This is the best cake I've ever had. I was on a BBQ tour and our tour bus stopped at Lem's, and I saw the bakery and told my friend "ooh, I bet they have caramel cake!" So we snuck over, 10 minutes later we left with caramel cake, lemon cake, german chocolate cake, and cupcakes. 4 layer cakes, as moist as can be, and the caramel cake made me wish my Mom and Grandma were still here to try it. read more

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This award-winning bakery is why I stopped baking as often as I used to 10 years ago! For Southern-styled desserts visit their Greater Grand Crossing or Navy Pier locations. Owner Stephanie Hart, has been featured on WGN, FOX, the Food Network and others. In addition to their signature Caramel Cake, they offer cakes in 20 flavors, cupcakes, cobblers, cheesecakes, cookies, pies & much more! read more

Brown Sugar Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was a Navy Pier recently and was so excited to see A BROWN SUGAR BAKERY kiosk there. I made sure I told everyone standing around how great it was. My husband was quite amused at the fuss I was making. so true and worth it though. read more

Brown Sugar Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A guest at my Xmas dinner brought a whole 2 layer caramel cake from Brown Sugar Bakery... Everyone was excited about it because of the reputation of this cake/bakery. We've all bought cakes over the yrs from them, We were disappointed! It looked fine but the taste was like a Duncan Hines box cake with imitation caramel icing. Perhaps the holiday demand caused them to skimp on the quality of the ingredients and substitute imitation extract, or margarine for butter or SOMETHING! It was a poor imitation of what Brown Sugar Bakery has stood for over the yrs. BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL CARAMEL CAKE! read more

The cupcakes we purchased from this bakery were not good. The caramel cupcake had very grainy frosting and the texture was very crumbly, like cornbread. Very disappointing. The customer services was very good, but the food was not. read more

I discovered this place after a friend had the caramel cake at her birthday party. I live near Evanston, So when I am in the area its a treat to stop by. My boyfriend even makes it a special request. The caramel cake is AMAZING!! However on this trip I was a little disappointed. They have begun to pre-cut the slices. Part of the treat was watching in childlike awe when the ladies cut your special slice. Its more efficient but less wonderful. Also not sure, if it was the slice I got but it was a little skimpy on the caramel frosting. So double sadness. Not because it wasnt good just not the same kind of wonderful yummy decadent goodness. It usually takes a couple sittings for me to finish a slice but not today. And now its gone, sad face. What's a girl to do? read more

I had been grabbing slices of pound cake from here for the past few months. Never a problem. Ordered a whole pound cake for Thanksgiving & got the cake pictured below. It looks or tastes nothing like what I've been buying. When I returned the cake I was told by the owner, that she can't guarantee how the cake will come out & that she will NOT sell me another pound cake. Who says that??? What professional says that??? Nevertheless, I got my money back & I will never patronize her business again. I remained calm & expressed my disappointment in her statement & left while she tried to recant. I'm good love. Enjoy!!! #BrownSugarBakery #Sad #Unprofessional read more

Went to Brown sugar bakery was not a good experience I Purchased $20 worth of cupcakes and the person didn't pack them properly so they fell over and melted all over the bag. I had just left the store. J was the one who waited on me and I went back to her I advised her of what just happened and instead of getting some sort of apology I was given a lesson on how they ack their bag. And she was going back and forth with me. She exchanged the cupcakes begrudgingly. Whatever happened to customer service. I didn't yell scream I even let someone else go in front of me. This is the second time I've received poor service from brown sugar bakery. I always support black businesses when I can but not at the expense of someone's attitude. I'm pretty much done. If you want great service and great tasting cakes go to sweet Mandy B's. read more

The cakes are amazing and because of this, I've ordered three for special occasions. The cakes also have amazing presentations and whenever I pick up cakes, they're decorated above and beyond what my request was. It's because of the quality of cakes that I keep coming back to the bakery despite the awful customer service. Yes, my low rating is because of customer service. The customer service is severely lacking and the people in the store act like they're doing you a favor by serving you. I'm always polite but it's strange when the customer is overly polite and the employees are acting like disgruntled customers. It looks like people have touched on the customer aspect and it seems like something that should be addressed. The owner of the bakery seems like a sweet woman but I hope that the cashiers are better trained in customer service. read more

