Sage Bakehouse

Welcome to the delicious world of Sage Bakehouse, a standout culinary gem in the California Bay Area. While the name might be associated with an artisan bread bakery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Bay Area locals know Sage Bakehouse for a different, yet equally delicious, specialty: New Zealand-style savory hand pies. This is not your typical neighborhood sweet shop; Sage Bakehouse has carved out a unique niche by offering hearty, individually portioned pies that combine the goodness of a full meal with the convenience of a handheld treat.

The journey of Sage Bakehouse in the Bay Area began with a desire to bring the traditional Kiwi savory pie experience home to California. The founder was inspired by the traditional, delicious, and locally-sourced pies enjoyed during a trip to New Zealand. This inspiration led to a mission: to perfect the savory pie, focusing on a truly exceptional, flaky crust and filling it with the freshest ingredients the Bay Area has to offer. The result is a menu of traditional meat pies and creative American-Kiwi fusion pies that have delighted local customers across San Francisco and the wider region. Many customers, including those with ties to Australia and New Zealand, confirm that these pies genuinely rival the authentic ones from home.

Initially gaining a loyal following through their presence at local farmers' markets, including the vibrant Clement Street market in San Francisco, Sage Bakehouse has since grown to become a recognized name for those seeking a quick, satisfying, and high-quality breakfast or lunch. They are dedicated to supporting local farms and farmers' markets, ensuring that the fillings, whether meat or vegetarian, are crafted with the best seasonal produce and protein available. From the buttery, flaky exterior to the rich, flavorful interior, a pie from Sage Bakehouse is a perfect comfort food experience for the California climate.

For those in the San Francisco area, the bakery has a long-standing presence at one of the city's most beloved outdoor markets, providing the perfect grab-and-go option for Sunday mornings. They also have a physical cafe location down the coast in Montara, offering an expanded menu and a beautiful coastal spot to enjoy a meal. The commitment to quality and the unique product offering have firmly established Sage Bakehouse as a must-visit spot for both residents and visitors exploring the Bay Area's diverse food landscape.

The bakery’s approach is centered on culinary excellence without fuss. The focus remains on the quality of the ingredients and the perfect execution of the pastry—a two-part crust featuring a sturdy short crust base and a wonderfully flaky rough puff top, ensuring a rich texture that holds up to the hearty filling. This dedication to the craft makes Sage Bakehouse a truly special and beloved local business.

Location and Accessibility

While Sage Bakehouse has a well-known cafe located in Montara on Cabrillo Highway, its presence in the city of San Francisco is focused on local markets, making their delicious goods easily accessible to urban residents. The central San Francisco hub where you can find this bakery's offerings is the Clement Street Farmers Market in the Inner Richmond neighborhood.

The address associated with their San Francisco farmers market presence is 1 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA, which serves as a major intersection for the market area. This location is an ideal spot for locals who frequent the market for shopping and breakfast on Sunday mornings.

Accessibility is a key part of the experience, especially at the market stand. The general accessibility information for their operation notes the following:

• Wheelchair Accessible Entrance: The market setting and physical locations typically maintain an accessible entrance, making it welcoming for all customers.

The bakery also has a full-time cafe location in Montara, which is a convenient stop for Bay Area residents heading down the coast or exploring the area between Half Moon Bay and Pacifica. Checking their official website or social media for current market hours and specific stall placement is always recommended for San Francisco visitors.

Services Offered

Sage Bakehouse is primarily a specialty bakery focusing on savory and sweet handheld pies, but it also offers a full cafe experience at its primary location. Services available to customers generally include:

• Takeout: All items, particularly the savory pies, are designed to be easily taken out and enjoyed on the go.
• In-Person Purchase: The bakery accepts all major forms of payment for quick transactions.
• Breakfast and Quick Visit Dining: The pies and accompanying items are ideal for a satisfying breakfast or a fast, hearty meal throughout the day.
• Credit Cards and Debit Cards: Accepted for customer convenience.
• Savory Pie Selection: A rotating and extensive menu of savory pies, including traditional meat, chicken, lamb, and vegetarian options.
• Sausage Rolls: House-made savory sausage rolls offered in both mild and spicy varieties.
• Vegetarian Options: A commitment to offering delicious, seasonal vegetarian pies, such as Curry Butternut Squash and Market Mushroom.
• Frozen Pies: Available for purchase, allowing customers to stock up and heat the pies at home.
• Coffee Program: A full coffee menu, sometimes sourced from local Bay Area roasters like Pacifica's Craftsman Coffee, to perfectly complement the pastries.

