We came in for cupcake desserts post lunch on 8/8/2023. I have been following Courageous Bakery since the owner, Ms. Pekarik, was a contestant in "Cupcake Wars" in the Food Network Channel. I got some cupcakes from their food truck before, but this is my first time in her brick-and-mortar store. +Cute, fun, happy ambiance! +Friendly staff +Dining room and bathrooms were clean +Cupcakes were delish! +Found out that they serve breakfast, too! I will return to get some breakfast with family and friends someday. +I am not vegan but to my vegan friends, they have options here for you! +Cupcakes were aptly priced at $3.95 each (give or take a few cents depending on flavor) Will definitely come back! read more

The food was great, and the service was super friendly really enjoyed everything, when I asked for something to not have an ingredient though I'm at the register immediately suggested an alternative, and it turned out to be great read more

I've visited Courageous a few times in the past year - mostly for take out, but also for a cupcake catering order. First of all, their cupcakes are delicious - I especially like the strawberry one which has the cutest little freeze dried strawberry on top, wonderful frosting and a surprise of some preserves in the middle. I bought about 20 of these over the summer for a party and everyone loved them. We've also ordered breakfast a few times - everything had been fresh and delicious and they even called to let me know once when the delivery person forgot our orange juice (delivery person was from another company just picking up)... not only did they alert me, but they also found the delivery person and sent him back with it. Breakfast and lunch is a treat - familiar favorites and some fun items. But definitely do not leave without trying a cupcake - as they are well worth the calories and since they save pretty well - you can also bring a few home! read more

Honestly the place is just ok. Feels like they try to be great but they often miss the mark. It's a good spot to grab cupcakes for a group/event - they're fine. There's better ones around at Sugar Fixe, and everything from Oak Park Bakery is wayyyyyyyy better than this mediocrity. Today my kiddo was craving biscuits and gravy so I figured that we could pick up some and eat it in the park. But it's just not a biscuit, and this isn't really sausage gravy. It's more like a flat doughy bun with too much baking soda, and the meat in the gravy has no flavor beyond the peppers and mushrooms.... So it's more like a vegetarian gravy that vegetarians won't eat. Oh and the people who work there seem like they need a raise and some motivation. I stood at the counter for 5 min while a few of the people working there just sort of moved around slowly. They were perfectly pleasant, it just seemed like a bunch of teenagers had been left on their own to figure out how to run a restaurant. I hope they get it together and make some changes, I know it's super hard to run a restaurant, especially these days! read more

Courageous Bakery & Cafe - "Biscuit" and "gravy" is not too great - Bakeries Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Definitely wish I lived closer. Delicious food and awesome service! Cinnamon French toast we amazing and skillet was sensational! Homemade yummness!! read more

Courageous Bakery & Cafe - Skillet chorizo and poblanos peppers!!Choripoblo - Bakeries Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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No birthday cake for my kid with allergies. Again. 4th birthday, no cake. Oh, you're turning 5? Also no cake for you! 2 years in a row, no Vegan birthday cake despite ordering in advance. As in, I placed an order in 2022 & 2023, got no cake. I think I got my $ back the 1st year & I didn't get a receipt this year, but it looks like I didn't get charged. 2 years in a row, yeah, not getting your child's bday cake you special ordered bc regular cake would *kill her*, it is more than a slight inconvenience. The manager even said it was their fault, even after I noticed a mistake that I could have made. She said she had a baker on hand, and could make me a cake in 2 hours. Then later I get home, they refuse to make the cake I ordered & she started calling me "Ma'am" all of a sudden. Anyway, I tried. 4 different times I tried this place. See you next year! read more

Lovely cafe in the heart of oak park. Came here on a Sunday afternoon and while, it was a steady busy, it was not overwhelming. They have a variety of menu items ranging from delicious looking pastries (hello cupcakes!!) to breakfast and lunch items. I ordered the Gouda turkey sandwich and it was divine! It also came out quite quickly. The decor inside is vibrant and welcoming, with the staff adding to the kind vibes. Would definitely love to be back! read more

Does anyone else ever find a spot on their first day in a new city and keep going back throughout the trip? Courageous Bakery was that for us while staying in Oak Park, IL. The Cupcake Wars logo in the window caught our eye, and the recommendation from our local friend gave us the push to check it out. Based on the food reviews before us, we decided to try the Double Chocolate Cupcake. As we turned the corner, the Chocolate Hazelnut Pastry stood out. We are Nutella fans, so we gave it a shot. Then, we had to have our daily dose of Dark Roast Coffee. Neither of the sweet treats disappointed in the slightest! The Double Chocolate Cupcake was absolutely decadent with its fudgy frosting and moist cake. That being said, the Chocolate Hazelnut Pastry takes the cake. We have not had a pastry like this before. Generally, we find pastries that are light but also very dry. This had layers upon layers of the buttery pastry with a succulent filling that kept the entire dessert dewey and delicious. Next time we are in town, we will definitely stop by not only for their baked goods but also to try their breakfast food! read more

