Really great place to grab a freshly made sandwich. The menu is very limited, but everything is fresh tasting and you get to choose from about six of their homemade breads. I had turkey on "popeye" (spinach and Parmesan) with sprouts, onions, lettuce, carrots, mustard, and mayo. They have a few tables that you can sit down and eat at, but it is mainly carry-out business. Tons of baked goods available to take home and they all looked amazing. My only complaint is that a lot of the treats, particularly the seductive monkey bread (like a cinnamon roll loaf made out of croissant dough) , are only available in full loaves. Too much for a snack and I really hate to keep large amounts of delicious baked goods in the house because I can't be trusted with sweets. read more

Prior to visiting this Great Harvest, scones to me were brick-like baked goods, only made edible after dipping them into hot chocolate. Scones at Great Harvest ($2/each) are different. They're BIG, moist, flavorful, and good. My favorites include raspberry, blueberry and the combination orange/cranberry--all made with real bits of fruit. I like to stop by on my way to the airport, since these scones travel well, and make great airplane snacks. The chocolate chip banana bread is drier than I normally like it, and best eaten the same day. When I went in late morning on Sunday, they had already sold out of many favorites. They usually have free bread samples laid out on the counter when you walk in, so take advantage! read more

The guy at the front counter is really bizarre. No bread is worth interacting with grumpy old weirdos. Bread was ok.

You know, I'd really like to give this place more stars - maybe a half star more? - but they seem to have problems with some basic things. First, the good stuff - the place smells fantastic, it seems to be clean, and they have variety. You can get a sandwich made to order in the back, which I've done a couple of times, and that was really good, albeit pricey. I mean, it's a sandwich, right? Why should it cost $6? I can get a really tasty sandwich at Subway down the block for a lot less than that. So, the price does hold me back. Second, I can only review the baked goods I've had. A few weeks ago they were giving out samples of the chocolate babka - yes, Seinfeld fans, chocolate babka. And I realized why Elaine Benes had to have chocolate babka, and chocolate babka only. This was a heavenly, sinful, silky version of warm, soft chocolate and yeasty bread. Just the sample was enough to fill me up, but we still wanted more. HOWEVER . . . I was in there Saturday (yesterday), and was reminded why I'm not that crazy about the place. The gentleman who I believe is the owner/patriarch offered me a sample of a chocolate cake/bread. It wasn't sweet at all. It was dark in color, but I really couldn't get much chocolate flavor out of it. And the cake was dark chocolate, with lots of chocolate icing. Where's the flavor? I went in the place really wanting a cookie, looked and looked, and, until I had already paid and was leaving, didn't notice the cookies displayed by the door. I had already bought a brownie for $2.50. Now, this brownie reminded me of the brownie I'd had 20 years ago while wandering the Covent Garden area of London. It was mid-afternoon, I wanted some kind of snack, and the restaurants seemed to be all closed. And I didn't really want a meal, just a munchie. So I found a bakery near Covent Garden and I bought a brownie. As I bit into that long-ago brownie, I thought, only the English could ruin a brownie. That was, until yesterday, when I bit into Great Harvest's brownie. It was dry - as if it had been sitting around for a few days, not sweet, and, while it looked chocolatey, didn't have much chocolate taste. I took 5 bites and ended up throwing it in the garbage. And let's talk about service. Young lady at the counter, would it kill you to even acknowledge my presence? You're taking money out of my hand - do you have to continue a conversation with another co-worker? Aren't you people in business to make money? Could you at least save "thank you?" Geez, I'm sorry I interrupted your day to support your business during a recession. I'd really really like to like this place, but despite my efforts, the uneven quality, high prices, and lack of staff interest deter me. After all, half the time I'm on Central Street, I'm looking for a decent place to have lunch without spending my rent money. But Great Harvest just ain't it. I talked to my co-workers about it when I got back, and they all said, go to Tag's Bakery for sweets, and just stick to the Subway for your sandwiches. Guess it's time to start listening to them. read more

I used to come to this store years ago and recently returned. What a difference! When we asked to have a sample of bread, the store worker tore it off the loaf , without gloves. Seriously, I have never seen this done in the USA in the past twenty years. When we asked for another sample, this same person ignored us. Amazing that they are still in business with an attitude like that. There is a bad , bad vibe in this establishment. I won't be back. I have been to several other Great Harvest franchises in this country and believe me they are very different. read more

