Chef Lou's bakery follows a rule I've always noted: Tiny little hole-in-the-wall places have either the best food you've ever tasted, or the worst. As one can probably guess from the five stars at the top of this post, it has some of the best food. The carrot cake is the only one I've ever had that's as good as my mom's family recipe, everything you get is fresh, and Chef Lou himself is one of the most friendly and personable people out there. I've never walked into his shop and bought something without having a nice conversation with the man, and he'll always tell you what's fresh out of the oven. read more

This past weekend I ordered a strawberry shortcake for my mother's birthday dinner. I called the order in and told the bakery when I would be there to pick it up. I walk in and to my surprise I did not expect for Chef Lou himself to be standing there to wait on me?! It's kind of like going to Wendy's only to be greeted by the little red head girl with freckles?! (Don't know why I get such a kick out of stuff like that). The bakery (no lie) is about the size of a handicap bathroom stall and is designed for pick up orders only. Chef Lou was very pleasant and talkative. We hit it off immediately. He gave me a complimentary mini sweet potato cake with cream cheese icing. While in the car I took a bite, then another. I could taste hints of orange and lemon, the cake was moist and very firm. The cream cheese frosting was made by scratch. I was impressed, this bakery does not cut corners when it comes to ingredients. Chef Lou also specializes in catering international cuisine such as Mediterranean, Indian, and Caribbean. His cakes are amazing; you can taste the love put into them! The strawberry shortcake was so dainty and the strawberries were fresh. My mom and all her church lady friends were tickled pink! Chef Lou is now my resident baker, I will no longer drive into the city to buy a fancy designer cake, now knowing that I have a gem right here in my own community! read more

Chef Lou's Desserts - Ma&Chef Lou's Strawberry Shortcake - Desserts Near Me - Greenbelt, Maryland

I've been wanting to try out Chef Lou's Desserts for a while now - the last time I went, it was closed a little early. However, I was able to finally make it this time around, about half an hour before closing time to see what they had to offer. Chef Lou Parker has been a chef for about 30 years and had this location for about 14 years. He is a really nice guy, and we had a great conversation in regards to the desserts and catering services he offers as well as him trying to offer a 'personal chef/intimate cooking classes' for those who are interested. He apparently caters to the World Bank, NASA, as well as conventions down at the Verizon Center, so I thought that was pretty impressive (he stated that his specialty is 'oriental' food, so I thought that was kind of funny). The place itself is small, so it's only a carry-out or where you call in to get your orders in. He offers pastries (cinnamon rolls, brownies, canollis, eclairs, etc.), pies (lemon, raspberry, French apple, sweet potato, etc.), fruit tarts, cakes, sheet cakes, and ice cream. They had some limited dessert selections, and I did ask if the goods were baked fresh daily (the answer was no, but he did state that they were still fresh) and which desserts were the most popular - Chef Lou stated that pretty much everything in the case, so we got one of each! They were all 'individual-sized:' sweet potato pie, strawberry shortcake, carrot cake, a brownie, a cinnamon roll, a chocolate cupcake, a chocolate-glazed doughnut with sprinkles, and a square bread pudding. My favorite out of them all was the strawberry shortcake, as the shortcake itself wasn't overly sweet and was fluffy, while the macerated strawberries was delicious and a great complement. The others were forgettable, as they were a little stale/too dry/a bit flavorless for my taste. It seems as if this is a favorite local place for grabbing some bargain desserts, for catering services, as well as cake orders for events. I'm glad I was finally able to try this place out! +strawberry shortcake read more

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I'm giving a neutral 2.5 but rounding to a 3 because this is the 4th time I have gone and they are not open when online and door say they are. I needed a birthday cake about a month ago, closed. I needed cupcakes for an entire schools 3rd grade class for Valentine's closed. I wanted to see about getting pastries for a mother's brunch, closed. And today the kids school closed early and I had collected 6 children so I stopped to grab some cupcakes and possibly cookies, closed. It sucks because they are .5 miles from my house. I really tried. read more

Chef Lou's is such a great addition to the neighborhood. His desserts are delicious and well priced, and full of authentic flavors. I always stop by when he is open to get some sweet potato cake for the week or to give desserts to friends. read more

