating it too. Strange.
3) Filling those croissants with a chocolate dream! The chocolate in the croissant is not a tiny little bar of not-​quite-​melted chocolate that sort of falls out when you bite into it, as is so often the case at other places (ahem). They mix heavy cream (I suspect) with the chocolate so that you have the perfect complementary chocolate filling and plenty of it.
4) Selling torso-​sized baguettes, ciabatta, foccaccia and other breads for only $ 1.95! I could probably get a similar bread from the famous Boudin SF bakery for like $ 6 – 8 and it wouldn’t be as tasty. They also have scones, cookies, and stuff, but once I knew how good the croissants were, I stuck to those.
5) So under the radar. It’s on the corner and has a striped awning (see the picture, otherwise it may be hard to find), but otherwise, where’s the signage? And it’s confusing that on Unilocal it’s called «Italian French Baking Company» but that the bags inside say «North Beach Baking Company.» Clear-​cut branding is not as important to them as producing an amazing product. Did I mention they have really amazing chocolate croissants?
OK, I meant to review this whole place, but upon reading my review, I realize I really should have just titled this review: THE BEST CHOCOLATE CROISSANT IN CALIFORNIA.
TIP: They open at 6am, close at 6pm, but you can expect those chocolate croissants to be sold out in the morning, although they do make multiple batches. I went three times yesterday (twice in the morning for croissants, and the third time in the afternoon they didn’t have any left and in fact the entire store looked almost empty).
EPILOGUE: A fight ensued after my friend, who found and recommended the place, ate TWO of the three chocolate croissants I bought exclusively to take back to San Diego to share with folks here. He apologized multiple times and quasi-​cried, I shook my head, teared up with grave disappointment. Even though I’ve (REALLY) never been so upset over someone devouring my food I’ve decided it’s not worth losing a friend over this… even over the best chocolate croissants I’ve had outside France! Now do I keep the lone croissant for myself or share it with someone special?

I always pick up a baguette or two when there: (hint– put a second bag over the exposed end if you are walking far to completely cover your loaf) but they have the absolute best damn blueberry scones in the city! You must have one with your morning coffee.
Cheap no-​frills bakery so buy extras of whatever appeals.

Update: Previous review was based on my memories of buying bread here back in 2008 – 9 when I lived in the neighborhood. Moved away in 2010 and hadn’t actually had it since then. Apparently new ownership took over about a year ago and cut the quality, and its noticeable. Docking one star accordingly.
The 50 cent cookies are still pretty good with coffee, though.

I have been coming to this bakery for over 2 years and am shocked to read some 1 and 2 star reviews about this bakery! Amongst all the bakeries in North Beach, this one never disappoints! This bakery is a true neighborhood gem and I highly recommend it!
The chocolate croissant is SO good. Although croissants will never compare to the ones I have had in Paris, these are not too far off! I usually eat the entire croissant on my walk back to my boyfriends place, there has been a couple of times where I waited and decided to heat it up. So with it… But barely ever happens!
The cheese Danish is also delish… Just the right amount of cheese and sweetness.
I’ve also liked the blueberry muffin and the raspberry danish. I’ve yet to try their breads or biscotti’s but I’m sure they’re amazing!

I remember Italian French Baking Co. being much better back in the days… either something changed in their recipe or that my taste buds kicked up a notch.
Focaccia is my fave type of bread… love the oily & airy sponge bread and when sprinkled with cracked sea salt then dipped in olive oil, it’s amazing! However on my recent visit, the quality of the focaccia was not so much. Picked up a ½ sheet of Focaccia with Tomato & Onion for $ 3.75, great deal, but the bread was dry and somewhat pasty. Also, the focaccia grew mold within a day after sitting on my counter and had to throw the whole thing away. Second visit a couple weeks later, picked up a Tomato & Cheese Focaccia, but this time stored the bread in my fridge. Sliced it the next morning and it still tasted pasty & stale and the cheese wasn’t cheesy or flavorful. Sad.
The only good thing was the Biscotti. At $ 2 a piece, the large biscotti contain whole almonds set in a crunchy cookie texture, but are soft when bitten into. They offer Anise, Almond, & Chocolate-​dipped biscotti… all of which taste deelishus! However, I wish the chocolate-​dipped could be a bit silkier & creamier.
Service is pretty friendly. On both visits, I was serviced by the same gal behind the counter… super friendly, smiles, offered recommendations, and never rushed. Loved the aromas that swarm the shop & neighborhood, but on both occasions, I noticed a few flies hovering… Eww. Also on my second visit, upon entry of the shop, I got some weird stares from an Asian family behind the counter. Did I look out of place? Did I have a booger up my nose? Was I trailing a piece of toilet paper from my shoe? No, no, and NO. Idk, I didn’t really appreciate the weird sneers.
CONVENIENCE: *** [Located on corner of Grant & Union. Parking sucks.]
AMBIANCE: *** [Smells of freshly baked goods swarm the store and diffuse out to the streets, but open doors can cause flies to creep in from time to time.]
SERVICE: **** [Friendly service from gal behind the counter, but –1 star because I got weird stares from the Asians in far right side of the store.]
PRICE: $ and up [$ 3.75 for ½ sheet of focaccia, $ 2 for a biscotti. Buying multiple items can add up.]
OVERALL: *** [3-​stars… GO for the Biscotti, PASS on the Focaccia.]
Nuff said.
[45 of 100 Unilocal CHALLENGE 2013]

I’m shocked to see that none of the reviewers are from North Beach or really know what’s going on at this place.
This bakery has been around for 130 years. For the past 20+ years its been owned by a local family. Last year the bakery was sold to an Asian family who have completely changed the ingredients and are using very cheap products. While they are producing the same recipes the pastries now totally lack any flavor due to the use of very cheap products. While the management insists that they will not change their bread recipes or ingredients the local chefs in North Beach are no longer using their bread in their restaurants. The quality is just simply not the same.
It’s such a shame as this bakery was our go to location for years. Now we’re stuck going to Boulanger for our bread & pastries.

I’ll keep this short and sweet.
+ $ 2 per biscotti
+ chocolate almond is pretty damn delicious
+ biscotti was firm albeit soft after you sink your teeth into it
+ chocolate ganache wasn’t rich (though I wish it was)
+ almonds spread sporadically throughout
+ even a day old, it was still moist, buttery, and awesome
+ lady was kind of short, didn’t appear friendly but whatevs
+ bread and other types of viennoiseries
+ focaccia looked appealing, maybe I will get that next time, too
+ bakery was hot and humid, not very pleasant
+ you should buy at least 6 because 1 isn’t enough
Biscottis is my new slight obsession!

I found this place a few months ago and can not stop coming back! Unlike the super hard outside and meager inside of french baguettes, this place’s bread is perfectly crunchy and filling at the same time.
1) The bread is unbelievably fresh. If you come at the right time you can pick up one up right out of the oven. The Bastoni are a bit crunchier on the outside which i LOVE but when in the mood for something with more punch, I go with the sourdough round or baguette.
2) Although I absolutely love Ligueria’s focaccia bread, I find that it is too thin to use for sandwiches. I instead buy my sandwich bread here and cut in into two layers. It’s fantastic.
3) Their cookies are perfect hostess gifts. Love their Chocolate Chocolate chip biscotti, russian teacakes/​mexican wedding cookies, and Chocolate dipped coconut macaroons. The large ones are pricy but if you can share them between 2 – 3 people easily. Smaller ones are good for single servings. :)
All in all, this place has some of the freshest bread I’ve had on a consistent basis. You can usually see them baking it in the back!