My eat healthy all day mindset cracked at about 7pm when I was hankering for something sweet. I…read morepulled up Yelp and found this sweet little gem just a few blocks from my hotel- too convenient, I clearly caved. I stopped by to grab a still warm chocolate chip walnut cookie and it did not disappoint. It was very dense and large so, I stretched it over two days... it was lovely. You can smell their cookies down the street and the staff were friendly during my visit. I believe they have multiple locations throughout the city. Enjoy!

Levain Bakery is a worthy stop to make while in Chicago. Some of the tasty cookie flavors include…read moreTwo Chip Cocolate Chip, and chocolate chip walnut. These cookies are the real deal - great taste and when fresh, they melt in your mouth. Cookies that have been taken home can also be reheated and still taste great. To heat up a cookie, put a damp paper towel over the cookie and heat up the cookie for 10-15 seconds in the microwave.

This is my absolute most favorite bakery. So this is my ode to the bakery and Dom, who is a gem of…read morean employee there. I've been a customer of almost 10 years and have been obsessed since they first opened their doors at a different location. I literally live an hour away without traffic and even longer with traffic, but I make sure to stop by or send someone else to get it for me at least once a month or more. I love the amazing cakes that are so delicious and unique but on top of that, it is Asian owned, LGBTQ supporting, etc. A lot has changed since their little storefront with no seating. The bakery is now a full on cafe and I'm so happy to see how much they've grown and how successful they are. And while it is glorious, I will say I miss the sweet neighborhood charm and great customer service it used to have. Getting in touch with the bakery through phone or text can be tough and to be honest, sometimes one of the people working there is kind of...very mean. It had me questioning if I should keep coming back. I just love this bakery so much though and being raised by parents that had a small food business, I can't help but want to support. I had a particularly difficult last minute request for the bakery a few weeks ago and I was reminded why this place is so great. It had been YEARS since I made this specific request, which was an order for a slice of cake for every flavor and a cupcake for every flavor. This is a BIG and time consuming request, especially if it's last minute. Unfortunately I come to the city whenever the traffic isn't atrocious, so it's always last minute. Dom absolutely pulled through though. Even though there were other employees there (I saw two others but one disappeared and then another male was kind of walking around the cafe and such), Dom took this giant request and fulfilled it himself. The other gentleman (not the mean person previously mentioned) was actually who I made the request to, but he told Dom to do it. I was kind of confused why they didn't do it together but idk, maybe the other guy isn't allowed to handle food? Who knows. Regardless, this request obviously took a long time and the line was getting longer; people were getting a little restless but Dom stayed calm but was swift. I swear he was moving faster than most people in the industry could with a cake knife like that. He was not impatient or rude to me at all. He was just there to do his job as fast and well as possible. It's so rare to see that type of work ethic. He is also so obviously proud of the bakery and the food they serve which makes you feel good about being a patron there. So although I continue to have an unpleasant experience with one particular employee there, Dom keeps my love for this bakery alive. He reminds me of what this bakery was like when they first opened their doors. I hope Dom is cherished there and I bet he is considering his work ethic. I will continue to support this bakery and I recommend everyone else to support as well. It may not be that small little shop anymore but Dom is a reminder of the heart of the place.

I've been to Jennivee's twice now and I also got my college graduation cake from here last year for…read morepick-up! They did a beautiful job. For my graduation cake, I chose the tres leches and it was so creamy, moist, and delicious. I basically ate half of the cake by myself lol. This most recent time, I needed a snack and wanted something sweet. Everything here looks amazing and I'm sure tastes amazing too, so it's hard to choose. I chose to get the berry chantilly cake slice since it was a hot day, and it was the perfect refreshing treat! It was soooo good.

Degaulle Dai says the sesame cookie is excellent…read more Perfect place for little treats to bring back to friend. Cozy, warm lighting, but only bar space along the window to have you treats. The place is open late, which is convenient. All the staff are attentive and the place was prepped and cleaned for service the next day too.

This is a staple if you visit chinatown in Chicago. It has fast service and the workers are all…read moresweeter than sugar, and has wonderful atmosphere to it. It was incredibly bustling, which was ambient and also a sign that the pastries here would be good. The egg tart I had was the perfect amount of flakiness and wasn't too sweet. The texture reminds me of flan. There is a wide selection of bakery items to choose from, so I reccomend you try mutiple. It is worth the price. Please go here.

