Corner Bakery Cafe

Quick and easy access from the metro. Good breakfast options. Service, although friendly took awhile, but the food was cooked while I waited and not sitting under a heat lamp.

Fantastic Tuffle Mocha! GREAT way to start the day! Though it was a little confusing — where to order, where to pickup your drinks… we found other confused patrons when we arrived. The set-​up is the only thing keeping them from 5 stars from me. That was a REALLY good mocha…

Ordering at this location is a little chaotic. It was not clear who to order with, and after they took my order they did not explain to go pay or to wait or what to do. I mean, common sense kicked in and I figured it out, it would just be nice to have a clearer direction from employees.
Food was good, about what you expect from Corner Bakery. Took about 5 minutes to pay (not lying) because the guy had a really hard time ringing our order up correctly for some reason. He actually ended up ringing it up wrong, but I did not say anything because it was the right price and we got the right food.
Next time we are in Union Station and need to eat, we will probally go elsewhere.

Walking through Union Station last week, I had a rush of nostalgia for the days when I commuted to school in the city. I ate at Corner Bakery almost every day back then, grabbing something for either breakfast or lunch and trying to sneak bites on the train before class. (I don’t care what anyone else says; the no-​food-​on-​Metro law is dumb, dumb, dumb.)
In the past I usually got their sandwiches, both the breakfast and lunch variety, and I appreciated that they had veggie-​friendly options at all times. The food was always fresh and good; I didn’t expect a gourmet meal from a takeout chain, so was never disappointed.
This time I had a few extra minutes, so opted for the lighter berry-​almond oatmeal parfait and ate at a table in the bustling station. I can’t figure out how they do it, but it’s a mixture of oatmeal and yogurt, served chilled, with dried and fresh berries and slivered almonds. It was as delicious as I’d remembered, except that it was a little too sweet (they probably use lowfat yogurt, which tends to compensate with extra sugar.) I also love the crispy, thin sugared raisin toast they serve alongside — I saved that for a snack the next day and it was just as good!
For my money, Corner Bakery runs circles around other chain bread-​based places (Panera, Au Bön Pain, Atlanta Bread Company, etc.) But I didn’t see until I returned to the station that evening that Pret a Manger has set up shop there, so I can’t imagine going back this Corner Bakery anytime soon!

This is a really terrible Corner bakery. I ordered a medium-​sized delivery order from them of 14 boxed lunches. When the order arrived, all of the boxes were mislabeled, some of the sandwiches were ones that I didn’t order, and the insides of the sandwich wrappers were all smeared with excessive mayonnaise.
So I had vegetarians who didn’t have options for lunch, a boss who HATES mayonnaise more than anything on earth, and an indecipherable grab-​bag of sandwich boxes.
I called the restaurant and spoke to the manager.
Me: I am missing sandwiches, and the boxes are mislabeled.
Her: No you’re not and no they aren’t.
Me: I am looking at my order form and I ordered these two vegetarian sandwiches, but two of the boxes are labeled with a similar sounding non-​vegetarian sandwich name. Also, there is meat on all 14 of the sandwiches.
Her: Well you didn’t order the vegetarian sandwiches, but due to the miscommunication, I will give you two free vegetarian sandwiches. I will not charge you for them.
Me: Um, aaaa. well I did order them, but thanks. It is 11:50 now and people are starting to ask about lunch. Thanks for fixing this fast. Now, will you help me reorganize these others into their appropriate boxes?
Her: They are not mis-​labeled.
Me: Well, for example, there is a box labeled «Turkey» that contains sandwich meat in a dark pinkish hue with brown borders. I think this is roast beef, as it does not look like any turkey that I have ever ordered, but does look like other roast beefs that I have seen…
*****
Negotiations ensue, we reorganize the sandwiches, I literally run like the wind over to the store to pick up the two missing ones, and then for my efforts my team is rewarded with unwrapped then re-​wrapped, mayonnaisey grosswiches.
Around 2 PM I apologize to my boss privately for the mess and the mayonnaise. He is gracious and is not upset. I assure him that I will be more mayo-​cognizant in the days to come and also write a scathing review detailing my experience on Unilocal.
This brings us back to now.
In summation, If you are in Union Station and want to order one sandwich, maybe it is fine. But there are better sandwich catering options around and management was slightly insane.

Possibly the worst Corner Bakery ever. Line is backed up because the people who work here do not know how to take orders and ring people up… and when they do take an order it takes them ~20 minutes to make it. Very bad. They just stand idly around and you have to flag them down – multiple times, I may add – until they, very reluctantly, wander over to get your order. Half the time they aren’t paying attention. All that aside, a backed-​up line because you can’t make the orders is unacceptable.
Stay away.

