Birkholm's Bakery & Cafe

Birkholm’s Bakery & Cafe is an absolute treat. I stopped in for some assorted Danish pastries and everything I tried was fresh, flaky, and full of flavor. The bear claw was perfectly buttery, the eclair had a rich, smooth filling, and the banana pastry was a standout — light, sweet, and incredibly satisfying. It’s the kind of bakery where you can taste the craftsmanship in every bite. Whether you’re grabbing something quick or sitting down to enjoy your pastry with a coffee, this place delivers. I’d definitely go back for more.

We visited Solvang during winter break, and my wife mentioned that Birkholm’s Bakery & Cafe seemed like a famous spot. I ordered a latte, and my wife picked two Danish‑style breads, a pastry, and a cinnamon bun. The breads and pastries tasted good, but the latte didn’t have a strong coffee flavor — it was more milk than espresso. That part definitely needs improvement.

Whenever I come to Solvang, I make a bee line for Birholms to take a massive amounts of boxes of pastries to my family and friends back home. Their almond crinkle is heavenly. The pastry comes out light and flakey. Their fruit fillings are Devine! I also get apricot and raspberry Kringle. I love their onion bread and pick up a couple tubs of their cheddar cheese spread. They have so many choices! You can also buy a variety of colorful, hand decorated tiny desserts for a charming tea party. It is usually busy and has a line but definitely worth the wait! Staff is kind and friendly. Usually, the staff is dressed in traditional Danish outfits. If in Solvang, you need to stop here and load up!

The pastries were fresh, but far too sweet, even for a bakery. I also ordered a caramel latte, which was extremely sweet. I asked if it could be changed to a regular latte, but Chilo, the barista, responded rudely and said I would have to pay again. When I requested to speak with the manager, the attitude became even worse. They eventually changed the drink, but the behavior was disappointing and not what you expect from a welcoming town like Solvang. Customer service is just as important as the product, and unfortunately, the staff’s attitude negatively affected the experience.

The cream puff. I wish I could order a bunch and eat them whenever. It was really good. I need to go back and try the other pastries. Had lunch here right after getting to Solvang and my family enjoyed the food. Had a hot pastrami that had some veggies in it and was super light but so flavorful. In the back of the dining area, there's a chalkboard wall that the younger ones liked to draw on while we waited for the food.

Delicious pastries and coffee, and a very cozy area on the side to sit and enjoy. They primarily have sweet items.

WOWWW! I have gotten danishes at several of these places around here when I'm in town, and today I tried this place and it is hands down the best danishes. The key is to go first thing in the morning (we went around 7:30 am) when they're fresh out of the oven. And make sure to ask which ones are fresh out of the oven. You will not regret it. Flaky and buttery and they just melt in your mouth. I got the apricot and my husband got the cinnamon and they were both amazing! We brought in coffee from another location and the owner actually offered to refill them with their coffee - complimentary! He said that they have been making Danish shoes for 73 years, his parents started the place and they use the mom's recipe to this day. Definitely check this place out!

Ordered a bunch of stuff here including Eclairs, strawberry Boats, some cookies, Veggie sandwich, danish cookie box and coffee. The eclairs was not at all what I expected, looked like the frosting inside was just plain butter and it wasn’t sweet at all. Disappointed. The veggie sandwich though was heavy. Fresh veggies which had a nice crunch and with mayo and cheese. We choose the Squaw bread which was very good. They took awfully long time to get me a regular coffee and had to go and ask different folks about 3 or 4 times in total. The danish cookies were meh. I have had better ones.

We stopped off in Solvang on our way back north from Santa Barbara and were recommended by a local to try to Birkholm's as a bakery that is truly good and not just touristy. We were really blown away by how good and fresh the danishes were - we tried: guava, strawberry and cheese, pineapple, and raspberry. My favorite was the guava and I would def go back to try the cheese danish. The iced americano from their espresso counter was also decent. Finally, the service was really prompt and friendly and consistent across every employee we interacted with. They were attentive and patient, which you don't often get with busy and crowded bakeries in a tourist hotspot. 5/5!

This was my first trip to Solvang and there's just soooo many bakeries! This one had one thing I wanted that the others didn't, a chocolate iced brownie. I knew I wanted it when I saw it. The bakery was clean and bustling. It was amazing to see how many people got themselves into a small space but the staff was all on the move. We were greeted and when it was my turn to order, I asked for my brownie to go and paid. The woman was so kind and asked if I'd like some utensils because it could get pretty messy to eat. I appreciated her warning and thoughtfulness to let me know. The brownie was so moist and the chocolate ganche was perfect. The only thing I didn't like was that there was sugar on the bottom that I didn't know about until I started eating it. It did give it a crunch and many would probably like that, but it made the rich brownie too sweet for me. I ended up just avoiding the very bottom while eating the brownie. I wish I had the stomach space to everything but it's just another reason to come back in the future.

