Hell Yeah Gluten Free Bakery
A winner. I almost didn't want to write this review because the more people who know about this place, the more likely these delicious treats will be sold out when I go. I owe it all to my best friend who texted me about this gem 3 weeks ago. As a bread and cake lover, I was excited. I found the Instagram page. I was instantly drawn to the owner's attention to detail, artistry, creativity, and general good natured-ness. I decided to take a day off from work to go the next day. That sounds extreme but you should know that I will literally take the day off for any reason or no reason at all.
You can order online but it's a bit of a mystery as to what you'll get. If you want something specific, you have to go early, hope, and pray that your selection will be there. (Spoiler alert: it doesn’t matter what you get because from what I can tell, it's all good.) There are some flagship products that can be ordered ahead. Currently, one of those items is their beloved biscuit sandwich. I ordered this online and took my chances to get whatever was there once I arrived, which turned out to be the chocolate glazed doughnut, and the pecan pop tart. (all three are pictured)
I went back the next week and got another pecan pop tart and an apple pie one (not pictured)
the doughnut: 1st things, it is so dang cute. Also, there's no hole! More doughnut to eat! The texture is not the same as a yeasty krispy kreme (which I love but I’m starting to think I have an intolerance for in addition to the gluten. sigh). I was told that there is no yeast in any of the store’s items. The texture is more flaky than it is stretchy. It makes me wonder if this is what a cronut tastes like. Whatever, it’s delicious.
the pecan pop tart: So good. I was shocked at how much I liked this. There’s levels of flavor here. the flakiness. the amount of filling! That’s one thing I certainly appreciate: living in Atlanta, you can pay a premium for certain things just because of the “experience” or novelty. At Hell Yeah Gluten Free, you are not wondering where the money went, it’s in the food. I know how much pecans cost! and they aren’t skimpy with anything.
the biscuit: it is a bit pricy at around $9. Truly, it’s more than reasonable. You get a thick ass biscuit. Us gluten free people know how much you can miss old favorites and even though I consider myself frugal, I can’t put a price on having the satisfaction of eating a buttery delicious biscuit again. It is worth it and it’s good. The quality is very apparent. You can get egg and cheese or add a chicken sausage.
apple pie pop tart: The pastry part was ALMOST as good as the pecan pie one. I found the filling to be too tart for my taste but apparently it’s a fan favorite.
I feel that most people are easily swayed into thinking deserts are good as long as they're sweet. I have always wanted to taste the food they make on top chef and I kinda feel like I'm getting that here because there’s depth and thought put into the flavors. It's not just sugar. It is not easy to do what this lady can do with gluten free pastries. Hell, it's not easy to do with all purpose wheat flour.
Remember how i said the owner/chef has a dedication to artistry? Well in that vein, she made an announcement recently that this is the last week for the current menu. While I'm excited to see the new ways she will dazzle us all, I've never known love like I have for the pecan pop tart. I drove down there the day after I saw her post and bought every last one that they had left. (10, if u must know. and I'm only partially embarrassed) If I can maintain my willpower, I am going to freeze some and ration them out.
The owner Alejandra is a sweetheart of a person, the other staff are kind as well. She GAVE me a cookie that they're testing for the new menu....it may have been one of the best things I've eaten. Alejandra seems to want to hold onto the local, small business culture of her shop. I like that. For what this place has given the gluten free folks, I hope she has all the success she wants- however much that is.