Buzz Bakery

The scene at Buzz is really awesome. A few seating options inside, and lots of great, comfy outdoor seating for warmer weather. Grab one of the games from inside (by the window) and take a seat and enjoy!
To be honest, I haven’t tried any of their baked goods. The cupcakes looked good, but nothing really unusual or tempting to make me order something (although I’m sure I’ll be back soon enough and will try something!). My husband and I got a couple of coffee drinks. He liked his, I did not like mine (iced chai latte — tasted way syrupy and just overly sweet… and I usually love sweet things!). A few reviews stated that Buzz has the best (or at least amongst the best) coffee in DC, and while my husband thought his was good, it wasn’t nearly near the top of his list for best cup of joe. So, bit of a mixed review. But this is a part of town I come a lot in the warmer months, so I’m willing to try it again.

Cute little shop in Navy Yard with a nice selection of treats. The day that we visited was unseasonably chilly, but after tasting the ice cream, we couldn’t say no! The Boston Cream Pie and Toasted Marshmallow flavors were standouts. On the non-​frozen dessert front, my husband was wowed by the lovely green tea marshmallows.
While the ice cream was scooped, we were offered some cookie samples. The double chocolate espresso was super rich with a great mocha flavor. The other was a no-​bake peanut butter chocolate confection. While I don’t remember what they’re called at Buzz, we called them preacher cookies when I was growing up. (Because they’re so quick and easy to make that you could have them ready by the time the preacher made it down your driveway for a surprise Sunday visit.) Ramble aside, they were as tasty as the homemade version.
Friendly service and delicious sweets — what’s not to like?

This is my favorite study spot because it has THE BEST COFFEE in town and free WIFI. Generally it’s quiet and there is always space. I only gave it four stars because there aren’t too many good options besides sweet baked goods (albeit super fresh and delish)!

Cute environment, cute presentation, cupcakes and drinks a tad expensive but decent. Nothing extraordinary yet hit the sweet spot.

My review is based solely on the customer service and cute and quaintness of this bakery. I absolutely wanted to try the cupcake with the sprinkles it was sooo cute. Since I’d just eaten, I will definitely be back to try them out!!! The staff was very nice.

I’ve been to this location twice now. Both cubists I got rude service, burnt coffee, and undercooked pastries!

I love Buzz’s scones. The flavors are unique, change seasonally and are simply delicious. However, that is where my affection for this shop ends.
My first issue is that they don’t open until 7am. I know that sounds silly, but like many folks who work at Transportation or the Navy Yard, our work hours start as early as 6am. Even when I work at 7am, I would love to walk from metro to the office and pass this place to pick up coffee and breakfast on my way in. But since I need to be at my desk by 7am, I either need to make a separate trip to Buzz or settle for Starbucks, or coffee in the cafeteria.
My second issue is that their hot chocolate was neither hot nor tasted like chocolate. I have ordered it a few times and it can only be described as a VERY expensive, luke warm Swiss Miss. It honestly didn’t taste like there was any milk in it, or have any chocolate… so for $ 5 for a large, I’ll just go buy a box myself.

Every time I go to Buzz Bakery, I want to like it more than I do. It’s a DC area coffee shop that has been successful and has branched out to several locations in the DC metro area. They use the Grand Rapids, Michigan based coffee company called Madcap. They make all of their baked goods from scratch. There’s so much to love, but I always walk away thinking the coffee is sub par and the baked goods are a bit on the dry side.
Despite all of that, the Navy Yard location is a great place to study or work. They have free wifi that’s stronger than most and have two large tables, a small table, and bar seating by the window for customers. Even on the weekends, I’ve always found a seat.

Should be called a café or something else. Definitely not a bakery. There’s no wall of bread or rows of pastries. In fact, it has a dismal selection. The few we did try (cookie and gluten free cupcake) were mediocre at best. Great idea to have a local bakery in the neighborhood and, unfortunately, that’s all it remains, just a good idea.
This being part of a restaurant group I’m not hopeful it will ever improve.

I’m surprised to see so many negative reviews for buzz bakery. I have been there a few times in the morning and been pretty happy with what I’ve got. I’ve had the key lime poppy seed muffin which is great and the iced coffee isn’t bad. Last time I was there my friend got the apple fritter and said it was amazing. It looks like they have some interesting doughnut choices too– funfetti (I have to try that one next time) and maple bacon?!
The only reason I give them 4 stars instead of 5 is because it is a little pricey and the staff isn’t exactly the friendliest.

WOW. So much hate.
Look, if you want an artisan cupcake or birthday cake, fresh bread or whatever the hell else people order at bakeries, go to Barracks Row. I’m a big fan of Sweet Lobby and Spring Mill myself… Are you expecting them to change their name to something else? Do your research before you go to a store.
If you’re looking for a coffee line that isn’t out the door like Starbucks, go to Buzz. I work at DOT, and I come here almost everyday for coffee. The staff is nice, the selection is fine.
Seriously, align your hate correctly folks. When you work here everyday and are limited in your selection of breakfast food or an afternoon snack between the crappy cafeteria, Starbucks, food trucks, or Subway, Buzz offers that alternative you can’t find anywhere else.

The hell with this place. Don’t call yourself a bakery if you’re going to waste everyone’s time with ice cream and granola. And the ice cream isn’t even as good as Ben & Jerry’s.
You have one job, bakery. Bake!

Why all the hate? The coffee is good, the latte is very good, and the breakfast panini and ham and scallion scone are awesome. The service here is fantastic as well. Not sure why everyone is dissing on this place — I think it’s a solid little coffee shop.

Mediocre mediocre mediocre. And these workers have no idea what they are doing. They don’t even have a menu for cakes. I went in to order a cake for my husband’s birthday and they didn’t have a menu, didn’t know what the prices were and referred me to their website online.

