We stopped by Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls while walking along Cannery Row, and it's a cute little shop in a great location. Service was quick, and they had a nice variety of cinnamon roll flavors to choose from. We decided to keep it simple and ordered the classic cinnamon roll. They warmed it up in the microwave before serving, which made it nice and soft. While it definitely satisfied our sweet tooth, we were a little underwhelmed overall. The roll was smaller than we expected for the price, and it didn't quite compare to the soft, gooey, over-the-top quality of a Cinnabon. If you're craving something sweet while exploring Cannery Row, it's a convenient stop with plenty of options. Just don't go in expecting a giant, bakery-style cinnamon roll. read more

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The smell from the street? Enticing... wonderful... The vibe when you step inside? Nostalgic, cute, seemingly from another time... The prices? From the year 2086. $11 for a plain cinnamon roll the size of a Pillsbury refrigerated tube roll is diabolical. A family of 4 getting dessert here might as well just do that second mortgage now. Let alone the $7.25 for an 8oz Red Bull for that mom on vacation just trying to get by. The flavor? Not worth $11 I can assure you. Truly feels like a tourist trap masquerading as an old timey local haunt. If you're thinking to yourself "I REALLY just need a cinnamon roll...I'm hankering for that sweet, sweet, gooey, sticky cinnamonny treat!" This ain't gonna cure that hankerin', chief. It was both miraculously dry AND wet somehow. Like some kind of kinetic sand. Not to mention, the cinnamon level sat at about a 3 out of 10. But, to be fair, the term "slightly seasoned roll" doesn't really have a nice ring to it. Save your money. Bake them from a grocery store tube. You can get a dozen for the same price to be honest. Plus, you won't have to heat it up in the microwave like they do here (when the oven is right next to it). I'm convinced these 5 star reviews are bots, family friends or Lilly Mae's was the first cinnamon roll these poor people have ever had. Someone in the suspicious 5-star section mentioned California being "more expensive". I get that, I'd have no issue paying $11+ dollars for a small cinnamon roll if it was an ACTUAL quality product and not something thrown together and slapped into an oven for a quick buck to make seaside rent. read more

The most disgusting cinnamon roll I've ever had. On top of that they charge 3.85 for toppings.... For toppings ? You can't be serious. The cinnamon roll itself is barely cinnamony... the frosting is grainy. Nasty nasty nasty. I also got funnel cake fries but I've been waiting for about 10 minutes for them. Update, got the funnel cake fries. They had a hair in them. Not surprising considering all the staff are netless and have long hair. Shocker, she gave me my refund with hair in it as well. read more

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$9.35 for a single cinnamon roll and it was extremely dry! Safeway has better cinnamon rolls! The frosting was its only saving grace, PLEASE DO NOT COME HERE, taxing and for what?! Dry bread! Don't let the aroma of cinnamon fool you! read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - Frosted cinnamon roll ONE FOR $9.35, SO DRY, not worth it DO NOT GET - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

The food was terrible and insanely overpriced. Obviously it's a tourist spot, but there are much better options on the same block. Expect to pay $10++ for small snacks (pigs in a blanket, cinnamon bun) much worse than what you can get at a 7/11 for $2. I wanted to give this place an extra star for the kind service, but really no one should visit this place or keep them in business. They are doing a disservice to the Monterrey community and I learned my lesson going to a place without checking Yelp first. We spent $50 after tax and tip for 2 coffees, 2 pastries, and a couple micro cupcakes. read more

Great location, but the cinnamon rolls miss the mark. While this spot is perfectly located on Cannery Row with a cute, easily accessible storefront, the food didn't live up to the look. The cinnamon roll was dry and stale. The frosting helped because it was so sweet, but even with that it was difficult to eat. Sadly, I've had better ones from grocery stores. On top of that, paying $10 for a single roll should come with better presentation; instead, it was packed in a paper bowl wrapped in foil like party leftovers. Definitely needs much improvement for the price. read more

After grabbing a quick bite we were interested in something sweet. Someone suggested in our group to try this place. Cute little shop centrally located on Cannery Rd....however, it misses the spot for hitting that sweet craving! They have handful of different flavored cinnamon rolls, priced roughly estimated around $8-9.00. For the size and taste of the cinnamon rolls it's way too overpriced and the rolls were super dry. They do heat it up for you, but super dry cinnamon rolls. We also ordered one regular hot coffee to go with it. Utter disappointment as well...tasted like burnt coffee. Has potential to be a hit considering it's in a prime space, but misses the mark. Skip this place and find something else for dessert! read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - Outside view - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

