The Bleeding Heart Bakery

First off, can I say that the interior is simply to die for? It has such a cute atmosphere and I swear every waitress there is an absolute babe.
The first time I went was for a sit down breakfast. Literally, I wanted to order everything off the menu. I ended up with the eggs benedict sandwich, which was absolutely amazing. However, I will say, my side of chocolate bacon was kind of underwhelming. The Machete donut I order to go was super awesome as well. The waitress was great the whole time as well, especially since we had a table of 5.
The second time I went wasn’t as great as the impression I had left with during my first Chicago visit, but still good nonetheless. The cupcake I ordered was dry and a bit bland. For being someone who bakes amateur cupcakes at home, I felt mine were better. The Clockwork Orange I got also tasted burnt.
The Bleeding Heart café’ will probably remain on my list of go-​to spots for Chicago breakfast.

I’ve never reviewed BHB before now for one and ONLY ONE reason– the comments from the owner that routinely come after a negative review. I don’t feel like my opinion on a cupcake needs to be ridiculed by an owner who is embarrassed that her product sucks & needs to belittle her customers because she can’t own up to her mistakes.
But I’m sick of being afraid. I’m a pastry chef in Chicago. I’ve eaten at pastry shops and restaurants all over the city and all over the world. I know what I’m talking about. And the cupcakes I had from BHB were among the worst I’ve ever experienced. I was in the middle of an 8 hour tattoo sitting and some friends stopped by with BHB cupcakes to help boost my blood sugar. I would rather have passed the fuck out.
They were the most dry, tasteless cakes I’ve ever had. I had to choke down every bite. And the frosting– which, in my opinion, is usually the best part of the cupcake –was utterly inedible. I’ve never scraped frosting off a cupcake before and I couldn’t this time because –horror of horrors!- it was already in my mouth. I spit the whole thing into the garbage and asked my friends to go get me a Snickers bar instead.
I’m not even going to launch into how wrong it is that they’ve taken punk rock and turned it into a lame, played out marketing ploy. For shame!
The only good thing about this place is that it is closed. Avoid other locations at all costs.

One of my good friends had her wedding cake/​cupcakes made here. The couple is vegan and it was great that they could have something tradition be part of the wedding, but also represent who they are and what they share.
There were so many cupcakes to choose from! I had pumpkin, carrot, 2 types of chocolates, and red velvet. The red velvet was my least favorite and usually it’s the usual cupcake I like to order.
I would love to come here or to any other location. I’m not vegan, but it’s amazing to see how they can be such rich deserts vegan. :)

A mini-​review.
My teaching assistant brought in a whole mess of cakeballs for the last day of class. Had she been a student, I would have given her an «A» for anything, and everything, right on the spot. Oh my God, these cakeballs were maybe the best treats I can remember. Ever. Even I, a lifetime member of Weight Watchers, dived right in.
I had one each of the following: French Toast, Vanilla Sprinkle, and Triple Chocolate.
French Toast: to die for. Encouraged me to reach into the box and keep on sampling.
Vanilla Sprinkle: 10 times better than I thought it would be. Sprinkles aren’t my favorite thing in the world, but this was absolutely delicious.
Triple Chocolate: smooth, creamy, out of this world. Given a choice between hot sex and eating one of these, I don’t know which I’d pick. Hot sex burns calories, and triple chocolate cakeballs add calories, but good God, these things are fabulous.
I ate these three cakeballs at lunchtime, and did not need to eat anything else for the rest of the day except one string cheese and an apple.
I would like to put my face into a box of cakeballs and just inhale them.

I also got the groupon variety pack and was more than satisfied with its contents. Cake balls (chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, carrot cake), cupcakes, brownies, and the best part to me — the scones!!! I think they were the harvest scones and they were packed with hearty goodness. They are super filling and I only got through about half of one before I had to quit. They would be good on their own, but I paired them with some apple butter and it was really good. Everything though tasted fresh and delicious.
I’ve also been there another time to have the Veruca Salt cupcakes, as recommended to me by my cousin. They were fantastic. Actually, for my cousin’s birthday, I gave her a gift of some Veruca Salt cupcakes and a cook book written by the Bleeding Heart owners that contains the recipes to some of their treats.
Both times I was there, the workers were friendly and helpful, not at all rude or pushy. They were working quickly, to try to keep the super long line at bay, but I understood.
I will be back to enjoy more of their fantastic treats.

