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    Pekara Bakery & Bistro

    3.8 (69 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Pekara Bakery & Bistro Photos

    Business Info

    PEKARA BAKERY & BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Good for working

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    Roasted Red Pepper with Smoked Gouda Soup
    Mary W.

    It's always nice to try new spots. It's a cute little restaurant that I actually almost passed up! You order at the counter and take a number. The young ladies at the counter are nice and helpful. I ordered a cup of soup because it's quite cold inside, but also because roasted red pepper and smoked Gouda sounds tasty! The soup was served up hot and with bread, it was really good and helped me to stay warm as I awaited my entree. I liked tasting the small chunks of cheese?? It was a perfect appetizer while I waited for my French toast, bacon and potatoes... soup and breakfast do not go together I admit, but I enjoyed both! The French toast is made using brioche bread (my favorite) and served with bits of fruit. It was nice and hot and tastes good, with butter of course. Hint: you have to ask for butter, otherwise you receive a cream cheese type spread. It's not bad, but butter and syrup is my preference! The bacon was decent and the potatoes are well seasoned, almost too well, but still delicious! I can certainly appreciate not having bland potatoes! The coffee here is also pretty good. I had regular, nothing fancy. All in all, I'd visit if ever in these parts again!

    Toast mushroom and goat cheese with egg
    Adria H.

    This was a nice local find while visiting my daughter. I ordered the toast with mushrooms, goat cheese and added an egg. My daughter had an omelette. The portions were huge and the food was cooked with skill and good flavors. The coffee was great also. The staff were very friendly and the restaurant itself is spacious and a relaxed setting to engage in good conversation without having to yell, or a good working space with windows.

    Items on regular menu
    Leyang Z.

    When I posted this review, I just had my 106th meal there since June, 2023. If I had to recommend only one restaurant in C-U area, this is THE ONE I would recommend without hesitation. There are many reasons for that. But what attracts me most is its quality of food. In the morning I often see the arrival of freshly baked no-preservative bread; before 11am their bread rack becomes almost empty. The lovely bread is also used for their sandwiches, which are paired with other fresh, well-cooked ingredients. The results are delicious, flavorful foods--almost every item on the menu. Moreover, except those sweet food such as sweet crepe and their pastry, everything was pretty healthy. The food there had a good balance of carb, protein, fat, and veggie/fruit, and they often use healthier ways to cook/make them. For example, their Roasted Veggie Crepe not just had a generous portion of vegetables, but also sufficient cheese. Their Grilled Cheese was made with sourdough bread, and used only slight amount of butter for toasting. Another example is Chicken Salad sandwich, in which the diced chicken was blended with Greek yogurt and topped with fresh lettuce & tomatoes. Service was also great. Everyone seemed to enjoy their job, say hello to each customer, creating a friendly, customer-oriented vibe. As I often have special requests for my food (e.g., no sauce for sandwich), I care a lot about keeping my request correct. Luckily they only made 3 minor mistakes for my orders in my 106 meals. Beyond these was the reasonable price. If you add up all the prices of each single item in Bistro Lunch combo you would see that ordering the combo could save you for up to ~$6. This is quite different from e.g. Seven Saints' combo, which usually save you less than $1. Milk was even cheaper than that in Target. And for $4.95 I could have a Kids Grilled Cheese with a cup of fruit (usually mixed berries)! They also offer half-price bread on Sunday (not easy to get though, as it is often almost sold-out before 9am). I usually dine in about 3-4 times per week, more during the summer break. Have tried almost every item on the menu, as well as their weekly/daily specials. The food there, especially their breakfast, had a "Euro-Cali fusion" style with a Midwest tone. It is hard to say which I like most, because everything was amazing. Some of my favorite dishes/combos for breakfast & lunch, drinks and bread (see picture) They also offer seasonal, weekly, or daily specials. For example, the Croissant XL BLT around Dad's holiday, the Chorizo Omelette in October, Pumpkin Gingerbread near Halloween, Beer Cheese Soup and Beef Vegetable Soup in recent weeks... Just to list a few. They are all quite delicious! Just remember to look at their blackboards at the menu table and the counter so as not to miss the surprises! Finally, not just me, but also my friends enjoyed this restaurant very much. Due to this, and my experience, I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a healthy and tasty meal. For me, I am graduating and not sure whether I will return to Champaign again. But this restaurant has absolutely become an essential part of my life in UIUC. [Also check my 100+ pic on "Photos" :)]

    maple latte and cronut
    Paloma Q.

