People’s Bakery

So when you walk in, expectations might dip by the décor, dirty floor and less than warm welcome. Ordering is pretty standard for a fast food restaurant, however the woman working the counter is quite brash and it makes things awkward pretty quickly. I ordered the spinach with rice dish, and my husband got the gyro. We also ordered hummus as an appetizer. The app never came out and then she called out our food and we had to pick it up. The spinach dish was most likely the most unappetizing plate I have eaten, ever. The braised spinach was so old it had turned completely brown, and the rice was clumpy and lacked any flavor. I couldn’t even stomach a few bites. The gyro was a gyro, nothing great, nothing terrible. When we went to pay she remembered the hummus and tried to push us to get it, but we were not wanting anything else from the establishment.

We just tried People’s Bakery tonight and loved it. The food is both delicious and reasonably priced. The owner noticed us trying to figure out what to order for our young daughter, and she took the time to talk to our daughter about what she likes and dislikes, and made a special sandwich just for her. We will definitely be back!

Unilocal and the restaurant itself states that this establishment is open until 8 pm. So I was confused and disappointed that they were closed when I pulled up shortly after 7:30 pm. Lights were out, nobody home. Hmmmm…
Hopefully I can update my rating in the future :(
Update:
I am now a huge fan! Service is fast and prices are great. The blueberry fritter is heavenly. On the weekends I anxiously wait for 7 am to roll around so I can head over for my fix.

Best old fashioned donuts in Madison. I don’t live anywhere near here, but I’m lucky my coworker does. I get ridiculously excited when she brings them in. My usual stop in Madison to cure a donut craving is Scott’s in Middleton because it’s convenient and decent (I think their best donut is their raised maple frosted or the decadent german chocolate), but oh how I wish I drove past People’s on the way to work instead. Just the right texture and sweetness.

Ok, let’s just be honest here. The «décor» leaves much to be desired. But really, this is not why I stop at People’s Bakery. It’s those damn doughnuts (the French crullers to be specific). These guys make the most amazing doughnuts, the French cruller as you’ve now learned are my favorite. I can easily inhale 3 or 4 of these buggers at a time. They are perfectly light and airy, and the glaze hugs the outside so perfectly, they just melt in your mouth. God I love ‘em. I’ve also had the kibbe, which I think is wonderful. My son will accompany me on a trip to People’s Bakery if I promise to buy him a couple doughnuts. The two of us sit in the scanty boothed table as he unenthusiastically watches me savor every last tidbit of the kibbe dipped in the yogurt sauce. Mmmmm… considering how labor intensive it is to make kibbe at home, these are a god-​send. I’m admittedly no connoisseur when it comes to Lebanese foods, but their kibbe wins my vote for quick and tasty. On a side note: my son who is a teenager, still remembers when he was 2 yrs old, how the owner was so nice to him and greeted him every time we entered the store. It may not be a palace, but the food and pride in ownership makes a mark on one’s memory and taste buds.

A great couple who serve great middle eastern ethnic cuisine. I just bought a bunch of baklavas for my office potluck for a great price.
Even though the décor and all is pretty modest, a true food lover will love this place

Great donuts topped off a tasty meal. A little hard to find but like Arnold I’ll be back.

I’ve been here a couple times for the donuts, which are awesome. But I didn’t feel compelled to write a review until coming here for dinner a few days ago — the food is absolutely delicious! It’s a shame it’s not more obvious from the outside, but the lunch/​dinner menu is extensive, the prices are excellent, the people are friendly, and the food is phenomenal. I got a gyro sandwich and it was enormous, delicious, and only $ 4.50.
I love Banzo, which is the obvious point of comparison for People’s Bakery, but I’d probably choose PB given that the food is just as good an a whole lot cheaper. I’ll definitely be coming back!

A falafel sandwich and a can of iced mocha for 5 bucks? Yasss. This place is still awesome; still going strong. Long live People’s Bakery.

Delicious donuts! I thought the vanilla frosted long john was on par with Greenbush’s similar donuts. This should be your donut stop on the East Side. They also serve hot middle eastern food, which I plan to come back to try.
Just make sure you have some time, even if you’re just picking up donuts to go. There was just one person working the counter and cooking customers’ meals so the whole process took awhile.

You don’t want to come here if you are looking for a fantastic dining atmosphere, but you can’t beat it for great take-​out. The falafel is amazing! Their hummus doesn’t come close to competing with Banzo, but the prices are quite a bit cheaper. You can walk out with two falafel pita sandwiches for under ten dollars.

Great Mediterranean food and friendly owners. They also make delicious kosher doughnuts!

They aren’t anywhere near as good as Greenbush Bakery but there prices are good and if you’re close there an alright choice.

Want donuts in Madison? This is where you ought to be. The people’s bakery is a small donut shop on Madison’s east side and the place represents this town perfectly. They also serve food like Gyros, which are delicious, but probably not Madison best gyro.
A husband and wife team run this place and they do an outstanding job. Super nice too. If you want an outstanding box of donuts, like top-​notch stuff, this place is worth your time. And if you want to buy local and support an outstanding company than THIS IS IT!

