Donna Bell’s Bake Shop
“The massively huge & thick chocolate chip and chocolate walnut cookies were way too tempting.”
“Interesting back story, Pauley Perrette is the co-owner and the shop is named after her mother.”
“The place is small (no tables/chairs) but if you are looking for someplace to sit, Worldwide Plaza is 24 steps away.”
Donna Bell’s Bake Shop
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range Moderate
8 reviews
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Need something to boost me up in the morning so ran into Donna Bell early in the morning; unfortunately they do not carry espresso so I settled myself with their "southern-blend" drip coffee. Didn't put milk inside this time so it indeed tasted a bit bland. I guess I really have to try their pastries (as they have been so popular) in order to get a better understanding about the hype.
Scones, cupcakes, noted down!
Hypes:
– A breakfast sandwich is a breakfast sandwich – but to perfect a breakfast sandwich…now thats an art. Donna bell as done just that – the simplest breakfast sandwich has never been so good. Definitely get one when you're here
– Biscuits – simple, buttermilk, blue cheese, or whatever they have – soft on the inside, crisp on the outside
– Bakery – They have a large variety and its all good. We had some scones and a delicious coffee cake
Gripes:
– Coffee could be better
– The hours are hit or miss. They usually run out and close when they do – so come early to enjoy it or its a wasted trip!
– Limited seating. No restroom.
All in all a hidden gem in midtown I have come across that is not over hyped and mainstream.
This was was good, but I found my order was a little inconsistent.
Some of the scones and bagels I ordered were very good. Soft, warm, had great flavor, and very fresh. Only good things to say about half my order. However the dessert portion of my order left more to be desired. One of the peanut butter bars I got was literally just slathered peanut butter ( like 2 inches think) on some chocolate. I ended up throwing it out.
I normally be doing a Zig Zag across town to get to the office after landing at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, but this morning Donna Bell's Bake Shop pop up on my Yelp bookmarks and I knew this was a message from the numero ono Yelp God, I was not gonna take any chances and disappear off the face of the earth like some of my reviews so I made a straight line dash to Donna Bell's.
Well I got there without getting hit by a volt of lighting or seagull doodoo and found Donna Bell's bakery to be a small shop. The outside looks better than the inside and reminded me a mom and pop bakery in you old hood when you lived with grandma, remember?
You can see in the inside that they actually bake the stuff there, cupcake biscuits, scones and more. Some of the scones and biscuit were real big, Too much for me in the morning but perfect for some New Yorker's, you know the ones that that take 3 seats on the subway, right!
I went for the Cinnamon Bum cause if it's sticky and gooey and it belongs in my mouth and not sitting behind a display case. I also got the lemon raspberry scone, I liked the way the icing on top looked.
This place has no where to sit so it's strictly take out. After I got to the office I took my goodies out of the bag and realizes that the wax tissue they used got stuck to all the icing and lots of it came off. The Cinnamon Bum tasted good and I could tell it was made with real ingredients and not artificial fake flavorings. The scone was good, but it did not a strong lemon tastes. It had a small amount of filling but not enough raspberry to make up for the missing icing.
Will I got back, well that depend on the Yelp God giving me a badge or two, else I think I go and check out other bakeries.
So disappointing. I wouldn't have minded that there was no seating if the baked goods here were good. I walked in to the most amazing aroma and ordered the source, which also happened to be its "best and most popular" item–hummingbird bread pudding muffin (~$4). How can you go wrong with a fresh-out-of-the-oven muffin made of shredded coconut, pecans, crushed pineapple, bananas, and cinnamon? So imagine my unpleasant surprise as I sunk my teeth into a very goopy, mushy, not flavorul, yet still overly sweet "muffin". The best part of it was the cream cheese pecan frosting on top and even that was scarce and subpar. If this is the best they've got….
Cute little bakery that is walk in only – no place for seating so you walk up and order at the counter that deliciously displays all kinds of tasty looking pastries. The biscuit sandwich is bomb and so is the ham and cheese baguette. The bread is deliciously crunchy yet soft and the cheese was melted perfectly. So simple yet so flavorful. Get the chocolate chip cookie too!
Great spot for a grab and go breakfast or lunch.
So was I too late so that all the good stuff are gone?
Location: Donna Bell's Bake Shop located in a hidden spot on 49th street. In fact, you could pass the store by accident if you are not paying attention. I did pay attention and with the help of google map, I did find it easily. I was greeted by a friendly staff and looked for something I am interested to eat. Well, by circling around, no, there's nothing really unique to eat.
Food: so I just went with the normal one – scone, specifically, almond chocolate scone. It is bit dry, but with a rich flavor of chocolate. I would not say it is awesome, but it did do a fine job to make me feel less hungary.
Price: scone for 3 dollars? Not pricy at all
Overall: I did not find anything fancy
A trip to New York is not complete without getting some baked goods at Donna Bell's. It's a small space, so don't plan on eating there. But you're a block from an area (go west on 49th street) to an open space with plenty of tables to eat their wonderful biscuits, cakes, and baked goods while people watching. Or do what we do – take them home!