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    Kara's Cupcakes

    3.7 (2.2k reviews)
    ModerateDesserts, Bakeries
    Closed 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Order Kara's Cupcakes Takeout or Delivery

    Kara's Cupcakes Photos

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    Rebecca B.

    Wow... I did not realize they were this good! Tried the peanut butter milk chocolate ganache and the sweet chocolate cupcake. Talk about decadent... Perfect indulgent for Valentine's Day or I daresay, everyday....jk not a good idea haha. Get these away from me!! So good!!

    Box of 6 cupcakes
    Marlys J.

    Cute and delicious cupcake shop near Chestnut St in SF. The friendly server behind the counter boxed up my cupcakes for me. I tried red velvet, chocolate velvet, tuxedo, and a s'mores cupcake. In order from my favorite to least favorite is chocolate velvet, s'mores, tuxedo then red velvet. The frosting was the best part of all of these cupcakes, and I am typically the type to wipe frosting off with a napkin to only eat the cake. The frosting was a great texture, consistency and flavor. The red velvet cupcake I had was slightly dry and crumbly, but the other cakes were moist and tasted great. I will be back next time I'm working in the area and looking for a sweet treat!

    Ratha C.

    Cupcakes were okay and cute but the woman working there was unwelcoming and rude. We were the only one in the shop. And after checkout, it was awkward silence, no thank you or goodbye- nothing. It felt awkward.

    Joan W.

    They have a great selection of different cupcakes in mini and regular size. I like the chocolate with the white frosting the best and there are 2 kinds, chocolate with coconut frosting or chocolate tuxedo which has white jimmy sprinkles. Their lemon cupcake is unique as in addition to lemon frosting it has lemon filling and they are the only place that I know of that has a s'mores cupcake.

    Jeffrey K.

    We had 'em the same night--took half a bite of each on a date. Half were salted chocolate perfection, the other half tasted like the inside of a vacuum bag. Like, who baked these--Gordon Ramsay and a corpse? How do you go from five-star dessert to drywall in two cupcakes?

    Melissa D.

    Our company placed an order for our corporate holiday event for Memorial Day. We spoke with the manager before placing the order asking for cupcakes with a "American flag" topper on each cupcake. She has mentioned that they already had a "American flag" topper and we don't need to special order them and we should just place the order online. Our delivery came in this morning on time and this is what we got. Do these even look like flags to you? Not only that, one of the red velvets is missing a "flag" and they are DIY, cut crooked and not placed in the center. Would you present these to CEO's and investors? Also we spent like $100 for 2 dozens. The muffin is sticking out on one of the banana cupcakes. If you're looking for a gourmet cupcake shop, take your business some where else.

    Display case
    Aubany G.

    It's been years since I've hit up Kara's. A decade ago, when my brother was visiting, he was obsessed with Cupcake Wars and cupcakes were his agenda on that particular visit, so naturally Kara's was at the top of his list. This visit was to treat my friend to a Birthday box of cupcakes. Service was friendly enough. I will say that over the years and perhaps just post pandemic, this spot has lost its luster somehow. It seemed muted and dated and just not as inviting as I remember. I'm not sure how to pinpoint this feeling. The cupcakes were DIVINE, of course. I had a Tuxedo and a seasonal special Organic Strawberry Cream.

    Andie H.

    Love their cupcakes, especially the vanilla! Can't go wrong with Kara's for special occasions or even just a lil pick me up. These are light, fluffy, moist, less dense some other cupcake options around.

    Sirikanya p.

    First time trying this place. I was looking to get something for my co worker's BD and found this place on Yelp. Cupcakes tasted nice and not too sweet which I love. Honestly don't remember which flavors I got :- For cake, you have to order 30 hours in advance ...

    Jonathan C.

    Fans of sweets and cupcakes should no longer further than Kara's Cupcakes. Upon opening the box, you'll get a whiff of sugar that rushes to your noses informing you of what eagerly awaits your mouth. They package the cupcakes well and it makes a nice gift. Had an assortment of different cupcakes (chocolate velvet, red velvet, tuxedo, chocolate velvet). Surprisingly, the consistency of each cupcake did vary. The karrot cake was fantastic, while the red velvet cake was a bit dense. Flavors overall were solid.

    a hand holding a cupcake box
    Denise C.

    It's fun at Christmas time ...they have Christmas cupcakes and it has the name of somebody from high school u know Kara haha and that's funny because Kara isn't in town she lives in Chicago Kara lives in Europe too haha cupcakes are tasty fun ..marina life

    Cupcakes left outside

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    6 months ago

    My girlfriend and I love this place! Our go to spot when we're craving cupcakes and for Valentines.

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    10 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Their cupcakes are really good. Ordered some for an event and everyone loved them. Would totally recommend.

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    2 years ago

    Each time we celebrate a birthday at my store, this is our go-to! The team is attentive, prompt and helpful.

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    Kara's Cupcakes Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kara's Cupcakes

    Wondering do they do east bay deliveries? All that's opened now is San Francisco & Palo Alto! I need my Kara's cakes for family friends birthdays and holidays!

