North Avenue Bakery
“The mild flavors of the flour and yeast danced wonderfully on my tongue, and the sweet butter was like icing framing a perfect cake.”
“Parking can be a hassle since there doesn't seem to be a private lot–you're lucky if you're able to get curb side parking….”
“I rate this place 5 because the pastries are quite good and fresh and the service was great.”
North Avenue Bakery
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Inexpensive
8 reviews
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Randomly had some time to kill and they were open. Those pastries that are the layered cookies with the caramel type stuff in the middle was great. Wish I knew what it was called.
I came here on a whim and boy was I pleasantly surprised. Heard about this place through a few of my coworkers one morning after work and sure why not even if it's at 5 am after a long night's work. Thats what working hard and rewarding yourself is all about with good eats. Anyway when I got here I knew right away I made the right decision in coming here. This bakery is an authentic Portuguese pasty shop. Everything not only smelled of sweet surprises but looked as good as it smelled. So I decided to get some custard cups and the Alfajore's cookies that were the size of a pancake. Both choices I made were the right ones. Both the custard cup and cookie were amazing and not over sweet or bland in taste or over baked. They had a lot of other specialty pastries as well that I would definitely come back and try in the near future.
Custard Cups. Who does not like an authentic freshly made portugese custard cup? You don't? Ok, then please stop being my yelp friend. The place was busy when I went in, but I had my eye on the prize and was justly rewarded for my patience. Delicious Delicious Delicious. Custard Cups, breakfast of champions.
We were on a trip to pick up these pastries from several bakeries within 15minutes of each other. The bakery looks like a hole-in-the-wall, the flourescent lights barely providing enough lighting for the establishment. The display case is filled with different bakery items, but there are no labels or prices anywhere.
We stopped by to pick up 2 Pateis de Nata, so this review only pertains to that pastry item. They were actually not in the case, they had to get it from the back. They are $1 each, but the filling was dense and overly sweet, the crust wasn't flaky at all. Maybe it was because we went at 8pm, but the pastry was cold, hard. I noticed their business card claims "Best nata in NJ" but sadly, I've definitely had better, just 15minutes before that! It's a shame, since they would've been closer to us, right off of Rt. 1 & 9.
Excellent coffee and Portuguese pastries. The custard cups are off the hook. Hours are very convenient. Parking can be a PITA but well worth it.
Here's the scenario.
Last week, Xmas Eve to be exact, we drove my wife's parents from Philly to Newark Airport. We got here early for their flight and we wanted to find a place nearby to have coffee or tea. I whipped out the Yelp app, and found this bakery was a few blocks from us.
Well, upon getting here, I realized that this place wouldn't be our choice. The few tables they had were full. So we'd have to go elsewhere.
But, me being one who can't pass up the opportunity to sample a good local bakery's wares, I made sure to leave with a few of the chicken croquettes for the ride home.
Damn, those were tasty!
You really can't go wrong with places like this.
This Portuguese-style bakery is a small mom and pop shop. There was a large variety of pastries and baked goods. We only tried the plain egg custard tarts, which they keep in the back, and they were really great! The crust was flakey, and there was plenty of custard. At $1 a piece they're definitely worth it. I wasn't familiar with many of the other pastries, and I wish they had signs to describe what each was, though many of the other customers seemed to be regulars. I can't remember if it was cash only or if there was a limit, but we had to pay cash on our $18 order.
This was my first visit to a Portuguese bakery, and I regret that it took until this stage of life to experience one.
The North Avenue Bakery sits on its namesake street in Elizabeth, New Jersey, surrounded by other ethnically interesting shops and restaurants that were not yet open when I needed strong coffee and a nosh to help me on the drive back to the office. It is a small shop, but there was a steady flow of customers requesting the produce of the gifted baker's hands. Most discussions were not in English, but it was easy enough to understand the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese I heard, especially with fingers pointing.
I went for a fresh buttered Portuguese Roll from a bin behind the counter, an Egg Custard Mini, and a large Java. This was not a big sampling, but it was enough to know that these folks knew what they were doing. I have spent many years visiting the Italian bakeries of Trenton, NJ, and this place had the same vibe and degree of excellence. The roll was still warm when I reached for it in the bag. The crust was firm and the meat of the roll airy and pliant. The mild flavors of the flour and yeast danced wonderfully on my tongue, and the sweet butter was like icing framing a perfect cake. I immediately wished I had purchased a dozen for later consumption.
The coffee was strong, but not bitter. A good complement to the roll.
The Egg Custard had to wait until I made the office and could spread out a little at my desk. The first bite was enough to make a grown man cry. It was cool and creamy, mildly sweet and oh so smooth…It clung to my tongue, teeth and gums like a gentle blanket. Only the coffee could wash it off. It was truly amazing and way beyond satisfying. It was a gift from a DaVinci of the baking ovens. One of those foodie moments that make you kvell and thank the divine for this moment of rapture…
There are a few tables sitting outside North Avenue Bakery. On a nicer day, that would be a great place to kick back and nibble on a tray of these awesome treasures.