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37 reviews for Ingram's Busy Bee Bakery
Review Highlights
"Two words for you: Atomic Cake."
(in 6 reviews)
"Recently ordered some Paczkis for Paczki day, wowsers."
(in 5 reviews)
"Their sugar twist and glazed twist donuts are heavenly."
(in 8 reviews)
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37 reviews in English
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Review from Patty S.
12/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Who would have thought that donuts could taste THIS good? When you bite into a Busy Bee donut, it's like eating a delicate pastry. A treat from here and a cup of tea is the perfect Saturday morning.
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Review from Kara Z.
6/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Full disclosure- I worked here part time for seven months, two years ago, as a second job. I grew up going to this bakery and enjoyed my chance to get to know it better. The owners of Busy Bee work VERY hard. I definitely got over my romantic idea of someday owning a cookie shop or bakery after working here, seeing how much time and effort they put into it- I have much respect for them.
I never got tired of anything they make here. Here are some of my favorites:
1. Their sugar twist and glazed twist donuts are heavenly. They aren't great the next day, though, so eat them the day you buy them (which isn't difficult at all). :)
2. Chocolate covered bismarks- these are like their Paczkis- custard filled donuts with chocolate icing on top- I think I ate one every time I worked, during my break!
3. Sprinkle donuts- their cake donuts are super popular- most people like the chocolate covered ones but I love the ones with the sprinkles on top!
4. Raisin sweet rolls- they have many kinds of sweet rolls- almond, cherry, raspberry, pecan, caramel pecan, plain, but my favorite ones are the raisin ones. They also have great coffee cakes- people loved them- and sometimes they have one kind on special for the day.
5. Their cupcakes are awesome- I am a huge fan of their chocolate cupcakes with the white buttercream frosting and sprinkles. They are the standard size cupcakes and aren't filled- just basic cupcakes- but are delicious. Busy Bee's buttercream frosting is the best anywhere- some people insist it is whipped cream because it's so light- amazing! The cupcakes are very reasonably priced and a great chance to try what their bigger cakes might taste like. Their bigger cakes are amazingly decorated- I LOVED seeing how the cakes looked each morning when I'd come in- so creative.
6. Their atomic cakes are amazing. I didn't think I'd like them but I do. They are SO popular. They have some already made you can buy from the case each day, or you can order your own in bigger sizes. They have a layer of chocolate cake with fudge filling, a layer of yellow cake with fresh strawberries, and a layer of banana cake with bananas in custard, covered in whipped cream. My favorite layer is the banana with the bananas in custard- wow! They will write on the cakes from the case for free!
7. My top favorite thing, and what I grew up loving, is their sprinkle butter cookies. I have NEVER found a bakery anywhere else (and believe me I have looked) that have cookies this good! They are a little pricey (but worth it) but these are truly something not to be missed. You can buy a few cookies and they'll put them in a little bag for you, or you can choose what kinds you want and they will box them for you. At Christmas time there are tons more choices- so fun.
8. They have great chocolate eclairs that come in two sizes- the standard long one and then smaller round ones that cost a little less. These are also very popular.
9. They have cinnamon rolls that have apples in them that were my parents' absolute favorites. They also have yummy apple slices (and sometimes they make cherry slices and blueberry slices too.) They make pies at Thanksgiving.
10. They have something called "flop" which is like coffee cake with a thick layer of buttercream frosting in the middle, topped with either powdered sugar or icing. People went CRAZY about this! I never really understood the appeal but it was one of the favorite items.
11. They have cool cookies- my favorite are the smiley face ones but they make special ones throughout the year seasonally too.
12. They have special seasonal items. They have yummy Irish soda bread around St. Patrick's day. They have lamb cakes at Easter and lots of special little treats too- my favorite were these adorable bird nests made out of cake with buttercream frosting, sprinkles, with jelly beans and a cute fuzzy chick stuck on top. They have yule log cakes at Christmas and they have King's Cakes (crazy colored coffee cakes) around Mardi Gras. Of course they have Packzis one day a year- you have to try the fresh strawberry ones!
13. They have amazing cinnamon swirl bread with or without raisins that I can't remember what it's called but it is so good when you make it into french toast.
14. They have good cranberry nut muffins and blueberry muffins and they also make that into bread too- I like the kind with the big sugar on top.
