The Yummiest Bakeries in Chicago

Girl & The Goat

★★★★☆ 4.4 (10207) • $$$

"We luckily scored a last minute reservation few hours before the reservation time. There is indoor and outdoor seating available. If you're going at daytime, I highly recommend the outdoor seating to enjoy the summer weather. The staff were super friendly and service was great. The menu is small, portions are small, and prices are on the higher end for what you get. Each dish is unique and creative - taking the traditional dishes and adding an interesting twist. For two people, we ordered the chili crab noodles, chicken skewers, and crispy short ribs. Everything was absolutely delicious. * Surprisingly, the grilled chicken skewers were my favorite. They were very well cooked and tender, combined with the cashew butter, savory mushroom oil, and crispy sunchokes. It was a burst of flavors and textures in each bite! Easily 5 out of 5* The short ribs were crispy on the outside yet tender on the inside, and so well marinated. The japchae served with the short ribs also had bits of pineapple, which added an unexpected sweetness to the dish. This dish was a bigger amount of food compared to the other two we ordered. * The chili crab noodles were great, but my least favorite. It was more of a crab dish as there was a very small amount of noodles in the dish. There were strawberries with the chili sauce, which was an interesting combination. It was a light and refreshing dish. I highly recommend checking out Girl & the Goat! The food is sooooo good, but be prepared for the small portions."

Molly's Cupcakes

★★★★☆ 4.2 (2964)

"We looove Molly's cupcakes. It's a must-have every time we come back to visit to Chicago. You can't go wrong with stuffed cupcakes. Seriously. My son ordered the Samoa one, and I got a Nutella stuffed one. Both of them were so yummy!! Easier to knife and fork it, but you can manage with your hands too. We so miss being near to Molly's."

Sweet Mandy B's

★★★★☆ 4.3 (1806) • $$

"A Chicago classic that serves old school desserts! You won't be finding any super trendy desserts or croissants here. Just delicious cupcakes, cookies, and pies. I love their cupcakes so much and it is one of the few places in the city that you can grab a whole cake without reserving one in advance.My favorite is the chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing!The service is always very friendly and it is a super cute shop with almost old school vibes!"

Goddess and the Baker, 33 S Wabash-Millennium Park

★★★★☆ 3.9 (1573) • $$

"Goddess and the Baker Bakery (Location: Millennium Park- 33 Wabash) is a delightful upbeat bustling place to have light breakfast, quality snack, lunch or goodie. The vibe in here is fun and casual. Service is excellent.Try their signature "Cruffin" or any of their huge variety of breakfast treats! They are all top drawer baked fresh and wholesome.The warmed blueberry muffin I had was full of premium large soft berries. The batter was deliciously moist and dense. Decorated cookies, brownies, cakes, cake slices and croissants. They have a variety of it all for everyone. The coffee was brewed fresh, hot and had no bitter aftertaste.Don't settle for the mundane breakfast, cup of coffee or old treat at the other places. This place doesn't disappoint as baked goods ARE fit for a Goddess as the name implies!"

Nhu Lan Saigon Subs

★★★★★ 4.5 (889)

"Sandwiches are always tasty. Tofu can sell out by late afternoon, so have a backup plan."

Hoosier Mama Pie Company

★★★★☆ 4.3 (967) • $$

"A hot Americano and a piece of breakfast pie is the best Saturday morning I can think of. Patio couldn't be cuter with a water feature and Parisian cafe music in the background. Cute inside but a little cramped. Be prepared to wait in line but it's totally that good. Definitely lives up to the old style pie shop claim. Lots of options to have fun with."

Magnolia Bakery

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (1483) • $$

"All of the treat I got were so delicious. The unsweetened passion tea was delicious when I added sugar and I was so pleasantly surprised by the banana pudding. I normally hate banana pudding, but this one is perfectly sweet, creamy and amazing texture. The wafers weren't soggy and disgusting which is why I normally avoid banana pudding. The chocolate brownie was flakey, chocolatey and all around wonderful. As was the nice tart and sweet key like cheesecake. There's a quaint seating area that reminds me of New Orleans. Had a nice downtown treat with my girls and daughter."