I have been 2 Bleeding Heart twice in the past week, so I feel like I gave it the old «college try» in rooting for this place.
The reviews that have been posted in regards to sanitation and service are absolutely true, and in trying to think of words that describe Bleeding Heart, the following come to mind:
Pretentious
Rude
Lazy
Dirty
Negative
ICK
The same girl was behind the counter both times we were there: short, blonde with glasses, and so obviously NOT wanting to be there it was ridiculous. I am a manager in retail and if myself or my employees acted like her, we would not have jobs! Both times we were there, the bakery was having issues with Groupon customers (refusing to fill there orders and explaining some secret Groupon Reservation that clearly pissed the Groupon-​ers off. Note to business: If you run a Groupon, be prepared to actually be able to FULFILL it).
Both times we ordered coffee and the sugar and milk dispensers were empty and the area itself was very dirty. On our last visit, we asked for a quiche, and when the girl pulled it out of the display case, a woman who appeared to be a manager told her not to sell it b/​c it looked «CONTAMINATED» (her word, not mine!) and the lazy counter girl just stared at us and said they were «actually out of quiche today.» WHAT???
Their cupcakes and coffee are actually good, cake balls are gross (but so is every cake ball I’ve ever tasted, I have no idea why these are trending right now). However, the service so so rude, and the people who work there have such ugly and negative personalities (IN A BAKERY FOR GODSAKE) that I will NEVER go back and will try my best to make sure none of my friends do either.
The modern world of service is a world in which service matters and consumers have a strong voice. If you value friendliness, service, cleanliness and other small businesses around Chicago, you will NOT give your patronage to Bleeding Heart Pretentious Arrogant Lazy Rude Dirty Bakery.

Oh God… I’m going to have to find yet ANOTHER medical issue that prevents me from ingesting sugar… at least that’s the alibi I need to feed the witch that keeps bringing those damn Bleeding Heart Cupcakes to family affairs…
I may be one in a million, but I do NOT find Bleeding Heart baked goods delicious. Or tasty. Or moist. Or barely edible in a few rare instances that had me running for the water dispenser. The flavors aren’t unlike anything I can’t find at other bakeries, and the cakes are not moist. I appreciate their catering to dietary needs and social stances, but if the product isn’t good, it isn’t a win for me.
I know I haven’t had my last BHB cupcake/​cake/​pie/​torte, I just hope the next batch has just a snip more moisture in them.

I wanted to try Bleeding Heart Bakery as I’ve seen them on TV a few times. I picked up a Mango Limeade cupcake, a Chocolate Hazelnut cake ball, a French Toast cake ball, and a Banana Fudge Walnut Brownie.
My least favorite was the French Toast cake ball. It was way too sweet and didn’t really taste much like French Toast. The Mango Limeade cupcake was kinda tasty. The Chocolate Hazelnut cake ball was pretty delicious but just a tad bit dry. My favorite was the Banana Fudge Walnut brownie — very decadent.
I wouldn’t mind trying their other goods…

I ordered the groom’s cake for our wedding from Bleeding Hearts since I felt that doing the wacky type cakes were their thing.
After a bit of a rocky start (showed up to an appointment that no one knew was scheduled), they really did come through with an amazing cake. My fiancé /​husband was so impressed and his family really loved the cake that I chose. The décor was perfect, right down to the small details. Our cake even had a electrical component to it that I was not expecting, and it turned out fab.
Check out my pic for the cake!
I unfortunately can’t comment on the cake inside because it’s just too nice to cut open! However, the cake at the tastings was delicious as were some of the cake ball things that I tried. Those are dangerous!
So, if you are looking for someone to make you a fun cake, definitely check them out!

I went back here a couple weeks ago & was feeling extra fatty so I decided to order the Mexican Hot Chocolate cupcake, Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookie & Smores Brownie. I ate the cupcake there & also ordered an iced tea.
Out of all the treats I think the brownie was the best thing & that was only after I put in the microwave at home to get it all gooey & warm. I gotta say I didn’t care too much for the Mexican Hot Chocolate cupcake. the cake itself was a bit too dense & there really wasn’t much chocolate flavor to it. mostly just the pepper & cinnamon flavor. I was really excited about the cookie but it wasn’t very chewy. it was a lil more on the crunchy side.
Maybe I just ordered all the wrong things & maybe w/​my last experience of going there for the Johnny Cupcakes tour waiting 3 hours in the rain I had a hyped up mentality that I was just happy to get in there regardless but idk my last experience @ BHB was just A-​OK. =(

Ordered a cake from Bleeding Heart Bakery for my BFF’s bday and I was pleasantly surprised. I ordered a 10-​inch round cake to serve 10 people ($ 71). But O.M.G. it was HUGE and fed more like 20 people! The artwork (phoenix) was a little corny, but that’s a minor point.
I like the fact that the bakery is not pretentious and snotty. The service was great (via phone and in person). They also put forth a good effort catering to health conscious people. The bakery is a bit on the pricey side, so I wouldn’t make it a habit, but still pretty good.

