Prantl's Bakery

Finally got around to trying this very famous cake that some call the best in the USA. The burnt almond torte. Tried for a special occasion, the torte and the carrot cake pastry. The burnt almond torte was very good. The best I’ve ever had? Maybe, but not for sure. The cream is so tasty, the cake itself is soft and surprisingly flavorful with some vanilla, and the almonds are just so so good. So crunchy and sugary. It is really good and well worth the price. I love that they have smaller bars now, which are actually still quite large. However, can’t say the same about the carrot cake. It was so tiny and not that flavorful at all. I am surprised they came from the same bakery.

We purchased a school bus themed cake for my mom’s retirement (she’s a bus driver). The cake was beautiful and delicious! I spoke with Tara and she was very helpful. When my husband picked up the cake they helped him out the door and to the car as he had a baby in tow. Amazing service! I will be purchasing from here again!

We recently celebrated our parents’ 50th anniversary and wanted to recreate their original wedding cake. After reaching out to several bakeries, only Prantl’s was able to bring this vision to life—and they did an absolutely incredible job. We worked with Shanon, who was wonderful from start to finish. We sent her a 50-year-old photo of the cake, and she and the team perfectly captured every detail. The result was stunning and tasted just as amazing. The delivery was right on time, and the delivery person went above and beyond—carefully arranging the cake and even bringing along an extra to-go box for leftovers. Thank you, Shanon and Prantl’s, for helping make this milestone celebration so memorable for our mom and dad.

If I could I would give Prantl's bakery -Shadyside location a ZERO I would! I go in there weekly, sometimes multiple days a week and have always had a great experience except for today. The guy was completely rude, unprofessional and an complete jerk! When I arrived he was in the back for awhile and when he came out after 5 minutes he asked me what I would like. I said "I'd like 3 glazed donuts in 3 separate boxes as I always have asked. He proceeded to get my order, but I realized he didnt put gloves on (which all Prantl's employees wear atleast one glove when handling your food)...so I asked him to put gloves on before touching the donuts. He put the gloves on and made a sarcastic comment about my mask and said "How many times" have you had covid?". When I gave a response he said "impressive" and laughed. Which there is nothing funny about having covid or an auto-immune disease. I responded and he didn't say anything further until I was leaving and said "Make sure you wear gloves when you eat the donuts because the donuts,boxes and gloves have dirt on them" and laughed again. I asked him to repeat himself and he said the same exact things with other customers there. I've been coming here for years and I'll never step foot in this establishment AGAIN! I'm not sure if they just hired him, but he is a complete jerk!! Like I said I've been coming there for years and this my first time seeing him.

Delicious almond torte is awesome, but no seats available, so buy coffee at Roasters and take seats.

The almond torte from Prantl’s was the only cake we considered for our wedding, and it was absolutely beautiful and delicious! The booking, scheduling, and delivery all went smoothly. We look forward to ordering an almond torte each year to celebrate our anniversary! Photographer: Kristi Telnov

I was a Prantl's customer for decades, then their cakes went downhill around 2020 under the new ownership (spongy and tasteless), so I stopped visiting them for several years. This month I decided to give them a try again, and was pleasantly surprised to find that Prantl's has found their footing and the "birthday" style cakes are back to being delicious. Please keep up the quality and don't look back!

They have the same awesome recipes and pastries all the prantls have. We will not be back to this location though.

I love Prantl's. Everything -- *everything* -- is delicious. The cookies, the cupcakes, the bread, the pepperoni rolls. They'll even heat them up for you if you stop in on your lunch break! But the star of the show is, of course, the iconic Burnt Almond Torte. Luckily, you don't have to shell out $30 and feed 20 people to get a taste of their most loved flavor. It's also available in little bites, cake bars, and cakes -- all of which are smaller and less expensive, perfect for when you're craving a sweet treat.

Prantl's bakery was just okay. I feel like this bakery gets a lot of hype, so I was excited to try it. I got a broccoli and cheese quiche, which tasted like it had been thawed from the freezer (I swear I bit into a piece of ice). The apricot hamantaschen was lovely though; I had never tried it before but the cookie was perfectly soft and I liked the apricot jam filling. There isn't seating inside and the service was fine.

