It is hard to give three tarts a three star review but the bakery is just not consistent. If I was rating on their lunch selections it would be higher. I really enjoy their soups, salads and sandwiches. Some bakery items are good (cookies, etc) and others are outstanding. Ordered a cake recently and it looked beautiful but tasted pretty awful. It was dry and as a friend pointed out / day old & stale. So disappointing. I've had other cakes that were absolutely delicious. Not sure what the disconnect is. The service is also an issue. I've been ignored on several occasions and never met an enthusiastic and ultra friendly employee. Bottom line - I will go to baker boys for outstanding cupcakes or cookies and bent fork for a cake. read more

This place has ruined tuna fish sandwiches for me. Theirs was so good I cried, and that's not an exaggeration. All other Tina fish sandwiches pale in comparison. read more

This place is the epitome of "North Shore." On one occasion I was horrified to find myself awash in a sea of Lilly Pulitzer capri-ed blond soccer moms. It's a ladies who lunch kind of place, which is quite funny since their baked goods overshadow their lunches. They are most famous for their cakes, which can be custom ordered for the occasion. However, if you just want something sweet, they also have sweet rolls, breads, cupcakes, and other assorted goodies. I love their cupcakes and wish they would have them more often. In the spring they have my favorite, which are vanilla with chocolate ganache icing and cute little icing bugs on top. I've never eaten lunch here because their sandwiches are quite pricy, but they have some take-home snacks that are quite delicious. This is a good place for getting speical-occasion food at, but I cannot vouch for their lunches. read more

Yes, it's pricey, but five stars for the top-notch bakery and cafe items--along with prompt and personable service. Three Tarts is easily the best of its kind in the area. It also offers many unique products; the menu changes, so stop by to check out what's new. Some of these Yelps crack me up: There are too many North Shore moms at this North Shore bakery. They are always out of what I want by the time i get there. They had the nerve to request I make a minimum purchase on a charge-card transaction (believe me, you can rack up $15 here quickly). I have never had an issue with any staffer here. (On the other hand, some of the customers are so annoying I don't know how the staff puts up with them.) At least one of the owners always seems to be there, and they will do everything possible to ensure your satisfaction. Need a special pastry for a big event? Looking for a tasty lunch in the area? Got a hankering for a sweet snack? Three Tarts is your stop. read more

I can't believe people are complaining about the cakes. I have yet to have a cake as good as those I've ordered from Three Tarts. Okay, they're a little pricey. But I use any excuse I can to order a cake. Even "off the rack" they're amazing. And their cake decorators are top notch. I had to order two cakes for two events back to back. The first was a baby shower, and I ordered based on a "menu" of pictures. It turned out beautiful. The second was the real test. It was a for a farewell party for a friend heading to Darfur to work with Drs without Borders. Because we were giving this friend all kinds of grief about the fact that she'd be living in a thatched hut or something, I asked them to draw a hut with a campfire in front of it and write Bon Voyage a Darfur. What they created was so gorgeous and so much more than I'd expected. They had the hut and fire and added a sparse and beautiful African landscape that was not to be believed. Oh, and they were delicious. read more

Lovely little bakery. Never eaten there in the bakery itself, but everything I have every purchased there has been wonderful. Great, creative salads and sandwiches. Their cookies and breads are fantastic. And their cakes are really beautiful and special and they actually taste great, too (a bit on the pricey side, depending on the type of cake). Julius Meinl coffee (excellent). Perfect for picking up treats for work if you work up north (close to the Edens exit at Willow). read more

we love everything at three tarts - breakfast, lunch and treats! their dips are also incredible and the chocolate chip cookie bag is a staple in our house - it's our favorite go to spot! read more

This place has pricey cakes and sandwiches - none of which I have tried. I go in for the cookies - mainly the Malted Chocolate Chip. They are fantastic. You cannot but help notice that this place is a hangout for North Shore women. read more

Really a cute, clean nice place to sit and have a latte (if you can find a seat before it gets cold). Pastry looked better than it tasted. The cake I had was dry and very expensive. Lots of choices, but that said, lots of other bakeries better tasting too. read more

