The Back Alley Bakery And Restaurant

This place is one of the best spots in Hastings. I was only in here for lunch, but I kept coming back again and again.
There is a short menu that seems handcrafted for each day. Even though there aren’t a ton of options, everything on the menu is great and fresh. The staff is maybe a little quirky, but super helpful. The desserts are killer, and the soups are especially good.

I have been going here ever since I was a little kid, it is still one of my favorite places to go and eat.
I usually get the Patty Melt Panini or Petite Lunch Plate with a side of Mixed Greens Salad
I love the Classic Supreme pizza, I get them every time we order on Pizza Night
Keep doing what you’re doing!
I definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves good food

We had Back Alley make an assortment of cakes for our wedding reception and they were spectacular. Ellen baked a number of different cakes, but our favorite was definitely the German Chocolate. We would highly recommend them for wedding catering!
We’ve also been there for lunch on a number of occasions and the soups are always fantastic. My husband is obsessed with the blue cheese baguette and I love the toasted sun seed bread. And the cinnamon buns are a wonderful way to start the day.

I have been here for lunch a few times and it is always very very good. This is one of those places that you don’t expect to find in a small town, let alone in the middle of Nebraska. They have a changing lunch menu which usually includes a panini sandwich or a salad with a choice of a side. I usually order a soup for the side.
Last time I was here, I had a chicken cordon blue panini with a tomato bisque for the soup side. Very excellent! Oh, it’s a bakery so they have great desserts such as cakes and lemon bars. I had a peanut butter — chocolate cake which so rich and delicious. Also, in their display case is their freshly baked sour dough/​artisan bread. The foccacia is pretty good. Bottomline, if your in Hastings for lunch and you want a fine lunch, great desserts, and baked goods, come here.

Really good breakfast. I was in town for a class reunion and my group needed a morning place before the parade. I had the Sunrise with two eggs, bacon, fruit and sweet roll for $ 6.25 –the roll was as good as I’ve had.

I’ve had lunch here a few times, they make great bread and granola and have good salads. Tonight I had their pizza for the second time. I live in GI so I’ve had it cold both times but the crust is great. I hope to get it warm some day. We had the Ruben pizza and the southwest. Both were really tasty.

My FAVORITE place in hastings. Everything is fresh and tastes amazing. I love how they change the menu up and keep you on your toes! Sincerely, the best food in town. You occasionally have to wait a bit… seems like they have a limited staff. But it’s worth the wait if you have time.

As good as its locally. This place is the crown jewel of Hastings. Been frequenting BAB since the entrance was back in the alley. Their breads are always good, since they started serving food, its rarely a place I’ll pass up. The atmosphere is conducive to the type of place they are, and random conversations with the random people next to you. Some times I’ve heard people fuss about the service, and I understand this, but the service is never RUDE its just a family business ran by family worked by family and being the best place in town they are simply busy. If you’ve ever worked in a bakery you know everything is time sensitive and there is always something to do. And what should you do? Go to The Back Alley Bakery and say hi to those around out enjoying the gem of the plains.

I guess third time’s the charm! I was covering a trial this week and this was one of the few nearby places that I could walk over to during the lunch break. This time I got the Asian Tuna Salad Sandwich with the Leek and Asparagus Soup. The sandwich was actually a good portion this time and the soup was just amazing! I kind of wish I got a whole bowl of it instead of just a cup of it. The cheesecake square I tried this time wasn’t as good as some of their other baked goods, but still tasty.
Service is just okay, not very personable, which is why this rating is lacking the 5^th star.
I also bought a loaf of their pepper cheddar bread this time. It’s a pretty solid bread, although I was expecting pepper cheddar throughout instead of just on top. It’s a good bread to make bruschetta or panini with though!

Back Alley is the place to eat in Hastings, NE. The food is very fresh, simple, and locally sourced. It has a wonderful small-​town feel without feeling stuffy. The bread is made DAILY and they generally have a great day old section for those on a budget.
This is a great place to meet friends for a simple lunch. Yes, you might be able to make some of the food from home, but the atmosphere makes the meal.
I highly recommend the Blueberry Verde Salad and the cranberry/​pesto turkey panini. Also the pomegranate green tea and their cheesecake for dessert.
If I had to complain about something, I would say their cake can be a little dry and it’s best to go before or after noon because the place fills up quickly!
Back Alley is an assest to Hastings and has donated to many non-​profit projects I’ve been a part of. Their catering is also wonderful!

We were in town for 3 days. Wish we had found it sooner. It is packed at lunch and for good reason. If you like good and different this is your place.

Back Alley was recommended to me on a recent trip to Hastings and I was not disappointed.
Back Alley has all of the attributes of a great local establishment: free wireless, decent coffee, plenty of tables, power outlets and great conversations about organic farming and living in a small town. .. yeah, I was eaves-​dropping.
I had an iced-​coffee so didn’t get to sample the food. My assumption is that is good and the vibe would make up for any downside to the food.
Only downside is that it is not open late.

This place is amazing. They have great local bread and a changing menu that highlights local produce. I have been here for lunch several times, and I have never been disappointed in my meal. While BAB has great options for carnivores, they often provide good vegetarian options that you can’t always find in Hastings. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable of their menu. This is a great place to go for lunch! :)

I haven’t tried their sandwiches yet, but the bread of course is excellent and the atmosphere is cozy.
The pastries and cakes are good too, although there’s usually a larger variety of those at the Blue Moon a couple doors down.
As a student here, I have to give them props for occasionally donating bread for events on campus, too! :)
They serve pizza on Thursday evenings now; it’s carry-​out, and you can reserve a pizza early if you want to; you can even pay early if you’re going to be in a hurry at pickup time. There’s usually at least one unconventional variety on the menu (for example, this week it was «Autumn Harvest»: goat cheese, arugula and pears.) The price is competitive with other pizza places in town if you don’t mind them not doing delivery.

No reviews for Back Alley?! I can’t believe it. This is such a great place, and the best in Hastings, if not the state! It’s such a gem, and I wish I could have packed it up and moved it with me when I moved away from Hastings.
They started out with just bread-​good for you, whole grain, hearty bread made in their brick oven. They were only open a couple of afternoons a week, and the whole city of Hastings would show up to wait in line to get a loaf or two. Then they started making cinnamon rolls, granola, pizza on Thursday nights etc. It just kept getting better and better. Now they’ve opened an actual restaurant/​café open 6 days a week. They serve sandwiches, paninis, salads, soups, desserts, and of course-​they are still making delicious, hearty breads to take home.
If you find yourself in Hastings, you must stop here. It is one of the best, tucked away places in the whole state of Nebraska!