Is there a reason I can't order a birthday cake in person? I was excited to order my Mother's birthday cake and stopped in to place the order. I was told that I need to go online to place a cake order. That is really the dumbest thing I have ever heard. No. I want to place the order and pay for it in person and talk through what the cake will be like. I drove more than 20 minutes to get here and left and went to a different bakery to place my order. Also why don't you have almond croissants for your store in the morning? Not everyone is going to the farmers market. read more

AMEN! The red velvet cupcake is a sight to behold and a wonder to taste! I haven't had a red velevet cupcake so good since I left the south! Paula Deen would be so proud ya'll! The rest of the pastries looked equally mouthwatering, but there is something lacking about their ordering system...there isn't one. No numbers for you to take at the door, so I guess its all based on the honor system? That's for the birds. I like a bit of organization with my cupcake. Having to give some woman the hairy eyeball becuase she cut the line is no way to start my sugar high. read more

I visited Evanston with a friend who'd gone to Northwestern in the 1980s; the town is barely recognizable from those days apparently, but this is bakery a long-standing stalwart, and for good reason. The line backing up in this place attests to Bennison's popularity, which they come by rightly. They have a wide array of offerings, all freshly made (you can even see it on a live video feed). And now, the fooood. We got all kinds of stuff: I had a big fat jelly donut while we were there, and took a few items to go (a soft pretzel, which was good though not incredibly exciting, and several macarons, which are among the best I've had outside of Paris). My friend got a rum ball the size of a golf ball coated in slivered almonds. Service was swift, which was good considering the line that began piling up as soon as we arrived. Clearly the staff are used to a crowd. One lady left with a cake, a huge coffee cake and some other things: clearly she knows what it's all about. Overall, this is obviously the place for baked goods in Evanston. If you're near Northwestern and feeling peckish for pastries, you'd better make a trip to Bennison's! read more

Their selection is very good. They sell design cakes with Disney characters, Thomas and Friends or similar for kids, too. The only thing I would NOT recommend is their (too sweet) pizza that was one of the worst. For pizzas, go to Gigio right across Davis St. read more

Now that my no so little one is in high school, I'll be driving into Evanston on a regular basis. Nearby is Bennison's Bakery; I have been here a few times the last several weeks and am overall impressed. There's a good selection of bakery items fresh every day. What's nice is that they have a decent selection even later in the day and are open later than some other bakeries in the area. Parking is farily easy on the street (a quarter for 15 minutes seems reasonable to pop in and get some goodies). I'm favoring their donuts and cookies so far. Excellent chocolate chip and black and white cookies; the donuts are fresh and moist. The chocolate chip scones are good as well with an extra sprinkling of chocolate chips on top. They have coffee, tea, some juices and pop. Good for a morning drive or hanging later in the day. Speaking of which, there are several tables and chairs outside for watching the people wandering by or getting off the El a block away. They sometimes get backed up in the morning when people are unsure of what they want or are ordering custom desserts for later. Perhaps an express line for simple orders? read more

Bennison's Bakery - Outside of the bakery (from one of the outside chairs) - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Bennison's never disappoints, be it a boxful of colorful macaroons or a turkey sandwich on a croissant. Take it to go, drive down to the waterfront near Northwestern University, and enjoy! read more

The Princess torte is our favorite! Delicious desserts and cakes! Very good customer service!

I was given an apple pie as a gift from here for Thanksgiving. First, it tasted AMAZING, and I don't usually like apple pie, so that goes to show just how epic the filling was, not to mention the crust was perfect. However, while I understand they were probably insanely busy with baking for Thanksgiving, they need to improve their quality control because I found no less than 15 apple seeds, part of a core, a stem, and a stamen (or whatever the flower-shaped thing at the bottom of an apple is called). Fortunately I was able to pick out most of them, although I may have eaten half of a seed because I spit out what ended up only being one half. If I had been serving this to kids, I would have been worried for the choking hazard of the random parts (not to mention potentially dangerous cyanide if the seeds are chewed, though I know it would take a lot to ingest enough to do damage). Nonetheless, it made eating the pie a less enjoyable experience, because I was constantly on the lookout for spare inedible apple parts, particularly since both my cat and dog seemed to be very interested in trying to steal it off my plate, and I didn't want them to end up with a seed since that could be especially harmful. Had I paid the $13 the pie costs, I really would have been upset, but since it was a gift, I just thanked the person who gave it to me and told them how tasty it ended up being. Hopefully the one I received was just a fluke. read more

Go here nearly every week. I try something different every time- you really can't go wrong. Long lines, so prepare accordingly (doesn't affect the overall experience). read more

Old style donut, cake and sweet baked goods shop. 1 hour only metered parking in front (credit card only).

