Hi-Rise Bread Co., Cambridge

3 different types of ginger in the gingerbread, which tastes amazing with their excellent coffee. Any of their breads. The jam-filled brioche. In the middle of the winter, the mandarin-coconut scone is a bite of sunshine. Go now. Go often.

I am a local and often go to Hi Rise on Concord Ave. Not once have I received reasonable service. The food tastes great, but is also overpriced.

I really would love to make this place my regular coffee, sandwich and pastry place. The food is amazing. I have tried several times and can't seem to get past the absolutely miserable staff. They actually seem to be in pain. I don't like to criticize people who work in food service because I know it is a hard job and you have to deal with a lot of rude and ridiculous people but the overwhelming sense of misery in this place just makes me not want to go in there. I'm not looking for false Starbuck's smiles but there is something about that place that makes me think the staff is being treated poorly which creates a terrible atmosphere.

I visit Hi Rise at least weekly, and have since it opened. This is a true neighborhood hangout, crowded with off duty lawyers, academics and neighborhood moms. I love the dense multi seed brown bread -- the only one of its ilk that has no honey or sugar -- no sickly sweetness there. My kids love the rice-krispy treats, pain au chocolat and lemon meringue pie, not to mention the sinful valrona chocolate sandwich. Mostly we all love coming in to find out what the art school staff are up to now -- they were bumblebees for Halloween. This is a place where they remember that one twin likes ice and no lemon in the bright blue soda, and the other wants a blue lemonade.

i just got a chocolate croissant and pumpkin bread to go. the chocolate croissant tasted like it was straight out of paris, and the pumpkin was the most delicious pumpkin bread i've ever had...because sometimes i don't pumpkin that much, but i gobbled this giant piece right up

We used to really enjoy the Hi-Rise Bread Co. on Concord Avenue and also in Harvard Square. The food is simply outstanding - sandwiches to die for including curried chicken salad, egg and blt wonders, along with rock shrimp sandwiches on brioche. All that used to cost around 7-8 dollars a sandwich - a great tasting reasonbly priced sandwich. Recently prices have climbed into 10+ dollars for any sandwich. It's just too much and not enough sandwich for the price. 10+ dollars is just too much for lunch. We used to be able to get a fresh baked hot dog on a roll for $2.00 - now it's $4.50+ What? We can't see ourselves paying 35-45 bucks for lunch. Sorry Hi-Rise - you're prices are rising too HIGH for us.

On Sunday Oct. 1, 2006 we went to the bread and bakery counter to purchase some bread. The assistant at the register waited on the people in front of us and then disappeared into the kitchen never to return. Another staff member walked by and was making a coffe of some sort and ignored us as well. A young waitress then came to the register, ignored us and then started counting out the take in the 'tip jar'. At first we gave her the benefit of the doubt that she was making change. She was not. We inquired of her if anyone could assist us. She gave us the most withering look and plodded over to us asking us 'what do you want'. At that point, we told her "nothing", that we didn't want to give them our business and left. They also had many types of insects buzzing around the baked goods. Shameful!

We've long been a patrons of the Hi-Rise Bakery. The staff are great they just don't act like your best friend (like they do in icky fake-o eateries). Regulars are treated like family. We moved to across country from Cambridge. When we returned for a visit, the staff bent over backwards for us. We say long live the staff at Hi-Rise - they're the salt of the earth...and the olives in our bread.

The service at this place is terrible. The staff is so rude. There is also nowhere to sit. It's too bad, because the food is good (though expensive).

I went to the Hi-Rise Bread Co. yesterday for lunch and left very disasspointed. The menu selections included ham, and when I asked for a ham sandwich with lettuce, I was told by the man behind the counter that they don't make "custom" sandwiches. I doubt they have pre-made sandwiches and could not understand why he couldn't fulfill a simple request. That's my first and last visit.