The Buttery

Just wow! The staff is so helpful, friendly and welcoming. The selection of pies and pastries is endless. The apple pie I bought for my son for his birthday is almost too beautiful to eat! They have some nice seating inside and a great patio for outside seating. It looks like dogs are welcome on the patio. Definitely a place to try if you haven’t yet.

I was introduced to this place by my former manager. Whenever I'm in the area I have to make a pit stop here. Service is quick, there are multiple cashiers. The place can get pretty packed. There is a decent sized dine in area. Don't expect nice decore or instagram-able ambiance, you're there for the food and that's all that matters. If you want to make sure all the flavors are available, I'd suggest going earlier if it's a weekend. The price is average and reasonable. One of THE BEST carrot cake cupcakes! And I honestly could not care less about carrot cake flavor, but this one blew my mind. Oh my gosh my mouth is watering just thinking about it lol. My husband and I tried their tiramisu and some other cupcake options and all are literally SO good. The dangerous part is they're not too sweet (best Asian dessert compliment btw lol). Just the right amount of creaminess, and the flavors are spot on. They're consistent with the quality of their products. I haven't tried their savory foods so I don't have any pointers on that. Bottom line: Will always make a pit stop here!

Large amount of bakery items to choose from and numerous hot breakfast options to choose from as well. There is an outside eating area. The staff was super polite and made sure my first experience there was the best. I ordered the bacon burrito and it came with delicious hot salsa. Definitely recommend checking this place out if you are in the area.

The croissant should be called crescent-shaped soft bun. Ham tasted metallic and clumpy. They ran out of iced coffee by mid morning. Offered iced Americano but charged the higher espresso price. Then made the order wrong, hot not iced. Just get hot coffee. Mocha is too sweet.

Highly recommend The Buttery for your wedding cake! We live down the street from The Buttery so when they were recommended to us by our wedding planner it felt like a perfect coincidence and a fun personal touch to have a local vendor despite our getting married in Carmel Valley. The chiffon marrionberry flavor was a hit and the entire process to order was super seamless. They offer a tasting tray for pickup so we were able to decide which flavor we liked best. Pricing was great, highly responsive communication, and they were able to deliver to our venue on the wedding day no problem. Thank you again to the Buttery!

I was seriously craving a breakfast burrito, and this place delivered exactly what I had in mind—it was perfect! So many delicious options on the menu, I just wish I lived closer so I could try them all. The chai latte was also amazing, and the staff was friendly. Such a great find!

I was in town for 1 day. This spot is a must visit! Delicious and cool atmosphere.

This is a 12 out of 10. This is one of the best bakery I have ever been to. We did our own tasting menu of sandwiches for lunch and then did another tasting menu of assorted desserts and cookies. Each one was better than the last. I think the devil’s food cake with the chocolate ganache cupcake was the best. I just heard that the carrot cake is great too. I think I’m going to have to get a couple to take home. Can’t wait to come to Santa Cruz again for the buttery bakery. Thank you so much for your commitment to this endeavor. You have made so many people so very happy.

I THOUGHT THIS WAS A BUTTER SHOP. IDK maybe they do sell butter actually i didn't see This sambidge was soooo good. ( *w*)b there a beautiful garden to sit and eat with BUTTERflies. wait. I GET IT NOW. (ò - ó) Ice machas was okay. I like the sambich. will try a pasty maybe but watching my figure (ó - ò)

An absolutely stunning display of fresh, flaky, buttery, fluffy croissants. But when the ham and cheese came out fresh it was most definitely worth waiting for. By far the best croissant I've ever had (granted I don't usually go for croissants but it was fresh so I just had to). Their clam chowder, served as their soup of the day, was also really good. Creamy, well seasoned, had bits of bacon inside, it was clam chowder done right. Most of the servers were really kind, there was one lady though, that when I asked how long till the ham and cheese croissants come out she simply brushed me off and said later today; she didn't even bother to check. Luckily I waited and overheard someone else asking a different cashier, and I got the answer I was looking for, "5 minutes." Overall, besides the service hurdle, food was phenomenal. Great spot to come visit in the morning for some fresh bread.

First time here and I loved it! The perfect Sunday breaky place. French Toast and 2 poached eggs ... delicious! Plus, great customer service - warm and smiles all the way around! I'll definitely be back! Thank you!!

I love grabbing pies here for special occasions! I also have ordered a cake for my mom's 50th birthday party. The frosting is fluffy, the filling is stellar, and I will continue to purchase for them for holidays and festivities within our family! Easy to order, great service at pick up! Friendly staff who does an immaculate job with their baking!

