I stopped in here while in Evanston for work. It's an old-fashioned bakery in a nice downtown area surrounded by other cool places to check out. There's no seating inside so it's meant for order/pickup--from big party orders to little treats to grab and go. There are all sorts of pastries, cookies, challah breads, and more. They have both sweet and savory pastries. After contemplating for a few minutes, I decided to get a raisin croissant with a caramel macchiato to wash it down. There were just a few of the pastries left--seems like they are popular, along with the chocolate croissants! It tasted like a combo of a croissant, cinnamon roll, and raisin bagel in one beautiful bite. If you like raisins I highly recommend! I asked for the coffee half sweet and extra hot, and they did not skimp on my request. Can't wait to come more often! read more

I'm not sure why this place is so popular. I gave it many many chances, I tried almost everything, the only good stuff are the princess cake and the moon shaped tea biscuit. Otherwise, all cakes and tortes are inedible, other pastries are too buttery or too sugary or both. I don't recommend, you're better off getting cakes from Whole Foods. read more

Packzi Central! If anyone has amazing packzis year round (only raspberry flavor), it is Bennison's! I absolutely love love love all of their desserts but their packzis have a special place in my families heart. We get them at least once a month and they are absolutely devoured in a matter of hours. We cannot wait for their entire collection of packzi flavors to come out soon but I highly recommend them. Bennison's also has amazing morning pastries, birthday cakes and even bread. They are a local bakery, they do have street parking, accept Apple Pay and take online orders. I would recommend ordering your packzis ahead so that you get them because they go quickly! read more

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

buenos dias bakers and baddies. hector has ate again, literally and figuratively. today i was hungry for a sweet treat and decided to check out this lil bakery. turns out it was fire. ordered a almond croissant and some monkey buns... now now don't be so sussy. anyway the almond croissant was flakey, almondy, crispy and sweet. and the monkey buns were fluffy, crunchy and tasty. like my use of adjectives? inside the bakery the staff were freindly and nice and the ambiance was inmmaculate. overall.... drumroll. 9.3/10 read more

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Bennison's is an Evanston staple that has a nice variety of freshly baked goods for special occasions or just when you want a sweet treat. We stop there for donuts or cupcakes or to pick up a cake when we need one. Everything is delicious and at reasonable prices. Their red velvet cake is super moist, with delicious frosting yet light and fluffy; among the best red velvet cake I've ever had! Check out their paczkis for Fat Tuesday! The best selection around, with preorders available or single purchase (while they last!) read more

Bennison's Bakery - Cakes for Valentine's Day - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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This time we called in an order ahead to do curbside pickup. Calling in was simple and you were able to give your payment over the phone as well. Pull up to the store and call them- was hard to get ahold of them as there was a busy signal and then was put on hold. We ordered paczki to pick up. Being in the Evanston area I had to grab a paczki to try on the last day they were offering them. I have been meaning to try a legit paczki rather than the kind in the grocery stores. These were legit and delicious, if only I had them earlier I'd be lining up every year to grab. We got the cream cheese filled and raspberry filled ones. Both were great but I preferred the cream cheese one for sure. A good amount of filling and the right amount of dough. This will be must grab annually! read more

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Ok, so here's I am...Every February you know what time it is right? It's Bennison bakery Paczkis time buddy. For limited time only Bennisons has these awesome puffy pastries filled with great sweet surprises. For years I've always been too busy but really wanting to try these Bennisons Paczkis out. Just happens that I was finally around Evanston and I dropped in and picked them up. Had the cream cheese filled one and a raspberry filled Paczkis. I loved the cream cheese one, it was like biting into a fluffy piece of bread and then a sweet creamy filling - awesomeness! The raspberry had good flavor and went really nicely with the cream cheese pastry as well. I phoned in the order and left my credit card # prior to getting there since there's always a queue out the door and it's mighty cold out. Figured since I ordered ahead of time that I could just get it delivered to my car on arrival. I had to actually go inside for the order since the phone was busy when I called. Perhaps they could have a number to text when arrived to have a member of staff to come out when ready. Other than pickup, I am quite pleased by Bennisons and I'll need to check out the other specialty pastries and be a regular. read more

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I frequently have visited this establishment since I was a kid. There isn't anything I don't like about this place.

