Costco Bakery

For New Yorkers who love to buy in bulk and appreciate a good deal on freshly prepared items, the Costco Bakery at the East River Plaza in Harlem is a crucial stop. This isn't your traditional neighborhood patisserie; it's a bustling hub within a larger warehouse store, offering a wide array of baked goods designed for families, parties, and everyday stocking up. If you're looking for value, variety, and convenience in your baked goods, the Costco Bakery has carved out a significant niche in the New York market. This article will delve into what makes the Costco Bakery a popular choice for many locals, from its extensive selection to its unique shopping experience.

The Costco Bakery operates on a large scale, producing or finishing a vast quantity of baked goods daily. While some items are baked from scratch on-site, others arrive pre-made or in mixes and are finished in the bakery department, ensuring consistency and efficiency across all Costco locations. This approach allows them to offer a wide range of products at competitive prices, a key draw for members. You can often smell the delicious aroma of fresh bread and pastries as you approach the bakery section, a tempting invitation to explore their offerings.

Their selection is impressive, ranging from large sheet cakes perfect for celebrations to everyday staples like muffins, croissants, and various breads. Customers frequently praise the convenience of being able to pick up large quantities of their favorite items, whether it's a pack of gourmet cookies for a gathering or a bulk supply of bagels for the week. The bakery is designed to cater to high demand, ensuring a steady supply of popular items.

Beyond the sheer volume and variety, the Costco Bakery is also known for its signature items. Their customizable sheet cakes are a particular highlight for many, offering an affordable and convenient option for birthdays and other events that can feed a large crowd. Other beloved items often include their rotisserie chicken (though not a bakery item, it's a popular companion purchase), and various seasonal pies. While experiences can vary, the overall sentiment among many members is that the Costco Bakery provides excellent value for money.

It's important to remember that shopping at Costco, including its bakery, requires a membership. This membership grants access to the warehouse's full range of products, including the bakery's offerings, at wholesale prices. The East Harlem location, being the only Costco in Manhattan, serves a wide demographic and is frequently busy, especially on weekends. Despite the crowds, many find the bargains and selection well worth the trip.

The bakery area within Costco is typically well-organized, with refrigerated sections for cakes and pies, and display cases showcasing freshly baked pastries and loaves of bread. Some locations even offer a view into the production area, allowing customers to glimpse the scale of the operation. This transparency and efficiency are part of the Costco experience, making it a reliable source for your bulk baked goods.

The Costco Bakery is located within the larger Costco Wholesale warehouse at 517 E 117th St, New York, NY 10035, USA. This address places it squarely in East Harlem, as part of the East River Plaza shopping complex. Its location along the East River makes it a significant retail destination for residents of Upper Manhattan and beyond.

Accessibility to this Costco location can vary depending on your mode of transportation. For drivers, the East River Plaza offers significant parking, which is a major advantage in Manhattan where parking can be notoriously difficult and expensive. However, some customers have noted that there might be a parking fee for using the lot, which is an important consideration. While it's a significant benefit to have parking available, it's advisable to factor in potential charges.

For those relying on public transportation, the nearest subway stops (6 train at 116th Street, and 2/3 trains at 110th Street) are a bit of a walk from the plaza, but numerous local bus routes serve the area, providing more direct access. Being a large shopping complex, taxis and ride-shares are also common, making drop-off and pick-up relatively straightforward. Its sheer size and position as the only Costco in Manhattan mean it serves a wide catchment area, and despite being a distance for some, many consider the trip worthwhile for the bulk savings.

The location in East Harlem provides a vital resource for the community, offering a wide range of products, including bakery items, that might be harder to find in bulk at such competitive prices elsewhere in Manhattan.

• Large Format Cakes: Customizable sheet cakes (white with vanilla cheesecake mousse or chocolate with chocolate mousse) perfect for feeding large crowds (e.g., 48 servings).
• Assorted Muffins: Large, fluffy muffins, often including popular flavors like blueberry and chocolate chunk.
• Variety of Breads: A selection of artisan loaves and everyday breads, including multigrain, country French, rosemary, garlic, and cranberry bread (some made from scratch on-site).
• Pastries and Danishes: Items such as butter croissants, almond danishes, and other sweet pastries.
• Cookies: Large packs of freshly baked cookies, including chocolate chunk, double nut, and oatmeal raisin. Some locations may offer frozen, uncooked cookie dough for home baking.
• Pies: Seasonal pies like pumpkin pie (often made from scratch in-house) and other fruit pies.
• Cheesecakes: Large cheesecakes, some prepared with pre-made mixtures.
• Bulk Packaging: All items are sold in larger quantities, designed for wholesale value.
• Custom Cake Ordering: Simple pen-and-paper system for pre-ordering custom sheet cakes for events.

• Bulk Value: Offers a wide array of baked goods in large quantities at wholesale prices, ideal for families and events.
• Customizable Sheet Cakes: A popular and affordable option for large gatherings, easily ordered with simple designs.
• Diverse Selection: Combines everyday staples with celebratory items, including breads, muffins, cookies, cakes, and pies.
• Convenient Harlem Location: The only Costco in Manhattan, serving a large demographic.
• Ample Parking: Offers significant parking facilities, a major benefit in NYC (though parking fees may apply).
• Consistent Quality: Utilizes a combination of in-house baking and pre-prepared components to ensure uniform product quality across locations.

Address: 517 E 117th St, New York, NY 10035, USA
Phone: (212) 896-5875

For New Yorkers, especially those residing in and around Harlem, the Costco Bakery at the East River Plaza offers a unique and highly suitable solution for their bulk baked goods needs. In a city where value and convenience are paramount, Costco stands out by providing a wide array of high-quality baked items in larger quantities at competitive prices, a true advantage for families, hosts, or anyone looking to stock up their pantry.

The bakery's extensive selection, from massive customizable sheet cakes perfect for any celebration to delicious everyday muffins, croissants, and a variety of breads, means there's something for every occasion and craving. The ability to purchase these items in bulk ensures that locals can save money and reduce frequent shopping trips, a significant benefit in a busy metropolitan area. Whether you need dozens of cookies for a school event, a huge cake for a birthday party, or just want to keep your fridge stocked with fresh bread, Costco Bakery caters to these needs efficiently.

While a Costco membership is required, the overall savings across the entire warehouse often justify the annual fee for many New Yorkers. The East Harlem location, being the only Costco in Manhattan, also offers the considerable advantage of ample parking, a rare and highly appreciated amenity in the city, despite potential parking fees. This makes it a practical destination even for those driving from further afield.

Although individual customer reviews specifically for this bakery section were not provided, the general feedback for Costco overall often highlights good prices and a wide selection of products. The bakery's operational model, which combines in-house finishing with some pre-prepared components, ensures a consistent and reliable product offering. For locals who prioritize value, variety, and the convenience of bulk purchasing for their baked goods, the Costco Bakery in East Harlem is undoubtedly a go-to destination. It’s a pragmatic and popular choice that caters effectively to the lifestyle of many New Yorkers, making it a valuable resource in the community.

Costco Bakery

517 E 117th St, New York, NY 10035, USA