The food is wonderfully delicious...especially the stuffed peppers! Cookies are second to none and cakes are a celebration! My favorite in the city hands down! read more

I had lunch today at Ferrara Cafe, and I have to say I was very disappointed. I ordered the Pasta Marinara and told the lady I wanted to eat half here and half to go, with an extra meatball, and I'd eat the rest of my order here with the salad, pasta, and meatball. She said that the meatball is an extra $3.50 for each, and then I asked her, "You mean you don't include a meatball with my eat-here order? " and she said no, it's extra. That was a real disappointment because I've never heard of an Italian restaurant with just marinara sauce without a meatball, and to top it off, it wasn't meat sauce, just Marinara (yes, I knew that when I ordered). I decided to go with the Lasagna Special of the day; it was very good, and their meat sauce is the best. You can tell it is the Old School Recipe. I hope Ferrara will also make a "meat sauce" option in addition to their Marinara Sauce. I have been coming to Ferrara for years, and this is the first time I have been disappointed, not with the food or service but with the nickel-and-dime approach. read more

Stopped in to grab a sub for later. Old school vibes inside and plenty of seating. Very friendly staff too. Ordered the ferrera sig sandwich with mild giard. Was ready in no time. Very light on the tummy. Not a heavy sandwich at all. Mild giard was also on point. Meats packed on good too. All in all, I'd come back to try some other subs read more

Ferrara Original - Ferrara Signature Sandwich - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I like the bakery but the girls that work the counter are very rude and don't want to do their job .Especially the girls with the spider Webb ratio.Thats my only complaint, they need better help .very snotty help . read more

My favorite Italian rainbow cookies or Tri-color cookies as some call them are absolutely amazing and this bakery does it well. They are moist and flavorful and inexpensive. I also tried the chicken salad and it too was good. read more

Ferrara Original - Rainbow cookies - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We loved the personal service, we arrived at 1:50 and the bakery was closing at 2pm. The staff made our sandwiches and allowed us to stay and eat after the restaurant closed. The desserts were outstanding! Everything was affordable . We would highly recommend and hope to return. read more

Classic, old school Italian spot cooking with love. My dad comes here twice a week for lunch and I don't blame him. Lunch is affordable, good portion sizes and oh so delicious. I got a special vodka chicken cutlet sandwich and it was perfection. Fresh, crusty bread + crispy, juicy chicken + a soul satisfying amount of warm vodka sauce = one hell of a sandwich. It also had pesto and a thick piece of mozzarella cheese that took it to the next level. We also got a piece of the limoncello cake, which was divine & pretty much a limoncello tiramisu, and got caramel chocolate butter cookies to go. The cookies were very sweet but tasty. It's counter service which was quick and helpful. read more

Great bakery & awesome place for lunch. The food is delicious & bakery items will have you wanting at least one of each!! Old school Italian!! read more

The service was polite and pleasant, BUT, the pastries were horrible. Eclairs aren't DIFFICULT to make . These were GRAINY AND CRUNCHY!! A slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting HAD NO CHOCOLATE TASTE, FLAVOR AT ALL. I'VE been here BEFORE. WILL NEVER GO BACK read more

Good sandwiches. great cake. Excellent selection of take home meals. Nice staff. We try to stop here whenever we take Mom to the VA Hospital. It's always a highlight of the day. read more

Chicken Alfredo was absolutely amazing, as well as the all the desserts, will definitely be back many times

absolutely the best place to have lunch. we ( a group of us ) had Chicken Alfredo, an Italian Beef, Chop Salad, strawberry Shortcake , and the absolute best Cannoli read more

Just had a lovely paper-wrapped box of Ferrara chocolate covered almonds & remembered how much i love this place, so felt compelled to come review. We've eaten here a ton (great sandwiches) but a standout was ordering our thanksgiving sides from Ferrara. We got the fill-your-own cannoli with pumpkin icing. Delicious AND a fun activity! Will be doing this same menu again this year :P read more

Ferrara Original - the kids LOVED the delicious filling and the fact that this dessert was an activity (mom loved it, too ;)) - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The very best food. The pastries are amazing. The cannoli's are the absolute best. My brother in law tried the eclair and couldn't get enough. Lunch was Fantastic. worth the drive. read more

Welcoming customer service. Long running Italian bakery. First timer stopped in and asked a frequent customer in line for recommendations. Grilled chicken giardiniera sandwich and Meatball sandwich. The bread was soft & fresh. The chicken had no flavor and dry, needed more dressing. Meatball sandwich was tough and dry. however the marinara sauce was rich and tasty. Though deserts weren't recommended, I got a cannoli, and It was hard and tasted frozen like the customer mentioned. read more

