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San Francisco is a city of contradictions: incredibly fit residents running and biking throughout the city, as well as the most French bakeries and patisseries per capita in the U.S. (ok, we made that up, but we wouldn't be surprised if it was true). Butter & Crumble is one of them, and apparently Instagram-famous, judging by the line around the block on a recent weekday morning. The menu changes monthly, although some items, such as the Pistachio Cardamom Croissant, are firm favorites and remain.
Butter & Crumble Location and Hours
Butter & Crumble is located at 271 Francisco Street between Stockton Street and Midway Street near Pier 39 and the Embarcadero. Take the F to Embarcadero & Bay Street, and walk 7 minutes to Butter & Crumble.
Butter & Crumble is open Thursdays-Sundays 9am-2pm.
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Butter & Crumble Menu and Pastries
Butter & Crumble's December menu featured seasonal treats such as a Peppermint Bark Pain Suisse, Linzer Cookie Cruffin, and Twice Baked Gingerbread Croissant.
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After waiting for about 40 minutes we reached the front of the line, ordered, paid, and waited for about 5 minutes until our pastries were boxed up.
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There's no denying that the pastries are beautifully presented; there was a mini gingerbread man atop a whipped gingerbread caramel cream garnish.
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The Pistachio Cardamom Sugar Croissant was a wonderful combination of perfectly flaky, sugared pastry and whipped pistachio cream inside (this is also why it's crucial to eat it soon after purchasing when it's at its best).
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The Bourbon Brown Butterscotch Pain au Chocolat wasn't quite as unusual, but absolutely delicious, with Valrhona chocolate inside, and a garnish of mascarpone cream and candied cocoa nibs. If not eating right away, we recommend removing the mascarpone cream garnish and heating in an air fryer so that the chocolate's molten inside.
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The Prime Rib Dip Croissant, our only savory choice, ended up being our favorite, with its tender prime rib and rosemary garlic jus filling and topping of gruyere cheese and crispy fried onions.
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The Verdict
Given the long line, our expectations were high for Butter & Crumble. The Pistachio Cardamom Sugar Croissant with whipped cardamom cream was delicious, especially since we've always enjoyed cardamom, although the pistachio flavor was more subtle than we'd hoped for. The unexpected highlight was the Prime Rib Dip Croissant, which would make an indulgent lunch, together with a side salad. We're unlikely to go often, however, given the 40-minute line on a weekday morning, and we definitely don't recommend going on the weekend, when lines are even longer.
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