Every now and then, you come across a new restaurant or bakery that completely exceeds all of your wildest expectations. You go into the experience with assumptions and predictions, and all of them are wrong in the best possible way. This was Mindy's Bakery for me.
I am a huge sucker for pastries, especially savory ones. I had a day off and wanted to find a bakery that was doing something different but familiar. This was the only expectation Mindy's met. I tried a variety of pastries to get a good sense of the menu. Ham & Gruyere Croissant, Green Bean & Lima Mousseline Tart, Peach Kolaczky, and Kouign-Amann, to name a few.
Every single item I purchased, every single bite down to the last crumb, left me speechless. Everything was seasoned and baked perfectly. The laminated doughs were all puffed and crisp. You could taste all the ingredients in the name of each item. The bottoms of everything were crisp and delicious. Everything was caramelized, never burned. This was a master class in baked goods.
The attention to detail from presentation to texture to flavor was truly amazing. I can't remember the last time food made me feel so happy. This may be my favorite bakery in Chicago.
Service was prompt and to the point. Communication was clear and concise. They churn out customers as there is often a line outside. This is a classic bakery, they have two bakes; one when they open and another around 10:30am. Both are slightly different. When something sells out, it is gone for the day. Plan accordingly and get here early to get your favorites.
Please do not pass up an opportunity to try Mindy's. It is worth the hype and if you love pastries like I do, you will not be disappointed!
Fabulous! Great bakery with sweet and savory. Line moves quickly. Coffees and teas available. Bagels, cookies , savory sandwich-type offerings. Not so much donuts. More other stuff. Ice cream in pints available, don’t think cones are offered.
Worth a visit both for hot chocolate and bakery part. There might be some queue though. Get ready for the Minimum 10minutes waiting time at weekends.
Almond croissant and their bagel(especially Black Russian) are my favs. Only cold version is available in the summer time. If the weather is sunny, eat by the window :)
5 stars all the way. I’ve had Mindy’s on my list for a long time but because I don’t live in the neighborhood it just hasn’t happened. Today was the day and it did not disappoint. We came Thursday morning about 8:30am and we were the only ones there, no line out the door or any madness I’ve read about on weekends. Every great review is correct. We had the quiche, the hot fudge croissant, the vegan banana bread, and the iced hot chocolate. Every single item was on point. They have a great little counter outside the windows you can sit at and eat your goodies. Only 5 stools though so you gotta be lucky. Can’t wait to go back and try other goodies on the menu.
There were very interesting flavor options for the savory viennoiserie and the execution was great. The dough base was solid but the flavor is where it shined. The item I had included very thick bacon, Gruyère, and Thai basil.
September 2022 we learned about the existence of Mindy's Bakery. We live near the Wisconsin border and don't go to Chicago often. Plus their usual Thursday thru Sunday, 6am to 3pm schedule never seemed to afford my fam the opportunity to visit. June 2023 was my birthday month and someone was blessing me because Mindy's decided to open on Wednesdays and my fam was going to be in the city for a wrestling show on a Wednesday. We finally made it, after 9 months of wanting to go. AND we got a parking spot right across the street?!? It was everything I hoped and dreamed about. Do yourself a favor and get an iced hot chocolate. If you get the marshmallow - which you should - beware the sugar getting everywhere but also be prepared to not care at all cuz the drink is so rich and flavorful. My goodness. We also had and enjoyed a brownie bar, Stromboli, dark chocolate & pecan banana bread, strawberry & kiwi tart and the things my bro and I looked forward to the most: Bo's Buckyeye Bars made from 2 of our favorite things - dark chocolate and peanut butter. They even threw in an extra one for us. Staff was so nice. Ma also ordered a coffee which she kept saying she didn't even have to add anything to it cuz it was already sweet and tasty. This place is fantastic and I'm jealous of everyone in proximity. Thank you so much to all involved in creating the treats and for being such an awesome part of the community. Really hoping we get to visit again 🙏🏼 Great birthday treat!
