Semifreddi's Bakery

Great experience with super nice Staff!! They happily served us up and even offered me hot water to add to my cup of their excellent cup of French Roast. Of course the neighborhood feel, the puppy in the line and the lovely fellow customers added to our very positive experience! So great to frequent small local venues!!

Croissant and morning bun looked great in the display case but ended up being incredibly stale. Staff this morning either conveyed that they wanted to be anywhere else but there or were just unfriendly. Never wanted to leave a place this quickly.

Quick Summary:- Favorite bakeries in the Bay Area- They also sell their breads and pastries at some of the grocery stores- Crispy but gentle on teeth kind of crust, even gentler when it's toasted- Serves coffee and sandwiches- Coffee is not sour- No seats inside; a table and chair outsideI first saw this bakery name a couple of years ago in a restaurant called Gergorie in Berkeley. I recall waiting for my order and in the kitchen I see bags of bread loafs with the Semifreddi logo. It was a great discovery and since then I became a fan of this bakery. Over the years I bought Semifreddi bread from grocery stores that also sell local ingredients. Although I had thoughts of going to the main bakery store, the chance was hard to align.Finally, when brainstorming with the family on where to eat, this was listed, so off we went. The bakery is situated in a small neighborhood of little shops. Walking there, it felt like a great streets to do a morning stroll down this lane and pick up a loaf or two on the way home. The bakery is cozy small, inside up to 3 guests could stand around, but there is a risk of blocking the view of the bakery shelves. On the busier hour, the line was out of the door. Along with their breads, there were also some pastries and a sandwich menu. For today, we ordered a cafe au lait and a chicken sandwich. Once I ordered the coffee, the staff gestured over to the coffee station, where there were two types of coffee: French roast or decaf. For cafe au lait, we can choose whichever size we wanted, and after filling up to a favorite amount, we took the cup back to the staff to fill it up with the warm frothy milk. Happily, the coffee was piping hot and it wasn't sour. After a few minutes, the sandwich was ready and we ate it outside at one of the provided tables and chairs. The sandwich was cut in half, so it was easy to share with the family. Just as I imagined with the Semifreddi bread, when it's toasted the crust becomes lighter but very crispy. It is very easy to bite into it. It also kept the fillings inside in place and no liquid sauce leaked out either. The texture and how well the bread holds the sandwich together is a great slice of bread. I got the sandwich with the chicken and basil paste, and that was really good! I ate half of the sandwich, so for breakfast it is light (for me), so I also ate their breakfast buns. This was a nice flaky and fluffy bun, another one of my favorite pastries to eat.

Semifreddis will always hold a nostalgic place in my heart. Back in high school, my best friend and I would walk here during lunch period to get a chai latte and a pastry. It was a tradition for us but since graduating I haven't made an effort to come back.Semifreddi's Bakery has been around the Bay Area for decades. This is their original location where it's homey, locally operated, with a neighborhood vibe to it. But their production line is huge, with a factory in Alameda, and high-quality bread found all throughout the area. They freshly bake and sell various baked goods--from their well-known sourdough, buttery pastries, and different breads. Plus flavorful drinks to pair such as coffees and teas. The bakery is small with lines out the door. It's more of a grab-and-go but a few benches around the area.I'm a huge fan of Semifreddi's baguettes often eating them as a snack as a child. In high school my go-to was their chai lattes and various pastries. I've tried their croissant, chocolate croissant, almond croissant, and morning bun (almond is my favorite)! Their pastries are flaky, chewy, and buttery. Today, I had to get my hands on their Iced Chai Latte with Soy Milk. Their iced drinks come in one size and are affordable. The taste of chai wasn't too strong, the drink was milky, and it was lightly spiced. Are their drinks and pastries the best I've had? No. But, it's good for what it's worth if you're in the area. I say go for their bread, versus the former.If you're in the Albany, Kensington, or El Cerrito area and want to get your hands on baked goods check out Semifreddi's! You can find their breads in grocery stores but if you want drinks or pastries then check out their small bakery. The items are affordable, the service is efficient, and it's always good to support locals. Parking is free throughout the neighborhood. This place will always be special to me.

Got the toasted grilled chicken sandwich - it was fine, about a 5-10 min wait, liked the use of the panini press to warm up the bread but the chicken pieces were dry and could use more flavor. My friend likes the coffee here.

I've eaten their bread and croutons many times, but this is my first visit to the bakery. The public area in the front is rather small. If you're still COVID paranoid, this isn't a good spot.The people working were very nice and helpful. I asked for the sourest bread they had. I thought it was the rustic sour, but no, they recommended the sourdough batard.Bread was excellent, but still not sour enough for me. Then again, nobody makes sourdough sour enough for me.

The challah and biscotti. Were better than I even remembered. That's saying a lot. Nice staff.

Decades ago my oldest daughter wed a Frenchman and I wound up in a wedding in the French countryside. there, and since elsewhere in France, I discovered the bliss of a good baguette -- the crisp crust, the soft interior, the chewiness and slightly nutty flavor. Returning to the US after each visit, I searched in vain for that baguette. It's such a simple combination of ingredient. But although I moved from D.C. to NYC to Boston I could find nothing that measured up.Until, that is, we came to retire in the Bay Area. First I found Equator Coffees's excellent espresso (the Thomas Keller blend. Then I found Semifreddi's sweet baguettes at our local market! Now virtually every day starts with a double espresso and baguette, toasted with butter or marmalade or (yum) with peach jam. And now I can never move away.

Come if you enjoy stale pastries that have been sitting for at least a couple of days.I've tried this place a couple of times, hoping to have a good experience so that I can support a local bakery. Unfortunately, each time I've purchased a pastry from here--first thing in the morning, in fact--I've received a tough, chewy hunk of bread that is clearly at least a day old. I'm not sure where these things are baked, but it's surely not on site.I've tried the almond croissant, the chocolate croissant, and the morning bun on three separate occasions. All three had the consistency of shoe leather. A croissant should be light, flaky, buttery, and layered. These have one thick layer of cardboard-like crust. It tastes like supermarket bread.I won't be back. Maybe this place was good at one point? If it was, it isn't anymore. Its many local competitors are very obviously superior in quality.

Semifreddi's bakery in Kensington has the most wonderful morning buns!! Their coffee choices are also excellent along with their sandwiches and homemade soups. The best garlic croutons and cookies. I sent a friend who lives in NYC their biscotti and he said it was the best he's ever had. Lots of almonds. The bakery is in my neighborhood so I've been going there for years and am grateful to have such an easy source for excellent bread and all the rest. The ease and feel of the neighborhood hasn't been gentrified so the vibe is local and neighborly. There is also a lovely flower shop next door and there's outdoor space near with benches to hang out as well as the table and chairs in front.