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Delicious, freshly made meals for a reasonable price. Hands down my favorite place for a home cooked soup and a sandwich. But their chocolate chip cookies are life changing. Get there early for cookies, they may run out. read more

This place is always amazing and never fails. Staff is very helpful and owners are super nice. Ferrara has the best Italian beef sandwich I've ever had (and that's coming from someone who used to cook in a restaurant)! They also have a variety of delicious pastries and cannolis! Don't forget to ask to have your Italian beef sandwich "dipped" when you go! You won't regret it and it's worth the drive! read more

I have to say my favorite Cuccidati's of all the Italian bakeries so far. I know it's all a matter of taste. Nice place !!iIalso got some almond raisin biscottis for my aunt. She would not eat them again, says she prefers plain ones. She is a little hard to please to say the least. The Cuccidati didn't seem to have nut or alcohol and were a smooth fig filling and frosted with the typical "Non-Perales sprinkled on top. with a soft cookie shell. If i didn't live so far away i'd get them all the time. read more

I have been here several times and usually I order one of their pasta dishes which are usually good. This time around I decided to try one of their sandwiches. I ordered their Ferrara Special which is basically an Italian Sandwich. It was ok sandwich. Not a lot of meat...lots of lettuce on the sandwich. It kind of overwhelmed the flavor from Italian slices of meat. I also tried their Chicken Pastina soup. It was good, it had flavor and filling. read more

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Sandwiches were fantastic and the desserts amazing. Hot foods weren't available Christmas Eve, so we went with sandwiches and a salad. It was well priced and has a friendly atmosphere. read more

Im from bklyn and italian so I had to try it. Was greated by the owner. She was very welcoming and shared a piece of a family history with us as did I. Thats what Italians do we talk and yes with our hands too. We ordered the Ferrara signature which was very good and the eggplant Parmasan sandwich. The eggplant parm sandwich made me feel like I was home. It was cooked to perfection. The sauce gravy or whatever u want to call it, I just call it delicious. Would definitely recommend. read more

Ferrara Original - Eggplant Parmasan sandwich.. - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Today was my first visit to Ferrara. I tried the cannoli and the antipasto salad. Hands down one of the best cannoli's I've had. It was rich with creamy ricotta and savory pistachios. The texture of the dough was perfection. The salad was ok, they charge extra for little things like giardiniera and artichoke hearts. No green olives either.... The staff seemed rushed and not as welcoming. While I loved my cannoli and I would come back for the bakery aspect, this restaurant is just ok in terms of food and service. read more

Ferrara Original - Delicious Cannoli! - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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What a beautiful location! So many options for breakfast/lunch/dinner/dessert! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a totally authentic and genuine Italian bakery experience! read more

Ferrara Original - Cannoli - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great bakery and cafe is what Ferrara is. My pa grew up not far from Ferrara on the old Westside so I've been pretty familiar with it all my life. This is still good family neighborhood even with all the gentrifying and a throwback to yesteryear. Ferrara Bakery has managed to fit right in with the ever changing neighborhood for over a hundred years. Excellent made in house bakery goods and Italian pastry specialties. Great cannoli! Everything is made in house from the pastries to soups, sandwiches, and pizza. You don't have to order a whole pie as the have a square piece they cut into four smaller slices and heat for you. It's a solid Chicago style tavern cut pizza and a great light snack. I'm a fan of their Lent pepper 'n' egg sandwiches. True Chicago style. I believe they use Turano bread but I may be wrong. On take out orders they wrap the bags very nicely with a special paper bag fold that literally locks up the bag so your purchases don't fly all over the place. Then they hand it to you the way it should be carried. It's little thoughtful things like this that make them special. They care about service and their customers. They also do a nice espresso and cappuccino here too. It's nice to eat inside a true historic landmark just as people did for decades. The small two top cafes tables tucked against the front picture window over looking Taylor Street give it that back in the day urban feel. You watch the customers park in front and swagger in like they own the joint and you just know their majority neighborhood folks who've been coming in for generations. The decor and painted walls tell a story and are reminiscent of the few old school joints left peppered around the city. I'm pretty sure the man who started it all, Nello Ferrara along with family also started Ferrara Pan Candy Co. off the Eisenhower expressway. They're famous for 'lemon heads' , red hots', 'atomic fireballs', and more. It's a great stop on your travels especially if you're doing a tour of cool old urban hot spots. 100 years plus and counting. read more

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Delicious sandwich! First time there. Service was exceptional even though it was lunch time! Staff was friendly. Will be back