Everything you want in a local bakery, and nothing you don't. Donuts are incredible and the service is very friendly. Social-distancing line around the building, but I was still in and out in less than 10 minutes. read more

it's the best bakery in evanston! I love their pie squares. there is not a day go by without thinking about dropping by here to pick up almost anything during the day. my favorite is their pecan pie, pumpkin pie slices & donuts read more

What is that DELICIOUS smell wafting onto Davis street? Pizza... no. Coffee... no. It's Bennison's delicious baked goods! I happened upon this bakery, here since 1938, a few months ago while trying to pass time on a weekend by biking through Evanston. I stopped in and had a zucchini muffin and a latte which were both good. Since then I have had the following: Blueberry muffin: my usual. Usually super-moist and full of blueberries! Cinnamon-Sugar cake donut: Soft and cinnamony. I love this donut Chocolate Chip/M&M Cookies: I prefer fat soft cookies but if you enjoy more thin and crispier cookies, theirs are perfect. The middles are soft with crunchy edges. Cherry Tart: Delicious... maybe a new favorite Black Forest Cherry Slice: Only available during Oktoberfest. So, grab a famous red velvet cupcake and a cappuccino, and head out to the sidewalk tables (during warmer weather) and take a few minutes to enjoy life! read more

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A long-standing bakery with a good reputation and delicious food. They made my wedding cake and we occasionally drop by for treats. They have the best smiley face cookies and often have cookies decorated with current events/people (think football teams, political figures during elections, they even had Tiger King cookies during that craze). I love that you can buy their sweet little Italian cookies by the pound and we will sometimes just go choose a couple each for a sweet treat after dinner. They also sell sandwiches, cupcakes, donuts, and whole cakes. read more

Bennison's is a popular bakery and cafe in downstown Evanston. I've come several times to pick up baked goods for friends or an event. They have a wide variety of tea cookies and cakes. They are especially known for their donuts, but after hearing about their Bienenstich (bee sting), I had to try some. I found it delicious but a tad too sweet. Very satisfying taste and texture. One slice was big enough for two. Will definitely be back! read more

Bennison's Bakery - Donuts, flan/custard?, bienenstich. very satisfied! - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

The baked goods are great, the personnel is another story. No personality and sometimes just plain rude. Sorry not sorry

I can't believe I'm writing again but Maple Bacon Long Johns??? Yes! And the coconut macaroons at this place are insane. I once ate an entire box. I am in love with Bennison's. They can do no wrong. read more

I'll never use this Bakery again! EVERY TIME I order pies they are disorganized, throw fits and rude. They even say that we never made an order. Please if you want a reliable bakery it is not this one read more

Tried 3 of their macaroons - each for about $1.40 each. Pistachio, rose, and strawberry. Pistachio and rose were great but the strawberry was the best! Really deep rich strawberry flavor and the consistency was the softest and lightest of all 3! read more

I have been a longtime customer but the staff is getting more unprofessional as the years go on and the quality just isn't the same. The tea cookies, coffee cake and bread is there only saving grace here. Everything else is just ok or at a grocery store. I've gone in several times to consistently find the staff huddled in a corner chatting and when I ask for help, I get eye rolls. Today, I went in and asked for a coffee and one of them said, "uh, what kind because the espresso machine has been cleaned and shut down," and this was hours before closing. I would be more understanding if it was closer to closing time or being short staffed and overwhelmed but I was the only one in there on a Wednesday. I went in with the intention of buying multiple items but ended up walking away with just a coffee cake since they were so rude. At the end of my transaction, the cashier just walked away from me and left my coffee cake on the far end of the counter. I had to reach around to get it and wasn't offered my receipt or got a thanks or bye. I should've just walked away and saved my money for a better establishment. Ridiculous. read more

I can't even express how much this place is saving my life during Quarantine working from home. My house orders from them at least 2 times a week when we need a mood pick me up! The Savory food is amazing and the sweets are to die for. I even was able to get Tiger King: Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin cookies one day and that really gave us all a big laugh. Thank you all so much for your amazing business! We hope to someday be able to visit in person! read more

Their pastries are delicious. Love a place like this with an old school feel. Good customer service!

