Dining “Out” at Home in Houston: 5 Must Try Takeout Dessert Shops

Per Governor Greg Abbott’s plan to reopen Texas, restaurants are among the businesses allowed to open back up. But as we all continue safe social distancing practices, many restaurants have chosen to continue to offer ways for you to “dine out” at home, rocking some mighty fine takeout and delivery options. In our “Dining ‘Out’ at Home” series, we’ll cover some of the best to-go options in town, from the juicy burgers that hold up in transit to restaurants bringing happy hour to your door.

You do not have to settle for that questionable, half-eaten pint of ice cream you just found at the bottom of your freezer. These local bakeries and dessert shops hit the sweet spot with pies, cakes, cookies, frozen treats, doughnuts, and more.

5 Must Try Takeout Dessert Shops

• Dessert Gallery in Upper Kirby – Got something to celebrate? The custom cakes at this homegrown bake shop are known to make the occasion extra special. Or, if you’re simply looking to give an ordinary day an extra shot of sweetness, order yourself some layer cakes by the slice, mixed boxes of brownies, blondies and lemon squares, build-your-own cupcakes assortments, cheesecakes and mousse cakes, handcrafted pies and cookies, and “Fancy Little Desserts” from cake and brownie pops to truffles and mini tres leches. Call 713-522-9999 for local delivery and pickup, checkout the selection of shippable sweets, or order delivery via apps including Favor, UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub, and Postmates.
• Fluff Bake Bar in the Heights – “Sugar Fairy” and pastry chef Rebecca Masson brings all the treacly goodness to her Heights sweet shop, which offers a rotating menu that is available for curbside pickup. Order online and you can get “booty call” brownies topped with chocolate chip cookie dough alongside fluffernutters, lemon tarts, and oatmeal cream pies, cupcakes and full cakes with flavors from Veruca Salt (devil’s food cake with salted caramel buttercream) to funfetti Birthday Cake, and cookie dough ice cream. Boxes of cookies by the dozen—a mix of hits like the Couch Potato (with potato chips, cornflakes, marshmallows, pretzels, and milk chocolate chips) and Unicorn Bait (a sugar cookie birthday cake crumble and sprinkles inside)—are also available to ship.
• La Sicilia in Montrose – This Italian bakery and café rocks world-class desserts and pastries, with Sicilian-born pastry chef Diego Chiarello at the helm. Indulge in sweets from cannoli, cartocci, and bamboloni filled with things like Nutella and strawberry cheesecake to tiramisu, sfogliatella (lobster tail), and a variety of cookies and macarons. Special orders are also available. Call 713-636-2900 for takeout or place delivery orders via UberEats and Favor.
• Not Jus’ Donuts in Third Ward – The takeout and delivery menu at this Black-owned bake shop has more than just donuts (though the plain-glazed and sour cream donut varieties are baked fresh every morning). Get mini bundt cakes in flavors from German chocolate to heavenly butter cake; snickerdoodle, chocolate chip, and peanut butter cookies by the half and full dozen; weekday specials including Nana’s Banana Pudding (Wednesdays) and Myrtle’s Best Peach Cobbler (Thursdays); and whole pound cakes and cake slices, plus birthday or “just because” cakes for home.
• Red Dessert Dive in the Heights – This neighborhood dessert dive boasts a special menu of offerings including small party cakes and frozen cookie dough by the dozen to cover just about any special occasion. You’ll also find sweets including salted caramel brownies, banana pudding, whiskey walnut pies, Fat Elvis cupcakes, cookie cakes, fruit bars, seasonal cheesecakes, pans of tres leches, cake balls and slices, and the Debusker—a dark chocolate brownie and M&M cookie hybrid. Call 832-649-2977 for pickup, get delivery via UberEats and Favor, or place special orders online at least 48 hours in advance.