Continental Bakery

I wanted to like this place so bad. It was a weekend trip for my mom in which we drove 3hrs and I brought her here because she loves french pastries. We were looking forward to it today.
After spending nearly $50 on two mini pies, I thought “this is going to be sooo worth it, because how else could they sell these at this price and still be in business”!
I got the cherry and the apple mini pies. Tonight we cut into this little gem in the box and we’re instantly DISGUSTED!!!! The apple pie for one barely had any apple filling in it compared to the domed crust, lots of empty air space in there. Not what a $22 pie should be. Next was the bite I threw out of my mouth instantly, it tasted awful!!!! This cannot be right. We turned the lights brighter and examined what looked like moldy, bad apples that were dry and no pie filling substance at all. The smell was putred as well….of metal and gross rot or something went bad.
The cherry pie was a step up, but also dry as in just cherries and no filling type substance you find in a pie and like the apple, a large air space between cherries and the crust.
This place could be amazing, but how are you going to charge these prices for below subpar pies???
Lesson learned….don’t spend $50 on two small desserts, even if they look good on the outside. So sad.

New to the area, I came this morning very excited to get a real European croissant. Got the bag of two home and was super disappointed. Not sure if claggy is the right word, not being a baker, but out of the bag that they were very casually thrown into the bottom of with other goods on top, they looked deflated and half done. See pics attached. Opened the more deflated one and the center is still dough. Opened the second one and it’s a bit better but still not up to snuff. I’ll give them another chance, and update this review if it’s a better experience, but this was a rough start. Also the cashier while bagging my order dropped one of the macarons on the wood counter. I saw her mind calculating whether she should get me another but she didn’t. She did use a glove to pick up the macaron off the counter and put it in the bag with the other. Now I don’t know which it was, so I lost both. I paid a good mount of money this morning for food I can’t eat.

On a recent trip to Birmingham I stopped here and became a fan at first bite! 😆 I first noticed the cute look of the bakery and appreciated the friendly staff inside. There were so many delicious looking treats to select from that I was indecisive. I ended up picking several treats including a mini carrot cake as well as a latte. I definitely will be making another visit when I return to Birmingham.

i’ve never had a bakery experience even close to this one – positive remarks in every way – staff was so polite patient and helpful, the quality of the products are s-tier, and the decor and environment as truly one of a kind. my ONLY complaint is that i wish they would leave the egg wash off a small variety of their bagels so the plant-based community can enjoy what i’m sure is a phenomenal bagel. 😇

Lovely French bakery set in a quaint area of Birmingham. We chose various pastries that were all wonderful plus a latte and I grabbed some granola. Holy cow! The Lulu’s granola is amazing! Hoping they might ship out of state some day. HINT HINT!!!