I tried a SLO bakery with mouth-watering bread, breakfast. What I got for $25

In a nondescript commercial building near San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, a bakery is crafting fresh pastries, hearty sandwiches and more than a dozen types of bread — all at affordable prices.

House of Bread at Farmhouse opened at 1025 Farmhouse Lane, Suite 1F, in San Luis Obispo in May 2023, marking its second spot in the city.

The bakery’s sister location in SLO, House of Bread at 299 Marsh St., has been a staple of the local baked goods scene since 1996.

San Luis Obispo resident Tom Baxter, who’s married to House of Bread owner Sheila McCann, recommended I visit the bakery’s newest location for On a Budget, a monthly series where Tribune reporters try reader-suggested foods, drinks and activities around SLO County on a $25 budget.

“When I talk about her place, I often say — I know this sounds canned coming from me, I’m her husband — but dammit, it is pretty good!” Baxter told The Tribune. “She has worked that menu, changed things up. She shops farmers market for the best tomatoes, constantly trying to make that place better and keep it reasonable.”

I recently stopped by House of Bread’s Farmhouse Lane location where bread, salad dressings and more are made from scratch.

Here’s what I got with my budget:

What is SLO bakery House of Bread like?

Locations: 1025 Farmhouse Lane, Suite 1F, and 299 Marsh St. in San Luis Obispo

I arrived at House of Bread at Farmhouse around 9 a.m. on a recent weekday with an empty stomach and a lot of excitement. I would soon be devouring one of my favorite foods — bread.

As I walked up, the front patio was packed with people, which seemed like a good sign.

Inside, the light-filled space had ample seats to choose from. There were shelves full of fresh-baked bread loaves and a green statement wall with pothos plants hanging from repurposed bathroom sinks.

I stepped up to the counter and was completely overwhelmed by an assortment of yummy options listed on the menu displayed above the counter.

What’s on the menu at Farmhouse Lane location?

Compared to House of Bread’s other location in SLO, the menu at the Farmhouse Lane bakery is much more expansive.

Both bakeries sell classic breads, baked goods and sandwiches.

House of Bread at Farmhouse also offers a wide variety of breakfast and lunch meals. It even has monthly specials and a weekend brunch menu, as well as beer, wine, hard kombucha and mimosas for sale.

During my visit, I asked the employee taking my order for recommendations. He told me the breakfast burrito packed with scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheddar cheese, black beans and housemade pico de gallo was a customer favorite.

He also suggested a couple of monthly specials: spicy sriracha avocado toast and a strawberries-and-cream cheese bagel drizzled with honey and topped with toasted coconut flakes.

I ended up choosing a classic combination of sweet and savory items.

I ordered one of the bakery’s beloved cinnamon rolls along with a sourdough English muffin sandwich with lemon herb aioli, ham, a fried egg, cheese, arugula and pickled red onion.

At House of Bread at Farmhouse, patrons can sit outside under umbrellas on the patio and listen to the hum of planes taking off — or pull up a seat at the bar and watch bakers pulling toasty loaves of sourdough, whole wheat and apple cinnamon swirl bread right out of the oven.

I plopped down at one of the inside tables with my cinnamon roll and started people watching.

At nearby tables, friends caught up over pastries and a mom stopped for a coffee on the way to her child’s gymnastics class. A man seated at the bar was working on his laptop.

I felt relaxed in the calm, sunny space. Dried lavender decorated my table and soft Taylor Swift songs played in the background.

How I spent my $25 budget at a local bakery

After a few minutes, my English muffin sandwich arrived and I began digging into my breakfast.

First up, I tried my cinnamon roll, which cost $4.50.

The bread was soft and fluffy with a superb balance of cinnamon sugar filling. Tasty white icing blanketed the top of the roll.

Then I moved to my savory sandwich.

For $11.95, I got an English muffin filled with eggs, cheese and ham. My sandwich came with a side salad with argula, pickled red onions and a punchy balsamic vinagrette.

The English muffin might have been the best I’ve ever tasted.

The cornmeal-covered bread was springy to the touch with a hint of tanginess from the sourdough starter. When I took another bite, bright yellow egg yolk oozed out of the breakfast sandwich.

It was absolutely delicious, but more than a little messy. I went through a handful of napkins and got crumbs everywhere.

I didn’t mind at all since I was enjoying every part of my bread-filled breakfast.

Combined with a $3 tip and $1.05 in tax, my total at House of Bread at Farmhouse came out to $20.50, more than $4 under my $25 budget.

Is House of Bread affordable? See menu prices

The House of Bread bakery on Farmhouse Lane has plenty of inexpensive options.

You can get a cup of soup for $6.95, a , a made-to-order breakfast burrito for $12.95 or a Sunrise sandwich with two eggs, mayonnaise, tomato and cheddar cheese for $8.95.

Drink options include coffee for $4, all-natural soda for $3.75 and orange juice for $5.

Loaves of bread start at $7.99.

Sheila McCann, the bakery’s owner, said her strategy is to provide a range of low, medium and high prices depending on the product.

“I don’t want to price anybody out,” especially younger people who are on a budget, she told The Tribune.

What are open hours?

House of Bread’s Farmhouse Lane location is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The Marsh Street location is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Where should I go next?

Have any ideas on where I should visit next in SLO County on a budget?

Send me recommendations at hpoukish@thetribunenews.com or by filling out the form below.

Hannah Poukish

The Tribune

+1 805-781-7815

Hannah Poukish covers San Luis Obispo County as The Tribune’s government reporter. She previously reported and produced stories for The Sacramento Bee, CNN, Spectrum News and The Mercury News in San Jose. She graduated from Stanford University with a master’s degree in journalism.