Not sure there's much value in reviewing this place, it's one of the rare "old school" bakeries…read moreleft in town - and very well known for it. But I thought I'd add my short review as an occasional consumer. They're consistently very good, reasonably priced, and nice folks to deal with. Donuts, pastries, cookies and anything else you find in the case are equally created in the "excellent" category. Side note - "old school" also means cash only :)

Great sugar cookies and amazing sandwich cookies. Also love the happy hour special - I think it's…read more2-4 on Tuesday - Thursday.

Everyone loved the cake. It was the star of the party. The flavor was amazing as well as the icing.read more

Here comes the bride and the wedding cake! Janet's delivered a delicious, beautiful cake (see pic!)…read moreand I'm here to share the details! We chose a white cake with raspberry filling and almond icing. Our guests left no crumbs - it was delicious and devoured! When it came to design, I asked for swirls and pink flowers (breast cancer survivor here!). The size you see fed 50. I am not from Bloomington, so Yelp helped me find Janet's Cakes and Catering. We live out of town and did all our planning and payment over the phone with Mike. Easy, breezy. Thank you, Janet's, for helping us celebrate our wedding day!

Just wow! We came to take a picture of the building for our Route 66 road trip! The cafe is gone,…read morebut the sweet shop is incredible! These are maybe the best cupcakes I've ever had! Super moist and flavorful! So happy we stopped in!

Got a sweet tooth? Maybe you know someone that does, then this is your place to go. Awesome cookies…read moreand super cupcakes. Get one or several. The friendly staff hooked us up with a couple of cookies and a mixed 4 pack of cupcakes for the road. Definitely going to stop again the next time I'm in town.

Best restaurant and food ever! The host is so amazing and the service here is incredible! Plus I…read morejust adore their decorations and the mood. Definitely would stop again.

Excellent food and service, very clean. I would recommend to anyone! Owner is helpful and…read morepersonable.

Review Visit: September 17th, 2014…read more Sugar. Spice. Everything nice. Like in a lot of smaller towns, you'll usually have or find a business that deals in candy. Sugary confections. Sweet treats. Candy from yesteryears. Soda (pop) in more varieties than you care for it to come in. Things you think you'd never see again and things you fall in love with. Holland's Mercantile fills that role for Washington, IL. My friend Matt and I decided to spend an afternoon exploring the Washington Square to see what the town and it's folk offered. The words on the front of the store's glass got me excited at the possibilities held inside. As we opened the door and headed in, the excitement increased tenfold. It was like being a kid in a candy store. Except that we are adults... in a candy store. Upon entering, I first noticed the long row of candy in the glass containers where you can scoop out as much as you want. Lining the walls were a million different candy from a million different times and cultures. I saw things I hadn't seen in years. They had stuff I didn't think existed in time where color TV is the norm. On top of the candy, they also had a display case full of baked goods. Whether these are made in-house or from a local bakery, I am not sure. Either way, the stuff looked fantastic behind the glass. Turtles. Truffles. Caramel Bars. It all looked so good that I think my blood sugar level elevated just looking at the offerings. This store has more than just candy, baked goodies, and sweets from everyone's childhood. They also had the novelty toys from the same time period the candy/sweets come from. There were novelty toys that tied in to current day trends but they also had toys that kids from our time would enjoy just as much as kids from the time from which they came. I also think there was a back room that was full of a combination of everything the store offered. On this day, I let my inner child run wild and I picked up a small sack full of candy. I didn't want to get too much because I don't have the best self-control when it comes to my sweet tooth. Next door is another Holland's store that offers up popcorn in many different flavors and even more soda to pick from. This store did remind me of the candy store from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, minus the Candy Man tossing candy to and fro. Though that would've been quite the sight to see. The store just has this feeling of being a great place to get your sweet tooth fix while reliving items from your childhood and also your parent's childhood. I will end this with a warning. If you have kids and bring them here... expect to drop a lot of money on sweets and toys. It's easy to spend a small fortune in a place like this. Also, don't let your kids see Holland's Caramelcorn next door. They might get loaded up on sugar and then get popcorn cheese everywhere. How sweet it is.

The best variety of popcorn indulgence is waiting for you at Hollands. It is hands down better…read morethan Garrett's! I make trips to central Illinois, and this is one of my must do stops!

The gluten-free bake goods are great. It's a shame that the business is being sold. We ordered a…read morecouple of Birthday cakes and they were excellent.

I went down to the farmers market yesterday at the arena to pick up some gluten-free items I had…read moreordered from Van meters. Not only was I able to get what I had previously ordered, but also picked up a few things that she had for sale there. My youngest daughter has celiacs, so that was the reason for going there, but I must admit, I did have to try one of the peanut butter blossom cookies it was AMAZING!! It's great to know that we have a gluten-free bakery here in Bloomington Normal will definitely be shopping with her again! Thanks to Van meters for such delicious treats!!

From the moment you enter this quaint bakery/deli/gift emporium you are greeted by the two ladies…read morethat own the business ( Betsy and Veronica) and their inviting hospitality. The space is loaded with unique gifts and a display case filled with homemade baked goods. My favorite "Momma V's sugar bread". Service was quick and good was delicious. I had a beef & cheese panini served with a side of English pea salad. My companions opted for the chicken salad on a croissant and the Colfax Club with chips. We all enjoyed. Side note that there is a homemade peanut butter machine so the menu includes a PB&J panini. Next visit I'm giving it a try. Menu items change with the seasons. You can also enjoy homemade soup of the day and several salad options. Seating inside for an estimated 20 or so. There are tables with umbrellas on the sidewalk weather permitting. We all agreed we would definitely come back. They also cater lunches and baked goods so I'd consider this for parties and holidays.

The staff was very friendly. Orders were taken off a very small menu. I had the autumn salad $11…read more Greens, bacon, feta, apple, cranberries and pecans with poppy seed dressing. It was good. Cherry pie for dessert. So generally the food was fine. It was very uncomfortable. The chairs were very close, uncomfortable with so very much decor on the tables. It gave me anxiety to be so cramped.

Maria did such a great job creating custom hedgehog cakes that our family requested. One was a…read morechocolate cake with chocolate icing and hedgehog spikes made out of chocolate, and the other was a yellow cake with chocolate icing and hedgehog spikes made out of slivered almonds. They were so creative and perfectly tailored to what we requested. The five year old who requested the cakes was very pleased, and everyone enjoyed the desserts. Delicious taste and creative presentation. Highly recommend Maria's work!

Cookies by Design in Bloomington-Normal is under a new franchise owner, since October of 2022!…read moreThere is also a bakery inside called Maria's Cakes, also owned by the same owner as Cookies by Design. If you need a custom cake, check out this shoppe! This bakery still offers delicious gourmet cookies, cookie bouquets, cookie baskets, cupcakes and sweet spots. They even have cake and brownie pops! Lots of variety to choose from! One of my favorite cookie is the Lemon Drop and decadent chocolate!