The best bakery ever. Have had a cake, cookies and doughnuts from them since 1974. So glad their open during this difficult time

Been there foreeeever! There is a reason for their longevity. Coffee cakes are the bomb. They sell out of them all of the time. I often give them as gifts, they are that good. Their smiley face cookies remind me of one I loved as a kid that I bought at a bakery in downtown Glen Ellyn in the 70's. :-) They made our wedding cake. Uh uh, back in the day before brides became bridezillas and didn't have crappy, obnoxious cakes covered in gross fondant, They made us a beautiful and delicious three tiered carrot cake just like my mom had at her wedding 45 years prior. The women that work there have been there for a very long time. This place is crazy busy so if they don't kiss your ass when you walk in kiss your boo boo and go away. Yep, this is a true hometown bakery and not some new place or flash in the pan selling cupcakes because they are the current hipsters go to sweet treat. read more

The retro sign caught my eye as I rode the Metra downtown almost every day during college. So, when I was planning a wedding, Kirschbaum's came to mind. This place smells heavenly! The cookies are relatively inexpensive and appeared popular among patrons. I called ahead to schedule a tasting. I was informed that they don't do tastings, but we could come in for a free (free!) sample cake. However, the cake was plain white cake with buttercream frosting. With no other options, how could I determine if I wanted Kirschbaum's for my wedding? Anyway, we took the cake home and ate it. It was good. I'm not a cake person (I'll take ice cream over cake any day), so it was good enough. Nobody eats the cake at a wedding, right? I went back to Kirschbaum's to place an order. Suddenly I wondered if I was in a bakery or someone's kitchen with the limited options. The outdated cake stands in the window, and no sample book of cakes, should've tipped me off that wedding cakes aren't their forte. I was told the cake had to be round. And buttercream. I was fine with that, and I showed them a picture. I asked if I could have 2 fillings, which confused the employee. I wanted raspberry and I wanted lemon. I ended up with a quote for a 2-tier cake and a sheet cake. The 2-tier cake would have both fillings, but the sheet cake only 1. Yeah, because I want a non-uniform cake. The cost for a wedding cake to feed 175 people was just under $300. Compared to other bakeries I shopped, it was a deal, so I didn't care about the specifics. Then I was asked the most RIDICULOUS question of my life: "Who is going to pick it up?" All I could say was, "WHAT?" and she explained that they do not deliver. Not even to my venue, which was 10 minutes away off of a major highway. I said I'd let her know, and I took the quote with me. Well, at least she was friendly and pleasant to work with. I ended up getting exactly what I wanted size/shape/flavor-wise at another bakery in the 'burbs for the same price. Kirschbaum's should remove the wedding cakes from their windows and not advertise this service at all. read more

I felt it was only fair that I re-review Kirschbaum's post wedding since my pre-wedding claims were quite bold. My 5-star rating? Solid as ever. Now, I wasn't a very good future-wife. We planned our Chicago-suburb wedding long distance from Kansas City and when I happened to be in town without the groom, I went ahead and just ordered the cake. Upon hearing this, he was bummed. I TRIED to explain how awesome Kirschbaum's is and to just trust me..but he really just wanted free sample cake. I mean, after all, isn't cake tasting the only fun part of wedding planning? Well, okay. I did rob him of that joy, so the next time we were in town I went in and bought these little mini cakes and just told him they were sample cakes. They were good. They were really good, but holy lordy, they paled in comparison to our real cake on the day of. I was a bit nervous that the cake wouldn't be as good as their normal cakes simply because it was going to be so big. I expected a "small four tier" cake to not taste as great as a round cake in the way that your handwriting is so nice and neat on the first thank you note, but looks like a 1st grader's on the 100th. False. When we cut into our cake, it was so good! We wanted to stand up there for an hour while everyone watched us just eat the cake, but we managed to pry ourselves away. So did I eat a lot of cake, you ask? NO! I will attach the photo of my lovely groom eating my piece of cake when I was trapped on the dance floor during the dad/daughter dance. Thank you, photographer for the evidence. BUSTED. Our top layer was saved, but the cake that was to serve 125 - 150 was entirely eaten by 127. That is what happen when you get good cake... people actually eat it! We also got our favors from Kirschbaum's. They are semi-famous for their smiley face cookies so I ordered 75 green smiley face and 75 that had a P+C instead of a smiley face. For an extra $0.25 they will also individually wrap them and tie them with a ribbon. WORTH the price instead of doing all that tedious work. The favors were a big hit too. We placed them on a table for people to take as they left and we managed to snag the last 2. The ordering process was easy as well and very low-hassle. I wasn't picky about what I wanted the cake to look like so I brought in a few photos of what I liked, they showed me what they had done before and I just picked one and changed the colors. Easy. The cookies were a little more difficult, but could have been very easy. I wanted to know if they could do a penguin cookie. I brought in a few images and the workers took them, said they would ask Penny Kirschbaum if she could make them and then get back with me. It did take a long time for Penny to get back to me, but once she did we decided on smiley face and P+C design instead, I was able to pay by Paypal from Kansas City and then I never had to deal with it again. They delivered as promised and the cake didn't even have to be refrigerated which can be a problem at some reception venues. read more

