Martha's Country Bakery
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
8 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Murray Hill
"My husband & I past this place a couple of times and just by the look of it, we knew we had to check it out. The place is teeny tiny but…" read more »
30 Reviews for Martha's Country Bakery
I have tried many things from Marthas and I have to admit, some items are great, some just so-so. One thing has always been fabulous and that is the pound cake!!!! They make the loafs with yogurt, they are moist and oh so yummy!!! The Cranberry Crumb is by far my favorite...for awhile, my hubby and I were getting one every week . We had to cut back as our jeans were getting a bit tight! I cant get into the crusts on the pies and tarts...but gimme pound cake every time!
I desperately wanted to like this place. I adore cupcakes and wanted to find a bakery close to home that I could call my own. Alas, it was not meant to be.
The atmosphere is great. A wall with a long bench and tables means plenty of seating, along with an espresso bar. It is bright and inviting. Someplace you would bring a first date when you were in high school, unpretentious and friendly.
I got a Vanilla/Vanilla cupcake, Cappuccino Cupcake and the bread pudding. The Vanilla/Vanilla cupcake was dry and kinda stale and the frosting was teetering on overpoweringly sweet; same for the cappuccino cupcake. I actually threw out part of a cupcake, which has never happen before. And the fact that each cupcake was $2.00 stung even more. I admit. I expected better. For what I got I would have rather had boxed mix and made my own cupcakes at home and saved myself the money.
The bread pudding, I'm sorry to say, was even worse. It had a pre-manufactured texture and tasted way too lemony, almost like lemon-scented window cleaner. Not a pleasant taste I tell you. So, I recommend just steering away from the bread pudding and not wasting your time or money.
I will be back to try some other things and maybe my opinion will change. One thing that Martha's does have is selection. If you are strolling past the bakery, it is hard not to stop by and gawk at all their delicacies. If only it tasted good.
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What is an orgasm? Most people who have had orgasms would probably respond to this question with a resounding "duh! You'll know it when you've had it". But this response is little help to those of us who have never had an orgasm before, or aren't sure if we've had an orgasm before, and in truth, we might respond to our hypothetically obnoxious friend by asking "if you think you've had an orgasm, how do you know for sure?"
Is orgasm that one brief moment you get over the top, just after the building in excitement and tension, and just before the release and relaxation?
Is orgasm the physical things that happen to our body, changes in heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, skin color, or is it the muscle contractions?
Is orgasm the same thing as ejaculation?
Or is orgasm a psychological or emotional or spiritual experience that comes with the physical changes?
Despite its almost universal appeal, orgasms have, until very recently, received relatively little attention in the scientific literature, leaving us with a murky understanding of what an orgasm is. As a result, over the years how orgasm gets defined has been determined largely by who is defining it.*
So here is how I will describe it....a chocolate cake covered in vanilla frosting, caramel, and a strawberry on top. This was what Armin L. brought home for me from Marth'a Country Bakery, a spot that I always find crowded as I walk down Ditmars. The cake was soft and had a nice chocolaty filling that wasn't overbearing. The vanilla coating was light and airy and the strawberry came covered in that bad for you but oh so good high fructose corn syrup.
Lucky for me there are also some cupcakes waiting in the box ...this may just be my personal Magnolia Bakery without the lines.
*snatched from about.com
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They recently renovated to add more seating and an espresso bar. I have mixed feelings about this - I miss the old hardwood-sy color scheme, which has now been replaced with a garish bright yellow. But the added seating is a huge plus, because now there's actually room to camp out and read/study/surf the web while you eat and drink.
Overall, the baked goods here are very good, but I do find the crusts on their cakes to be a little too doughy.
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The cupcake hunt continues . . . third stop, after Billy's and Magnolia. As an Astoria local (I used to live down the block from Martha's in fact, though there was no Martha's then, and that's neither her nor there- digression!), I really wanted to love this place. And from the street, I was ready to embrace it with both arms. Very cute, delicious looking treats, nice little seats for the two lucky people who grab them. I was already salivating and wishing this had been here when it was my 'hood.
