Locals love this place as it has been a staple in the community for years. As a "newcomer" I was less impressed. I understand that they do things the "old fashioned" way, and I appreciate that. But.....a good bakery is a good bakery. If you have elves sprinkling magic unicorn dust or if you bake it in a 1000 year old oven, I don't care. I want a good product at the end of the day. Their doughnuts are good, not great. I would say they are average. I would not go out of my way for these baked goods. It's also a bit concerning that the baked goods are always left in the case after hours. Do they sell these the next day? Don't you think this would attract insects/rodents?Just my thinking. Bottom Line: Another small town establishment that gets by on their history in the community not because of a superb product. This bakery is not winning any awards from "newcomers" but locals will rave about them because they grew up on it. read more

Now the doughnuts are absolutely hands down the best but the customer services needs to be worked on. Asked to use debit card and she told me why don't you have cash. But doughnuts were the best can't no one dare fault them on their doughnuts read more

I've lived in Culpeper my whole life & just tried their donuts for the first time about a week ago. They were really good! They're a small town bakery who have been in business forever & are huge locally. I've heard the apple fritters are really where it's at, so maybe I'll try those next time. :) read more

I grew up and Culpeper and have since moved to other cities, but Knakal's will always have a place in my donut loving heart. I've been to more fancy donut places where they've been featured on one or more of those food travel show, where lining up is something of an event just to get a donut. Clearly, this is not one of those places, but that's a good thing. I love the chocolate boats - definitely try one of those when you go. As for the customer service complaints, that's the service I grew up with. Heck, that was the general tone of people in Culpeper in the 1980s and 1990s if you weren't from there. I know the customer service isn't amazing, but the donuts are well worth the skeptical treatment from the staff. read more

If you like plain glazed donuts and aren't looking for a large variety, this bakery is ok but i was disappointed not to find the nice cakes, tortes, tarts, fancy cookies, fresh bagels and breads that i see in bakeries up north. Maybe this is a typical southern bakery. Idk. but it's not my kind of bakery. read more

Knakal's. Just mention it to locals and the drooling starts. I don't get to downtown Culpeper in the morning that often, but when I do, there is a crowd at Knakal's and their donuts sell out fast so that by 10am you're hard pressed to find anything but plain old glazed donuts. My favorite? Their apple fritters - light as air and the most delicious ones I have ever had. This morning we have a church youth event and my kids are bringing 2 of their friends, lured by Knakal's that will be served. In all honesty, I don't care for their cookies, and that alone prevented it from getting 5 stars, but this is my favorite doughnut place in the world. BTW - did I mention the price? They are inexpensive as can be, so you can really pig out and not spend much at all. read more

Surprised that no one has mentioned the coconut cakes. We took one to a party and about half the people thought it was home made. When we told them it came from a bakery in Culpeper they asked for the address. We have never experienced bad service. We brought a coconut cake from Wegmans and one from here and the Culpeper cake was the runaway favorite. I can tolerate some surliness for this quality product. read more

We discovered this place years ago bc of family. We live in Gainesville and every few months drive to Culpeper and get donuts. My hubby loves the Boston Cream. Kids love glaze. I've never had a bad customer service. Remember you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Being cheerful to the staff where you are shopping at is just as important as the staff serving their customers. read more

Rude and impatient. We were in Culpeper for a long weekend. I like small towns and really try to patronize small businesses as much as possible. We stayed right on Davis. We walked in and like anyone else we weren't 100% what we wanted until we looked in the cases. My husband told the one woman the first donut he wanted. She proceeds to put in a bag. I told her we were getting 6 total. She got super annoyed and grabbed a box and gave a dirty look. Horrible service! read more

I would give them five stars but the women behind the counter aren't very friendly. Glad the bakery goods are amazing because they won't win any awards with their customer service. read more

Hand's down one of the best family friendly establishments. Kind staff who are quick and efficient. If you are a repeat customer they tend to remember your order unless you change it up on them! Baked goods that can get your sweet tooth in trouble but the prices won't! All of their treats are wonderful, but guys...THE CARROT CAKE!!!! If you haven't been stop bye while visiting other local shops! We absolutely love this gem on Davis Street! read more

