Mayflower Bakery

Writing a review to say that this place has probably the best cake I've ever had: we got a taro cake yesterday and I've never seen our family almost eat an entire cake in one day-- two amazing portions/layers of taro filling and icing on top and in between layers. The icing is so good, it's not your usual store-bought icing: the perfect amount of vanilla and sugar. Will absolutely be back to try their other cakes as well as their breads/pastries. Service is friendly too, I made sure to tip. Thank you!

My family got a Mother’s Day cake. The texture is great. The sugar sweet is just right! But I will be more satisfied with peaches instead of apples inside. Their cake is much better than breads.

The baked goods are SO FRESH we came in at 10 am and got the ham and egg, taro bun, pork bun, danish, and Vietnamese coffee. Everything was so tasty the pork buns and taro buns are the best thing!! Id have an idea of what you want before you go in, theres a lot of options and its a bit of a tight space that gets crowded easily. Pineapple bun isn’t filled I think fyi. Bring cash if you can its just easier and probably cheaper.

Mayflower Bakery made our wedding cake and we didn’t even get to have our own pieces because of how quickly people ate them! We wanted something simple and small and they did a beautiful job. Our cake was not too sweet (the highest compliment possible) and incredibly light. They made sure the decorations were made exactly as I wanted and even offered cake toppers. I highly recommend them!

I ordered an iced Vietnamese coffee the other day here and it was amazing!

I dropped by here on a rainy Sunday morning and truly enjoyed this cafe. They have delicious Chinese style pastries and buns priced around a dollar and make a delicious Vietnamese coffee. They also have various other coffees and iced teas and plenty of community style seating.

Mayflower is a hole-in-the-wall, authentic bakery in Chinatown. We have visited MANY of these in our travels across the USA & often visit local businesses in the international district of our hometown. Things you should know: I. LOCATION The bakery is the one with the blue canopy. Pretty easy to find. II. QUALITY The Coconut Bun Pastry we bought was cheap, but made very well. It was an excellent pineapple style bun with a FULL coconut filling. It was soft, meaning it was FRESH and just melts in your mouth. We bought a Vietnamese coffee too; this was a first time buy for us both so I have no comparison base to go off of. III. SERVICE Cash ONLY or Venmo. No complaints. IV. SEATING Limited. Very limited. We couldn't find somewhere to sit. Traffic flow was consistent for a Friday Evening.

Stopped by on a whim with my boyfriend. Enjoyed it so much! We bought a few pastries and pork buns. It was so yummy! I’m try so hard not to spend my whole check here. If I find out they have delivery I’ll go broke. That’s how good it is.

We have been coming to Mayflower for years now, mostly for their pork bun. Their pork bun is really good, savory and sweet and best when it comes out fresh from the oven. Recently we have been enjoying their sweeter buns also. Red Bean, Coconut and Pineapple custard. Again, these are most delicious when you get them fresh from the oven. This is pretty much standard operating procedure as they sell so many that turnover is very fast. They do seem to run out of the pork buns towards the end of the day so if that's your jawn or craving, get there early. Recently, I have also enjoyed their hotdog bun. Don't ask me why, but this has become one of my guilty pleasures. It is surprisingly tasty. Mayflower bakery is old-school Chinatown. No frills interior but very nice people working behind the counter. It is a cash only/hard currency establishment, but ironically, they do accept Venmo. As other Yelpers have reported the prices are very reasonable.

It's hard to find a good bakery these days. I used to go to Saint Honore in Chinatown before they closed. Mayflower retains the same essence that Saint Honore did. Their pastries are almost as good too but I recently bought the Taro cake and it has the same characteristics that cakes from chinese bakeries usually have. It has the typical semi-sweet cream, the fluffy and moist cake, and layer of taro (but usually fruit) between each layer of cake. Is it the best cake I've ever had? No, but it's a slightly elevated rendition of a homemade cake that is refreshing and light, perfect after a heavy dinner.

