Levain Bakery — Restaurant in Washington

• I will leave the full, original review below so that all issues can be seen, and follow-up with this edit stating the customer service received via email has been incredible. Lydia and her team really put a face back on the bakery and were deeply empathetic to the situation. We have come to an agreeable solution on all sides and, as I have maintained the product is high quality, I’ve changed my review to reflect the steps taken by Levain to redress the situation.

It’s a mixed review because I had one excellent experience and one very poor experience. The excellent experience was through the bakery website – expensive, of course, but a lovely gift and really appreciated by the recipient. The process was straightforward and precise, and the product was as expected. That made the purchase worthwhile.

The very poor experience was through UberEats. Levain accepted the address but when I noticed it hadn’t taken the apartment, I went to add it – the address was then “too far” for delivery. The only recourse, apparently, was cancellation or delivery to the original address, which was now showing incorrectly. I called to ask the bakery on the phone, and the man who answered essentially told me it wasn’t his problem. He wasn’t wrong – I just felt very frustrated that I was charged a $15 cancellation fee for an error on the end of the app (I’m assuming. I had put the address in correctly, so I really feel like it was a trap). From the bakery’s end, I had placed the order approximately 5 minutes prior, and the man on the phone just kept repeating that the cancellation fee was because it was the “beautiful holiday box”. The entire experience was odd and, frankly, off-putting. It’s a pity because I would have given the first experience 5 stars, but the UberEats and Levain customer service experience was a 1.

I considered downgrading my review from a 3 after rereading the T&Cs. The $15 cancellation fee is Levain’s policy, as that is the price of the holiday box. I understand they had “started the order”, but this is a standing winter product. I truly wouldn’t have considered writing a review had the customer service been more polite and functioning. My profile demonstrates my distaste for writing negative reviews. However, total product cost is a hefty price for anyone who might consider using these two businesses in tandem. I would only advise potential customers to remember that these are not friendly local companies. Levain makes delicious cookies, which is why it is fair to keep both experiences in consideration. Still, fundamentally it is a business – and you as the customer take on the burden of any error, be it of your...

Super decadent heavy weight cookies bursting with chocolate in every bite! The cakey cookies are the size of my fist with a crispy shell and soft doughy core. They are so moist and buttery, no need to warm them up! The consistency and texture is divine and quite satisfying just after a couple of bites. They keep well and still taste fresh after a couple of days.

A cookie is large enough to share, my hubby and I ambitiously ordered a feast of 4 cookies - Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate, limited edition Con Leche, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter. While my hubby threw in the towel after the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter, I conquered the other 3 chunky cookies on my own in many snack sittings.

Cafe Con Leche (5/5) - The limited edition kitchen sink cookie loaded with coffee, cinnamon, caramel, cashews, sea salt, chocolate chips has a lot going on and my favorite! There's a different flavor in every bite with a bit of savory nuttiness combined with bold cinnamon and caramel. Would love to see a simpler version of just cinnamon and caramel as a permanent fixture on the menu!

2 Chocolate Chip without Walnuts (5/5) - The classic ultimate dark chocolate cookie oozing with morsels of chocolate and large chunks at the bottom. Just flip over the cookie!

Dark Chocolate Chip (5/5) - Tastes like a brownie!

Dark Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter (5/5) - Tastes like a Reese's dark chocolate peanut butter cup. Had a nice balance of savory and sweet. My hubby devoured it!

Whole Wheat Grain Loaf (5/5) - While the loaf is thick and dense, it was good for sandwiches and stayed fresh for a few days.

The heavenly cookies were worth a 30 min wait on Sat night right before closing - 20 min standing in line outside and also 10 min inside the store. Some people waited 90 minutes, which is too much for me.

I wish the cookies were smaller and easier to conquer solo. They are so rich and definitely gave me a sugar rush. These cookies are perfect for sharing!

My biggest gripe is the whole milk doesn't come in a carton! It's just served in a cup, which makes it hard to transport, luckily there was a cup holder.

Fun to try, not sure if I'd be back though! With so many tasty treats in Georgetown, I prefer local spots like Thomas Sweet ice cream and...

Luckily got to try this place right before I had to head home to the west coast! I discovered their cookies through Instagram and it always looked bombb. The cookies always looked thick, soft, and massive.

I was visiting my cousin in Virginia and luckily a day or two before it was time to go home, the first location out of New York opened in DC, which was close enough to drive to. I expected the line to be a long wait, regardless of COVID, but it surprisingly moved pretty quickly.

I didn't really see much outside of cookies when I saw them on IG, so when I tried their baguette and Cinnamon Brioche, I was surprised at how good they were. The baguette had an addicting taste that I had to tell myself not to eat too much. The cinnamon brioche was something I would get again as it was soft and had that nice touch of cinnamon going through the middle, although I thought the cinnamon layer could have been thicker.

The cookies were what I was looking forward to the most. They looked a bit smaller in thickness from what I have seen, but I guess it can't be uniform all the time. The Cafe Con Leche was a limited edition, so I had to try that. I thought it was alright, but nothing that wowed me.

Now the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie was the star. It was so soft, rich and perfect. It had a nice balance of the rich dark chocolate flavor and peanut butter chips. My cousins all thought it was too rich that it would be hard to eat it all in one go, but I honestly could have eaten at least half of it in one go. With a glass of milk, I probably could have eaten the whole thing.

I'm so glad I was able to try it before I left. The Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie lived up to the hype for me. Just need them to expand to...