June 6 was my birthday, and after celebrating the night before at a lovely restaurant in the city,…read moreI found myself with no plans on my actual birthday. I decided I wanted to treat myself to a little cake. I usually visit a local bakery for cakes, mini desserts, and cannolis. It's generally pretty good, although it can be a bit hit or miss depending on what you order. While searching online for bakeries nearby, this place came up with stellar reviews. I was surprised to see it was only about an 11-minute drive from my house, so I decided to make the trip. The bakery was set up much like a classic neighborhood bakery, with beautiful cakes displayed along one side and cases filled with mini desserts, pastries, cookies, and cannolis. While chatting with the staff, I mentioned the bakery I usually go to. That's when they told me that bakery actually gets its cakes from Normandie. I found that fascinating because I had always assumed every bakery made its own cakes from scratch. Suddenly, a lot made sense. I had originally planned on buying a small birthday cake, but since it was only for two people, I decided to put together an assortment of mini desserts instead. I picked up tiramisu, carrot cake, lemon cake, and several other mini cakes. Every single one was outstanding. Not one dessert missed the mark. The carrot cake was moist, the tiramisu was perfectly balanced, and the lemon cake was absolutely delicious. Everything tasted fresh, high-quality, and thoughtfully made. The minis were slightly smaller than the ones I'm used to buying elsewhere, but honestly, they were the perfect size. Now that I know where those cakes are actually coming from, I'll happily make the extra 11-minute drive and buy directly from the source. This will absolutely be my new go-to bakery for birthdays, special occasions, and hostess gifts. A wonderful birthday discovery that turned into finding my new favorite bakery.

Fantastic classic place with good baked goods and classy staff. Great coffee too and convenient…read morelocation.

Gorgeous bakery tucked away in "The Grove." Came here with a friend after she recommended this spot…read moreand it did not disappoint! I got an herbal tea, but was eyeing the delicious pastries! Will have to come back to try the different varieties. They have no indoor seating, but there are a few tables outside which have umbrellas where you can sit.

I have been social media stalking The Baker's Grove for a while now. Eventually, enough was enough…read moreand I made that drive to Shrewsbury to check them out. During my first visit, they had a pop up from Mirah's Sweet Shoppe. During my second visit, there was a pop up from J. Bakes. Out the gate, I love that they give other local small businesses an opportunity to shine and generate revenue. If you follow The Baker's Grove on social media, you see that they post pictures of these beautiful pastries and pastry cakes weekly. If that's not enough to get you in your car and over to their bakery, I don't know what is. Not only are the pastries beautiful, they are delicious! They make a coconut cream doughnut that I am currently addicted to. Their key lime tart is delicious. One thing I will say is that if you get anything chocolate of theirs, make sure you're a true chocolate lover. I got a slice of the s'mores tart for myself and a slice of chocolate cake for my mom and one thing we agreed on is that both treats were very, very rich. On top of all this deliciousness, the service is usually friendly and efficient. Even with a line, they get you in and out swiftly. There's not much room to dine in, but it's definitely worth a stop by.

Chava chino mushroom coffee is just so delicious…read more I'm really grateful to the staff that work here and really makes such a wonderful cup of coffee. Service is always wonderful here. I'm so grateful. Thanks for taking care of us also wonderfully. Thankful for your supplier and for your management that buys such yummy products. I'm grateful to skilled staff that makes wonderful things for us to enjoy. Thanks for your grateful welcoming heart. I look forward to coming back. I wish I had a ukulele. I'd write a song about it all.

I had been looking forward to trying Once Bitten Donuts after hearing great things, and while the…read moreexperience was enjoyable, it didn't completely live up to my expectations. The donuts were fresh and visually appealing, and I appreciated the creative flavors available. However, I found some of the flavors to be a bit sweeter than I personally prefer, and I wasn't blown away considering the price point. It was definitely one of those spots that was more focused on the instagram picture over the taste of the product itself. That being said my nieces and nephews loved the sesame street options! That being said, the staff was friendly and the shop has a fun, welcoming atmosphere. I can definitely see why others enjoy it, but for me it landed more in the "good, not great" category.

I love Amcici Bakery. We go here for all the pastries for the Holidays. We also love to get our…read morebirthday cakes from here. The birthday cake with Pastry Cream and Chocolate mouse filling with whip creme on the outside is FANTASTIC. As for the pastries they make the best lobster tails and Sfogliatella hands down!

Whenever we visit Old Bridge NJ, we always try to visit Amici, this wonderful bakery that makes…read morefresh cookies, pastries, cakes...every day. I always pack goodies for my Doctor and neighbors. Delicious and worth every visit. Customer service is helpful and great. Kudos to the owners.

Cameo is mine and my family's go to bakery for all of our events! I have used them for just about…read moreevery family member's birthday, my baby shower, and other life events deserving of a cake. The most recent purchase being my daughter's second birthday which was unicorn themed. They never fail to produce a beautiful, affordable, and fresh cake that everyone loves. Their carrot cake is top-tier, and everyone who eats it always raves over it. The shop is adorably decorated with sweets, it is most importantly immaculately clean, and family owned which is my favorite part. The family is so sweet, so accommodating, and truly cares about their customers. Excited to pick up my 4 dozen cupcake order today for my daughter's birthday!

