Sandbox Bakery

Pinkie’s bakery (formerly Sandbox Bakery) is a great spot to drop in, pick up some pastries for your coworkers, or just grab one for yourself and a single pour-​over drip coffee to wake up yrself in the morning.
I stopped through on a brisk morning, got a morning bun (++) and a coffee. One thing that is pretty standout (aside from the quality of the baked goods) is that they have several different roasters to choose from when getting a pour-​over AND it’s not that expensive (I think around $ 3 for the coffee whereas at other coffee shops you’d pay at least $ 4 for a single-​origin pour-​over).
After you get your goods, step outside and sit on a bench (not really much seating inside) or head over to a small parklet on the block over.

Be ware! The original owner has left this place, so there’s no more of those wonderful pastries like curry pan, melon pan, anko pan… etc.
Now there’s only some plain old ordinary pastries.

Delicious pastries and robust coffee. Definitely a favorite spot in SF.
Also, props to the barista with bangs for the great suggestions and bomb lattes!

Closed.
The ginger scones, pour over coffees and amazing espresso drinks were amazing. I wish the new owners would have kept the recipes the same.

This place is a real gem. I am hesitant to post this because I enjoy going there without a long line. Do yourself a favor and stop by. Their pastries are excellent, their sandwiches are unique, fresh, and delicious, and the staff is really cute and nice.
The chocolate croissant is heaven on earth (if you like really really really good chocolate) and the hardest part is figuring out which pastry to order.

Love this corner bakery in bernal heights. We came here around 10 on a Sunday morning and there was a good selection. We had the lemon meringue tartlet, banana and chocolate pastry, and pig in a blanket. All were delicious.
They serve ritual coffee here if you need that morning pick me up!
Cute benches out front to enjoy the food :)

Lovely bakery in Bernal! I had a wee sampling of pastries (read: excessive sampling.) Think: sea salt red been paste sweet bun, chocolate banana brioche type thing, chocolate croissant. It was lovely and decadent. Le sigh.

I agree the bread pudding is amazing. I had them cater some pastries for a party. Due to some mis communication, when I picked up the order it was very different then what I expected. They had presented me with an unbaked sample. Next time I would ask for a fully baked sample so there would be no communication lapse
The staff was great in helping supplying me with a different pastry at no extra charge. They kept the original order and said they could sell the puff pastry order to the walk in customers streaming in on a sunny Sunday morning.
Thanks for helping me out with great customer service as well as good food,
Wendy

After eating way too much at the nearby aina popup, what else were we to do but to, well… get more food? Asian fatness at its finest.
Ever the fan of scones (which was entirely the reason I wanted to drop by), I picked up a maple apple & bacon, and a blueberry scone, both of which were pretty tasty, especially after being toasted slightly. Not quite as good as the scones at Arizmendi, but enjoyable, nonetheless.
***Accessibility Info***
Venue — A small bakery with an equally small open area to order. When not busy, there’s plenty of space to get around, but the moment you have more than five people, it becomes a little crowded, so bear that in mind.
Bathroom — No public ones it seemed.

I came here hoping to get something sweet and a cup of my favorite coffee by Ritual. The morning bun was delicious and the coffee was just as I remembered (heaven)
The only thing that turned me off was when the girl behind the counter used the dirty rag (and I mean dirty) that she was using to wipe everything down to wipe the trays inside the case with all of the food. I had just gotten my delicious roll from one of those trays… Eww
It would be 5 stars if they start using clean wipes for anything touching food.

I been searching macaron places & sandbox bakery popped up! It is so close to my house so I had to come by and try.
I got the peppermint mocha, lavender & honey, rose water, & the peppermint w/​baileys I believe.
The texture and taste were on point! They were pretty damn good I wanted to go back and get more but I had to resist temptation.
$ 2.25 each, though. :(my favorite was the lavender & honey and rose water. Wish I could’ve tried the salted pistachio and guava w/​lychee, but I guess I’ll come back another time when I feel like splurging on these goodies!

Morning buns may be kickass and maybe even good enough to be one of SF’s best baked-​goods contender, but with items like their oddly named and overpriced $ 8 «banh mi» sandwich (which happens to be in the shape of a pastry), I really don’t know how to feel.
Technique is on point, but I find the breads (again aside from their sugar-​doused morning bugs) are a bit bland and old-​tasting by early afternoon.
I still stop by every time I drop by Bernal Heights, but c’mon guys, don’t be selling a $ 8 banh mi that uses dried up meat bits and isn’t even shaped like a banh mi. It makes me think you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Great coffee, great pastries, and great egg avocado sandwich that’s hard to get at a certain time. I am giving it three stars BECAUSE of prima-​donna-​disinterested-​eye-​batting-​four-​eyes-​hag! I meant it, really! We asked her nicely about the said special sandwich and gave us «depends on the mood of yadda-​yadda…» then 20 mins later they’re on counter. Good golly! Is this sorry-​excuse-​of-​hoooman-​being so effin’ lazy to walk up to the back and see what’s the gis on the ‘wich?!? That’ll be fine and dandy in France but this isn’t France at all!!!
There goes my rant! My only raves are the coffees, pastries, ‘wiches, and cool atmosphere.

