I finally was able to get to this bakery that I've been meaning to come to for quite a while, and it didn't disappoint. It is a very small storefront with incredible pastries (both savory and sweet) as well as a curated menu of drink options. There is no seating inside, but there are a few benches outside to sit on and people watch from. The line moved pretty quickly as it was the end of the day, and the service was super friendly. I got the everything bialy and it was so delicious. The next time I come here, I definitely want to try more items. I'd absolutely come here again! read more

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((4.75 stars)) Elbow Bread is a small bakery planted at the intersection of Ludlow, Division, and Canal Streets. cozy brightly-lit space--no seats inside but there are small tables set up outside for those who want to place to perch, but most customers grab-and-go or grab-and-eat-on-the-go. there are a variety of baked eats here from various sour dough loaves to sweeter options like cookies and kolaches to savory options like bialys and schmaltz scallion knots as well as other comfort eats. if you can stop here in the morning during the week--i would say that is your best bet as items on menu will run out way before closing time which is like 3 pm on weekdays and a little later on weekends. definitely try the pretzels, when you see them as that is one of the signature items, but my current favorite is the everything bialy with cream cheese--a chewy airy bread roll sprinkled with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and salt and a dollop of cream cheese. it's one satisfying comfort food in the bread quality alone but the cream cheese adds that creamy fatty-ness and combined with the "everything flavor" makes for enjoyable bites from beginning to end. nothing against bagels, but you haven't really lived as a New Yorker unless you have eaten a great bialy...and Elbow Bread serves a great one. the coffee is pretty good too--probably a medium roast which pairs with sweet eats as well as savory ones without detracting. service is pleasant and quick but not rushed. while Elbow Bread has its fans from the LES / Dimes Square / Chinatown area, people definitely travel here from all across the city to indulge some finely baked carbs...and it is very much worth the trip. read more

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We went on Thursday in early afternoon since we happened to be in the neighborhood. There were steady stream of people but no huge lines. Can't speak for what happens during the weekends. The bakery is small with one display window right by the door so it's really hard to see what you want and also can be a huge rate limiting step if you have ppl ahead of you who spend forever deciding. This happened to us. We ordered the onion bialy and the bialy with cream cheese. They were both excellent but I preferred the onion one! The banana pudding kolache and the cookie were superb as well. Can't wait to stop by again. read more

I came here twice and both times were really good! I came here during Valentine's Day and they had pretzel twists dedicated to the holiday! The line was long and all the way out to the door that day. They were selling pretzels in heart shapes! So cute! I loved the heart shaped pretzels that I decided to get one! I saw they were warmed in a nice glowing box behind the counter when I was waiting in line. The pretzel was salty in my opinion but I finished it all because it was so lovely and exclusively from Elbow Bread! Apart from the heart pretzel, I got their strawberry sugar sweet potato pretzel. I was so sad to see that they did not have any strawberry sugar sweet potato pretzel left in stock and the only one I can get is the displayed one. I decided why not and went for the displayed one. Surprisingly, it was edible and still looked fresh as what the staff claimed it was made the same day so I took the chance. The strawberry sugar sweet potato pretzel was so sweet and sugary in a good way! The pretzel was easy to chew and soft. However, it was kind of salty and I could taste the big salt rocks that hit my mouth especially the heart pretzel was kind of salty! Besides the pretzels, I got a kasha latte! I was kind of disappointed that it was kind of small in size when I saw it sitting on the counter after the staff made it. It was a tad bit too small and I wished it was a bit bigger! I did not regret the purchase at all when I took a sip of it. The latte tasted like nuts and cereal milk! It tasted so good that I wanted more! I will definitely be getting more of this latte the next time I'm here. The pretzels came in a paper bag that had one handle. The paper bag said Elbow Bread and was all white. It looked really cool with one handle! I saved it for the future because it can be reusable! It looked so unique with just one handle! The whole place got no chairs but counter top table for standing and drinking coffee. It was crowded the first time I was there and many people were just hanging by the table and sipping their coffee and eating the famous pretzel bread, the elbow bread! The second time I was there, I got two elbow breads and they looked so cute! Each end got a tiny hand with fingers! The hands looked too cute to bite and eat off. So crunchy and nice! read more

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this sandwich is a 10/10 - the sourdough is delicious, the ingredients blend together for the perfect combination of savory and sweet with the nutty texture of the nut butter and the smooth cream cheese. The eb bb is pre made so you get it right away and the half size is perfect for snack! There's not really any seating except for maybe 4-5 standing spots. read more

