McLain’s Bakery

This is my FAVORITE bakery in Kansas City. The food is fresh and absolutely amazing. To be honest, I love the breakfast and lunch food even more than the baked items, but the baked goodies are pure deliciousness as well. The atmosphere is so quaint and neighborhoodish. I love coming here and do so often. Oh, and buy one of their t-​shirts. Yes, their t-​shirts. They are super soft and cute. Sound weird? I know, but it’s true. Can you tell I’m a fan of McLain’s?

Mcclains is my second home. People are so friendly. Prices are reasonable and everything is fantastic. It’s a real neighborhood gem. If you’re in the area, I highly reccomend the butter roll, the Apple Danish, and the mountain munch cookie. Awesome bakery!

Stumbled upon McLain’s Bakery on the KC coffee crawl… since then we’ve enjoyed some breakfast sandwiches, pastry, coffee and a couple coffee cakes from their bakery a couple times. First, the farmer breakfast sandwich could not be any more satisfying (I took out the sausage and cheese). The veggies and eggs on the croissant were an amazing breakfast indulgence. My husband loved his plain and simple sandwich (egg, bacon and cheddar) with English muffin BREAD… yes, English muffin bread exists (and it’s really yummy he says). Price is very affordable. I think we had two breakfast sandwiches, danish and coffees for $ 18.
Next, the coffee cakes… our family devoured it on Mother’s day. We got the pecan version but there are fruit and other nut versions also if that’s what you like. It’s really really really good. Do it. My husband raves about the cheese danish that he’s indulged in twice.
The only thing that could make this place better would be organic coffee. The atmosphere is super laid back and family friendly. The owner hands you your breakfast sandwich every Saturday and Sunday. On the coffee crawl, I learned that they are building a location off Roe and I-​435. YESSSS! Keep the local businesses moving out south… we love it! McLains is my kind of place: a local, family friendly biz doing their thing (baking) really well :)

Literally so delicious. Went there for a bridal shower and the ham and cheese croissant was too good. I took extras for leftovers. Little cheesecakes were also heavenly.

I’ve been to McLain’s on multiple occasions, and now that I’ve moved only 7 minutes away, I’m sure I’ll be making more trips here. They have started serving lunch Monday-​Friday from 11 AM — 3 PM, which is a nice addition to their breakfast fare. I have yet to try it, though it’s certainly on my to-​do list.
While I enjoy The Farm breakfast sandwich, I’m not a fan of The Michi. I just didn’t find that it was anything special. Their sandwiches are messy, so be prepared to need a good handwashing after eating here, unless you want to use a fork and knife. Actually, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea. You won’t have to get all messy, and it’ll be easier to eat. But do as you wish.
Usually by the time I get here, they have run out of the Chocolate Croissants and Ham & Cheese Croissants, so I suggest getting here at a reasonable time, especially on weekends. I have had their Almond Croissant, and it’s the best Almond Croissant I’ve ever had. Most places fill their almond croissants with almond paste/​marzipan, which can be rather overwhelming. But it’s not the case at McLain’s. They do it right by simply flavoring the croissant dough with almond. It’s light and delicious all around. I plan on getting more of them!
Their Ham and Cheese Croissants are filled with plenty of chunks of ham and yummy cheese. I generally get it in lieu of a breakfast sandwich, when they have them available. It is one of the better ham and cheese croissants that I’ve had. The Chocolate Croissant is a great way to end. They don’t skimp on the chocolate filling like other bakeries in town do.
My boyfriend loves danishes and has had both the Blueberry and Apricot Danish. Not many bakeries have apricot specifically, so he was really appreciative of that. He found it to be one of the he’s ever had, and that means a lot, since he’s had quite a few danishes in his time. He also liked the blueberry and commented that it wasn’t tart, like other blueberry danishes.
I usually get a chai tea latte with soymilk, and these last few times I’ve gone, all I could taste was the soymilk. So, I probably won’t be continuing to get the chai tea lattes, unless they make it a stronger chai taste.
The service here varies, honestly. While the staff isn’t inhospitable, you are pushed along rather rapidly, so they can serve the next customer. Lines can get pretty long. You should already know what you want by the time it’s your turn anyway because of the wait. You have plenty of time to decide before you finally place your order.
It’s generally packed on weekend mornings and can be hard to find a spot to enjoy your food. We’ve had to take our food to-​go before because of this. They do have a man (manager/​owner?) who delivers your food. I feel bad for the guy because sometimes people aren’t paying attention, and he can’t find the person to give the food to. This would probably be a good time to implement a number system, where customers place a number on a stand, so you know where the food goes. Perhaps in the future?
I think McLain’s is one of the better bakeries in town. They have excellent pastries and good food. I plan on coming back for as long as they’re open.
Overall: ⁴⁄₅
Food: ⁴⁄₅
Service: ³⁄₅
Atmosphere: ³⁄₅