The cookies are great and some of the traditional pastries like the scones are very good, but the coffee service needs a lot of work (then again I haven't found above average espresso anywhere within a half hour drive from here either). If I'm in the vicinity, I'll on swing by, but I wouldn't go out of my way. P.S. Free wifi if you can swing a table, this place gets pretty busy. P.P.S. Parking is a major cluster, heads up or get creamed. read more

Three Tarts Bakery Cafe - Complementary infused water - Bakeries Near Me - Northfield, Illinois

Three Tarts is a favorite place for a lot of my in-laws. My brother-in-law worked here as a youth and many generations of the family enjoy it. They have very pretty pastries and tasty baked goods. The cafe is a nice place to eat with an ample outdoor patio for al fresco dining when it's nice out. The sandwiches and salads are very good and they have a good selection of savory items. Around St. Patrick's Day they have soda bread which my husband's aunt raves about. You can order it in advance to make sure you get some. If you are coming from the city this is just off the highway, tucked away in a quiet little strip mall on Happ. I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to come here, but when in the neighborhood it is worth stopping by. read more

I went to this place yesterday. I did love the quiche but the lady who took my drink order made it wrong. I ordered a decaf iced mocha which has decaf coffee and chocolate. She gave me a chocolate milkshake with almond milk. I didn't want to complain because I didn't want my drink order her to have to remake it. I went here twice before and I ordered a decaf iced mocha and they made it with decaf coffee and chocolate and milk. I did not think that that drink would cost a lot. I would only go back to this place if I was with someone older. If someone orders a small decaf iced mocha it is usually with decaf coffee and chocolate and milk. read more

I love the food atThree Tarts but I'm frustrated with the lack of updating in their phone message. You call a place Saturday am and their message says it's open only to get their and find out their closed for the holiday weekend. Also their message mentions carry out but the sign in their window says pick up. I really hope that they don't lose a lot of customers with all the mixed messages. read more

Cute little place. Often very busy so be prepared for that. Love their lunches. Cookies are insanely good and super high quality. They had a ton of people working for such a small place. Line moved quickly. Excellent service. read more

I visited the bakery near the end of the day so there seemed to be fewer choices than normal. Zuchini carrot muffin was dry and the croissant was OK. Many of the baked goods looked very fussy. Appearence seems to be more important than taste. read more

Three Tarts Bakery Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Northfield, Illinois

I'm only giving 2 stars for the Birthday cake I purchased today for my husbands milestone birthday, because the cake looked beautiful and the mousse filling was good. However, the yellow cake portion, which was the majority of the cake, was dried out and bordering on stale. Come on for $35.00 it should have at least been somewhat enjoyable. Next time I will travel further and buy a cake from Deerfield or Oak Mill Bakery. Their prices are a bit less and certainly fresher and more enjoyable. I am so disappointed in Three Tarts! read more

Wow, this place is seriously good. I work in Northbrook, so I decided to head to Three Tarts to try something new. All I can say is their banana cake is to die for and I don't even like bananas! It was so moist and that frosting tasted like heaven. I will be coming here for all my cakes now. read more

For years, we have been ordering a batch of roughly 50 personalized cookies (with our company's logo) for an annual event. Until this year, we had been ordering from Deerfields. However, this year they raised prices and increased the lead time -- which made us look to other locations. Three Tarts rose to the occasion. They did it in less than 48 hours, they did a great job at recreating the logo (not with the edible printer crap either) and to be perfectly honest, the cookies TASTED better! Good job guys! read more

This place rocks! Best tea cakes that make a great gift to bring over to someone's house. Fresh sandwiches, soups and salads. I love their avocado toast and their vegan tomatoes soup. Their cookies, especially the sugar ones with designs, are amazing. Coffee is ok-a little bitter for my taste. Otherwise, overall a great neighborhood bakery that is very high quality! Love this place. read more

A customer brought us the coffee cake and we all love it. I took a look at there website and saw they served lunch. So at work we now call it the "crack house". I have never had anything not amazing, that's with us going twice a week. Seriously sooo good! read more

Three Tarts Bakery Cafe - The combo is a great deal. At work we actually call this place the "crack house" because it is so good! - Bakeries Near Me - Northfield, Illinois

Eeeevvvverything is good here. I have dreams about olive rosemary bread and tomato basil soup with a mrs. Palmer and a smiley face cookie.