Donuts are good when fresh... They do a good job with custom cakes as well. As mentioned, customer service is horrible. A smile, thank you or just being acknowledged is a good thing. Being treated like you are bothering them is no a good feeling. This has happened multiple times over the last years. I hate to say that I have had better service from Wal-Mart...... read more

As someone who is born and raised in Massachusetts and worships at the altar of Dunkin' Donuts I was recently forced to find a new donut bakery when they discontinued my favorite flavors. This is how I stumbled upon this gem. And let me tell you it was absolutely fantastic well I cannot say anything about the quality of the cookies or cakes the donuts are absolutely wonderful. I purchased a lemon filled, a raspberry filled, and a chocolate covered. I would seriously fight the dragon to get to these donuts if I had to. If you try nothing else while you were in Culpeper try this place. read more

Knakal's is the preeminent hometown bakery. A friendly family environment with amazing doughnuts and cakes. The double fudge cake is pure decadence. The apple bread is flaky and delicious. If you get baked goods or doughnuts from anywhere else you need to start dunkin your head! read more

Only two stars, amazing donuts, cake bars and eclairs. Crappy customer service. Could you atleast pretend to be happy, yet alone be nice.

After visiting this bakery for the first time.... I thought that maybe I caught the employee on a bad day, but after reading the other reviews about the service, I'm going to assume that's what you get at this place. Their baked good are AMAZING, and obviously the only reason that people seem to return (which I will as well.) The employee who helped me seemed like she wanted to be anywhere but there. No interest in wanting to explain what the donuts were to me, seeing as how it was my first time and they don't have signs on display. They should think about different front store staffing. read more

Why are these ladies always so rude? Every time I go in, I feel like I'm intruding or interrupting something. Once or twice I can understand, but for years now it's never changed. Doesn't matter whether I come with my little ones for cookies or come alone to stock up on baked goods (meaning more $ spent), they are equally cold. I've tried to be as pleasant as possible, but friends agree - they always get attitude as well. I enjoy having a local place to buy fresh baked goods, but their offerings aren't that spectacular. The apple bread is delicious - and probably the single reason I return. read more

My wife was raised on Knakals. When I married into the family it was quite a treat to enjoy their baked goods. Whenever we were in town we always tried to make an effort to stop by and indulge (seriously... INDULGE). But in the last three years or so they have simply become rude. There is no other word that is more accurate. The few times they are not rude or condescending they are not nice. It's the kind of feeling you get where you seriously wonder, "If I complain will they simply spit in my food and then smile and say, 'We're so sorry, hun!'" Each time my wife - whom everyone loves because she is so nice - would come back from a trip to Knakals she would tell these stories and I would say, "Why don't you call the manager...?" She was part lazy and part concerned that next time they really would spit in her food if she placed an order there. So this time I called. I said, "Great afternoon!" in a cheery tone. "My name is andrew, may I speak with the manager or the owner?" The woman (who did not share her name) responded, "What can I do for you?" I thought perhaps the line was bad and she did not hear my question. This literally happened three consecutive times - like some sort of childhood game between siblings who repeat exactly what they say to each other - before I said, "I'm sorry, is this connection bad? Can you hear me?" "How can I help you?" "I'd like to speak with the manager or the owner." She did it AGAIN - "How can I help you?" Finally I asked, "Are you the manager or the owner?" She said she was. Fast forwarding... Beth was just as rude to me as her colleague was to my wife. She misrepresented the truth multiple times (as corroborated by my wife's friend who witnessed this spectacle) and made lame excuses. Then I told her that being rude is one thing, but having a crappy product is entirely different. I explained how 8 of the 12 creme horns we purchased were only filled 80% full of creme - an OBVIOUS deficiency. She offered to make some more, except I would have to drive 50 miles to pick them up. I canceled our order for the following week and shared with her that we will no longer be getting fat at their place of business. She didn't care. Now I read several of the reviews here and realize we are hardly alone. I want to root for the home town, small town bakery, but not if they are not going to try to be good to their customers (remember, we've had cruddy service for 2-3 years and the quality of the product has definitely declined). read more

Knakal's Bakery - rude & cheap: Knakals service is terrible, their product quality has slipped, & now they are getting cheap - Bakeries Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

