Let me start by saying that we're a huge fans of small businesses and want to see them succeed…read more I've also worked in plenty of restaurants and coffee shops in my day. Definitely not trying to be a hater. My friend and I were on our way home from Chicago, looked up some bakeries along our route. We stopped here to get some goodies to take home to family, and to snack and have a coffee while we drove 6 hours. My friend ordered: white chocolate coconut latte, 2 donut holes, a strawberry, a salted caramel, and a pink velvet cupcake. I ordered: chocolate pretzel iced latte, a big chocolate chip cookie, tropical fruit (?) danish, coconut, pink velvet, and French silk cupcakes. I'd say between the two of us we probably spent $60+? Walking in the shop is adorable and colorful, an employee had a brightly colored tie dye shirt on and we said hello to them first, commented on how much we liked their shirt, and barely got a response back, let alone a greeting. The employee at the counter wasn't rude but definitely not overly eager to greet or offer up information. Questions were answered when we asked, that was it. When I received my iced latte I asked if they had any straws and just got a head shake in response. Totally fine with no straw, but my friend found a stir stick for me, which was honestly the main reason I wanted a straw so I could stir up what was clearly sitting on the bottom of the cup. Lattes were fine. We tried the chocolate chip cookie in the car and the texture was good, crispier on the edges and the middle was chewy enough. But it tasted very bland, so we didn't finish it. A little while later we decided to try the donut holes, they had good flavor but they were so dry and crumbly, presumably because they were sitting out in the open air, who knows for how long. Also didn't finish those. Even later we decided to try the salted caramel cupcake because I'd read on the case that they had Swiss meringue buttercream so I was really excited about that, and thought for sure this would be where they would excel. While the flavor of the cake was fine, I wouldn't say it tasted like salted caramel, there was some kind of cream in the middle that was good, again not salty or caramely. But that was the heaviest, most dense cupcake I've ever had, and not in a good way. The buttercream was good, and the caramel drizzle on top did taste salty. My husband was so excited that I was bringing home that tropical fruit danish and the coconut cupcake. We tried the coconut cupcake together and again, it had a lot of actual coconut in the batter, it was dense but also dry. We abandoned the cake and ate buttercream, which was good but not coconutty. So we moved onto the French silk cupcake. This cake had a great texture, light and soft, good flavor, some kind of chocolate mousse in the middle was good too. Again, good buttercream, but the top had a bunch of dry, flavorless pie crust chunks all over it. I understand that it was supposed to mimic a French silk pie, but it was such a good cake without the crust chunks. My husband had his pastry today (next day) and though dry he said the middle was good, other than the pineapple in the middle he couldn't taste any other flavor. We tried the pink velvet after dinner tonight and again with the super heavy and dense cake texture, no real flavor, but the cream cheese frosting was yummy. I cannot say how the other cupcakes were, as my friend was so disappointed in the one we shared and the report we gave her about the ones we tried, that she hasn't eaten them. Ultimately the French silk one was the only item that was eaten completely. Keep making that buttercream, it was the best part of everything we bought. I sincerely hope your employees weren't having a hard day, I try to be understanding that you never know what someone is going through, but that's the only reason I can think of for them to be so completely disinterested in helping or talking to paying/tipping/polite customers.

Needed a pick me up and knew Courageous Bakery is what I needed. I've been getting The Lorraine…read moresince high school and it never disappoints. I'd go so far as to say it's the best breakfast sandwich in Elmhurst. I would order it without the greens since I personally don't like how soggy they get on the sandwich. Tried the dirty chai for the first time and dare I say it may be better than a certain local coffee shop's. I do think $22 for a sandwich and coffee is a bit expensive, but I'm always very satisfied with my meal. It does come with a large side of home fries, but I usually end up not eating them, so I'd love to see more side options to choose from. Also had cupcakes catered a few months back including some gluten free options and they were all a big hit. Definitely on the expensive side, but they were good quality and absolutely devoured. The environment is always welcoming and open plus the staff are very kind.

Hidden gem located on Spring Road in Elmhurst. Deserts and cakes plus cookies. The service was…read moreoutstanding with the gentleman explaining that their chocolate eclairs have two different fillings. We got a carrot cake which was very tasty! Highly recommend this bakery, we will definitely be making a second trip!

For morning coffee and pastries you can't beat Lezza. We've been coming here for years and Laura,…read moreRaegan, Tracy, and Pete the baker never disappoint. The time spent on the small details is what makes this place special, look at the design work Raegan did with the foam on top of our mocha! Try the morning glory muffin you'll be glad you did. Today we saw a gingerbread chocolate chip muffin something new Pete is trying and it was delicious. Lezza's is a local neighborhood bakery and ice cream shop that rocks give it a try!

Always fresh, always dense, always moist, always flavorful, and ooooh..... that cream cheese…read morefrosting! While Chocolate Chocolate Chip is my year round fave, closely followed by the Lemon, the seasonal Carrot Cake, Key Lime, and Chocolate Peppermint are also exceptional. I hate cupcakes, but these little bundtlets are nothing bundt delicious.

Why does nothing Bundt cakes hire employees who work at the cash register and talk to customers who…read moredo not like and have not tried what they are selling. Trust me, I absolutely love the cakes from here. The problem I have is if you're going to be successful. You also need to have employees who know a thing or two about what they're actually selling. I even asked how long should I keep the cake out for the best experience? Even I know it should probably sit out for 3 hours or so and these girls looked at each other as if I was absolutely crazy asking that question. Please teach these employees about the product that they are selling and if they don't like a flavor, that's fine. You need to have them engaged and talk about what they actually like that they're selling it. Just flabbergasted me. It's almost as if they're looking at me like why are you here? Please leave. Why are you eating this crap? Just an awful experience by the employees you hire. Please retrain your employees who talk to the customers. When I opened my bag to try my cakes a few hours later, the girl gave me the wrong cake.

