Magnolia Bakery Grand Central Terminal

I love their banana pudding and I love that it’s in Grand Central, which means it’s super convenient when I get back from work. (It’s located on the lower level and right next to Shake Shack, so take out your fat pants.) The only downer is that there is always a line — but it goes pretty quick!

The banana pudding is to die for. I also lovee the blueberry jamboree. Surprisingly, I find that their cupcakes are just okay. Definitely get the banana pudding.

I was looking at my Unilocal friend’s activity, and one who is like a super Elite has a photo that pops up with a cup of Banana Pudding with the text ‘GET THIS NOW’ on it.
So I look at the Unilocal Magnolia Bakery page and it’s like one in seven reviews mentions the Banana Pudding, Now I’m not into bananas or the pudding but I got to check it out right ?
So I go to Grand Central and venture down below to the sub-​sub-​sub-​basement were they have a food court, Yes that right, theirs more to this joint other than trains and C.H.U.D.
I find Magnolia Bakery across from the Shake Shack and now I know where it at too and guess what, there is a line too, so no burger for me since I got a bus to catch at the PABT.
Magnolia has cakes, cup cakes, pies and other deserts items but I see the cups and they say Banana Pudding so I ask for the small one because like I said I’m not into bananas or the pudding. but they got medium, large and bigger. Now I need to figure the way out that closer to PABT and I passed a place were that brings me back memories of a first date at the Oyster Bar which was the best sea food restaurants in NY way back when.
Well I’m walking the service road backside of GC and these cats are looking at me like I’m there next meal, maybe they know about the Banana Pudding and they are ready to pounce on the next guy to come out with some. But I give then slip by going though some revolving doors, cat don’t like revolving doors, bet you never saw a cat in one, right, ya.
Well I’m on the bus and I open my Banana Pudding for the taste test, is it all hype? Well no it does taste good, it has pudding of course and pieces of banana, but also something like crumbs, I don’t think it’s cake because it would be to soft, others mention bread I just don’t know.
But the Banana Pudding good and if that is your thing, then you should try it. But it made me want something colder like ice cream, lol, wtf, And guess what someone just told me I need to get the chocolate pudding too.

Two words.
Banana pudding.
It really does live up to its hype. It was so gooey and soft and creamy, the texture’s kind of like banana bread batter but it’s totally safe to eat! It wasn’t too sweet and the banana flavor is spot on. I regret not getting at least a medium. Forget about the cupcakes, it’s the banana pudding you should get!

Wasn’t a fan. What drew me in were the beautifully decorated cakes and cupcakes. I’ll give them that. But when I pay over $ 3 for a cupcake, I expect it to be bursting with flavor, soft, and delicious. The cake was like eating a 2 day stale piece of bread, and the frosting was tasteless. I was very very disappointed. Definitely won’t be buying anymore, just looking at the cupcakes and cakes for piping ideas. Save your money. This one’s a tourist trap at grand central.

I asked for a banana pudding and then the worker started banging on the counter, shouting, «No more banana pudding, only chocolate!» I just found this rude and uncalled for because how was I supposed to know there was no more banana pudding? Instead of getting frustrated over people asking for a sold out item, a sign should be put up saying that banana pudding is sold out.
Then, I ordered a red velvet cupcake and a brownie instead. The worker didn’t even bother folding the box for me. The icing on the red velvet cupcake was okay, but I liked the cake. The brownie was alright.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a magnolia cupcake all these years. So I caved and purchased a Blonde marble cupcake with blonde chocolate buttercream ($ 3.75). I liked that the icing is in proportion to the cake itself unlike other other places. The cake was a tad dry though I didn’t mind the icing and I don’t even usually eat icing! The buttercream has a very smooth and light taste to it and wasn’t sickenly sweet which is a plus.
Service was slow more so from the customers who were pondering on which cake slice to buy. But the staff were pretty friendly.
Overall an ok cupcake but I wouldn’t run back for.

I always crave for sweets — chocolates, candies, cupcakes, doughnuts, cakes, pies, pastries!!! And Magnolia Banna pudding has always been one of my «cravings.»
I don’t visit Grand Central that often, but when I do, I love walking around the terminal. I love how Grand Central terminal offers many different stores and restaurants, and of course, sweet stores. Magnolia Bakery being one of the sweet stores, I was so happy to see this bakery. The moment I saw this bakery, I got a banana pudding for myself, and for my friend.
I guess I had such a high expectations on Magnolia Banana Pudding. The pudding was excellent, but it just didn’t meet my expectations. Everyone has different expectations, and I guess mine was bit higher than anyone else.

My last stop in NY always because this is where I buy my take home presents for my best friends and family. In my entire life, I haven’t had banana pudding as yummy as theirs. I also enjoy their s’mores cake and hummingbird cupcakes with cappuccino. This location is busy but convenient. Magnolia Bakery has perfected desserts and though they keep adding more selections to their product line, they manage to keep the integrity of their history intact and the quality of their baked goods in excellent form. Yum yum yum.

