On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Bakeries, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: CastroMon-Thu. 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
"I live on 16th Ave, which is not exactly a "happening" location, if you know what I mean. Having said that, thank heavens for House of…" read more »
Loading...
I was there last night and I'm literally in LOVE w/their RACHEL CAKE!!!!! Just talking about it right now, makes my mouth waters :*(
Rachel Cake - YES MUST ORDER if you love chocolate & chocolate mousse. It was decadent yet MOIST accompanied w/raspberry & whipped cream on top. Seriously, I can get into a lot of WEIGHT trouble indulging this yummy slice of heaven!!!!!
Key Lime Pie - not a huge fan...definitely sweet & TART :)
My sugar cravings have no shame.
Day and Night. All hours. There's a little sugar gremlin inside of me that craves anything and everything that is bad for me.
Last week I found myself in the Castro around breakfast time. All I could think about was sugar. I took a quick detour to Sweet Inspiration
I was tempted to get a whopping slice of cheesecake, but decided to stick to the "healthy" route and ordered a carrot muffin.
I wasn't expecting much, but that piece of carrot goodness was probably the highlight of my day. It was moist, fresh, and flavorful - and was everything that a muffin should be.
Sweet Inspiration keeps on wracking up the sugar points with me (and my gremlin)
The notoriously spontaneous Richard T and I decided to go on a sugar motivated adventure through the… Read more »
The Blueberry White Chocolate Tart was insanely tastey. The World's Cutest Asian girl on the planet works behind the counter on certain days. She can usually be seen behind the counter taking orders or facebook texting to her friends on her cell phone.
Just a cool laid back place to hang out at and chat with friends. Dessert cakes range from apple pie (traditional Americana sweets) to cheese cakes, and other chocolatey sinful morsels.
Can't wait to go there again someday.
This is a great place to go for a first date because:
1. If your date is creepy, you're in public so they can't kidnap and rape you.
2. If your date is boring, you're in the Castro, so when you get your 'emergency phone call' you can meet your friends at badlands to meet someone new.
3. If your date is cute and fun, you can sit there and talk for hours while chowing down on yummy cake and hot chocolate.
I really like going here when I need to meet a friend to chat or to do some work. It's usually pretty quiet so that you can actually carry on a conversation or finish up that paper you're trying to get done. As for the desserts, I really like the tri-color mousse cake. MMMMMMMM. I would probably steer clear of the red velvet cake. I don't remember it being very good. The hot chocolate is really great too!
p.s. The free wi-fi is a big plus.
The quality of the pies and cakes isn't really worth the price. I had very wet red velvet cake. And I asked for a glass of milk but it tasted like I was given a full glass of creamer.
Sigh.
This is my happy place, happy boys and happy girls. Sweet dessert and ice cream, coffee and tea. =) just leave me be.
Sometimes my metrosexual brother has chocolate cravings.
Sometimes he tells us the best place to indulge is in the Castro.
Sometimes he dresses up for this occasion.
got vanity?
I went in there the other day and ordered an iced soy chai latte which was really good. BUT the atmosphere inside was really weird. Kind of sterile and boring, looked more like a fast food place than a coffee shop, not cozy at all.
The only reason I might come back is that it's the only coffeeshop near by that is open late.
So since my last visit, things have changed. But fortunately, not the great treats here. I had a tres leches cake slice, while my friend devoured a tower of chocolate mousse topped by a chocolate-dipped strawberry. (Yes, I had the great honor of partaking of that sinful, sweet, and luscious strawberry. Yum.) And to help balance the sweet of my cake, a nice double cappuccino. No more credit card acceptance = one change, very unhappy about that. The free wifi deal has changed too, it's a certain amount of wifi you get with banner ads. I can understand both moves with the economic times considered. But not the most happy. The beautiful treats here still garner three-and-three-quarters stars, with three solid stars for the overall experience.
And yes, I'll be back!
One way to round out your time in the 'stro after dinner and drinks (maybe even dancing, but that… Read more »
The sweets are sweet but too sweet for some teeth. Add a cup of Joe or a sip of tea and maybe... you'll dilute the sickening of overly sweet inspired cravings you've been wanting to indulge.
I'm a sweet fanatic so I had to pay a visit or a few. In fairness they have the sweets but just stick to smaller serving since it's so rich in flavor that you might be sick of it after a few bites. I suggest to share with your honey or friend instead of getting one of each.
When I go there with "my dessert buddy" we usually get a few desserts over a cup of tea or Latte. One thing I am a fan of though is their cute ceramic tea sets. *insider tip* (when you order tea you'll get it in a tea kettle and when you happened to finish it, don't worry... just bring your kettle up for a free refill)
The place is nothing to be inspired about but the friendly staff aside the desserts are worth stopping by.
