Utica Bread purchased Hemstrought's Bakeries. This location sells items from a cheese company along with Hemstrought cookies and half moons along with Utica Bread and Pastries. Love this location as it is larger and is the main bakery and they tend to have more of a selection. However, I got there early this morning and was shocked to see lot crowded with lots of out of state cars. Realized it was the Boilermaker weekend which brings in a large number of people. Can't complain as I got the loaf of bread I came in for. Love their italian bread. read more

See all

I placed an online order on March 23 for a special event and was charged immediately. Over the following weeks, I contacted the bakery multiple times and was repeatedly told the order had been made and shipped. Despite those assurances, I never received any shipping confirmation or tracking information--and the order never arrived. Because of this, we had to scramble at the last minute to replace the items for our event, which was both stressful and avoidable. The most concerning part of this experience was not just the failure to deliver, but the repeated claims that the order had shipped when it clearly had not, combined with a lack of ownership throughout the process. Multiple messages and calls went unanswered or unresolved, and no one proactively followed up. I also reached out directly to ownership and received no response. After nearly a month, a refund was finally issued--but only after continued persistence on my end. Polite interactions aside, the overall experience showed a serious breakdown in communication, accountability, and basic customer service. I would strongly encourage others to proceed with caution. read more

Best donuts around... i've traveled many miles to come to here there's no other place that has donuts these good highly recommend you stopping here for the first time you'll always come back read more

Amazingly satisfying baked goods from delicious breads to decadent fresh cookies, you will enjoy it!

I've been going here for years and always enjoy their half moon cookies. My favorite are the ones with the soft vanilla bottoms and pure vanilla top, a special order item. For today's trip we arrived at 3:00pm and they still had lots of half moon cookies for sale, however, they didn't have the orange and white individually for sale that I wanted to try. There was also no Utica bread left. I guess we will have to get there much earlier in the day next time. Service by the gentleman behind the counter was decent, but not overly friendly. The half moon cookies we bought were super fresh and super delicious! We also bought a cinnamon donut which was good, but nothing special. The cinnamon bun was soft and gooey inside, and great tasting. read more

See all

Best. Ever!!! Run, do not walk!!! Service is wonderful - the half moon cookies are to die for!!! read more

Halfmoon heaven I snagged a large package of chocolate, same with vanilla, and a little package of creamsicle! Nondescript white building small inside too but with lots of yummy desserts and cheeses too since Artisan Cheese is inside the bakery with plenty of sandwich and cheese options even grilled cheese. I grabbed a pint of chocolate milk the perfect blend of chocolate and milk not too thick or overpowering in flavor. Then I spotted the raspberry lemonade. Second level of heaven in a drink so good and not the tart aftertaste of a typical lemonade so so good. Halfmoons barely made it to the car before we all dove in. Cake bottom with creamy frosting flavored with chocolate, vanilla, or orange depending on the color just enough to let you know the flavor is there. Wish I loved closer but maybe it's better I don't. Next trip to Utica will stop again. Very helpful young lady took the time to explain everything they had she is very nice. Smells are delicious and bakery and cheese cases are full of items displayed. read more

Hemstrought's Bakeries - Chocolate 12-Pack Half-Moons Mini-Moons - Bakeries Near Me - Utica, New York

Last year my halfmoons arrived late after Christmas. This year I ordered custom halfmoons on December 12. UPS tracking kept saying they still didn't have possession of the package. Called and spoke with multiple people on multiple different occasions who guaranteed they would arrive by Christmas Eve. They said there was a UPS issue and it just wasn't updating. (Originally supposed to arrive Dec 19). It is now January 4th and they are still not here and UPS still doesn't have possession. Not one response to my multiple emails and now I can't get anyone to give me info on the phone or call me back. An actual scam. read more

The half moon cookies aren't fancy but are very good. They always have chocolate and vanilla black and whites, and they often have a seasonal or holiday variation. I get the baguettes here, and they have a nice selection of cheeses. Staff are friendly and helpful. The service area isn't large so it can get crowded. If there's a wait customers usually chat with one another and make recommendations. They have plenty of parking. read more