My husband and I went into knakals for the first time today and the lady serving us was beyond rude and very unpleasant. She wanted nothing to do with us and rushed us while we were thinking about what to get. She looked like she hated life and her job. The donuts did not redeem the dissatisfaction and poor customer service. We will not be returning there we will drive 30 mins to our home town and take our business to the Red Truck Bakery where they are polite and friendly. read more

The rudest people I've ever seen operate a business. The best doughnuts in Virginia, but not worth the depression you feel being there. When I walk up to a business I expect a smile and a "welcome, how may I help you ?" Not here! You get a :( "what do you want?" I've been to Germany to a place run by the ancestors of Hitler and have gotten better service.. not worth it to go here, especially now that dunkin is in town !!!!! read more

If I could, I would go into Knakals everyday just to smell the air. Breads and pastries are reasonably priced and taste homemade, but not amateur. I've never once spoken with a nice or cheery employee there, but lucky for them, I'm not there to socialize. So, if you want to buy great carby deliciousness, Knakals is the place to go - just expect to be shot daggers while doing so... read more

Its basically a grocery bakery on the main street. Staff was hasty and a little rude. Biscuits are meh. Much better biscuits over at Frost Cafe!! They have donuts, which look ok. Cupcakes were ok. Nothing to rave about. A little too sugary on the icing. They need to not put the cupcakes in paper bags. To me, a legit bakery should at least have artisan breads. This place did not. Disappointed. read more

I really wanted to try this place out but they were closed. It was a Saturday, about 11 am and according to their website, they are open Saturday's from 7:00-4:00. I wasn't the only one disappointed as there were several people walking up to the door only to see the closed sign and it locked. Such a disappointment... read more

I have to defend this place, as it's one of the few remaining original businesses left. This is not a chain, folks (all you Dunkin Donuts fans). These women are working hard very early in the morning in a hot cramped kitchen making stuff from scratch (real people, real food, and no, I don't know any of them personally). The store is tiny, hot and noisy and they probably can't hear your tedious questions. Their grumpiness is part of the experience--deal with it. read more

I lived in Culpeper long enough to visit Knakal's bakery to base my judgement on more than a few stop-ins. I always kept hoping it would somehow improve, but, well....In short, Knakal's is a bakery that has reasonably good donuts (though nothing you can't find in your local donut store) and a few pastries, but their cookies are TERRIBLE (dry, floury, nigh-on-to-stale, boring icings though pretty in appearance). As best as I can tell, anything that requires the items to be made that morning (donuts/pastires near donuts) will be okay, but anything that could have been in the case a while...may have been in the case a while...Don't say no one warned you. read more

I've been to this bakery quite a few times and I've only had the glazed donuts, which I think are very good. They remind me of Winchel's in California. My only complaint - the sour faced women behind the counter that look like they're tolerating my presence for the few cents they'll get for the donuts. They both remind me of women on their periods or going through menopause. With a slight attitude adjustment from the staff, this place could be great. read more

I have been here twice thirty min drive for me. Rude rude rude. Then after being rude gave me wrong doughnuts. I called to go back and get the correct ones and was told sold out. Let me say I have not been in a bakery this good since I was a child everything delicious but the older woman is sooo very rude I was very taken back by it. Really sad because just the smell reminds me of crumbs bakery in Hilton village a staple of my childhood. I'll give 5 Sars ONLY for their product service gets a ZERO. Cheer up bakery people!!! read more

Tried calling to place an order so it could be picked up because I live in Maryland and I had someone coming to visit from the area. I was placed on hold and forgotten for over 10 minutes before I just hung up. This is not how you conduct business, even if you are busy. Answer the questions take the order and then go back to your customers in the store. read more

Very much a traditional mom and pop style bakery. The goods are OK, but nothing special unfortunately. I bought the biscuits which are more like dinner rolls and less like a traditional buttermilk biscuit. The pie I bought was also very unimpressive. They had donuts that seem to look pretty good, but as it was late in the day, I didn't think they would be very fresh. All in all, if you live in Culpeper its an ok stop, but its not something I would go out of my way. read more