The baked goods are fabulous and customer service is great!! You must try the hummingbird cake and…read moreher world famous chocolate chip cookies. The list goes on and on. They are having a pop-up- shop later this month that's a great way to taste a variety of their delicious desserts.

From the owner: Delicious southern-style desserts in Bellwood! Keelie Banks is the owner and head baker of Suga…read moreBakers: A down home bakery serving up soulful southern-style desserts with a smile. When Keelie began baking over a decade ago, she never imagined that her passion for baking and creating special moments in the kitchen with family would turn into an exciting and rewarding career. Over the years, she was able to acquire tried and true recipes through lots of research, tons of experimenting and good old fashion trial and error. Now, many recipes later, she is delighted that Suga Bakers can bake up Sweet Memories for you and your loved ones too.

I really enjoy this spot for lunch. It's casual, has easy parking, and the food is made fresh…read morein-house with plenty of relatively healthy options. Some of my favorites are the chorizo breakfast wrap, the roast beef panini, and their signature Italian wedding soup. My wife and I usually add a side trio to get some greens in as well, which is always a great complement to our meal. Service is straightforward. You order up at the counter, grab your number, and find a seat. Just a note that it can get busy on weekends and during peak lunch hours, so plan accordingly. In addition, they also have a full coffee bar if you're in the mood for an espresso or specialty drink. Solid lunch spot that we keep coming back to. I'm a fan. 'Til next time, cheers!

I have another favorite coffee shop in the area, so although blackberry has been on my radar, I…read morehaven't made the trip. After finally visiting, I'm not sure I would return. My latte was mediocre at best. It wasn't very flavorful, and it wasn't very coffee forward, so I wonder if they use less shots of espresso than is standard or less strong espresso. The thing that bothered me most though was that the barista swirled my drink in front of me, it splashed all over out of the top and sides of the lid, and instead of fixing it or apologizing (or even just acknowledging it!!!!), he proceeded to hand it to me and said "have a great day!" I walked over with my baby in tow and cleaned it up myself. It was SO odd to me. The space is bright, there are plenty of seats, and parking is easy. Such a shame that I didn't like the actual latte more! :/

This is my favorite bakery! The bread usually tastes fresh and without that unplesant after taste…read moreyou get at other typical bakeries. This the closest or the same flavor from back home Mexico. My favorites are conchitas, puerquitos, bolillo and the stuffed bolillo with ham and cream cheese. The ladies are always nice and friendly. The price is not bad, specially when the sweet are the best.

Yum! Affordable prices. Yummy treats. Love the cake flan…read moreand chocolate cake!! Its not overwhelmingly sweet and tastes just right. Tres leches cake was good too! We wanted to try a whole lot more of their cakes but we were so full. Would love to come back and try their breads and pastries too. I wish their staff are more attentive and personable. I was wanting to ask more of what the other cakes were but it seems like though that they were in a hurry. There are some sitting area/spaces but it wasn't the cleanest or coziest of place. It would have been great to spend a few more hours there drinking tea or coffee with their cakes/pastries. The smell of this bakery is enough for to make everyone salivate! Many people are buying by the tray full!

I just saw Gena's cake made for the CakeWrecks.com "World" tour. I didn't stay long enough to…read moretaste, but it looked amazing. Granted it was a baby with a mohawk riding a giant carrot, but that is what they wanted. In fact, Gena said she would make wreckplicas for anyone if asked. That sounded pretty cool. Again, as time was short for me, I hadn't asked if she made vegan cakes. If I find out I'll update.

I don't even know where to start on how AMAZINGLY talented Gena is at iHeartcakes in Elmhurst…read more When looking for the perfect, and cost minded groom's cake to surprise my fiance on our rehearsal night I found iHeartcakes.com. I saw the perfect guitar cake on her website photo album and contacted Gena. Gena is the sweetest, talented and most customizing baker around!! I did all my communicating with Gena through email, she asked for a picture of my (now) husband's favorite guitar he owns so that she can make personally just for him. Additionally, she added an AMP that matched his own one, a real guitar stand, petal and made it all with a turn on switch that lit up the ON button!! We were so shocked, EVERYONE in the restauraunt was asking who and where did I get the cake from!! There are no words for this cake, it was perfection!! The best part is it tasted soooo good too!! Gena can make any flavor, or filling, any design, she is simply the best! Thank you for making my groom SO happy on our special day Gena!!

This lady belongs on NAILED IT. Yes, the Netflix show where people can't bake…read more Not only did she ruin my niece's first birthday cake but this woman was 2 hours late to deliver it. Paid $120 for a cake that was made by a completely unskilled baker and then thrown around by the delivery person she sent to deliver the cake. The cake was delivered all dented and beat up. The cake wasn't even standing straight up...then she wants to say she baked a completely different cake and can't refund since the cake was picked up and eaten...no one ate that sorry excuse of a cake lady. Then she said it was mishandled or got too warm..mishandled by the delivery guy she sent and how did it get too warm on a cold Chicago winter day right after a snowstorm that you blamed for your tardiness? She must have sent some random guy to deliver cause she knew how horrible the cake looked. Don't ever spend your money on a business that is unskilled, has no regard for your event time and can't even personally deliver a cake. I would have loved to see her personally present me with her Nailed It cake.

She did an incredible job with this 1st birthday cake and delivery was on time, everything as…read morepromised!! I could not recommend her more. Flavor of the cake and frosting was also SO GOOD. A lot of time cakes can look pretty but taste terrible. I would highly recommend her.