This was an unexpected stop after brunch, so we were way too full to actually eat anything at the moment and thus opted instead to get a few cupcakes to go. I readily acknowledge that this may have impacted my tasting, since the other cupcakes were all eaten immediately and were, thus, fresher. If, when I return to Martha's with an emptier stomach, ready to sample, I find that the cupcakes are much better, I will adjust this review accordingly. For now though, they just weren't that great. We had a red velvet, an oreo crunch, and a vanilla-vanilla. Both the cake and the frostings were just . . . enh. So-so. Nowhere near as good as my first two stops. But maybe that was the fault of the day in the fridge. I shall return, Martha's, so as to give you a fair chance to redeem yourself. For now: three stars it is.
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I dont know what it is. It seems like every bakery I go into lately that prides themselves on their cupcakes has the same tasting cupcakes as everyone else. Im not going to give Marthas a bad review because honestly their stuff is amazing. Theres better things to eat here than cupcakes. Get a mini pie and you will in fact have a heavenly experience.
Back to the cupcakes....theyre exactly like buttercup bakeries. Now I dont know who had the recipe first but buttercup, marthas, little cupcake (bay ridge) and sugar sweet sunshine all have the same exact cupcakes down to the decoration of them. Can someone please get a little more inventive!? They are good, no theyre great but Im bored with it. Give me a bunch of money to open my own bakery and i'll show you a cupcake thats delicious, different and also cruelty free.
Aside from the cupcakes everything else is great. The big cookies are tasty and the 3-color cookies...i dont know what the proper name of them is but theyre also real good. And like I mentioned before get one of the lil pies. You wont be sorry.
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Walking into this shop per a friend's suggestion, I immediately was filled with a sense of glee--and dread. So many cupcake choices, so little intuition about which to select, such a limited appetite, such a limited number of days in my NYC visit....
It was one of those occasions when I really, truly, wanted the stamina and figure and time to try each item in the cozy corner shop.
Settled finally on the carrot cake, red velvet and raspberry-iced chocolate cupcakes, slicing off pieces of each and sharing with my sig o. My favorite was definitely the raspberry, closely followed by the carrot cake. No complaints about the icing or cake texture. Red velvet icing was delectable, cake portion was slightly less flavorful than desirable but still bordering on outstanding.
The "rainbow cookies," as I call them--really more like a tiny square cake, with brightly colored layers held together by raspberry jam and capped with a thin layer of chocolate--didn't disappoint, either.
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The Red Velvet cupcake is all I've ever had here so I can't comment on the rest, but based on that one cupcake this place has certainly made a lasting impression.
I got it to go and I just couldn't wait to get home to eat it. Let's just say I never made it home with the cupcake intact. In fact I devoured it and didn't care one bit I was getting icing on my face eating it whilst walking.
Some bakeries just make cupcakes all wrong where they are way to dry and crumbly, but not here! Perfectly just moist enough for it not to choke you but not so wet it'll make a mess.
I definitely intend on checking it out for their other goods.
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I dream about their cupcakes. Some of the best cupcakes I've ever had. I also brought a fruit tart for Christmas dinner, and it was a huge hit. Everything I've had there has been great. Friendly service, too.
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This place is like a dream come true for me. It is everything a bakery should be. I live really close so it's a constant battle to avoid going in because it always smells so delicious. Their cupcakes are amazing and they have tons of yummy flavors. I brought a cupcake to a coworker for her birthday a few months ago and she still mentions it. Everything about it is great - it's cute, it has tons of delicious sweets that are beautifully displayed, and now it has a cool espresso bar and more seating. I love it.
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This place has the best red velvet cupcakes. I used to think that the Buttercup Bake Shop had some good cupcakes, but these red velvet cupcakes are not ridiculously sweet and have the perfect combination on sweet to sour on the cream cheese frosting.
The back seating room is great for small parties of 2 to 6. It's definitely a recommended pit stop if you are in Forest Hills and want some hot coco to warm up.
Postscript:
As some Yelper friends have praised Martha's for everything but cakes and pies, I've decided to give their forte items a try--cupcakes--and will revise my review and possibly rating based on that.
