HoneyBirch Bakehouse

The HoneyBirch Bakehouse has been on my radar for a while, but I hadn’t gotten around to trying it. I’ve been following their Facebook page for a while, and when they posted a tuna melt as a lunch special I knew the day had come to finally check them out.

HoneyBirch is a locally owned bakery on Larchmere Avenue in Cleveland, offering pastries, sandwiches, bread, a grocer’s pantry, and catering. It is in the former Gray House pies storefront. Bakeries have come and gone on this street, but I really hope they can be successful. Their sandwiches and baked goods are incredible. The yellow facade and tables outside make it an inviting and welcoming space.

The storefront is small, and the sandwich list is well curated. The website claims “Sandwiches are available until we sell out. We recommend calling ahead to order after 2:00pm to make sure we still have what you want!” That tuna melt wasn’t a true tuna melt in the classic sense, but it was an absolutely delicious tuna and chees sandwich. I was particularly impressed by the roll it came on. In essence, it was a damn fine tuna sandwich. The roll is light and crusty, yet soft and delicious. The tuna was flavorful. I enjoyed it very much. The sandwiches are served with a little veggie salad, a mixture of chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onions and peppers. And my tuna melt came with pickles whose juices unfortunately bled through the box. My second sandwich choice was also a delicious one. I ordered the Jakob (picture below on the right), which features turkey, bacon, avocado (a spread not slices), mixed greens, tomato, and mayo. I think I might have a new favorite sandwich, but I am curious to try some of the other sandwiches they feature. In any event, I highly recommend trying a sandwich from here. Many of them feature tapenade, so I’m sure those are also delicious.

Being a bakehouse, they are also known for their baked goods. They offer a wide array of sweet and savory treats, and the choices vary daily. It seems their cardamom knots and cinnamon knots and rolls are fixtures though. They also had a peach, feta and mint focaccia that they advertised as a special. It was good, but I think I was expecting more topping flavor. But the bread itself was crusty and good. Their breads are also available, and I will definitely be buying the rolls to make sandwiches at home. The chocolate bun with vanilla custard was phenomenal. Lots of chocolate on flaky pastry rings with a little island of vanilla custard in the middle. I also really enjoyed the orange creamsicle cheesecake bar. The quiche was one of the most flavorful quiche I’ve ever had. The filling was super tasty and well-seasoned, and the crust was flaky and delicious.

I am going to go on record to say I adore their bourekas. Apparently they serve both savory and sweet bourekas. I’ve only had the savory bourekas so far, but have been very pleased with them. The first time I got the roasted mushroom boureka. The filling was extremely flavorful, and the puff pastry crust shatters when you bite into it. Overall it is a tasty pastry. The spinach, artichoke and smoked gouda boureka was also good (and it was a puffy boy – see below left), but I definitely prefer the roasted mushroom.

In any event, I will most likely be a frequent customer here. The bakery has a lot of unique offerings. I can’t wait to try a muffin and the apple, brie and fig baguette.

Contact info:

The HoneyBirch Bakery
12204 Larchmere Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44120
(216) 407-4274