Bittersweet Pastry Shop

★★★★☆ 4.1 (857) • $

"The coziest morning vibes!!! Dining is airy and bright with the sweetest service. The pastry case is extensive, but it feels like time slows down as everyone is just browsing with no hurry to move along. I loved it. The honey lavender latte is my current obsession, and the savory scone was to die for! I also got a little cake slice to go and it was the perfect after dinner treat. So happy we stumbled upon the cutest pastry spot. I would happily return!"

Ba Le Sandwich

★★★★☆ 3.9 (894)

"The food here is excellent, despite it being packed, still received my food in a timely manner. Since I'm not from here, ordered a lot to go, and all sandwiches i ordered was still quite delicious when i got back.Ordered a few of the speicals, along with the roast pork and crispy chicken. my friend wanted the cod, but they were out of cod.The restaurant itself has a sleek and clean design. there's no confusion here as to where to go to order and where to pick up. The restaurant also serves as a little grocery store as well, selling various types of Vietnamese sandwich meats.If I'm ever back in these parts of Chicago I would definitely come back and get a decent amount of sandwiches for the road."

Medici On 57th

★★★★☆ 3.6 (1026) • $$

"We were visiting U Chicago and stopped by Medici for lunch. There was a short wait to be seated. The restaurant looks like an old tavern, and they have interesting wall decor that is eclectic. The appetizers were really good! We scarfed down some onion rings and chili cheese fries. The loaded fries were stand-out amazing! The main lunch orders were a little underwhelming. I really liked my personal pie of veggie pizza, but my hubs thought his roast beef sandwich was "just okay." Our friend got a fried chick sandwich that looked good! I enjoyed the food! The service was fine. Everyone was pleasant. I would come back again. Of note, I got a latte next door at the cafe side of medici while we were waiting to be seated. And the latte was not good. I could barely drink it."

Hendrickx Belgian Bread Crafter

★★★★☆ 4.4 (645) • $

"The croissants here are unbelievably delicious! I highly recommend the pistachio chocolate croissant. The almond one was also great!The cafe storefront is really tiny and they have a little seating area right around the corner when you order your food. The breads all smell amazing. I was tempted to buy a variety of things. The oat milk latte was good, too. This is just the cutest little breakfast spot. I recommend stopping in to get a little treat."

Jennivee's Bakery

★★★★☆ 4.4 (623) • $$

"This was an impulse stop while walking home and it was worth it. We chose a brown butter banana and a tiramisu cupcake. Both were delicious! We ate them over the course of three days, they never dried out and stayed perfectly moist (we did move them to the fridge after a day and kept them in an airtight container).Banana can get easily lost when you add other flavors in, but the luscious brown butter frosting complemented the just ripe banana flavor very nicely. The tiramisu was the right balance of cupcake to marscapone frosting. It's not an overly strong coffee flavor, and the cocoa dusting isn't too much (meaning you don't cough after a mouthful of powder).I also cannot stand those cupcake places out there with the mile-high frosting (like they're trying to hide their poor cake quality), that is definitely not the case here, the proportions are perfectly delicious. We will be back!"

D'amato's Bakery

★★★★☆ 4.4 (559)

"Buon cibo. Buon vino. Buon amici Finally got to taste the famous @damatosbakeryandsubs with my favorite collaborator @cassidyeatscarbs! We got the chicken Caesar salad sub, tomato focaccia, cheese pizza that wasn't pictured as well as their delicious Italian cookies! We were so excited to be able to have lunch here and luckily we missed the crazy rush of customers that came after us! The sandwich was yummy we wish the bread was a tad softer but overall it was nothing to complain about too much and the focaccia was sooooooooo soft and delicious honestly my favorite thing on their menu! And the dessert is always going to be another yummy part of our experience! The ambiance was crazy busy which is only the best sign ever for a place! We definitely want to go back and try it again with a different selection of menu items but the service was wonderful and so helpful when we told them that we had never been there before!:))) totally worth the hype, check this place out the next time you're around!"

