My daughter wanted some cupcakes so we decided to give this place a try as we were walking around Pasadena. It is really a cute shop and with friendly staff members. But sad to say we didn't like any of the cupcakes. The cupcakes were just ok. Honestly I felt that they were no different from grocery bought cupcakes. Definitely not worth $3 a cupcake. This place comes no where close to sprinkles. The two flavor we got were Carmelita and chocolate raspberry. Carmelita is a chocolate cupcake with salted caramel. The chocolate cupcake was nothing special and the salted caramel was too salty. It was not a good combination. Same problem with the Chocolate Raspberry cupcake. The raspberry sauce just tasted weird. My daughter did not like any of the cupcakes so my bf and I had to eat them. And both my bf and I could understand why my daughter didn't like it. The cupcakes just didn't taste good. read more

Dots Cupcakes - Chocolate Raspberry and Carmelita. They look better than they taste. - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

Delicious little cupcakes! Red Velvet ones were my favorite, although they were all pretty dang tasty. Friend told me about them and we would drive to Pasadena just for these tasty little guys. Pros: + Red velvet cupcakes + Friendly staff Cons: - Pricey read more

Dots Cupcakes - Make sure to grab their Red Velvet cupcakes. A lot of them! - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

A coworker got me a mini vanilla cupcake that came in the cutest little box from here! It was such a nice Valentine's Day treat. I especially loved the flecks of vanilla bean in the frosting. The flavor was very balanced and not overly sweet. It totally hit the spot for an afternoon snack at the office. I really recommend this place if you're looking for a small gift for friends or coworkers. The cupcake was quality! read more

The cupcakes here are to die for delicious, I highly recommend the carrot and peanut butter cupcakes. You can also order ahead and walk in and pick them up. read more

My hubby and I dropped in and, well, HAD to try a few. Just to be fair did a basic chocolate one that reminded me of those hostess cupcakes of your childhood. But. So. Much. Better Tried a carrot cake one. And a tangy passion fruit and a red velvet. And a mint chocolate Sigh. I hate too sweet cupcakes. And don't get me started on icky sweet frosting Not Dots. Perfect moist cake topped by flavorful and incredibly creative frosting My hubby and I looked at each other whilst eating our respective cakes "is yours as good as mine?" A gem and a great discovery. read more

Desperation was setting in. It was 8 PM on a Saturday, and we needed 18 cupcakes for a party the following morning. Vanilla bakeshop down the street was just about sold out. Will I have to bake them myself? I'm a terrible baker. Dot's to the rescue! They had just enough at that hour. They turned out to be tasty, looked sharp and were a hit at the party. The sea salt caramel was the only one I tried myself, and it was on point. Friendly and helpful service. Recommended if you're in the same pinch I was in. read more

THE BEST CUPCAKES! My bff, Shari introduced me to Dots 12 years ago. I love coming to this charming bakery for fresh homemade cupcakes. The decor is really cute. I feel like I am in a fantasy "cupcake factory" every time I come here to pick up cupcakes for a baby shower, birthday or special occasion. They have two locations in Pasadena. The designs on the cupcakes are very cute and adorable. They have many flavors. My favorites are Red Velvet, Chocolate Lovers, and Chocolate Mint. The cupcakes are always fresh and moist! They use 100% pure ingredients. I think Dots cupcakes are better tasting than some of the cupcake places in the Westside. The cupcakes come in two sizes. The staffs are very friendly and helpful. P.S. Dots just won best cupcakes in Pasadena - 9 years in a row! read more

Dots Cupcakes - Birthday cupcakes - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I LOVE pastries and all things sugar. With that said, I am not a fan of frosting but Dots frosting has the right amount of sugar without being overbearing or taking away from the cupcake. I have been coming here for years and I make the trip out here for birthdays. They are the perfect addition to a gift, I really appreciate the decoration and how you can personalize the gift box. I have not tried a cupcake here that I didn't like. My favorite is definitely the strawberry champagne, dulce de leche, passion fruit, strawberry shortcake, red velvet, okay I guess they're ALL my favorite. They are moist, sweet, and addicting. I prefer Dots over Sprinkles, that says it all. *They also have treats for your dogs! (HOW CUTE) read more

