Brown Bear Baking

We visited Brown Bear every morning on our recent trip to Orcas. We particularly enjoyed the quiche and croque monsieur paired with a new pastry every morning. The garden is a lovely place to enjoy your breakfast, but we also found ourselves entranced at the small bar inside where you can watch the kitchen staff at work (where are my GBB lovers at?). It was a delight watching the bread being shaped, pastries filled and decorated, and the chaos of the kitchen executed like a dance. Both owners made a point of chatting with us and were extremely kind. We can’t fault such a lovely establishment and hope to return someday!

TLDR; the best croissant in Washington We came in a quick bite not expecting much but were absolutely blown away by how good the croissants and coffee is here. They’re the Goldilocks of croissants - just flaky enough, just buttery enough, just soft enough. I cannot tell you how hard it is to find one that checks all the boxes. We tried the plain croissant, ham and cheese croissant and the pain au chocolat- all of them were absolutely incredible. We tried the mocha (one iced and one regular) and that was super good too - not over sweet, no hint of bitterness, absolutely smooth and silky. There are lines to order throughout the day but thankfully they do move fairly quickly.

You step inside the rustic and welcoming bakery and you immediately feel warm and cozy. Then you wait in line to order, are immediately given the food items from your order so you can go find an open table to sit and eat… drinks are picked up at the far end of the bar. There is a small number of tables/seats inside… but a decent number of seats outside. Right by the cash register (that you order at) is a display of all the pastries, croissants, quiches, and croque options. The croque options here are unique in that they are open faced on one large slice of bread (rather than in sandwich form) and have roasted asparagus & no bechamel. There were three of us and we ordered the ham & leak quiches for dine in, and a couple pastries to enjoy after the quiche were finished and then also a couple things to go. I was very impressed by everything we got. The ham & leak quiche is rich & full of flavor but also still very light and delicate. The almond fruit crumble is amazing: it’s light, rich, but mildly sweet and the crumble topping is a nice addition of texture and savory sweet. The sides are kind of a cut off and toss though, as they are overcooked. I’d order a center piece on my next visit, rather than a border piece from the tray. The currant scone was also a big hit. The scone is very mildly sweet which is such a nice change from the overly sweet everything in America. There’s a sugar dusting on top which gives the scone a nice crunch and also just the right amount of sweetness to the treat. I would definitely come back to try other items and also to watch the baked goods being prepared and baked, as the kitchen is entirely open and in full view from anywhere inside the establishment. 11/10 recommend.

Everything at Brown Bear is amazing, including the owners and staff. Recently gluten-free I found that they do offer a tasty gluten-free berry muffin and their Turtleback Trail cookie (wheat free) is memorable. Get them early, they sell out! A trip to Orcas Island isn't complete without visiting Brown Bear Bakery.

Got a pain au chocolat and orange morning bun. Both were very dry and flavorless. The pain au chocolate had sooo much bread and two thin toothpaste strips of chocolate. Proportion of bread to chocolate was completely off. Orange morning bun was so dry. You know when you eat mediocre bread and think, “this is a waste of calories.” Well this is your place.

Very cute bakery, lots of delicious options. Great for a quick breakfast, everything is ready right when you order. Interior is cute and cozy, not a lot of seating inside in the winter but it would be easy to take your food to go as well. Quiche and orange morning bun were delicious!

We love this place, and visit as many days as possible while on Orcas Island. I love everything I've tried there. I especially love the Forest Granola. It is by far the best granola ever! The atmosphere is warm and inviting, both inside and outside the store, and while inside, you can watch the chefs make their many incredible pastries, bread, and sandwiches. Outside are picnic tables, surrounded by beautiful flowers and plants. Just incredible!

the pastries were amazing ! The latte was super disappointing. It was only one shot of espresso for a large lavender latte (watched them make them :/ ) and did not taste like lavender (or coffee) at all. All my friends who ordered lattes also felt it was just milk. Get the pastries, find coffee elsewhere !

Have you ever been to a place so delicious you turned around and came back for the very next meal? Listen, Moran State park is spectacular, but the real beauty on this island lies in Brown Bear's gigantic pastries and warm service. This is my second time on orcas and i made sure i was coming on a day this gem was open. I've been thinking about that pumpkin muffin for the last two years, and I'm so happy another one is in my bag for the ferry back to San Juan. Don't miss the Croque Monsieur!

Wow wow wow! If you're on Orca's Island this is a must stop place! From our delicious vanilla and hazelnut lattes to the mouth water salmon & veggie quiches, to the crisp and delicious Pain au Chocolat (chocolate pastry) everything was delightful. The croissant that had me coming back for more every time though was the croissant pêche! It was the perfect balance of fresh fruit and sweet pastry. The staff was kind and offered recommendations of their favorite dinner spots on the island. The vibe of the bakery was welcoming and had indoor and outdoor seating! The only "downside" was they had a smaller menu at the bakery than we found online. This may have been due to the fact we went on the first day it had reopened after winter break though. All in all this is a must stop place!

