By Abigael T. Sidi
Before I start, a disclosure: I’m a Bronx Science student, so my point of reference for donuts is the no-man’s-land, famous/infamous “gas station Dunkin” near the school. (Alums will know; non-alums will easily get the point.) So it came as a surprise when I arrived at Super Nice Coffee and Bakery to try the donuts, and found myself standing in an Absolute-Bagels-style line — the kind that threads out the door and down the block, leaving you with a sinking feeling that it is going to take each customer a full 30 minutes to complete their order and liberate the zone.
When I finally made it in the door of Super Nice, a three-year-old cafe at 196 West 108th St., it became clear that the reason for the long line was in the name. The people who work there are just that — super nice! — and so is large array of mouthwatering donuts and pastries on the menu, which makes it almost impossible to choose. It took me easily 7 minutes to make a final selection and check out at the single register (after countless switches and a last-minute swap), and I could just sense the wrath of the people behind me in line.
But the donuts were well worth the wait. The donut dough had the bakery’s distinctive, moist and lightly spongy texture, almost like a brioche, making for an easy and satisfying chew; a homestyle yeasty flavor gave it nice character. The cake’s moderate sweetness balances any intensity (sweet or sour) from the various glazes, allowing the bakers to go all in on creativity and flavor on the latter.
And so, the iconic passion fruit donut, for example, is a burst of fruity sweet and sour; the mango-chili delivers the same tropical glory, only made even more interesting by the slight spicy tang; and the loganberry (a cross between raspberry and blueberry) makes for a yummy taste of raspberry or strawberry jam, plum, taro and/or sweet potato, depending on one’s set of taste buds. (I had family and friends blind taste it!)
In each case, the fruit was front and center, respected and cared for, as only made possible by the in-house, small-batch production. On the day I visited, the loganberry donut was slightly heavier on the glaze, which only accentuated the delicious jam feel. In a previous interview with the Rag (done at the opening of the bakery’s Upper West Side location, back in 2022), Super Nice owner Dan Cohen emphasized his bakery’s focus on the fruit itself, inherited from his training as a macaroon baker: “We use these really beautiful purées, which are kind of like drink mixers,” he said. It shows.
If you’re not into fruit or are looking for something more traditional, Super Nice has you covered as well. The maple pecan donut I tasted on the day of my visit delivered on a classic sweet-tooth combo, with the dough yet again balancing the sweetness. Classic and chocolate glazed-donuts are also available. And the fruit pebble is the ultimate kid pleaser, delivering on the distinctive (albeit artificial!) slightly orange-y taste of the cereal. The blood-orange donut had a fun pink lemonade taste to it, but the frost had more of a grapefruit/cotton candy color and was spread a little thin. Unlike the spectacular passion fruit, mango and loganberry donuts, this one probably needs a little work.
Equating Super Nice Coffee and Bakery with a donut shop would be an enormous mistake. Their croissant is seriously good, with a buttery and flaky texture that is unmistakably French; and the cinnamon rolls, cheddar/jalapeno biscuit and cappuccinos are comfortably in the solid category among the options available nearby. Gluten-free options are available but limited; take-out and delivery can be ordered via Super Nice’s user-friendly website. The bakery is open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on weekends from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m.
The Dish: Donuts ($4.50 each)
The Restaurant: Super Nice Coffee and Bakery, 196 West 108th St. (between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, off the corner of Amsterdam)
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I’ve never gotten there early enough to have much of a choice, but everything is worth trying. (I do have to say that the employees at Super Nice make Mama’s Too employees seem positively personable. But maybe what they all have in common is the burden of working at a place with little space and long lines.)
Two things:
1) Super Nice sounds amazing.
2) This is incredibly well-written.
Hi USW-er: thank you for the kind words, but I have great editors who have a lot to do with it!
Oooh it’s a donut place ?! I always wondered what was going on there but assumed it was a Church or some community location. The line is for real, but it stretches down 108 toward Booker T HS and the 108 street garage. Would have never imagined someone would open a coffee/pastry shop in that location. Thanks for the tip, donuts look really good!
I hate to sound like the contrarian and the curmudgeon, but my experience at Super Nice was so unpleasant that I never went back. I had some of the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced there—the girl working the window was just plain rude to us for no reason. The donut was good but I found it a bit underwhelming for the price. I haven’t wanted to go back because the cashier’s attitude was frankly appalling to me. We are kind people and are never rude to service workers, so I’m not sure what caused it, but it was not a “Super Nice” experience.
We love Super Nice donuts, and I especially love that they offer VEGAN donuts too! My fave is the maple pecan. Also love their pistachio croissants when they’re available — not too sweet and lots of pistachio paste inside, yum! We usually order online for delivery so cannot speak to the window service.
Thank you for mentioning the vegan options. It’s a shame that the author did not mention it at all in this article which made me dismiss this place until I (thankfully) read the comments.
Hi travelgalnyc and Lisa: thank you for your comments. Sorry for the oversight on the vegan options, will make sure not to forget moving forward
Abigael T. Sidi: Love your writing! When I was at Bronx Science, there was no Dunkin’. We got our pastries from an early food truck; they came wrapped in plastic and were not very good.
Hi Julie: was the gas station there though? (except, without the DD?)
Great writeup, and you describe the dough pretty well although in my experience they can be a bit inconsistent from batch to batch. We’ve had on the same day some that were moist, like you said, and some that were drier. With that being said, they do a great job of making it interesting and the mango-chili is unbelievable .
Super Nice is great! And they have a BYOB sticker telling customers that they can bring their own container to reduce waste!
How was the coffee? I live across the street from that hole in the wall .
Where do they bake the stuff!?
I like the philosophy of let the fruit prevail.
Wish they’d bake apple etc Pies, with that Mind set in charge of the outcome . Then, I shall cross the street some morning.. ✴️
Esp if they have Any sugar free baked goodies
I went there and they charged me $8.50 for a decaf iced mocha with oat milk. It’s way overpriced. And it’s also inconsistent. Depending on the barista I got it would taste different each time. I wrote the owner he didn’t seem to care. Plus there’s nowhere to sit. Why would I pay all that money when I can’t even have a seat and enjoy the beverage? No thanks not for me. There are plenty of cheaper options that are just as good where you can sit down.
I love Super Nice’s donuts, will stop by on the weekend whenever I’m out the door early enough. The magic time (on the weekends, at least) when they sell out seems to be ~10:30-11am. After that it’s either slim pickins or nothing at all. I’ve never had a problem with the customer service.
They just racked up a whopping 71 points in violations during their last inspection. Eeeek.