Ordered a birthday cake for my mother from Knakals and she thought it was absolutely beautiful. So beautiful that we in fact have not yet cut the cake haha. read more

They have delicious donuts. I also like their sweet breads and cupcakes. I didn't care for their cookies. I have been many times over the last 12 years. Their service has always been terrible. But, I guess it's not personal seeing all the negative reviews. The bad thing is that one of the ladies is the owner. However, they have a sort of new lady there who is ALWAYS friendly. I hope they keep her bc she is the main reason I keep patronising the business. read more

I was born and raised in this small town and Knakles was a staple of my childhood. Every birthday cake had to be bought from that bakery or it wasn't official. When I return home to visit family, I would always stop by to pick up cookies or doughnuts. Unfortunately, every visit was an extreme disappointment. I normally give a restaurant three times before I write it off. Congratulations Knakles, you have disappointed me and lost my business for life. Not only are the products sub-par, the staff's manners are atrocious. To put it into perspective, I would rather buy baked goods from the Safeway bakery than from Knakles. read more

My main complaint is PARKING! I had to drive up and down the street several times and still parked over a block away. Dropped by to pick hubby up some eclairs (DELISH!!) as everyone raves about this bakery. I wish there was a bigger selection but have to admit that what they do have seems to all be tasty! read more

The service was so poor here - perhaps the most rude I've ever experienced in a retail environment - that my one star is largely based upon that experience. Condescending, disinterested, openly rude. So this is my story. My aunt and I had just left the Culpeper hospital where we met with my father's doctor regarding the decision to put him in hospice care. We were exhausted and sad. Before we headed back to Richmond I asked my aunt if she wanted to stop at Knakal's to try their rolls. We were thinking that they might be a nice compliment to the Kite's Ham that we had discussed serving following my Pop's imminent service. We parked right in front and walked right in. I was immediately embarrassed that I had touted this place. Someone's jacket and purse were thrown over one of the displays and it wasn't even moved as we tried to look into the display. There were two employees out front. The employee that helped us was impatient, sarcastic and just nasty. We first asked to see the difference in size of the rolls and the employee huffed and grabbed them from the display that was covered with a coat and held them out horizontally, where we couldn't see a thing. After we struggled to see them she rolled her eyes and held them up vertically where we could then easily see the difference. Several times I even looked at the other employee in disbelief! A Knakals cake - specifically coconut - was always considered a big treat in our household! I was so embarrassed for my aunt! After much huffing and puffing by the employee, we were able to select our items. We paid and left and had a wonderful experience at the other shops we briefly visited on Davis. My aunt and I remarked about how rude the employee was and the oddness of having stuff just thrown on the display. And the further oddness of it not being moved when we were clearly trying to look in the display. When we returned to our car, the store was closed, lights out. Ah! A little light went off in our tired little heads. We must have come in right before closing. Thus the jacket and purse on the display and the inexcusable attitude. Unfortunately the open door and lights on have that "open for business" feel. Regardless, the behavior was completely unacceptable. Thankfully, the other shops we went on were bustling with energy and a warm and appreciative welcome. Thanks but no thanks. We'll find our rolls elsewhere, ladies. read more

