On the Rise Artisan Breads

On the Rise is one of the rising business in the Heights area. It is a small French bakery located on Fairmount Boulevard between Fairmount Circle and Lee Road. I have had bread made in France that is comparable to what you can get here right in our own neighbourhood. While the prices aren’t exactly what you’ll find in France, they are still not overtly ridiculous. A simple traditional French baguette will run between 2 – 3 dollars. The many other confections you can find there can be a bit pricier, but can also be well worth the little extra you’ll pay. They have everything from apricot bars to cheese-​baked bread to chocolate croissants to roasted veggie bread to old traditional French breads as well. If you’re stopping in for lunch, there is a nice sized menu of sandwiches that are slightly lack-​lustre. They are mostly variations of traditional sandwiches that are, in my opinion, way over-​priced. Nothing particularly stands out as being exceptional in the sandwich department and that’s the only reason I give 4 stars. If the «Lunch» menu was a little more refined and a little less explorative I think it would be much better. Overall, this is THE must-​go-​to bakery on the East Side.

Enjoyed this place for over 12 years now
Like the great local bakeries in Europe … On the Rise offers a superior product bakery product with a local neighborhood feel and friendly staff. They have great tables to sit outside in the warmer part of the year.
The owner Adam started out small focusing on limited number of pastries (like his sticky bun w or w/​o nuts, cookies, brownies, scones) along w artisan breads coffee and tea.
Now they greatly expanded product offerings, added bakers, serve local gourmet restaurants, & serve lunch. This year there expanding to give elbow room to more customers inside when the crowd can’t sit at the outside tables and benches.
Stop in early as some of the popular items (croissants) sell out. Stop in for Brian’s creative and expanding lunch offerings — especially with more indoor seating with the new expansion. Stop in at end of day for that special bread to go with dinner, or just after your long bike ride or run for that cookie, epi, baguette, or multigrain treat.

Want to burn a big hole in your pocket? This is the place for you!
I came in the other day and ordered one of their sandwiches, the chicken salad. $ 9 for a scoop of chicken salad and a slice of bread. It’s not even a «sandwich». Now, if the chicken salad was extremely delicious, then i would say it’s worth your money, but it’s nowhere close. Another problem is the sandwich portion. It’s seriously enough for a five year old to be satisfied but not a grown adult. I was robbed of my money. I went again the following day to order a different kind of sandwich, and I left the bakery unsatisfied and hungry, wanting my money back. Overall, go to STONE OVEN. Better food, better prices, and better service! Stove Oven at least offers sides with sandwiches for a much more affordable price.

Chicken Salad was good but 9.00 is steep for 1 small scoop of chicken salad. The bread served with it is a little too hard to eat in my opinion. The oatmeal cookies are good though. I would try other pastries but I don’t like that they’re sitting on a rack out in the open for people to walk up to.

I have been wanting to try this place for so long. Bit they’re not open in the evenings. Finally was able to stop by for lunch and it lived up to my ridiculous expectations. The ham gruyère sandwich was delicious and though half of it with a soup or salad would be great lunch I could not stop eating the sandwich. Its 7 $ and the myriad of textures and flavors is delightful. I also bought challah bread around 4 $ and cinnamon raisin bread about 4.75 $ and a jenny cookie 1.75 $ (oats, choc chip and pecan). I would come back for a baguette and regular bread routinely. This a cleveland gem.

The best bakery in Cleveland. The diversity and quality of the breads and pastries is top notch. I can’t go in there without getting an Epi, and neither should you. The bars and cookies are decadently delicious, but what brings me back over and over are the sandwiches. Made with local ingredients, their sandwich offerings are both classic and unique. The ham and gruyère, the bahn mi, and the prosciutto with honey butter and arugula are in my usual rotation. I hope the house-​made burrata with ramp pesto makes a comeback this spring. It’s delightful. And I can’t wait for their breakfast/​lunch spot to open next door.

The french baguette is classic — chewy, holey, with a thick, chewy crust.
On Sundays, they only sell the bread and cookies — no sammies! Be. disappointed.

Nice local Rustic French Bakery in the Heights. The sandwiches are not cheap, however, they feature quality ingredients and are truly excellent. The baked goods rotate and are of high quality.

Sticky Buns. All I need to say. Everything there is super fresh and good. Friendly staff letting you know if something you would like might be a little burnt so that you don’t have the surprise.

This place is a gem. Breads, pastries all top notch. Try everything. You won’t be disappointed.