Maple-​bacon, glazed doughnut.
That’s the reason to come here.
There was like a half inch of greasy maple-​bacon layered across a lush glazed doughnut. My heart, areteries, and stomach screamed,“No!“
My taste-​buds were like, «Ooooohhh, yeaaahhh.»
Absolute heaven. I was intrigued, rtemembering the times as a fat kid eating breakfast and swirling bacon in my maple syrup. It seemed so wrong, but tasted so right. And so did this baked delight. Worth every penny of the $ 3.50. I want one on my deathbed. Hell, i want one NOW.
OK, so otherwise, I read the other posted reviews. I agree that this is a punk rock bakery in name only and that it is inhabited by hipsters and the like. I did not like the lack of punk music or real punk attitude. Just because you slap some Ramones and Sex Pistols stickers around the joint does not give you punk cred. Then again, when I want punk rock, I go see the Dwarves; I don’t go to a bakery.
I didn’t like the fact that they tried to reprimand my wife for taking pictures of the cool looking cakes, as if we were on a clandestine bakery spy operation from Darfur.
I had the cake balls and those were pretty damn good. They were like icing covered in icing and covered in sprinkles. What’s not to like?
So, in summation:
Come for the bacon doughnut.
And try a few other things there. It’s all tasty, from what I experienced. Don’t let their self-​imposed punk label fool you.

It’s still just a bakery, after all.

So, I’ve been curious about BHB for a while now, especially since moving pretty close to this place. I finally went in over the weekend to check things out, get some birthday treats, and redeem a Groupon for a variety-​pack of treats. I have mixed reactions.
One out of three of the workers was very helpful — the other two didn’t really seem to want to be there or interacting with people whatsoever. The girl who helped us was great, thankfully, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been too happy. She assembled the variety pack: 1 lemon bar (thhiiiickkk, a little too sweet for my liking, but still good), 2 scones (cranberry was good, the ginger had too big of chunks of ginger and nothing else — both could have used different/​more fruit), 2 brownies (s’mores brownie was awesome heated up with ice cream, regular brownie was good too), cake balls (okay, very moist/​dense, good and cute), 2 cupcakes (salted caramel and chocolate — good, frosting was very thick/​rich, I usually like a lot of frosting but this was soo heavy).
Also purchased a chocolate stout cupcake which sounded AM-​AZ-​ING, but was actually just okay/​good… My sister bought a variety of vegan items — cookies, blondies, bars, cupcake — we sampled most of those and thought they were pretty good, but she wasn’t a fan of the cookies — just so-​so, weird texture/​flavor.
All in all, I’d go back here, but be more selective as to what I choose and keep the prices more in mind ($ 3.25 for a brownie?! that’s high, the fancy cupcakes were $ 3.75 I think? — also, high. Your tab adds up quick here). I wouldn’t say anything was bad, it just wasn’t as awesome as I thought it would be. It’s still a fun place to check out, if you like bakeries. Bonus if you like punk rock and skulls too.

I and the BF stopped in, cause we were in the neighborhood and were fascinated by the concept of a punk-​rock bakery.
Décor was neat, food looked good, service was decent, considering that there was a line.
I was really impressed by the fact that they use organic and locally grown ingredients. The Boyfriend had a bacon-​chocolate-​chip cookie and (since I’m watching the calories) I had some iced coffee. I wasn’t too impressed with the coffee then again it was 3pm on a Sunday, probably time for a new pot. We both thought the cookie was really GOOD.
Also, I noticed they do custom cakes. Custom as in gluten, nut and sugar free baking. I’d defininately go again if I was in the area, and try more baked goods!
Also, they sell the Salted Caramel popcorn.

I was looking forward to trying Bleeding Heart Bakery more then any of the other places on my cupcake crawl this past weekend. I loved the rocker type themeing of this place and was expecting to see some of the most creative cupcakes!
Sadly for me, there was a total of 5 cupcakes left, 3 flavors, at about 5:45pm. Do they stop making them for the day that early? I was slightly disappointed however I did think the choices were cool. I got a (Chocolate) Champagne Situation!, Rose Petal (yes it had actual candied rose petals on the top!), and Chocolate Cherry. I was really hoping they were going to have the Mexican Hot Chocolate or the Absinthe with Juniper and Lime! :(Also, I know others hate the bacon fad but my friend and I LOVE it! We were sad that the organic bacon cupcake & chocolate covered bacon were not available. :/​
I gifted the Rose Petal and the Champagne Situation and I’m currently eating the final cupcake for breakfast. I know, I know, I’m super healthy… but why not?! The chocolate cherry was super cherry-​y! I’m not a huge fan of cherry but because it was one of the only 3 flavors they had I bought it. So for me, it was a bit too much cherry. Those that like cherry flavor would revel in it though, I’m sure. The frosting was literally an inch thick on it! Goodness berrylicious Gracious! Honestly, this cupcake was a bit much for me on the cherry front. The cake was moist though and the frosting was light even thought it was piled high!
My friend also gave me some of his chocolate chip bacon cookie to try (again I was really hoping for their chocolate covered bacon to sample but there was none). Yum, yum! Chocolate chip with a hint of bacon, I like. :)
Now, if I were to design my own shop, it would look like this. I would imagine the owner must have ADD like me. :P I love all the bright colors and how there is so much going on! It’s gangster rockster style and I absolutely LOVE it! Service was excellent and the girl helping us explained everything I asked her very patiently. :)
Service — 5 stars
Atmosphere/​Décor — 5 stars
Unique Flavors — 5 stars
Actual In Store Selection — 2 stars
Food — 3 stars
Overall — 4 stars … hopefully this will go up when I get to try some more items!

