Patranella’s Bakery and Cafe

The canolli was delicious I just wish the coffee was good since it’s a bakery. I couldn’t even drink it. I had the quiche which was good but pricey for what it was. Good service.

The one good thing I’ll say about this place is that their staff was very friendly. That being said, the Italian dishes my husband and I were served at lunch on Sunday were truly awful. The prices on pasta (and most everything else) were $$, but I figured those ought to be good enough to be worth it, especially since it’s an Italian place. Probably the worst pasta I’ve ever had. I got the Chicken Milanese and my husband got the Chicken Parmesan. I got some plain noodles topped with a tough, dry piece of chicken that tasted like it had come out of a bag full of frozen breaded chicken breasts and been popped into the microwave, all topped sparsely with some unimpressive Alfredo sauce. Completely lacked flavor. This came with a plate of plain salad mix out of a bag (the generic kind with bits of red cabbage and carrot thrown in) and a slice of garlic bread. The garlic bread was the only thing that had any seasoning or showed any sign of effort having been put into it. My husband’s experience was equally disappointing. I might not be so peeved if it was maybe a third of the cost, I would expect low quality then, but I just threw perfectly good money down the drain. Their bakery goods may be a completely different story, but after experiencing the café, I won’t be risking it.

Big fan! This place is close to my house and perfect for quick lunches. Their daily menu is so refreshing and always hits the spot.

Ordered Lasagna by waitress request. It was soo sweet could not eat it, plus overcooked to the point it was hard as a rock. Fried Brocolli was awful, overcooked and Yuk. My sister had chicken and dumpling, minus the dumplings, heehee. Bread was rubber from microwave. Only good thing was mashed pot and gravy. Won’t be going back here for sure. Too bad.

I was able to walk in and they put together an amazing party tray of sweets. They tasted as good as they looked, everyone loved them. The staff is just as sweet. I will absolutely be coming back.

Service was horrible, drinks were good, and food was horrible like it was microwaved.

Had the Spaghetti and meatballs and a salad… Finished most of the spaghetti out of courtesy to the cook… but the sauce was so incredibly SWEET it was hard to finish. The sweets and baked goods looked appetizing and the service was friendly. Feels more like a typical restaurant than a bakery/​café where folks can hang out and work or talk while they eat and enjoy cups of joe. The menu changes daily with different specials and the food was fresh. Will try again another day… FYI… in Bryan, TX, some people LOVE super sweet sauce from what one of my Bry-​talian friends told me… so if you’re into super sweet sauce… you will love their spaghetti.

My fiancé and I came here for lunch today after we kept hearing it advertised on the radio. Patranella’s is in a pretty respectable location-​just behind the main drag of Downtown Bryan. Another reviewer mentioned parking was sparse, but there is plenty available nearby.
We came in around 11:30 and there was already a decent crowd inside-​a large group of police officers, a few women attending a social lunch and some men who walked over from work-​all Bryan locals. We sat ourselves and a cute little waitress came over right away.
The menu is somewhat interesting– lasagna, a stuffed bell pepper, meatloaf vs. a burger and BLT vs. quiche and a chicken salad plate. It is reasonably priced between $ 8 – 10 an entrée. I had a grilled chicken sandwich on a sourdough bun-​they use Sheila Partin bread here which is always a treat. The chicken was fine-​nothing spectacular. It came with your run of the mill potato chips. My fiancé got a burger which he agreed was just average, but also complimented the bread they use.
The real reason we came, however, was for dessert. We spent about 10 minutes just trying to decide what we wanted. Everything looked delicious! Chocolate and coconut cream pie, italian cream cake, lemon bars, strawberry cake, brownies, cheesecake, cannoli, cupcakes, etc. The display cake just pulls you right in. We got a piece of strawberry cake and a couple of fig cookies to share. The cake had a great flavor, but was pretty dry. I imagine it had been sitting in the display cake for a few days. The edges were especially dry and the icing was crusty. Had it been fresh, they really would have knocked it out of the park. I do have to say, the desserts seemed pretty overpriced. Granted, we did get a large portion, but 1 piece of cake runs about $ 6.
Will we be back? Maybe if we are in the area, though the hours are quite limited. Their special order cakes looked impressive, so I would consider placing an order in advance should the need ever arise.