We’ve been enjoying the delicious offerings here during the winter holidays 2015 – 16. Everything is so good here and enjoyed the introduction to the Equator Estates brand of coffee; excellent pairing! Almost pacing outside the door waiting for the reopening after the new year to try the quiche. My wife and I featured quiche for a Christmas brunch with her mom but we used a pie from WholeFoods, so I wanted to taste the difference. We shared a slice of the Vegetable and the Loraine. Our critique: Loved the thick flakey crust and the texture but found it to be a tad too salty.
All in all this bakery is a gold mine for the area. My wife said she’s glad we don’t live closer (we’re in South Euclid) because she would be there Every day! Enjoy!

On of my new favorites in the area! The baguettes are perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. My first time here I got the ham & gruyère with herb butter. It was super cheap and I made two servings out of it!
Fortunately for me, my roommate snagged a loaf of the cinnamon swirl to take home. It’s amazing!
I will (frequently) be back!

Amazing! We had a baguette, a brownie, and a Jennifer cookie. The skill that it takes to pull this off is noteworthy. Sorry I have no pictures. I ate the evidence.

I can’t believe I haven’t written a review for this place yet! This is that amazing bakery on Fairmount that frequently has a line of people out the door. They have delicious bread — I particularly like their rosemary foccaccia. I also really love their apple tarts, croissants, Jennifer cookies, everything! Ever since we’ve discovered this last year we’ve come back multiple times, often when we are off on a road trip and want some bread to munch on for the road.
Their lunch options are a little less exciting to me. Their Banh mi is probably their best lunch option with the most flavor, but really, this is not a lunch place. Also tried their ham and gruyère which was, well, ham and cheese.

Been going here for years, every chance we get, though we don’t live in the area. Good people, simple décor, fantastic offerings. Don’t miss the pecan rolls. Just love how in the warmer months, neighbors walk there on a Saturday morning with their dogs to get a cup of coffee and a pastry… just a charming and wonderful place.

On The Rise has risen, and hopefully does not plan to stop rising soon. Tucked snugly on Fairmount between a few independent shops, this local gem has become a bready staple in quite a few Clevelanders’ early morning routines.
Tip: parking lot in the back through the nearest side street. Plan on getting there before they run out of croissants — usually well before noon. Also — extra napkins are a must. And some water, tea, or coffee helps you swallow those delicious crumbs.
We visit On The Rise on our morning commute to pick up a savory, buttery croissant — easily one of their best creations. They are expertly made, delicious and flakey every time. I am gluten-​sensitive and still make the drive to get one of these, impending gut destruction and all.
Why the knock in stars, then? Service is repeatedly rude, inattentive. At first, you give the sultry hostess the benefit of the doubt — maybe she’s having a bad day. A fly in the dough. Too busy of a morning. But when it’s a regularly calloused face taking your order and delivering your bread, snobby and irritable, you get tired of it. Minus one star — learn to smile, ladies, please.
Second — the seating is terrible. If it’s not warm and sunny outdoors, you are restricted to two tables, which are almost never clean nor free. We sit outside and attempt a croissant breakfast as the Cleveland winds whip the pastries out of our hands. The sparrows rejoice. Not my favorite spot in terms of vibe nor atmosphere.
In addition, On The Rise is hit or miss. That is to say that some of their breads are delectable beyond a doubt while others are just… nasty. I had a lemon square a few months ago that reeked of eggs. I always pull food up to my nose before I taste it (a habit the picky eater in me will never outgrow), and I actually threw this pastry away after one tentative bite. This was doubly unfortunate to me because I am broke, I am a student, and the square was close to $ 4 while not even four inches. I don’t mind splurging so long as I can swallow, thank you!
On The Rise, you’re the best in Cleveland, so don’t stop rising soon. A fix in service and more attention to your less popular menu items will do you well. A reflection on the dining experience in your shop would also do wonders.

Pork Bahn Mi is the sandwich of my dreams, seriously. The flavor is bright and intense with the richness of the pork and the tartness of the pickled veggies plus the perfect sprinkling of spicy jalapeño. I always want to try something else, but can never give up the heaven that is this pork bahn mi.
Their baked goods are always delicious as well. Any one of their tarts/​pies are probably safe for excessive consumption. I particularly like anything with berries and lemon, or nuts, or chocolate. AH okay I love all of them! Little bags of cookies by the register make great surprise treats for your friends or your hunny!