What a disappointment. We came into the city to try Hot Doug’s and had searched for a bakery close by for dessert. We were in super good moods and when we came through the door, everything looked great.
Unfortunately the excitement and good vibes peaked at the moment we came through the door. The atmosphere here was so odd, it was just not a fun welcoming place and we had felt so welcomed at Hot Doug’s. Hey, I live in the suburbs, I am not hip, I get it.
But I revved up, looking at the beauty in the cases and even though I felt pretty sniffed at, I bought 28.00 worth of baked goods and coffee.
Well, the coffee was great.
Most of the baked goods, both in the store and at home, went into the garbage. The cake balls were pretty gross and the pies, dry and doughy. What a let down.
I will not be back. I am sure I won’t be missed so pretty much a win/​win.

I had been told that this place had good cupcakes as a friend had gotten some of them for his girlfriend. They have a wide variety of flavors and they seemed to have an few interesting ones that I had never seen. Some like green tea and others, so not the run of the mill chocolate, vanilla and the sort. That’s the upside. However, the originality hit a brick wall once I got them home. The neat colors and unique flavors actually covered up dry and bland cupcakes. They only got drier the day after I brought them home. Day three, the dog had them for breakfast.
There are much better cupcake places in town that are more reasonably priced. Skip this one for that. Cannot speak for the remainder, but how can you screw up cupcakes?

As I stated before, BHB was part of my weekly routine. I stopped going for months because of constant disappointments (1) dry and tasteless baked goods, (2) unfriendly staff, and (3) change of ingredients (for the worse) on a favorite item.
So the owner responded to my review (which she later deleted) and agreed that the new raspberry jam was really bad and that they would soon be switching back to the old jam. Well it took me a few months to finally go back, but I did finally decide to go back and give them another try. As the owner said, they did switch back to the old jam (which is good) but the bar was very dry and tasteless. When I asked to exchange it for a new one, the lady behind the counter was not too friendly about it.
I also ordered a vegan donut to go, it was so-​so. I almost ordered a cupcake, but I noticed that the frosting was separating when I looked at it on the counter (not too appealing). Overall the food coupled with the sub-​par customer service has turned me off yet again. I’m actually embarrassed because I brought a friend in to introduce her to BHB since I did have good experiences (less the bad service) here in the past… I’m not putting BHB off for good, I’m just taking another break from them and may go back (to a different location) someday.

What better day than Valentine’s to drop in to Bleeding Heart? Others were on the same wavelength as me, considering the steady stream of customers throughout the duration of my visit.
Everything in the case, from the handful of flavors of specialty Valentine’s Day cupcakes to the bars and donuts, looked amazing! BH even has cake balls now, scraps of cake and frosting mushed together into a ball and coated in chocolate.
I left with a red velvet cake ball and 2 cupcakes for $ 9 and some change. The cake ball was tasty, but I prefer cupcakes to squash my cake cravings. The Veruca salt (salted caramel) cupcake was the perfect amount of salty and borderline too sweet on the frosting, but I enjoyed it. The whiskey chocolate cupcake had this merengue-​like frosting that provided a nice textural contrast to the cake. You could tell both were baked fresh that morning! I’m a fan.

Seriously, how sad is it that I go to the dentist (Brushin’ On Belmont), and then afterwards reward myself with OD’ing on sugar. Hey, at least at BHB it’s organic… right? Right.
They have cakeballs. WHAT?!
$ 1.50 per piece. Chocolate with peanuts. AWESOME. Yes, I’ll take 2 thankyouverymuch. Many flavors to choose from, they are lucky I didn’t wipe out their entire stash. The selected flavor was met with rave reviews.
Also, a pumpkin spice cupcake with chocolate ganache frosting. Be still my fall-​loving, sugar-​craving, indulgent little punk rock-​wannabe heart. And, for the record… VERY moist. And VERY awesome. Coupled with a chai + shot of espresso… and well, I forgot all about how much je detest le dentiste.
It’s been awhile, but I’m still a fan. AND, I am having a cavity filled in a few weeks (hooray!) so I’ll definitely be back.
Oh, the irony is so thick, I can bake it.