Chef Lou is easily one of the nicest people I have ever met. When fellow Yelper Laura P. and I were searching for a bakery, we stumbled across Chef Lou's on Yelp and decided to try it. When we arrived, we were surprised to see the place was no bigger than my thumbnail. It really defines "hole in the wall," but in the most charming way. Chef Lou's business is centered around catering and people ordering, so no more than two people can really fit in the store itself. When Laura and I approached the bakery, his wife was in the doorway and said "Oh don't mind me, just 'lil' ole Mrs. Chef Lou" and stepped out so we could enter. This is when we realized this experience would be paramount to any bakery experience of all time. We ordered some great brownies and a bread budding square. Chef Lou, because he only had one box and it was too big, included extra brownies free of charge just to fill the box! Southern hospitality: confirmed. The best part of the experience was a 10 minute long conversation we had with Chef Lou about the welterweight bout between Floyd "Money" Mayweather and Robert Guerrero happening that night. I am not particularly interesting in boxing, but Chef Lou brought up the fight just to inquire if we were watching. He then continued to tell us everything he knew about the two fighters, their fathers, their training methods, and anything he could remember from the HBO specials he saw leading up to it. He told us this information with such passion and vigor. He even said he was going to Fridays that night with his wife to watch it. The whole thing was so amazing I simply couldn't handle it. We eventually went on our way, but not before we were convinced that Chef Lou and lil ole Mrs. Chef Lou are the nicest bakers on planet Earth. read more

I have been to a lot of businesses run by nice people, but never have I experienced such friendliness and kindness as I experienced with Chef Lou. Yelper Ben Y. and I needed to bring a dessert to a dinner party, so we yelped "bakery," and Chef Lou's popped up. With a five star rating, we decided it would be in our best interest to go. Chef Lou's is a tiny place. There is a small standing area when you walk through the door, a dessert case and the counter. Chef Lou's wife was standing in the doorway when we got there. "Oh don't mind me, 'lil 'ole Mrs. Chef Lou," she said as she stepped out of the small space so we could enter. Chef Lou greeted us with a friendly hello when we walked inside. We admired the selection of sweets in the dessert case: fudge brownies, bread pudding squares, lemon butter pound cakes, carrot cake cupcakes and another type of muffin. Chef Lou was dressed in a chef's white jacket and hat and was constantly smiling. We asked him which he would recommend. "Well, I always tell my wife when we have company over to not put out the lemon butter cake because it's just so scrumptious - I like to keep it all for myself!" We decided to go with the brownies and ordered a piece of the bread pudding to eat as an afternoon snack before our dinner party. When he filled the box with the brownies, he added two extras in the box free of charge "to make the box look more full." After he prepared our brownies and sealed them in the box with his business card attached to the top, he asked us if we were watching the fight that night. It took us a second, but we realized he was talking about the big Mayweather boxing fight. He was so excited to tell us about it; he and his wife had been watching the few HBO specials leading up to the event, and he gave us an in-depth overview about the history of the fighters and the hype and gossip that was happening leading up to that night's match. The way he spoke with us was so inviting, lively and friendly, as if we had been good friends of his for years. It is evident that Chef Lou treats all of his customers in this way; his business feels like the kind of place that was born out of a dream: he had aspirations to open a bakery and he did. After we chatted for about ten minutes, we paid and he shook our hands and thanked us for visiting. The bread pudding square was super moist and flavorful and had a kick of cinnamon spice and warmness from the dried fruits. The brownies were fudgey and coated in a layer of fudgey icing and chocolate shavings - yum. Ben and I left Chef Lou's absolutely stunned with the kindness and generosity we experienced from Chef Lou. Being from the NJ/NY metro area, we are not accustomed to such friendliness in people, but to be honest I don't think people like Chef Lou exist in many places, even in "southern hospitality"-donned areas (like Maryland, where Chef Lou is). In today's times that are eclipsed by societal darkness, it's hard to imagine that such a down-to-earth, joyful, utterly happy, friendly and kind person still exists and shares that kindness with people who are simply his customers. I was sincerely touched by Chef Lou's generosity and warmheartedness and hope that his business does well and that he lives a fruitful and full life. read more

I won't lie, Lou's desserts are not incredibly fancy in appearance, or at the least the cakes I've gotten. They're minimalist and look professional and neat. However? We've gotten cakes here several times; a cheesecake, apple pie, and several chocolate cakes for birthdays. And every time we have them, we LOVE it. They're moist, rich, and delicious and far better than any store brand. Last April I bought a cake for my boyfriend's birthday, since I didn't have time to make it myself. My boyfriend is super picky and doesn't know a thing about Lou's. In fact the group we had the cake with didn't know as well. THEY ALL LOVED IT. On top of this, Lou is kind, polite, and friendly and it's a joy to see him when buying from his store or getting ingredients from the local grocery store. He's a local gem and I hope we continue on having him for a very long time. read more

after having lunch with my friend we were looking for a dessert spot. i looked on yelp and we found ourselves in greenbelt, md! the reviews were so good i figured it was worth a shot the place is the size of a thumbtack, the pastry chef also functions as cashier and thankfully he takes credit card. here is what we tried 1. sweet potato and carrot cupcake- my friend thought it was ok, i did not like it at all but i am not a fan of either carrot cake or sweet potato pie 2. bread pudding cake-terrible, i normally love bread pudding so i thought this would be great. i fed this to the sparrows 3. cannoli-yuck, this was god awful, price well all that horribleness cost under ten bucks which was a redeeming quality i guess, consider most of it was inedible i would say it was a waste of money parking its in a shopping place so lots of free 2 hr parking ambiance nice day and plenty of outdoor setting for the shopping plaza overall avoid, im not sure what is going on with these other raving yelp reviews but something ain't right in greenbelt... read more