Three Tarts food menu and baked goods are always top notch. I love their breakfast sandwiches and regularly stop by for baked goods for my family and friends. They are a true small business with a commitment to the community. Go here! It's delicious. read more

Been coming to this bakery for years. Love it! As a food stylist I often buy their breads for photography. Beautiful. I love the Tina sandwich. Best ever. The soups are ok. The cookies have all been greAt. Tonight I got cupcakes for my daughter birthday and they were dry. Looked beautiful but not moist. read more

I live in Jefferson Pk. Three Tarts was my favorite place for eclairs. I picked some up today, and was surprised that they looked smaller. I bought four thinking they were just mini versions of the original. Very disappointed to find hardly any cream filling and the choux pastry a bit dense. What happened ??? read more

Three Tarts Bakery Cafe - I won't be eating the other three :-( - Bakeries Near Me - Northfield, Illinois

This is my first visit to Three Tarts Bakery. My sister had purchased a banana Cake for my Moms birthday. It was delish. I was in the neighborhood with my husband. So I looked it up and stopped by I purchased a small choc. cake with Choc. icing. I will see how it is. I also picked up 2 choc. chip cookies for the ride home. Very good. It's very pricey. I live in Mt. Prospect and have Continental Bakery which is never a disappointment and less expensive. I will see if I will be stopping back. read more

What a find! Outstanding bakery! Amazing lunch location for sandwiches, soups, and salads. Their buttercream is out of this world. Make sure to grab a slice of their banana cake. It's the ONLY banana cake I'll eat. Also, their macaroons are huge and perfection. read more

I'm a peanut butter cookie addict. They have the best I have had, probably ever. They are more on the chewy side. Delicious! Also their Sandwiches are great! The line to order and the entrance are right on top of each other though! They should get some velvet ropes so it can become more manageable when it is busy. read more

This place is always busy, long lines and not surprised why! Soups, sandwiches, cakes, cookies are made from scratch and tastes so good!!

This is the only bakery worth mentioning. I live in Chicago and whenever I need baked goods of any kind I make the trip up to Northfield to get the good stuff. The same goes for anytime I am driving by the Willow exit on the Edens. I can not say enough about the soups (White chicken chili!) and the cakes (Coconut!) but there are many unsung heroes on their menu that deserve the limelight just as much. The stirato, the cupcakes, whoopie pies are a favorite of mine. No matter what you get you are sure to get the best. The staff is mostly made up of students at nearby highschools and over the years I have seen some of the same people back to work on winter breaks and over the summer that I saw as teenagers years ago. This place definitely cultivates a familial feeling in that respect. I can not recommend this place enough. read more

Delicious sandwiches for both breakfast and lunch and beautiful bakery items.

Three tarts is amazing! They have the best food! You can't go wrong with anything you buy here it's all so tasty! I would come here everyday if I could! read more

Three Tarts offer exceptional baked goods at fair prices with exceptional service! A combo no-one can beat. Enjoy!!!

This is a wonderful bakery. Coffee cakes, teacakes, cookies are probably the best on the Northshore. However the breakfast I just had was overpriced, pedestrian and not an ounce of flavor. Had a breakfast sandwich with 1 egg on 2 thin slices of multigrain with a small slice of havarti and 2 overcooked slices of bacon for nearly $9. This is a bakery why such meager slices of bread? It was worthy of a IHOP but not a Northshore eatery. Very bland and unappetizing. Too bad I was too schocked to supply a photo. A rather haughty bakery and I guess they figure they can serve anything . My advice is stay with the baked goods. read more