This came highly recommended by the internet. The internet was right. The croissants were so soft and flaky and wonderful. They had multiple types. We got a spinach and feta as well as a ham and cheese. Both were fantastic. Coffee and chai were both perfect. The staff was super nice and efficient. There is indoor and outdoor seating as well as to go containers. Perfect spot to read a book while drinking your coffee or have a nice time with a friend. 10/10 recommend.

After an eventful and beautiful camping trip at Moran State Park, we stopped here for some breakfast treats before heading back on the ferry to Anacortes. It's nestled right in the heart of the small downtown area, and it's hard to miss with a decent courtyard of people all enjoying the yummy treats in the sun. So many yummy looking treats on display. As you can see phone did not eat first here. It was so delicious! Ham and Swiss croissant so savory so flaky and the peach croissant was so good so balanced and also flaky. Service was super kind. We got a black coffee as well and you get a free refill before 4pm. A must stop on the island!

The owner is a man passionate about baking. The cafe is a working bakery. You can see the bakers shaping the loaves, seeing it rise in the bannetons and them coming out of the oven smelling of heaven.

Worth every penny of gas for my airplane ride over from the mainland. Worth every bit of the time and energy to walk the mile from the airport to the bakery. Worth the social challenge of standing in line and dealing with the frustrating slow orderers ahead of us, to get just an orange breakfast bun. Imagine what I'd endure to get 3 other pastries as well. Pivotal to my life-joy. Thank you for you.

Brown Bear is always my first stop when I visit Eastsound, Orcas Island because it sets the tone for my stay, warm, cozy, and delicious!

Great little bakery on the corner! Friendly server! Yummy cookies! Had a PB sandwich, it was 2 cookies sandwiching pb creme inside!

This place is a must! Service is fast and friendly. They have an amazing selection of goodies. The ambiance is that of a coffee shop. Limited indoor seating, but plenty of outside seating. The food was amazing and so are the drinks. We got a spinach quiche and a pumpkin muffin. Both were amazing!

A great bakery on an island can make the world feel like a better place. This place is so popular that you may not get your world-feel-better favorite if you get there too late. It's small. Expect to be shoulder to shoulder with fellow pastry lovers. They're efficient and know how to keep the line moving. Having said that, it's a little chaotic. Ok, maybe a lot. But something feels ok about that, to me. So much life. That could feel better on an island than a quiet little sleepy bakery. So many smiles!

How about a cheerful greeting along with an astounding array of baked goods worth a 6am inter island ferry? Oh heck yeah. I have been waiting since prior to Covid to stand in this line first thing in the morning to experience pastry perfection and let me just tell you. The case was as beautiful as it was delicious. Outstanding g warm and friendly staff and baked goods that qualify as divine experiences. Oh yes. Worth the wait and lived up to my memory.

Come early - there is a line for a reason! It's always hard to decide what I want but the quiche is my favorite

The orange morning bun was sold out by 1 pm. We got the savory ham and cheese croissant w came w a small salad and the peach croissant. Both were delicious. Line was long but it moved fast.

The BEST! A must-try if you are on orcas island for breakfast/dessert. Arrive early as they sell out of items by closing time. The pain au chocolat is one of my favorites on the menu- but the orange morning bun is also amazing- you can't go wrong! I also really appreciate the outdoor patio/garden outside the shop. It is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy some coffee and Brown bear pastries!

Talk about friendly!?! The owners and staff at this coffee shop meets bakery are so, so nice! They made a point to come over and talk to us, we had a few commonalities in common (such as both being from Las Vegas), what a small world? They make the most delicious pastries ranging from sweet to savory, and their coffee is also the bomb! The vibe on the island is definitely more friendly and relaxed, so we appreciate how people like this treat others. Friendly, caring, genuine. They took the time to introduce themselves, say hello and give recommendations for things to see or do on the island. Plus, the scones and sticky buns make everything much better too, right? Definitely stop by if you're in Eastsound!

OMG what a wonderful local bakery. The county loaf was soft and delicious. But, the star was the sea salt chocolate cookies. Each bite was heaven. All employees were working hard and the owners are so very nice and accommodating. We will be back!

Food is fantastic and service is great and friendly. Im never disappointed when I can stop by the Brown Bear Bakery on Orcas Island.

Thank goodness for this place which fed us for multiple meals on Orcas Island. Open early, I was sure to drop by before the line formed for some pastries and coffees to start the day. Later we dropped by for a pick me up before they closed. They had great, prompt service and every item was well made and delicious. Definitely utilize them if you're staying over or swing by on your day trip!

