I remember my first trip to Pearl's years ago when they were on Grove Ave. To this day, I still think their macaroons are one of the best I've ever had. I am so glad they expanded in a new space. I swung by to pick up hot chocolate bombs as an Elite Perk (thank you Yelp!). They were doing curbside only. Plenty of people outside waiting for their orders which is really great to see during a time like this. Ample amount of space for social distancing. I gave them a call to pick up my order and it was brought out to me in no time. Their hot chocolate bombs were delicious! Cutely decorated, neatly presentable in the box and they were a decent size. The chocolate shell provided so much richness in every sip! I highly recommend Pearl's, I've been a fan of everything that I've gotten from there. read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - Hot chocolate bomb - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Overall, highly recommend this cupcake shop! I tried a wide variety of cupcakes from them, and everything was solid, but 2 of these cupcakes made this place a 5 star experience: Death by Chocolate and the Peach Margarita. ZOMG so tasty. I love chocolate, so the chocolate one wasn't surprising to me that I loved it... However, it did have a lovely dark chocolate / cacao flavor to it which made it not overly sweet. The peach one really surprised me. It is one of the best cupcakes I've had to date honestly. The peach filling was to die for. I wanted to eat a whole dozen of them. read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - Cupcakes!!! - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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I ordered a Yule log cake for a party and not only was it absolutely adorable, it tasted perfect with an amazing mouth feel. The frosting to cake ratio was perfect. Not really sure why that other reviewer said it was off. Seems like a personal problem. Everyone at the party loved the look AND the taste. I will be ordering from Pearl's for future events. The bakers are great. I recommend Pearl's for all your baked goods needs! read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - My amazing Yule log! - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

These are the greatest cupcakes known to man. I kid you not. I'm picky about my cupcakes and Pearl's is the sole reason for this. They've ruined me for all other cupcakes because they're perfect and you can't compete with perfection. There is not one bad cupcake here. The only thing I've had "better" than a Pearl's cupcake was specifically a red velvet cupcake from an Italian bakery in Queens, NYC. That's it. Sadly I don't live in the area anymore but when I do venture out back to Richmond, I have to stop by Pearl's. No question. I actually seriously considered taking a box of cupcakes on to the plane with me but I'm not that coordinated and the tragedy of not just one smushed Pearl's cupcake but four would be too much to bear. Their cupcakes are always perfect, as I mentioned. The cake is never dry or too moist. The frosting is never too sweet or too buttery or too anything. They strike the perfect balance of flavor and texture. There's also loads of options, a few that are seasonal and a few that are standard fare. And the fantastic thing is the taste reflect the ingredients. You want one of their cupcakes that have a strawberry flavor? You WILL taste a strawberry, nothing fake or too sugary. My go to if I don't want to venture out into their other flavors is Top Hat - super simple vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting. It's magical. Note - a good portion of their cupcakes have a filling but it's never too stuffed. This time around I got a box...for me...for the weekend. Don't judge me. I got a Top Hat, a Twisted Citrus, a champagne one and the last was something fruity. I apparently lost the picture of my box but just gaze upon their display and salivate with me. Did I mention they cost like $3 each? If they could ship cupcakes out of state, I would order them...weekly... If you haven't been here yet, I have nothing to say. I just don't understand. GO! read more

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The cupcakes are what you'd expect from a normal day to day cupcake, they are sweet cupcakes that are tasty small cakes, great for portion control. read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Pearls will never get anything but 5 stars from me! You can look through my previous reviews to read me wax poetic about all of their items, but today I'm here to talk about that Queen Bee cake, baby! This is a honey cake with honey buttercream icing. I happened to go in the shop one day years ago when that was the specialty cupcake and it has rocked my world ever since. It's like a cross between an almond cake and pound cake texture, and the icing has an extra flavor (the honey) that takes it up a notch. I had it at my baby shower, my baby's Christening, and basically all family events afterward. My best friend dropped one off for my for my birthday a few weeks ago and yet again, they knocked it out of the park. The recipe for the honey cake must be guarded at all costs! Never ever take it off the menu. read more

