Flour Bakery started in Boston’s South End neighborhood in 2000, and today has nine locations in Boston and Cambridge. They’re known for breakfast pastries, cookies, pies, cakes, salads, and sandwiches — all of which are prepared daily. This review is based primarily on their Beacon Hill location.
Flour Bakery (Beacon Hill)
Overall Rating: ★★★★★ out of 5 stars
Address: 209 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02114
Neighborhood: Beacon Hill
Perfect For: High quality foods in an inviting atmosphere
Hours: Mon – Fri 6:30am – 7pm, Sat – Sun 8am – 6pm
Reservations: No
Parking: Street
Links: Website, Menu
Cost: $15 per person (food only)
Upon entering the cafe, food can be ordered at the counter for either take-out or dine-in. Next to the ordering counter is a display of fresh savory and sweet treats for your perusal, including their famous sticky buns. After ordering, you can select your own table and food will be brought out to you.
The Beacon Hill location has two stories of seating: the ground floor has some bar seating and a few small tables but the space is mostly taken up by people who are ordering, waiting, and picking up orders, and upstairs is primarily for dine-in guests with more available tables and bar seating. I sat at the upstairs bar table, which had great views of the street below.
The breakfast pizza is a beautiful creation: an egg, shredded parmesan cheese, creme fraiche, slice of tomato, and arugula atop a round brioche crust. It’s perfectly sized for one person. It was full of savory flavors and the cheese had a delicious consistency. I would enjoy having this again.
I normally don’t like pop tarts, but I decided to try their raspberry pop tart. It had a thick raspberry filling, super flaky crust, and a sweet glaze on top. This pop tart far surpasses the packaged supermarket version, although it was a bit too sweet for my liking.
I also ordered their sugar brioche bun — a plain buttery brioche coated in vanilla sugar — which was airy and delightful.
Flour’s most famous pastry is the sticky bun — a brioche dough swirled with cinnamon sugar and topped with caramelized honey and toasted pecan gooeyness. You can ask for it to be heated. It’s very sweet and intense so I recommend splitting it with a friend.
A number of made-to-order sandwiches and salads are also offered at Flour. I tried their chopped Greek salad, which surpassed my expectations for a place that is primarily a bakery (almost as good as my homemade Greek salad with avocado dressing). It has yogurt marinated chicken with feta cheese, chickpeas, kalamata olives, and green goddess dressing. I liked how it tasted refreshing and had a generous amount of protein.
In the past, I have also ordered items not photographed here, including:
- chicken tikka masala naan: flavorful chicken with green chutney, tamarind sauce, paneer cheese, and cucumbers
- breakfast egg sandwich: sausage with cheddar cheese, arugula, tomato, and dijonaise
- lemon ginger scone: lemon juice and zest with fresh ginger
All of these items tasted great, and I can tell that everything is consistently made with fresh ingredients and well executed. I am also pleasantly surprised that a bakery’s savory creations are as thoughtful and delicious as its sweet ones. Additionally, I’ve appreciated how Flour consistently provides enthusiastic and welcoming service at the ordering counter.
I look forward to returning again and trying out slices of their Boston cream pie, midnight chocolate cake, and lemon raspberry cake. I’d also be interested in trying more savory dishes such as the achiote chicken sandwich.