Susie’s Shortbreads

The cupcakes are a little pricey but they will definitely fix your sweet craving. The flavour variety is nice and things appear to be done in small batches, so you never know quite what you’ll find. In need of a sweet treat recently I popped in on a total whim and got a chocolate mint cupcake that was just the thing. It’s so sugary you might not want to eat all that frosting in a single sitting — or a giant glass of milk might help — but they offer a nice little single serving plastic takeaway container to help with that.
Worth it when you want to treat yourself to a little something. Will have to try some of their other treats after reading the excellent reviews on them.

Susie’s should be world famous for cupcakes. A well respected cupcake shop in New York that cost more might I add has nothing on Susie’s when it comes to taste and portion size. If Susie’s run out of cupcakes just go home don’t waste your money on the other stuff the store offers. The milshakes are just left over cupcakes blended with milk which is a good idea for them but for me to be honest it is blah and tastes like the fridge. The truffle balls same thing just a way to use up leftover cupcakes. The shortbread good but cost too much. Just stick to the cupcakes they get me back time and time again!

I love sweets. Cakes, pies, cheesecake. If it has sugar in it, I’m all about it. So I thought I would be all about Susie’s. Alas, I’m only an occasional fan.
Their cheesecake bites are awesome. I can pick out three or four different flavours for the price of one whole slice elsewhere. Any of their chocolate caramel creations hit the spot. However, the last few times I trekked there on break, I was confronted by an empty case.
Their cupcakes look stunning, but almost always disappoint me. The cake part itself is moist, but I find the icing is too much, too sweet, and many of their flavours have this odd after-​taste that usually means I’m scraping the icing off entirely.
I’ll keep going for the cheesecake, but the price they ask for their cupcakes is too steep for a product that doesn’t blow me away.

What can I say… it’s a favourite and regular place of mine. I have enjoyed many cupcakes here, in Bayer’s Lake and from the cupcake mobile over the years. Very consistent and two thumbs up every time!

Well I must confess that I’m not a huge cupcake or cake lover but I was intrigued by the fabulous things I’ve been hearing about Susie’s. Not to mention Susie’s crazy cupcake varieties – Susie’s classic, black and white, mint, death by chocolate, peanut butter, coconut, birthday cake, etc x 100. I was out walking up Dresden Row on a Saturday afternoon and saw the pink sign and just hadddddddddddddddddddddd to pop in (I know some of you may sympathize). The décor was so neat, so fifties, so rad. I felt like Danny was going to come out of the back to say hello while Kenickie and Rizzo made out in the corner. It no word of a lie took me 20 minutes to make my cupcake decision.
The cool thing about it is that the fabulous bakers of Susie’s get up at a crazy hour to make sure there are fresh cupcakes everyday. Day old cupcakes are 50% off! Out of the 100 different flavors, there are always 12 baked fresh cupcakes sitting in the little case. I eventually decided on the black and white cupcake. What sold me? Two words: butter and cream. I know it wasn’t necessarily the healthiest of snacks. But I power walked home and all is well. The chocolate cupcake itself was moist and rich in chocolate, while the buttercream icing finished me off with a smile. I sat in the sunshine-​y front window and took my time eating it. Not, it was gone in 10 seconds.
I almost went back for shortbread but I refrained (would’ve required double the power walk). Next time! Susie is decently priced to boot. My single cupcake was that much and if you want ½ dozen you are looking at 16.50 $ for these decedent little creations. It doesn’t just stop at cupcakes though; you could also plough through frozen treats, wedding cakes, cakes, truffles, etc. I’d love to give Susie’s a 4 but I have only tried the cupcakes and feel there are plenty more things in there to experience.

