Dutch Baby Bakery — Restaurant in New York

Dutch Baby is fantastic from a bakery point of view. Easily the best in the neighborhood. Everything is made in-house and it shows. From a restaurant/bar/coffee shop perspective? Not so much.

If I was to rate Dutch Baby solely on their baked goods, it'd be five stars. All day. But the other areas they've tried to expand in across their lifetime really hold them back overall.

I absolutely love nearly everything they make in their bakery; from their savory scones (feta scallion, Parmesan chive, cheddar bacon), to their buttery biscuits, to their not-so-sweet confectioneries (apple cider donut cake, carrot cake). They just hit all of the right notes, almost every time. Their lead baker/owner truly knows what she's doing in this arena.

They've even started making bagels. Their Everything and Cinnamon Raisin bagels outshine some of the best bakers in the city. No joke. They're a bit pricey at $3/ea, but they're super moist, chewy, and packed with just the right blend of flavor.

But on the flip side, everything I've ever had from their restaurant side has never been particularly good, nor properly seasoned.

The table service is really lackluster and chaotic to where I've stopped trying to make it work. I'm not sure why they've tried to expand to become a jack-of-all-trades (bar/coffee shop/event space?) destination as time goes on when thy should focus more on what makes them special--their baked goods! I get we're all trying to make ends meet, but it feels as if they're biting off more than they can chew and just ends up holding them back.

I admittedly haven't had any of their sandwiches in months because I prefer to buy the baked goods and incorporate them into my breakfast at home. I wasn't impressed with the Biscuits and Gravy, nor the Huevos Rancheros. That being said, their vegetarian friendly Green Goddess sandwich is wonderful when they put in the effort. Other times it can be very dry and skimpy (I once had it made with hard mozzarella, which was very strange; they must have run out of soft mozz.), and at nearly $17, it's a bitter pill to swallow when it is.

The side of breakfast potatoes are an absolute travesty. Chronically under-cooked, soggy, flavorless, oily, and frankly inedible at times... and your only other side choice is a pile of arugula with seemingly nothing else added to it other than some diced radish. Calling it a salad at all is generous. The "dressing" is merely lemon juice and olive oil, and tastes like nothing once it hits the arugula. I'd prefer the option to just leave the side off altogether, because neither are frankly worth it.

The neighborhood clearly loves them. You'll see a line out the door on the regular, but that's mostly because the workflow they have on getting through people is really slow. Part of that's due to the lack of urgency from an indecisive local clientele, but it also has to do with their workflow and how chaotic it can be with how the workers communicate.

One person will be ringing you out while the other gathers your order, and things often get lost in communication between the two of them. On more than one occasion I've had things left out of my order, only to have to come back. Granted, they do make it right, but it's still frustrating that it seems to reoccur so often.

It's not the employees' fault, but something needs to change in terms of restaurant layout and training in order to help things flow better overall. I get that this is New York City and space is limited, but I can't imagine it's very comfortable for people eating-in to have a giant line snaking next to them while they they try to eat their meal in peace. No matter where you stand in here, it feels like you're in somebody's way. The layout is just atrocious, despite how warm it feels with the aesthetic they have going on.

It's hard not to love Dutch Baby for some things that they excel at. It's just that same love also makes you want them to be better, because you can see what they can truly be if they just ironed out...

Dutch Baby: A Mixed Bag of Charm and Frustration

Dutch Baby is an adorable café in Washington Heights that brings much-needed charm to the neighborhood. Having lived here for 11 years, I was thrilled when it opened.

The Good: • Lovely interior design • Friendly staff • Great drinks • Outstanding cheddar scones and biscuits

This place has been a delightful addition to the neighborhood, adding warmth and character. I’ve been a loyal customer, recommending it to friends and family, attending comedy shows, and buying countless pastries. I visit at least once a week for breakfast sandwiches, which are quite good.

The Bad: Unfortunately, my overall experience has been marred by poor management and a lack of responsiveness to customer feedback. Despite the café’s evident success, the issues I’ve encountered repeatedly go unresolved. Below are some notable incidents:

1. The Sandwich Saga: One visit, my girlfriend and I ordered a Green Goddess sandwich and a frittata. Her food arrived in 25 minutes, but my cold sandwich took 45 minutes after that. When we asked, the waitress blamed short staffing and assured us they were hiring more cooks. That was eight months ago, and nothing has improved.

2. Lost Orders & Customer Drama: During another visit with my girlfriend and her family, we placed our orders at the counter. Everyone received their food except me. After waiting 30 minutes, we were told they “didn’t hear” my frittata order. Another 25 minutes later, it finally arrived.

While waiting, we witnessed a customer angrily complain about the quality of his eggs. He made a scene, yelling at staff, and the police were eventually called. While his behavior was inappropriate, I understand his frustration—wait times and food inconsistencies can push customers to their limits.

3. The Thanksgiving Pie Disaster: This was the final straw. Looking for a pie to bring to my aunt’s Thanksgiving dinner, I suggested Dutch Baby because I’ve always enjoyed their baked goods. However, there was no clear communication outside the store about pie availability. When my girlfriend’s family arrived, they were told pies were sold first-come, first-serve daily.

We managed to get a pecan pumpkin pie the day before Thanksgiving for $35. But after dinner, we cut into it, and it was awful—slimy, undercooked, and resembling rotten soup. It was incredibly embarrassing. I even took pictures and video because the quality was so shocking. Returning the pie was out of the question due to the 59-mile trip, but I felt completely ripped off.

Final Thoughts: This café has so much potential but consistently fails to deliver. The charm of the space and the quality of some menu items are overshadowed by poor management, long wait times, and inconsistent food quality. Despite being a loyal customer, I can no longer recommend this place.

This is a long review, but not nearly as long as the countless hours I’ve spent waiting for my food—or the time I’ve wasted regretting my decision to return, hoping things might improve. If you’re planning to visit, clear your schedule and prepare yourself—you never know what kind of experience you’ll have when you step through...

I came here, very excited to try this place out for breakfast/brunch. When I approached the hostess, I told her I'd like to dine in. She told me to go place my order at the register first. Upon approaching the register, they assumed I was ordering to go since I didn't have a table. There seemed to be some kind of miscommunication between the hostess and the register as to why she would have sent me to them first. I ordered french toast along with two eggs and was given a table number. I assumed I just had to seat myself, which I did once a table became available. I thought I would receive a glass of water, but I also had to get that myself.

My eggs came out within 10 minutes. I had assumed they would come out at the same time as my French toast, so I decided to wait. I waited nearly 30 minutes and was asked twice if "everything was ok?". Both times I told them I was still waiting on my food and that I wanted to eat the items together. By the time the French toast came out, it was lukewarm at best, and my eggs were completely cold. It was not good. At this point I had been waiting at the restaurant for nearly an hour. I took about two bites of my food before being asked again if "everything was okay". I explained to them that the food was cold and not good. They offered to either take care of part of the check or replace the items. I was very disappointed by the service already but also extremely hungry. I let the server know that a replacement would be okay but only if it wasn't going to take another hour to come out. She told me she spoke with her manager and that my order would be next up.

By the time I got a hot plate of food, I was already very turned off and disappointed in the whole experience. But I will say it was tasty.

(I also thought the french toast would come with strawberries or blueberries based on photos I saw, but it was topped with apples and almonds.)

I would potentially come back to try their pastries are baked goods, but not necessarily to...