These donuts! It's so hard to find a good donut and these are hands down the best in the area! It shows that they make their batter from scratch and fresh every day. Most importantly, it really shows that they use clean fryer oil. The donuts are light and fluffy, and you don't get that oily feeling of regret afterwards! woot woot! That's always a good thing. My only gripe is that the chocolate cake donut frosting could be better. Something about it is a little margarine or over-preserved tasting. Go with the raised glazed, it's heavenly.
(4)
Tim C.
They have the best sugar cookies!
(5)
Brett S.
I've been here twice now, once for desert only and once for lunch and desert. I had the steak sandwich for lunch and it was excellent. Both times I had some of there cheesecake. I really like it, but the first time I thought they actually made it there. They buy it from a company in Pennsylvania though.
(5)
Adriane P.
A trip to Kalona in the heart of Amish country isn't complete without a visit to Kalona Bakery. Everything is made homemade from 100's year old family recipes with the same basic wholesome ingredients their ancestors used. I think the area they excel is their pies, pastries, cookies, and pasta. During the fall they have a pecan pie which is stupendous, with a perfect consistency and crust. I have enjoyed the tart and scrumptious RASPBERRY PIE also. Perfection especially served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Did I mention tart? Gooseberry pie has made an appearance and this green meanie was like CANDY...in a pie! The old fashioned cinnamon rolls, while not my cuppa tea, cause my family to swoon. The fresh donuts are always a hit for weekend guests and co workers. They serve sandwiches, soups and salads too which are really simple but use local ingredients straight of the the farm. The friendly staff are Amish and knowledgeable. It's great giving business to humble small farm and baking families rather than a big fat cat corporation. To the right of the shop there's an expanded seating area that has a viewing room where you can watch pastas and breads being made and enjoy your lunch or treat. Also, they sell the Kalona Bakery Old-Fashioned Amish Country Cook Book with many recipes. We got one and I used it to make snicker doodles and they came out puffy fat boys, so that particular recipe may have a typo and you can just tell everyone they are cinnamon mini scones. Like I did LOL. I brought them to an event and they were dunzo in hours and everyone was gushing about them so still tasty cakes. Also the recipes make HUGE amounts (I think they cook for huge families on each farm). -"The more you know!"-comet flies past. Guten appetit!!
(4)
Tonya G.
We stopped for a quick lunch at Kalona Bakery. The sandwiches were delicious. I think the fresh tomatoes and super soft bread truly made them amazing! Yum! There was a cute area to sit and eat. I think the only bad thing about this place was swatting flies the entire time. That part was pretty gross. The prices were incredibly cheap. I would definitely return to this place, but take the food to go.
(4)
Matt U.
Kalona bakery is a pretty classic small town bakery. Upon entering you're greeted by a small dining area that's reminiscent of a time when everyone wore a hat and a nickle bought you lunch. It's a nice little area where you can sit for lunch or after getting something carb-tastic from the case. They've got a good selection of cakes, pies and other pleasantries. I was most impressed with the "Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls" which looked to consist of one part roll and two parts frosting - quite delicious looking! We had already been to a couple places in the area so the sampling was limited, however, we tried a couple cookies and a donut between the group and all were solid. The peanut butter, chocolate chip, oatmeal cookie was especially nice w/ a cup of coffee and the donut w/ tried was pretty standard, but very good. The folks who work here were very helpful and friendly, and made the experience especially pleasant. This is a nice place to stop in when you're looking for a quick lunch w/ friends, looking for a place to stop in during some small town exploration, or if you're just looking for a good place to grab a pie. It's well worth the trip down to Kalona and with the large number of small town shops to check out in the area, you can certainly make a couple stops throughout an afternoon.
(4)
Kathleen M.
What a tasty treat to have such a good lunch! There was so much to choose from that I will have to be back. I had the pulled pork sandwich on a wheat bun with the sauce on the side and macaroni salad plus raspberry pie. I loved the sandwich but not the side so I gave it to my husband. I gobbled up the pie. It was over 100 degrees outside and their ac was definitely not keeping up. I understand, it was a hot day. The bathroom also shares the space with the utility closet, hot water heater. Little bit odd, I think this could be improved. But the food was great. I would definitely come again. This was the kind of place I was seeking the whole trip, a cute small town place with really good food. If you are driving on 80 through Iowa this town and this bakery definitely deserve a stop! Quilts! Bakeries! Amish Community! What is not to love?
