Black Bear Bread Co. — Restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach

This bakery is a gem that fits perfectly in a high-end beach town. The breakfast offerings are excellent with high quality ingredients. The pastries are fresh and delicious with many options. Almond croissant and breakfast sandwiches are delicious. And if you can go on a day they have rosemary olive bread, grab a loaf. It's perfect sourdough with big chunks of kalamata and green olives and a good hint of rosemary, a must-try if you like olives. I wanted to be sure to comment on the food first since the tip situation has so many people mad that the reviews hardly mention it. The food deserves acknowledgement, and it's amazing to have such a high quality bakery at the beach. Now about the cost and tips: after reading the reviews, I had almost decided not to try this place, but I'm glad I went anyway. It was so nice, I went back twice. I did not find the menu overpriced. It is what I'd expect for the quality of baked goods they serve and the location. You are in a high priced town; there's no cheap anything, but I didn't find their prices exorbitant. Auto gratuity has caused the biggest roar, and the owners have obviously taken notice of the tip comments. They have posted a sign about the gratuity in plain sight. You can tell the cashier to remove it. You can also ask to remove Seaside's voluntary arts and entertainment tax, which is a ridiculous rip off of the public. Yes, the gratuity is probably high when just getting food to-go. If you don't like it, ask to change it. To the owners, I do expect if there is an auto tip, that every table outside should be dried and clean by staff before the restaurant opens so when I order and eat my food there, I can sit down on a clean chair. That was not the case when I visited the day after a rainy evening. Auto gratuity requires that staff provide the highest quality service at every turn. Given all this, it is absolutely worth a visit. Don't let the negative comments turn you away. The line out the door tells you all you...

LACKING basic standards of service and hygiene

I’ve been a regular at this café for a while, but after my most recent visit, I am NEVER coming back. For nearly $20 and an automatic 15% gratuity, I was shocked by the lack of basic standards of service and hygiene….

I asked for a LOX bagel, one of their popular menu items. It was a Wednesday morning, far from a busy weekend rush, and they were out of bagels during prime morning hours.

I then decided to try a breakfast sandwich instead, but when it arrived, I realized they gave me the wrong order. I had asked for a sandwich “for here”, but what I got was a box containing avocado toast with arugula “To-Go”. This was not the end of the world, but also not what I ordered. I returned the incorrect dish to the front and things took a turn. I overheard two staff members discussing how they had run out of arugula and were planning to serve the sandwich I had just touched with my hands to another customer. I simply could not believe it.

It didn’t end there. I watched as a waiter and waitress tried to give the same contaminated sandwich to an older lady sitting outside. She ordered a “for here” plate as well and the handed her MY “to-go plate”! Although she immediately rejected it for not being what she asked for as it was a “to go box” VERY UNSANITARY and unprofessional the whole situation was.

For a place that charges premium prices and adds an automatic tip, I expected much more— especially basic food safety and respect for customers. This place has lost...

"Blackbear Robbery" Yo, I pulled up to Blackbear, thought I’d treat my day right, But the line was a snake—wraps around outta sight. Middle of July, sweat drippin’ on my phone, Sun cookin’ me like that ham they overpriced and overblown.

Tiny little shop, ain’t no room to escape, Cramped like a clown car, tryna squeeze into shape. Order that croissant, ham and cheese on deck, Fifteen bucks?? Bruh, what the actual heck.

Blackburn robbin’ like it’s legal, no mask, Matcha sippin’ gone in seconds, that’s a bold ask. Vanilla's one dollar? Man, y’all trippin’ hard, Charged me twice for nothin’, what’s your Yelp star??

Said they’d take it off—AFTER I pay? Y’all shady like a palm tree that ran away. Didn’t post the price, so I walked in blind, Twenty-eight bucks later, lost my peace of mind.

Tip jar smilin’, but the staff look pressed, Attitude served colder than that matcha mess. Yeah, it’s iced—but it’s barely three sips, Should’ve just gone to 7-Eleven for chips.

Hot, broke, and betrayed in a coffee trap, Can’t sit, can’t breathe, can’t even nap. If I wanted daylight robbery with a croissant twist, I’d still pick anywhere but this overpriced abyss.

Blackburn Coffee? More like Blackburn Scam, Charged me for heat, then served me a sham. Y’all played me once—but I won’t be back, Next time I want vibes, I’ll bring my own...