Turtle Bread Company — Restaurant in Minneapolis

This place is like a proper Italian Cafe Trattoria/ Deli/ Bakery. The name betrays the quality of the food here. It is one of the few places in the Twin Cities where you can get a GOOD espresso & cappuccino. They don't burn the beans so the flavor is not acidic but well-rounded & smooth. They have fresh baked bread as well as absolutely lovely, large, irresistible, fresh made pastry along with other delicious baked desserts & delights. Their food is just FRESH FRESH FRESH!!! They serve both their Breakfast & Lunch menu till 2:30pm so if you're a breakfast person you're in luck! AND that also means you can try their Salmon eggs Benedict! (One of my favorite menu items) they have different soups to try each day. I enjoyed the Tomato Squash soup the other day which I dunked my fresh baked French bread into to soak up its fresh & tangy goodness! Their sandwiches are just so so yum! & huge! A "half sandwich" is pretty filling & comes with a side. And remember that they ARE a bakery so they CAN make your sandwich on any kind of bread you want. DEFINITELY save space for dessert & coffee! DON'T MISS OUT! Seriously one of the best dining experiences I've had in the Twin Cities so unexpectedly good, fresh, satisfying, & diverse for what I thought was going to be just a "bread bakery/company" Also, side note. I'm mentioning this because I hope it gets put on the menu if enough people ask for it. I'm a pescatarian so I don't eat meat but I love sandwiches especially on fresh baked bread (being an Italian girl) So I requested the roast beef sandwich that I saw pre-made in the cooler but instead of roast beef if I could have salmon. The salmon was kind of chopped & slightly smoked as it had only been prepped for the Benedict dish but they put that salmon in the sandwich with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh mixed greens, & whatever sauce comes w it. It was SOOOO GOOD!!! I really hope they add it to their menu for pescatarians & just anyone who likes salmon I mean it kind of was like bagel w lox Just so so good! I was with 2 people let them try it. Everyone was just moaning tbh lol! So ask to sub roast beef for salmon if enough people do it maybe they will make a sandwich & add it...

I had an interesting experience recently at the Chicago Ave Turtle Bread. To preface this, I've been a fan of both locations...nice casual atmosphere, very good bread and baked goods, decent kitchen prepared meals. But my last visit to the Chicago Ave location, I witnessed some guy completely bullying the staff there, barking orders in a raised voice, even getting in the face of some staff members, in front of many patrons who were obviously as surprised and turned off as I was. It was a busy lunch time, so everyone was having a hard time keeping up with food and coffee orders, along with bussing the tables. But as with most SW and S Mpls Sunday morning eatery patrons, everyone was being nice, patient, and understanding about it...no lost business or anything because the tables had crumbs. However, business DOES get lost when the environment seems oppressive, and staff members look like they're in fear. I learned later from a staff member that this bully was the owner! I don't know how accurate that is, but it was what I was told. So let me be clear...it doesn't matter how good your food is. If you present an atmosphere where employees are treated in such a manner where they are obviously afraid of the person assigning the work (who, by the way, did not lift a finger to help clean tables...I've seen James Beard winning chef/owners come and clean tables!), it is not a place worthy of patronizing. I will not be returning to either Turtle Bread location. And I hope others who care about food service staff will think twice about going there.

And if the "owner" happens to care about what a former loyal patron feels about his management style, please feel free to...

This bakery is in a fun neighborhood setting. a lot to watch in this open venue. It should be noted that it was quite noisy if this is important to you.

There is a wide selecting of eye popping bakery goods that the customer can help themselves to with plates nearby. In addition to the bakery goods is a menu of dishes to order from at counter. We enjoyed the establishment enough to come back the next day for more! I ordered the huevos rancheros on my first visit. This was a yummy version of the traditional, dish with a nice helping of guacamole, a hefty serving of fresh bread, and tasty spice coated roasted potatoes on the side. My only suggestion here would be smaller pieces for more of the spice flavor. On our visit the following day I ordered the chorizo burrito, another very good choice. Not too spicy but hit the spot. With my burrito I chose a salad. The salad was plain but had a nice dressing that complimented the salad well. I dont know that I will choose the salad for breakfast again but I did manage to start the day off with another vegetable...