Their buns are indescribable! Crispy on the outside, soft pillowy soft on the inside, the perfect amount of subtle sweetness. I'm usually really picky with my red bean filling and their red bean bun filling struck the perfect balance of not-to-sweet. I have also tried their Vietnamese coffee which didn't really taste like true Vietnamese coffee to me. It lacked the depth and creaminess that Viet coffee needs. But for the buns, I'd highly recommend checking this place out and hopefully you'll get lucky and get one fresh out the oven :)

This is where Yelp comes into play. When we passed Mayflower, I recognized the bakery from a review I read last week. (Thanks for the recommendation, Sophia!) "Gotta try it," I told my husband. The egg custard tart is excellent. As I waited my turn, the woman ahead of me bought 'em out, leaving one measly tart, which I snagged. 'If you can wait twenty minutes, we'll have more,' the helpful clerk offered. Unfortunately, we had a train to catch. I also bought a coconut bun and two slices of cake, one lemon, the other pineapple. When we got home, we sampled everything. I liked the bun. The pineapple cake tasted stale. I preferred the lemon which was good, but not outstanding. Now that custard tart -- the flakey pastry, the delicious filling... more, please!

Fast, friendly service. Ordered a dozen pork buns, they came right out of the oven! Try the pineapple buns too!

Ok, still my favorite bakery in Chinatown by a mile. Egg custard tarts are better than any other place & everything is fresh. Kids love the hot dog buns for a snack & the prices are still super reasonable for the quality. They take Venmo if you don't have cash too!

My family has been coming to this bakery for years. I can't speak on the drinks, but pastries are always great and super flaky, like the pineapple buns. The main item we get from Mayflower Bakery is the birthday cake! The texture is always super fluffy, the icing is whipped cream so it's not heavy, and you can get taro or fruit as the filling between cake layers. Best compliment we can give is that it's not too sweet. We typically call a few days in advance to order the cake. The service is also great - with the cake, you can request a message and we also got several candles included.

The Vietnamese iced coffee is soooo good. They phin drip it, so it takes several minutes to be made, but it's so worth it. It has that authentic smoky chicory taste I've missed since I moved from the west coast. So glad I made the time to drop by here during my visit to Philly. It's kind of wild they give a 16 oz iced cup since it's stronger than normal drip coffee. If you're caffeine sensitive, be careful with how much you drink and when during the day you drink it. Payment via Venmo was convenient!

Really great Chinese pastries. We tried the pork bun and the red bean bun. Both were really fresh and still warm. Fillings and bun were spot on. Would recommend

The women in there were rude when I asked questions about the taro bun, I've never gotten it before so I wanted to know if there was crema inside. I then watched the one woman reach into the case with her bare hand... and grab my pastries. I wouldn't sit in there to eat, it's not very cute inside just a quick and dirty grab what you need and go. I'm an ambiance person so I won't be going there again. I got the cheesecake and the coconut cream bun. The coconut bun isn't really "creamy" inside its more like a coconut purée mixture inside of bread. The cheesecake was delicious. Theres tons of bakeries in Chinatown, I'll definitely be checking a different one out next time

Located in the heart of Chinatown, another establishment that doesn't take credit cards. Instead payment is via Venmo. So I guess that great since you don't need to pay tax. They have a limited selection of baked goods (see photos) and drinks. Menu is a bit chaotic to read (but this is Chinatown). Baked items are very fresh. Limited seating inside though. Prices are cheap for this economy.

This is THE bakery to go to in Philly Chinatown. Their breads, buns, and pastries are elite in taste and price. Each bun is $1-2 depending on the type of bun. Their roast pork buns are popular are go quickly. The filling is so delicious. Other pork buns from other places either have minimal filling or they overfill with onion but mafyflower does it right every time. They accept cash primarily but also accept Venmo! They also have coffee and tea. If you're looking for recommendations on a traditional Cantonese breakfast, get a pineapple crusted bun, roast pork bun and a milk tea! There is no seating in here so take your stuff to go.

Vietnamese coffee. Pineapple bun hot dog bun and roast pork bun are my favorite It's a small place but we generally takeout

I got pineapple coconut bun and I was excited that it was warm. I immediately had a big bite but I felt I was eating cotton candy because most of what I ate was air, barely any dough. Puffs, it was gone. I'm sure the inflation is the cause for this change. Other buns looked smaller too.

Small busy bakery with excellent roasted pork buns and a variety of other baked goods. Grab on one your walk!

