Mad Hatter's Bake Shop

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1802 W Main St
Durham, NC 27705

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(919) 286-1987
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Reviews
( 23 )
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( 9 )

Best

We would go here anytime! My family has gotten lunch there many times and the food has always been wonderful. They have a nice selection and healthy options for kids. Their bak...

Worst

I took a friend here for coffee today and was amazed to find out that the Mad Hatter charges $5.00 for an iced mocha. It was just a bit of coffee and chocolate milk in a plastic ...

Great Cake, Better Food 9/22/2006

My Family has been getting cakes from the madhatters for years and the cakes have always been great, but what really makes the cake is the custom decorating and great service. The atmosphere is also warm and inviting with free wi-fi(which can be pain during lunch). The food fresh and unique, the salmon and crab cakes are some of the best in town, and the hot thai wrap is always a great fall back. The one item I would stay away from is the noodle bowls. Also their new breakfast menu is a great change. Pros: Cake, service, food Cons: noodle bowls, wi-fi use during lunch eats up to many tables more
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Bad food, nice decor 9/7/2006

The Mad hatter is attractive and well lit. There's free wireless and a strip of power outlets on the wall. But please, don't eat there. We were there once and ordered french fries which were clearly made with old oil. The second time, we went for dinner. The food was served cold, and my mom got sick. To make up for the bad food, they gave us a free cake, which tasted like plastic or freezer burn. Pros: Friendly service, nice decor, wireless/laptop plugs Cons: Really bad food. Be careful. more
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always a pleasure 9/4/2006

Check out the new menu! Very good. I love that the mad hatter's changes their menu every so often. The rant about cake tasting is stupid. My friend did a wedding cake there and there is no price minimun. They have a set price per person. This amount was still the lowest around for comparible cake. Pros: food, value, dessert more
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a wonderful place to eat and the best desserts in the tiangle 9/4/2006

i LOVE the mad hatter! great new menu -yummy!! - you cannot get this quality anywhere without paying twice the price. i don't know what is up with the reviews saying the cakes were just okay... i get all my sweets and ""occasion"" cakes from here and they are fantastic - delicious and sooo beautiful - comparing them to wherehouse cakes is CRIMINAL! who are these people? i do agree that the mad hatter's is busy though - as one would expect from such a great place... hopefully they will open another location soon! my friends in chapel hill would love to have one out there... Pros: food quality, service more
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Not as good as it used to be 7/25/2006

I used to think it was such a treat to visit Mad Hatter's in their original location. Loved breakfast and the desserts were to die for. The new location is even better but I think qualilty has suffered. The last 3 cakes I've ordered tasted stale. I even asked it the cake was fresh and was assured it would be made the day ordered but it definitely tasted stale. They must freeze the cake and assemble when requested. I'll still consider an occasional breakfast or brunch (if I can find a place to sit) but I'm passing on the desserts. More trendy than actual quality. more
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Don't trust the cake 7/18/2006

I know that some swear that this is the best cake available, but really it's just okay cake. The frosting has an odd texture and the cake themselves are not that flavorful. I've had much better sucess with their meals. Every meal I've tried has been fresh and tasty. I actually think Costco has a much better tasting cake. Pros: Fresh good food Cons: Unimpressive desserts more
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Great place 4/26/2006

My fiance and I try to make it at least once a week for brunch (on the weekends) or a lunch date (during the week). We love it, but I have to tell him what I want and while he's in line I will go hunt for a table. We have found this strategy works the best :) Also, it gets slightly annoying when its a busy Sunday morning and there are 20 people waiting for a seat (sometimes with their food in hand) and there is someone with a laptop sitting alone at a 4 top table. Pros: great food, nice place, decent price Cons: seating, parking more
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Wonderful Brunch 4/17/2006

Went for brunch this Saturday and had the most amazing eggs benedict. My hubby tried the veggie omelet with organic shitake mushrooms, the food was superb. I picked up some cupcakes for Easter Sunday and had such a pleasant time. Theyre a real treasure to Durham. more
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I just don't get it 3/10/2006

Pastries about as good as you could find... at a grocery store. Mediocre coffee. Barely adequate breakfast. I can't, for the life of me figure out why this place gets any love at all. The simple fact that there's a dirth of breakfast joints around goes some way to explain why people actually come here, but that doesn't mean you have to like it. Despite this, people seem brainwashed. ""Ooh, we got our cake from Mad Hatter!"" Big deal. There are a few good bakeries in the area and this isn't one of them. Heck, I've gotten better stuff from the big membership wholesale places. Cons: general quality more
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Wedding cake experience chased me away 2/13/2006

I have frequented Mad Hatter's since they opened at their original location. I've become a regular and love the free coffee refills and wireless internet. Service has always been friendly and fast. I was disappointed however when I recently tried to order a wedding cake. I approached the owner/manager for information about ordering a cake and he bluntly asked me if I had $500. I was astounded at the price of the cake but more so at the rudeness of the man. He was unwilling to give me additional information about the cake and told me that unless I spent $500 a tasting was out of the question as the Mad Hatter was ""a cakeshop that would go broke if people had a tasting for every little $100 cake they sold"". I am sad to say that I will no longer frequent the restaurant and will take my $500 elsewhere. Pros: wi-fi, free coffee refills, friendly cashiers Cons: rude manager, overpriced more
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Great food 1/25/2006

