I promised another Local Vegan Eats post was on the way and here she is!

Black Bear Bakery has been on my list of places to check out for-ev-er. They actually ran a Groupon a while back and I super-enthusiastically bought it only to hang on to it until it was almost expired. That turned out to be a good thing though because it was the impetus for getting us there for brunch a few weeks ago.

Aside from the huge variety of vegan items on their (ever-changing, totally vegetarian) menu, the coolest thing about Black Bear is that they are 100% worker owned and operated. You can really feel that collective, community vibe there and it’s really nice. They also make a huge effort at being sustainable, supporting their neighborhood and using quality, local and organic ingredients in their goods. Love it!

As I said, we visited for brunch a few Saturday’s ago. We got there around 12:30 or so and though we each had plenty to eat, there was really nothing left to choose from but the brunch buffet. It seems the bakery shelves are picked bare pretty early so if you want to catch some of that action, get there early! Also unbeknownst to us, Sunday is the day for vegan brunch, as the buffet then is entirely vegan. There was still plenty of vegan grub to choose from in the Saturday morning lineup, but I’m interested to stop in and check out the Sunday offerings now too.

On my plate were vegan buckwheat pancakes (which were SO yum), home fries and a follow-up serving of homemade guacamole and chips. Good stuff.

Fun tibdit: there was a really great violin and guitar duo there playing some sweet acoustic music. They did a kick-a$$ rendition of Sweet Child O Mine while we were there. It made for a pretty cool breakfast soundtrack.

Anywho, the brunch buffet at Black Bear is $10, all-you-can-eat. Though there was nothing left to sample from the bakery, prices on those items look to be pretty reasonable too. You can also place custom orders for a variety of items including cakes (take note stl veggie brides!).

The atmosphere at Black Bear Bakery equals the quality of the food. I definitely recommend it as a place for a nice, casual brunch and/or a sweet vegan treat. I will be back for a vegan lemon bar. Oh yes, I will.

Black Bear Bakery
2639 Cherokee St.
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 771-2236

Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday, 8am-5pm

Neighborhood Brunch
Saturdays and Sundays, 10am-2pm