Bob's Well Bread at the Ballard Store

So glad we made a quick detour on our road trip! This place is SO charming! Very thoughtful dishes with high quality ingredients, makes for DELICIOUSNESS! Everything is centered around the amazing bread they bake in-house, but LOVED that they had a gluten free option…a WONDERFUL seed based bread that was truly amazing! Highly recommend this as a stop on your trip through Los Olivos!

Was out in Santa Barbara Wine Country and found this cute little spot that has great breakfast or lunch and they make all their bread in house. I highly recommend getting the egg in a jar breakfast dish. It’s amazing! Definitely will come back when I’m in the area.

Awesome place to get together with friends or just to get work done. Food tastes amazing, bread is super fresh, and the salads are crisp. Will be coming back for sure.

Open for only six months or less this new spot has taken the valley by storm. Except a fast moving line on weekends, out the door. What’s the secret? The pastries, meals and sandwiches are decidedly not Danish. Plenty of parking and high quality, fresh servings are key.

On the first morning in our new (temporary) home in Santa Ynez, I walked about a mile to visit Bob's Well Bread, curious to try their artisan sourdough. As an amateur sourdough baker myself, I wanted to "check out the goods".
I started with the "Pain au Levain", which is their basic, naturally-leavened (i.e. sourdough), loaf. Bob himself manned the register, and when I curiously inquired as to which flours they used, he was gracious enough to tell me, and encouraged me to "keep on baking".
I came home, toasted up a thick slice, slathered it with Irish butter, and delightfully confirmed that Bob's "Well Bread" is indeed, well-bred - crusty outside, chewy inside, delightfully tangy, authentic sourdough.
And while the baked goods are excellent (try the canelé for a decadent treat!), the real treasures lie in the offspring of them - the menu items! We recently enjoyed a Sunday brunch, and my Mushroom Toast was a pleasant surprise, as much for the uncharacteristically moist, flavorful bisquit, as the rich, savory mushroom sauce that topped it - almost reminiscent of a Brazilian savory-sweet mushroom stroganoff.
We're spoiled to live within walking distance of an iconic SYV establishment, that surely inspires others to drive for tens, if not hundreds, of miles.

The coffee was cold and watery (I ordered a double espresso americano) and the guy at the counter wouldn’t reheat my pain et chocolat so it wasn’t good either, overall I usually go out for breakfast for the experience and of course the food, unfortunately this café didn’t delivered any of it.
The inflexibility from the counter guy ruins the coziness of the place.

PS: not pet friendly

I NEVER write reviews but this had to to be said.
Place is super cozy and awesome but the guy at the counter is by far the rudest person I have encountered in a hospitality place in my life.

I bet he is the owner otherwise he would be long gone.

If he is the owner and has partners he should do the establishment a service and stay on the back.

Never coming back again and the experience is not worth this guys attitude or energy.

We’ve been going to Bob’s when we’re in the area for years, and went to Bob’s in Ballard for the first time today. After going to the original location yesterday, it was a pleasure to see the new spot. It’s quieter, more relaxing, and the attention to detail in all facets was better. It reminded us of when we first found the old location. Food came out warmer, butter is softer, tables are cleaner, everything was just perfect. We love stopping in and seeing Bob, and know that his attention to detail carries onto your food and service as well. Also, we’re vaccinated but still feel safer with the protocols they’re following at Ballard.

I think they were short staffed, because it was a full hour (happened to have an alarm for an important phone call, so it was more like and hour and five minutes) from the time we ordered to when our food arrived, and we had to clean our own table. The pastries we got while waiting were hard and probably would have been good warmed up. BUT- the food when it did arrive was very good. We got four different breakfasts and everyone enjoyed them.

The man working the register (who I can only assume to be Bob) is slightly unpleasant and pretty forceful about gratuity on a carry out order. If you can get past that and really enjoy quiches, then it’s worth a visit. The broccoli cheddar quiche was great. On the other hand, mushroom and spinach pastry filling was a bit skimpy. Still good though