My first time and I had the mini cupcakes made into the number 50 for my birthday very good everyone was very nice the owner was so friendly she was talking to everyone it has a family atmosphere will definitely be going back I had red velvet and Carmel and German chocolate cupcakes read more

Hey , it's really my first time writing a review. I'm very disappointed in this bakery. The cake's their fine. The problem is the service it seemed like I should be lucky to buy one of their cakes. That's the impression I got. I went to order for thanksgiving double chocolate and when I went They offered a special. You could buy a cake and get a pie. I went ahead and ordered the pie. Now, I went on 21st at 430pm . The line ridiculous out the door in the cold standing. No organization when I finally got in one person looking at the receipt of everyone in line. I get their and she tell's me,"Sorry No pie you get a refund or pie is another 40 minutes wait." Why did I drive from north side of Chicago to there and not get my order. Why offer something they can't deliver? Won't be back . read more

Ghetto fabulous and I love the cakes but the staff could use a course in customer service. Quite unfriendly and will mean mug you.

Every time I visit this bakery they always have great customer service and the most delicious cakes!!! I never know which flavor to get because they all are really good! read more

Definitely not what it use to be but still good enough to get a 'good quick fix.' I want to give it 3-4 stars for taste, however, the customer service I received this evening deserves 1 star. I will be generous and give 2 stars in hopes that the owner explains to her employees the importance of GOOD customer service as we are the ones that keep the doors open for this employee to receive a paycheck! read more

Carmel Cake Heaven. I've gotta venture out and try something else at this establishment.

Oy. I can't abide continued bad service. I just can't. I don't care how great your product is, I can't... I won't do it. If the product is unbeweaveable, I'll give credit where it's due and keep it moving. If the product is alright AND there's an abundance of 'tude? Houston, we have a problem. In fact, we have a sit'ation. I rolled into BSB on a food high. Even though the weather outside was frightful, my belly was so delightful. My endorphins were kickin', the company was good and I was in the mood for a sweet treat to end the overall experience. Well... We walked in to find an altercation at the counter. It turns out a patron did not receive what she ordered... or thought she ordered. The argument went around and around with neither side being very happy with the outcome. I was doing my best to have a drama-free day, so I stayed out of it and tried to avoid the bad vibes that were free-floating. After a while of listening to the argument, someone from behind the counter was finally ready to wait on my group. The desserts (cakes and cupcakes) looked phenomenal but we didn't know what they were. To her credit, the counter clerk listed off each and every item. Thing is, she had to do this for every customer. A chalkboard in the front of the store would go a long way to helping this traffic snarl. Anywhoo, I decided on a piece of turtle cake (yellow and chocolate cake topped with thick caramel frosting) and a cup of coffee. I began to saunter my way over to the tables when... "You can't sit here." "...what?" purposeful eye-blink "You.can't sit here. It's reserved." "Oh? This entire area? There's just three of u..." "It's reserved for a private party." looks around and sees no one. "Okay. When are they arriving? Maybe we coul..." "It's.reserved." Turns out the owner was giving us the hospitality so frequently mentioned in previous reviews. Not being able to actually enjoy the food I purchased in the bakery would have been a good thing to know before buying it. Maybe I would have chosen it to go. Maybe I wouldn't have. That should have been my decision. Being a blustery day, eating outside wasn't an option. We couldn't take our food to another establishment. Eating in the car was out of the question. So... One of us ate on a chair and two of us shared an ottoman. How's that for gracious hospitality. As I hunched over and tried to balance hot coffee and my cake (to be fair, it was a slab), I overheard another counter argument about a messed-up order. More nasty words and eyerolls exchanged, I began to believe the bad press. My dining companions seemed to find solace for the lack of grace with their food. I did not. The frosting was incredible. Thick. Home-made. Delicious. The cake tasted... box-y. This didn't taste like homemade cake. It was thick, not dense. There was no airy quality to be found. I could only get through a part of it and my sweet tooth is strong. The coffee was, similarly, disappointing. For some reason, I could not add my own cream and sugar so I had to play marco polo (or, red light/green light) with the additions. To the surprise of no one, they were off. I left in a grumpy mood. I can get bad coffee, so-so cake and a room-full of attitude for free. I don't need to spend my time and money to do so. Oh, and that reserved room? Empty during the entirety of our stay. I basically ate on the floor of a business and was entertained not by the conversation of friends but by the arguments from other patrons as the proprietor watched... and acquiesced. That is not okay. It's not. read more

