Wheatberry Bakeshop

Review! Charlotte, North Carolina // viennoiserie & bakery // quality

Apr 29, 2025

The ELEVATOR PITCH

My first bite of Wheatberry Bakeshop’s pastries had me impressed.

It was at Sorella Coffee in Monroe, where my friend ordered a ham & cheese pastry and banana bread (sourced from Wheatberry Bakeshop). I was a skeptic: I’ve tried my fair share of wholesale baked goods at coffee shops and the repeated disappointment—always dry, or stale, or too sweet—had me vowing to only get coffee at coffee shops (it is, after all, their specialty). But my friend said I could try some, and how could I turn down her offer? In the name of research and the giving of second chances (to wholesale coffee shop pastries in general), I took a couple of bites…and I was met with absolute shock that these sourced-from-a-vendor baked goods actually held up decently well and had balanced flavor and great texture (detailed reviews are in my special piece on Sorella Coffee 😘).

Since that moment, call it the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon1 or what, I started noticing Wheatberry Bakeshop’s scones, loaf cakes, and Danishes in the pastry cases of so many of the local coffee shops I’d frequent. They were also a constant presence at the South End Farmers Market every weekend! But it wasn’t until their grand opening in February 2025, in a cozy brick-n-mortar in South End’s Shops at Winnifred, that I was able to experience the masterpieces of Wheatberry Bakeshop again. And if I was shocked by the pastries at Sorella, then my experience at Wheatberry Bakeshop’s bakery counter can only be described as out-of-this-world💥(I’ll break it down in the menu items section)

Owner, Head Baker, and Mastermind Behind It All, Haley Woodard grew up homeschooled with a love for culinary cooking shows. Much of her early career was spent cultivating her customer service and hospitality passion at Dunkin’, Chick-fil-A, and Starbucks. These experiences catapulted her into a Food Service Management and Baking and Pastry program at Charlotte’s Johnson & Wales University, capping off with an internship at the luxury hotel and resort Blackberry Farm’s restaurant The Barn (a James Beard Award winner!) which refined her approach to baking and hospitality2.

While Wheatberry Bakeshop first started as a pandemic-born Instagram account selling cakes, it has now blossomed into a brand that blends American South flavors and warm hospitality with modern European sophistication and communal presence. Wheatberry Bakeshop is maturing into adulthood—settling into the pieces of her personality that make her her.

When you come to The Bakeshop3, you can count on each baked good to be intentionally crafted. Whether that looks like perfectly encapsulated seasonal flavors of the Carolina region, creative flavor combinations that are true-to-namesake, dainty edible floral garnishes that bring a whimsical aura, or ingredients sourced from small local agriculture (like using Carolina Grounds flour for more depth of flavor), the price you pay ends up being worth it. Now with their storefront, you don’t need to leave it up to fate to see if you’ve got a free Saturday to pop over to the South End Farmer’s Market or hope you happen to be in the area of one of their wholesale partners to snag a pastry. Now you’re just limited to the heft of your wallet and your self-control! 🤪

menu items

from the grand opening on Feb 1st

Wheatberry Bakeshop croissants and cookies

honest reviews below 👇

BUTTER CROISSANT

From first glance, it looked like a regular croissant to me, but almost immediately in the first bite, I could taste a deeper wheat flavor. Later, I asked Haley about it and she said they use Carolina Ground stone milled flour to add extra depth. I was so surprised that even though it tasted whole-wheat-y, it still was almost as tender as a normal croissant and was also quite moist! (rating: 7.9/10)

ALMOND CROISSANT

Oh my goodness, where to begin with this one?! It’s probably my favorite almond croissant in Charlotte—a generous size, with a crunchy shell that contrasts with a soft & tender interior, and a housemade frangipane that is sweet enough and almond-y enough to make my taste buds do a happy dance (without tasting like artificial almond extract). The frangipane texture has the perfect paste-like consistency, where it’s textured and moist yet not dry. This would be the almond croissant I recommend to any almond croissant fans out there! (rating: 10/10)

HAM & PIMENTO CHEESE CROISSANT

I am a SUCKER for ham & cheese croissants (and really anything savory), and this hit in every possible way: (1) crunchy & flavorful caramelized crust, (2) generous amount of cheese & ham (THICK slices) so you can taste both, (3) still buttery & flaky on the inside, and (4) super satiating and satisfying (the portion on this would make a perfect breakfast-to-go). I’ve had this second-day and reheated in the oven, and it still tastes great! (rating: 11/10)