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I've been here many times, as their Oaxacan latte is fantastic. We also ordered an iced Horchata Latte and a cupcake. The horchata latte was a disappointment. If it was a blind taste test, I wouldn't have known what the flavor was in the cup. We were given the cupcake in a to go container, the Horchata Latte was in a plastic to go cup, yet the Oaxacan Latte came in a large mug. We were never asked if the order was for here or to go. The cupcake was supplied to go, so why would 1 of our 3 items be served for dining in? It was odd, but since the server was so nice, I didn't say anything. The main reason for this review, however, is not that we were served a latte in a mug nor a special latte with no horchata flavor. The biggest thing by far is the lack of cleanliness. They have these lovely wire baskets that act as pendant light cages. They hang over the register, the counter, the food. The dust and dirt on them is totally disgusting. Does no one ever look up? They are completely covered in muck. How can they not drop dirt and dust particles on the pastries below, on the customers paying at the register, etc? One of the two restrooms also had a faucet handle broken off. There was no way to turn on water to wash hands. How are workers washing their hands? The bathroom floors in both restrooms are also not clean - looks like a wet mop just sloppily was swished around. The bathroom corners look like they haven't seen a scrub in ages. There is also a brass handle missing on the main entrance door - the bar itself is gone. Not a huge deal but on top of the rest, I wonder why maintenance is being ignored. I honestly do not think we would ever return. When I think about the wire baskets and their filth in such a close proximity to the pastries, it makes me wonder what the kitchen looks like. read more

Ginger Snappy Latte was delicious and Cassidy is the best!!! Get you @ss to Courageous Bakery! read more

Courageous Bakery & Cafe - Ginger Snappy Latte - Bakeries Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

We were in Oak Park for the weekend and went to this cafe for breakfast on Saturday morning. I failed to take any pictures, but I had the avocado toast and a dirty chai, and got an almond croissant to go. The coffee and toast were very good- their avocado toast is more like guacamole toast, but I liked it. I didn't get around to trying the almond croissant for two days, so can't give it a fair review. One of my kids got a cinnamon roll to go, and OMG, it was so freaking good, even the next day when she ate it. read more

I can only speak to the baked goods on sale at the counter here, but our family thought they were only so so. Between a Funfetti cake donut, a chocolate cake donut, a cinnamon roll and a lemon poppyseed cake, I wouldn't get any of them again, but we thought all of them were fine. Two of the four made it home and had to be thrown away after another day because no one wanted to jump back in. The flavors were just a bit plain. On the upside, fast service and for the price, the size of these pastries makes sense. read more

Stoppped in last week for the first time as I was drawn from the outside. A bakery located on a corner off a main road (Lake)--who wouldn't embrace such an autumn hallmark moment? Entering the shop I noticed it was mainly empty as the dining room in the back had been closed off and a sign on the door read the establishment was short staffed and to be patient--understandable. I stared through the glass at the many options of baked goods salivating over each item. As my eyes grew wider I decided on the pumpkin pie cupcake (tis the season). I waited a few minutes at the counter waiting to place my order while watching the employee pace back and forth, occasionally taking a bite out of food and throwing trash away being the multitasker she was. "Remember the sign" I reminded myself, she clearly needed to eat and my order was not a priority at the moment. When I finally ordered and received my cupcake the first bite was everything I had hoped it would be and more. The frosting was thick, rich, and had the sweetest aftertaste. I left leaving a happy customer and if I'm ever back in Oak Park I'll be sure to return. read more

Amazing desserts! We devoured them before I got a chance to take a picture. Will be back to try more sweets. We got the almond croissant this has chocolate inside and tasted amazing I haven't had a good croissant since I've been back from Europe. Carrot cake cupcake this tasted great the icing on the top was my favorite it and it had the perfect amount of sweetness Red velvet this one was okay nothing too crazy if I were to go back I probably would not get this one again. Survivor cupcake: this was good it has a vanilla filling inside which was surprisingly not too much and the presentation of it looked beautiful read more