Elbow Bread - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Highly recommend grabbing a group of friends and trying out as many pastries here as your bellies can fill! A great spot for brunch as they offer a number of great savory bialys, sandwiches and pastries as well as sweet. Favorites were their banana pudding kolache (insane), EB BB sandwich (walnut butter, date and cc on brown bread; super unique and delicious), and pistachio cake donut (one of the best cake donuts). Also tried their chile garlic bialy and scallion roll which were v good and their chocolate rugelach. read more

Elbow Bread - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Absolutely loved this bakery. The vegan bialy was absolutely delicious. It was a bit greasy but it tasted amazing. The clementine danish was also so good and not too sweet. Would definitely return to this bakery in the future. read more

Elbow Bread - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

In a cute little bakery right near East Village, Elbow Bread provided the pick me up I needed for a day of shopping. Its quaintness and hometown vibe was very charming and provided a nice respite from the business of the city. The workers were extremely friendly and their everything bagel was to die for. The cream cheese filling was light and refreshing while the bagel itself was fluffy and moist. However interestingly, they did not toast the bagel which would've elevated it even further. read more

Elbow Bread - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Wow, Elbow Bread surprised me with its charm and delicious pastries-- a serious contender for the best spot during my last bakery crawl! ** Chocolate babka bun- (4.5/5)- unlike most babkas, this one was soft and fragrant even when room temp, probably amazing warmed up. Enjoyed the chocolatey filling and sweet dough :) ** Challah croissant (4.5/5 warmed)-- I wasn't a fan of it room temp (tasted like dry sweet bread), but when I toasted it at home, it had such a light, crisp yet buttery texture. Simple but pleasing! ** Sweet potato pretzel (4/5)-- interesting combo of sweet and salty, fun to eat with a nice dense and chewy texture. Comes with choice of cheese or mustard (both cold). ** Apple cider cake donut (4/5)-- comes with a little donut hole. Was dense and moist, full of Apple cider flavor and a bit sticky. Having bits of apple inside would have brought this to another level for me; while flavorful, it wasn't my favorite find. I would definitely come back to try other cake donut flavors though! ** walnut butter with cream cheese and dates on black bread (5/5)-- wow, albeit not as sweet as the other picks, this sandwich was my favorite for uniqueness and taste! It tricks one into thinking it's sort of healthy :P it's a sweet but hearty treat; the velvety walnut butter and luscious cream cheese really pair well. Love how you can order a half size. Super beautiful as well! The small bakery is tiny, bright, and cute, the service was friendly. There's a small window side ledge/table without chairs enough for 2 people to eat next to another without being too awkward, so plan to take everything to-go. Big kudos for providing water and cups :D definitely stop by to grab a few pastries when you're in the area! read more

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While visiting my mom for CNY I see a new bakery on the corner of Ludlow Street. Without doing any research on Yelp, I jump on the long line. I mean, who wouldn't get excited for baked goods. I love the quaint Soho exterior look. It's a modern take on traditional Jewish baked goods. Interior is only enough for 8-10 customers at a time, no seating. Here is what we ordered: - Chocolate Babka - Onion Bialy (nothing beats the old schooled ones on Essex Street) - Dark Chocolate Rugelach (I've had better) - Potato Sauerkraut Knish (my favorite one) - Schmaltz Scallion Knot - Sweet Potato Pretzel (meh, nothing special) Unfortunately, none of the pastries stood out to me. Some needed more butter, some were on the greasy side, etc. I don't get the hype. We also got a Mocha latte and a cappuccino. If there is one thing that bothers me the most about coffee is when it has a sour taste. I give the coffee here a 6/10. As per other reviews, people seem to enjoy the EB BB (crispy walnut butter, cream cheese and dates on black bread). Maybe I ordered the wrong items. read more

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I stopped in on a Tuesday around lunch time and they had a great selection of available items. There were a few people inside when I arrived. I was thankful that it was not packed so that I had some time to look at all the items in the case to make my choice. I had originally found this place because I was looking for chocolate chip cookies. The corn meal chocolate chip cookie ($5) was the star of the show for me. The corn meal gave the cookie a lovely sweet flavor with a slightly gritty exterior texture. The center was soft and chewy with crisp edges. The chocolate babka ($7.50) was beautifully made and also quite delicious. I reheated it prior to cutting into it so that the center would be soft. The salted sweet potato pretzel hug was visually pleasing. A $7 pretzel in NYC comes with very high expectations and I hate to say that this was just a regular ole pretzel for me. Service was quick and friendly, but the price tag walloped my experience. read more