Pro tip: Set an alarm and be ready to order online at 8:45 a.m…read more Even though I logged on right at 8:45 a.m., my order wasn't ready until around 10:30-10:45 a.m. By the time I arrived, the line was easily two blocks long. I was lucky enough to snag a parking spot from someone pulling out right in front, and I was even happier to skip the line and walk straight in to pick up my order. Order ahead--it is absolutely the move. The drinks aren't sitting around waiting for pickup either. It seemed like they were making my matcha latte right as I arrived, which I appreciated. The star of the show was the huckleberry pastry--absolutely worth the hype. The longanisa breakfast sandwich was delicious but very substantial. For us, one sandwich was the perfect amount to share among three people; I think it would feel pretty heavy as a solo breakfast. The apple hand pie was one of the best I've had, and even the simple cookie was surprisingly delicious. We also tried a blueberry muffin, which was solid as well. The restaurant itself is cute, the space is clean, and the restrooms were spotless. Would I go back? Absolutely. But next time I'll definitely follow the pro tip and order ahead.

Look if I am going to be forced to wait in line, I might as well come early and be front of the…read moreline knowing I'm getting the freshest pickings and nothings run out yet. Showed up on a Friday morning at 730, was third in line, and waited 90 minutes. By 8am that line was already down to the end of the block. Just take my advice on this. My favorite thing about this place was how they let people in. One party at a time. Makes the atmosphere and ambiance inside feel more cozy and warm with none of that viral sensation nonsense. Best part is, when I finally ordered, the guy at the counter was super chill. Let me ask a few questions, was patient and kind. None of that viral sensation snobbery that comes with these kinds of places. Food time. The truffle croissant was unlike any other croissant I ever had. Despite the truffle it was also kind of sweet, I don't know it just works. Not hype at all. Our sticky bun had dimensions of deep burnt caramel flavor. Flavors kept unfolding with every chew. We are lumpia addicts so we had to try these. Absolutely delicious, but at over 10 bucks, anyone that knows lumpia knows you can get a dozen for like 5 bucks at strip mall type joints. And now for the main event. The breakfast sandwich with sausage, hash brown, and extra cheese was truly exceptional. It was textural bliss combined with the flavor bomb from the Filipino sausage. Would I wait 90 minutes again for another one, probably not. But I'm glad I did it just the same.

This was my fiancé and I's first stop once we arrived in Chicago. It was recommended to us from a…read morefriend. I was skeptical at first because it is a local chain, rather than a singular location. However, it lived up to the hype. Service: it was extremely busy when we came in. The line was almost out the door. They have a system in place for ordering and seating so it worked well and fast given how busy they were. We didn't have any questions on where to order or where to stand when waiting for a seat. The staff were friendly and helped us find a spot to sit at. Ambiance: classic cafe in a city. Loud chatter, but it's a vibe. Very colorful and fun interior with cool textural elements. We had a seat that was facing the street so it was fun to people watch as we sipped and ate. Food: amazing breakfast selection! We ordered the morning sandwich and barbacoa bowl. The morning sandwich had THICK scrambled eggs which were super soft and tasty. I could've used more salsa verde on it. The bread was barely toasted. I'd rate the sandwich a 3.8/5. It got the job done. The barbacoa bowl was "really good" according to my fiancé. A great source of protein, fresh ingredients, nice flavor, and great portions. He would rate it a 5/5. Coffee: I am a coffee snob so I am quite harsh when it comes to reviewing it. Their machine is a cute La Marzocco. Appropriate sized "for-here" glasses according to the drinks. Plus, they were really cute. Wide variety of drink selection from your standards to the more girly-drinks (if there is such a thing). We ordered a cappuccino and small hot mocha. Latte art 4.5/5, temperature 5/5, flavor 4/5. The espresso didn't stand out to me, very standard flavor profile. However, the chocolate in the mocha was delicious. It's more of a rich, dark chocolate. Nice thin layer of foam. Would recommend to try at least once when you're in Chicago! Glad to have stopped in.

I walked over from my hotel right at the time they opened, and it was raining. There was no line,…read moreonly a handful of people waiting for their order. I got the pistachio croissant, shakshouka pastry, and berry crunch oatmeal. It took about 20-25 minutes, which made no sense because the pastries are in the case and the oatmeal......is oatmeal. I suspect they opened without having all of their prep done because the delay made no sense. Their staff looked frantic. The croissant wasn't filled, it just had pistachio cream on the top with a couple of nuts. I would order the shaksouka pastry again. The egg was cooked well, and the tomato was very good. They were supposed to heat it up, but it wasn't warm.

I've been on the hunt to find the best bakeries in Chicago and had been dying to visit Fat Peach…read morefor awhile after seeing rave reviews! Let me tell you, it was all I hoped it could be and more. The storefront was pretty small with a few tables- between the size, hours, and popularity (they were only open a few days a week and closed at 2pm), I suspected that the shop sold out often. I went on a weekday and there was still a good selection of pastries left around 11am. The staff was super nice and helpful as I struggled to make a decision. They shared that the strawberry milk croissant was their bestseller, so I opted for that. It was filled with fresh strawberry mascarpone and fresh strawberry puree. Despite the croissant's decadent appearance, it was not at all too sweet. I'm not typically the biggest croissant fan (I know, I know, no one is perfect) but this pastry blew me away. The filling was super generous without overpowering the delicate dough, which was baked to crispy perfection. Sadly, I don't get to the area often, but I will 100% be back asap to try more of the menu. Run- don't walk to pay a visit!