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This spot is located right in the main downtown area of Monterey, which makes it an easy stop if you're already nearby. The cinnamon rolls were warm, which was nice, but they were unfortunately a bit dry. The frosting didn't really do much to improve them either. On top of that, the prices felt pretty high for what you get. That said, I did appreciate that they offer sugar-free options for their cinnamon rolls, which is not something you see often. Overall, would probably go somewhere else if I wanted something sweet. read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

One strange thing about cannery row is no coffee spots open before 9. Well I wanted a cappuccino for wife and I before that while we were staying at The Clement. Anyways ordered 2 cappuccinos 1 with oat milk and none with the whole milk. They made mine with oat so I had to have them fix it. This is a long story so I'll shorten it. These cappuccino simply were not good. It was too much milk not enough espresso. Yeah, I should've ordered a cinnamon roll cause they look delicious. It's right off the street so easy to walk in and very open and welcoming. Staff was friendly. read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - Pastries - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

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I can't believe they are selling individual 88 cent Walmart pies for over 9 dollars each. The labels they used are cut from the box they are sold in at Walmart. I'm pretty sure everything sold here is prepackaged, then repackaged with their branding. The cinnamon rolls were warmed in a microwave and dry too. read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

The rolls and frosting are sold separately. The frosting they give you is thinly spread on and doesn't even cover the entire roll. they place on such a thin layer that it melts into the roll nearly immediately so no yummy frosting melting in your mouth. The Roll was dry and was almost $8 and the tiny bit of frosting just under $4. definitely not worth the money, read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - Not worth the money. "Where's the frosting" - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

Small rolls for the price. Dough is gummy and flavorless. The apple pie roll wasn't overly sweet as it appeared. Tourist trap. read more

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You can smell the goodness coming out the door... and that is where the good ends. I felt like the universe said, "I'll give you a teaser trailer but not the movie." When you look at all the possibilities, your eyes pop out and you start questioning why didn't you make it here at the start of your trip so you could have everything they make. So yes I went full chaos mode and bought 4 cinnamon rolls. Not cheap either. These weren't grab and go, these make you check your account balance before you buy type of rolls. They were large, fresh, and topped with fruit. I carefully placed them in the back seat like they were precious cargo I was transporting back to Los Angeles. I told myself, I see road trips to come back here JUST for these rolls. Then I took a bite. And listen...the disappointment didn't just set in, it moved in, unpacked, and changed its address. It was tasteless. Completely. The peaches on top with the syrup glaze looked like they had a personality, but they also tasted like absolutely nothing. I've had more emotional satisfaction from a grocery store fruit cocktail cup that comes with that tiny plastic spoon that bends immediately. And now I'm sitting here confused, because I saw the Yelp reviews. I saw the low stars. I IGNORED them. Why? Because the smell had me in a chokehold. The smell was doing marketing, branding, PR, and emotional manipulation all at once. So I'm perplexed. Truly. Where did that smell come from? Because it was not in the bite. Not even a suggestion of it. I want what I smelled. Honestly... I think they're just burning cinnamon roll-scented candles in there and calling it a bakery. That's the only logical explanation. Because not one bite I took matched the smell I followed in like a cartoon character floating through the air. I wasted calories trying to find the taste. And I'll say it for the record: I did not buy cinnamon rolls. I bought scented air with commitment issues. read more

Cinnamon rolls were pricey and not very good. Unfrosted cinnamon roll was plain, dough dry and not sticky. Frosted cinnamon rolls were smothered with frosting which helped hide the fact that they were also dry and rather plain. Cost $35 for the 4 pack but I got the unfrosted one for free. There were several other types of cinnamon rolls with peach, walnut and other toppings, but didn't feel they were worth the $10 price. read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - 4 pack of frosted cinnamon rolls - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

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This was soooo disappointing! By far the worst cinnamon roll I've ever had!! The doe was literally stale with almost zero cinnamon brown sugar filling!! All bread no cinnamon and barely any frosting!! What a waste of $10!!! read more

Literally the worst cinnamon roll I've ever had. What a disappointment. So unbelievably DRIED OUT and the frosting is flavorless. What a rip off for $11+ for a single cinnamon roll. You'll literally have better luck at any other bakery in the entire world. Don't be fooled by "how good" they look, it's not worth it. read more

