We are happy to source many items locally, including meats from Rump's Butcher Shoppe just down the street from us, eggs from Amanda's Eggs & Pasture Poultry and premium organic coffees courtesy of Backroads Coffee and Honest Roast Coffee. We serve authentic French bakery goods (hence the "boulangerie" in our logo!) and assorted traditional American bakery items, made from scratch, in-house.
We specialize in foods you're not going to find everywhere, including our special lavender-vanilla shortbread, macarons, croissants, and tarts, as well as several featured items. Altoona is a railroad town, and we think it's important to remind our community of its history and how it was built. Because of this, inside you'll find historic Altoona photographs and c.1900-1925 decor, in keeping with when the building was constructed.
We specialize in foods you're not going to find everywhere, including our special lavender-vanilla shortbread, macarons, croissants, and tarts, as well as several featured items. Altoona is a railroad town, and we think it's important to remind our community of its history and how it was built. Because of this, inside you'll find historic Altoona photographs and c.1900-1925 decor, in keeping with when the building was constructed.
Services
Gluten-friendly, almond flour and egg white cookie with a crackling shell and sweet filling. Fruit and vegetable, savory and sweet; seasonal produce in a crisp, hand-wrapped, butter crust. We are always experimenting with new items and flavors, so you never know what you may find!
Allergen AND FOOD SAFETY warning: while we use best efforts to have allergy-friendly products available, due to our kitchen size we cannot guarantee items will be allergen-free.We use products containing soy, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, wheat, seafood, shellfish and dairy.
Allergen AND FOOD SAFETY warning: while we use best efforts to have allergy-friendly products available, due to our kitchen size we cannot guarantee items will be allergen-free.We use products containing soy, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, wheat, seafood, shellfish and dairy.
No! We're a couple of Altoona transplants who wanted to preserve Altoona's history and bring something tasty to the community. One thing we wanted to see in Altoona was a comfortable place for the whole family to relax or grab something to eat/drink downtown, close to the library, post office, and City Hall.
There are a lot of people who can bake you a pie or make you a cake. But we can do traditional, authentic French macarons and pastries, plus fair trade & organic coffees to-go. Make those calories worth every bite! We would love to have you experience our quality and service. We also take special orders for catering, carry-out or larger quantities, so please reach out to us via telephone or email with any questions or special requests.
Reviews (15)
Josh Wood
Jan 01, 2022
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The baked goods here are amazing - they have to be some of the best in the Chippewa valley. They also use quality beans, so their drip coffee tends to be really good.
I ordered French press coffee (for $4.50) and the barista didn’t measure the beans or water she used, nor did she time the brew, which resulted in really bad, overly acidic coffee. Also it was only 3/4 of the way full since it wasn’t measured. I was looking forward to a really good cup of coffee, especially at that price, but was sorely disappointed.
I ordered French press coffee (for $4.50) and the barista didn’t measure the beans or water she used, nor did she time the brew, which resulted in really bad, overly acidic coffee. Also it was only 3/4 of the way full since it wasn’t measured. I was looking forward to a really good cup of coffee, especially at that price, but was sorely disappointed.
Rachel Esselman
Jan 01, 2022
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This is a little hidden gem that my friends and I have been frequenting ever since we found out about it. The croissants, macarons, and coffee are all very yummy. Staff are friendly and happy to explain what everything is. The fleur de croissant and chocolate coconut croissant are two of my favorites. I wish there was more indoor seating, but I understand that they're working with limited space. Definitely recommend checking it out!
Jill Hazel
Oct 03, 2021
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Janell Chapman
Sep 21, 2021
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We LOVE The Bean! Everything is super fresh and made in an authentic way. Its always a treat to go there. Favorites are the Raspberry pave, the stuffed croissants: chocolate, almond, and chocolate almond. The flemmenkeuche pastries with ham, carmelized onions, and cheese and bacon are also heavenly delicious. Honestly you cant go wrong with anything from the locally sourced and made bakery. Be good to yourself, and go get a chocolate turtle mocha and a clafloutis!
Jessica Wood
Sep 04, 2021
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I wish I could rate The Nostalgic Bean more than five stars because of how amazing everything is. The coffee is great but the true shinning star of the is establishment is the pastries! My own wish is that they were open more often during the week.
This is a must try!
My go to is the turtle mocha and any sweet treat they have.
This is a must try!
My go to is the turtle mocha and any sweet treat they have.
Nancy Everitt
Aug 27, 2021
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Justin Babel
Jul 16, 2021
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Troy S.
Jun 30, 2021
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The French pastries here are off the hook. They are delicious. Perhaps a bit extravagant for every day consumption, but I don't come here every day. It's definitely a treat. Did I mention they are delicious? They have some very unique offerings. I love this place. The hours are somewhat limited so I can't go there before work on Thursday or Friday but I do enjoy it on the weekends. They have good coffee too.
Ashley Beyer
Jun 20, 2021
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Juliann D.
May 28, 2021
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Simply amazing!!!! We purchased croissants (chocolate and almond) that were crisp on the outside and soft, flakey, buttery goodness on the inside. The most delicious I've ever had.
We also got macaroons (lemon and mint) that were perfection! Fluffy and almost cake-like inside with great flavor (unlike other places where macaroons are hollow or fall apart in a crumby mess).
Seriously worth the drive for us!
We also got macaroons (lemon and mint) that were perfection! Fluffy and almost cake-like inside with great flavor (unlike other places where macaroons are hollow or fall apart in a crumby mess).
Seriously worth the drive for us!
Rachel Kinsella
Mar 31, 2021
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Shannon C.
Feb 25, 2020
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Martha F.
Jan 20, 2020
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Courtney Stanzil
Dec 28, 2019
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I will absolutely be back! I didn't get any coffee as my hands were a bit full with my two little kids I brought with, but let's be real - I was there to check out the pastries anyways. And they DID NOT DISAPPOINT! The crust is buttery and delicious (literally just finished eating the apple tart). If my hubby doesn't get up soon his cherry tart might not still be there for him when he does. Everything looked so delicious, I wanted to buy one of everything - but we'll pace ourselves. Oh, and the atmosphere is great, but you likely figured that out from the other reviews. Definitely worth the early
Sandra M.
Dec 17, 2019
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