Thorough Bread & Pastry

This place was delightful. I was in the search for a close-​to-​authentic French pastry, and this definitely got the bill. I had an almond croissant and enjoyed it so much that I got a pain aux raisins to go in hopes that it would be just as delicious. The cappuccino was smooth and creamy with beautiful coffee art. They also have a lovely patio behind the building with excellent outdoor seating options.

Super cute spot! Saturday morning tea with a scrumptious, flaky, and super filling Ham and Cheese Croissant and book to read in the cute back patio area? Yes please!

Incredible breads, outside seating, and Madame baker makes one of the best German chocolate cakes ever! It melts in your mouth and isn’t sickly sweet.

Great breakfasty breads and coffees, but the real reason to come here is for the delightfully-​sunny patio in the back. Service was OK, a little harried. I loved my croissant.

Great pastries!
The almond croissant was definitely one of the best I’ve ever had. So perfectly sweet and flaky, with a generous amount of almonds on top. The mini berry cheesecake was tasty too, with a great balance of sweet and tart from the cream cheese.
Knocking off a star because the gougeres (egg/​cheese puffs) were the only thing that weren’t great. Maybe I got a batch that wasn’t as fresh, but I didn’t think that they had a great texture, and I didn’t get as much cheese flavor as I wanted.
Judging from the almond croissant and mini cheesecake, I actually think it’s better quality and less hyped than Tartine, despite the slightly disappointing gougeres.
I’ll definitely be back to try more from their large variety of pastries!

I’ve passed by Thorough Bread several times but never made an effort to actually come here to eat pastries. I had a sudden urge to visit one Sunday morning so my boyfriend and I stopped in and were immediately impressed by the variety of pastries and the fact that there is an outdoor patio in the back! So cool. Love when I discover those.
We ordered an almond croissant, some fruit danish, and an apple gallette. All of them were fresh, flaky, and delicious! We sat outside on the patio since all the seats inside were taken. It had been raining earlier, so the atmosphere was like a tropical rainforest. Quaint and quiet place to hang out with friends and/​or pets while snacking on your pastries. Oh and don’t forget to purchase a baguette on your way out! I’ll have to do that next time.

Easy 4 stars. Pastries are clearly above average. Service was fast and friendly.
One thing for certain: the bar is being set very high for pastries in the San Francisco/​Oakland area. I think I can safely say we probably have the best pastry shops in the country.

The smell of baked goods when you walk in, is enough to stop you in your tracks.
My fave is the veggie sandwich– filling and so very yummy and sloppy.
The selections of teas are perfect.
The pastries are to die for– oh yeah the bread– yum-​o-​rama!

Lemon tart, super sweet.
Vibe, super chill.
Walk, super long from the Bart. (Sike, not really only cause I was lugging around a bunch of stuff).
Workers, super nice.
The back, super relaxing.
I’d recommend coming here to study or just to get away.

I loved every pastry I tried here! I’ll definitely be coming back. The place itself is cute with nice seating indoors and some outdoor in the front and patio.
We got a potato turnover, savory scone, ham and asparagus quiche ($ 5), and coffee cake. Most of the pastries on display were about $ 3. My favorites were the potato turnover and savory scone. They were both really unique flavors. The potato turnover was filled with collard greens and caramelized onions and the scone had rosemary, asiago, and walnut. Super good!

Been here twice and disappointed each time.
While the pastries look delicious, I found the muffins and scones to be too dry,

I haven’t been by in a while and it doesn’t seem like I missed anything. Either the almond croissants aren’t as good as what I remember or the standards have gone up with so many new good pastry shops in the city.
I remember them being the best in SF and not too expensive to boot. Now they’re still better priced ($ 3.50) but I’m not sure it’s worth it. Instead of being light, buttery and flakey they’re deflated and a overcooked (burnt). Nothing special at all.

Those that know me know that I like to frequent bakeries and that I like gougeres. A good friend at work lived near this bakery and once brought me a few gougeres from Thorough Bread. I had not heard of this place at that time, so I thought he had gone to a horse show.
A few minutes passed, and I polished them off. I tried to savor all four, because they’re small, but leave some carbs on my desk and you’re asking them to disappear.
So naturally I paid Thorough Bread & Pastry a visit after that taste… and a couple more times after that. The childlike crayon logo is very charming.
Gougeres — 4 for $ 2? 12 for $ 4.50?
I’ll take 2 dozen please. I’ll serve them proudly on a plate and pretend they are homemade. Just kidding… kind of. A gougere is a cheese puff. Given the price and inconspicuous appearance, you wouldn’t think much of them, but I found them to be executed well. The dough was light and puffy, with many pockets of air. The cheese and chive flavor was savory and well-​balanced.
Chouquettes — 4 for $ 2
Basically the sweet version of puff pastry, topped with a few specks of pearl sugar
Cream Puffs — 3 for $ 3.50
A rather light cream puff with chocolate drizzled on top, also with pearl sugar. delightful
Danish — $ 2.00
I had a blueberry and a cheese danish. Both were delicious and flaky with a glaze. The blueberry could have used more fruit filling. The cheese danish was just creamy and smooth.
Almond Croissant — $ 3.50
This is an excellent croissant, super flaky and airy with generous almond paste on top and lots of almond slivers. I think it rivals some of the best almond croissants in the city.
Apple Galette — $ 2.50
Very good apple tart. Thinly sliced apples baked on top of flaky pastry. There was a shiny, sweet glaze on top that added sweetness and was probably a good glue to keep the apple slices in place
Chocolate Bread — $ 3.50
I didn’t have high hopes for chocolate bread. I thought it would be dry, but it was pillowy inside with a nice outer crust. The best part was it was loaded with chocolate chips.
Chocolate Chip Cookie — $ 1.50
Thin, crunchy cookie, also with plenty of choc chips
Basil Mozzarella Sandwich — $ 7
The bread on the sandwich was excellent of course. The tomatoes & mozzarella tasted fresh. I love a good simple caprese sandwich, but I would have preferred it toasted. It seemed like they had just finished serving their morning crowd and didn’t bother to ask us if we wanted it toasted. Oh well. It also came with some mixed greens.
Thorough Bread has a lot of variety — pastries, fresh bread, cakes, sandwiches, etc. Grabbing a few things to eat and hanging out in their outdoor patio in the back is a good way to spend a sunny afternoon. Good work, SF Baking Institute!