Wow! So much deliciousness!!! First off, I love supporting small businesses (especially now) as it is usually much better quality. What makes this one even more amazing is that they gave out free hot chocolate bombs! I had been trying to find hot chocolate bombs for months after seeing videos of them on social media. Ironically, given their popularity they are surprisingly difficult to find. Lucky me, I receive an email from Yelp to come try some from Pearl's. I was not disappointed. It was fun to watch it melt and was absolutely delicious. P.S.-- I could not wait: I indulged in the hot chocolate and cupcakes as soon as I got home lol. Pearl's is curbside pickup only, but the process was quick and easy. Called in and gave them my order and credit card info and then walked up to the door to pick it up. I got the Top Hat and Double Trouble cupcakes as I am a huge chocolate lover. I saw some cake pops in the window that looked equally as amazing and will definitely be trying those next time. So yes, I will be a return customer. Great work! read more

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They had a great set up for to go and got people in and out quickly. Super friendly during was easy obviously the busiest time of the year for them. I can't wait to go back and try some other items! Thanks for providing so many new and fresh options! read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - Just picked up these amazing hot chocolate bombs!!!! So excited to try them! - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Very expensive for maybe mediocre cupcakes. The flavor was good however they were dry very upset for the price I paid. Service was good

Welp, I guess I'm gonna be the odd one out. I really didnt enjoy these cupcakes. They are super pretty and look very appetizing but unfortunately I felt they looked better than they tasted. The outside was hard, like they had been sitting out for days. The texture inside was a little crumbly. The sweetness level was way too much for me. I could only take one bite. As far as the flavor goes, I didn't feel like I was getting much of what each was advertised as. I got a strawberry - which was my favorite, pineapple and coconut - couldnt taste any of those flavors. The inside of the store is super cute! They have a lot of little desserts you can just grab and go. Cake pops, cookies, pies etc. The key lime pie looks amazing. I definitely want to come back and try that! read more

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Pearls is amazing!!! I've loved their cupcakes for years, so when I decided to have them do my wedding cake and cupcakes I knew they wouldn't disappoint. Their unique flavors and overall customer service is fantastic! Our cake tasting was wonderful. We selected 5 flavors from their site. They give you two whole cupcakes of each flavor for you and your fiancé to try. I'd suggest bringing your parents/inlaws to share the experience and all the cupcakes. Although, any you don't eat you take home, which was fun too:) Something we also did was check out their selection of specialty ones each day to see if there were additional ones we wanted to try beyond the 5 flavors for the tasting. We paid for those, but it gave us a chance to try more. They also give you a voucher for your anniversary cake so you don't have to freeze yours and eat stale cake a year later. They make your top layer fresh for your anniversary. The cake stand set up was described to me, but went far beyond the expectations. Ask about their stands and how they can help you select the right set up for your event. They take care of the whole thing! Our cake designer took my vague explanation of what I thought I wanted and made a beautiful design. I didn't see the design until the actual wedding, and it was exactly what I wanted! read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - They set up the whole thing with their gold stands. Beautiful!!!! - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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I was in the mood for a cupcake... a vegan one, and came across Pearl's. They had both gluten free and vegan so I was super happy. I went craving a strawberry shortcake, and was sad to see the one darn flavor I wanted, they didn't have any made Needless to say the ones I chose were great... moist, delicious and literally irresistible. I have only had one so far... going to try and keep it there. I ended up buying 6... for $17.95. This is expensive. But to get a good vegan cupcake, it costs alot so I went with it. read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I love Pearls. We took a chance today in getting the Death By Chocolate which was gluten free & vegan. I've never had that version before & was a bit afraid. Lol. It wasn't so bad. I could definitely taste the difference in the cake being gluten free/vegan. The icing and ganache wasn't bad, but I wouldn't get this version again. Give me real butter, flower, etc. I need the full of fat and sugar version. We also got cake pops and 2 other cupcakes. Due to Covid, you have to order and pay over the phone & they fit you into a pick up time slot. The parking lot was very busy today (7/25), but we were in and out in no time. read more