After a quick scan over the other reviews, it seems that another 5 star review about how great this bread is would be overkill. Yeah, it’s great, worth a trip from anywhere in NEO to get, blah, blah, blah.
But while we’re here, let’s talk about some banh mi. Pulled pork, mayonnaise, pickled radish and carrot, cilantro and jalapeño, all wrapped in a crusty baguette. I’ve made banh mi myself, and had it at several other restaurants in town, and On the Rise’s is in a league of its own. When I’m on the East side for lunch, that is my go to.

Michael Symon’s restaurants get their bread here. Enough said. Truly as good as a French countryside bakery. How lucky we are to have this in the Cleveland area.
On the Rise bakes bread and pastries the authentic, European Way. Their bread is as good as any French bread I’ve had in Europe. Baguettes are supreme. And there’s nothing quite like the taste of a slice of cinnamon raisin bread still warm from the oven.
On the Rise is in a residential neighborhood, and parking takes planning. Plus, it is a small place, and if you go there for lunch, expect tight quarters. But the food is well worth it.
Once you have tasted bread from On the Rise, you will find it hard to accept anything less.

I am not normally a bread person. That’s how good this bread is! It’s so hearty and fresh– you can just tell it is made with quality ingredients. I went there today craving a sandwich with buratta cheese and apple jelly but was told that that particular sandwich was seasonal. Oh well-​I tried two others and was satisfied with both. The tofu Bahn mi was excellent, as was the other sand which i got with ramp pesto. Other favorites include olive ciabatta bread and chocolate chip cookies. The interior is rustic and unpretentious. I hear they are expanding their seating area but for now it consists of only a few tables. I would go every day if I could!

On The Rise knocks it out of the park, every time!
By focusing on what they do best — and what we all came here for! — which is simple breads and pastries executed beautifully with great, fresh ingredients, On The Rise wins my vote for Best Bakery on the East Side, if not the whole City.
Other reviewers have noted the limited seating space and limited hours of operation: On The Rise isn’t really trying to be a café. They are only trying to be a wonderful bakery, and that they are!
Everything I have tried here has just knocked my socks off! The Sticky Buns are a favorite, as is the Bacon Gruyère Loaf, Sourdough Bread, and all of the Croissants!
I have found their prices to be more than reasonable and the waitstaff to be reliably pleasant on my numerous visits.
Come to On The Rise. Perhaps don’t plan on languishing here as you might in a coffee shop. Come, grab your heart’s-content of baked goods and head out for a walk around one of the Shaker Lakes or take their treasures home to your family. It’s a truly perfect bakery experience.

This place is what the phrase «eye candy» refers to! When you walk in, you are greeted with a beautifully bare-​bones rustic bakery vibe, in which you can see straight back into the kitchen area. All the breads and baked goodies are out on display for viewing pleasure… oh and don’t even get me started on the aroma! Instant salivation upon walking in.
Desserts:
— Apple tart: This crust is buttery, crispy, and all around crumbly goodness. With a center of warm sweet apples, this dessert cannot steer you wrong!
— Apricot croissant: This is where On the Rise truly shines. I’ve NEVER had a better croissant! It was just the right amount of flakiness to feel light and airy without completely falling apart. It was buttery and the apricot center was delicious. Definitely a must try!
— Raspberry square: This one was kind of a dud. The top was too crumbly and the raspberry tasted like store bought jam. This one was a miss unfortunately.
Breads:
— Sourdough: The sourdough is great! Not too dense and just the right size to last a few days, even if shared. Yummy!
— Olive loaf: I wish this loaf wasn’t so flat! It makes it difficult to use the slices for sandwiches. I resorted to open faced sammies, which were still delicious, I just wish that they weren’t so thin! But the olive to bread ratio is just perfect and the price is comparable if not better than the olive loaf at Whole Foods!
*Tip: Come early! This place gets packed very early in the morning on the weekends and there is very limited seating.

