When it comes to noteworthy New York City cuisine, what comes to mind?
Is it bagels? Is it pizza? Is it the hotdogs churned out fresh every day from Nathan's?
We'd have to beg to differ on all of the above. Of course, we love all of that food, but one of NYC's most iconic and delicious cuisines is of the dessert variety.
Yes, we're talking about cheesecake.
Whether you're looking for some dessert indulgence, a nice afternoon treat, or you want to buy a whole cake and bring it to your Thanksgiving dinner, we figured every New Yorker deserved to know where the best cheesecake is at.
Living in NYC can get crazy, hectic, and harried. We all need some tangy, rich cheesecake to get us through. Read on to find out where to get the best of the best cheesecake in NYC.
1. Eileen's Special Cheesecake (17 Cleveland Place)
kiichi_0704 Eileen's Spatial cheesecake's cheesecake is the most delicious in New York. #cheesecake #eileensspecialcheesecake #blueberry #Newyork #NYC
Is Eileen's Special Cheesecake the best cheesecake in the whole of the city? We won't answer that question, but what we will say is that it's creamy, cheesy perfection, and its variety of flavors go far beyond the norm.
Their graham cracker crust is so crumbly, and their cheesecake isn't as heavy or rich as it is at some other cheesecake shops (cough ... Junior's).
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Let us just give you some advice about this situation: Try the Oreo cheesecake. It deserves like, three wows, and four standing ovations. Then again, the banana cheesecake is just about as amazing as the Oreo.
Basically, if you want some really incredible, really originally flavored cheesecake, don't pass go to get to Eileen's Special Cheesecake.
2. S&S Cheesecake (222 West 238th Street - the Bronx)
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The cheesecake at this Bronx bakery has been overshadowed by Junior's as among NYC's elite cheescakeries, but we can't imagine why.
The cheesecake at S&S melts in your mouth with every fresh and creamy bite. It's airy, fluffy, light, and still decadent. We would eat this cheesecake a thousand times before we'd get sick of it.
It comes in several varieties like plain, chocolate, and raspberry. It might be the best cheesecake in NYC. It might be the best cheesecake on the East Coast. In fact, it might even be the best cheesecake in the country.
Plus, it's more reasonably priced than other cheesecake powerhouses in NYC, so S&S gets mad props for that, too. If you're a cheesecake enthusiast, all we can really say is that it's worth the trek to the Bronx. If you already live in the Bronx, you basically win.
3. Junior's Restaurant (various locations)
Okay, we'll talk to you on the real. Junior's has a lot of hype because it beat Bobby Flay in the throwdown.
Does Junior's deserve all its hype?
Let's just say their cheesecake is moist, soft, and the cake-to-crust ratio is absolutely on point. Plus, it's not too buttery or too sweet. They also have plenty of cheesecake varieties; everything from plain cheesecake, to chocolate swirl cheesecake to black forest cheesecake.
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We'll just say at Junior's, they're serious about cheesecake.
If you go to their Times Square location, it can be a pretty good way to defeat the tourist trap woes. Plus, they've got locations in Grand Central and Brooklyn, too.
4. Lady M Confections (various locations)
The cheesecake at Lady M's two locations (Upper East Side and Midtown West) will completely blow you away.
It's got the perfect amount of flavor and sweetness.
It's smooth, creamy, and bordered with a buttery shortbread cookie crust. Needless to say, you won't have any left to, like, share, or put in the fridge. In fact, you should probably just get two slices and save yourself the agony of only having one slice.
If you want something hot and delicious to wash it down, we'd have to recommend the hot water with lemon and honey. Swallowing that beverage with a slice of their perfectly crafted cheesecake has got to be the closest thing to heaven in NYC.
,5. Martha's Country Bakery (various locations)
iibiite A week late, but I finally got cake for my birthday? #marthascountrybakery #oreocheesecake #yum #latebday
Did God give the Martha's Country Bakery the recipe for their Mississippi mud cheesecake? We really can't think of any explanation for its delectability. It's dense, yet surprisingly light, and absolutely explodes with chocolate flavor.
Their red velvet cheesecake isn't quite as good as the Mississippi mud cheesecake, but still; it's definitely worth trying as well. It's light and packs the huge flavor punch we all crave.
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We also thoroughly enjoyed their seasonal pumpkin cheesecake, which is dense and has a delicious mingling of pumpkin and cheese flavor.
As for the actual space, they've got two locations: one in Forest Hills, and one in Astoria. Both of these spaces are entirely homey and inviting. It's always very crowded because the cheesecake brings the people to the bakery, but it's totally worth braving the crowds for this banging cheesecake.
6. Two Little Red Hens (1652 2nd Avenue)
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Wow. The cherry cheesecake at Two Little Red Hens is delicious enough to make cheesecake believers out of anyone. Also, we do have to quickly mention their chocolate cupcakes, especially the Brooklyn Blackout, have enough flavor to satisfy any chocoholic.
The cheesecake at Two Little Red Hens, at the risk of sounding overly dramatic, is essentially to die for. What we mean is eat some before you die or move out of NYC (which are basically the same?).
Two Little Red Hens has pumpkin cheesecake, cherry cheesecake (that we just can't get enough of), and cheery New York cheesecake. Plus, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that amazing blueberry cheesecake.
This bakery is a perfect little gem in a wild, crazy, crowded city. Treasure it by treating yourself to their cheesecake, alright?
7. Breads Bakery (18 East 16th Street)
breadsbakery @timeoutnewyork rated the best cheesecake in NYC and we made the list. Have you tried our cheesecake? #breadsbakery #nyc #bakery #cheesecake #pastry #eeeeeats #eatingnyc #instafood #yum #sweet #treatyoself #dessert
Breads Bakery is famous for its chocolate babka and Nutella rugelach, which, we've got to say, are every bit as phenomenal as NYC lore would suggest.
Here's some potentially surprising news, though: Those two pastries aren't all Breads Bakery excels at making. That's right. The cheesecake is delicious enough to turn heads, too.
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It's got a hint of lemon, and it's topped with powdered sugar and surrounded by a soft crust. Plus, it's light, airy, and tangy. Let's just say the cheesecake is worth every calorie of indulgence at Breads Bakery.
In addition to your slice of cheesecake, you should probably try the babkas. They're bathed in sugar syrup right out of the oven. Our point is; they're famous for a reason.
Check out 6 Delicious Bakeries You'll Only Find in Queens.
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]