This place makes people happy. To prevent being unhappy, though, I suggest you call ahead to make sure they have what you want because they do sometimes run out of things. If you call on the same day they will set it aside for you to pick up later, or you can call a few days before and they will make it for you and have it ready when you want to pick it up.
The bakery is closed on Sundays and Mondays and each day closes by 3 on Saturdays and 4 on weekdays. They close for two weeks a year- one week during the summer for Heritage/Rotary Fest and one week after the holidays. -
Review from Dan R.
7/5/2011 2 Check-ins Here
A traditional bakery like the kind I visited as a child. Well-staffed ont the weekends with friendly. helpful people.
There is nothing they offer that is not to like.
This place is a real gem. -
Review from Tommy M.
Updated - 4/3/2011
Recently ordered some Paczkis for Paczki day, wowsers! Some of the best. Also, for a high-demand product on a high-demand day, this place was running like a Swiss watch. I went in around 7:30am to pick up my order (I pre-ordered, DEFINITELY recommended for paczki day), so they had a separate line for pre-order pick ups. While the other line was out the door (they didn't pre-order), I was in and out in about 2 minutes, and that included paying for my order.
If you live around here, make the trip for their paczkis next year!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/26/2008
Rachel is right, the chocolate doughnuts are the nectar of the gods. They are so fresh and gooey,… Read more »
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Review from Sarah R.
5/24/2011
This is my favorite bakery, so I don't let myself come here as much as I would like. Paczki Day is great time to try it if you never have, just remember to place your order ahead of time or the line will be out the door! But everything they have is awesome!
And my co-workers love when I stop at Busy Bee before work..... -
Review from Aimee M.
1/30/2011
If someone is inviting you over for a home-cooked lunch, you cannot arrive empty-handed. And if you're like me, a total procrastinator, you sometimes have to leave the dessert-making to the professionals.
And if it's super fab Ericka A doing the inviting, you want to bring a great dessert.
If you have cravings for all different kinds of dessert, perhaps Busy Bee's Atomic Cake just might be for you! A layer of chocolate cake, a layer of yellow cake and a layer of banana cake. But I guess it wouldn't be ATOMIC without the fresh strawberries, fresh bananas and whipped cream. Oh my heavens, sounds super decadent but I found it light and not over-filling after my one slice.
I also chose an assortment of butter cookies--and BUTTER is an understatement. These cookies are rich and buttery--Julia Child would be blown away with it's buttery richness.
Service was ok. The gal that helped me barely cracked a smile and seemed a little bothered when I asked for prices of items before I ordered. I was kind of miffed. But the other two ladies behind the counter were all smiles laughter for their customers. The lack of sunny disposition on my server won't deter me from coming back for the delicious treats. But hopefully when I come back for Paczki day, I'll get one of the sunnier servers.Listed in: Bakeries and Sweet Stuff in…
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Review from Katrina B.
Oak Park, IL
Updated - 7/5/2011
Was not disappointed this past weekend. Ordered an Atomic Cake from here and picked up some more of my absolute favorite cookie in the world (their butter cookies). I recently saw a documentary on 'last meals' of people who were on death row. I'm serious when I say Busy Bee's butter cookies would be on mine. I'm not planning on that last meal anytime soon, so I'll keep eating them on a regular basis until then.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/1/2011 ROTD 2/17/2011
If I am sad, I crave Busy Bee's butter cookies. If I'm happy and want to celebrate I crave Busy… Read more »
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Review from Johnny T.
Minooka, IL
3/29/2011
I walked in right when they were about to close (lights were off), which I didn't realize at the time. I saw the young girl that I think Zach and j.m. were probably referring to and she did seem eager to get out of there.
One of the older ladies took care of me and was very personable and professional. I was asking about the differences between the certain mini chocolate chip cookies out there and she gave me one of each to sample to help me decide which to get. I got a pound of mini chocolate chip cookies, which were $10.95 lb. and 2 full sized custard creme donuts for $2 each.
The creme donuts were in fact pretty big and the filling inside tasted quite fresh. The mini chocolate chip cookies were ok, just were lacking flavor. Was gonna give a 3.5 rating but gets rounded up to 4 stars for accepting Credit Cards, which is something not too many bakeries accept. -
Review from Kevin K.
