Charlie’s Best Bread & Cafe

I can’t with this place anymore. I’m not sure what the point if name change and cake and cookie addition was for because they couldn’t even handle being a bakery itself. Almost every morning I’ve come to buy baguettes or other types of bread… they are «out».how is that possible at 730 am? You mean you didn’t make them over night! There is rarely fresh bread which is just ridiculous! I have had really stale croissants as well. I’m REALLY glad they got rid of one of the rudest cashiers I’ve come across who couldn’t make coffee for crap and have stuck with one girl who is really great and basically keeps the place alive (that’s why I gave it an extra star.) Other than that, do not spend your money here for bread or coffee just drive down the road for con panes delicious menu. Their muffins are pretty good though and croissants as well if they’re fresh.

This place reopened as a bakery/​coffee shop with a name of Boar’s Head. The sign said Free Wifi. I ordered a 16 oz Mexican Mocha for $ 4, sat down and found NO USABLE Wifi. Went back to the register, was able to cancel the sale and get my money back. Gets 2 stars because at least they let me go away for free. Have no idea what the coffee or pastry tastes like, but they do bake there.

The bread here is delicious! I recently went there for the first time and making a sandwich on their honey whole wheat bread is awesome. I can’t wait to go back and try the pumpkin walnut bread

Great neighborhood eatery for a quick small breakfast if you want to avoid the weekend crowds at the many of the brunch spots… or weekday mornings for that matter.
My girlfriend and myself have had varied selections and consistently rate them as «okay». Generally, food could be more flavorful. Menu selection is okay, wish it were bigger though. Ambiance is pleasant and peaceful. Great neighborhood
Victor (owner) is very nice and friendly.

This place always seems to be really dead at dinner time. I know they close a little early but still. I was shocked at how tasty the food was! We had a groupon and were treated very good.
Must try the lasagna!
Desert was great too!
Don’t forget to take some fresh bread to go! :)

I went here with a groupon and was pleasantly surprised. The food was delicious (chicken lasagna, spinach empanadas, margharita flatbread) and the portions were very filling. This is a cute bistro with very reasonable prices ($ 7 – 12). Our server was attentive and very sweet.
I think closing at 7pm might be a bit early for those going for dinner, however they told us they may be staying open later soon.

Had breakfast here ⁴⁄₁₆ and was pleasantly surprised, since I had seen less than stellar reviews.
We choose this place to eat because the day before I came to pick up some sandwich rolls for a party and was intrigued by their breakfast menu. I had the omelette and my husband had the burrito. Both were good, served quickly, with nice friendly service. It’s out of our way, since North park is closer to where we live, but for us this place is worth the effort.

Fresh cut flowers on the table! That’s a simple thing that almost all restaurants have eliminated. It was really to nice to see them.
We dined at 6pm and ordered the pear salad, salmon tacos, and lasagna from their bistro menu. All were reasonably priced ($ 12 or under) and very good to excellent. We especially recommend the salmon tacos.
We sat inside and the view up Canon towards the homes on the hill with the late afternoon colors in the sky is quite pretty and «bistro-​ish».
Our server, Daniella, was lovely too.

I had a great time here. The food was delicious and the staff was phenomenal. Ive honestly never had better service in my life. The outdoor area was heated and well decorated with cute plants.
For starters I had the salad. It was HUGE. one complaint was that the citrus dressing was too citrusy. I got really tired of it near the end.
I also had their flat bread pizza and the bread was amaaaazing. I usually really dislike flatbread pizza but this one was exceptional. The bottom was crispy yet it was still chewy. I also had the tostadas, which was really good but I will definitely go fo a bread dish next time.
Now let me tell you about the Napoleon… this is what is going to definitely bringing me back. The custard was perfect and the crispy layers further demonstrate how awesome this place is at baking.