Bought 12 different pastries to try. Out of everything I tried my favorites were the cheese danish and the apricot danish. The pastries are light and flakey and the fillings very sweet. The staff is very nice and patient.

This bakery isn't bad at all. The fresh squeezed lemonade is fantastic, and made my Arnold Palmer one of the best I've ever had! It has a large selection of baked goods and a spacious dining area. We only tried the gluten free pastries, so my review is limited to those. They have about 4-5 different pastries in the gluten free area, which isn't clearly marked but the staff is very helpful in pointing them out. The pastries were unfortunately a too sweet for us, with the consistency being a bit of a miss. The Solvang Bakery next door had options that we enjoyed more. There is a full service espresso bar here as well although we did not try the coffee. We will give this bakery another try when we're in town!

Absolutely love this place! They have a lemonade I really enjoyed and a vegan pastry my husband was able to eat! He really loved it too! The staff were super friendly and helpful despite being so busy! I highly recommend stopping by!

I've been to Solvang over 50 times and have never tried this place. There are so many bakeries in this area, I'm overwhelmed most of the time so really haven't tried too many in the area. Given I come here with my family at least twice a year and always stay at Corque Hotel, which is practically next to this place, I had no excuse not to try on my most recent visit. Since most of the bakeries in this area carry similar items, I wasn't sure what this place's specialty is, so I just got 2 Danish - pineapple cream cheese and guava. Both were great but I really loved the pineapple one, because it's not a common flavor for a Danish. Both were quite massive and tasted fresh.

Wonderful service today 8/2/25 about 9:30am Two double espressos, two cheese danishes, one cinnamon roll. The espresso was bold and flavorful and the perfect temperature. The danishes were AMAZING! Fast and friendly service and a spacious inside.

After a couple minutes, you begin to feel like this is Home. You may start a little bit quiet, but then the people open up to you and make you feel better. They talk to you, and they give you prompt service. I love their coffee and their pastries. We always buy their buckets of cookies!

So good. I mean a serious "yum". Pick a pastry, get a cuppa, and sit down for the best.

Morning walks are great in Solvang, and Birkholm's Bakery is one of the best parts of waking up in the Danish Capital of America. Enjoy an espresso and a variety of pastries. While several other bakeries are still getting the day started and not yet open, Birkholm's is open at 7am, perfect for early risers. They're dog friendly too! I love the Ham and Havarti croissant. Pro Tip: Get in early if you plan on trying it, they make them in limited quantity. One particular morning I stopped in during a morning walk with my dog. Returned with family around 9:30 and they were already sold out of Ham and Havarti for the day! The bakery offers a decent amount of seating inside as well as outdoor. Staff is super friendly and happy to help.

Super nice staff! Selection is a bit limited vs some of the other bakeries in Solvang. Picked up a few items (cookies and pastries) to try out. All were good, not amazing. We have tried three different bakeries in Solvang now, none were amazing. We love Danish Bakeries. I tend to compare them to Schat's in Bishop and Larsen's in Seattle, our family favorites.

Adorable bakery with a wide selection of pastries, breads, and cookies! There are so many options to choose from it's like being in Willy Wonka's candy factory. The smell in here is incredible! We grabbed a sandwich during a quick pit stop in Solvang, and enjoyed the back covered patio with our dog. The salami sandwich was carefully made with many layers of thinly sliced veggies, generous amount of salami, and fluffy fresh bread spread evenly with honey mustard. It was a delight! We also opted for a bucket of cookies, which were fantastically buttery, not too sweet, and packed full of a variety of flavors.

Very nice and clean bakery . We came when they about to close but the server didnt rush us to leave . The pasties very delicious

Thursday, 12-18-2024: We've been here in the past and I have miserably failed to post a review for them. They're a wonderful bakery with an extremely welcoming staff. We've ordered their buckets of cookies to be shipped to our home in the past. This time we went in to purchase their specialty cookies, which were absolutely delicious! They offered a senior discount of 20%! Love seeing their pastries, which is displayed in abundance. This bakery is bright and clean and well laid out. There are tables and chairs outside conducive to people watching while relishing their tasty offerings. Their sandwiches are very good! I've had their veggie sandwich and hubby has had the Black Forest Ham with Swiss Cheese. Their breads are fantastic since they're freshly made on the premises. This is a great spot for a quick lunch or snack. We enjoy visiting here.

Came here on a Sunday morning specifically looking for vegan pastries because I read online and on Yelp that they had some vegan boats and other pastries. Was delighted to find that their palm leaf pastry was also vegan. They remind me of elephant ears or palmiers. The boats are basically puff pastry with fruit jelly/custard in the middle and powdered sugar on top. They had raspberry and lemon so I got both. My son is allergic to dairy and eggs so opting for vegan desserts has always been our solution. I also grabbed a cinnamon roll, a croissant, a bear claw, and a bucket of cookies. Out of these non vegan selections, the bucket of cookies were really good and the other things were not as good as the same things from a different bakery.

This is our favorite bakery in Solvang. Birkholm's has a wide selection. The inside I much more spacious compared to some of the other bakeries. The women runny the coffee bar area could have been nicer when inquired about paying but I'm glad that Leilani was there to help. I have said it before and I'll say it again, the best Bear Claw in the 805. The cream puff is a must have for me. Cream, custard, chocolate and raspberry make for the perfect oversized dessert. When visit I tend to try something new, still no complaints.

This bakery in solvang has an amazing selection of pastries, cookies, candies not to mention their signature sandwiches that melt right in your mouth. We had the ham and cheese. It was the mildest, most tender ham I have ever had on a huge slice of homemade rye bread served with mustard, mayo, red pepper, lettuce, tomato, onion and a pickle on the side. Just delicious and a side note: we shared a sandwich and were both full. They also have chicken and beef sandwiches. The staff is very friendly and dressed very cute in a Danish style. The bakery / restaurant is clean and there are plenty of tables for seating and there's also a few tables outside on the patio. I think it's a must stop in Solvang.

They said the palm leaf and the boats are vegan. We got a boat and it was absolutely delicious. Thank you for having vegan options. So flaky and delicious highly recommend.

Amazing bakery. I ate the most divine chocolate eclair and petit crème puff. both were the best of their kind. I highly recommend coming here.

We went here because of a local resident's recommendation. The word she used to describe this place was... "Tasty pastries and very inexpensive." A wide selection of baked goods and hot/ice drinks (coffee, tea, etc) to choose from. I got the Danish Waffle and matcha green tea drink. The waffle was very flaky and it had whipped cream and some strawberries inside. Service was very quick and there are two cashiers on each side of the cafe (one for drinks and one for the pastries). This has a bakery/cafe type ambience and I definitely recommend to stop here and get your coffee fix before your long drive out of Solvang.

My girlfriend and I had the opportunity to stop by Birkholm's bakery last week while visiting Solvang. This was the first of many bakeries we visited during that visit. The shop itself was fairly simple with a large area for grabbing pastries, and then an extended longer area for seating. There was also outdoor seating, but that seemed to be reserved for larger parties and special. At the shop, we ended up going for a cream puff and something called a princess waffle. The princess waffle was a delight. Texturally it was crunchy with an oat based exterior, and it had some sort of filling which was very delicious. It was also dipped in chocolate, which was a nice touch. The cream puff was OK. While the actual pastry and whipped cream were good the custard that was on the inside was unfortunately a little too eggy for both my girlfriend and I. With that said, we both really enjoyed visiting here and we made sure to stop by to pick up desserts for our family on the way home. Definitely a great way to start our bakery tour of Solvang.

Beautiful little place caught my attention and I had to go in. The customer service was great. The food options were great. Decided to try the apricot slice. It was so yummy the ends were a little dry, but the middle section was perfection.

Had the Bear Claw and carrot cake. Bear claw was light and flaky. The carrot cake was just like my mom's, most and not too sweet. Definitely a place I would return.

Giving this gem of a bakery five stars because of its plentiful gluten-free options! They also are able to grab the gluten-free pastries with a different utensil to make sure there's no cross contamination. This was one of the few, if not only places that had gluten-free pastries in Solvang. Highly recommend, especially if you have celiac. Sat very well with me and had not had any reactions since I had it!