This place absolutely stinks. First off, this isn’t so much a «bakery» as it is a little shop that sells cupcakes, some baked goods (think Rice Krispie treats, marshmallow treats, etc.), ice cream, and some savory items. Despite the name, this is not a full-​scale bakery, nor is there any evidence that anything is baked on-​site.
While I might be picky with my food, when it comes to sweets, there’s pretty much nothing I won’t devour… unless it comes from here as I learned.
My friend and I each had some sort of cake pudding thing, which came to $ 8.64. What we got were two flavorless cake things that looked like they were made from leftover cupcakes. Not only were they dry and tastless, but they were also cold in the center despite being put in the oven prior to serving. After one bite, we both looked at each other and thought that they were awful. I brought them back to the register and asked if they were fresh, to which I got the answer of «yeah they came in a few days ago.» How does this place get off charging almost $ 9 for two stale old cakes? Are you kidding me?
We got two red velvet cupcakes as a replacement (along with a price adjustment — a refund was not offered), and while these had some flavor, the cake was totally dry, and the edges were crusty like french bread. The frosting tasted like straight cream cheese. I have never not finished a cupcake in my life, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.

I want to be supportive of Buzz, but they have a long way to go. This bakery is pretty much the same as the other Buzz locations (see Alexandria), except it has an even more limited selection. The problem with Buzz is that although it’s owned by Neighborhood Restaurant Group, the group appears to have lost its roots and is so corporate that nothing really has a lot of flavor.
As a result, these are standard, tasteless snacks that cost a fortune. They just taste sweet but stale. There are no delicate flavors. And everything is dry.
In addition, the coffee here is horrible. I agree with the guy who cited Lot38, only a couple blocks from here, as superior. I’ll say that it also has pretty good snacks, too. I’m looking forward to Buzz improving and will give it a shot a few times, but based on the progression of the other shop, this place will only serve terrible coffee, dry tasteless baked items, and they will all look really cute. I have tried numerous flavors at this point, and Buzz can really only produce single flavor cupcakes: chocolate, vanilla, coffee, mushy chocolate – nothing that will knock your socks off. The flavors aren’t subtle, they are just kind of boring. For the price you would expect a little more. For the price, I’d go to Sweet Lobby at Barracks Row.
Seriously, Buzz, put some effort into your baked goods. They can be good, but they aren’t there because you are making too many of them, I think. And get your workers some coffee training. A little bakery that can’t cater to a coffee snob is unacceptable.
Mark this as #frustrating. This concept has potential. I would like to see it reach that potential.
The location is interesting. I would recommend this to people who are playing around at the navy yard park, which is really nice. If you are too lazy to walk to Lot38, this is the place for you. I really look for this Buzz to improve and eventually become a neighborhood anchor business. It’s going to take some work, first.
Also, note that this shop is located sort of inside of/​connected to the brewery next door. The brewery is a real gem in DC. I’m impressed with it, but the quality doesn’t really carry over to Buzz which is kind of doing its own thing. Note that Buzz is actually a big bakery that produces snacks in bulk for many area businesses (see e.g. Peregrine, located at Eastern Market).

We stopped by after eating at the Bluejacket.
VERY limited selection and dominated by chocolate and a couple selections of ice cream.
I expected a full bakery… with the great smells and enticing you to over induldge… wow did they miss the mark on this place… it looks like an after thought to the brewery.
Quality was below average and lacked sweetness and flavor.
What are you thinking? Id be suspect of any five star ratings on this place…
All of us are saying the same thing… take the criticism as a chance to correct; you’ve got a great opportunity with the location.

The double espresso I ordered was a single, and it literally tasted like watered down coffee. My barista friend’s latte was also awful.
So you can pay 3.30 here for a ‘double’ espresso the size of a single that tastes like ass, or can you got to Lot 38 two blocks away and get a double that tastes like heaven for 2.40
If I ever start eating carbs again I may try some of their baked goods and raise the rating.

The baked goods here are pretty much consistent with the original Buzz Bakery locations in NoVa, and with the 930 Club cupcakes (those come from Buzz). For a small location, they actually have quite a bit of seating inside the shop. The display of pre-​baked stuff at the counter mostly showed off their cupcakes and other sweet treats, but they do serve other food such as paninis at lunch and breakfast quiche. I thought the white rabbit cupcake was pretty creative, like a carrot cake made with parsnip instead of carrot. The gluten free chocolate cupcake was a little dry, but its nice of them to accomodate gluten allergies (they also have gluten free brownies, and scones in the morning). The coffee drinks are pretty good, too!

Buzz Bakery — The Eastern European Bakery on the Hill!
I apologize for using politically incorrect humor to describe this new bakery but there is nothing for sale here! I was so excited to find that there would be a bakery opening one street away from my house but so disappointed when I actually got there as the selection /​menu is so limited. I was hoping to find row after row of baked goods, something akin to a European bakery or inside Wegmans. What I found was a bakery that did not know what it wanted to be. I understand that space is limited in the store so why take up ²⁄₃ of the overall space with tables and of the available counter space ¹⁄₃ of it is with ice cream? This is supposed to be a bakery isn’t it? As a result you get a a hodge podge of sweet and savory offerings but no real selection. They make lunch items here but again there is very little choice. You come out of there thinking you made the best of a bad deal not wow I picked right thing to eat. This place could be so much better if they just concentrated on either being a bakery, a sandwich shop or a gelato parlor. There is simply not enough space for all three and it does not work.
That all being said the cup cakes and pastries I purchased were top notch. No problems with the quality at all which is why I gave this place a 2* instead of 1*.