Best Bread, Café and now Bistro! Should you fancy a beer or glass of wine with your bread stuffs, you can do so here. Personally, I recommend the prosciutto panini. I opt for a half sandwich because a full size could feed me for a week, and add a side salad. A delicious melt with fresh tomato, mozzarella, a heap of the namesake prosciutto and homemade pesto on ciabatta bread fills my belly and excites my taste buds; no scrimping with the veggies on the side salad makes for a very happy munch.
This place has found a way to make best even better!
I’m not sure how but my previous review below, written in 2010, was posted under an incorrect business address.
Best bread is right on! This bakery offers a wide variety of breads, baked fresh daily on location. They have healthy whole grain, low fat breads, and specialty breads with flavorful ingredients such as spinach feta and, my personal favorite, sun-​dried tomato herb. Certain selections are not available on a daily basis, however their website provides a baking schedule and also takes advance orders.
Additionally, this place offers a fairly comprehensive menu including breakfast items, pastries, soups, salads, sandwiches. the list goes on and all is made in house. Pricing is comparable to most establishments in the area.
The interior is clean and organized with a friendly and welcoming staff. There is also a quaint patio for some sunshine lunching.
Carbs full steam ahead! One should indulge every now and then…

Sandwiches are good and tasty! The high quality of bread, chicken, cheese, ingredients, etc. are obvious after the first bite. Just be prepared pay a little more then you are used to for a sandwich and they are not the biggest, might still be hungry. Also, it gets PACKED during lunch time BUT they are fast and quick.

Wow!
Great spot for coffee and pastries in the morning.
The name says it all. Delicious doesn’t begin to describe the flavor if the food served. They just opened up as bistro and now serving beer and wine to accompany the food is amazing. Tried the chicken tostadas with the habanero sauce, unbelievable… The tuna, empanadas, amazing eats. Worth the trip and return visits are definitely a must.
If you haven’t gone, don’t be the one missing out.

Sorry Charlie, but your bread isn’t the best. It’s decent, but I’ve had much better carbs for less cash. Sandwiches are aight, but again nothing to really validate a $ 10 endeavor.
Service was friendly and they offer free wifi, but seating isn’t something that would make you want to sit for a significant amount of time.
I guess I’d give it another shot for a coffee, but all in all the food was a tad ho hum.

You are missing out if you do not give this place a try.
This is a perfect must go to local bakery for everyone around San Diego. All the ingredients are extremely fresh. The price is very good and I would strongly recommend the club sandwich. All of the breads are worth trying especially grabbing a loaf of challah for french toast. On top of everything the worker who served me was very cute and the owner is a really friendly guy. If you like good sandwiches, pastries, coffee, or food you must come here.

I really love bread and baked goods. My excitement was at a high level when I stumbled across this place and the fact that I live very close raised my hopes. I was not disappointed in the least!
I noticed several reviewers nagged that the ambiance left something to be desired. Well, this is a non-​issue to me. It looks like it used to be a bank and it did not have the artisan vibe that a lot of other bakeries have. I would sit on an old milk crate in an alley (this is the case for an awesome taco truck I frequent) if the food rocked, and at Charlie’s it does. Parking may be an issue during peak hours, but they do have a lot around the side of the building and you can use all available spots on the weekends.
Decided to go with one of my favorite breads (sourdough round) and grabbed a croissant while I was there. They are not kidding when they say on their website that it is: Not like that bland sissy «sourdough» bread sold in the supermarkets. It is very flavorful and fresh as could be. I ate the croissant in the car on my short drive home and cut me a few slices of bread as soon as I got in the door. I spread some butter on the slices and savored every bite.
After less than one full day, the entire loaf is almost gone. I decided to write this review after having a couple of slices of toast freshly cut from the loaf with some coffee. Damn, I have tried several sourdoughs over the years and this is at the top of the list. Better than any bread you will get at at a market (they actually sell this at Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Market).
I will update this review after trying some more breads and and other menu items (the scones look REALLY good). So, if you like fresh baked goods and don’t mind paying a little more, give Charlie’s Best Bread & Café a try. The staff is very friendly and they have plenty of seating. I wouldn’t get caught up in the fact there is a lack of décor and they don’t have a trendy ambiance. They actually post their baking schedule on their website and you can even order on line.