I come from a long line of family members that have lived in Evanston for 5 decades. We have been going to this bakery for that long. Obviously we have enjoyed their deserts...However, I have become increasingly disappointed because over the last couple of years they consistently mess up our birthday cakes! This has been going on for several years. I don't make a fuss about cakes but recently it is getting on my nerves! It is just reckless, ridiculous, disrespectful and dishonest. I ordered my birthday cake last week, a solid chocolate fudge cake with cherries in the center. On my birthday, when we cut into the cake they added in the center of the cherries white butter cream frosting! I even said to the woman taking my order, please be careful because they always seem to mess-up and she became argumentative! I thought she would be extra careful to make sure the order was correct....LOL! She / the bakery should be held accountable. Not only that, in the past years I have received cakes with 2 fruit fillings (rasberry and cherry) because they must have run out of cherry????? I never received a call to ask if I wanted a different filling... Or last week, they didn't contact me that they didn't have enough fudge, do I want white frosting? This is just pathetic customer service hence this 1-star rating! Time to order from Tag's, Food Stuff's, Deerfield Bakery, anywhere but Bennison. read more

Love the place and the staff is very friendly. My only downside is I never know when they are going to put out the best soda biscuit I ever had. I always look, but rarely find. Wish I could buy several packages and freeze them. Like a special order. read more

Ok so this bakery is amazing. First things first it's a classic Evanston staple for a reason. That reasons is that the food is good. It's really good. The best though is the Almond croissant. Why? It just is. Their other stuff is good. They are also open until like 7ish which is pretty solid for a bakery so if you are craving baked goods after work and heading back on the train this place is perfect for a quick nosh. ENJOY. read more

THE BEST. MY FAVORITE BAKERY. We used to live 2 blocks away from Bennison's so I took for granted their killer red velvet, amazing napolitan, sublime beesting cakes, delectable macarons, fresh croissant stuffed with ham and cheese, and on and on..... then we moved and I can't get a decent pastry anywhere. Anytime I'm in 10 mile radius from Bennisons, I'm there ordering a boxfull of sweet, really just for myself. Do yourself a favor and get in line early before they sell out of their amazing fresh baked delicious baked goods. Nothing I've had there has ever dissapointed. read more

When I first came to Bennison's it was to pick up a coworker who ordered pizza from Bennisons. The pizza was thick square cut pizza that was pretty darn tasty. Came back the next day to get a donut but then I saw in my peripheral vision a nice selection of Parisian Macarons. Omg. I was stoked!!! Had a lemon, a lime, passion fruit, pina colada and raspberry. All were equally delicious and fresh. Chewy texture on the bite with a delightful filling that matched the flavor. The lemon was so tasty and refreshing. Goodness I know where I will be all the time. Lord help my budget. I hear their scones are delicious so that is s next on my list....,maybe tomorrow. Yum!! Nice bakery and service with a smile from all those at the counter. Happy gal! #reasonsWhyImFluffy read more

Bennison's Bakery - Delicious Macarons! - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Their chocolate praline paczkis are the best I've ever had. Despite the long line on Fat Tuesday, I was in and out with my paczkis within fifteen minutes. Bennison's runs like a well oiled machine and I'm so glad I found this place. read more

Stopped by around closing time for some baked goods. The staff recommended the sour cream doughnut and oh goodness was it delicious! It was perfectly dense (a heavy dough but not as heavy as a cake doughnut) and aired with a crispy crust covered in a sugar glaze that didn't melt in my hand. I regret not getting two of them. Though, my disappointment is offset by the joy I got from the complementary end-of-day imperfect caramel buttercream macaroon that the staff gave me! read more

What a staple! This bakery is so refreshing compared to other bakeries where you'll spend double the price on cupcakes in the city! These pupcakes are not only delicious, but they ring in around $1.70 each. I also got an eclair for my sister, and she mentioned it was one of the best pastries she has ever had. read more

Bennison's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Best macaroons! My husband and I travel about 20 min just for these things. They are priced VERY well for the size and let's talk about how cappuccino there is only Like 2.00$ GTFOH that's amazing. The only downside is it's just to go. There are stand up tables but it's so small I wouldn't stand inside. It would be amazing if they had more space to sit down and enjoy their treats! read more

Personally I will never recommend this place , or order for future references again, I ordered a torte cake and I DONT recommend those. It was my moms 60th birthday and I called 2 hours prior to picking up her cake to have it ready when they said it was all ready to go no problems , when I get there nothing was ready . I was in line waiting 20 minutes and they didn't even care about making it priority , they had very poor customer service. When I asked the reason to why they didn't have it ready , they simply said " I don't know " and I even heard the young kid working in the back out loud saying " the manager didn't even start on any of the cakes I think she forgot" the taste wasn't even all that great I ended up paying $38 and throwing half of it away... don't your waste your time , GARBAGE read more

