Half Baked Cafe
In Beverly Farms there is a small cafe that I have heard of for years, but just recently had the pleasure of visiting. Owner Kelly Mackin has run Half Baked Cafe on 1 West Street for over 9 years, and is known for her donuts and pastries.
I’m ashamed to say it took me this long to check out their goods. To be honest, since it’s not on my daily route I would constantly forget about it – until now.
Recently, Kelly posted that the lease is up for the building, and sadly will not be renewing it. I took this as a sign of “now or never”, and I didn’t want to regret not ever going.
So here’s what we got:
The Monkey Bun
My eyes were drawn to it as soon as I walked in. I am a sucker for Monkey Bread, so of course I was going to have to try it out. First off – this needs to be eaten warm. Nuke it for 20 seconds if you have to. It’s well worth the warm sugary goodness that is waiting at the bottom of this bun. The top was a little harder than I was hoping, but the buttery cinnamon flavor was exactly what I was expecting. The “pull apart” aspect was there in it’s entirety, and definitely the funnest part of Monkey Bread. I would have liked a little more icing. Maybe a side of it would be a nice offering to go along with the bun.
The Everything Bagel
This was Baby Girl’s choice. It was ordered toasted with cream cheese on the side – and gone within a minute. I was able to sneak one small bite before she inhaled it. The bagel itself was tasty and had a nice, soft, chewy texture. The cream cheese was standard and nothing to write home about, but she was very happy with her selection and that is all that matters.
The Chocolate Chunk Cookie
I know a cookie connoisseur that I had to get this for. His critique: It was a good size cookie with an appealing color and noticeable chunks of yumminess (the photo doesn’t do it justice). The flavor was sweet and balanced. It’s a crisp cookie and suitable for dunking in milk. However, if a chewy cookie it something that is more desirable, another choice of pastry may be better enjoyed.
The Dog Cookies
The pups raved about these chewy morsels. These lovely treats are made with oats, pumpkin, cinnamon, flax seed, honey, eggs, apples and carrots. Not only are they delicious, but healthy too!
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a pretty good experience. We got there at just the right moment, because by the time we finished our order (which was only about 5 minutes in the shop) there was a line of at least 20 people waiting to get in!
I will definitely go back soon to try the donuts and their cupcakes. Their Beverly Cream looks AMAZING and I just want to stuff the Oreo Cookie Cupcake in my face. Items can be ordered online, which is very convenient. Just an FYI, if the site says they are sold out just call the cafe because they may actually still have some in house.
The last thing I want to say is to please support local businesses. Places like this are hidden gems and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Kelly has made mention of wanting to start a food truck, so let’s support her for the remainder of the year and try to help her make that dream happen!
