Clark Street Bread

My favorite bread! I love this bakery. The whole wheat, seeded and country loaves are fantastic!!! So fresh and delicious. One of my favorite breads!

Honestly love that I can finally get a descent loaf of bread in the Los Angeles area. The cart is adorable. I love that it’s just a cart full of bread.
I can walk up. Get my bread. And bounce.
The girl working was nice. The bread is amazing. If you have a chance to pick up a loaf, do it. You won’t regret it

This is an updated review. Clark street bread has since a few months back moved to a small cart next to eggslut.
They still offer the same breads but have expanded to sesame baguettes, bagels, ciabatta and more on certain days!
I’ve read a lot about complains of lack of inventory because the company prioritize their wholesale accounts. Well let me just tell you that this company would not even be in business without their accounts so of course they prioritize! But they do not leave out their retail. As it always have been you need to come early to be sure you get what you want. Often they close before 3 because they sell out. Would you rather they don’t sell to the public at all? Or would you like them to save day old bread if it’s left over so that you can buy that instead? Didn’t think so. So if you’re gonna rant only because of lack of inventory maybe think twice because it just shows how good this bread actually is!
As for customer service they always explains things bout their breads. Ingredients, where it is baked, how the company started but don’t expect to be treated nicely if all you do is complain every time and act nasty yourself. They have to handle a lot of weird and disrespectful people at the market.

This is a 3.5 start review and all those stars are for the bread. The bread is amazing – the baguettes, the loaves, all of it. I haven’t tasted bad bread from them and I started buying from them almost as soon as they started selling at Grand Central Market so I think I’ve tried nearly everything. Their seeded loaf is YUMMY.
The missing 1.5 stars is for the service, and unbelievably, it’s gotten better so if I had written this review a few months ago, we’d be at two stars. Ultimately, in the wasteland of good bread that is LA, I’m willing to put up with a lot of service issues, but these folks really don’t seem to want to sell to the public. They consistently have supply issues – not enough of this or that. When asked the simplest questions about the bread, they get defensive. Look, I’m not looking for cloying/​customer is always right nonsense. Believe me, I hate people too. But, there is a line where you’re so unpleasant to a customer that it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
All this being said, when I have a bad day at the office, I run down and get a baguette to cheer myself up (it’s my comfort food) and I won’t stop buying their bread, but either they need to go all wholesale or if they’re selling to the public, they need to be just a teensy bit more pleasant.
But, everyone should try their bread… so so so good.

Best bread in town. THAT is why it sells out. (read: small batch)
Reminds me of Euro breads of decades ago. Lasts forever.
And no, you won’t get sick because it’s «not covered». Grow some immune system, man.

This is the best bread I’ve ever had. I lived in Europe for many years, so my standards are high. I only wish it were more available on the Westside, such as Culver City.

Definitely a very hidden location — it’s a cart right next to Eggslut! Given that they are selling their bread off a cart, their selection is definitely limited and might vary day to day. On the day I went, they had some baguettes to sample. It was nice and soft on the inside with a nice hardy crust on the outside. I was able to use the bread to make some bruschetta and a sandwich at home — both of which turned out to be pretty good!

out of sourdough before 11 a.m. on a saturday. so this review is for the general absence of precautions against dirt at the little bread cart.
remaining bread not covered in any way or protected from passing dirt, sneezes, cough, or any other general scumminess kicked up by passersby, and/​or, traffic driving past on broadway not fifteen feet away.
perhaps it’s better they were out of the bread i was so looking forward to trying.
will not be purchasing it from here, particularly now that i’ve seen the locale. am told it is available at wally’s in beverly hills.
it does however jibe with the general uncleanliness of the grand central market so that should have not been any surprise.

i got the Alpine Brot (whole-​grain bread seasoned with toasted and crushed coriander and caraway spices.) at the 1^st Bread Festival in the Grand Central Market and i love it! … crusty outside and soft/​chewy inside … the irregular holes showed that the bread was properly fermented … best of all the flour used is organic! … since i couldn’t finish the loaf in a few days i sliced and freeze it then pop it in the toaster oven when needed and it came out just like freshly baked … gotta get back to try other kinds

