Rye Goods, the adventurous and exciting Southern California bakery, has been open for several months in Laguna Beach. The originator of the home-like bakery, Sara Lezama, began her business due to her passion for pastry-making and providing a more natural alternative to the community. So far, the locations are in Newport Beach, Tustin, and now Laguna Beach, but Lezama hopes to expand her reach outside of Orange County. Due to the site, the typical customers expected to enter the bakery are locals. Rye Goods is in a downtown tucked-back area, so it is pretty tricky to spot. Due to this issue, getting consistent customers and seeing familiar faces is very common.
The bakery has a unique take on organic food items. The menu and foods are intriguing and don’t automatically create this feeling of disguise toward healthy alternatives. Rye Goods doesn’t necessarily have a theme but still plays off the small-town feel. The actual architecture of the bakery is quite similar to other ones seen in typical small towns, but the environment and works allow for the space to feel comfortable in a sense. The walls are covered with welcoming white alongside a bread section to browse their options upon ordering. With no TVs, the entertainment is intended to be the customers and workers. The birch wood doors open up to the soft aroma of freshly baked bread loaves alongside the sounds of bells ringing when orders are completed. No frowns can be spotted in the tucked corners of the cafe. Display cases tease the customer into purchasing the pillowy breaded pastries.
The joyous interactions can be heard from across the room due to the excitement for their items. A popular item to many is their sourdough baguette. The sea-salted butter that spreads upon the loaf leaves you drooling due to how tasty it sounds. The crunchy bite of the bread’s exterior crumbles all over, but the interior is exceptionally soft. The flour cascades across the toasted edges, in which you bask in the glory of it all. The baguette smells slightly toasted, making the entire experience much more enjoyable. Rye Good’s brewery selection is quite extensive for the small business. The flavored iced lattes with smooth syrup and fresh cold brew inside the plastic cup fit perfectly in the hands of the customer. Another item the majority of customers agree is the best is the grilled cheese on their lunch menu. The grilled cheese is the same as sourdough bread; it is incredibly crunchy, and the cheese pull stretches to extremes. The cheesy smell of the white cheddar wraps the whole space, creating a cheese heaven.
As someone who recently went to Rye Goods for coffee and a pastry, I’d ultimately recommend their iced-flavored lattes and sourdough bread selection. The simple lattes got me through my day successfully without an upset stomach or other issues arising, and the bread selection felt endless. A tip I would give if you came to this bakery would be to go on an empty stomach since you’ll leave with more food than expected.
