Dan the Baker

Review! Columbus, Ohio // European-style bakery // one of the best in the Midwest!

the ELEVATOR PITCH

Dan the Baker to me is like an old classmate I’m seeing again, for the first time in a long time, at a 10-year high school reunion. In 2015, Dan the Baker was a Toast Bar¹ concept in Grandview Heights—a suburb of Columbus, Ohio—that I tried once and wasn’t blown away by. The menu was comprised of tartines, smørrebrøds, and toast flights, where you get served slices of Dan’s signature sourdough with schmears of spreads on the side for you to dress your toast as you please. Honestly, it was probably all very good, I just didn’t have a refined enough palate to appreciate the depth of his high hydration sourdough² and instead left feeling like I could’ve “made this at home.”

Since then, I hadn’t thought of going back, until my recent Ohio visit in May 2025. The inspiration came from (1) wanting to give Dan the Baker another shot, because most places deserve second chances, and (2) now that I’ve lived more life and feel like my palate is more refined, I wanted to see if my opinion would be different. What I was then met with was a series of surprises befitting a re-encounter after 10 years apart:

First, Dan the Baker expanded into Sbarro’s former test kitchen, tripling in size. This brick-and-mortar is located in a strip of office buildings that feel more fitting for real estate and interior design meetings than a bakery, and the surrounding area leans on the more abandoned and dilapidated end of neighborhoods. It was no longer the tiny thumbprint of a room I once knew!

Second, the interior had a glow-up: tall ceilings, light wood, dark tiles…a lot of natural elements that contribute to a simplistic, clean look that is easy on the eyes. The large, open concept, industrial-grade kitchen is hard to miss (and was also distracting for me…) as it takes over 2/3rds of the bakery! My brain couldn’t stop thinking about how it would be the perfect setting to host a cooking show 😆 Finally, my favorite part of the entire interior: the narrow booth seating by the window where the sunlight pours in—just magical! I felt like I was in my own little oasis bubble with treats in hand.

Lastly, the menu!! Gosh, the menu. The original Toast Bar menu was nowhere to be found, and was instead replaced by clear pastry cases and shelves that displayed viennoiserie, baked goods, and freshly baked bread loaves; they also offered a coffee menu and curated merchandise selection! The house made Snowville Creamery cultured butter caught my eye and is rumored to be amazing on their sourdough…

I will warn you: the pastry prices are on the higher end. I have never spent $10 on a singular butter croissant before, not even in New York City! That said, the experience of their croissant lives up to the price—from the look, feel, scent, bite, taste, and even down to how it sat in my tummy afterwards (I didn’t feel bloated/lethargic at all)—Dan the Baker makes one of the best croissants I have ever had. And there’s a reason for that, too: the ingredients they use are extremely top notch. All their pastries are made with 100% organic grains, Snowville Creamery milk (A2/A2), Isigny Ste Mère butter (Isigny terroir yields a nutrient dense diet for the cows, leading to high quality butter), Copia Farms eggs (pasture-raised), and local, in-season produce. If you have a sensitive body and historically don’t receive pastries well, give Dan the Baker a chance 🫶

While I didn’t get to re-try the original Toast Bar concept, I nevertheless felt that this was a true redemption, and it reminded me of how dreams take time and evolve along the way. Head Baker Dan Riesenberger has been baking since 2007; he took his career from being a full-time baker at Northstar Cafe to opening a humble Toast Bar to now—10 years later—being nominated as a 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Outstanding Baker³ with a new retail space decked out with the works: seating, an expanded menu, and an enormous kitchen. If it took 10+ years for Dan Riesenberger to get here, what makes me think I should see results for my own projects overnight?

Dreams are a labor of steadfast love.

menu items

honest reviews incoming!

Egg & Bacon Danish: this had so many unexpected flavors! The Danish was slightly sweet & spicy (almost like there was hot honey laced throughout), with a great amount of savory-ness that made it, dare I say, the best Danish I’ve ever had?! I also thought the egg would be runny (it just LOOKS like it, doesn’t it?), but it ended up being my favorite level of “doneness,” where the yolk is silky and not overdone, while also not being runny like a sunny side up egg. This ends up not being too messy to eat, which makes it a great grab-and-go pastry too! (rating: 11/10)

Potato & Onion Knish: my husband chose this one (he’s a potato fiend), so while it was more to his tastes than mine, it was pleasantly flavorful and piping hot. It was like eating a pocket of Thanksgiving mashed potatoes wrapped up in a tender pie-crust like pastry dough, warming and comforting. That said, I would’ve like a little more zhuzh and variety in the filling to give it some interest. (rating: 7.5/10)

Almond Croissant: upon first glance, I couldn’t get over just how much powdered sugar is covering this thing! Personally, I’d rather have just a light-medium dusting…both aesthetically and for the ease of eating (the powdered sugar was getting everywhere but my mouth). The frangipane was more viscous than others, and didn’t have too strong of an almond flavor. Overall, I was slightly disappointed with this since the other pastries were so good; I would’ve preferred a louder almond flavor presence and less powdered sugar. (rating: 5.5/10)

Butter Croissant: gosh, this looked like a dream and tasted like a dream. It easily could be one of my favorite butter croissants (I go into my criteria in my article on Where to Find the Best Croissants in Charlotte)!! It had the height, girth, beautiful layers, perfect honeycomb cross section, slightly sweet and slightly buttery flavor, a great crunch that shed SO many flakes, and the quintessential smell of baked bread. Like I said: a dream. Only downside was, this was one of the priciest croissants I’ve ever had ($10), so one could argue it had *better* get a perfect score. (rating: 11/10)

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the RÉSUMÉ

address // 1028 Ridge St, Columbus, OH 43215

operations // Thursday - Sunday, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM; Monday - Wednesday, CLOSED.

logistics // free street parking available

amenities //

• 1 public bathroom, no changing tables

• no free public WiFi or outlets

• semi-accessible (i.e., tables are accommodating to wheelchairs, ordering counter is standing height)

• only indoor seating is offered

vibes // no frills, simple & clean; minimalistic with a hint of industrial

menu // no gluten-free or vegan options; vegetarian-friendly

• beverages ($3.00 - $6.50): coffee, espresso, cold brew, botanical soda; matcha & chai

  ⭐ using Snowville Creamery milk

• viennoiserie ($9.00 - $14.50): croissants (ham & gruyere, chocolate, almond, butter, cruffin, etc.); morning bun, cardamom knot, Danishes

  ⭐ seasonal danish/croissants weekends only

• baked goods ($6.00 - $13.00): cookies, savory knish

• breads ($6.00 - $19.00): demi-/regular baguettes, sourdough & country loaves

• pantry goods ($15.00 - $24.00): house made Snowville Creamery cultured butter, house made granola, Brenneman Farms’ raw local honey, Thunderkiss Coffee beans

recs // easily the butter croissant and the egg & bacon Danish; but if I’m back again you know I’ll be trying other items!

kudos // Head Baker Dan Riesenberger nominated as 2025 James Beard Awards Semifinalist for Outstanding Baker

site // Dan the Baker

1. Dekker, Nick. “Toast Bar | Columbus, OH.” Breakfast with Nick. (September 11, 2015)

2. Staff Writer. “Tastemaker: Daniel Riesenberger, owner and baker, Dan the Baker.” Columbus Monthly. (June 9, 2015)

3. Dell, Adam. “Local culinary stars named semifinalists for 2025 James Beard Awards.” ABC 6. (January 22, 2025)