    SOOOOO FREAKING GOOOD. Their donuts are the best donuts I have EVER had as a huge donut fun. So soft crunchy moist delectable the sugar literaly dissolves in your mouth with the frosting ITS AMAZING U HAVE TO TRY THE CRONUTS IF U COME HERE!!!!!!!! the sandwich crust was buttery and nice and toasted and everything melted so nicely with the focaccia. Also got their maple hot latte and just so nice and foamy and the flavor was perfect for fall. Amazing love this will go here again!!! And service was super sweet and ambience very clean and pleasant!!

    Portabella Veggie Sandwich
    Isabelle P.

    This was a great place for lunch with a friend! My sandwich was so delicious. The inside was really cute, warm, and welcoming. Another thing I loved about this place was that they refuse tips because they pay their workers fair wages. Great place!!

    Special sandwich (cheesesteak) of the day on Friday
    Lilee N.

    I come for the sidewinder fries and west coast toast but they have a variety of options to please everyone. First, the fries. The fries are delicious and fried once you order so hot and crispy every time. Dessert. Lots of good single serving items in their dessert case if you're looking for a sweet indulgence. Sandwiches. Hot sandwiches are solid choices. I ventured off to try a cold hummus sandwich and if like the coarse type of hummus, this is your place. For me, it is a little too gritty and not enough tahini. Other: they make breads and have loaves for sale. Same with whole pies. I think of this "bakery" as more of a local Panera and less of a bakery where I'd come to get a birthday cake.

    Runzer W.

    I didn't even notice this treasure spot when passing by for many times. They provide many different choices of dessert. The space inside is big enough, and good for work or study with your laptops. Will come again in the future!

    Kitchen Special XL BLT on a croissant
    Angie H.

    Great little spot we stopped at while passing through. All of the bakery items looked amazing. We compromised with the tiramisu crepe layer cake, and I had the kitchen special BLT. Service is good, food takes a little longer because everything is cooked fresh. So it's totally worth it!! Bring cash for a tip!

    Roasted Veggie Omelette

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    3 years ago

    I think they have a new baker, because the brownies are much better now. Thank you!

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    2 years ago

    The food was wonderful and ambience was perfect. Jahaira was especially nice and made our family feel very welcomed. Excellent service.

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    Amazing food you have to try the croissant donuts if they have them! coffee is delicious and the areas is really cute

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    Ask the Community - Pekara Bakery & Bistro

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    Hands down the best Italian Beef in region. Staff is the best and new spot always has seating…read more Sandwiches aren't cheap but huge. Very happy this place is around. Miss their pizza.

    Meat sandos make me happy!…read more Glad we stopped by to try this spot! Literally everything was so delish! We were greeted upon entry and although I briefly looked at the menu online, there's so much other randomness that's available! Be sure to follow their socials for specials and limited menu items that aren't on the paper menus at the counter. We ordered the Baldarotta, Italian Beef, and Turkey Pesto-Hot. Also got an order of fries and the Sicilian Potato Salad. Then ran away with 2 pistachio cannolis! There are quite a few tables in the dining area. I really enjoyed that each table was different with a different set of chairs for each table. There are restrooms available...which was great because I definitely got messy! The namesake Baldarotta had a combination of the porketta and sausage and it made me smile from ear to ear! Such a comforting sandwich. The Italian Beef came with a a whole wide container of au jus for optimal dipping and was so flavorful! The Turkey pesto ordered hot (vs. cold) is a game changer! The pesto Mayo was DELISH! Fries were well seasoned. The potato salad had olives in it and I enjoyed that as well! The cannolis we took to go and enjoyed them later that evening! I loved how it wasn't too sweet at all! Parking was easy as there are spaces in the back. They are next to a brewery so could see pairing these tasty eats with a drink or two next door. Will definitely be back!

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    Cheese and Crackers

    Cheese and Crackers

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    This sandwich shop remains unmatched. We came in for Mindy's Italian and Rainbow Veggie sandwiches…read more The ingredients are fresh, the vinegar is expertly balanced, and the French bread gives every bite a crunch. Bravo!