Local, known, historic, family-owned, community serving and beloved Evanston bakery. Worth the trip north for Chicagoland folks, especially during MartyGras, EasterSunday, Christmas specialty baked goods search. Make sure to call in those specialty orders in advance. Bakery ovens and bakers on premise, right next door, stand at the window and say "hi" to the bakers. The staff are young, knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. The ambiance is family oriented. The pastries, cookies, donuts, pies, muffins are all fresh and flavorful but my favorite is the BEE-STING. The piece is huge with a mouse filling, toffee-honey toping sandwiched by moist creamy cake. I love this place!!! read more

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

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I picked up a pie and some cupcakes for Christmas and half of them had the wrong frosting, some had obviously had the wrong frosting, which they just scraped off and then put on the correct frosting. When they brought them out, it was basically, "here ya go." No bag, no nothing. The holidays are clearly busy here but c'mon. read more

Loved this almond croissant and it was their most popular option. I can see why people love it. I heard great things about this place and I had to try it. I can't wait to try more options . Everyone is super nice. read more

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

Employees at Bennisons could display a little sense of gratitude for the business they get and some common sense patience for customers while deciding what to buy. We left and went to Great Harvest Bakery on Central Street. The service there was outstanding. read more

Whenever I am in Evanston, I try to stop into Bennison's Bakery. It was a Saturday morning and I arrived just before the rush. When I walked out, there was a line waiting to get in. They have a real following - for a good reason! I was going to stop into my son's business so I bought a dozen donuts for the guys. I knew Bennison's would make their morning a little brighter. I chose a variety of classics and fancier options. They guys loved them all. I really appreciate the vintage look and feel of this adorable bakery. The staff is always so sweet and kind. The are friendly and helpful even when it is busy. In addition to donuts, this bakery offers everything a bakery should. There are cakes, macarons, cupcakes, bread and more. I like to try something different on each visit. Everything is fresh and made with love. Seriously, my favorite thing is the string!. They tie string around each package. The old school touch just makes my day! read more

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

First time trying Paczki which is a polish dessert.I absolutely loved the Cream cheese and chocolate custard that I ordered.Bennison surely kept their standards as mentioned by many other reviewers on google and the price is also reasonable as compared to ither bakeries. read more

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Stopped into Bennison's with my family Thanksgiving morning. It was super busy (line out the door) because it was the only breakfasty place open nearby on Thanksgiving. Despite the line, though, the service was fairly efficient. We got our croissants and coffee quickly and we headed out the door to enjoy the food (there's no seating inside the store, so we had to wait until we got home to eat). I got a chocolate croissant and loved it! It was probably the biggest croissant I have ever eaten. Overall, great place with lots of options and great service! read more

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

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~Monica's T.A.S.T.E. Test~ Taste: I had a large soy milk latte which was served at the perfect temperature to drink right away. High quality ingredients made this latte great, smooth, silky, and delicious. Atmosphere: Cant go wrong in this bakery. Everything is clean, smells amazing, and you are surrounded by fresh coffee and pastries. It's heaven. They also have outdoor seating/tables if you are looking to hang out. Although it's not a lounge so it might not be the best for studying like you can find at other coffee houses. Service: The staff was very friendly and accommodating to my many questions about what type of pastries they offer that were not in the glass case (yes, they DO have cannoli's, and no almond milk for coffee, but they DO have soy milk!) Tab: Prices are low compared to neighboring coffee shops/bakeries nearby, especially for Evanston standards. Extra wow factor: Everything is made in house and you can see how much passion and hard work the business puts into their food every day. Does it pass the T.A.S.T.E. test? Yes, can't wait to come back and try some sweet treats as well! read more

Bennison's Bakery - My latte, with all the delicious looking cakes/breads in the background. - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Nothing's changed. Bennison's is as good and as popular as ever. The crowd still consistently ebbs and flows here, and it's never empty. We really particularly enjoyed their almond croissant today ($3.85), t'was so delectable! We did learn of some change actually - the remaining old master baker has since retired and his son is in charge now. read more

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Grew up in Evanston so stopped in Bennison's while visiting. Order 8 cookies, checked out, it was $26 !!!!! two were the wrong, oatmeal instead of choc chip, so $26 for 6 cookies. After eating some they arent worth $1 even. How has this establishment become so pathetic and grossly overpriced? Shame on you Bennisons. read more

I used to go here almost every Friday to grab their croissants and Boston cream. But I might need to stop or pause for a while since I think they are now have lower quality of baked goods than before. Once I had a hard and NOT FRESH chocolate croissant. With croissant you can always tell right? The sugar that covered the croissant was already melted, the bottom part was so hard to chew and the inside was soft NOT CRISPY AT ALL. I didn't know if maybe that just my unlucky day. But I ordered again a few weeks after that and the same problem occurred. Now let's talk about their Boston Cream. It was one of their best sellers and my fave donut in the town. But guess what? Now they are covering their donuts with only small amounts of chocolate. Hmmmm no. Not good. To the management: please do quality checking more often! read more