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Walked in with an open mind and walked out with six cupcakes and three cookies, because why not? The cupcakes were moist and delicious. There was a little more frosting than I tend to care for, but that's a personal preference thing. I was particularly fond of the "top hat," which is a vanilla cake with chocolate buttercream. The cookies were out of this world! The "macrodamia nut cookie" was awesome, and much like the cupcake, the cookies were moist and soft-baked. I'll definitely be back! read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - Cookies and cupcakes - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

These cupcakes are amazing! My coworker had a headache so she got us ALL sugar best damn cupcakes ever. read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - Red Velvet was amazing - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

These cupcakes are to die for! I bought a dozen for my birthday this past month and they were gone within a day. Such unique flavors and the cupcakes themselves were so delicious. The red beverly specifically was my favorite- the cream cheese frosting wasn't too sweet which is what I prefer. The cupcakes were super moist and the frosting was creamy and delicious. A little on the pricier side but so worth it!!! read more

I bought a variety of their specialty cupcakes. They were pretty and tasted even better than they looked. Service was friendly and enthusiastic! You should know that Google Maps sends you to the back door, though! Go to the front of the building. read more

Beautiful and delicious cakes-we love Pearl's! The cupcakes are really amazing too-you can't go wrong.

This bake shop is amazing. I have used them several times and each time the cupcakes were delicious!!! The shop is so cute with a bistro type feel. The service is quick and the staff provide details about all the flavor combinations. Give this place a try and you will not regret it. read more

5 stars is not enough for this review. This is literally my favorite dessert place here in Richmond. They serve cupcakes, macaroons, specialty cake and many other good stuff! The cupcakes here is a must try! I can always finish the dozen cupcakes lol. They are also good with their specialty cakes my sister had them made a "kardashian cake" for my birthday but they did an AMAZING job! The inside was tiramisu and it was just a perfect cake! If you are ever in Richmond you should definitely try this place! read more

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I bought a vanilla birthday cake - I asked an owner for assurance it's nut free because our child has a serious tree nut allergy . I Was assured - no nuts . Surprise- when we cut the ($60.00) cake we discovered 2 layers of carrot cake and 1 layer chocolate / imagine our surprise- no vanilla . Do you think we trusted the owners assurance the cake was nut free ? No! Oh by the way , as I was leaving I bought a cup of coffee to go - took a sip when I got in the car - full of grounds - gross ! Buy your birthday cake at Libby Market or buy a tres leches cake at LaSabrosita Bakery in Midlothian - $25.00 for a beautiful and delicious birthday cake . Forget Pearls . read more

I've heard so many good things about this spot and I was finally able to order ahead to see what it was all about. I noticed in the many times driving by there is a line, which for me is a good thing. Overall good cupcakes, the carrot cake (my most favorite type of cake in the whole world) and traditional chocolate cupcakes we had were ok. But the specialty cupcake was super yummy with the brown sugar topping! My review is more so based on the customer service for another customer whom I was waiting with for our orders. She also ordered online, prepaid and waited to only be told that none of her cupcakes were available as they were all sold out. The women who I perceived to be the owner just told her someone would refund her and the tone of that employee was not the most pleasant beings that this customer drove to pick up her order to leave with a refund receipt. I had to sub out a cupcake as well as one of he flavors I wanted was also unavailable. Idk maybe they could have called her to let her know they were sold out or have some mechanisms worked into their app to advise send an email or something. They were busy so maybe there wasn't time to do so. read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - Carrot, chocolate and brown sugar. - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Update: I received a call from the owner with her sincere apologies and a commitment to make it right. She offered to pay for the dessert we ordered at the restaurant and then delivered a pretty awesome cake to my son. I do have to comment that she wasn't looking for my understanding. She was humble and transparent about the way Covid has affected her company's ability to maintain high standards. I am updating my review because she cared and that makes all the difference these days. .My son's 21st birthday was yesterday and I tried to order the most basic birthday cake to be delivered at The Tobacco Company as a surprise. My first call w Pearl was about 3 weeks ago, and the last call was this past Friday when the manager told me he would personally deliver the cake. In all, I spoke to 4 people and each time, no one seemed to know about my order. The manager finally confirmed; we discussed the type of cake and he took my credit card. The cake was never delivered! I am so shocked I don't know what to say. I do NoT RECOMMEND this bakery. If the manager can't stand behind his word, there are no guarantees at this place of business COVID is NOT an excuse for bad business. read more