Features / Highlights

Sage Bakehouse has built a loyal following in the California Bay Area based on a few key distinguishing features:

• Savory Hand Pie Specialization: The bakery focuses on perfecting the traditional New Zealand and Australian-style savory pie, a unique offering in the Bay Area food scene.
• The Perfect Crust: The founder spent extensive time perfecting a proprietary two-pastry crust—a sturdy short crust on the bottom and a flaky rough puff on top—ensuring structural integrity without compromising on buttery flavor and texture.
• Commitment to Local Ingredients: The fillings are often made with high-quality, fresh produce and protein sourced directly from local Bay Area farms and farmers' market vendors, reflecting a dedication to quality and community support.
• Diverse and Creative Menu: The menu extends beyond classics to include unique fusion flavors like Mole Chicken with Black Beans, Hungarian Chicken Paprikash, and Bulgogi Beef, alongside standards like Chicken Pot Pie and Classic Aussie (True Blue) Beef.
• Farmers Market Presence: Operating a popular stand at the Clement Street Farmers Market in San Francisco allows for excellent local accessibility and community engagement.
• Customer Praise for Quality: Reviews consistently highlight the quality of the coffee and the perfectly baked, flavorful pies, with customers often regretting not buying more to take home.
• Vegetarian-Friendly Options: The inclusion of several seasonal and permanent vegetarian pies, such as the Mac and Cheese pie and Seasonal Veggie, ensures there are satisfying choices for non-meat-eaters.

Contact Information

For residents and visitors looking to connect with Sage Bakehouse, here is the primary contact information for their operations centered around the Bay Area:

• San Francisco Market Location (General Area): 1 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA (Note: This is the farmers market location where they operate, typically on Sundays).
• Phone: (415) 271-5590
• Mobile Phone: +1 415-271-5590
• The physical cafe and pie shop is located on the coast in Montara, offering an expanded and dedicated retail space.

What is Worth Choosing

For a truly authentic and satisfying Bay Area experience, Sage Bakehouse is worth choosing for several compelling reasons, starting with the sheer quality of their unique product. Unlike the multitude of coffee shops and traditional bakeries that dot the California coast, Sage Bakehouse specializes in the savory hand pie, providing a complete and balanced meal in a perfectly portable package.

Customers rave about the Curry Butternut Squash Pie, noting its delicious flavor profile, and highly recommend the traditional Classic Aussie (True Blue) or the Minced Beef with Cheddar for a hearty, authentic taste. The fact that the owner spent nine months perfecting the pastry recipe speaks volumes about the commitment to excellence; this is not just about the filling, but the entire textural experience. The resulting crust is sturdy enough to hold the rich contents without getting soggy, yet flaky enough to shower your shirt with buttery layers—a sign of a truly great pie.

Furthermore, choosing Sage Bakehouse means supporting a business deeply invested in the local California community. By sourcing their filling ingredients from Bay Area farmers and markets, they ensure the freshest, most seasonal flavors in every bite. This focus on local sourcing adds a layer of depth and quality you can genuinely taste in their savory options, like the mushroom pie made with locally-sourced criminis and Nicasio Valley Reserve cheese.

Whether you're celebrating a successful hike on the coast, as one reviewer mentioned, or simply looking for a quick, substantial, and flavorful breakfast before starting your San Francisco Sunday, the convenience of the takeout service, combined with the unparalleled quality of their savory pies, makes Sage Bakehouse a highly recommended local favorite. For Bay Area foodies, it's the place to go for a perfect pie that rivals the best in the world.

Sage Bakehouse

1 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA