Magnolia Bakery

05/08/2008 Posted by annuhlie

I am a longtime Magnolia fan and I'm really surprised by all the negative press the cute little bakery is getting on this site. Out of all the many, many times I've been there I have had ONE bad experience, and that was when my mom mistakenly got cake with whipped cream frosting instead of buttercream, which she then refused to eat. However, that was HER mistake, not the bakery's. First of all, Magnolia's "small size" "long line" "self-serve" etc. are part of its APPEAL. It's an old-fashioned bakery with none of the presumptuousness to be found uptown or in LA. It's a little baby mom and pop Bleecker Street kind of a place, what do you expect?! It's staffed almost entirely by funny, kind, interesting college kids/artists, has a park that's PERFECT for sitting and eating right across the street, and if you really hate waiting in line you can always order ahead of time or just have a nice conversation with the nice kid manning the door. As for the food, it's great! The cupcake cake isn't ambrosia or anything, but it's delicious nonetheless. The cakes themselves are, in my opinion, better. The real reason to go is the frosting: it's perfect! It's sweet and smooth and soft, but develops enough of a shell to not get ruined if you smoosh it accidentally or something. The Red Velvet cakes are especially fantastic. Of course you're going to be disappointed if you go expecting a lifechanging experience. I love Magnolia because of its old school charm, great friendly staff, and delicious food. If you can't appreciate Magnolia's unique brand of cute lil' bakery, get yourself back uptown and stop going places just because they're featured on SATC.

Pros: Food, staff, charm

Cons: No place to sit if it's raining I guess

05/03/2008 Posted by cupcakefiend

Whether you and your friends are ripping a bong or hitting the fattest blunt of your life, as I am currently about to do, Magnolia will treat you right. I typically don't go for oversized pieces of cornbread dowsed in sugar, but when the grass beckons, it beckons hard. First things first, the worst part about Magnolia has nothing to do with its cupcakes. Oh no, my friends -- it's the customers. That one couple from Oklahoma who gleefully watches batch after batch of diabetes being placed on the filthy window sill will irritate you during your hour wait. For example, I just went tonight and watched two pedophiles engage themselves in me and my friend's conversation, enter Magnolia, swipe about 75 cupcakes, and then lick their fingers dry. Mmmm. Once you're inside, it only gets better. At the window, you get to choose from about three cupcakes because it would obviously make too much sense for the lackadaisical employees to actually enforce the limit rule. Or for them to keep a continuous flow of cupcakes coming. It's not like they are short on five-day old batches. I'll end my rant by saying one good thing about this hellish, overglamourized establishment. When you have that carving late at night and every other legitimate bakery is closed (Amy's Bread, Buttercup Bakeshop, or hell, even Gristedes), Magnolia will be open late so you can spend $2 on a cupcake and then $20 more on the gram you now have to smoke to consume it.

Pros: Good for munchies and laughing at tourists

Cons: Everything

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

04/16/2008 Posted by yeni

Tried cupcakes from about 5 bakeries in NYC and this is one of the worse. Service is pretty average. Nobody would seem to take notice of you. When I go there wasn't any queue. Just a few people. Bought a few of the vanilla ones and the muffin was very very dry and the icing overly sweet. As in too sweet to the point where I only finish the muffin and left the icing part out. Types of cupcakes offered seems average.

Pros: hmmm...maybe the location?

Cons: bad cupcakes, service definitely needs improvements

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

04/03/2008 Posted by knitandbake

What is the fuss about. I found out about this place in a fancy food magazine. The author must not have had any other cupcakes ever. I don't know why anyone would want a dozen of these cupcakes. My kids make better ones with cake mix and canned frosting. Try Amy's bread down the street.

Pros: you won't get fat since you won't want more

Cons: long wait for lackluster product

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

03/31/2008 Posted by vac7082

Now worth it, especially considering all the hype it has gotten. The frosting was ok but the cupcakes were dry and uninteresting - my friend said his tasted like cornbread. I could make better ones at home.

03/15/2008 Posted by Grace28

I arrived just before the store opened at 10 am. I liked selecting my own cupcakes and placing them into a box. I enjoyed the Red Velvet Cupcake and the vanilla cupcake with milk chocolate icing. I guess I just thought the cupcakes would be better - probably because of the hype. Still they were good and if you are into cupcakes you should stop here.

03/14/2008 Posted by acb723

If I happened to be in the Village and really needed a sugar fix, sure, I'd go to Magnolia Bakery. However, I would not make a huge effort to get there just for a cupcake, and I don't really believe that the cupcakes are worth the long wait. I liked the chocolate one I had when I went there, but it wasn't spectacular. And the vanilla one was way too sugary- I felt as if I was pouring confectioners' sugar in my mouth. It's not as bad as I've heard some people say, but it's not as good as I've heard some people say. There are better dessert places in the Village, and honestly I'd rather go to them.

03/12/2008 Posted by Jennylovescupcakes

I don't know if it was because I purchased the cupcakes at the end of day but I felt that they were rather dry. The icing was fantastic but I could make the same icing off the Magnolia's recipe for the buttercream frosting. I don't know if it was worth the wait. However, I heard that the red velvet was a crowd pleaser and unfortunately, going later in the day prevents you from even seeing one up close...I have yet to try it. I'll try to get there earlier next time and if I feel the cake is not as dry in the morning-afternoon, then I'll be sure to keep everyone posted.

02/19/2008 Posted by airwis

I remember the first time going to Magnolia's was in 1997 and back then you could eat at the only table in the little place. At the time it felt like I was in my mom's kitchen eating her homemade cake. Since that time everytime I go to NYC I always stop at the bakery. Sure the place has gotten busy but I always had very tasty cupcakes and have always gotten lucky and never had to wait for an hour. Reading some of the ratings of late it seems that their cakes have gone down hill but I guess that is what happens when the masses of people come. I guess in some sense I want Magnolia's to stay the little cute bakery I fell in love with but then again it should grow its business to keep up with the hype. I will be back for more.

Pros: Fresh bakery smell

Cons: Staff hurried and rushed

02/15/2008 Posted by letharchik

This place is super duper awesome!!!! I absolutely love it. It's worth the wait when there's a huge line...but, if you're from New York City you'll realize that you shouldn't come when all the tourists are waiting in line (and you know when that is)! The staff is really friendly and doesn't usually gawk at me like I'm retarded when I'm licking frosting off my fingers -- when they clearly should be kicking me out of the bakery for lewd behavior. Best cupcakes in the world!!! Oh...and if you're on a "diet" or something... forget about it - they put like a brick of butter in each cupcake... which is delicious!!!!

Pros: butter, staff, steamed milk

Cons: homeless dudes bothering you in the park across the street, lines, no place to sit