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Old school bakery with classic donuts, cookies and cakes. Long lines on Saturdays but to be expected. Staff is friendly and helpful.

I stopped by here with my kids and the staff was ultra friendly. Even offered free cookies to my little kids, which was very nice of them. I purchased a couple of donuts from an assorted variety and also their famous cinnamon coffee cake, very delicious! read more

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I'd give it 10 stars if I could. This place is fantastic. Every birthday as a kid I'd go to Kirshbaum's and pick out my cake, my favorite that I still remember is the doll cake (with a doll sticking out of the skirt made of cake). Even in college i was still requesting their cakes for any special occasion. Even though my family moved from WS a few years ago, my mom is nice enough to drive back out there to get one for the occasional b-day. Last weekend I took my boyfriend there for tea & smiley face cookies, they still taste exactly the same and I wish they'd open a branch in the city. (or not, I'd probably be 50 pounds heavier....) If I ever get married, my cake will be from here. read more

I have been eating baked goods from Kirschbaum's for 25+ years but today is the first time I have visited the bakery. My sister should own part of the place by now as she has been serving birthday cakes and St. Patrick's day cookies from here on a yearly basis. Today's Adventure Friday included a trip here and it was so old school - like a trip back to my youth. They only take cash and the clerk was crabby, again like the bakeries of my youth. I had their molasses cookie which was quite flavorful and a selection of the tea cookies - even got admonished for the way I was ordering them. That made me laugh. Great old school Bakery and if you come here around 2:00 on a Friday, no line and plenty of parking. Score! read more

I have been to this little old-time bakery many times. My kids love their cookies. BUT... you have to look hard to find a place with customer service this abysmal! They make mistakes and don't care. The counter folks and management don't even try to provide the tiniest bit of good service. And I consider this a neighborhood place where you'd expect even better service! Once I ordered a b-day cake for my husband. His b-day is in December so I asked for "no Christmas" decorations on the cake. They decorated it with pink flowers (for a man, and his name is definitely a man's name) and then couldn't understand or didn't care why I thought a cake covered with pink flowers was a little inappropriate. They said "that was the only other color they had". Other times I've tried to order cakes by phone and they are rude and unhelpful. Hard to believe they've been in business this long. read more

I am constantly amazed at Kirschbaums, both for their tasty treats and for their ability to survive as a local business in a Dominicks' Mega Bakery Age. Their Smiley cookies are delicious and remind me of the good old days back in third grade when everyone seemed to bring in smileys for the whole class on their birthday. Their brownies are super rich and soft with a frosting on the top that just makes the whole thing even tastier. So why not a perfect five? Well, Kirschbaum's, I love ya, and on any other day, you'd get 5 stars, but to be honest, you're kinda slipping a little. Not sure if it's a health-conscious society or just a new guy, but the frosting on the smiley cookies has noticeably decreased. It's barely scraped on now. Service seems slower every time I come there, and when I only have a small order (usually just a couple cookies), it really shouldn't take that long. Today when I got in around 7:10, I took my number; 81. At the time #78 was being served. Despite only 2 people in front of me, I barely made it to my 7:27 train. There were at least three people working the counter. I understand good things take time, but when the goodies have already been made, what's the holdup? Another thing potential Kirschbaum's patrons should know, is that Kirschbaum's inexplicably only takes cash. No credit or debit cards allowed. While this in itself it not unusual (well, let's be honest, it is), the cash-only phenomenon is usually more common to late-night hot dog stands or eateries in more sketchy parts of town, not in Western Springs, which is a very high-income area, and Kirschbaum's is always packed every time I go in, so they have to at least be doing decently. Spring for a credit card machine guys, and join the 1980s. read more

I called up and asked the girl to save me the excellent cherry coffee cake which comes with lots of cherries and is round shaped.I drove the 15 miles to get there and picked up the order.When I got home I discovered the coffee cake is no longer round and has no cherries only some kind of skimpy filling.Needless to say I was very unhappy and called up. Kirschbaun's said they changed they way they make it.Translation-they went the cheap way. RIP Kirschbaum's my family will miss you. read more