(4)
Austin B.
The "Grandma's Old-fashioned Cinnamon Rolls" taste almost exactly like me dearly departed grandma's cinnamon rolls. For this reason, Kalona Bakery gets a lot of respect. Glazed donuts are awesomely fluffy as well. Their grilled tenderloin is lame though. I think you can take a pass on anything coming off the grill, just get the cinnamon rolls.
(4)
Lucy S.
I love the Kalona Bakery. You can get their pies and cookies at Fairway stores in Iowa City, but if you have the time, I can't think of a more pleasant afternoon than to drive over to Kalona, poke around the antique and furniture stores, and then hang out for a bit at the Kalona Bakery. They have a small seating area that's kind of old-timey (you'll feel like it is 1957), and despite Kalona's tourist appeal, there aren't a lot of other places like this in town. Their sandwiches are just okay (your basic turkey, ham, BLT kind of stuff), nothing super exciting, but they do a brisk business in baked sweets. I have not had a cinnamon roll since I was about fourteen but I was like, REALLY close to having one for dinner last night when we stopped into the Bakery just before close. Half their weight is frosting. I managed to abstain, though. Instead we picked up a frozen cherry pie along with their spice mix for meatloaf. We made a big meal once we got home that felt very middle America and ain't nothing wrong with that, especially as the Kalona bakery's products are pretty simplified and natural (though not organic). They also sell homemade noodles which we bought for a german beef stew last year--excellent.
(4)
Doug W.
We took a nice daytrip to Kalona from Iowa City on a beautiful fall Saturday. Kalona Bakery was a nice stop for lunch and a treat. The BLT and hamburger we got were sorta unremarkable, but with an iced tea and cup of soup for only $4.75 it was pretty much a steal. At first the service was a little slow in bringing out our food (they had actually forgotten because of a mini-rush of customers). But not a problem! The extremely nice girl who took our order brought it out along with two complimentary giant ice cream sandwiches! Score! Nice place to sit and have a snack on a lazy weekend afternoon, and then go check out the antique stores down the street.
(4)
Mill V.
We got donuts, and tasted stale and dry. Also split a cinnamon roll and was also dry. They make their own noodles. I wasn't a fan with what I got.
Rachel L.
These donuts! It's so hard to find a good donut and these are hands down the best in the area! It shows that they make their batter from scratch and fresh every day. Most importantly, it really shows that they use clean fryer oil. The donuts are light and fluffy, and you don't get that oily feeling of regret afterwards! woot woot! That's always a good thing. My only gripe is that the chocolate cake donut frosting could be better. Something about it is a little margarine or over-preserved tasting. Go with the raised glazed, it's heavenly.
(4)Tim C.
They have the best sugar cookies!
(5)Brett S.
I've been here twice now, once for desert only and once for lunch and desert. I had the steak sandwich for lunch and it was excellent. Both times I had some of there cheesecake. I really like it, but the first time I thought they actually made it there. They buy it from a company in Pennsylvania though.
(5)Adriane P.
A trip to Kalona in the heart of Amish country isn't complete without a visit to Kalona Bakery. Everything is made homemade from 100's year old family recipes with the same basic wholesome ingredients their ancestors used. I think the area they excel is their pies, pastries, cookies, and pasta. During the fall they have a pecan pie which is stupendous, with a perfect consistency and crust. I have enjoyed the tart and scrumptious RASPBERRY PIE also. Perfection especially served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Did I mention tart? Gooseberry pie has made an appearance and this green meanie was like CANDY...in a pie! The old fashioned cinnamon rolls, while not my cuppa tea, cause my family to swoon. The fresh donuts are always a hit for weekend guests and co workers. They serve sandwiches, soups and salads too which are really simple but use local ingredients straight of the the farm. The friendly staff are Amish and knowledgeable. It's great giving business to humble small farm and baking families rather than a big fat cat corporation. To the right of the shop there's an expanded seating area that has a viewing room where you can watch pastas and breads being made and enjoy your lunch or treat. Also, they sell the Kalona Bakery Old-Fashioned Amish Country Cook Book with many recipes. We got one and I used it to make snicker doodles and they came out puffy fat boys, so that particular recipe may have a typo and you can just tell everyone they are cinnamon mini scones. Like I did LOL. I brought them to an event and they were dunzo in hours and everyone was gushing about them so still tasty cakes. Also the recipes make HUGE amounts (I think they cook for huge families on each farm). -"The more you know!"-comet flies past. Guten appetit!!