I was reading that the toasted almost torte is an absolute must when visiting Pittsburgh. Yea. Skip the sandwich with French fries on it. Just get this. Get ten of these Jrs. Stop reading this. Book a flight. Rent a car. Get down here. Do it now. It's that good. That's all I'm going to say about it. #eatpittsburgh #almondtorte

Happy to report that Prantls did call me and refunded my money for giving me the wrong cake

Stopped after lunch because I wanted a sweet treat. Figured pals is one of the best shots to go to right? I thought so. Though I do have to rave about the chocolate buttercream icing on the thumbprint was fantastic! But the Beetlejuice cupcakes decoration, cute, and festive for the time of year. And the movie as well. But, the cupcake was dense not a problem. But it was bone dry extremely disappointed when you're paying $3.50 a cupcake.

"A picture is worth a thousand words".....soft, pillowy cinnamon buns topped with a sticky, crunchy, caramelized pecan topping. They're simply divine. I seek out good sticky buns, and I guarantee you won't find better ones than those baked at Prantl's. They're wonderfully delicious!

When visiting Pittsburgh I always say there are the 3 P's of food destinations and Prantl's in Shadyside is one of them. (Right next door is Pamela's). When visiting my alma mater (Carnegie Mellon) recently, I had to go to Shadyside, site of my old haunting grounds, for breakfast. Much had changed over the years but Prantl's is still a fixture. I was going to a friend's home for dinner and wanted to make sure I brought some of their Famous Burnt Almond Torte. It was a small affair so I bought one piece of the Pastry, one of the raspberry and one of the Custard. Pittsburghers are always happy when someone brings Prantl's over. By the way, I picked up some cookies as well that I flew back with me to California and ate 3 days later and they were amazing. You can order the tortes two days in advance to make sure they don't run out but the lady assured me over the phone that they wouldn't. We had a 40 minute wait for breakfast next door and I made my order in advance and they told me they could hold it for pickup later in the day as it was 80 degrees and humid out. We came back 3 hours later and took the cakes back to our hotel room and into the fridge. Everyone was so friendly, helpful, and accommodating. My host was so excited to get the Burnt Almond Torte for dessert. It was the perfect way to end the evening.

well regarded as one of the "best cakes," i was curious to try the burnt almond torte from prantl's bakery. this slice of cake comes at a price - $7.99 for one. but i decided to try due to the raving reviews. maybe too good to be true? the cake slice is a decent size and they gave it to me in a box with plastic utensils. the outside is crispy burnt almonds that are lightly salted with a very sweet cream or icing. the inside is a very light angel food cake. i think there is supposed to be some cream/custard filling in between the two layers but my slice was very scarce. overall, i did like the toasted almond taste. however, the outside layer was far too sweet and then the inside was very simple and dry. it was too sweet so i finished it later that day and the cake part became hard. ultimately i'm glad i tried it but i'd pass on it next time.

What a great, old school bakery with a huge variety of baked goods! This bakery is super cute and small, but has tons of products! I wanted to try a homemade sweet treat, and I had a hard time picking what to get! I ended up going with the red velvet whoopie pie and a box of heart sugar cookies for my family. The workers were friendly and helpful! I tried the red velvet whoopie pie and it was super delicious! Love the flavor of the cake and the buttercream icing. However, the top side of the whoopie pie was dry. I did get it in the afternoon, and it felt like it had been sitting out for a bit. Maybe wrapping it in plastic wrap would help keep it more moist! Other than that, I really enjoyed it! If you need cakes, cupcakes, or anything in-between, this is a great bakery to check out!

Everything looked pretty good and I know people that say it's their favorite but the have such steep competition nearby with Gaby et Jules. Their pastries could have been just as good and they were absolutely friendly and gave free samples. I just wish they had more coffee options and the bakery itself didn't feel like an experience.

