Orwashers Bakery — Restaurant in New York

Living just a block away from Orwasher's Bakery on the Upper West Side, I'm a regular who pops in about twice a week, and the experience is a frustrating mix of admiration and disappointment. The quality of their baked goods is exceptional--crusty baguettes with a perfect chew, flaky almond croissants that melt in your mouth, and hearty rye and sourdough loaves that showcase their century-old craft. The ingredients are top-tier, and the flavors reflect the care put into each item. The bagels are quintessentially New York, with a crisp exterior and dense, chewy interior.

The glaring issue, though, is their inventory, or lack thereof. Like my friends in the neighborhood, I often leave empty-handed, even when visiting well before noon. It's maddening to hear that 80% of their stock, including staples like baguettes, are gone by 11 am. As a local who frequents the bakery, this isn't a one-off--it's a pattern thats getting progressively worse. How does a bakery run out of baguettes so early, especially when they're open until 6 pm? Its a failure to meet local demand.

Orwasher's quality is undeniable, but the consistent sell-outs make it unreliable for anyone who can't sprint over at opening. I'd love to see them scale up production or prioritize neighborhood regulars to match their stellar baking with better availability. Until then, it's a hit-or-miss experience. 2/5 stars--the quality is there, but you would never know it since they're probably out of whatever you...

Bread for billionaires. I've been a fan of their bread since they only had one store on the UES. We've been shopping at the UWS store since they opened here.

It's shocking how much their prices have gone up. Today I went to buy a 1/2 loaf of their Levain bread. It used to be $7 for an entire loaf (see picture of receipt). Now it's $9 for HALF a loaf. The cashier explained that the loaves are a pound each. Not a great explanation since they were a pound each when they cost $7. A loaf of Sourdough used to be $6, now it's $8.95.

Certainly, inflation has hit us all and they need to adjust accordingly. But, these are egregious price hikes - more about greed, less about inflation.

Their bespoke sandwiches look great, but are too big and too expensive for one person. The Green Goddess is $12.60 and probably worth it. The problem is that it's way too big for one person to eat as a meal. It's highly perishable so you'd have to throw away half which would be an expensive waste. Maybe they could consider selling smaller or half sandwiches?

Update: While I appreciate their prompt response, there is nothing "proportional" about raising the price of a loaf of Levain bread from $7 for a full loaf to $9 for a half a loaf. Their other prices have been raised proportionally so I'm not sure why they picked one type of bread for the exponential...

Excellent little bakery on the UES. I love carbs and dream about carbs and definitely went a bit crazy in the store.

Here's what we tried:

1. morning spelt. Bread loaded with raisins, sunflower seeds and quinoa. So dense and hearty. Excellent with some butter or just on its own.

2. green olive zaatar sticks. Lots of olives inside but didn't think it was all that amazing.

3. raisin pumpernickel. Rye bread with raisins. Really good but I prefer the morning spelt.

4. banana walnut bread. Fresh and yum. Loaded with banana flavor.

5. sprouted grain bread. Very crunchy on the outside and chewy inside. Loaded with good for you seeds Tasted so healthy

6. Roasted Onion Focaccia Pull a Part. Didn't think this was all that impressive.

7. Whole Sticky Bun Babka. my favorite item from the store so far! Super buttery and soft with sweet pecan goodness on top! It did came with a hefty price of $17 bucks for a small loft however.

8. everything bagel. Good bagel but no scallion cream cheese? :(

Overall, this is a decent spot. Definitely pricey but overall worth it IMO. The ladies who served me were friendly besides the woman who...