Grand Central Baking Company

I used to love Grand Central but their prices have gotten too high and they give you a lot less meat. I am really disappointed with how little meat was on my sandwich.

Meh. Had a croissant and a morning bun as was the recommendation from the staff. Not impressed by either. Sigh. Portland! I thought you were a foodie town! I don’t think so.

Good coffee, good pastries, good breakfast sandwiches. Overall, good experience! If you check-​in and order a pastry, you get a free cup of hot coffee! I also got a breakfast sandwich with sausage — the sausage was much closer in taste to a hamburger. Not a bad thing, just different! But I enjoyed it all and would definitely return when I’m in the nearby area.

The baked goods are great! Unfortunately I ordered the breakfast biscuit sandwich with sausage, which turned out to taste like spaghetti and meatballs.

DELICIOUS breakfast sandwich! Also love being able to watch employees making pies through the large back window.

I grew up with bread from Grand Central Bakery, and have a very special place in my stomach for it. In addition to supplying fresh, healthy loaves of staple bread, they have a dynamic breakfast and lunch menu that always leaves me satisfied in both quantity and quality. WHEN you order the Egg Bacon Bollo, make sure to get it with the tomato relish…

I am an out of towner, and I absolutely love this place. I go to Portland at least once a year and Grand Central is on my list of must-​gos every visit. It is like a Panera with a soul. My personal favorites are the Bacon Egg Bolos (breakfast sandwich) and Jammers (buttermilk biscuit that is smushed in the middle with a dollop of jam. I also enjoy the Latte Dunkers (basically a flaky stick donut cover in caramelized sugar) and croissant cups. They also offer seasonal pastries where they use the freshest produce. It was zucchini, when I was there last weekend. This place is no frills. Just good food and a good vibes. The prices can be a bit high, but I think this place is worth it.
If you are in the pacific northwest and are looking for a quick but good breakfast, Grand Central should be at the top of your list.

Amazing leek & cheese quiche! Pastries are delicious. Staff is super friendly. We drove from the airport to eat brunch here and we’re not disappointed.

By far the sweetest and friendliest staff you will find ANYWHERE. Genuinely pleased to see you and so many of them reach out and make it it personal. You can see the level of comfort people have with the staff as soon as they walk in the doors. No wonder it is THE neighborhood place on weekends. I honestly go there JUST because the staff are so great. Oh… and the jam !

It’s official… From this day forward, may all breakfast sandwiches be held to the incredible standard of the wonderful creation I just experienced at the Grand Central Bakery in Portland. After perusing the menu and drooling at the pastries, obviously prepared to classic French standards, behind the glass counter case… I ordered a a sunny-​side up egg croissant with house-​made sausage, Havarti cheese, avacado, and tomato relish. Wow! The croissant was perfect, crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. The egg perfectly prepared. The sausage mildly spiced and flavorful. The relish… deliciously balanced between sweet and savory. My question now is… will I ever find its equal. Definitely coming back for lunch! TL

Grand Central, while started in Seattle, set the standards bar for modern bakeries in Portland. The company expanded to 5 – 6 locations from their original Hawthorne Blvd shop. In recent years, they’ve cut back a little on the locations but the product holds strong.
I’ve driven by this location several times over the years but not been in because generally a destination was set. I learned the pastry kitchen is housed at this space. My usual hangout was the bread bakery before the café space shut down.
This location has its own parking, a communal table as well as smaller 2 – 4 tops. There’s a patio, garage roll up door and pretty mirror art.
But, back to the nut of the review. Lunch fare is a bit more expensive than some in Portland but the chain is committed to using locally sourced produce, eggs, etc. I always find the soups to be a good bargain when it’s a flavor I like. Pastries are made well and comparable to Portland Starbucks prices.
Today I had a great experience with a jam cookie (didn’t realize it was a cookie from the case) and iced coffee. Steve upsold me on the coffee and sliced and bagged the bread I ordered with great attitude. I liked that he offered a little wit but it didn’t come off as «attitude» or snark.
I’d imagine this location is busy during the school year with Boise-​Eliot parents.

The crispy bacon and fried egg on a bolo roll hit the spot! Love the idea of a bakery that also caters to breakfast and lunch scene. The bread was freshly baked and bacon perfectly crispy — and the deliciously smooth iced coffee complimented it all well!

Local flavor. Easy seating inside or out.

Always a great sandwich. Inviting ambience, great food and friendly staff.

Great baked goods and solid coffee makes Grand Central a great spot for quick morning stop. The Latte Dunkers, Croissant Cup, and Bolo with sausage, egg and house-​made tomato relish were all delicious. The sausage was really good but the sandwich could’ve used some greenery. Overall a good stop and I’ll be back to try more of the menu.

Absolutely LOVE this place! From the moment I walk in and rushed with the smell of fresh-​baked goodness to the time I leave with my delicious pastry I’m pleased with my experience every time. I seem to always go with the butter croissant and/​or monkey muffin with an occasional chai latte. But, no matter what I get, I’m always pleased with the service and the food. A+++++ for this bakery!!!

The egg salad was so good and small, I couldn’t believe it only cost like nine bucks after tip.
#stillhungry

This is an excellent bakery! Great service and lots of baked deliciousness. I go to the Fremont location periodically for brunch and always leave happy. If you check in before ordering you can get a free 12-​oz drip coffee with any pastry purchase. I recently had the pumpkin cream cheese muffin and it was delicious. I’ve also gotten the blueberry muffin and monkey muffin before and both were fantastic. I plan to keep moving down the line till ice tried them all.
For my meal I usually get a breakfast biscuit with bacon/​sausage, egg, and cheese. With all that added in you’re looking at around $ 10, which is pretty pricy, especially considering the size you get. However, even though I’m not that much of a plain bread man, but the buttermilk biscuit is incredible! I find myself craving that part of the meal more than anything. You can really taste the buttermilk inside the light, fluffy, crispy-​around-​the-​edges biscuit.
On our most recent visit we also had a Chinook book coupon for a free load of bread with $ 5 purchase. We got the ciabatta and devoured it within two days. The olive loaf makes a great soft, spongey bread for sandwiches too.

I just can’t stop coming here. I have yet to have something that didn’t agree with me and their u-​bake items are amazing too. Great staff and great food.

Great bread, love their sour doughs. Went here with the Frau for lunch the other day, very happy with the sandwiches and the service. Very nice atmosphere. A+