We love dots on Arroyo and I never had a issue with there cupcakes for parties and sad to hear it's permanently closed. I went to the Fair oaks location yesterday morning at 9:00 and sadly all the mini cupcakes I got were stale and dry. They were the tiramisu, dark chocolate, red velvet, and the dark chocolate raspberry. They were stale by the time we ate them. The only ones that were moist and delicious were the mint dark chocolate ones. I wonder if I got a old batch from the other night. A little disappointed this time but hopefully a better experience next time. read more

This cupcakery is dangerous! It is too close to work! There was a time where my work bestie & I would take afternoon walks every day to feed our cupcake cravings. My pants were not happy with me then. Both of our favorite is the fleur-de-sel cupcake. It is a chocolate cupcake with a swirl of caramel and fleur-de-sel sprinkled on top. Sooo yummy!! I've tried many of the cupcake flavors as we got them for team birthdays too. The ones with the chocolate cupcake base were always the best. Red velvet, carrot & vanilla cupcakes are also available among others. There are many interesting rotating flavors all the time. The prices went up a bit to $3.25 for a regular cupcake and $1.75(?) for the mini cupcake. This lil shop is located off Fair Oaks, just north of Colorado Blvd. It is soo cute and quaint. Love the pink & brown color theme. Also, their reusable bag is too pretty! I have a whole collection now. Parking can be a hassle, but there are many 90 min parking structures around. Definitely recommended! read more

My co- worker drove these cute cupcakes all the way down to Torrance and I fell in love the moment they arrived. Boxed in a polka dot box, I peeked in and couldnt decide they all look so yummy. I chose the carrot cake which was moist, perfectly sweetened with the perfect amount of cream cheese frosting. The Chocolate cupcake was SUPER moist it was one of those eye closing moments when you bite in and you feel like life couldnt be any sweeter. Unfortunately Pasadena is kinda far to travel for cupcakes, but if Im ever in the location of Dots I will be getting a dozen of these sweet treats. read more

Dots Cupcakes - These are Life - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

Dots is one of my favorite cupcake places! Great location if you are eating dinner in Old Town and want a sweet dessert afterwards. Parking sucks in Old Town so I only come when I am here. They do close early on the week days too. I love that they sell mini cupcakes so that you can taste a bunch of flavors without breaking the bank or your waistline. My favorite cupcake here is the pistachio. Both the normal and mini taste exactly the same which speaks well for their recipes. Not overly sweet. Cake is fluffy and moist. Pistachio flavor is pronounced throughout the cupcake. read more

Dots Cupcakes - Pistachio Mini - $1.25 - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

The cupcakes are so fresh and taste amazing! The mint chocolate chip is to die for! The chocolate coconut is also so good! Parking is hard to find but worth driving around! read more

I've forgotten how good you taste . Moist. So tasty. And oh so very addicting. Red velvet. Vanilla with white icing. Vanilla with chocolate icing. Always so fresh. Ty for always satisfying my cravings! read more

The place is super cute!! I truly enjoyed the cupcakes.. Tiramisu was my favorite!! The variety is great. The cupcakes seem a bit small for the price.. but still a yummy treat. read more

Dots Cupcakes - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I was walking around Pasadena one day and happened to see Dots' storefront. I remember reading about it on Yelp and decided to give it a try. Dots is a dessert shop specializing in cupcakes. I am not really a cupcake fan--mainly because a lot of them are dry; also, I do not like the sugary and heavy buttercream frosting that is often used. The inside of Dots is not that big, but there is a glass counter that displays many attractive cupcakes (both in full size and mini size). I appreciated the wide variety of mini cupcakes available (good for me since I am not a cupcake fan but also good because it provides the ability to sample several flavors without overindulging). I have probably stepped into five or less cupcakes stores in my life, but Dots seemed to have a good variety of unique flavors here. The tiramisu sounded good as did the strawberry shortcake, but I finally decided on a mini version of the strawberry lemonade cupcake. The cupcake had a lemon cake base that was filled with a little bit of strawberries. The cupcake was moist enough and did have a good lemon flavor (it was tart but not too much). The strawberry flavor though did not stand out. The frosting, which was a lemon cream cheese frosting, was lighter than most of the buttercream frostings I've had and they did not put too much on the cupcake (which I liked since I usually have to scrape off most of that frosting anyway; I didn't have to here). While the cupcake looked nice and tasted fine, it did not really deliver on the strawberry lemonade flavor. It was really just a lemon cupcake. Service was pleasant and quick. My cupcake here was decent and Dots had enough interesting flavors that I would give them another shot. However, since I don't get cupcakes that often, I may seek out the other Pasadena cupcake place Violets on my next Pasadena cupcake stop. This area gets busy; parking is available via paid structures or on the street by meter. read more

Dots Cupcakes - Mini Strawberry Lemonade Cupcake (Lemon Cake, Strawberries, Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, And White Chocolate Shavings) - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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So close to five stars.. I guess I had higher expectations? Still.. a solid 4 stars so no complaints here. The flavors of choice were Marble Swirl, Cookies & Cream, Dulce de Leche, and Red Velvet. A little quick-tip.. trying out the minis are always your best bet so you can have an open flavor palate without overindulging but still keep it cheap! All cupcakes were equally delicious considering I took a bite or two of each but I gotta say that my pick of the day was the Cookies & Cream. Okay seriously.. how are you gonna go wrong with freaking cookies & cream?!? It's deeerrricious! read more

Dots Cupcakes - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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* This is my 500th review & I'm happy to dedicate it to cupcakes! * There are roughly 10 cupcakeries in Pasadena, but the College BFF & I were enticed by Dots' myriad of flavors in both regular ($2.75) & mini ($1.50) sizes. We took stock of their offerings before our shopping excursion; When we returned to make our purchases, we were surprised to see how much the previously overcrowded display case had thinned out in just a few short hours. The CBFF picked out two regular sized cupcakes: peanut butter chocolate & a chocolate mint. I tried a regular sized mostess (their bigger & better rendition of the Hostess Cupcake) & two minis, coconut lime (very mild lime flavor) & shortcake (loved the bits of real strawberry baked into the madagascar vanilla cake.) Surprisingly, the mostess was my favorite of the three. I am not a chocolate cake fan but the whipped cream filling & sweet chocolate frosting won me over. Dots is not very generous with their frosting; the CBFF & I both appreciate a healthier dollop, but what *is* neatly piped on is of high quality, so I can (kind of) forgive the scrimping. Aesthetically the cupcakes, their packaging, even Dots' decor is perfectly pleasing. The atmosphere reminds me of a grown up "princess" room--pink & brown palette, girly knickknacks & comfy cushions on a bench that seats five. My only complaint (aside from there not being a Dots closer to home) is the rude service. Someone should tell these gals that smiling does not hurt (it only helps!) & that when a customer asks for a cup of water (so many cupcake places offer free cups of water) do not respond with a snooty, "we can sell you water." Dots, your cupcakes are great & your store is adorable, but we won't want to come back if your staff lacks basic customer service skills. read more

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TOTAL SUGAR HIGH! After having watched a movie at iPic Theater, we decided to stop by Dots to pick up cupcakes. Afterall, we were in the area. I chose to go with 5 minis at $1.75 each. That's a little pricey (in my opinion) for mini cupcakes. - Lemon Drop - I LOVE LEMON flavored items so I was certainly excited to try this one. Boy, I was disappointed. It was sooooooo friggin' sweet. Sure it was moist and the lemon was there, but I really could not get passed the sugar! - Red Velvet - The cupcake itself was good and moist. The cream cheese frosting however tasted like frosting from a supermarket...a little artificial. -/+ Cookies and Cream - The cake was a tad dry and the frosting could have used more cookie crumbs, but overall it was the best of the ones I chose. - Vanilla Passionfruit - The sweetest of them all. It was so sweet AND it was a mini! -/+ Carrot - I gave my friend this one so I didn't get to try it, but he said it was too sweet and there was not enough carrots and nuts. - Ambiance - Small, tacky, and disorganized. Everything seemed old and cluttered. There was no set theme and the shop was a bit too warm...warm in a way that it made me feel like bacteria is growing somewhere in the corners of this bakery. The cupcake display was also too tall so you can't even see the workers who are trying to help you. - Service - Odd. So, you aren't allowed to take pictures in here which I can not understand why. Did they not know pictures will be take after I purchase the cupcakes? If that wasn't annoying enough, as I stood there trying to pay for the cupcakes, the lady behind the counter decides to ring up the person behind me; in which, the other younger worker had to tell her that I was first. I'm a baker and I'm certainly not impressed by Dots. The cupcakes are way too sweet and not worth the money you have to spend on the cupcakes AND the parking. read more

Dots Cupcakes - carrot, red velvet, cookies n' cream, passion fruit vanilla, and lemon drop. all TOO sweet. - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Came in here with my husband as we were wandering Fair Oaks. Was a bit disappointed because the place was a bit crowded for a tiny little place (fire hazard waiting to happen here). Anyways, it seemed like the majority of people were just looking at the cupcakes through the glass case rather than actually wanting to buy anything. Well I had the intention of purchasing a few cupcakes to bring back home, however an employee made this remark about how people need to wait in line and make their purchase in the order then came in.... well if you ask me, if people are just looking and not ready to purchase, then they should step aside and let the ones who actually know what they want to buy something, well buy something. So basically this stupid employee didn't allow for me to purchase anything because supposedly there were several other parties ahead of me. I turned around and asked a few of those people if they were ready to order and they said no. So I turned back to the stupid employee and she said I still have to wait... seriously? Uh okay... you are clearly stupid... and then we left. I've had Dots cupcakes before and honestly they are overly hyped. I just came in because I have only had Dots cupcakes brought from a friend and never actually came inside the bakery before. But whatever, the cup cakes are totally over hyped and overly priced. Would gladly go to Frosted where it's almost the same thing but cupcakes actually taste better and customer service is actually appropriate for customer service. read more

I'm confounded that there are so many bad reviews.... It IS hard to find...they ARE closed on Sundays (which is the wackness) BUT I like the cupcakes...sue me. I especially like the lemonade and strawberry....me likey a lot. Much much better than Sprinkles, those are some dry mofos. read more

Considering that I've tried a total of 3 cupcake places including Dots Cupcakes, Dots is hands down my favorite of the three. My first experience that exposed me to cupcakes at Crumbs Bake Shop (review here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/crumbs-bake-shop-beverly-hills#hrid:JwG1kdU_En-sU5OcezPfkQ/src:self) was a little disappointing and my second experience at Dolcissimo (review here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/dolcissimo-chino-hills#hrid:VwEUUpmiYRv1TtN05eXOUA/src:self) just made me angry. That being said, Dots Cupcakes is my happy medium. Regular cupcakes are $2.75 and miniature cupcakes are $1.50. My date and I got 1 Red Velvet, 1 Chocolate Vanilla, and 1 Carrot Cake. The Chocolate Vanilla tasted like a super soft brownie with REALLY sweet icing on top. It was a very rich dessert which I enjoyed. I'm rather impartial to red velvet in general, so I wasn't impressed or disappointed with their rendition. I thought it was a LITTLE flavorless, but it may have been caused by the fact that my palate was still processing the chocolate. The cute Carrot Cake kind of shocked me because there was chunks of sweet carrot on the inside. I don't know why I wasn't expecting that. But I love carrot cake so this was very good. The cupcakes were all moist and pretty sweet. Although their cupcakes are not as big as Crumbs, Dots is $1 cheaper. Also, some of Dolcissmo's cupcakes are much cuter, but I rather pay for taste than looks. They give you cute to-go boxes if you are taking them home! Service is friendly and there's a random, small, old, cute Asian woman working in the background. Some people don't like Dots for various reasons, but this place is usually busy and everyone I see running into the store is super excited. They're cupcakes, people. Take a date here to enjoy some cute desserts. read more

