Darnel’s Cakes

Oh my freaking God! The CAKES... the crumb/texture is unlike anything I've ever had (and I eat a lot of cake). The cake itself is dense but moist and melt in your mouth. The red velvet is almost like a cake meeting a brownie? The lemon poppy is bright and just as rich (but in the best way). Absolutely will be back to try all of the other flavors. Also grab the butter bar

Yes, the location can be a bit tough to find if you aren't familiar, but it's a true neighborhood gem for those of us nearby!The cakes are fabulous - a little too much so (we have had one or more each week since opening). The carrot cake loaf, strawberry shortcake, berry, and lemon poppy seed are all amazing. I would say berry was my #1, though. I am also a big fan of the lemon bar - and today discovered that not all chicken wings have to be deep fried and filthy. I believe they roast their wings and I very much enjoyed my lunch of their lemon pepper ones.The staff is super nice and welcoming, the space is cute (in the lobby of the 444 N 3rd commercial building), and their prices seem fair for the quality of the dishes. We will keep coming back!

This is a welcome addition to our mini neighborhood between Callowhill and Spring Garden and I am always happy to support a black owned business with a social conscience. I preordered for Sunday pickup during the soft opening. The bakery is in the lobby of the building. A small issue was that the front door of the building was not opening properly, and I encountered some people who seemed to be "locked out" for a little bit. Inside the lobby is spacious and great for social distancing. The pickup counter is striking in design and everyone seemed very friendly.I preordered online, which was straightforward. I appreciated how the website noted nut allergens, and when I emailed for clarification, they were quick to respond.Now for the food, ranked from best to worst- wild mushroom quiche- WOW get this!! The pastry was so flaky and the filling was so creamy, full of mushroom flavor. This alone is reason enough for me to come back- oatmeal raisin cookie- this is generously sized (~5" diameter) with a warm touch of cinnamon. This is a soft cookie but it still has crispy moments. - bitter greens salad with sweet honey poppy seed dressing- this was the perfect pairing with the rich creamy quiche. The sweet dressing was bright and light. The greens were crisp and not too bitter. I hope they consider selling the dressing separately!- butter cake bar - they really know how to do good pastry here. The gooey topping is decadent. The bars were all around 3" x 3" in size- fudge brownie - moist and not too sweet, but I wish it had more chocolate flavor since it has "fudge" in the name- daiquiri bar - great pastry with bold lime flavor. This is well made, but ranked lower just because I'm not the biggest fan of citrus desserts. Note that this was the most expensive of the desserts, at $5. Still happy I tried it!- roasted potatoes - they were a good texture but tasted bland- lemon pepper wings - I found the chicken to be dryEven with some of the misses, I still count this as a solid outing for a soft opening. I was very impressed by their savory offerings and look forward to what else they'll come up with.

We went to this location on opening day. We ordered on line fearful that it would sell out. The location is obscure and Within a large building. The concept is very cute and the baked goods looked nice. We ordered biscuits , two different pound cakes. The first pound cake was the stout chocolate cake. You could definitely taste the stout which was expected but the cakeItself was on the stale side . The frosting was hardened. We also ordered the lemon poppy pound cake. The white frosting was also hardened this cake was morePalatable but still a bit stale. I am giving them a pass since this was grand opening and they probably baked in advance. The cookies chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin were good and fresh. I am not rushing back 22.00 is a very steep price for stale cake. Take a few more exitsDown and head to stocks for great always fresh pound cake. The profit share to hiv aids is very admirable. The service was very friendly and the atmosphere is nice.

By far the best chicken pot pie I've ever had (sorry Mom). The service was quick, the folks were friendly, and place was clean. We also had the grilled cheese and lemon bar which were both amazing. 10/10 will be visiting again!

The entrance is set back from the street due to the parking lot. Darnel's is a counter inside the lobby. But do plan to eat in. There are tables throughout the lobby where you can enjoy your meal. There's ping pong, some sofas, and what I describe as "Colorado hipster" decor. I even took a photo and sent it to my Colorado friend (who works in commercial interior design) and they agreed.Oddly, I still haven't had a cake. But the breakfast sandwiches are good, as are the lemon bars. I'm very excited to try the lunch options--and cake.

crazy this place is still openwent once and thought it would be closed in a week empty, tastes bad, place was ugly

I was very confused when I 1st walked in what looked like an office building only to find Darnel's tucked away in the corner. What a pleasant surprise this place was. I came across them after they were on Good Morning America in a national competition for best breakfast sandwich. That's all I needed to hear to try it and I definitely wasn't disappointed. As you can see I couldn't even wait to bite into it before taking a pic! They even give you the option to order biscuits separately which I've don't on many occasions. MUST TRY!

Yum! Plus great mission, local, and Black owned!The dessert special will be something I'll crave for a while. Frozen lemon bar with a scoop of fruity Gelato and berry compote. Sweet, tart, creamy, cool, mix of textures. Delicious... please keep that in rotation year round :) Wish I had ordered one of the many cute cake loaves... Coffee cake was solid. Biscuit flavor was great and quite hearty. Would have preferred it a bit softer/flakier since parts were hard to bite into but hopeful it was just a fluke or an older one. I'd try it again. Only available on Sundays at least for now unfortunately!Bit too pricey to commit to twice a week, but that's probably better for my health :) Will definitely be back and recommend to others! Seems pretty new so looking forward to seeing how the menu/hours evolve.