Flour Child Bakery — Restaurant in Grand Ledge

I stopped by twice on my visit to Grand Ledge. I was under the impression that this place would have better gluten-free options. I was frustrated that they were out of the only GF bread option (the wrap) two days in a row and aside from the usual salad options everything else on the menu revolved around bread products (obviously- I know, bakery) so I was confused why they didn't have any GF bagel, focaccia, or alternative breads on menu. I would have been delighted to be able to have most of what was on the menu, it all sounded delicious.

Bakery case varied in GF friendliness day to day. One day seemed like maybe 5-7 options, the next maybe 3.

The self serve tea option also left much to be desired as well, the hot water cup handed to us wasn't hot enough to steep tea and we served ourselves from Michigan-sourced tea that was pretty weak potency to begin with. Staff was efficient but in an emotionless way.

There were no paper menus available to consider, which makes sense with a rotating menu, but I got the impression that there were breakfast and lunch staples that could have been on a printed option. My mother wasn't able to read the screens to make her decisions and felt rushed by the stand-at-the-counter ordering process.

Overall our visit felt chaotic and unfulfilling. I'm sure if we were regulars and knew what to order it wouldn't feel as bad, but the entire experience felt inhospitable to anyone except those quickly ordering at the register.

The space itself is adorable and feels like a nice addition to the food options in downtown GL, I just wish they would slow it down a beat and have more patience for someone who has to decide and ask questions for...

I had been looking forward to eating here for a while, so it was fortunate that an event brought me down the street from the restaurant. They supposedly have the best bagels around. If you get there at 1:30, just 30 minutes before closing time, you're not going to get to try them. We missed out.

What we didn't miss out on were the lunch options. My kids had the Old Fashioned Grilled Cheese and the Back in the Day PB&J. No complaints, which is a massive compliment from them. I had the Grilled Italian. (Pictured. Well, half of it.) It was so good. If I had to change anything about it, I'd say it needs more pesto. This isn't saying they're not applying enough. It's just that my default for any condiment is just a bit more than what anyone ever gives. When I go back, I'll ask for extra. I'm sure they can accommodate. Each sandwich was served with a pickle spear and plain chips.

It's a bakery, and we weren't going to leave without sweets to take back home. Mine was the peanut butter cookie sandwich. I was expecting hard cookies sandwiching the peanut butter. To my delightful surprise, they were softer, nearly falling apart cookies. I like my cookies on the softer, more gooey side. This cookie sandwich was perfect for me. Everyone else liked whatever they got, I'm sure. I wasn't paying much attention because I was so focused on...

Don't get the bagel and lox here. It's so bad it's actually alarming. I'm a bagel and lox fan, I've had it hundreds of times, in deli/bakeries from New York City's Russ and Daughters to Big Apple Bagels in East Lansing. The one they serve here at Flour Child is the worst I've ever had. By a long shot. The lox (brined, smoked salmon) has the sticky, leathery feel of a fruit roll-up and it was dark and dried out enough I spit it out. It has the distinct texture of lox that's old and has been left out- and believe me, I've eaten it often enough to be able to spot it. Even the gravlox I've had, which is like drier, over-salted lox on steroids, never looked like this. Plus, they don't serve it like people normally do, with a solid slice or two of lox in the middle, it's more like they lightly, thinly shave the lox onto the bagel. It's very weird, just small little pieces scattered across a light smear of cream cheese. Like, I was honestly shocked at how bad it was, I didn't even know it was possible to mess up a bagel with lox that badly. I suppose you can say they serve it in a way that looks pretty, like it would make a good Instagram photo, but if you actually like eating bagels and lox, they have made choices in their preparation that will leave you confused, disappointed, and just a bit...