If I could give it Zero I would! Honestly - I purchased the M&M sugar cookie & peanut butter chocolate chip- over 9.00. Honestly one bite- spit it out & threw it away- something tasted rancid read more

Coffee and baked goods were all okay. Nothing bad, nothing above average. However, I've honestly never been denied tap water from an establishment. My kid forgot his water bottle in the car and I asked for a cup of tap water. We had bought 4 pastries ( including the $11 cinnamon roll) and two lattes. "Nope, would you like a water bottle or fountain drink". Can I just have a cup and some tap water from that sink behind you?" Worker- "no". I can sell you a water bottle for $4.50. Ridiculous. I honestly wouldn't have taken the time to leave a review for the place but that felt like such an unnecessary money grab above the overpriced food typical of a tourist spot. read more

earned a star for: 1. great cinnamon rolls 2. fast service 3. friendly staff 4. my kid loves the 'otter in a blankets' read more

We spent $20 on one regular cinnamon roll and a super tiny gluten free one that didn't have enough icing and tasted worse than a grocery store cinnamon roll. They put tin foil on top of the regular one which peeled off all the icing when we up wrapped it. They did not taste worth $10 a piece but the worst part of all was we asked for a small cup of tap water (that comes out of the soda machine) and they refused it. They said they sell $4.50 bottles of water. We spent $20 on garbage rolls and they couldn't give us free tap water. read more

Their cinnamon buns are vegan!! We asked for vegan frosting which is an additional cost. It was so special!! Soft, deliciously, and so yummy! read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - Cinnamon roll with vegan frosting which - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

It smelled so good and my boyfriend randomly decided to stop and get one.... It turned out to be so bad like comically bad. I'm all for supporting small businesses but wow, when wetzel pretzel is down the street it is actually a miracle that Cinnabon hasn't taken this place's location. Basically, it was dry and hard and not even the middle was soft and ooey gooey. Hard pass and waste of money. My boyfriend said when he was waiting for it he noticed in the kitchen large cans of apple pie and peach pie filling that they use for the other flavors, which makes me think not even the rolls are hand made. read more

I love cinnamon rolls so I may be biased, but I feel like this spot is just a solid cinnamon roll place. Nothing to write home about, in a positive or negative light. read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - Apple maple - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

I paid nearly $10 for a cinnamon roll, expecting something warm, gooey, and fresh. Instead, what I got was dry and clearly not fresh out of the oven. I noticed they microwaved it in the back before bringing it out, which was already disappointing. What really stung was watching them bring out a batch of fresh rolls right after I ordered. Bad timing, I guess--but for the price, you'd hope they'd serve the best they have. For a bakery that's built its name on cinnamon rolls, this just wasn't it. Not worth the price, and sadly not worth a return trip. read more

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This tiny hole in the wall spot has such delicious cinnamon rolls. It's a must see!! The handful of times I've been to Cannery Row. I always get a cinnamon roll or two here as well as want to take home!! Granted, the prices have gone up a bit. I know inflation sucks but goodness these are delicious, and I love their fresh toppings!! This particular spot seems to have expanded their desserts, and they also have a handful of other tasty sweets, which I was able to get a picture of, especially since it was around 3 PM in the afternoon!! We spent all morning at the aquarium, and as we walked through Cannery Row, we were able to find some more places to eat! I love foodie adventures!! The service was rather quick, considering. There was a line out the door, and we were 6 people in line ahead of us and then another lady got behind a register. She was able to ring us up rather quickly, but I really didn't mind waiting since their cinnamon rolls are definitely worth it!! read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - Yummmm beside the aquarium- this place is The Best! Hee - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

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I used to pass by this place many, many times on my walks on Cannery Row, until i stopped in one day just out of curiosity. I discovered the best cinamon rolls i had ever had. Hot and covered in a blanket of frosting on top to add sweetness to an already sweet roll. As i pulled it apart it just melted in my mouth. Sooo good. Sadly i moved away and cant enjoy them every week like i used to. But i know that next visit to Monterey i will surely stop by for another cinamon roll. read more

Cinnamon roll was good but the prices are insane. I didn't mind paying 10 dollars for the cinnamon roll because it was tasty but I also ordered a breakfast sandwich and it was incredibly small and really small breakfast burrito for another 10 dollars, both underwhelming. Not worth it. Coffee is not the best either. Definitely just order their cinnamon rolls. read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - Breakfast sandwich - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

Rude employees all 3 of them. 2 young (one white with curly hair, one black and an older 40ish white lady) Nobody in line they took over 5 mins to even take my order then had to wait another 10 mins to actually get my 2 ice cream cones. 10 mins for 2 ice cream cones and with attitude. Horrible would not go again ever! read more

Tourist trap! $11 for a roll that was on the smaller side. It also took forever to get the one cinnamon roll! Get Dessert elsewhere!!

