Lyndell’s Bakery

Looks closed… I spotted a «For Rent» sign on the window as I passed by on the other side of the street.

Oh holy heart attack. I literally couldn’t help myself from grunting as I put each fork of tiramisu into my mouth. Top that off with an espresso and I am in italian heaven!
3 stars because the girls behind the counter were standoffish and more interested in gossiping about facebook than helping us. Still though… that food was good!

A homemade donut /​pastry shop = a good thing
A homemade donut /​pastry shop which is 2 minutes from my house = EVEN BETTER!
Having not yet sampled the pastries, I will only comment on the donuts which I have now consumed aplenty. The jelly donut is delicious, with a rather unusual texture (almost like homemade jam) to the filling that seems to be a hybrid grape and black raspberry.
The glazed was very light and the coating delicious.
The cake cinnamon-​sugar cruller, formed into a small, fat twist, was not only aesthetically pleasing but delicious to dunk.
All in all, if you’re in Somerville and looking for donuts, Lyndell’s is a must try.

While at my favorite place for sweets, Babycakes, the owner told me that I should try Lyndell’s. SO I took her advice. They didn’t overcome the wonderment that is a baby cake but they are now holding strong in second place.
Here is what I have tried and have to say:
Raspberry Cookies (in any variety) — loaded with filling and perfect
Half Moon Cake — a little too rich but if you want decadent icing go for it
Boston Cream Pie — Perfect
Apple Pie Tart — OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG SOOO GOOD
Cannolli — eh, i don’t like them in general though
Fruit tart — FABULOUS!
Service — not always with a smile but hey I am a picky person.

I was sorely disappointed. I read up on my cupcake places and a lot of articles/​people recommended Lyndell’s. Unfortunately, their pastries were pretty lackluster.
I ordered a fruit tart, which was what everyone suggested I didn’t like the taste of the custard they used. The fruits were fresh, which I appreciated. I thought the crust was way too thick and hard. I felt like it was a tough battle for my teeth to bite through it.
The cupcake was dry and just not very good at all. The tiramisu was also bad.
Although the girl behind the counter was unbelievably nice, I probably won’t be coming back.

I have been looking for years for a replacement to the ridiculously factory made not really tasty sometimes stale offerings that Mikes has. What a tourist trap!
Yes, I love Modern and wait in line for what seems like eternity at times for a cannoli and their amazing tiramisu almost without knowing or fully understanding how they have their seating and takeout lines… BUT
Lyndells down the street has the best half moons or black and whites (whatever you call them) in all of Boston. Don’t waste your time thinking of something else to get there, people are right, it’s small and I find all the other things just average but the half moons and black and whites are orgasmic!

I must say I have zero experience with Boston bakeries. It was suggested we go to Mike’s Bakery, but since the place was packed, and so were our stomachs, we walked on by.
We walked up and down the street trying to pick a place to enjoy a drink, and after walking past all of these bakeries and people walking by with string-​tied packages, I thought we should suck it up and join in the fun.
Lyndell’s boasted its place in the bakery world as New England’s oldest bakery (I think that’s what the sign said) so I figured they must be as good as any. We decided to stop in and see what we could find.
The place was teeeeny! But since there were not that many people in there, it wasn’t a problem. There were only two cases of pastries, including doughnuts, cupcakes, macaroons, cookies, turnovers, etc. We opted for a red velvet cupcake, a coconut macaroon, and a raspberry turnover.
We didn’t eat these until our walk home (I wasn’t sure if we could eat them in a bar, and we were still pretty full from dinner) so we enjoyed them on our way back to the hotel.
Fiancé says of his red velvet cupcake, ‘It was ok. It wasn’t bad, you know?’ My raspberry turnover was all right as well… not something I’d go there specifically to eat. The best part for me was the macaroon. I enjoyed it a lot.
So, not bad, not amazing, but a fun Boston experience. I wonder what makes Mike’s so great, or if it’s just a tourist attraction?

Several opinions that I respect praised Lyndell’s, so on a foray into the North End, I skipped the usual trip to Mike’s for cannoli and some pistachio macaroons and headed straight for Lyndell’s.
Unlike Mike’s or Modern, there was no line to get in. This was good for me, bad for them, I suppose.
I ordered a cannolo and was delighted to wait while the shell was filled. Since they weren’t busy, they wouldn’t have had enough turn around for pre-​stuffed shells to be viable.
The girl behind the counter was nice and I didn’t have to wait long.
But here’s the thing. The cannolo was okay, but just okay. Certainly not better than any cannoli I can get out west, so why head to the North End? And it was kind of small, and it cost almost $ 5. WTF?
But, you know, lesson learned.