They can be a little disorganized and stand of fish at time and since moving to navy pier they have become pricey I do like the baked goods most of the time read more

Pro's: nice decor, nice display of treats con's: The owner has a NASTY attitude, the treats are not labeled (I thought I purchased a vanilla cheescaky cupcake, only to find out it was something else) , the icing is delicious/but the cake tastes like it came from a box. You can never sit and enjoy your treats..the tables are always "on hold" for something. really? I can't see myself rushing back to this place just to deal with attitude and duncan hines box cake. That's what Walmart's for. read more

I ordered a slice of chocolate cake for my husband & a red velvet cupcake and caramel cupcake for myself (don't judge me). The slice of cake was huge! My husband ate it over 3 days. My cupcakes were delicious. The chick at the counter could have been friendlier....but I won't go there. I'll be back. read more

POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE! I don't like long reviews, but this is only half of the humiliation I experienced. I came across this bakery from a facebook posting.The cake posted was the same cake (Red Velvet) I wanted for my birthday & the person had the same name as mine decorated on the cake. I thought it was cute, so I decided to call & request the same identical cake for my birthday. The female who took my order, seem to be familiar with the cake, I described from fb. I was SO DISAPPOINTED when I picked up my cake. It didn't look anything like the photo on facebook. I reluctantly took the cake home & 5 min. later decided to take the cake back. I called first & explained the issue. When I arrived, a kind young gentleman was emptying the bakery trash, asked if I was returning the cake & offered to take it to the back. Shortly after, a tall female came from the back....loudly saying, who is the person who returned the cake. Her demeanor was rude & intimating; reminding me of a butcher w/o an axe. I realized this was the owner from her photo on yelp.... pictures sure are deceiving. No Smile, No Apology, No Nothing, except I'm the owner & what do you mean you want the cake identical to the fb photo. She seem not to know about the fb link on her business page: http://www.ilovefoodgroup.com/BrownSugarBakery.html. As I explained, the person who took the order didn't question, they seem to know what I was talking about. Mrs Brown Sugar said the female who took the order may not have access to her page. What! That was crazy, because I was able to view & if there was a question about my order, than perhaps the business side should have kicked in & said...hmmm, I need to call this customer. I couldn't believe the owner was iritated, afterall...I am the one who had to drive back. Did she think this was convenient for me. I patiently waited in the seating area. 15 min. later, the young female at the counter called me & started to wrap the cake box at the counter....I stopped her & said I would like to see it, considering my return. It would have been nice to receive an apology from the owner, but she stayed in the back & never returned to even ask ..is this ok. Well it wasn't. The cake was not level (4 uneven layers) w/ nuts on the side, nuts missing in some areas of the cake. Another issue, the nuts was suppose to be on top as pictured in the fb photo. The cake was good, but I will NEVER return. I could have gotten over the decoration of the cake order, but I will never excuse POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. Judge for yourself, see photos below. The decoration doesn't even come close to what I requested. read more