Middle East Bakery & Grocery

★★★★☆ 4.4 (503)

"I've passed by this place a few times and just had something random and large from the Brown elephant down the street (today it was an air popcorn popper) but wow I had no idea about the supermarket. I grew up in a neighborhood with a large Mediterranean and Middle Eastern, so when I walked back I found the spices intoxicating. Then they have some cheeses I love that I used to use daily but haven't seen honestly in a decade. Pretty cool. We headed to the front to place our order, a veggie combo and a Beef/lamb shawarma. They have a open kitchen and counter service. We took a table near the counter. It's great to see the plated dishes come out fresh and smell the aromatics in the air. Our food came out in a decent ten minutes. The meat was slice to a perfect thickness and cooked to give a nice gradation of doneness with nice caramelization. The hummus was tasty and fresh with herbs, I honestly didn't take note of the ingredients but dug in. Had a nice tanginess. Everything was delicious well portioned and reasonable priced. Service was great. Explained all the veggie options pulled out examples. I mean I definitely going back especially to the shop in the back. I mean they're really stocked well. Lots of goods made on site too."

Omega Restaurant & Bakery

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (780) • $$

"My evening was almost unsatisfying but than came a waitress who I told her my issue about the cream of chicken. And she instantly brought me another vegetable soup. I am so full and satisfied.Thank you! The unlimited bowl of soup was a success! The atmosphere is always buzzing with people late at night. Which makes me feel at ease, at this late of hour. --------Moments just before----I usually have a great experience but this time, I'm just as annoyed. Like the server. "Ugh." -sighMade me uncomfortable ordering something else, so I just decided to pay... And leave.Even though I had gotten the unlimited soup bowl. And had only one soup.Well, the vegetable soup was awesome. Like always.But the Cream of Chicken was.... I have no idea.It was white, goopy, and thick like paste. I slightly lost my appetite from that one but thankfully the vegetable soup was still next to it.Though... I only had one soup.I leave my experience unsatisfied as I was uncomfortable to ask for another soup.Should have just ordered one soup, and saved myself the trouble.And for the waiter I guess."

Cupitol Coffee & Eatery

★★★★☆ 4.2 (443)

"Friendly employees. Cozy environment. Great coffee. What more could you ask for?The cortados were perfect and the latte art was too cute! The pastries and food looked good too so I will definitely need to come back and try them. I loved that they have a clear glass wall so you can see where they make the pastries. The table area is a bit cramped but very comfy. Overall, it seemed set up well for catching up with friends and coworking with a community table and outlets near the tables."

Goddess and the Baker, Wacker & LaSalle

★★★★☆ 3.6 (595) • $$

"Come here for the juices, remain for the avocado toast, and soak in the ambiance. Goddess and the Baker has it all. Their food is fresh and the portions are quite satisfying. It's a busy morning spot for commuters and conference attendees. Definitely get there early if you're looking to sit and enjoy your bites before the laptops come out and seats are available only for timeshare holders. The toughest decision was which in to get to remember the experience. Although I didn't get to take a slice of the rainbow cake with me on the plane, I did get the pin to remind myself to go back. If I wear the pin, people might ask if I bake, and I do not."

