Sweet Elena’s Bakery & Cafe

I like their pies and tarts but I feel service has gotten a bit slack. I used to go a couple years ago and service was decent, nice and fairly quick. However when I went in this past week my friend and I were standing around looking at the display for a few minutes before someone finally came out to greet us, which was ok since we were deciding still. I let my friend order first and as the woman assembled her order my friend and I were talking and I told her I was going to get a couple tarts. After the woman rang up my friend’s order she was fiddling around behind the counter as I stood there waiting for her to take my order. Apparently she failed to realize I wanted something since she finally looked at me and asked if I wanted to order something. No, I just like standing here staring at the display of pies while my friend takes a seat to dig in and please disregard my earlier comments to my friend stating I was gonna get 2 tarts (excuse the sarcasm, but really?). The woman was very sweet and nice but seemed a bit out of it or something. I was put off by the service and I believe the customer who walked in after me was too. She walked in, no acknowledgement of her entry with a «welcome» or «I’ll be right with you», and after the woman rang me up she disappeared towards the back without so much as a «I’ll be right back» while the customer waited. The pies/​tarts are still good, although slightly pricey, but the service could be improved.

I just got some cookies and a French vanilla milk toddy. I have yet to try the pies but I’ve heard good things about it.

I love Sweet Elena’s almond crossiant! It’s delicious! The hot cocoa is also great! They have a cute small shop and it’s a cozy hangout! I definitely recommend!

Love this place though it’s on the higher end of the price range as far as small local shops go. Yet I get lured in whenever I happen to be driving by.

A treasured little gem of a place hidden in a semi industrial area of Seaside. Always worth a stop for the delicious and fresh food and pastries, lovely art charming little patio, and some fabulous music as just the right volume.
We stopped for some quiche and 2 salads, homemade soup, coffee and strawberry rhubarb pie. Everything was excellent and certainly better flavors than then the nearby big chain bread/​sandwich/​soup place!
Art on the wall by local artists, such as Paola Berthoin adds to the local feel. This is the kind of place that makes a neighborhood unique and special. Come here, you will not be disappointed.

They catered an event I attended at the Sunset Center. Delectable appetizers … and desserts. Beautifully presented!
Yummy!

Finally made it to Sweet Elena’s recently for a croissant and espresso. They were excellent, and I loved the charming rooms and the iconic French music. I felt temporarily transported to my favorite foreign destination.

I always hate giving a bad review to a small business, but the service here is pretty sucky. They were having a pie sample special during the Sand City West End Celebration. We ordered a couple of coffee drinks and samples of eight different pies. We paid, got our coffee drinks (at least the self-​serve coffee was hot), and sat down, assuming they’d slice the pie and let us know when it was ready. We were more than patient, but a good 15 minutes later we saw all FOUR staff standing behind the counter chatting. I had a bad feeling that they’d completely forgotten our pie. Our coffee, at this point, was lukewarm and almost gone. I went up to the counter and asked how our pie order was coming. They acted like they had no idea of what I was talking about. I explained that we had paid for two samplers (four small slices each). It took them another 5 – 10 minutes to serve it up, and we took it with us back to the festival. (I had to ask for forks and napkins. Not sure how they were expecting us to eat it.) The pie was good, but nothing I’ll go rushing back for. We ended up with at least 50 percent crust. Lousy experience.

A quiet, unassuming café tucked away in Seaside. The coffee is average, but the quiches and savory gallettes are why you want to visit here! They have large tables so it is a great place for a working breakfast/​brunch. One of the few places in the Monterey bay area that welcomes communal seating, which I love. The service is ok, but have a little patience because the food will be well worth the wait!

