Kari's Rating 9.9/10…read more TLDR: -Seriously my favorite bakery ever and I'm a bakery connoisseur -The flakiest most delicious pastries -Handcrafted sweets and made to order cakes This is my absolute favorite bakery to go to when I am home in Barrington. I've been coming to ambrosia for at least 20 years since my childhood, and this bakery never disappoints. The only reason it didn't get a 10 out of 10 was because sometimes they're closed on days when I need them open, and I find myself to be extremely disappointed I forgot to read the website! Of course error on my side! I remember coming here before I was tall enough to peep over the pastry case, and I've always been so fascinated by the little show window where they have cake decorating or someone demonstrating how to roll pastries-what an art! My number one pastry that I come here for is the ham and cheese croissant. Ambrosia's ham and cheese croissant is the flakiest most savory ham and cheese croissant I've ever had. They don't add any mustard or gimmicks and yet it is so flaky and savory that it doesn't need an extra dash of flavor. I know for a while they were making them smaller, but this time I came, I realized that the ham and cheese croissants are bigger than ever-which probably makes me think they've gone up in price, but I will happily pay the up charge for a little more. Now that I am older, and I have adult money, I find myself going in and trying one new item to add to my repertoire of treats. Today's new addition was the almond Bear-claw which I already had extremely high hopes for because I do love a good almond croissant, but I was a little worried what bear-claw meant. Truthfully, it just meant the shape of the pastry as it still had the classic buttery flaky crust, as well as a sweet almond interior. I was not disappointed! I did end up bringing home four ham and cheese croissants, an ambrosia roll for my dad, the almond Bear-claw, and two freshly made baguettes. I come home relatively frequently, but every time this bakery is added to my morning agenda, I realize I have such few moments left with my family, and I want to cherish them all and I love that ambrosia has been that tradition for us. I feel like most bakeries I go into in the city are mass produced and everyone is just trying to place orders and then rushing to get out the door, but ambrosia the workers really try to make you feel seen and have a way to uplifting conversation with you. Through all of the order, placing chaos, they're willing to explain what's in everything, what's new on the menu or what flavor profile would go with which handcrafted drink. There's a certain side of human conversation to this bakery that makes this visit extra special for me. I can sense everything is made overnight and then baked in the morning, so as soon as you walk in, you can smell an overwhelming bakery scent, which only makes your mouth water more, which I'm starting to think is actually a really strategic sales tactic! Haha! I would never miss a chance coming back here and spending time my parents and picking up a few surprise treat for them. I will keep the tradition of picking up a few extra treats as I would love for this bakery to continue being something my whole family can look forward to whenever I come home

I've been wanting to try this place forever, so was happy to find out my husband ordered a birthday…read morecake for me from here. The Chocolate Bavarian Torte is amazing. I love that it is light, rich, but not overly sweet. I am a huge fan of chocolate mousse in cake and they have perfected it. And to top it off with the chocolate ganache... YUM! I told my husband it's probably the best birthday cake I've had and I hope he remembers that for next year. We also picked up some almond croissants and chocolate croissants and both were delish... to me they were a bit on the smaller side though. The cafe is really cute and clean with a sitting area. We came an hour before closing, so options were limited but they do have a big display case and would love to go back and check out what else they have to offer. I am a fan of flourless cake- so hoping to get to try a slice the next visit.

This is by far the least "sweet" cake we have had, which is actually the highest compliment older…read moreAsian folks can give to a dessert. Made with fresh and tasty ingredients, combined with creative and thoughtful design. Thank you for the wonderful taro birthday cake. Well worth the $50 in our opinion. It is true that the display has limited options compared with many other bakeries near the city. But I think what they do have is made with care. Definitely higher price than what you'd get near downtown, but then again there's not a lot of other options nearby and it's not meant to be a high traffic kind of store as it's ran by the family.