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

We've loved Bennison's since our kids were little and still to now that they're teenagers. Great donuts and pastries! I love their chocolate croissant. We've ordered just about everything on the menu at least once and have always enjoyed what we've gotten. They've been very careful and considerate with social distancing measures without leading to long wait times -- there are wait times, especially in the morning, but that reflects the quality and popularity more than the restrictions. They've been phasing those out as is appropriate. They have an annual pączki-eating contest (see third photo), which is a lot of fun. My son and I entered one year, managed to eat about 12, and weren't even in the top ten! There are some serious competitors there. read more

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Best macarons I've ever had- hands down. Family brought them all the way back to Texas and they stayed delicious and fresh! Texture and flavor is comparable to none. read more

With over 500 reviews, this place is good. You don't need me to tell you that, but of course.. I'll still add my two cents. This is a good bakery with a good selection of everything. I feel some of these places, and possibly this one as well, does a lot of things okay but nothing just superbly. Now, obviously I just tried a few items, and they were good, it just wasn't the best ever. I tried a selection of cookies and a few donuts. The cookies were the best, the donuts were okay. I love the history and the building. Fun stuff. Go check it out! read more

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I've never been let down by Bennison's - only by myself when I don't get there early enough before they sell out for the day. Fresh and delicious! read more

Bennison's is bakery that looks like there's some history in the place. It's a family-run business that was opened in 1938. Convenient location. Very popular with locals not just locals. read more

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Yum yum yum yummy for everyone's tummy! I usually get my butter cookies at Cakes by Karen in Hessville. I knew there had to be somewhere close to the crib on the Northside. I called Bennison's and the clerk knew exactly what I wanted when I mentioned butter cookies. So we pulled up and had to stand in a line that went to back of building. Everyone was practicing social distance in the cold snowy line outside. Only 5 patrons are allowed inside at a time. We got chai, butter cookies and the jelly filled donuts that they call patzki's or something like that. Everything was delicious. I am so happy I found this place and it's close to my second home. If you are in the area definitely plan a stop. They also have drive up orders they bring out to your car so you don't have to wait in line. read more

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Bennison's likes to put forth the idea that its bakery crew has serious street cred, right up there with the masters. That oversells the skillset and, in general, the quality of many selections. Today, Fat Tuesday, I picked up a pre-order for semlor and Swedish rye. The semlor looked great but I will never forget or forgive that the doughy part upon which they were built was stale, clearly made yesterday or perhaps even the day before. If it was simply me chowing down on them, I'd be a little less cranky but a few were a gift for first-time semlor eaters. They'll never want them again, from anywhere. To be fair, the pad of marzipan was fine, the pouffy clouds of whipped cream very nice. But a bakery selling stale goods for $4.43 a pop? That hardly wins fans. The Forsberg limpa bread is actually pretty nice, reminiscent of vort limpa from Swedish Bakery in Andersonville. That I will do again. Next year on Fat Tuesday, semlor sitch will be a Lost Larson visit. read more

Bennison's Bakery - Semlor: nice whipped cream sitting on a bed of stale. - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Bought into the hype upon moving to Evanston, but consistently let down by this place. At this point. I've given it around ten chances. I have never not been treated rudely in one way or another, and the pastries and baked goods are usually stale and always a step or two below your average grocery store bakery. Have had much more delicious treats from Jewel-Osco or Valli Produce, not to mention the other bakeries in the area. It feels good to see so many other similar negative experiences and know I'm not crazy for finally giving up on this place! read more

This is a wonderful neighborhood bakery producing a little bit of everything, and all is excellent. There are flaky breads, rolls and many wonderful sweets, which includes absolutely the very best cherry pie I have ever eaten in my life. In addition, there is a selection of extraordinary macarons of varying flavors, exquisitely made and such a surprise in this North Shore college town bakery. But there are lots of surprises here, from a number of sandwiches, for breakfast AND lunch, and a smaller sample of great donuts (go early on Saturday, they go fast) and a lovely assortment of cookies. But if you ask folks in Evanston, they will tell you that Bennison's is known for their cakes, for their flavor, yes, but for their skill in decorating. Stop by, the staff is welcoming. Pick up a little bit of several things, to help you begin. There are some things that must be ordered in advance, so the sooner you know what you want, the sooner you can make it happen. read more