We got our wedding cake here. It was delicious; pound cake is all they do for wedding cakes. We got the almond icing and raspberry filling between layers. It was amazing, and our guests enjoyed it too. It was less than $200 to serve 150 guests including delivery. We got a 3 tier cake and additional sheet cakes for this price. One guest said he had thirds since there was plenty and it was so good! read more

Knakal's Bakery - Wedding cake, (florist added flowers) Knakal's added our supplied ribbon - Bakeries Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

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Oh, please! I just came across these mediocre reviews for Knakal's and was just SHOCKED. My daughter lives in Culpeper, but she and we have lived many, many places, from Miami to Honolulu and Ft Worth TX, and we're major donut fans. LOL, yes, but Knakal's are the Best. We suspect a secret ingredient. read more

Donuts are usually not my thing. Fried cake? No thanks! But when my friends begged for me to try an applesauce donut... hmm, you had me at applesauce! It was like eating a fried apple cider. Cinnamon, apples, the flavors just rang throughout the cake and melded beautifully together! I also had a piece of some kind of monster chocolate cake with a creamy topping, and it was also very moist and delicious. It's hard to find a good, simple bakery... luckily Culpeper's got it right here at Knakal's! read more

Great donuts! I also love there spice bars and little biscuits. They have been in town since i was a child and even tho they have changed hands they are still good. read more

So I went to this place and there ECLAIRS were delicious............... they are to die for!!!!! It's a must try if you are in Culpeper, VA.

OK, yes - they are not so much in the way of "service"...but ask ANY Culpeper native. This is the BEST bakery! Period. I would not be able to sleep if I gave them anything less than 5 stars. My advice to newcomers: They have lots of donuts. Try to have what you want in mind before you go to order. Just think of what you typically get when you buy donuts, and go with that. If you usually like jelly filled donuts, get one of those. If you usually like apple fritters, get one of those. We like to keep things simple here in C-pep, so don't over-complicate things. If you like chocolate - try the chocolate glazed donuts! They are my fav!!!! read more

Knackles has been a mainstay in my family for as long as I've been alive. I canNOT imagine visiting the Culpeper area and not visit this fabulous bakery. Yes, they don't do fancy bagels or Bailey's and coffee. But they do make the best homemade donuts, cakes, and rolls EVER. At prices that can't be beat by any fancy-schmancy all-that-glitters bakery in the city. What they don't spend on accessories, they spend in their delicious food! read more

Let me first and foremost explain that this review is based off of continued experiences. I have lived in Culpeper my whole life and Knakal's is a staple, HOWEVER, their customer service is AWFUL, let me repeat AWFUL. After years of having been treated rudely, today was the day straw that broke the camel's back. We called in at 6:20 this morning & asked to please get an order of 4 dozen donut holes for our son's teachers together for us to pick up in an hour. We were told that they had no room to write another order????! But then were told that because of the large amounts of orders that they had "more than enough donut holes." I said again that I would rather place an order to ensure we had them & was told "there are plenty." We were up to the store less than an hour later only for us to be told that they didn't have any donut holes. SO now no gifts for the teachers & a very disappointed 7 year old. Absolutely inconsiderate. We continually support local businesses but done with this one. All they had to do was take the small order rather than giving excuses & giving out false information. read more

I honestly don't know WHAT THE THE WORLD everyone is talking about with the horrible service????? My mom has been taking me in since I can remember it's just our thing anytime we're on Davis st. The younger lady behind the counter (I don't even know her name) hugs me and welcomes me and asks me how I've been every time I come in! She Dosent know me but she remembered me for some reason. She has a kind heart and does like what she does. They've been there for YEARS AND YEARS so please...look at it in a different light. These lady's wake up at the crack of dawn to feed culpeper the best doughnuts around. read more

Our family has been ordering birthday cakes every year for 23 years! They've always been helpful in the design of the cakes for the children or the couple that we've ordered for weddings. I have tried other bakeries and have been disappointed. They have fabulous donuts and other items as well. Awesome place! read more

Simple equation: Food greater than rude/incompetent waitstaff equals continued patronage. In my 15 years experience of going to Knakal's it has always been thus. Don't take it personally. Whoever bakes the donuts must love you. Even if they instituted Donut Nazi rules, I would obey. read more