Hot Cakes Croissant

Today I tried a croissant from Hot Cakes. After the crappy customer experience I had at Albemarle Baking Company I was looking forward to actually continuing my research. Unlike its competitor, Hot Cakes will not turn away a paying customer.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best, I rate the croissant as follows:

FLAVOR: 5. I was disappointed in the flavor. The croissant tasted nice and fresh, however it tasted for the most part like a typical American-style croissant. The buttery flavor that characterizes French croissants was nearly absent.

DENSITY: 3. The croissant was dense like bread, not light and airy. I give it a 3 instead of a 1 because despite the texture it was not rubbery as many American croissants seem to be.

FLAKINESS: 1. It did not flake. At all. I ate it while driving and finished without a crumb on my lap. This is just wrong.

GREASE FACTOR: 10. This croissant was not greasy at all. This is a good thing! However, my guess is that a lack of butter was responsible more than the baker's technique.

VALUE: 7. Hot Cakes makes a very large croissant -- it is about twice as large as the one Albemarle Baking Co makes. For $2.25, it is a comparatively good deal.

COMPOSITE SCORE: 5.2

In summary, a 5 out of 10 means Hot Cakes has an average croissant. However, they are fresh and a good deal for the size. I have tasted far worse. Check 'em out.