Chicago Bakeries Worth The Wait

Kate A

May 8, 2025 8 min read

I’m always asked by friends, local to Chicago and those visiting, for the best places to eat in the city. It’s also a question we get a lot from students visiting for cooking classes like Culinary Boot Camp. It’s well known that Chicago has a great food scene, led by some phenomenal chefs, but I find that people typically focus on restaurants more than they do bakeries. Chicago has so many incredible bakeries that make impressive sweet and savory pastry options, and I think they deserve more of the spotlight!

If you make an attempt to visit a popular Chicago bakery, especially on a weekend, you can bet that there’s going to be a line. Will it be worth it? I’ve done the legwork for you and compiled a list of six Chicago bakeries in different neighborhoods throughout the city that are definitely worth the wait!

Scarlett Croissant I started this mission when my daughter was just a few months old, as it was a great way to get myself out of the house to forget how tired I was. I’m less tired now, but I’m afraid she’s now the toughest pastry critic! Challenge yourself to work your way through this delicious pastry tour. It’s a great reason to wake up early on a weekend and support a small business!

Scarlett Sleeping Bridgeport- Fat Peach Bakery (2909 S. Archer, Chicago)

Fat Peach opened in October of 2024 and is inspired by the café culture in Mexico City and Oaxaca. They’re well known for their strawberry milk croissants (think croissant meets cream puff with delicious strawberry whipped cream). They generally have an assortment of 12-14 items to choose from. My favorite was the raspberry crème brulee danish, and the breakfast croissant complete with a hashbrown. This bakery would be a great stop if you’re doing dim sum in Chinatown or hitting a day game at Rate Field.

Fat Peach Bakery Lincoln Square – Del Sur Bakery (4639 N. Damen, Chicago)

Del Sur just opened in March 2025. It’s a Filipino-influenced bakery and the pastries and beverage are phenomenal. It’s also nut free, if that’s important to you! Among the items I’ve tried were the turron danish filled with caramelized banana jam and topped with vanilla flan, the oatmeal ube cream pie were brown butter oatmeal cookies with salted ube buttercream, and a pina colada muffin made with sourdough. The ube latte was both stunning and delicious. I’m excited for this addition to the Lincoln Square neighborhood!

Del Sur Bakery Logan Square- Sugar Moon Bakery (3612 W. Wrightwood, Chicago)

Sugar Moon opened in 2021 and is only open Friday through Sunday, so you’ll have to make this one a weekend adventure. You can grab a cup of coffee just down the block at Necessary & Sufficient Coffee. They have some staples like the cookies (Espresso Cornflake and Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip are among my favorites!) but also have lots of rotating specials (galettes, scones, pavlovas etc). Everything is always stunning, and I love the way they incorporate seasonal ingredients – the savory breakfast brioche options are always interesting and delicious. They also always have several delicious focaccia options to choose from!

Sugar Moon Bakery Ukrainian Village- Kasama (1001 N. Winchester, Chicago)

Kasama is a Filipino-influenced bakery/café by day and upscale reservation only restaurant by night. It’s had lines ever since opening. I didn’t splurge for the truffle croissant, but it sounds and looks incredible. I had an iced ube latte, their breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese, and longanisa (make sure to add the hashbrown inside!) and a variety of pastries. My favorite of the pastries was the coconut tart topped with mango, but the ube and huckleberry basque cake was a close second.

Kasama Bakery Wicker Park – Mindy’s (1623 N. Milwaukee, Chicago)

Mindy’s, owned by Mindy Segal, formerly of Hot Chocolate has been open since 2022. They have a wide variety of baked goods to choose from including bagels and challah (Friday only). Among my favorites have been the Creamed Spinach and Taleggio Stromboli, the Bolognese, Pesto and Parmesan Sour Cream Dough Tart, and the Dubai Chocolate Krinkle Cookie,and I always have to get their rotating kolaczki (recently bananas foster) and quiche (recently sweet potato, cheddar, chive, and hot honey) – always amazing!

You can check the menu out in advance on their website to decide when you want to fight the line, as there is a second bake that starts at 10:30am. Mindy’s just recently enhanced their bread program so I’m really excited to try their whole wheat milk bread, focaccia, and baguettes! I’m not gluten free, but I’m always impressed by the number of gluten-free options and have even tried some that just sounded good to me and they’re all as incredible as the other pastries!

Mindy's Bakery Lincoln Park – Green City Market (1812 N. Clark, Chicago)

You can find me at the Green City Market in Lincoln Park most Saturday mornings April through October. There are so many options for beautiful, delicious, and local produce, meats, eggs, flowers, and of course, baked goods. I faithfully wait in line for Bennison’s (based in Evanston) and pHlour most weeks. There are so many delicious options at both, but the standouts for me are the pretzels.

Green City Market At Bennison’s, it’s a braid, and at pHlour they’re in a traditional shape, offered as salted or cinnamon sugar. The only way to choose a winner is to try them all, right? I love that you can visit so many bakeries in one spot – other notable standouts include Daisies, Daly’s Donuts, Dorothy’s Bakery, Hoosier Mama Pie Co., and Verzenay. Bring a blanket and enjoy your finds for a picnic brunch.

Scarlett at Green City Market I hope this list has inspired you to get out and eat your way through Chicago’s best bakeries. You can even treat yourself to a few extra pastries to enjoy throughout the week! Some other exciting news to share - you have an opportunity to eat your way through Lincoln Square and Ravenswood with The Great Bake Walk on Sunday, June 8! From 10am to 1pm, you'll stroll these neighborhoods tasting and collective sweet and savory pastries. We’ll be participating, of course, and tickets go on sale soon so stay tuned!