Oh Bennison's... this review is long overdue. This bakery is a mainstay in Chicago; Evanstonians are lucky to call it their own. The interior decor and vintage neon sign harken back to no-frills, no fussiness bakeries of a bygone era. The staff is generally a younger, beleaguered crowd. Cut these kids a break, they're probably working for minimum wage, dealing with a bunch of very particular old fogies, who tend to be difficult clientele. Pro-tip Bennison's: add a tip option on your POS, it could help properly reward some of the exceptional moments of service. I can't really speak to their pastries (I'm not a sweets person), although word on the street is that they're fantastic but let me tell you about their under-rated/"secret" menu items: First off, you can get a coffee, if you bring your own mug, for a buck. Amazing. The coffee isn't bad either! Their baguettes are fantastic, and their Sebastopol sandwich is so simple, but to die for. It's essentially a traditional french sandwich on one of their delicious firm, house-made "mini" baguettes, with a thin layer of gruyere/swiss-esque cheese, lightly buttered, w/a lean amount of delicately shaved ham, and cornichons bifurcating the middle. Now. In case you haven't heard, Bennison's makes hands-down the best. breakfast sandwich. in Chicago. No seriously, it's true. It's indulgent, caloric, and messy, but those sammies are incredible and so highly coveted that the people who know about them behave like they're Smeagol and the sandwiches are "the one true ring". They don't want anyone else to know about them, because they just want to gobble them up for themselves, on whatever occasion they're available. The sammies are made on a flakey Bennison's croissant, layered with sausage, ham, or bacon, perfectly soft scrambled eggs, and creme fraiche. Ask to have that thing heated up. They are not made every day of the week - usually Thurs through Sunday (I think), and they go quickly, but WOWZER they are something else. They are veryyy filling, so sharing one, or just mooching a bite of someone else's is a treat in and of itself. I frequently found myself picking these up for friends DYING to get their grubby paws on said delectable breakfast sandwichs, knowing I was making an early B's coffee run. This is definitely a spot I'll miss, leaving Chicago. read more

This is a really good bakery me and my family are big fans service is still very good even during these times.We ordered custom cupcakes that turned out really good.I highly recommend this bakery to you. read more

purchased an almond croissant and a olive sourdough loaf at the Evanstons farmers market today, quality wise both were nothing to write home about. croissant had no crisp outer layers, fine filling, bread also was also nothing really special. That said, no prices were listed, and these two thing totaled $16 so I have no clue if I bought the most expensive croissant, or the most expensive loaf of bread of my life. I have literally paid less at Tartine. read more

Last night over the phone I ordered 8 "specialty" cupcakes for a baby shower. When I picked them up this morning, they were squished into plastic containers and the icing was starting to slide off. The "decoration" was a small blue plastic safety pin shoved down into the icing. It was $26 for these cupcakes, which looked like crap. If I wanted them to look so bad, I would have done them myself. I had to serve these at the baby shower, as they were the only thing I was bringing. I called today to ask for a refund, or even a partial refund, and the manager said no refund unless I bring the cupcakes in. Are you f*cking kidding me? I had to serve them, I didn't have anything else! And what was Bennison's going to do with them besides throw them out? They just lost a long-time customer. read more

Bennison's Bakery - So glad I paid $26 for these. - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Decent food for an ok price but they need to update their open times. It's not open at 6am.

Free smells as soon as you walk in. Just a pleasant and amazing smell.Super yummy looking desserts! I love their almond croissant. It looked like the ones in France and tasted like it too. I also got a chocolate croissant and an old world bread that's made with 3 ingredients. They have an Italian espresso machine and they macaroons were affordable. I definitely will go back for more treats whenever I am in the area. read more

I don't leave reviews but I had such an awful experience at their stand at the green city farmers market I feel like I have to. Their employees were so rude and let us wait around for 10 minutes and then took someone else's order who came long after us before they took ours! And after standing there for all that time they waited until we had ordered to tell us their card machine wasn't working so we had to walk away empty handed. read more

Many, many, many years ago, Bennison's was a great bakery with fresh, delicious breads, pastry, and rice pudding. Especially delicious was their round, raisin cinnamon bread, which they. no longer carry. Now, they have pedestrian baked goods that are mediocre, and often stale. Stale baked goods have happened to me enough times that I never go there anymore. What's worse is, if you complain that it's stale, they have to call a manager. Jeez! read more