Hayes Valley Bakeworks

I came in at about 11 on a Saturday. The service was very friendly and the prices were absurdly low. I paid $ 2 and change for both a cookie and a huge slice of banana bread. I thought both were very good. The banana bread was moist and the chocolate almond cookie had great flavor. Would recommend if you’re in the neighborhood and need a quick bite :)

I don’t get it. Why does this place not have at least four stars? Friendly service and delicious gluten-​free cookies and other non-​gf baked goods. And, they have a social mission to boot!!! This is the sort of business that we need more of in San Francisco as more and more small businesses that add color to the city are being forced out with rising rents. I like their gluten-​free chocolate nib cookies and the dark chocolate cookies. Will go back to try the pizza and other food.

Close to my home, great design, four barrel coffee? I wanted to love this shop.
I went there at 915am and there were only three customers in the shop. Every counter top and table was filthy, covered in coffee, sugar, or bits of food. The sink by the condiments looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in a week. There were napkins and trash on the floor under several of the tables. The tables and chair were splayed every which way through the room. I understand if one or two tables are dirty, but this was literally every single table and counter in the shop.
If they can’t keep the front of the house clean, I’m worried what the bakery looks like.

Their Four Barrel Latte is no Socola version, so I only get food items. The soups are tasty and their fresh juice selection is pretty good. Pizza is gourmet-​ish and hits the spot. A bit pricey but. their mission is great for the community. They employ and train people with disabilities and those who are homeless or at-​risk. Extra star for that!

Get the rolls: The maple bacon rolls, the cheese & herb rolls, the ham & cheese rolls, the sticky buns… get them all. These rolls have great texture. They are not rolled so tightly that the middle stays doughy after baking. The flavors are great, but not overpowering (except for the sticky buns, but that’s OK).
Get the breakfast sandwiches: The japaleno biscuits are great just by themselves, but they’re even better in their egg sandwiches.

Love the banana chocolate bread!
Also, the turkey, Brie, & apple sand which tastes simple but great!
Staff always friendly!
Oh and I love the way they cook hard boiled eggs! Always perfect!!!

If only I could have their Ham and Cheese Roll every day for breakfast !

Cute little pastry shop serving pizza and soup for lunch as well. Lovely service and reasonably priced.
Lots of seating and beautiful light-​filled room.

All three times I have been here the pizza was undercooked, somewhat soggy, and rather flavorless. Great service and mission, though.

I was stumbling around the area after finally finding blue bottle a few streets away, and was in the mood for a savory quick breakfast bite. Usually I would consult Unilocal to find the closest highest rated establishment near me, but my service was all bad. I was planning on just going to the office without breakfast, but then Hayes Valley Bakeworks appeared in front of me. I oscillated on the sidewalk outside for a few seconds, but the display of baked goods called to me and I decided to give it a try, and I’m glad I did.
I got the ham and cheese twist, not sure what the exact name is, and it was everything I had hoped and dreamed for and more. I’m a fan of ham and cheese croissants, and this was like a more satisfying version of one. The service was friendly, the place is spacious and well lit, and the music isn’t obnoxious. A good ambience for mornings.
Free wifi, so as I sat there eating my ham and cheese twist I looked them up on Unilocal.I learned that they have a truly altruistic and much needed mission statement of helping and employing homeless and disabled people, which made my breakfast taste even better. Overall a good morning here. I’ll be back.

As a promised follow-​up to my last review, I am pleased to report that the Four Barrel Coffee served today was very well made! I want to thank Mark, who I believe is the owner, for generously offering me a cup of coffee on the house after my last experience. I want to also mention that the service was perfect just like last time as well! My barrista could not have been more friendly and welcoming! I look forward to going back again and would definitely recommend them to other coffee lovers. The baked goods are awesome too as they really accommodate different people’s diets (gluten free and vegan baked goods).

Yay for social enterprises! This is a great idea in a solid location. (I don’t know how the Krav Maga students can resist the yummy treats across the way). Good customer service and decent baked goods. It’s obvious that they are still working out the kinks. But time will tell. Rooting for yah!

I love love love this place! It’s a great space, with yummy snacks, and even more importantly they’re doing great things for the community.
They employ handicapped, disabled and at risk adults. How many other places in San Francisco do that? And this city is so desperately in need of those services. I feel good about spending my money there because I know I’m contributing to something worth while, not just stuffing some corporate ninny’s wallet.
Their granola jam bars are unreal. Get one of those for sure.

The mission of Hayes Valley Bakeworks is awesome in that they help give folks a leg up on being self-​sufficient and teaching them valuable life and job skills. With that said, the pastries are made with loving care and are delicious! I like to pop in early morning for their maple bacon cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee (they feature Four Barrel). I like their other baked goods as well (scones come to mind), but that maple bacon roll is simply divine, naughty and so good with a freshly-​brewed cup of coffee.