As for my review of their cakes however, that's not going to change. You can do better with cake mix from the grocery store, making it yourself at home, and it's a whole lot more satisfying.
Personally, I would never praise anything bought in a restaurant or shop which I could easily whip up myself with resulting same or better quality--and that's the case with Marth's cakes.
My original review follows:
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I don't really know whether to give this place a two or a three star rating. I'll break it down here.
Decor (of the shop itself), 4 stars: Very nice, clean, but not more than a bench for you and your friends to sit and eat your slices of cake on the spot. It attracts customers without catering to them.
Cake Decoration, 4 stars: Everything is decorated in a very cute style, but not really above average (most people can decorate this well, given the proper tools). I wouldn't want to get a wedding or banquet cake from here for example, but if I were getting cakes for a holiday party with friends and family it would be fine (better than the grocery store without getting too fancy). Lots of cuteness, no elegance. Decor and Decoration go together in this shop.
Flavor, 2 stars: The most unremarkable tasting bakery / pasterie I've experienced in four countries. This would be fine if it were somewhere that doesn't have a lot of fine food establishments, but this is New York City, so it's below average. Truthfully, it's about the level of Pilsbury cake mix and canned whip cream from your local grocery store. They need to apply as much imagination and originality to their recipes as they do to their cake decoration.
Martha's lacks artistry in every respect, but it's OK if you're just looking for something sweet--as opposed to a wonderful experience of flavor and form (aka Gourmet) which you would have to find elsewhere, but not have to travel far.
The good thing about Martha's is that everything is made already, so if you're in an immediate need for cute cakes and pies--a plain urge for sugar--you can satisfy it here. They also sell by the single serving, versus most bakeries which sell pasteries, cookies, and complete cakes and pies, but no slices.
Personally, if I really need a slice of cake right now, I head to a restaurant or cafe. Otherwise, I order my cakes ahead of time. I was disappointed that Martha's wasn't better, because if it was I would be buying desserts from them all the time and having it at home instead.
BOTTOM LINE: Why Zagat chose to rate this place to the exclusion of the several wonderful pasterie shops nearby is beyond me. Perhaps due to it's popularity with the young from affluent backgrounds--yeah, I don't have to say it explicitly--and the cute, clean, and hip style of the shop itself.
Nearby best pasterie shop is Saint Honorie at Ditmars Avenue and 35th Street--just a hop and a skip from Martha's. And the best pasterie-on-demand shop in the area is at Ditmars and 31st--but I forget the name. Most restaurant folks in the area will direct you to one of these places instead of Martha's.
Martha's isn't bad, just unremarkable.
I'm glad we tried Martha's, but we wont be going back.
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The best cupcake in the city. Period, end of story.
Can't be beat for variety . The have everything from plain old 'nilla buttercreme, to oreo, through cappucino, on to the oddly alluring pistachio.
The place delivers too, which is dangerous. Very dangerous.
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All these Forest Hills reviews are ruining the street cred of one of the best things to ever happen to Astoria.
I think one of the things Astoria bakeries are lacking in is atmosphere. Yes it smells incredible on all corners of my hood. Yes the baked goods are irresistible but I'd like to be able to look all around me and feel as though I am experiencing the whole of the bakery experience, not just leaving with my tastebuds satisfied.
Enter Martha's Country Bakery.
So clean. So lovely inside and out. Never an empty tray and I just gawk from the outside often as I wait for the Q19A to come by. I never have cash on me and there's a ten dollar minimum on cards. But yesterday I had the opportunity to patronize this place and I was quite pleased with the results. I ordered a cannoli and a blueberry scone. Allow me to escort you through the joys of Martha's.
I took my bag of treasures home, refrigerated the cannoli and plastic baggied the scone. The cannoli was removed a couple hours later for consumption. And oh what a delight to consume such magnificence. They're better than Fairway but just as big and just as beautiful. Flaky. Smooth buttery cream filling and rich dark chocolate chips on both sides. Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm! Damn that was good!
