Grand Central Bakery - Eastlake cafe

Don’t come here unless you want to wait 45 minutes for a basic sandwich and soup, even when you come in and the place is empty. Plus insanely priced even if they choose to be whole food whatever the heck. This is not the first time they’ve taken forever and I tried to give them another chance. I’ve added a photo of the VERY VERY basic sandwich they had to make, not even heated or pressed! And filling a small cup EDIT: As you can see, they replied with a very generic response as they have done to numerous others, if this is how ownership of this chain responds to the lack of efficiency and quality service, then yeah def dont come here.

I got their miso caramel latte + tuna salad sandwich. The latte was pretty good but had some miso at the bottom which gave it a grainy texture. I really like their tuna salad sandwich - it’s my go to order. I prefer going on sunny days to enjoy their outdoor seating :)

Two of us ordered: Sandwich - Hazelnut Pesto Chicken Salad $14.25 Turkey Deluxe $17.45 Americano $3.90 16oz Latte $6.95 16OZ Hazelnut ($0.90) Food was ok and on the pricier side. Coffee was fine. 3 star experience for food, but +1 for the friendly staff. Street parking only. A ton of construction going on.

I recommend this place 100%, everything here is delicious, pastries, coffee, sandwiches, breakfast. I come here every holiday for breakfast and always try the seasonal menu. This time I had the pumpkin spice latte and chai snickerdoodle cookie, both great and tasty, I also had the cherry danish and it was wonderful. Looking forward for my next visit!

Super fresh and cozy sandwiches, pastries, soups aaannd even the staff is cool and cozy! Bottomless drip ☕️ while dining in...woohoo! And, actually exceptionally good coffee. Seasonal stuff as well. Fresh salmon, summertime 🍅s...just really feels like this place is doing it right. Happy staff really speaks volumes about a place!

Yes, another bakery checked off the list of bakeries all over Seattle. This one is located in Eastlake area of Seattle. So many baked goods to choose from. I decided to share an almond croissant and it was delicious!! The bakery also has a nice sitting area inside and outside. Staff were so friendly too!!

Great cafe/bakery with lots of options to pick from! I went with my go to which was a chocolate croissant. It was delicious, perfect chewiness, not too flaky, and great amount of chocolate! Large seating area, I’d come back!

I think this place has amaaazing baked goods, however I was not too impressed with the sandwich I ordered. Decided to try their Bristol Bay sandwich, which has smoked salmon on it. $15.50 for a sandwich this size is a little much...With my latte and sandwich I spent over $22 which I don’t think was quite worth it in the end. However, I have heard some great recommendations for this place so I think I’ll stop by again sometime to try their other food items! The steak sandwich looked promising!

Went to grand central bakery after a day out of playing tennis and biking and was looking for a healthy bite of food and a good iced matcha to refresh. I ordered the seasonal item of Hazelnut Chicken sandwich and an iced matcha. The matcha was good, it had good flavor with a strong earth flavor, but the perfect amount of sweet. The Hazelnut chicken sandwich was good, but nothing that stands out. The texture of the hazelnuts added good flavor and the chicken was seasoned well, but nothing out of the ordinary. Did not get to try the pastries but they looked delicious. Overall, a nice big bakery and would be a perfect spot to work for a few hour/read a book while having some food and a drink.

This location is newer, the old bakery was right across the street. Came here on a Saturday to get some breakfast. Got a Tuna Melt sandwich which was perfectly done with a crispy crust. It wasn't too crowded, and the service was pretty decent. There are seats outside as well which will be ideal for a sunny day.

Decent coffee! I don't usually write reviews but I've come here at least 5 different times and every single time the pastries seem dry or overbaked. I've tried so many different things and it's always the same :( really dry or hard, like it's been left out? But it's always early in the morning so I'm not sure!

I think this place has amaaazing baked goods, however I was not too impressed with the sandwich I ordered. Decided to try their Bristol Bay sandwich, which has smoked salmon on it. $15.50 for a sandwich this size is a little much...With my latte and sandwich I spent over $22 which I don't think was quite worth it in the end. However, I have heard some great recommendations for this place so I think I'll stop by again sometime to try their other food items! The steak sandwich looked promising!

Came here on a weekend for a quick bite to eat. The people who took our order were very nice! The food came out semi quick. The croissant was flaky and super yummy. Added Gouda cheese to make a bacon egg and cheese. Overall was a yummy sandwich and it's right on my way in to work. So will definitely come by more often. I also came another day and had a cappuccino and some coffee cake, the coffee cake was unique, the top of it was more like bread pudding consistency but was super yummy and still warm when I ate it.

