Boudin Bakery & Cafe

Clam chowder in sourdough bread bowl is pretty tasty. Also had a grilled cheese with fig jam that wasn’t bad. Not bad for the food court

I love boudin despite it being a little touristy but this location needs some attention and work. they should have the customers stay close to the counter to hear the number. The poor girl had to run around looking for the numbers but when she couldn’t find one of them, she finally just yelled it out and it was a few tables away from her. The customers raised their hands and the worker squinted to look at the number. Might help if you have more ppl passing out the food or at least someone who can see better.
My boyfriend and I shared a clam chowder bread bowl ($ 1 extra for the bread bowl) combo with a turkey avocado sandwich. Very filling for two people and after we finally got our food, we were very happy.

I come here for the clam chowder in a bread bowl on a biweekly basis, but today I saw an associate take out the garbage and then proceed to serve food without washing their hands! Get it together, Boudin!

A case in which the hype is just too much. After being lauded as the best clam chowder, it’s hard to live up to expectations!
Set in the basement of Macy’s, it’s a little tired, although the seating area directly around Boudin is arranged more like a café than a cafeteria, with dark wood booths and a few scattered tables. I ordered the bread bowl with clam chowder, and a side Caesar salad.
I wish the sourdough bowl had a more substantial crust. The bread bowl does an impressive job of holding in the soup and you may find the bowl is more than you can finish! Still, the soup was good, but not mindblowing. Some bigger chunks of clam would have dressed it up a bit. The employees prepared my order quickly despite a large crowd.
The small bread bowl and soup is plenty for lunch. As for the side salad, it included large house made croutons and two containers of dressing. I’m glad they put the dressing on the side as a default.
I recommend taking your meal out to sunnier pastures outside the cafeteria if you can, as a sunnier atmosphere may contribute something to your meal from here.

I was shopping in union Square (Niketown) when we wanted some good San Francisco clam chowder.
Saw Boudin had a location downstairs inside of Macy’s. Dismiss the fact that it is in a food court and order some great food/​salads /​pizza at reasonable prices. I had the mango salad and we also ordered bread bowl with chowder and a side of salad. Great, fast lunch stop that beats just eating at subway.

I always feel nostalgic to high school times when I visit this particular Boudin’s, so in a way it has a special place in my heart. It’s definitely one of my «go-​to» places to eat when I’m around the Union Square area.
You order and then take a number where someone will get deliver your order to your table.
Boudin is known for their sourdough bread, so definitely try it out. I typically like ordering the half/​half items with some combination of soup, salad, sandwiches to try more than one thing. If you’re feeling particularly ravenous go for the bread bowl (+$ 1) to go with your soup (my go-​to is clam chowder) and the half salads are also pretty generous in size (I like the asian chicken). Their sandwiches (Turkey Avocado, Ham&Brie) and the spring salad are pretty good, I particularly like the salad combination of candied walnuts with cranberries and feta. With tax, it usually comes up to around ~$ 10 per meal which isn’t too bad.
They also sell loaves of bread if you’re not looking to get a meal.

Always a fan of Boudins! I swing by here for a quick lunch before my massage appointments usually. The staff was quick and nice — a small bowl of clam chowder and a dinner roll only cost me about $ 7. Not bad for filling me up in the downtown area.

I used to like coming here all the time but after today. Maybe never again. $ 2.99 add on soup and it’s super small and they didn’t even fill it up! That’s pathetic!

This place is always bustling, probably because of the location (bottom floor of Macy’s in Union Square) and the tourists who come for the ubiquitous
«chowder in-​a-​bread bowl» that made them famous. The chowder is actually OK –its not bad, but it’s not memorable or truly special. The bread is something else– its chewy consistency with crusty outside is so hard to replicate, but so damn good when it’s fresh. And when its fresh, it is the best sourdough bread in the world. I had a turkey sandwich here recently, served up on that delicious sourdough, along with a bowl of the soup (no bread bowl needed) and it was the perfect combination. A great spot for a quick cheap lunch in the middle of the holiday bustle.

You may think to yourself why, when I’m in beautiful San Francisco am I eating a classic bread bowl at the bottom of a Macy’s. If I were in Scottsdale I wouldn’t be clamoring to go eat in a department store. While I may have been better off looking for some dockside destination to consume a clam chowder bread bowl I have to say the rain outside and the idea of catching a cab at the time didn’t really appeal to me at all. So in many respects this place hit the spot. The bread had a perfect leathery and crispy crust, and the chowder didn’t disappoint. In addition I opted for the half tuna salad which was also served with that wonderful sourdough bread. Am I going to fight to get back to this basement Macy’s dining room next time I’m in town? More than likely no. But will I be here again one day when I have a craving and its raining… more than likely yes.