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Yes it's a bit out-of-the-way, yes it's worth your time and inconvenience! Do *not* leave without the banana pudding kolache (see photo)! Also had the bialy with ramp butter and the vanilla challah honey bun: both stellar. A+ read more

Elbow Bread - Banana pudding kolache. - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Super small and quaint spot! Coffee took a while but I was able to enjoy the really yummy pastry while i waited. They have a great small space to enjoy your purchases inside and outside the bakery. Nice place for the most part. My banana pudding kolache was amazing and I would love to come back and try more kolache flavors this summer! read more

Super expensive and they don't even fill the drinks to the top. The pastries are always tasty though read more

Elbow Bread - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

The line was around 15-20 minutes long. Inside it was very small but you could see workers putting final touches on the baked goods which I found very comforting. The pretzel was easily the best pretzel I've ever had. It was crispy on the outside and fluffy and hot inside. There was no sweet potato flavor and I was okay with that. The mustard that ít comes with is strong and the cheese dip is not the best I've had. The scallion knot wasn't my vibe. It was very soft bread like challah or brioche. And I wasnt into the poppy seeds but the people I was with enjoyed it. The cookie we got for free because we were waiting for the pretzel to come out of the oven. It had a corn meal garnish (not great) and the cookie itself didn't taste flavorful. It was like a watered down cookie read more

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I've been here a couple of times because there were too many things I wanted to try! - dressed bialy: onion bialy with smoked whitefish, cucumber salad and pickled mustard seeds. Good and filling, with the various flavors complementing each other well. Just a little messy to eat! - EB BB: crispy walnut butter, Ben's cream cheese and dates on black bread. The combination of flavors caught my eye straight away - it's definitely unique, not something I've seen elsewhere.. a little salty and sweet. I liked that you can get this as a half portion! - salty pistachio buttermilk donut: this was a cake donut with generous amount of pistachio (white choc?) glaze. Generous portion for sharing! - sauerkraut potato knish & sweet potato pretzel: these were good but felt a bit pricey for the size - scallion knot: fluffy and garlicky There is only standing room for 3 inside, but when weather is warmer there are 2 benches and some tables outside the bakery for customers to eat. read more

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Delicious cream cheese and date sandwich. It was the perfect balance between sweet and salty. The half is very good as a filling snack. I came on a weekday afternoon and didn't have to wait. It looked like there were a lot of other delicious pastries to try so I will definitely be coming back. There isn't a place to sit inside but rather a small place to stand and eat with a bench outside. read more

Elbow Bread - EB BB Half - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

So many delicious things here. Everything Biyali with cream cheese is a dream 5/5 Sweet Potato pretzel is a YES for pretzel lovers 4/5 Potato knish so simple but heavenly 5/5 For me, baked goods have to be worth the carb intake. And Elbow Bread is beyond worth it. There's a good variety of sweet and savory to choose from too which I love. And people who work there are sweet and welcoming. Makes me want to come back more and more. read more

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3.5 stars rounded up for me. I have mixed feelings about the nouveau Jewish bakeries cropping up around the city, and in Elbow Bread's case capitalizing on the neighborhood's history. On one hand, history must evolve to stay relevant, although the Dimes Square crowd and gentrified environs are admittedly a bit hard to stomach. The chocolate babka knot was very good - not overly sweet like Breads Bakery's take, but with a modest chocolate aroma evocative of Oneg's. The pretzel stick was aesthetically pleasing, but mostly tasted like any other pretzel to me. read more

Elbow Bread - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

i really wanted to come to elbow bread to try their chocolate chip nori cookie but when i got there, they told me they had stopped selling it. i also wanted to get the eb bb, which is their twist on a pbj. It had walnut butter, cream cheese, and medjool dates on sourdough black bread! it was such an interesting combination that oddly works, for me at least. i enjoyed the different flavors and how they all melted into each other. i ate one half at the store and one half whilst sitting in Washington square park :) it held up pretty well during that 30 min walk i wish they could bring back the chocolate chip nori cookie~ i would def come back to try it if they ever do! service was fine! the worker was polite and professional. inside has a few spots to eat and there are also some tables and chairs outside as well! read more

