True Grain - Cowichan Bay — Restaurant in Area D (Cowichan Bay)

If you enjoy bread and bread products, this store will be right up your alley. Make sure you bring lots of cash though because nothing there is inexpensive. They don't take credit cards, so you're going to have to dig under your mattress for stacks of real cash or at least your debit card. So as long as you're prepared to pay an extreme price for most everything in there, they do have some pretty awesome stuff. A single cookie from there showcase will cost you $4. And it goes up from there. A package of six cookies can be had for the steal deal of just $15! They have just about every type of flour and bakery stuff that you could ever imagine, but it is extremely expensive. The atmosphere is warm, cozy and enjoyable, and the staff is generally very nice. It's a nice place to sit down with a cookie or some other bakery item and a drink once every couple of years, but I can't stress enough that this is not a place you're going to want to frequent all the time or even frequently, unless you're a millionaire or money is no object to you. If it wasn't so expensive, this would be a five-star place. But to put it in perspective, even if everything in their store was 50% off, most people would STILL find it to be on the high side for pricing. It is EXTREMELY expensive, and that is its only downfall and will likely be the result of its...

Why not 5 stars? DO NOT STOP THERE FOR..... Well, I moved to Cowichan Bay because of the lovely beaches, quint village and their great bakery (just read other reviews to see how awesome Grain Bakery is! Really is.) but unfortunately, they make the worst cup of coffee I ever had in my life (I am 52). I am a coffee addict (like most of us I came to believe) but believe me not fussy; and I have been giving them so many chances (and $$ since nothing is cheap there) to tried again (and again) their coffee as I thought it must be a bad day or just a 'Oups" and that will be better tomorrow. Absolutely not, same stuff, watery and flavourless everyday I tried . Today, I dumped my "so needed" coffee cup in a nearby bush and came to the conclusion that there just cannot make good tasting coffee which is so painful when there is such a wonderful bakery. Doesn't make sense at all. Anyway, if you are stopping for coffee in Cowichan bay, DO NOT STOP THERE but go to Great Green Market 5 mns away by the highway (physical address: 4485 Trans-Canada Hwy, Duncan) who does beautiful brews AND they also have an awesome local market and lots of great, great stuff! Bottom line is: if you do not know how to make coffee, just...

I am giving them 2 stars because I HATE their policy of handing the customer the debit machine with an in your face TIP “option”. It starts at 15 percent and goes up from there! This bread store sells bread and some sweets. The bread is not cheap. My small loaf this morning was $8.00. It is good and made with quality ingredients but take a look at the price of their granola. $ 14.95 compared to Terra Bread $10.99 and the bags are the same size. Terra’s is organic and just as tasty. Anyway, back to my real complaint, the debit machine. The customer Who does not want to give w tip, then has to ASK the clerk how to bypass the tio option. If that isn’t awkward I don’t know what is… This store also does NOT accept credit cards, just debit and cash. So the owner is saving at least 3 percent on every transaction made at the store so why not pass this along to YOUR lovely staff, instead of guilting people into feeling they have to tip at least 15 percent? I lobe their bread but I am starting to search out other options just because of the awkwardness every time I use my debit card. I would buy with cash but it takes me another 15 minutes in the opposite direction to get to a...