By Gus Saltonstall
An Upper West Side bakery was just named the most popular in the United States, but you might not guess the methodology.
The Strawberry Shortcake company recently published a survey of the most popular bakeries in the country based on the number of views they have generated on the video streaming app TikTok.
In an overwhelming first place was Levain Bakery, which has wracked up a staggering 44.3 million views under its hashtag on TikTok. The view count is 26 million more than the second place bakery, Porto’s Bakery in Southern California.
Levain Bakery first opened at 167 West 74th Street in 1995, and has gone on to open five more storefronts in the city, including a second Upper West Side location on Amsterdam Avenue between West 76th and 77th streets.
Here’s what Stawberry Shortcake, the company behind the iconic cartoon character used in greeting cards, wrote about Levain.
“First opening in 1995, Levain Bakery is crowned the most popular American bakery on TikTok, boasting a total of 44.3 million hashtag views,” Stawberry Shortcake wrote. “The New York bakery has multiple locations, but finds its origins in the Upper West Side. Levain owes its fame to its signature product, the enormous chocolate chip walnut cookie. Weighing a hefty six ounces, you just might need both hands to get to the end of this baked good.”
Levain Bakery’s location on West 74th Street serves up two-chip chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip walnut cookies, oatmeal raising cookies, caramel coconut chocolate chip cookies, banana chocolate chip slices, blueberry muffins, savory breads, and more.
Win Son Bakery near Williamsburg was the only other bakery in the five boroughs to make the top 10.
Here are the top 10 bakeries in the United States, according to viewership on TikTok.
1. Levain Bakery in New York City
2. Porto’s Bakery in Southern California
3. Boudin Bakery in San Francisco
4. Fillings & Emulsions in Salt Lake City
5. IZOLA in San Diego
6. Liliha Bakery in Honolulu
6. Long’s Bakery in Indianapolis
7. Tartine Bakery in San Francisco
8. Freed’s Bakery in Las Vegas
9. Win Son Bakery in Brooklyn
10. Arsicault Bakery in San Francisco
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So grateful to recognize our very own UWS bakery! It is a place where your politics, religion, and any other form of newly controversial identity does not matter…It is a place for something sweet, something you can share, and something that will make you think about moving your body more!
Now, let’s export this positivity around the world so that we can role model all the good.
And, if you don’t agree…Just get a cookie and take a minute to enjoy it!
Best thing at Levain bakery is the baguette with a shmear of butter and jam.
Silver Moon and Epices (former Soutine ) are terrific
Former location of Soutine, which was better than Epices.
Miss Soutine’s chocolate cake and cheese bread
Was just in Epices.
Got a yummy baguette, gingerbread cookies
Apple pie looked terrific 🙂
Epices will be open in the morning on Thanksgiving!
Yes Silver Moon and Epices!
They are too much, too busy and heavy. I’d take an absolute bagel over a levain cookie.
Levain absolutely destroying the competition and well deserved, their signature cookies are unique and supreme
Way to go, Pam and Connie, who started Levain Bakery. I used to work just a few blocks away which led to much temptation. They really deserve the honor.
A chain is not a bakery, it’s a commercial enterprise, and just because their stuff looks good, doesn’t mean it tastes good or has good ingredients, or good prices. The UWS was a haven of great bakeries, when there was Eclair, Royal, Gruenebaum’s, two Grossinger’s, Lichtman’s, etc., not to mention Cakemasters and Partycake, and even some high-quality Entenmann’s in the grocery.
That would be The Royale! Loved that, and Eclair and Babka, too. I grew up with those, they were great.
Eclair’s! Delicious after pizza or baked ziti at Al Bon Gusto next door.
And Babka on 79th/Broadway! I think you meant Royale? On 72nd between Broadway and West End? The apricot rugelach were fantastic, and the employees were European , somewhat elderly and just darling, giving me unasked for but much appreciated samples.
Not surprised at all! Levain cookies are unlike any other, amazing and the absolute best…but I have never eaten an entire cookie given the size and richness of them. Well-deserved and congrats Levain!
This place is so overrated.
Overrated? Apparently the long lines that still exist to this day says otherwise. I would like to know what cookie you think is better than Levain’s?
Maman…UWS…seriously better….
I used to live right around the corner from them at W. 76th. There were plenty of times we braved the lines (or caught them on off hours) for cookies and other bakes good. I’ve got to admit the cookies didn’t do it for me. Too thick. And the batter was more savory than sweet. But their other bakes goods are amazing. Anything but the cookies. The list really surprised me.
Despite what TikTok says, I vote for Silver Moon!
(Levain’s cookies are cloyingly sweet.)
Magnolia should be on this list!
Reading this piece and having never been to any of the bakeries mentioned, the use of “wracked” send me down a rabbit hole to learn whether WRACKED or RACKED were correct. Both are OK.
https://www.dictionary.com/e/wrack-vs-rack/
Maybe Levain’s private equity owner invests in highly-effective social media marketing (PS–I like the cookies).
the weird part is Crumbl Cookies didn’t make the list. their cookies are some of the absolute worst you can get out there from a dedicated shop but they are huge in social media. the kids look at their rotating cookie menu like pokemon or something… gotta catch em all or something,.
frankly, this whole thing is weird to celebrate based on a tik tok metric.
Crossbar on 86th street makes the best chocolate chip cookies hands down