TIRAMISU CROISSANT

This one had me so shocked—normally, (1) cruffins aren’t extremely enjoyable because you either have a lot of bread in one bite or a lot of cream, (2) tiramisu-flavored things don’t often taste like tiramisu (and come off as some variation of a mocha). But THIS seasonal gem was truly the embodiment of its namesake, and also possibly the best cruffin I’ve ever had: (1) there was a subtle, cream-espresso flavor in every crevice which gave an even bite of bread and filling, and (2) the filling had a very tiramisu-like texture—like you were eating soaked ladyfingers married with mascarpone. I am truly impressed. (rating: 11/10)

BROWN BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIE

I usually never order cookies at bakeries, because I’d rather have something I couldn’t make at home. But for some reason, the inspiration struck, and this was ordered—and devoured. It tasted like if a chewy salted caramel turned into a cookie—super salty-sweet! While it was on the sweeter side, the thick chewiness of it was unbelievably satisfying, and the flavor profile was something like magic. (rating: 8.5/10)

ALMOND CROISSANT COOKIE

This tasted like a sugar cookie dressed up with almond croissant garb—think sugar cookie in texture (soft, tender, delicate) but almond croissant in flavor profile (marzipan-y, topped with frangipane & almond slivers). Honestly, I was so surprised with how much I enjoyed this and would totally order it again. For a sweetness reference: it wasn’t as sweet as the brown butter oatmeal cookie, but sweeter than the almond croissant! (rating: 9.5/10)

STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE

I have such a bad habit of not enjoying cakes if it’s not a special occasion…that I almost wasn’t going to order this! But Wheatberry Bakeshop started as a cake Instagram, so I just had to check out what got the ball rolling…and I may be convinced that she’ll be making my cakes forever. This may look decadent, but actually has a very light chocolate flavor that allows the strawberry jam to shine through (which may be one of the first chocolate + fruit cakes I’ve had where this was achieved). I thought the flavor profile was SUPER balanced and just sweet enough (tbh, almost tasted like it came from an Asian bakery in how not overly sweet it was!). (rating: 10/10)

from March 2025

honest reviews below 👇

Wheatberry Bakeshop Scallion Chili Crisp Oil Croissant

SCALLION CHILI OIL CRISP CROISSANT

When I heard this was going to be the weekend special, I made sure to swing by! The dough was more on the bready end, and paired with the scallion cream cheese filling it reminded me more of a Very Good Scallion Bagel From New York than the Scallion Chili Oil Crisp Croissant that I thought I was getting. It left me wanting more chili oil crisp and Asian spice, but I’m also someone who enjoys spicy! All in all, the flavor ranged between too creamy cream cheese, to super scallion-y, to mini bits of red pepper flakes. (rating: 7/10)

BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE CROISSANT

This had SO much potential! When I had my first bite of pie crust crumbles, my brain set off dopamine fireworks of “?!?!!?,” but then they almost quickly disappeared. I wish there were more pie crust crumbles woven throughout to drive home the “cheesecake” flavor component (if there were more pie crust crumbles, I think this would be closer to a 9/10 for me). Without the bites of crumble, it sort of just felt like your normal cream cheese fruit Danish pastry. (rating: 7.5/10)

EARL GRAY BLUEBERRY DANISH

The Earl gray tea flavor was out-of-this-world true-to-flavor, and the blueberry compote added a really great pop of sweetness without taking over the entire dessert. Enjoying this Danish felt like I was sipping a refreshing summer drink! Only note: the Danish dough felt a little uninteresting next to its very interesting filling; I would’ve preferred more layers and browning to take this whole thing to an 11/10. (rating: 10/10)

the RÉSUMÉ

address // 1425 Winnifred St #105, Charlotte, NC 28203

operations // Tuesday - Saturday, 8:00 AM -2:00 PM; Sunday - Monday, CLOSED.

logistics // free parking can be found on W. Summit Ave. and S. Church St., else you’ll have to pay a rate

amenities //

no bathroom
public Wi-Fi & outlets (albeit, few) available
accessible
indoor dining space available (but not a lot) + one outdoor table

vibes //

menu // very seasonal, changing week-to-week; can be made gluten-free or vegan if ordered in advance

beverages ($3.50 - $4.00): brewed coffee, Something & Nothing soda, Narra milk tea
baked goods ($3.50 - $5.50): cookies, scones, loaf cakes/quick breads
breads ($5.00 - $10.00): focaccia, sourdough loaves, sourdough starter
⭐ available Friday & Saturday
viennoiserie ($6.00 - $9.00): croissants (plain, almond, chocolate, etc.), Danishes (everything bagel, bacon egg & cheese, etc.), morning buns
desserts ($6.00 - $8.00): cakes by the slice, tarts, specials like pavlova!
⭐ custom cakes available for pre-order

recs // I love love love their ham & pimento cheese croissant and almond croissant, but everything I’ve tried has been pretty amazing; their seasonal flavors are always so potent and true

site // Wheatberry Bakeshop