    I have officially had the best sandwich in my life, thanks to this place. I'm visiting a friend,…read moreand found Cheese and Crackers on Yelp. I'm not a sandwich person, but my 16 year old is, and I wanted something I could eat to-go. You can smell the scent of yummy as you walked into the door. It appears to be a gourmet grocery store, specializing in sushi grade seafood, pasta from Italy, fancy cheeses, meats, caviar, and sodas from around the country. They had diet Cheerwine, even. I've never seen so many different root beers in one place- there was even a pumpkin root beer! There wasn't a BLT on the menu, but they custom made one for my son, and he added pesto and provolone. He declared it the best BLT ever, and knocked his favorite sandwich place back home to second place. I had the Thanksgiving everyday. A $16 buck sandwich, I was skeptical it wasn't going to live up to its price point. However, it was worth every cent. It was turkey, goat cheese, and homemade cranberry sauce on sourdough, and grilled panini style on a press. The turkey was sliced fresh- everything was made fresh. The taste was absolutely amazing. I live in California, but hate most sourdough bread, because that tang tastes spoiled. You don't have that weird taste with Cheese and Crackers sourdough bread- it's just delicious toasted buttered bread. It was the right texture and made it crunch. The crew appeared very hardworking and enjoyed their jobs. We were greeted kindly, and felt welcome. I use a walker, and was able to navigate the store, but note the space is kinda small. Since I don't live here, I'm going to do my best to recreate my sandwich at home. Cheese and Crackers- thanks for teaching me about a delicious flavor combination, and for providing an enjoyable epicurean experience.

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    Mindy's Italian Sandwich
    Mindy's Italian Sandwich
    Half of my Thanksgiving Everyday sandwich..we ate in the car. No seating inside, but there are chairs outside.
    Half of my Thanksgiving Everyday sandwich..we ate in the car. No seating inside, but there are chairs outside.
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    Dee-Dee’s Beef

    Dee-Dee’s Beef

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    Prediction: Dee-Dee's Beef will soon become a Champaign-Urbana institution…read more This place is the real deal. They know what they do extraordinarily well and stick to it. I had never had an authentic Italian beef sandwich before, but after last night, I knew I had had the best in the state, outside of Chicago perhaps. Their menu is straight-forward and harkens back to deli and sandwich shops of old. In fact, I had assumed that Dee-Dee's had been around for decades. My combo sandwich was heavy duty, bursting with beef, juice, and flavor. If you are a more economical eater, unlike myself, then you could certainly get two meals out of it. Customer service was above and beyond. I imagine that I corresponded directly over the phone and counter with one of the Owners when placing and picking up my order. Located in the Cracked restaurant space right on Green Street, they are open three days a week (for now) and accept all major credit cards. We will be back, no question.

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    Dee-Dee's Cutlets Sandwich
    Dee-Dee's Cutlets Sandwich
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    Dave's Hot Chicken

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    I'm actually super surprised about how well this place impressed me, from the entry greeting and…read moregreat service of the staff, to the fun, casual, vibey environment, and good music. But most of all I was impressed by the food. Truth be told I'm not a huge lover of fast food. I cook a lot (and quite well too thank you very much! Lol) so when I eat out it's usually for more than a drive thru. With that said, all norms get thrown out the window when travelling. So with this location being super close to the hotel I was staying at, and although I'd never heard of the chain before (just found out it was one) I was hungry and thought I'd give it a try. So happy I did! I ordered the 2pc tenders (one medium, one hot) that comes on 2 pieces of bread with cheese fries and a drink, extra pickles (bc I'm extra lmao!), and the kale slaw. The chicken was seasoned perfectly (the hot was more like a nice medium for my palate) and was super crispy on the outside, tender & juicy on the inside. The fries were also crispy & delicious, and the cheese sauce was tasty (I had mine on the side). The kale slaw which the staff person said they make fresh every morning was really good and definitely tasted fresh. The Dave's sauce was a spin on a 'Thousand Island' type of taste, and the honey that came highly recommended, pushed me well over the edge... Pros: Courtesy & professionalism of staff, fun ambiance, well-cooked/great tasting food, portion size, and price Cons: No grilled chicken items on the menu for those of us trynna behave ourselves on the road Would I go back? Absolutely I would, and it may be today!!!

    First time visitor, person at the register meant well in greeting us but we could not understand…read moremuch of what she said. Needs to speak more clearly but I appreciated the intent. Chicken slider was too much, the chicken did not fit the bread or visa versa. The tender was served very hot, which was nice, much rather have something served hot rather than cold. Ordered the tender with medium flavoring for heat, next time I would probably go a step down from medium because it was spicy. Seemed well staffed and the staff there was keeping busy. Not sure if I would go back, the flavor being delivered via a dusting might not be my cup of tea.

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    Dave's Hot Chicken
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    Pekara Bakery & Bistro - coffee - Updated June 2026

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