Positives: -The doughnuts are absolutely incredible. No one can take that from them. Glazed, doughnut holes, apple fritters, blueberry, pretty much anything w/ a glaze on it is absolute perfection. -Custard related items are spot on. -Very reasonably priced. -Looking at the place, walking into it, it all feels incredibly nostalgic. Like walking back in time. Negatives: -Selection, Selection, SELECTION! A few more items in their doughnut lineup would go a long ways. It's easy to get bored w/ what they offer very quickly (due to how limited it is). -Bread related items, a marginal thumbs up. Cookies, lousy. Everything else, simply OK. -As an adult, I find their chocolate & white cream to be so rich to the point that its sickening. As a kid I loved it, but now it's way too much for me. -If you don't arrive w/in the first two or three hours of them opening, might as well not bother. They'll be out of pretty much everything at that point. -The service is by far & away the rudest of any place in Culpeper. I don't say that lightly. My comment reflects coming into this place for years. The staff looks at anyone that comes into the place as a burden. Their attitude stinks. You're never once greeted w/ a HI or GOOD MORNING. Instead, it's "what do you want" or "next". They actually have a sign posted saying something about don't complain to us. Can't remember the exact words, but that kind of sign has no place in a business that is dealing w/ people. The overall vibe from the people behind the counter, who have been there forever, is as negative as it gets. Service at McDonald's is better then this place. I'm not expecting much of anything from an order & go type establishment, but at least have some manners when dealing w/ the general public. --- I also want to say, having worked in restaurants for a while, I'm willing to give places a great deal of latitude, but there's just no excuses for Knakal's and their rep for being downright awful to its customers. They can try to defend it all they want, but looking at some of the other reviews on here, it's clear that they're just plain out rude to people. I will not for the life of me understand why they continue on this trajectory. If they actually said HI and Thank You and said it like they meant it, I'm sure reviews wouldn't be quite as scathing of their service. OVERALL: Knakal's has a stand out product in their extremely limited doughnut selection, but a lack of variety, any other item that comes close to the doughnuts & a combination of some of the worst service you will ever experience in your lifetime make this a place that isn't worth going out of your way to visit. If you happen to be right at it, I would pop in. Otherwise, skip it. Knakal's definitely skims by on its nostalgia and history in the community, NOT b/c its a great place worth visiting. Product wise, better then Dunkin Doughnuts, but can't compare w/ say Krispy Kreme. If Krispy had come to Culpeper over Dunkin, Knakal's would probably be out of business now. read more

I have never been inside the bakery myself. Someone brought me a donut from this bakery and it was the most delicious donut I ever ate in. My. Entire. Life!!! I can't wait to visit the bakery myself! read more

I can only echo here what others have said. If you come early, they have divine donuts and pastries...come later in the day and the selection is..lacking. The staff can be grumpy on bad days and perfectly nice on others. I really don't expect much from staff in stores however -- as long as they give me what I want when I want it, I could care less about their attitude. However, my sister ordered her wedding cake there and when I came to pick it up, (a small two-tier cake) they packaged it in a cake box that was far too small,so they had to tape a plastic bag around the top to keep it from getting smushed. My sister's wedding was being hosted over 2 hours away so I had a death grip on that cake the entire way. Not fun. If you sell cakes, you need to have proper packaging for transport. They would get two stars from me except for the fact that when I was buying some baked goods for a buddy deployed in Afghanistan, the lady gave me a discount on the cookies for the "boys". That was very kind of her and warmed my heart. read more

We tried a few cookies...which were okay...not great...but edible. The woman who works behind the counter was so incredibly rude though it's not worth the trip inside. If she is the owner I would suggest she hire some friendly people and then stay far away from customers herself. read more

I've been to a lot of bakeries in my life, but never one as good as Knakal's!! Yes, the interior has not changed probably since my 66 year old husband went as a boy, but I LOVE that about it! It's nostalgic, like stepping back in the 1950's and the icing on the cake, so to speak, are the delicious, tender, rich, donuts (the absolute best) and the yummy cakes they make, (double fudge and the caramel are our favorites). I've never had trouble with the service as some comment, but truthfully, I come for the donuts and cakes, not the service. Besides I find if I'm cheerful, it doesn't really matter how the other person is and sometimes smiles and cheerfulness are contagious. I'm in and out fairly quickly, and I've never been disappointed with anything I've gotten there and I've been going there for 29 years since I married my husband. My husband loves the cake bars (we call them Radio bars from his youth) and I love the white cream filled, chocolate covered donuts. (too sweet, too rich - Never!) read more

