Vera’s Nationality Bakery

The man who runs the stand is quite rude. Bread isn’t anything special either.

Alright, fully admitt I am an out of towner passing through so I’ve only had one item but by God was it good. Everything from the bread to the many varieties of dessert tempted me. However, the winner for my first visit was the Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Brownie Ball for $ 3. The guy working the counter was nice enough to ask to go or to eat now. Naturally now was my answer. This thing was everything I could hope for it to be. Peanuts on the inside of a very rich decadent brownie with the cream cheese… so good. I highly recommend trying it. I will certainly give another item a shot next time I’m in Cleveland, from the looks of it there shouldn’t be any disappointing choice.

They have 3 gluten free options and all of them are delicious !!! Definitely going to come back here. They had a death by chocolate cake, an almond crusted pastry type thing, and a macaroon (with the option to dip it in chocolate. Oh my gosh. So good. Hidden gem!!!

Vera’s Bakery is located in West Side Market and its sweet smells, wafting through the marketplace, beckoned to us in the early hour we were visiting. We were greeted by a friendly face and ambrosial treats when we walked up to this stand. There were rows upon rows of pastries in the showcase and I wasn’t quite sure what to get, since everything looked so good! In the end, I opted for the raspberry bar, which is a major throwback to my college dorm days, when the dining halls would send up large trays of them to the residence hall lounges as sustenance for the students during finals week! Just one bite and I was transported back to that magical time years ago. That’s exactly what a good pastry should do, and Vera’s Bakery does it best. I would certainly visit again if I’m ever in Cleveland again. The prices are really reasonable and the lady at the counter was very friendly.
I’m surprised this bakery doesn’t have more reviews! It was recommended to us by two very different people, including a Cleveland native.

Vera’s is a regular stop for me when I take my twice-​monthly visit to West Side Market. As others have stated, there are a ton of great bakery options in the market so picking one is a very personal task. We’ve literally tried stuff from every single one of them and decided that Vera’s is our place. We’ve never been disappointed with what we bought and the staff are friendlier than you come to expect at a place like this.
Naturally they have all your boring breads like everyone else but if you’re brave and willing to venture out, there are some serious gems in the case — all of which are fresh and delicious. My personal favorites are the beer breads (especially the brown sugar cinnamon beer bread which is like a taste of baked heaven) and the basil, herb and cheese loaf. Great stuff!
Keep in mind that if you want to try some of their specialties, you need to go to the market on Friday or Saturday which are the busier market days. They only stock a lot of this stuff during the busy hours so go early (just not before I get there and grab my stock)!

Vera’s napoleons are awesome. The pastry is good & the custard is smooth and lush. That’s all I’ve had here & that’s all I need.

I have to second Jason’s opinion of the cheesy pretzel boats. They taste even better than they look! Everything here is always so tempting. I can never choose which thing to try. This weekend I got the olive bread, which is amazing!