Today is technically my birthday, according to the lunar calendar. So, I need a cake to celebrate. I walked by Mayflower Cafe & Bakery on Race Street, on my way from dinner on 9th Avenue. The aroma invited me from opening the first door. After opening the second door, I knew exactly what I want. The rainbow cake 彩虹蛋糕 ($2.25) was perfect. So soft, like chiffon cake, my favorite. Then, the cream was light like eating clouds. I don't know much about the restaurant but it is cheaper than most bakeries. The main reason is the cash-only policy. I also ordered egg tart 蛋塔 - so soft and light. It only costs $1.50. WOW. I'm in Chinese bakery heaven. I don't live around here. But I would definitely come over when I travel again.

The almond butter bun aka Mexican bun as it's known back in Hong Kong is soooo legit! So tasty

Ordered a BBQ pork bun and cocktail bun to go, for a total of $3.75. The pork filling was a pretty decent amount and the bun was fluffy. Good texture and flavor although slightly on the sweeter stickier side than what I'm used to for char siu. They are cash only so make sure to bring cash, they do not accept credit card at all. The interior was blocked off so there was no seating when I went. The service was friendly and there was no line.

3.5 stars for the bbq roast pork bun. I liked the plush bun a lot, and the filling was not fatty, which is always appreciated. There was a decent ratio of filling to bun. However, there was a kind of alcoholic extra taste in the filling that I didn't love. Unlike other Chinatowns in more expensive cities, pork buns run $2 each here. (They usually hover around $1.30 each.)

The baked goods are SO FRESH we came in at 10 am and got the ham and egg, taro bun, pork bun, danish, and Vietnamese coffee. Everything was so tasty the pork buns and taro buns are the best thing!! Id have an idea of what you want before you go in, theres a lot of options and its a bit of a tight space that gets crowded easily.

Mayflower Bakery's baked pork buns used to be decent but in the past year or so they increased the price and lessened the pork filling. Not only that, the pork pieces tastes dried out. The bun part is good but the very scant amount of filling is awful and not worth it at all. The picture shown took eating half the bun to finally find the meat. We've tried it several times over the year with high hopes but won't waste our money any longer.

This place charge $2.50 for a small cup of hot tap water. And they only take cash. Will never come back here.

Grabbed smoothies here while in Chinatown; they were fresh and you can't beat the prices here! Was a tad too sweet for my taste, but overall solid experience.

I came here due to another reviewer saying this place has the best egg tarts. I haven't had as many as that reviewer but I do love these. They are a little flimsy and delicate though, just barely cooked it seems which is fine especially because I occasionally get a few to refrigerate and reheat in my air fryer for a few mins and they're still great. I was also impressed by the look of the other buns so tried the butter cream bun and a pineapple bun on a separate occasion. I love them and they seem to be fluffier than the other bakery in Chinatown I frequent so I might be a convert. FYI as others have said they are cash only here.

Stopped into Mayflower Bakery & Cafe while in the area for brunch. I needed to pass time so I went into Mayflower because of their incredible reviews here on Yelp. They have a great selection of both sweet and savory pastries, tea drinks, and coffees. I opted to get a Vietnamese Coffee and skip the pastries because I didn't want to spoil my appetite, though the items on display really did tempt me! Since this is a cash-only establishment, but I didn't have any on me, I was able to venmo to pay for my $4 coffee. It was delicious and worth every penny of the very affordable price. The other items are also very inexpensive. I can't wait to return to try a pastry... or three.

Whenever I stop by Philly I always seem to end up at Mayflower to bring buns back home. Coming from the DC area, we have tons of Chinese bakeries but these are good and some are much better! This is not one of those trendy bakeries but more of the classic Chinese bakery. I tried most of the other bakeries around Philly's Chinatown but I find the buns here are tastier and less dry. The shop is small and they have since section off the inside due to COVID. Like a small businesses they are cash only but that's not uncommon in Chinatown. The service was friendly and the prices are decent. I do feel the variety of buns is a smaller than before. Even so, this is always worth a stop!

Stopped by & got iced milk tea, a ham & corn bun, a red bean bun, and a roast pork bun. The service was super fast & everything was super cheap. I think everything was around $7 - I can't remember exactly but it was all under $10. All 3 of the buns were super delicious! I was really impressed by the roast pork bun bc the flavor was delicious and more like homemade roast pork. It doesn't have that red dyed color that some cha siu has. The milk tea was also delicious & much cheaper than regular milk tea in the area :) Definitely recommend stopping by for some authentic Chinese baked goodies!!

