MexicanTown Bakery & Cafe — Restaurant in Detroit

A Departure from Authentic Mexican Pan Dulce

As someone deeply familiar with the rich traditions of Mexican baking, my recent encounter with the pastries, cakes, and bread at MexicanTown Bakery left me with a sense of disappointment regarding their authenticity. While the establishment excels in customer service and maintains a high standard of cleanliness, the culinary offerings seem to have strayed considerably from the true essence of Mexican pan dulce.

A Matter of Taste and Texture: My primary critique centers on the fundamental elements of their baked goods. The pastries, in particular, were overwhelmingly sweet, a characteristic that overshadows the nuanced flavors inherent in traditional Mexican recipes. Furthermore, the bread component, which forms the foundation of many beloved pastries, lacked the soft, airy texture and distinctive, satisfying flavor that I associate with authentic pan dulce. It felt as though a crucial element was missing.

The Tres Leches Experience: The Tres Leches cake, a staple of Mexican desserts, also suffered from excessive sweetness. The whipped topping, which tasted distinctly artificial, further detracted from the experience. Even the flavor of the "tres leches" itself seemed off, hinting at the inclusion of unconventional ingredients that strayed from the classic preparation.

Adapting Away from Tradition: It appears that MexicanTown Bakery may be tailoring its recipes to appeal to a broader, perhaps Americanized, palate. While this might be a strategic business decision aimed at market reach, the unfortunate consequence is a product that feels like a diluted version, far removed from the genuine flavors and textures that define true Mexican pan dulce. For those seeking an authentic taste of Mexico, this establishment's baked goods may not satisfy.

Exceptional Service and Hygiene: Despite my reservations about the food, I must commend MexicanTown Bakery for its exceptional customer service. The staff were attentive, welcoming, and efficient. Moreover, the premises were impeccably clean, creating a positive and comfortable environment.

An Unconventional Payment Policy: One perplexing aspect of my visit was the unexpected fee charged for using a credit or debit card. In the current business landscape, such a policy is unusual and warrants consideration by the establishment.

Conclusion: While MexicanTown Bakery demonstrates strengths in service and cleanliness, its pastries, bread, and cakes fall short of delivering an authentic Mexican baking experience. The overbearing sweetness and deviations from traditional recipes suggest a prioritization of broader appeal over genuine flavor profiles. For those in search of the true taste of Mexican pan dulce, I would hesitate to recommend their baked goods.

Food Authenticity: 1.5/5 Taste & Texture: 2/5 Service: 4.5/5 Cleanliness: 5/5 Value (considering...

The 1 star is NOT for their delicious treats but for their dishonesty and deception. We visited MTB yesterday to pickup some of their magnificent desserts, upon paying I was stunned by the seemingly expensive bill. I thought something was a little off but also considered we bought a couple larger portions and I didn’t know the price of anything. APPARENTLY, the young lady ringing me up also realized that something was off. And I know so because she proceeds to hand me my credit card receipt only and not the itemized receipt, which I had already asked for. AS SOON as I asked for the itemized receipt (again), she immediately converted from English to Spanish and consulted with the woman beside her...in Spanish! I understand some Spanish and knew and heard that she had overcharged me! But here’s the kicker, even though they both knew that I had overpaid, they both said “Have a nice day”!, as if nothing was wrong. Neither one of them said nothing about the overcharge. But I did!!

It gets a little bit worse, so once we all on the same page of the issue, she tries to refund me the difference. She enlists the help of a young man, BUT they even tried to cheat me on that by only refunding me $10.11! It should’ve been $13.93...so I did the math for them and they had to refund me an additional $3.82!

I mean she actually looked at the receipt, knew that she had over-rang me 8 times for 1 item, tried to keep the receipt and proceeded to say bye under the advice of the older woman, I should add! I mean just be honest! Clearly, being overcharged wasn’t the problem...everyone makes mistakes!! BUT the problem is the concealment and deceit...for baked goods no less! I politely told her that she knew she was wrong and that is clearly is not cool, treat people how you’d like to be treated.

Moral of the story, ASK FOR YOUR ITEMIZED RECEIPT!!

See the attached...

I regularly frequent this bakery because the quality seemed to be good - up until a recent purchase which left me badly nauseated for more than 30 minutes. I nearly throw up, on this item, as I was coughing and gagging to the point that my eyes were watering with tears. The purchase was a type of cake that had cheese in it (not exactly a typical cheese cake). Everything appeared to be fine, while eating it, until I came to a bite 3 quarters of the way through. Suddenly there was this putrid taste, almost like fecal matter in this piece. I regurgitated it as it was horrible. That's when everything wasn't fine anymore. I was praying, God forbid, that it's not ecoli or salmonella! A little while after, when I gained enough calm, I called the store to let them know. Lidia, a shift manager, stated that she would refund the purchase - and that's all she offered. Not good enough! I could have become violently ill from this stuff. Note: this cake wasn't in a refrigerated area [like at the front counter] - God knows how long the peices were sitting out, because it was 7:30 in the evening. Also, to my recollection, I saw one of the worker girls moving the cake peices around on the tray, and it seemed as if she didnt have any gloves on. There should be better quality control in this bakery, and they should train their employees in properly handling...