We got my daughter’s birthday cake from here and it was absolutely delicious! They did such an amazing job decorating. We got tons of compliments on how delicious the cakes were!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Birthday Cake
Sophie Minton
Pearls made us the wedding cake of our dreams! They delivered to the venue on time, and Maddie was a pleasure to work with! Thank you guys so much!
Namita Chand
Was craving a chocolate cupcake and I'm glad Pearl's Bake Shoppe came up as a recommendation. Maddie and her staff were very friendly and helpful. My brother got the gluten free cupcake which was, to our surprise- really moist and delicious!! Maddie's suggestion of the double trouble cupcake REALLY satisfied my chocolate cupcake craving. The chocolate sponge cake was moist, the chocolate buttercream frosting was tasty. Highly recommend coming to Pearl's and grabbing yourself a sweet treat. Thank you to Maddie and the entire Pearl's Bake Shoppe team.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegan Cupcakes
Karina Rodriguez
Tried 5 different cupcake flavors from here and it seems as though the ones with the filling are far superior. The coconut chocolate one was below average, would not get again. The one that stood out as amazing to me was the coffee flavored one (chocolate cake, light brown frosting with a coffee bean on top), that was our fave. The vanilla cake with choc frosting was our second fave. Overall, some improvement can be made, but it's not the worst option in Richmond.
Food: 4
Service: 5
A. P.
I hate to say this, but everything about Pearls was so much better years ago. I don't know what changed but this is not the same sweet cupcake store that started on Grove Ave.The cupcakes they sell now are not that good anymore, and as of Jan 2024, cupcakes cost $4.25 a piece with tax! The customer service has gone downhill too. With rare exceptions, most staff seem annoyed that you walked into the store at all. That is NOT how it used to be. Pearls used to have fun and unique flavors that you were excited to discover each week and was staffed with engaged, friendly & helpful employees. Now, they do NOT want to hear your questions- you better know what you want or stop bothering them. It's just not a fun place to go anymore and I don't think the cupcakes are worth the prices or the attitude.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Taimoor Naviwala
Very disappointed. Had cake at the birthday party for a friend’s kid. Cake did not taste great. Frosting did not seem fresh. Cake was dry and tasted under-baked.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Amanda Perri
#1 this bakery gives you a free cake tasting for your wedding which was hard to find in Richmond. I actually wouldn't have considered them if not for that. I had a different place in mind, but I figured I should try it just to be sure. Wow, that cake knocked my socks off.#2 the cake is so delicious! It's heavy and dense while still be moist. The buttercream frosting is different than anything I've had before. Love it! I ended up getting 9 cakes (8 different flavors) instead of one big wedding cake because I am obsessed with trying everything and thought it would be fun for the guests. I got so many compliments on the idea and people loved the cake (of which they tried multiple flavors).The entire process was super smooth and we were able to easily change a few cake flavors 2 weeks before the wedding. Overall, definitely recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kathryn Dailey
Unfortunately, Pearl's has gone way downhill since they've changed management/ownership a few years ago. I used to love seeing the fun flavors of the week on social media and would always buy the fun little boxes they'd curate (e.g., for mother's day), but they no longer have much engagement or anything that would entice me to visit. Regardless, I decided to still order a custom cake for my wedding celebration. The process was great and everyone was really nice, but the presentation did not make the mark. I sent multiple inspiration photos that included a white, two-tiered cake with a horizontal pull design and beaded piping along the bottom of each tier. The cake itself tasted wonderful, but the cake did not have the beading and it was yellow. They knew this was for a wedding, so I was shocked they gave me a yellow cake. Sadly, I didn't have time to ask them to correct it, and it was being photographed soon after and I will now forever see a yellow cake in my photos. Luckily, we were planning to put our flowers on it so it didn't look so drab, but I will always be upset about it. My friends have also had poor experiences with cake orders and the decorations recently. In addition, some of the recent gluten free cupcakes that I've gotten have been completely awful. It's sad that Pearl's was once so prestigious and highly regarding but wedding venues are no longer recommending them due to the constant issue. Attaching photos of my yellow wedding cake...
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Caroline McKenna
We chose Pearl's for our wedding cupcakes and bride/groom cake and would highly recommend them for couples getting married. The cupcakes were a huge hit at the wedding, and were gone almost immediately. Their service and professionalism leading up to the wedding was outstanding as well!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Frederic Pleasants
Shopping at Pearls is a wonderful experience! They have such a great variety of treats. I’ve also ordered custom cakes and they were perfect. The staff is always pleasant and willing to help you make your order memorable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carrot Cake Cupcake, Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Cake, Vegan Cupcakes, Birthday Cake, Maple Bourbon and Carrot Cake Cupcakes, 8 Inch Round Vanilla Specialty Cake, Chocolate Buttercream
This bakery provided me with baked goods (cupcakes) that I was pleasantly disenchanted with. In particular, the "Top Hat", "Double Trouble", "Carrot Cake" & "Pearl's Gone Coco". I found the texture and weight of these cupcakes to be similar to eating overcooked cornbread; the taste was totally unappealing, and the icing was so dense that I could lift it off the cupcake and it maintained its shape. In some ways, it resembled the difference between fondant and frosting.The cupcakes appeared to have been leftover christmas cupcakes that were wiped clean of sprinkles and topped with chocolate frosting. It was a total waste of my hard-earned money and amounted to almost $60. The baking industry is highly competitive and consistency is the key to any successful brand. I have never had such poor cupcakes in my life! You would be well advised to refrain from spending your money at this establishment where quantity clearly takes precedence over quality.
