Furin’s of Georgetown

Posted by Edmund in Bakeries & Sweets, Washington, DC | 0 comments

2805 M Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20007-3712.

If there’s one thing you can find in the Georgetown area of DC, it’s a decent bakery. And among those bakeries, there’s none more historic than Furin’s, a community staple that’s been around for over 26 years! During that whole time, moreover, it’s always been run by the same old man and has never expanded beyond the single Georgetown location.

Thus, when I heard about Furin’s, I expected good, old-fashioned baked goods, baked by people with a passion for the job rather than a desire to expand and commercialize the store. That seems indeed to be the case, as the owner comes in every day, not just managing the store, but interacting with all of the customers. The bakery’s simple red brick walls and plastic tablecloths, which seem like they were ripped straight out of the ’50s, only adds to that down-home feel. The bakery exudes an air of history, though it doesn’t really boast about it, preferring to downplay all shows of extravagance.

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That old, homey feeling might strike some as charming, but in Furin’s case, it does unfortunately take a turn for the worst. Expect a small, cramped café with simple, barren walls, small tables, and a simple display of goods that look like they’ve been left out a little bit too long. In fact, the ambience is just plain ugly. It’s simple, but atrociously so, and it reeks of an old person vibe. So if you’re looking for a “cool” place, this is definitely not the place to go.

Nor does the food really stand out as exceptional. The variety leaves much to be desired. You will find a menu of only the very basics—chocolate and vanilla cakes and cupcakes, a few cookies, some salads, and a few different types of meat for sandwiches. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, if the basics are done very well. But that’s really where Furin’s fails, largely because of its inconsistency.

I’ve had Furin’s a couple times now, and every time I go, the experience is vastly different, depending on time of day and just sheer luck. Earlier on, when goods come out fresh, everything is moist and smooth. Furin’s doesn’t seem like it gets much demand for most of its treats, though. So there’s a large possibility that the cake you want has just been sitting out for hours, becoming dry and a bit flavorless. That’s the type of error that really holds Furin’s back—even if you have a delicious treat, you never know if it’s going to be the same the next time.

That said, though, there are a couple of reasons to keep your eyes on this bakery. The first is the value. It is easily one of the cheapest bakeries around, especially in the Georgetown area. In a land where a 2 oz. cupcake costs $3, Furin’s delivers a massive cupcake at least twice the size for almost the same price. Whether the quality is great or not, you will leave with a full stomach.

The other reason is for two menu items that really are phenomenal, despite the otherwise lackluster menu. First is the red velvet cupcake, easily one of the best in DC if you can get it fresh. The second is the iced cookie. Unfortunately, the shop’s specialty, the strawberry shortcake, doesn’t live up to its reputation, though.

Overall, then, Furin’s does have a couple amazing treats, but it has neither the baked goods arsenal or the atmosphere to really draw crowds, and I would recommend going only for a cheap treat or a great red velvet.

What I had:

1. Red Velvet Cupcake: This is a great cupcake all-around, and if not for the fact that the cupcake I tried was very dry, it would easily be a contender for the best red velvet in town. What really stands out here is the frosting, which is perfect, more or less. And when I say perfect, I mean it’s the most flavorful I’ve had on a red velvet, with an extremely marked cream cheese taste that I haven’t found anywhere else. Moreover, it has just the right balance between the sweet and the tangy, so it’s never cloying, even though it’s nice and thick on top. The cake itself is where this cupcake failed, mostly because it was too dry to meld well with the frosting. Still, I was impressed by just how flavorful it was, as the cocoa came through intensely in every bite, creating a really nice contrast with the tanginess of the frosting. And I can tell that the cake itself was well made, but that it had just been left out for too long—the texture was right, with a good softness to it. 3.8/5.0. For a technicality, I do have to lower the score on this one. If it had been fresh, as I’ve tasted it before, it would easily have been in the 4.5 range.
2. Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake (Vanilla cake with whipped cream and strawberries on top): Unlike the last cupcake, here I find the opposite problem: a fantastic vanilla cake with an utter failure of a frosting. The frosting is literally plain whipped cream, with almost no sugar or any flavoring whatsoever. In fact, it tastes like it’s just simple store-bought whipped cream. This is supposed to taste like strawberry shortcake, but the only fruitiness to it comes simply from the large strawberry chunks tacked on to the top. What is impressive, though, is that even with all these problems, I find myself liking this cupcake, and that’s solely because the large layer of cake is delicious. It’s a simple vanilla cake, but it’s very buttery and moist, melting in the mouth, and much better than what you get in the vast majority of cupcakes. The cake is so good that I can eat it alone, which is what I actually did do. 2.3/5.0. Keep the cake, throw away the fake frosting.

What I’ve had before (when I wasn’t formally evaluating):

1. Red Velvet Cupcake: The cake wasn’t dry at all during my previous tasting, and I remember thinking this was probably my favorite red velvet in DC.
2. Boston Cream cupcake: The vanilla cake was again great. No complaints with it at all—it was light, fluffy, and airy. The main problem is that the cupcake is not actually filled with cream, which is instead simply relegated to a layer on top. Though the cream was really good, it came off as an odd or clunky flavor because the cream wasn’t integrated into every bite. I prefer éclairs. But still, good.
3. Iced cookie: One of the best cookies I’ve had in DC easily, though it’s not unbelievably good. It has a gingerbread type flavor to it, with a great snap and a really balanced spicy sweetness. For gingerbread lovers, this is one of the best things you can get in town.
4. Strawberry shortcake (the actual cake): The cake itself was horrible—tasted like it was from a powder mix. It was just boring and a bit dry. The whipped cream was not bad, though. It had a good fruity flavor. The cake, in general, was just too light and uninteresting. 0.0/5.0

Ambience: 0.5/5.0
Taste: 2.5/5.0
Overall Score, as a bakery: 2.5/5.0
Overall Score, as a café: 1.5/5.0