I've seen Ortiz Bakery at the Riverfront Farmers market many times, but never stopped. I was on the…read morehunt for authentic tres leches cake for my mom's birthday and this bakery seemed like it would be the best choice. I was a little confused when first arriving opening the door to a number of bakers racks in the middle of the floor - it felt like you were entering the 'back door'. There was also a slightly unsettling 'alarm' that rang as the door was opened, not your typical 'ding dong' of a shop door. I picked up 5 pieces of tres leches cake - $4 a piece... a definite value! The gentleman behind the counter diligently and carefully packed each dripping moist piece of cake into its own to go box. Each piece of cake is topped with a glazed strawberry half - the cake was absolutely delightful. Moist, creamy, utterly delicious! I will definitely be back and highly recommend!

Review Visit: June 27th, 2013…read more The place for Mexican baked goods in Peoria. Laura and Matt told me about this little bakery in Peoria that I had to check out. So, doing what I do, I told them to meet me there the next chance we go. We grabbed Tim along the way and headed there for some baked goodies. I will admit that I had no idea what the place was when I was told about it. All I heard was a Mexican bakery I need to check out. I didn't know what to expect but what we experienced was definitely not what I imagined. Most bakeries, when you think of them, are those glass display cases loaded up with tons of bakery items. Breads, cookies, rolls, etc. When we stepped in Panaderia, it was all that and then some. They had the display cases full of stuff but they also had these metal rack holders with racks of baked goods on them. Whether there were for public purchase or they there using the main part of the building as a cooling off area, I don't know. But the smells were overwhelming, in a good way. The place smelled heavenly, even if I wasn't sure what I was smelling. We moved over to the display cases and started to pick out a few things. Some of the things were easy to figure out while a few of the things required us to ask the cashier what they were. He was more than willing to help us pick out our snacks. We all picked out a handful of goodies and headed out. I didn't realize until after we left that they sold pizza as well. That seems odd at first but if you think about it, it does make some sense. Do you not bake a pizza? Don't bakeries bake things? Just put 2 and 2 together and you have a winning combo. As we walked to the car, we snacked on the goodies. I tried to stick to the safe stuff that I knew I would like but I did get a few unknown things as well. It turned out, even the safe bet food took me by surprise. A chocolate chip cookie is a chocolate chip cookie but you add cooking methods used by different ethnic groups and you can find some nuances in how the final cookie tastes. Panaderia is just that. Offering you things that you are familiar or unfamiliar with but adding a bit of Mexican-style of baking to it. My treats were delicious and I have been wanting to go back to get more and to try their pizza out.

Environment: GREAT I will definitely come there again!…read moreThe environment is so nice. And the mini golf was so much fun in such a beautiful place!

Review Visit: June 13th, 2016…read more A perfect combination of fun and delicious. I have, admittedly, been here many times before June 13th. But that is neither here nor there. The only thing you need to know is that this place has cheap mini golf and some of the best ice cream around. The mini golf portion is about $5.50 a person, young ones being cheaper. The course is your typical 18 holes. But this course is quite challenging and I have only sunk a few Hole-in-Ones here. There is a sweet deep blue fountain/waterfall that runs through most of the park. My ball has gone in the water more times than I care to admit. The challenging but fun course aside, the real gem here is their ice cream. Imported all the way from Madison, Wisconsin, this is some of the best that I have. It easily is in my Top 3. My usual is a Caramel ChocoLatte. Sooooo good. The company they get it from is called Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream and I really want to visit Madison, Wisconsin one day to have ice cream directly from them. All in all, a great place to spend an afternoon putting balls and devouring ice cream. This is actually one of the few places on my blog that falls into two categories. Mini Golf and Ice Cream Shack, since you can pop in and enjoy ice cream without ever stepping on the green.