I am pretty disappointed with this place. After it being described as the best gyro in town, I was let down. The gyro is good and it is only $ 4.50. However, best in town? Eh.
They forgot my tomatoes. There is nothing really terrible about this place, but it was just «ok.»

Some secrets are best kept secret. However I don’t want my new donuts find going out of business anytime soon. I stumbled across this little gem while trying to find some real donuts for my wife to take to her at work. I found the People’s Bakery. The donuts selection was wonderful. The wall mentioned some other baked goods as you walk in like scones, but those are no longer available. The donuts were fantastic. So good that I had to go back today and they are still fantastic and the shelves were socked full at 9:30am with plenty of choices and the prices are great.
To be honest i had tunnel vision on the donuts but I believe they have some other things to offer for lunch and dinner.

In addition to sweet treats like donuts and bear claws, they also have lunch and dinner options for cheap. Falafel is not the best in town, but try the gyro, which comes as a sandwich or entrée sized plate. They have other standard Mediterranean options such as hummus and kebobs. Seating is limited and would not be good for large groups. Definitely more of a take-​out place. I would definitely go back to explore their menu.

What do you get when you combine Lebanese cuisine, baked goods, gyros, funky interior design and second hand talk of bed bugs?
The perfect #yelpnewvember storm, that’s what.
Over the summer, there was a spirited debate about where to find the best gyros in town after the unfortunate demise of Dmitri’s. After fellow Unilocaler Tawnie R boldly declared the People’s Bakery as the worthy successor to Dimitri’s, I knew a trip to the People’s Bakery was in the cards for me.
If you are looking for elegant digs, this place is not for you. It’s a kitschy, little greasy spoon nestled into a strip mall at the corner of East Wash and East Johnson. There’s not a lot of seating and if someone is on the phone, you’re going to be privy to their conversation. In my case, I got a comprehensive update on a bedbug infestation of a family member that the owner’s wife was describing in painstaking detail. And while the chairs and tables are mismatched and the floor tiles are coming loose in places, the eating surfaces were all impeccably clean and the pictures on the wall gave the joint a homey feel. And the husband and wife team that run the place have a great rapport with the regular customers getting their lunch fix.
I ordered the $ 5.50 gyros and fries and grabbed a seat. About ten minutes later, a massive foil wrapped gyros was delivered to my table. I swear that an entire herd of sheep were sacrificed for this meal. In terms of quantity, the People’s Bakery delivered big time.
On the quality side, things were a little less clear cut. First the negatives:
* The next time I visit, I’m going to ask to have the pita spend a little time on the grill. This dish deserves better than a cold, doughy pita.
* More tzatziki sauce please!!! When you give me a metric ton of lamb meat, I need more than a tablespoon of sauce to balance out the dish.
* The same can be said of the tomatoes. I need more than two very thinly cut slices.
Now the positives:
* The meat was served piping hot, moist and well seasoned. It was clear this meat wasn’t sitting under a heat lamp awaiting the lunch time crush. The only thing I would have changed is to have a little char on some of the pieces to provide more textural contrast.
* The onions served with the dish were pure awesomeness. I’ll be honest, I usually pick most of the onions off my gyros because they can overpower the other ingredients with their sulfuric pungency. With a medium dice, these onions were fresh and sweet and complemented each bite.
* I l-​o-​v-​e-​d the fries that accompanied the meal. Salty and crunchy on the outside and hot and moist on the outside. Yummmmmm.
So, does the People’s Bakery unseat Trader Gus as my King of Madison Gyros. I say it’s too close to call right now. What I do know is that I plan to return to the People’s Bakery to conduct more extensive research. And if you find yourself on the east side with an empty stomach and a light wallet, People’s Bakery is an option worth considering.

Went for dinner the other night. We have found our new gyro restaurant!
Hubby & I both ordered gyro. One sammy, one plate. Man, was it good!
Took a raspberry fritter home for dessert, and that was great as well.
We will definitely be back!

This place is so accidental hipster, and defies categorization. Is it a diner? A bakery? An auntie’s living room? Let’s just say if a donut shop and a small restaurant played Tetris, this would be the result.
The eating area is quiet — no music, just the drink cooler humming — and the experience eclectic — mismatched formica tables, plastic cups for water, and tea cups with feet for the Turkish coffee. The Turkish coffee was weaker than expected, but wonderfully aromatized with cardamom.
There was so much food my eyes pin-​balled for a minute. The red lentil soup made with sprouted lentils came in a bowl — a real bowl, not a cup-​sized bowl. We also had the gyro plate which was satisfying, and mousaka entrée which was like an eggplant, potato, and tomato casserole over yellow rice. By itself, the mousaka would last me two additional meals. We couldn’t resist the Boston crème donut, which turned out to be the best I’ve had in Madison, and a gigantic cinnamon roll fritter. Plus the two coffees, the total came out to be $ 25 (!!) and some change.
The service is a relaxed pace, but the owners were charming and seemed to enjoy us enjoying their food. My five-​star ratings often depend on how likely and how often I would return, and this place definitely makes the twice-​a-​month cut.