Review No. 134: Julie’s Sweet Shoppe & Bakery
201 Skyline Drive, #39
(501) 205-4301
60.9 percent finished reviewing Conway restaurants
The Situation
He Said: It was my birthday, dang it, and I deserved something sweet. We had just been to the movie and, by golly, look how handy it was to buy just such a sweet treat: There was an actual Sweet Shoppe right there in the Conway Towne Centre parking lot. Setting aside the absurd spelling for a moment…oh, wait a minute, I really can’t set aside the absurdity of “Shoppe”—not only is it not a legitimate English spelling of the word, it’s a deliberately archaized spelling apparently trying to evoke the quaint spelling of Middle English words in medieval poets like Chaucer. Of course, it goes perfectly with the equally ridiculous spelling of “Towne,” and the even more objectionable “Centre,” a British spelling eschewed by Noah Webster as long ago as 1828, when he ensured that the American spelling would always be “Center.”
But I digress. I wanted something sweet and chocolatey, and was willing to put aside my spelling prejudices to enter the store.
She Said: I’ve driven by this place probably hundreds of times and always wondered about it, but since we’re not big sweets eaters, I had never stopped in, but He Said was right about it being time for birthday treats—and I certainly wasn’t going to bake any.
Ambience:
He Said: Julie’s looks like a typical bakery inside, with tempting sweets displayed before you in glass counters as you enter, tempting you unmercifully. Apparently you can also get breakfast, deli sandwiches and other lunch items, and bread (it is a bakery after all) here, but I didn’t notice evidence of those things. I was here for dessert.
She Said: We arrived around closing time, so there weren’t any patrons using the tables inside or out to enjoy their confections. But it was cozy, and I’m sure it’s very pleasant to dine in. We got ours to go.
Drinks
He Said:I didn’t actually notice any, and I don’t see any listed on their web page. But I imagine, since they serve breakfast and lunch, that there must be something to drink. But I did not order anything.
Food
He Said: This being a birthday treat, I wanted something of the cake persuasion so I opted for a chocolate cupcake with some white frosting. It was quite wonderful—the cake chocolatey and undry (She Said don’t allow no M words in these reviews) and the frosting thick, rich, and satisfying.
Because we were going to do a review of this place, though, I decided—strictly for your sake, Dear Readers—that I’d better get a few other items to try as well. So I also got a Chocolate Chunk Cookie and a Fudge Brownie, and ate them in that order for desserts at my next two meals.
The cookie had great chunks of chocolate and was soft and chewy, as good a chocolate chip cookie as I’ve had anywhere. As for the brownie, it was smooth and chewy—a couple of different textures of wonderful chocolate.
I suppose it may have been useful to get something a little more substantial, like one of Julie’s fine looking pies, but my guess is that, since the three items I had were all first-rate, it’s a good bet that any sweet you might get at this Sweet Shop (I refuse to spell it differently) would be equally tasty.
She Said: I was choosing my own sweet treat (singular) to join the party, and it was indeed difficult to choose from all the scrumptious looking offerings in the display. In the end, I went with a petit four because they are so pretty, and tidy, and these were beautifully decorated. They only had vanilla, but cake is cake.
I thought this little two or three bite cake was delightful, as the cake was undry and flavorful, even if it was vanilla. I found the icing too sweet though. I know, I know: It’s frosting; it’s supposed to be sweet. But I don’t like to feel the sugar so heavily on my teeth. It was a delectable treat for special occasions. If I were getting a whole cake, I would request an icing with less sugar.
Service
He Said: There were several people in the store as we came in, and a couple of different servers behind the counter, so it was a little hectic, especially when we had to tell the server we weren’t ready yet when she got to us, because I hadn’t looked at every single item in the display cases. But when we finally were ready, our server filled our order competently and good-humoredly, so I have no complaints about the service.
She Said: Yes, this particular visit was not chill, as the “crowd” at the counter was a little frenetic. But the service was efficient and friendly.
What We Got and What We Paid: I lost the receipt, but we had four individual treats for less than $9.
Elapsed Time from Our Arrival to Food Arrival:7 minutes
Rating
He Said: This place is one of several great dessert-bakery type places in town, and I’d have no objections to She Said’s buying me some delicious chocolate item here for dessert every single day.
She Said: Julie’s offers a variety of delicious sweet treats, and I’m sure I’ll be stopping in again soon.
Is Julie’s Sweet Shoppe Good at What it’s Good For? Yes! This bakery knows its sweet business.
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