Friends & Family is a vibrant East Hollywood café and bakery crafting artisanal pastries and hearty meals, where each visit feels like a cozy family gathering.
"Friends & Family’s bright exterior paint is as beautiful as the massive display case. It’s packed with 42 items, including Danish, scones, apple pies, and, of course, croissants. Though the simple croissant is a solid choice, try the ham and cheese for equal satisfaction. What sets baker Roxana Jullapat apart is her expert use of heirloom grains, which imbues baked goods with a depth of flavor not found in plain white flour." - Rebecca Roland
"Maybe it was the Emily in Paris binge-watch, or just the cloudy weather, but I woke up this weekend craving something French-ish. With no real destination in mind, I hopped in the car and drove vaguely toward bakeries, before settling on Friends & Family in East Hollywood. By mid-day, the pastry case was down to just a few choices, but the sandwich selection hadn’t been depleted yet. Spotting just a few prosciutto baguettes left, I crossed my fingers that they would still be available by the time I got to the counter. Luckily, it seemed like I was the only one in line with prosciutto on the mind, and the sandwiches remained untouched until I got to the counter to pick up one for myself. I couldn’t resist adding in an espresso and whisking the sandwich outside to one of the bright orange tables on Hollywood Boulevard. It’s not quite a European street, but there was a charm to sitting outside and watching the cars drive by between bites of chewy baguette, creamy butter, and salty prosciutto. — Rebecca Roland, editor" - Eater Staff
"A boss move would be to show up to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner with a box full of Friends & Family pastries along with pies by chef Roxana Jullapat. Order pecan, pumpkin, or quince and apple streusel pie online as soon as possible for a November 27 pick-up." - Mona Holmes
"As the name suggests, Friends & Family is an all-day cafe in East Hollywood where you feel like someone special. There's a gorgeous display of pastries laid out like a jewelry case every morning near the register, and you essentially can't go wrong with anything in there: buttery pistachio croissants, savory white cheddar biscuits, and danishes filled with water fruit popping off at the farmers market that week. And whether we're just grabbing one of their breakfast sandwiches to-go or sending a few emails during lunch in their peaceful dining room, we can't leave without grabbing a loaf of sesame sourdough for later." - brant cox, sylvio martins, arden shore
" We've been fans of this East Hollywood cafe and its gorgeous display case of pastries for years, but we have to admit we’ve been sleeping on their plain croissant. This shaggy, slightly rustic pastry looks like it wears Birkenstocks and lives deep in Topanga Canyon, but underneath the hood it’s a traditionalist masterpiece. This croissant has a bit of everything we love: nuttiness from whole-grain flour, a bit of sourdough tang, the ideal balance of butteriness and crunch, all while remaining supple enough to pull apart like a carb slinky." - sylvio martins, garrett snyder, brant cox