A $3-plus cinnamon chip scone tasted stale. for shame won't be back read more

Excellent sandwiches with your choice of bread. Friend tried the Baja Chipolte Turkey and I had the Main Event with turkey and roast beef. Both were wonderful! Also got to sample a number of their delicious breads. Bought the apple crumble bread and some chocolate chip/pistachio biscotti to take home. Everything was amazing! Definitely going back for more! read more

Great Harvest Bread - Delicious sandwich at Great Harvest Bread - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I walked in here and the sweet smell of bread filled my lungs immediately! There were all kinds of bread -- apple, cinnamon, low carb, whole grain -- so many to choose from. I chose a turkey and provolone sandwich on spinach and tomato bread (recommended by a friendly gal there). The bread is chewy -- just like how I love my bread. The turkey was a bit salty, but still yummy. They have this section of the counter where you can sample all of their sweets. This, I think, is a great marketing tactic. Let people try the product first before they invest in it. Everything is home made there. I had the chocolate babka which is shaped like a cinnamon roll, filled with tons of chocolate chips and probably the size of my head. I so wanted to get one -- but I just opted for the sample and called it a day. One day, I will come back and get that babka. To fulfill my sweet tooth, I got a mini tollhouse pie. It's a chocolate chip with a pie crust in a small foil container. This was love at first bite. You can totally taste the butter in this. I devoured that bad boy in 2 seconds. read more

I'm sure a lot of people would say this is over priced. those people would also be wrong. anytime you can get three fist sized scones or muffins for 8 bucks is a good time. and anytime you can get three fist sized scones or muffins that are hand made from "scratch" is a GREAT time. just moved to the city yesterday and got on an early train so I'd have time to check out the local places. this is a fantastic first stop. excellent pastries, friendly staff, and a nice location. I'll be sure to check back in here to see what else they have to offer. read more

Great Harvest Bread - chill environment perfect for a quick quiet breakfast. - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Sure, the breads are a bit pricey, but they are amazing. I just tried the stuffing bread and I am in love. It would be the perfect bread for a turkey sandwich. What I love about Great Harvest is that they are fresh and different. I will be back. Oh, I noticed that they were great about giving samples to kids that were in there with their parents, so I am not sure what people were talking about. read more

I work down the street from Great Harvest, and stop in all the time. I work really weird hours, and they'll make a sandwich for me pretty much any time they are open, even if it's hours before any rational person would want to eat lunch-type food. Also, even though I have never been able to stand scones, I love their cinnamon scones. Especially the whole wheat apple cinnamon. Mmmmm. read more

I am so happy I remembered this place was around!!! Best sandwich I have had in a LONG time. So fresh with the perfect amount of roast beef and cheddar, makes me want to slap my momma!!! Great goat cheese basil/arugula (?) focaccia!!!! I'm hooked and coming back for more soon. Thanks for being an Evanston business. read more

Great breads! Pastries are a little heavy because they're made with whole-great flour, but they're tasty and HUGE. Sandwiches are delicious, fresh, and way better than the ones from the place with the red and black shirts. Get their breakfast sandwich if you need a good meal in a hurry. It's basically a 3-egg omelet on bread with meat and cheese. You'll never be able to look a McMuffin in the eye again. read more

I had an uncomfortable experience-- the owner from the beginner made me feel uncomfortable. My bread came straight from the oven--- he gave it to me in a brown bag it was so hot that I burned my hand and had to ask for another bag so it could act as an oven mitt. By the time I walked out to my car it was a mess. The bread had not even solidified. I walked back in the store thinking they would understand that they sold me bread that was still cooking and was now spreading and taking form of the square brown bag. Both worker and owner were so rude and acted like I was I unreasonable. I just wanted to get out of there and now I have a loaf of overpriced bread that is undercooked in the middle and flat like a square pizza. Never again. read more

The good news: the bread is really good. Its homemade, natural ingredients, its fresh (most of the time). The bad news: you need to be careful, they sell bread that was made the day before and charge full price. That's especially the case on Sundays. The really bad news: the service seems to be getting worse and worse here. Its unfortunate, because its mostly little local stores and boutiques on Central St. and most have great service. Not at Great Harvest. The staff will ignore you. If you're not a regular, they will wait on their regulars and favorite customers first. (it really sucks when there is a line and they serve customers in haphazard order). The owner/manager (the guy) makes it known that he doesn't like customers to order 1 scone/cookie and its not worth his time. The other owner/manager (the woman) is actually very nice...and the staff are generally more helpful and polite when she is there. I often swear I'll never go back...but I then remember how good the bread is. read more