What better way to suppress my late night sugar cravings than a stop at Sweet Inspiration. I love both the name and the location - the Castro... sweet and trendy spot for a sweet and cute dessert shop!
OMG... the NY Cheesecake was delish!!! It's a forkful of soft, tender, warm, fuzzy, smooth sugary goodness in your mouth. The best thing is they give you a HUGE slice that you can share with 2+ sweet-toothed mates and have leftovers!
Tried Sweet Inspiration and their deserts are quite good. They have a variety of cakes, coffee, and Gelato. The Tiramisu was what I liked the most and recommend. The atmosphere is like a regular SF Cafe.
I really love finding good dessert places to eat and get different varieties. One night after the 4th of july fireworks, my friends took me to this place. first of all i was shock to see it still open since we got there at like 10:30pm. They still had so many cakes that are cut up in to big pieces. I got their mixed berry flan. it was super creamy good. they really pack on the berries because they were overflowing. This is definitely a cool late night place to pig out on sweets. the only thing i was disappointed in was they were out of tiramisu =( this gives me a chance to come back and have more!
Walking into this store is like jumping into a bed with two million thread count sheets and a blanket made out of velvet and gumdrops.
Comfy, sweet, good to touch, better to devour.
There's an enormous case of cakes and pies and choosing what I wanted was more difficult than picking what boxers to put on at 6am on a Monday morning (I usually go for dark colors to emulate my depression for the beginning of the work week).
We came around 10pm and some choices that sounded awesome were already gone. I opted for the Banana Bread Whipped Cream pie thing and it was hella delicious. Yeah, I said hella. What then? This cake made me wanna get all hyphy in yo' face. It tasted like real bananas, not artificial flavoring. The whipped cream was a perfect addition without being too overpowering.
The only downfalls are that the prices seemed a little high for some of the selections and that I probably weighed more than both of the guys working behind the counter. And I'm not a fatty. Daaaang, I need to get on THEIR diet. If it means only eating at Sweet Inspiration, then I will commit to being fit.
The Good: The house of my favorite cake, The Poppy Seed cake. This bakery is a good late spot for people with a sweet tooth like me. Portions are big and the staff is always attentive. I go there for a treat once a week with friends and no bad memories so far.
The Bad: Not so many negative aspects other than the decoration and the slightly over priced cakes.
If it wasn't because of the Poppy Seed cake and sometimes the Velvet cake, nothing is too memorable in this spot... did I mention the Poppy Seed cake is a MUST here???
This place is our usual pit stop on the return leg of our hike from Potrero to Noe Valley and Castro. Like the creatures of habit that we are, we usually have a cup of chai and a slice of carrot cake to share. The carrot cake is very (very) good. The chai usually depends on who's making it behind the counter - but usually okay. Recently, I've been buying entire cakes for office birthdays. The poppy seed, carrot, and tiramisu cakes have all received rave reviews from my crew (and they are a tough foodie crowd). The only thing I abhor about this place are the revolving series of bad "art". So, I try not to look at the walls. Just the colorful clientele and the rainbow parade outside the window.
Something has gone wrong here. Their cakes are mediocre and resemble styofoam in texture and lacking flavor. (We tried their cheesecake and it was a bitter disappointment, leaving sawdust aftertaste in our mouths.)
The only thing that was still doable was their coffee and tea drinks.
I'm not sure we'll be returning here for a while...:-( Sad!
Go for their cakes and other sweets. I loved the tiramisu....and chocolate goodies. Their slices… Read more »
When we are in the Castro, most likely we will come here. Its our favorite little spot. My girlfriend and I have infamous sweet tooth's and this place always hits the spot. Often times we will skip dessert at whatever restaurant we are having dinner and sit here enjoying a cup of coffee and whatever delicious cake we choose.
We love the staff behind the counter, they are always so nice sometimes make pleasant conversation with us....even when we argue for ten minutes over which slice we are going to get that day. (We usually settle on the german chocolate or red velvet)
Bottom line is, this place is adorable. Its open late, there is a whole case full of cake to choose from, and we can sit and enjoy our cake and each others company in this peaceful little place.
p.s. they support local artists and always have new artwork hung on the walls. very cool.
My friend took me here since we both had early dinner plans and wanted something light and somewhere to kick it while we caught up on each others lives.
The place wasn't too crowded on a Saturday afternoon. The place has lots of tables and would be a nice place to study while you munch on their delectable sweets and sip their hot drinks.