I love everything here - bread, pastries, sandwiches, coffee. Today we tried the new Rashers English Muffin. They now make English muffins! It had bacon, hard fried egg and New School American cheese. That cheese is amazing! Really tasty and melted. The whole thing was delicious! With a great cappuccino! Too hungry to remember to take a photo!

I haven't spent too much time around Eastlake, but on a beautiful Sunday morning I decided to try a new coffee place! At around 10 AM, a line was growing out of Grand Central Bakery. They have a limited drink menu and a ton of delicious looking bread and pastry items. I got a chai and also a coffee cake, which size wise, was huge. The chai was on the sweet side but really spiced so great. The coffee cake was amazing. I forgot to take a photo until I had halfway finished it so just went for it, but it easily could serve 2 people. Will be back!

Food - 5 stars Experience - 3 stars Don't come here if you're in any kind of schedule for a sandwich. Breakfast sandwiches take 10-15; lunch 15-20. Recommend ordering ahead. They are good - as are the pastries, but the wait time is brutal and often longer than quoted.

Busy Sunday morning and we dropped by for sandwiches, This was the Turkey Deluxe, does it look deluxe? Sandwich that costs $15 after tax and tip, shouldn't you have more? I think quality has diminished and you can walk down to the Eastlake market and get a deli sandwich there or a Eastlake cofee for some sandwiches too.

Probably the best food spot in a pinch I've ever been too . Service was quick and attentive accommodating and high quality . Perfect ambiance for a multitude of people with good jams that weren't overly soft but not overly quiet either . Perfect spot for pumpkin spice OMG . The quality of the pumpkin spice is astronomical . Man I don't think I've ever had a chai + pumpkin spice combo this damn good my goodness . The food was hot ready and high quality definitely hit the spot

Ordered one latte (8oz) and one toasted croissant. I really liked the croissant (I recommended to get it toasted) However, the coffee was pretty decent (nothing great) The service was fairly quick.

This place is highway robbery hahaha. MAN IT IS SO OVERPRICED AND PRETENTIOUS. And the service isn't even quick? The food is alright. Only reason for the two stars. Run away unless you work for Amazon. I mean if you're a local, you might do.

Twice now our delivery orders, through grandcentralbakery.com, have been lost. In both cases, the restaurant was unable to help, stating that they don't run a delivery service and that we have to contact Postmates or Doordash. The problem is, you can't contact those companies if the order is through a company's website. We don't have a confirmation number or anything, and the store can't give us one. We didn't even know it was Postmates until the store said they hadn't picked up the order and it was just sitting on the counter. Until they stop pointing fingers at each other, you're better off ordering somewhere else. Had to charge back. (It was a big order -- worth charging back and leaving this review.)

Love Grand Central Bakery in Eastlake! Even on busy days that crank out food and drink at an amazing speed! Personal favorites: - Sasquatch sandwich (seasonal sandwich) - The potato leek soup - Fresh Como loaf (they'll slice it for you or leave it whole!) - cheddar egg croissant breakfast sandwich In addition they also have a fridge where you can buy bread and cookie dough, take and bake pies, and even eggs by the dozen! The prices are still very fair for such high quality. The service is always great and every staff member is friendly no matter the hour. Plenty of seating inside and outside, or you can take it to go and get back on the road pretty easy.

Grand Central's strengths are in their breads and baked goods, but they also have a fairly solid selection of cafe offerings. Bread wise, I am all about their sour rye loaf. Even though GCB sells bread in several markets, I have only seen this loaf in their shops, and sometimes it's not in stock. Which makes me very very sad. I currently consider this the best rye loaf in Seattle. They will slice it for you there and it's fantastic for a sandwich or toast. I don't know why the cafe doesn't offer it as a bread choice for their sandwiches. Which brings me to the cafe offerings. They are solid, but not my favorite place for a sandwich. The selection is kind of boring, no rye and not enough sandwiches on baguettes (the veggie grinder is a favorite though). GCB's salads could really up their game too, though props to the toasted Parm bread crumbs on the kale salad. On the baked goods, the Jammer is my jam. They have a monster ham and cheese croissant that is a meal. I appreciate the touch of mustard. Most importantly, they make a real scone not a "muffin scone". It's got the appropriate crust on the outside. GCB is a Seattle classic. I happen to be reviewing Eastlake (which has a spacious cafe and outside tables), but you can find GCB locations dotted around the city. And that's a good thing.

