One of my favorite parts about living full-time on the road is stopping in different towns and checking out their local bakeries.
I usually go for something sweet—some kind of fancy pastry or dessert—but I’ve come to really appreciate the ones that also serve up savory stuff like sandwiches, soups, and other good eats, as they often execute these things insanely well.
Recently, we made a stop in the small town of Bishop, California, tucked on the eastern side of the Sierra between Lone Pine and Mammoth Lakes. Our gaol was to visit Schat’s Bakery, a local institution known for its sheepherder bread and pastries. I’m happy to report the establishment did not disappoint!
Schat’s Bakery history
Schat’s Bakery was started by the Schoch family from Vienna back in 1903. Basque sheepherders had them build a stone oven to bake sheepherder bread that would stay fresh while they were out tending their flocks.
Later, Jacob “Jack” Schat immigrated from Utrecht, Netherlands, in 1950 and began working at the bakery. Jack eventually bought the bakery, had six children—including Erick, who ran the shop until he passed away in 2021—and helped expand its reach. The bakery became well-known when the family started selling wholesale to around 2,000 grocery stores in Greater Los Angeles, including Safeway, Vons, and Albertsons.
The family later opened David Schat’s Bakery Cafe in El Segundo (2011) and Aaron Schat’s Roadhouse in Bishop (2014). The cafe closed after a year, but the roadhouse—serving sandwiches on the bakery’s bread—remains open, along with locations in Carson City, Utah, and Ontario. All Schat bakeries are family-owned, not franchises.
This trip was all about heading up to North Lake to catch the fall colors and get some photos inspired by the macOS High Sierra desktop background. I’d been wanting to see that spot in person for a while and it put on quite the showing when we visited.
We stopped by the bakery late Saturday morning, and it was already buzzing with people. This place stays busy—they get a few million visitors a year. I always brace myself for a little chaos at popular spots like this, but it wasn’t too bad—busy, but not a circus.
As soon as we walked in, we headed straight for the sandwich bar.
The sandwich bar had a bunch of options—turkey clubs, ham, BLTs—you name it. I appreciated the clearly displayed menu, complete with photos, prices, and ingredients—it made choosing a lot easier.
But what really makes this bakery stand out is that they’re the original inventors of sheepherder bread. It’s got this light, slightly sticky texture with a hard crust, and it’s seriously good. The recipe is simple—made with Montana wheat, High Sierra well water, a touch of cane sugar, canola and olive oil, and sea salt—but that simplicity is what makes it special. They sell it by the loaf, and people were grabbing them left and right.
I went with the turkey club on the sheepherder bread, and Brad got the Mule Kick sandwich, which came on their mule bread—something a little different. We also grabbed some Route 11 chips, which I’m pretty sure come from the East Coast. After picking up our meals, we took one of the complimentary half cookies they hand out at the register (can’t say no to that) and wandered over to check out the pastry section—packed with all kinds of incredible-looking treats.
We wandered around for a bit, checking out all the pastries, and I finally settled on a cannoli—because I can never pass up a good cannoli. I could tell right away they’d done something different with it, and I was right. The shell had a crème brûlée-like flavor and an almost Stroopwafel-like texture, and the filling was sweeter than usual. Both ends were sealed in lovely chocolate, which made it even better. It was a really distinctive cannoli—super sweet, but incredibly tasty.
After we picked up the cannoli, we wandered around a little more and checked out all the different types of breads and other goodies they had. It’s definitely the kind of place where you want to take your time, browse a bit, and maybe grab something extra to take with you.
After that, we headed out to the patio and grabbed a table to enjoy the great weather you get up here at this elevation.
I was pleasantly surprised by my sandwich—it was way better than I expected. The turkey tasted more like the kind you’d have at Thanksgiving rather than thin deli slices, and they added sprouts, which gave it a unique texture. It took me a minute to get used to them, but I actually ended up really liking it. Everything else—the mustard, the tomato—was super fresh, and that soft sheepherder bread just tied it all together. I honestly wish more sandwiches were like that.
Brad really liked his too. His was loaded with different meats and jalapeños, giving it a much bolder flavor. I could’ve gone for either one, but we both left really happy with our picks.
I was also glad the line inside wasn’t too bad. We had to wait a few minutes at the sandwich bar, but it moved pretty quickly. The staff were all super friendly, helpful, and patient, which made the whole experience even better. Overall, it was just a really nice place to visit, and I’m already looking forward to going back.
Final word
All in all, Schat’s Bakery is one of those classic road trip stops that really sticks with you—part history, part small-town charm, and a whole lot of good food. Whether you’re grabbing a loaf of their famous sheepherder bread or sitting outside with a fresh sandwich, it’s the kind of place that makes you slow down and just enjoy where you are. I know I’ll be stopping by again next time we’re passing through Bishop.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