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I stopped in with my sister in law and friend and we tried the Carmel cream cheese cake and other items. The portions were huge and prices were right. So I began telling family and friends how great the cakes were. This past Monday I stopped by with a few friends and a list of orders. I asked about the Obama cake but wasn't sure if I'd like it so I just continued to read off the orders on my list. One of 2 ladies seated in the seating area asked if I would like to sample the Obama cake and I said yes. Right then the other woman who fit the description of the owner hushed the woman up and told her we don't have samples. That was it. No "I'm sorry". Neither of these ladies even addressed me further. They just kept talking to each other as if the offer of a sample had never happened. Also the cake was right there in the shop on display. So how was there not enough to provide a sample to a potential buyer??? We spent over $40 and that's on top of the multiple orders my large family and friends have placed here in the last month. The holidays and my baby shower is coming up. Guess which bakery wont be getting that business??? As a black woman from the south side of Chicago I try to support minority businesses and even give places with known histories of bad service a chance. I have worked in customer service and I know it can be challenging but if you make an offer stick to it. If its a mistake apologize and own up to it. Don't simply ignore the customer hoping they won't push the issue. PS don't waste your money on the cheesecakes. They haven't mastered it yet. Stick to the cupcakes and cakes if you MUST shop here. read more

Please support this delicious black owned back. I'm not even a fan of caramel cake but theirs is delicious!

The Caramel cheesecake was one of the best I've ever had. I saw the turtle cheesecake after I had already purchased or I would have gotten that one. The crust doesn't look like the normal cookie crust but it is delicious! read more

I like to call myself a connoisseur of cake because I'm always eating it...lol. After hearing so much about Brown Sugar Bakery, I finally got the opportunity to experience it at a birthday party recently. I also got the opportunity to meet the owner Stephanie, who is sweet as she can be. Anywho, I was graced with Red Velvet cake. This cake was so smooth and delicious...just melted in my mouth. After eating the first slice, I asked if I could have another...of course they said yes. So after experiencing that mouth watering slice of cake, I took a visit recently to Brown Sugar Bakery to get a slice of the caramel cake that I kept hearing about. Now you don't get your normal slice of cake, you get almost three slices of cake as your one slice. You can't be that for $3 and some change. So I ended up getting a slice of the caramel and red velvet. My children and I indulged in both slices of cake within an hour. So so good. The caramel just melts in your mouth. I also got two chocolate chip cookies for my children and they said they were delicious as well. I will try to make a point that when I'm on the south side to stop by and get me some Brown Sugar sweets. read more

Love this place!! Had an issue with a cake I had for my boyfriends bday and the owner exchanged it without a problem..

Pros: The best red velvet cake you can have north of the Mason-Dixon line, a hands-on owner who's unafraid to chat you up and tell you her inspiring life story -- a slice of South Side Chicago at its finest. Cons: This place is all the way down on 75th Street in Grand Crossing, and for a white and uptight kid to get out of her comfort zone and remember there's a world out there, I'm not sure that's a con at all. Balance: PROS BOTTOM LINE: When you want to take a minute to slow down, treat yourself to something delicious and feel like life isn't so bad, this is the kind of place you should come to. read more

They have on yelp in other websites that there location accept link in it doesn't I travel a long way for the response to be we don't take link anymore. That needs to be posted clearly so that people won't waste there time. read more

I must say that the bakery goods are really really good here however I did have a piece of pound cake that appear to be stale and when I took it back instead of listening to my comment they offered too many excuses I didn't really like that but for the most it's a great experience. As a member of the hospitality community it's very important that your employees represent you in a positive way some of the girls have a slight attitude and aren't as friendly so the customer service is inconsistent as it should be. read more

Bow down! Between four layers of buttery, sweet, moist goodness One layer of incredibly baked love to the next, next, next! Let's get into frosting! Sweetly kissed peaks of lust frosting. Just sweet enough, not too sweet to cause a tooth ache. Young adults are mentored here, staffing the front of the bakery. A business providing career paths in the community! read more

Brown Sugar Bakery - Lovely! - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A review based on only one thing.....their caramel cake. I was surprised with a trip to Brown Sugar Bakery for my birthday to pick up a Caramel Cake. It is deliciously and sinfully good! I hope to go back to try other items...but as for now, I gotta order another cake as my son, who normally doesn't really like cake - has informed me that this is the cake he wants for his graduation! Everyone we encountered was very friendly and accommodating . No complaints - except that this cake will make me fat(ter)! read more