1/5/2011
I think the Busy Bee is staffed by cute little blonde 95 lb. bulimic girls in their late teens to early 20's. They have to be bulimic because there is no natural way someone could work around this deliciousness and not look like me, a 300 lb. fat man.
This unassuming bakery is packed full of carbohydradic sticky sweet greatness. My favorites are the glazed cinnamon buns. I have almost died choking on these repeatedly like Homer Simpson does on donuts.
Give this place a try and you will not be sorry! -
Review from Dusty K.
Chicago, IL
1/22/2011
You know a place does great business when you walk in at 6:15 in the morning there's already a little line. Downtown Downers Grove was empty but Ingram's was busy as a bee. See what I did there with my word play? What a horrible writer I am....
Ingram's made me feel like I never tasted a donut before. And for good reason I may never have another one again if not from here. The long johns and regular donuts are so light and fluffy. They really do melt in your mouth. I ended up with an assortment of 12 donuts and a coffee cake. I wish I could have tasted them all but a guy can only eat so much butter and sugar. I laid out the 'leftovers' next to the Dunkin Donut box someone else put out at work. Guess which one all the coworkers ate first?
Service was very friendly and the donuts and coffee cake were insane. It's no wonder this place has outlasted just about every other business in downtown Downers Grove. I will be back to try their Kolacky's and Paczki's and to get my donut fix.Listed in: The Western Suburbs
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Review from Sara D.
Aurora, IL
1/5/2011
I'm writing this review based soley on their wedding cakes. The cake itself was to die for. So delicious and we were given a bunch of cakes and fillings to chose from. Even the frozen cake on our 1 year anniversary was super yummy, although that might have been partially due to the wonderful wrapping job of the banquet hall.
The only reason I can't give a full 5 stars is that they don't have a lot of options for cake design. They only offered one "modern" (ie. non-1990s) looking cake design. My sister and I had our weddings 6 months apart and had the same exact cake since they didn't offer any other options that were appropriate to current cake styles. Granted, this was in 2008, so this may have changed. If not, I hope they look into updating their cake design.
ps. their Boston Cremes are ginormous! And yummy! -
Review from Gail L.
Naperville, IL
12/29/2009 ROTD 3/3/2010
Every year for my birthday, I get the exact same birthday cake from here:
Chocolate Cake
Fudge Filling
Chocolate Buttercream icing
"Happy Birthday Gail"
No pink flowers. I hate pink. No pink on my birthday cake!
It is always the very best birthday cake I've ever had. I literally will eat the small cake myself over the next few days, grudgingly letting other folks share. I'm such a nice birthday girl.
I also adore their pastries. They have this one pastry, which has a special name I can't remember, that is layers of flaky crust and a huge amount of white buttercream icing. I LOVE that pastry. I try to get it anytime I go, and I eat it, and then moan from the sugar overload. It's completely worth it. Just make sure to leave time in your schedule for laying down afterwards. -
Review from LOIS B.
2/16/2010 ROTD 5/28/2010
OMG ~ I have died and gone to Paczki heaven.
If you do not know what a Paczki is then you have been spending your Fat Tuesdays in the wrong place.
If you live anywhere in the area, work with someone who takes the train, or just know the best Paczki come from this bakery, next year place your order and spend the day covered in powdered sugar, beats the ashes you'll be wearing the next day. I do recommend that you preorder because within an hour of opening, they had already sold out of one of the 25 varieties they offer.
Paczki on Paczki Day are becoming what chocolate is to Valentine's Day and what pumpkin pie is to Thanksgiving. Get the picture?
There is a line, but really, it moves quickly and I was out in less than 10 minutes with my boxes of goodies.
Word of warning ~ place boxes in trunk of car or somewhere else out of reach or someone might just be missing their preordered favorite (wiping powdered sugar from face and brushing off clothes). -
Review from Angela P.
Updated - 1/31/2009
So finally tried their cake at my baby shower which was both cute to look at and DELICIOUS to eat! It was half yellow and half chocolate and was super moist and delicious...the only thing they could do different is to not put such a thick layer of frosting in the middle...but besides that, it was yummi!!
