Back in the day a trip up to LA or the SGV area wasn’t complete without a visit to 85°C. But over the last year or two, our visits have become less frequent. And nothing really changed up there. They sell the same quality tasty treats. The lines were as long as they ever were. Did we just get over it or would we be more inclined to visit more often if there was one closer to us? They’ve been in town since November of last year and we’ve only been once…
When we used to go about once a month these would usually come home with us. On this day we’d venture out and try other things we don’t get as often.
The bread looked fresh and they even had mini pumpkin pie’s! The process is simple. Grab a tray, tongs, a piece of wax paper, and start window shopping for your hearts desire. After you are done picking everything you want you stand in line. They yell out “fresh bread” whenever a new batch comes out of the kitchen. Which of course led me to ask, if that is the fresh bread, then what is all this other stuff you have out here? 🙂 While we were grabbing our items they did manage to bring out fresh bread and yelled it out loud. Never to let an opportunity to embarrass Anh pass by, I repeated “fresh bread!” really loudly after one of the staff members belted it out. I think she turned away and found a spot as far away from me as possible so no one suspected she knew me. 
As soon as we walked in I noticed the line…or lack thereof! w00t! This would be record time for an 85°C visit. Another favorite of ours is the sea salt coffee, but we opted for a regular milk tea instead.
Here’s what we ended up with in the end on our tray right before we handed it to the cashier to individually bag for us.
At the other 85°C locations we usually are given a box. At this location in San Diego we were given a bag. No biggie, but I have to say I feel more accomplished with a box in hand.
I’ve tried the Mocha Bread before but honestly don’t remember if I liked it or not. It was okay. The mocha and chocolate flavored bread itself had a firm exterior but soft interior, with a chocolate and walnut filling. I wish there was a little more chocolate flavor and sweetness to it. The Pumpkin Pie Mini looks like it is seasonal and I’ve never seen it there before. It also was just okay. I did get a little hint of tart sweetness from the lemon and apricot they add. The crust was somewhat gummy and not as flaky as I’d like. The cheese dog was not bad. It tasted like a oversized pig in a blanket, with cheese on top.
These were our three favorites of the day. From left to right the Mango Bread, Chocolate Croissant, and Egg Tart. My favorite of the day was the Mango Bread though. It is milk bread filled with mango and topped with powdered sugar and a drizzle of frosting. Definitely sweet, but not enough to turn me away. The bread pulled away ever so gently, being soft as a pillow. The mango gives it a nice pop too. Being pulled into somewhat of a croissant phase thanks to my lovely Anh, I have given ourselves the title of “croissanteur’s”. This gets a 7/10. It was flaky, puffy, with a nice chocolate filling. Anh likes pieces of chocolate in her croissants instead of long ribbons, but I don’t really care as long as it tastes good and is evenly distributed. The egg tart was no Elite egg tart, but not bad when warmed up. We probably won’t head over to 85°C every weekend, but it is nice to know when we are in the mood for it we don’t have to drive for two hours in LA traffic to get it.
85°C Bakery Cafe
5575 Balboa Ave., Ste. 330
San Diego, CA 92111
www.85cafe.us
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