This review only involves bear claws. Nothing else. Not commenting about any other desserts. But boy... talk about wetting the bed. These were by far some of the driest, most unflavored, inferior pastries ever tried. I bought them in the hopes to impress... nope. Failed. Epic failure. These things would have been better as a paper weight. No filling inside. Crumbled up tasteless icing on top. Zero cinnamon accents...Just bad. At least today I grabbed Bartram House for their bear claws and had some tremendous redemption. So disappointed... especially from an institution that has multiple locations now and is expected to be the best! Ughhhh.

Ordered a birthday cake for our daughter. $40 which I was ok with. Icing was really good. Cake was stale. My daughter's comment was, that's garbage. What a disappointment.

Not my cup of tea. Was looking forward to trying the famous burnt almond cake but it was good in theory, lousy in execution. Too much lard-y tasting frosting. We tried two donuts, as well, but they were nothing special and tasted a little stale. Service was friendly.

The world needs more cute little bakeries, and Prantl's is here to save the day! Unfortunately there aren't many around me, and do-everything chains like Giant Eagle just don't get the job done. I've enjoyed finding French patisseries like La Gourmondine, but when the mood for classic all-American treats hits this is the place to go. As an artist I've been visiting Shadyside for years to visit Blick or to grab some of my favorite Pittsburgh-area pizza and gelato at Mercurio's. Being in the area I had to finally visit. I decided to pop into Prantl's to browse and didn't leave empty handed, as that should be illegal! Large glass windows provide a sneak peek of items beginning to be eaten. Although small, they have a wide variety including cakes, donuts, muffins, cupcakes, and cookies. I picked out a blueberry scone and mini red velvet cake. Neither disappointed and I'll be back for more soon.

This bakery used to have amazing pastries. The last few times I've gone when in town has been disappointing...so sad:(

A unique place that invented the Burnt Almond Torte. A small but mighty cake weighing way more than a cake should

I was really excited to try out this bakery because of a friend's recommendation and I've heard so much about Prantl's but to say I was disappointed with everything I purchased is an understament. The cakes were way too dry and the icing was too sweet and too heavy . The ratio of cake to icing was just off and nothing about the cakes was memorable. Everything tasted the same, I've had better tasting cakes and brownies from a Betty Crocker box to be honest. Would not recommend this bakery at all.

I had gone to one of Prantl's other locations and was very disappointed both in service and pastries. I was in the mood for some pastry and decided to give Prantl's another chance by going to another location. I walked in and was greeted immediately and the staff where very friendly and very helpful. The selection was good and everything looked great as well. I ordered 2 almond chocolate croissants. I have to say I was again disappointed in the amount of chocolate actually in the chocolate croissants. I have to say the pastry was fresh and tasted great. My only complaint is that there was virtually no chocolate in the chocolate croissant. I give them 5 stars for service and overall taste of product very fresh. But as with other location no chocolate int he chocolate croissant so i give them 3 stars overall. I would go back to this location and try some other items. I do recommend this location for your bakery needs.

I'm not sure why they would close their other locations closer to downtown. This location is a little out of the way but it was a much worth the drive. I bought their burnt almond torte. I wasn't sure on what to expect honestly, but damn. I all I need was our quick bite and I was instantly sold. Its creamy, crispy; and a perfect amount of sweetness all on the outside. I would order this again and again. I don't have any plans on returning to Pittsburgh so I would have to see if they ship these bad boys to Chicago. I'd you're in the area, this is a must. If you're in the downtown area, then the drive here is a must.

We recently got a custom cake for our daughter's birthday from Prantl's and we're so happy with how it turned out! Ordering was easy and it was ready right on time. The decorations were so cute and we loved her little smash cake too. The chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting was a hit.

Very sleazy business practice. Instead of increasing prices, they add a surcharge to all items. It wasn't until after my purchase and inquired about being overcharged that I was shown a sign on the side of the counter. I won't be back, after coming here for many years and getting my almond torte. I hope your unsavory tactics are worth losing customers over. The prices on the merchandise are not those charged, this is deceptive and falls under unfair business practices in Pennsylvania .

