Bakery by Textbook — Restaurant in New York

The prices make me wanna say 3 stars, but giving 4 because they seem open to feedback and the food is promising. Seems like they’re trying cool, unique things with the food. I was so excited for a new cafe near me. If you put aside the prices, I’d definitely go there again. Got a small loaf of bread, which was decent, and an olive oil cake which was pretty good. Tahini cold brew was also tasty.

I was surprised by the prices. Some of them are normal, like $4ish for a cookie, but some are kind of weirdly, arbitrarily high. A demi loaf of bread for $6. Another loaf for $13. A small mushroom stuffed pastry for $10.l. Three miniature pitas for $5. And my tahini cold brew, which was a whopping $9. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a $9 coffee drink in my life.

I was excited to have a place to buy fresh bread closer to home, but I l can’t justify it at those prices. The name your price model is nice, but it frames a lower cost as more of a need-based discount. Even super hypey places in more expensive areas, like She Wolf and Saraghina, hell even Balthazar, sell a baguette for closer to $9 or $10, maybe $12 for speciality loaves.

The owners seem friendly and receptive to feedback, so I do hope they can take this into account and consider whether some price adjustments are feasible. I know running a business is a financial strain, and I’m not cheap when it comes to bourgie cafes. But even within that space, a lot of things they sell are like $1-$3 more than what you’d expect them to be.

If these higher-than-average prices are being used to pay higher-than-average wages to workers, then maybe Textbook could consider going tip-optional? I know it’s technically optional now, but as long as the expectation is there, I’m going to feel obligated to do it. I tip 15-25% automatically on cafe orders. I’ve been to tipping optional restaurants that build the higher cost into their prices, and I think it’s a worthwhile model. But if I’m paying more and still tipping on top...

So I live nearby and have been waiting for this spot to open for a while now cause it really peaked my interest. I wanted to give a review because I saw some mean reviews and I think this business is really trying and I want to encourage them to try more! Coffee shops are sadly linked to gentrification purely by definition so the attempts to make it more accessible to local communities is very important, with that said, I was slightly disappointed at the pricing which I expected to be high but not really Williamsburg price high down here on Howard. I am lucky to be able to afford that once in a while but I know very few can and the “pay as you can” model for bread is great maybe it can exist for a more basic coffee to help encourage locals to even just step into the shop so that you can show them what you are trying to do and get feedback from not “coffee-shop people”. I do wish the hours were different, there is a lot of people who work 9-5 jobs and aren’t making it home till 6pm, it would be cool to have a place that is open for some cheaper bread and maybe an affordable coffee, that is something that none of the coffee shops around are doing. Also if you expanded hours you could hire more locals and even spend summers training high schoolers and getting them a chance to put money towards college. I do really like the place and I will go back because the food didn’t disappoint but I was quite shocked to see how much I ended up paying. I really want this to stay open and provide more food service jobs outside of all the fast food on Broadway. Keep up the good work! (Ps, it’s hard to know that the bread is pay what you can when there is a $9 price tag next to the bread instead of a “$9 encouraged but pay...

I live on this block and have been here for around 8 months. I was hesitant to try Bakery by Textbook at first because I just get so nervous trying new small businesses for fear of being disappointed and wasting money.

But after a couple months of constantly walking by and seeing how lively and welcoming the atmosphere was, my boyfriend and I just had to go up in there. And ever since, it’s been one of our favorite places to go in BedStuy.

The food is amazing, always fresh with quality ingredients and for a good price. My favorites on the menu are the cinnamon rolls, pizza and I usually get a vanilla chai latte. They’re the only place I’ve been to in BedStuy that gets my tea right EVERY time, just saying. And I love the $10 mystery bags. It’s basically a bag with items that haven’t yet sold that day, still fresh and delicious. Plus the mystery bags support folks who are struggling with food insecurity. I’ve even been to the Sunday barbecue and enjoyed the grilled chicken on pita with a Mediterranean salad. 🤤 And the musical acts they book are good too!

Y’all, I can’t say enough good things about this place. Good food, good vibes, good heart. And the shop is always clean! The staff work hard to keep it a clean and welcoming environment for folks to sit down in and enjoy. And that’s what we need more of in BedStuy. Bakery by Textbook is one of thee best additions I’ve seen to the neighborhood and I hope they’re around for a long time.

Coming from someone who lives right...