This is hands down one of the best bakery i have ever been too! I got the carrot cake (which was seriously to die for & is now going to be a family holiday tradition), and 5 different cupcakes (Oreo, sherbet, red velvet, Carmel, and German choc) which also were delicious. Will be returning and have already told friends and family about it read more

Everything is delicious but the sweet potato cobbler is unbelievable. We could not decide whether to serve it as a side dish or dessert. Brown Sugar is one of the best bakeries in the city. read more

Move over chocolate. You've been replaced! That means alot coming from a chocolate fiend. I am openminded about food,but when it comes to cake....I rarely choose anything but chocolate. Brown Sugar Bakery just made history with me and my tastebuds. My boyfriend and I went there to pick up some dessert before heading to Lem's for BBQ. I played conservative and got a piece of chocolate cake. I admit I was tempted to get the caramel cake since having a delicious caramel cupcake that Brown Sugar makes for Robust Cafe...but decided to play it safe...My boyfriend on the other hand gets a slice of caramel cake. Approx 1 hr later at my home after finishing our Lem's bbq we both bust out our cakes. Chocolate cake...mmm mmm good! My boyfriend starts to eat his caramel cake. Now my boyfriend isn't a big sweets eater. He usually will take a bite or two and offer a piece to me. This time I am noticing my usually generous boyfriend is stuffing his face and not offering any to me, even after i let him try my chocolate cake. I must have that cake! I finally remind my boyfriend that he needs to share too. He should have put this woman in her place and kept his cake. Reluctantly and pretending he wants to share, he tells me to have a piece. (YES! reluctantly J. YOU hesitated when I asked!) I take one bite..Despite the sadness in my boyfriend's eyes....I had to devour the rest of his delectable dessert. I finished that sucker off, quick. I had no idea caramel cake was so good. First time I ever had it and my mom is a professional baker who makes pastries for a living. I think it might be a south side thing? African -American thing.?Southern thing? Whatever thing it is, it's gooood. Take it from a woman who is the daughter of a pastry chef...Brown Sugar Bakery knows cakes! read more

Let me firstly qualify myself, I mean just so you know. I grew up with one of the best bakers in the world ... my grandma. Now, you're probably thinking I'm biased because, hey, she's MY grandma. I can dig it! I say this, however, to let you know I KNOW CAKE! And other sweets! I can remember my grandma baking cakes and letting me lick the leftover batter from the mixer. Ohhh, and the one time my sister pinched off one of the cakes and got beat by my grandmother with a broom (she doesn't eat cake to this day). Oh yeah, who the hell is that in the profile pic for Brown Sugar? Did I miss something? But anyways, I'm digressing! I am a self-appointed cake expert and qualified critic. I know cake like Tiger knows golf (I grew up on it). So, keep this in mind as you read my review. So, before the place opens @ this new location I run into an old friend who is helping with getting the place together. He immediately gives me a whole (and, I mean BIG caramel cake). Pretty cool of him. I take the cake home, and I actually forget all about it. My granny passed in Nov of 2007 and before that she probably made her last cake in 2003-4. Since then I don't eat much cake because everything always, always, always pales in comparison. So my kids ask, "what's in the box?" They indulge of course and I took a small piece of one of theirs. The cake is pretty decent I must say. A few months pass and the bakery finally opens. I go in and the owner is there and very cool. We talk and she suggest the turtle cake. My Granny never made turtle cake ... I taste ... IT'S OVER. Yep, I'm a sellout! But wait though, that's just for the turtle cake! Oops, I lied. Cause, a few weeks later I had the cheesecake. WTF did I do that for? Are you kidding? If you ever wondered what sin would taste like ... this would be it, and you would for sure be destined for hell, or at least fat as hell! I was actually pretty close to slapping the **** out of somebody. No more, can I say, nobody makes cakes like my Granny, cause Brown Sugar is close and some of 'em exceed her baking. Do yourself a favor, get you butt over to Brown Sugar! Please don't buy everything (they will let you taste, btw). And don't blame me if you happen to pack on a few extra pounds ... you will be hooked! Deducted one star for no debit/credit. Pricing is very moderate for cake, in my opinion. And it's baked fresh daily, also they ARE open on Sunday! read more