This place is going down hill it seems. I do like the food warmer, however haven't tried anything from it. But I went today and got a bear claw and there was nothing in it. It was just dough with icing and slivered almonds on top. I went back in and asked just to be sure I wasn't hallucinating the last 15 bear claws I've had there, and they said that's the way they make them. It's definitely not. Prices for the little bites are completely outta whack too. UPDATE: I actually called the main number later (cause I'm an American and I have no priority compass) and she assured me the claws are suppose to have a filling. I'll be back to check...cause I'm single, and 40.

Love Prantl's! All the workers are very nice and patient when I'm deciding what to get! I highly recommend the pepperoni roll! Love getting it fresh off the rack! I don't normally like pepperoni, but the roll is delicious and I get it everytime I go.

Years ago when I visited Pittsburgh I wanted to try the famous burnt almond torte, but Prantl's was closed the day we went to try it (a Monday). I was bummed but didn't forget. I recently visited Pittsburgh again, and one of the things I knew I had to do was finally get my hands on some burnt almond torte. Let me tell you, it was everything I hoped and more. Not only was it a HUGE piece of torte, easily sharable, but it was an excellent dessert. The cake itself was super moist and fluffy with the perfect custardy filling and sweet icing and crunchy caramelized sliced almonds. If you enjoy almonds, this is a must try! I didn't try anything else in the bakery, though everything looked good. This was a singular mission and I wasn't disappointed :)

I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it! When I walked in, those working at the counter were already busy with another customer, yet they took a moment to welcome me and let me know that they'd be right over. They were true to their word and came to my rescue when I couldn't decide between the various cakes. They pointed out which ones had the most chocolate and which ones tended to be the most popular. I got a couple of the small sour cream cakes, and they never made it past the block before I ate them both. They were simply dreamy and completely stole my heart. Between the service and these pastries, my experience was excellent and I'll certainly be back!

This neat little bakery is known for their burnt almond torte bites. Just one bite, and people want more! Their tortes are a hit in town, and you'll see others wanting burnt almond tortes as well. -- It's really to die for! There may be a long line inside, but the workers have been efficient in moving the queue, while ensuring that you have everything you need to satisfy your cravings. Cannot recommend Prantl's enough. You won't regret it!

Some of the best bakery items in the Burgh! Prantl's was introduced to me by colleagues who boasted of the shops's range of high quality baked goods. I tried the carrot cake, and red velvet cake both baked well without excess icing as some other bakeries do. Tried the chocolate chip cookies- which is huge, I wasn't a fan of the texture. The staff are friendly and service is quick.

Great service. Can't wait to eat the cake Great old fashion bakery nice selection of baked good.

Love this bakery. Everything is always fresh and tastes great. They have a nice variety and hours are great. Have been very satisfied with everything I purchased.

The Burnt Almond Torte is delicious!!! The texture of the torte is so light and fluffy. If you are in Pittsburgh, you definitely have to try it! You won't be disappointed. I also tried an assortment of other pastries from Prantl's; but none of them was as good as the Burnt Almond Torte.

Prantl's made our wedding cake when we lived in Pittsburgh, so we stop in for the burnt almond torte anytime we are in town to enjoy that crazy good recipe.

We heard that their almond torte cake was a must try, so when my birthday rolled around I knew that we had to get it for my cake! Now, seeing how big the full cake was, and that it was only going to be my mom, girlfriend, and I indulging, we decided to get their almond Torte bar, which is a smaller (and more responsible lol) option! We also couldn't resist trying out some of their croissants, as my mom is a croissant fanatic! She absolutely loved the croissants as they were nice a flakey, with a nice crisp on the outside. The almond torte cake is by far the best cake that I've ever had before! It was super tasty, and the only way I can describe it is to tell you to go try it! The almonds gave a nice texture, while the cake was nice and moist with a beautiful light layer of icing throughout! Will definitely be ordering this every single time there is a special occasion!