We went on a Monday around 12pm. We luckily made it in time for their very last mystery box and…read moresecond to last pastry. The mystery box has an assortment of day old savory and sweet pastries. You can try different pastries for good value, and taste is not bad for one day old. The strawberry cream pastry we got obviously tasted fresh though, and I liked how the cream was fluffy and not too sweet. No restroom, cash, or wifi though. It's a very small space with 3 tables. The employee was kind to us.

Holy freakin best bakery in the nation! Sugar Moon is a local fave in Logan Square--and for all the…read morereasons possible. They make scrumptious cookies, pastries, danishes, chai cinnamon rolls, the whole shebang. Our eyes were nonstop drooling over all of the fresh goodies. I had such a hard time choosing, but knew I had to get the corn flake espresso cookie (SO FRICKIN AMAZING) the textures were elite, and the potato focaccia. The southwest hash brioche was friggin incredible. They were very generous with the sweet potato, WHOLE EGG, and veg. Like seriously, with the cost of groceries skyrocketing, I can't believe I got a whole bit of egg white and yolk. You must eat your goodies warm, the initial crunch had me in a chokehold. They also had a vegan focaccia which my friends appreciated. There's street parking and expect lines. Inside isn't super spacious, but the line does move. Bring sunnies and a book if you don't like to stand around. We got here before they opened on a Saturday morning and only had to wait like 15mins. They also sell cute lil Sugar Moon merch like fun tshirts and cards. Would 100% come back to get morning pastries from them. Super queer friendly as well. MUST visit.

Ugh, I dream about their chai rolls. And that espresso cornflake crunch cookie! Obscene…read more You can't go wrong with anything here. I will say the savory items are definitely on the salty side though. I wish they were 20% less salty! I had ordered the miso mushroom brioche, asparagus foccaccia, and poblano brioche. It's worth the trek and the line. You'll probably end up eating from the box on the curb nearby, since inside seating is TIGHT. I live in SF and we don't mess around when it comes to bakeries. I will be returning to Sugar Moon next time I'm in Chicago. Wait for me, my love.

I'm so excited to finally try Magnolia! There were so many different options and everyone can find…read moresomething they like here. I got the confetti cake slice and a chocolate cupcake. I didn't expect the confetti cake slice to have cream cheese frosting (which I thought was an unusual choice), but I think it worked! The chocolate cupcake was okay - not the best I've had, but was still pretty good. Prices are a little steep - could be due to the name brand of the company. Bakery was cute and clean. Service was nice!

Window shopping at Magnolia bakery. Banana pudding bar, yes please!…read more Please come and create your own adventure.

Just sad I didn't discover this pastry shop sooner! On a Friday afternoon, they were bustling! They…read morehad some different indoor seating options, most of which were occupied by either people working or friends chatting. It was a pleasant atmosphere and cute decor, but I ended up taking my goods to go. It was hard to decide between all the enticing options but the friendly woman working the register pointed me to their popular chocolate cake and it did not disappoint! More of a mousse than a cake but it was rich and utterly divine. I also tried their spinach feta croissant, which was ok but I'm not convinced the right vessel for that filling. I also appreciated some of their baked goods were reasonable prices so you could easily try something for under $5 or alternatively splurge for the finer pastries.

First visit here, I got some yummy desserts to take home. We grabbed cheesecake, peanut butter…read moretart, chocolate cake and some French Macarons. All desserts were delicious. My French Macarons were even good several days later. On the first occasion the attendant had already put stuff up and was rushing us to close. Even though we got there wit more than 30 minutes before closing time. We tried to come back a few days later as I really wanted that vanilla bean cheesecake again but they were closed. It was closed 30min prior to time advertised on website. We were bummed. While searching for nearby bakeries, we saw several other people try to patronize this business. So overall probably a 4 stars but knocking a star for not advertising the correct hours. Luckily we were already in the area but I would have been mad if made a venture up here and it was closed. I wouldn't bank on this for an after dinner treat. Get your stuff during the day as the hours are not dependable.

This is my favorite place for pastries and baked items. It's my go-to spot whenever I'm craving…read morecake. This location also has a seating area with tables, and during the summer they have outdoor seating too. You can pick the items you want on a tray and then go to the counter to place your order. I have ordered birthday cakes for my friends from here many times. One time I forgot to pre-order, but luckily they had cakes available to buy right away, which was really helpful. Definitely recommend!

Not my favorite chocolate cake but this is personal preference because I love chocolatey desserts…read more(Korean desserts tend to be natural I believe). The cake was still soft and moist, and it was beautiful. I'm glad I got to try it due to its vitality. Interior is cute and clean. Service is fast.