You, Me, and Caffeine: Week Three

Review of Ninth Street Bakery

This weeks review is of Ninth Street Bakery located in the heart of downtown Durham on, you guessed it, Ninth Street!

This weeks review is going to be a different one as Ninth Street bakery is technically not a coffee shop. I take full blame of this as when I put it on the list, it was listed with recommended places to visit. Rookie mistake but an experience I am glad I partook in.

Ninth Street Bakery is an establishment that has been apart of the Downtown Durham scene since the 80s. Originally, it was a small cafe and bakery run by husband and wife duo, but has since shifted to wholesale of bread and pastries to the greater Durham and Raleigh areas after the couples retirement.

First Impression

My first impression of the shop was not originally on the day I visited. It was actually when I was visiting another shop in the area that I came across a bag of cookies that were from there. The cookies were delicious and I knew it was a place to visit. The store is located in the heart of downtown Durham, so the only parking available is on the side streets. Not to worry because depending on the time of day and day of the week you go, there is plenty of spaces to park fairly close to the bakery. Walking up, you are greeted with the sights of an old manufacturing building that has a quaint outdoor space with some flower boxes surrounding the area all for patrons to enjoy some baked goods outside. Inside the bakery is a massive operation of baking. The main counter also greets you with all the bread and pastries you could think to have!

The Atmosphere

Because this technically isn't a coffee shop, and the day being very cold, I didn't encounter many people in and out of the bakery. When I walked it, I quickly placed my order and sat in the outdoor space that only had another couple. The bakery itself seemed to have an endless flow of customers coming and going at steady rates. Many of the customers would go inside, order their breads and pastries, and then proceed back to the cars. I was the only one to sit and stay for more than ten minutes. I'm sure if it were a more pleasant day, the outdoor space would be filled with people, but seeing as it was around 50 degrees in Durham then it wasn't busy at all.

Overall: I would give it a 1 out 5 people. The customers never stopped coming but there was plenty of outdoor seating for those who don't mind being exposed to the weather.

The Price

The prices of bread and pastries vary, but mostly stick to around $5 - $15 depending on what you oder. I ordered a small coffee, small hot chocolate, and ham and cheese croissant. Including the $1 tip I left, my total came out to $8.96.

Over all, I give it $ out of $$$$. For the cost of baked goods and drinks available.

The Coffee

Being the occasional dummy that I am, and not realizing this wasn't an actually coffee shop, I cannot give a rating on a Mocha this week because there isn't one to give. However, I am never one to not have a solution to my Mocha dilema. So I, being the self proclaimed quick thinker that I am, just combined the available hot chocolate and coffee, and created a "poor man's mocha". And I have to say, it wasn't half bad. It was rich, the coffee was good, and somehow I still created some foam from my constant stirring.

This combination is a five cup experience in my book but alas, I cannot give a rating for a drink that wasn't actually prepared by the skilful hands of a barista. So no rating is being given.

The Final Score

As a reminding, I am an amatuer coffee enthusiast. I hold relatively small expectations of what I think makes a good coffee shop that mostly revolve around having a welcoming atmosphere, reasonable prices, and most of all, good coffee.

Ninth Street Bakery, though not a coffee shop, has met these qualifications. Even though a mocha was not present in this review, there was still good coffee to be had and even better bread to be broken. So I happily give the first 5 out of 5 stars for this unique experience!

Like and Comment below! Fill free to share your experience or recommend other places in Durham I should try!