Five Loaves Bakery

Wow I love this place. It is amazing and I recommend it to anyway that likes really good homemade food. There menu changes every week but you can always count on the food being great. Also, the restaurant has such homey atmosphere and the waitresses are always very friendly and know their menus well. Everyone should go here and try it out! You won’t be dissapointed

Some food is good but small portions. They charge extra for a vegetable AND potato.
Very unprofessional women owner. She will be losing a lot of long term customers because of her rudeness. The customers she decided to tell off because of a simple mistake in math on the calculation of the tip know many other customers who will not be coming back.
She should not be in this type of business.

Don’t judge this book by its cover! The outside of this place and its location seem very sketchy, but the service and food were excellent. We loved the byob concept and the weekly menu changes! The menu had only a handful of appetizers and entrees to pick from, but they were varied and sounded delicious! We will definitely go back again!

Great good and the service was incredible. Get there early as it gets busy. The menu is always changing. It is also a BYOB…
Thanks

We have been through Five Loaves at a minimum 50 times; we have never been disappointed. Attentive service, eclectic and ever changing menu, the small plates and large plates never disappoint. Every person that we have entertained love this place. We always recommend Five Loaves to individuals who have yet to experience this wonderful small restaurant. Small dining atmosphere, quiet, and always right on the mark for a flavorful meal. Always memorable. Oh, did I mention BYOB.

This place is hands down the best dining experience in Central MA. From the service to the ever-​changing menu, Five Loaves impresses.
Chef Patrick has elevated the menu and food to a higher level and after several visits, I am confident that I can order anything on the menu and the end result is «wow».
Brought «foodie» friends from Boston and they were very impressed with this small-​town gem and by our waiter, Philippe. The portions are generous, ingredients diverse, flavor profiles sophisticated without being stuffy and prices reasonable.
The bread, baked goods and desserts are great too. The Fallen Chocolate Cake is a favorite of mine.
The food and service are an A+ and the
photo installation is great.
HIGH FIVE, Five Loaves!

Best place around! Colleen, the owner, is friendly, inviting, and so much fun. Filipe, the server, is attractive, so professional, so good at what he does, very neat, warm, charming, and adorable. And the food: 5 stars. Not just for a little restaurant in a place like Spencer, but against any competition. It’s high quality, gourmet, creative, delicious food, good enough to be served in a fancy restaurant but without the stuffy atmosphere of a fancy place. I willingly and happily drive 2 hours from Boston at rush hour to eat here. I have been here many times now and I have never been disappointed. And on Wednesdays, 3 courses for $ 23!!! I cannot believe food that good costs me so little. Can’t beat it. Worth every penny on any other day too, though. Best restaurant in the area, by far. Including Sturbridge, which has a lot of options. Actually, I include Worcester too.

Wow! My parents (who live in Spencer and frequent this restaurant) took my husband and I out for dinner last week for our anniversary. It was phenomenal. It’s like a hidden gem on Mechanic Street and was not what I was expecting! It’s BYOB, so we had our favorite wine and beer with us (which keeps the cost down). The waiter Philippe was so knowledgable. The restaurant was full (you definitely should get a reservation), but he took the time to go over the entire menu with us which I thought was a nice touch. For my first plate I had a beet tart which was amazing and for my meal I had the steak with a mushroom sauce, buttered beets, and potatoes. Everything was delicious! For dessert (and this was my most favorite part!) I had the vanilla bean crème brûlée and a cappuccino. It was the best cappuccino I have ever had, and when I told Philippe, he said they use half and half instead of milk. My God, was it good. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

My wife and I went to Five Loaves Bakery for the first time. We have been hearing /​reading about it for the last several months.
We enjoyed the food and atmosphere. We didn’t have reservations, but was seat right away. One minor complaint, the establishment was not busy, but we were seated at a very small table.
We ordered two «small plates» and dinner. The small plates were very good. One was at tomato, fresh corn, and cheese mixture and the other was a tomato and buffalo mozzarella cheese salad. The bread provided was ok. The place is BYOB, but it has a good selection of non alcoholic beverages.
For dinner my wife had a lemon chicken dish with summer vegetables and I had a shrimp and pasta dish. Both were excellent. My wife had desert, which consisted of a pound cake, fresh strawberries and whipped cream. She said it was the best pound cake she has ever had.
Overall we enjoyed the dining experience and we definitely go back again.

