Just got off my plane and this was my first time in New Jersey, so I decided to try this bakery:…read more The bacon egg and cheese ($5.99) was honestly really good. It came on a mollete roll that was crispy on the outside, and everything worked well together. Definitely my favorite thing I got. The pastel de nata was also solid -- nice light, crispy crust with a smooth, creamy filling. The Brazilian cheese bread (3 for $1) wasn't great though. It was chewy but it didn't taste fresh, so it wasn't crispy and ended up being kind of dense. Same with the beef empanada ($2.99) -- I'd probably skip it. The filling was dry, crumbly, and didn't have much flavor, just plain ground beef. Overall, I won't be back in New Jersey anytime soon, but coming from California it felt really cheap for a local spot. If I do come back, I'd probably try a different place.

Pastel de Nata. Go get as many as possible and as often as…read morepossible. The best in the area.

The best ice cream cake EVER!!! They've gained a customer FOR LIFE!!!!!!!! It was so fresh. The…read morecustomer service was top notch. The selection was abundant & I will definitely be going back again...and again...AND AGAIN!!!

I've been ordering from Calandra's Bakery for 29 years, and it truly saddens me to say that the…read morequality and customer service have gone downhill. I placed a cake order a week before my birthday photoshoot and provided a clear reference photo plus detailed instructions to the baker, Elizabeth, over phone and text. I even came in person to pay a $20 deposit because I wasn't comfortable giving my card over the phone. What I requested was simple: A white, heart-shaped cake with pearls, curtain detailing, black bows, and elegant black cursive writing that said "Chapter 30." Unfortunately, what I received looked nothing like what I asked for. * Photo 1: What I asked for * Photo 2: First attempt -- extremely disappointing * Photo 3: Second attempt -- still not what I asked for When I came to pick up the cake, I was visibly disappointed. The tall male supervisor apologized and told me, "I'll see if we can fix it. Please come back in the morning." I explained how inconvenient it was to come three separate times for one cake: once for the deposit, once for pickup, and again because of their poor quality. He assured me that the supervisor, Corrine, would call me the next morning about the revision and compensation for the inconvenience. That call never came. On the morning of my photoshoot, I had to call THEM to find out if the cake had even been fixed. Corrine sent a photo of the revised cake, and it still looked unprofessional. She said I would receive a refund if I remained unhappy -- yet I never received my apology, and I still never received my $20 refund. I'm sharing this review so others are aware. This bakery used to represent quality, but clearly that standard no longer exists. After showing the photos to friends and family, several revealed they've had similar disappointing experiences recently as well. The most embarrassing part? My mother named me after this bakery because of its reputation and legacy in Newark. After this experience, that association feels more embarrassing than meaningful. Calandra's bakery, do better. Your long-time loyal customers deserve far more respect and care than this.

If you are at the Newark Penn station or the surrounding area, make the short trek. 100 times…read morebetter than anything at the station. The bread was fresh, the fillings tasty, and everyone was very friendly. My only mistake was ordering way too much, but so be it. Had some bread to bring with me on my trip home.

This place is freaking delicious!! I see why it was filled with customers. The service was…read moreextremely fast and the waitresses were helpful. I didn't know what I wanted and they were more than patient. First time I got the Passion Fruit Mousse and the Portuguese egg tarts, origin I was iffy about the tart but after another bite I was in awe. It was perfection. It was so good I had to go back the next day and try something new. This time I had the pistachio croissant which is super moist and a good balance of sweetness, not overbearing what so ever. If it wasn't so many people I would have sat down and ate because it was a cute intimate space. They also had another open side full of tables, which you could sit in if the front is too packed for you. I was just ready to go. But I'm also ready to return.

I always have a sweet tooth and wanted to give this spot a try. When I arrived I had to double park…read morebecause parking is terrible in this area. I walked in and was greeted. The spot was super cute. I asked the lady a couple of questions about the desserts and the one I went with is the lime pie. It came to a little under $7 for a small slice. It's a tad pricey at this location. I paid and left. When I got home I tasted and it was a tasty pie. It was the right amount of flavor throughout. I had a pretty decent experience.

Nope.....! We saw…read moretheir Luxury Truffle Collection offered on QVC. The truffles presented there were presented as large enough to be cut in half and shared for 2. The hosts Ooooed and Awwwed over the size of them & the unique flavors and when we would normally never pay 5$ a piece for chocolate, we thought they looked like a deal given the "size" and unique flavors. [12 pieces for $59.95] What was delivered was a joke! The total weight of the chocolates was approximately 8 ounces. That made them $120 a pound. They were simply packed loosely in a shipping box, so the box of truffles was shook and shaken all the way to our house and they looked terrible by the time they arrived. So an F for shipping. And the size, well as you can see they were nowhere as large as what was presented, as some were not even large enough to fill the space allowed in their packaging! For the most part they were smaller than a Lindor truffle. So another F for actual portion size in relation to what as presented on QVC. Finally the taste.... There was none. We tries 3, and they had NO real taste. I described them as eating Play Dough...just a weird putty texture. And the killer is 2 of the 3 we tried were hollow and you could see the seam where they constructed them. Yes...a BIG FAT "F" for taste!! We tried to return them and QVC didnt even want them back... So we put them where they belonged...in the TRASH. I welcome the owners of this establishment to prove to us what they offer is actually worth $120 a pound....