Went in around 9am, no line. Like any other Chinese bakery, it's a get in/out type joint. Got a pineapple bun ($1.75), ham egg bun ($2.25) and an egg tart (1.50). Pineapple bun was okay. The crust was harder/more crunchy and much more pale compared to a typical hk pineapple bun. Ham egg bun was good but wish it came with more mayo. Their egg tart is the best in terms of flavor and flakiness. Everything was fresh since I went in early.

Honestly, my five star review is almost exclusive related to their coconut buns. Yes, I like them that might. But seriously, this bakery is a hidden gem in the less travelled portion of Chinatown. They offer a variety of baked goods, teas, and more. The staff is really friendly. There is also a small area with tables to sit and eat, although I am not sure if indoor eating is allowed during COVID. I feel like I should say more because this place truly is amazing, but I think I'll leave this one short and sweet - like their coconut buns!

Great small local Asian bakery in the heart of Chinatown. Excellent prices, many of the pastries and buns were under $2. We ordered the pork bun - more sweet then savory, the pork tasted almost like bbq. It was very satisfying. We also tried the ham and corn bun - that one was just okay... Again, pretty sweet, not bad tasting, just nothing memorable. We also tried their cream filled bun.... Now that one was a HIT! OMG, It was soooo good. Whipped light cream on the inside, slightly dusted with coconut sugar shavings in the outside. Tasted like a light and fluffy donut. All in all, I really liked it here! Will definitely come back and try out more buns and pastries when I'm back in Philly!

Mayflower is a hole-in-the-wall, authentic bakery in Chinatown. We have visited MANY of these in our travels across the USA & often visit local businesses in the international district of our hometown. Things you should know: I. LOCATION The bakery is the one with the blue canopy. Pretty easy to find. II. QUALITY The Coconut Bun Pastry we bought was cheap, but made very well. It was an excellent pineapple style bun with a FULL coconut filling. It was soft, meaning it was FRESH and just melts in your mouth. III. SERVICE Cash ONLY or Venmo. No complaints. IV. SEATING Limited. Very limited. We couldn't find somewhere to sit. Traffic flow was consistent for a Friday Evening.

Their pork bun is the best there in Chinatown PA. I also order their egg tarts there, really good stuff.

While in Chinatown, wanted to check out a Chinese bakery. I was in the mood for some boba so I got that. It was delicious. The women there were so friendly, everything there looked so good, prices were great too

This is a cute little bakery in the heart of China Town. They have a good selection of different buns, cream-filled and plain and tarts. My family loved the pineapple buns and the tarts. They also have a good selection of smoothies. This probably must be the cheapest bakery around. I didn't find anything vegan here, if you are a vegetarian, please check this place out.

Oh my goodness, this place was SO good. I bought several pastries here, but the biggest hit was the bbq pork bun. It was stuffed with meat and came warm. They sigh they use is really tasty, and the ratio of filling to dough was perfect. The kids also liked the wrapped dog. We could've eaten several of these and I wish I had bought more! I will definitely return here the next time I am in Philly.

Bad ass little bakery located in Chinatown. I know when we think of Chinatown , we're thinking who has the best authentic food, noodles, dim sum, and so on. A bakery though is never a thought until now. Mayflower Bakery is on point my friends. From their refreshing drinks, their boba teas, different assortment of breads that are stuffed, down to the pastries! Whats even better is their pricing is unbelievable. I felt like I was getting away with murder seeing what I had purchased, I felt I owed them more money. In all this is a must stop if you're looking for a refreshing sweet treat. Keep up with the great work, I know I'll be back for some more goodies when I'm in the area.

Really loved this authentic Chinese bakery. Everything was affordable and delicious, particularly the egg tarts, which as other reviewers pointed out, have a perfectly flaking crust and custard that's just the right amount of sweetness. I also enjoyed the turnovers. Will definitely be returning soon to purchase more.

I used to live next door and would stop here all the time! So many options for an unbelievably reasonable price. I stopped by on a weekend around 1pm and almost everything was sold out. I bought the taro bun, pineapple bun, custard bun, and coconut cream bun for a total of $5. Taro had a ton of delicious filling inside and it is not too sweet at all. Coconut cream does not actually have cream inside. A very light coconut bread that is very good nonetheless. Highly recommend checking this place out and ordering a variety of buns.

Cash only, little place, but it has my favorite bo lo bao and an assortment of other pastries and drinks. Prices are reasonable. I would go back.