Don't buy from this bakery unless you want to throw money away. My bf ordered halfmoons 3 weeks ago they never shipped, lied, and stopped responding. They sent no cookies and kept her money including the extra she pd for quick ship. They also blocked her so she is not able to leave a review. I didn't even know this could be done. I would leave a zero star if possible. This is a bad move on their part as she has a thriving business in Syracuse with many customers residing in and around Utica. read more

Hemstrought's Bakeries - Lyncourt Bakery in Syracuse for the win - Bakeries Near Me - Utica, New York

I would never order from this company again. I ordered St. Patrick's Day half moons with vanilla bottoms. I was sent the chocolate bottoms instead and the frosting was all stuck to the top of the packaging. I emailed and sent pictures and I was told they could send a replacement order but since it would not arrive in time I asked for a credit since they made the error. After trying to contact them again they would not respond. After this I have now seen other reviews where this company will not respond to customers. I would never order from this company again. read more

I don't like these cookies. The frosting is sugar frosting and not the hard frosting it should be on a black and white. Way too sweet. The sun up is pure sugar and no flavor. Cardboard like cookies as well. I have had my fair share of black and whites from many many places and this is definitely the bottom of the barrel. read more

Hemstrought's Bakeries - Sun-Up - Bakeries Near Me - Utica, New York

Black and White Cookies or Half Moons are available in this small corner bakery when others in town seem to be all out. Their sign outside also says they have a special Utica bread. My goal, however, was just these cookies. You can buy them in packs of 4, or 12 and in different cookie sizes; small and really big. I also found a a white cookie with half vanilla and half orange frosting. They're called Sun Ups. Depending on what you're looking for I thought the Sun Ups were less sweet than the Half Moons. Supplies of these cookies are low (or non-existent) throughout other bakeries I stopped at while in Utica. Both cookies were good, but my money is on the Sun Ups. Store parking was good, social distancing was being observed and staff were friendly and masked. read more

After ordering dozens of cookies, and spending hundreds of dollars over the last 4 years I will NEVER do business with this place ever again. Here's why: 11/30/23: After I placed my order Janice called me and told me the 2 pairs of earrings I ordered were out of stock and they would not be shipped. I told her to go ahead and just credit the $40 ($20 x 2) back to my card. 12/15/23: I called back and spoke to Janice after the order arrived and there was a mistake with the coconut cookies (I ordered chocolate bottoms - was sent white bottomed) and to add this $15 to the credit for the out-of-stock earrings ($40) she told me about, bringing the total credit to $55. She said that she would process the credit of $55 for the canceled earrings and the mistake with the coconut cookies TODAY, and that the credit would show up in a few days. 12/22/23: The $55 credit she supposedly processed last week was still not showing up, so I called back and Spoke to Jeff (very nice, helpful) said that they have been crazy busy and that Janice is processing the orders and credits now that the shipping rush for Christmas is over. I asked him to take a message and have her call me ASAP as my credit still was not showing. I never got a call back. 12/28/23: I called back AGAIN and spoke to Jeff. I told him I wanted to speak with Dan the owner, as this is now 2 weeks later and nobody has processed my refund or even bothered to call me back or return a single email. Jeff said that he will pass the message on to Dan and that Janice works out of a different office. I told Jeff I would call Janice at the number that came up when she called me about my order. Of course, nobody answered that number, but I left a message with that voicemail anyway. I then decided to send a message on their facebook page, and never got a reply from that, either! Later that night I decided to open a case with my CC company as have gotten nowhere with this company due to their incredibly poor level of both competence and customer service. Today is Friday 12/29/23, and I still have not gotten a SINGLE CALL, returned email, or facebook message. I am absolutely appalled by the lack of anything resembling customer service from this company. The fact that I have called 3+ times and never gotten a call back, and then sent numerous emails and have not gotten a single reply is pathetic. read more