What is perfection? I may have found it at Lyndell’s. I don’t even like sweets. I even skipped lunch for this afternoon snack.
I found awesomeness in the form of a fresh ricotta cream cannulo, topped with toasted sliced almonds, and flavored oh so slightly with vanilla. Mmm… the flaky hollow that made a home for the cream was crumbly and rich. But, perfection. I discovered perfection in the cake batter (I should start giving props to people who actually order this shit)… Mariah discovered perfection in the cake batter. That of a moon cake carefully spread with perfectly dense vanilla frosting. The moon cake … its consistency was immaculate.
Both were pure, edible satisfaction.

The first time I had these cupcakes was at the location in Somerville. There they were going for $ 1 and I thought they were a tasty cheap treat.
I visited the new location which is so much tinier. The cupcakes are the same exact thing, I know the new rent is more money obviously, hence the price of each was jacked up to $ 2.25. The vanilla cupcake was fresh. I enjoyed it as I walked around the North End. The red velvet one was stale. The corners were rock hard and it just crumbled. The location was jammed with tourists. The girls behind the counter were dealing with people in the weigh who didn’t know what they wanted, then asked for anyone who did know their order to come to the front. It was hectic. I won’t go back since Somerville is more pleasant, half the price, and I think fresher too!

I have noticed that a lot of the other reviews for the North End Lyndell’s compare it to Mike’s or Modern. Some call it a new comer. Although Lyndell’s does not have a history in the North End, it has been a landmark and local favorite in Somerville. The Somerville Lyndell’s has been open for over a hundred years.
Lyndell’s is a more American bakery, so going there expecting an Italian specialty like sfogliatella is setting yourself up for disappointment. I love their cookies, cupcakes, and lemon donuts.
I think you should give this place a try, just know exactly what it is before you go in.

Not bad. New shop owner, new name (formerly Lulu’s), and different bakery source (though one of the oldest in town from what I understand).
Cupcakes are PURTY! Too purty. I almost wanted to frame it and hang it on the wall. Not bad to the taste. I’ve had better, but for this town, it’s decent. Surprisingly, still had a bit of that homemade taste, unlike some of the faker-​looking pretty sculptured cupcake places.
The canoli’s are average. I prefer those in modern bakery down a few doors. Price? Relative to the other cupcake stores, fair, but I still hate parting with $ 3 for what is no bigger than a mouthful of sugar and bread.

I ventured in here only because mikes and moderns had long, long lines and we were not in the mood to wait and deal with pesky line cutters!
We ordered 4 cupcakes and shared them all. We got a peanutbutter chocolate cupcake, red velvet cupcake, oreo cupcake, and a strawberry cupcake. The best was the oreo cupcake! It was delicious and true to the taste of an oreo cookie. The pb chocolate one was horrible. You could not taste peanut butter at all… i could have made this one better myself with my eyes closed! The red velvet was amazing as well with a unique yet amazing frosting. The strawberry had a very moist cake and strawberry flavored frosting. The counter help seemed annoyed and slow. But who cares, i got my sugar fix!

I’m bumping you up Lyndells! I went in here last night and gave you another change! I’m really glad I did. I was with several of my friends and we all got cupcakes and half moons!
NO bitchy counter person. Two very sweet counter girls who were polite and helped everyone in our party with smiles on their faces! A nice change! Very cool! Especially being on a Saturday night when it was packed! They were completely frazzled and they smiles never left their faces! Now that’s what made me have to come back here and bump up your stars!
Not only that. But, the cupcakes were reallly good, too. As were the half moons! The cake was very moist and the frosting on the cupcake was the perfect sugary delight I love! The half moons were awesome!!!

I couldn’t sleep last night. Instead, I tossed and turned, thinking about the half-​moon cookie I’d eaten that afternoon from Lyndell’s. «Cookie» is a misnomer for this delightful concoction; the version that Lyndell’s makes is really more like cake. Soft, fluffy cake generously topped with a blissfully thick layer of vanilla and chocolate frosting. If you have a sweet tooth, you will not be disappointed.
I rolled over, looked out the window, and saw the moon gleaming in the sky. If only it had been a half-​moon cookie, slowly sailing through the sky to my mouth.

