Northern Expresso

Worth the drive to Clare. Top quality cinnamon rolls, doughnuts and pies with that classic old…read moreschool flavor. You can't beat the friendly service or the old time prices, too!

Been coming here for ~20 years. My son would sing for Bob when he was only 12 or 13 while he was…read morepackaging our order up. Highly recommend the cinnamon rolls, glazed doughnuts and long John cream filled doughnuts cant be compared to. Great People!!!

Maple syrup, granola, cinnamon rolls

Cinnamon rolls

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Conley's Homestyle Bakery

4.9(22 reviews)

45.8 mi

When you are smack in the middle of rural Michigan it can be hard to find some things. Such as a…read moregood place to get a freshly made doughnut. If you happen to find yourself anywhere near Conley's though, you're in luck. They are "that" place. I am guessing maybe 20 or so different kinds of doughnuts. Also - apple fritters, and pistachio muffins. Yes they have coffee and juice and bread. And they do lunch too (soup with bread bowl!). Service is down home. Friendly. Fast. It's clean and bright inside like a traditional American coffee shop and bakery, with plenty of tables in a room big enough to have plenty of tables without knocking into the guy at the next table. Comfortable pace to enjoy your morning.

Solid donuts. We were in town and decided to swing by. The lady at the counter couldn't be sweeter.read more

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Fruitful Orchard and Cider Mill

4.3(18 reviews)

5.2 mi

Their cider is very good. Donuts were also very good, and the apple fritter my wife said was the…read morebest she has had. We definitely plan to go back. Their pricing was fair based on today's economy.

Blueberry pie was $25 no way, good but NOT worth the price. Average at best definitely over…read morepriced. If you go be prepared to pay inflated prices.

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2 The Moon Bakery

4.5(50 reviews)

43.4 mi

We stumbled on this cafe located right on 55 and impulsively decided to stop for an afternoon pick…read moreme up. I'm so glad we did! The vibe is welcoming and eclectic. My iced latte was perfect, and the bakery treats that we tried were very tasty. I had a peanut butter cookie - perfectly sweet and chewy. My friend had a blueberry turnover and a cappuccino. If you're driving through this cute town, do stop at this bakery. You won't regret it!

Always delicious and I really enjoy the food coming from local farms in the area. The food has…read moreamazing flavor and is consistently great. The service is also excellent! The employees are hardworking and enjoy their work. It doesn't have a ton of space inside to eat, but during the warmer months, the outdoor space is sufficient for larger groups.

That ceiling! Wow!

Brownie, peanut butter cookie, raspberry scone

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Annie Cakes

4.8(4 reviews)

23.9 mi

We love this place! Cute downtown bakery. Excellent customer service. Delicious cupcakes…read more Hometown pride and love for community. The cocoa bombs are to die for! Highly recommend driving to their cute shop and giving them a try.

To die for Cupcakes!! Usually I do not like cupcakes cause…read morethey tend to be dry and the topping is usually just very sweet but tasteless. I discovered this little gemstone when looking for a parking and decided to explore. What a great decision! Welcomed and greeted with a smile I got a little intro about the shop, the woman behind these amazing sweet little things and the ingredients used (natural flavors, freshly made daily, etc.). I was excited and took different cupcakes and a mini cheesecake home. And Boy, were they good. Flavorful, great taste, moist cake, not too sweet, fluffy consistency and a filling like from heaven!! I'm impressed with the attention to detail, beautifully decorated and no frosting or cake tasted the same, the all have different ones. So glad I found this place. We will be back for more. Thank you for having such an incredible selection and such wonderful sweet things.

Custom Wedding cakes

Tiramisu

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Blueberry pie cupcake

DetroitRustic

3.3(7 reviews)

25.1 mi

Great place to sit and grab a bite or pick up fresh baked goods to go…read more The owners and staff are friendly and the quality of the food is fantastic. My crew tried the breakfast sandwich on a fresh english muffin with sausage, breakfast burrito with bacon, berry bar, maple cinnamon bun, and a cinnamon pecan roll. All were fantastic! There are plenty of places to sit, clever signs and quotes to read, and even things to do like play tic-tac-toe or draw on a chalkboard. Their high-top seats face the golf course and The Pines Theater for a nice street view. The prices are certainly fair for the care and quality put into the offerings. The only challenge is getting there during their limited hours, but that also makes it kinda special too! The only chairmen

We got danishes, muffins and donuts on our last day of vacation here. Wonderful place! This is the…read morekind of place I wish every town had! Small, independent business with quality people and quality product! They offer breakfast and lunch too! Awesome place! Awesome food! Highly recommend!

Charred sausage n egg

Breakfast burrito with bacon

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Breakfast sandwich with sausage

Petit 4 Pastry

4.8(28 reviews)

41.1 mi

Another home run from petite for pastry... Rachel and her team. They are so amazing. The cake was…read moreexactly what we asked for visually and tasted even better. This little bakery serves up big time excellent cake.