When you need a quick sweet salve from Magnolia’s Bakery … be it for Banana Pudding (It’s Bananas, B-A…N-A…N-A…S) or a Red Velvet Cupcake (You know you wanna, W-A…N-N-A…N-N-A…N-N-A) … this small bakery outlet on the lower level is reason enough to get off your train at Grand Central Terminal.
You’re day’s stressful and riding on whatever train (s) you’re on is only making life a bit more stressful. Even though this is the food court version of Magnolia Bakery, it’s still Magnolia Bakery (M-A…G-N-O…L-I-A). It’s got pre-​packaged and ready-​to-​eat Banana Pudding to go cause some days, are Banana Pudding days … and some are Red Velvet days. Either way, Grand Central Terminal is a whole lot sweeter with this less than grand food stand for New York’s famous Magnolia Bakery.

Convenient location. Crowd is small. Banana pudding is the bomb.
This place is hidden in the food area of GCT. It’s a stand a little off from being across from Shake Shack. I came here on a Saturday around dinner time and there was no line! Although good luck finding a place to sit… Many tables were taken up by people looking for a warm place to stay.
I got a hyped up banana pudding. They ran out of small ($ 3.50) and medium cups so I got a large ($ 7). It was hours before closing so I was surprised they ran out so quickly. The banana pudding itself was good but not amazing. It seems like it’s made with cake instead of the usual vanilla wafers so it’s extremely soft and moist from the bananas. I couldn’t really eat more than 5 bites since it was really sweet and rich but it comes in a container with a lid so you can conveniently take it home.
I haven’t tried their other items but they serve coffee, cupcakes, and various pastries. A little pricey but hey this is New York.

I love almost all sweets and cupcakes. Seriously. I eat pastries EVERY DAY, my sweet tooth is ridiculous.
I just can’t get into Magnolia. I tried it two, three times? For a basic cupcake. The frosting is unbearably sweet, and packed so high. The cake is SO small, I think the frosting quantity is more then the cake itself.
Yes, the cake is soft, and the cupcakes are cute– but they’re not good, in my opinion. Maybe cut back on the icing? I mean, it’s a cupcake, not a cup of frosting.
I won’t be going back, and if anyone was to buy me a cupcake from here, I wouldn’t eat it. It just isn’t worth it.
If you like shockingly sweet icing, this is for you.

The Magnolia GCT location is so convenient because I could pick up an order of these yummy cupcakes on my way home and then hop on the metro north.
There isn’t a variety of flavors but the flavors they do have are super delicious and done well. They have several pretty pastel colors to chose from. I love getting a box of different colors. It makes a great birthday present. Everyone always loves a box of cupcakes especially from Magnolia.

The banana pudding is ridiculously good… me thinks better than the cupcakes (prior to trying the banana pudding this was a 3 star review for the cupcakes). Tasty cupcakes, though pricey ($ 3.50-$ 3.75). Used to live near the original location in the west village when it first opened (yeah those «sex in the city» days. Lolz). while the cupcakes are good never got all the hype over them. My fav is the chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream. The cake can sometimes be dry and be warned the buttercream is quite sweet. The 4^th star is for the amazeballs banana pudding… Purchase the large ($ 6+), you won’t regret it,. sooo yummy :-)

I didn’t realise the hype surrounding this bakery until the hotel manager commented on my package. Popularised by the Sex in the City show.
The stand was a little hard to find. The servers not at the cashier were helpful. The cashiers, or at least 1 of them was more interested in socialising with some random dude who wasn’t purchasing anything. The lady that served me broke my heart. I watched her squash my red velvet cheesecake (see photo). It was delicious & I even ate the base (which I normally don’t) despite looking like some1 vomited cream on a lump of red mud.
The pumpkin spice cupcake was very average. Maybe it was the flavour I got but I thought there wasn’t anything special. The banana pudding was really sweet & average to me.
All in all too much hype.

Hi Lexi
The order was delivered by Postmates on 9÷15÷15 @7:30pm
The original order was not fulfilled because Magnolia was out of the requested items.
What replaced those items were:
3 cupcakes.2 vanilla, 1 chocolate
2 chocolate mini cheesecakes
1 Banana Pudding
Total order was disappointing & not the usual Magnolia quality from a few years ago.
Hope this helps!

You can’t miss this bakery when you go to the food court in Grand Central. I love the peanut butter bars and pie. I’m always tempted to buy an apron or cookbook. The presentation is so colorful. They have seasonal items too. It’s a great place for gifts.
I have watched the prices go up and up over the years. I still find that the quality and originality are worth the price.
When I was working, I found the hours they open are inconvenient. I would pass by and look at the goodies knowing I couldn’t get some for my office mates. Oh well, everyone isn’t an early riser!
There is a huge Magnolia location on 6^th. I’m going to try that one next. You can be sure if you don’t get there early, you will wait in line. Their brand is gaining notoriety! I’ve seen ads on TV now.
Pictures to follow!