This morning I prepared myself a cup o' joe and sat with my scone on a saucer. I nearly lost a morsel to the garbage but salvaged it from death and it melted in my mouth instead. What a way to go. I didn't want the scone to end. Not hard like a rock but soft and airy and finger-licking good.
I must have more. Please open one of these in Harlem. Thank you.
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While its really more like 4.5 stars due to some of the hard frosting on the cupcakes, Martha's is still one of the best bakeries on Ditmars, if not the best. Their cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and pastries all seem so fresh and the aroma that emits from the place is hard to resist. The interior can be described as homey, welcoming, and cozy as they've placed their treats in well light areas to highlight its decadence. There is a small lounge area for folks who want to sit back and relax, while enjoying a cappuccino and one of their lovely items.
The cupcakes seem to be a huge draw here and while they're similar to Manhattan in both prices and taste, some of them are deceiving hard up top with the frosting. This is the case with the strawberry and vanilla ones, but the red velvet, carrot cake, and choco-vanilla ones are super soft and numbingly sweet. Most of them are under $2.00 ranging from $1.50-$1.75. Their muffins are fantastic as well, though a bit pricey for what you're getting. Cheesecakes are so rich here and the gelato is excellent. The large cookies are all SUPER soft and don't harden even if they've been out for a few hours. My favorites are the chocolate chip ones and the M&M kind.
Service here so far has been superb. The cute girls behind the counter have been informative, patient, and prompt with my dessert needs. Its almost with no hesitation that I come here after a nice Greek dinner to satisfy my dessert cravings. They have set the bar for dessert bakeries in Astoria, a feat at which few can compete.
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I didn't know what to expect, but when we stumbled upon Martha's Bakery in Astoria I was amazed. The decor was just so quaint and lovely, that I felt instantly uplifted! I loved the little tables and chairs up against the wall for those who decided to sit in and enjoy their baked goods. Apparently this place is famous for their cupcakes, and I ordered a "red velvet" cupcake with Cream Cheese frosting. Literally...it melted in my mouth. The cake was moist, but not overly chewy...the frosting was sweet, but not the give you a toothache kind...I downed it in about 2 minutes flat :)
I even picked up a menu..and am hoping that they deliver to my neighborhood for those nightly sweet cravings :)
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In need of something substantial, but not too heavy in the morning, I opted for a bran muffin at Martha's Country Bakery (37th and Ditmars). They were moist, filling, and fiberous and a far cry from cardboard. Not to worry, there are plenty of other more indulgent options too! The scones come in a variety of flavors and Martha bakes them at high heat to ensure they rise high and yield a perfectly browned top.
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I haven't hit up the one in Astoria, but the new FH location is nearby, so I went in tonight.
The cakes themselves? Pretty damn good.
The four disaffected sixteen year olds standing at the counter? C'mon kids, I'm the only person in line, and you're just standing there - I shouldn't have to ask you to get me a damned cupcake.
Next time, I'm sending my roommate out.
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Mmmmmmmmartha's!! This place is what every bakery should be. Lovely displays, inviting layout, homey decor and amazing baked goodies.
The chocolate-chocolate-chip monster cookie is perfect. My friend and I agree that most places overbake these, but this cookie was so moist and had just enough crunch to maintain the texture. I wasn't so crazy about the peanut-butter cookie's flavor (slightly bland and a bit greasy), but this was also evenly baked so not a total loss. We also tried the oreo cupcake, which was a perfect portion -- moist cake and a sugary frosting.
I also bought a cinnamon roll and brought it to work this morning. I popped it in the microwave for 10 seconds and I had myself a warm and tasty breakfast! This one didn't have frosting, so it was slightly dry, but the dough was exactly how I like it, flaky and sweet.
I'm planning a return trip very soon. Maybe I'll walk home so I don't feel so guilty about indulging.
omgggg red velvetttttttttttt wow so good...fresh cuteee
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My family and I went for the gelato/sorbet. We tried the strawberry, mint chocolate chip, vanilla bean, chocolate biscotti, and lemon, but the chocolate biscotti was by far the best.
Update: I just tried their cupcakes this weekend and they are great. So much better than the ones I've had from the big names in Manhattan. I tried the butter cream frosted ones, not the fondant ones.