Contemporary, drop in coffee shop that offers up baked goods with a slight fusion of Japanese cuisine mixed into a couple of their bakery items.
Their curry bread tasted plain average.
It’s a cute and quaint shop, that was lacking a bit of energetic service and seating. It was passable. Left unimpressed.

The best way to get to know a city or town, is to visit its local coffee place! There, you will find the locals who knows just about everything there is to know about their neighborhood.
Sandbox Bakery is a walking distance from where my BFF lives. It has become our neighborhood favorite for high modern latte and cappuccino. Their pastries here is excellent. They make them fresh daily. Their blueberry shortbread is just hmm… hmm… good! Their Bernal Roll which you can buy individually or in a bag, man… it is one of the best.
Slanted Door Pastry Chef… turned Sandbox owner, Mutsumi Takehara, she’s got your back! She delivers her scrumptious pastries with love. You can really taste it too! Come early because they sell out fast! Service is excellent and quick, with a cute bench to sit and enjoy! They are open daily until 3pm.
Cheers! :p

A tiny bakery where you walk past the sliding glass door and immediately approach the glass case featuring the goods. On the morning I visited, there were several different items available and we opted for something savory, the curry pan and the negi-​miso pan. Both were freshly baked and flavorful, but I think a bit pricey. Take your order to-​go but if you can, snag a seat on one of the benches outside.

A little slice of heaven in Bernal Heights, Sandbox is the type of coffee shop you’d envision San Francisco having if you’ve never actually been to San Francisco.
This is a good thing.
Cute, warm, light-​filled space with a fun selection of butter-​laiden pastries and some deep, dark coffee and espresso. The only place to park your tush is on the benches that line the exterior of the space.
Quick, yummy, and affordable.

I like the concept of Japanese pastries; not only do they have sweet pastries but savory ones like curry buns.
I got a banana chocolate challah and a hot chocolate. Hot chocolate had that latte leaf art in it which I really enjoyed.
We brought our bakery goodies back to 903 and were allowed to sit at our table and enjoy our dessert. Challah was light, airy and not too dense so it wasn’t very filling which was a perfect way to end my lunch in Bernal Heights.

Came here on a Saturday morning to pick up a few baked goods. Cute little shop on the corner. Quickly noticed the sand box toys used for decoration. As you walk in, you will be greeted by a friendly barista who will take coffee orders while you wait to order pastries. They serve drip coffee from Ritual and De La Paz.
I picked up a chocolate croissant for myself, a cheese danish for my husband, and a Japanese an pan (red bean bun) to take to grandpa. As I walked away from the store, I felt the warmness of the an pan, that I had to walk back and get myself one. I couldn’t resist! The an pan very much reminded me of ones in Japan. The beans still had the skin on it and it wasn’t too sweet. Since it was still warm, it was even better. As for the chocolate croissant, it was really flaky and messy. The chocolate didn’t wow me that it seemed like a more sophisticated croissant that Japanese folks would enjoy. For me, I still prefer the Tartine Bakery one, but their an pan was excellent!

My mom and I are polar opposites.
She’s late everywhere she goes. I arrive early, if not, on-​time everywhere I go (work doesn’t count right?).
She has the personality of a pitbull (and she’s Chinese). I’ve seen her throw it down and get into heated verbal confrontations with strangers. Me? I became a ninja; nowhere to be found.
She’s never spent more than $ 10 on a full meal. I spend $ 10 on dessert alone because Unilocal told me to.
I’m not much of a baked goods person but with the stellar reviews of Sandbox Bakery, I just couldn’t resist paying a visit.
In true Unilocal fashion, I ordered several items because you know Unilocalers have to try everything they can in one visit. They were out of the popular Morning Bun and Yuzu Sage Bun by 10:50 AM (uhh, why don’t they make more?) so I settled for the following:
*MELON PAN ($ 3.50)
Soft and fluffy inside with a hard, crystallized sugar crust, the pan had a subtle (too subtle) honeydew flavor. It reminded me of the Chinese Pineapple Bun (Bolo Bao) just without the buttery crown.
*CURRY PAN ($ 3.50)
Curry pan is a Japanese doughnut that’s filled with curry, topped with panko bread crumbs and then fried. The exterior was nicely crisp from the panko with a fluffy exterior. The filling, however, I was not keen on. The very little curry beef filling there was reminded me of store bought curry; a bit granular and not very smooth.
*APPLE & CREAM BRIOCHE ($ 3.50)
My least favorite of the three, the brioche was on the dry side lacking that quintessential rich, buttery, and flaky texture. The very little cream there was didn’t help add any moisture to the brioche.
Sandbakery Bakery wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either, not for the price at least. $ 10.50 for three buns??? I could have gotten over a dozen similar buns at a Chinese Bakery!
Perhaps, I’m more like my mom than I think I am. Yikes.
OTHER NOTES:
*Semi-​friendly employees but not helpful
*Things run out fast so arrive early
*Rice sandwiches (7×7 list) are no longer sold here but are available at 903, their sister establishment down the block
*Small bench outside for sitting
*$ 5 minimum for CC purchases