You have to ask for cheese & it cost .50 extra on the mom’s sandwiches.
They dont have a flow yet like Au Bön Pain

I’ve never been to Union Station (or any Corner Bakery Café), but I guess it’s comparable to Panera Bread. We stopped by here for a pretty… heavy breakfast — I got the Anaheim Scrambler — potatoes, scrambled eggs + bacon, and two slices of toast. About $ 7 with tax.
Seating kinda sucks because all of the tables are tightly packed and there’s not much room to stretch out. But our order was prepared quickly and the service was nice!
Compared to Panera Bread? Not so great… but this’ll have to do for now!
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Came here during the busy lunch hour on weekdays; service was ok but a bit on the slower side which is understandable.
Ordered a pasta dish and it was good, but a bit on the heavier side. Had to eat it over the course of a couple of hours: D

Nice place to just unwind while waiting for the train.
They carry many baked goods including mini bundt cakes. This must be all the rage in Washington now. I also saw some rugelachs, whoopie pies and the other usual suspects.
I am currently trying to fast and find my ascetic ways and I am depriving myself of sweets. Down with the carbs and down with sweets.
I had an iced coffee, which really hit the spot on a hot, humid afternoon in Washington. I do miss you Corner Bakery. I haven’t been able to find you here in Gotham.

I love Corner Bakery’s selection of salads, soups, and beverages. The staff at this location is very friendly. However, the space is very tight. First, there’s hardly enough space for a line at the counter. Then, when you go to sit down, there is barely enough space to navigate around the tables and chairs. This is a good spot to get lunch or coffee on the run, but not to sit down for a relaxing meal.

I *heart* Corner Bakery… all of them as they have such a great selection of sandwiches, soups, salads, and pastries. But there is something in particular about the Union Station location that really attracts me. I think it is sitting there watching the hustle and bustle of people going to/​from work that really livens the Corner Bakery experience at Union Station. I have been here on occasion, especially when I was working in the Union Station vicinity. Today, I returned with my roomie (and fellow Unilocaler), Abby C., as well as our friend, Kelvin for a quick breakfast.
This was my first Corner Bakery breakfast experience and I was quite pleased! Although ordering the food itself caused quite some confusion (this never happened before during lunch), the service an meal were excellent. I had the Anaheim Panini (asked for it without bacon) — which was essentially scrambled eggs, diced tomatoes, green onions & avocado on grilled sourdough. The eggs were freshly scrambled behind the counter and the sandwich was so fresh and tasty & leaving me full and satisfied!

Food/​Cost: (⁴⁄₅) This was not my first time at a Corner Bakery, but it was my first time at this particular one. I must say, I don’t remember Corner bakery tasting so good in California. I ordered the Commuter Croissant (~$ 5.50), which featured a buttery croissant enveloping a heaping serving of delicious scrambled eggs, perfectly crisp applewood smoked bacon, juicy tomatoes, and just the right amount of cheddar cheese. I high-​five the cook who made my breakfast — good job! The size was hefty and heavy; it definitely filled me up. The price was pretty low for a yummy DC breakfast. I feel like sit-​down restaurants would probably give you this same food, plop down a side of fruit, and raise the price 2 – 3 times. My only very minor comment is that the croissant should have had a slightly crispier exterior. Other than that, the croissant sandwich was worth every penny.
Ambiance: (⁴⁄₅) It seems to get a bit crazy here during meal times. When we arrived at 8:30am, Corner Bakery was buzzing with activity. Everyone was trying to order and get their orders, customers were slightly confused, but everyone was still in an amazing good mood. It was like a bee hive gearing up for the day. I’d say mostly tourists and professionals — young and old. The décor here is the traditional Corner Bakery type, with dark brown woods, and the black and white color scheme. Everything was pretty clean and organized.
Location: (⁵⁄₅) This Corner Bakery is located in Union Station so it’s a great place to be. There are shops around, a huge food court downstairs, stuff upstairs, trains going in and out, buses arriving and departing, and the Mall is just a few steps away.
Service: (³⁄₅) The way they take orders and payments here was confusing this morning. There was no semblance of a line because some ppl were waiting for their food in the narrow space between the cashiers and other ppl were paying or ordering foods in that very same area. Basically, I just caught the eye of an open cashier, she waved me over, and she took my order. However, she asked me if I had already placed my order on the right side where they were cooking the food. When I replied with a confused no, she communicated my order, but kindly told me I was suppose to order where the food was being made first and then go pay. They definitely need to better define the ordering and payment procedure here. I was not the only person confused — my friends and other customers were also looking lost. On the other hand, the workers here were all really nice and very attentive. That took away any budding frustrations with the ordering process.
Overall: (⁴⁄₅) Though the ordering process for breakfast was confusing and disorienting, the friendly employees made up for it. My breakfast was delicious and cheap. I would definitely come here again for breakfast if I’m in the area.

They took forever with my order of Swiss Oatmeal and I said to just cancel it. This was an ordeal too and they took forever to give me my money back. Will not return. Bad service.

