Rao's Bakery and Cafe on Dowlen is a midsized restaurant with ample parking in front. There is an inviting old fashioned atmosphere, pay for orders at counter then given a table number, friendly staff bring meals to tables, large display of baked goods and home gifts for purchase. I enjoyed 1/2 cup of Tomato Soup- one of their soups of the day, and a 1/2 Pesto, Turkey, bacon, and Swiss cheese on wheat sandwich. Both were a delicious combination. Arrived at lunch, they'd already ran out of their muffato. I thought it unusual since they are a bakery. There are multiple locations available. Service is slower for large groups. Recommend calling ahead first for groups of 10+. Met Beck Riviera, Folded Book Artist. He purchases used books for $1 and crafts artwork for the page edges. The papers strewn on the table represent his carefully crafted blueprints. He shared mastering this craft took lots of trial and error. Zoom in on his business card on the table for his contact info. read more

See all

We ordered Gelatos and a slice of Tiramisu. All were amazing! I loved their Pistachio Gelato so much. It was so creamy. Their tiramisu was moist and delicious! The place was so neat and cute. They have mouth watering sweets display. And the coffee aroma just hits you when you come through the door. This will be our new go to cafe for sure read more

See all

Came for a muffuletta sandwich but somehow they were out of them. Went with the spicy Giacomo, reminds me of a soggy roast beef sandwich (not a fan). I was really looking for something sweet anyway and the turtle fudge cheesecake fit the bill. The cheesecake was very smooth and the dessert as a whole wasn't too sweet. Also got a blueberry muffins, it just looked good and it was. The muffin was moist and full of blueberries, just how I like them. The turtle cheesecake, muffin and the friendly cashier were the bright spots. I'll try here again but next time a different sandwich. read more

Great cafe! Stopped here for coffee and a bkfst sandwich on our way out of town. The mini egg croissant was definitely "mini" as in "bite size" but delicious! I would recommend the full size. The bakery items were amazing! My husband got a blueberry muffin, very good! I got the pecan strudel, delicious! Tried a macaroon, yum! Bought their kings cake which looks delicious too, to take on the road. If I lived in the area it would be a regular stop for me! Good coffee too. Unique little items for sale throughout the cafe, would have liked a discount on Valentines sugar cookies since it's past the holiday but no such luck. Plenty of bakery items to choose from. Highly recommend! read more

Traveling for the weekend, decided to stop in because it looked cute. Tried two different coffees and two baked goods, everything was amazing. Definitely will be back while we are in town. read more

Raos Bakery Dowlen - Baked goods - Bakeries Near Me - Beaumont, Texas

See all

The ambiance here is great. It's the perfect spot to come hang out and catch up. The staff is nice, there is plenty of parking. The coffee I ordered was delicious, as well as the strawberry Napoleon, and brownie. Unfortunately it was a miss for the miniature cakes topped with a macaron, they're cute but not tasty at all. read more

Definitely a 5 star in customer service and food. Very friendly staff and management that is understanding to a customer's needs and choices. Definitely would recommend this place to anyone looking for a good cup of coffee or espresso with a very friendly atmosphere. Also try one of their sticky buns!!!!! Definitely worth the read more

Raos Bakery Dowlen - Bakeries Near Me - Beaumont, Texas

This place is a delight! There's a wide assortment of treats. I got frosted Christmas cookies and they were fresh and delicious. My friend got a croissant breakfast sandwich and said it was very good. I highly recommend this place! read more

Raos Bakery Dowlen - Christmas sugar cookies - Bakeries Near Me - Beaumont, Texas

I love going to Rao's. Great atmosphere and food. Everyone is always very friendly. I've had almost everything on the Menu. read more

Raos Bakery Dowlen - Pesto Turkey Bacon and Swiss - Bakeries Near Me - Beaumont, Texas

Excellent go to place for my favourite muffins (blueberry bra). Friendly and effecient service. You can get reward points too.