Honestly, I was a doubter. I've seen the halfmoon in every store in the whole mohawk valley and I've been confused about them. I might get run out of town for saying it, but the cookie is fine. So I went to Hemstroughts thinking of getting anything that had one single flavor for the whole pastry. Ended up getting a box of butter cookies, a chocolate croissant and a coffee. The main item is obviously the Half moon so with my restriction on not buying half anything, I was a little disappointed with the selection, but the quality was there. First off, good coffee. No bakery has any business serving bad coffee and they still do a good job with that. Second, the butter cookies were actually surprisingly good. I didn't really expect this, since they're just whole cookies, but they were a hit with the in-laws too who don't tend to like Utican pastry. The croissant was actually really impressive. Just the right level of crispness in the pastry and that choice french-style chocolate that's not too dark. All in all now I have to struggle to resist coming back every Friday on the way to work, and thats how you know a place is good. read more

Rips offs! Purchased and was promptly charged on my cc, for 3 dozen half moons to be shipped to me. They got my money, I never got the cookies and no communication from them either after ONE asking if they could substitute size. I said sure. Never heard from them again. I have had to dispute the charge on my cc. SOOO disappointed in them! NOW we see why their bakeries failed. Don't trust them to ship! You WILL regret it. I KNOW I did! read more

Halfmoons are the best in the world. I recommend. It smells like heaven when you walk in. They have a cool assortment of cheeses which I have yet to try. They were baking bread fresh when I walked in. There's not a huge range of products but who cares when you make halfmoons like that? By the way, don't call them "black and whites", you're in Utica- they are halfmoons! read more

See all

The OG halfmoon can be found here, and it's the best in town. The cookie part is just the right consistency, not too doughy or too fluffy. They also have cookies with vanilla bottoms and something called Sun Ups (half orange, half white frosting) if you're into that sort of thing. They ship nationally if you want to send your favorite Utica expat a special something. Utica Bread and Artisanal Cheese products are available here also. Fresh Utica Bread, croissants, and cookies are available Thursday-Sunday. They usually have day old breads and pastries on Mondays next to the cash register. I haven't found any cheese there that wowed me, but they are decent if you only want to go to one place to do your shopping. There is also a random assortment of chips, crackers, and honey. A nice spot off the arterial with plenty of parking on Oswego Street. Cash/credit accepted. read more

Deliciousness going on here! The Original Half Moon haven and they are great. Lots to choose from and great service.

Everything we tried was fantastic. Went for half moons and came out with half moons, danollis, and a raspberry zinger type cake. All of them were great. Super nice service. Will definitely be back. read more

Stopped by here for some baked goods to go when my friends and I were in the area a few months ago. I love black & white cookies, and saw that they carried a regional variety of it called half-moons. I got a small pack of them, along with a coffee, and a loaf of their sourdough and a focaccia as well. The half-moons were okay. I think I prefer the white frosting on my black & whites to be more like icing than the style that they were here. The breads were all really good, though, and the coffee was decent also. A good spot to drop on by to pick up some tasty baked goods. read more

After 4 1/2 weeks I'm still waiting for my half moon cookies that were supposed to be shipped out weeks ago. I guess I'm gonna have to go back to my charge card and ask them for a refund because it doesn't look like I'm getting them now I don't want them the right hand. Doesn't know what the left hand is doing. that's for sure. thank you for the runaround. read more

Terrible experience at Christmas. Followed their directions to the t. Cookies arrived after Christmas, frosting had separated and they were a mess. Of course they were stale because they were over a week old even though we paid for 3 day shipping. All attempts to contact the bakery were completely ignored. Customer service was nonexistent even though I was assured I would be contacted. Totally disappointed. Had to dispute the charge with the credit card company because Hemstrought's doesn't have any loyalty or responsibility to it's customers. read more

This Bakery is right off of Rt 12 onto Oswego St. It is a flat one-story building, and it has a sign now. The kids working there are nice, but the man is not very friendly. We like the bread products from Utica bread, but we are often disappointed when they are they sold out. Their sesame semolina loaf is the best around, in our opinion. The raisin walnut bread is scrumptious and satisfying. The sticky buns on Saturdays are a guilty pleasure. The pretzels are a great find. This bakery also sells the famous half moons, jelly donuts, croissants, some cookies, and cheeses. No cakes. read more