Chanel Gray
Pearl's is the go-to wedding cake vendor for a reason. I searched for months until several people recommended Pearl's to me. I scheduled a tasting and the rest is history. The tasting was a no pressure, delicious time. We were able to sample several flavors. The staff was so nice and accommodating. We placed our order that day but were not required to pay. We made changes up until the days before our wedding with no issue and superior customer service. Now. Let's talk about our wedding cake. Best cake we've ever had. We are no doubt ordering the same cake for our anniversary. (We also had vegan and gluten-free options for several guests, so that's a nice bonus so everyone can enjoy!). Photos @cschmidtphoto
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wedding Cake
Danielle Rudolph
I ordered cupcakes for holiday gifts today, and bought 2 extra cupcakes to try them out, as we are from out of town. Wow, my cupcake was amazing! It was so fresh, moist, and tasted like I made it in my home kitchen. Beautifully packaged and made wonderful gifts!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chocolate Buttercream
CRossM
May be “the place to go” for wedding cakes and favors but not for the everyday baked treats we all love! Poorly stocked with few choices and average baked goods. Not especially friendly staff and all my goods were in paper and not a box. I live in the neighborhood but would rather drive to a store that seems to want my business.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Macarons, Cheesecakes
Dominik Kosna
Made an order in store on Tuesday from a birthday cake Friday. Week of thanksgiving. Was told I was all set and will get payment email. Why they didn’t take my payment then I don’t know. Didn’t get one.called. Was put on hold forever. Called again. Was told to resend the picture of what I wanted. I did. That afternoon , Received a conveniently timed (after closing) generic email that my wife birthday cake won’t be done. Very “sucks for you” attitude. The entire situation was handled unprofessionally and without any sympathy. There are much higher rated bakeries within 1 mile of this one. Save yourself the trouble of getting a commitment and them being told by email to go pound sand. I’m sure this review will receive some random generated “sorry about you experience, we value our customers” response
We got my daughter’s birthday cake from here and it was absolutely delicious! They did such an amazing job decorating. We got tons of compliments on how delicious the cakes were!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Birthday Cake
Pearls made us the wedding cake of our dreams! They delivered to the venue on time, and Maddie was a pleasure to work with! Thank you guys so much!
Was craving a chocolate cupcake and I'm glad Pearl's Bake Shoppe came up as a recommendation. Maddie and her staff were very friendly and helpful. My brother got the gluten free cupcake which was, to our surprise- really moist and delicious!! Maddie's suggestion of the double trouble cupcake REALLY satisfied my chocolate cupcake craving. The chocolate sponge cake was moist, the chocolate buttercream frosting was tasty. Highly recommend coming to Pearl's and grabbing yourself a sweet treat. Thank you to Maddie and the entire Pearl's Bake Shoppe team.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegan Cupcakes
Tried 5 different cupcake flavors from here and it seems as though the ones with the filling are far superior. The coconut chocolate one was below average, would not get again. The one that stood out as amazing to me was the coffee flavored one (chocolate cake, light brown frosting with a coffee bean on top), that was our fave. The vanilla cake with choc frosting was our second fave. Overall, some improvement can be made, but it's not the worst option in Richmond.
