Ordered cookies for a bridal shower and they were delicious! Definitely will look to them when I…read moreneed bakery items!

There are cakes and bakers, but no one compares to CAKES BY CARLOS!…read moreThe cake for my husband's birthday was a masterpiece. It was an exact replica of his car, duplicated from the pictures I gave them. The color, details, license plate, the wheels, the cake was amazing. We had the cake displayed on a high table and it was truly a beautiful piece of art. Agnes and Carlos are creative talented artists, they should have their own TV show:) Also, their daily assorted desserts are wonderful and if you ever have a party - you will find eye catching desserts that taste amazing. I want to thank Agnes and Carlos - job well done! My family will be back.....

I've been following this business on Instagram for a few months so I decided to stop by and try…read moretheir cupcakes. It's a very cute and cozy spot. The display case is very inviting. I had a hard time deciding on what to get because everything looked amazing. Ultimately I decided on 4 cupcakes- buttery pecan, s'mores, red velvet cheesecake and strawberry cheesecake. All of them were delicious! Very moist and flavorful. The red velvet cheesecake and strawberry cheesecake gave you cupcake with a hint of cheesecake flavor. My favorite was the buttery pecan. It reminded me of buttery pancakes with a little syrup. Great environment with very friendly staff. I will definitely return to try more items.

I spotted CarmieCakes last time I was walking around Downtown Elmhurst, but at that point I had…read morealready gotten sweet treats from Hello Donut, so I stopped myself from overdoing it. This time, I made it a point to pop into CarmieCakes. Unfortunately I got there close to closing, so many of the cupcake flavors were sold out. I only had a few choices, so I went with the French Vanilla cheesecake cupcake. In short, it was a decent cupcake, but not quite outstanding. To be fair, the CarmieCakes cupcake was certainly better than the grocery store variety, and I appreciate that it wasn't overly sweet, but I didn't get any cheesecake flavor or texture. CarmieCakes is not bad. But...I've been spoiled by Molly's center-filled cupcakes. Those are easily my favorite cupcakes. The service was superb and the interior was cute. Pricing was on par with other gourmet cupcake places. Nice to have this option in Downtown Elmhurst.

Whenever I'm in the mood for cupcakes, I always end up at Smallcakes. Their cupcakes are…read moreconsistently delicious, the frosting is AMAZING, and the staff is always so kind and attentive. In fact, the last time I was there, the sweet young lady behind the counter complimented my style, which honestly made this 40-something feel pretty good about herself. Such a small gesture, but it genuinely made my day. I tried to snap a picture of all the cupcakes we got, but the kids devoured theirs before I had the chance. I'm not sure what the chocolate cupcake with the pretzel on top is called, but it is hands-down my absolute favorite. My husband loves the Wedding Cake and Lemon Drop cupcakes. But if you ask Marley and Mary Jane for their opinion... it's definitely two paws up. These two go absolutely crazy anytime they see a Smallcakes box come into the house because they know I brought them a little pup treat too. I love that Smallcakes offers something for the dogs as well -- such a cute touch. Highly recommend if you're looking for a cupcake spot that's both delicious and welcoming.

A pretty solid cupcake place. Wanted to try a different place for my birthday so I gave it a go…read more I picked up from the Elmhurst location which is the closest to me. It's a small shop located in a plaza. It's pretty bare on the inside. I was immediately greeted upon entry and the lady who checked me out was really nice. She showed me my order before I accepted it. Presentation looked great! They had most of their flavors on display as well as other miscellaneous products like dog cupcakes, decor, etc. The quality of the cupcakes were fresh and hefty. Taste was good but nothing amazing.

Hira was amazing! She always responded right away and was kind. Her cakes are a good price and I…read moreordered a red velvet cake and it was amazing!

I don't even know where to begin..I started by messaging Hira as she came recommended to me by some…read morepeople and I thought I would give her a shot for my daughter's upcoming birthday. That was the only time she responded right away. We exchanged ideas and I told her what I needed. No response after that. I said I needed pricing and she said she would get it to me that day before 9pm. Radio silence. I didn't want to keep messaging/bothering her but sent her a few messages regardless because I was waiting. Nothing. Two days later I had to message again because I needed confirmation since I was already "talking" with her. No response again. Now the next day, a little upset, I messaged yet again and said "please let me know if you can't, so I can look around elsewhere and place an order." She responded immediately and said she had a hectic weekend and it was super busy. I understand, totally get it. She finally sent me pricing for cakes and cookies, but we decided to just go with the cookies. She said great and that she would get back to me and let me know which ones she could make etc..I said perfect. STILL WAITING. It's been 9 days since I last heard from her. I didn't even get to look around elsewhere because she left me out to dry. And now it's too late cause I need them this weekend. Look, I know it may not be a big order but I wanted to still give her the business. I felt that because it wasn't a big enough order she kind of just tossed me aside and stopped responding. I'm all about supporting small businesses but not at this rate. Even if she responds now (after seeing this review), I will not be placing any orders or recommending her. The people who did recommend Hira to me got something else coming their way, cause this was a horrible experience. 0 stars if I could

