Publican Quality Bread

Came across this bakery on a hunt for the best sourdough in the city and oh my gosh I don't feel the need to search any further. The sourdough is so bouncy and soft on the inside with a contrasting crispy crust on the outside. Will be back to try the olive sourdough!Of the pastries, I tried the chocolate orange morning bun and so happy that I did. It tasted like it was made of quality ingredients. If you like chocolate pastries but don't like them too sweet then this is perfect.Everyone was nice and they'll happily slice your loaves for you!

Will return soon. Olive and sourdough excellent. I see why the line. Also found out they have a place in oak park Illinois! The premade cut to order sandwiches looked so good. Next time I will try them. Maybe early am bi line. I went during lunch time ?! A place worth driving for the bread alone.

I can only speak for their pastries because the one time I went, I went too early and didn't know they don't sell bread until 9am daily. Bummer. But the pastries were really good. I got an almond croissant, quiche, chorizo danish and another savory pastry. The savory pastries stood out the most to me!!

A drive across town is warranted just to come inhale their freshly baked sourdough bread. My favorite is the olive. I buy a few each time and always gift one or two loaves. Always so well received. A few weeks ago Chef Sarah from Monteverde was in here chatting with head baker. I mean, Chef shops here so... as if I needed any more confirmation that this place is legit for all my loafy / carby cravings!

THIS PLACE IS HEAVEN. Their croissants are croissanting!! They've got unique breads and they bake their breads on the premises. I read a review that this place is their #1 enemy of their wallet and waistline and I concur most definitely omg wow. Come here and have their croissants. No seating inside but they have got some outdoor seating for the warmer months.

Friendly staff that is churning out really good looking baked goods. Interior is very small but the staff moved the line along really well. Tried two sandwiches which are priced by weight. The big sandwich and also the veggie big sandwich. Overall, sandwiches were good but not mind blowing. If I visit again will focus on the baked goods.

Went to Publican Quality Bread for the first time yesterday to purchase some of their baked goods. I had visited their shop a few months before, but it was later in the day, and all they had available was some rye bread and a few random pastries. Yesterday, on a Monday around 12:30pm, they were fully stocked and had a tempting selection.I purchased a half pullman loaf of sourdough bread for $10 (interestingly, and incorrectly, their website says that it's $9). I haven't tasted it yet, but it's a nice, dense loaf of bread. Although, $10 for a half loaf (16 pieces, and that includes the end piece) is extremely expensive for bread, I am hoping that it's amazing!I purchased two of PQB's cardamom monkey breads. They were $5 each. I did not watch as the counter person boxed them up. When I got them home, I discovered that the two breads were wildly different in size and quality...one was half the size of the other... and the bigger bread was burnt on top (closer to the top of the oven or left in too long). Usually baked goods from a professional bakery are consistent in size and quality, but not in this case. The smaller bread, and the bottom half of the burnt one, tasted great. But with the price they charge for these muffin-sized breads, the burnt bread should not have been sold, and the half-sized bread was not worth $5.I also purchased a double chocolate cookie. It was thick, dense...and from what I understand very tasty (I bought it for my husband). At $3, it was a relative bargain compared to everything else in the store.When I walked in the shop, there was only one person ahead of me being served, and three people behind the counter. I was lingering for a while deciding what to buy, but no one behind the counter greeted me, or asked if I needed help. And the person who boxed my monkey breads should have seen that one was burnt.I wish there was a rating between 3 and 4, because the service and product consistency just isn't there. But I am giving a 4 rating because Publican's bread selection is incredible and I love and appreciate the products that bakeries provide.I will definitely give them another chance, and I am looking forward to trying their sourdough bread later today. As a follow-up, the sourdough bread was dense (I like my bread dense), but relatively flavorless, with little of the tang that I expect from a good sourdough bread. And although I had it well-sealed, the bread dried out really quickly. I ended up throwing out half the loaf.

Who doesn't love a freshly baked croissant?! This is a tiny little store front so it's just grab and go. There's tons of freshly baked bread and bakery items. They serve la Colombe coffee. Their bakery items are unique and eveything tasted so good. I had a ropa vieja tart or pastry and it was so good! The beef was tender and delicious. Their "kitchen sink" cookie was unique with cherries, white chocolate chips, and possibly ginger snaps (?). I bought croissants for friends to try and they all loved them! The people were so friendly and service was quick. There was a line but it moved so fast. Will definitely be back soon!!

Came around 1pm on a Saturday to grab sandwiches. There were 5+ people ahead of me plus others waiting for sandwiches so a bit crowded in a small space. This was my first time here so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The pastries were pretty much gone, only a corn macaron and some jam cookie, lots of bread, the big sandwich and the specialty sandwiches which are made to order I guess. I ended up ordering approx. 1/2 lb of the big sandwich and the Jambon Beurre sandwich...a whopping $30. Missed the sign that says they include 3% hospitality supplement and tipped $2 on top. Which I regret given I ended up having to wait, no joke, 25 mins for the Jambon Beurre. There was one person ringing people up and one person making / cutting sandwiches. Not the least bit efficient when there's a line of people waiting. The sandwich breads were good, but rest was just fine. Not what I was expecting after 25 minutes and $32, whomp whomp. I'd come back in the morning for pastries and maybe a $10+ loaf of bread but I'm out on the sandwiches...I'll go to Tempesta instead.

Saw they were baking a brownie inside a croissant so naturally I had to try it. Turns out I wasn't the only one with this idea as I had to wait about 30 minutes in line. The inside is very small but with open windows it is pretty cool to see the bakers in action. The brownie was pretty good with a soft texture and the croissant contrasted that softness with its flakiness. Along with the croissant I ended up getting a hummingbird cake. It was moist but lacked pineapple as I only got one small piece. Basically a banana bread with cream cheese frosting. These were two unique pastries but nothing special.