LOVE this place! I came here on a lunch break since it had such good reviews and I was craving fresh bread. When you walk in, it feels like you’re entering a rustic, cutesy little store. The bread is on display in baskets and wooden shelves. And the smell is heavenly.
I got a ham and guyere sandwich and a roasted onion focaccia. The sandwich came on a baguette and it was super crunchy on the outside and delightfully soft and fluffy on the inside. It was packed with some awesome ham and lots of guyere – I know everyone will disagree with me here, but I’m not the type of person to have lots of meat and cheese in my sandwiches so I would have preferred less of both. I should have taken half of it and made a new sandwich out of it, but I was too busy chomping it down to care.
As for the focaccia, wow! It was tasty and fresh and had the right amount of onions on top. I got the small ($ 2.25) instead of the large because they ran out of the large by 11:30am. And I can see why! It’s delicious!!! I could totally eat this all day. But the small ended up being the perfect size for me anyway. It’s about 8″ in diameter and could serve as its own snack or small meal for the carb lovers out there.
I’m totally coming back and picking up whatever random breads they have. They have a ton, and I’m glad I found my new go-​to bakery!

Won’t lie, I’m very let down after stopping by On the Rise. During class I found awesome reviews and delicious lunch photos for this place. I was excited to grab lunch and study in their limited seating area after class. Unfortunately, it was 3pm and apparently they stop selling lunch at 1:30pm. Downfall number one…
I took a brownie to go regardless, just to try the bakery part of this place. This experience was downfall number two… It was dry! Probably from being out in the open on the display rack. Sitting baked goods out in the open really is not working well. Plus it is kind of gross… Imagine the bugs and the heavy breathing of patrons!

Looking for a unique bakery with delicious pastries and bread? This is your place! On the Rise is a quaint bakery located in a quiet Cleveland Heights neighborhood. With this said, parking can be slightly difficult. If you come here on a non-​busy weekday, there are plenty of street parking nearby!
I ordered the Jennifer cookies (one of their most popular items!) and banh mi. The Jennifer cookies bring your homemade chocolate chip cookies to a whole new level! Each bite was filled with multiple chocolate chips and nuts. Mmmm mmm good :) These cookies are also quite dense! Even though they were so delicious, I could barely finish one cookie in one sitting! By the way, these cookies are NOT available on Tuesdays!
I’m pleasantly surprised by how delicious the banh mi turned out to be! It’s made similar to a Vietnamese banh mi. The only differences are that On the Rise salted the pickled carrots/​radish (rather than sweetened), used chunks of beef (rather than slices of meat), and used French baguettes! The baguette was so soft and the beef was spiced just right! The only downside about the bahn mi was that the salty pickled vegetables were tooooooo salty! I ended up picking out half of them in order to thoroughly enjoy my sandwich! Also, this one banh mi costs the same as 3 banh mi’s at Park to Shop. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Yes.
I’ll definitely be coming back for some more yummy treats!

The Miller’s Beef sandwich may be among my favorite (non-​burger and non-Slyman’s) sandwiches in Cleveland, owing in no small part to the quality of bread, which adds significant taste and texture to the sandwich instead of serving as simply a neutral-​tasting handle for the meat inside. On top of that, the garlic-​butter mayo, which is supplied in relatively generous proportions, really ties together well with the soft interior of the bread and dressed greens. Ironically, the roasted beef may be the least impressive part of the sandwich, though it certainly played its role.
The Raisin Pecan Levain bread was very good and, despite all the initial pieces torn off, held on very well the next morning after some quick warming in the oven. The Brownie was relatively disappointing (key word: «relatively»). While it retained a very moist interior, it could have probably used a deeper chocolate flavor.

Let me preface this by saying: I REALLY wanted to love this place.
First, there’s no parking, except on the street. It’s comical watching people try to parallel park in front of this place (in front of the fire hydrant, too.)
Second, know this is more of a «grab and go’ place: you point to what you want, pay, and leave. There’s very little dine-​in space.
Third: The food… We ordered the grilled chicken sandwich (they were out). So we ordered the ham and Gruyère sandwich and the roast beef sandwich, an apricot pecan square for the child, coffee, and a baguette.
The apricot pecan square was tasty. The coffee was good.
We waited over twenty minutes… finally, the husband inquired about our order. They lost it. We waited ten more minutes, got our sandwiches and left. The staff was nice but seemed disorganized.
We got home… and that’s where the real disappointment began. The sandwiches were COLD… really? A cold ham and cheese and a cold roast beef? Big turn-​off for me.
I thought they would be hot sandwiches; but, to be fair, it was not specified.
The ham was fatty, but the cheese on it was very good, as was the bread. The roast beef, on the other hand, was topped with radishes, arugula and some sort of sauce, and so much cracked black pepper that I coughed. In my opinion, these would be MUCH better if served hot (personal preference.)
The baguette was good, but so is the one you can buy at Panera.
All in all, this place did not live up to the hype for me.