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This is a favorite of mine in Astoria. The cupcakes are delicious and the fresh fruit tarts are amazing! The displays at the window are a delight, and if you're lucky you can score a seat inside and smell the bakery's magic.
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I have had two cupcakes now - one yellow cake with vanilla buttercream, and one yellow cake with strawberry buttercream and they were both the BEST cupcakes I ever had in my life. Let me first acknowledge I've HAD Magnolia's - they were some of the worst. And I've had Crumbs - which until now I thought were the best. But these Martha's cupcakes are so out of this world fabulous they blew my mind. Moist FRESH cake, and buttercream that hits you like crack cocaine. Almost TOO good. This is for the Forest Hills location that opened two weeks ago. I haven't been to Astoria.
As to other reviewer's comments - who CARES about service! We're New Yorker's - surely we've waited in line before! This is about the product - and it is perfection. Just take your number, get your cupcakes, eat on the go - and stop complaining already!
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Scrumptious bakery that just smells warm and gooey walking in, which is always a nice feeling. Tried the chocolate mint cupcake. Cake was moist, frosting was in appropriate proportion, though I have to say mint frosting is a little off. I'd rather stick to vanilla, but I'm the one who made the decision to buy it rather than my fave, so I can't really fault them for that.
This place has great cupcakes, gelato, coffee drinks: they even have hamantasch pastries! Everything I've eaten here was good, even though they may not be very health-conscious.
The staff are friendly and courteous and generally respond to requests promptly. The only time I've had to wait is on Friday and Saturday nights when the place is packed. The place nearly *always* has at least a few customers inside.
You can't miss the place if you walk down Ditmars Boulevard. They really spend a lot of time on the presentation of their baked items. You'll have to walk at least two blocks to get away from the wonderful smell. I recommend that you avoid this place if you're on a strict diet!
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We walked in and everything smell good. I knew this was going to be the death of me. The place permeated of everything bakery sweet and nice. The decor consisted of dark wood with little benches against the walls and little circular tables, while glass display cases teased me visually. I couldn't decide which treat to get. I settled with carrot cake, chocolate w/oreo frosting, black forest, red velvet, pistachios, vanilla. When I took a huge bite into the vanilla cupcake, my immediate thoughts were, "hey, this tastes like Pillsbury/Betty Crocker/Dunkin Hines yellow cake mix". To further test this theory, I had the red velvet and realized, nope, it's theirs. It's moist and the frosting is not too sweet, which makes a good combination (cake to frosting ratio). The love of my life is the Black Forest cupcake and a good ol' plain cup of joe. Dude, do they know how to brew, sugar and milk their coffee to perfection! I kicked myself for ordering a small. Next time, I'm super-sizing that cup. If a cupcake won't do, you can order the cake version of your cupcake...hint*hint*wink*wink!! You'll find me huddled in the corner by the display case gorging myself silly of sweets...
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Always Smells Great.
delicious baked stuff
This is for the Forest Hills Location. I understand that it's their first week of opening but the table service sucks! The girl that was running it was confused and ignored people or gave customers other peoples order when they didnt even order yet. Then the girl forgets to ask them if they wanted to order anything and ignores them. I am that customer and I had to walk out of that bakery. The Table service girl knew we were getting upset. Still didnt appologize about the confusion or wait. At least say, "sorry, I'll be with you in a second." Nothing. Thats the only part that really really pissed me off about the place. Which I so upset about because I really do like Martha's Bakery and have always frequented the Astoria one. I am going back to Astoria. I only came to visit the FH one because I lived nearby. What a dissapointment. Next time i am ordering to go. They just need to REALLY train the people doing table service how to serve patrons. Get your act together people. Austin St has a lot of traffic! But I do recomend the cupcakes and cakes they are really awesome just dont sit in the back - the girl might never come to you! Get it to go. But i would wait a while till they get their act together so you wont get so aggrivated.
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not fresh to me so texture taste hard.
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horrible food I order a fruit cake the fruit were old and dry the creme taste like something not to fresh never go back
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