Juarez Bakery

If you think that Wichita is lacking in good local bakeries, then you have not paid a visit to Jaurez Bakery. While it’s location at 1068 N. Waco may be a bit off most people’s beaten paths, it is certainly worth the trip if you are looking for some authentic Mexican pastries. Juarez also doubles as a small grocery store, which stocks a variety of Hispanic food.

So Many Sweets to Choose From…

Once inside you are immediately drawn to the large selection of exquisite looking baked goods nicely displayed along the front wall. The bakery is self serve luckily, so you can take as much time as you would like to make your selections without holding up the line. This also forces you to exercise some degree of self control or you may walk out of Juarez with several bags full of treats. To begin your shopping experience just grab some tongs and a tray from the cashier counter and get to work.

And Still More…

The selection of baked goods at Juarez includes: pan dulces, churros, croissants, several varieties of cookies, doughnuts, cake, and even something that appeared to be in the shape of a pig.  Some of the sweets are labelled, but if in doubt the cashiers can help you with any questions.

On our most recent visit we selected a churro, a Mexican wedding cookie, a scone looking treat covered in chocolate, and
a cream filled doughnut. The churro and unidentified scone-like treat were our favorites. The deep fried churro tube had a crispy exterior that gave way to a dulce de leche filling. Rolled in cinnamon and sugar it was great. The scone looking thing tasted similar to a cake doughnut and had a delicious chocolate topping as well. The Mexican wedding cookie was just at it should be, dense and crumbly with a dusting of powdered sugar. The creme filled doughnut was just as good as any that you would find at your typical doughnut shop.

If you are looking for some great homemade pastries, Juarez Bakery is the place to go. With prices ranging from $0.75 to $2 per item it is also a great value compared to other sweet shops in the area.

Our Selections Included a Churro(top) and a Mexican Wedding Cookie(bottom)

Bagatelle Bakery- Wichita KS

One of Wichita’s dining/food weaknesses is the local bakery scene. There are only a handful of places that offer fresh baked delights and one of those is Bagatelle. Located on Harry just east of Woodlawn, Bagatelle has been turning out breads and pastries for a number of years as well as serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

After just one visit to this bakery/restaurant I am ready give it the award for “Most Eclectic Menu in Wichita” or “Most Likely Restaurant to serve Mexican, Lebanese, and French foods on the same day”.  Those are two categories that must be added to the Reader’s Choice Awards next year. We apparently visited on Mexican day, because the special was enchiladas, which complemented the quiches, soups, hummus, and ham sandwiches rather nicely. A bit taken back by the presence of enchiladas at a bakery I fell back on my old trusty friend, the ham and cheese croissant. I also got a cup of black bean soup for my side. Steph decided to go simple as well and ordered a turkey croissant with a side of hummus. Making our way to the decent sized seating area, we found a basket full of pita chips and well as some tasty ciabatta bread that was being offered to all customers. It looked like if we had gotten there earlier, there would have been some cake for dessert on the freebie table.

We enjoyed our generous bowl of hummus and as well as the cup of black bean soup and some ciabatta bread while waiting for the sandwiches to come out. The sandwiches eventually came out served with a simple pickle. Both the turkey and the ham sandwich came out the same with ample amounts of meat, several slices of cheese, and served on what was a very good croissant. Some people might have been taken aback by the lack of other ingredients, but it just reminded me of the way they serve sandwiches in France. When you have quality ingredients you don’t need a bunch of sauce and vegetables to get in the way.  Now I’m not saying the croissants at Bagatelle are as good as in Paris, but they are some of the better ones I have had stateside. We left Bagatelle full and satisfied with our experience. Steph was so full from lunch she actually passed up on some of the wonderful looking pastries behind the counter.

As far as the bread and pastry products go at Bagatelle, they had croissants, ciabatta bread, baguettes, and a wide variety other assorted pastries. If their baked goods menu is anything like the lunch and dinner menu I can only assume that it is rather dynamic and changes day-to-day. Similar to N and J’s, Bagatelle also offers bags of pita chips, cheeses, and seasonings. To sum it all up, Bagatelle offers a random assortment of good food, breads, and pastries at reasonable prices and they can even make you a wedding cake.

Baugatelle’s Daily Specials

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