Elbow Bread - eb bb - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Elbow Bread, small shop with big windows that make it easy to view everything available on display. My visit, Friday midday, good selection still available... no line, just a nice steady stream of customers. Service was fast and friendly. Inspired by being down on the Lower East Side, I picked an onion bialy with tons of caramelized onions in the center, plus a side of whitefish salad. Apparently the white fish is from Massachusetts, based on what I was told from the staff... great flavor, just a little too creamy/smooth texture for my preference but I would order it again. Bummed not to be there on a weekend when they serve donuts! Will be back next time I'm on the LES. $4.50 bialy (with side of white fish, $7.50, $8.71 with tax). read more

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I'm a big fan of court street grocers and knew this was going to be good. I've tried: + Passionfruit ricotta doughnut - sooo good. believe they're now doing a raspberry one that I should also try + Vanilla challah honey bun - also one of the best pastries I've ever eaten + Malted almond elbow - good but skip + Sweet potato pretzel with mustard - great There's usually a line on weekends, so I recommend going on a weekday unless you're trying to get the weekends-only doughnut. read more

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Parties here are very good. The sandwich is a little bit on the disappointing side but def come here for the pastries. They have weekend donuts that change. read more

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Rhubarb cream cheese danish. Need I say more? A bit funky, super creamy, and perfectly sweet. Pair that with some sugar crusted chocolate babkas and you got yourself big smiles paired with beautiful sugar highs. A little corner(elbow?) shop loaded with super tasty pastries. They are known for pretzels, but my eyes led me in other directions. Super contemporary, modern design, feel, and model. All in all, amazing spot to grab a pastry on the go in a busy part of town! read more

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An excellent addition to the competitive bakery scene in NYC - one of my favorite finds this year with one of my favorite bites this year hands down. That seasonal ramp and potato danish was divineeeeee - that potato was soft but still had a nice texture about it, carrying deep savoriness and with a gentle crisp from the surrounding pastry, wow. That was something special. The honey braid was also super fresh when we got it and EXCELLENT. Just biting into a cloud, deeply sweet (borders on too sweet for my taste but not quite) because it also has an element of savoriness from the bun and just oh so soft and chewy. Beautiful. Of course had to get the sweet potato pretzel which was good as well, nicely sweet. Had a variety of their other pastries I wasn't able to take photos of but everything was either good, great, or more. The two standouts I wrote above and would come back just for that. They also have seasonal donuts which we didn't get to try but will be on the list for next time! The staff were SO friendly in helping us choose what we wanted and making recommendations. Props to them! read more

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Cute inside but terrible quality and pricing. The babka is not good it's dry and only tastes like cinnamon. Fine service. The baked goods are poor quality. read more

Small place. We got here early, right around opening and there was no line. As the morning progressed, line went around the block. The sweet potato pretzel is very small. You also have to pay extra for the dip. For the high cost of the pretzel, I thought it would have been included. I didn't really love the pretzel. It was so thin, I couldn't get any sweet potato flavor. The scallion knot was great. So soft, so scallion forward. The nori chocolate chip cookie also devoured within minutes. I would definitely come back to try the other items. read more

Elbow Bread - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

LES has 3 blissful bakeries again. Elbow Room which replaced Mel's. Michaeli, & Party Bus. Elbow Room has a magical space on the triangle in Dimes Square, light & bright. They pay homage to the surrounding'hood in their baked goods. Ate: Marble cake 2 dark chocolate rugelach Total: $13 The marble cake was so deliciously reminiscent of childhood and the dark chocolate in the rugelach was extraordinary. The bialys Mel's baked were a little darker otherwise Elbow Bread is baked bliss. read more

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We tried many things: the honey vanilla challah, the onion and chili garlic bialy, and the cream cheese/date/nut sandwich. Everything was amazing, including the side of mustard, but the sandwich was genuinely one of the most unique and delicious things I've had. Everything about it was perfect. I look forward to my next visit to try some more goodies read more

Elbow Bread - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

I honestly blacked out when I ordered because everything looked so good. I got two sweet pastries while my partner got two savory pastries. We came on a Sunday morning around 9:30am and didn't have to wait too long because the line moves quickly. There's no seating aside from two benches outside, but we managed to get spots at the little standing counter inside. I would definitely come back! read more