Highly recommend the pork buns! Filling is delicious and the buns are soft and sweet. Cash or venmo only.

These pastries are made fresh daily, I get hot coffee and fresh pastries here whenever I'm in the area. Everything I have every tried was very fresh and sometimes still warm ( early morning ) Try the egg tart or coconut tart pastries or any of the stuffed pastry breads, OMG!! Soo fresh and flavorful Their little slices of rainbow cake or green tea cake are soo soft and delicious This is my go to place when I'm in Chinatown

Stopped by for a quick grab and go bake goods for breakfast. Ordered the hotdog croissant, taro bun and Vietnamese coffee. Taro bun was excellent, lots of filling and sweet. Coffee is a bit strong but just right. Place is small and crammed but definitely worth a visit.

A Bak Quay review of a Chinese bakery. I've been in here many times but only ever get the pastries. They are great and definitely worth coming for. The hot dog buns, and buttercream are two of my favorites. For my fellow non-Asian readers, the pastries are great to bring to your office for a meeting or to family get together. Its something different that most people probably have not had and are almost sure to like. Every time I've brought a box of these to an event, they were very well received and people wanted to know where to get them. Buy 12 and get 2 free. Cash only.

Chinese bakeries are on a different level, and by 'different level' I mean 'lower price point.' Mayflower Bakery (and the other Chinatown establishments) are dangerous in that regard -- they'll drain you of your cash in exchange for a fat bag of pastries. Better yet, in exchange for a classic Chinese spongecake layered with cream and fruit chunks. Delicious, but not too dense, which makes you opt for a second slice, then a third, and before you know it, you're swapping the jeans for the sweats. And so it goes. When my roommate's birthday rolled around, I knew just who to hit up. Took a brisk morning walk from our apartment in West Philly (the bakery opens way early). We ordered the cake in-store -- 8" in diameter, pink frosting, engraved with 生日快乐 (Happy Birthday) minus the bday girl's name bc our Chinese knowledge only extends so far and "Can you write Chén Pèipèi except we don't know what the characters are" didn't cut it. The lady told us it'd be ready in 30 minutes; we waited an hour. To avoid the chill, we moseyed around some nearby shops until the cake was ready. Paid the $26 in cash, although a sign on their case broadcasted their Venmo QR code. $26 for a 5-person cake doesn't exactly scream "lower price point," but yo. Mayflower also had some hefty Swiss Roll cakes on display that were less than $5(!!!!!!) each, so there are options if you need 'em. But we love our friend, and we wanted to get her the good stuff. The cake itself was... average? The cream was a bit mealy and I would have loved more fruit chunks interspersed. Still, Chinatown spongecakes are just that good, and it feels like a personal affront to criticize them. I hope they've been holding up during Covid-19. I saw the lady at the counter hand out free coffee to the homeless people who wandered in on occasion. Doing the Lord's work, you know.

Got the Vietnamese iced coffee. As a Vietnamese person, it was bomb. It actually wasn't super sweet which is good. I know my mom would have preferred it to be even stronger in flavor actually in terms of coffee flavor. But overall it was great. I saw them steep it fresh using the traditional drip we use, we even waited about 5-10 min or so for it to run and for them to make it. They did it justice.

Absolutely delicious and easy on the wallet. Everything was incredibly fresh and the staff were quick and courteous. Will be coming back for breakfast every morning I'm in Philadelphia.

Best Coconut Cream Bun in town! I can't get enough of their 奶油包 /nai you bao/. Their fluffy airy buns filled with sweet cream with dashes of coconut flakes to top it all off. Plus, if you buy a dozen, you'll get 2 additional free pastries! Not that I'm saying get 14 of these, but that's exactly what I'm saying. I got a variety of pastries for my dozen (including egg tarts, custard buns, and sesame balls) + the 2 add'l free ones. Total came out to just $15.60. It's a steal and it's oh so good.

Cantonese bakery that sells all the classics but nothing looked very appealing. The portions looks pretty big. We got the bbq pork bun and it was okay. Meat was nice and favorful but some pieces were slightly tough. The bun itself was a little overcooked resulting in a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Met expectations for the pork buns, decent size & taste. I ordered the red bean bun too, but I've tasted some other bakery's red bean bun better. The service is quick, the place is not crowded, looks clean.