The Little Aussie Bakery & Cafe

Liz and I went to San Antonio to visit my mom.  While we were there, we decided to visit a restaurant that Liz had researched on the interwebs.  This café touted itself as a gluten-free haven on its website, so Liz insisted that we check it out.

The name of the restaurant was The Little Aussie Bakery & Café, and was just off one of the main roads in San Antonio, though it felt a bit hidden.  We walked into the establishment, and were greeted by a room that felt like a coffee shop, complete with comfy couches and pastry case.  When we entered, however, we weren’t sure what to do.  There was no host at the door, so we didn’t know whether to seat ourselves or go to the counter.  We flagged down the one waiter eventually, who asked us to seat ourselves.

While we waited for the waiter to get to us, we had some samples of gluten-free breads that were on a coffee table.  There was white bread and rye bread, and both were quite good, tasting like their glutinous counterparts, but a bit softer and spongier.

The waiter eventually got to us, and we put in our orders.  We started with some beverages (coffee, iced tea, and soda) and eagerly anticipated our GF dining.  We were not disappointed.  Liz got a pepperoni pizza, I had a vegetable pot pie, and my mom had quiche, and all were delicious.

The pizza was crispy and cheesy, never hinting that it was lacking wheat. 

My pot pie was great, filled with sweet potato, leeks, and other hearty veggies.  It was a perfect autumn flavor. 

Finally there was the quiche, which I feel was the star of the show.  It was soft and rich, with cheese and herbs, and was simply delicious.  Lots of times, restaurants try too hard on a quiche and make it too complex.  This had simple ingredients that were allowed to shine.  Both the quiche and pot pie came with a simple mixed green salad, but the dressing was delicious, with a bright orange vinaigrette.  It was a very good meal.

For dessert, we went to the pastry case in the front and picked out some goodies.  Liz and I dug in to the coconut cake, which was practically liquid in places due to coconut milk in the cake.  It was rich and soft, and very well done.  My mom grabbed some vanilla cookies, which were ok, but a bit too crunchy for my liking.  On the way out, we grabbed a loaf of the gluten-free bread that was for sale.  It was the same stuff that we had sampled earlier on, and definitely warranted purchasing.

Our service ended up being pretty good.  We had a very personable and knowledgeable waiter, though we had doubts when we first got there.  He started off a bit spacey, and did not seat us until we asked what we were supposed to do.  However, he got it together and after that he was just fine.

If ever you find yourself in San Antonio needing a gluten free fix, The Little Aussie Bakery & Café is a must stop.  Even if you don’t need the absence of wheat, the quiche alone was worth the trip.  In fact, we went back for lunch before we left the city for more quiche, and a lamb sandwich for Liz.  This place is certainly a hidden jewel.  It lives up to its slogan of “All Taste, No Gluten!”