Excellent, loved it! Went twice and will be back. Free refill on Victrola coffee if you return by 4. World class quality. Welcoming owners who understand hospitality.

The ham and leek quiche is phenomenal! I would make the three hour trek from Seattle again for this quiche alone. We also tried a handful of other pastries! My favorites were the bear paw and croissant pêche.

And just about every city across the world that we visit, we look for the best bakeries that we can find. With the exception of a bakery in Iceland and one in Paris, this place has consistently been the best bakery we have found! We first came up here a few years ago for a weekend with family and were immediately impressed with everything that came out of this bakery. The bread is beautiful, delicious and fresh. The pastries are large, creative and delicious. The sandwiches are like a delicious bite of love each time you taste them, and the folks working here are always pleasant and knowledgeable about what they are selling. The place is busy immediately upon opening, and it behoove you to get there early is there are times where they will run out of popular items. They tend to make more throughout the day and will rarely let you go without something that you're looking for, though you may have to wait a bit. The scones are magnificent- often both sweet and savory. The croissants are some of the best we've had outside France! The Pate d'Ours is phenomenal as are the Kouign Aman, Sticky Buns and Pain au Chocolat. Really, everything is good. The croque monsieur, pastrami and mushroom sandwiches are all brilliantly crafted and presented beautifully as well. As you can hopefully tell, there's really not anything here that we don't like. It's the sort of place that you can stay near to and go there four times over two days... We may have done that more than once. It's worth taking the ferry just to check this place out and worth frequenting anytime you travel near to it!

Oh, the croissant, so good. I feel sorry for the people in line behind me on my last trip. The doors had just opened and I bought all of them. Plus a few other items.

Cute little bakery right down town. Really great pastries and drinks. Although, the seating in there is kinda awkward and the layout of the place is tight. People working were very kinda and informative!

Apple sage scone was delicious, but the salmon quiche was extremely salty. I don't think the lines are quite justified.

Best dang croissants and baked goods ever. I was blown away but the culinary expertise of these folks. Also, their coffee is terrific. I highly recommend this place.

Totally adorable space with lots of outside seating. We got six pastries to go and each one was completely delicious. All managed to be both light and rich and buttery at the same time - and there was the perfect balance of flavor for the ones with some additions. We got two bear claws, a chocolate croissant, a peach danish type thing, and a scone. I think I would rate them in the order I listed them but please don't take that as the scone being bad - it was just a personal preference thing. In retrospect we would have only gotten the amount of pastries we could consume in one day because as with many well made baked goods it was best when it was freshest. That also would have given us an excuse to go back to the cute shop a few times!

If you want to upset your friends and family, take a photo while at Brown Bear and send it to them. My friends that have had the chance to visit us in the summers on Orcas all go nuts about this place. I can't even recommend a favorite ( although smoked salmon quiche is addictive) whether savory or sweet. Take a couple of perfectionists, picking the best spot and mix in recipes that are measured and timed to exact degree... and that ain't just an oven timer going off, but everyone hearts. For hands down, the reply you get with those little recognizable snapshots, " Best Bakery EVER!" It's no longer open every day. So double check the hours and get in line. It's ok. It's worth it.

Yum!! Granola is delicious! Wonderful service! Went several times while I'm Orcas Island.

Kind service, stellar scones and yummy coffee. Feels like a local hangout! You can get a breakfast pastry, sweet or savory scone, slice of quiche and any alternative milk you'd want with your coffee. Can't wait to go back! Next time, cookies!!

I hate leaving this review... but I was very unhappy with my order. The blueberry tart was not to my liking. I couldn't finish it. I also ordered an egg nog latte and I ended up throwing it out. I was very disappointed.

Most gorgina vibe in this rocking bakery, sweet guys awesome bakes the French culinary skills really come through in their baked goods and sandwiches. Solid flavors and a must add to your orcas island frolic.

Very good salmon quiche and chocolate muffin. The line out the door was the dead giveaway this is the place.

Nice pastries but really crappy coffee. If you are looking for coffee avoid this place.

A busy little place, there is a parking lot close by and some street parking. Not much space but they use it efficiently. So many options to chose from both savory and sweet. The sandwhich was amazing, I got a mushroom and cheese (forgot the name) but the side salad very bland and oily. Quiche had good flavor and it was nice since they keep it on a warmer plate it didn't need to be warmed and get dried out, smart. We tried almost all of the baked goods the only one I really did not find good was an apple and she biscuit thing that felt underbaked. The orange morning bun was absolutely amazing i could eat those all day long.

Yum! Had a veggie quiche and a croissant peche (peach and vanilla) from here and both were so good. My friends got sandwiches and they were huge! Coffee was also good and they were really fast with making the food.

