(617) 267-4300

1597 Washington St
Boston, MA 02118 42.3383 -71.0747

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Neighborhoods: South End, Harrison Lenox

Reviews & Ratings for Flour Bakery & Cafe

4.5 Star Rating: Recommended

21 reviews

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Reviews from:
2 Star Rating: Below Average

05/21/09

Not Memorable

by Ian76

My friend and I selected several cakes and pastries to take with us before leaving town. They had potential, but were fairly bland. Not terrible, but not that memorable either.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/28/09

If in Boston it is a must go to!!

by travelerz1

I have no idea what some of the other reviews are talking about!! This place is a great little spot. The amount of people in line are proof. If the food was bad there would be ample seating but its not and the seating is limited. this is a must go to for a pastry if your in Boston!!!

  • Pros: FOOD !!!!!!!!
  • Cons: snotty people that write bad reviews
4 Star Rating: Recommended

04/12/08

a line for food, a line for seats...

by freewilly7

felt slightly overrated as the soup/sandwich/coffee is just about what i expect at a decent place like this, but it's good regardless.

the place is crowded as is, w/long order line; took us at least 20 min to finish the food-getting process, and then there's another line for the limited seating (about 25) there were! and there are people who just won't finish their very last bites (or sips) and get the heck out but instead took their sweet time chatting it up and giggling around as if they're at a fine-dining restaurant or something. yes, they have every right to do that regardless, but in my personal opinion i just thought people can use a little bit more consideration and compassion when eating at a small sandwich place like this, especially during peak-time.

order out if you can, esp during peak times (weekend included).

thought ms. chang started off as a pastry chef (and expect more items to that end on the menu), but all we had was just her sandwiches. have yet to try her sweet stuff. maybe next time.

it's a cool place to hang--if you can find a seat first.

:)

  • Pros: good neighborhood, park right outside for a little picnic!!
  • Cons: packed area, seat-your-self style (good lucky w/your tray of food)
4 Star Rating: Recommended

12/11/07

Food is great, service is...blah

by meljab

I visit Flour once or twice a week on Tues/Wed mornings. I have to say that the Cinnamon Cream Brioche, scones, Sugar Brioche Buns, quiche and soups are to die for. The service is horrible, at best. The milk/cream station for coffee is always empty and after telling staff I waited 4 minutes for someone to come out and service it and the kid doing it wiped down everything and then went in back for the milk instead of doing that first so I could get the heck out of there. It is perpetually crowded and the setup for tables and chairs isn't the greatest. If you are waiting for food to be warmed (quiche, "hot pockets" etc.) expect to wait at least 15 minutes, if not more and keep an eye out for your items so it doesn't sit on the counter waiting for you to ask for it. They need a better system for paying/picking up food, perhaps (this is a genius idea, really) asking for your name then yelling it out when your food is ready. The coffee is not that great and there doesn't seem to be a selection of juices.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/19/07

Sandwiches to die for!

by cambridgegirl123

I used to live around the corner from Flour Bakery in the South End and it is the highlight of the neighborhood. The sandwiches are deliciously constructed: Roast beef with crispy onion pieces, Lamb with tomato chutney, all atop fluffy bread with a crispy crust.

Also wonderful: the homemade oreos, the granola bar (!) with jam, the raspberry jam filled donuts, the bread pudding and the tiramisu.

Yes, you may have to wait for a table, but on a nice day there's a lovely park just down the street where you can take your food to go and watch the neighborhood dogs cavort (or beg for a morsel from you). The servers are friendly and prompt, and if you visit often enough they may even get to know your name and preferences for food :). If only they'd open a location in Cambridge!

  • Pros: Sandwiches, Service
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/20/07

Best baked goods and pastries in town

by bengalifoodie

Not sure why these negative reviews. The baked goods and pastries are to die for (and cry for). The sandwiches are very tasty (try the roasted lamb with tomato chutney and goat cheese), the bread is always fresh, the brioches full of flavor and the pastries are delicious. I wish the one in the South End was a bit bigger and less crowded on weekends. The one in Farnesworth Street (Forth Point Channel) is bigger.

ps: I ordered my wedding cake from Flour (a carrot cake) and the guests loved it. A great alternative to traditional cakes.

  • Pros: Great food, good coffee
  • Cons: long lines, long wait for a table
4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/05/07

Bright, inviting South End spot caters to local sugartooths with a remarkable selection of fresh, inventive pastries, savory snacks and coffee.

by Contributor

A steady stream of South Enders stop by at all hours to Joanne Chang's award-winning bakery and cafe. Friendly employees start each day by listing the daily specials, a quote-of-the-day and the weather forecast on a large blackboard. With a mountain of newspapers and tons of natural light, this is a perfect spot to linger over breakfast. The bakery is a labor of love, evident in Chang's irresistible offerings. Those looking for sweets can choose from an astounding selection, including ginger molasses cookies, homemade pop tarts and the much-beloved sticky buns. Sandwiches are made to order on superb focaccia; fillings include apple-wood smoked bacon, tarragon chicken and oven-roasted vegetables.

Photo by Christine Liu

3 Star Rating: Average

01/25/07

Stick to the Sandwiches and Cookies

by ah8

For $7 you can get a cup of watery soup and a "salad". The "salad" is a handful of lettuce with a side of dressing that isn't enough to cover the lettuce. I should have asked what they consider a "salad" to be and I should have asked for a sample of the soup. Flour is known for their desserts...and now I know why!

Agree with other reviews that the service is slow (even the coffee)- especially at the new location. Hopefully, management takes notice and makes some changes so that they don't lose business to the local spots who have some dedicated customers.

  • Pros: New place in the area
  • Cons: Slow service and more expensive than other local spots. Has kids menu- if you want to pay $5 for a PB&J.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/03/06

Awesome sandwiches

by kaydeej21

I'm not sure what's up with some of the negative reviews, but I just ate at Flour for lunch today for the first time and it was great. I got a BLT sandwich which was to die for. The bread was grilled prefectly, it was just amazing. It was crowded since it was 12pm and a lot of the people from the hospital go there, but it was worth the 10 min wait. The only negative thing is there really is not much place to sit so you're better off getting your food to go.

  • Pros: food
  • Cons: Not much place to sit
2 Star Rating: Below Average

09/28/06

Talk about Over Rated

by cffellers

This is a cute place, but to be blunt, the food stinks and the employees stink even more. A few weekends ago, I bought a big box of mixed desserts for a party, spending almost $100. The stuff was so inedible that we threw most of it away after one bite. The pastries and desserts had no flavor and much of the texture was like sawdust. And this was even on what should have been simple stuff like brownies, much less the more complicated.

If you think this place is good, you really need to get out more.

  • Pros: Cute place
  • Cons: Really bad food, terrible service

Showing 1-10 of 20 reviews

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