Lutz Cafe & Pastry Shop

★★★★☆ 3.9 (463) • $$

Roeser's Bakery

★★★★☆ 4.1 (417) • $$

"I hadn't been here in a while and decided to introduce a friend who is also a foodie and a server at the very top shelf fine dining restaurant in town. Point being, is he knows good food and legit offerings when he sees and tastes them.It's been there over a 100 years located in our old neighborhood of Humboldt Park. I remember going to Roser's as a kid with my grandmother and family. We got a lot of birthday and holiday sweets here and many times just popped in for a treat. They are another place that offers off street parking on the side of the building. Something becoming nearly impossible to find. It's decor is old school the way it should be as is the staff made of of mostly neighborhood folks. Everyone is very friendly and willing to answer any questions. Now their pastries and sweets are top shelf and hard to beat anywhere in the city. Hence, the reason they have been around over 100 years. Just eyeballing their sweets is enough to give you a cavity in the best kind of way.My buddy went crazy! As he could not make up his mind on what he wanted he went for the brass ring and took two boxes of mixed donuts, pastries and cookies. He also commented on the super reasonable prices for what would cost an arm and a leg anywhere else.Part of it is the working class neighborhood around them and a large part if Roser's just isn't interested in sticking you up. Because of that they have an extremely loyal following with generations of families walking through their doors. One suggestion is get there early. We went about an hour before closing and the selection was good though a bit limited as they make only enough to sell and keep fresh. Stop in for a real old school neighborhood bakery and prices you won't find elsewhere for offerings that are hard to beat."

Max and Benny's Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (567) • $$

"Max and Benny's offer such hearty and delicious meal options! I had a soup and half-sandwich, which were both delightful. I even had leftovers because they will definitely fill you up! Can't wait to go back. They also have two back rooms for larger events/parties."

Letizia's Natural Bakery

★★★★☆ 4 (432) • $$

"Vegan Panini with hummus, eggplant, sun dried tomatoes & arugula is soooooo good! They always have a vegan soup of the day and really good dirty chai lattes. This place has been open for over 15 years. There's a reason why. They're consistent with food quality and customer service. It also helps they open early and close late."

West Town Bakery & Diner

★★★★☆ 3.6 (529) • $$

"I just went in for a lil sweet treat so I won't speak too much about the ambiance or in store service, but this location is very cute and is big, when I went it was pretty full but everyone seemed happy. If you get one thing from here make it the almond croissant!"

Maison Marcel

★★★★☆ 3.5 (537) • $$

"Perfect poached egg . Perfect baguette. Lovely jam. A menu with much to try and beautiful baked goods.Sweet place with good service worthy of return visits."

Goddess and the Baker

★★★★☆ 4.1 (386) • $$

"Arrived on an early flight and my hotel checked me around 10:30 AM. Needed to prepare for a meeting, so needed some brunch to go. Became a goddess at cute Goddess and the Baker around the corner. Buzzing business. Pastries, coffees, brunch mains all looked great. My Goddess Breakfast and Chocolate Croissant (which counter guy recommended warming up) were huge portions and delish. Saving some of the pastry for later. Good coffee options and amazing merch! Goddesses rule this morning!"

Goddess and the Baker, 44 E Grand

★★★★☆ 4.1 (379) • $$

"Arrived on an early flight and my hotel checked me around 10:30 AM. Needed to prepare for a meeting, so needed some brunch to go. Became a goddess at cute Goddess and the Baker around the corner. Buzzing business. Pastries, coffees, brunch mains all looked great. My Goddess Breakfast and Chocolate Croissant (which counter guy recommended warming up) were huge portions and delish. Saving some of the pastry for later. Good coffee options and amazing merch! Goddesses rule this morning!"

Shokolad

★★★★★ 4.5 (303)

"My love and I decided to have lunch in Ukrainian Village recently, and we chose Shokolad. This was a popular choice on a random Thursday, as the restaurant seemed quite busy this day. We had a pleasant server, but the poor guy was overstretched as he seemingly was tasked with waiting on all the tables.My love ordered the beef stroganoff, which is listed as a Thursday special. I usually think of stroganoff with noodles, but she opted to have mashed potatoes with the beef and gravy. A side salad (sort of like cole slaw) completed this meal. I ordered a full order (a dozen pieces) of the varenyky (Ukrainian pierogies), and I chose the meaty filling. I usually go light on sour cream, but the cream complemented the meat dumplings very well. Shredded carrots rounded out my plate."

Taste of Paris

★★★★☆ 4.3 (301)

"Went here for lunch with a friend. Indoor or outdoor seating available. Large additional room for overflow. Bakery with French desserts available as well as breads. Now let's get to food. We both had the French onion soup. Highly recommend. Baked mini crock, all the trimmings. I went with the savory ham and cheese crepes. (2). It came with choose of salad, which I had, fries or veggie. Dressing is the house Dijon oil/vinegar dressing. Delicious. My friend went with the croque missouire. Total with a drink was $30. I purchased some pastries for my dude. They were a little on the expensive side but homemade."