NON-​PROFIT AT ITS GREATEST!!!
A bakery/​café that employs and trains people with disabilities and those who are homeless or at-​risk is amazing. To know the background of this venue really made me appreciate this place so much more and their staff. Thank you for the work that you do for the community, it is greatly appreciated.
They partnered up with the Muffin Man in an effort to give away muffins to the homeless and hungry on National Muffin Day. In preparation, they graciously opened their doors for us to bake muffins to support our charity work. They provided their kitchen, space, equipment and FREE baking lessons from the professional, Martha. Although the café was closed to the public as we used their space, their menu looked delicious. Even though their were no goods for sale, use baking with their recipes gave me sense of how delicious their pastries could be. I used their blueberry muffin recipe and it was the best blueberry muffins I’ve ever tasted — no lie! They were fluffy, moist, and I brought fresh blueberries for the mix and they turned out perfect. Receiving lessons from Martha was priceless, she gave me some great baking tips that I will use in my own kitchen. She even said if I have any questions to come by anytime. Very kind people!!!
Will I be back… YES INDEED!!!
JABA APPROVED. Until the next review…

I am impressed with Bakeworks’ mission, which is to give jobs and skills to disabled folks who are at risk of homelessness. It’s a non-​profit social enterprise, which is awesome.
In addition, their banana bread, drip coffee, and macchiato that my fiancé and I ordered were good, the service was polite and friendly.
The shop is spacious, modern, and has a good amount of places to sit. It’s also well lit and has floor to ceiling windows.
A good spot!

Really enjoyed our morning pastries — had the biscuit with egg and cheese, cheese pastry/​bun, and bacon cinnamon roll.
Service was friendly and cappuccino exceptional.
Would be great to have a bit more selection but loved what we had!

1. My kind of Non-​Profit (yep, this is a Non-​Profit, Social Endeavor bettering our fair City and our fellow City-​zens). Have a business, teach people real world practical skills, make bad-@ss bake goods. Win-​Win-​Win. This place provides employment and skills training for people with disabilities who are homeless or at risk. That said — I NEVER would have thought this was anything other than a great shop with good food and good service.
2. The bake goods are, in fact, BAD-@SS! I love this joint. There are all sorts of good things, including: daily pizza selection, bakery-​made granola, sandwiches, bakery sweets and pastries, and MY personal favorite — the Ham and Cheese Roll (or Herb and Cheese roll, if they’re out).
3. Elaborating on the Ham and Cheese Roll. OMG! It’s something between a croissant and biscuit in terms of the dough. Think of it as wrapped like a Cinnamon Roll, only with Ham and Cheddar Cheese. To say that it’s tasty is SUCH an understatement. The best $ 3 pastry you will ever get. …unless you’re on a diet.
4. It is a beautiful and REALLY COOL space. The interior was designed by award-​winning SF Architect Jim Maxwell. It is open and modern, clever and inviting. Check out the photos. They did a fabulous job.
So, unless I hear that they’re murdering puppies in back, I give this place the Adam S. Seal of Approval. BTW — The California State Senate also gave theirs. Joking aside, I think this is the sort of operation that really deserves the admiration of the community. I hope you have a chance to support this mission — and it will be worth it, because it’s a great spot.
Well played, Hayes Valley Bakeworks!

Very clean and modern. I have had pastries from here, multiple times. Scones, cookies, and bagels.
I wasn’t a scone person until a year or two ago. I have a preference in the way I like my scones and Hayes Valley Bakeworks hits all my key points. Soft on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside and it should NEVER NEVER NEVER be rock hard unless it is days old. The currant ginger scone is delicious so don’t pass up on it.
One morning my supervisor brought in a box of the most delicious fluffy bagels ever… And they came from Hayes Valley Bakeworks.
Going to need to drop in a few more times…

Weird hours — a bakery not open on Sundays — What the hell?
anyway we went on a saturday on the way out of town for a couple of on the road pastries and a cup of joe for my bf. He liked the coffee a lot (4 barrell)
This is some kind of place that is a «do-​gooder» — it trains people and is some kind of cooperative from what I can figure out — so you’d think the service would be SPOT ON FANTASTIC (that is to say if they are training people for other jobs, then you’d imagine that the people would actually be trained.) Service wasn’t horrible just scattered and seemed medicated — if you catch what I’m saying ;)
Anyway — on to the great news, they had this fantasic ham and cheese muffin thing that was terrific, it would have been a bit better if it were heated (It would be nice of them to offer that up, they did not) And we got what I thought would have been the winner — a maple bacon cinnamon roll. It was good, don’t get me wrong — we ate every bite — but the ham and cheese one was the winner.
The Unilocal photos show some kind of Peanut butter cardamom roll and I was hoping they would have that, but the (medicated) guy at the counter said he had been there 6 months and never seen it — so don’t get your heart set on it like I did.
And the last thing to note was that the selection was limited — no where near the choices I would have expected of a bakery, about 10 choices total, I can remember the two I got, 2 kinds of biscuits, 1– 2 selections of scones, a plain cinnamon roll and 1 or 2 others. Nothing like Boulange, so if you aren’t in the mood for the ham and cheese roll, skip it.

The coffee is simply delicious! Pizzas are also great.