On the Rise Baking

Friendly staff, great coffee drinks (they truly make a great iced latte), delicious cupcakes and other treats… it’s really a win-​win for the neighborhood to have such a great little place here in Tatnuck Square.
Keep up the great work, On The Rise. You’re a real gem on this side of town!

Nice quite little coffee shop with big windows to gawk out. They have pastries, espresso and lattes but I just had a large hot coffee and it was very good. Sitting area could’ve been cleaner but it wasn’t too bad.

I stopped into the bakery as I was looking for a good tea. I’m glad I did, I ended up ordering a Apple Chai Tea Latte with almond milk, at first sip it was A-​mazing! Just the right amount of spice and the apple flavor melded wonderfully with the chai. I treated my mother to her 1^st Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte and she was in love. We ended up sharing a freshly made sticky bun which was out of this world good. I don’t think I’ve tasted a sticky bun that nice in ages.
They also have a good variety of gluten free desserts. Which I was tempted to try but didn’t have room. The owner and the girls that worked in the shop were very friendly. If your in the mood you there is a small area with seating to enjoy your tea, coffee and bakery goods.
If your in the Worcester area give, On the Rise Baking a try.

Wonderful goodies and an expert knowledgeable pastry chef. I have made suggestions over the years and they have been accommodated. A Worcester jewel. Great coffees.

Coffee was really good. We got there about 10 so the selection of pasties was a bit low by the blueberry muffin and the raspberry coconut pastries were excellent.
The place smelled delicious when we walked it. Nice gluten free selections as well.

Why does this place have 56 filtered reviews? STRANGE.
When I hear about a new bakery, I immediately feel like I have to try it. I first heard about On the Rise on Facebook (what a great way to promote your business) and since I saw the Opera Cake (description provided later), I knew I had to try it. The Tatnuck area is a little out of the way for me though and it took me awhile to get here.
Truth be told, I called yesterday to ask the price of an Opera Cake for my upcoming birthday. I called a few times and no one answered, so ultimately I left a message. My call was never returned, so I would say they could work on this part of customer service.
Today, when I got to the bakery/​café, I was easily able to park on the street, but when it’s busy, I think you would have to park on a side street or behind the building. The décor is nothing too special and there are a few tables and a smaller glass case with the baked goods for the day. Everything looked gorgeous, gourmet, and just delicious. And right on top was the Opera Cake, a layer cake of almond sponge cake soaked in coffee, coffee buttercream, and topped with rich chocolate ganache. This very-​French concoction isn’t sold many places and in no other bakeries in Worcester (as far as I know). For a small piece, the price was $ 4 (I found out that an 8×8 cake that served 14 people was $ 48), but it was entirely worth it. Now, this cake would be great for a special occasion, but I’m not sure if I want to fork that amount of cash over. I also bought a piece of almond apple tart for my husband because I needed to purchase $ 10 worth to use my credit card. I loved the flavor combinations, especially because I love almond in desserts, but my husband thought it was weird (maybe a little too European for him).
The coffee/​drink menu was vast and impressive and reminded me of the menu at the Bean Counter. I ordered a hot chai tea latte and was satisfied.
I give it four stars because of the phone call that was never returned and the above-​average prices, but the quality is deserving of the price. On the Rise and the Crown Bakery are my two favorite bakeries in Worcester, but they are extremely different from each other.

I want so much to like this place because it’s just a short walk from home. Their coffee is very good but I’ve yet to have a pastry that I really enjoyed. The baked stuff all looks terrific but tastes pretty generic, not too different from what you’d get at a Whole Foods bakery department, and priced similarly. Not that it’s bad, it’s just nothing to get excited about. Staff is friendly, welcoming, and helpful. The shop is clean and interesting. I just wish the baked goods were better.

I am new to Worcester and went to On the Rise Baking on the recommendation of a friend. I’ve been there twice and do like it.
Really good pastries. Wife had the Chocolate Tart, I had the Apple Torte. Even if I named them wrong, they were both excellent!
It is a nice, small place with a comfortable atmosphere to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee and read the paper. As good as the desserts are, the prices are high and the servings are (relatively) small. I am more likely to buy a full dessert that I can take home, especially when having friend over for dinner, than buy slices of cake, torte, or whatever. Four small slices cost us $ 16.
Recommend that you do NOT try to park on the street near the bakery. Meters only last for a half hour, and there is parking in the rear.