I have had the pleasure of ordering from Vanilla Sugar Bakery not once, but twice, and both…read moreexperiences have been nothing short of phenomenal. Their exceptional service and mouthwatering cupcakes have made me a loyal customer for life. The first time I ordered was for my youngest daughter's birthday, and they created a stunning unicorn cake that left everyone in awe. The cake was not only visually impressive but also incredibly delicious. The attention to detail and the skill of the bakers truly shined through. For my eldest daughter's graduation party, we decided to switch things up and ordered cupcakes instead. We opted for the chocolate pie cupcakes and the wedding cupcakes, and both varieties were absolutely amazing. As a person who typically favors chocolate desserts, I approached the almond wedding cake flavor with some hesitation. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how delightful it turned out to be. The flavors were perfectly balanced, and each bite was a delightful treat. However, I must take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the exceptional customer service I received from Vanilla Sugar Bakery. Due to my busy schedule, I completely forgot to place the order for the cupcakes on time. With only three days left before I needed them, I frantically attempted to order online, only to find that there was no option to specify the desired date. In a moment of desperation, I decided to call the store and hope for the best. To my relief, the person I spoke to on the phone was incredibly sweet, kind, and caring. She immediately understood my predicament and assured me that she would help me out. She advised me to place the order online and promised to change the pickup date to accommodate my needs. I cannot express how grateful I am for her willingness to go above and beyond to assist me. Her exceptional service truly saved the day. When I picked up the cupcakes from Vanilla Sugar Bakery, I was greeted with a warm smile and the most delightful aroma of freshly baked goods. The cupcakes were beautifully presented, and it was evident that great care had been taken in their preparation. Vanilla Sugar Bakery has undoubtedly earned my loyalty. Their exceptional service, even in the face of my forgetfulness, and their delicious cupcakes have left a lasting impression. I will continue to rely on them for all my bakery needs, and I eagerly look forward to exploring the other delectable treats they have to offer. Thank you, Vanilla Sugar Bakery, for your remarkable service and creating such delightful cupcakes!

I had to take cupcakes to a baby shower. I tried cupcakes at 5 different bakeries to find the…read morebest. These beat out the others. I ordered 4 1/2 dozen over 5 different flavors. They were a bit hit at the shower.

Let me start by saying that we're a huge fans of small businesses and want to see them succeed…read more I've also worked in plenty of restaurants and coffee shops in my day. Definitely not trying to be a hater. My friend and I were on our way home from Chicago, looked up some bakeries along our route. We stopped here to get some goodies to take home to family, and to snack and have a coffee while we drove 6 hours. My friend ordered: white chocolate coconut latte, 2 donut holes, a strawberry, a salted caramel, and a pink velvet cupcake. I ordered: chocolate pretzel iced latte, a big chocolate chip cookie, tropical fruit (?) danish, coconut, pink velvet, and French silk cupcakes. I'd say between the two of us we probably spent $60+? Walking in the shop is adorable and colorful, an employee had a brightly colored tie dye shirt on and we said hello to them first, commented on how much we liked their shirt, and barely got a response back, let alone a greeting. The employee at the counter wasn't rude but definitely not overly eager to greet or offer up information. Questions were answered when we asked, that was it. When I received my iced latte I asked if they had any straws and just got a head shake in response. Totally fine with no straw, but my friend found a stir stick for me, which was honestly the main reason I wanted a straw so I could stir up what was clearly sitting on the bottom of the cup. Lattes were fine. We tried the chocolate chip cookie in the car and the texture was good, crispier on the edges and the middle was chewy enough. But it tasted very bland, so we didn't finish it. A little while later we decided to try the donut holes, they had good flavor but they were so dry and crumbly, presumably because they were sitting out in the open air, who knows for how long. Also didn't finish those. Even later we decided to try the salted caramel cupcake because I'd read on the case that they had Swiss meringue buttercream so I was really excited about that, and thought for sure this would be where they would excel. While the flavor of the cake was fine, I wouldn't say it tasted like salted caramel, there was some kind of cream in the middle that was good, again not salty or caramely. But that was the heaviest, most dense cupcake I've ever had, and not in a good way. The buttercream was good, and the caramel drizzle on top did taste salty. My husband was so excited that I was bringing home that tropical fruit danish and the coconut cupcake. We tried the coconut cupcake together and again, it had a lot of actual coconut in the batter, it was dense but also dry. We abandoned the cake and ate buttercream, which was good but not coconutty. So we moved onto the French silk cupcake. This cake had a great texture, light and soft, good flavor, some kind of chocolate mousse in the middle was good too. Again, good buttercream, but the top had a bunch of dry, flavorless pie crust chunks all over it. I understand that it was supposed to mimic a French silk pie, but it was such a good cake without the crust chunks. My husband had his pastry today (next day) and though dry he said the middle was good, other than the pineapple in the middle he couldn't taste any other flavor. We tried the pink velvet after dinner tonight and again with the super heavy and dense cake texture, no real flavor, but the cream cheese frosting was yummy. I cannot say how the other cupcakes were, as my friend was so disappointed in the one we shared and the report we gave her about the ones we tried, that she hasn't eaten them. Ultimately the French silk one was the only item that was eaten completely. Keep making that buttercream, it was the best part of everything we bought. I sincerely hope your employees weren't having a hard day, I try to be understanding that you never know what someone is going through, but that's the only reason I can think of for them to be so completely disinterested in helping or talking to paying/tipping/polite customers.

