Sweet River Bakery — Restaurant in Pateros

During high school in the 90s in Lake Chelan, I worked summer jobs at restaurants. I understand what it can be like to serve hungry and often unhappy tourists. As a local, I have stopped here about once a year for the past 12 years. Some times the customer service is great, other times so-so. I still stop in thinking "this time" will make up for the previous so-so time. The prime location of this business and lack of other eateries ensures this place will not be at a loss if I am no longer a customer there. Taking down the plastic partition would be a improvement. I have a quiet voice and when I need to raise it, it sounds like I'm mad when I'm not mad at all. I asked for pizza and was informed it isn't served until after 1PM. It was 1:20 and the reason given was bread was being baked. That's totally OK... however, the cashier seemed to find humor in my disappointment. I don't stop in enough to keep up on any menu changes. Right now, I cannot get the Menu to open on the website to confirm if I was way out of the time zone to order pizza or not. Perhaps she couldn't hear me well over the partition, but an apologetic smile would put a customer at ease instead of a pressured glare. I concur with other reviews that it does feel like the vibe of the staff is an -unhappy that you are even walking into the place- type of vibe. With the amount of customers that the owner mentioned comes through (300+), I understand treating each person as an individual might become tiresome for some especially in August when you have seen too many new faces to count. With this casher, I felt rushed to decide on something else, even though there were no other customers waiting behind us. A "take your time" comment would have gone a long way. If there was a sign that said no pizza until a certain time, I couldn't see this because again, the pressured glare in addition to the cluttered appearance of the counter. I originally wanted to order a cinnamon roll to go, but decided against it due to the pressure. Having just had a mediocre cinnamon roll at another bakery in another town, the Sweet River roll looked amazing in the case compared to that one. I paid with cash and exact cents. The cashier didn't offer a tip-worthy experience, but I placed quarters I had into the tip jar for the staff making our order. What was extremely odd and is the main the reason I am taking the time to write this review was: the cashier immediately pulled the tip jar back, loudly opened it, and started to count out what all was in there? I thought this to be extremely poor timing as I just placed coins in there... Not sure if this is some weird way businesses nowadays calculate tips for staff, but back in the day, we didn't open and divide it in front of customers. Also, not sure if she expected the dollars in change she gave back to me versus the coins. It's unfair to both of us to even try to guess why she did that. I slowly walked away and quietly waited for our food which arrived quickly because, again, no one else was waiting. The sandwiches were great; the bread was fresh. Would have loved to enjoy the meal better and have no regrets spending my own hard earned money there. One star for the food we ate and one star for the cinnamon roll that looked amazing but didn't feel was a good time to bother the cashier with. Will probably keep driving...

Consistently disappointed. I live in Northern Okanogan and travel frequently for work. I have stopped here many times over the years, and am consistently disappointed. I keep hoping the food quality will improve. The filled croissants have scant amount of filling, usually about one small bite worth. The “giant” breakfast burrito was not much bigger than “Annie’s” frozen burrito. Very plain with American cheese, not “cheddar” and no hash browns…not at all like the menu described. And for $10. The menu looks great, even with a “please be patient, everything is homemade” sign, but it seems only the bread and pastries are homemade. It’s a typical “cut corners” type of place where the owners don’t appear to have any pride in what they are serving. The bathroom is exactly the same very dirty that I have seen for years. Just a quick swipe on the seat every night type of cleaning.

I also keep hoping Blue Star will have a deeper more accurate roast for their Espresso drinks. But, it is a typical American version of espresso, light and mild, not at all what espresso is supposed to be. Not a very good cup of coffee.

I hope the owners read my review and take it to heart. We all work hard for our money, so I ask you to please work on your food quality so it matches your menu presentation and to improve your store...

Always friendly service and delicious pastries, both sweet and savory. When you are here, check out the nearby path under the Hwy 97 and railroad bridges The confluence is interesting to see any season.

Nearby: Apple Line bus stop, gas station, library

Update 2025: I used to feel welcomed here. Maybe I am just old and easily confused. I am sure the staff and owners did not intend to dehumanize their customers. Unfortunately, here is how I felt at my most recent and maybe last visit: it was almost impossible to understand the rapid fire questions of the cashier about my choice of sandwich over the hum of a dozen cooling aggregates competing with unwelcome music for acoustic attention. Once that ordeal was over, I was asked by the inevitable payment screen to add a tip on top of a steep price for a sandwich which I hoped was edible. To underscore the electronic wall between the staff and its customers, I was given a buzzer that would remind me that my high price piece of nourishment was ready to meet me. The result was drastically underwhelming: Some Rost beef shoved into a corner between two slices of the most uninspired floppy thin sourdough that met my lips in a decade. I need to find me a place around here where somebody seems to appreciate me as a customer, cuz this place ain’t it...