Since moving to New Braunfels, Nathan and I have made it a point to familiarize ourselves with the bakeries downtown. We don’t typically make over-indulgence a habit, but sometimes nothing scratches the itch like a fancy coffee drink and a fresh, flaky pastry. Even while reading that, you’re probably nodding your head and wondering where to go to get a fix. I’m going to fill you in here on the New Braunfels bakeries, so you can go treat yo self.
Specific Bakeries in New Braunfels
I’m going to focus on the downtown bakeries in New Braunfels, specifically the ones closest to the traffic circle. I’ll be giving a basic pros/cons breakdown of three establishments: 2Tarts, Naegelin’s, and New Braunfels Coffee (which, while not technically what I’d consider a bakery, still offers a selection of baked goods).
In my pros and cons list of downtown New Braunfels bakeries, I’ll be mentioning quality, price points, selection, and environment so that you can know what to expect.
Let’s tuck in.
2Tarts Bakery
Of the bakeries in downtown New Braunfels, this was the first one we visited. In some ways, it feels like 2Tarts really kind of set the standard for our bakery expectations going forward in NBTX. That’s not to say it gets everything perfect, but I’d be lying if I said we don’t love it here.
The atmosphere is chic and engaging. Apart from the bakery and coffee shop selections, there are a number of boutique party supplies and decorations available for purchase. 2Tarts has whimsical greeting cards and cutesy candles, party hats, tableware, even some clothing. Everything is arranged in an aesthetically pleasing way. And there’s plenty of café seating available to sit a moment and take it all in while intaking your order.
In terms of coffee and baked goods selections, they have extensive offerings. From what we’ve noticed during our visits here, certain offerings circulate based on time of day. Cinnamon rolls, for example, are a morning option, but we’ve never seen them on display in the evening. Yes, in one sense, that’s disappointing (we LOVE their cinnamon rolls). To me, however, it also speaks to the freshness of the goods that are available.
Where It Falls Short
We do absolutely love its pastry selections. All of its pies and tarts, even the cheesecakes (which I’m usually pretty blasé about), flawless. But I’ve gotta say this. I’m sorry, just my humble opinion here. Don’t hate. We. do. not. like. 2Tarts. cakes. I’ve never been one to object to a good frosting on cake, while Nathan tends to be a bit more selective, but across the board, all of us have a hard time with the cakes.
Too much frosting for one thing. All of us have gotten pretty bad heartburn from the couple of times we’ve ordered a birthday cake from here. And, while we’ve tried two very different cakes here (Oreo Cookie and the Cranberry Orange cakes), the flavor of both just fell short and kind of bored us. The flavor was probably lost in the amount of fat and sugar from the frosting. That being said, they are gorgeous!
(Update: We gave the special Boston Crème Pie cake a try, since it’s a fairly naked cake. 2Tarts, add just a little more ganache in between each layer of cake, and it’d be PERFECT. We all found it immensely delicious. WELL DONE! Too bad it’s just a seasonal offering…)
Now, price point. Understanding that, for instance, all of their coffee beans and milk are locally sourced, the quality is high. The coffee is delicious. Expect to pay more. An espresso shot? $3.50. A 6-oz cappuccino? $4.50. A single slice of delectable, made-from-scratch, key lime pie? $6.00. 2Tarts is an exceptional spot for a date. Nathan and I make time for it once in a while, and Coen and I have talked about frequenting 2Tarts for more Mama/Son dates. But it would not be a budget-friendly family outing by any means.
2Tarts: Order Up!
Pros:
Adorable, peaceful, chic café environment with plenty of seating. High-quality, fresh selections. Available for custom orders with enough notice (like ordering cinnamon rolls for Nathan’s birthday). Delicious pastry and coffee. Gluten-free and vegan options. Open late till 10pm, 7 days a week!
Cons:
The cakes. Case cakes and otherwise. The flavor of the cakes is overwhelmed by the oversweet and heavy-handed use of buttercream. Even our teenaged son doesn’t like them. 2Tarts is also expensive, even for the smallest coffee drinks.
Naegelin’s Bakery
On the New Braunfels bakeries list, this is a must-visit. Even if for no other reason than its historical significance. Naegelin’s is the oldest bakery in Texas, established in 1868. You can read about this bakery’s earliest history on their website, but suffice it to say, they’ve been in business for 155 years. They know a thing or two about baked goods.
Atmosphere-wise, Naegelin’s is in another category altogether. It’s a little more hodge-podge, but there’s a lot of character here. It’s got a very “country-store bakery” motif. There’s a wall of pre-packaged, grab-n-go goods like homemade flour tortillas, sourdough bread, gingerbread men, and molasses bars. But there’s hardly any seating. Everything about this place, for as much history as it holds, screams to-go. Outdoor seating notwithstanding. Which feels like a shame.
If you want to talk variety, though, Naegelin’s has it. Cream horns, krispies, butterflies, danishes, petit fours, cakes, pies, cupcakes, etc. Like 2Tarts, they also dabble in selling things like candles, local coffee beans, t-shirts, but not at a “boutique” level. At Naegelin’s, special orders and catering requests for special events are accepted as well.