Food: 4
Service: 5
I hate to say this, but everything about Pearls was so much better years ago. I don't know what changed but this is not the same sweet cupcake store that started on Grove Ave.The cupcakes they sell now are not that good anymore, and as of Jan 2024, cupcakes cost $4.25 a piece with tax! The customer service has gone downhill too. With rare exceptions, most staff seem annoyed that you walked into the store at all. That is NOT how it used to be. Pearls used to have fun and unique flavors that you were excited to discover each week and was staffed with engaged, friendly & helpful employees. Now, they do NOT want to hear your questions- you better know what you want or stop bothering them. It's just not a fun place to go anymore and I don't think the cupcakes are worth the prices or the attitude.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Very disappointed. Had cake at the birthday party for a friend’s kid. Cake did not taste great. Frosting did not seem fresh. Cake was dry and tasted under-baked.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
#1 this bakery gives you a free cake tasting for your wedding which was hard to find in Richmond. I actually wouldn't have considered them if not for that. I had a different place in mind, but I figured I should try it just to be sure. Wow, that cake knocked my socks off.#2 the cake is so delicious! It's heavy and dense while still be moist. The buttercream frosting is different than anything I've had before. Love it! I ended up getting 9 cakes (8 different flavors) instead of one big wedding cake because I am obsessed with trying everything and thought it would be fun for the guests. I got so many compliments on the idea and people loved the cake (of which they tried multiple flavors).The entire process was super smooth and we were able to easily change a few cake flavors 2 weeks before the wedding. Overall, definitely recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Unfortunately, Pearl's has gone way downhill since they've changed management/ownership a few years ago. I used to love seeing the fun flavors of the week on social media and would always buy the fun little boxes they'd curate (e.g., for mother's day), but they no longer have much engagement or anything that would entice me to visit. Regardless, I decided to still order a custom cake for my wedding celebration. The process was great and everyone was really nice, but the presentation did not make the mark. I sent multiple inspiration photos that included a white, two-tiered cake with a horizontal pull design and beaded piping along the bottom of each tier. The cake itself tasted wonderful, but the cake did not have the beading and it was yellow. They knew this was for a wedding, so I was shocked they gave me a yellow cake. Sadly, I didn't have time to ask them to correct it, and it was being photographed soon after and I will now forever see a yellow cake in my photos. Luckily, we were planning to put our flowers on it so it didn't look so drab, but I will always be upset about it. My friends have also had poor experiences with cake orders and the decorations recently. In addition, some of the recent gluten free cupcakes that I've gotten have been completely awful. It's sad that Pearl's was once so prestigious and highly regarding but wedding venues are no longer recommending them due to the constant issue. Attaching photos of my yellow wedding cake...
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
We chose Pearl's for our wedding cupcakes and bride/groom cake and would highly recommend them for couples getting married. The cupcakes were a huge hit at the wedding, and were gone almost immediately. Their service and professionalism leading up to the wedding was outstanding as well!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shopping at Pearls is a wonderful experience! They have such a great variety of treats. I’ve also ordered custom cakes and they were perfect. The staff is always pleasant and willing to help you make your order memorable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carrot Cake Cupcake, Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Cake, Vegan Cupcakes, Birthday Cake, Maple Bourbon and Carrot Cake Cupcakes, 8 Inch Round Vanilla Specialty Cake, Chocolate Buttercream
Restaurantji Recommends
This bakery provided me with baked goods (cupcakes) that I was pleasantly disenchanted with. In particular, the "Top Hat", "Double Trouble", "Carrot Cake" & "Pearl's Gone Coco". I found the texture and weight of these cupcakes to be similar to eating overcooked cornbread; the taste was totally unappealing, and the icing was so dense that I could lift it off the cupcake and it maintained its shape. In some ways, it resembled the difference between fondant and frosting.The cupcakes appeared to have been leftover christmas cupcakes that were wiped clean of sprinkles and topped with chocolate frosting. It was a total waste of my hard-earned money and amounted to almost $60. The baking industry is highly competitive and consistency is the key to any successful brand. I have never had such poor cupcakes in my life! You would be well advised to refrain from spending your money at this establishment where quantity clearly takes precedence over quality.
Pearl's is the go-to wedding cake vendor for a reason. I searched for months until several people recommended Pearl's to me. I scheduled a tasting and the rest is history. The tasting was a no pressure, delicious time. We were able to sample several flavors. The staff was so nice and accommodating. We placed our order that day but were not required to pay. We made changes up until the days before our wedding with no issue and superior customer service. Now. Let's talk about our wedding cake. Best cake we've ever had. We are no doubt ordering the same cake for our anniversary. (We also had vegan and gluten-free options for several guests, so that's a nice bonus so everyone can enjoy!). Photos @cschmidtphoto
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wedding Cake
I ordered cupcakes for holiday gifts today, and bought 2 extra cupcakes to try them out, as we are from out of town. Wow, my cupcake was amazing! It was so fresh, moist, and tasted like I made it in my home kitchen. Beautifully packaged and made wonderful gifts!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chocolate Buttercream
May be “the place to go” for wedding cakes and favors but not for the everyday baked treats we all love! Poorly stocked with few choices and average baked goods. Not especially friendly staff and all my goods were in paper and not a box. I live in the neighborhood but would rather drive to a store that seems to want my business.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Macarons, Cheesecakes
Made an order in store on Tuesday from a birthday cake Friday. Week of thanksgiving. Was told I was all set and will get payment email. Why they didn’t take my payment then I don’t know. Didn’t get one.called. Was put on hold forever. Called again. Was told to resend the picture of what I wanted. I did. That afternoon , Received a conveniently timed (after closing) generic email that my wife birthday cake won’t be done. Very “sucks for you” attitude. The entire situation was handled unprofessionally and without any sympathy. There are much higher rated bakeries within 1 mile of this one. Save yourself the trouble of getting a commitment and them being told by email to go pound sand. I’m sure this review will receive some random generated “sorry about you experience, we value our customers” response
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1