The Cupcake Gallery in Chicago, Illinois: A Review

Until this weekend, I was unfamiliar with The Cupcake Gallery in Chicago, Illinois. That's one of the wonderful things about Groupon; you discover new things in your hometown. A friend sent me a Groupon coupon for $10.00 worth of merchandise at The Cupcake Gallery. I was quite excited, being a cupcake queen of sorts, and went to The Cupcake Gallery with great expectations.

My first disappointment was a sign on the door that said The Cupcake Gallery would not open until 1:30 pm. This was a Friday and, according to their pamphlet, they were supposed to open at noon on Fridays. I had arrived there around 1:00 pm and now had to spend a half hour wandering the streets. Actually, I ended up in a nearby Starbucks, forcing myself to refrain from buying any goodies in hopes of delicious cupcakes from The Cupcake Gallery.

Come 1:40 pm I was in The Cupcake Gallery behind about five other customers. The first thing that caught my eye was the cost. Each cupcake in the case cost $3.00. That meant that I would be leaving with only three cupcakes. My disappointment increased. Then the customer in front of me pointed out that only six of the advertised forty-one flavors were available for purchase. In response, the gentleman behind the counter explained that various flavors are offered throughout the day.

While waiting to place my order, I took a look around The Cupcake Gallery. It was quaint, even endearing, with photographs of the city lining the walls and a comfortable couch amid tables and chairs. Unfortunately, the floor and the tables were dirty. I found this quite disturbing since they had only opened ten minutes before. It was quite unlikely that this mess had occurred in that period of time and it would have taken them only a couple of minutes to quickly wipe down the tables before reopening the store. I also noticed while waiting in line that the company pamphlet stated, "All of our cakes can be made into cakes!" A minor mistake, granted, but duly noted by any one reading the pamphlet.

When my turn came to order, I chose a cookies and cream cupcake, a vanilla bean cupcake and a red velvet cupcake. The total cost came to $10.01, one cent over the coupon, but the cashier quickly told me not to worry about the penny. He placed the three cupcakes on clear plastic drink lids, topping them with the plastic cups. These he placed in a white paper bag and I headed home on the el with my loot.

Upon arriving home, I was delighted to find that the cupcakes were in excellent condition! The Cupcake Gallery's packing idea was ingenious. I took a bite from each flavor, vanilla bean, red velvet and cookies and cream. The red velvet and cookies and cream cupcakes were especially tasty, but the vanilla bean seemed rather bland to me. The icing was creamy and delicious and all three cupcakes were moist. There was no doubt to their freshness.

Granted, my perception of the business itself was less than favorable what with the messy dining area and the mistake on the pamphlet, but without a doubt, the cupcakes were superb! And the cashier was friendly, which is always a plus.

I recommend The Cupcake Gallery to anyone with a sweet tooth. The cupcakes won't let you down!