La Boulange de Strawberry

Absolutely love this place, so sad big nasty starbucks is closing all these amazing places down. From stopping in today for coffee and quiche you would have thought that the entire town of Mill Valley depended on this one boulange for sustenance! What will the world be without Boulange???

Starbucks fans out there will recognize La Boulange from the little pink cards in front of the pastries everyone gawks at while waiting in line. But those lucky enough to live near any of the brick and mortar locations (around the Bay Area and one in LA) know La Boulange for its deadly breakfast menu and, of course, amazing pastries.
The Mill Valley location is tucked nicely into Strawberry Village — the adorable shopping center just a stones’ throw from the freeway. The dining area inside is small and crowded, especially when several tables have strollers next to them. The line was stretching out the door, and the servers were running around like crazy. Even with so much controlled chaos nobody seemed to mind because the smell was so intoxicating and each dish being cranked out by the kitchen looked better than the last.
The breakfast menu is hanging above the counter and the display case is full of muffins, croissants, and other fresh baked goodies. To keep things simple I landed on the egg & cheese sandwich (scrambled eggs, Swiss cheese, tomato, and smoked salmon on a fresh croissant). The scrambled eggs were fluffy and the smoked salmon was fresh and almost melted together with the eggs. The croissant was fresh from the oven and flaky to add to how great the sandwich was. I also tried the French toast which was delicious as well. The pastries we got for the road were amazing too!
Fans of Starbucks or fans of French pastries in general will feel right at home with the huge assortment that comes fresh out of the oven. Plus the long lines will remind you of your typical Starbucks run while driving to work in the morning.

I have been coming to this restaurant for over two years twice a week, not once have I ever had a bad meal. That’s because the Awesome lead cook, Taylor cooks my orders. When I go here I look to see if Taylor is working that day. Awesome and wonderful friend of mine.

Great brunch place. Lots of healthy delicious options, and they post the calories of each meal on the board. They also have a nice outdoor patio area.

I love this place! I go regularly (everyday) for my chai latte. I have been in several La Boulange bakeries and this one is the best.
The manager, Brenton, is always attentive and at the front making sure everything is working well. This is the only store where the management works side by side with their employees and don’t hide at the back. I believe this is the reason why this store works so well. The Assistent manager Yulia is also fantastic and most of the staff greet you with a smile
The almond croissants are to die for. The new organic menu is really good.
Please check this place out

I’ve only eaten at this location, but it was just as lovely as every other La Boulange.
I ordered the croque madam with greens and a lemonade, my lunch-​mate had the BLT and iced tea. The weather outside was nice, we sat outside, and service was efficient.

Found out today that Starbucks only purchased the bakery-​portion from La Boulange, not the Cafés.
What they desperately need at the Strawberry location is a new Manager.
Apparently the Cafés in S. F are still as good as ever and I am certain the Bathrooms
are clean and the Soap dispenser gets filled daily.

Delicious fresh, warm pastries, excellent service, and the perfect neighborhood spot!

What a dog this place is! Most of the staff seem dense, distracted or surly. I ordered a plain chicken sandwich with potatoes without cheese, telling them I didn’t do dairy. They took my order at the counter. One of the chefs than confirmed the order, saying it was with bechamel sauce. I asked if that had dairy. He said yes, it had cream, but I could get a turkey sandwich w/​o dairy or cheese. I ordered that.
A third person brings the order over WITH CHEESE on buttered toast that was practically burned and hard to cut with a knife. I send it back, He brings it back about 10 minutes later, practically slamming the plate down next to me.
They also charged extra for the bacon that came with the chicken sandwich, but apparently you get charged extra for an order of bacon with the turkey. Service was slow and people at the counter were inattentive, unless chatting with a return customer. It was windy and rainy and they kept the door open letting in all the wind. My wife used to go here a lot and says it’s really gone downhill.

Nice location in the Shopping Center! Love the outdoor seating area, PLUS the staff are always friendly.
Food is good, affordable & I have my favorites which are very consistent:
1. Vegetarian Tart (A bargain at about $ 3.50 or so — filling, tasty & warm!)
2. «La Combo» with Tuna Melt & Side of Greens (Several choices of a half of an open faced sando plus cup of soup OR a side of greens. I like the tuna melt a lot! Great flavor, mixture of nice textures — simply delicious!)
3. House Coffee (always been great!)
4. Hazelnut-​Chocolate Croissant (nice treat — love the combo of flavors)
5. Packages of Shortbread Cookies (especially the Chai-​Flavor — spicy & buttery!)
Don’t expect a gourmet experience — but it’s a great little spot to grab a quick and easy breakfast, lunch or snack!
So happy La Boulange is in the Strawberry Center!

Excited to sit down and do some work before an appointment I waited in line for 15 minutes while the super tired spaced out cashier took longer than necessary to cash people out. As I approached the POS she let me know how exhausted she was. I order a wonder lentil salad that was pre-​packaged and of course two delicious macaroons-​pistachio and red velvet!
As I sat down to get into my computer I find out there is no wifi. What casual coffee shop/​eatery doesn’t have wifi in 2014?
Total bummer… Leaving less excited than when I first arrived.