Our new favorite bakery - love this spot. Lines out the door so be prepared to wait. Wait is worth it. The pastries are divine. Homemade good ingredients. Pastries a little sweet for me to have daily but once in a while definitely worth it.
Got the lemon blueberry danish and the almond croissant for my partner. Both delish. Fair prices given the portions and appreciate that there wasn’t some dumb service fee or intense pressure to tip that is becoming so pervasive anywhere that serves food around here. Will be back.
The line was out the door and there is a good reason for it. There is no a very limited space to stand indoor and max out at about 8 people to eat by the window. There was so much good bakes in front of us that it was hard to control ourselves. Everything was so fresh and the smell of beautiful warm feeling of butter runs through the air even at a distance from the shop. As their menu states they are "always baking something new".
We got 3 baked goods: onion parmesan bialy, peach lemon curd brioche, and sage honey herb quiche. All were so good, flakey, and flavorful. It honestly hit every spot and brought a symphony of notes to my senses. Worth the wait. I love it.
One of my favorite Chicago bakeries with the best staff in town. The bagels and banana yum yum cake keep me coming back way too often. The line moves quick if there is one so don't let it put you off.
The bakes are quite good, but a little overpriced compared to other similar or higher quality bakeries in Chicago.
It can be very busy specially during the weekends so come prepared to wait!
The twice baked almond croissant tastes like a kiss from a holy cherub - baked to perfection with the perfect soft to crunch ratio. The chive and sausage danish was also a hit to my speechless tastebuds.
Expect a long line out the door that, upon first bite, you’d expect to be longer.
Recommend: enjoyed a hot chocolate and their take on twix bar. Both tasted amazing and all their bakery looked great. I will certainly stop by to try any of their other bakery items.
I wish the space had more table seating. As said above the hot chocolate with giant marshmallow on top was amazing, but it was pricy at $12 a cup.
Don't be disheartened by the wait, it's SO worth it once you get inside those doors. It's warm inside and the ambiance makes you feel comfortable and cozy. The service was also fantastic.
The duck confit and apple butter croissant was definitely the winner. Flakey, buttery, and the duck confit is delicious. I wish there was more filling though.
The creamed kale spanakopita was a close runner up. Flakey and delicate and stuffed with a generous filling of creamed kale.
The bialy was warm and toasty -- kinda tasted like fresh pizza!
The BEST bakery in Chicago! Mindy and her team bake every savory and sweet pastry fresh daily. They have two bakes - one in the morning and one right around noon - and lines are always out the door. Everything is first come first served and until the pastries run out. It's all well worth the wait, even in freezing winter weather!
My favorite Chicago bakery!! Everything is so delicious! The vegan banana bread is a must!
Found my new favourite bakery in Chicago! There is a line out the door and now we know why.
We had a bialy with onion and cream cheese, which was really nice and hit the spot. The Danish with caramelised apples and creme brûlée could have done with a bit more creme filling and the streusel are almost too sweet, still it was fresh and flaky and beautiful. The ham gruyere croissant was just perfect, fresh and flaky and crunchy and also big enough to share - gotta try as many treats as possible once you make it up to that counter. I have never cared much for pop tarts, but Mindy’s creation with a caramel center is super delicious, I added some bananas and dark chocolate salted caramels and it was out of this world.
Now, it is not cheap, but it is fresh out of the oven and really good quality and there are some creative flavour combinations, sometimes you just gotta treat yourself. Service is super friendly and welcoming as well. Wish there was more seating available, but then that would most likely be taken up anyway 😅 Highly recommend this place.
Hot chocolate here is absolutely amazing. Very rich. You can probably share a cup of with a friend or two. I had the hash for breakfast and it’s everything you’d expect and then some from a pot roast and potato hash, down to the perfectly cooked egg. Loved the entire experience here. Just visiting for the weekend but will definitely come back next time I’m in town.
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