How sweet it is!…read more Let's preface this blog post by saying that The Sweet Bean is set to close on May 13th. Not only did I recently hear about this place for the first time but in the same breath I heard they were closing. So, I knew it was a high priority to check it out. It just so happens that my girlfriend also loves coffee and sweet treats, so we booked it there the first chance we got. I'm not too familiar with the inner workings of how Pekin is laid out so I never would've stumbled upon this place without either being told about it or finding it on Yelp/Google/other sources of information. Thank gosh for GPS We arrived in the later part of the morning once we woke up and got moving for the day. We both were in need of some coffee and something to put in our bellies. Upon entering, we were greeted by a friendly person behind the counter who ended up being the owner. She asked us what the photo taking out front was about and I briefly mentioned how I like to try out local coffee places. She said they only have the basic coffee choices as they are more of a bakery and I said that as long as you serve coffee, that is good enough for me. Emily got a flavored cold brew and a giant turtle cookie and I got a plain cold brew and a dark chocolate cherry... scone? I'm not 100% sure it was a scone. I just pointed at what I wanted and she told me what it was but was too distracted by all the delicious-looking treats in the display case to remember what she said. The total for two 16 ounce drinks and two baked goods was only $13. That is a really good deal, imo. We snagged a table and sat there, sipping our coffees and trying each other's snack. Emily was jealous of my treat and I was a bit jealous of her treat. They were both super delicious and I am glad we got them heated up as I think that really make their homemade deliciousness POP. I couldn't get over how thick and chewy my treat was. It tasted exactly like how it sounds but cranked to an 11. The cold brew was just that. Long-steeped coffee over ice. I don't think I've ever had a cold brew that wasn't just that and that is perfectly fine in my book While we were checking out, we noticed some stickers for sale. I tried to buy 2 but was told I had to use venmo to pay for the stickers as they were being sold by an independent seller. We ended up grabbing 5 for $15 once I worked out how to pay the person directly. This might be the first time I've seen something sold in a store that wasn't able to be rung up at the register. I didn't get a photo of the 5 we bought but you can rest assure they are mostly coffee-themed. I am truly sad this place is closing up it's doors. You can see on their FB page the reasons why so I won't go into that here. Make sure you pop in while you can before the oven is turned off for good.

Love this new little place in town! Fresh homemade muffins - love the banana nut, wow. Haven't…read moretried anything else yet but the coffee is great too. Comes from a coffee place in Peoria that roasts their own they said. Really good. Beats Starbucks any day

I like to buy their treats for service above and beyond!…read more Everyone loves their iced cinnamon rolls and their pecan rolls! The staff is always so friendly and quick to serve you! They have lots of choices so I doubt you will ever be disappointed!

I loved this bakery, I especially liked the small pies, crust is always baked well with lots of…read morefilling and topping. Their cream pies are wonderful and the fruit pies also I just tried the brownies and were wonderful. Going to try the cheesecake next but sure I'll not be disappointed. The staff is always pleasant and helpful.

This is THE BEST bakery in the Peoria area noone talks about! If you are wanting gourmet…read morebrownies/cupcakes/cookies stop here! Prices are decent and portions generous! My go to spot for cocktail sauce, random seafood deli dishes and basket fillers like local honey/jam/crackers. Fantastic seafood spread and coffee also!

Purchased seafood platter for holidays , amazing! Everything so fresh , difference over grocery…read morestores! Purchasing again for New Years .

Simply Sweet Cakes is great. The cupcakes and cakes are delicious. The owners are wonderful,…read morefriendly people. The shop is an inviting space. I love to go there for my cupcake cravings!

The cake was delicious! I would order online or in person, though. I ordered over the phone and…read morewanted a cake for no special occasion that I planned on sharing with friends. I was not specific enough in my directions, though, so I got a frosted cake with no color, no flowery decorations, and writing that I did not ask for on it. But it was delicious, which is why I ordered it in the first place.

I am now the designated cookie delivery person for my coworkers back in Macomb…read more I come to Peoria about once a month, and usually with a list of cookies to pick up. There is almost always a line, but everyone is pleasant and it usually moves pretty quickly. This last time, I'd just finished placing my order and hadn't even stepped away from the register yet and they already had my order done and waiting on me. Love this location and the workers.

The pie and cake like cookies are so much better than their flavored cookies that always makes me…read morefeeling sick!