A very popular pastry / bakery shop that also offers a selected breakfast/lunch menu items as well. This place is clearly known for its pastries because the line nears forever out the door during our 30min experience. My husband ordered a chocolate croissant and cheese danish. In addition we did a sit down with the basic breakfast dish and a veggie omelette. Everything was okay. The toast that came with the dish was the highlight. My veggie omelette had additional veggies in it that are not listed on the menu (onions, peppers) , had I known o probably would've ordered something else. Solid customer service tho and clearly a local favorite!

My family and I have eaten at the buttery for years and it NEVER disappoints! Our favorites are definitely the chicken sandwich and black bottom muffins. Their pastries are always flakey and delicious and the service is always great! (Which is amazing considering the place is always packed). There isn't a lot of space to eat inside but their outdoor eating area is beautiful (especially on a sunny day).

We came back and ordered a large Red Velvet cake for a birthday party, and ultimately were unimpressed. The main cake didn't have very much flavor, and the cream cheese frosting was just presenting a ghost of what it was supposed to be. A faint cream cheese taste, but nothing much more. The actual cake wasn't dry or crumbly, just nothing super exciting. Visually, it looked beautiful. Which is just all the more upsetting that it didn't taste as good as it looked.

We went here a year ago on a trip to Santa Cruz and I must have lost this review in my drafts, but I really want to give this place the review it deserved. Lots of cafes were recommended on our trip, some disappointing, some mediocre, but this was the best cafe we visited! Charming, cute, with a vintage vibe. The food was incredible. It was packed, and for good reason, but we were able to sit outside under the beautiful & peaceful pergola, surrounded by flowers and cute little birds. Friendly service, all around amazing brunch experience. The coffee was great too. 10/10 and will return anytime we're in SC.

The buttery is always on my hit list whenever I'm in town I always hope that I can find time to make it over here. It's one of a few things I miss having lived not too far away from here. Whether it's fresh dessert or they're amazing breakfast they always have friendly staff. We have great fresh food. I literally walked a mile from my hotel this morning to get an amazing eggs, Benedict and a fresh cookie and iced coffee this morning and I was not disappointed. The seasoning on the eggs Benedict is to die for like fresh smoky paprika and the biscuit is so fresh. And I haven't had such a soft, perfect avocado and a long time. It's green there's no brown. I think cut through it like butter thank you... Inside it's more of your typical bakery... small tables and chairs, cases of pastries and cakes and such... but outside it's soooo pretty outside - gorgeous plants and patio. Go take in some fresh air. Have some coffee and spoil yourself with some good food!! Also I have to add. They have a huge commitment to compostable and sustainable materials in the restaurant. That's really clear without them even having to say it. Compostable cups straws, utensils, and or reusable things. I really appreciate it.

One of the better cakes in town, but not the best. The actual food and pastries are very mid, 4 out of 10. To be specific low quality ingredients, too much oil/cheese, croissants are bready and flat, and everything is oversized. Some people love that, but subjectively this is my opinion. I did have a great BLT one of the times, but mostly my experience is low/mid food with questionable service.

This bakery in Santa Cruz has been my go-to spot for treats whenever I'm craving something sweet. This place is always so warm and cozy. The workers are always so helpful when it comes to picking out dessert or food to eat. The Oreo cupcake is my favorite thing to grab. It is so creamy and fluffy. I've had some other cakes before when celebrating birthdays, so I highly recommend picking up a cake for someone for their special day. Please check out the buttery in Soquel.

This place was on top of my list to try in Santa Cruz and I am pleased to say that it lived up to the hype. Their hot chocolate is to die for - very rich and creamy. I can't recall the exact name (probably brown sugar) but the cookie we had was something like a stroopwafel but thicker and quiet buttery. Their outdoor patio is like a lush garden filled with seasonal flowers. Just thinking about it makes me happy. Their baked goods like the tomato pesto croissant and apricot roll are perfect if you want something delicious yet easy on the stomach. What is more perfect than good food, weather and being surrounded by nature? Honestly if I lived in Santa Cruz, I don't know if I could resist coming here every morning.

