Bread Garden Bakery & Cafe

At least their coffee is just fine and the internet is free for 2 hours. Today, I had a breakfast bagel. You’d think they’d do something with it that was actually worthwhile to heat it up. Nope. They put ‘er in the microwave and overheated it until it was all gooey and drippy and then they cut it down the middle so the cheese ran out all over the place and looked awful. The bagel itself was soft, and hard on the edges. Microwave dried the edges out. It was all steamy because of the rest of the contents, which just made it soggy.
Like I say, the coffee is fine. Internet is free. They call them breakfast bagels, I call them hockey pucks.

Giving it 3 starts just because I can see the potential of this place. The only thing at this moment good about this Bread Garden is that it is open 24 hours. Food is not really that good. I don’t even want to mention coffees and teas since the competition in the area beats it easily (read JJBean). Tapioca pudding was the only somewhat tasty thing I tried in there.
If they increased food quality, I would probably be a regular since it is really close to my house.

One of the hangouts of the main Robson strip. Tucked in on Bute, this little place has been around quite awhile, probably due to the fact of it being open 24 hours. I still wonder how this place survives, with the steep competition of the Robson strip. The food selection is nice, but it is overpriced for refrigerated, microwaved food at your table. The coffee is alright here, and the place itself is comfortable to sit in if you are just chatting it up with a friend. I guess if you need a bite, and are around the area, and are unwilling to go out of your way to get food elsewhere then this is the place.

I wrestled with how to write my review here. I was thinking three-​stars but given that Unilocal rates two stars as, «Meh I’ve had better,» that seems to perfectly described the Bread Garden.
I’ve had far worst food in my life, and it seems there is a fair assortment of choices; any place that has perogies is OK by me (but I didn’t try them). We were lured in by a coupon for a free hot chocolate, my 10 year old’s favorite. We actually got two coupons and came back the next day to cash in the second one. This highlighted the first problem. The hot chocolate was prepared completely differently in the two visits. The first visit was at a perfect temperature, whipped cream, chocolate on top and my daughter inhaled it. The next day the one was brutally hot, foam on top, with chocolate powder, and a less rich flavor. She only had about ¹⁄₃ of it. Hey, when a 10 year old won’t drink a hot chocolate, it is making a statement.
I think the reviews here overall are harsh — BUT — I do agree that the place is filled with a lot of people who seem to think that it is really hip to study in a public, noisy place while sitting with an empty glass/​cup while no one else can find a place to sit. The location when we were there has six four tops and four of the six were filled by single people, two of them with empty glasses with noses in their books. The couches are utterly worn out; not on the outside, but from a cushion stand point, and when you sit on them you get the feeling a 500 pound trucker has been in them for months.
Here is the thing — in a different city than Vancouver, British Columbia, this might eek out three stars. But this is Vancouver, British Columbia. Never mind the encroachment of Starbucks onto every corner, and of course the Canadian staple Tim Horton’s, Blenz is better for coffee and baked goods, and you have numerous outstanding bakeries like Cobs for baked goods. The Bread Garden can do better than what is offered.

Unfortunately I have to agree with the reviews here. I would rather walk a few extra blocks and go to Cobs for baked goods, Blenz/​Waves for the coffee… Be great if this place served good food/​coffee (because they have lots of seats), but they don’t. Go if other places are closed and you are desperate.

Overpriced sandwiches and ‘bakery’ goods. The raspberry muffin I had with my coffee today tasted like. poptarts in a muffin — artificial flavour and all.
Never.Again.
Though my coffee was just fine. Regular drip, did the job.

Arrrrrrgh, don’t get me started on this place. Located ever so close to my house, but you would never ever catch me going in there. The food, whatever is on there (and it’s not much or much variety… Always the same old stuff) is riotly overpriced, the staff seem to have come from the depression convention, and I usually go in, realize what I’ve done, then march right out. Ge’ez, even Blenz across the street has more interesting things in a more livelier environment than this place ever will.

I wish I had read the reviews before stumbling upon this disgusting place. The worst food I have ever ordered.

I’m with the majority here… I don’t get why this Vancouver chain is so strong. My workplace has some sort of deal/​contract with this place for meetings so unfortunately this means I’m eating Bread Garden muffins/​sandwiches/​phyllo wraps at least twice a month.
Ugh — I am SO tempted to kick in my own money for the staff meetings just so I can get something other than Bread Garden! (Counting down to another Bread Garden meal this morning…)
The muffins are typically quite dry and the coffee is bland. The sandwiches are okay and the phyllo wraps we get with chicken/​veggie/​salmon have these huge garlic cloves in them that are just nasty if you manage to cut a bite with just that in it.
The green salad with balsamic vinaigrette is okay with crisp greens. Their fruit tray could be better cut. The dessert tray isn’t bad either with a nice mix of lemon squares, pecan squares and nanaimo bars.
Word of advice — if you’re an office assistant looking for a caterer, PLEASE skip the Bread Garden or at least alternate caterers so your attendees don’t go crazy!

it’s open 24 hours and seems to be popular with the ESL students and students studying from abroad. A star down since the patio area isn’t open after 10pm but i am guessing that there are neighborhood noise ordinances that dictate that.
the chai was okay — not as spicy but what do you expect?

Their coffee is horrible, main dishes are over priced and it has a odd décor. Go in grab a Cinnamon knot and leave. They are so gooey, sweet and yummy! A definite do on Saturday mornings, if you get one before they sell out!

Ugh. Why do people like Bread Garden? It’s dirty and crowded, the staff are indifferent and unhelpful, and the food is overpriced and unappetizing. But people must like it, as this location has been open for nearly 20 years, despite utterly failing to evolve or improve on the basic self-​serve bakery café concept.
My friend and I came here one afternoon while shopping on Robson, and we could just barely find a seat, given that most tables were taken up by loafers, lingerers, and laptop hogs.
Nothing in the display cases appealed (or perhaps I’m just not into paying $ 7+ for only a pre-​assembled sandwich, so I just figured I’d go with some chicken noodle soup. Ugh! It was lukewarm and gummy — just crap taken out of a pail or worse, defrosted, and warmed up in the soup pot in wait of gullible custom.
Bread Garden, we’re done.

There are plenty of Blenz Coffee shops on Robson but I rather go to Bread Garden for my coffee and pastries while using the Wi-​Fi Access. Their coffee is consistently better than Blenz, which varies from ok to not drinkable. There are more pastries and desserts to choose from at Bread Garden and they are delicious. But don’t order the smoothies. They are not good as they put way too much ice. This place is packed with people with laptops after 10pm till around 1am.