Finally had dinner at Five Loaves after quite a few recommendations from friends and family. Went with my boyfriend for his 28^th birthday along with his mum and dad. We made a reservation for 6:30 and brought along a bottle of wine. Casual and BYOB? We like that. Rotating weekly menu? We like that.
So, our party of 4 was greeted promptly but from then on
it was clear we would have ice cold service. Our waiter Phillipe was knowledgeable but really condescending. I don’t like being treated like I have never been out to eat before. My boyfriend has worked as Sous Chef in a 5 star restaurant and doesn’t need a 10 minute long explanation as to what prosciutto is. We know what prosciutto is, thanks for the tutorial though k?! Maybe it was BFs tattoos and casual dress? It just seemed like we were being spoken to like kindergartners on a field trip. I don’t like that. The lady helping our server (owner?) was actually pretty snotty and rather cold towards us. She looked so annoyed having to get us a bit of extra bread I just ended up regretting asking. It just seemed like she wasn’t interested in making us feel welcome. Meh.
I had heard great things about the food, and in that department there was no disappointment. we got 4 small plates to start. Phillipe made sure to remind us that «small plates» are what some places call appetizers. k thanks? because we weren’t sharp enough to figure that out. When BFs dad accidentally misspoke ordering the hearts of palm wrapped in bacon small plate Phillipe literally laughed at him. I’m like whoa Phillipe. That was like, kinda mean, you snotty perma-​waiter. The starter dishes were decent but not terribly imaginative. Entrees were all really good. major thanks and respect to the hands in back, they are turning out very nicely prepared classic dishes. Homemade gnocchi with spinach and Gorgonzola cream sauce was very good, it was rich and to the point. I like that. Boyfriend had a swordfish entrée which was fresh and very good, albeit pretty under cooked. He liked it though. BFs dad was pleased with his sirloin and BF mom seemed to like her slow cooked pork and homemade pasta dish. Desserts were good, flourless chocolate cake was light and somehow rich. BF mom loves her crème brûlée. Luckily, I ordered an espresso with steamed milk and was promptly corrected by Professor Phillipe, «OH YOU MEAN A MACCIATO» Thanks Phillipe, everyone is so impressed by your extensive perma waiter/​barista vocab.
Honestly the BF parents were overall pleased, the food suited them, they like the classics and aren’t too adventurous. I imagine they may come back. I have no complaints about the food, it was pretty damn good and if I were just reviewing the food I would give them a 3.5−4 stars. Genuine credit and appreciation to those preparing the food, they saved an experience that would have otherwise been horrendous.
But honestly, an experience I had high hopes for was just cold and uncomfortable. Fives Loaves needs to realize that great restaurants are great because they respect their patrons. I just wonder what their ultimate intention is. If it is to serve well prepared but un remarkable food by snobby, condescending wait staff you have succeeded, bravo?

A great find. Have heard great things about this place for a while now and we made reservations for Friday night. It’s BYOB so we cannot resist. Very small and cozy inside, our table was ready as soon as we walked in the door. Our server came right over and went over every item on the menu and explained each entrée in detail (very nice touch). Food was great, all four of us left empty plates. Desert was very good and I know we will be back. I do have one small complaint. Its called «Five Loaves Bakery» and since I am a big fan of bread I thought we would be treated to nice hot pre-​meal bread. A small basket a bread was already at the table when we sat down and in that basket was some butter and a few pre-​cut pieces of bread. Not what I thought for a bakery. Just me being picky I guess.

Been coming here consisntely for lunch and dinner since 2010 and have never had a bad meal. Not much else to say!

Went here for dinner after checking out the rotating menu online for several months. Our waiter, Phillipe (sp?) was the consumate professional and gave wonderful descriptions of the dishes that were available. We started with a butternut squash dip that came with a toasted baguette, it was wonderful. Then I had the beef brisket with a root vegetable mash. The beef brisket was good, but not great. It was tender, the gravy rich, but something was missing in the flavor, some kind of pizzazz. My boyfriend had the mac and cheese with bacon and was in heaven. In fact, he said it was the best he’s ever had. I did have to give 4 out of 5 stars because despite the fact that the restaurant only had one other party, we were seated at a tiny table directly next to the kitchen, and listened to a combination of pots and pans banging around the kitchen and some soft rock from the radio behind us. When in doubt, go with something like Frank Sinatra! Overall, we will definitely be back! It is a hidden gem.