Surprisingly, it was my first time here at Birkholm's Bakery & Cafe. It's a very spacious cafe. One side of the shop sells coffee and other drinks. The other side of the shop sells pastries and other baked goods. They have a wide selection of pastries. They have seating on the right side of the shop in a little room. I walked up to the pastry section and checked out the different baked goods. They all looked good. I wasn't about to buy the whole shop. I was waiting to see which pastry called for my attention LOL. The florentine caught my eyes and that's what I got. It was only $2.95 which wasn't too bad. The lady behind the counter was nice, but her demeanor was pretentious IMHO. Anyway, I asked if I could pay with rolls of pennies. She said they don't have time to stand there and count the pennies. They weren't that busy at the time. Six rolls of pennies shouldn't take that long. Anyway, I didn't bother with it and just paid with three $1 bills. Florentine was delicious. It was soft and chewy. I would get it again, but not from here. I don't do future business with people who are pretentious and don't accommodate their customers.

Poked our head into each of the 5 popular bakeries, but stopped here for the recommended cream puff. So many pastries to choose from, but we were still full from lunch so decided to share the chocolate cream puff. It was full of whipped and pastry cream - surprisingly not too sweet. In the middle, there was also a jam - maybe raspberry. Wished there was more of it as it was tart and added a different flavor profile to the cream puff. Plenty for the both of us to share. Also ordered an iced vanilla latte - meh - the coffee was weak.

Great variety of options at this bakery. I wish I knew more about Danish sweets to explore more amazing stuff, but I didn't unfortunately. Tried the princess waffle which tasted great. Also the Almond horn. The filling isn't anything available at other stores, the taste and quality is very different.

Danish waffles are my family's go to, I always go for the bear claws. Get a bunch and take home to freeze, just as good. We live 200 miles away, so buying in quantity is a must.

Food / bakery items were good. I've been here many times and some items I like better than others. Service is always top notch and they great you with a smile. Ambience is chill and bakery items are displayed though out. Be patient as this place can get crazy busy on weekends and holidays. I hope you enjoy whatever goodies you get!

The baked goods are really good here. We found the lines to be better managed at this shop compared to other bakeries in town. The service at the bakery counter was great, not quite as good at the coffee counter. We'll be back for the butter cookies, but not for coffee.

I have been many times and am greeted warmly by their friendly staff. Their raspberry danish is my favorite but everything I tried is delicious. Not only are their pastries wonderful, they have an excellent lunch as well. If you go often there is a good chance the owner Carl will say hello. He or his son are always there. It is a good place to eat and people watch. I love the tables inside or out.

Súper yummy pastry. We only got a strawberry danish but I enjoyed it. The bread was so soft and can tell it's fresh.

Staff were extremely friendly. It was beautiful inside and plenty of seating. Didn't get to try any of the baked goods but the coffee was delicious. A lot of history in the decorations. Coffee wasn't terribly priced either (about $10 for two coffees). Great spot in Solvang!

While traveling through central California, we stopped at Birkholm's. Luckily we found this restaurant. We ordered the pastrami sandwich and Arnold Palmer's. Service was friendly and quick. If you're in the area, I recommend you stopping in.

I love Solvang. I did not love this bakery. It was okay. Pastries were too sweet. Service could have been better. As one of the girls was helping us, she started to talk to another customer and help them, putting the baked goods we were ordering aside. This would have been okay normally but the other couple was being helped by the other girl so now two people were helping the other couple and nobody was helping us. Not cool. It was a cute little shop but they are all pretty cute. Nothing stood out here compared to all the bakeries I went to. And I visited many others after this. This was stop number one.

This was one of the many bakeries we went to visit on our trip! It smelled so good inside and there were so many options. I wanted everything but they had a special on the giant Kringle so I decided to get that. I'm so happy I did as it was delicious! It could feed about 5 people so I'm excited to have leftovers to take home. The employees were so helpful and explained all the different pastries and specials they had going on. It's in the heart of town and I will be back!

I was in search of the best bakery in Solvang. In truth, I don't even have a sweet tooth, but when in Solvang, going to one of the many bakeries is a MUST! I settled on Birkholm because I wanted to get my sister some butter cookies. I ended up leaving with their ham and havarti croissant, 2 danishes and 1 roll and a nice caramel oat milk latte... and the cookies, of course! The croissant was warm and flaky. It was so good. Paired with the coffee on a cool autumn day. Superb! I didn't try either the raspberry or the lemon danish. I know, the horror! BUT, in my defense, my boyfriend ate them too fast for me to even get a bite. So, I'm counting these as delicious also. I am not counting the cookies since they weren't for me and I didn't try one, but my sister said they were delicious and also, "Why didn't you get me the tub!?" The poppy seed roll was good. I got to it the next day, so I don't really want to rate it because I want to be fair, but like, I still ate it warm with some good butter.