Ordered my daughter's birthday cake from here. She and I went in on a Saturday afternoon and flipped through their catalog to pick out exactly what she wanted (she is 7 yrs old). Came in the following Saturday to pick it. She was with me and very excited to see her how her cake turned out. Well, it was absolutely NOTHING like what we ordered. Not even close. It looked as though they decided to just do whatever they wanted and completely disregarded what we picked. I guess I could be more forgiving if the cake they made was slightly close to what we ordered, but it was not even a tiny bit like what she wanted. My daughter's eyes welled up with tears the moment she saw the cake. They offered to make another one "real fast" but I had no time to wait for that so I had no choice but to take the one they made. They then had the nerve to try and charge me for the cake, only knocking $10 off the price. When I questioned it several times to the lady ("really, you are charging me for something you messed up?? Really?) she begrudgingly agreed to let me take it at no charge. In addition to that bad experience, I witnessed numerous rude exchanges from the staff to their customers. The employees appear to not like their jobs and seem annoyed when they get busy. Lastly - the facility. YUK! The facility is absolutely disgusting with dirt/dust built up in every corner and paint chipping off the walls. I would hate to see what the kitchen looks like. I've lived in this town almost my entire life and have heard people rave about this place (which is part of the reason I wanted to try them out). This was my first and LAST experience with them. I have no idea what the hype is about. I've had better experiences with grocery stores. The cake taste just like any other cake I've eaten so not impressed their either. This town desperately needs more selection when it comes to baked goods. I have no idea how this one has managed to stay in business. read more

LOVE this place. Their eclairs are OUTSTANDING, as are their other donuts. If you ever need a birthday cake or wedding cake, they make the BEST cakes ever. Walking into the bakery store is like walking into the early 1950s. Love it. read more

No diet options here. Real sugar, real butter. Cakes, cookies, pies, and especially DOUGHNUTS as they were meant to be. Simply awesome!

We have lived here for 13 years and we have given this place 3 opportunties to change our minds about their horrific, rude, demeaning, and inconsiderate customer service. They failed miserably. I would rather drive to Fredericksburg and get a hot doughnut from a teenager at Krispy Kreme than give this place one more dime of mine. I cannot believe that with so many complaints the service (or lack there of) never changes. Small town bakery should also have small town charm and a welcoming atmosphere. This place disgusts me. read more

I am a native of Culpeper, Va but moved out to the mountains of Madison, Va. In fact, my mother used to work at Knakals bakery back in the 90's. Their recipes are truly genuine, and some recipes have been handed down from the man that founded the bakery, to the owner now. Anytime there is a celebration or get together, we always go to Knakals Bakery to purchase our sweets as well as rolls. They are and have always been reasonably priced, and the people working in there, running the Bakery have been there since I was a little girl. In fact, my sister used to live over top of the bakery before she passed away. It truly disgusts me that people can write such obsurd reviews about a place thats been in business probably alot longer than you've been alive. Knakals was founded on making sweet treats that not only the local natives could enjoy (and wouldnt hurt their wallet) but the tourists could also enjoy. It is a bakery that may not be appealing on the inside and give you that "wow" factor, but you will always recieve the freshest baked goods. EVERYTHING they sell is fresh and baked daily. Its such a shame that the world has changed so much that now people turn their nose up at a local and FAMILY owned business and go for the FRANCHISE businesses. Have you ever stopped and wondered just whats really in the food that you get from a franchise, versus an family owned business? Why would I want to go and stand in an extremly long line to get some overly priced bagel and a cup of coffee, when I can go to some place where the people are friendly, LOVE the place they work at, and take PRIDE in serving you. For those of you who disliked Knakals, thats fine, everyone has their right to their own opinion, but dont leave nasty reviews about the place. Instead, heres an idea, if your from the north, get your non-driving ass back in your car and go back to where it is that you came from. And along the way, stop and get your over priced bagels and coffee, and shove them where the sun dont shine! How bout that? =] And while your at it, pick up all the other yankees and get out of the South. TRUE southerners could care less about what you think. Just get off OUR land. read more