I really want to love Susie’s. And really, if someone suggests to me that we go to Susie’s for a treat, I’ll probably crack a smile and agree. But to be honest, I’d probably be better off at home with my KitchenAid and a muffin pan.
Let’s start with what I like:
The cupcakes and shortbreads come in many different and imaginative flavours. You can’t dock them points on creativity.
The effort that has gone into the look and feel of both Susie’s locations is fantastic. More than half the reason I’m likely to go to Susie’s is because it’s just a cool place to check out.
They’re really taking the concept of their shop to the limits. With the milkshake bar (yes, the shakes are awesome!), cupcake accessories, frozen treats and build-​your-​own-​cupcake counter, they’re really going all out to have something to please everyone.
But Susie’s falls short on one crucial thing…
The cakes. This is a pretty big thing to fall short on. The look of the cupcakes is great — these people are far more talented at cake decorating than I am. The cake is usually just *slightly* too dry and the frosting is almost always far too stiff and sweet for buttercream. Considering the price of the cupcakes, I can’t help but feel like I’m getting a much better deal when I make slightly less creative, but tastier cupcakes at home.
I’ve also ordered a full-​sized birthday cake for my boyfriend from Susie’s before and, to be honest, it was not worth the money. For one, I ordered a red velvet cake and it didn’t have cream cheese frosting. That should be illegal. Instead, the frosting was the same kind of sickly sweet nonsense that is used on the cupcakes. The cake itself was moist enough, but I’ve definitely had better.
All in all, Susie’s has the potential to be a fantastic specialty bakery if they step up their game a bit. But as of right now, the place is far more about the experience than the product.

This is a 3.5 star review, after mulling it over, I just couldn’t give Susie’s 4 stars, maybe after a few more visits trying more items, I will give it a bump. I’ve been thinking about how to write this review, and I think the best way is to divide it into what I like and don’t like.
Likes
–I really love their involvement in the community and their social media presence, they have a food truck that attends different events like the Jazz Fest, and they are very active on twitter.
–I like the look of their store, very retro, tons of pink and the products look great.
–On Saturday they offer Vegan and Gluten Free Cupcakes.
–I tried their Red Velvet cake (only offered on Saturday) and it was very moist and tasty, and the cream cheese in the frosting cut the sweetness of the buttercream.
–Their milkshakes, I tried the Peanut Butter, very reasonably priced, a large portion and the flavour was very good.
–I’ve always had prompt, friendly service.
Dislikes
–I find the majority of their cakes dry and flavourless
— I find the buttercream too sweet and there is too much of it on the cupcakes
–While they have a ton of different cupcakes, the overwhelming majority of them are vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with vanilla and chocolate buttercream with some different mix ins and toppings to make them different. I would love to see some different cake bases like chiffon, gingerbread etc, different flavors like spice cake, stout, mocha etc. Also because I am not a huge buttercream fan I would also like to see different frosting types like ganache, swiss meringue, boiled icing etc.
–This final dislike may be a bit picky, but nevertheless my opinion. While waiting for my milkshake, I observed one of the pantries, which had different products on it like no name pie fillings, smuckers ice-​cream sauces etc. I would really love it if Susie’s made their own, since all they do is desserts, it would be great if they their own hot fudge sauces, fruit compotes etc. I know it would raise the prices, but I think the end effort would be worth it.

The two stars are for their cupcakes. Meh is right.
Baffled as to why people rant and rave about this place.
Cupcakes are dry. Icing is too much, and not made of the good stuff (i.e. butter — I dare you to prove me wrong. well not really). Well, they look pretty.
All that said, their shortbreads are good. Maybe they should just stick to shortbread?

I’m becoming less and less of a ‘sweets guy’ as I age so Susie’s admittedly isn’t my kind of place (I’m more the type to try to convince my co-​diners to go in on the $ 30 cheese plates for dessert rather than cakes…), but I popped in the other day with a friend to see if we could nab a small treat of some sort to polish off a successful downtown brunching!
First off, I was really happy to find a friendly staff member behind the counter! I was unfortunately turned off a bit by a worker here a few years ago (maybe the same from other previous reviews?) but was happily reminded that you can’t write off a place based on one interaction alone! Our lady was cheery, helpful, and the perfect person to be dishing out doses of sugary goodness. Great to see!
Knowing that cupcakes aren’t really my thing (unless they are literally just a vehicle to bring a chocolate and peanut butter combination to my mouth), we went against the grain and skipped Susie’s specialty, opting instead for cheesecake bites the size of mini Reese’s Pieces. For someone who only ever wants two bites of a dessert before he gets bored, THESE are inventions I can get excited about.
We walked away with a little bag of several different varieties of cheesecake which was a great way to get a taste for a lot of different things without committing to major slices and the cost of the new pants with larger waistbands that we’d need afterwards. My favourites were the Crispy Crunch and Reese’s Pieces flavours (no one should be surprised here) but the others that we picked up (Oreo and a few others that I can’t remember because peanut butter wasn’t involved) went just as quickly!
At $ 1.25 a pop, they’re not exactly cheap for their size, but they’re great for a quick treat on the go every now and then. Happy to have found ‘em!
(Edit: Also… I haven’t seen it yet but can I just say how much I love that our city has a food truck for cupcakes? Rock on, Susie’s!)