My family and I stopped here before leaving Santa Cruz and I'm so glad we did! It was so so yummy! We all split a bunch of cupcakes there at a table and it was delicious. Service was really helpful and quick. They had so many different flavors to choose from for cupcakes, but also sooo many pies and beautiful looking cakes . We left with some more goodies to go! Definitely check this place out if your near by :)

Finally came in time to eat food! A solid 4 stars. Lots of people like to get cakes here! The crowd arrives in waves it seems so don't be discouraged if there's a line. The breakfast sandwich #2 was basic but pretty darn good. All ingredients were as I would have hoped! Other customers were motivated but respectful. Staff seemed that way as well. This is a nice basic cafe setup. It gives an early stage Zingermans vibe without the sandwich creativity. But that may come. I'd say a solid 4-stars is good.

This salad ($12.45, June 2024) is "comfort food" for my son-in-law, who follows a Paleo diet. Our intention was to buy a freshly-made salad for him, but when we went into the bakery/cafe, there was a long line so we decided to just get one from the still-fresh shelf. This salad features half of an avocado, filled with curried chicken salad (roasted chicken, dried apricots, cranberries, chives, apples, celery, mayo, and curry powder), and served with red leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and lemon vinaigrette dressing. So good! The Buttery also has an amazing collection of bakery items which we resisted -- today anyway.

This is a very nice bakery. I've been coming here for years when I visit Santa Cruz a few times every year. This year my daughter and SIL got my bday cake. It was a super delicious cake! They were very accommodating and got it out quicker bc our plans changed and we weren't going to be back before they closed. They rushed so fast they didn't spell birthday correctly. lol we now say "Happy Birt-day!" In our family. ;)

Prob the only place open for coffee & pastries at 7 am. Pastries solid though not spectacular, latte was good.

They have a lot to choose from here including some very cute cakes and desserts, though unfortunately the kitchen closes at 1:45pm, so options may be cut in half depending on what time you visit. Good news is, their pastries are pretty decent. Got the ham and cheese croissant this past Monday and it was a good size, loaded with a thick layer of cheese and sliced ham (nice and salty), and wrapped in a perfectly cooked flaky pastry shell. Would have been better heated, but surprisingly they didn't offer this. Also got an iced mocha with nonfat milk and two pumps of mocha, it was yummy and made just right (and I love that they offered nonfat milk as an option, which is rare). The cafe has some tables and seating and a bit of art/decor on the walls, but it didn't exactly feel welcoming inside, a combination of the service slightly lacking in care, the limitations noted in various signs (related to service and offerings), and just the overall vibe of the place on a weekday afternoon. They didn't even bring out napkins when another customer informed the staff that there were none out front at the coffee condiment station. That being said, I believe they probably have better days, and I wouldn't mind returning to try other stuff on the menu.

Food: 5 out of 5 I have never been disappointed with anything I have bought here. The pastries, desserts, and salads have always been about quality! Amazing food! Service: 5 out 5 Environment: 4.75 out of 5 Small cafe inside, but plenty of outdoor seating. Gender neutral restroom and welcoming environment! Overall: 4.75 out of 5 Get a selection of items and you won't be disappointed. The line may be long, but well worth the wait!

Ordered an apple pie and chocolate banana pie a few weeks in advance for a birthday. What worked: -- yumm! Both pies were really delicious, not overly sweet, and very flavorful. Probably one of the best apple pies I've had -- the online ordering and pick up process was really smooth and easy What didn't work: -- this isn't a serious complaint but it is on the pricier side so it's definitely a special occasion spot for me

The buttery is a classic Santa Cruz staple. The ham and cheese croissants are unparalleled. They do not hold back with the butter, thank goodness. My bestie recently surprised me by bringing me a birthday cake from there all the way to Oakland. It was absolutely delicious! 100/10! And all the pasties are gorgeous.

Husband and I stopped by The Buttery this weekend due to a recommendation from a friend. We got to Santa Cruz around 1pm. There were plenty of parking spots on the side street and a parking lot located behind the bakery. Upon entering, you immediately see the display full of yummy looking pastries. There were plenty of seats inside and it looked like there might be a couple of outdoor ones, but it was a rainy weekend so those were not set up. The service was overall good. We got a Ham and Cheese Croissant, an apricot pastry (can't recall the name), and two cookies: chocolate ginger and dulce de leche. We also got drinks: house coffee and white mocha. The husband and I both enjoyed the apricot pastry and the cookies. However, I was not impressed at all by the ham and cheese croissant. A big part of this is due to it being cold. I'm surprised that they don't offer to warm up their savory pastries. There was a big chunk of cold cheddar cheese? in the middle. The husband, who's a big fan of black coffee, really enjoyed the house coffee. He said that the flavor was good and there was not bitterness to it. I also enjoyed my white mocha. We would probably go here early in the morning next time. Just a shame that the quality of food isn't the same throughout the day.

