Fressen Artisan Bakery

Probably wouldn’t go back. My order was reheated out of the display case and was still cold when they finally brought it out.
One of the people behind the counter was really nice but the other seemed to be struggling to contain her contempt for the customers.

A wonderful bakery with food to please any craving. Rich sweets, and hearty savory items. Arrive with patience, as everything is made to order by the 1 – 3 staff members.
Ask and thou shall receive, staff members always striving to leave you pleased. They take time to describe the subtle nuances of the many flavors their breads offer.
Try the fat German if you are feeling particularly sinful. The boar is a wildly flavorful yet balanced and filling sandwich. Eier schecke is like a dream come true, a German version of shortbread base, topped with creamy marzipan custard. So amazing. If you like almond and you like cheesecake don’t even eat it because you won’t be able to stop. This is why they are aptly named… You eat like an animal because you can’t help it. They bring out the wild abandon in your tummy-​soul.

Just very disappointed. Barely anything in the display case, poor service, food was cold in the middle.

I stumbled upon this bakery at the Portland Farmers Market and was intrigued by the very long line. I quickly discovered that most people in line are regulars and they doesn’t seem to mind spending $ 20 for a couple loafs of bread. I ended up getting a Bavarian Croissant to go with my coffee and it was simply delicious. Best $ 4 I spent at the market!

Great stuff, love the bread. Could have better control of their inventory.

Really great food! I loved the pretzel bun wrapped olympia provisions sausage with the yummy sauerkraut (which I usually don’t like). The side salad was awesome too with peppers and avocado. Cozy and casual.

First thing: «fressen» is what animals do. «Essen» is what people do. This is not a distinction without a difference — in Germany, if someone uses «fressen» or its forms in reference to a human being, they are not being kind. They are telling you you eat like an animal; that is an insult. They are being rude.
Which leads me to the service. My partner and I went in for lunch at 1:45. There were a handful of people in the café, but the counter service was glacially slow — which gave us plenty of time to select our choices from the chalkboard menu near the counter. My partner sat down at the table; I did the ordering. I had just time to say ‘The Tipsy Turkey’ when the counter attendant tartly informed me they were out of turkey. I went back to my partner to get his choice; the counter person took the opportunity to help the person in line behind me. More waiting. Now I step back up. ‘We’ll have the boar –«
“We’re out of ham.» This from a second counter person — this time, surly, hostile and very brusque. Clearly, we were completely out of line for failing to psychically intuit the menu items that they’d failed to procure that day. Again, I conferred with my partner. «Maybe it would be easier to tell us what you do have,» I said. She popped out a list of four items that were still available. We chose two: «Oh, and could we have two sides of potato salad with that, please?»
«We’re out of potato salad.» And we were out of «Fressen.»
Restaurants are hospitality businesses. They rely on a degree of human warmth to succeed. Sometimes you have to fake it. I would suggest that, when you’re out of most of the items on your menu, that’s the time you really start faking it hard. I didn’t complain, I wasn’t rude, and I was treated so shabbily that I’m wasting my time hating you on Unilocal.It was that bad.
Also: Spaetzle is a side, not a meal. I have never seen most of the sandwiches you offer on a German menu. Where the hell was the Currywurst? What about the Doner Kebab? This isn’t a German restaurant — it is a pseudo-​Mitteleuropaeische bakery with typically rude nouveau-​Portland hipster attitude and absolutely no clue about how to source food to support its business.

Just had a coffee there 2day and explored this awesome bakery with traditional german pretzles. Brew was great and I cant wait to go there for breakfast next weekend

The Short Version: Hands down the best pretzel I have found in Portland.
The Long Version: Based on location alone, I might never have stumbled on Fressen. Luckily I read an article referencing their traditional Bavarian Soft Pretzels. The fat chewy body, the spindly crunchy arms. Perfectly salted pretzelfection. Since tasting my first one, freshly warmed in their oven, I find myself craving them anytime I am remotely nearby. I will caution, however, that I stopped by ~1 PM to indulge my pretzel tooth only to learn that they sell out most days by that time. Lesson learned.