Cappuccino in a bowl?! This is my kind of place. La Boulange is the flag carrier for France in the international Strawberry Village where you can find Italian, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, American and an assortment of other retail.
This is a popular spot to meet up with friends over brunch, lunch or a cup of coffee. The food is good, service is good, atmosphere is good, and the prices aren’t too bad.
One of my favorite parts of the restaurant is the outdoor seating area. You are able to enjoy the nice Marin weather while enjoying your meal, having a cup of coffee or perhaps just waiting for your friends to show up.
I’ve only ordered the salad, so cannot speak to the other dishes. However, the salads are awesome and recommend them.
Recommend going to this restaurant versus the Starbucks around the corner.

maybe it’s my imagination, but I don’t enjoy la boulange as much since they sold themselves to Starbucks.
they do have a nice custardy French toast that I really enjoy. skip the sandwiches. they’re meh

I love me some La Boulange. Don’t get me wrong. I have been to about 6 locations. And they’re all run fairly well considering the popularity.
But I have to mention this location as a standout worst. Mainly because the others are all so much better.
Specifically: often out of food early, out of utensils. Staff is not trained to manage heavy traffic. Some counter Staff can be rude. However some have been very nice on the flip side. But that should be pervasive not exclusive.
Food is inconsistent. I’ve taken to checking the bag every time. Often missing something or an incorrect item. Fruit salad is chopped melon only? Since when. Take a cue from the other locations. Pick one. Any one. They’re all better.
I frequent Union st., Polk st, Burlingame, and Columbus st. I know this location can do better.

I unfortunately have to drive by this place every day! Temptations, temptation!
My vise is their Almond Croissant and a cup of black coffee. Their French onion soup is also good, but hard to eat driving.

Not bad, but not exceptional either. The setting is French inspired, with tables outside and plenty of tables inside too. It feels almost exactly like a Starbucks, which it is now owned by, so not a surprise.
There was a long line to order on a Sunday at 1pm. The service was swift, and we were able to order and get our meals without much of a wait. Staff is friendly and tries to expedite the line.
Bought a sticky bun to go, which was good, but a little dry. I had the chicken mushroom open faced sandwich, which was reminiscent of cream of mushroom soup with chicken on the peasant bread. It came with a bland tomato soup. Time to spice that sucker up!
Hubby had the open faced salmon sandwich, which had cucumber, capers, and crème fraîche. Tip to the chef, use way more crème fraîche, as we needed a microscope to see any! The french onion soup was disappointing, and a new recipe is needed.
Would recommend this place as a stop to get to go food for a picnic or to the beach. They had mini-​sandwiches, and lots of bakery goodies, but wouldn’t recommend as a go-​to lunch spot.

I know this is a chain now owned by Starbucks, and normally I wouldn’t bother.
However, love this place. Service is always very friendly and professional. Food is excellent and well-​priced. Coffee great — better than a Starbucks.
I like the layout for hanging out. It also is a great place to spend time with my kids (they love the hot chocolate and never-​ending nuttella).
If I’m hungry, I usually get the club sandwich which is large and has high-​quality bacon. Good deal and comes with a nice side.
Other good option is their 2 little torpedo sandwiches for only $ 7. Add gourmet olives & pickles from their self-​serve area and these are great.
Another favorite is the bread pudding. Make sure to ask for it toasted. You get a ridiculous-​sized piece. Don’t miss adding jelly or nutella.
Only negative is no wifi. I know they don’t want people to hog space but there must be a compromise.

I love this place but today they forgot my toast and I got cold potatoes with my eggs :(and they put honey on my yogurt
I asked not to have it :(

Boy does this place know how to spoil a guy!
I came here for a private event, so I can’t say what it’s like on a typical night. I got the chance to meet with some other foodies and try out the whole catering menu. Oh man, let me tell you about the catering menu!
The whole place is very french themed (as the name implies) and that goes for the food too. The big emphasis I saw was for various small slice-​baguette dishes topped with different combinations of delicious cheese, meat, and fresh vegetables. I especially recommend whatever they did to that chicken! Woo!
Great fruit tarts, wonderfully crumbly pastries, delicious beet salads, lightly baked or roasted vegetables, house-​made french onion potato chips that make even a die-​hard anti-​greasy-​chip guy go back for seconds.
And the service! Oh the service! We were looking for a place to sit, so they brought us a table and chairs. Didn’t find one to seat us at, oh no, that wasn’t good enough, they went into the back room and came out with a whole new table, just for us.
Not only that, but one of their employees (Nick) spent the evening serenading us on his guitar! Not sure if that’s a usual thing, but I’m sure it happens fairly often. He does some especially good Beatles covers.
Over the entire evening, absolutely everyone was polite, professional, attentive, and knew just what we needed, right when we needed it. That’s magic you don’t come across often, even in places with great service.
Great outdoor seating, indoor is a little cramped, but it adds to the ambiance. They also just got their license to serve beer and wine, so there’s that bonus too!
All in all, top marks. I’ll be sure to stop by on my next trip by!

Holy Cougar Den, Batman!
La Boulange seems to always be packed with beautiful soccer moms. This place is a total scene!
In addition to «sight-​seeing,» I like to come in here for the steak sandwich or the BLT with goat cheese. Every dish comes with your choice of greens, potato salad, or quinoa salad. They also have terrific open-​faced sandwiches, croque monsieurs (and madames) and seasonal lunch specials. Everything’s reasonably priced, the quality is consistent, the staff is super friendly, and they have sunny outdoor seating.
La Boulange is also a nice spot to grab a cappucino and fresh pastry. Though depending on when you arrive, you might have to wait a while in line (this place can get busy).
My only complaint about La Boulange is that the tables don’t always get cleaned in a timely manner. The bussers seem to be taking extended coffee breaks of their own.
All in all, La Boulange gets a thumbs-​up from me (in fact, I’m sitting here now as I write this review). Now if you’ll excuse me, a hot yoga instructor just walked in and she’s not wearing a wedding ring.
;)