Great coffee and amazing desserts! I love the lemon pie, macarons, carrot cake, and snowballs. Cozy vibe and friendly service.

This place is awesome! No Brainerd, 5 stars all the way! I'd go back in a heartbeat. Their pastries, cookies and bread are amazing. We had 2 different kind of croissants and they were so buttery and delightful! The highlight of our day! We had a Tomato Pesto croissant and Ham and Cheese croissant at the place. We took home cookies and bread. The staff was friendly and the overall vibe was laid back and groovy. A favorite on my list!

Stopped in here for breakfast on a day trip to Santa Cruz with the girls! I was pleasantly surprised by the range of vegetarian options on the menu, and ordered this delicious benny. Service was incredibly quick and the staff were welcoming and friendly. I only wish that I had noticed the outdoor seating, it was a beautiful day and that would have been the cherry on top!

We purchased a wedding cake and an assortment of cupcakes in September 2024. They were all spectacular! We got to try out all the flavors and pick an assortment and our guests loved every bite. We've been going to The Buttery for years and it was so easy and special to have them prepare a cake for this celebration. 10/10 Recommend!

Went here for the first time last weekend and we got their egg, sausage and cheese breakfast sandwich on a croissant and I'm glad we shared it bc wow it was big and filling and absolutely delicious. We also ordered a chocolate croissant to go and they use a delicious tasting chocolate stick, I just never like how it's not distributed through the croissant center. Glad we tried this spot!

What happened to this place? Bring back the number system, make the pick-up area for drinks more obvious, and get it together. My mocha chai with an added shot taste like literal frothed water and milk. The line is outrageous and everyone is confused and annoyed. I had several people cut in front of me because no one knows what the hell is going on, staff included. The quality and atmosphere have gone WAY down hill! This was my spot every single day, for years, so this visit was a major bummer and terrible experience. Yikes!

Cafe was a complete disaster today. Understaffed in the kitchen. Asked to speak to the manager and the employee said the manager didn't even show up.

Delicious chocolate cupcakes, iced or hot matcha lattes and pecan sandies! The Buttery baked treats are so good!

Food was good but definitely felt rushed to order! Wanted to ask about more pastries but just went with the first one I asked about.

Great croissants, rude staff. The counter staff is hit or miss. I understand these interactions are transactional but today was an absolute miss. I don't care how good the pastries are, it's not worth dealing with the bad attitude.

Overall - I would say not as good as hyped up online. We were planning on doing our wedding cake here and we set up a cake tasting a month ago via email. I confirmed this week it was set up. When we got there, they did not have our cake tasting box ready and admitted they forgot about us. We were missing 3 of our tasting cakes and had only 3 to choose from. During this whole incident, no supervisor or manager came to explain this - they made someone run back and forth for communication. We still got (half) of our cakes, but overall they were either little to no flavor or extremely rich. We will not be using them or returning. Imagine if they did this on my wedding day.

They make darn good pastries and cakes. Never tried their food, but he bakery side definitely has it going on. The Ganache is just divine. Their Pecan Sandies are amazing (they have ganache in the middle). They also make a wicked carrot cake. I'd say the buttery is definitely the go to place in Santa Cruz or cakes. I can't speak much to the flow in the space, but it is pretty small inside - although does have outdoor seating. Also seems like they could maybe use one more person working in the afternoon - both times I stopped in the afternoon the line moved pretty slowly (might not be the case in the morning).

A one-stop-shop for sweet and savory pastries!! We have to come here every time we visit Santa Cruz because they have a little bit of everything. This time, we got the chicken pesto apple Brie sandwich on ciabatta bread which was absolutely out of this world. Everything else was equally fantastic: tomato mozzarella pastry, lemon macarons, and *the best* Danish cheese wheel pastry of my life. I would eat one every day if I had the privilege. This bakery gets busy, sometimes a line out the door, but it moves fast and is worth the wait!!

There is a new business model that is annoying and illogical. Products still excellent. Shabby inside.

My daughter, Jess, recently ordered a red velvet birthday cake. When I picked it up, I couldn't believe how awesome it was. Beautifully decorated and I was completely pleased at the care and pride they took to create it. They are professional, kind and I loved it.

We had originally only placed a small vegan wedding cake (which was delicious! 12/10 recommend!) We ended up last minute adding a huge order to our original order to accommodate our guests (100~) so we could have a large dessert bar open at the end of the night. We had planned to get our cake delivered and they were nice enough to accommodate us with all of our order. Everything was delicious and delivered perfectly and on time!