In the early 2004 I joined the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce and started teaching National Safety Council's Defensive Driving classes at the train station. I learned very quickly that the best bakery in town was Knakal's. So there were always donuts for the class participants. Now when I take the Amtrak regional train from Lynchburg to New York city during the week, my brother Phil, who owns Stebbins Insurance, will meet the train and give me two dozen of the best donuts known to mankind. The conductors are always happy to see me get on in Lynchburg and will ask me if my brother is going to meet us in Culpeper. Last January I took a group from our church in Bedford, Virginia up to NYC to see the sights, and yes Phil met the train and gave me four dozen donuts, what a great trip that was. read more

This is a real throw back business- how businesses used to operate before they discovered the "phony friendliness" ploy. This is the best bakery anywhere around. The staff here are not rude- they'll talk to you if you'd like. The "phony friendliness" ploy has been around so long and is so thoroughly used by nearly every single customer-based business that people are shocked when they don't receive the phony smiles and politeness. The folks at those stores hate their jobs, for the most part, and have to act friendly or they'll get fired. If phony friendliness is more important to you than quality and price, by all means, go to Dunkin Donuts. Your people are there. read more

Best Bakery all around, I discovered this little Bakery when I had move to Culpeper back in 1979, I live over the mountain in Page County now but a friend and I still make trips over just for there deliciousness , There was even one time we ordered 10 coconut cakes for our fellow workers for Easter one year and what I usually do is buy a carrot,coconut and a chocolate cake bring home split it up and freeze it and when I take it out it is just as good as the day I brought it home!! read more

I'll start by saying the doughnuts here are nothing short of heavenly. The cream-filled doughnuts are brimming with filling and the glazed are fantastic, too. I've never tried anything else, so I can't comment on their cakes or other baked goods. The customer service on the other hand is where this establishment is lacking. Specifically with the middle-aged woman who runs the counter 90% of the time. Maybe she's the owner or manager, I really don't know, but she's been there forever. If you've ever seen the "Soup Nazi" episode of Seinfeld, the experience with dealing with her is kind of like the one depicted with the chef from the soup restaurant in that episode. I have witnessed this woman audibly sigh and scoff when someone tells her they want more doughnuts than can fit in the box she grabbed off of the counter before the customer even spoke up (God forbid she have to turn around and grab another!). I have seen her get snippy with customers for selecting a mug for purchase that was the "display mug" instead of one from the back intended for sale. I have seen her roll her eyes at customers! I'm not sure if she's just not a morning person, or doesn't like dealing with the public, but she clearly chose the wrong profession if either or both are true! It doesn't surprise me one bit that other reviewers have mentioned the same issues with "the staff" above all else. That being said, the doughnuts are excellent and worth the trip, as long as you don't ask for anything that requires too much effort from the person there to help you! read more

don't know why people think this place is great. the attendant was nasty and did not wait to wait on us--like it was an effort. bought a box of pastries--i'd say they were not eatable and threw them away. the cookies--looked and tasted just like Costco cookies. needless to say, we'll not be back. this must be a local place for locals. outsiders--not welcome. read more

