Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Little Barb’s Bakery

    4.2 (34 reviews)
    Closed 12:30 pm - 9:00 PM

    Little Barb’s Bakery Photos

    You might also consider

    More like Little Barb’s Bakery

    Recommended Reviews - Little Barb’s Bakery

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Slice of lemon raspberry cake
    Glenn G.

    I could have sworn I've written a Yelp review for Little Barb's before but maybe I haven't. At various times when we've popped into the Durham Food Hall, we've stopped here and gotten zucchini bread, cake slices, poptarts, cinnamon rolls and more. We enjoy supporting local businesses in Durham and have enjoyed the wares here. We've also seen their treats around town at other places like the Daily Beer Bar (monthly cake and beer pairing is wonderful). I saw someone else posted that the cake prices were high. They might be but the cake slices we've had were rich and delicious. We've also seen the owner at other events around town -- great to see that she supports other local businesses. We'll be back.

    Inspo pic from Little Barbs IG
    Brianna N.

    I ordered a cake for my friends birthday. The inspiration pic I used was a cake that was actually made by Little Barbs and posted on their Ig. I figured, great! This is what I want and I can clearly see that they can deliver. The only modifications I asked for was that the cake was circle shaped and not heart, and that the color scheme was neutrals and earthy tones. Otherwise, I said I liked the green that was on the cake I saw on the inspo pic. When I saw the cake (unfortunately I wasn't the one to pick it up) I was pissed. The cake was definitely not as thoughtfully decorated as the inspo pic. Just 3 colors: shit green, shit brown and white (we didn't ask for white and unfortunately the white color takes over majority of the cake ). If I say I like the green on the pic that they made, I like neutrals and earth tones, don't you think maybe the green I asked for would be on the cake? Maybe some tans? Nope. They didnt even get the writing done properly. It's all uneven and just basic piping that one would do when they're just starting out. Also, out of our party of 6, no one was jumping up for another slice. Ultimately the cake (and cupcakes) went to waste. So unhappy with this purchase.

    Inside Durham Food Hall!
    Juyoung S.

    Barb is the cutest and I love her baked goods! She makes a variety of baked goods from cookies to cinnamon roll to custom cakes. Follow her on Instagram for daily specials too!

    I ordered a cake for a "twinkle twinkle" themed baby shower, and little Barb's knocked it out of the park! The ordering process was easy. I was able to work with them to iron out details before placing the order. I provided the toppers. The cake was beautiful, and it was absolutely delicious. The flavor was vanilla with strawberry compote. The cake was moist and the icing was the perfect level of sweetness. I was anticipating leftovers as the cake was pretty big and my guests are not big on dessert. However, by the end of the party, there was only 1 piece left because it was such a hit! And to make things sweeter, the cake was very well priced compared to other local inquiries I made. They exceeded my expectations.

    Boston Cream Cake
    Michael ..

    Wow--no idea how this place has five stars. Felt way overpriced, cake was no better than mediocre (stale?), and for 8.50 per slice, expected considerably better. Of three patrons, no one ate more than half and these were not big slices. No idea how the other wares are. Wonderful woman at counter--maybe Barb? Hope this small biz can figure it out.

    See all

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 3
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    I'm addicted to the dulce de leche brownie but everything I try there is always so good

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Glenn G.
    105
    1187
    2048

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jen D.
    0
    16
    3

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 4

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of S K.
    0
    5
    3

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cat B.
    2
    51
    52

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Barbara N.

    Barbara N.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ariyah A.
    207
    11
    4

    2 years ago

    Hands down the best desserts in Durham. Talk about decadent, with perfectly balanced flavors. The gluten-free options are excellent, too.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Brenda N.
    130
    36
    14

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    This is an adorable little bakery. I highly recommend the cake pops, they're huge and the chocolate one is very moist and decadent.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kara W.
    197
    16
    1

    4 years ago

    Locally baked goods that are amazing and the perfect location in downtown Durham in the food hall.

    Business owner information

    Photo of Barbara N.

    Barbara N.

    Thank you so much, Kara!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Great location in central Durham. Delicious peanut butter pie. Great service. Locally owned, I'm assuming. Will definitely be back!

    Business owner information

    Photo of Barbara N.

    Barbara N.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Barbara N.

    Barbara N.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Incredible place with awesome treats. Barb is seriously amazing and so are her cheesecake bites

    Business owner information

    Photo of Barbara N.

    Barbara N.

    The feeling is mutual, Addison!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Barbara N.