Let me start off by saying I heart any and all versions of cake. Cake is my kryptonite.
I want to love Susie’s, really I do. But I don’t. Not the cupcakes at least. The cupcakes are visually stunning — I’ll give them that. And the cake part itself? Good, though I’ve definitely had better. But the frosting is not my thing at all. There is WAY too much of it for starters, and it’s some sort of sickly sweet granular concoction. Clearly many people love it — but it’s just not for me. Susie’s conducted an informal frosting poll on Twitter recently, and I responded that I was not a fan, but at least you can scrape it off. However, I realized afterwards… why would I pay $ 3 for an okay cupcake with the frosting scraped off?
Their shortbread cookies are yummy, though tiny for the price. However, I have taken advantage of their delivery service many times by sending cookies to various spots throughout the Maritimes. I may only send a half-​dozen cookies, but they come in a cute little Chinese takeout box and it’s a lot cheaper than sending flowers! It’s worked out nicely as a fun little birthday or Valentine’s day surprise for friends and relatives.
Service? I’ve had both good and meh experiences. I do appreciate their social media presence. And I love that they keep coming up with unique expansion ideas, like the cupcake mobile and the new cupcake bar in Bayer’s Lake.
So there’s lots to like about Susie’s, but I’m just not a fan of the star of the show.

Let me start off with the good stuff: cute, quaint shop with good customer service. And the cupcakes LOOK cute, well presented and delicious. I was excited to try Susie’s as I had heard they provided «the best cupcakes ever».
Unfortunately thats where it ends.
That is a CRAZY amount to charge per cupcake. Seriously? Over $ 6 for two?! I could make a batch at home of a dozen, or more, for about that much — and they’d probably taste better. Wow. Blind robbery.
The cake itself was edible, though not great. But the frosting. My teeth still ache from all that frosting and the last time I was there was well over 2 months ago. Why so much overly sweet frosting? Is «Susie» trying to give us all diabetes? Or trying to mask a mediocre cupcake with a pound of entirely too sweet frosting?
My friend was considering having Susie’s provide cupcakes for her wedding, however after the tasting she wisely decided against it.
The best cupcakes ever? Yeah, not so much. I’ll spend my $ 3 and change elsewhere, thank you very much.

seriously? SERIOUSLY people!
I don’t even know where to begin. First, obviously people who have reviewed this place have never tasted even a decent cupcake in their lifetime (shame), let alone a GOOD or even (heaven forbid great) one. These are GROSS!!!
I had to come on here and review as soon as I finished my (gross) cupcake because I feel completely RIPPED OFF by not just the price (OVER $ 6 for 2 cupcakes!!!) but also because it was nasty — Seriously «Suzie» have you ever heard of flavour? And no, ‘sugar’ does not constitute as flavour.
I can’t believe I am actually pissed-​off about a cupcake… or *am* I?
The answer is no. What actually pisses me off is the fact that whoever this woman is, is getting away with charging people out the wazoo for a damn GROSS cupcake!
Seriously, no joke, my Husband and I both sunk our teeth (s haha) into each of our cupcakes and started chewing… we looked at eachother with the same «are you thinking what I’m thinking» look, and then started chewing slower… and slower… and then I said «it reminds you of boxed-​cake mix too I take it?» and he just nodded and put the other half of his (gross, expensive, disappointing) cupcake down.
I cannot believe all the reviewers (especially those who say «sugary goodness») claim these are even good! THEY AREN’T
I guess as a fellow-​baker it just urqus me to no end that these are so expensive for the blatant CRAP ingredients she uses.
«Buttercream» my ass !!!
There is no butter in the icing (hence, she can make them for cheaper but still CHARGE out the ass) and gets away with it. (And ONLY for the reason that the only other place you can pretty much get a damn cupcake in Halifax is at Pete’s, which they aren’t that great either, but at least they have flavour!)
AUGGGGH
PLEASE GOD — Let someone with actual skill open a bakery in Halifax
there. that’s the cupcake rant for the day. if you feel it’s stupid, go ahead, I do too, that’s why I had to post this to get my disappointed experience (s) [yes, I have given this place multiple opportunities!] out of my system.
And as I «close» (haha) I also agree with other reviewers that place feels like you’re in a kindergarten class being told «no, don’t do that… or that … or ANYthing for God sake! Get over yourself, you and your products S-​U-​C-​K.