(4)Tonya G.
We stopped for a quick lunch at Kalona Bakery. The sandwiches were delicious. I think the fresh tomatoes and super soft bread truly made them amazing! Yum! There was a cute area to sit and eat. I think the only bad thing about this place was swatting flies the entire time. That part was pretty gross. The prices were incredibly cheap. I would definitely return to this place, but take the food to go.
(4)Matt U.
Kalona bakery is a pretty classic small town bakery. Upon entering you're greeted by a small dining area that's reminiscent of a time when everyone wore a hat and a nickle bought you lunch. It's a nice little area where you can sit for lunch or after getting something carb-tastic from the case. They've got a good selection of cakes, pies and other pleasantries. I was most impressed with the "Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls" which looked to consist of one part roll and two parts frosting - quite delicious looking! We had already been to a couple places in the area so the sampling was limited, however, we tried a couple cookies and a donut between the group and all were solid. The peanut butter, chocolate chip, oatmeal cookie was especially nice w/ a cup of coffee and the donut w/ tried was pretty standard, but very good. The folks who work here were very helpful and friendly, and made the experience especially pleasant. This is a nice place to stop in when you're looking for a quick lunch w/ friends, looking for a place to stop in during some small town exploration, or if you're just looking for a good place to grab a pie. It's well worth the trip down to Kalona and with the large number of small town shops to check out in the area, you can certainly make a couple stops throughout an afternoon.
(4)Kathleen M.
What a tasty treat to have such a good lunch! There was so much to choose from that I will have to be back. I had the pulled pork sandwich on a wheat bun with the sauce on the side and macaroni salad plus raspberry pie. I loved the sandwich but not the side so I gave it to my husband. I gobbled up the pie. It was over 100 degrees outside and their ac was definitely not keeping up. I understand, it was a hot day. The bathroom also shares the space with the utility closet, hot water heater. Little bit odd, I think this could be improved. But the food was great. I would definitely come again. This was the kind of place I was seeking the whole trip, a cute small town place with really good food. If you are driving on 80 through Iowa this town and this bakery definitely deserve a stop! Quilts! Bakeries! Amish Community! What is not to love?
(4)Austin B.
The "Grandma's Old-fashioned Cinnamon Rolls" taste almost exactly like me dearly departed grandma's cinnamon rolls. For this reason, Kalona Bakery gets a lot of respect. Glazed donuts are awesomely fluffy as well. Their grilled tenderloin is lame though. I think you can take a pass on anything coming off the grill, just get the cinnamon rolls.
(4)Lucy S.
I love the Kalona Bakery. You can get their pies and cookies at Fairway stores in Iowa City, but if you have the time, I can't think of a more pleasant afternoon than to drive over to Kalona, poke around the antique and furniture stores, and then hang out for a bit at the Kalona Bakery. They have a small seating area that's kind of old-timey (you'll feel like it is 1957), and despite Kalona's tourist appeal, there aren't a lot of other places like this in town. Their sandwiches are just okay (your basic turkey, ham, BLT kind of stuff), nothing super exciting, but they do a brisk business in baked sweets. I have not had a cinnamon roll since I was about fourteen but I was like, REALLY close to having one for dinner last night when we stopped into the Bakery just before close. Half their weight is frosting. I managed to abstain, though. Instead we picked up a frozen cherry pie along with their spice mix for meatloaf. We made a big meal once we got home that felt very middle America and ain't nothing wrong with that, especially as the Kalona bakery's products are pretty simplified and natural (though not organic). They also sell homemade noodles which we bought for a german beef stew last year--excellent.
(4)Doug W.
We took a nice daytrip to Kalona from Iowa City on a beautiful fall Saturday. Kalona Bakery was a nice stop for lunch and a treat. The BLT and hamburger we got were sorta unremarkable, but with an iced tea and cup of soup for only $4.75 it was pretty much a steal. At first the service was a little slow in bringing out our food (they had actually forgotten because of a mini-rush of customers). But not a problem! The extremely nice girl who took our order brought it out along with two complimentary giant ice cream sandwiches! Score! Nice place to sit and have a snack on a lazy weekend afternoon, and then go check out the antique stores down the street.
(4)Mill V.
We got donuts, and tasted stale and dry. Also split a cinnamon roll and was also dry. They make their own noodles. I wasn't a fan with what I got.
(2)