    Barbara N.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Little Barb’s Bakery

    Review Highlights - Little Barb’s Bakery

    What I recommend: The brown sugar oatmeal cookie Little Barb's Bakery is a small but mighty spot inside the Durham Food Hall.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Bakeries 2,057 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Favor Desserts

    Favor Desserts

    4.2
    (98 reviews)
    6.9 mi
    $$

    I ordered my boyfriend a cake for his birthday and he recommended this bakery considering I don't…read moreknow good bakeries in NC. I called about 2 or so weeks in advance to order the cake said what I wanted I even asked if they did designs and the young lady on the phone said no, even though the website state you can place a custom cake order. I order Red Velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. I didn't want their standard 10" cake so I went with a 8" cake instead. The lady over the phone said I needed to pay for the entire cake upfront with bakeries I've ever ordered from only required a deposit or 50% of the cake price. I paid and was told I just needed to pick up the cake before they close the day the cake is ready. Cool beans! Fast forward I pick up the cake issue number 1 the writing on the cake is so sloppy it looked like a 5 year old could do better. It didn't fully say what I wanted it to say and when I asked if the writing could be redone the lady said there is no baker available. Okay? I picked my cake up at 3:30pm and there is no baker? I take my cake and leave it's nothing I can do about the cake situation at this point and leave. Once again I didn't pick this bakery my BF he said he knows the owner and explained the story about the owner turning a bad life situation into a good one. I believe the owners story is on the website as well. My boyfriend takes the cake out the fridge about an hour or so before cutting into it. I didn't want to complain about the cake but I'm sure my facial expressions said it all. He cuts the cake and and I eat it the middle of the cake is extremely moist and delicious but the closer you each to the edge of the cake it was overcooked dry asf... and burnt. The frosting within an inch of the frosting of the cake was dry and hard. Either the cake was still hot when the frosting was added or they left the cake out and the frosting got dry and hard. The cake was off putting and out right not good with all the textures of the cake going on. The frosting wasn't too sweet but the texture was just wrong. I called the very next day and was told to all the following day apparently, the didn't a a manager or supervisor that day once again I thought that was odd. I call again and finally have some luck. I speak with the owner who is friendly. He offers to remake the cake but it was for a birthday and we were kind of over it. He then ask what can he do? I asked him what can he do? Then I just say to be fair they used the ingredients to make the cake I would just like half my money back I paid for the cake. He agreed and he hoped the I would give them another try, why n I am not opposed to. The shop itself is super clean it's beautiful inside there is if I recalled a couple of tables and chairs to eat your desserts. The painting on the wall is cute. The is very spacious as well. I'm hoping the person who made my cake a bad baking day and I hope the cakes are not as bad I the one I received. I will just then another chance maybe not to bake my cake in the future, but try the other desserts in the dessert case.

    Durhams best cakes hands down. Argue with your momma. Great atmosphere, incredible service, scratch…read moremade, simply the best. The parking can be a challenge at times, so go ahead and prepare. Outside of that, this place is flawless in every way.

    Photos
    Favor Desserts
    Favor Desserts
    Favor Desserts

    See all

    Miel Bon Bons

    Miel Bon Bons

    4.3
    (82 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    Called in on a tuesday to get a last minute bday cake but they had a private event and wernt open…read more They still answered the phone and told me to come in the next morning and pick up a cake. The lady in front was super friendly and accommodating. Could definitely see the hard work in the product they make. I tried the yuzu lemon and lavender fog truffle. After trying it i knew the decadent chocolate cake was going to be delicious. Ended up getting a 10" cake which was plenty for 13 people with leftovers. Really good cake and decorated really nicely. Did not dissapoint. I would stop by and get another cake just to try it.

    Miel Bon Bons is a cute little artisanal chocolate shop and bakery nestled within Brightleaf…read moreDistrict! We got a pack of 8 chocolates (admittedly they did cost a pretty penny haha), which ranked from my most to least favorite are: 1. Horchata: So good, the horchata essence hit me as soon as I took a bite. Very cinnamony, very milky & creamy. 2. Passionfruit: I'm a sucker for anything passionfruit. The curd-like filling did not taste artificial at all. 3. Almond cardamom: Topped with a real almond, but more cardamom forward, reminded me of chai. 4. Hazelnut sassy monkey: Distinguished more coffee than banana, but it was there. Also liked the layer of crunch. 5. Raspberry lychee: The raspberry jam was strong and tasty, the floral essence from lychee was subtle. 6. Sesame matcha: Surprisingly citrusy? I did taste some bitterness from the matcha and appreciated the earthy sesame crust. 7. Ube: Sadly did not detect much ube flavor. 8. Earl grey lavender: Definitely the prettiest, but tasted like what I imagine soap would taste like. In terms of whether the chocolate is worth the price: I've never had this experience of trying such diverse and interesting chocolate flavors before so it was for me. Ambiance is nice, I think there was only outside seating. There's good parking nearby in the Brightleaf lots or on W Pettigrew St. Service was fast and friendly. 8/10 would recommend!