I stopped by to grab a bite in the early afternoon today. Entered to no greeting, even though I passed 3 employees. The food looks lovely and choosing something to try was easy. I stood alone at the register as an employee, head down, pressed the keys for several minutes. Other employees were nearby; no one spoke or offered help. Crickets. I can't vouch for the food quality or taste, but the servers seriously need some training. read more

Terrible . Dry cakes, awful coffee, cleanliness issues and miserable staff. The frosting that we were told was cream cheese was sugar and shortening. Some of the worst we have ever had. The only shining part, the gelato which was excellent. read more

Raos Bakery Dowlen - Red Velvet baby cake - Bakeries Near Me - Beaumont, Texas

Great coffee, of course, but great atmosphere too! I am making this my daily stop on the way to work. read more

Raos Bakery Dowlen - Yum coffee! - Bakeries Near Me - Beaumont, Texas

Great service, very helpful. Everything was amazing good atmosphere and vibe. Close to the mall lots of shopping close by. read more

Raos Bakery Dowlen - Good drink and food very sweeter! - Bakeries Near Me - Beaumont, Texas

See all

I was out doing some shopping and realized I was hungry. You order from a menu at the counter. Lots of choices and everything looks great. Service was quick even though it was busy judging by the full parking lot. A little loud music wise but not a real issue. read more

Raos Bakery Dowlen - Small cinnamon roll and a tall Carmello latte - Bakeries Near Me - Beaumont, Texas

This is my new dessert shop. So many options!! I will tell all my friends and family about this place.

Rao's is a must-try if you are ever in the area. The king cakes are amazing and always fresh. They have the traditional which comes with cinnamon, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, cream cheese, and voodoo which is covered in chocolate and toasted coconut. You have the option to get a standard size king cake or mini. Rao's offers cakes, cookies, gelato, and coffee too. read more

Raos Bakery Dowlen - Mini traditional king cake - Bakeries Near Me - Beaumont, Texas

December 2019 pre ordered a chocolate praline/pecan Christmas sheet cake. Oooh my...sugar high! Soo so good. ----------------- Went for dessert on my 58th BD in November 2019. We had gelato, macaroons and cake...we shared everything; excellent as usual. read more

See all

Bought 4 pieces of tirimisu on 4/19 for desert. Could not have been worse. Clearly was several days old. It was dry and unedible. Can't believe they don't rotate out old baked good, and instead sell them. Actually spit it out into a napkin. Once upon a time this was a quality bakery. They clearly have fallen to an unacceptable level. Quality is no longer important. Sad to see! read more

Just moved here - tried breakfast for the second time. First time was not impressive, but wanted to give a second chance. Ordered and what came up on the screen was totally different than what was ordered. After some discourse, girl behind counter decided to change it from what was incorrect on the screen. My breakfast and my husband's breakfast arrived on one plate! When I asked the coffee barista for butter for my dry toast, he had no idea. Then went to the order line and asked waitress behind the counter. Her response "butter? We have no butter here"? WHAT? How does a BAKERY that uses eggs, flour and butter not have any butter for breakfast dry toast...... read more

My group and I tried several desserts and the gelato and left most of it. I don't know if we didn't choose the best options but we didn't especially like anything. The place is nice though and there is plenty of parking space. The restaurant was very clean, even the restrooms. The service was fast since it was all ready read more

Location; right off the I-10 freeway on the way home, super clean inside! Menu; stopped for breakfast treat on the road, muffins were yummy! Coffee hot and tasty. Service; the service was a bit hectic, they were busy and felt the rush! read more

This location has the worst customer service of just about any coffee shop I've ever been to. They are always slow, drag their heels, not knowledgeable or seemingly engaged in any of the products, they seem clueless, turnover is common, the other day we went and they had false advertisement. Monday through Friday happy hour , supposedly,... we came on a Monday, which was Labor Day and they said oh no, not today, Would not honor their commitment, argues that it was a holiday... In addition, only had one size and we had to order the largest in order to get something. We drove away. read more