Cake Sweet Food Chicago

★★★★★ 4.9 (227) • $$$

Everybody's Coffee

★★★★★ 4.5 (263)

"I don't drink coffee--so why do I love this coffee shop? First, they take tea seriously ( mostly hot, but they is usually have at least one variety of iced tea on hand). They also have nice baked goods, and sandwiches at lunch. Their breakfast sandwiches are also mouth watering.But in the end it's all about the staff. Super friendly, to literally everyone. Their slogan ("We filter coffee not people") Turkey reflects who they are!"

Good Ambler

★★★★☆ 4.4 (261)

"Why 5 stars? Because for what I needed, it delivered perfectly. --- --- ---After a heavy lunch, I needed two things: caffeine and something sweet. Good Ambler could not have met these demands more perfectly.I was disappointed that they did not have nitro on the menu and had to settle for cold brew. But I wish I could watch a live reaction shot of my face when I took the first sip - I was VERY pleasantly surprised. It was strong, but not so strong that it overwhelmed you. It's hard to describe, but it was a lot less watery than any other cold brew I've ever had. I'm not sure how they do it here, but this is what all cold brew should taste like.I also grabbed a frosted sugar cookie and it was money. The perfect flavor and not too overwhelmingly sugary to where I felt gross after. Just an ideal snack to pair with my coffee. I nearly went to another coffee shop, but I'm really glad I opted to stop at Good Ambler instead!"

Scafuri Bakery

★★★★☆ 4.2 (277) • $

"There's nowhere quite like Scafuri: this family owned cafe/nationally shipping bakery is one of Taylor Street's longest running businesses, and for good reason. It can be cluttered inside sometimes (as is expected from such a massive mail operation) but never dirty. The sweet treats they serve here are affordable and delicious, and the staff are always happy to see you. All in all, Scafuri is an absolute must when you're visiting vibrant Taylor Street"

A Thousand Tales Restaurant / Bakery & Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (233) • $$

"Wow, if you like Turkish food or food in general try this. It's wonderful made with love and fresh ingredients. The service, the ambience A plus. The lamb chops were delicious so tender and moist seasoned beautifully . The bread the wonderful dips, beautiful presentation. The staff and the owners top notch. This has been on my radar and was thrilled to finally try this gastronomic delight. If you love top quality fresh food made with lots of love , please come here Huge space great place to have a party.Or dine in for two. They have an outdoor area which is very nice. The indoor area was lovely. Looking forward to coming back with the kids ."

Sauce And Bread Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.5 (209) • $$

"I enjoyed this place but to say my expectations were exceeded is a stretch. The chicken sandwich's best attribute was the homemade part of it. This tasted like something your grandma would make you after not seeing you for awhile. The lemon pepper was slight but there. I also enjoyed the various in house made hot sauces provided at each table. My peanut butter dessert was ok. Most intriguing thing of this place was the staff told me about an open mic storytelling taking place in the evening. Sounded cool to say the least."

Tous Les Jours

★★★★☆ 4.4 (205) • $$

"Tucked between the many shops of China Town is an amazing Patisserie Coffee Shop. Tous Les Jours offers the most exquisite desserts and custom cakes including Sweet Potato Cake, Blueberry Cloud, and Green Tea Matcha Cake. The interior and exterior is super clean and the service is friendly and fast. I was so happy with my experience and will most definitely go back!"

Ferrara Original

★★★★☆ 4.1 (229) • $

"I have been here several times and usually I order one of their pasta dishes which are usually good. This time around I decided to try one of their sandwiches. I ordered their Ferrara Special which is basically an Italian Sandwich. It was ok sandwich. Not a lot of meat...lots of lettuce on the sandwich. It kind of overwhelmed the flavor from Italian slices of meat. I also tried their Chicken Pastina soup. It was good, it had flavor and filling."