Let me start off by saying that I bake. I make a pretty good cupcake, and it’s what I judge other cupcakes by.
When I order any type of cake out, I’m expecting something that isn’t going to be as good as homemade. I’m expecting it to be dry, to be bland, or to be overly rich. The cupcakes at Susie’s Shortbreads exceeded my expectations. Though they weren’t quite as good as something made at home, they were moist and yummy and good! The icing was extremely dry, however, and had hardened into a crust on top. This was pretty gross. So, cupcake: good. Icing: eh.
The service here is pretty good. They could use some work at chatting up the customers, but they are friendly and courteous, which is more than you can hope for at most businesses. The atmosphere is also cute, having a very retro feel and playing music to suit.
I would stop in if I was in the area and craving a quick cupcake fix, but it isn’t someplace I’ll go out of my way to visit. The cupcakes are good, but not good enough for the price.

Just wanted to say that I spoke with the owner of Susie’s Shortbreads about the order I had back in November, and I have to say, I was very impressed that she was able to address my concerns. She assured me that this is unprecedented and that the company has released one of their employees who had been a little less than friendly. I thought that was really great, and because the owner was willing to talk to me about what happened, and invited me to return, I will most certainly be willing to return here– I really like it when companies are eager to make good with their customers, it makes a huge difference.
As it turns out, the guests at my party didn’t seem to mind too much that the customizations weren’t there– they were too busy devouring all the different flavors of cupcakes (my personal favorite is the Boston Crème one– nice and sweet!). The cupcakes were such a hit, that I’ve been asked to order more for a charity gala in February. Based on Susie’s commitment to quality and service, I’ll likely be returning to the shop in the new year for some more goodies!

What an adorable little bakery! I love cupcakes — everything about them makes me happy: the paper lining, the beautiful swirl of icing carefully piped out, sprinkles (or sometimes the lack off), and of course the cake itself.
The perfect cupcake has a moist, soft and delicious cake with smooth and delicious icing. Susie’s Shortbreads comes very darn close to the perfect cupcake. Their cakes are amazing — soft, delicate and moist with a generous 3″ of buttercream frosting. Their frosting is a bit too sweet for my taste and a tiny bit gritty… as if they used a different grade of sugar instead of fine icing sugar.
The décor in this shop is adorable — everything is pink with a retro diner feel. There is a bar along the front window with cute pink barstools for you to sit and eat your cupcake and have a milkshake and the retro pink phone on the wall is so cool! There is a cute retro fridge on one side of the shop where they sell frozen cookie dough logs to bake at home and ice cream. They also have truffles and chocolates in their displace case, but it was the cupcakes that stole my attention!
Flavours change on a day to day basis. Prices are $ 2.99 for 1 cupcake, $ 5.75 for 2. You can also buy half dozens or a dozen.
Tip: If you bring your own Cup-​A-​Cake holder (sold here, but I have one from Williams Sonoma) you save $ 0.25 on your cupcake.

Susie’s Shortbreads was advertised on the radio one day and just from the commercial I wanted to go. The BF and I were downtown with his daughter and I suggested that we stop by for a special treat. From a distance I could see the pink canopy and had the right place.
Walking in I seen the cupcakes in their finest form. We were very excited to see all the various flavors and we each picked one. Each cupcake was decorated with different coloured frosting that was about 5″ high which had me excited. Packed in separate containers off we went to enjoy out $ 3.00 each cupcakes. Now the BF and his daughter really enjoyed theirs myself I did not like the one that I chose. It was actually dry which was very disappointing I must say. Now does this mean that I would not go back and try again, yes I would. Now if you are not interested in cupcakes like Lacey stated the have fudge and truffles.