Excellent. There’s nothing about McClain’s I don’t enjoy and I think it has to be my favorite bakery in Kansas City. The Farm breakfast sandwich is delectable and is, to me, an ideal mixture of hearty and appetizing ingredients. Everything from the sausage to the eggs to the potatoes and peppers are somehow perfectly prepared; not too easy and not overdone. Even the croissant is fluffy and nourishing. I probably would never get tired of it even if I had one everyday.
The same goes for the danish. It’s probably also the best of its kind I have had in Kansas City. They’re perfectly moist, scrumptious, and fruity. They also have lots of choices besides predictable cherry and cheese. My girlfriend went with the almond croissant (among the various almond pastries they have, interestingly) and found the lightness to it pleasing and yummy.
It’s usually the places I enjoy the most that I don’t have much to say about, oddly. And McLain’s is such a place. I will say that I don’t find the service to be particularly astounding as many others seem to indicate. I mean, it’s fine enough. But I usually feel sort of rushed through the ordering process and receive little more than a «Anything else?» or «That’ll be [price].» But, it’s not a negative experience. Just beware the sneaky pretentious crowd. I actually think literally every visit here has involved a self-​centered person standing up talking to a table and totally being in the way of us trying to sit down at an adjacent table.
The Farm: ⁵⁄₅
Danish: ⁵⁄₅
Service: ³⁄₅
Clientele (besides me, obviously: P): 1.5÷5

We were in the eye of the wedding-​planning hurricane, making multiple spreadsheets with multiple tabs and quibbling over third cousins and panicking over every hotel in Lawrence suddenly being booked up over our wedding weekend when we found the peaceful enclave of wedding cake tasting. It was our rom com movie montage moment, and damnit if it wasn’t every bit as good, clean, adorable fun as those effervescent blondes of the silver screen make it look.
Starting with McClain’s. I’m not entirely sure how I had never been here before. Their reputation precedes them, and I’ve tasted their airy, crumbly, buttery yet light baked goods before as they partner with several local coffee shops around town. A bright and cozy neighborhood bakery, tucked off the Trolley Trail on Gregory where Brookside meets Waldo and residents walk to meet friends and family, kids and dogs in tow, for coffee, cookies, and pastry. When we first walked in, I was stunned: you instantly feel at home, with friendly staff, light fixture made of retired commercial-​sized whisks and beaters, and a charming sign spelling out their name in giant, cursive turquoise letters behind the counter.
The cake coordinator we met with was friendly and exceptionally organized. We sat down at a table with her, where we tried several different flavors — white, chocolate, almond, red velvet — as she cheerfully explained the process and prices. While we ultimately went with another vendor — McClain’s does deliver in KC, but not to Lawrence, where we were going to be — the prices were exceptionally reasonable for the quality (creamy buttercream, rich with flavor but still light to eat) and we fell even more in love with this charming bakery.
We’ve since been married and McClain’s has started breakfast and now lunch, and it’s become one of my favorite places for both of those meals. They make their own English muffin loaf bread, so when you go, try a perfectly balanced egg+bacon+cheddar sandwich, served between two toasted slices of it, and then take home a loaf for later for only $ 6.
My only knock might be that it’s such a favorite (since 1945!) that on Saturday mornings, you can’t expect to linger — but how can you complain about a place like this being so well-​loved? They still remain friendly and efficient and the coffee is hot and good and the breakfast speaks for itself, so if you can’t find a spot to sit, take it to go for a walk around the block.