The long line was a bit intriguing but much longer than it appears. Looking back, I'm not sure it was worth it. People order very slowly like toddlers never seeing a croissant before. You can even see the baked items available while in line. So I just didn't understand why people were so indecisive. We had some people cut in front of us 15-20min in to be with their group so maybe I'm a bit sour from the line. The pastries range from $6.50-$9. Kinda steep. But they are very large pastries. A square berry crumble sold out right in front of me. (Again makes me mad about the cutters). You could share one or two and feel very satisfied. The Bear Paw and chocolate croissant were fantastic. Flaky, rich, salty and warm. Definitely buy a beverage. The orange muffin was also delicious with a powdery sugar on top. The quiche looked amazing but I couldn't do it at $9 a slice. Due to the time consuming line, I probably won't return but bottom line, it was a delicious breakfast.

We love Brown Bear! My husband is French and has high standards for pastries. This bakery is the only one he loves and we have tried so many all across the country. Side comment, they miss spell the pastry names (in French).

The logo kind of reminds me of Sea Wolf Bakers, with seemingly similar perceived popularity. I guess it is because this place gets mentioned a lot in travel guides for Orcas Island, so almost every tourist (including us haha) wants to check this place out. At 9am, there was a line out the block, and despite the volume of the line, it was about 15 minutes. I got the salmon quiche and the pecan sticky bread, both of which are decent. Salmon quiche is quite creamy, and there is a good amount of salmon within. There is a nice flakiness to the edge of the quiche, and it is buttery. Pecan sticky bread is definitely on the sweeter side, though portions are huge. Price is a bit higher than most other places, and the quality itself is good but not really something that is a must-try. Hours are convenient as a lot of brunch places here close at 12pm or 1pm which is interesting - while this place does offer lunch options starting at 11am.

Brown Bear Baking is sadly overrated and overpriced. My group ordered a lemon tart, a pecan sticky bun, and a pain au chocolat. The lemon tart was completely unset and the filling ran out of the crust like maple syrup. The pain au chocolat was underbaked, leaving a line of uncooked pastry in the middle. Sadly, it came across much more bread-y than flaky. The highlight was the pecan sticky bun, which is laden with nuts and caramel. Sticky indeed! For pricing reference, most items were ~$7-9 USD. The day before, we had gone to Le Painier in Pike Place Market in Seattle and ordered very similar items for 1/2 of the price and with much better results. I understand that things are going to be more expensive on the island, but quality should at least approach that level, especially for such a hyped spot.

Croque Monsier was amazing!!! Bread pudding was just ok, caramel sauce was the best part. Strawberry tart was also really yummy.

Such a great bakery! Super quaint with awesome baked goods that did not disappoint. The service was great and the only thing that was difficult was deciding which of the amazing tarts, pastries, muffins and cakes to decide on. Everything we got was incredible. Beware of the line that can form - but hang tight as the wait was a reasonable price to pay for great baking!

Great offerings and plenty of flavors. Tried some of the salt cookies and they were delicious! Definitely a must stop if you're in town.

Great bakery and fabulous sandwiches. Often I take home desserts for family and friends. When my daughter visits, I know she will be absent in the morning getting her fix. Brown Bear Bakery makes every day a good day.

If you can't guess by the lines every morning, this bakery is yummy. Actually quite classy!! They have both sweet and savory items and even quiche. We usually get both a sweet and a savory fur lunch. It's worth standing in line for awhile. People are usually friendly and it's a fun way to start your day on Orcas Island.

Absolutely the very best! Excellent food and service. Highly recommend stopping there when you visit Orcas.

The chocolate croissant is to die for!! So soft and buttery!! Ate it too fast to take a picture

We had the most amazing treat after a morning hike. My kids both had tarts. Chocolate for my son and Berry tart for my daughter. They were both absolutely delicious! I had the more savory option with prosciutto, onion, and egg. I also had an oat milk latte while we watched the pastry chefs make more treats. This was a really fun excursion for us and I highly recommend. Don't let the long lines deter you. They were making new things and putting them out as we were there. Totally worth the price!

I got the chocolate Cherry cookie and my daughter got the chocolate muffin. They were both insanely good, but so expensive. The staff was super sweet, my child was fully covered in chocolate and they gave me a wet wipe, to go napkins and a box for her muffin right around d closing. The outside area was nice to relax after hiking and putting down some pastries. One reason for the 4 star and not 5, is I paid lunch prices for a cookie and muffin

Brown Bear gets amazing reviews for a reason - it's the best bakery on the island! We were only able to come in once during our trip, but we each got two pastries (one to eat the day of and one to save for breakfast the next day). All of it was incredibly flakey, buttery, and delicious. We ate our pastries outside on their little patio. They have beautiful flowers and well cared for grass to look out over.