What happened to the Buttery??? It used to be so cute and clean and now feels run down and neglected. I wanted to order a tiered cake but the prices were ridiculous! I compared them to Gayle's and the prices are 3 times higher! There are plenty of local bakers to support who have reasonable prices! And tasty cakes. I hope they take this to heart. I am disappointed.

The wedding cake we ordered was delicious and beautiful. The Buttery worked with us to make it exactly what we wanted. We ordered their Lemon Chiffon cake with lemon curd and substituted their marionberry jam between two of the layers. Their prices are reasonable, and their service was excellent. We also enjoyed their cafe's savory items and breakfast pastries; the food was consistently very good, and the staff was always great.

Recent birthday cake pre-order 6/06/25 was a fail. 7" mocha cake. Upon slicing, the entire cake fell apart. The frosting separated from the cake, the filling separated from the cake. We could not get the cake to slice into a piece to transfer to a serving plate without it falling apart in pieces. Even when contacting the manager via email about why this happened. No response. Gayles Bakery in Capitol might be a better option if you're looking for something special and excellent customer service.

It has been years since I have been to the buttery, and I was shocked at the decline of absolutely everything. Inside is filthy, walls,floors, ceilings. It was so shabby inside, Very depressing. The food was overpriced for what it was, and the coffee was atrocious! Completely burnt! And the fact it's cards only and no cash ridiculous. I would recommend hiring a cleaning crew for a complete deep clean. Never going back.

I go to their Stanford Peets location and the staff are wonderful but my review is meh for their pastries, muffins, and cookies. I wanted to give them another chance and paid about $25.00 for a 5 items. The blueberry muffin was tasteless and dry - I threw it away after a few bites. I don't know what the bear claw filling is, but it's also dry and doesn't taste like at all like a bear claw. Plain croissant is just okay. The cookies are a disappointment, also. I really wanted to like them.

Lovvvve this lil bakery/cafe. I usually get the pecan sandie cookies or a carrot cake muffin but honestly i haven't tried anything I didn't like Even the breakfast platter was on point

Apparently the best bakery in all of Santa Cruz according to a few locals but we were not impressed. Tried a couple of items, one savory and one sweet. The savory one was their spinach and cheese turnover which was very good and the sweet one was the Marianne berry turn over that we weren't crazy. The place is definitely popular as there were a ton of people inside and also on the side courtyard that looked very cute. 10 mins walk from downtown right across one the bridges.

The Buttery used to be so much better :(. It just doesn't hit like it used to and it hasn't in a long time. I don't touch their pastries anymore. They haven't revitalized their offerings in years for this case. Their breakfast and lunch aren't bad, but nothing to write home about. Decided to give them a chance today and got their bacon breakfast today and it had zero flavor/salt, and only one piece of bacon. I just have no reason to come back here, which is a bummer because I liv a block away, so I could walk. But it's worth it to drive to somewhere else... my vote is Gayle's.

As my wife and I were walking towards the Buttery, an older lady approached us and said, "it's dangerous here". My initial thought was the crime rate in Santa Cruz. Turns out she was referring to the the dangerously delicious pastries. Whoops. The Buttery is a cute bakery with a wide range of pastries. My wife came at twice, first at 10AM where counters were filled with cakes and pastries. At 1PM most were gone. It was busy and there was a bit of a line. A good amount of workers so the line moves quickly. There are a lot of seats: a few indoors but most are outside. There's a few street parking in the front of the store and there's a parking lot behind them. My wife and I got the Marion Berry Cupcake and I got the Pecan Butterscotch. The winner was the cupcake. The frosting wasn't overpowering, perfectly sweet and light. The tartness of the berry filling complimented the cupcake.

Ambiance is great. We sat on the back patio with all their pretty flowers and pergola and saw monarchs and caterpillars and even chrysalis's. Food was tasty. We had sandwiches (I switched out focaccia for a croissant), an array of different desserts, including the apricot tart, the pecan bar, the berry tart, and a cupcake. People working their were nice. Knocked a star off because they ran out of croissants for my husband's sandwich and he was the one who really didn't want the focaccia. Also, the spicy chai tasted watery.

The Buttery is my all time favorite place to stop by whenever I'm in the mood for a sweet treat. Sweet staff and even sweeter pastries and fresh baked goods. Love the atmosphere that they create and how welcoming and enjoyable their space is.