Dots Cupcakes - Carrot Cake had real carrot in it. - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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There's a few things I just LOVE, such as red beans, date shakes, Veggie Grill, tofu, green curry, chili, acai, sushi, and sweet potatoes. OK, I was just kidding with a "few" things, but I really LOVE sweet potatoes. Just steaming/cooking them and eating them plain or with some honey and nuts is one of my favorite things my mom does in the morning for me since I was a kid. Oh, and I just love it when she makes sweet potato pie. AH, makes me die and go to heaven every time. So when my friend told me that Dots was having their ONCE a year Sweet Potato cupcake, I was all in. This is pretty huge, bc I don't eat cupcakes that much anymore. How did it go? It was GOOD! The marshmallow icing was light, creamy and not too sweet. The cupcake was moist, with spices, and subtle sweet potato flavor. OH so yummy :) I hope I catch it again when it comes next year! read more

Dots Cupcakes - Sweet potato cupcake - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I came to Dots in the week before Christmas to buy boxes of cupcakes to give as small gifts during the Holidays. Since I did give away everything I purchased, my review is based on my experience at the shop alone and not the cupcakes themselves. I arrived after work at this location and was dismayed to see fewer than 25 cupcakes in the display case. Although they advertise at least 15 flavors daily, I could only choose from approximately 5 of them. I ended up buying nearly everything they had. Admittedly, this could have been my fault since I arrived late in the day but it was still a disappointment. My experience was significantly marred because I had gotten the impression, after calling on the phone, that I could get the slightly discounted price for buying a dozen cupcakes and still package them in boxes of 2 rather than 1 large box of 12. When I arrived, they told me they were going to charge me for the cost of each box. With the cost of the boxes factored in, that offset my cupcake discount for savings of just $.50. While I understand the policy, I was still annoyed that this wasn't made clear to me over the phone. I was told that so long as I bought the cupcakes, the boxes (plural) were free. At the end, I wanted to take a photo of the cupcake display case so I could mark the boxes so the recipients would know what they were receiving and so I could remember all the flavors. The middle aged Korean woman working that evening told me I could not photograph. Well, bah humbug to you too. Quite honestly, if I didn't need the cupcakes immediately and I could have gone elsewhere, I would have just left because I was so fed up with the interactions. read more

I was really looking forward to trying dots cupcakes because I've heard good things about them. I was in pasadena last week and thought I'd stop by to pick up a cupcake. The store is really small. I'd sat 5 people can fit in there and then it gets cramped. Everything looked so good it was a hard decision. I finally decided on the Fleur de Sal (salted caramel). The nice girl put it in a bag for me wrang me up for $1.50. I didn't know they were only $1.50! In that case I'll take a Almond Coconut as well. So she puts that one in a seperate bag and I handed her my card. Nice girl: We have a $5 minimum for using a credit card. Me: Oh really? Hmmm (it's against Visa/MasterCard policy to put a minimum puchase amount on transactions) well I guess I'll take two more. Strawberry Lemonade and Cookies 'n Cream. She puts those two in the same bag but now I have to carry three bags. The cupcakes were great. I really enjoyed them all. But my experience in the store was a different story. I did report Dots to Visa/Mastercard for violating their terms of service. Make sure to bring cash unless you plan on buying 4+ cupcakes or until they change that whole minimum crap. Based on the cupcakes alone I would have given them 4 stars. read more

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I'm doing this review on behalf of my mother and aunt who went in today to get a couple of cupcakes. They walked in not really planning on getting much, but were so very impressed with Michael's service they walked out happily with a dozen minis! For a while after they returned home, they raved about his infectious enthusiasm and how well taken care of they were. Thank you, Michael, for taking such incredible care of my family! And thank you, Dots, for the AMAZING cupcakes! read more

Dots Cupcakes - I'll be surprised if any of these are left for tomorrow! - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

This is probably my favorite place for cupcakes in the San Gabriel Valley. Their mint chocolate cupcakes are my favorite. They give you a chocolate cake topped by mint icing and some mint maltballs. They're great. They occasionally serve a Maple Bacon cupcake and their Salted Caramel cupcake is a standout as well. Standard cupcakes such as Red Velvet are solid options, but I think you can get better versions at other stores. My favorite place for cupcakes is at My Delight Cupcakery in Ontario, but if I want something in my area, then this is my stop. Even better is the fact that they're packaged really nicely, so they make great under-$20 gift options. read more