I guess I have high standards if in order to gladly spend my money I want: authentic products, reasonable prices, great space/​décor, great service?
The bread and morning treats were great minus the croisants — but those are so difficult to get right! The prices were right on too.
The spelling of «all Thursdays — the plural» as Thursday’s is representative of the style and décor of the restaurant: home made.
The service was great as well and the young lady behind the counter had great information about local farmer’s markets.
With just a bit of advice from professionals this place could become a local jewel for all guests. Wouldn’t it be great to see a down-​to-​earth local business reach beyond their current state to a potential others see?

This is one of the finest surprises, not only in Spencer, but any Worcester County restaurant. The gourmet yet very affordable menu changes weekly and everything is always consistently fresh and delicious. The wait staff is incredibly knowledgeable and professional. Bring your fussiest friends or family members and watch their satisfied smiles say it all!

Great food, no pretensions, not fancy but who cares. Both vegetarian and meat dishes were execllent and we appreciate the BYOB which is a considerable saving if you’re having alcohol.

What a gem hidden in spencer. The place is very unassuming — but put on a pretty amazing dinner (at great prices may I add).
The last time I was there — I got rack of lamb ($ 19) which was absolutely fantastic.
If you are looking for a nice night out — Five Loaves would be a great pick. There are only a few tables so be sure to call ahead.
Oh yeah, its BYOB — I wish there were places like this in Chicago.

Give ALL the stars!
This place is amazing. On Wednesday nights, they have a three course for $ 20 special. And it’s amazing. My last trip, I had a Goat Cheese Tartine (amazing!), Seafood Fra Diavolo (seafood overload), and a heavenly pound cake with chocolate and caramel sauces, as well as maple whipped cream.
The entire meal, we were exclaiming. You’d think after a few bites we’d shut up and eat our food, but we just couldn’t. The food was just too good.
This place is amazing. Make a reservation if you’re coming on a Wednesday night; we were turned away on our first try because they were packed.

My wife and I try to get to Five Loaves Bakery once a week. We’re not «foodies» by any means, but we love the variety, the staff, the unique surprises by Chef Doug, and most of all, we love Connie, the owner. This is a place that causes you to forget the pressures and stresses of your week. Bring a bottle of your favorite wine and enjoy tastes and flavors you’ll not find anywhere in central Mass. We consider this fine dining without the expensive price tag.

This place gets an A plus.
It is mainly a bakery, but there is a very small sitting area in the back section of the locale, giving the restaurant an very homey look… it’s like having dinner at your favorite aunt’s house. The downside of Five Loaves’ size, however, is that it fills up fast, so making reservations is a must, especially on weekend nights. When I called ahead early on Saturday afternoon, I was told that the only time my party of five could be accommodated was at 6pm… pretty early for dinner but we took it.
When we showed up our table was already set up in the back. Another thing about this place is that they have no liquor license, so guests are encouraged to bring their own bottles of wine, which in my opinion works great… Before dinner we made sure to stop at the convenience store and picked up a bottle of a solid German Riesling for only $ 10, which we got to enjoy with our five star meal. Not having to deal with overpriced wine is definitely a plus for me.
The menu is small but there were about six choices for both starters and entrees. There was only one vegetarian option, the pumpkin risotto ($ 13). I’m usually not a risotto fan but I went ahead and decided to try it anyway. There was also a complimentary basket of very good bread at the table, which came in handy after ordering our meal since the food took a little long to come out. My party ordered pretty much every single thing on the menu, from the chicken to the pork and everyone’s plate was very clean in the end. Since the food was filling and delicious (as well as the plates a generous size), there was no room for dessert, which is too bad since I imagine Five Loaves’ specialty would be its baked goods. Next time. I am told that the menu here changes often so this is probably a fun place to visit often.
Yey for Five Loaves, definitely the best food I’ve had in the entire Spencer area.