Really great pastries just on the outskirts of downtown Bryan. Had some russian tea cakes (they call them something italian) and some cannoli. All very tasty. The folks that run the place are very kind and helpful too.

This place has great food! They have daily specials and an amazing bakery case. My only complaint – and the reason this isn’t a five star review – is that it’s only open for lunch and not open on Saturday.

I ate a Patranella’s for the first time last night, and let me just say that this place is a winner. The food is delicious. The staff is helpful, friendly, and fun. And the prices are right, especially factoring in the size of the portions – huge (particularly the desserts).
However, there is one thing that worries me about the place. Please consider this a public service announcement. The coconut cream pie may be addictive. I can’t say this definitively because I’ve only had one (enormous and delicious) slice, but I’m afraid I will be going back for more. And more. And more. Fantastic pie and loaded with coconut. Amazing.

Had the chicken and dressing today. $ 11 seemed expensive for what you got. The «dressing» was a very very dry and crumbly piece of cornbread with a tiny bit of gravy on top. The chicken was just OK, pretty bland. The green beans and yams were pretty good. My dad had a piece of lemon pound cake that was so stale he couldn’t get his fork through — he had to use a knife. Our first time here and our last.

I’ve been here twice. First time was phenomenal! We went for dessert. Lots of choices and fresh. Today I was there for lunch. The chicken was juicy and yummy but the cornbread dressing was strange. It was so dry it was powdery. I don’t know if it dried out in the warming oven or just how it got so dry. Yams were tart not sweet like I was expecting. Everything else was superb! I wish they would serve breakfast!

Finally, a bakery in town, heck, in Texas, that isn’t afraid of using butter! They also don’t stint on nuts and other goodies. The closest bakery we know of with products this good was in Little Rock.
OMG, these baked goods are amazing.
Pecan Pie, caramely and crispy and sweet and nutty with a flaky buttery crust. Probably the best pecan pie we’ve ever had.
Italian wedding cake, flavorful, buttery, chock full of nuts, with a creamy frosting that isn’t too sweet and doesn’t have that metallic flavor– probably the best version of this we’ve had as well.
A lemon meringue pie that could make you weep– bright lemon curd filling, thin buttery crust, fluffy meringue that melts in your mouth without any hint of a rubbery crust. No preservatives in this… After taking a bite I was transported to me at age 6, with the pie that would make lemon meringue my favorite pie… but no pie has lived up to that until today.
The meringue cookies also melt in your mouth, just as they should.
The lemon bars have good filling, and the crust is good. My preference is for a slightly thinner crust (like they have on the meringue pie).
The strawberry nut bread is delicious– it feels healthy and yummy and full of nut and strawberry flavor. The strawberry cake is a sweeter version with real strawberry chunks and a sweet frosting.
The German chocolate cupcake was an adorable double-​layer cupcake that was again packed with a fantastic nut-​filled frosting.
Fig cookie was good, buttery.
Red Velvet whoopie pie like-​thing was a good red velvet with thick frosting.
The folks working there were very attentive and cheerful and were very excited to talk about the store and different foods.

I love coming here on Sundays after church to have lunch. All the desserts are to die for! They have italian pastries, they run out early so you have to call ahead to see what they are baking for the week. I love that they change it daily so there is a huge variety. The staff is always helpful and the owner and her daughter are very welcoming and you feel like family when you are there. You can call and make specially ordered cakes, cookies and all sorts of pastries. AMzaing! Love this placE!!!

I’m not really sure how this classifies as an Italian bakery. Their baked goods LOOKED good, but was in the mood for an Italian pastry and there were none. Also, the sandwich was made with meat I wouldn’t buy for home use. I am sad that they aren’t exactly what they say they are, because their staff was very nice. I needed someone in town that could make me a st. Joseph’s pastry and got really excited when I heard we had an Italian bakery, which in reality, we don’t. :(