Here's what we ordered:
-lemon coconut cake: not a coconut fan so I wasn't feelin' this, but it did have a nice lemon zing to it. I found the white cake a bit dry.
-mango papaya passion mousse: nice and light, just as mousse should be. Subtly sweet but the center was icy.
-single non-fat, sugarfree vanilla latte: the best latte I've had for awhile. It hit the spot so well.
They also serve breakfast until 3PM and have a wide selection of cakes and pastries. They also have Italian gelato and sorbet. The only thing I would have liked is to see the insides of the cakes in the transparent case. Not only do I like to see what the cake looks like, but it's important to see how it looks on the inside!
Beware.
First off, let me say that I USED TO be a big fan of Sweet Inspiration, but I had a very bad experience a while back that made me change my mind.
A good friend of mine was having his 30th birthday party, and I was in charge of getting the cake. Since it was his 30th, I wanted to get something really special. I had been to Sweet Inspiration many times up to that point and was always very impressed with the quality of their cakes, so I called them and ordered a fresh strawberry cake with whipped cream frosting.
I picked up the cake about 2 hours before the party. It was contained in a large box that was uncovered. I asked the person who helped me if the cake needed to be covered, and she said that it would be fine kept in the refrigerator uncovered as long as it was served that evening. Simple enough, right?
Wrong.
The cake went from my refrigerator directly to the refrigerator of the restaurant where were were celebrating, and it was served 4 hours from the time I purchased it. It was bone dry and inedible. Seriously inedible. (One friend joked that she was going to take a piece home with her to pumice her feet.)
I won't bore you with the events that later transpired; I'll just say that it took 5+ phone calls to get a hold of the owner, who never returned my calls. When we finally did speak, he told me that the reason the cake was dry was because it was left uncovered in the refrigerator.
Now, although I'm not a professional baker, I do know a thing or two about baking. There is no way that a perfectly good cake encased in frosting can dry out in the refrigerator within a few hours just because it's not covered. (Especially when the frosting itself tasted fine.) I consulted several friends who are expert bakers, and they all agreed. Regardless of this, his own staff member TOLD me to leave it uncovered.
The issue was never resolved. The owner said he would speak with the staff member who told me to leave the cake uncovered and call me back. He never did. I tried calling him several more times and was never able to reach him, so I gave up.
I realize that in the food industry, mistakes happen. How a business handles those mistakes, though, says a lot. Had Sweet Inspiration copped to its mistake and offered to refund my money, I would still be singing their praises. But when a business tries to blame its own mistake on the customer, well, that's completely unacceptable. It's also indicative of a larger problem.
I'm posting this review hoping that I'll save somebody else the headache of going through a similar experience.
This place has gone downhill. I used to drag all out-of-town visitors and recent arrivals here, and they would curse me for it! (ha ha your waistline go byebye.) It has a few problems now.
I was glad to see the "minimum purchase" bullshit disappear way back when it changed owners to some nice marin couple. It's contractually not allowed by visa or mastercard.
I do appreciate that the pieces are smaller and prices dropped - the old sizes were ridiculous. but did this lead to the new minimum purchase issue? or has the shop been sold again?
Also, the wifi is through ZRNet. that's just farking irritating. sidenote: 1.1.1.1 is not a reasonable default IP for your gateway.
The people working here seem a little less happy to be here, I can see the credit card transaction report password info from the pay counter, and dare I say it, the desserts seem a little less well-cared for?
It's weird, they're obviously using the same recipes, but it doesn't seem like the recipes are tweaked by a real foodie anymore to maintain the high quality that blew me away.
Maybe I'm just cheesed off to see the minimum purchase thing return. And the German Chocolate Cake is a letdown. :/
Total eye candy.
If you're like me, you'll spot the substantially-sized cake case and be mesmerized by the technicolor sugary goodness behind the glass. Now take a good, long look... and then proceed directly to the door. That's my advice anyway.
I mean, is it me, or has this place gone down hill? The last time I was there, the service was embarrassing bad. The tea selection was like the cheap stuff from Safeway. And I couldn't finish the snack I ordered, even though I was starving. It seemed stale and not fresh, although I'll admit, the gnats at our table seemed to be enjoying it.
Poor Sweet Inspiration... I love the idea of this place, but I want it to be more than just eye candy.
Yum, Yum, yummy.
I go here ALL the time for bagels and coffee. The bagels are super delicious and the coffee is coffee. I mean, the coffee is no phillz but it gets the job done right. The only annoying thing is that they run out of bagels by like 11 or so. So when I do not want to get out of bed and run there, I have to get a bagel from Ike and I love ike and all but his bagels are pricey. I get a bagel with lox, cucumbers and cream cheese for like 4 bucks here and over at ikes, it'll end up costing me like 10 bucks. I gotta learn to wake up earlier.
