Gourmet brownies? In Phoenix?
Leave it to a work birthday for me to be assigned to pick up a bunch of brownies (because I lived the closest to it) - some brownies as a gift for the guest of honor and a bunch for everyone else.
I had no clue that these guys even existed. I mean, they even scored the brownies.com domain name - which indicates these guys mean serious business. So I drove down to an industrial park not far from where the 143 meets the 10 and found the brownie factory no problem (its colored purple, like its website).
I walked in and, well, the place lives up to its name. Brownies EVERYWHERE. Little brownies. Big brownies. Mint brownies. Caramel brownies. Dark chocolate brownies. White chocolate brownies. Brownies made with white flour (aka "Blondies"). I was a little taken aback and didn't know where to begin.
These brownies aren't cheap, let's put that out there right now. I think regular sized brownies are in the $3-something range. Then there are sprites (1/2 brownies) and morsels (1/4 brownies), of which you can mix-and-match in a bunch. But the lady behind the counter, seeing that I was completely bewildered, helped me out by getting 3 different brownies gift-wrapped together for the birthday person and a box of sprites of a bunch of different flavors for the rest of the team. She then handed me a sample of an Espresso Nib brownie, daring me to not like it.
It was awesome. But maybe that's just the caffeine addict in me talking.
So the 3 gift brownies, a box of sprites for the team, and a few extra brownies for me to try came to around $24.
That's right. $24. On brownies. Not a big, deluxe cake. Not a chocolate souffle. Brownies.
Which is cool, I guess, if I didn't mind dropping a benjamin on glorified bake sale items once in a while. But I told the lady that what if I wanted to have a brownie right then and there? I mean, these brownies are RICH as hell. No joke. Dense to the max. Any milk (and in my case, lactose-free milk) available? Nope. I was dumbfounded. This place is a giant Got Milk ad if I ever saw one.
Which is exactly what played out when everyone on my team bit into their brownies in a conference room a few hours later. One bite with no milk handy, and that was the end of things. Everyone put their brownie down. "It's really good, but man, that's rich." Doh. But my 2nd Espresso Nib brownie was just as awesome as the first (which I devoured in 2 seconds driving to work, along with a mint brownie). People noticed I was more alert at the office that day. How could I not be? Sugar and caffeine. Breakfast of champions. That is, until I crashed.
But anyway, for those who are chocolate fiends, this joint is right up your alley. I think most of their business comes from online orders, but the folks working in the bakery (open during weekdays) are really friendly and will help you with any questions. They also have sugarfree options as well.
Too lazy to hike your ass to south Phoenix? You could go online or to your local AJ's.
4 stars (minus a star because you really need that pint glass of milk and $3.50 for a chocolate square is just a tad on the steep side to make it a regular treat). read more