I have coffee here often and have tried their cupcakes on more than several occasions but they don't ever seem to be fresh to me at all. I prefer anything else but their cupcakes. read more

We got a nice table outside for brunch on Saturday and glad that we did! Our server was super friendly and attentive. I opted for an iced dirty chai while the S.O. got a drip. Food wise, I got the Chilaquiles, which was great. The chicken was so succulent and the salsa verde was a really flavorful. I gotta say though...I think it was more like a bowl of salsa verde with toppings since everything was drowning with it. He got the breakfast burrito and absolutely loved the chorizo in it. We opted to get a cupcake to-go to snack on later. It was a bit dense, but the pink velvet cupcake fixed my sweet-tooth craving. read more

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I love coming here and getting the choripapa (subbing mushrooms for meat). Everyone is always warm and friendly. This is a great place to sit down and have breakfast or brunch. I've also grabbed something to go quite a few times in the morning and they usually throw in complimentary donut holes. Love it! read more

Courageous Bakery & Cafe - Choripapa - Bakeries Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Amazing environment and perfectly portioned and cooked breakfast. Awesome scrumptious food. Cassidy took great care of us. They even handed out free donut holes. We will visit again Avocado Toast, read more

OMG, this place is fantastically delicious. COVID safety precautions are in place along with social distancing for dine-in seating & properly posted ordinance for consumers. Their breakfast, lunch, and pastry menu has an amazing selection to boot customer service and satisfaction is job. The ambiance is social & classy, this is a place where you can be yourself and chill. A Who's Who eatery...An Easy Five Star Choice read more

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So I made a quick stop for an afternoon snack. And as usual I tried to get a few things off of the menu. So for a drink I had the Oaxacan which is a delicious espresso with mocha cinnamon and cayenne and it is highly recommended. I also had the turkey wrap and for desserts I had the pink velvet cupcake and a honey bread of some sort. This place is a bakery so I expected more out of the desserts. Don't get me wrong they were not bad but they were not great either. I would have gone with a 3 stars but then the Oaxacan espresso brought it back to a 4 as it was a really excellent that was well executed. The bakery itself has a nice open layout that is inviting. I would definitely come here again and check out more desserts but definitely for that Oaxacan drink. read more

Courageous Bakery & Cafe - Oaxaca Drink - Bakeries Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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I have been enjoying breakfasts at Courageous for years. The past few months, I've been visiting Courageous once every week or two - it's a great place to grab breakfast and work for a few hours during the week! I order the veggie omelet with a few substitutions and it's always correct and arrives quickly and hot. The staff are always friendly and accommodating! read more

I stopped by Courageous after my mom and I drove by and thought it looked so cute from the outside. The inside is even cuter! The chairs all have different floral patterns, and the walls are painted so bright and colorful. We got the Banana Cream, Lemon Supreme, and Salted Caramel cupcakes. My favorite was the Banana Cream, but I personally thought the Salted Caramel and Lemon Supreme were both a little too sweet. However, it was a nice place to stop in and grab a quick cupcake to fulfill my sweet tooth. There are other menu items such as sandwiches but I didn't get the chance to try them. I'd love to come back again, simply because the inside is so cute and there's a lot of seating as well. read more

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Their breakfast and lunch menus are good, and the coffee is also pretty good, but their cupcakes are very dry. I have had their cakes before, and the cakes are good and moist, but overpriced. read more

Great food and service and we had a family reunion there sitting at the table! Deliscious food and bakery delights like nowhere else.

Lunch, breakfast, or grabbing pastries you cant go wrong here. They have my friend addicted to the funfetti donuts read more

Courageous Bakery & Cafe - Chicken pesto sandwich - Bakeries Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

I rode by this place so many times. I always told myself that I would stop and find a park. But I was too lazy to do such thing. Than I ended up missing the the Yelp event here. I got my chance again when I was gifted with a gift card. I jumped right up and drove over to Courageous Bakey & Cafe. I adore this place even from the outside it looks inviting. Nice size bakey & cafe that has a display of some yummy flavor cupcakes. I had the pancakes. O My I received four Huge pancakes. I thought the pancakes would be small. But when I opened up my container I couldn't believe how huge these pancakes were. Served hot and ready to eat. I didn't even need my butter and syrup. Very delicious. The services was just as good. Friendly and ready to take your order. It's a must I come back to buy one or two of the cupcakes. CB&C also serves a selection of coffee, latte, other breakfast foods. Go check out the menu and read the mission story behind CB&C. Great inspiration. I love it. read more

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Love the service, bakery goods, coffee and brunch. I'm a sucker for anything with their sprinkles. I even bought a bottle to have at home.