Awesome cafe! I was visiting Seattle for the weekend and we came here for breakfast and coffee two out of the three mornings we were in town, if that says anything. Great selection of fresh baked pastries, breads, breakfast sandwiches, quiches, lunch sandwiches, soup, etc. as well as teas and coffee/espresso drinks! We enjoyed everything we ordered - wish I was local and could try everything on the menu. Staff was also really friendly! Additionally, for all you dairy-free folks, they offer oat milk out on the coffee bar for free which I thought was awesome. Most coffee shops I'm used to will charge extra for oat milk or will not even have it as an option to order.

The staff was super nice and the baked bread is amazing. Yelp wants 85 characters. Xxxxxxxxxx

20 minutes to make an $18 BLT on a Sunday afternoon? Never again. They had two employees on the line working steadily making sandwiches, so I'm not sure where the disconnect was/is. Reading other reviews, it seems that they are known for being slow. Guess that's on me for not checking first--I assumed popping in on a Sunday at 1pm with no line in front of me would mean a relatively quick turnaround. Had I known/had I been informed at the time of purchase that my single sandwich order would take 20 minutes, I would not have ordered. Eastlake Speciality Market a few blocks away also makes sandwiches fresh/to-order, and they do not take nearly as long as GCB.

Food and drinks are great nothing bad to say about it, but the service is sooo slow. For the prices they are charging it wouldn't hurt to staff appropriately so customers aren't waiting 25-30 mins for basic sandwiches.

This is a limited review as I went very late and was literally the last customer while the person ahead of me bought all the quiches. (Bummer!) Anyway, this appears to be a good location and walking distance to the water (SLU, ignoring the road construction). When I went on May 8th, they weren't allowing customers to enter yet; ordering is from the outside. But there are plenty of bistro tables outside if someone wants to sit down and enjoy their food. Being end of day, the selection was limited. We bought: 2 Giant Croissants - 4.5 Stars Wonderfully pillowy inside while crunchy on the outside (even the next day!) and not too greasy. My 0.5 ding is that as far as croissants go, theirs are kind of ugly and reminds me of an insect larva. Eww. But it's a tasty larva. LOL. Rustic Baguette - 5 Stars This loaf had staying power. The outside stayed crusty/crispy for 3-ish days while the inside stayed soft too. Excellent loaf. 2 Chocolate Cookies - 3.5 Stars These were pretty good but not in a tell-a-friend kind of great. I'll probably buy more of the larva looking croissants instead. (I'm cracking myself up.) Seriously, they have a good looking menu with a good amount of savories, sandwiches, quiches that I would love to try in the future. Next time!

LOCAL BAKERY-CAFE BIG NAME IN BREAD I wanted to pick up a sandwich for lunch so I decided to stop by here! I chose the turkey & cranberry chutney and it was pretty tasty. Plenty of turkey and all of the flavors worked so well together. The bread was really yummy and fresh! I would have liked a bigger pickle spear. I was very tempted by all of the yummy pastries on the display. They have cookies, croissants, and muffins. There's also a small fridge with "U BAKE" goods that you can conveniently bake at home: pies, pie crusts, and pizza dough. I went early in the morning so there was no wait. Plenty of seating with multiple tables. The space was very comfortable and bright with large windows. Free wifi so I could see this being a good work-study space. Grand Central Bakery has multiple locations in Seattle and Portland. I've also seen their breads sold at Metropolitan Market and other local grocery stores, in case you ever want to pick up a loaf

Dropped by here for a quick lunch. Got the tuna salad sandwich which was pretty good but a little pricy. They had a bunch of stuff inside of the sandwich with the tuna but I wasn't sure what they were since I kind of just tore apart the sandwich since I was in a rush. It was pretty good, just a little bit on the pricey side. The texture was pretty good and same with the flavor.

My manager got us lunch from here and I thought it was pretty decent. They were pretty good with getting such a big orders correctly and timely. I got the Italian Hoagie with no mayo. The filling was pretty generous and the bread was not too soft and not too hard. The flavor was a little on the salty side though. The meat to veggie ratio was a little off so the saltiness was all from the meat. I definitely had to drink water while eating it. I also thought it was a little on the pricy side for just a sandwich. For around $12, i would think the sandwich would come with a side of some sort. Overall, it was ok.

I got the almond croissants and scones. They were okay, good flavor but weren't good leftover. Best to eat them fresh.

Love this little treasure that's within walking distance!! I makes it worthwhile to go to because when I get there I know they'll have tasty treats that are satisfying and the coffee is amazing as well! The only problem is that when I crave their cookies or muffins the place is closed so then I'm left to obsess about it until the next day and get there during operation hours to get my fix! IYKYK!! Grand Central Bakery is worth the try for sweet treats, coffee and lunch!!

