Flour Bakery + Cafe in the South End - operated by Harvard grad Joanne Chang - serves up delicious baked goods, coffee and sandwiches. The sticky buns, featured on Food Network, are especially tasty. I have been there more times than I can recall over the past few years for lunch. It's also a good place to go to grab a coffee or order a special occasion item - such as a birthday cake. I especially enjoy the Turkey Cheddar sandwich on whole wheat focaccia.
The cafe itself always seems to be cramped and very busy during the lunch period, so be prepared for a 15 minute wait if you go during peak times and don't expect to find a seat. The staff also seems to be very slow at times, often talking amongst themselves as opposed to using that time to help customers.
I certainly recommend Flour, but it is important to realize that it doesn't have much competition, so it doesn't have to please every customer all the time. It is also very close to the intersection of Mass Ave. and Washington Street, which is an area still in the process of gentrification so there are usually homeless people near the entrance.
Pros: excellent pastries and sandwiches
Cons: cramped, busy
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