Sometimes, I feel like my work location is some type of test to see how much I can avoid adding to my waistline with all the great, local restaurants/​stores in my vicinity. Thorough Bread got onto my radar when I was walking on Church St one day, and I’ve enjoyed their delectable pastries ever since.
From their almond croissants to their macaroons, I’ve never been disappointed in their baked goods. Their croissants have a wonderfully flaky texture, and my only regret is that I limit myself to one sweet item at a time when I visit. I’ve also tried their espresso-​based drinks and thought their coffee was great.
The only thing limiting me from giving this place a 5-​star review is that when I tried one of their sandwiches (the turkey bacon club), I thought it was fine but not quite up to the excellent standards of their pastries. I’ll have to try their lunch menu in the future and see if this is a consistent thing with their main food items or if I just ended up choosing a less than perfect option. In any case, Thorough Bread is definitely one of my go-to’s when I’m looking for something sweet in the neighborhood!

After a heavy lunch, we were craving for some pastry. Looked up bakeries on Unilocal,and found out about this place. We got there an hour before they close, so they were out of some of the pastries.
They have a good amount seatings inside, and they also have a patio. Even though the patio seemed quite nice, we ended up sitting inside due to the weather being really cold. I liked the vibe here. Very warm and cozy.
The lady who took our order recommended us their almond croissants and cream puffs. All the items were tasty and fresh. Most items here are around $ 3. The almond croissant was covered with almond flakes, and it was very buttery. The cream puffs were very creamy; however, not as tasty as the croissant. I felt the cream fell a bit short and it was a bit bland.
We also tried their cappuccino, and it was average. Not mind blowing, but good enough.
But hey, this review’s focus is on their pastry not their coffee. So, they definitely deserve a 4 star.

Don’t come here if you’re on a low carb diet. Gluten, gluten, gluten, gluten rockin’ errrrrywhere…
I tried their savory bread pudding and soup of the day. I enjoyed the cauliflower soup (pureed with other veggies). The bread pudding was also good. And my friend’s ham and cheese sando was yom yom.
They have a whole bunch of pastry options, and they’re known for their almond croissants and sticky buns. I’m no sweet tooth Sally, so I’ll pass on those. My friend likes ‘em though!
I LOVE the outdoor patio. So peaceful and quaint. One table was a desk– I dig the uniqueness. I appreciate how this place is not as crowded as other cafes. It’s a full house, yet you’re usually able to find seating. Excellent community gathering place– knitting clubs and the laptop crowd alike come here. (For real, I saw a group of people knitting in the back of the patio. Right on…)

La meilleure galette des rois!

One of the best bakeries in the Castro area. It’s really a hidden gem with delicious baked goods and a wonderful staff. Dare I say it’s much better than the renowned Tartin around the corner, without the dreaded hour long wait. The prices are also fair and relatively cheap.
Their outside area is lovely, especially on a warm day, without the pesky clouds. It’s generally easy to find a spot, even on weekends albeit need to clean the area before sitting down.
They serve food items, but have you pick up drinks from the counter. I think it would be better to choose only one of the options. I got my sandwich and half an hour later and after several times of visiting the counter, I still couldn’t find my cappuccino — later I found out someone else took it. By the time I got my cup, I already finished my sandwich. Probably this was a one-​off issue, but still would have been nice to get my items all together.
Looking forward to more delicious treats! Keep up the hard work and keep delighting us!

I would be 10 pounds heavier if I lived in the Castro neighborhood because of thorough bread!
I wish I could’ve tried multiple items on my visit here
—almond croissant: love how this croissant is light since some almond croissants are dauntingly sweet to finish! Yumm
—espresso with cold soy milk: they don’t offer iced drinks here so this was the closest I could get!
NOTE: super cute hidden garden/​patio area out back but all the tables were taken when we came so we sat on the sidewalk out front

Bakery and coffee shop near Duboce.
Almond croissant — ⁴⁄₅ — On 2013 7×7 list. Crunchy, flaky. Good taste on the frangipane. Could have used just a little more filling. Very good when warmed up. One of the better versions of the almond croissant in SF.
Blueberry scone — ³⁄₅
Overall, solid bakery. «I’m a fan. »

I can always trust TBP to bake delicious, buttery pastries. I ordered the huge lemon blackberry mousse cake ($ 38) for Father’s Day. It can serve 10 – 12 people. Trust me, the price is worth it for this beautiful cake! The fruit and cream were so fresh, and the cake was perfect in its tartness. My father, a man of few praises for food, absolutely loved the cake. Thank you to TBP for baking the best cake for such a special occasion.
I had walked into the bakery expecting to just pick up the cake and leave. Lo and behold, my sister and I walked out with three delicious pastries (cause we can’t help it)! We got the jalapeño corn muffin, the bacon scone (a must have), and a pear newton (the more expensive relative of the fig newton). We left with happy stomachs.

Delicious authentic croissants.