Updating my review to include a cake order experience. My friend is gluten free and I wanted to get her bday cake from somewhere that does allergen free baking consistently vs somewhere who could just accommodate so the first place I thought of was pearls! I ordered an 8 in round gluten free cookies and cream cake with pastry cream filling and it was only $40. They have really reasonable prices for special cakes! Placing the order was easy and they were so friendly. My pickup time was 1:30 and the cake wasn't ready until 1:45 but I wasn't in a rush so it was no big deal. The cake turned out beautiful and delicious! read more

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I actually just left here when I received a Yelp email about cupcakes. In my opinion, this is THE BEST CUPCAKE SHOPPE in Richmond. I just ordered half a dozen cupcakes for my wife's birthday. They were super easy to work with. I gave them a list and they were happy to get them together for me. I was even able to pre-pay for my cupcakes which made things even faster. I had never been to this location so it was a shock when my direction sent me to a different location that I was used to. The new location is absolutely beautiful. The layout was perfect. I was so tempted to get a cup of coffee and start eating cupcakes there but I had other plans and the wife was waiting for me. I will definitely be back and take the family with me so we can enjoy our cupcakes there. read more

Calling all carrot cake lovers! Pearl's has one of the best renditions of carrot cupcake. Chunks of golden raisin and carrots are enveloped in a moist cake and topped with a creamy (but not too sweet) frosting. It's yummy enough to lick the spoon! Other top cupcakes were the red velvet and the gingerbread. I would love to try a tropical flavor during the spring/summer. But in the meantime, I will be back for the carrot cake! read more

Pearls gets all the stars and then some! They created our wedding cake and have been the only bakery we go to since we discovered them. All birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions we go to Pearls and we haven't had even the smallest complaint in the 10 years we've been patrons. I'm happy they recently moved to a new location; the space looks good on them! ***If you're looking for something specific, check their website before going in. They list their spread for the day for customer convenience.*** The vegan and gluten free options are in great competition with the regular baked goods and have won us over many times. The icing is always amazing so if you happen to get a cake flavor you're not really vibing with, that icing will cover it right on up. I can't say enough good about this place; just do yourself a favor and go. You will never go anywhere else! read more

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SO excited about this new location! Finally a spot with parking despite it being slightly difficult to get to if you're headed west on Patterson. The venue is much bigger, with plenty of room to sit and enjoy your sweet treat as well as the ability to see into the bakery to watch your cupcakes being made live. The have vegan and gluten free options, as well as macaroons and other pastries. Get a macaroon - you won't regret it. The black and white cupcake is always my favorite as well as the lemon raspberry though not stocked as frequently. When torn, keep in mind it really doesn't get any better than their vanilla icing. Highly recommend for all things sweet! read more