Very good! This is a special place. I did not get the famous half moon cookies, but the focaccia, the tomato pie, the pie bar, the apple turnover and chocolate croissant were all delicious. I found this place randomly and brought an assortment back to the family at our hotel. I figured it would be more special than breakfast at IHOP or something else while on our road trip. Great place! Great service. read more

I don't know how this place is getting 4 & 5 star reviews. The bread we purchased was literally tasteless . The pastries tasted like something you get at the grocery store. It all went in the trash. read more

Rye to die for and I am a nyc transplant! When you also see the bakery items, breads, bagels and an unbelievable assortment of artisan cheeses, bring $$ ,its hard to say NO ! read more

Been a customer for over 80 years and have never been unhappy with my order. The black and white cookies have been our favorate. Great bakeries and good food items. Howard read more

We went for the Black and Whites -highly recommended that we try them. Honestly, I don't get it. They were bland. We didn't finish them. HOWEVER- the croissants were some of the best I have ever had anywhere in my life. Go for the croissants and try a cookie. read more

We went in to the bakery looking for an old fashioned donut with chocolate icing which just don't seem to be made in New York. The place is clean, the staff friendly and helpful and an interesting selection of products, including cheese. Even though they did not have what we were looking for they suggested other bakeries that might be able to help us. While there I bought a loaf of rye bread, we ate a piece right out of the bag, which was fresh and good tasting, but when I got home I toasted it, yumm-o. I highly recommend a visit to this bakery, see for yourself. read more

Half moon cookies are my absolute favorite cookie. Since I've moved to Florida I have been craving that amazing cookie that no one else can seem to create down here! Many people in Florida don't even know what a half moon cookie is. One day I did some research on the internet and came across Hemstrought's Bakeries and told my boyfriend about it. For Christmas this year, he had his mother order me 2 dozen! I'd never had the cookies from here before and OH. MY. GOD. AMAZING. Hands down the best half moon cookie I've ever had. Yes, I ate all two dozen, with the except of 3-4 that I shared :) read more

Hemstrought's Bakeries - Bakeries Near Me - Utica, New York

I never realized until later in life that half-moon cookies were a regional thing, invented by the founder of Hemstrought's Bakery and only found in Upstate NY. Well, what I wouldn't do for one now. It's a softer, chocolate version of the vanilla black & white cookies immortalized in episode 74 of Seinfeld and found all over NYC. I've heard that you can order frozen cookies to be shipped and will definitely have to give that a try! read more

For me nothing is better than when I can return home to Utica and get my beloved half moons. I also need to point out that their molasses or wine drop cookies and tomato pie are amazing too. AND THANK GOD THEY SHIP AROUND THE COUNTRY!!! I have been all round the US & world for that matter, and have never found anything close to Hemstroughts half moons! Please keep making them! read more

The cookies and the price are excellent. Odd location, I didn't even see a sign, but they were open. read more

I ordered half moon cookies which were shipped to my home in California . Individually wrapped , into a plastic carton then bubble wrapped. They came in perfect condition ! . They were as fresh as I would have bought them in New York and taste amazing ! Thank you so much for the care you put into your products. read more

Hemstrought's Bakeries Halfmoons are absolutely delicious. Every year for the past 20 years I go back to visit my family outside of Syracuse. A trip to Utica or Rome NY is a must, The halfmoons from Hemstrought's Bakeries simply melt in your mouth. The soft chocolate bottoms with the rich smooth chocolate and vanilla frosting blend so perfectly to create the best Halfmoon I have ever encountered. The original recipe has been put online for people who wish to create this masterpiece in their own home for their families. You can also order them directly from Hemstrought's to get their original masterpiece. Yes, Hemstrought's has created many magnificent bakery items and breads but their Chocolate Half Moons will always be at the top of my list for a deliciously smooth and decadent cookie. Try one and I promise you will gone the fan club of all who have savored Hemstrought's Half Moons ( called Black and Whites in other areas). This sounds like an advertisement I know, but these babies are utterly fantastic! read more

Best half moon cookies and chocolate fingers,can't get enough of these any where else.

The delicious mini-moons they baked for us were the perfect 'taste of Utica' to add to wedding welcome bags!