Went to pick up some of these on the way to a friends who lives close by. MAN, is it a BITCH to try to get to this place!!!! There's no way you'll find parking, believe me, I circled around three or four times before I finally just parked in the structure across the street. I had to pay $2 just to run in and get cupcakes, but whatever it's worth it just to avoid the pain in the ass. I chose 6 cupcakes for my friends and I to sample strawberry shortcake hostess cookies and cream carrot cake red velvet peanut butter/chocolate My favorites were the carrot cake, hostess, and cookies and cream. The hostess was particularly good because it was stuffed with whipped cream mmmmmmmm....My friend liked the carrot cake the best, and I thought it was super delicious also. Not too sweet, just enough spicy carrot. I was not impressed with the peanut butter cup, red velvet, or strawberry shortcake. The shortcake had a nice flavor, but it was just dry, as were the peanut butter cup and red velvet. I was disappointed because I am a peanut butter cup fiend! I would like to say that I am a fan of dots cupcakes, but really I was only a fan of 50% of the cupcakes I tried, and I wouldn't go out of my way to get some. Three stars it will have to be. Sorry Hostess, Carrotcake, and Cookiesncream! read more

Dots Cupcakes - clockwise: red velvet, strawberry shortcake, carrotcake, cookies n' cream, hostess, peanut butter cup - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

Yay for their chocolate coconut cupcakes! I got a chance to try these delicious cupcakes at a bridal shower. I had their minis chocolate coconut and passion fruit (I think). Some of their cupcakes were stuffed with cream and fillings. They were very moist and delicious. Yum! read more

Regular cupcakes are $2.75, minis are $1.50. Having gone to several cupcake places recently, these were the cheaper ones I've found but that doesn't mean there's no creativity or taste. Plus, the use Valhrona chocolate which I could clearly taste in the choco cupcakes we got. Our favorite was the the fleur de sel but we also had the chocobutter (chocolate with peanut butter frosting), chocolate vanilla (choco with vanilla frosting), red velvet and cappucino (chocolate with what else, coffee flavored frosting). I thought the frosting on some were a little too hard, especially the red velvet. But otherwise, nothing you would ever call stale. All the cakes were moist. I would definitely get the fleur de sel and chocobutter again. I want to try the chocolate mint which I heard was great but they didn't have the mini that night. read more

Dots Cupcakes - fleur de sel - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

I think Dots is extremely underrated. It doesn't seem to get the publicity that Sprinkles does, but overall, Dots serves higher quality cupcakes. I've tried their chocolate cupcake with mint cream, some berry cupcake flavor and of course, red velvet. Each flavor is rich and decadent. I saw some reviews about the cupcakes being too sweet, but I beg to differ. On a scale of 1-10 of sweetness most cupcakes (depending on flavor) range from 5-7. Basically, you shouldn't feel bad after having eaten a cupcake. Their cupcakes are cute, moist and have just the right amount of flavor. They also sell mini cupcakes! I love that the fondant that they use isn't tough, it makes it easier to eat when it's soft. Their cupcakes are just as pricey as Sprinkles, but it's nice to "treat yo' self" every now and then. Dots is also a great place to buy goodies for your friends and/or loved ones who like cupcakes. This venue isn't really a spot where you can hang out and catch up. It's more of a to-go spot. But I do love the lovely decor inside the store. Parking is tricky, as is all parking in Pasadena. There is a parking garage nearby, not sure about prices. read more

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Dots cupcake is our all time favorite cupcake shop. They have our favorite carrot cake, passion fruit, and red velvet. But they do have new flavors. The mini cakes are the perfect bite size for snack. They are never too sweet. I want to give a special thank you to the young man working on a Sunday afternoon. It was super friendly and helpful. He interacted with the kids. I appreciate a staff who take pride in his work and enjoy his job. Will keep coming back. read more