    Photos
    Pecan pie
    Pecan pie
    Macaroons!
    Macaroons!
    Miel Bon Bons

    See all

    Mad Hatter Cafe + Bakeshop

    Mad Hatter Cafe + Bakeshop

    3.4
    (547 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    Mad Hatter is an iconic establishment in Durham. On the corner in the Whole Foods shopping center…read morenear the Duke campus. I moved back to the area a couple of years ago and came here for the first time after many years. It hasn't changed much which is good. Order at the counter and get a number and they'll bring your food to you. The bakery case has lots of delicious choices including large cookies and scones. Service is fast and friendly. I got an avocado toast. I prefer fresh avocado to the creamy kind that comes out of a package but the bread was good as was the presentation and generous fruit garnish. I got an iced tea but I'm sure their coffee is good. It's kind of noisy because it has that industrial, almost cafeteria type vibe but it's a good place to go alone or with a friend because it's so consistent and reasonably priced for the portions.

    Warning, this reviewer strives to tell it like it is and use more of the scale than just four…read moreversus five. Ambiance is great. This is the place or one of the places to see or be seen. Nice facility layout, both indoor and outdoor seating. Hard to separate service from the quality of the food. These are where they fell short. Have been here several times over the years and the food was served in poor condition. Clearly the worst of all of our visits. Toast and eggs were room temperature upon delivery. We noted that servers were of a different caliber than in the past. Hopefully just the shift that we visited a Friday morning. Coffee good, not stellar. Bottom line of fun place to be and eat or enjoy socializing. Just the service and food did not keep up at least for this visit.

    Photos
    Inside dining
    Inside dining
    Wedding catering
    Wedding catering
    Super Bowl cookies and a latte

    See all

    Super Bowl cookies and a latte
    Buzzy Bakes Bakeshop

    Buzzy Bakes Bakeshop

    4.5
    (54 reviews)
    7.4 mi
    $$

    Came here for a post-dinner sweet treat! We got two cupcakes:…read more - Carrot Cake: Definitely my favorite of the two- loved the crunchy bits of carrot that provided textural diversity and the strong cinnamon essence. Also loved the cream cheese frosting. - Chocolate Blackberry: I wish this had more blackberries- the sour contrast & freshness of the berry was very much needed for (& delightful with) the heavy cupcake, but one berry was not enough. Other than the fruit on top, I couldn't really distinguish the berry flavor in the buttercream icing. Are these the best cupcakes I've ever had? Not really. Did they satisfy my craving for sugar? For sure. Their lattes & shakes actually sounded really good, will definitely try those if I come again. There's plenty of outdoor seating (with some inside seating) & parking. Really nice ambiance, fast service. 7.5/10 would recommend!

    We decided to check out this bake shop on a random Saturday afternoon after seeing some great…read moreflavors on their website. I'd say the overall experience was meh. The girl at the register was lovely, super sweet and friendly. The lady making the coffee drinks seemed to be in a bad mood. I was excitedly asking if they had any food truck events coming up soon and no one really said anything, the girl at the register apologized for not having more info. The cupcakes themselves were okay. The gluten free cupcake was super grainy and gritty, not good. The regular cupcakes were better but had way too much almond flavoring. I thought about getting a dole whip instead but it was over $7, which seemed really expensive. The best part of the visit was the coffee. Their iced coffee is awesome! I would come back just for a coffee but I will skip the cupcakes next time.

    Photos
    Baileys Irish cream cupcakes
    Baileys Irish cream cupcakes
    Buzzy Bakes Bakeshop
    Buzzy Bakes Bakeshop

    See all

    Ninth Street Bakery

    Ninth Street Bakery

    4.2
    (328 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $

    This is our favorite bakery in the area for several reasons. There is a wide variety of baked goods…read moreto choose from and nothing is too sweet. They make cookies, pastries, breads (pan loaf and hand-formed ones), soups, hand pies, and sandwiches. The variety is amazing. During the holiday season, they offer larger pies and have various seasonal goods to offer. But what's also wonderful is this bakery gives back to the community in many ways. During the height of the pandemic, they offered free bagged lunch to anyone who needed one. They also were (are?) part of the pilot project for Durham's guaranteed income. It looks to me that the owners/company are concerned about being good citizens of the community and that's a great thing. These days, so many companies get bought out by private equity companies. I hope this bakery continues to be locally owned and operated! (Also, generally this bakery isn't offering the very fancy European/European-ish style pastries which is fine by me. The prices are very reasonable, possibly in part because they aren't trying to make their baked goods a "high end" item. There are other good local bakeries that offer "high end" pastries, but they are also much less affordable and for my taste, too rich.)

    Cinnamon roll...tasty, flaky, warm, flavorful it was great. There was indoor and outdoor seating…read more Staff was great, friendly, and helpful. Will def go back!

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Chocolate brownie
    Chocolate brownie
    Chicken & tomato pesto sandwich, Mediterranean tuna sandwich

    See all

    Chicken & tomato pesto sandwich, Mediterranean tuna sandwich

    Little Barb’s Bakery - bakeries - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...