Cinnamon rolls smelled great but tasted like mush. We got an apple and a peach and couldn't taste the difference. Paid 28 bucks for two and a coke and then tried to get water for my kids. They said "we don't give out cups of water." I've never heard that one before!!! Don't waste you calories here. read more

Very generic cinnamon rolls. They're heated up in a microwave and sweet. It's a good snack stop but expensive. read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - Frosted - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

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Place was expensive, cinnamon rolls were doughy and not soft and fluffy and way too sweet. It was definitely not fresh. read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

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Bro absolute atrocious cinnamon rolls do not order the mini cinnamon rolls and do not ask questions about the mini cinnamon rolls. They will scarf at you. Laugh at you and be rude. Terrible service terrible food. Everything looks stale and cold. Convenient for where you're at if you're already at Monterey, but shit is absolutely ass 10/10 do not recommend never going back !!! AND I REALLY WANTED A CINNAMON ROOLLLLLL BUT NOT WITH THAT ATTITUDE. read more

Dry cinnamon roll with nothing but sugar & milk glaze, inedible No butter no whip no pizzazz I got a yelp account just warn you how bad this place is read more

Peaches cinnamon bun is disgusting!! Just bought it and worth $10. Very dry even after microwaved.

It brings me no joy to give negative reviews but it's only fair to the consumers that a review is left. I was with family when we walked by this place and the smell of cinnamon rolls filled the air. We knew we had to get it after dinner. We shared a traditional iced, apple and peach buns. So dry. The rolls were warmed up but they just weren't good. The traditional one also was slightly burned on the bottom so it was a double negative. The icing was good but not nearly enough of it to cover how dry the rolls were. Everything inside was definitely hiked up for tourism costs. The staff members were ok. They were young and not very personable. For over $30 paid for 3 rolls, very very disappointing. We threw out 2/3s of the rolls and went across the street to Dip n Dots to help get that taste out of our mouths. I was going to say maybe we just came on a bad day but from other reviews, this looks like their norm. What a shame. read more

So there's a lot of feedback regarding this restaurant that looked far from what I saw. Cinnamon rolls were yummy, well glazed loved it. We could smell the cinnamon from the street. Before yall complain about the price, California is expensive in general so it wasn't too expensive as it compared to other desert places. Restaurant is themed in 1950s , staff is friendly, especially the elder lady. Place is well organized, offers good variety of things. This place may not be trendy, but it sure makes good buns. read more

DO NOT EAT HERE! It's extremely overpriced and the cinnamon bun wasn't even that good. It tasted like it was two months old. Would not recommend. read more

Service was horrible, I went two Saturdays ago and the girl outside sweeping the rug literally swept right at me and my daughter trying to enter, as she didn't stop and we tried to get by.. she blocked us and said use the other entrance around the corner. If my daughter didn't have her heart set on the cinnamon roll, I would have walked away. We proceeded to the other door and had to ask excuse me to the girl behind the counter, doing nothing.. we got an old dry pastry for over $10. Disappointed is an understatement, I get that these are younger girls working.. but why not be happy you're getting service before you close up shop? Like don't pastries need to tossed at the end of the night if not sold? It was a waste of time and money. read more

Ordered a peach and Splenda one and a sausage breakfast burrito. Total was about $33. Cinnamon rolls were dry and heated in the microwave. The breakfast burrito was decent nothing spectacular. Service was somewhat lacking and none of the ladies weee engaging. Even a gentleman who wanted something was not greeted at all and after a couple of minutes, he left. There were at least four staff members. Ambiance it cute and in an amazing spot. Disappointed I didn't look closer before ordering . read more

Lilly Mae's Cinnamon Rolls - Sugar free - Bakeries Near Me - Monterey, California

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