An Essex gem! The Quality Bake Shop is a no frills cash only bakery and diner that has been operating in Essex for over 70 years as of 2025. The service is always very quick, the workers are friendly, and the food is excellent. The coffee is a great mellow drip coffee that I can only seem to find in diners in the northeast. Their donuts and pastries are light, fluffy, and made fresh daily (make sure to get there early before they sell out!). Beyond these, they have a great classic diner menu for breakfast and lunch at affordable prices. read more

Donuts are amazing and a great price for the quality (pun intended). The maple with vanilla cream was my favorite and I'm normally not a fan of filled donuts! But this filling is light and airy not custardy. Dangerous to live so close!! read more

The good? Donuts are tasty. The bad? 1) There are 2 main women who man the counter and both are unfriendly, bordering on rude. I have never seen either of them smile. If you like service with a pleasant attitude, a smile and a "thank you", you won't find it with either of these two. 2) They don't take debit cards which is ridiculous. They only take cash and they seem to be proud of that fact. 3) They run out of items fast and have short hours. While the donuts are fresh and tasty, I don't think it offsets all the other negative factors. I'd stay away. read more

THE DONUTS. YES. Super reasonably priced, fresh delicious donuts! Go early- Note that they do not take cards, which is my only reason for 4 instead of 5 stars. read more

We LOVE Quality Bake Shop!!! The girls are so friendly and helpful up front. My son loves going in for donuts and treats . We haven't yet gotten to dine in, hopefully soon! Their pies (meat and fruit) are delicious and you can't beat their prices. Delicious, old fashioned hometown bakery, thank you QBS!! PS--check or cash only, but they do have an ATM for your convenience! read more

Amazing little diner with counter style service. Once you walk in, you notice that there's definitely a local crowd and feel. I did not feel left out and was instantly welcomed. It vibed like you were eating with a dozen of your friends. Fantastic atmosphere, great company and even better food. read more

Happened to be doing my laundry next door at the laundromat and the ladies were closing up shop at the bakery. Even though it had been a long day - they let us pop in AT CLOSING to grab a couple of cookies and doughnuts. Exemplary service for people who had worked all day and by all rights could have politely told us they were closing. My wife purchased some shortbread cookies with dates and I purchased some doughnuts with berry filing and cream. The desserts were out of this world (even at the end of the day?!?) And I cannot express enough how we will be returning often to enjoy the Wonderful baked goods, but also the people working here. What an amazing place! 10/10! read more

Where to begin? This is by far my favorite place to get cake, cupcakes, donuts, etc. My mom and I have been going here for goodies for as long as I can remember. The atmosphere has a homey feel to it and I love it. I highly recommend to anyone that wants delicious homemade desserts! read more

Love this place. Aren't that many mom and pop owned places like this left. Such good buttercream. Super classic sweet American buttercream. read more

Quality Bake Shop - Vanilla cake vanilla frosting! - Bakeries Near Me - Essex Junction, Vermont

Like any great bakery, the smell wafting from the place always puts a smile on my face when I walk in here. They have a very nice selection of goodies (cakes, doughnuts, cookies, pies, breads). They also have a small grill in the back for breakfast and sandwiches. Always friendly service, dirt cheap prices and consistently good tasty food. It's become a staple go-to for the family. Tip: Try the meat pies!! read more

We got our wedding cupcakes done here. Doug met with us 3 times, was super awesome and the price was well below any other baker I had talked to. The cake was so good, I had 2 bites during the cake cutting!! amazing! read more

Quality Bake Shop - wedding cake - Bakeries Near Me - Essex Junction, Vermont

Quality Bake Shop has been great over the years! I don't go here to often but when I do I'm never disappointed. Their baked goods are bar none the best in the area! Everything is made fresh. They have cookies, bread and they even make breakfast in the mornings! They have that old diner feel in the back where they sell breakfast. The pricing here is more than fair! Baked goods and even hot food are easy on your wallet. This past morning we got 2 medium coffee's with 2 cookies and it was around $5 total. Service always seems fast and friendly. So there isn't anything that I can really complain about. Other than the fact the that it's location is in a shopping plaza in Essex Jct. Really wish they had their own building and longer hours maybe with a lunch/dinner options. Would be that much better! In any case if you need a quick dessert for a holiday party or even something simple like coffee just stop in and check it out! Their location isn't the greatest but it works pretty well for the most part! read more

Best donuts around. Can't beat the traditional. This place has been a true test of time. Same delicious cookies and donuts as 20 years ago! If your feeling like a bit more, try out the grill. Everything is made right in front of you to order. Definitely a classic. read more

Quality Bake Shop - Bakeries Near Me - Essex Junction, Vermont

Perfect treats to bring into meetings or to just have at home. I got an assortment of cookies and treats for my meeting at Fletcher Allen and everyone LOVED them. This place has been here since the 1950s and I hope it never goes away. read more