I recently ordered a "Rainbow Mille Crepe" cake for a Hawaiian theme birthday party. It was soooo…read morebeautiful and delicious

Riverbottom Ice Cream Co. is a little hidden gem located in downtown Algonquin. The ice cream is…read moremade in very small batches and is some of the best around the area! There's a small seating area inside but plenty outside. Parking is on the street and nearby lot. I tried the coffee toffee crunch and it was really good. Not too sweet and a good amount of toffee. The portion size is generous. They specialize as a coffee barista and also sell fresh roasted coffee bean as well. It's well worth the drive in my opinion to enjoy REAL ice cream!

One of my best friends and I decided to come here after getting tattoos. This place is adorable and…read morethe staff is super friendly! I love the homey feel and I love the unique offerings they have for ice cream flavors! I know the flavors rotate so in the pictures that I will be sharing those were the flavors at the time! I am absolutely going to be going back to see what some of their holiday offerings will be! However if you do go there and they have the raspberry habanero, it's definitely at least worth a taste! I will say that the heat does build! I will say that the heat does build while you are eating it, but it was delicious! In addition to fun flavors they also have fun ice cream cone options as well! Great place to take the kiddos! So if you're looking to support a cute, delicious, and sweet (pun intended) small business definitely check them out!

This is a charming coffee shop. The people behind the counter were so friendly, warm, and helpful…read more I sought this place out for the cinnamon rolls, but I was too late on the day I visited. Next time! I had a magnificent pain au chocolate. The breakfast soufflé was very nice. I purchased some of the bars to take home. They were very popular with my family. I got a taste of the Snickerdoodle one and it was very delicious. I had not seen this variety of bar cookie before but I hope to find some again soon.

Cool little coffee shop and bakery. It's got a pretty simple menu, which isn't a bad thing. Whisk…read moreis a charming find in downtown Wauconda. Good prices for excellently crafted drinks. They also make custom cakes and other baked items. A cool day called for a coffee. If hanging out in this lakeside town, it's better to go here than some chain coffee place. The prices aren't that bad for an independent business like this. Inside there's a couple tables and a couch. Space is limited but charm isn't. I got a Cinnamon Sugar Latte, which was one of the seasonal coffees. It's $6 for a regular. This had plenty of spice and sweetness along with some vanilla. Best place in town to get coffee. It feels a lot like being in someone's living room. There's also pastries that you can get at the counter or you can make an order for cakes or whatever.

What's my first time going in there I like the place go selections on different flavors of ice…read morecream. The server was good. The guy had me try out the first flavor which was really good so I have about three different scoops of ice cream and it was so good. And it was really clean in there. And I just like to payphone that they have right next to the door when you walk in.

Best place located in Cary to get cool, literally. Cary Dairy is a long time favorite around here…read morefor the summer. It actually is good any time of the year. Many other ice cream shops close up annually but not this one. The prices are higher than typical places but it's better quality. A lot of flavors to choose from. It's got classics along with a few more interesting ones. There's also a few that are non dairy including the Dole Whip. Bad thing about it is it's more expensive than typical Dairy Queen ice cream. It's about $7 for a regular cup, which is a few scoops. Best one we had the last time was the Oat Peanut Buddy. This is made with oat milk. Get your choice of toppings for no additional cost. There's candy, Oreos, and other stuff. Even though it's cramped and has no indoor seating, there's a few tables across the parking lot. It's located on Cary-Algonquin Road at Industrial Drive in the strip mall. The flavors include gluten free, and some choices for vegans.

We tried Cloud Tea since it recently opened in downtown Barrington. Nice open space as you walk…read morein, with around 7-10 tables and a bar ledge area. We tried a few drinks and ice cream. We'll try some of the sandwiches next time we stop in. We had a Brown Sugar Milk Tea, Taro Coconut smoothie and Oreo ice cream with fish waffles. The drinks were good, similar to many of the other boba places locally. The tapioca tasted fresh and were soft, which is a good indication of the quality of the milk tea. We need more retail in downtown Barrington, so we'll be back to support our local shops.

