Red Barn Bakery

5 stars for the cheddar kale scone. I picked it up at the Pleasantville farmers market this morning. It seemed more like a cheddar biscuit than a scone; super soft and crumbly and teeming with kale and cheddar. It was phenomenal and made entirely with organic ingredients.

I haven’t been to the actual store but we were lucky enough to visit the pop up location at the Lyndhurst museum. The women manning the both was lovely and very friendly. They had so many gluten free options I was in heaven. Before our tour I had some kind of bread with an egg, mushrooms and kale on it, yum! The whole tour I was thinking about the gluten free muffins so when we were finished I went back and got a gluten free raspberry muffin. Very sweet and very delicious. We also got a quinoa muffin that got mixed reviews, my mom and I liked it but my dad was not a fan. In any case I really enjoyed everything I tried and would definitely go to the real store to try more.

I like this place. I like the selection. I have sampled many items from here — all delicious! The macarons are an absolute must! Since the gluten free selection is not dairy free, a favorite for me is the cheesecake. I have also had a lemon tart from here which I absolutely loved. The service has never been anything other than friendly during my visits. I recently had the pleasure of meeting the owner — who is spoken of so harshly by others here. Noticing that our family had not been by in awhile, she offered her sincere expression of sympathy upon being told that we’d had a death in the family. If she were as awful as that, she would not have noticed our absence to begin with. She has never been anything other than gracious toward my daughter, who is a frequent customer. I have also found her to be lovely and gracious.

I love this place! Savory and sweet organic, gluten-​free and vegan options, locavore-​friendly, all delicious with a side of gorgeous hudson river views, from the indoor and outdoor tables. Great tea and coffee, too.

I used to go here on a fairly regular basis because one of my buddies worked for them and, although it was clearly overpriced, I enjoyed it because everything tasted great and the coffee was good.
I’ve only been here twice in the past year or so, and the prices are still high, of course, but the quality and taste in my opinion of several items I’d purchased multiple times in years past have clearly taken a plunge. This may be attributed to this spot having possibly the highest staff turnover I’ve ever seen outside of a McDonald’s, which could be due to the fact that many former employees complain that the owner is a prima donna and nearly impossible to please.
…“The Devil Bakes in Prada”?

So I’ve been scoping this place out for a little while and dancing back and forth between four and five stars, but I think someplace that I plan on getting to at least once a week or two like an addict proclaiming it my cheat day eats and mine and my mom’s Downton Abbey sweets — that’s gotta be a five star bakery.
So yes, I eat Paleo now, but I firmly believe in cheat day, which I need to be gluten free and my little one absolutely has to eat gluten free and now my brother has jumped on board. So when we saw some delicious IG photos of a donut muffin and a gluten free cheesecake, we knew which river town we were hitting next cheat day. I had read all the reviews ahead of time so we were prepared for awful service but when we went in we said we needed gluten free stuff and Randell, the owner (yes, that’s her actual name people) showed us everything that was gluten free, gave us a minute and someone else who was also absolutely lovely took our order and boxed up two huge boxes (7 people in the house with a sweet tooth) of goodies. We paid a hefty price, left a little stunned, but not at all down. We tried the carrot cake which was very good, brownies which are insanely fudgey (oh and if you warm them up they are divine), donut muffins (my mom’s vice), flourless chocolate cake that the little one loved, lemon tarts that were so smooth with just the slightest tart edge with a nice creamy balance and gluten free macaroni and cheese that thrilled both my brother and the little one. My favorite thing of all though was the cashew cardamom macaron. Now I had sworn off macarons for a while, but these are amazing. The flavor is unlike any I’ve had before and they are quite a generous size.
My next visit was the following Sunday at about two minutes to closing, surely that would make the young woman behind the counter rude, but no. She boxed up everything I asked for, this time there were chai macarons that were also insanely delicious and I decided to try the vanilla as well as raspberry — they don’t disappoint, and got a few more of the same baked goods and a whoopie pie for the little one. This trend continues for weeks. Delicious cheesecakes, highly addictive macarons (even the pistachio puts other pistachios to shame) and yesterday the owner introduced herself to my brother and I. She was incredibly pleasant and smiling. My brother and I can be a little on the goofy side, but I told her about my macaron addiction and she explained how into the macarons she is, grinding the almonds herself and everything and it really shows in the flavor. She even told me they can do a macaron cake for special occasions, something to keep in mind for sure because these things are not your typical macarons and those are not easy to find outside of the city. But most surprising was that this woman was nothing like the reviews that I’ve seen on here. I can only assume that people have caught the staff at a busy time, or perhaps have not been so nice themselves. I am of course a bit sympathetic having worked in the food service industry. However I look forward to doing continued business with Red Barn as with my other favorite gluten free places.
Now two things I will address as my issues that had me agonize between four and five stars for so long. A while ago I knocked babycakes pretty hard (the name has now changed) for calling itself a gluten free bakery but having things in the same case that are gluten free and things that are made with spelt, which were immediately cross contaminated. Everything at Red Barn is in the open air next to each other, although neatly organized and separated between what is gluten free and what is not. HOWEVER Red Barn does not call itself a gluten free bakery, as a matter of fact on it’s website it says «gluten free and vegan friendly» and that it is. My little one who is usually very sensitive to cross contamination has not as of yet had a reaction to anything from here, but I suggest if you are highly, highly sensitive you do keep this in mind. The other thing that threw me the first one or two times was the price. However, Red Barn is making a product that is not easily found elsewhere and it’s something to keep in mind. Yes, there is another gluten free bakery in another river town that I also love but they are dairy free and they carry completely different products — apples and oranges. So you are paying for a unique product and organic ingredients which is a huge deal, because non organic stuff is just poison lol.
Oh and as an aside, as far as someone getting mold in their Apple roll up, that’s happened to me with organic baked goods from the farmer’s market in the city, I always check stuff that has fruit in it as it’s prone to growing mold very quickly. Bottom line, I need to have less cheat days, but I don’t think I’m breaking up with Red Barn any time soon lol.

