Harner’s Bakery

There was very little left at 8:30 am! I picked a few items from the dry looking items they had left and was told I have to pay CASH ONLY in a very rude tone. Poor service and no product. I wouldn’t return.

Usually this is my go to donut stop on my way to work early in the morning. Since this morning I went to a different lil donut shop and paid more for not as good donuts, I had to come post how much i love you guys!!! Best donuts around!!!

A cute little old fashioned restaurant. The bakery has yummy items, but menu items are too expensive for this type of restaurant. Soup does not come with the deluxe sandwiches so I ordered soup as an extra and was brought a 4 ounce cup of soup with no crackers for an additional 2.45. Servers are high school age lacking proper training. I was not impressed.

My quest for a new breakfast spot has lead me to Harner’s. I’ve driven past it countless times, but for reasons unknown never stopped inside. I recently solved that problem, and found my new favorite breakfast spot in the process. There’s two distinct sides of Harner’s, so I’ll break them out individually:
The Bakery!
Harner’s bakery is ever bit of what you’d expect out of a very classic suburban bakery. They’ve got decorated cookies of all kinds, cupcakes, a variety of donuts, pies, full-​sized cakes, danishes, massive cinnamon rolls, and tons of other pastries. It sounds like they’ll make you just about anything you want too as long as you call ahead. Prices are CHEAP, donuts are under a buck, and most of their other pastries are in line with that pricing, plus or minus a few cents depending on what you’re getting.
Better yet, if you go there after 6:00 PM on Monday through Saturday, or after 2:00 PM on Sunday, donuts, rolls, and other fried stuff is half priced. This is a dangerous time to arrive, as it makes it *that much easier* to get even more than you realistically need. Why stop at a half dozen donuts when you can get a whole dozen for the same price???
The Restaurant!
The menu here, similarly, is again what you’d expect out of a classic suburban diner. All your breakfast staples are on there, there’s a bunch of sandwiches if you’re going to lunch, and for dinner they’ve got things like prime rib and other stuff you’d normally see a diner-​y restaurant that has prime rib to also serving. Breakfast is great, but what I really love about Harner’s is how fair they are about all their pricing.
I eat like a weirdo, so when I go out for breakfast I skip all the carbs. Normally, this results in a confused looks from your server as to why you wouldn’t want a mountain of potatoes and bread. They’ll typically explain that there aren’t any substitutions, and if you don’t want them they can just not put them on the plate, but you still pay for them. At Harner’s, they’re totally willing to do the sensible thing of letting you substitute your carbs for meats. So, I can get a huge omelette and a side of sausage patties for the same price as I would if I got toast and hash browns instead. Similarly, if you’re getting takeout there, they knock two bucks off the price of stuff since you’re not getting any of the soup/​salad/​bread basket stuff.
It’s one of those things where at the end of the day I’m just used to paying for bread and potatoes I don’t eat so it’s not a big deal if places do that… But, when you go to a restaurant that is so accommodating and doesn’t nickel and dime you, that just makes me want to give them even more of my business.
Oh, and if you ARE in to breads for breakfast, things like their biscuits and gravy are off the chain as they (obviously) make all their baked products in house.
…So yeah, both the bakery and the restaurant are amazing, and you should be going there if you aren’t already. Low, fair pricing, super friendly staff, great food, ample parking, huge clean bathrooms, and they even do seasonal stuff like pig roasts… I’m really not sure what else you could ask for.

If you’re familiar with the north aurora location, this should interest you. This location does not have the wonderful meal type food as the north aurora location, and it doesn’t have the variety of donuts, but the ones they do have are just as incredible. I had a chocolate éclair that just melted in my mouth. They only accept cash and they are only open until noon or so during the week and 3:00 on the weekend so be prepared. Delicious donuts!

Amazing bakery! I have purchased donuts several times for personal and also business. Their turtles are also wonderful! I love to buy these and stick them in the freezer for year round! I believe those are seasonal.

My coworkers bring in Harner’s every now and then in the office and today I decided to stop in and get some for the office.
Quick and friendly service. Please note, they only accept cash and do not have an ATM on hand. I had to run out to nearby bank and come back for my goodies.
The cakes, danishes and donuts are more than scrumptious. Definitely a must stop in the morning!

My husband and I love this place for the prime rib. The salad bar is a great start. Their baked goods are also outstanding and the price is very reasonable.

Great bakery! Excellent coffee cakes, donuts, cookies, and sweet rolls. Don’t miss their apple cider donuts only available in the fall! I wish they would open one in Naperville.

Terrific donuts and coffee.

This is my first time reviewing anything on Unilocal for what that’s worth, but I just had to add my own nostalgic-​filled two cents here. Like Kevin R. I grew up in A-​town and my parents made it a habit to pick up a dozen or two for his family of four boys before or after church every Sunday. I remember both the original place on Galena and the place in Northgate. Until last week, I hadn’t actually visited the ‘newer’ place on Galena as I moved away 30+ years ago. Finding it last week while attending town for a high school reunion brought back a flood of donut memories.
I got there early around 8am and was welcomed by a very friendly lady behind the counter who enthusiastically told me the history of Harner’s. I ordered a chocolate old-​fashioned and a glazed along with a bottomless cup of coffee. The donuts took me right back to childhood. They are probably no better than any donut at other local places in other towns, but they were perfection for a guy back visiting his hometown. For old time’s sake, I bought a Beacon sat down and soon got to know the regulars who the lady called the Knights of the Round Table, a bunch of guys just enjoying a morning coffee and donuts. Got a lot of great gossip, and felt like I was back home.
Great place for good donuts, a bottomless cup, and good company. Next time I’ll order a dozen to go.

Nostalgia might trump actual quality in this review. I am a bit biased.
I grew up in Aurora, IL and my grandparents lived a few blocks away from Harner’s bakery.
I’m not a fan of ‘fluffy’ donuts. The yeasty kinds? Blech.
If you want an amazing cake donut that is made fresh and has the most impeccable chocolate frosting. This is your place. If you are a foodie and find yourself in Aurora, IL for some reason, you must stop here.
When my mother feels particularly nice, she drives from DeKalb, IL to Aurora, IL and grabs a bag of these donuts for me and brings them to Chicago. Man. That’s a nice mother.
In all reality, that ridiculous story must speak to the quality of these cake donuts. I’ve never tasted one better.

This place has very good doughnuts, but not a huge selection. Their chocolate-​covered doughnuts are defeintely my favorite pastry on the menu. Also, their Danishes are better than average.
I haven’t tried anything at this location other than pastries, but the space isn’t very good for a long meal. It’s very small and oddly-​partitioned. If you want to sit down for a while, I would recommend going to the North Aurora location.

Well-​known for their cinnamon rolls, and I must agree with the hype. There’s a restaurant too, but I’m not nuts for it. The baked goods, however, are nicely done, especially with coffee (so I’m told — I’ve had two cups of coffee my entire life — wasn’t impressed).