Yeah they have donuts but the breakfast and lunches they put out are out of this world delish! Overloaded omelettes, home made breads and rolls make the meal. Lunch specials will amaze and the soups are warm you up, stick to your bones good. read more

Their donuts are the best, especially love the custard- filled ones. Made fresh every morning. You have to get there early or they're gone! read more

There aren't too many places like this left anymore. As soon as you walk in the door, you feel like you've stepped into a time machine to early 60s. Formica countertop breakfast area with old-timer regulars sipping coffee and eggs and hash sizzling on the grill, delicious lard-cooked donuts, homemade pies (did I mention they sell meat pies to go? AWESOME) and great house-made breads, all very reasonably priced. If they moved this place to Williamsburg in NYC, there would be lines of hipsters out the door. No hipsters here--just locals. It's places like this that make me love living in Essex Junction. read more

This is very sweet local eatery that we were so happy to find! We wanted a late breakfast and we have a 3 and 6 yr old, so donuts/cookies were a must. The sweet lady working was patient with our kids, and made suggestions as to what to order. We got a ton of food for the money. The cookies, cupcakes, donuts and pastries were delicious. Great cup of coffee and fantastic breakfast sandwiches on toast. We sat on stools at the counter. We were there at 10 am on a Thursday, so lots of older folks getting their coffee and socializing with their neighbors. Defintely a no frills place (not a problem for us) - worth a visit for the awesome food! read more

Great little diner in the back... my husband and I try to stop in for breakfast once a week. Nothing fancy, just a good old fashion meal with a small town feel read more

Stumbled across this gem while I was in Essex. So delicious!!! The staff is very friendly too. Definitely will be back for another cheeseburger read more

Delicious and cheap breakfast, great atmosphere and quick service. Definitely go for the jam filled cookies, they are phenomenal!

Tasty! I have gotten donuts here before and loved them. When my hubby and I were in recently, though, I got a bagel and he an apple turnover. The bagel was delicious, but the turnover dough was a little on the dry side. The place has a diner-esque feel that is cozy and welcoming and is a nice meeting place for an "older clientele". The folks eating the day we were in were quite friendly. This is a pretty classic bakery and although it could use a little bit of an update, it's worth stop if you want to pick up some donuts for the family. read more

The best hometown, family owned bake shop!! No matter what I need, I know that I can go into the bake shop and pick it up. Ever since I was a kid, my birthday cakes have always come from here, and it's the best part of my birthday (even to this day). The frosted sugar cookies, disappear from the house before you can even finish cooking dinner. read more

This is the best place to go in Essex Junction for a cheap, filling, delicious hot breakfast. I love getting bacon, egg, and cheddar on a grilled croissant, or on two slices of their in-house made English Muffin bread. Easy, tasty breakfast. I hope they stick around for years to come. read more

Doug from Quality Bake Shop made my wedding cake over Labor Day weekend, and he was fantastic. Extremely laid back and helpful, Doug gave my husband and I some great input when we had absolutely no idea what we wanted. The cake was beautiful, and although more of it was smashed on my face than I actually ate, it tasted good too. The pricing was also extremely fair compared to some of the other quotes I received for other bakeries in the area. My husband also has a special place in his heart for their glazed donuts. He's been eating them since he was a kid, so I ordered a few dozen of them to make his 'grooms cake' at our rehearsal dinner. Delicious! read more

Awesome little independent bakery. So much better than any chain store in so many ways. The whoopsie pies are perfection! I have never had any better anywhere. The reason four and not five stars? The cinnamon crisp I had on a recent visit was not crispy at all. The taste was great but I prefer my crisps crispy. But still this is an awesome bakery! read more

There was a problem with a cake pickup last year so Doug gave me his cell number and said to call him directly. Fast forward a year, I called and he took the order for our staff multiple-birthday event. I picked it up on time this morning. Bonus: I didn't specify the color of the color of the writing and he chose blue which is our company color! Way to go Doug. read more

This isn't afancy place, but it's a great place! I've had a meal from here, grabbed a few baked items while in the area and purchased a few cakes. Why would you get a cake from anywhere else? These cakes a phenominal. yeas, you could purchase a huge cake from a local warehouse with gobs of yoo sweet frosting and generic decorations, but you could get a QUALITY cake fromm this place. it's in the name! You get what you pay for! read more

Just went in close to the end of the day, with my two and six year old. As I'm cashing out the kids went and got their seat in a section that said "closed due to cleaning" and one of the girls asked if we could even read. Sorry no my six and two year old can't read yet. Yes i understand that part was closed and maybe next time just tell us politely. Sadly there will not be a next time for us, but for future customers it would be nice if the benches where available because when you do have young children benches are not very practical. read more

