Baker’s Kitchen: Bear Town’s Best Breakfast

Baker’s Kitchen Restaurant and Bakery combines American breakfast classics with the amazing New Bern downtown. Their iconic butter syrup has become a local phenomenon for good reason. A bite here is likely the first stop of many New Bern day trips.

New Bern Tries Baking

Located in the heart of historic New Bern is Baker’s Kitchen. It is fairly easy to find this storefront during brunch time. There is typically a small gaggle of people waiting to be seated on the weekends during breakfast. The streets are very charming and has me obsessed with the town. This is also very close to the New Bern Farmer’s Market and Tryon Palace. Though only 30 minutes from Yoder’s Dutch Pantry, we found the experience to be quite different.

The only parking available right next to the restaurant is street parking. I recommend parking at one of the near by parking lots maintained by the town. I was very worried about parking when we visited but the town has done an excellent job of marking the parking areas. At most intersections you can see a parking sign showing you which way to get to the nearest parking area. We parked at a parking area near S Front Street and Craven Street. If you want to plan your parking out further, feel free to check out the New Bern Official parking map.

Breakfast and Baked Goods

Baker’s Kitchen Restaurant and Bakery is focused on breakfast foods and baked goods. Unsurprisingly, they are very popular in New Bern area. The charming entryway has plenty of space linger while waiting to be seated. This is also where they have their Bakery area. The establishment leans on a rustic Americana vibe and it works well.

There are two main seating areas. The first floor seating area is just to your left when you come in the front door. The second floor seating area is accessible via the stairs next to the hostess station. We were seated on the first floor and found it quite spacious. Madilyn waved at some of the other kids in the area before settling in to color her entire kid’s menu.

The service and menu are family oriented. The menu is a short front and back which offers some great options. The “Hungry Farmer” has a great bang for the buck. Kaitlyn and I both got one and were absolutely stuffed when we left. I found the prices reasonable and the portions generous.

So What? It’s Another Breakfast Place

The two phenomena on the menu are the Dutch potatoes and the Butter Syrup. The Dutch potatoes are side items that I could have eaten a full bowl of. They are a mix of melty cheese, some spices and potatoes. As long as you do not have an aversion to potatoes or cheese, add them to you order and thank me later.

The Butter Syrup is the marquis condiment of Baker’s Kitchen. The exact mix of spices and ingredients is not highly advertised beyond what they put on the label. Nonetheless this butter and syrup mix is a great topping on pancakes and French toast. This breakfast condiment has received enough praise that they now sell it online.

Nothing in the restaurant was over the top but everything was executed extremely well without a single hiccup. One of my main complaints about near by Yoder’s Dutch Pantry was the excessive wait times without any ability to call ahead or reserve a table. You can absolutely reserve a table here at Baker’s. On top of that, if you do not have a reservation, the wait is reasonable since the seating area fits the demand for the restaurant. Wild.

That Old… Bear… Charm

One aspect of our visit that utterly shocked us was the manicured and charming downtown of New Bern. Being the original NC capitol through the American Revolution, there is a lot of history and tradition. The town has done a great job of keeping the streets picturesque and the retaining original architecture where possible. The town felt pedestrian friendly without making it difficult to drive.

There are some more modern areas but the historic downtown is alive and well. We decided to trot over to the New Bern Farmer’s Market after we had brunch to experience more of the charming community. You can also consider walking around the birth place of Pepsi, Union Point Park and Tryon Palace.

Overall

The Baker’s Kitchen Restaurant and Bakery is a simply excellent American breakfast establishment in downtown New Bern. Every part of the experience was polished and flowed well. The Butter Syrup is a local favorite worth trying and the cute surrounding area is sure to make this just the first stop on many day trips.

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