My kids and I visited here one Saturday morning. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, vibe of the store and the food! So good! All the things we tried are really delicious. My son and I both tried an egg sandwich. We purchased some cookies to take home and they were gone by the time we drove into our driveway. I would recommend this bakery to anyone who lives in or visits KC. I just wish they had a closer location so that we could visit more often!

Despite a few change of hands in management over the past few years, the quality of food never seemed to change at McClain’s. However, I do admit that the previous owners’ lack of customer service was a little bit of a deterrent. Well, McClain’s newest group of owners not only kept the recipe for their amazing breakfast rolls but they have also made McClain’s a welcoming neighborhood haunt once again.
The last time I visited McClain’s, again under the last group of owners, the space and customer service seemed cold and empty. Upon visiting last week I immediately felt the positive vibes and smiled at the cute displays and huge tables and chairs that invited us to sit and enjoy our treats. The workers helping us were incredibly patient and personable and were so appreciative if our business. We also love how their support other local businesses such as Shatto milk and Thou Mayest coffee.
And the food! Yes, the rolls are still just the right balance of buttery and flaky and sweet, but their other treats are just as decadent. I’m a huge cookie snob, and their peanut butter chocolate chip, frosted sugar, and chocolate cookies hit the spot – huge, moist, and packed with flavor without being overwhelming. We also took home a pan of their blueberry and cheese coffee cake – we ate it for dessert that night and then breakfast the next day! The day we dropped by was their first day of serving lunch. The menu had a handful of really tasty sounding salads and sandwiches that I would love to try soon.
McClain’s used to be the place to go for delicious rolls and that was it. But with lunch, other tasty treats, and a welcoming environment McClain’s has so much more to offer throughout the day. It’s definitely worth checking out when you’re in the Waldo area.

I have had several bad experiences at Maclain’s Bakery (sp). However when they do get their baked goods correct they are extremely good! Unfortunately though, two very important times that I had come to this bakery to pick up 1 a large order for a holiday party & 2) a cake, both orders were totally screwed up and the way that the employees handled the issues was less than professional. The biggest problem that I had was on the large holiday party order that I had place a week prior to picking it up was «LOST» the day that I came to pick it up! My order was nowhere to be found and I was forced to choose from items that were leftover. I thought that it would have been more professional for the manager to either comp or discount highly the goods that I purchased in lieu of the order that I had placed a week earlier; I did not receive a discount on the items that I was left to choose from! Regardless of the two bad encounters, I do think that McC’s can be and is on most occasions an absolutely fantastic bakery with above average baked goods. From the other review, it appears to me that my two negative experiences here were uncommon and atypical for this bakery:)

Coffee, Shatto milk, breakfast sandwiches, pastries, breakfast burritos, donuts… what more could you need?
The ham and cheese pastry was delicious, and everything my family got looked great too.
We were there on a Saturday morning, and there was a steady line almost the whole time we were there. The line moves quickly, though, and there always seemed to be a table or two open. Can’t wait until their Johnson County location opens!

Food was great! Atmosphere to match!
We Enjoyed Danishes, Coffee, Muffins, Breakfast Burrito, Cookies and Croissants while we were there. My Favorites was the Breakfast Burrito as it was loaded with sausage and not to heavy on the egg like most places breakfasts. Highly Recommend Trying this out!
Short line and got food very quickly.
It was great to see so many families making a trip to the Bakery for an outing. Seemed like a great place for all ages. Kids were enjoying the different types of cookies and the cake decorating window. Grandpas were out for their morning coffee and Doughnut and a couple others studying.
Put this on your list of Breakfast places to try out. This post made me hungry.

McLain’s baked 80 Royals world series cookies for my wedding with only two days notice! They were very reasonable on price and our guests loved them.
In general an awesome bakery with superb pastries and breakfast sandwiches! Neat atmosphere to sit and drink a coffee. Staff was helpful and polite.