I had never been but wanted to try so I went in to get a cake for my son's birthday to have at home. Cute place. But was very disappointed with the cake. Spent $24 on a small (but tall) 6" cake. It was dry and tasteless. Tasted more cocoa-y and no sweetness - like tasting dry cocoa out of the container. Even the frosting was disappointing - stiff and not very tasty. I don't mind splurging on a delicious cake but literally no one ate it and it was a downer to end the day on it for my 11 year old. We threw the rest away. I hate to say it but Jewel makes better cakes. read more

What a bakery!! Had one of their gorgeous cakes at a baby shower last Sunday and it was an absolute hit! The designs are very detailed and the actual cake itself is super tasty! Love the icing as well and I am never normally a fan of icing! read more

Their cakes are beautiful, but they taste really terrible. Maybe the carrot cake is better than the standard white/yellow/chocolate, but this is seriously the worst cake I've ever tasted. I'm sorry, Three Tarts. I don't want to be mean. But your cakes DO NOT TASTE GOOD. The cake itself is flavorless and crumbly and dry, and the frosting is WAY too sweet and needs at least some salt. For years my mother insisted on getting cakes from here because they're so pretty, even if we BEGGED her to get a cake from somewhere else. She finally admitted that they just don't taste good and are not worth the very high price. I've had lunch here, and other baked goods, all of which were fine-to-good. But the cakes, Three Tarts! Get it together! It's cake! Grocery stores do better. Read your reviews and fix your recipes. I'm sorry if you think this is an artisanal recipe that the "philistines" just don't "understand," but for pete's sake...they are NOT GOOD. read more

The Lavender Shortbread cookies. Really, who knew? Ouch, I could eat my weight in those treats! The tuna sandwich was very good too, without too much mayo. Tuna was fresh, and just the right amount of other ingredients to not overshadow. Great job! read more

I'm going to chime in here about the cakes at Three Tarts. I ordered a cake for my son's first birthday, and it was beautiful. However, it proved to be absolutely embarrassing to serve once we realized how dry and tasteless the cake was. The icing was mediocre, as well. However, my son attended a birthday party not long ago, and I tried a bite of the cake that, in retrospect, was less cake than filling, and I was impressed by the white chocolate mousse filling. I thought I would give them another shot. So my son's third birthday cake came from them. Beautiful again, but ridiculously dry. Come on! You're a bakery, for goodness sake. Dominick's, who made his second birthday cake, does a FAR, superior job. I can't speak to their other baked goods or food, but their cakes, as far as eating them, are a disgrace. I'm done with Three Tarts. read more

Three Tarts is a quaint little bakery nestled in downtown Northfield. The storefront is visually appealing as well as the inside of the cafe and its beautiful desserts. Although I've never had any concrete dishes, I've sampled many desserts and teas and coffees. The shortbread cookies - though rather pricey for a small package - are really QUITE good. And that's coming from a girl who's not a fan of 'em! The refrigerated bake-at-home malted chocolate chip cookie dough also makes for a delicious treat. Then there are the tarts that are in their own category. Glad to see that the bakery name pays homage to these wonderful delicacies because they're easily the most delicious fruit tarts I've ever had with a to-die-for buttery crust. There is a plentiful selection of teas and the coffee has always been delicious - much better than anything I could get at the Starbucks down the street. The only complaints I have are the cupcakes and the prices. The cakes are rather crumbly and dry while the frosting is so buttery that it had absolutely no flavor. D-: I'd rather buy the cupcakes from the grocery store. And the prices are just ridiculous. Though the products are good, the prices definitely cater to the specific demographic of residents that live on the North Shore. Bummer. read more

i go to shop for the breakfast and sandwiches. pastry looks mouth watering but better out there. love meinl coffee. should hire Austrian baker to go with Austrian coffee. The older staff is sour and condesending. She stands at register collecting money taking orders. no smile.. scowl. it is always. youner team is friendlier and engaging. cheer up or go work in the kitchen. lotsa screaming kids and strollers . 2 stars based on service. brought friends they preferred to leave. whatta shame. read more