Boring & common recipes. Uninterested staff, dumpy worn out store. I tried a variety of items for a business meeting I hosted in the area including raspberry coffee cake, a cheese coffee cake, chocolate eclairs, a dozen assorted sweet rolls and cookies. What a mistake. All very basic recipes of marginal quality. Bland tasting and cheap. This place is living on its "nostalgia", and lack of competition, not high quality baked goods and engaging staff, don't bother. I got better at Jewel. read more

Tip #1: Prepare for a wait on the weekend. It's full of burbies (of which I am... albeit a transplant) waiting for their baked goods. And they are not open on Sunday. A bakery. Not open on Sunday. Must be a Jesus thing. And until recently, they didn't take credit cards or ATM cards. But that has been fixed. I've tried just about everything. The good: The italian butter cookies, the smiley face cookies and move of the bread. The bad: any of their chocolate cake. They put some kind of spice in there that makes it taste funky to me. And I think it's kind of dry. Stick to vanilla. The amazing: The Butter or Cinnamon coffee cakes. Don't ask how long one lasts in our house. It's ain't pretty. Also, the cake pops, minus the chocolate. Heaven on a stick. You can't go wrong here but prepare for a wait on Saturdays. Had a chocolate cake from here and wasn't impressed. Mainly because of the funky flavor but that could just be me. read more

Kirschbaum's signature smiley face cookies are seriously the best cookies ever. AND, you can get them in several colors! They also have an excellent assortment of tea cookies, homemade breads, and cakes. Did I mention the cakes? They will decorate to order. Saturdays are super busy, so expect to wait a few minutes to take your order. But this is really what a family owned and operated business is about! read more

Picked up a chocolate chip cheese cake for Easter and it was simply amazing! It had a somewhat dense texture and the chocolate chips made it even better! They now take credit/debit cards on $10+ orders. read more

Been a part of my life as long as I can remember and it only gets better. Every holiday, ordinary day and celebration is made sweeter with something from Kirschbaum's. Worth every mile to travel and will bring a smile wherever your bring this. read more

Love! I stopped in here for a birthday cake and some random treats and it was love at first sight. This place is something outta the 50s, everyone is uber nice, it's a pretty basic, no-frills, standing room only, bakery, and the sweet treats are jaw-dropping. Plus, the prices are great. I got a cannoli cake - half fed 8 - for $16, date & nut bread ($3.95), smiley cookies (50 cents a piece), and coffee cake ($4). The only thing I didn't melt over was the date & nut bread, but that may just be because I was spoiled on the rest of the sweet treats. So glad to have found this place. read more

The moment you walk in the door, it's like going back in time complete with an amazing aroma of fresh-baked goods. Kirschbaum's is a charming bakery with solid baked goods. Locals love the place, and I'm definitely a fan! read more

The very best doughnuts EVER. We had meetings at work that every week they would bring in Kirschbaum's doughnuts and they made you glad you were at work on time. I am a chocolate doughnut fan and had to basically run to the box to get mine. I feel like if you walk into a bakery that isn't crowded you should walk out any great bakery should be packed like Kirschbaum's is. read more

Honestly, Kirschbaum's probably doesn't need another review like this. It really is a wonderworld of flour, sugar, butter and cream. Donuts: The chocolate-frosted cake donuts have been a long-time favorite in my family, serving as the closest substitute to Dixie Cream Donuts, which is located (safely) down in Southern Illinois. I just had one from Kirschbaum's today and yes, those things are delicious. I also tried an "original" yeast-risen glazed donut this morning, which was review-inspiring. Seriously. I'm in a sugar euphoria right now. Can a yeast crumb be densely moist and airily light at the same time, with a lovely complexity to the dough's flavor that only comes with slowly-risen baked goods? I may be hallucinating, but it's all very real right now and very, very delicious. Cakes: Growing up, every birthday girl had to have the strawberry-filled vanilla cake covered in white buttercream and roses. Delish. Frosting isn't so much my thing, so I would get the version featuring a whipped cream border holding in a pool of luscious strawberries on top. I actually missed this cake so much in L.A. that I figured out how to make my own version of it. Going with the season, my family has been picking up a lamb cake for several years now. It's not necessarily my favorite as far as cakes go--pound cake covered in a sugar glaze and frosting (kind of heavy and rich)--but all of us take sadistic pleasure in slicing up a lamb-shaped cake. Plus, each lamb comes with its very own expression--winky-eyed, angry, surprised...I believe they also do wedding cakes, as they've had a huge wedding display up on their counter for years. Yum! Tarts: Oh, the tarts. I love those bite-sized cherry and lemon tarts in a crisp tart shell! The brownie/chocolate ones are delicious as well; I'd pass on the pecan tarts, though, as there's just not enough room in those little tart shells to fully evoke a pecan pie. Cookies: I don't know how I've gone through life without them, but I may be the only one out there who has never had a Kirschbaum's smiley-face cookie. But their tea cookies rock my world. They're definitely full of butter-based deliciousness and are always fresh. The bakery ladies may still hand out the little sprinkle cookies as a treat to little kids. Oh, and before you jet out of your house to join me in my sugar-induced hallucinations: they're closed Mondays, and they usually take a month-long vacation in the summer, beginning sometime in June or July. It's a family-run place, guys, so be sure to call ahead. read more

