Baker and Barista — Restaurant in Miami

Sunday Stroll Surprise… A New Neighborhood Gem 🌞☕🍕

I just moved into the neighborhood and decided to take a little Sunday walk to explore the area. A quick search brought up Baker and Barista, just about a 10 minute walk from my new place. So I figured I’d check it out.

As soon as I stepped in, the place had great energy. A calm, cozy vibe with a handful of people enjoying their coffee and food. The aroma alone was enough to let me know I made the right call. Freshly baked pastries, sandwiches and what looked like some insanely good pizza.

When it was my turn to order, I was greeted with a big, genuine smile. The barista (wish I got her name) was super helpful and friendly, walking me through a few hot drink options since it was my first time there. We landed on a coffee that hit perfectly.

Then I spotted the pizza. The pepperoni slice looked insanely good. Crispy edges, perfectly baked crust and just straight-up mouthwatering. Here’s the kicker. I’ve been a vegetarian for years, but that pepperoni slice had me breaking all my own rules. 😂

But right before it was served, I saw a fresh cheese + basil pizza come out and my brain just short-circuited. I walked back up and asked if there was any chance I could switch. I made it clear it was totally okay if not. I’d just come back next time to try it. Without hesitation, the barista smiled and handed me the cheese slice, no stress at all. She then handed me my coffee and pointed me to the sugars and lids with the same friendly energy.

The coffee was great. The pizza? Even better. But honestly, the service was what really stuck with me.

Safe to say I found my new go-to spot in the...

The Baker and the Beast is how I remember this place. I’ve been multiple times over the last few months. I have experienced personally or seen the same thing happen over and over. 1 of the two owners, specifically the Barista, is just plain rude. Shes got a permanent tude! She’s like that about everything and every question. I remember the first time I simply asked about the napkins and sugar and the response was this unfriendly direction of its location. The second time I wanted to try a new drink and it was this outward feeling of annoyance. It resonates from her. Now this is a complete 180 from the Baker, who is very nice, and seems like she may have been a service industry rock star previously. They should make an adjustment. Change the name to “The Baker and few Baristas and another person doing the books in the back room that no one needs to interact with!” OR call it Baker and the Beast and that way everyone knows what they are getting when they walk in. At least that way the customer base who like to be treated poorly will continue to visit.

It’s just too bad because I truly enjoy the food here. I do believe that the food is really well done and tasty. They allow dogs and the people who come in seem to be a pretty cool crowd. Also…don’t ask the Barista to heat up your bakery item…you’ll feel the heat coming from her before you get close to anyone being ok with warming up...

The pastries here are 10/10. However there are certain points that make it hard for me to give it 5 stars. The parking situation is complicated, they have 4 spots in the front of the street that are always full, most people have to park unlawfully to be able to pick up or eat at the bakery. I always want to have breakfast here but just thinking of the parking situation makes it stressful and frustrating. The other thing is that even though their pastries really are 100/10 and that’s what you will get from every review here, they sell out super early, which is good for the business of course, but it’s really frustrating that by the time you make it there, manage to finally find parking or risk it by parking on a spot you probably shouldn’t, you’re most likely not going to find whatever pastry you wanted. Their quantities are very limited and if you enjoy sleeping in on the weekend, chances are you won’t get a chance to try any of their popular items after 10 am. That being said, I really love their croissants and they are probably one of the best I’ve had. Besides that, I always have to prepare mentally to deal with driving around for a while before finding a parking spot, crossing fingers there’s going to be place to seat, and if I’m lucky they will still have a croissant by the time I manage to do all of...