Who says large chains have killed South Florida’s old-fashioned bakeries? Although it’s become easy to pop into a grocery store to buy bread or cookies, there are still lots of options for those looking for a traditional bake shop.
At these independently owned stores in Broward and Palm Beach counties, bread and pastries are made on the premises by a local baker who shapes each confection with precision and affection.
Pay a visit to any of the shops on this list and you’ll see: The extra stop is worth it.
BROWARD COUNTY
Archibalds Village Bakery, 608 Breakers Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 754-300-5926; archibaldsvillagebakery.com
A beloved beachside bake shop, Archibalds Village Bakery in Fort Lauderdale’s North Beach Village earned third place in Yelp’s 2023 ranking of the “Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.” Try a slice of the Morning Glory Loaf, packed with carrots, shredded apple, pineapple, coconut, walnuts and raisins ($5). There are also quiches, sandwiches, coffees and lots of homemade pastries.
Cookies from Archibalds Village Bakery in Fort Lauderdale. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)
Beach Buns Bakery, 222 Commercial Blvd., Lauderdale-by-the-Sea; 954-807-8987; Instagram.com/beachbunsbythesea
Order the Triple Chocolate Brownie ($5.25) or a slice of Triple Chocolate Cake for $7. There are also muffins, smoothies and coffees. According to sweet-lover Fabio Alvarez, who posted in the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s foodie Facebook group, “Let’s Eat, South Florida“: “The chocolate chip cookie was phenomenal. Tasted 100% homemade, fresh, gooey, buttery chocolate chip goodness, exceptional!”
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Big Mike’s Gluten Free Cafe, 1637 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-763-3344; bigmikesglutenfree.com
Owner Mike Biagini, who was diagnosed with Celiac disease in 2010, and his staff make all their pastries from scratch and make sure all are gluten-free and vegan. Cheesecake, muffins and donuts are on the dessert menu, as well as red velvet and pineapple upside-down cakes. A chocolate chip cookie sells for $3.25.
Croissan’Time French Bakery,1201 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 954-565-8555; croissantime.com
This old standby has been in the same location for 39 years. Order an assortment of four pastries (Napoleons, eclairs, cream puffs, fruit tarts) for $29. A baguette is $4.25; a sourdough or rye bread is $9.50. There are also salads, sandwiches and French delicacies such as truffles, mushrooms, cheeses and foie gras.
Derek Kaplan, of Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop, was a firefighter for 20 years before opening his store in Wynwood. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)
Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop, 250 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 954-533-0810; firemandereks.com
A former Miami firefighter, owner Derek Kaplan opened this shop in 2022, having owned a bakery in Wynwood since 2014. He offers an assortment of towering cakes, cookies, ice cream and pies, including a signature key lime dessert ($11 a slice). There are also pie and cake slices, whole cakes, brownies and cookies ($5.50 for a sprinkle sugar cookie). A third location can be found in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood.
JW Pastry, 5665 S. University Drive, Davie; 954-251-4243; Facebook.com/JWPastry
Open since 2010, JW is the brainchild of Jonathan Grotsky, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America. On a recent weekend, the shop offered an assortment of homemade focaccia breads, including a Roasted Argentine Chorizo, made with mozzarella, shallots, peppers and chimichurri ($19). Other creative specialties include mango tarts, peanut butter brownies, macarons and Belgian chocolate cake.
Owner Jonathan Grotsky, right, sifts powdered sugar atop almond croissants as chef de cuisine Hans Arrieche prepares onions for caramelization for a quiche at JW Pastry in Davie on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Gran Forno, 1235 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-467-2244; granforno.com
Gran Forno boasts that its bakers make 800 loaves of ciabatta bread a day as they service local restaurants and hotels. For us little guys, check out the cinnamon swirls for $5.75 and the banana nut muffins for $5.40. There are also sandwiches, quiches and 12 other types of bread.
Moises Bakery, 115 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd., Hallandale Beach; 954-457-9780; moisesbakery.com
Moises’ website describes the shop as a “European bakery with Hispano American specialties.” Options include cachitos (Venezuelan ham-filled pastries), arepas (white corn pockets, $3-$8) and cachapas (pancakes made of ground corn kernels). Finish the meal with a sweet European-style dessert such as tiramisu or a profiterole ($4.99 each). There’s also a location in Miami Beach.
Pascal & Cathy Bakery, 998 N Federal Highway, Pompano Beach; 954-756-1496; bakerypascal.com
Lovers of French pastry will exult in this bakery’s offerings; I recommend the coffee eclairs ($7.50). There are also croissants, chouquettes, Napoleons and cannelés. As David Barrett posted in “Let’s Eat, South Florida“: “What a great breakfast at Pascal and Cathy … Great cappuccino, out of this world croissants, croque madame, homemade Valentine chocolates … All so fresh!”