Bought their products at two different farmer’s markets. Everything we got was amazing.
Their versions are a bit different from others I’ve had in the past but are wonderful. The almond croissant was the best I’ve ever had — the dough wasn’t as flakey and the filling was a bit custardy and it was delightful. The pizza wasn’t the typical ultra thin crust that I love but the crust was delicious and when I reheated the pizza it stayed crisp. It had tomato sauce and tomatoes and a bit of cheese and the result was fabulous. My wife got a peach and plum buckle that was great too. She had a chicken and chard savory galette that she said was the best savory pie she’s ever had. We also got their vegetable galette but haven’t had it yet.
Every single thing we bought was remarkable with a great balance of flavors and ratio of crust to filling.
The young folks working their stand were both very friendly and helpful. Going to the storefront on our way out of town.
Hit the storefront. Dropped $ 60 because we brought goodies to our neighbor and to put in the freezer. The almond croissants cost $ 4.50 and I’d take them over crack, heroin, Muscat wine and really good weed. They are worth every penny. Don’t turn your back or I’ll boost your iPhone so I can buy a few dozen.
We got sandwiches. Little things but very good. Wifey got roast beef. It was on a grilled baguette with cheese, mustard, pickle and some tomato. She loved that it was a bit of meat with a lot of other stuff. Mine was mozzarella and tomato with some herbs. Very simple but tasty.
The ollalieberry pie is a miracle. The crust serves as a scoop for oodles of berries that are not oversweetened or gloppy — bad things that can often happen in pie land. I just finished a day old one and wonder if they would overnight an order. Damn so very wonderful. My wife had the strawberry rhubarb and proclaimed it was the best fruit dessert that she has ever had. The apple pie compared to these was good but not what I’d be banging their door down after.
The ice tea was ok but when Elena herself suggested a drink of half iced tea and half of her ginger rosemary lemonade I tried it for my second drink. So amazing — not too heavy on with rosemary or ginger — Elena really knows how to balance flavors.
Was nice to see the photography up too. And it was pleasant to talk to Elena. Great bakery/​café.
Next visit to Monterey Peninsula will start off with a stop at Sweet Elena’s.

I’ve had two of their savory galettes, the almond and spinach croissants and two fruit pastries. Both dough and filling on each item was terrific. The strawberry rhubarb was the best fruit dessert I’ve had in my almost 54 years on this planet.

The detail into making a fancy cup of coffee is agravating. Jeez! Whats the BFD all these tidious steps to make a one cup of coffee.

Hard to find but a Top Spot — marvelous tarts, pies, sandwiches, quiches, etc. Also at several farmers markets.

Hidden behind Home Depot is this gem. SO many pastries and goodies to choose from that you can’t go with any of them. My favorite is their almond croisant.

This was my first time at Sweet Elena’s even though I live down the street. I felt like a cappuccino so I decided to check it out. A little pricey for a cappuccino and a quiche but in all fairness the portions of both were very generous hence maybe why they charge more. The cappuccino was very good although it took quite awhile to come out, I was half way into my quiche by the time I got it but I will say they seem to have gotten a rush of people at once with only two people working there so understood why it took awhile. The salmon and leek quiche was very good and really filled me up. Great locals spot for coffee and/​or a treat off the beaten path.

The perfect independent non-​chain little café over in Sand City when you are tired of getting ripped by the chain places in the big malls. Scrumptious quiches, excellent baked goods of all types and pretty good coffee drinks. Very low key, with a pleasant atmosphere. Just a little hard to find, tucked away on a back street behind Home Depot. This is not Starbucks or Chipotles, and all the better for it.

Quaint little eatery in Sand City. Relax atmosphere, good selection on the menu and friendly staff. Their strength are the pastries. Very buttery crusts! Other stuff like quiche and savory tarts are very good too.

Sweet Elena’s is the perfect coffee shop/​bakery to spend a sunny afternoon with your friends, sipping lattes and munching on their exemplary baked goods. There is always an eclectic mix of people and the atmosphere is completely relaxed.
If you are going to order anything, do yourself a favor and pick up an almond croissant and have it warmed up… they are to die for! The jelly filled cookies are also wonderful. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because my husband and bought a pecan pie to take home and it was ok just wasn’t our favorite.

go for the pastries-​and take a pie home. i have never had a meal with them, but their pastries are worth the off the beaten path route to find them. Granola is a treat to take home too. Great independent coffee and pastry house, that the locals so enjoy. Treat yourself to elena’s.

Saw ad a few weeks back in one of Monterey’s local papers heralding the arrival of Sweet Elena’s sandwich special throughout the month of August for only $ 5. I decided to meet up with old friend and to give one of these sandwiches a try. One look at these small, pocket-​sized sandwiches in the display case and I had an immediate change of heart. Instead, I went with a spinach and mushroom galette (round, often flat, pastry made with a flaky crust) and my friend had a slice of the spinach and Swiss quiche. Both were good (the quiche was much better) but missing that oomph. I’m very spoiled with the quiches and gourmet sandwiches at Provence Bakery and Paris Bakery who use gourmet cheeses. The coffee here is really good and they offer free wifi.
Sweet Elena’s is positioned right next door to several auto mechanic shops, evidenced by the propped up and painted over garage door inside the bakery and by the incessant din of clanking metal and power tools in the background. A very unique setting indeed. undecided if this lends –or ends– character.
The girl working behind the counter was rather lukewarm. So with the service, setting and less than memorable food, I’m left to giving them an average rating. With many great bakeries and cafes in the area, I’m not really apt to come back in again anytime soon. My friends sentiments about the experience were right in line my mine.