My visit to Clark Street Bread was to find fresh made French Baguettes to accompany the purchases of cheeses that I got from DTLA Cheese. What I found at Clark Street Bread was a good variety of gorgeous rustic-​looking breads to choose from.
I got three French Baguettes to take home.
I must say that the French Baguettes were delicious. By itself, the baguette had a nice texture when you first bite into it. Ham and cheese sandwiches tasted magnificent with this baguette. The baguette tasted just as good with plain butter spread on top. Then I tried it with some fig and balsalmic vinegar… so good! I am thrilled to find a perfect French Baguette at Clark Street Bread. I shall be back to purchase more bread since I frequent the Grand Central Market. Knowing there is a bread baker at GCM makes it easy for me to drop by to pick up what I need.
Clark Street Bread is a modest stall inside the Grand Central Market with just the bare basics. As a matter of fact, I almost passed it up walking through the aisles while dodging through the crowds. Considering that it is a small bread bakery, I recommend buying what they have available at that time. I was fortunate enough to arrive at around 10:30AM when there was a good selection breads available for sale. Like any bakery, things sell out fast towards the afternoon. Cash and credit cards are accepted. As for parking, the Grand Central Market validates for 90 minutes of free parking, which is plenty of time to drop by this stall to pick up some bread.

Dude needs to work on his people skills. I stopped over there asking if he (the owner I’m guessing) had any baguettes and with a somewhat dirty look he dismissively replies «no» and goes back to doing his thing. When he notices me lingering there unimpressed he adds: «go to the cheese place — they have my bread».
So I went straight to Wexler’s Deli.

Er-​ma-​gawd this bread is good! Well, to qualify — I’ve only had the French baguette. My boyfriend was on the hunt for this stall in GCM (he’d read an article and is a bread monster), but blink and you’ll miss it. It’s pretty nondescript — marked only with a chalk board scrawled with the hours and types of bread for sale. Plus when we finally found it around 3PM yesterday, it was cleaned out — with just a lone guy in a striped shirt kneading country loaves for the next morning at a long counter. Who was this dude, but the founder/​owner/​bread porn purveyor — Zack! He told us that they open at 10AM and sell out around 1 or 2PM, but helpfully directed us to the cheese store a couple stalls over, which still had a handful of Clark Street’s French baguettes for purchase.
My boyfriend immediately bought one (their mark-​up was $ 1 — so the baguette was $ 4.50) and ripped into it. It was perfect — extra crusty and chewy on the outside with a solid crunch and soft on the inside. I felt like I was transported to the French countryside — which isn’t a stretch ’cause apparently Trois Mec carries this guy’s bread too. Who is he and how did he start baking out of his apartment only to deliver to Ludo?! I don’t know the answer, but I know I want more of these carbs. Zack mentioned they’ll be expanding their output, and I checked out his instagram — drool worthy and makes me curious to try some of their sweet bread combos here or at the Melrose Place farmer’s market some time soon.

This bakery has all the hallmarks of an artisanal food store, for good and for ill. True, they are not open very late, although considering that most bakers are well into their work day long before most of us have gotten out of bed that’s to be understood, and they often sell out, but those are the compromises that seemingly are necessary to make a superior product fresh every day. If you want a guarantee that there will be bread when you show up, either get there early, or head to Ralph’s downtown where they are sure to have shelves full of bread — but know that it won’t be this fresh, and it won’t be this good.
Because, after all, if you’re keen on buying bread from Clark Street Bakery, you’re not looking for Pan Bimbo. What you want is just-​from-​the-​oven, meticulously crafted, expertly prepared bread, and on that count, Clark Street Bakery delivers in spades. The exquisite baguettes are made in the the compagne, or ancienne, style of French baguette, with pointed ends, chewy on the inside with a crisp but still chewy crust, and redolent of flour and yeast. The country sourdough loaf is more substantial, with a solid but not hard crust that bears an unmistakeable smoky char from the oven that perfectly balances the slight tang of the sourdough. I have yet to try any of the other offerings, partly because they are not always available (I suspect that they trim their selection on weekdays because the walk-​up business is light), but if they are anywhere near as well-​made as the baguettes and the sourdough, I can’t wait to try those as well.
In short, they may not be the most convenient bakery, but keep in mind that’s because they clearly refuse to make concessions that would sacrifice the quality of their product, and it shows in every bite.