Baby Friendly: 5 stars Kid Friendly: 5 stars This place is great! It's in a great location, downtown Oak Park, walking distance from the Greenline. It's very cute inside! The staff are friendly and helpful. They have a great story, and they donate part of their proceeds to a cancer charity. They have a wide variety of items on the menu, so everyone should be happy! I love that they have a water fountain station, so you can get and refill your own water as much as you want. I thought portion sizes were very small, but you could tell the food was made from good ingredients and it was all very tasty. My husband and I eat a lot. So I like places with large portion sizes. I don't hold this against places, it means a lot of the time we add an appetizer, salad, or 3rd entree. However we were still hungry after our 3 entrees here. So if you have a big appetite, be prepared to order a lot. Tasty but small entrees we ate: Breakfast tacos Veggie omelette with side of potatoes Taco salad (very tiny salad) Our friend ordered berries & cream pancakes, and said they were good! They came with real maple syrup. This place is fantastic to bring kids and babies. They have good food, kid friendly food, a kids meal, plenty of high chairs, and large single stall bathrooms that mom or dad can use with the little one (or more than one, the bathroom I used was spacious). At least 1 of the 2 bathrooms has a changing station in it! They obviously pay attention to what is useful for parents! read more

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Love this place. Great ambiance. Yummy drinks. Convenient location. Nice place to write and catch up with a friend.

Went here for a Yelp elite pickup. They had a couple of tables outside so we sat and ate our small breakfast. I couldn't for the life of me get the check in to work but that's a yelp problem nothing with the place. Lol They otherwise right away knew what I receive. I chose a plant based latte and a plant based cupcake. Both good. I think the cupcakes could be a touch larger in size and I'd like to see more than 1 plant based option. I'd also like to see a more eco friendly biodegradable recycled and recyclable paper box instead of a plastic container. I do believe it was a plant based plastic at least but is very hard to find a place to recycle. Anyways thats me obsessing about packaging lol. So the taste was moist and creamy frosting like one expects from a cupcake. Rainbow color not my choice but fun anyways. The latte was good and there were a few different plant based milk choices. I think they also sold actual food on the menu but we were there for cupcakes and drinks. I'd say nothing amazing but pretty decent and plant based options are always a huge plus! Friendly service and if it weren't so far away I'd be back! read more

Courageous Bakery & Cafe - Exterior - Bakeries Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

The food was delicious! At first we were getting confused piecing together our meal but the clerk at the front desk was helpful and the sever was a young woman with blonde hair and gray eyes I think anyway she was really nice and felt like we were guest at her home because she catered to us and we apologize after because we saw later they were available for anyone to serve themselves lol. It's a sort of self serve restaurant but the staff still accommodates like it is not so our family really appreciated! And the food was amazing! I had the vegetarian breakfast sandwich on a croissant with eggs, greens and avocado and it came with home fries it was delicious! I was stuffed! The avocado was fresh! That's always a plus for a vegetarian! The family had pancakes and bacon & turkey sausage It looked & smelled delicious and they enjoyed every piece! We all made happy plates! Thank you we will be back! read more

I am becoming a bigger and bigger fan of this place with each passing day. My favorite coffee drink is an item called a Ginger Snappy. If you are a ginger person like I am - you'll really enjoy it! I recently had a pumpkin spice cupcake because of course I did, it's fall. It was delicious. I ended up buying 6 cupcakes for a party at my friend's house that evening. The staff is always friendly and quick. There is generally a line and they seem to get through the lines fast. This bakery also has a really great story behind its opening which is printed on their wall - I don't want to give any spoilers. This place is within walking distance of quite a few restaurants and shops. It's a really great place. read more

Had the pleasure of stopping in a couple times. Coffee, lattes, and the space is cozy. The vibrant green wall color doesn't allow me to doze off, so if you need to get work done this might be a good place... Highlight of my most recent visit was the almond croissant. It tastes like a cake, so beware it's dangerous and moist. My only complaint so far, was the breakfast burrito had lettuce in it. I think that should be against the law, but nobody is perfect so I'll give them a pass and allow them to keep the 5th star. I'll make my way back to try more of the menu soon! Ps. People watching is good here. The window overlooks the park and plenty of dogs! read more

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There was a fruit warm in my fruit!!! I was so hopeful to eating here, then i saw the amount of bugs in the cup. Disgusting, took my appetite away, never coming here again. read more

Courageous Bakery & Cafe - bug in fruit!!! Bottom right - Bakeries Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

