Clark Street Bakery — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I secretly slipped in the other day. I’ve been avoiding my beloved cinnamon pastries here thanks to lackluster service, but against my better judgment I got one. Even though I know I can get them at a slightly higher price a few blocks to the east lol. Best of all - with a smile.

The lines are long here often. With good reason, but there are some flaws.

Previous review: MOMENTOUS OCCASION! Alas, finally I got a genuine, warm smile here! One of the guys that work in the little room where they prepare stuff. A baker? He was dressed like one. Anyway amazing! He should train (or reprogram) everyone else here! He’s actually not bad looking.

This used to be a five star review. The bread is top notch but the service is absolutely not.

Previous review: Please reprogram the staff. Yes, reprogram because everyone else here is an automaton struggling with their interactions in the most cosmopolitan city in earth. In front they have one highly efficient staff that makes things function, an always clueless, slothlike and socially inexperienced cashier and a barista that is ponderous and expressionless.

They’re probably all imported from Montana or Nebraska. Who knows? Devoid of much human contact or far worse. Cultural tipping points anyone? Nah, please don’t let it be so!

Today the cashier didn’t get the order right and renamed me. I kind of noticed something was off but didn’t find out till the barista only made one latte when I had asked for two. He asked me if the latte was mine instead of calling out a name and that’s when I saw I had a brand new name. lol. Instead of clarifying my name, which would involve more human interaction , the poor young woman went deeper into her introverted comfort zone and wished everything would turn out fine. It didn’t though.

I have a theory about this place. Their programming limits them to smile expressly for weird and entitled Larchmont entertainment industry types. They actually live around here. lol.

Annoying anecdote of the year: the cashier renamed me with the name of a horrid supervisor I had to endure for a year and a half in the world’s most toxic job environment. Actually this was kind of funny n a masochistic and self deprecating way. lol

They took soooooooo long sorting things out, etc that a meter maid was gleefully writing a ticket for me outside lol. Ok this is my fault but I’m warning everyone that you should never ever make the mistake of thinking a visit to Clark St can ever, ever be a quick one. lol pay your meter! lol.

Here is my first review:

We arrived at around 8 am and there was already a small line. We had to wait outside. There were a bunch of people sitting outside. They’ve got some pretty cool merch. They play cool enough music. Today it was Killers sounding alt pop.

There are literally a ton of pastry and bread options.

So my favorite bakery ever is in Berlin and this one comes very close but they don’t have the raspberry and white chocolate bread I had in Berlin. I mention the Berlin bakery because I haven’t run into a bakery quite like this one or Clark St in Los Angeles. Not to say we don’t have great bakeries here.

I had a breakfast plate with a pastry and a latte today. I ordered the Bacon and Eggs plate which included slices of bread, two scrambled eggs, three pieces of bacon, butter and preserves. The bread was incredibly fresh and the crusts weren’t too hard. They were just right. The bacon was cooked to perfection. It was not too thin and not too thick. The eggs were great.

I chose a Swedish cinnamon bun. It was amazing. I love cinnamon bread. The pastry was soft inside and had a slightly crunchy exterior. It paired well with my three shot latte which was incredibly balanced and subtle in flavor.

I tried a croissant which was great but it isn’t the best croissant in Los Angeles. It’s close though.

When we were leaving it was close to 9 am and it got pretty busy.

Nice clean private bathroom with a baby shelf.

Meter...

Went to Clark Street today to get a sandwich for takeout. Asked how long it would be and was told 10 to 15 mins. We went to walk around larchmont and came back approximately 20 to 25 mins later. We walk in, the female cashier makes eye contact but understood she couldnt help right away because there are 2 customers ahead of us. We decided to stand on the side for out takeout. Another customer comes in behinds us and we still wait to be greeted or even looked at by the other 2 workers who were in the front the entire time. We were eventually the only people in the store after about 10 mins and still not even a question or how can I help you. We asked if we could get some help and one of the guys responds with a dramatic what with his hands all out like what do you want. He had a bewildered expression and a rude response. The other guy next to him had a similar expression. He yells "What is your name?" And then hands us the takeout bag that was sitting there the entire time. I really hope it isn't but I can only think it has to do w the color of our skin. As every other person of their skin color was greeted,smiled at and thanked. No thank you after a 15% tip ok takeout. No sorry after horrible customer service.

Don't recommend this place unless you're of the same skin color of...

It’s always disappointing when a place with potential to be great chooses to be a place you keep supporting only because of one thing - their pastries. I am a regular and enrolled in their loyalty program. This morning I noticed that they redesigned their patio (not in a good way as they removed a cuter-looking communal tables replacing them with super generic-looking plastic individual tables), but that was not the only change. It seems like their prices went up again and they no longer offer refills for $2.00 on their black coffee. I guess they think nothing of charging $10 for two cups of not amazing filter coffee rather than showing their appreciation of the loyal customers base, which is definitely not a smart policy (at Friends and Family they actually don’t charge anything if you ask them for a fresh splash every now and then). I just visited Greece where restaurant and cafe owners go out of their ways to please the customers, which felt so amazing, and this kind of attitude (“it will be just the same price as for another cup of coffee) seemed so greedy and cold. Oh, well. I still enjoyed my danish and needed that extra caffeine, but I am still having a hard time...