Ever eat a Vinny Dotol/​John Shook or Ludo Lefebvre resto or event? Chances are you’ve had the bread. Named after the street that they live on, the bread baking couple puts out artisan bread a la Chad Robertson of Tartine in SF. However if you time it right at the Grand Central Market, you can get baguettes and such. That’s the trick however is getting there and actually seeing the product come out as opposed to the Sold Out sign you’ll often see.

Clark Street Bread can be found in Grand Central Market near Eggslut, and closer to Broadway. What you will note is that the two gentlemen who work ever-​so tirelessly serve up a very simple array of breads: country sourdough ($ 7), French baguette ($ 3.50), seeded ($ 8), Danish rye ($ 7), whole wheat ($ 7), miche ($ 20 or a quarter for $ 6), and other daily specials. While parking may be underground and metered options are limited, I highly recommend this place. It’s a great place making some of the freshest old school artisan breads. I hear Clark Street serves it up to places like Trois Mec and Animal, so you should put this option on your radar when you’re at the Grand Central Market.
I found myself loving every bit of the country sourdough bread; it was fresh, soft, and just delightful. It’s addictive too, as you’ll find yourself taking more and more off the loaf. It was crispy where it needed to be, but soft and airy on the inside. Despite their tired expressions, the guys took the time to explain the bread types, freshness, how to preserve what was left, and let me know they would take card and cash.
What’s even better, was that my $ 7 bucks went a long way. Realizing I was carrying a huge country loaf bigger than a football, I knew I’d have to call some friends over to help me take this sucker apart with some charcuterie. I’m a very happy customer despite the limited hours and quantity. I’m just glad to have come across this unassuming corner of Grand Central Market, and will be back very soon to try their other breads.

This must be the bread Jesus used in the last supper…
It is amazing! I can see how people would be annoyed that you sometimes can’t actually «buy» the bread that is being made there. It’s primarily for the local restaurants and markets to buy bread from to use off their menus (similar to the holeman and finch in Atlanta)
Andy N. Stumbled upon them walking around the market while I waited for food and on a whim asked them if they had any left to sell. Luckily they had an $ 8 Brioche left and he was able to get it. We’ll never look at bread the same way again! The bread smelled of butter and butter and butter. The crust crumbled in just the right rich way, and the inside was nothing less than heavenly.
I assume you’d have to come fairly early to «claim» your bread, or try to get lucky like we did. I’ll never eat sub par bread again! Keep up the good work guys!

This place has amazzzzing bread. I had a country and a baguettes on monday wtf! Beats san fran bread scene AND the baguettes I had in Paris. Im hooked! Wish they open in west hollywood thoughh! It is worth $ 7 for a country loaf and baguettes are $ 3.50. They lasted for days. Very cute couple who owns it! Open in weho please

After hearing from a friend about Clark street opening shop at GCM, this bread lover was ecstatic! We went in the morning in an attempt to purchase the famed country sourdough. Once there the smell of fresh bread was enticing… sadly we were told that all those loaves were already spoken for by the restaurants and a local market in echo park. We were nicely told by the lady at the register that if we wanted that specific bread we can buy it at the local market. Umm okay. So we asked if any bread would be made for us GCM patrons to purchase — she told us that baguettes will be baked and ready in about 20 – 25 mins.
Great news right? We came back 30 mins later, excited to see the baguettes being placed on the cooling racks. We spoke with the woman again asking to purchase 2 baguettes only to be told that all of those were going out for restaurant orders. If we come back in 25 mins we may be able to purchase something. WTF??! Are you kidding me?
I get that your bread is a big deal. I get that restaurants and markets need their orders fulfilled. What I don’t get is how a business can open in Grand Central MARKET and not have goods to sell to the public. And to tell us to shop at another market where the bread is available? 2 strikes!
Maybe it’s bc it’s a newly opened up shop that business kinks are still getting worked out. My Unilocaling instincts are telling me to give up on this place but the foodie in me is so curious. So I’ll give this place another go next week. Crossing fingers.

The best Bread. Baked fresh daily. Crust is crispy. Inside fluffy.
Zack the master baker makes 4 – 7 different varieties of loaves daily. We are so lucky at Grand Central Market to have this new vender. Just a slice and you will be hooked.