Although I am happy to see a bakery that uses all organic ingredients, the staff makes the experience just plain bad! Every time I go to this place they have 2 – 3 people working at a time, yet no one is actually doing anything! The owner is also pretty rude and just overall not a well-​run establishment. Always a hassle when I go.

A haven in the small town of Irvington, Red Barn Bakery is one of a kind. They offer a wonderful variety of delicious organic baked goods, pies, cakes, muffins, cookies, breads, savory tarts, and the list goes on. I stayed for breakfast and had the best «Frittata» I have ever had. When I’m in the area I always stop by to stock up on breakfast cookies, loaded with organic nuts, fruits and all good things to carry me through the day. If you’re anywhere in the vicinity make a point of visiting this little bit of heaven.

All of the bad reviews are on point. Let’s start with the owner, «Cruella», as other Unilocalers are calling her… she is just SO RUDE, incredibly unprofessional, handles food with her bare hands and speaks to everybody in a nasty, condescending tone. Why do you operate such an establishment if you hate people? The baristas also have bad attitudes. They love rude, arrogant people here.
Secondly, the prices are ASTRONOMICAL for just average baked goods.
Thirdly, nothing is actually fresh. Not surprised somebody got a moldy pastry. They actually freeze their baked goods — something I have never seen at another bakery — not fresh at all!

Five stars for really, really delicious baked goods and a nice place to sit while you wait for a train. One star for an owner who acts like customers aggravate her by being there, and staff who sigh when you ask them a question. No stars for the super high prices — is this scone dipped in gold?

I live close to Red Barn, and despite my commitment to supporting the local economy, (especially ethically conscious small businesses) this bakery is more of an ego trip than a place to relax and have a cup of coffee.
It’s odd that prices aren’t marked for baked goods, but rest assured, everything is expensive. I might not go so far as to say that Red Barn is overpriced, as I’m happy to pay for well-​made goods, but the vibe in the shop can be uptight and uncomfortable. As a whole package — food, coffee, and experience — Red Barn simply isn’t worth the money. Employees change with the seasons, and considering the intense energy of the café’s owner, I really recommend tipping baristas generously. The coffee is fine, but it tastes better when the shop isn’t inhibited by an anxious, controlling host.
The Black Cat is right up the street, has great coffee and understands how to welcome its customers and be an important gathering place for our community.

I really wanted to love this charming bakery especially because I’m a big proponent of small businesses. Unfortunately, this place didn’t meet my expectations. Aside from the $ 20 for two baked goods, the taste just can’t justify the high price. I don’t know if all products are vegan and gluten free but nothing tasted good. It’s unfortunate, but I know I’ll never return.

I hate to give a small business such a low rating but my main issue is there are no prices on any of the items. You gave to ask and they tip the scale on overpriced. The same product they sell I can purchase at the Union Sq farmers market for less and better quality. Who wants to buy a gluten free raspberry muffin and have it fall apart. Lastly, I’ve never heard of a business having a $ 20 credit card minimum. $ 5, $ 7 and even $ 10 since it was passed as a law in 2010 Dodd-​Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. $ 20 is blatently against their merchant agreements with Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover — all of which said a minimum purchase amount was not allowed.

I love places that use locally sourced and premium organic ingredients in theory, not always in practice.
So I get to pay 500 $ for an organic, gluten-​free, kale-​chip scone made with milk lovingly coaxed from hemp-​fed, erotically massaged local cows and vegetable ingredients fertilized exclusively with dry-​aged Tarrytown squirrel dung? And I support my local small-​town producer (Stone Barns) who makes billions serving the most expensive meals in the United States to filthy rich hedge fund guys from NYC? That same tiny business where you have to give someone a tug job for a reservation? I’m sold.
On some level, I know I’m helping a handful of truly deserving producers. On another level, I know places like this bakery exist in this area so entitled city transplants can sniff each others farts and jerk each other off about how socially and environmentally conscious they are. These are the only people who can afford the luxury of being so particular. Joe Dirt can’t even buy a half-​full organic Stevia packet from the coffee bar here… but whatever.
At the end of the day, regardless of your motive, philosophy or socioeconomic position, this place is average. I tried a gluten-​free chocolate scone, a raspberry doughnut muffin and a coffee cake doughnut muffin with a large iced coffee. The fact that I was helping make the world a utopia made it easier to stomach the hefty prices. The coffee was good quality, but small. The scone was tasty, but dry. The doughnut muffins were fine, but not nearly as good as they looked like they should have been.
One word of warning: the raspberry doughnut muffin APPEARS as if filled with raspberry jam, but it turns out the tiny «tuft» of jam that top (the size of a cherry) is what makes it «raspberry» and not just plain. But look– when you’re using wild Adirondack raspberries gently culled from the whiskers of a hibernating upstate New York black bear on a strict diet of brook trout and elderflowers, what would you expect? That sh*t isn’t cheap.
The location is great too. You can park next to the line of customers’ imported Porsches, Mercedes Benz SUVs and BMWs by the river, nibble your scone and enjoy the view of the Palisades knowing you’ve done your part supporting small local businesses.

