Röckenwagner Bakery In Santa Monica

Miss E. and I went to Santa Monica a couple days ago. We didn’t hit up our usual spots on Beverly or in Larchmont but decided to check out the beach. I hadn’t been over to Santa Monica in a long ass time and the mall over there was still under construction which had been going on for years. I was shocked to see how much it had changed. There was this entire food court that was the complete opposite of the food court that used to be there that had such mall staples Sbarro and Panda Express. Maybe there was even a Hotdog On A Stick aka Perv Paradise. Miss. E had been here before so I left it up to her to lead me around especially since I’m no expert in fresh food and we ended up at Röckenwagner.

There are a bunch of food here and some of them look really good. Chocolate dipped cookies is never a bad thing ever. We were already talking about what we’d eat for dessert before we even ate. Cupcakes were the main thing which I ended up getting at a place I cant remember. It was a cupcake in a damn jar which I had never had before. I wish I could remember the name. It was all the way at the end of the 3rd Street Promenade near an arts and crafts store. Anyhoot, enough about that. This is no about cupcakes. This time. Here’s a little bit about the place Röckenwagner.

“Röckenwagner Bakery/Café, at 311 Arizona Ave. in Santa Monica, California is located just off Santa Monica's busy 3rd Street Promenade, it caters to the surrounding local businesses as well as to the area's international tourists, casual shoppers and happy moviegoers. Offering salads, soups and sandwiches featuring produce from the farmers market and daily baked breads, the bakery is a favorite watering hole for the entire community.”

Atmosphere. This spot is very wide open and depending on where you sit you can see the tattoo laden chef making your food. There are these crazy little chairs that are covered in grass that I think are fake (Miss E. called them Chia Pets). There is a projection on the wall that shows how some of the food is made. The way that it is placed makes you almost feel like you’re eating outside. All of the light that comes in helps.

Location. Located in Santa Monica minutes from the beach so you know that your first battle is gonna be parking. We just parked in the large garage and just stepped into the mall which is super convenient. The crazy thing is that it was early on a Thursday afternoon and there was so much traffic on the streets and in Santa Monica. Once you’re here just plan to go and stick around for a few hours. You don’t go here, eat, and leave unless you work nearby.

Service. Amazing service! After getting pissed at the last place I ate at, Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles, it felt good to go somewhere where the staff was having so much fun. The cashier recommended everything we ate. The chick that worked there was also really nice. The tattooed chef (I wish I could remember his name) was awesome and talked to us about the food and even let us watch Miss E.’s food being made in the oven which is right up front in a see through oven. They never made us feel like we had to hurry up and eat. It felt like we had been there a bunch of times and were being welcomed back. How many places can say that about their staff?

Food. I got a little pretzel sandwich we split that was really good. The mustard they used gave it this sharpness that I don’t get often. I had a chicken sandwich that was one of the best sandwiches I’d ever had before that had this floured bread that made me look like I was doing a Scarface impersonation. Miss E. got what I can only describe as a pancake like soufflé. It did not have the thick consistency of a pancake though it looked like it should but tasted very light. It had apples underneath, sour cream and strawberries on top, with cinnamon. Everything we got was good. I also had a lemonade with mint. The food was not heavy and didn’t cripple us when we left.

Price. The price was not as much as I would expect for the amount of food we got and for how delicious it was. I have paid close to $20 more for food that was not as good as this in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and downtown Los Angeles.