This is absolutely the best bakery in the area. We have never been disappointed with anything we've purchased from birthday and anniversary cakes to all of their great specialty holiday items. Staff is terrific and while the wait can be long at times around the holidays, no one every seems to mind. Love this place! read more

I grew up going to kirschbaum's. I used to ride my bike there in the summer and spend my allowance on their sprinkle cookies and smiley face cookies. In high school I had a ton of friends that worked there and we would gorge ourselves with baked goods! When I moved away from home my friend's mom used to send us care packages full of kirchbam cookies. It was the best. Now that I am all the way out in San Diego I only make it to Chicago once a year. One of my first stops is kirchbaum's. My kids love their smiley face cookies just as much as I do! read more

It's nice to have something around that is exactly the same as it was when I was a little girl. Same counters, same uniforms, same sign on the building and I love it. I have many fond memories of the to die for smiley face cookies (in yellow or pink), the little tea cookies and the birthday cakes we had at every party. It is still super old fashioned here, with no cards accepted and employees in candy striper uniforms. Prices are still very reasonable. We picked up 1/4 lb of tea cookies and a couple smiley face cookies for about 7$. If possible, I also prefer to get all my cakes here. They don't have a huge variety but the yellow cakes with strawberry filling is just the bee's knees. There is no way someone wouldn't be able to find something they like here. With such a following, there is also no way this place is going anywhere anytime soon. read more

YUM!!! I am absolutely HAPPY about this cute little bakery I never before gave two thoughts to! All along, I have been driving out to the city to spend GOBS of money on cupcakes 20 MILES AWAY from my house when in my own backyard was this hidden gem! And SO reasonable!!! A few years ago I tried a chocolate covered rich dense ooey gooey fresh and DELICIOUS coffee cake from here...4 years later I go back only to try: 2 Frosted Brownies (Just the right size-who says dessert has to be massive??).....fresh, slightly dense and very moist with perfect frosting rich enough for me:) 1 Smiley face cookie for daughter- she loved it 1 White Chocolate Covered Cake Bal (HUGE for a cake ball but SO delicious...MUCH better than the ones at Starbucks) ONLY $4.05!!!! Very patient and helpful Service. I spend that on a single cupcake downtown.... Everything was awesome...the PERFECT place to go if you just need a fresh dessert spur of the moment like I did! read more

OK - I maaaay be a little sentimental here... however, I have been going to this bakery for 25 years and it is still just as good as the first day I walked in and my grandmother's neighbor, Millie Ackerman (who worked there for god only knows how many years, bless her) gave me a sample of my first tea cookie. It was like a gateway drug. I worked my way up to the more potent stuff. First came the Smiley Face Cookies, then before I knew it I was hooked on the Chocolate / Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake. Then I got introduced to what is still to this day, my official version of crack addiction, the Rainbow Torte. I live out of town, but my mom still lives nearby. She knows better than to let me come home without a fresh Rainbow Torte sitting in her cake stand. I just got in town last night and have already had my fill of smiley face cookies and rainbow torte for breakfast - yes, breakfast. Guess I'm asking for jeans a size bigger this Christmas. read more

You'll die. I promise. Dirt cheap, everything is out of this world, and I live a mile away. Wait, that actually sucks bc easy access and bakery don't go hand in hand. Ugh. Our favorites... Cannoli cake~ um, yes it exists. Eclair~ best. You'll. Ever. Eat. Smiley cookies~ huh, you say? I would too. But they're dreamy. Coffee cakes~ dear Lord. It's all good and it's strangely inexpensive. Screw the fancy, BS Chicago bakeries. (except sweet Mandy's, oh how I love you so) I promise you'll love it! read more

The best chocolate cake donuts in the western burbs. Very organized set up and very fresh.

