Rose & Joe's Italian Bakery — Restaurant in New York

Rose & Joe's is a place I've wanted to try for a long time. It is an old school Italian bakery underneath the end of the N train in Astoria-Ditmars. The place doesn't look unique at all outside of its depth, with it occupying a long, hallway-like space with light colored walls and plenty of display cases. In the front is where you pay for everything, except for the pizza counter which is all the way in the back. They're cash only as I found out, as I had to run across the street to an ATM in order to buy what I had at the counter; they weren't particularly nice about it either, but whatever. You try baking stuff all day while not eating any of it and see how happy you are. First off, I had to try the pizza. Rose & Joe's serves one of the few bakery-style slices in NYC, and very cheap too at a little over $2. They even have a little oven where they heat it up. If you're unfamiliar with the style, it is somewhere between a grandma and a sicilian slice, and traces its roots back to Sicily as sfincione. This was strictly a tomato sauce and cheese version, and while it was a bit greasy I enjoyed it! I thought the sauce was a bit overspiced, but the tomatoes they used were definitely good stuff. The cheese was also sparingly applied which I appreciated. My issue was the crust, which did not get crisp enough and was pretty unremarkable for something made by a bakery. As the whole it was a good slice I'd be happy to have every day, but not something worthy of more than a footnote in the catalog of NY pizza. After the pizza, I bought some sesame cookies and a sfogliatello: two of the main bell weathers I use for Italian bakeries. The cookies were a little dense (not overdone) but otherwise fine. Nothing special really. The sfogliatello was good, but the pastry or filling wasn't...

In this day age every customer should be treated like gold.While i was there today two customers walked out without buying anything.The reason is bad customer service. I heard the customer who walked out say the people working there have a bad attitude.I had me bring me there because I was in Astoria and on FB it said that this bakery was one of the go to places here in NYC that have pizza .I bought pizza and pastries. I asked the lady helping me for a plastic bag.She saw I was walking with a cane.She put everything in individual paper bags. Most places would see how much im ordering and either put in a box or offer me a plastic bag.She didnt ask me if i wanted pastries or coffee.I went over to the pastries and followed me and put evwrything in individual bags.Instead of asking me could she put everything in a bag for me.I had to ask her for a bag .It is hard for me to walk with a cane and carry things.Instead gave me attitude and said I already gave you one.I spent money in this bakery and you could a 5 cent plastic bag.I think i gave you enough business .I wanted a type of biscotti with the cherries in it.All you had was one type.If you are going to sell pastries especially italians ones you need to have a better variety. I personally have been to many italian bakeries and the people working there are happy to be there and glad to help.On a Saturday afternoon there should be more than 3 or 4 customers walking in or out and they should be buying more than one thing with the reputation you.They need to have better customer service and there should not be any customer walking out...

Call me spoiled when it comes to pizza, but if you're not a fan of home fashioned sicilian slices for less than three bucks, then who is? This is where Rose & Joes Italian Bakery comes in: a small little bakery not to far from N station, Ditmars Boulevard, is located.

Walk all the way to the back of the bakery and you'll be smelling fresh bread baked on a daily basis, and fresh sicilian slices (2.50 regular, 2.75 for toppings) and focaccias to go. Not only are there pizzas, but they have a grand selection of breads, cookies, and seasonal sweets to make the little ones begging for another bad for grandma (hey, it's all in the family if you love something sweet to eat, right?). Also, come Easter, they have a grand selection of Easter bread, plus cookies in both Italian and Greek fashion, plus coffee for those that need something to perk them up during rush hour. Professional ladies will help you on your selection and can even give you deals on bagles, small sandwiches, and crunchy garlic bread per pound. And who could forget about the pound for pound salty/non-salty breadsticks? Surely a classic from Rose & Joes, and they're always delicious to try no matter what day it is. Recommended: for the hungries like yours truly, five buck will give you two nice sicilian slices (7.50 for 3) to go, plus toppings and the works, and always ask them to heat it up before packing it in. Highly recommended for the classic sweet eaters out there without...