The Bakery on Florin Road

ABC Bakery sits in a small shopping center at 1309 Florin Road in South Sacramento's Pocket neighborhood. No tables, no seating, no website with fancy photos. Just a counter, a kitchen, and a display case full of fresh buns and pastries that sell out every single day.

The bakery opens at 7:00 AM, and by mid-morning the line is already out the door. It moves fast. Most people know exactly what they want before they get to the counter.

The Buns

Everything is made in house, starting early in the morning. The BBQ pork buns are the signature, and they come two ways. The steamed version is soft and pillowy with sweet, savory char siu filling. The baked version has a golden glaze on top and a flaky, slightly sweet crust. Both sell out early on weekends.

The hot dog bun has a following of its own. It's a soft baked bun wrapped around a hot dog, and people buy them by the half dozen. The chicken curry bun has a mild curry filling. The cocktail bun (also called a coconut bun) is slightly sweet with a butter-coconut filling inside.

The Dim Sum Counter

The dim sum section is why people drive across Sacramento to get here. Har gow (shrimp dumplings) with translucent wrappers and large pieces of shrimp inside. Pork siu mai, big and steaming hot. Potstickers with a crispy bottom. Cheung fun (rice noodle rolls) with your choice of shrimp, beef, or BBQ pork filling.

On weekends, they make Shanghai soup dumplings (xiao long bao). Get there early for those.

The Pastry Case

Egg tarts with flaky, layered crust and smooth custard filling. Pineapple buns with a crackly sweet top and custard inside. Red bean sesame balls, deep-fried until golden. Red bean mochi, soft and chewy. Coconut tarts. The variety changes slightly from day to day depending on what the kitchen made that morning.

Most items run between $1 and $3 each. A bag of six buns or a few dim sum plates makes a solid breakfast or lunch for under $10.

What People Are Saying

"ABC Bakery serves up some delicious takeout dim sum dishes that warrant many return trips." The siu mai dumplings were "very large and steaming hot," the har gow was "filled with large amounts of shrimp" where "each bite tasted fresh and savory," and the egg custard had "a nice smooth custard filling and a thick flaky crust." Read the full review at Jeff's Food Travels

Despite its "unassuming exterior," ABC Bakery is highlighted for "amazing, fluffy steamed BBQ pork buns if you are looking for a savory on-the-go meal." Featured in The Best Bakeries in Sacramento by MK Library

Hoodline ranked ABC Bakery #1 in Sacramento for dim sum, and Wanderlog named it one of the top 50 bakeries in Sacramento, calling it "a hidden gem offering a wide array of delectable Asian treats and baked goods."

Good to Know

Takeout only. No seating inside.
Closed Mondays. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Bring cash or debit. Credit cards accepted with a minimum.
Come early. Popular items sell out by midday. The line moves fast.