MANNA - Bread From Heaven — Restaurant in Tomball

Sadly disappointed. I really wanted to be more positive but...

We arrived early on a Saturday morning, 8:30am, hoping to find, like most good European bakeries, at least a few loaves of freshly baked bread. Not the case. We were greeted upon entering the store; there was a family seated at a table enjoying their morning pasteries , but other than that only us. I counted four employees. We stood looking at the products, I guess I would have expected someone to say "welcome can we help you"or "let us tell you about our baked goods" or "our _ is fresh this morning", something, anything more than "Welcome to Manna", but not a further word until we checked out.

What we found were 2 baguettes? (Not sure if that was what it was masquerading as or something else entirely), a loaf of white and one oat bread(?), a loaf or 2 of sourdough, 1 focaccia and 1 cinnamon swirl, none freshly baked and all at least a day old. There was a nice selection of pastries; cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, scones, cupcakes and what looked to be some really well prepared biscuits, among a few other things. But, the bread selection was serious underwhelming - especially from a bakery named Manna-Bread from Heaven. The whole reason we came was to purchase bread. I will give them the benefit of the doubt for now, perhaps we just came on the wrong day for fresh breads?

We purchased the long skinny "baguette", the focaccia, a croissant and a cinnamon roll. The cinnamon roll was very good. The croissant, unusually large, had a lovely buttery flavor, the interior was airy with visable layers, as it should be, maybe a bit heavy due to it's huge size, and while the exterior was a lovely even golden brown, it was neither crisp nor flakey; all in all, almost right! The "baguette" and the focaccia missed the mark completely. The baguette, or whatever it was, was underproofed, tough, no real golden color, in fact, a bit anemic looking and there was no hint of a crisp crust; the focaccia was slightly over done and more than a little greasy and rubbery.

The ambiance of the store was lovely. If I was looking for a breakfast pastry I might return. The bread was just a huge disappointment. I might return, but I certainly would not be in a rush. I wanted to love them, what a lovely story on their website. Who knows maybe we just came at the wrong time, on a bad day/week? I wanted to believe that great bread and a traditional bread bakery was a viable thing in modern day USA...haven't...

I was highly disappointed in the service after visiting Manna Bread. When we ordered the coffee and food we received a number and proceeded to sit and wait. We were a party of 7 and sat in an area that seemed to be open to any patrons. After ordering over $180 worth of coffee and breakfast. We waited over 10 minutes and finally received our first coffee. When asked what type of coffee it was the waitress simply replied, "she didn't know". I tasted the coffee and realized it was cold. Then after a few more minutes the manager asked us to move because the area that we were sitting in was a reserved area. There was no sign nor any indication that the place was reserved. We accommodated the request and moved to two spots due there not being anything available for that large of a party. We then proceeded to wait for our food and coffee, After an additional 15 minutes we received a few more of our drinks and they were also cold. After a few more minutes I asked to speak to the manager and the manager seeing that I wanted to talk to him smiled at me and decided to go in the back of their kitchen. He obviously new that I was speaking to him and that felt very disrespectful and nonprofessional. Also another customer was at the front desk frustrated that they had not received their tea, Then the owner Christin Morris noticed the frustration and approached me. I began to explain to her my frustration in the lack of service and my frustration about her manager and she began to explain to me that she was short staffed and had three people call out. I told her that that doesn't excuse the lack of professionalism from her manager and the poor service. She also sad that they have been open almost a year and they are still trying to work out the kinks. She also said thank you for coming to me an not social media for her to address her concerns. I accepted her refund offer but felt compelled to let everyone know that this was my experience. When we were leaving another older couple expressed their frustration to us and had the same experience. The photos attached shows no reserve sign. I would not recommend this...

Finally, after driving by several times and telling myself I need to stop by, I did today. I'm now kicking myself for not coming in sooner. Walking in the front door felt like walking into a cocoon of freshly baked love. The wood decor creates a rustic, authentic atmosphere which speaks to the centuries old art of baking. A full counter of freshly baked goods greets you right away: loaves of freshly baked bread, brownies, cookies, cinnamon rolls, bear claws, pretzel buns and even a dedicated "keto corner." Literally everything is freshly baked. I was admiring a couple especially attractive loaves of bread with perfect crusts. As a hoby baker, these beautiful loaves helped easily imagine the whole baking process, from mixing the ingredients to rising, resting, rising again, baking and the utter satisfaction of pulling the perfect loaf from the oven. In the back, you can see the prep kitchen, lined with glossy brick and oh-so-homey. I bought a cinnamon roll, brownie, almond bear claw and a pretzel bun. So far, I've only gotten into the pretzel bun. It's unbelievable: dense, chewy and somehow still light with just the right amount of salt and maybe washed or boiled in honey? I can't wait to get to the rest of the baked goods I brought home. The employee who helped me couldn't have been more welcoming (I'm terrible with names, my apologies, I think her name was Kayla? Kailey?). She walked me through the offerings and definitely shared my enthusiasm for baking. She was absolutely wonderful! Even better, during our conversation, I learned Manna is an independent business (as in, the only one ... for now) and it's woman-owned!!! Personally, as a hobby baker with a lot still to learn, this place spoke to me at a deep level. Regardless of whether you enjoy baking or just eating baked goods, the love for the art of baking is palpable here. I can't recommend...