I only bought a box of shortbread cookies (assorted), and so my review and rating is only on that.
I walked in to the store and it’s not busy. It’s nicely decorated but I find there’s too much empty space. I mean, they could have rented a space half the size and save some rent. The small shelf on the side holds all the pre-​packaged cookies. Don’t be fooled by the photo, the size of those Chinese take-​out box is tiny (definitely not big enough to hold any Chinese dishes). It’s about 3 inches tall. And here lies my biggest complaint. The cookies are very decadent and delicious. However, they are bite-​size. Actually, half-​a-​bite is more accurate. Each cookie is about the size of a toonie. And a 12-​pack sets you back 11 bucks (10 for 1 flavor). They are good, but not that good. So I can’t recommend it.

Its all a bit Tim Burton gone wrong. Pristine, pink and wonky suburban details. I feel like I’m a Stepford housewife with the rules and regulations. Immediately upon entrance there is a stiffness… a ‘do not disturb’ sort of manner.
Perhaps I wouldn’t be reflecting upon things in such harshness, had I been greeted in a more friendly manner. While the owner of the shop was sweet and conversational, the woman managing the counter put a damper on my Susie Shortbread experience.
The way the place is set up, it seems fairly reliant on the whole retro diner, bubble gumdrop theme. But with such a coldly awkward customer service approach, I can’t reflect upon my experience in a good light. I won’t go word for word, but the counter attendant made me feel isolated and intrusive upon this supposed ‘sweet’ space.
Putting that aside. The cupcake selection was yum yum delicious. My sister and I purchased the ‘Swiss Alps’ and ‘Birthday Cake’, both going down with raving reviews. Its got homemade taste with all the embellishments– the sort of treat that is rare in this fat-​free era.
I’m hesitant to return because of the cold counter service. However the sweets and selection did not hold back. Immaculately structured pastries and chocolate gorged shapes. It was all very impressive and old school.
I wouldn’t discourage anyone from dropping in, after all, the end result is a real treat. But I do frown upon the customer service, I did not feel welcome, nor comfortable in this shop. At least I can comfort my disappointment with a cupcake.

Even if you’re not really a cupcake or shortbread fan, you will be once you step inside this very pink and fun shop. The aroma and colour had me drooling and dizzy and I hadn’t even made it to the counter yet!
I’ve tasted Susie’s delectables at Christmas at the Forum a couple of years ago… before she actually opened her shop on Dresden, so I was very happy once she did. Now I don’t have to wait for Christmas or some catered event.
Actually I «discovered» the shop through some guests at a dinner party. You know how some people bring flowers, others bring wine… these people had just — through word of mouth from another friend — found it and brought a dozen giant cupcakes of every flavor for us all to share. What a treat!
The buttercream icings are perfect and the range of colors and flavors is wicked. I happened in there just before Hallowe’en so orange and black were everywhere… cupcakes and cookies to scare and delight.
I can only imagine what I’ll find this time of year, but I know I’ll be having a vanilla cupcake and my husband, some form of chocolate.

It doesn’t get better than this!
Picture this scenario gentlemen:
You are about to see your new girlfriend. You have that, «beginning of a relationship,» excitement as you go and meet her after work. You want to show her how special she is to you, but you don’t want to scare her with dozens of roses since this is the beginning of your relationship. What do you do?
Scenario #2
You are a caring, business owner. Just go with me on this one. And you want to show your employees that you are very appreciative of their hard work. How should you do it?
Scenario #3
Its wedding time! You want the guests to have a desert or sweets that they will never forget. Where do you go?
The solution to all three scenario’s would definitely be Susie’s Shortbreads on Dresden Row, in downtown Halifax. When you walk in, you are greeted by such friendly staff, you would think you are coming home to mom’s kitchen. They have a large display of cupcakes and individual chocolates facing you the moment you walk inside. And you can tell they put love, care and thought into each item they have created.
My first experience was actually while I was living the reality of Scenario #1. And lets just say it was a happy ending that day. Later on I came back and tried their amazing cupcakes. The icing and cake itself were both delicious! Those two elements alone deserved five stars. But as I ate further into the cake, I found a very pleasant surprise! A small brownie in the middle! Now how often do you find a business who creates an amazing product but isn’t satisfied until they go that one step further?
Susie’s Shortbreads is always bustling with activity and for good reason. Whether you are living in Halifax, or out of town, you should definitely go and get your sugar-​fix at Susie’s.