As a product of generations of Southern cooks and a family with a background and passion for food, Amber Stephens-Box takes her cupcakes and cuisine seriously.

"She's very aesthetic," her mother Brenda Carey said. "She always wanted to order the best product and [to ensure] that everything looks pretty."

Stephens-Box opened The Cupcake Shack in September 2012, bringing her passion for Southern cooking and baked goods to Spring. While the drive-thru-and-pick-up enterprise has gained a reputation for its bite-sized baked goods, the restaurant also offers a varied lunch fare.

The cupcakes are made with cream butter and other fresh ingredients, Stephens-Box said, and the eatery can offer as many as 50 distinctive flavors served individually or by the dozen.

"Mine are really, really moist," Stephens-Box said. "I am really picky, and I like to do different [flavors]. I fill a lot of my cupcakes with homemade fillings."

Stephens-Box said she rotates flavors every day, many of which are offered seasonally. With spring coming up, customers can expect lemon icebox, blueberry, strawberry shortcake and pina colada.

Although named for its cupcakes, Stephens-Box said the Cupcake Shack is well-known for its chicken salad croissants and varied grilled cheese options. The restaurant also offers daily homemade soups, such as loaded baked potato, tomato basil and tortilla soup.

"It's taken a long time for people to realize we have food here, because it's called the Cupcake Shack, but we're doing more and more food," Stephens-Box said.

The Cupcake Shack caters its cupcakes to weddings and birthday parties, but also serves its sandwiches to larger groups for business lunches. The restaurant offers other desserts, as well, including bread pudding, pies and banana pudding.

Stephens-Box said her mother and aunt Marilyn Murray help out at the restaurant, while her daughter Taylor can often be found helping at the eatery.

"I love the idea of doing what I love, being around my family and being able to involve them in my business," she said.

Although Stephens-Box said her family has a background in cooking, she did not realize her calling until seven years ago as a medical sales rep in Houston.

"I started doing homemade lunches for my doctors," she said. "And all my doctors loved it, so my reps started asking me to make them lunches. So, I started a little catering company called Kiss Up Catering."

After moving to the Spring area, she opened The Haute Frog, a food trailer off of Robinson Road. She closed the trailer after two years and opened The Cupcake Shack in 2012. Stephens-Box said she loves her current location, but she hopes to add a caf or restaurant in the future to expand her lunch fare and pie options.

"My drive is that it's not always healthy, but we love that people come back and say, 'Oh my gosh, that was the best cupcake or sandwich I've ever had,'" she said.

Chef recommendations

• Cupcakes: Made with fresh ingredients and cream butter, the Cupcake Shack offers dozens of flavors to order individually, by the dozen or for specialty orders. ($3)
• Grilled cheese: Served on thick Texas Toast bread with two slices of cheese and their homemade spread, the restaurant offers a variety of grilled cheese selections with distinctive ingredients, including jalapeno, pineapple, pear, bacon and a raspberry sauce. ($5.50–$6.50). Pulled pork grilled cheese ($7.50)
• Chicken salad: Served on a croissant with chips or a side of homemade soup ($5.50)
• Pies: Choices include chocolate cream, banana cream, coconut cream, pumpkin, apple and pecan. ($4.25–$16)

Cupcake flavors

Although the flavors are seasonal, and the Cupcake Shack only offers a few flavors every day, the restaurant has offered as many as 50 different flavors, including but not limited to:

• Vanilla crme brulee
• Pina colada
• Wedding cake
• Bow tie
• Chocolate caramel sea salt
• Birthday cake
• Reese's peanut butter cup
• Vanilla bean
• Maple bacon
• Caramel apple
• Red velvet
• Banana's Foster
• Snickerdoodle
• Banana pudding
• Amaretto cream
• Bourbon chocolate cream
• Double chocolate
• Tiramasu
• Key lime
• Carrot Cake
• German chocolate
• Strawberry cream
• Pumpkin cream cheese
• Pink lemonade
• Peppermint mocha
• Lemon icebox

The Cupcake Shack

1810 Rayford Road, Spring, 281-723-3621

Find them on Facebook by searching "The Cupcake Shack"

Hours: Wed.-Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; closed Mon.-Tues.