Four scones and thirty years ago…read more.. This place is hopping! Maria and I made plans to get some coffee and I suggested Four30 scones since it's been on my radar for a few years now. We dropped in around 10:30am and almost all the indoor and outdoor seating was full with a line from the register to the door near the registers once we got in line. Maria was getting a bit flustered at how busy it was but I could tell the staff was doing their best and going as fast as they could since they also had a long drive-thru line to contend with. I grabbed my usual americano and since I was hungry, I got a cheddar bacon sausage biscuit to give my coffee something to wash down. Despite how busy it was, both the drink and the sandwich came out fairy quick. The americano was a bit inoffensive, which is a bit of a letdown since I love a good strong punch of bitter with them. It was still good, flavor-wise, just a bit of a miss on the bitter. The cheddar bacon biscuit sandwich was good but as I reflect back on it, I think it was about $6 for a small sandwich and it seemed like one they had pre-made and just heated up. Again, good but not much bang for my buck but that might just be the world we live in these days. Once the crowd finally died down, Maria and I headed outside and chatted until the afternoon sun started to bake us alive. Getting baked by the sun at a bakery. Haaaa! With how busy it was, the interior of the place is pretty small, so if you are going to try and settle in to do some homework or work meetings, this might just not be the place for you. Quick little hangouts or grab and go is the best option for this place. Overall, I think Four30 Scones was pretty good and I would go back if I was in the area. Parking can get pretty tight if they are busy and the drive-thru seemed to be non-stop hopping so that's a good indicator that this place is going to become a Morton staple if it hasn't done so already. On a side note, there is a big glass window that lets you see into their bakery operations if you are inclined to watch them make the scones. I didn't get to snap a photo since the seats in front of the it were occupied.

Service was great and good amazing. The staff was very helpful in different options.read more

this place is a gem! that hit every check point to a great night on my girlfriends birthday!!…read more Bucky(great guy and stellar waiter!) took great care of us. we have some dietary preferences that we never impose on a place. we know our way around a menu and what we can and can't do. they really don't like tinkering with the dishes as they believe they are perfect the way they are(and they are right). however, the kitchen was gracious enough to do one of their pizzas without fresh motz and added beautiful heirloom tomatoes. we both agreed, Dave Portnoy would of gave it a 10...incredible!! the carrot appetizer as insane...bread perfect...everything was amazing. ambiance was perfect, lit dimly but not too much. glass/china was beautiful and looking at the open kitchen was soooo cool!! Bucky even brought out two glasses of Sauternes to help celebrate the occasion and made my GF's heart melt. every staff that touched the table was so nice and personable. thanks again for the amazing night!! couldn't of been better!!!

The food at this place was killer! The patio and the weather today weather was a perfect combo! We…read moregot the breakfast platter and the amazing confit potatoes, and the pork burger with fried egg. Both dishes were very good, so so good! The bacon was super nice, the mustard on the burger was ridiculously yummy. Did I mention those confit potatoes? Haha yeah I did, they were, off the chain, a dill garnish and some orange aioli that set it off!! The inside although we didn't spend much time inside was super cute, and has that riverfront done well vibe! A place you want to be in! This would have been 5 stars BUT The 18$ Bloody Mary! This was a TRAVESTY! It reads so well on paper....... Then you get it, it was the most flaccid Bloody Mary I have EVER had! It was basically a tomato juice and possibly maybe somewhere in there was any hint of some vodka, not the vodka that it advertised. The weak ass 4 little tiny pieces of prosciutto and cheese was a sad excuse for the oversold garnish. If the food wasn't as good as it was, this place would have gotten a 3 stars for overall. Note to the owner: Please revamp this ASAP! There's a huge culture behind a solid Bloody Mary and it's not hard to perfect one. It needs spice and life and it was just sad. Ok back to the review... GO HERE! If like me, you are looking for good food.... This is the spot! About me: I am a fresh transplant from Arizona, particularly the southwest, we're there's a Bloody Mary or Chelada, or a huge selection of hot sauce in almost every place you can eat. I love supporting local! I love business done right. If you read this far, aside from the bloody this place is on my peoria MUST EAT list!

Thanks for the special request of the Dr. Seuss cookies! They were perfect and my student enjoyed…read morethem for our Read Across America day.

I stopped going to the local bakeries years ago when the two main businesses started going down…read morewith taste and quality in my opinion. THEN...someone introduced me to this business I had never heard of. WOW...if you haven't been run...don't walk! They have SO MANY sweet treats and all really delicious. Their prices reasonable, outstanding quality, love you can buy individual treats and drum roll...you can get individual squares of wedding cake. *The crowd goes wild* No joke I've had almost everything there I think and they are without a doubt the best cookies, cakes, breads, brownies and treats I've ever had in this area. They even topped the famous chocolate frosting that at one time I thought was the most amazing thing to ever hit central IL. Favorites are smores bars, chocolate dipped marshmallows and fruit and nut breads. This is my new it place for special occasions and treating myself! It blows away every other bakery in the Peoria area!