Good but slow. The bread is delicious and their sandwiches are very good. I want to go there more often but they are so slow it's virtually impossible during work lunch time. This prime location could make a fortune if they were able to increase their production capacity. They should probably study how a subway employee assembles a sandwich.

My rating is purely based on thanksgiving pies purchase. 2 pies for $65 and they were disappointing. Crust was dense and really hard. Toppings were ok. I would not recommend this place for pre holiday purchases.

I just came here this afternoon to order a 12oz mocha with coconut milk. The service was quick (no more than a minute), which now that I think about it will explain why I am NOT coming back here for coffee ever again, let alone the desserts. Service: Terrible; the waiter (who also took my order) did not smile when I came up, was unfriendly and looked as if she did not want to be there (I get that you may not be in the best mood). Tasteless coffee: My mocha tasted as if someone had heated coconut milk with water and served it to me. There was no hint of coffee or chocolate (as a mocha should), tasted watered down too. I almost went back to return it but it was also lunch time and I think I've been here enough to make my final review that this place does not serve good coffee at all. This may come off rather scathing, however this is the truth. I have yet to meet someone to tell me how (at the very least) "good" their coffee is.

Overall 3.5 stars. Pricey lunch sandwiches and pastries, made with quality ingredients and artisan bread. Sandwiches: Tuna melt - 5.0. Super flavorful, satisfying without being overly heavy. Favorite sandwich here - one of the best tuna melts I've ever had. Tuna salad sandwich - 5.0. Love that this has capers in it. Full of Pacific albacore tuna, fresh celery, sweet onion, dressed with fresh herbs, EVOO, lemon, mayo and crisp lettuce on Peasant bread. Turkey chutney sandwich - 3.0. Found this disappointingly bland. French Ham sandwich - 3.5. Quality, thinly shaved ham, but overall this sandwich is on the bland side. Pastries: Almond croissant (3.5) - giant, excellent almond paste. Croissant was more doughy than chewy, layers weren't as fine as you might get from other Seattle bakeries Pumpkin oat muffin (4.5) - moist, topped with crumble and pepitas. Would absolutely get this again

Incredibly slow service. Out of tomatoes soup. Was second person in line and waited 20 minutes for a grilled cheese. They forgot to put the fresh cut tomato slice on it and they asked if I wanted them to make me a new one and I said I didn't have another 20 minutes to wait!

Food was good! I got the turkey sandwich and the tomato soup. However, the wait time was well over 35 minutes. They had many employees in the back and had to wait an additional 10 min to take my order while there was no line. Not a quick place to stop and grab a quick bite.

They have all kinds of stuff on offer here, but we stuck to their handmade pastries to go. The Pesto & Cheese Twice Baked Croissant was delicious, with an impossibly glassy exterior that shattered when I bit into it, though the inside wasn't as flaky as a consequence. The flavors were great though. The Quiche was fairly eggy, with a creamy and custard-like filling. The mushroom flavor was very muted and the edges of the shell could've been crustier. All in all, a solid way to start our day off.

Everything is so delicious the main issue is it takes a long time to get anything besides a pastry and drip coffee. I tried to do an online pickup to save some time. They website says to please observe your pickup time like it's very strict. I had a pickup time of 12:50, came at 1pm and when I got here they hadn't even started on my order yet, so it's the same as ordering in store. I spoke to them and they said that when it's busy they take longer but will not update the website or send you a notification, so my sandwich took 50 minutes and no apology or anything. Will not be returning. Do not recommend.

We come her for lunch. The ingredients are fresh! The food is great & the outdoor seating in the summer makes it all that more enjoyable. The sandwich, salads and pastries are all greaT. Def should drop in if you're in the area.

The snowflakes at Grand Central got my first review deleted, so here goes #2. I will never again try this restaurant. I popped in last week at 12:42, very much still the lunch hour. The sign said they'd be closing at 1. The counter staff informed me I couldn't order salads or sandwiches, as they'd closed that part of their operation early. Just pastries. Well, I wanted lunch, and I don't even like your pastries -- they over brown everything and they all taste half burnt. If you say you're open for lunch, then flippin open for lunch. Useless.

Love this place. Best croissant in the city. Not greasy. Great sandwiches and service.

Really good food. I love their croissants, they are very flaky. The bread is delicious too. However if your in the mood for a breakfast sandwich be prepared to wait 20+ minutes. The staff is very friendly.