This place has really great food for brunch or lunch. It's a little pricy for what it is, but the food is very good. more
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Changed for the worse 11/28/2005

I was scared that the Madhatter would go down hill when it was sold to the owners fo Saladliea, just a few months in almost the entire staff has turned over, most of whom had been there for years, the wasabi salmon wrap was 95% rice 4%asian slaw and 1% salmon for 10+. If you like to be cheated on food and see employees mistreated till they quit then you'll love the new regime at the Madhatter. Pros: don't eat here Cons: Owners abuse employees, food quility has tanked more
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I Love This Place!!! 11/18/2005

I just moved to Durham and found my new favorite place! The food was very fresh, the coffee is fantastic, and the cakes are to die for! Very friendly staff and a comfortable atmoshere make this place my new favorite hang out. I highly suggest the bananas foster cake. Pros: great cakes, friendly service, best coffee Cons: limited parking more
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Horrible Service 10/27/2005

I thought this cafe was so cute and I loved the name. My experience dining there was horrible. I ordered the lunch special (I came at 1:15pm). It was a simply steak taco, but it took 20 minutes for it to arrive and it only arrived after I brought it to the attention of the server. 10 minutes later, my entree arrived with a weak excuse that it takes a while to prepare my dish!! It is fried steak, cheese and tomatoes! It only takes 5 minutes...not to mention my extra side of sour cream (that I paid for) was missing. Pros: looks cute Cons: slow service , high prices, indifference to custo more
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POOR SERVICE FOR WEDDING CAKES!!! 10/13/2005

Recommended by many as THE place to get a wedding cake, but staying away because of the horrendous customer service. Made numerous calls and emailed the wedding cake specialist since I live in Raleigh and my fiancé lives in Chapel Hill. No email response, its been two weeks! Left three messages for the wedding cake specialist to call me back. The staff seems very inconvenienced and annoyed with answering the phone. Once I was asked to hold on the phone and subsequently asked for my name and number so he could return my call in a couple minutes to take my message. Give me a break! FINALLY received a call today from an annoyed individual - judging by his rudeness. He quoted an absurd rate per person ($$$$$ dollars per slice) - more than the best in the Triangle! We will happily take our business elsewhere and spread the word! Pros: supposedly tasty cake Cons: $$$$$, Low phone/email skill more
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Great for a lazy afternoon 5/29/2005

I keep going there because the veggie burger is awesome (big and just as full of fat as a meat burger, with delicious thick fries!), and it's a great place for an early breakfast. The iced cookies seem to be made more for appearance than for taste, but they've grown on me. I've also had some good muffins there. I haven't found that many other things I like on the menu, but a few good things are enough for me. Sometimes (but not always), the service has been slow, so don't go there when you're in a hurry. Also, watch out for peak times. There are WAY too many people there for Sunday brunch (it's too popular!). Pros: ambience, laptop outlets, beautiful baked goods Cons: parking, crowds at peak hours, slow service more
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Good breakfast...otherwise unimpressive 2/4/2005

I'm a self-proclaimed choco-holic with no desire for sobriety, but Mad Hatter always lets me down. Sure, their cookies are the best around, and they make an out-of-this-world strawberry shortcake, but when it comes to anything chocolate don't waste your time here. I'll admit I'm a bit of a chocolate snob, but there are plenty of places in the Triangle that serve excellent chocolate cakes, cheesecakes, and mousses; Mad Hatter just doesn't cut it. I like their breakfast food but I'm always disappointed with lunch. I was so excited to see gnocchi on their menu, but it was truly dreadful. This seems to happen every time I visit Mad Hatterthe menu looks great, and the food disappoints. I now stay away unless Im looking for a good cookie or a non-chocolate cake. I know this place is widely liked, but I can't for the life of me figure out why. Pros: awesome cookies, good breakfast food Cons: no good chocolate, mediocre lunches, no good chocolate more
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Greatest wedding cakes ever! 10/19/2004

I recently got married and we got our wedding cake from mad hatters. The cake was so amazing, and the price was wonderful! We got an amazing service from them. their cakes are probably the best ones i've ever had in the area. It's also a great breakfast and lunch spot, with organic foods, and a very wide variety. Pros: Great food and cakes, Great service, Beautiful ambience more
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Tasty, but expensive 9/16/2004

Enjoyed a delicious breakfast with pancakes that were made just right (not too cakey, not too dry) and were reasonably priced for a stack of 3. My daughter's Belgian waffle was also tasty. Howevever, their cookies are overpriced, as are their coffee drinks (and I thought no one charged more than Starbucks for a cafe mocha). The chocolate chip cookie is divine (and large enough to share) but their children's decorated cookies are way overpriced and, though adorably decorated, not very good. Pros: casual atmosphere, large food selection, kid-friendly more
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Comfortable 5/5/2004

My first time here I did not know what to expect. You start at the bakery counter to order your food, which made me order a smaller portion to be able to make room for dessert, which was fantastic! Good healthy food and a great baked goods selection. Pros: Open floor plan, bright and cheery more
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Menu for Mad Hatter's Bake Shop


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Editorial

  • In Short
    It's the bakeshop that greets you, before you even notice the casual-chic dining room, with glass cases stuffed with scones, cakes and elaborately decorated shortbread cookies....

  • 4/3/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Sat: 7am-9pm, Sun: 8am-4pm
  • Payments: American Express, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Old West Durham
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