I don't know which is worse: not exercising at all, or running just 2 miles on the treadmill then having a pumpkin torte and a cappuccino afterwards.
Hmm...yeah, I did feel a little bit guilty. I just burned all those calories for nothing? Actually, I should think more like: "I worked so hard, so I deserve this" YES. That is more like it. Oh come on, it was like having pumpkin pie piled on top of a cheesecake. (thanksgiving couldn't come faster)
But then again, I may just go to 24 hour fitness more often. Maybe.
Just been back recently and YAY! Now they accept credit cards!
This was a normal stop for my friends and I after dining at Home or Tangerine. My friend always… Read more »
I'm one of the once-in-a-while patrons to come here for dessert or cookies. Tonight, Friday March 6, I was quite disappointed w/the quality & service.
My friend and I approached and examined the counter while the male attendant behind the counter kept gossiping with the other girl, not even giving a simple nod of acknowledgement. We made a choice and, looking at him directly, waiter for him to finish his story. Even when he got up to help us he was still turned around talking. "Hi" or "may I help you"? nope. Just stood there waiting for us to place an order. Yes, he was cute, but beauty is only skin deep!
My friend ordered the pumpkin cheesecake and I the mocha cheesecake. The flavor of it was fine, but the texture a bit dry. I love a good crust, and this tasted... well, BLAND, dry, even stale. My friend tasted it and he agreed. I tasted the crust on his pumpkin cheesecake ... same thing. Finishing the slice, I also noticed the familiar taste of "kept in the fridge too long" while tasting the outside wall of the cheesecake.
At $6+ a slice I would expect much better. In past visits I've been satisfied with what I have ordered. I may give them another opportunity. But, if it doesn't change you'll certainly see another two or 1 star review here.
Sweet Inspirations: FIX it!
I've been searching for a dessert place for a long time that could match up to Extraordinary desserts in San Diego. If you haven't been to Extraordinary desserts... put that on your list to visit when you're in San Diego. I really miss it, and all its gourmet desserts.... Anyway, I'm not here to review EO... but to compare Sweet Inspirations to EO is such an insult. They don't even come close to the professional cakes at EO. They give you big portions, but as to their level of variety and appearance of the cakes, it's not all that. A slice of the cakes or mousse will cost you about $6-9. It's in the Castro, so parking may be hard to find. The interior isn't all that decorated to be a cute date place. If you're looking for super fancy desserts, you can go to Schubert's Bakery on Clement, but that will also cost a lot.
When I lived a couple of blocks away from Sweet Inspiration, I was a regular visitor. Now, it's been over a year since my last visit and sadly enough, the visit was underwhelming.
Usually I could count on Sweet Inspiration for an "over the top" slice of cake. I'm not sure if the bakers have changed, but the two slices I tasted with a friend last night, left me unimpressed. When you're paying $5.50 to $7.00 per slice, I want to be wowed by a dessert. I don't want to feel like I could have done better myself at home unless you're the remarkable Lainie who's a kitchen goddess. :)
The service too was so-so. If you're going to put out a tip jar, say "Thank you" if you see the customer put somehting into the jar.
This place has 2 great cakes - German Chocolate & Chocolate Cake. First of all, before Sweet Inspirations, I didn't even like German Chocolate Cake. Actually, I've always hated it. Until a coworker brought a German Chocolate and a Chocolate Cake from Sweet Inspiration for a colleague's birthday. After I found out where she bought it, I went there the following day. My colleague told me that those are their 2 best cakes. She's right. I've been there many times now and have tried just about all their cakes. Those 2 are the only ones that make this place stand out. The other cakes range from okay to good. So if you go, try the German Chocolate or the Chocolate Cake.
I have gone there 3 times and I would say it's one of those places I wouldn't mind going if I was already in the neighborhood, but not worth a special trip. I did like their espresso drinks, and the dessert selection was usually good. Last 2 times I ordered NY cheesecake and it's just right for me (not too sweet, not too rich) and it was also big enough to share with someone.
a bit bummed when i came here. there's a bunch of different cakes, which is great. but i dont think they're very fresh.
plus to the three layer chocolate mousse cake.
minus for the sour and what seemed to be melting princess cake.
don't serve it if it's old.
Came here because my friend insisted I tried flourless chocolate cake.
It was my first time. Amazing!
Came during the day so it was kind've empty? But couples all around, everyone holding hands. Great atmosphere. Makes me wanna stuff my face in even more sweet stuff!