Review Visit: May 13th, 2015…read more This ice cream is '¡muy caliente!" I knew Mexican soda was a thing but Mexican ice cream? Not in the capacity to have it's own ice cream shack. Well, queue my surprise when I learned that there was a Mexican ice cream shop in Peoria. One that has a name that leads you to think that maybe... just maybe this place is delicious. Doing what I normally do (as avid readers of this blog will know), I gathered up one of my friends who likes to travel (Matt) and we headed over the Illinois River (not the Peoria River) to get some ice cream (and add more bracketed comments to this paragraph for no reason). The location of Las Delicias is a bit of an odd one. Actually, those whole road of shops is not a greatly planned out area. You have all these shops along Main St but the parking situation leaves a lot to be desired. You usually have to hunt for a place to park and sometimes walk a small distance to your destination. I just wanted to put this in here as a warning should you want to venture down Main St. Matt and I found a place to park and headed in. Upon entering, we were greeted by a friendly cashier and shop that was small and felt homely (in a good way). This place truly felt like it was a family-owned. Matt and I browsed the handful of offerings and I was surprised by the flavors. Granted, this was over 5 years ago, so I don't remember the specifics and I failed to take a photo of what was being offered at the time. I grabbed some kind of strawberry ice cream while Matt got himself some flavor that I never heard of before. We paid for our ice cream desserts and headed out. I think there were a few chairs inside to sit but due to the small-sized of the restaurant, we opted to eat outside as we walked back to my car. I am a sucker for strawberry (and peanut butter) flavored treats. At this point in my life, I had quite a few different strawberry-flavored items but this one is the only one that instantly blew me away. Something about the quality of this dessert was unreal. It was far and above beyond anything you would find in the store unless you option for the expensive stuff. This stuff tasted homemade and had love in every scoop. I can't properly describe how much I loved this ice cream cone and how sad I was when it was gone. If you find yourself in Peoria and are on a circuit of trying out all the ice cream places, this one needs to be at the top of your list. You won't regret it. If you do go and you do regret it, lo siento. That's what life is all about though, right? Trying new things and seeing what the world has to offer.

Great variety it options, traditional and non-traditional flavors and very consistent in quality! I…read morelove going here for the yogurt cups and horchata as well!

Review Visit: September 29th, 2013…read more "Do you want to go to The Ice Cream Shack?" "Sure! Which one?" "THE Ice Cream Shack." "Right, but which one? Peoria has a ton of them." "It's a place called THE ICE CREAM SHACK." "Ohhhhhh..." I imagine that is a common conversation among people when they are talking about coming here. I know there was some slight confusion between my cousin and I when we made plans to check this place out. After spending the afternoon hiking at Forest Park Nature Center with my friend Tim and my cousin's family, we needed some sugary treats to recharge our batteries. The kids were vocally loud in their agreement on getting ice cream. So, we hopped in our cars and headed over. I had been by this area quite a few times and never realized there was an ice cream place. The building itself is a bit recessed from the road and doesn't really have an outlandish look that some ice cream shacks have. So, you can end up driving by without noticing it (as I have). It was a slow when we pulled up so there was plenty of parking for our two vehicles. We hopped out and walked on up to the window to figure out what we wanted. Luckily this place doesn't have a million different options to pick from like a lot of places. Their menu is simplistic and focused on ice cream with a small selection of non-frozen desserts to pick from. On this day, I snagged a Peanut Butter Cup-flavored wizard. As we waited for our snacks, I eagerly anticipated getting a peanut butter cup-themed wizard staff and hat to go with my delectable. When they called my name, I sprinted up to the window to get my goodies. What they gave me was just the wizard that I ordered and no garments or anything else. Dream crushed. I'm kidding. We all got our orders in a fairly quick time as there weren't many people there. I don't recall what everyone else got but we took some funny photos while scarfing down our sugary dairy products. Everyone seemed to enjoy what they ordered and after goofing around a bit more, we parted ways. Not only did the kids get to be kids jacked up on ice cream and hiking, us adults got to be kids at heart while being goof balls loaded up on sugar.

I don't understand for the life of me why a business can't accept credit cards. It's 2025 not 1910,…read moreare the owners that cheap? It's not like their prices are low enough to justify it. They actually cost more than Dairy Queen. Once I saw that and there prices I just turned around. I just can't support a business that can't support itself

We stopped in to grab a dark rye sea salt chocolate cookie! They are always so good! The pastries,…read morebreads, and cookies are all delicious here!