I ordered a 8x8 of Almond Torte for pickup. Some early confusion as I used my Last name for pick up and they couldn't find it as it was under my first name. No biggie. Simply - it doesn't live up to the hype. I've had better locally. Living in Oakmont, I tire of the Oakmont Bakery hype - but Oakmont's almond torte blows this away. This one didnt taste fresh and seems packaged for mass delivery. I'll probably try one more slice and then throw the rest away. Not worth $40 at all.

The smiling face that set me up with a Burnt Almond Cake was reflected in the smiling faced of my friend Ernie w& Pam who delighted in the gift given them. So grateful to have the likes of Prantl's in our neighborhood

I can't believe this cake is popular. I do not know how you can take so much that I like, combine them, and make such a bad cake. There is no flavor except sugar. No flavor of vanilla or anything. The flavor of the nuts is drowned out by the coating of still granulated sugar. If you take a twinkie pour a spoon of white sugar on it and stud it with toasted almonds you will get the same textures but more flavor then this cake and you will save $80. I have honestly never been so disappointed by cake.

I love coming into Prantl's to see what they have on any given day. Their donuts have never steered me wrong. While I like their fruit danishes, I do find them to be more "bready" than fruity. I do love their birthday cakes with the sugar crystals! Their seasonal treats are also really good. Recently, I bought a delightful pumpkin spice pastry!

We have been ordering the "Burnt Almond Torte" cake here since I was little. This is definitely one of my favorite cakes ever. The layers of fluffy white almond cake with custard in the middle melt in your mouth. Then add in the crunch from the sugar coated almonds! It's the best. I love almonds and anything almond flavored, so this is obviously the best of the best! I love that you can order the full cake ahead of time online. The bakery gets really busy, so this is a good way to guarantee one for special occasions. You can also order "torte bars" if you don't need a full cake. Don't pass up the cookies while you're there. My favorite are the large circle sugar cookies that are so buttery and fall apart in your mouth. They are all dipped in icing and then either sprinkles, crushed oreos, or almonds. All of them are awesome, but of course my favorite are the almond ones. Once you smell the inside of the bakery, you will leave with a larger order than expected!

In a world where the independent, historical bakery is slowly being killed off by Dunkins and Starbucks and the pastry aisle of Giant Eagle, Prantl's has survived. Are you from out of town? Get your rear in here and get a burnt almond torte, which really is one of the best cakes I've had anywhere in the country (and I eat a LOT of cake). When I'm in town for business or visiting family, one comes home as a carry on. (They will tell you that if you're not keeping it refrigerated, you can't travel with the custard version bc of the eggs. I personally have done that anyway and nobody died.) Are you from anywhere in Allegheny County? Go support your local institution before it becomes another "used to be". But --- don't stop at the torte. They have donuts. They have a bomb-diggety cinnamon roll (with cinnamon in the frosting too), and pretty good pecan sticky buns. There are cookies for afternoon pick-me-ups and a bunch of mini pastries. Eat EVERYTHING.

I ordered a burnt almond torte for pickup and was shocked at how the quality of the product has gone downhill. My guests were all equally as shocked. There was almost no custard in the center and the cake part was just not good. When I picked it up it was in sealed plastic and placed in the box. It was like it was ready to be shipped out somewhere for delivery. Given how cake was and the lack of custard, I suspect that the cake was made a number of days in advance of my pickup. This was a very disappointing experience, as this has always been a cake that I enjoyed.

My son ordered three pies on line and went to pick them up. Had to park three quarters a mile away with a very bad back! Finally got to the bakery and was handed the pies. The guy waiting on him asked if he wanted a bag. My son said yes, please. The guy said 21 cents for the bag. My son told him that he had no money on him and how far he had to walk with a bad back. The asshole said, "Enjoy your walk" Think about this 21 cent bag costing the bakery. He brought one of the pies to our Easter dinner, where he told this story to over 40 family and friends who all said they will never shop there again. I guess we all will go back to Oakmont Bakery!

My family was passing by Pittsburg during the day and wanted to try the famous almond torte. I heard a lot of great things about it, but was also warned that it was for people with a strong sweet tooth. The torte is sizable for the price, but I just found it way too sweet. I think they got the balance of texture correct but not the balance of flavor. It's crunchy on top, with a smooth icing and fluffy cake. I would recommend this if you love desserts that are strictly sweet though!