I’ve had two different cupcakes, a brownie, and the banana bread pudding. The brownie was very rich and tasted as if I could have made it at home. The cupcakes were also pretty bland and are more for their looks than the taste. The only think I would recommend getting here is the pudding, which was nice and fluffy and not too sweet. A small was the perfect size for me, and most of the employees are efficient and friendly.

I love the convenience of this bakery. It’s just too easy to swing by after a hard days shopping in NYC before you catch your train back home ;) they have a range of popular cupcakes, iv tried a fair few but my favourites are still the vanilla with chocolate frosting or chocolate with chocolate frosting. The cupcakes aren’t the largest or the most creatively decorated but they are moist, sugary and delicious. For an extra dollar twenty five you can get a whole slice of cake, which I think is somewhat better value.
They sometimes have lemonade which I’m a fan of, it’s tart yet thirst quenching.
I’m yet to try the banana pudding. Maybe next time.

Banana pudding? YES! I came to this location to get my first cup/​bucket of banana pudding. It tastes like a soufflé of banana cream with heavenly bites of this cake-​life food. I can’t even explain it but it’s amazing! I can definitely see why it’s famous.
However, I’m docking a couple stars because of the service here. The first time I came here, a lady wanted to pay so she thought the line was up ahead and so she walked out of line. The employees then yelled for her and basically embarrassed her in front of everyone so she gave the cupcakes back and walked away. After she left, the employees rolled their eyes and scoffed! Not the best image for a bakery. They’re also a little stiff and blunt. They’ll greet you with a smile and the next moment, they’ll sound commanding like «stay in the line.»

Difficile de faire son choix devant la quantité de cupcake et cheesecake présenté dans la vitrine, tous semblent tellement bon rien qu’à l’œil.
Nous avons testé deux cheesecakes individuels: aux bleuets et au citron.
Les deux étaient bons avec des proportions généreuses! La consistance était parfaite. Celui au citron était surmonté d’une épaisse couche de chantilly qui n’apportait rien au gout malheureusement.
Pour 7 $ et 8 $, le prix reste quand même un bémol. Mais bon c’est aussi le lieu qui veut ça. Une bonne expérience new-​yorkaise.

A chaque fois que je vais à NY je passé à l’une des magnolia bakery.
Celle ci n’est franchement pas la meilleure. La boutique est vraiment minuscule, il vaut mieux se rendre à celle de Greenwich.
Le choix n’était pas très large j’ai opté pour un gâteau tout chocolat qui était un peu trop sec à mon goût. Dommage !
Je crois que ces boutiques deviennent trop ‘hype’ de tout façon et j’ai l’impression que les prix ont augmentés aussi depuis l’année dernière. Il y a de bien meilleures pâtisseries à NY!

Il né restait pas grand chose comme choix j’ai opté pour un red velvet. Moelleux a souhait! je n’aime pas le topping au beurre je l’ai donc enlevé (sacrilège me direz vous…) mais le reste était très doux!

Lors d’un précédent voyage à New York, j’étais ressorti circonspect de Magnolia Bakery (l’adresse historique au milieu de Greenwich Village): trop de hype autour de cette pâtisserie rendue mondialement célèbre par la série «Sex in the City», je n’avais pas trouvé mon cupcake tout choco aussi exceptionnel qu’on me le promettait. J’en trouvais d’aussi bons (voire meilleurs) près de chez moi à Paris à l’époque — l’adresse a désormais fermé malheureusement.
Mais alléché par le stand du food court de la gare centrale new-​yorkaise, je n’ai pas résisté bien longtemps avant de succomber à l’appel de leurs cheesecakes individuels. Laissant de côté les cupcakes pour le moment, j’ai jeté mon dévolu sur un key lime cheesecake (citron vert pour ceux qui né comprennent pas).
Pas vraiment puriste sur la question (les cheesecake natures, même excellents, né m’emportent que rarement), je préfère largement les cheesecakes lorsqu’il offrent une saveur idéalement citronnée et acide pour contrebalancer la richesse et la douceur de tout le sucre et le fromage double-​crème qui entrent dans leur composition.
Ce cheesecake en portion solo, justement proportionné tout en étant un poil décadent, est l’incarnation même de la perfection: délicieux en tous points, du socle en biscuit Graham à la touché de crème fouettée qui le décore, de sa saveur d’agrume pointue à sa texture fondante et gourmande.
En une bouchée, me voilà enfin converti aux charmes des exquises pâtisseries de Magnolia !
(La suite de mes aventures chez Magnolia, c’est sur la page de la boutique du 1240 Ave of the Americas)