My birthday has always meant a cake from QBS. So we ordered a shadow cake (chocolate and vanilla) with buttercream frosting and pastel flowers. It was the driest cake, not with the buttercream frosting I'm used to, and the pastel decorations were hideous. Sorry QBS, you've been my favorite for years, but I'm going to have to look for a new place for my bday cake. read more

I really enjoy the sugar cookies here, they are super with a low price and great taste. It is something I always try to get when I come in. Everything here is a good low price. The person behind the counter is always friendly and helpful. I have yet to try the diner, yet another place for me to try out! read more

I wanted to love this place so we could say we found a hidden gem...not so much. PREMADE CAKE: We went here to see if they had a cake for my birthday dinner. I found they had a few in the case so I asked about the flavors. I settled on the Buttered Cream Frosting with one layer of white and one layer of chocolate cake, the best of both worlds. Sounded so yummy. So after dinner we cut into the cake and it was beautifully layered but that's where it stops sadly. The cake was just OK. The 'swirls' on the outside tasted like the cake had been in the case a bit. The inside was a little better but not as moist as I've had from my own home made cakes. I had a party of 15 and no one mentioned anything about the cake. BREAKFAST: The following day we decided to have breakfast here since the location was pretty convenient for my errands of the day and I wanted to give them a second chance. There is nothing fancy about the breakfast options which is not a bad thing. I'd love to find a place that is cheap with outstanding food but if you prefer Firebird, Penny Cluse, Mirabells and the like then this place is NOT for you. It reminds me of the places my family would go to when we would travel. There used to be a place called Woolworth's that had a small diner in the middle of the store where you could get your breakfast basics (eggs, toast, hashbrowns, etc) for really cheap. Anyways, we had the omelets which again are basic and not much flavor (Ham and Cheese for me and Ham and tomatoes for the hubby) with toast and coffee though the coffee was actually pretty good. Sadly, we won't go back even though this place is pretty close. read more

This place was great! The baked goods are fantastic - he monkey bread looks amazing. We gorged ourselves on fresh donuts and brought back a selection of their filled cookies for friends and enjoyed a breakfast. The breakfast fare was standard diner style comfort food - done far better than average. All the pastries we ate were fantastic. Wished they had a shop where I lived! read more

The sugar cookies here are the absolute best around. I love going to Quality Bake Shop to pick up treats or have an egg sandwich. The place is cozy and a far cry from sterile chain restaurants and bakeries. It has a very authentic "old school" flair that I love. read more

I went in there and bought a cake out of their display that I was told was fresh. This cake was terrible! It was dry and just had an awful taste. It was a complete embarrassment when I served this at a birthday party I was hosting. I had never been in before, and I will NEVER go back! read more

I have been visiting Quality Bake Shop for a few years now. I love the service and donuts. Doug made my wedding cake. We will continue to visit this sweet shop in Essex Jct read more

I've been coming here for baked goods ever since I was a kid. Today I thought I would try some breakfast, now I know why I hadn't tried it before today. First of all they an out of home fries, i'm not really sure how that happens. There's a grocery store next to them, it's not hard to cut up a few potatoes and fry them or pick up some frozen ones. The over easy eggs were undercooked but the bacon was good, the toast with butter was delicious .They don't accept cards but have an ATM that charges $2.00 to take money out. The best part of course was the waitress that decided to regale each customer with her story about being urinated on by a baby she had been babysitting the night before. On the plus side at least she spoke to the customers. While I was waiting for my food to be cooked some other customers walked in, the wait staff had to be told that patrons had walked in in need of service. read more

Doug from Quality Bake Shop made our wedding cake and he was fantastic. Extremely helpful, Doug meet with me twice and provided great input on my idea for our wedding cake. The cake was beautiful, exactly what I wanted, and we received many complements on it and the accompanying groom's cake. Not too sweet and just the right amount of filling, I was very happy with them. Don't let the older cake models fool you; this is not your grandmother's cake shop. Doug was able to produce a beautiful, simple, rustic cake exactly how I had requested. The pricing was also extremely fair compared to some of the other quotes I received for other bakeries in the area. Doug delivered and setup the cake nicely. Would recommend to any future bride, easy vendor to work with! read more

I came for donuts and these 5 stars are for the donuts. My donuts of choice were: maple glazed, cinnamon roll, plain glazed and chocolate glazed. They were all wonderful, but my absolute favorite is the maple glazed. You can tell that it's real maple syrup and not some watery imitation. If I lived closer and diabetes wasn't a thing, I would absolutely eat these donuts everyday for every meal and weigh a million pounds. It would be well worth it. read more

What a classless piece of work this place is. I'm sure their donuts are fine and so are the cupcakes and other pastries and cakes that are pre-made, but don't order a "special occasion" cake from them. They take your order and tell you not to worry, "everything is taken care of", then they surprise you by not showing up with anything!!!!!! Not even a phone call with an excuse!!!!!!! What a horrible thing to do to someone on their wedding day. read more