Sybil's Bakery Has Been Making Guyanese Breads and Pastries for Decades
This month, we're proud to present the Bread & Grains issue—dedicated to all manner of doughs, dosas and baked desserts made in Queens. To coincide with the print issue (you'll be able to pick up a print copy very soon!), every weekday throughout the month of February, we'll be featuring a different bakery in the borough. Some are old standbys, and some are new and on the rise, but each one reflects the diverse and independent spirit of Queens.
A primary reason New York City has asserted itself as one of the world’s preeminent food cities is that you’re guaranteed to find a taste of home, no matter where you’re from. And Sybil’s has nurtured the cravings of Guyanese expats since 1976. Originally sprung from Sybil Bernard-Kerrutt’s Far Rockaway kitchen (where she whipped up West Indian comfort foods to sell to the community), her Jamaica-based brick-and-mortar bakery has been standing tall for over 40 years. And it’s even expanded over its tenure, to include multiple locations throughout New York and Florida, each overseen by one of Sybil’s children.
The menu at the original has evolved too, to offer all manner of West Indian entrees, from curry goat and stew chicken to pepper pot, oxtail and vegetable chow mein. But the baked goods remain the heart of the operation, running the gamut from savory to sweet. Patties come in both Jamaican and Guyanese versions (the outsized former has a flaky pastry, while the diminutive latter rocks a short crust), and you’ll also find butter flaps, tennis rolls and signature Caribbean flatbreads, like unleavened roti, and split pea-stuffed dhal puri. Then there are the desserts, which will transport you straight from the Big Apple to the northern mainland of South America. Look for pineapple tarts, cassava pone (a yucca-thickened pudding cake) and distinctly Guyanese salara, swirled with rings of red-tinted coconut.
132-17 Liberty Ave., Jamaica
718.835.9235
