Trying out my local Italian bakery for the first time. Was greeted and assisted by lovely staff!…read moreTried the cannoli and hazelnut stuffed croissants, and they were so delicious! Richie flavor , not too sweet just right !

Their focaccia was amazing, and all the other baked goods looked equally tempting. A crucial tip…read morethey only accept cash. I wish I'd known beforehand, as I only had enough for the focaccia. Don't make the same mistake.

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.

I went to this location because I didn't like the selection at the Winfield location. It looked…read morelike yesterday's product that didn't sell, and I got there right when they opened. But, I am reviewing the Lombard location. The selection was good and fresh, although some of their items are a bit pricey. I ordered cake pops, brownies, and a chocolate chip cookie. The sales person was pleasant and quick. This store is their biggest store, and they feed the Winfield and Schaumburg stores. They make their pastries at this location, so you'll probably get the freshest selection at the Lombard location. I had bought a gift card from Costco for Sweet Reserve. I admit if I hadn't bought it, and received a discount at Costco for it, I probably would not have noticed the store. It's in a small strip mall on Roosevelt road which has hundreds of strip malls off the road. The store itself is clean and well kept. It does have a limited selection of products but they were all pretty good. The brownies are very frudgey, just the way I like them. The cake pops are sweet, but a little dry. The cookie has a lot of chips in them. Overall, I liked the place.

5 stars because they have large coffee options…read more.. Nice spot in Lombard great for business meetings, studying, or just getting you a quick coffee and pastry. Close at 10pm but if you need longer later hours a 1am tea shop is about a quarter mile down the road with good options also. Parking lot with plenty of parking. My highlight is that they have booths. Plenty of tables and seating. Good menu options for lattes, iced, hot, espresso, etc. Reasonable priced and they have 20oz coffee. The service was nice as the girl was kind but she didn't seem to understand me well and she didn't know if the coffee was Turkish or not. Therefore, I ordered an Americano with their homemade pistachio sauce. It was a nice beverage. I also ordered a Turkish bread with ground beef. It too was delicious, hot and fresh. The ambiance is inviting. The pastries and mini to small cake options were quite beautiful. The nose level was very quiet until little ones came in. Still tolerable but if you are studying and it's busy don't forget your headphones. Lol. I studied for about 3 hours and I would definitely return again.

Lezza Bakery is absolutely amazing! Their cannoli cake is one of the best I've ever had, and their…read morefresh cannolis are made daily and always taste delicious. Everything is fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. If you're celebrating a birthday, anniversary, wedding, or any special occasion, Lezza Bakery creates gorgeous custom cakes that are not only beautifully decorated but also incredibly fresh and moist. Their attention to detail is outstanding. Their desserts are wonderful as well, with a great variety to choose from. Don't miss their sfogliatelle and tiramisu--they are absolutely delicious and a must-try! The quality, freshness, and customer service keep me coming back. I highly recommend Lezza Bakery for all your bakery and dessert needs!

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!

I'm hooked! Best bakery and best value. These homemade baked goods are better than panera...Carmel…read moreempanadas are one of staples there. Bravo now offers breakfast sandwiches and fresh tamales! I stop to get fresh baked goods for work and on my way home have gotten homemade tamales for a quick dinner. I only support local businesses worth keeping .... Please give it a try this one us a little gold mine! Delish!

Whenever I'm in the mood for cupcakes, I always end up at Smallcakes. Their cupcakes are…read moreconsistently delicious, the frosting is AMAZING, and the staff is always so kind and attentive. In fact, the last time I was there, the sweet young lady behind the counter complimented my style, which honestly made this 40-something feel pretty good about herself. Such a small gesture, but it genuinely made my day. I tried to snap a picture of all the cupcakes we got, but the kids devoured theirs before I had the chance. I'm not sure what the chocolate cupcake with the pretzel on top is called, but it is hands-down my absolute favorite. My husband loves the Wedding Cake and Lemon Drop cupcakes. But if you ask Marley and Mary Jane for their opinion... it's definitely two paws up. These two go absolutely crazy anytime they see a Smallcakes box come into the house because they know I brought them a little pup treat too. I love that Smallcakes offers something for the dogs as well -- such a cute touch. Highly recommend if you're looking for a cupcake spot that's both delicious and welcoming.

A pretty solid cupcake place. Wanted to try a different place for my birthday so I gave it a go…read more I picked up from the Elmhurst location which is the closest to me. It's a small shop located in a plaza. It's pretty bare on the inside. I was immediately greeted upon entry and the lady who checked me out was really nice. She showed me my order before I accepted it. Presentation looked great! They had most of their flavors on display as well as other miscellaneous products like dog cupcakes, decor, etc. The quality of the cupcakes were fresh and hefty. Taste was good but nothing amazing.

It's a real old school bakery with the best doughnuts. I would weigh 300 lbs if I lived nearby…read more Great counter help as well!

Stopped in on a whim after a protest a few weeks ago to pick up some goodies. I got a few…read morepastries/donuts and slices of cheesecake. I'm super picky with my cheesecake but theirs was AMAZING! The strawberry one is 15/10 easily lol While in there I saw a few people pick up their cakes and they looked great! Will definitely be trying for our next birthday.

Definitely not the cheapest cake creator but the detail that was put into this cake was like no…read morewhere else you can find. I've used Grannys at least five times in the last few years and have never been disappointed! You get what you pay for and this is top-of-the-line

Granny's cakes did an amazing job doing my sweet table at my baby shower. I didn't have much of a…read moretheme because I delierved early and my baby was in the Nicu. Renee helped figure out a theme and created everything so well. She came to the hall early set everything up and even brought all her containers for us to use. She was extremely accommodating and attentive to all my questions and concerns. Everyone talked about how good everything was. Her hoho cupcakes were amazing. Cake was so good. Cake pops, chocolate covered pretzels and rice crispies were so fresh ! I'll definitely use granny's cakes again!