Elbow Bread - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

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Stopped by on a Saturday morning and thankfully didn't have to wait. My sister and I shared a Schmaltz Scallion Knot ($6). The bread was very soft, moist, and had good flavor, but personally, I found it to be quite pricey for what it was. The space is very small, and though there is a counter that you can stand at to enjoy your food, it's much more of a to-go place. read more

Elbow Bread - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

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Wow!! Such fun flavors and all of them are done so well. While there's a bunch of bakeries in NY, I always find myself coming back here! Service is quick and smooth. The bakery is small and cozy. Not much space to sit -- perfect for takeaway. read more

Elbow Bread - Sweet potato pretzel, chocolate babka, garlic bread, green scallion bread - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Stopped by Elbow Bread on a random Saturday, and tried the scallion garlic knot--the flavor was so good and super fragrant. It was a little on the dry side, but still really tasty overall. The place is small and efficient, so I'll definitely be back to try more items next time! read more

Elbow Bread - Scallion garlic knot - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

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I visited with a friend on a Saturday at around noon, and the line was kind of long! We waited for about 20 minutes and got the garlic bialy and a sweet pastry that I forgot the name of. There was a nice kick of spice to the garlic bialy, and it had a lot of flavor. The other pastry was too sweet. I also got a kasha latte, which is a buckwheat latte with cereal milk. I had never had a buckwheat latte before and I quite enjoyed the flavor, but I thought that the cereal milk made it too sweet. There is one small counter where you can eat your pastries, but we found that it was much too cramped. Probably best to just buy your pastries and take it to go. read more

Elbow Bread - garlic bialy - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Valentine's Day bakery run to my new favorite spot. They launched a few vday specials, including pretzel hearts, interlocking double pretzels and cookies. The cute heart shape has instantly stole my heart. I shared it with my bf and we both thought it was the best sweet pretzel we've ever had. ＊Strawberry Pretzel Heart $8 I loved their regular sweet potato pretzels. This vday special flavor was not only pretty but also very delicious. It was brushed with strawberry glaze, and topped with pink sugar. The texture of the pretzel was soft with a slight crunch on the crust. 10000/10! They gave us a small tub of strawberry cream cheese frosting and OMG, it deserved my highest compliment: not too sweet! The dip was so creamy, making it a double strawberry treat. Not sure will the pretzel hearts still be available after Valentine's day, but if they do, RUN DON'T WALK!! read more

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I never heard of Elbow bread before but when I attended the Madewell event, it had me at their chocolate babka! I have to visit their bakery in Ludlow. I was disappointed because there w only one left of their chocolate babka. I was told that I have to come in early hours as it sells fast. Any way I tried their rugelach and it was close enough. The staff are helpful. The place is small but there's few seating area outside. Will try to come back earlier next time. A little pricey but for me it's worth it. This review is mainly for the chocolate babka and rugelach. For the rest of the menu, I never tried them yet. read more

Elbow Bread - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

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So overrated. We tried the touted salted hug pretzel and the challah croissant. The croissant really just tasted like challah bread in the shape of a croissant, but lost all of the crispness that's delightful about a croissant. The sweet potato was a bit boring and dry, especially since we asked and paid for mustard, but never received it. Not worth the wait or the prices. read more

Elbow Bread - Challah croissant - meh - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

As soon as you walk into Elbow Bread, you're greeted by the pleasant smell of freshly baked pastries and bread. Everything I tried was tasty and well-made. The only thing I'd suggest is expanding the drink menu a bit as I felt like there weren't too many unique options. The service is standard, friendly and efficient. Note that the space inside is small but overall, it's a solid spot for anyone looking for fresh bread and pastries! read more

Rating: 3.5 Dropped by since this place was getting some hype and I was in the area. The bakery is small - definitely more of a take-out place but there were some benches outside. I got the cinnamon sugar sweet potato pretzel, which came with cream cheese frosting on the side, along with the onion bialy. I thought they were both fine - nothing particularly notable. Prices were high for the portion size (I think they were each $6-7). read more

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Keep going back. It is that tasty! We went again today, our 2nd time while vacationing in NY. We went around 10 am this time and no lines. They were just restocking and had freshly baked items ready for us to devour. We tried the scallion knot, the potato knish, honey bun, the pretzel, garlic bread, croissant and onion bread. We enjoyed everything. I think our favorite was the garlic bread and honey bun. Staff is friendly but there isn't much seating. There is a small counter inside for maybe 3 people and 2 benches outside. Would highly recommend. read more

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