Rich Research
Naegelin’s big draw is authentic German baked goods, like its apple strudel. I did some fieldwork for this article with Nathan, Coen, and the toddlers. We went to Naegelin’s specifically to try this strudel (and a couple of butterflies). The 5 of us attempted outdoor seating, but had no utensils to make such an undertaking a successful enterprise, so much to the dismay of our toddlers, we loaded up to take our order home.
We warmed up the apple strudel and tucked in with Orson and Nova. It is good, and I don’t doubt that it’s authentic at all. Maybe it’s the quality of the ingredients or the amount of icing on top, but, although it’s delicious, it didn’t WOW us. It feels a couple steps above store bought in terms of quality; however, I did appreciate the hints of added cherry and coconut for a slightly deeper flavor. Again, punch up the flavor, and you won’t need to smother as much icing on.
It’s worth noting: Naegelin’s is inexpensive. In comparison to 2Tarts and NB Coffee, Naegelin’s is cheap. For the quality, I couldn’t be happier! It’s far from pretentious, it serves tasty, even if not the highest quality, baked goods in a budget-friendly way. It’s not really a coffee shop kind of place, but it’s a decent place to pop-in if you’re already downtown with a troupe of toddlers and a teenager.
Naegelin’s: Order Up!
Pros:
No shortage of variety. You want it, they’ve probably got it! Authentic German baked goods. Great grab-n-go selection. Super budget-friendly. RICH HISTORY!
Cons:
It’s hard to really enjoy this place as much as I’d like to because of the lack of indoor “environment” and seating. Also, this isn’t a place to go if you want a coffee drink. It really is strictly a bakery and not a café.
Honorable Mention: New Braunfels Coffee
In truth, it’s hard having a singular category of comparison for these 3 establishments, so for the purpose of this article, I’m including New Braunfels Coffee on the list of bakeries solely because of its in-house made baked goods selection. I realize it’s definitely more coffee shop category adding it to the New Braunfels bakeries list, but it is right there on the circle, it has cinnamon rolls, so here goes…
I’m going to try to be gentle in my review here, but TL;DR, we likely won’t be back.
New Braunfels Coffee has decent coffee. I enjoyed my 20 oz cappuccino greatly, but much to my chagrin, I think it is a case of quantity vs quality. Even getting less for my money at 2Tarts, it’s a better coffee experience there. This is a step above Starbucks: still decent coffee, but super expensive for the quality.
We also went fairly early in the day and arrived there a little after 9am. I think for the time of day we went, we were a little surprised by the minimal selections in the display case, but the menu looked pretty limited as well. Looking at the website for New Braunfels Coffee, maybe it’d be worth trying for lunch instead at some point for its sandwich selections. Maybe if it weren’t for the environment…
Inadequate Aesthetic
I think everything else would have been fine. The coffee was good, even if expensive, and the cinnamon roll was nothing short of incredible. That cinnamon roll was the saving grace of NB Coffee, and I’d absolutely say if you’re thinking of checking them out, it’s worth it for the roll. Whereas the outside of cinnamon rolls tend to be dry, these were delightfully crisp, like caramelized sugar. But the aesthetic of the place didn’t have us feeling like we wanted to stick around.
Naegelin’s version of hodge-podge is eclectic and cohesive. The environment at NB Coffee, on the other hand, feels a little more like a disorganized, second-thought, going-out-of-business-sale, hospital-cafeteria motif. At Naegelin’s, I wouldn’t mind sticking around (though that really isn’t an option), while at NB Coffee, there’s nothing that has me wanting to stay.
The acoustics are kind of weird here, too. Enough that they stood out to me. No one was being loud or boisterous, but the place sounded busy and noisy. Not the most peaceful place to sit and enjoy your coffee.
Maybe they’re revamping/remodeling? Glancing at their website cover photo of the interior, it didn’t look like that when we were there. Maybe we’ll check back in a few months, but with the overpriced offerings here, I’m not sure if even a nicer environment would be enough of a lure.
New Braunfels Coffee: Order Up!
Pros:
CINNAMON ROLLS! Yummy, large coffee drinks.
Cons:
Feels disorganized. Not peaceful or a place one feels like lingering. Appears to be a limited selection in the display case and on the menu. Expensive for the quality.
Favorite on the List of New Braunfels Bakeries?
Yeah, I think it’s safe to say that 2Tarts is generally my favorite on this list. However, I love the available options in the area based on need, desire, and budget. If I want good coffee with my dessert, I’m willing to splurge on a fun spouse or son date at 2Tarts. If I want a fun, budget-friendly, family outing for a special treat, you can’t go wrong with Naegelin’s.
If you’re a fan of NB Coffee for a specific reason, I’m open to having my mind changed and opinion redeemed. Sell me on it! I wasn’t impressed, but I’ve only been once. Let me know.
While you’re at it, tell me what your favorite bakery in the area is, even if it’s not strictly downtown. I’d like to write a more comprehensive list of coffee houses, cafés, and bakeries in New Braunfels in the future.
Looking for other ideas for fun stuff to do in New Braunfels? Check out this list! Maybe hit up one of these local public parks, so your kids can run off the sugar from Naegelin treats!
Reach out, leave a comment, connect!