    Hi, We will do deliveries to Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda in the east bay. However, you will need to call the store at 415-563-2253 in order to place orders for the East Bay… 

    Is there any diary free cupcakes?

    Yes, the Vegan Chocolate is available in both mini and regular size

    View All 3 Questions

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    Arsicault Bakery

    Arsicault Bakery

    4.7
    (3.1k reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    This was the one place I wanted to visit while in SF. It was amazing, but there is so much hype it…read morewas hard to temper my expectations!!! There are three Arsicault locations, but this is the original, opened in 2015 (or so the internet told me). Our hotel was closer to the Tenderloin location, but that area wad sketchy. The line was 15 people long, but moved incredibly fast. The menu is on the front glass window (no prices,). Once you enter, you can see the pastries and corresponding prices. Unfortunately, you enter when it's your time to order, pay grab your food, and then leave. We went twice and our whole interaction was less than a minute per trip!!! We had many things and there were only winners. If you don't want to spend $60 like we did, here are my thoughts on what we tried. Croissants: the almond was the winner by a long shot!!! I liked the ham and cheese, but only if you need a savory option. Chocolate chip croissants are not my favorite, but my daughter ate the whole thing and loved it. The almond chocolate chip had too much going on and it's the only one I would not recommend. The kouign amann is delicious and worth getting. The morning bun is good, but only if you want a bit of citrus flavor (orange zest). The monkey bread was good, but after all the other pastries, it didn't stand out. It seemed similar to the kouign amman in retrospect and I'd need another side by side to really sort out the differences. The chocolate chip cookie is delicious, but beware that it is salted. My son wasn't a fan, but the rest of us liked it. A bonus if you go the Richmond Ariscault -- it's next door to Breck's, a great coffee shop that has seating. Looks like most Arsicault customers grabbed their pastries and went next door to get coffee and sit down. We followed suit and it was a perfect pairing. After our pastries, we went to Golden Gate to walk off the meal. An epic morning!!!

    Excellent croissants and pastries at Arsicault. There's usually a line but it generally moves…read morequickly. The storefront is small so you pretty much walk inside to tell them what you want, pay, and get your pastries to go. No place to sit; only drip coffee offered. The croissants are crunchy on the outside and flaky on the inside. One of the best croissants in San Francisco. They don't offer a huge selection of pastries but the more popular ones are the croissants and Kouign Amann. With the croissants they offer a number of variations including almond, chocolate, ham and cheese. They also sell scones but I would stick with the croissants in my opinion.

    Photos
    Almond Croissant
    Almond Croissant
    Classic Croissant
    Classic Croissant
    Classic Croissant

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    Classic Croissant
    Butter & Crumble

    Butter & Crumble

    4.6
    (743 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    I absolutely love this place. I am lucky enough to live within walking distance and have been here…read morethree times in the last few months. This most recent time I arrived just before opening and waited about an hour and a half for my delicious strawberry roll. If I had got there earlier, I think the line would've been only about 20 to 30 minutes so if you are an early bird they allow you to line up anytime after around 7:45 AM. I listened to a new album and great podcast while I was in line, it can be a great solo activity and makes the wait go by fast! I also enjoy talking to the people around me about whether or not they've been here yet and hearing what their favorite items are or what they're excited to try. This time I met someone who had brought their family member all the way from Mexico to try! I think a lot of the people who are frustrated don't understand that there will be a wait. The owner has explained on her Instagram that the reason they cannot simply bake more is because they are not baking pastries that are designed for bulk creation. They are all handmade small batch goods that simply cannot be made in large quantities. I think when you go into it understanding that it's going to be an experience that more often than not comes with a wait time it is much more enjoyable. I did see some teenagers show up with their parents who immediately seemed like they did not want to get in the line. The thing about lines though is that typically if there is a consistent line somewhere that means it's good! I really admire the parents that did wait with their kids because it is worth it! We all need a little bit of whimsy in our life and these goods and the wonderfully magical people who work there make my day a little brighter each time I go in. The shop itself is decorated so well, you can tell that the cookbooks and tools are not just props on the shelf. They are actually used. There are also a couple glittery surprises that I will leave for you to find out... I cannot recommend this little bakery enough. If you are in San Francisco, even just for a day, add it to the top of your list and start your day with a treat you won't be able to find anywhere else.

    After hearing all the hype and braving a near 2 HOUR wait in line....sorry, it wasn't quite up to…read morepar for me. There are better bakeries for lower effort. Let's start with the good. The namesake Pistachio Cardamom croissant was excellent for a filled croissant. It had excellent layers and the cream was just enough to add a lusciousness to each bite that wasn't too heavy. The madame lorraine was my other favorite. It was meaty and rich with the soft baked runny yolk and the light touch of rosemary was just enough to accentuate the bite. The not as good...a standard butter croissant. Maybe we got a dud but there was a serious lack of layers in ours and it wasn't as crisp or as buttery as I like. The elote corn croquiche filling was also quite salty which was a shame because the pastry layer was pretty good. I still have two more pastries to try but given the weight and the mixed bag, I definitely expected a lot more from Butter & Crumble. Pro tip: get a butter croissant at Arsicault, walk to B Patisserie and get a kouign amann. You'll have both before the line moves here.