The Best food, one of my favorite places. Food is amazing!! Food is made fresh every day, owners are lovely people. They generously donated, so many boxes of lemon heads to my Twins, Girl Scout troop, for cancer patients. read more

Went there today, while waiting on my tacos next door. Got cheesecake, German chocolate cake, and chocolate chip cookies. Family loved it all. Will be back read more

I hope today was a one-off because this chicken sandwich was nothing to brag about. One half slice of tomato and one red onion piece on bread that was so heavily oiled and soaked in mayo, I couldn't pick it up. read more

Ferrara Original - Grilled Chicken Giardiniera Sandwich - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is one of the oldest if not the oldest bakery in Chicago. I sampled some cookies and biscotti. They were all delicious. Totally has the family owned vibe which I love. Can't wait to come again and try their lunch. I bought some frozen soup and Alfredo to try at home. I'll have to update later when we try it. read more

Amazing local business, I always go there for coffee and some good sweets. I recommend the Napolitan or the Éclairs. They have good lunch options too. read more

Food is great. Sandwiches to soups to salads and daily specials are always fantastic. Bakery portion is delicious as well

Great staff. Consistent food. Favorite lunch spot. It's very easy to switch up on your usuals

Fantastic deli sandwiches! Lots of meat and nice variety of choices. I've only gotten the sandwiches but friends also rave about their salads. read more

Well, you can't say this very often: for lunch I had a beef and a slice of tasty Italian pie! Original Ferrara is old-school...and that's just the way most of the locals I saw there today like it. Prices are fair and portions are even more fair; I spent about $8 today for that beef, dipped, and a slice of the Ferrara's Original Cake. I thought the cake was only OK--lots of layers, but nothing special in terms of flavor--but the beef made me happy and that thing was dipped JUST right. Thanks to the woman behind the counter for the recommendation! Plenty of seating here, too, and there were cops everywhere when I walked inside, dining at a table near the door. Cheap, tasty, the cop seal of approval, friendly staff? Count me in. read more

They are great ! They are always so nice and attentive . Food bread , cakes and pastries are excellent !!

I never realize this bakery was still open for business. My parents were married in the 40s and got their cake from the bakery delivered from Chicago to Milwaukee. They were famous for their tall tower cakes. Some were 6 feet tall including my parents, who had to stand on a ladder to cut it! They were the most special cakes I've ever seen in my life. And now I finally got there and was told they still have the same cake today. It was a very special trip and worth it read more

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adorable family owned bakery, deli, and Italian pasta place in one. pastries are to die for and they offer a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, pastas, and sides. Amazingly priced too!!!! i paid less than 6$ for a latte and large pastry- you can't beat that in chicago! has a family owned vibe and I can't wait to come back here! they also do pastries and cakes to order as well as selling bulk pasta sauce, italian sausage, whole oven ready lasagnas, ravioli, and soups :) read more

My go to lunch spot! Great sandwiches and soups. Make sure to get a pastry! Very friendly staff and in and

Can't comment on their savory foods but i can say that their desserts are the BEST. If you're craving cannoli, this is definitely the spot for you. Stopped by in the afternoon not too long before closing and their pre-filled and wrapped cannoli we're still crunchy. They have some sort of magic going on in this place. They also have an assortment of cookies and desserts showcased in their display cases. I tried a lemony kind of cake-like cookie and their pignoli cookies which were chewy and delicious. They have a refrigerator full of soup, sauces, and meals to heat, and a menu for their savory foods. Definitely have to come back to try their pastas! read more

We ordered our wedding cake and desserts from Ferrara for our June 2023 wedding, and it did not disappoint! We were interested in getting a cake from Ferrara since specialty wedding cake shops often prioritize aesthetics over taste, and we were looking for a simple cake that tasted great, plus a selection of pastries and cookies to complement it. We met with Nello in the fall to taste the cake and look over our options, and we appreciated their insistence on buttercream frosting (no fondant ever). On Nello's advice, we went with their famous specialty, a vanilla cake with the layers separated by one layer of cannoli cream and another of fresh strawberries and custard. We were impressed then by how fresh the strawberries tasted. When it came to the day of the wedding, the visually simple cake was absolutely beautiful with just some fresh flowers to decorate it. More importantly-and this is truly impressive-it tasted fresh and so delicious. Since wedding cakes have to be started several days ahead of time to allow everything to settle for creating the tiers, we truly just didn't expect it to be that good, actually even better than when we tasted it in the bakery. The other desserts were beautiful and equally delicious, providing all of our guests with a variety of lovely options, and we had no trouble with delivery on the day of the wedding. read more

Ferrara Original - a white wedding cake with fresh flowers - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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