It took me a long time to go into the Fressen Bakery. From the outside looking in the dirty windows I thought it looked icky! The windows are still dirty and it could certainly use some TLC inside! But I love everything I have tried there, and now go there often in spite of the not so clean feeling! :)

Love the attention to detail, the quality of product and the awesome owners presence in conversation. Authenticity is at the heart & soul of it for me and Fressen rocks it!!! My faves: frittata & borek (like a German spanakopita).

When I order a Nutella croissant I expect it to be oozing with chocolate. The one I ordered here for $ 3.25 was dry and had hardly any chocolate inside. Disappointing.

Consistently delicious every time! The staff is so friendly and inviting; I feel as though I’m a kid again, having lunch at my German grandmother’s house each time I visit. The «Brozeit Teller» for two with some coffee is a great way to start your morning, and if you have room… top it off with a chocolate croissant!

Excellent bakery, friendly staff. Have to agree with others that some days the slowness of service is unbearable, even for the sandwiches. For the food and atmosphere, though, 4 stars it is.

Very dirty … Food on the floor… dirty tables, no one seems to be cleaning up… Food is mediocre.

I used to go to this restaurant as it is near the college I work at. They took over a place called Black sheep. Their food steadily improved, and I started eating there. A little pricey but it was close to work. I haven’t been there in four months and posted a review about them 4 months ago. I was cut quite surprised that it did not show up in their reviews. The quality of their food started to decline. They used to have a cabbage roll that was absolutely incredible. It would take forever for them to heat it up but it was simply delicious and it’s one of the main reasons I kept coming back. They took the cabbage roll off the menu. My second choice was a spinach pastry. The last day I went there they gave me this burnt pastry which I posted a picture of. That picture is still there but apparently my review is not. So I am one burnt customer not coming back. They do have lattes there which I used to get, but it’s not worth the money…

Nice bakery but not out of this world. Sandwich was kind of pricy for the amount of filling $ 7. Pastry was fresh but kind of bland. I’ve had better at chain coffee shops (sorry to say).

The baked goods here are awesome, the staff is friendly and adorable, and the ambiance is warm and inviting. The Bavarian croissants, almond brioche, Hansel and Gretel, and boreks are freaking perfect. The coffee is delicious and never burnt. Unfortunately for my waistline, Fressen is way too close to my house =(

So much deliciousness under one roof. I’ve been here enough times to get a feel for the food, the people that work there, and the ambiance, and it’s a 5 on all counts. If you’re stopping in for a loaf of bread to take home, this is the best option in the neighborhood for bakery-​fresh bread. Plus you can order by the half-​loaf. My favorites are the Jogger bread, which has some seeds and really delicious, almost buttery crust, in a square loaf — it makes an awesome egg sandwich– or the Potato Bread, I think they mill the potatoes with the other flour, and it goes with everything. Also 2 kinds of rye and several other options rotating in and out.
They have good drip coffee here, and if you want to get lunch they have great sandwiches on the aforementioned delicious breads. Some of my highlights so far are the Boar, a pretzel roll with ham, soft cheese, greens and sharp marmalade… interesting combo! or the Job, with salami, fresh greens and spicy mustard on a soft pretzel baguette… or the Tipsy Turkey, a roast turkey sandwich on beer bread with house made pickles.
Pro Tip is to go early on Saturday morning– they seem to bake every day, but that’s when I’ve had the best luck in terms of loaf availability– especially if you’re looking to get pretzels.

I went about my life not knowing this was right next to where I climb for 3 years. That’s 3 years of delicious German baked goods that I can never get back.
My favorites are the German Pancake (expect to wait 20 minutes as they make it fresh), the Bavarian croissants, fresh pretzels, and the almond brioche. They have this thing in the display case that I love, but the name escapes me. It’s like a flat quiche with meat. Usually named «Mamma’s something something»
I’ve tried just about everything here. Their sandwiches hit the spot, and I’m a big fan of their breakfast selection. A lot of what you get here is simple; some meat, some cheese, some bread, but everything is made so perfectly that it’s something you will go way out of your way for.
The people who work here are lovely and patient. They make most of this fresh, so some of it takes a while. While you wait, they are kind and friendly. It makes you feel like you’re in someone’s home as they prepare you fresh deliciousness.
I wish I could wake up every morning and just walk directly into Fressen. Once we develop teleporter technology, I expect this is something I would use it for on a daily basis. No, that’s not an unreasonable use for that technology.