Disappointing.
Stopped by for a late lunch «on the go.» That might explain why the place looked so tired. Food was just ok, bread still king. We ordered two soups and two salads and one soup and one salad were delivered other than ordered. Easy fix, but the food is nothing close to what it used to be, or is, compared to their Marin location.
My impression is that while they still have a huge business here at Macy’s, (lucky them!) they have neglected to keep up with their housework (this will catch up with you!). Dark interior, noisy, tables were less than clean, floors littered and dirty. Staff running around like chickens with their heads cut off! Quality has suffered greatly, and even a meal «on the go» might be better reconsidered.
There are lots of choices around, you might be well advised to consider trying something else.

I’ve eaten here three times. Not sure why, maybe it’s the vibe but I like the one at corte Madera A. LOT MORE. This place is kinda pricey… A sandwich for 9 – 12 bucks. My favorite so far would be the bacon avacado chicken one. They toast it on sour dough and it’s pretty good. I would have loved the chicken salad but they put grapes in. Clam chowder is okay but I like sizzlers more. And they charge you for bags. 10 cents

We thought we would have to go to Firsherman’s Wharf to buy our fresh Sourdough French bread. But it is located in the Macy’s Cellar around the food court.
They bake the bread on site which I thought was clever since some of the stores get bread delivered to them on a daily basis.
So if you are in and around Union Square and dying for some delicious french bread, now you know where to go.

Right outside Macy’s union square. Quick and easy place to get clam chowder and sourdough while shopping without going all the way to the warf.
Clam chowder in a bread bowl is always iconic. But if you can’t eat all that bread, get a «Best of Boudin» combo for soup and sandwich, soup and salad, or sandwich and salad. All come with a sourdough bread roll to get your bread fix. It’s a good deal in my opinion.

Love Boudin and grab sandwiches every time I am in SF. The bread is beyond belief and goes perfectly with the turkey and havarti or the Italian meats. You can’t go wrong.
The only criticism was the surly service at the location outside Macy’s in Union Square. The cashier was friendly but the prep cook who made the sandwiches was rude and unfriendly. At 10 am. Very unfortunate and not a good commercial for tourism in SF.
For the product, continue to support Boudin’s. Wish we had them in LA!

Came on Sunday and it is conveniently located at the Ellis O’Farrel garage that we parked just across the road.
Food was quick, served to our table just when we got seated at our table. Male staff at the cashier was really friendly and cheerful. We ordered half clam chowder soup (upgraded to bread bowl at $ 1) and half turkey and avocado sandwich.
Clam Chowder bread bowl is GOOD:
~ Sourdough bread is fluffy and soft on the inside
~ Soup has lots of ingredients
Turkey Sandwich is GOOD too:
~ Ingredients (turkey, vegetables, avocado is fresh)
~ Multigrain bread is fluffy
Hot Latte:
~ Nice fragrance, nice to drink

Got the combo with soup & salad.
The clam chowder was soo salty, and the «salad» tasted like a spring mix salad from a bag. The few croutons that came with it was tasty, I must admit. I should have done the sandwich & soup combo instead. Fck. However, their one side of bread that comes with the soup is delicious. Crusty outside with a soft, yeasty inside. Sourdoughy, but not too overwhelming. Yum. Too bad it costs $$ to get a second. Overall, I probably will only eat here again if I am desperate and famished after a long shopping day inside Macy’s.

Food was quick they ran out of ice for drinks but the bread bowl was oh so yummy
Not very crowded this one was right outside the mall. Kind of miss the one on the pier where you can see them make bread.
Clean and quick and the soul of course was amazing

Recently they removed their Espresso machine and no longer can make those type of drinks. Along with Hot Chocolate. Which is too bad because I do like their cookies and chocolate croissants to go with my latte.
I found this out last week when I wanted to take a break from the craziness that is the 1^st Floor. I also found out hot small their blueberry scone has gotten. Not sure if it is just this batch but it was smaller than my small coffee lid. Pitiful!
I know there are other bakeries near by and in the same building but the convenience of this one was what I liked. Hope they change their menu to reflect the coffee options.
As always — service is excellent and everything is clean.

The tourist in me always has to eat a bowl of clam chowder in a bread bowl when I visit SF and of course it has to be Boudin. It was my first visit this particular store and food the food was up to par. I gave it 3 stars, a-​ok because of the ambiance. It seemed like it tasted better at the Boudin shop at Fishermans Wharf and ambiance was probably the reason why.
In the end, if you can’t make it to the wharf you can grab a bowl at the airport.

Bonne place dans le FiDi pour dîner pas cher! Un must pour leur pain au levain et leur chowder, ils font d’excellents sandwiches et offrent un bon deal ½ sandwich & soupe pour $ 7.99. Quand il fait beau, c’est bien aussi pour s’assoir à l’extérieur — style bistro. À essayer: le chowder dans un bol de pain au levain!