In Erie PA there are many local bakeries but not all of them specialize in the same delicious treats. I went around to three of these local bakeries in Erie, Art’s Bakery, Rex Brother’s Bakery and Brew Ha Ha. I got the same item from each, a simple, plain delicious chocolate chip cookie. In order to find who had the best chocolate chip cookie, I rated them all the same with the same view on all of them. These aspects included the look of the cookie meaning if it had crinkles or how golden brown it was, the texture of the cookie if it was dry or moist and finally, the taste of the cookie which is always important because who would want to eat a cookie with no flavor.
The first bakery I went to was the Rex Brother’s Bakery located at 3558 West 26th Street. They opened about two and a half years ago in September 2021. Not only are they a bakery, but they also serve breakfast and lunch. They have your basic breakfast foods and homemade pizza, subs and burgers for lunch. They also have many varieties of brownies, muffins, breads, cupcakes as well as traditional baked goods. Their most popular items are their cheesecakes, cupcakes and Baklava, which is a greek pastry filled with nuts and honey. If you’re someone looking for a birthday cake or sugar cookies with designs on them Rex’s has you covered. They take custom cake orders and cookie orders for any occasion. Now let’s get into the review. First, the appearance of the cookie is not so good. The cookie was golden brown on both the top and sides. The cookie didn’t seem to have a lot of chocolate chips in it. Although overall the cookie was pretty round and circular. When I first bit into the cookie it was dry and crumbly, but once you chewed it got a little better. For the taste of the cookie, the dough didn’t have a lot of flavor to it but the chocolate added to it a little more. Overall the cookie was pretty hard, and didn’t seem to burst with flavor. I gave this cookie two bites out of five mainly for it having enough chocolate chips and still being able to chew it considering its look.
The next bakery I went to was Art’s located at 4380 West Ridge Road. Art’s has been open since 1950 which is about seventy-five years now. They offer a variety of treats ranging from fruit and cream pies to cookies and breads and many more. Their most popular items are their pepperoni balls, chocolate chip cookies and their specialty breads. They are also experimenting with making different kinds of subs which are becoming popular. As far as customs go for them they can do anything with simple piping on it including sugar cookies or cakes. They however can not do any logos on anything. Art’s also hires at 15 and if you’re looking for a summer job and enjoy baking, Art’s might be the place for you. Now into the review of their popular chocolate chip cookie. First of all for the look this cookie was golden brown on the edges and had a good chocolate chip to dough ratio. Next, the texture of this cookie was amazing. Art’s cookie had the crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside perfected. Not to mention the inside was very moist. The overall taste of the cookie was good with every bite you got a good bit of chocolate chips and it helped the dough have flavor. The cookie was very soft and chewy, making it really delightful. Although for this cookie being pretty basic it definitely deserved five bites for just being so yummy and moist.
Thelast bakery I went to was Brew Ha Ha located at 2612 West 8th Street. They opened in October of 2013 which is eleven years of business. Brew Ha Ha isn’t set on being a bakery but they do have a pretty good range of baked goods. They are mainly known for their amazing coffee. Along the line of customs you can make your own coffee there and customize your sandwiches which they also offer. Now for their baked goods they have muffins, scones and of course cookies. Their cookies, specifically the chocolate chip one, is huge, almost the size of someone’s face. It had crinkles on top and was pretty golden brown all over but still looked moist. When you bite into this cookie it gives a lot of crisp on the outside but gets very moist on the inside. Also with every bite you take you get a handful of chocolate chips in it. At first the cookie is hard but not at all hard where you can’t bite into it. Overall this cookie was really good and really gave you the things you are really looking for in a good chocolate chip cookie. I said this cookie deserves about four bites just because it was very golden brown and a little too hard.
Whether you are someone who likes crispier cookies or softer ones or someone who doesn’t like cookies at all, these bakeries will definitely have something for you. Although on the topic of chocolate chip cookies, my favorite has to be Art’s just for delivering that simple, basic, but delicious chocolate chip cookie.
