Houso Bread — Restaurant in McKinney

Disclaimer: This review covers only one kind of bread that House of Bread sells. I was so excited to learn that McKinney had a bakery, where in my imagination, baked fresh bread. I entered the store armed with hope and excitement. I was looking for freshly baked sourdough baguette. Sourdough baguette are generally the standard bearer of a good bakery. There were only two baguettes in a basket. I would taken both but the baguettes did not look that fresh to me. I decided to buy only one; I asked the lady at the counter if the baguettes were baked today and after a moment of silence she admitted that the baguette had been baked yesterday and that they only bake baguettes every other day I paid for the baguette and went home ready to make myself a sandwich with some nice prosciutto. Unfortunately the baguette proved to be a disappointment. I did not recognize it as being sourdough and I have a feeling that the bread was not just a day old. I threw the baguette away. I would have gladly paid $ 10 instead of the $ 7 I paid for my baguette that ended up in trash. Now, I hate to give bad reviews but sometimes the poor service or poor product could be the result of a bad day, a disgruntled employee or a baker who just does not know what a sourdough baguette should look like. That is why reviews, positive and negative alike, can help the owners to correct things, assuming they believe the reviewer is honestly trying to help them to improve their business. Again, this reviewer is judging only the sourdough...

I stopped at House of Bread on Eldorado and waited patiently in line behind 4 customers. Probably 15 to 20,minutes or so. All of these people had sandwich orders so it was taking awhile.

There were two ladies at the counter and one was taking orders while the other fulfilled them.

Another lady walked in and went straight to the other side and stood behind someone waiting for their order.

It was finally my turn and the woman at the counter held her fingers up to me to wait while she asked the other lady if she wanted to order something.

I turned and left! What in the hell did she think I was waiting for???

I want to mention, this newcomer wasn’t trying to cut in line. She wasn’t even at the counter. She was waiting her turn behind this other patron.

The clerk could have told her she would be right with her and waited on me. I would not have minded that. All I wanted was a loaf of bread!

It’s unacceptable to me to take this rude behavior anymore. After a certain age, we all seem to become invisible!

I will not be returning to House of Bread. Hugs downtown McKinney has much better bread and they are much nicer! House of Bread only has a few breads worth getting and they only have those on scheduled days.

Update. My husband went in there and talked to the owner while he bought a loaf of bread. She blamed it on her untrained staff. However, I believe it was the owner and she even mentioned that she recalled...

House of Bread is a wonderful local gem that truly lives up to its name. I’ve tried a variety of their offerings including the raspberry swirl bread, raspberry roll, Grandma’s white bread, sourdough bread , cinnamon roll, chocolate chip cookie, gluten-free chocolate chip cookie, and Noble Coyote brand coffee which is a local roaster located in Dallas. I also tried two of the sandwich options one was the veggie sandwich and the other was the pizza grilled cheese sandwich, my favorite sandwich was the veggie sandwich. My son had the chicken bacon ranch sandwich and loved it.

What stands out most is their commitment to using fresh, high-quality ingredients without cheap fillers or preservatives. The breads are flavorful and wholesome though occasionally a bit firm if not baked that same day, which is expected with preservative free baking. I’ve learned to time my visits with their baking schedule to get the freshest, softest loaves.

The service is always friendly and efficient, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting — like a cozy mom-and-pop deli. The shop is clean and also offers a charming selection of extras like local honey, jams, tea towels, sourdough starters, pizza dough, olives, and pickled veggies.

Prices are reasonable considering the quality and care put into their products. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for freshly baked goods and a welcoming...