DDL is elite. They have it all. Fantastic pastries, cakes and sandwiches. Great coffees. Spacious,…read moreclean and cozy seating. Friendly and helpful staff. Super affordable prices. I've never eaten anything that I didn't like. My faves are: milhojas, breakfast croissant sandwich, and any and every cake with dulce de leche filling. I only tiny, minuscule complaint I have about this place is the lack of signage for the pastries and cakes. It would be nice to know what I'm looking at without having the ask. Absolutely zero gatekeeping here. Please everyone keep patronizing this establishment. I need this place to continue to exist in my hood.

The cake here is very good! Super moist, and the frosting is light and fluffy when ordered fresh…read more Unfortunately the 2 cupcakes I got, both alfajores and the chocolate covered one too were stale, like super hard and dry. So get anything fresh, like made to order cakes or things you see come out right when you're there. Otherwise you run the risk of getting old stuff, which sucks that they don't manage that at all. On a Sunday afternoon lines moved quickly and we were able to find seats. This is a cute cafe that offers plenty of savory items and lunches, plus drinks like matcha, cakes, pastries and cookies. There is also a bathroom! The women behind the counter were all nice and patient with my questions, they also kept the line moving and were quick. I had high hopes for the Alfajores as this is an Argentinian bakery but unfortunately the ones given to me were stale. The cookie was very hard. Also the Dulce de leche was too sweet and burnt tasting to me. I also got a chocolate covered one and the cookie in that was also hard and dry. The strawberry croissant was amazing. Never had anything like that before. Not too sweet and very flaky. It has a ribbon of red on the outside which gives it a unique look. I would love to come back and try savory items. I'll continue to stick with the cakes and croissants for desert and make sure it's fresh!

Great place to sit down for a quick and tasty breakfast. There is often a long line but it usually…read moremoves pretty quickly so don't get scared. Pan de queso is always a good bet. But go nuts, they have a nice array of options to choose from. ENJOY!!!

Delicious Portuguese sandwiches and cheese bread! Friendly service. Several tables available to sit…read moreinside. Not a fancy place but a good spot for a quick bite

OMG! Wheee to start? We had a wonderful selection of pastries and goodies from here for…read moreThanksgiving. Everything was to die for. I especially liked the mini chocolate mousse like bomb. The hazelnut flavor was so yummy. I would definitely go back and make the trip, especially for those. Everyone in my family enjoyed all of the goodies that we picked up. Thank you so much.

This bakery is easily one of my favorite bakeries in New Jersey. The service is always quick and…read morehassle-free, which makes every visit a pleasure. Their cakes and cookies are consistently fresh, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. A true gem for anyone with a sweet tooth! Its super clean too.

Been hearing about this bakery spot for a while now…read more There's a nice selection of pastries and all of them look delicious. Got the red bean matcha sandwich which was interesting tasting, but overall it was a nice experience and taste pretty good. Service was quick and efficient. Interior is well designed, moderate noise.

Stopped here for a bite again - this time more pictures. They have parking in the back, but…read moredownstairs is very tight (best for compacts only). The sweet is better - double chocolate dipped croissants were good. The thousand layer bread was just ok, and the savory garlic ham sandwich was meh - we didn't like the onions, they were very weird if you didn't eat them right away. They do take credit cards.

I've had their arepas and they are amazing. As well as their…read moreempanadas. Horn pastries are good too.

Went today to purchase guava pastelitos. Was told they were out but they had a different type of…read moreguava pastry. I purchased 3. Turned out 1. No guava at all. 2. Gave me a different type (coconut). Daughter is allergic to nuts, thank God I saw it before she touched it. Called to complain, owner's wife took the call. Didn't like the complaint, so she hung up on me. Great Customer Service. Avoid this place. Arcos and Lyndhurst Bakery are better options.

Love this bakery because it's such a staple here in the Ironbound section. It's a local spot which…read moreoffers tasty, and affordable choices for lunch and snacks. Often, you'll see it packed at lunchtime since they offer a buffet option. For snacks, I generally get a latte or iced coffee with either cheesebread or a pastel de nata (Portuguese custard cup). What's best in the summertime is that they have outdoor tables on the side of the bakery, which is in the shade. Great place to relax and unwind on Ferry Street.

This little Portuguese cafe and bakery is busy! I enjoy seeing most of the signage in Portuguese,…read moreindicative of the Ironbound neighborhood Nova Alianca is anchored in. The lunch buffet was busy when I came midday, and a line built up quickly during a morning visit with locals picking up coffee and breakfast sandwiches. They have wonderful multi-grain croissants with seeds all over it; so delicious! They carry bread loaves and rolls, and I tried their 75-cent multi-grain roll. Their Portuguese egg custard tarts though are to die for. I could eat one of these every day! Light but rich, flaky and crispy on the outside, creamy but firm on the inside.