Most people, when they find what they are looking for, stop looking. They hunker down, satisfied with the glow of their treasure, content with the ideal that their mission is now over.
I am not most people. Though I am positive I’ve found the best cupcake ever (which is not here and not even in Boston, sadly), my thirst for frosting and longing for moist cake has not been quenched. My assiduous nature has taken control, pushing me to uncover more treats thus broadening my repertoire of dessert knowledge.
And just where does Lyndell’s fit into this picture? Somewhere in the upper region of tasty. More typical bakery, less designer creation, Lyndell’s is an old-​school establishment who isn’t trying to knock your socks off with fancy shit. I had their cupcakes a few times; once at an event and I thought they were dry, lacking icing and just not done very well. Then, I went into the store and things were very, very different. On premise, their wares are reliable, with some decent variety, and it’s a damn good example of how a cupcake should taste.
Being more a cupcake consumer than a cannoli gal, Lyndell’s provides a viably satisfying option after a big, carb-​loaded dinner in the North End!

I’m a native New Yorker and we think we know everything about black and white cookies, or half moons, as Bostonians call them. Lyndell’s proved me wrong tonight.
This was absolutely, positively, the most delicious half moon cookie I have ever eaten in my entire life. The cookie was moist and delicious. It was almost cake-​like in texture while still retaining a cookie consistency. I have no idea how Lyndell’s did that. And the frosting. I’m drooling just thinking about it. So fresh and flavorful. I’ve never tasted frosting like that before on a cookie. Can’t wait to make the trip to their original location.

The fiancé and I have pretty big sweet tooths (teeth?), and sometimes, that late night craving for something sweet other than ice cream kicks in. Cupcakes are usually the perfect solution, but when no bakeries in the Tufts area seem to stay open past dinner, and Kickass Cupcakes is a waste of an attempt to satiate that craving, what’s a young cake-​craving couple to do?
After looking at the reviews for Lyndell’s, (and seeing several people refer to Lyndell’s as a better alternative when leaving bad reviews at Kickass Cupcakes), we decided to try it out.
Almost 9pm. Drove into the North End. Found a parking spot right away. It was destiny.
We got a lobster tail, a red velvet cupcake, a black and white, and a vanilla/​vanilla cupcake (not to eat all at once!) and went on our merry way.
I got through half of my black and white (and even then I had to pace myself for fear of ‘tossing my ‘cookie” from sugar overload) and it was AMAZING. Slightly crunchy buttercreamy frosting. Perfectly vanilla, richly chocolate. The cake was moist and fluffy without being heavy. It’s a lot of frosting to cake ratio, but isn’t it better to have to scrape some off and eat it later than to feel like there isn’t enough?
The lobster tail was delicious as well. Probably would have been crispier earlier in the day, but we walked in less than an hour til closing time. Considering that, the cake on my black and white was so fresh. I was expecting everything to be a little stale and was so pleasantly surprised. And the prices were so reasonable for the quality and size of the food!
Now I’ll know exactly where to go to get a cupcake when the mood strikes. Hopefully next time the mood will strike earlier so I can go to the Somerville location too!

I went there expecting Lulu’s which had apparently gone out of business. The girl behind the counter said they kept one of the bakers and a few of Lulu’s cupcakes (namely the Red Velvet and the Marshmallow filled) I opted for a plain chocolate cupcake to have direct comparison to my standard Lulu’s choice. It was dry, obviously not fresh, and the icing tasted like it came off a supermarket shelf. As a matter of fact, I’ve had better supermarket cupcakes than this. That being said my husband enjoyed the chocolate mouse cake. But it’s just not the same for me. I’m so disappointed Lulu’s is gone.
Also there is no way you can compare this to Mike’s or Moderns. One goes to Mike’s for traditional italian pastries: biscotti, fresh filled canolis, ricotta pie, that sort of stuff. I wouldn’t go to Mikes to buy a cupcake. Likewise I wouldn’t expect Lulu’s, or Lyndell’s for that matter, to have a sfogliatelle that could even compare to Mike’s.

Move over Modern, mind yourself Mike’s and make way Maria’s — there’s a new old kid on the block: Lyndell’s has arrived to the North End.
In the sliver of a shoppe where Lulu’s used to be, the new Hanover Street location has enough space for a what matters. And what matters is a sprawling display case chock full o’ pastries, tarts, cannoli shells (filled to order, duh) and those world-​renowned cupcakes.
Today’s trip included the most densely delicious red velvet cupcake, a surprise van-​on-​choc cuppie for the girl (which will get me laid!) and a savory apple pocket ($ 6). For most places tapped in to the cupcake trend, the focus is on the either the frosting or the cake. Lyndell’s sticks to its winning recipe and nails both with an expertise like none other.
Already a staple to the loyal followers of its original Somerville storefront, the lovely Lyndell folks have brought their goods to what could be called the already saturated bakery mecca of Boston proper. Why will they be successful? Same reason their hallmark spot has been in business for 39,119 days: old fashioned quality.