Nestled on the first floor of the new 20 Pacifica Tower at the Irvine Spectrum is finally a Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery. I have driven by it a few times in the last week and the café had yet to open.

Well they are finally here and I’m hoping to report later this afternoon that the food is a good as I remembered it when I lived in Seattle.

Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery is typically located in an urban business district or suburban business center, and operates 5-days per week during the morning, noontime and afternoon hours. Most locations target takeout and delivery customers and feature limited seating. The focus is the food: fresh baked breads, cookies and pastries, plus handmade sandwiches, homemade soups and fresh salads. In addition they really go way out to serve vegetarian selections in every category.

The prices are VERY reasonable. Most items range from $3.00 to $8.00. They have a large selection of drinks, coffees and teas – as well as snacks and desserts. Below is a SAMPLE of their various sandwiches.

While they do have tables both inside and out, the bulk of their business is online. Like I mentioned above, they strategically place themselves in business districts and cater to the office crowd. They prefer that you place your order online. They are more efficient in getting your order out the door – their business model is built on an online environment. The website is very well organized, not cluttered and easy to use. Some locations will even deliver. It is unclear if the Irvine Spectrum will offer delivery. If you place your order online, your order will be ready for pickup when you get there.

While you’re online, you might as well click on the Warm Cookie Radar Alert. When cookies come out of the oven, you’re alerted on a map! How cool is that!

Most locations are only open during the day. The Irvine Spectrum location will be open from 6am to 6pm. They are not open on weekends. Most areas they are in are virtual ghost towns during the weekends and evenings since they are usually in business parks.

A full review with photos and taste tests will follow late in the afternoon on the 22nd! Stay tuned!

Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery
20 Pacifica Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
949-453-0137
Mon-Fri 6:00 am to 6:00 pm