And, of course, had another doughnut the other day...AMAZING!! =]Listed in: Angie's Favorite Things, Bakeries, Doughnut Havens
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/21/2009
It's been a while since I have been here myself, so I don't have much to say about the cookies or… Read more »
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Review from Michele H.
Glen Ellyn, IL
6/6/2011
The doughnuts are so worth the visit! Love this bakery soooo good.
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Review from Zach T.
11/19/2009
Great Cookies and Cakes! Go there and patronize this place! Little places like this are dying out and it's a shame. You'll think so too once you're charmed by Ingram's.
Bonus, they gave a free cookie to my daughter. They know what will bring me back in. -
Review from Michelle Marie R.
Downers Grove, IL
12/1/2010 1 Check-in Here
When I lived in Chicago there were no better Kolackys than Weber Bakery...I was certain of this. I have found powdered sugar raspberry filled bliss. Not to mention the Atomic Cake. Chocolate cake layered with banana and strawberry AND creme filling with another layer of white cake...heaven! Get it by the slice! I can't write this review without mentioning the staff, they are fantastic and super friendly. Make this a stop on your list!
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Review from Stef F.
Downers Grove, IL
7/1/2009
Support small local bakeries because they are quickly disappearing!
I was soooo excited to see a bakery after moving to this area, because they are so nonexistent anymore. And this one is super cute to boot. Old style and tiny. Happy yellow sign. It called to me with a sugary sing-song voice.
When I was there, they were busy. Service kinda sucked. There was no order in the place. BUT... Anyone remember those brightly sprinkled small sugar cookies you could get at the bakery? Well, they have 'em! And I bought a dozen and promptly ate them all. Like a piggy. This place reminds me of the bakeries my grandma used to take me to when I was little. And she'd buy me a carton of chocolate milk and those damn delicious sugar cookies with rainbow happy sprinkles on top.
That's all I tried there. But I left satisfied. At least check it out... -
Review from Sarah C.
Downers Grove, IL
5/9/2011
You walk in and the wonderful aroma makes your mouth water right away. Everything I have scarfed down from Busy Bee was as good or better than it smelled. The doughnuts and cookies seemed to almost float, that was until they hit my hips. Oh well.
We have ordered a few special occaision cakes and our guests just raved. One thing, though, I would order some filling other than the buttercream because it is just a little too much to go along with the icing.
The only reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is that, as several other reviews mentioned, the service is hit or miss. One of the teen girls was disinterested and borderline rude while an older woman went out of her way to be helpful. It certainly wouldn't stop me from going back again, but I might hang around back and wait for a nice one if I was going to order anything. -
Review from Rachel S.
Chicago, IL
8/21/2007
All I have to say is CHOCOLATE DONUT. It is by far the best donut I have ever had.
The sugar cookies, cakes, rye bread, eclairs, everything...are also all so good. This place is amazing. -
Review from Courtney W.
Naperville, IL
4/8/2011
I have personally never been inside of this bakery...However, my manager picked up some donuts from here and brought them to work. I seriously DIED of Deliciousness!!! These must be the best donuts I have EVER HAD IN MY LIFE! I will be there soon to see what other yummies they have!
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Review from Angelique S.
Downers Grove, IL
8/15/2008
Their atomic cake is fantastic and a great alternative to a standard, boring birthday cake. I got a large one for my son's first birthday and it was a hit! The filling is fresh and delicious.
Sometimes you have to deal with cranky customer service to get to it.
Two times I've called to order something, I feel like I'm talking to a bitter aunt who only gets phone calls on their birthday and is ready to scold me for something. However, when I went in to pick up a cake, there was a younger girl there working behind the counter who was really friendly. -
Review from Jen F.
Chicago, IL
12/23/2009
I just love this place. Best donuts EVER.
It gets crowded around bakery-centric holidays. They always have really tasty seasonal flavors too - great pumpkin donuts in the fall for example.
Pre-order your paczkis for Mardi Gras because it is insane otherwise! So worth the wait though. -
Review from Cheryl P.
Myrtle Beach, SC
7/12/2011
Old School bakery! Can't go wrong!
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Review from Todd L.
Chicago, IL
8/1/2011
We Just moved to Downers Grove From Chicago. We ordered our sons 3 year old birthday cake from Ingrams. Chocolate and yellow with wiped Cream (strawberry filling) our Adult and children friends Loved it !!!!!