Way to make use of small space. I really dig this pastry shop.
I know Unilocal would like for me to use more words but the only word I choose to use is WOW!
So Unilocal here it is Wow!
Wow! You have to taste of this place for yourself. And I am hard to please when it comes to pastries but a gluten free lemon poppy muffin too? Wow!
Wow!

If you shop for organic local seasonal ingredients AND cook with those ingredients you will know that preparation can be costly and time-​consuming. Add in the fact that Red Barn utilizes those ingredients to provide a variety of conventional plus gluten-​free and/​or vegan offerings (which can be more time intensive in preparation) and I think you will understand why the food here is not inexpensive. Always ask the price of what you are ordering so you don’t get surprised at the register!
I am a fan of Red Barn Bakery savories: the vegetable pot pie, the pizettes with egg, the focaccia based pizza, the cheesy scones, the frittatas, the soups… these are why I stop by. Love the coffee but I don’t understand its costliness — still I will splurge in the warmer months for their iced coffee with ice cubes made out of additional frozen coffee!
Staffing has absolutely improved from past years, they are friendly and helpful. IF you need to rush, Red Barn Bakery can be a little stressful: …it is a working bakery with limited retail space and there is usually only one counter person at a time. But this is a common situation in the smaller, slower, rivertown communites; we can’t staff our local stores the way they do in Scarsdale or the «hipper» areas of the city.
I want to counter some attacks on the bakery’s owner: I have known her since the business opened and expanded via a kickstarter campaign — she is an amazing community-​minded woman who is dedicated to her business and to her customers’ needs… Red Barn was one of the only businesses open in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and she made it into a warming center for folks to get nourishing soup and charge their devices during the two-​week power outage.

Very tasty high quality products made from locally sourced ingredients.
Right off the bat I am going to agree with other reviewers that yes, this place is expensive. A tart and two scones ran me $ 35. While it does come with the territory of being artisinal products made with local ingredients in a suburb north of New York City, there is minor sticker shock at the register. In the end it is worth every penny.
That being said…
The cheddar kale scones are absolutely delicious. They can not be over-​hyped. The scone is more like a really great biscuit than a scone. Light, fluffy, not greasy, yet moist. Randell Dodge really kills it here with the scone, and it alone would be worth a drive from the city. The cheddar is just enough. Just enough that you think it could use a little more but not so much that it turns it into a greasy cheesy mess and it lets the scone be the main attraction. A little kale adds a nice earthy note to the whole package.
The kale, chevre, mini heirloom tart is just as good. The whole wheat tart crust is beautiful. The egg custard is light and airy and melts in your mouth like cotton candy. The crust and custard are the star here as well, with the chevre, kale and tomato there to add some layers of flavor.
Although expensive, don’t miss the scone.
I hope a cookbook is in the works.

Every time I come here the staff and owner is beyond RUDE! Let alone the product is not worth the insane price. I would pay that price if the service and staff was friendly, but they never are. Been here four times already and never going back, every time nothing but rude.
For gluten-​free I would rather go to By The Way Bakery in Hastings or Flour Buds in Nyack! (And no I don’t work for either of these places) just a customer at them.

The bakery case here is beautiful and in appreciate the organic ingredients. But the customer service is horrible. Today’s interaction: «do you have iced tea?» «No I have iced coffee.» Then it turns out that the tea just wasn’t ready and she could make it, she just wasn’t offering. Coffee is totally different from tea — they are not substitutes of each other. There was no effort to explore options to make the customer happy.
If you are charging $ 5+ dollars for small baked goods, please at least do it with a smile. I’ve been here many times and it could be a lot happier and friendlier than it is.

My newborn has several food allergies forcing my wife (who breast feeds) to adopt a vegan diet as well avoiding all oats/​grains. Now I know that’s a tall order for any restaurant or bakery but when my wife asked what if anything they had that was vegan and didn’t contain oats the woman behind the counter at red barn looked at her like she had ten heads, when my wife further explain her situation the woman in essence related «oh, the child is able to eat??» Now not the most insulting choice of words but her tone of voice was all attitude/​arrogance. We left immediately.
I would’ve love to review the food itself, maybe it’s great but we’ll never come back to red barn after that. To be so arrogant/​disrespectful they must be so good of a bakery that they don’t need new customers