Fragapane Bakeries — Restaurant in North Olmsted

Tastebud intoxication, Fragapane’s is one of Cleveland Magazine’s 30 Best Cleveland Bakeries for good reason.....

Everything is great; you cannot go wrong! My recommendation is to try their locally renowned cream sticks for breakfast, but grab a few, or you’ll regret it. If lunch or dinner is what you’re feeling, then you’ll be in good company as many flock to Fragapane’s for one of their huge deli sandwiches, homemade pizza, & various desserts, salads, or sides.

Fragapane’s is located on the west end of North Olmsted, away from the bustle of heart of the City. You can easily access the bakery by taking l-480 West, exiting at Stearns Road, heading north, then a quick right down Lorain Road, similarly from I-90 head south down Crocker Road, which turns into Stearns. There is also a bakery in Bay Village. Both Fragapane’s locations are comfortably located near beautiful parks where you will enjoy your meal. We went around the corner to North Olmsted Community Park, which has plenty of picnic tables. We took refuge from the rain under the pavilion.

Fragapane Bakeries has a wide variety of food choices. With so many mouth-watering options, we made our selections based on experience, word-of-mouth suggestions, and literally every one of our senses feeding our mind with delightful food foreplay. Like playing a palate poker hand, we went ‘all-in’. We ordered a Fragabomb sub sandwich, a slice of homemade mushroom & cheese pizza, some potato salad, cookies, & of course the famous or rather infamous cream sticks (because they will slaughter your gustatory taste cells).

The Fragabomb was packed with deli meats on a fresh-baked bun, “un-friggin-believable”! The pizza was on an original homemade bakery crust, and there’s no comparison in the market. The potato salad and cookies were spot-on & left us wanting more, but the cream sticks are almost indescribable. You will not find a better combination of flavors in such a simple treat. It’s like the dough, the light cream filling, & the frosting were meant to manufacture bakery bliss. If you want an unforgettable experience, then take a dozen cream sticks home or to the office, you will hit automatic ‘hero’ status with your family or co-workers.

Expect reasonable prices, but keep in mind, this isn’t a corporate chain, it’s a family-run bakery that takes pride in their products. As an example, I believe the fully loaded sub was about $7 & a boxed dozen cream sticks were around $10. If I lived closer, this would probably be a regular stop multiple times per week - it’s honestly that great!

Upon a return visit, I’d definitely try another sub & maybe mix it up with one of Fragapane’s anti-pasto salads. Of course, I always grab some cream sticks, but I might inquire about checking if they ever make some ham...

If you like donuts, I mean really like donuts. If you judge a donut by the texture of the dough whether it's soft and chewy with plenty of flavor. If you like your donuts filled with a generous portion of cream or fruit fillings not to forget to mention custard. If you like your donuts topped with chocolate or Maple icing that taste homemade then this is the place you have to buy your donuts. All of their donuts are made from scratch. You can smell the sugar and flour in the air. They have the best glazed donuts as well as the sugar twists.

You can see the reason I stop at Fragapane Bakery is for their donuts. I'm 75 years old and have done some traveling and never had a donut that matches the quality and taste of Fragapane donuts. Once you've tried their donuts no other donuts will measure up in taste and quality. You'll find yourself driving the extra miles past other donut shops just for their donuts.

They have other delightful things in their display case like cream puffs, cheesecake, danish's, an individual servings of cakes. Cannolis and many kinds of cookies just to mention a few. They all look so good but my weakness is their donuts.

The bakery presentation runs along one side of their establishment. On the other side they have a very nice deli. All kinds of lunch meats and cheeses. They also have a pizza by the slice offering that looks very delicious but I've never tried yet. They'll slice and make your sandwiches for lunch or dinner while you look on and wait. I've seen many people getting their lunch at the counter.

Down the middle of the floor they have shelvings filled with specialty items, like pasta, jar sauces, and many other items you can't find anywhere else.

You'll find them on Lorain road next to the Mercedes-Benz dealership in a small strip mall.

The place is family run and a lot of the employees are cousins and nephews. The place has that feel of family. It has that vibe of a place you discover on vacation that has great stuff and you wish there was a place like this back home. A Norman Rockwell feel.

If you want a great donut or two or three and have a little experience as you're doing it this is the...

I wanted to share this experience because I've been to this bakery for years even as a child and have seen the way that the food quality and service has been in a steep decline. I recently visited and even though they close at 6 I was there 10 minutes before closing and when I stopped to look at the counter I got " DELI'S CLOSED! I'll get you salads and that's it. No sliced meat" now, if you close at 6 and you're refusing to serve customers at the deli counter then why don't you close earlier? An I wanted to buy cookies. The girl that served me at the counter was so rude. She said "what can I get for you?" No hello, no smile, nothing. She was sweeping the floor and I guess that I was awful enough to ask for service that she decided it was a complete inconvenience to ask for her help. I went to pay and the girl at the register was an absolute 180*...polite and friendly...but the girl sweeping was hovering around her sweeping around her and WHILE she was attending to my husband and I actually slept around her feet to the point this girl was on her toes. Couldn't this girl wait till she was finished caring for her customer checking out! Then the food...I bought antipasata salad that tasted like a whole saltwater was dumped into it. The cookies I bought were stale and have a wierd citrus flavor. And the waffle cookies were mushy. They should be crunchy. That is the last time I go to this place. 16 years ago I ordered a cake for my wedding her and it holds a special place in my heart but I won't go back because the employees are RUDE and act like it's a sin to be there before the place closes for the day. And the food...