This rating is based only on the café portion of Courageous Bakery&Café. I've enjoyed a few pastries and cupcakes from Courageous in the past, but have always been hesitant to test out the 'cafe' side of the menu. And by side, I mean 4 panels worth of breakfast/lunch offerings to riddle through while you stand in a disorganized line to place your order. If you're quick and lucky you'll be able to figure it out in time to wait for a seat to open in a space surrounding a busy self-serve water, coffee, and silverware station, because the focus seems to be on the to-go coffee and pastry orders over those who choose to dine in. That's not to say I fault the establishment for operating in such a way, I'm sure they wouldn't be able to get orders out as quickly if there was an emphasis on customer service; however I do feel like they should back up the lack of service with a solid product worth the extra hassle. I ordered the traditional breakfast with ham. I asked for my eggs to be poached and was told they don't prepare them in such a way. Alright, no big deal, I went with a safe over-medium instead. My dad ordered the short stack with a side of sausage patties. I saw some tables that had what seemed to be complimentary donut holes, but we weren't offered any. I'm not sure if you need to order a coffee to recieve those or if they're given to random patrons based on availability. The food came quickly and the portions were ample. I've never seen a biscuit as large or as cake like as this one, but it was a nice alternative to your standard white toast. My eggs were overdone and cooked into yellow sandy pucks. The ham was decent albeit salty, and the few potatoes I recieved that were not shriveled tasted fine. The pancakes were fluffy and the sausages sweet and under seasoned. My dad noted that his cup o' butter came out cold. It all filled our stomachs but was underwhelming and a bit disappointing. After breakfast, since I know that I enjoy their cupcakes, I decide to pop back in line to pick up a couple for later. Two women cut in front of me, and then after a few minutes of waiting, another woman cut in front of them! I sacrificed my spot and future dessert after that. The mismanagement of a line without clear entry or exit points makes for a very frustrating experience. The staff behind the counter were working hard to push orders out, but it definitely seemed like the register, packaging, coffee making, and serving are too much of a load for three people to take on efficiently. One staff member mentioned that she specifically was asked NOT to man the register when another asked her for assistance. I really wanted to like it here, but after this morning I think I'll stick to their bakery section and leave the restaurant end to people with more patience. I think this place, as busy as it was and can be, should simplify its menu, hire more staff for peak hours, and attempt to manage the crowd for a more pleasant dining experience. As it currently stands, it feels like a testament to the old adage, "jack of all trades, master of none." read more

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The food is very tasty. The horchata latte is DELICIOUS. The service is pretty good. However, I have had several incidents in which I ordered multiple lattes and they were given in a cup holder but unlabeled. One time I had 4 beverages and asked which was which. The staff said "oh...I think these are the the...". The last time this occurred I was instructed by staff to "smell" the latte. This was quite off putting considering I'd have to put my nose over someone else's beverage which is gross in itself but add to that we are still actively in a pandemic. Plus it just makes sense to LABEL the darn beverages if there's more than 1. Duh! read more

This has been a wonderful edition to the Lake St & OP Ave area. I live close by, and there seems to never be a time when they are without customers (besides after hours, of course). So far, I've only picked up their pastries, like cupcakes, and almond croissant; and a cup of chai tea latte (clean with almond milk). Everything has been superb! I am giving 4 stars because I felt like the cafe wasn't spiffy clean. The dining area gave me a feeling of how people come and go all day. I do need to go in have a whole meal there though, so this review may change. read more

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Delicious food all around! Understanding they didn't have enough servers to support a Sunday lunch rush, service wasn't too bad. I got the Lorraine sandwich with home fries, fruit and orange juice. The maple bacon on the Lorraine was good. I liked the added sweetness but some bites weren't as balanced if the egg wasn't there. The home fries were exceptional. Well seasoned, crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked. It's a large portion so I didn't eat much fruit. My wife really enjoyed the bacon melt and her cold brew. And my toddler loved the options on kids menu. We will definitely be back! Next time, I'm looking forward to trying a coffee drink and a pastry. read more

Delicious food and great boutique bakery environment. Cassidy was our waitress and did a great job of taking care of everyone in the restaurant. If you are in Oak Park definitely check them out! read more

Courageous Bakery & Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Have been here before & their huge biscuits are great! I ordered the California omelet only to be disappointed by finding egg shells in it. Also, we placed an order 40mins prior to arriving & still had to wait an additional 10mins thus the 3 stars. Their pastries & cupcakes looked scrumptious which made it harder for us to pass on them, might try again some other time. read more