My son and I visited Cloud Tea for some rolled ice cream, but unfortunately, it fell short of…read moreexpectations. The request for a tip before the product was even made seemed a bit premature, and the sight of a messy workstation didn't inspire confidence. As we watched our treats being crafted, the lack of attention to cleanliness dampened our excitement. When we got the ice cream each looked very pretty and worth of a photo though when it came time to taste, my strawberry cheesecake creation had nonexistent flavor in the actual ice cream. With just a 1/4 of a strawberry mixed in, it left me feeling a bit shortchanged for the price. While I'm not closing the door on Cloud Tea just yet, our first visit didn't quite hit the sweet spot. Perhaps if they focus more on the taste and cleanliness and less on the visual of the product they could have a better shot.

Quaint downtown location. I can imagine coming here during Christmas time in the snow to buy…read morechocolate for people. TBE candied apples, taffy apples, etc. I had em at some place in Crystal Lake and am still to make the pilgrimage to Richmond BUFU to the OG Anderson's, but this Barrington location has been there since before covid. Long live chocolate. Expensive AF, but worth it. Life changing really like the first cathode ray TV, MP3s, 4D movies, or being with me. Once you do it, your life is changed. No more taffy apples anywhere else but from here. Hand made. THEY ONLY HAVE THEM APPLES DURING FALL THO. Chocolate covered, taffy, etc.

Anderson's Candy Shop was the perfect quick stop for an anniversary gift -- honestly felt like…read morewalking into chocolate heaven. The young gentleman helping me was incredibly personable and friendly, even sharing the history of the store with such pride and enthusiasm. You can truly tell he loves where he works and values the family/business behind it. I was amazed by the variety and quality of chocolates -- definitely not your average commercial candy shop. Everything felt unique, thoughtful, and special. To top it off, he beautifully wrapped the gift in a box with a ribbon, which made it feel even more personal and meaningful. Definitely returning again -- both for gifts and for myself!

Very bad selection. Overpriced and most of the better candy was just empty display boxes, with no…read morecandies to purchase. Sorry to say , Don't waste your time if you're looking for older types of candy

Omg so much fun. This place is awesome. Went for the first time been wanting to go for a while…read more The soft serve was so rich and creamy definitely one of my new faves. I think all of you should try it the lady is so nice. There's a ton of stuff from the olden days fun candies, treats to try. Ice cream was from Homers who doesn't like some Homers, It's a cute little place. Definitely fun atmosphere. Parking was a lil unique. But it was close to the door. Need to take more pictures next time. Was so excited

Did I just find my new favorite bakery? Yessss!…read more Strong espresso! Gluten friendly treats! Excellent customer service! My son and I stopped at Lots-a-Knot before heading to the Wauconda Library. It's conveniently located in downtown Wauconda and is right down the street from the library. (Hear that parents? Get yourself a delicious espresso and little snack) I loved the Samoa latte with coconut and caramel. I got a medium with an extra shot of espresso bringing the count up to 3. It was strong and not overly sweet - the perfect balance. I devoured the pistachio twist (this name may be wrong) and almond orange cookie! My son loved the strawberry and hazelnut cookies too! While I was there I learned a little about the place, everything is made there, including the bread, using recipes passed down from family. I loved everything we've tried and cannot wait to go back! This is a family owned local business that deserves way more hype and love!

Such a wonderful surprise, all the good reviews on the Italian beef are not joking, it was…read morephenomenal! The bread is homemade and definitely the best bread I've had an Italian beef on. I also have to speak on the employees, so friendly some of the friendliest I've met in wauconda!

Great lace just confusing at times Feel like people should…read morebe willing to help but overall nice store

Crumbl is an overpriced treat that has horrible service which is evident from my first complaint…read more We bought 18 cookies, I was refunded for 6 and get this, I was offered ONE free cookie if I come back in at the risk of being subjected to the rude judgement of the same 20 year olds that were beyond awful the first time. Hey Crumbl, thanks for the ridiculous offer. It was as absurd as the treatment and bad cookies I already experienced.