Oh dear, me thinks NOT!
To the reviewer that says, «I love it because no one is here» that should tell you something!
First off the place is dismal, not one photo, decoration, nada. Just a menu board with NO prices listed. It just isn’t a welcoming place at all, very cold for a bakery is almost even hard to do!
I’m just going to come out and say it: this place should not be in business. There! Re-​evaluate if this is really your passion, because you are not providing either good food, good service, or a good experience.
You have to wait to get to the cash register to order from very unhappy looking staff, and then you see the prices! Yikes! $ 8 bucks for a sandwich with not even a pickle or fruit or anything. Come on folks. I was quite nervous when I ordered. I got a grilled cheese for the girls to share $ 5 bucks! I asked the «cashier» if the pesto on the chicken sandwich was light or heavy, she said, it was just a bit. WRONG; way too much. People, pesto should be used lightly on a sandwich, all the ingredients should come together as a symphony, not a SOLO performance. It was overwhelming.
The kicker, there was a basket with cookies in a bag in front of the cash register, since everything else didn’t give me the «this is smoking fresh» I thought I’d get the girls a cookie. The cookies were BAGGED together in sets of three! I asked the cashier how much for the bag of cookies. She says $ 1.50 each. SO, I say okay I’ll take two. Now, another reason I hate ordering at a counter with two kids is that it doesn’t allow me to relax while ordering or figure things out. I pick up two bags and get a whopper of a bill for $ 23.90. I’m thinking, WHAT the heck, but my toddler is about to run out the open front door onto Rosecrans street. So I pay and move on.
While I’m sitting at the table waiting for our sandwiches, I’m thinking about the bill. $ 8, $ 5 and two bags of cookies $ 3 bucks should be around $ 16 bucks. I go to the counter and I say I didn’t get a receipt but I’d like to talk to the cashier because I think I was overcharged. (I get the roll of the eyes from two employees and wait for the original cashier.) She cames back and I explain the situation; she says, the cookies were $ 1.50 each for a total of $ 9 BUCKS. What, are you kidding me? I told her she said they were $ 1.50 a bag because that is how they are on the counter, right? She says, well, you could of asked for just one cookie out of the bag! This is the moment I know I’ll never be back.
Then, the food arrives … it gets worse! The fruit is NOT fresh and my girls, who love fruit, won’t eat it. I don’t even bother going to the counter, because you just know, they don’t care! The grilled cheese is 9 grain bread (not on the description on the counter menu) and while the girls work their way through it because, well, they are hungry after hiking with me that morning. They were not happy with it’s coldness, the bread was a bit soggy and it LACKED CHEESE. Get it, grilled CHEESE sandwich. My sandwich is oozing with pesto and sliced chicken sandwich meat, not a chicken breast as I was expecting. It was just SO unfortunately.
It could be a great spot for a GRAB & GO! But this place stinks!

Really good sandwiches! Veyr fresh ingredients.
I am here now, and its 4:05… no guests in the Café at all… nice little patio outside to eat (and work if you are me)
I am having Turkey w/​gorgonzola, lettuce, tomato, bacon on a Rosemary bread. DELICIOUS! :)

I drove past the Mexican food place, the Arby’s and even the KFC. What the hell do I want to eat for lunch?! It’s just one of those days where nothing sounds good.
I finally stopped at Charlie’s out of sheer curiosity and was pleasantly surprised to see that this place was carbo-​rific and ORGANIC! Usually places that tout their organic over compensate by adding sprouts to everything. Not here.
While my palette is not so refined that I can taste organic, its nice to know. I had the Roasted Tuscan chicken on sourdough= roasted chicken breast slices, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and pesto. MMMM.
This sandwich rocked! While I like a thicker slice of sourdough, it was pretty damn delicious. I took a menu back with me and already circled a couple other sandwiches to try and the pastries (especially the cinnamon rolls) are also on my to-​eat list.

Con Pane was to busy so I went for a drive and stumbled upon this place. I ordered a breakfast croissant, a chai latte, and a cinnamon roll. YUM! My order arrived quickly, tasted hot and fresh, and was reasonably priced. I enjoyed my meal so much I decided to buy some of their homemade-​style baked bread. Double YUM!
.Oh yeah their muffins and scones are huge! Definitely something I’ll try next time

Newly opened beginning of September, in a clean, bright, and spacious ground floor café, with seats outside. Great cHallah and tasty Sourdough breads (I’ve tried them all here in the City of sourdoughs!); sandwiches a tad expensive for the size you’re getting. Very friendly folks, and eager to go the extra mile. They love their bikkies…
Their bakery items all looks so tempting…