Walking in, the first thing that caught my eye was the beautiful display of pastries. They all looked so fresh and so delicious! I was in the savory mood for breakfast this morning, so I decided to go with an egg breakfast sandwich and a cappuccino. The sandwich was a large one- super filling. My one small compliant was that the bacon was very very cold, which kinda threw off the taste of the warm sandwich. I would still order a breakfast sandwich again and am looking forward to trying the other options! The line was long to order, but that's alright with me! It's a good sign the food and coffee are worth it! The cashier was very friendly, personable, and complimentary. It was nice not feeling too rushed even when the place was busy! I will be back for sure!

Great baked goods!! Tried scone, jammer and seasonal quiche. Scone and jammer are both crispier than scones/ biscuit from other places, which I enjoyed. Scone has a strong ginger flavor and jammer had blueberry jam in the middle. Wasn't a big fan of the ginger scone tho... Seasonal quiche was broccoli and cheddar for April 2021. Really soft inside and crispy shell! Loved it. Grand Central Bakery has parking lot and outside seatings, so when the weather is nice, it is a perfect place to get sandwich, coffee, baked goods and sit outside to enjoy the sun!

Ordered a sandwich online. Only after i paid was informed it would be 2hrs. Tried to cancel. Not possible. Tried to talk to a person. Not possible. Always tons of staff and slow. Thought I'd give them a chance. Sorry I did.

EDIT:management treated this issue very well and offered a coupon to try something else on the menu. While I still highly suggest you double check items on the breakfast menu before ordering, the pastries,baked goods, coffee and service are incredible and I highly recommend visiting this spot Normally, I only have fantastic comments to say about this place. I come here twice a week for the fabulous sandwiches, coffee and pastries and today I was recommended the "Bacon Egg Croissant" for $8.50. I was pretty excited to try it out as it is one of their top choices on the breakfast sandwich menu. I was truly disappointed to see that what I paid $8.50 for was 2 pieces of crispy bacon, a tiny over easy egg, and a giant croissant with no other ingredients. I understand that some like simple sandwiches but $8.50 for something like this is unacceptable. Truly disappointed and will not be ordering from the breakfast menu again. Additionally, to give some reference, the same croissant used in this sandwich to buy separately is $3.00 and an actual deliciously made gourmet sandwich is $10.

Probably one of the best breakfast sandwiches I have had. The egg was cooked perfectly, and their option to make your own breakfast sandwich is a picky girls dream. Glad I can still get a good breakfast sandwich during this quarantine. I can't wait to come back to pick up fresh loaves of bread and try out their grilled cheese :)

Breakfast going downhill. First breakfast sandwich hours are now restricted to before noon only. So much for a late weekend brunch. They refuse to fry an egg after that, even a few minutes late. Also they only now do medium or scrambled eggs, can't request a harder cooked egg. Given that the prices are already high, seems unreasonable that they can't make simple accommodations. Online ordering is unreliable - limited options compared to in store and no drinks available, so I have to wait in line for that too which defeats the purpose of ordering online. Food is still good, but I think I'll need to start looking for another breakfast place.

No toaster for toasting our ham and cheese croissants?! You have gotta be kidding me! :(

Awful very rude service. Do not order on line they forget these orders. For $15 crazy expensive for the quality and quantity. You don't need to be rude to customera. Will tell my entire new office to never come to this location. All the women today handing out food so rude!!!! The service is waaaay to long for a lunch spot. 34 minutes for a sandwich at 1:30pm is not ok. One sandwich to go

2nd time here ordering an americano. They seem to pride themselves on how long it takes to serve you. As if the longer it takes the higher the quality or something? They definitely discern themselves from Starbucks as far as speed of service. They seem to have plenty of people available to help but don't know how to flex to customer demands. Anyway, 2 stars because the quality is good, but high prices and not worth the wait.

Idk. I am not feeling this place. It was very basic. It was a free breakfast sandwich for me because I was taken to breakfast, but it was a total waste of calories. I did not like the chai tea and I was not a fan of the rolo bread. I ordered a bacon rolo and without the bread, there was nothing special about the egg or bacon. Given the price, it should have been memorable for something other than the price. Absent the Yelp check in offer for a free drip coffee, I see little reason to give this place a try.

Great pastries and sandwiches. Regular place to go to for a quick bite. Coffee is great too.

Overall a solid bakery. The pastries are downright fantastic, the coffee is quite good, and the sandwiches are tasty. Some of the seasonings on the sandwiches are a little out there, but I've never had something I didn't like. Pastries are definitely their thing, however. At lunch time expect to wait a decent amount of time and maybe get the wrong order. They seem very disorganized and inefficient when they're busy. A few times, I've had to remind them to get my coffee after I already had my food. And one tip: You must get the mini quiche. I dream about their quiche... it's absolutely perfect.