Sunday Morning Bakehouse — Restaurant in North Bethesda

I've been to Sunday Morning Bakehouse twice in the opening weekend (Friday morning and Sunday morning), and I really loved the quality and type of baked goods.

I'm always on the lookout for places with a stellar almond croissant made with real marzipan (almond paste), so I walked into Sunday Morning with high hopes. Upon walking in, the almond croissant display was empty, but luckily, the cashier informed me that they were baking more, and that they would be ready in 10 minutes. Even though I only had about 15 minutes to spare, I decided to wait, and was very glad I did. My friend and I both really loved the almond croissant - it was one of the best I've ever had.

So I came back on Sunday morning around 8:30 AM for another fix, and there was one left in the display when I got in line. Sadly, it got snapped up before I got to the register, and this time, they told me they wouldn't be baking any more. So I bought a chocolate croissant instead, which was very good, but I definitely liked the almond croissant better.

It seems like they are still figuring out how to scale their production for the demand, since multiple items are always sold out, and there's never any way to know whether the particular item you want will be available when you get to the front of the line. An online ordering system might be nice, but the most important thing is probably just to scale the production more appropriately. As soon as they address that, this is a five-star place for sure.

In short, I love this place and am thrilled to have it in the neighborhood, and hope they continue to grow and thrive in...

The coffee here is great. If all I want is coffee I am happy to stop by. But there is no flexibility when it comes to food. I asked to substitute bread on both their smoked salmon sandwich and tuna sandwich for something other than a croissant on two occasions. On the first occasion I was told they didn’t have enough of other breads to do that which made me assume that it is a possibility but they had run out of bread that day. I had a sandwich on a croissant that time and it wasn’t buttery but flat out greasy and they served it on a croissant that was about the quarter of the size of the ones in the case which made me feel extra dumb about what I paid for the sandwich. On the second occasion I was told they now don’t allow for substitutions at all because then they run out of bread which was happening when others were asking for substitutions. A smart business would take that as a signal that they need to adjust what they are baking based on sales and customer preference. They could even get away with charging a little extra for the switch. If customers keep asking for substitutions every day the response shouldn’t be to stop allowing them it should be to realize that the menu doesn’t reflect what the market wants. Aside from that, they should be embarrassed to admit that a bakery keeps running out of bread as the morning goes on. I was looking forward to this shop opening but am very disappointed in how they are handling...

This is solely for the purpose of public awareness — not to bash the establishment or criticize the food. My fiancé and I genuinely love this place and have been regular customers.

However, experiencing racial discrimination within its walls — and being told this isn’t the first time — is deeply concerning. May we share our piece.

Out of all places to experience racial discrimination, @sundaymorningbakehouse was the last we ever expected.

Please review your cameras. While we were simply enjoying breakfast, as we often do, one of your “close friends” and regular customers confronted us and told us we didn’t belong. We were told that as Latinos we were “invading this place,” that this is “a nice neighborhood,” and that we should not be here. They even claimed you would support them and have us removed because of their relationship with you.

We were quietly minding our business, yet we were harassed, humiliated, and targeted for who we are. No one should ever have to endure that.

We were not the only ones who witnessed this disgusting behavior — others in the café approached us afterward to share their empathy and support.

@​sundaymorningbakehouse — please take a close look at your cameras and at the conduct being displayed by your clientele. We truly hope this is addressed, so that your establishment remains the welcoming place we have always...