Yum, cute bakery on a quiet corner with lots to choose from. I wandered in here in the morning around 9AM on a weekday and there were 2 other customers. I took my time looking around at all the options and when I was ready, ordering and checking out was super quick. Staff was friendly and alert. There's a couple of tall tables you can stand at if you want to eat in and some outside when the weather is good. The sandwiches also looked good! I got the dairy-free eclair, a marzipan (?) tart, and a petit for. About $8 for all three items together. Inside the petit for were perfect layers and the chocolate coat had some glitter in it I think. It was really pretty, perfect for a tea party. read more

Bennison's Bakery - Dairy-free eclair, marzipan tart, and petit for - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Ive had Bennisons lemon bars for years and wow the quality has gone downhill. Not only is it the smallest lemon bar I've ever encountered, ringing up at 3.50 before a tip, but it doesn't have any distinguishable lemon taste. If you're looking for a good lemon bar, try the frozen aisle at Trader Joe's instead. read more

Bennison's Bakery - Disappointing Lemon Bar - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

As the kids say, broooo. This place is old-school good. It's like walking into a blast from the past and it's fantastic. Number one and always sold out is their apple danish (the big thing) not the little circle one. Holy guacamole. So good. We've got some celiacs in the fam and have also tried the gf macaroons which are a big hit. Have only tried a few other things but overall this place is good on a good, great, excellent scale. Competitively priced and sized. read more

Always great donuts and pastries! The items featured for different holidays are stand outs.

Love love LOVE this place. The macarons are everything! I highly recommend not going towards the end of the day so you can try all (or at least the most popular flavors. Note they're actually all good. My favs are chocolate, caramel, and there's a java type flavor. But like I said they're all good. The strawberry one taste like childhood (those ice creams bars with the crumbs on the outside). 1.85 each and GF YUM read more

Bennison's Bakery - Strawberry, vanilla, pistachio, caramel apple, (java i think its called) and chocolate ALL are good! - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

The best monkey bread in the city. The other baked goods looked amazing too, especially their croissants.

Such a fantastic, cute little bakery to go to. My partner and I buy pastries like croissants, donuts and muffins pretty often. We also get our sourdough bread here almost weekly. This place is for both locals and tourists. Hell, I would drive across the city if that's what it took. Thankful to live so close to always get what's fresh and new. If you enjoy homemade bread, this is the place to go ! read more

We got cupcakes for our kids birthdays from Bennison's this year and I was absolutely thrilled with the quality. The size was perfect, they were not too sweet, and they tasted very fresh! Looking forward to going here for some breakfast pastries. read more

They didn't have my Almond croissant that I ordered online. So I had an unfulfilled sugar fix. They didn't refund it. Bastards. read more

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

Perfect rendition of a 3-layer birthday cake! They have a very detailed and helpful website explaining options. I called on a Thursday afternoon for Saturday pickup and was greeted promptly and options explained very well. I ordered their smallest 7-inch cake which was plenty for 4 persons for dessert with nearly half the cake leftover. I opted for whipped cream frosting, which made for a more enjoyable and not cloyingly sweet cake. It had devils food cake inside and they suggested a chocolate ganache for the interlayers, which was a great option (not too sweet). I was a little surprised as their website says that you cannot mix frostings, but it turned out great! Would definitely order again. read more

Bennison's Bakery - Birthday cake made to order - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Very nice staff and solid baked goods at a very reasonable price. I got 2 donuts for $3! I would recommend the sour cream donut. It's perfectly crunchy from the glaze, not sticky on the outside, the donut bread inside has a subtle but present flavor from the sour cream. It might have been one of the best donuts I've had. The cream filled chocolate donut was okay, but did not stand out to me. Note there's nowhere to sit in this shop. It's a grab and go bakery. read more

My friend brought me some goodies from Bennison's Bakery and what tasty goodies they are! The macarons from Bennison's are on point! My friend got me a chocolate macaron and a caramel apple one, as well! They both had great flavor to them but the macaron construction was a little iffy. They kind of collapsed unlike I've ever seen before. The outer shell just crumbled apart when I bit into each of them. So...taste was great but overall I'd have to say they were just alright due to shaky construction. I also tried their chocolate frosted cake donut. I must say, the cake is really good in the donuts at Bennison's! Frosting is also quite good. Overall, solid cake donuts though I have to say they didn't quite compare to the best I've had in the north 'burbs. All in all, Bennison's works in a pinch for some baked goods! read more

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