Today we tried Brown sugar bakery. Although I didn't go. My resources is very trust worthy! She says that the owner was very nice but her help was rude! Hmm rude service well remember u don't have to tip rudeness. Now to the cake. The chocolate cake although good taste like a box cake. The Carmel cake was also just ok. wasn't impressed with this place at all. my wife got a strawberry cupcake. the icing was good BUT the cake was awful. read more

I've been a fan of this place since it opened. so much so, that I consider the owner, and her staff, friends. The baked goods are delicious, and the service is warm and personable. Hands down, the Brown Sugar Bakery has the best Carmel Cake in Chicago. This tastes just like Grandma use to make! But if you want the true Brown Sugar Bakery experience, you MUST try the Taffy Apple Carmel Cake! It is to die for!!!!! read more

I have been going to Brown Sugar for the past year and even visited them when they were located in their old space. What impressed me the most about Brown Sugar was on one of my first visits I did not have cash on me and assumed they would take a debit card? I had my baked goods picked out and was ready to pay when the staff person told me they don't take plastic. I thanked them for their time and was getting ready to leave when the staff person said "Get what you want and just pay us when you can." I was floored! I had to ask the staff person to repeat himself to make sure I heard him correctly. After he repeated himself and assured me it was OK so I took my purchases home and ate little slices of heaven and went back to the store two days later and paid my tab. Since that day Brown Sugar has earned my respect and dollar! People just don't do those things anymore! Needless to say all of my baked goods come from here and I purchased a Chicago Bears German Chocolate Groom's cake. I talked to Stephanie, the owner, about a groom's cake and she created a masterpiece for our special day. The groom LOVED IT and was disappointed he didn't get to have more on our wedding day. Once the cake was cut our guest devoured it and nothing was left but crumbs! Brown Sugar is great and it is wonderful to have a bakery on the South Side of Chicago close to Presidential Barack Obama's neighborhood. I will continue buying my baked goods from here and in the years to come. Thanks Stephanie! read more

Yummy in my tummy.. The caramel and strawberry cupcakes are to die for! I definitely recommend this place to everyone.

When I initially called, the overly proper male was curt and dry. When asked what time they closed, I was told, "8 sharp!" (with three snaps!) as if that's any different from 8 PM. Upon our arrival, the owner cheerfully greeted us and that's where the customer service ended. The same curt male cashier (black wavy hair) looked at me with attitude and asked if he could help me. After selecting several cupcakes, he asked which brownie I wanted. There were various brownies, so I inquired about the flavors. The cashier proceeded to ignore my question and repeated his question, this time with an attitude, to which I stated again, "what flavors do you have???" He was clearly annoyed with actually helping people. After spending a decent amount on just sweets, the cashier handed me my money and proceeded to ask the people behind me if he could help them. The acknowledgement of appreciation for ones business, I guess is no longer required. To say the least, I was quite appalled; however, the owner, all the way from the back of the shop, thanked us for coming, which definitely helped. For the cupcakes, I was expecting a bit more than vanilla cake with different frostings. The vanilla cupcake with carmel frosting was dry but the frosting was very creamy and deliciously sweet. The vanilla cupcake with cream cheese frosting was moist and the frosting was a mouthful! And the turtle cake cupcake was a bit dry, but the frosting was creamy and crunchy. Wish there were more flavors and mini-cupcakes; regular sizes were great for the money, but so large, I could barely fit my mouth around it. Not sure if I'll head back; but if I do go, I'll make sure to ride by first to make sure the bakery nazi is not working! read more

Great cakes especially caramel with cream cheese frosting. You should call to make sure your order is ready before you arrive or you might have to wait- they do a lot of business during the holidays. read more