Overrated.
Like many things in the Castro, the cakes look pretty on the outside but are tasteless and vapid on the inside. Jeez I'm catty tonight. If I'm gonna shell out a five-spot for some cake it better be good. Maybe I had bad luck, but the red velvet was dry and didn't pair well with the frosting (which was yogurt-y tart in a bad way).
Everything looks great, might give the cake another chance in the future. Perhaps another first date? I had success the last time...
Lower than Safeway quality cakes at higher than Tartine quality prices = no.
I got a slice of Red Velvet cake. My friend got apple pie ala mode. The slice was F'ING HUGE. I couldn't even finish it! Me! Not finishing dessert! That's like the Twilight Zone right there.
Also, I ordered some milk to go with my cake:
Me: Can I get a glass of milk to go with my cake?
Super Hot Waiter: Sure.
Me: Oh wait, do you have like skim milk or 1% or something? Whole milk is so rich. It's like butter.
SHW: Really? And you're about to eat that cake?
Touche Super Hot Waiter. Touche.
Kind of overpriced but it's one of those places that I expect that from so I guess it's ok.
I don't even remember how I found this place but it was like seeing the light with my third eye when I did.
I have taken many special people here - passing on the holy flame of deliciousness to them in a special ceremony kind of way.
The poppy seed cream cheese cake is all I ever need to eat in the whole wide world (so thank God I don't live across the street from this place!)
When I have been heartbroken and wanted to die, I have driven up to SF for the sole purpose of getting a piece of cake. I mean, life looks so much better afterwards.
On top of their freaking phenomenal sweets, their breakfast is extremely great too! It's relaxed there in the morning and fresh from the oven goodness awaits.
If you haven't been there yet, you are not a fulfilled person.
Came here to have some cake for my b-day with a friend, I just never really have taken a liking to this place...I had the devils food cake and it was overly wet...and as with everything here overly sweet...and the guy behind the counter seemed put out to have to help us...ugh
I have never really been to fond of Sweet Inspiration..I have been quite a bit though and it always… Read more »
There isn't anything that is bad here. If you have a sweet tooth or just want some coffee apres Castro theatre, stop here.
Hmmm... pretty average place here to be honest. I only seem to come when one of my friends demands it, when I'm having a pre-date with someone new and they suggest dessert, or when I have a late night craving.
I will say that the key lime pie is perfectly tart, which is the way I prefer it. The strawberry cake and mango papaya passion mousse cake are decent, but not spectacular; and the fruit tarts are fairly interesting. If I wanted to get out of the neighborhood, I could find better desserts at many bakeshops; but this is nearby and open until around midnight I think.
The service is pretty average as well. My friends often rave about the cute guys working here, but I'm pretty oblivious to them. You'll often find plenty of people studying/hanging out in here and they serve a breakfast/lunch menu until 3. I just can't think of anything they serve that makes me weak in the knees or impresses me enough to overindulge.
More like 1.5
It would probably one star if I didn't like the lime green and blue interior.
I have wanted to try this place forever. I do believe they changed hands about 4-5 years ago when I was working for a chocolate importer who supplied pastry ingredients to them. There was talk about the new owners not having any bakery experience, and wanting my boss, a former chef, to guide them a bit.
I finally had the chance to try them today. I will never go back. Everything looks beautiful but that is just a pretty shell. The by and I ordered ordered a double latte, ham/cheese croissant, and a slice of red velvet cake.
Let's start with the latte. It was served in a great latte bowl. But that is where anything good about it ended. It was lukewarm at best, and tasted more like coffee flavored milk.
The croissant ....Let's see that was NOT a croissant. It had the exact taste of pan de leche bread, the same slightly sweet taste and texture. There is no baker or pastry chef in this world that would say it was a croissant. Plus the sweet taste did NOT go well with the ham and cheese. I also expected thin slices of good ham, this was a couple of thick pieces of what seemed like something resembling a canned ham.
Now for the red velvet. This was the smallest slice of cake I have ever received for 6 bucks. They are easily getting at least 10 slices out of your standard round cake. The color was right, but for a cake that was moist it was oddly hard in texture, like to was old or stale. Also way too much creamcheese frosting and way too sweet.
I definitely will not be back.
What's New At The Shop!
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Student Discounts
Neighborhood: Union Square
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Performing Arts
sometimes I go to these places, usually with…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
The things I do when I walk down my…
Where else can you eat, drink, dance and shop in…
I lived in the castro for almost a couple yrs...…
Reasons why it'll be a cold day in Hell before you…
A list of my favorite and not-so-favorite places…
- n. - 1. the liberating, PG13-rated act of…