Perfect in every way!

As a lifelong Worcester resident (and pastry/​tea lover), I can say with utmost confidence that On The Rise is one of Worcesters finest. Located in the heart of Tatnuck Square, this bakery and coffee shop is an adorable addition to the area. Having read some other (not-​so-​good) reviews, I am shocked that people could be commenting about the same place.
Everytime I have been to On The Rise (which is usually at least once weekly), the staff have been extremely pleasant and kind. They even go above and beyond to give treats and water to my dog, who often waits outside while I get my tea. The patio is great in the summer for people watching, and you are almost always sure to get into a genuine conversation with the local customers.
The owner, Betty, is a very sweet woman who is clearly passionate about what she does. The pastries taste as good as they look, and the gluten free menu options are delicious! Another commenter posted on the preferred music of the staff– every experience I have had at OTR has been nothing short of relaxing. The perfect place to sit down, do some work, or socialize with the friendly staff and customers. Truly one of Worcesters best!

The baked goods are fantastic – especially the lemon/​lime tartlets!

We got a cake for my sisters wedding shower (which was at The Boynton) from this bakery. It was delicious!!! We got a beach themed round cake, genoise with buttercream frosting & strawberries in the middle. Everyone really loved it!
Betty was very nice to work with, always very responsive to any questions. She loaned us her cake stand which made for a great presentation & pictures.
The cake prices were a little high at first but she was very willing to work with us to lower the price as much as possible. It was nice to know she could work with our budget.
If you have an event in the area I definitely recommend checking out this bakery!

I’m a big believer in second chances, but after the third time in here I have to say I am still unhappy with my experiences.
All three times I have had to deal with the same girl, the chef from the back calls her Neeco. She always seems flustered and spaced out. Each time when I get my over priced pastries, they are thrown in the box and mangled before I can get them to my car. This would be okay if they were from me but it is hard to give crushed pastries to my family and boss. On top of this, I am hesitant to ask questions because I don’t want the mocking answer I usually receive.
The worst of the worst happened the last time I was in. Knowing that this bakery carries gluten-​free products I kept going back. The last thing I got had a hair baked straight into it. I would have gone back to show them but after three bad experiences, why bother.
It’s safe to say that Worcesters long lasting bakeries have nothing to worry about, this competition won’t last.

ORB provided the cake for my wedding. The owner, Elizabeth’s, service and follow-​up are excellent. For example she loaned us a beautiful cake stand, delivered the pretty cake at reception right on time, and provided an additional smaller cake for me and my wife’s first anniversary.
Why only a Unilocal «A-​OK» three stars? The quality of the cake was OK. But it wasn’t the same fantastic tasting we that we tried weeks earlier. I found it average and no one commented on it being especially good.
On the Rise is reputed to be Worcester’s most expensive bakery. It may be.

Delicious, classy, friendly little bakery/​café in Tatnuck Sq. They offer lovely French pastries. cheesecake…tartlets…muffins.scones…coffee…espresso drinks… smoothies…paninis.
The desserts, specialty cakes and breakfast pastry are all baked in house by Chef Elizabeth Casey. On The Rise is a female owned business with friendly, attentive staff… very good Espresso bar and they brew Carpe Diem Coffee roasted in Maine. Seems they brew in small ½ gallon portions so it is never watered down or bitter. Always fresh as opposed to other coffee shops that brew 3 gallons and just let it sit on the warmer getting stale all day. Prices are VERY reasonable, especially for coffee… a 16 ounce hott coffee is around $ 1.89…
they also offer a variety of Gluten Free breakfast pastries and desserts… the GF triple mousse cake is to die for…
some things to keep in mind:
*Parking on street as well as behind building between Charlotte Klein dance studio and On The Rise. just don’t block the driveway!!!
*$ 10.00 debit/​credit minimum…
*call ahead for cakes… they bake fresh to order as opposed to leaving whole cakes in the fridge or freezer for weeks the way that some of the other Worcester bakeries do. Don’t be turned off by the small selection available daily. It is all fresh.
*They’re now open late Fridays and Saturdays and offer a cute outdoor eating area…
*Driving by and unable to find the danmed place???
Look for the big chef statue that the regulars have named «Steffano»
On The Rise is a Worcester gem.