I'm surprised at the bad reviews! I walked in on a whim while strolling through Old Town Pasadena. The shop itself is teensy weensy, and the cupcake selection looked minimal, but they did have 3 flavors that interested me - carrot cake, strawberry shortcake, and of course, red velvet (I got these in their regular size). I thought this place was just as good, if not better, than Sprinkles at nearly half the price! They have the same flavors in both mini cupcake ($1.50) and regular cupcake sizes ($2.50). I thought all their cupcakes were decorated well and came in these adorable polka-dotted cardboard boxes! Carrot cake - my personal favorite! Carrot cake is my favorite cake in general though. Dots did a good job integrating lots of walnuts and shredded carrots within a moist cupcake... lots of texture here, I loved it. Red Velvet - I think it's better than the ones at Sprinkles. I never understood the hype of Sprinkles' red velvet cupcakes though. This one had a definite, more distinct cocoa flavor, and the cake itself was more moist. Strawberry Shortcake - chock full of pieces of strawberry in a vanilla cake. Pretty good, but my least favorite of the three. The cake itself was a little too mushy, I would've liked a bit more density in this one. Verdict? Delicious, moist, cute cupcakes at a reasonable price! Liked that none of the cupcakes were overly sweet and the amount of cream cheese frosting on top was just right. The bad - very limited selection of cupcakes. read more

Sub par cupcakes at best. Most of the people giving this place high marks are probably because: A. It's a cupcake, you can't NOT not like a cupcake. B. They've never made cupcakes themselves, or C. They haven't tried Sprinkles. I bought the Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcake, and the Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake, and they tasted like garbage. There was nothing special about them, except the frosting. I love frosting, and their frosting is pretty good, I mean, you'd have to be an idiot to fail at frosting. The cake itself was not appetizing AT ALL. I think many people are fooled by the sugary-ness of the frosting when eating their cupcakes, but in reality, it's a poorly made POS. Buy a box of Paula Deen cupcake mix at the 99 Cent Store and wield better results than these. For those of you saying $2.75 is cheap for a cupcake- ya'll are lazy, over-privileged nimrods. i could have like 12 for 99 cents. Just saying. OH! And what really takes the cupcake, is that they don't make them there. I thought they made them fresh, but when someone in line asked if they had a certain flavor, they said, "We only have what the bakery sends us that day." Which explains why they taste like crap. Really, for a dollar more for the price of one, you can have a 12 pack of supermarket cupcake and end up wielding better results. Just because they're "cute" doesn't make them good. The service is another story, very rude and prissy (although, I understand, there are a lot of people coming in and out of that super tiny shop.) Not worth the cupcake wrapper it comes in. I give this place two stars, as opposed to one because the cupcakes are really cute, and the frosting 'aint that bad. Just my honest opinion, folks. read more

I was reading the reviews and many complain about the parking. Dots actually validate for 30 minutes of parking at the lot across the street on Fair Oaks and Union! Anyways! I'm pretty much a cupcake snob and I prefer this cupcake place to others in Pasadena. The cupcakes are overall very moist and they aren't too sweet/overwhelming. For you chocolate fiends out there, I definitely recommend the Fleur de Sel. It's a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and a caramel drizzle. They top it off with some sea salt. The flavors definitely compliment one another and it goes perfectly with a nice cup of coffee. This is definitely my favorite. If you aren't a chocolate lover, I'd recommend the dulce de leche. It has yellow cake batter, with a white frosting and a caramel drizzle. It isn't too sweet; however the flavor is absolutely amazing! read more

Dots Cupcakes - Cupcakes from dots! So cute! - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great cupcakes in the Pasadena area and typically have all types of varieties to choose from. My favorite two would be their red velvet and the mint chocolate. I agree with Mindy H. as the cupcakes need to be eaten that day or the next as they do dry out. On my last visit here, the cashier wouldn't give us a bag for my 1/2 dozen of cupcakes as she stated that 'if you're cupcakes are in boxes that have handles, you won't get a bag.' WTF?? We've been coming here for the past 2 years and always get a bag no matter what box the cupcakes are housed in!!! I have read that other yelpers have experienced shitty customer service and luckily didn't experience it up until this last visit. May have to search for another cupcakery. 4 stars for their cupcakes and 1 for their customer service. read more