Bought two different types of bread White bread loaf $2.99 and shepherder for $ 7.95. Both tasted exactly the same no taste difference. After two days the bread already was moldy.

What's up: We're visiting Solvang! And when in Solvang, we gotta try the danish pastries! This was one of the places that popped up a lot on my feed, so here we are! Parking: Street parking or wherever you find a spot. We came during a busy time so we drove all over to find a spot, which then led to a lot of walking :) Environment: They have both indoor and outdoor (up front and inside towards the back) seating. First, we had to wait in line to reach the order counter. There's two lines, one for the baked goods and another for the hot foods/drinks; it was a bit confusing. After we picked out the pastries that we wanted, we grabbed a table to chow down on them. And these guys are huge and so fluffy! What was ordered: - Strawberry and Cheese Danish (a bit on the sweet side from the strawberry, but still good) - Cheese Danish (surprisingly, the plain old cheese was the favorite with the perfect amount of sweet and flavor) - Waffle Danish (super sweet with tons of cream) Yay/Nay/Meh: Yay. The cheese danish was bomb. Despite the long line, it moved very quickly and was a bit chaotic. Credit cards are accepted.

The cream puffs was really good. I believe they had bread on sale towards the end of the day so my friends got it too. We had some other pastries and they were delicious sweets to have after lunch. Not a lot of seating towards closing time since they close off the side seating.

Went for the drinks cuz pastries seemed a bit overpriced. Apple cider was really good but they do use packets of apple cider powder. Mocha was decent too. Service is good and it's right next to the parking lot so if it's a cold day, I would stop here first to get a nice hot drink/ hand warmer before wandering around. Otherwise, no complaints except that it is a tad pricey for what it is.

So far, the best bear claws in Solvang!! Great coffee too AND they're the only one's that offered us refills. Friendly staff and very personable owner! We'll be back, probably several times!!

Spoke to Carl... what an amazing person and owner. I highly recommend this place. Their pastries are high end and the best in Solvang. Thank you, Carl for continuing your family legacy.

They have a large case of pastries which seems to be constantly filled. A good sign that the food is fresh and popular! We bought an assortment of pastries and enjoyed everything.

Get the strawberry cheese danish, thank me later. We were in solvang and there is a bakery after almost every five stores so there is obviously an overwhelming and confusing number of options. Lines outside some are as long as a block and some not so much. Keep in mind though that not every place makes everything well. Based on some reviews I decided on the danish and though I never had a danish earlier I was pretty impressed and take this from a person who avoids sugar and finds anything that has sugar to be cloyingly sweet. This danish was buttery, flaky, the cheese provided a delicious creamy and salty dimension to it. And the strawberry jam was wonderful, definitely not the preservative and sugar laden kind we get in jars.

To start, all the treats were DELICIOUS- top quality! The front staff were SO SEWET and friendly. The problem I have is either the manager or owner. A man who works back-of -house in a black chefs coat. I watched this man berate one of the young front girls for "socializing" with a customer she knew. I was witness to the entire "socializing" about a 30 second exchange of pleasantries. His tone and words were set to embarrass, and it did. She immediately dropped her head and was fighting tears. The other girl had a similar look. I know this dynamic and I can assure you what he says behind the scenes is far worse. For some reason men like this continue to be "allowed" for lack of a better word to exist in food service. These young girls don't yet have the voice to push back and this man loves the imaginary power he thinks he has. It truly was disgusting. This was on Sunday 8/16/25 and I've thought about it multiple times a day since, which is why I'm writing this. Young girls are NOT your prey! They are not there to be subservient to you so you can have your little baby ego boost! They are your employees, they are just starting out in the world. I will go back, I will buy delicious pastries, I will tip the staff privately and VERY WELL and I will be asking to talk to the man in the black chefs coat in back. Do better.

This is the flagship bakery in Solvang as far as I'm concerned. Beautiful selection and everything I tried tasted amazing. There are a couple tables right outside and a few inside to the side of the lobby. Don't go to Solvang without stopping in here.

This family owned business is one of the few left in Solvang that is true Danish. The pastries are the best and spot on, definitely Danish!!! The service was phenomenal. The interior was cute and well kept. I will always return to this wonderful place.

Yum! Lots of treats to try and even a coffee bar. The dining area is deeper than I thought, so check it out. There's a couple tables out front that you can eat and people watch. Staff is so friendly and helpful.