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Review from Howard L.
3/27/2010 2 photos
Good, fresh pastries and baked goods here. Wife wanted something so we swung by here about mid-day and picked up some cupcakes for $0.98 each and a few other pastries (one was a lemon hot cross bun) for about a $1 each. All were 4-star fresh, and business was brisk. Prices aren't shown anywhere - a slight annoyance. The place is right in the middle of Downer's Grove nice little downtown. I enjoyed the little drive going north-bound on Main Street. From 63rd , it's all residential, then a little but vibrant downtown around 53rd, then at 50th or so, residential again, like a mini Washington St/Naperville thang...
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Review from Bill M.
2/22/2010
I've never been to this bakery in Downers Grove, but our bosses brought in a box of fresh paczkis on "Fat Tuesday/Paczki Day" last week. These donuts-on-steroids are yummy and rich. There seemed to be some "extras" in the box so I had an opportunity to try different flavors after the other co-workers were paczki-ed out. I liked the strawberry/cream cheese version the best, followed closely by blueberry/cream cheese. The strawberry was good as was the bavarian cream, though the chocolate custard was surprisingly disappointing.
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Review from Chris M.
Downers Grove, IL
1/30/2010 1 Check-in Here
Two words for you: Atomic Cake! Whipped cream covered, three layer cake and each layer is a different flavor (Chocolate, vanilla, banana) with three distinct fillings as well (strawberries, fudge, custard). Sounds like overkill, but it works perfectly and it's NOT too sweet. Amazing stuff. Super pastries, too.
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Review from J M.
Hinsdale, IL
10/31/2009
I have to agree with Brian. I also wish I had something more positive to say.
This bakery IS low on customer service. The teenage girls working there don't care about customers. They couldn't wait to get out of there at 3pm.
I have had MUCH BETTER bakery.
I say keep looking for another bakery. -
Review from Brian C.
Hinsdale, IL
1/30/2009
Baked Goods - Pretty Good
Service - Not so Much
I wish I had something more positive to say. This "throw-back" is big on retro goodies and low on customer service. They ALWAYS run out of my favorite donuts before 9am. After 5 yrs of going there and always asking for the same thing and them always saying "we're out", you would think that would get the hint to make more. We've placed several larger orders over the years and they just never seem to appreciate the business. They also go on "baker's vacation" for a couple weeks at a time which, in today's economy, doesn't seem right to me. They've been there a long time and I guess they just don't need to try hard anymore. -
Review from Steven M.
10/8/2008
I got a dozen of the pasteries. OMG! The carmel nut and the pecan had me going insaine driving to the office. I told her not to put tape on the box so I could scrounge around. All the girls at the office were raving about them. They have a large cookie selection also. Very fast and friendly service.
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Review from Amruta G.
San Francisco, CA
5/27/2007
A childhood favorite that I frequented with my dad in downtown DG. Busy Bee has sprinkled sugar cookies, cakes, pastries, complimentary coffee and wonderful Kolaches! A powered round large "thumprint" white cookie filled with a pulp of either raspberry, mulberry and apricot. Tasty!
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Review from Maddy N.
Lisle, IL
3/12/2010 1 photo
Great Doughnuts, eh...pretty good service..Wonderful cakes!!
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Review from Enna S.
Chicago, IL
6/16/2008
Pretty good bakery.
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Review from Mary N.
Romeoville, IL
11/2/2008
Ingram's Busy Bee Bakery came through when I ordered a cake for my mother's birthday. It was my first time there and won't be my last visit. The bakery has the charm of older days, squeaky floor included. The layer cake had a good 3/4 inch of filling between the layers - yes I measured it. By the way, the lemon filling is really good! Best thing: I liked the nice touch of an awesome cake-crumb mixture on the sides of the cake. Not only was it delish but also made the cardboard around the cake easy to remove without anything sticking to it.
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Review from Katya P.
Downers Grove, IL
1/19/2010
I came here the first time today and I was overwhelmed by the sweet smell of all the delicious baked goods in there. I decided to try the donuts, cinnamon rolls, and cheese danish and everything was delicious! I recommend giving this place a shot, it's everything a small town bakery should be.
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Review from Lauren S.
Chicago, IL
1/21/2010
Really... there is nothing like a small, community driven bakery.... yum.