Chef Lou is a nice guy with some fabulous recipes. Not many gluten-free options, but he says he is willing to try...His is the type of business that you love to see open year after year and thriving. The kids love his cherry turnovers. read more

Best chocolate chip cookie ever! Crispy outer part with soft and chewy middle. Good amount of chocolate chunks to dough ratio. I also tried the sweet potato muffin. Perfect amount of sugar! Wasn't a fan of the icing. Buttercream icing would've so made it. Even as a loaf slice without the icing. I'd also recommend using less butter. Other than that tastes just like sweet potato! Come visit this humble bakery for a tasty treat. It smells incredible! Chef Lou is very friendly! read more

An oustanding bakery that's been a staple of Old Greenbelt for as long as I can remember. Lou's one-of-a-kind desserts include cakes, tarts, pies, cookies, and my personal favorite: Obama cupcakes with Hawaiian and Kenyan inspired flavors (even blue frosting!) that were personally requested by the White House. The store's hours are subject to change, but if you happen to be in Greenbelt when it's open, it's required eating!! read more

Got the carrot cake cupcake on Friday and it was delicious. It was moist and the icing was not overly sweet. This location is very small and if you are looking for something in particular you should probably call ahead and put in a special order. read more

Don't go anywhere else! Some of the most personable and pleasent experiences I have had in a restaurant i have had. Chief Lou goes to great lengths to give the best customer service that I have had, in years. Especially in this area! Additionally his cooking is just phenomenal! So far myself and my fiance have frequented his establishment 3 times, and will be going back. Do yourself the favor, and check him out! read more

Works for me. And its not expensive what so ever. Its run by one guy who is one of the nicest guys ever. Its a tiny little spot but I got a cinnamon bun, it was great. read more

I discovered Chef Lou's a few years back when I lived in Greenbelt. I no longer live in Greenbelt and that is a good thing since living so close could be dangerous for the waistline. I am crazy about the carrot cake cupcakes and almost everything else I've purchased. I say almost everything because, I purchase two different types of pies for my mother and was never offered even a crumb. By the way, one of the pies was special request and from what I understand, was delicious. I would highly recommend Chef Lou's for every occasion. read more

Picked up a carrot cake yesterday for a family members birthday. It was so moist and DELICIOUS. Definitely coming back for my next sweet treat! read more

Chef Lou makes the best cakes I have ever eaten! He is very friendly and helpful. He even made a special cake (not on the menu) for my husband's birthday a few years ago that was beyond delicious. read more

It's ok. Carrot cake can be dry. A little pricey. Locals consider him a god. Bonaparte Bakery in Savage is superb.

Conversation is good here. Chef and I got into it regarding the current state of affairs around the village of Greenbelt. A veritable treasure trove of knowledge according to a small business owner in the community. Buttercream not too sweet and definitely not crunchy. I am a fan of his treats. read more

In a panic, I searched high and low for a place to get a great-tasting birthday cake for my husband's surprise party. Went in to see Chef Lou based upon the review on Yelp and due to the fact that he is located near where I live. We talked for a while and I felt like he really wanted to keep me as a customer which rated him very high in my book right off the bat. In my experience, b-day cakes are either too dry or the icing too sweet, but Chef Lou's cake was neither of those. The cake was moist and the flavor of the icing was just right. He'd assured me that I would love the cake, and he and the cake were right on point! Everyone at the party raved about the cake, and I have really picky friends. I wholeheartedly recommend Chef Lou's!! read more

I called Chef Lou's desserts store to put in an order for a small gathering at my home for Easter. I know I wanted an assortment of treats but not whole cakes or pies. Chef recommended that I do petit desserts. I got 20 pieces and some other small pastries for under $40. I got petit brownies, carrot cake, fruit tart, bread pudding, everything was so good, and my guests enjoyed every bite. I appreciate Chef Lou sharing his craft and professionalism. I will order again, he stated he does Gluten Free desserts and sugar free... I am so excited to have another party because this will be my selected choice for the best Desserts !!!!!!! read more

You gotta be kidding with these 4- and 5-star ratings. Somebody needs to get out and experience real desserts! Give this one a pass.