Got the hot honey chicken sandwich for lunch and it was amazing! If you're going for a light lunch…read moreorder something else because this thing was huge.

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.

Review Visit: May 5th, 2013…read more The iconic ice cream cone-shaped building in the heart of East Peoria, IL. If you are a resident, you have probably driven by this place many times. Some of you may have even stopped in for a bite to eat. I have stopped by many times myself since I live close to it. Each time, the ice cream never disappoints. I have gotten the food a few times and while it is cheap, it's also only 'okay'. Not that the food is terrible in any way, it's just that could use a little lovin' while being cooked. My special item I get here isn't even on the menu. It is a strawberry ice cream with chunks of waffle cone in it... while served in a waffle cone. It is divine!

Absolutely the service is fantastic the tenderloin our world famous and is made with (love)! I…read moretotally recommend this restaurant! Bekah Grys- from Central Illinois riding therapy

Quick stop for a quick pick-me-up…read more I've always known about this place and actually came here for a Christmas-themed sample party with my friend Maria back in winter of 2024 but knew I would need to come back and visit it properly. Finally came that time on a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon. I thought there was a small coffee menu from my prior visit but alas, the owner only makes brewed coffee by request. Emily and I both needed some caffeine so we requested a cup of their normal coffee, despite being offered a flavored one to pick from, too. The owner was super nice and friendly while we sat there and waited for the coffee to brew. We got our coffee and were offered free refills, which we took her up on before leaving. We decided to sit there for a bit to let the caffeine hit before we hit the town for some antiquing and thrifting. For it being drip coffee, it may have been the best I've had in a looong time. I put a little sugar in there and it was the perfect blend of smooth, flavor, and caffeine. They do sell syrups but I am not sure how much tweaking of drip coffee they offer, which is fine with me since I usually like my coffee black. Despite the small size of the dining area, this place is very cozy. It has the vibe and feel of someone who has been dreaming of a tea room since childhood. They have little knick knacks and various other things for sale besides coffee and a food menu. Speaking of which, I wouldn't mind popping in for a lunch sometime to see how that is. Any who, if you need a cozy little place for a cup of good coffee and possibly a good meal, Emerald Tea Room might just be that thing for ya.

Quiet little tea room that has delicious, made from scratch food that satisfies! Desserts keep me…read morecoming back! Staff is very friendly and it's an awesome place to meet friends.

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!

There were 12 of us after church went there. We all had something different and we all thought our…read morefood was very delicious! And our server was excellent!

My first time here. The menu was comprehensive and featured so many visually tempting options that…read moreI finally just asked our waitress Quincy to suggest something. She recommended the Cuban Pulled Pork Sandwich. My sandwich was huge and contained a large portion of pulled pork meat. It was delicious and the homemade chipotle bbq mayo made it all the more satisfying with its rich smoky flavor! The Cuban-style black beans were right out of Miami! Very nicely prepared and included green peas, carrots, corn, and bell peppers, as well. My dining companion, for her part, ordered the Falafel platter, with a side order of gyro meat. The falafel (a dozen), were fresh, tasty, and just the right consistency. These were served with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pita, and hummus. The side order of gyro meat featured a generous portion of decadently succulent lamb shavings and included two portions of homemade tzatziki sauce. Everything we ate was prepared to perfection and could easily compete with exceptional restaurants in Chicago! Yes, the food at One World is that good. As for the service, our waitress Quincy was friendly and professional. As for the ambiance and decor--we arrived ahead of the lunch crowd, so it was pretty quiet. The decor, however, is nicely done. The premises were clean and well maintained. Ditto the restrooms. The restaurant is actually huge. There are multiple dining areas and in the summer there is an outside patio behind the restaurant, as well. As for pricing and affordability--quality costs, and the food here is definitely a cut above. That being said, the owners have priced the entrees quite reasonably considering the generous portion-size and quality of the food. My overall opinion? If you want a dining experience worthy of comparison to the best Chicagoland has to offer, but don't want to make the long drive--or pay twice as much--then I highly recommend this little gem of a locally-owned restaurant in Peoria!