Jones Bros. Cupcakes

It was absolute mayhem the first time I visited Jones Bros. Cupcakes.  There was a huge line, they were almost out of everything, and the place did not seem to be run quite the way they had hoped. They could not keep up, and the staff looked fried and completely burnt out; all because of their then-recent fame of being on the Food Network's Cupcake Wars.  There were boxes and other clutter stacked in the wine bar area, several uncleared tables, and it took forever to get through the pay line after picking out our dessert.  Right away I knew that I was going to have to come back another day to get the real feel of what they have to offer at Jones Bros. Cupcakes. 

Several months later, I finally made another appearance and was able to come up with a concrete conclusion of what Jones Bros. Cupcakes is all about.  They are really good pastry chefs trying to run a restaurant that does not just focus on what they do best: cupcakes and cakes.  I applaud them for trying to do more than just dessert, but there are just too many different facets to the establishment.  It seems like a cross between a pastry shop, Starbucks, wine bar, and a cafeteria (with heavy emphasis on the cafeteria).   Now I have not eaten any of their meals or tried swilling their wine, but judging by the lack of people eating anything but dessert and the storage room like persona of the wine bar, people are not as impressed with these features as they are with the desserts.  In my mind, I would have primarily focused on the pastry shop aspect, placed more emphasis on the coffee-type beverages, and ditched the rest.

The cupcakes and cake are absolutely breathtaking.  You wonder how it is possible that they did not win the Food Network Cupcake War battle as you eat your dessert.  The cake is perfectly done and the frosting is extremely addictive.  Even a basic plain looking vanilla cupcake will make you blackout because of its deliciousness.  If you like red velvet cake you will be very very happy when you order one here.  Did I mention the frosting?

Their Aksarben Village location is ideal.  This midtown hotspot allows people from all corners of the Omaha metro area to either stop by after eating somewhere else or complete their evening after a movie or a few drinks (especially since they stay open late Thursday through Saturday).  The outer part of the building is very cool, and the bright signs catch your eye from a great distance.  The inside is okay but the whole cafeteria feeling that I mentioned earlier is unappealing.  

It may sound extraordinarily obvious when you read this but get the cupcakes or cake.  Once you sample some of these frosted treasures you will agree with me that Jones Bros. Cupcakes should immediately abandon the rest of the distractions and focus more on the atmosphere and what they do best: dessert.

Jones Bros. Cupcakes website
Map

MY RATING (out of 10):
7 (++++++++++)