    Photos
    Hanna's twice baked biscoff croissant
    Hanna's twice baked biscoff croissant
    Lauren's chopped cheese pain suisse
    Lauren's chopped cheese pain suisse
    Allyson's pork bun bearclaw

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    Allyson's pork bun bearclaw
    Neighbor Bakehouse

    Neighbor Bakehouse

    4.6
    (1.2k reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    Neighborhood Bakehouse is the kind of neighborhood bakery you'll find yourself coming back to again…read moreand again. I've been here a few times and this time I remembered to take photos of the pastries before digging in! We tried the ube twice-baked croissant, ham and cheese croissant, curry potato bourek, and the spicy chicken pepper sausage croissant. Every pastry was perfectly flaky on the outside while staying soft and buttery on the inside. My favorites were the spicy chicken pepper sausage croissant and the ube twice-baked croissant. The savory pastries were packed with flavor, and the ube croissant struck the perfect balance of sweetness without being overpowering. I also love that they offer unique pastries you don't find at most bakeries. The café itself is small and cozy, and the staff were warm and friendly. It's usually packed, but we arrived at the perfect time and were able to grab everything we wanted before they sold out. We'll definitely be back to try more of their delicious pastries!

    I've seen some coffee shops around the city selling their baked goods and was glad to finally visit…read moretheir Dogpatch location. It's not much, more of a storefront with 2 tables outside but they have all the pastries. This place has the best mushroom tart ever. It has a generous amount of mushrooms but is not overpowering. All of their pastries are top of the line, fresh and flavorful with the perfect blend of ingredients. I also tried the Curry Potato Bourek and Everything Croissant which I'd recommend. I really wish they had a website where you can see the establishments where they sell the pastries. Dogpatch is kinda BFE for many people but great to stop by if you live in Portrero Hill, Mission Bay, or are doing something at UCSF or the Chase Center.

    Photos
    Char Siu Croissant
    Char Siu Croissant
    Roasted Mushroom Croissant Tart
    Roasted Mushroom Croissant Tart
    Pistachio Berry Twice-Baked Croissant

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    Pistachio Berry Twice-Baked Croissant
    Jina Bakes

    Jina Bakes

    4.3
    (821 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    We stopped into Jina Bakes during the Nihonmachi Street Fair. It was recommended to us, and the…read moreline spoke for itself- this spot is popular! My husband got in line while I waited outside. It's on the first floor of the Japan Center Malls and easy to find in the corner. While the line was long it moved quickly and we ended up ordering two drinks and a few pastries. We had the drinks right away and I enjoyed their honeycomb toffee latte ($8.25) while my husband ordered a flavored lemonade. The Honeycomb latte wasn't overly sweet and the honeycomb on top was a nice treat. The honeycomb itself was sweet and crunchy and you can either pick it out and eat it or stir it into your drink and let it melt. The lemonade my husband ordered was on the sweeter side, but was super refreshing for summer. If you like sweet you'll like this- if you prefer less sweet or tart it may not be for you. We also brought home a few of their pastries. All of them were fresh and well made. The basque cheesecake was creamy and satisfying without being overly sweet. The chocolate chip cookie had dark chocolate and was really rich and satisfying. The last pastry I forget the name of but it was like a cinnamon roll but with an orange glaze and some cocoa powder, this one was also delicious and not overly sweet. They had some savory options that were sold out when we visited and we would definitely visit again to try those and more items from the menu. We can see why this spot is so popular.

    Place is ok but definitely needs better cleaning. Most especially their pastry case. Service is ok…read moreas well. They don't say hi until you do and same with finishing your transaction with them. Anyway... Got there at about noon and there were only myself, my daughter and another customer. Had the lady go ahead of us since we weren't quite ready to order. Since it was not busy at all, you would expect the server to get our order right. Right?! Ordered 4 plain salt breads, 1 injeolmi pastry, and 2 chewy Dubai cookies. After receiving the box, trusting that all our items are in there, we already left. Drove home 50 minutes away from here expecting all is well. As soon as my daughter opened the box of her goodies, 1 chewy cookie was missing! Went to Yelp right away to find a number to contact and to my surprise, there isn't one! Went to IG to double check for a contact number, but none to my avail. Just messaged hoping that someone would help me out. Could this be something that a "very professional" worker scam that they charge you and not give you that item then they take it for themselves? You could've just asked Justin C.! Hopefully it was just a mistake they could correct. Not having a contact number seems like they don't want to get disturbed with any complaints. With all that being said, won't be coming back. First impression matters & I wish I could say better things.

    Photos
    The store front 2/18/24
    The store front 2/18/24
    Galbijjim (Korean Braised Short Rib) Croissant | $8.50 - Tastes like cold pizza
    Galbijjim (Korean Braised Short Rib) Croissant | $8.50 - Tastes like cold pizza
    Match Cream Puff ( I have been craving this!)

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    Match Cream Puff ( I have been craving this!)

    Kara's Cupcakes - desserts - Updated August 2026

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