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I've been getting cupcakes from Pearl's for years, and this weekend was my first trip to their new, expanded location. It's as good as always! They truly make some of the best, and most creative, cupcakes I've ever had. They have an enormous rotating menu of intriguing combinations fruit and champagne infusions or the likes of The Parent Trap, a decadent peanut butter and Oreos cupcake, or Scouts Honor, with graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate reminiscent of a s'more. Of course there are always available staples like Red Velvet, Carrot Cake, The Pearl (coconut shavings on buttercream frosting with vanilla or chocolate cake), the Top Hat (chocolate cake with vanilla frosting), or a Plain Jane (vanilla cake, vanilla frosting). For $3 these aren't wimpy little cupcakes; they have some serious heft to them, and are great for sharing if you want to try a few varieties. Also, their cream cheese frosting is out of this world! Pearl's also offers several vegan cupcake varieties, cakes to order, pastries, and now a full coffee bar. They're sure to satisfy any sweet tooth craving. read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Cupcakes aren't my favorite things, so I'll keep this short and to the point. I'm not a cupcake connoisseur, but here are some opinions from a cupcake peasant. What I had: -------------- We went twice. The first time I got a Strawberry Lemonade cupcake, which had strawberry cake, strawberry icing with lemon zest, and a surprise lemon curd filling. (Well, surprise to me because I didn't read the description, haha). Second time I tried a cake pop and a Strawberry Fields cupcake, which was essentially a strawberry cupcake with strawberry icing and topped with a strawberry. All the items were delicious, sweet, but not too sweet to hurt my teeth (sometimes sugar does that). My fiancee has enjoyed everything she has gotten so far as well. Pros: ------ + Two cupcakes here cost about $6 together. While still more expensive than donuts, they are a bit cheaper than other cupcake spots in RVA. + There are plenty of flavors outside of just chocolate and vanilla. I had a strawberry lemonade one for example. (And it was great!) + They offer other goodies like Cake Pops and Candy. The Cake Pops come in Vanilla, Chocolate, and Red Velvet. (Possibly more) + Attempting to go Gluten Free or Vegan? They have a decent selection of cupcakes. If you have Celiac I'd ask them about cross contamination though. + Staff is nice. + Location is nice and in a very friendly part of town. Cons: ------ - Icing. Rather, the quantity of it. Maybe some people love about a 50/50 ratio of cake to icing, but it's a bit much. I understand that decorating them adds a large appeal, but at the end of the day, it's food that you eat. That said, it tastes good. - The massive list of cupcakes on their website is just what could be there. The actual number of varieties available is about 15. Granted, it's still a lot, but just go in with an open mind that you might not get a flavor that you spotted online. Overall: ---------- Reiterating, I'm not a cupcake person, but find myself wanting to get one whenever I tag along with my fiancee. That's gotta count for something, right? read more

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I honestly loved pearls when I first found out about them when my fiancé and I were planning our wedding two years ago. Unfortunately we had to postpone it because of COVID peaking again. Finally we are getting married tomorrow and I come to get our cutting cake for one of the newer front desk employees to smash the top of the cake and ruined the BEAUTIFULLY decorated cakes. Then to be told there is nothing they can do because the people who decorate are gone. I specifically put the latest pickup to be kinder to the cake team so they didn't have to rush to get it done at the crack of dawn, but that clearly blew up in my face. It's 30 minutes till closing ? I'm not understanding why anybody left before closing when you knew you had somebody picking up a wedding cake. I appreciate getting refunded my $110 dollars. However I am absolutely disappointed and sad that now I don't have the cake I wanted for my wedding ceremony. Hopefully this can be a learning lesson for management to properly train everyone so that the next person wedding isn't ruined like mine has now been. The picture below is a cheesecake I had to get from wegmans and buy a sticker from Michaels to put on the outside of it sense it's a Sunday and everything is closed now. I won't be back. read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

PRICE GOUGING!!! This was my go to for office events and special occasions. Not anymore due to the unbelievable price increases. Ordering by phone discontinued also. read more

I love to bake, so it pains me to buy any baked good that I can make at home. However, I make an exception for Pearl's. Their cupcakes are simply the best in Richmond, and some of the best that I have ever had. Although they have a wonderful selection of flavors, their vanilla cupcakes are my favorite due to their simplicity. The gluten-free selection is also very good and they taste delicious as well! read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - Yum! - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I had pearls deliver a cake for my wife's birthday. It was custom made with pictures and images of things my wife likes a does not like for a trivia game.. The cake was fantastic.. Chocolate cake with butter cream on the outside and mocha filling. It was supposed to feed 60 or 70 people. But I think it would have been sufficient for 100. Thanks, Laurie and Michele. The craftmanship was just as good as the taste.. And it felt great To hear so many guests say wow when they first saw it. read more