This is what old-school bakeries are like. There are some favorites here - the pecan rolls are to die for, the chocolate cake donuts are yummy, and the coffee cakes are old-school - nice and buttery and full of flavor. I'm not particularly a fan of some of the items (like the chocolate chip cookies), but others in my family swear by them, so it's a taste thing. :-) read more

This gem of a bakery has been serving my family for close to 40 years and I've been getting my birthday cake from here for almost that long! There is nothing not to like about their pastries except the calories, the scent of this bakery should be bottled, it's addicting! Thankfully I don't get the opportunity to go in there but every few months otherwise once inside I just can't resist the coffee cakes! The only negative is that they are so busy on weekends and holidays that you might have 20 people ahead of you, fortunately they move the line efficiently. read more

I was very busy and forgot to call in a cake order on Saturday before the bakery closed and they are closed on Monday. I took a chance and emailed Kirschbaum asking if it was possible to get a Black Forest birthday cake for Tuesday. To my surprise, they contacted me and made the cake and it was ready this morning. Our brother will be delighted as that is his favorite bakery cake and they make such a great one and he is in for vacation from Florida. It was wonderful to see great customer service still exists when I thought it was hopeless. Cannot thank the baker enough. read more

I have only had the donuts and paczki. The donuts are great,especially the chocolate frosted. The paczki are terrible. They are just dry stale donuts with artificial filling. The raspberry filling is neon colored flavorless jelly goop that comes out of an industrial can,absolutely disgusting. Maybe im spoiled by Pticek's. read more

My favorite bakery of all time and a must stop whenever I am back in Illinois visiting family. Coconut donuts, angel food cakes, smiley face cookies and tea cookies are my favorite! read more

We ordered 2 cakes for a special occasion. One was strawberry whipped cream and the other was a chocolate mousse cake. The chocolate cake was very good, but the other was very, very dry and overly sweet. We ended up throwing the strawberry one away since no one wanted to finish it. We were disappointed by our purchase. read more

My family's been going to this bakery since I was a kid, primarily for their eclairs, my dad's favorite. I have yet to have a better eclair. The pastry is soft and firm, and the filling is creamy, cool, and delicious. I am salivating just thinking about one! We've also gotten their cookies, which are fantastic, especially their famous smiley face cookies. Most recently, we got my sister's graduation cake from here. Yellow cake with lemon curd filling and buttercream frosting. The lemon curd filling was excellent. Cakes are a little on the pricey side, but they are delicious and quite heavy, so you can serve a lot of people! read more

Just luv the donuts here, nothing complicated, just chocolate on top. This place can get VERY busy especially on Sat. morning even before opening time, so plan well. Lack of customer service especially around the holidays, and frustrating when you live an hour away & they do not reserve items for you. I think I will look for a bakery closer to home & more accommodating for my needs of bakery goods. read more

Best bakery ever, hands down! I have been going to Kirschbaum's since I was 7 years old and I can't get enough. They close for the month of July and I am counting down the days until they reopen and I can get my cookie fix. Everything there is absolutely delicious!! My personal favorites are the chocolate drop cookies (made fresh on Tuesday's and if you want them, you better go on a Tuesday because they go fast), smiley face cookies and the tea cookies. However, the coffee cakes and nut fudgies also deserve honorable mention. I have a friend who grew up on Kirschbaum's and has since moved away, but every time she comes to visit, or I go to visit, Kirschbaum's is a must! read more

Old fashioned bakery in a charming neighborhood. Some of the best pastries imaginable. Definitely worth a stop. Beware the lines are long even in the middle of the day. read more

Love this little family owned bakery in Western Springs! Their donuts, coffee cakes are really old timey and so delicious. The service is great every time. If you want a great selection of donuts on the weekends, get there early! read more

The smell as you walk in is pure bliss. We were taken care of quickly by such a friendly lady. My two apple slices and one cream puff came out to $3.12. Can't beat that for some amazing homemade sweets! I've had their danishes before as well and they are all so good! Love this little bakery! read more

The bakery is an absolutely adorable old-fashioned store. The chocolate frosting is incredible and their cakes are super moist and fluffy. The smiley face cookies are delicious and the tea cookies are as well. Sometimes the store can be really busy but most of the times it's not too bad at all. The coffee cakes and donuts are great if you want a sweet breakfast or for anytime really:). Their eclairs are really tasty and the little dessert cups are as well. Truly a great place in town and well worth a visit if you're passing through! read more