This is my favorite bakery in Kansas City. Great family owned business, that has a lot of history. Their pastries are always fresh, and the breakfast sandwiches are awesome! The Michi is so good! I always love breakfast burritos. Great way to start your day!

The Waldo FB page has posted a few pictures of McLain’s and that they were voted best bakery in KC via The Pitch. The ham and cheese croissant picture was what motivated me to stop and holy heck, amaaaazing! The flakey, buttery croissant would stand as being super delicious on it’s own, but the addition of thick cut ham and cheese oozing out makes this possibly the most amazing breakfast you can find. For $ 3, skip those fast food places and get a breakfast that will keep you talking and drooling all morning.
The items are heated in a microwave which made me worried that it would make the croissant chewy, but it is still perfection.
They also offer other baked goods and custom options. Grab a tea or coffee with your treats.
Service was just ok. The girl that helped me seemed a little lost to the world in general.

Beyond amazing! Everything at Mclains is delicious! And the staff is very friendly! This is a great neighborhood location that allows for all kinds of people to walk right up!

Love it here! I come here on the weekends to get a VERY tasty pastry and some great coffee. The butter rolls, sticky buns, and cinnamon rolls are my favorite! All of the employees are very pleasant and always helpful if you’re having trouble deciding or need an explanation. One thing-​get here early! They run sometimes run out of things pretty quickly on weekdays especially. Please take the time to come here! Everything is reasonably priced and DELICIOUS!

My husband and I were bored Sunday morning and decided to set out in search for a bakery to try (it sounded like a good idea). So we set out exploring and weren’t finding anything that was open (again, Sunday morning — looking around int he ‘burbs) and I was well aware of McLain’s and heard great things and finally decided we should just go there since I’d heard good things. We were not disappointed.
Upon arriving and going inside, we were met with display cases full of ridiculously delicious looking treats. Danishes, bear claws, cinnamon twists, lots of cookies, cake, tiny delicious looking pies, bread… It all looked awesome. So we chose a LOT of things. Ham & cheese croissants, apple pie, box of cookies, some more cookies…, a danish. The cookies has all been great so far (still several to try). The sugar cookie with frosting was awesome. the frosting is delightful. I had had one of the little cookies, name of which I don’t know, that a rep brought to our office once it was amazing. Little cookies with frosting, has some bits of nuts in it… give it a try! The apple pie was good. The cinnamon twist very tasty this morning for breakfast. Basically, everything was good, all of the time. We bought a ciabatta that if it is anywhere as good as the one we sampled there, will be amazing. It was sooooo good. The cinnamon twist I got was also fantastic and I now need more of those too.
But the highlight of it all… The ham & cheese croissant. Holy crap, that was delicious. Croissant was flaky and light, perfect flavor. The cheese and ham were plentiful and delicious! Seriously, I could eat one of those every day and never get sick of it. AWESOME!
The bakery is cute with plenty of seating if you want to hang out and eat your treats and sip on coffee. Parking was no problem on Gregory, parked right out front. The staff was really friendly, made suggestions, and were very nice.
Two thumbs up!

Quaint little bakery nestled in a lovely neighborhood. We love walking there on weekend mornings for fresh coffee and cinnamon rolls. Their staff is always quick to greet you with a warm smile.
The only complaint I would have about this places they have way too many options displayed in their cabinet. The temptation is sometimes unbearable!!!

The folks at McClain’s can flat out bake.
I first tried them at Crow’s Coffee where they stock blueberry and almond poppyseed muffins, along with scones, ham & cheese croissants and occasional other goodies. The muffins are my staple and they are dense, moist, packed and flavorful.
I was out attempting to shop for the holidays when I saw McClain’s and decided to see what else they have. As soon as I walked in the girls were very nice and when they found out I had never been in the bakery itself, they handed me a sample of their ‘house’ cookie; a homemade pecan sandie with a chocolate buttercream frosting.
I opted for a couple sugar cookies that were decked out in red and green for the holidays and they were delicious. They were similar to shortbread but more moist and you could really taste the butter.
They seem to be a good neighborhood spot and are definitely popular. A good spot to check out if you’re in the area.