Deb Pam Bakery — Restaurant in Totowa

If a place does what it's supposed to do and does it well, I'm willing to overlook some issues. Deb Pam is a perfect example of that. I stopped here late Sunday afternoon on my way home from a Jersey Shore hike, hankering for some type of sweet Italian pastry. I've been to the Irish dive bar (Murph's) next door once or twice over the years, but never into the bakery.

Aesthetic-wise, Deb Pam could use some work. It's pretty drab and one corner of the storefront had cleaning equipment and various items just taking up space - not particularly hospitable. When I walked in, there were two employees behind the counter, one an older woman and the other a young adult/teen. Both just stared at me, didn't say anything, and went back to cleaning up (in mild defense, it was toward the end of the day, which isn't exactly an ideal bakery time). After a minute or two of examining the items in the display counters, the older woman finally acknowledged my presence and provided assistance.

I impulsively went with a homemade black and white cookie ($2), which looked significantly more appetizing than the plastic-wrapped pre-made ones I used to see in NYC bodegas all the time. It was very scrumptious - the texture was what I remembered from the lower quality versions, cakey with harder icing, but it really hit the spot. I think expectations should be lowered a bit when you go into a pastry place later in the day (though those establishments should also consider offering these items at a discounted price once you get to a certain point in the afternoon if they're not still baking fresh inventory), but I would have been perfectly satisfied with this cookie on a morning visit too. It did not last more than a few minutes.

The price point is super competitive for the area - a similar cookie at the Calandra's Bakery in Fairfield would have been about twice the cost, if not more. The bedside manner of its staff leaves much to be desired, but you know what? If the product is good, I don't need to be showered with constant love...

Awesome dessert offerings from one of the small local bakeries in NJ. I’ve been hooked on their cheesecakes since college, when my roommate brought one to the dorm. Not an easy spot for me to get to since I don’t drive and live in NY. So it’s a treat every time someone can bring me back some of these desserts from NJ.

Most of the items in the attached photos require calling ahead since they’re not normally on display. Mini apple turnovers, cupcakes and Napoleon cheesecake is usually available without ordering ahead. The other ones like the mini cheesecake, key lime pie and small apple pie need to be called in ahead. I wanted small portions so I could pig out on a little of everything :)

I’m lactose intolerant, so I always take a lactaid pill before eating most of these. The mini apple turnovers are the only ones I can eat without my lactaid pills. But the creamy goodness of those other ones are totally worth it.

It’s been many years since college, their cheesecake is still my all time favorite. Even compared to some of the well known chains that specialize in cheesecakes and some of the fancier restaurants, their cheesecake can hold its own. They usually always have plain ones available for walk-in orders. If you don’t want to pig out on a dessert spread like I did and want to try just one thing, the cheesecake would be my recommendation.

Very reasonably priced, the mini cheese cake was $3. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area, especially if you’re like me and are used to a “midtown premium” on food and desserts that aren’t even half as good as these. Call ahead if you want something specific though, their hours and dessert offerings for walk-in orders might be limited because of the pandemic right now. I usually tell me friend a couple of days in advance when I want something from...

My family And I picked up our cake from DebPam on 7/24 to celebrate a 13th birthday. We typically order from Palermo’s bakery in Little Ferry but decided to try something different. When we cut the cake on 7/24, only 2 hours after picking it up, the filling was extremely SOUR and apparently the cake had gone bad. My aunt later contacted the bakery to resolve the matter AND the woman who answered the phone was sarcastic, extremely rude and unapologetic. She asked us to bring the cake back. I’m not sure if she was planning on tasting the cake or what. Additionally, she absolutely refused to provide us with a refund. I wasn’t planning to leave a review but I don’t want anyone else to have the same experience. Birthdays are very special occasions and Deb Pam had one job which they failed miserably at doing. You’re better off ordering a cake from Shop...