This gem is absolute heaven even if you can eat gluten. If you have Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, Hold the Wheat is a miracle. The goodies are SO good my gluten-eating husband will go out of his way to go there and get things for himself too. There is handy street parking and a small lot tucked away as well. They have great savory options as well as out of this world pastry. If you are looking for a perfect cold weather/comfort food lunch and they have the chicken pot pie, get that! :) (It isn't on the recommendation list so I am recommending it here. You can't go wrong regardless.)
Service
Take out
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Pizza Pie
If I told you an apple sweetie pie changed my life you wouldn't believe me so now you have to read my story.
I'm used to getting gas station donuts. To me, grocery store bakery items are the fancy choice. Then, one fateful day I walked into "Hold the Wheat" and like a unrefined street urchin I asked for an "apple fritter." Spencer looked at the shelf and handed me what I thought was their version of an apple fritter.
One bite into it I knew I had discovered something special. Flakey pastry, with a gooey, sweet center. Every time I chewed there was more crunch on my palate. I had to stop what I was doing and concentrate on what was happening in my mouth. I finally figured out it was the course grained sugar that was giving it the crunch.
I told myself I would write a witty review for them but I procrastinated until I forgot about it. A couple weeks later, I drove by the shop and noticed it's name. "Hold the Wheat?" Hold on, it's also gluten free!? Mind. Blown. It never even occurred to me that what I was eating didn't contain gluten.
My wife has a gluten intolerance and I knew I had to let her try it. Well, here I am. She just told me, "It's like heaven on earth."
We tried the apple sweetie pie, caramel Spencer cake and a lemon bar. All of them were fantastic.
Even the coffee was fantastic.
I'll never be able to enjoy another apple fritter knowing that I could be eating an apple sweetie pie.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Other
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Caramel Apple Sweetie Pies
Hold the Wheat is a dream come true for the celiac community in the twin cities. Delicious gluten-free pastries AND a cute aesthetic? It's hard to ask for more, especially when people who must eschew gluten are so desperate for quality baked goods that gf places can coast along on having gluten-free foods without having an attractive look worthy of Instagram.
But while the aesthetic (pink and orange, vintage mixed with modern) is adorable and appreciated, it's the pastries that have us driving back here all the way from St. Paul regularly (getting up early on the weekend even!). The Spencer cakes are about the size of a hostess cupcake and they are always moist and delicious, no matter the flavor. (They also stay good for a few days after you bring them home.) HTW seems to usually have chocolate, lemon, and "celebration" cake flavors on any given day, but they frequently come out with new and exciting ones. They advertise their new, limited time flavors on their Instagram account, and they seem to sell out quickly. I really hope they will permanently add a Nutella cake to the rotation. I can't help but imagine it would be a unique draw.
They also make tarts and hand pies, both sweet and savory, and the savory, breakfast flavors are particularly good. The crust is flaky and scrumptious. They also have personal sized quiches (like pizza hut's personal pan pizzas back in the day) and those are also great. The only things I haven't tried there are the beverages and the cookies. My husband says the beverages are good, but neither of us has tried the cookies because why eat cookies when there are pastries available? Gf cookies are easier to find, so less exciting to try.
My only complaints at this time about Hold the Wheat are that they seem to sell out too quickly of their products (get there right at opening if you have your heart set on something), and they don't have a phone number listed anywhere. Also, this is not a complaint, but they really should add the Nutella cake to the rotation.
Hands down the best gluten free cake I have ever eaten. I got the lemon Spencer Cake (my favorite), the chocolate and caramel (delicious), and the regular chocolate. I'm not even a chocolate person and I absolutely loved these. So flavorful, so moist, not crumbly.. AMAZING. I also ordered an iced Chai Tea Latte which is the best I've ever had. In addition, I got the coffee cake (which I would rate a 7/10, just a little bit too cinnamon for my liking) and the lemon bar. The lemon bar had good flavor I just wish the crust wasn't so dry and that the lemon part was a little thinner and sturdier - it was definitely a messy dessert. The location is very convenient, there are nice patio tables you can sit at outside, or you can choose to eat inside if the chairs are available. I cannot wait to go back and try more! Highly recommend.
If you have celiac disease this place is heaven. Just don't get too attached unless you live close by. I'm from Idaho just happened to see it when I was looking for someplace safe to eat lunch while on a trip there. The food tasted like real food. I went back the next day to get more. It was delicious, no grainy texture or cardboard taste. Unfortunately they don't ship 😥. It is the first time I have had a pastry crust was close to actually pie crust. Just wish they understood that I wouldn't care if it arrived in 1/2 inch crumbs it would be worth to have something that tastes so good and safe to eat.
Service
Take out
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Sausage Snuggle Pie
It's pricey but very tasty. We bought some things for our neighbors and got a few things to try. The lemon was great and the chocolate frosted cookie was good too.
We went on Saturday and had a Spencer cake, pie crust cookies, and two savory items. They were fantastic. I can’t pick a favorite! (Okay, maybe the cookies and the rosemary mushroom tart) I am not gluten free but I couldn’t even tell the difference. Everything was so good. The pastry was flakey, the cake was moist, the flavors were incredible. Great decor, friendly staff, delicious treats! 10/10 recommend.
Everything is gluten free and celiac safe. Some vegan options as well. I got several loaves of bread with good texture, soft and dense, and two flaky pastries, a berry pie and a sausage and egg pocket pie that was amazing. Also got a vegan oatmeal sandwich pie thing that was very good. Very spendy, but great for a treat.
Service
Take out
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 4
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 3
Recommended dishes
Mixed Berry Sweetie Pies
Pros: sweet treats & coffee selections are great
Cons: the savory options are pretty dry, may consider those as a breakfast vs. lunch option. The staff could use customer service training, Doesn’t seem like they enjoy being there or serving in any manner.
Note: I tried ordering the pie crusts for an early thanksgiving, and management told me come in next week for frozen crusts instead. There’s no number posted on Google maps or the website so naturally i
Couldn’t call ahead. When I got there, the following week, of course they were not stocked and the manager told me to come back again next week. I wasn’t planning to make an second trip, especially when there’s no way to call ahead and check or know if I will be successful. I’m hoping this review will help the owner to understand that not having a contact number encourages me to take my business elsewhere.
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 4
Service: 1
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Oreo Filled Spencer Cake
Hold The Wheat made the wedding cake and little cakes for my daughters wedding. Hands down the best wedding cake I've ever had! From the tasting appointment to the final product, my expectations were exceeded at every step. These cakes are not your typical gluten free baked goods. They are so delicious and full of flavor. The cake was not only delicious, it was beautiful. We loved the innovative creativity that was put into making this so special. Thank you Hold The Wheat!