Apparently this is a chain, but I saw my first Corner Bakery at Union Station on the way back to New York after Memorial Day weekend. There’s not anything too noticeable about the chain, but it seemed like the breakfast options were of a bit more variety than your typical fast food/​gourmet deli stop. We both ended up getting the Anaheim Scrambler in sandwich form, which was absolutely delicious. I’ve become a huge fan of lightly grilled bread after eating it here and at Cedar (another restaurant I ate at in D.C.), and I’m a huge sucker for avocados in just about anything, but particularly in breakfast sandwiches. It just adds a nice little twist that makes the sandwich taste quite a bit better than the generic egg and cheese sandwich. The bacon bits were also tasty and added your requisite meat to the sandwich without overwhelming it (see: any McDonald’s breakfast sandwich with sausage).
The staff is courteous and gets the food served pretty quick. You also know it’s decent because it’s not pre-​made and served on the spot; it has to be prepared. It’s a bit of a stretch to give a chain 4 stars, but I think relative to its competitors, the rating is certainly well-​deserved. It’s also pretty hard to beat the quality for the price as well.

Union Station! Corner Bakery! My friend had hyped Corner Bakery, saying that yeah, it’s a chain, but that everything was fresh and tasty.
So we got in line, and he told me that he normally gets the croissant sandwich for breakfast. I’m not really big on croissants, though, so I opted for the Anaheim Panini, which is scrambled eggs, tomatoes, cheese, and avocado on sourdough. I mean, I ordered, and as soon as I asked for «the anaheim panini, please,» my friend was cracking up, so I stared at him, wondering what had inspired that, and when he recovered, he said «You can take the girl out of San Francisco, but you can’t take the…» and I said «Shut up. And why would you say that?» Apparently, it’s because of the avocado and sourdough, which, admittedly, are very San Franciscan, but I ordered what appealed to me.
So… he was right. I mean, it was a decent breakfast sandwich, but he was right when he told me that before I left SF, I’d better eat avocados, fish tacos, and Dungeness crab, because I wouldn’t be able to find them well prepared when I visited him. He could have added sourdough to that list, because I’m used to San Francisco sourdough, which has that distinct, strong taste to it. And he was right to laugh at me for ordering something so SF and expecting it to be as good as I’d get out there. My critiques were simply that the avocado didn’t taste quite right, and that the sourdough didn’t have much of a sourdough taste. It was like getting a watered down version of both of them.
The cinnamon rolls at Corner Baker are fabulous, though. As long as you’re not worrying about your waistline or your cholesterol intake, get a cinnamon roll. Now, I’ve never had a cinnamon roll that I didn’t like, but these are really, really good. Since they’re huge, I shared one with my friend, but I kind of wished I hadn’t, ’cause they’re so good that I wanted the entire thing for myself. Yum!

Reviews for the Sake of Reviewing: This 2-​Star rating reflects one particular visit to a particular Corner Bakery Café on a Sunday morning. Having dined at several Corner Bakeries, it’s fair to say that they are all pretty average (3-​Stars for being A-​OK). Corner Bakeries are reliable places for a quick and easy bite at tolerable prices. Having laid the foundation of what is typically expected from a Corner Bakery, here’s why this particular location deserves a 2-​Star «Meh. I’ve experienced better» rating: there was a cockroach sitting in the middle of the food display. This should raise serious sanitation concerns but nobody — neither the food staff nor the other customers — seemed to notice or care. I looked around and there didn’t appear to be any visible infestation but it makes you wonder what else could’ve been lurking around. I alerted the manager and he quickly disposed the plate with the loitering cockroach (luckily, it did not scamper around inside the display case). I suppose that I should’ve canceled my breakfast order at this point but I didn’t. I still ate the sandwhich despite my awareness of sanitation risks and I didn’t get a discount for pointing out a significant health code violation. So maybe it’s wasn’t that big of a deal after all?
One thing is for certain, I don’t think I’m going back to this particular Corner Bakery in the foreseeable future. [Last Visit: April 25, 2010]

Good value for pretty healthy, tasty options. Go ‘n’ git it!
I like these guys. They saved my baby’s shaky, low-​blood-​sugar self with a quick California Grill Sandwich. It was good. It was healthy. It was delivered within a reasonable amount of time. Good value for your money.
Thank you, CBC!

Excellent place to stop for a cup of coffee — they offer several different types of coffee too.
Coffee was strong and robust — provided the caffeine boost my brain craved!
You can also get breakfast items, salads, soups and Chili, bakery items, panini sandwiches, and more.

I love this place. Being a very very busy joint around lunch time, that is not even a full fledged Corner Bakery establishment, they focus a whole lot on their turnaround time. The salads are pretty fresh, and the sandwiches are tasty. The cupcakes and other desserts are also full of quality.
I always get the ‘California Grille’ just because it’s so awesome. The bakery brand baked potato chips are also pretty good. There is ample space to sit down and eat, or do what most people do — take their lunch for carry out.
We have used them to cater for a few lunches, and the quality has always been consistent.
Prices are average, and I have never once complained about anything after eating there.
Definitely recommended.