Excellent. Moved back to Bay City after 30 years in NYC. So I miss very good food. Petit 4…read moresurprisingly hits the NYC mark. The cute little bakery's pastries are gorgeous. The weekly changing lunch menu has some outstanding dishes. Last week I enjoyed the Cajun bean soup on a cold day. The spicy warmth hit the spot. Had the delicious Cowboy Cobb salad today. Flavor mixture was great. I would have liked a few more bites of that moist chicken but the mixture of guacolmoli, beans, and spices was well done. Yum! And the staff ar friendly. I also like the points for shopping there. I get an occasional free cookie and such. Keep it up!

Petit 4 Pasty did it again! Birthday dreams come true! Thank you!

Shopkins Cake

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VanBrocklin's Bakery

4.3(8 reviews)

53.0 mi

I found this wonderful bakery last year, but they were not open the day I was passing by. I kept it…read morein my to go list, and today was the day. Wonderful people, fantastic baked goods. I purchased several items for friends and family.

Sadly it's gone. I so miss the rolls and doughnuts. They were the best. The new folks are not…read morebakers.

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Cops & Doughnuts - Clare City Bakery

4.1(221 reviews)

17.8 mi

Have traveled up north Michigan many times and always seen the billboard advertising Cops &…read moreDoughnuts in Clare. Made it a point to make this a stop on our travel route to Traverse City. So glad we did! It's in a small quaint downtown Clare. Street parking. Many different goodies to choose from, including donuts, cookies, mini cakes, and much more. They offer day "old" items as self serve in a separate area, so be sure to check it out for a great deal. They also have a storefront with jelly, salsa, cherries, honey and more. Also, tshirts and some other logo apparel and souvenirs. Staff is very friendly and helpful. They were very patient when we told them it was our first time and spent time looking at all the options. Very reasonable prices. Probably the freshest baked goods I have ever had. The apple fritter is hands down the best! Pieces of cut apples baked into the donut. Delicious! The blueberry donut has fresh and moist literally melted in my mouth. The chocolate cookie with chocolate frosting is a real treat, very sweet and can be shared. The list goes on and on... every single thing we had was delicious - you can't go wrong with anything! It was so good we made a stop in route going home. This is a definite must try! You may even find yourself making a special trip just to get more of their delicious goodies. Stop in - you won't be disappointed!

I had been hearing about Cops & Doughnuts for years now. Our usual route up to Traverse City…read moredoesn't typically go through Clare but this year we did find ourselves going through on a detour and I thought that would a good time to try the place. I have to say, after the years of hype, I was disappointed. First off, the storefront isn't anything fancy. And it doesn't have to be! Most of my favorite donut shops are no frills with florescent lighting and the same cabinets and pans they've used for decades. But it's a weird vibe because it's also kind of touristy? Like they know they get a lot of tourists so they sell merch and stuff, and the two just don't really mesh? IDK. We got a dozen donuts to munch on during the drive and take with us up north and they were just ok. A little too dense for my liking (I like a melt in your mouth, pillowy yeasted donut) and very, very sweet. One of the donuts we got was the maple bacon "squealer" and the bacon was limp and chewy. I also got an apple turnover and had an odd aftertaste and left a bit of a film on my tongue. IDK, it all just didn't' seem fresh? Like the options had been sitting on the shelf for more than 24 hours. Maybe we got them on a bad day? IDK. The staff was really nice though, and I know they do a lot for the community so I don't begrudge them of any success, and they do seem to have a playful sense of humor which is fun for the brand but I just wasn't wowed. I can't see myself going out of my way to get here again. If we're detoured, maybe, but I think we'd be better off coming earlier in the day for the freshest offerings possible.

Chocolate nuts

Decor props for picture taking

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Exterior with photo opportunity

Whole Grain Country Bakery

5.0(1 review)

32.3 mi

A great variety of breads and rolls and all available at the Midland Farmers Market every Saturday…read moremorning. My all around best favorite is "Snap Crackle Pop" Try some soon!

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1 review that is not currently recommended

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Paula W.

0

1

6

9 years ago

Hi Everyone! Northern Expresso was purchased by two independent owners and RE-OPENED September 12, 2016. WE are currently working on getting the listing updated with YELP to reflect the changes. The shop was updated with slight remodeling, paint, refinished floor and lots of elbow grease! Check out the updated photos. We still serve the same cinnamon rolls and muffins as the prior owners. We have regular house coffee as well as specialty coffees, smoothies, chillers, and Bubble Tea. Anything we make hot we can make cold for you!! We are open Monday-Friday 7am-5pm and Saturday 7 am-4pm. We would love to have you! Like us on Facebook for updates, soup of the day, and specials at NorthernExpressoGladwin read more

Northern Expresso - coffee - Updated August 2026

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