So glad they have this newer location! Since the last one had few parking. This one's right in the middle of Old Town, where you can shop and take a break to grab a cupcake :) The employees are sweet and always remember to welcome you with a smile. Of course I love their cupcakes. My favorite's the strawberry shortcake! It's my favorite strawberry flavored cupcake, even more than Sprinkles. Shh!! It's the perfect amount of moisture and the frosting doesn't over power the cupcake. I love their chocolate mint flavor also, topped with little chocolate balls on top! Lemon's also good, bit I've had better. Fleur de Seul is to die for! Their Apple Pie flavor is very subtle and homey, not to sweet. It could be a good substitute for a morning muffin. Their vanillas and chocolates are great also! There hasn't been a cupcake that I hadn't enjoy here. They're decorated so well also, keeping a cute theme for the store. They also sell cute candles and decorations you can use for the cupcakes or any occasion. read more

Dots Cupcakes - Chocolate Bacon, Passionfruit, Strawberry Shortcake, Lemondrop, Dulce de Leche - Cupcakes Near Me - Pasadena, California

As to how I have waited so long to write a review confessing my love for Dot's, only God knows... So let's get something out of the way...I am not a cupcake connoisseur by any means...is anyone? If you are, you are a pretentious jerk and I hope you die a horrible slow death via forced viewing of Kardashian TV...juuuuust kidding...kinda The truth is, you don't have to be a cupcake aficionado to know what YOU like and what tastes good. So although I am not a huge cupcake person, (errr, at least I wasn't until about a year and a half ago when I moved in across the street from this amazingly tempting cupcakery) I freaking love this place. Let's get down to the nit and the grit...in my esteemed opinion, a Top 5 ranking of Dot's best offerings...some background on me, I love sweet and salty...not a huge fan of overly sweet stuff, but at the same time I definitely don't want my sugary carb-y calories to be bland. That being said... 1) Fleur De Sel - This sexy beast of a cupcake is unrivaled in my mind as it delivers the salty, chocolatey goodness I crave. Now, you can have chocolate and you can have sugar, but that doesn't mean it will be amazing but you are probably off to a good start. What makes this cupcake the best is that the chocolate cake is moist in the center, then they add chocolate frosting ...OH, have I failed to mention that they also add a gooey caramel swirl on top? Then they finish it off by sprinkling Fleur De Sel on top to really make this cupcake memorable. I will put it this way...I have fed armies of guests this cupcake and not one has said it is anything short of incredible. YOU'RE WELCOME Now the rest of the list is kind of interesting for me because the only time I go to this ranking is if they are (1) out of Fleur De Sel or (2) I am feeling extra fat kid and experimenting to expand my sugar addiction. Sooo... 2) Chocolate Toffee - Delicious, heath bar-esque cupcake that is probably number 2 because it uses the same moist cake center as the Fleur De Sel...they add chunks of crunchy toffee on the top and voila you have a cupcake that would easily be the best if it weren't for numero uno above. 3) Raspberry Cheesecake- This cupcake would actually be #2 if it was available year round but don't blame Dot's blame the Raspberries. Its creamy, and light and the raspberry makes it just right. 3) Chocolate Mint - Delicious chocolate cake with fantastic frosting and little mint chocolate balls on top. A refreshing cupcake. 4) Maple Bacon - This could potentially be #1 if it was available at the Fair Oaks location but to the best of my knowledge it can only be caught at the Dots on Arroyo...in the morning...on Wednesday...during the winter solstice...by sacrificing a virgin. I have had this one twice, it is very similar to the Chocolate Toffee but instead of toffee, they slap some bacon on there. Who doesn't love frickin bacon! Salty and the sweet victory yet again. 5) Red Velvet - This really is a staple for this place. If you are looking for Dot's take on a more popular cupcake offering then you will not be disappointed. Honorable mentions - Pumpkin/ Carrot (they cost each other the top 5 slot), Mostess (Hostess style) and Choco-Butter. Tip, if it is your first time, get a bunch of Mini Cupcakes and experiment or if you are like me and are trying to keep your girlish, I mean, masculine figure... grab a mini because its too tempting to think you could actually refrain from eating a whole regular cupcake...sure, I will save the other half for tomorrow, psyche... They close at 7pm SUN - THURS so get there a little early if you want some options. read more

I was not impressed in any way about this place. Service was so so and the cupcakes were mediocre at best.

Lately they keep running out of cupcakes very early, better call before you go in. Gas, time and cup cakes aren't cheap