BAD CAKE BOSS BEHAVIOR!!! I was looking for a specialty cake for a 90th birthday. I wanted a two layer sheet cake. I found Prantl's. i called and spoke with someone who said that she would be the one making the cake. Told her when I needed it. She gave me all of my options. Told me she only needed a 2 -3 notice. Great so far, right? They're closed on Mondays. Call on Tuesday. No one answered. Left a voicemail. Got a call back today (Wednesday). Someone (not the original person) informed me that all cake orders have been closed for the week. When I informed her that I had spoken with someone about the cake the week before, she could have cared less. I said that I couldn't call on Monday because they were closed. Her reply was " you could have left an order on the phone"! Like "we" as customers are supposed to know that we can place a cake order when the store is closed!!! They need to get their act together and work on their customer service and lose the RUDE PEOPLE SKILLS!!! Inform customers of correct procedures. Now I'm without a cake. AND will not spend my money there again! I DO NOT SUPPORT IGNORANCE!!!

I have been going to this bakery for 60 years. No longer sadly. I went yesterday and was a bit surprised that I was the only person in the place, normally it has a line. I found out quickly why. The prices are ridiculous and the quality has gone down as well as the customer service. I got 2 donuts $2.30 a donut ok it's a free country. I had a choice not to buy it but I did. Then I was told about the 4% service fee. Why not just put it in the price of the product. Not this Got you mentality. Plus when I asked why my $2.30 donut actually was $2.70 the rude counter person walked me to some little sign taped to a spot very hard to see. She then tried to explain the reason. The cost of production etc. It was nice while it lasted but it's over for this historic store. I see the Sq Hill location already closed. Google why it's not good.

Going on the record and saying that Prantl's is my all-time favorite bakery. It may be small, but man, it's freaking amazing. If nothing else, the thumbprint cookies are out of this world. Every time I'm in town I make multiple stops at Prantl's for those cookies. My go to is their thumbprint with swirl frosting and jimmy's (sprinkles) that wrap around the cookie. They have chocolate icing, raspberry, and variety of other flavors to choose from. You can also get nuts instead of jimmy's but for me, I'm a jimmy's kind of guy. I kept seeing cakes being ordered and was drooling over how delicious they looked. Could I order a cake just for me? Maybe... Anyway, the kids who work here are great. Everyone buzzing about, getting the customers in and out; juggling the big orders with the walk-ins from the street. I'll never stop coming to this bakery. It's a staple of the city and a delicious one at that.

We can't wait to visit again! We tried their burnt almond torte and it was such a perfect balance of sweet/salty, just FULL of flavor!! Also, I could have eaten a dozen of their macadamia nut cookies by myself. Service was fantastic.

We order a full sheet cake once a month to celebrate all birthdays in the office. Its a fun day for all and one that many look forward to because of the delicious cake from Prantls. No matter what we order.. vanilla or chocolate.. its always a huge hit. Not 1 compliant!!! What I love the most is the pudding inside the cake!! oh my goodness!! Thank you Prantl's

Wish I took a photo of the treats we got but they were all amazing. Go out of your way for this place as it was a highlight of our quick afternoon in Pittsburgh

Delicious stuff comes from here! There does not exist a bakery I don't love, and driving or strolling past one simply cannot happen without a walk in. Having said that, this one is in a class of its own. Is the Almond Torte Bar worthy of its reputation. Yep. Far more than worthy. Is everything else here worth a taste and try? Also hecks yeah! Stop in. Savor the smells. Then empty your wallet and buy one or two of everything. You can thank me later.

I've always loved coming to Prantl's and have been a loyal customer for many years. I love their donuts! But I was there today and it looks like they doubled their prices on most items. It was $2.50 per donut! Do the math - $30 a dozen. Their donuts are good, but not that good. I prefer to pay for my kids college education. I won't be back. UPDATE: I just saw in the Tribune Review that Prantl's is under new ownership. It all makes sense now. I wonder what changes will come next?