The Buttery

The Buttery: No Fluff, Just Quality This spot is a rare find. Located in a historic building with a great outdoor area, it trades "trendy" gimmicks for genuine character. • The Standout: The carrot 🥕 cake 🧁 is the real deal—flavorful, moist, and thankfully not a sugar bomb. It’s actually balanced. • The Service: Staff are genuinely warm, not just "customer service" polite. • The Value: Prices are fair and refreshingly reasonable. Bottom Line: Great vibes, better cake, and it won't break the bank.

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.

My family and I went for lunch here today. The food was great.

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!

As always, The Buttery never lets me down. Even after being gone for 10 years. As soon as I moved back I ordered a celebratory cake and the quality is still superior.

The Buttery is a lovely little place to visit and enjoy some pastries with coffee, or breakfast. The interior has an antique homey feel to it and although indoor seating is limited, there’s extensive outdoor seating. I had the hot chocolate which was very rich. The pastries were tasty (Marion-berry puff, pumpkin seed muffin, pecan sandie with chocolate on top), they’re not overly sweet which I enjoyed. The french toast breakfast was delicious, they add a lot of berries! The basic breakfast was solid, pretty big portion that can be shared amongst two people. I tried the sausage breakfast sandwich the next day and thought it was very flavorful. They use croissants and they’re so buttery (pun intended)! The sandwich was also very packed with egg and sausage which is good for your buck but I must say, I think less would make the sandwich more balanced - so you can get more of that croissant taste. Staff are very friendly. Shout out to Alex who was very helpful and accommodating. Strongly recommend this spot if you’re visiting!

Nice breakfast place, good food, large covered patio area. Solid four stars... ...except when you look around the outdoor patio, you realize that the whole place is a carefully planned butterfly garden, and there's butterflies everywhere. At least 10 species of plants and flowers that attract butterflies, and cocoons hanging down from the branches. We came in October, butterflies everywhere! Five stars!

Every time I go to this place after 8:30 they are out of almond croissants. I know they have them in the freezer, they just never make enough. So disappointing. The coffee (white mocha) was lukewarm with next to no flavor. Not to mention it took more than 10 mins to get it. I saw no less than 6 people working and when I got to the cashier there was no one else to be found with 6 people behind me. The service has always been atrocious. Hope other have a better experience. I've had enough.

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!

Beautiful buttery pastries. Flaky and crunchy on the outside and soft inside. We went a bit overboard and got the apricot pocket (our favorite), two almond croissants, a blueberry muffin, a peanut butter cookie, a coconut macaroon, and a tomato pesto croissant - for the two of us! Some slight confusion as first-timers about where to order but the staff were super nice and helpful and everything was soooo yummy. I wish we had this place in our town!

Cute location and flower market directly behind the building! Cookie was delicious, but macaron and tart were just okay. Plenty of seating options and friendly staff. Would probably visit again to try something new!

French toast was awful. There's no egg whatsoever. No egg on the surface, needless to say no egg soaked into the bread. It was like toast with fruit on top and syrup if used. Pancakes were NOT fluffy at all. Also, customer service sucks. Either they didn't call me when my drink was done or I didn't hear. But if I didn't hear it, were they just going to let it sit there? We were dining in therefore the drink was associated with a number, that same person that brought our food could've brought my drink as well. 2 stars because their pastries are pretty good. We had the apricot cheese danish, tiramisu, and lemon tart.

Croissants are spectacular as are all their cookies. In fact we went back the next day for more. Excellent service in a great older remodeled building.

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.

This is the most well deserved 5 star bakery ever. Pastries and coffee and food are all 10/10. Easily. And, it's soooooo reasonably priced. If you come to Santa Cruz, this needs to be #1 on your list!! Good service too. I am baffled how people can ever rate this place below a 5/5. I mean, 25$ for three large pastries and two large coffees is insane. Their cakes are 46$ for a full!!!!! Like, I can't get over how well priced this place is. Definitely come here!

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.

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!

I came here a couple mornings while I was in town with my wife who had meetings there. The Buttery has great service, really great coffee and great breakfast sandwiches.

Amazing bakery, probably the best bakery I've ever been to. I live in la and make sure to visit this place and stock up on a million pastries and delicious baked goods here. Their carrot cake and pastries are EVERYTHING!!! So good and always a guaranteed bomb visit

This is a fantastic place to eat breakfast. I had the eggs and pancakes. Everything was so fresh. A case full of pastries were in the eatery, but I had to pass. The service was great also.

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.

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)

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.

If I could have a boner for a bakery, I'd have one for the Buttery. Are we progressive enough in Santa Cruz for me to ask this almond croissant to marry me?

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!

We went to the buttery to get a carrot cake for a birthday. We saw that they had carrot cake cupcakes too. We asked if they were the same as the full-size carrot cake, and they said "yes." We pointed out that the icing looked different from the cream cheese icing on the full-size carrot cake, but we were told it was the same icing. I asked if it was the same cream cheese frosting but whipped; they said, "yes." We bought the cupcakes, but unfortunately the icing was Not the traditional carrot cake icing. Also, the cake itself was not the traditional dense, moist carrot cake, but was fluffy, like a spice cake, but with a little bit of carrot mixed in. The service was friendly.

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).

Best bakery and brunch place for our family to go to, given their great food, and beautiful outdoors area. Appreciate how their lunch hours are extended later now and we can just enjoy our lunch outside in the sun or with some shade when it gets toot hot, and enjoy the monarch butterflies in their pollinator garden. Yummy salads and healthy foods, with savory and sweet treats that kids always love, at pretty good prices! Our grandparents go to when bringing grandchildren for a brunch or lunch outing.

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

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.

Make sure to call and double check your order successfully went through if you do an online order.

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.

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.

Ordered a tiramisu cake in advance for my wife's birthday. Was perfect. Tasted great and looked amazing. A bit pricey but very good.

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!!

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!!

As a professional baker for 43 years I have to say the ham and cheese croissant I had for dinner tonight was excellent and my German chocolate birthday cake we had for dessert was as good as it gets, and I love my German chocolate cakes. Great job to the bakers!

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!