Around the country, there’s a not-so-new trend that seems to have a vice grip on food lovers: bakery pop-ups with wildly long lines. Cottage bakeries started booming during Covid and never stopped. The Twin Cities also has a series of backyard and alleyway coffee shop pop-ups that have taken off, after the success of Cafecito House. If you’re looking for a line to wait in and secure some viral snack or drink, you can find one most every Saturday and Sunday.
Yes, of course, these pop-ups are about the drink or snack themselves, but they’re also about the event: waiting in line with your friends, snapping a photo of the treat that everyone wants, posting it to your Instagram story to a flurry of responses asking, “Is it worth it?”
To answer that question, I’ve eaten at a fish fry in the lot behind Post Modern Times, drunk allllll the viral matcha, sampled cake boxes from cottage bakers, and stood in every bakery line that I can find. And it's how I wound up waiting for this text message from Hot Plate, a platform where pop-ups can take preorders, “Bangkok Sweetheart is about to drop!”
Bangkok Sweetheart was founded by Miley Page in 2024 when her husband, Drew Page, lost his job. “We went back to Thailand and the bun was so popular so we had an idea to bring it back to US to make it to business,” she says. They launched that December, selling at markets without any social media. Once they started posting on social media in the summer of 2025, things took off.
Ever since Bangkok Sweetheart started taking preorders in late July, I’ve tried every single week to land a six pack of their viral sweet rolls. Flavors rotate, but they’re always sinfully fun: raspberry matcha tres leches, crab rangoon savory roll, Korean corn milk. I’d set an alarm for five minutes before the drop (Mondays at 7 p.m.) and try my luck. There were always over 100 other people waiting on Hot Plate—and the available preorders are far below that number. For months, I lost out, hitting the "add to cart" button and getting an alert that my choice wasn’t available. Drat.
On October 12, though, I felt the electric rush of winning the lottery: The order landed in my cart. Six rolls cost $67.50, steep enough to make you wonder if it’s worth pulling the trigger. Yet selecting just one roll is a tricky choice. How should you proceed?
Glad you asked! I taste-tested the six October rolls with my friends on Sunday and we picked our faves. You missed the preorder window for this week, but Bangkok Sweetheart does most of its business via walk-ups. Just get there early—the line starts at least 30 minutes before they open—or you’ll miss out. This Sunday, they’re at Càphin in Linden Hills from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (they will sell out long before 1 p.m.), and then they’re going on hiatus for a few months. So catch them while you can!
The Best of the Bunch: Mango Lassi Passionfruit
When my friends and I bit into the mango lassi passionfruit roll, we all made audible gasps. Filled with cardamom instead of cinnamon, topped with cream cheese frosting, ripe mango, and whole passionfruit, this roll is special, a seasonal flavor that Bangkok Sweetheart should move into its permanent rotation. All the other rolls, we divvied up for people to bring home; the mango lassi passionfruit roll is so good that my friends and I ate the entire thing in one sitting.
There’s an explosion of passionfruit flavor in this super puffy roll and one of my friends, a professional baker said, “Even though this is an intimidating size, I could eat this all by myself.” Another added, “Yeah, if I was splitting this with someone, I’d make my slice a little bit bigger.” This is currently set to roll off the menu after this Sunday, so you must go get it. Pair with a mango matcha at Càphin for a perfect mango-plus-mango vibe.
The Runner-Up: Vietnamese Coffee Tiramisu
I’m often sad that coffee-flavored things they aren’t coffee-flavored enough. But this? It’s coffee on coffee on coffee. For people who hate sweets that are “too sweet,” the coffee flavor cuts through the sugar with just the right amount of bitter. It’s incredibly coffee forward and just the right amount of bitter. For people who hate sweets that are “too sweet,” the coffee flavor cuts through the sugar to give you a bit more balance.
It’s fitting that this week’s pop-up is at Càphin, because this roll is inspired by their coffee. Pair this with an egg coffee for a perfect Vietnamese-inspired breakfast. Just don’t blame me if you’re overcaffeinated.
Bangkok Sweetheart Pop-Up
Where: Càphin, 4503 France Ave. S., Minneapolis
When: Sunday, October 25, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Find more info and follow along: Here