Stork’s Bakery, 2505 NE 15th Ave., Wilton Manors; 954-567-3220; storksbakery.com
Stork’s is named for Jim Stork, a former mayor of Wilton Manors, who opened the shop in 1997. Peter Dekaj, the bakery’s former pastry chef, is now the owner, and the site still offers freshly baked goods daily. The menu has expanded to include soups, hot and cold sandwiches (a Chicken Apple Melt goes for $12.95). The store loves making big cakes: If you order a Barbie cake, you can get a choice of skin and hair color, and one dress color, with chocolate or vanilla cake layers under her gown.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Aioli, 7434 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; 561-366-7741; aioliwpb.com
This bakery-cafe was awarded a Bib Gourmand this year from the prestigious Michelin Guide, recognizing good quality food at reasonable prices. Baked items are made on-site, along with sandwiches, soups, salads and pastries. The Roasted Vegetable Sandwich ($13.50) oozes goat cheese, tomato and eggplant on fresh ciabatta. Get a slice of Orange Olive Oil Cake for dessert ($3), washed down with a yummy Dark Chocolate Mocha Latte ($7).
Casa do Pão, 22829 U.S. Highway 441, Boca Raton. 561-852-8390; order.toasttab.com/online/asa-do-pao-boca-raton
“Pão” is the Portuguese word for bread. At this Brazilian bakery, check out the pastel, or deep-fried pastry filled with beef, cheese or ham ($4.99). There’s also Misto Com Ovo (ham, cheese and egg on French bread, $6.90) and churros filled with caramel for 85 cents each. According to Hazel Matic, who posted in “Let’s Eat, South Florida“: “If you’re into trying a bakery with a Brazilian twist, I highly recommend Casa Do Pao in West Boca … and I’m not Brazilian.”
Cosa Duci Italian Market, 141 NW 20th St., Boca Raton; 561-393-1201; cosaduci.com
Cosa Duci has expanded from its bakery-only business into an Italian market serving pastas and chicken dinners to take home. Try a homemade large cannoli for $5.50 or the large sfogliatella, a flaky pastry filled with cream, for $6.50. Customer Allison Ian, posting in “Let’s Eat, South Florida,” recommended the bakery’s focaccia-making class: “Our teacher, Silvia, who has been cooking and baking at Cosa Duci for 18 years, was wonderful, spoiling us as if we were members of her family. The class included wine, a fantastic antipasto table, and dessert … What a fantastic find.”
Cote France Cafe, 100 Plaza Real S., Boca Raton; 561-955-6021; cotefrance-bocaraton.com
Open since 1995, this corner cafe next to Royal Palm Place serves an assortment of breakfast bagels, eggs and English muffins, but go for the authentic French fare: Croque Madames, quiches, crepes, profiteroles and fruit tarts. Some drive miles for their coffee eclairs ($9.20); it’s a just-sweet-enough pastry with a luscious coffee kick. A small cappuccino is $5.30; a double iced espresso, $5.80.
Damn Good Sweets, 8854 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561-900-7173; damngoodsweets.com
Damn Good Sweets serves ice cream, sorbets, cake pops, brownies and macarons, but it’s their custom-made cakes, in creative colors and shapes, that will especially entice sugar-lovers. Pick your own base, add fruit or another filling and frosting as well as an inscription. The cost is $95 for a 6-by-8-inch specially made work of art.
Gramma’s Bakery, 14466 S. Military Trail, Delray Beach; 561-496-0185; grammasbakerydelrayfl.com
Everything is made on the premises, from key lime pies to strudels to rye breads. A pistachio croissant goes for $6.45, a Bigne Crema O Chocolate (cream puff) is $5.99.There are also mini-cakes, cupcakes, Italian cookies and sugar-free desserts. Gramma’s is owned by the adjacent (and always crowded) The Boys Farmers Market.
A Torta Caprese Bianca from UNA Bakery in Lake Worth Beach on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
UNA Bakery, 513 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach; 727-330-0401; Instagram.com/unabakerypalmbeach
Azra Nahic, an immigrant from Bosnia, opened her bakery in 2022 after operating stands at local farmers’ markets. Her homemade specialties include bureks (pastries filled with meat, cheese or spinach), cinnamon buns and raspberry cake. Handmade breads, using flour imported from Europe, are $12.
Vincent’s French Bakery
2831 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; 561-576-3151
516 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth Beach; 561-533-0840
vincentsfrenchbakery.com
It’s a real pleasure to sit on one of Vincent’s cushioned benches in Boca Raton and relax with an iced latte as a line of people patiently wait for their chocolate croissants ($5.50) and baguette tartines (baguette, butter and mixed fruit jam, $6). A visitor to the Lake Worth Beach shop, Philipp Hawkins, wrote this in “Let’s Eat, South Florida“: “Hands down the best croissant and Madeleine I have ever had in South Florida. The ambience and staff are outstanding. If you have never been … it’s a must go.”
Got a favorite independently owned bake shop in Broward or Palm Beach County that’s not on this list? Email AskLois@sunsentinel.com with details about why you love it for a potential follow-up story.
The popular lemon meringue tort is seen at UNA Bakery in Lake Worth. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