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Had heard only good things about this bakery but was extremely disappointed. The cake tasted OK but the strawberry buttercream had little to no strawberry flavor. The biggest disappointment was the decoration of the cake. It was extremely plain and drab AND writing was crooked. I ended up removing the writing and fanning fresh strawberries to make the visual impact more appealing. NOT AT ALL what I expected from a boutique bakery and a $78 cake. read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Ok....this place is not only delicious but it's freakin next to Jack Browns. Haha Went there for the first time to get a "thanks for dealing with our favors at work" dessert for an awesome coworker. The place is clean and the staffs were super helpful and sweet. As my coworkers and my first time, we were safe and got the pearl cupcake with the coconut on top. Don't think we didn't get any for ourselves! Haha, I got the strawberry limeade cupcake and my coworker got the double chocolate-something. I don't remember but it look pretty dank (that means awesome right?). Oh, AND because our other coworker on the team had NEVER had macaroons before...we decided to pop her cherry. Unfortunately they did have cherry, but they did have vanilla, chocolate, strawberry AND pistachios. Just to be safe, we got her the chocolate and pistachio. Haha Let's just say that when we got back to the office, not only did we share this wonderful bliss, but I was so satisfied with the rest of my day. It was pretty awesome. Haha. Really good. Check out my pic if you don't believe me. It really great! read more

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When I die and go to heaven, if they don't have Pearl's Cupacakes I am leaving. I found out about Pearl's when I worked at St. Mary's hospital. I would freqently stop in and get a box of mix and match cupcakes, but my favorite cupcake by far is the Royal Wilma. A champagne batter with a fresh raspberry compote filling currant liquor and champagne buttercream makes the Royal Wilma reason to smack your mama. Throughout the years I have gotten a lot of cakes done by there amazing designers. I usually call with a basic idea of what I want on the cake and they take it and run with it. I am never disappointed in their work. If you happen to get there too early for cupcakes, as if there is such a thing, they serve a yummy breakfast from 7:30-10:30. So you can just stare at them until the cupcakes are done. They have gluten free and vegan options avaliable as well. read more

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Unfortunately, Pearl's has gone way downhill since they've changed management/ownership a few years ago. I used to love seeing the fun flavors of the week on social media and would always buy the fun little boxes they'd curate (e.g., for mother's day), but they no longer have much engagement or anything that would entice me to visit. Regardless, I decided to still order a custom cake for my wedding celebration. The process was great and everyone was really nice, but the presentation did not make the mark. I sent multiple inspiration photos that included a white, two-tiered cake with a horizontal pull design and beaded piping along the bottom of each tier. The cake itself tasted wonderful, but the cake did not have the beading and it was yellow. They knew this was for a wedding, so I was shocked they gave me a yellow cake. Sadly, I didn't have time to ask them to correct it, and it was being photographed soon after and I will now forever see a yellow cake in my photos. Luckily, we were planning to put our flowers on it so it didn't look so drab, but I will always be upset about it. My friends have also had poor experiences with cake orders and the decorations recently. In addition, some of the recent gluten free cupcakes that I've gotten have been completely awful. It's sad that Pearl's was once so prestigious and highly regarding but wedding venues are no longer recommending them due to the constant issue. Attaching photos of my yellow wedding cake... read more

Pearl's Bake Shoppe - a wedding cake - Bakeries Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Pearl's is very popular but its product and service don't measure up to its popularity. Staff is unfriendly, orders are frequently late or incorrect. Their cupcakes look great, but would rather support a local business that has better service. read more

Richmonds best cupcake!!!! Hands down! Do yourself a favor and stop on by! They always offer classic flavors and then they have rotating seasonal flavors as well as a selection of dairy free, gluten free, and dairy & gluten free options! They offer other baked goods too, but I've never tried them because I always go for the cupcakes! You can't go wrong! read more