Needed a pick me up and knew Courageous Bakery is what I needed. I've been getting The Lorraine…read moresince high school and it never disappoints. I'd go so far as to say it's the best breakfast sandwich in Elmhurst. I would order it without the greens since I personally don't like how soggy they get on the sandwich. Tried the dirty chai for the first time and dare I say it may be better than a certain local coffee shop's. I do think $22 for a sandwich and coffee is a bit expensive, but I'm always very satisfied with my meal. It does come with a large side of home fries, but I usually end up not eating them, so I'd love to see more side options to choose from. Also had cupcakes catered a few months back including some gluten free options and they were all a big hit. Definitely on the expensive side, but they were good quality and absolutely devoured. The environment is always welcoming and open plus the staff are very kind.

Kuppie's is a cute little family owned bakery with convenient parking and excellent service…read more The downside is that they offer zero vegan items (to be expected and zero points off for that). We went for my husband, and he did not find their food to be palatable in taste of flavor. He also said the items that he selected were on the "dry" side.

I can't believe that I never have done a review for my most beloved Bakery - obviously Kuppies…read more This is a small family owned business. I used to live in VP - now out of state -- but when I come into town, I often stop to get bakery to take while visiting my family. The selection, quality, and prices can not be beat. I buy strudels, coffee cakes, donuts, pecan rolls - which are my favorites, cookies and sweet rolls and made to order Italian cannoli - which they fill before you pick them up. I so very much miss my home bakery, and I am longing for a pecan roll. Hopefully, I will get some in May when I visit.

I've been a longtime fan of Area 51 Cupcakery, so naturally, I trusted them with one of the most…read moreimportant desserts I've ever ordered -- a custom cake for my brother's first-ever surprise 50th birthday party. Two weeks before the event, I came in person with a printed cake design, a clear color theme (green, cream, and white), and a macaron accent order to go with it. I was flexible on the design details, just committed to the vision. On the day of pickup, I arrived a little late -- my fault -- but there was no cake waiting, and my order couldn't be found. Hannah behind the counter did her best, and when owner Robert walked in, I calmly explained everything from the start. I won't lie -- I was heartbroken more than angry. This was a big night. What happened next is why I'm writing this review. Robert and his team didn't hesitate. They snapped a photo of the design from my phone, asked every detail, and promised to make it right -- with Robert personally delivering the cake to the venue (thankfully just 5 minutes away). And he did. He showed up with the cake designer in tow and delivered something truly stunning: a handsome, elegant cake that fit the theme perfectly and genuinely wowed my brother and guests. And the flavor? Their Atomic. Banana (pudding), strawberries (jam), and chocolate, vanilla & banana cake. YUM! It was incredibly moist and delicious. What could have been a devastating hiccup for such a milestone night became one of the most memorable parts of the celebration. That's a testament to Robert and his team's character, dedication, and craft. Thank you, Area 51 Cupcakery. We've loved your cupcakes from day one, and this experience only deepened our loyalty. We'll always come back.

OBSESSED! Area 51 is veteran and locally owned. There is a location in north Naperville and south…read moreNaperville. They have daily specials that change every month. Yuuuup, I'll be here on a monthly basis. They also have a punch card system. Every 12 cupcakes will get you 1 cupcake for free. The inside is super cool, there are numerous spots for photo ops and they even have a ring light and camera holder if interested in using it. My first time visiting I tried the following cupcakes: chai pumpkin latte (daily special and DANGGGG DELICIOUS), Almond wedding (my least favorite but still good, I think almond cupcakes just aren't for me), cookies and cream (divine, rich, 2nd favorite), and the Boston cream (also 2nd favorite lol). All of the cupcakes were moist, fluffy, and full of flavor. They are made daily and you can feel and taste the love. Area 51 is definitely my favorite cupcake spot of all time. I've gone to Area 51 probably every week since finding em and I can't get enough. They also made cupcakes for my baby's gender reveal. They were extremely accommodating and everything turned out perfect! I highly recommend them for custom cakes, cupcakes, or even just grabbing 1 of their daily made cupcakes. SOOO GOOD!