Amazing amazing amazing!!!!!!! Delicious and beautifully…read moredecorated Excellent bakery

My bff really needed some pastries and a peanut butter cookie…read more Such nice service and such beautiful treats!! I got to enjoy one of the cookies that looks like a van Gogh ear! Everything was fresh and delicious and very, very beautiful. I'm so grateful to all the hard-working people that take care of us all so well give us a sweet experience in this precious town.

Stopped by for breakfast after a hike around Rocky Point Trail. I had the ham and cheese croissant…read moreand my friends had the almond croissant. They were both phenomenal. I'm a savory fan so the thick salty ham at the center made me happy. The almond croissant had some chocolate and was decadent as well. The interior is so pretty with its pastries and decor. Service was quick and we were able to sit at their tables outside and enjoy our croissants in the nice weather.

The donuts were incredible and very different from anywhere else I've ever been. my family and…read morefriends loved the donuts.

Made to order is nice: here are my picks: Belmar Bliss -…read moreBlueberry, Powdered Island Broad - Lemon, Coconut Glazed - Doughnut Dipped In Glaze - Orange, Vanilla Cinnamon Sugah - Nothin' But Cinnamon Sugah Shrewsbury Fields - Strawberry, Vanilla They have lots of other flavours, but these are my favorites- I don't come here weekly, but often throughout the year.

I found this eatery on Google Maps, and I decided that I would include it into my eatery-hopping…read moreadventure. Park Avenue Plaza offers many opportunities for buying and eating local, and this eatery is the latest inclusion. Brand: 5/5 Freehold Bites and Sweets is a small dessert shop located behind a Domino's near Park Avenue Plaza. The on-point logo perfectly reflect the brand of the establishment, with its bright colors and cartoon images of the waffle, the frappaccino cup, and the strawberry ice cream. That logo can easily apply to any surface, whether on a cup, on a wall, or an entrance. Wait Time: 5/5 I experienced no issues or delays with the wait time. Ambiance: 4/5 I can see how such a small business is taking off on a simple start with such a small space. I can forgive that, but the chairs and tables did feel a bit cramped. I did feel welcomed by the Spanish language pop playing on the television, since it matches the vibe of the restaurant. The pale green walls can definitely bring out a vivacious mood without overwhelming you. Freehold Bites and Sweets offers a simple variety of dishes, from frappes to coffees to fruit juices to crepes. While no take-out menus were available, the menu did show these items on booklets with font clearly understandable to read. Drink: 5/5 I ordered the Mazapan Frappe, which had a thick, malty taste as typical of mazapan. While I did experience the frostiness for the first couple of seconds, it immediately started to soften, making it easy to drink. Even after taking it home with the last drinks remaining, I still felt as though I did not waste my time or money, since it managed to continue having the mazapan taste and still had the frappe thickness remaining. I can see how the Mazapan Frappe managed to stay consistent with the brand, since it uses a traditional Latin American flavor with a typical American treat. The quality of the frappe matched the time it took to make it, and the service ensured that the drink had the right amount of consistency. Service: 5/5 The owner welcomes you with great care, always asking if you need anything. I could clearly tell that he enjoys his work from his communication to the making of the order. He gave me a good, first impression of Freehold Bites and Sweets, since I never felt lost despite the limited information about this eatery. Nothing about the service distracted me or tried my patience while waiting for my order. The presence of the logo in many formats shows that the service reflects the ambiance in a positive way. Cost: 4/5 Taking into account every aspect of Freehold Bites and Sweets, I can clearly see that its up-and-coming operation has a good start. The brand saves it, while it starts off in a simple setting with a tolerable ambiance. Personal suggestions would be to start a website, especially one with a theme specifically tailored to restaurants; and to have more uniform tables and chairs. While I would expect the price to be the same as any other chain eatery, the interest in the other menu items raises the Cost score from three stars to four stars. I will ultimately say that the price of the Mazapan Frappe and the experience going there was worth it. Rating: 5/5 Stars I ultimately decided to give Freehold Bites and Sweets five stars, since I hold a lot of hope for this establishment. I can see a bright future for Freehold Bites and Sweets in terms of having its own space. When it comes to frequenting Park Avenue Plaza, I would consider it a first choice for any desserts or frappes. Recommend To... Anyone looking for a shop that serves frappes or treats with a Latin American twist. I also recommend to anyone already ordering from Dominoes and is going there to receive your order, for I would suggest including Freehold Bites and Sweets as part of either your dessert with their crepes and fruit juices, or the frappes and coffees for the middle of the day.

Entering the dessert shop, my family and I were immediately greeted by Dameon , he was very sweet…read moreand helped us with any questions we had. He was very attentive, my family and I got crepes, waffles and mini pancakes, we also got a coke and water , everything came out to 46 dollars which was a great price for the amount of dessert that was given! The atmosphere was very pleasant and the music playing was great, we'll definitely be back to try the esquites that's only sold in weekends!