Several months ago my husband and I traveled 2 hours to this bakery. Our daughter is getting married this Spring in Culpeper. She was wanting doughnuts as one of the desserts at her wedding. Since I work for a small business and support small businesses we looked to see if there was a local bakery in the area. We arrived early on a Saturday morning. The bakery smelled great when you walked in, but the sour faces on the 3 women that worked there made the place stink. We were taken back by the rudeness of these women as they spoke to their customers. When it was our turn, we were treated with the same attitude that the previous customer was served. HOWEVER, when we said that we had traveled and that we were interested in buying about 120 doughnuts their attitude changed. I guess the thought of someone spending a little more money caught their attention. We explained that we would like to get 4 or 5 dozen doughnuts with chocolate frosting and sprinkles and 4 or 5 dozen doughnuts with white frosting and sprinkles. No problem we were told. We purchased some doughnuts to bring home and were on our way. Fast forward 2 months. We went back to the bakery today with our daughter, her fiancé and our wedding coordinator. Again, the attitude of these women when we walked in was terrible. They were so rude to the people in front us. One woman behind the counter was actually huffing and puffing in disgust. It appeared to us that it was because one of the customers was not ordering fast enough. When we explained that we had come in to place a large order, they seemed more inconvenienced than appreciative. As we began to go over what we needed we were told that they did not do white frosting. Really? But, they would dip the top of the doughnut in "glaze" several times to make it look like white frosting. We were also told that they did not have sprinkles and that if we wanted them, we would have to buy our own and bring them to the bakery. Seriously? Basically, they didn't want our business. We realized that these women were in know way, shape, or form, wanting to provide polite, respectful customer service. We said that we were going to step out and discuss. As we were in front of the shop, one of the women came out holding a doughnut that had apparently been "dipped" several times in "glaze" and miraculously had sprinkles on it. She wanted us to know that this was what it would look like. Since tomorrow is Easter, maybe the Easter bunny had dropped off some sprinkles. I mean, we were told that they had none and we would have to bring our own. Basically, this place sucks. If you read thru these reviews most people comment on how the food is fairly good. But, the women are awful. We went down the street and got a lovely meal at another restaurant. Discussed our options and decided to not support this local business and take our money elsewhere. On our way out, I did the courteous thing and stopped back in to let them know that we would not be ordering from them. A different woman was there and I must say she was slightly more polite. However, my daughter did capture a laughable photo of one of the original 3 women giving us a dirty look. My opinion, they are a bunch of nasty old bidies that care nothing about their customers. They are rude and disrespectful. Hard to believe this place has been in business this long. They must not read their reviews. With so many comments on Google and Facebook concerning the rudeness of the women there you would think they would make some changes. Or, maybe they do read them and just don't care. Maybe they need to go church and find God. They certainly appear to have no joy in their life. Our entire family and my daughters finance's family and all of the wedding party will be staying in this lovely town. One hundred plus people coming to this wedding. We will let everyone know to not support this business. Visit all the other stores and restaurants, but stay away form Knakal's Bakery. Well unless they just want to stop in to see the grumpy old ladies that run the place. It may provide them a good laugh. read more

Have lived within 10 miles of this bakery for 20+ years now, and never understood why they were so popular, although I guess it's because they are the only game in town. I have never once been greeted with a smile or a pleasant look, but rather with a 'if I absolutely have to help you, I will, but hurry up' attitude. Had a horrible experience with a wedding cake -while the cake was good (plain, but good), the delivery was four hours late, arriving five minutes before the wedding started; and the looks of the cake was as if it had been frosted by a five year old. I had asked for cake boxes (got none), and when we called to find out why they were late, we were told that 'there is nothing we can do about it". Yes, it's a 1950's bakery that while it may be quaint, writes their cake orders on little sticky pieces of paper, puts their orders in a cardboard box, and doesn't understand customer service. While the products taste alright, don't expect service with a smile and whatever you do, if it's an important occasion, spend a little more and drive a little further. read more

Culpeper has become a melting pot, and so many new (and wierd) people moving in. If you don't like this bakery, then go to the city somewhere, because I have gotten doughnuts here for over 40 years, and I have good memories of coming here in the early 70's. No, they don't have a huge selection, but what they do have is excellent baked goods, and the ladies there are locals, and they are kind and bend over backward to help you any way they can. This is the problem with 'development'... people move in and try to make a place just like the city they came from. Culpeper and it's businesses were fine until the 'city plague' has infected this town. Culpeper Main Street is being ruined with all these new 'yuppie' stores and cafes. Knakal's is a great place and one of the few places left in Culpeper that reflects the heritage of this town! It's one of the only few places left along Main Street that I recognize and love. read more