As a native Houstonian with plenty of coffee shop experiences and an experienced barista, I was misled by the negative reviews and almost didn't come. I am glad I came. Needed to get some school work done and was greeted at the door and found my spot. Soon after decided to order some coffee and a pastry. The cashier was more than happy to take my order and he was super nice. Music is a little loud for my taste but nothing can be perfect. The place is super clean and well-maintained. Many tables to choose from big and small. The coffee was a 7/10, not a big fan of the syrup brand but other than that it was pleasant. read more

Thought I was getting a coffee but sort of felt like I was at the DPS office. Hard to believe a business could have such terrible service and be so proud of their coffee at the same time. $5 coffee and they tell you to go pour it yourself. Manager says "maybe this isn't the place for you," after I spent the past minute hearing the rocks rumble around in that hollow space between her eyes. read more

5 minutes agoNEW When you walk in no employee is welcoming or smiling they all look harried and overworked and overwhelmed. The cake was dry and tasted pre-frozen. The cookies are stale unless you ask for a package of glazed sugar cookies that were glazed the previous day. Bakery? More like a sweatshop that sells baked "goods" that are overpriced and not very good. Save your money and don't waste your time here. read more

Honestly I have no idea how the food is at this restaurant/bakery, because nobody would serve me. It all looked and smelled lovely. I alternated standing at the counter and moseying around perusing the delectables on display for ten minutes (I timed it) and none of the staff even looked at me. I began thinking I must look like I just walked in off the street with no money... But I checked and I was wearing nice jeans and a pressed polo shirt, so I don't think it could have been my appearance. I dunno. It made me feel some kind of way so I left and don't see any reason to go back. read more

Raos Bakery Dowlen - A Blurb From Better Days Perhaps? - Bakeries Near Me - Beaumont, Texas

I heard so much about this famous bakery that I had to give it a try while I'm in town. I'm from NYC, where I have an endless plethora of dessert and pastry options so it comes as no surprise that a lot of Rao's items are just mediocre to me. However, I found their tiramisu to be top notch. I wasn't able to find the same taste nor consistency again since leaving Texas. I've been to both this location and the original and this was the only one that served gelato but it was not palatable at all. I would suggest leaving the gelato alone and just focus on the cakes when you're here. read more

See all

Ordered the blueberry lemon cheesecake. The icing was not my favorite as I thought it felt too heavy for the cheesecake. Overall, it's on the sweeter side, but it gets cut by the tartness coming from the lemon. Found a piece of plastic wrap(?) in my cake, so stars were knocked off. Also ordered a carrot cake cupcake, it's okay. No nuts are inside, but that's fine with me. There are better carrot cakes out there. The frosting is not cream cheese like you would assume, it's sickly sweet.. I would be open to trying other desserts. read more

Raos Bakery Dowlen - Carrot Cake Cupcake - Bakeries Near Me - Beaumont, Texas

See all

Rao's, your employee, David, saved your bacon! He overheard me tell my husband that the coffee was cold and the "barista" didn't know how to run the espresso machine. He came over to our table with hot coffee to our surprise. Thank you, young man, for your thoughtfulness. read more

Why can't we have one in Houston! I came, I saw and I wanted. Our version of this place would be I could almost say like "Dessert Gallery". There is just too many dessert items and flavors for me to enjoy in a months time so here is a quick sample of what I could remember from my two visits. Coffee bar on the right as you walk in, sorbe case with at least 12 flavors that beckon's your inner sweetness to try, dessert cakes to the right of that that demands you try a piece of each and then if you are not taken by that there are chocolate covered strawberries and little tid bits that will snap your neck as you try to walk by and look at the sandwich menu. If you aren't into sweetness but want a place to study or just have a cup of coffee there are plenty of seats where you can sit and admire the interior decorations that absorb your attention and have you feeling kind of like you are in someone's house. No there are not any couches but the set up has that "at home" ambiance you would find in any business that is short of accomplishing that. There is also a little outside patio with a small water fountain that grazes the parking lot for your fresh air willing pleasure. Service is pretty much decent if not very good. Lots of employees willing to help you on any questions you can not help to wonder why can't this be the minimum type of attitude you experience everywhere else? Keep up the good job people, you have my vote of returning. read more

