These 27 Queen City Bakeries are Perfect Carbo-Loading Destinations

By CityBeat Staff

27 of Cincinnati's Best Bakeries for Sweet Treats or Carbo Loading Bring Home a Sweet or Savory Treat From One of These 27 Queen City Bakeries These 27 Queen City Bakeries are Whipping Up The Best Treats in Town

Whether you're in the mood for a sweet morning treat to pair with your coffee, or you're craving a savory scone, maybe you fancy a French baguette with your dinner tonight — Cincinnati has a plethora of bakeries to choose from, all offering delectable bites for your consumption. Here are a few of our favorite bakeries from downtown, all the way out to the 'burbs.

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O Pie O

1527 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills
While originally famous for their sweet pies, O Pie O’s restaurant also does savory — pot pies, quiche, empanadas, etc. And they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner with a selection of both types. The pie crust anchors the menu with a flakiness that truly melts in your mouth and tastes just as lovely and buttery whether filled with braised beef or blueberry lavender.
Photo: Jesse Fox

Chako Bakery Cafe

611 Main St., Covington
Chako thrives in using natural and handmade baking processes with special Japanese ingredients and local, fresh produce. All items are served carefully with the Japanese hospitality concept of “Omotenashi."
Photo: Mesa Serikali

Donna’s Gourmet Cookies

10796 Montgomery Road, Montgomery
Donna’s Gourmet Cookies are made daily by hand, from scratch, without any artificial flavors or preservatives using the finest ingredients to make certain a delectable homemade taste and feel we all know and love.
Photo via Facebook.com/DonnasGourmetCookies

The Bagelry

1401 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine
Formerly known as OTR Bagelry, this family-run shop's first brick-and-mortar offers freshly boiled and baked bagels with housemade cream cheeses as well as breakfast and sandwiches.
Photo via Facebook.com/TheBagelryOTR

Brown Bear Bakery

116 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine
Cincinnati pastry artist Blair Fornshell uses all-natural ingredients to create so-beautiful-you-almost-feel-bad-about-eating-them desserts, such as vanilla bean scones, salty chocolate chip cookies, gooey cinnamon rolls, matcha snickerdoodles and savory brioche. The OTR bakery and café space is the perfect blend of old and new and has a very Lower Manhattan vibe.
Photo via Facebook.com/BrownBearBakeryCincinnati

Allez Bakery

1208 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
This bakery has a small but mighty team, preparing and baking heaps of sourdough, ciabatta and rye on a three-deck Polin oven — an Italian import that dominates the front of house. The menu features lunch sandwiches — like chicken salad with tarragon, marinated beet and prosciutto with rapini pesto— served with a La Croix seltzer water and a bag of local Hen of the Woods chips.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Cherbourg Cyprus

1804 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Well known for its selection of gluten-free, nut-free goodies, the OTR shop features not only pastries — donuts, Cherbourg’s famous double lemon bars, muffins, cookies and cake — but also eggy deliciousness, like inventive stratas, quiches and individual skillet servings of shakshuka.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Lil’s Bagels

308 Greenup St., Covington
The alleyway beside Roebling Point Books & Coffee is laced not only with plants peeking through a sidewalk, but the wafting scent of warm, doughy bagels — made with chutzpah. They serve up both sweet and savory takes. Want a classic cream cheese variation? They got you. Or, try ‘em sandwich style, with variations like The Gawd Father (pimento cheese, bacon, bibb lettuce and pickled green tomato) and The Bad Judy (hummus, baba ghanouj, turmeric pickled jicama, radishes and spicy greens).
Photo: Jesse Fox

The BonBonerie

2030 Madison Road, O’Bryonville
Have your cake and eat it too as the BonBonerie crew shows off their savory skills. Scones, tea and quiche adorn the café menu, but the real treat is for those with a sweet tooth. The bakery menu features tortes, cakes, pastries and old-fashioned cookies to please everyone.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Baladi Restaurant and Bakery

3307 Clifton Ave., Clifton
Baladi means “my country” in Arabic, which describes how the Barazi family wants their guests to feel — welcomed and at home. The Syrian-focused and authentic menu has French and Turkish influences and features dishes like cheese fatayir, kafta kebabs, foul, musaka and more, including delicious and unique baked goods.
Photo via Facebook.com/BaladiRestaurantandBakery