Roma Bakery

The name may be confusing for some people because as far as I have seen, Roma specializes in Arab breads and pastry not Italian. I LOVE Roma Bakery. I probably go here once a week for cheese and basil pastries. It is always hopping on Sundays with people waiting for their baked Zataar to-​order but they always have a selection of pre-​made items in the deli counter. I prefer Roma’s Arab savory pastry over Shatilia or anywhere else because the bread is soft. They’re also pretty cheap; I get 2 dozen cheese pastries for 10 dollars. I’ve seen some places charge a dollar and above per pastry!
They have a few tables and chairs if you want to hang out and eat in but it is usually a carry-​out joint. They also have some cold cases with various sodas, juices and teas. There is also a small grocery case for yogurt and labneh (usually eaten with the zataar or whatever you want!) Sundays and Holidays are always PACKED but unless you’re ordering the zataar the wait is not usually long.

I have a longstanding relationship with Roma Bakery. We’d go there for fresh baked pepperoni rolls at 50 cents a pop after bowling at Holiday Lanes across the street. Heck, my Dad used to work nearby back in the late 50’s so it’s been around forever, and has seen dramatic change in the neighborhood. Holiday Lanes is now a Muslim community center, but Roma is still putting out pepperoni rolls and a variety of other baked goods on a daily basis. They’re more expensive (obviously, damn inflation…) and the style is different than in the past. I liked the old ones better, which was more of a small loaf of Italian bread with pepperoni. The current version is much flatter, with some sauce (sauce?!) inside. There’s a variety of styles, like a spicy potato that was really good. Roma probably earned three stars, but the owner loaded up our bag with freebies since it was late in the day and they wouldn’t be open the next day, Christmas. Here’s to friendly customer service, which is worth at least one extra star…