See all

Good, but not great. The baked goods were mediocre, the frosting was terrible. It tasted like shortening

Rao's is a Beaumont institution. I mean, come on! It's been around since 1941! If you're looking to satisfy that sweet tooth: look no further! I definitely left wishing I could transport the whole place to San Antonio. My mom was born in Beaumont, and still orders her "King Cakes" from Rao's to celebrate Mardi Gras! I spent many summers in Beaumont visiting my grandparents, and fondly recall visiting Rao's. But I hadn't been back in years! Until recently... We were in Beaumont for some personal business and promised my mom I'd visit. We left with what I think is the most beautiful red velvet cupcake I've ever seen, and a small raspberry topped cheesecake. Both were wonderful! Usually, I'm not a fan of anything other than plain cheesecake, but this experience may have "shifted the balance"... Let me put it this way: we were in Beaumont only a short weekend, and ended up here at least twice. During one of those visits I had probably the best latte I've ever had. No joke. They had some free samples of cookies out....a very nice touch. I think anyone would be hard-pressed to be disappointed in the selection of sweets, the atmosphere, or the coffee...sorry I can't speak to their food! The only disappointment? There ordering process can be confusing. Do I go to the registers to place my order? Do I just kinda place/"shout" my order over the large glass displays filled with goodies? People were doing it both ways, and sometimes it's not entirely clear where one's place is in line... that, and the people working there weren't overly friendly. The sweets, though...more than make up for those tiny disappointments. read more

So I love raos sugar cookies and gelato, but their staff generally looks so sad. With that being said, do not go here if you want fast service, but well worth the wait if you can! read more

This is my favorite place for Sugar Cookies in Texas!! Seriously. They are like my thing and I can't ever seem to get enough. Thank goodness they aren't in Houston, it would be a problem (: But I always make a stop when traveling East to Beaumont and beyond. The buttery cookie and the icing are perfect! I love how they keep up with the seasonal colors and shapes for the holidays. They're almost too cute to eat. Almost. But Rao's also has amazing Gelato, Sherbert, and desserts of all kinds. Kids love the cupcakes. I'm a fan of the Pistachio gelato. They have several flavors - like PB&J, Coconut, Peanut Butter, Cinnamon, and Coffee Mocha to name a few. Great coffee shop, too! Overall cute place with inside & outside seating, gift shop, and a little something sweet for everyone! Rao's is a tradition I look forward to every time. read more

See all

The worst fall from quality I have ever witnessed. I used to live In Beaumont and Rao's was the last word in quality. Today the pastries were disgusting- dry and flavorless. Our coffee order was paid for but never sent to the coffee counter so we had to wait, but the empty tables were all filthy so we had to stand in the doorway. Horrible. read more

My new favorite work place. Often times, I'll go to Starbucks anytime I have to make a call or catch up on some work, but after today's visit, it may just be Rao's. There's plenty of seating, both inside and out. Today in particular, I sat in the patio area and it was a gorgeous evening with just the right amount of lighting outside. All the employees I dealt with were friendly and helpful - I received the Wi-Fi password before I even purchased my coffee. Definitely recommend coming here if you're wanting to meet up with friends, have a sweet tooth or need a coffee fix. I ordered an iced carmelo and it was sooo good. Very similar to a Starbucks macchiato, but better. Very smooth & sweet, without extra additives. read more

See all

Delicious desserts and drinks !! I have been doing business with them for 13 years and I've NEVER been disappointed. My pup even loves their in house made doggie treats . read more

Everything there, including the customer service is "just okay". If you're going to spend $20 on a sandwhich, freezerburnt Tiramisu and reheated breakfast sandwhich, just go elsewhere. I recommend Sertino's across the street. Phenomenal food and coffee for cheaper. Will not be going anywhere else from now on. read more

Their cookies and cakes are on point and delicious every time! Got my father a strawberry, Bavarian cream cake for his birthday, and it was amazing! read more