I've been shopping at Great Harvest for over 20 years and have always loved the food, the service and the ambiance. Today I had one experience so bad I'll never shop there again. I went to buy a loaf of gluten-free bread and found a cinnamon chip loaf that was priced at $10, a ridiculous amount of money for a loaf of bread. But I love cinnamon bread and it's hard to find it fresh baked and gluten-free, so I was going to buy it despite the price. The owner was behind the counter and I asked if I could have a sample and he gruffly said, "No, we don't do that," referring to all the gluten-free products. I responded in a calm, non-confrontational tone, "But that's not fair." Instead of nicely explaining why I couldn't sample a $10 loaf of bread before deciding to buy it, he snapped at me, "Life's not fair." I was stunned by this response, but was still on my way to the register to pay for the bread when I got irritated by his hostility. So I said, "You know, I didn't like that response very much." With that, he yanked the bread out of my hands, put it back on the counter, and said in an angry tone, "Then go buy it somewhere else." So I did, and I'll never shop at Great Harvest again. read more

In the spirit of supporting small, locally owned businesses, I walked down this morning to get a couple of loaves of bread. I have not been in Great Harvest since the start of the pandemic. I assumed the normal practice of unwrapped, for sale products out on the counter would have been changed. I was wrong. Tons of products out on the counter and the owner behind the counter with a masked pulled below his nose and no gloves. Perhaps he thinks the sticker on his shirt that says he's been tested for COVID is enough. It is not! I will not be back. read more

Went into harvest yesterday with my boyfriend and was SO pleasantly surprised!! I love olive bread and when I saw that they had fresh olive bread I was soooo excited! But this bread had two different kind of lives and was whole wheat so I was wondering if I'd like this bread as well.. I asked for a little sampling not knowing if they even did this and Phil (owner) gave us a huge dollop to sample :) much to my excitement it was outstanding! Scooped up a loaf of that good stuff and a lemon poppyseed scone for an instant gratification (which it was) ... Well I have now laid down the law that this is now a weekly stop we must make!! Hoping to make friendly with the owners as we have so much admiration for this place! Also, it's WELL worth the slightly higher prices that you would pay for "gourmet breads" at the supermarket!!! read more

I've never in my life had scones as moist and sweet as these! And the Apple Scrapple and Cinnamon Swirl are to die for! I work at the Three Crowns Park retirement community down the street and like to stop by in the mornings for a scone or a batch of cookies. In the afternoons, I'll often grab a loaf of bread as I head to the train station to go home. I can't wait for winters when Great Harvest serves up great hot soup! I love the beef barley; it's my favorite! I just wish they served it all year round. I've had the sandwiches. They're not bad but I'd rather walk down to Foodstuffs nearby for sandwiches. read more

There is always the default of the nice scones here if you just don't know what you want to get. I really love the size of the scones here. They are great big pieces that will feed two or three people. The flavors available are varied and you can get berries or nuts in them. The establishment is great and they will have bread and other baked goods set out for you to try. I just love the feel of it. We stop in for breakfast or just a loaf of bread. I would recommend getting coffee elsewhere though. For now, It's not a regular thing for us because it's still a bit pricey for loaves of bread and rolls etc. read more

I LOVE this place! Dave, the owner, is always kind and very generous to me and my children. I love supporting small businesses and am happy to continue to patronize Great Harvest in Evanston. Over the past two days I have eaten a Savannah bar and had some cinnamon swirl bread. Their baked good are like "crack". So good and so addicting. Pre-pandemic I had them cater baked good for me multiple times. They were a hit at my events! Nothing left to take home. I highly recommend Great Harvest. read more

I was in the mood for a treat and decided to peruse the options on Central St. I started with Tag Bakery, then Linz and Vail, then Foodstuffs but none of them had anything that called to me. I ended with Great Harvest and was greeted with 7 or 8 loaves of bread that were cut into, and asked if I'd like to sample anything. I went with the apple scrapple and it was to die for. I immediately asked to buy a loaf. The bread is doughy and so delicious. The apple crumble topping was plentiful and addictive. I also decided to purchase a savannah bar, which was tart and sweet and massive (and also sooooo delicious). The more I looked, the more things I saw that I wanted to buy (I'm looking at you, Monkey Bread) but I decided to pace myself and leave a reason to come back :). I have found my new favorite bakery on the North Shore and will definitely, definitely be back. read more

I visited this location today and an Employee/"Owner" named Dave made me feel extremely uncomfortable upon my entry. At first he intentionally ignored me and refused to service me, then he proceeded to verbally harass me and make blatantly racist/discriminatory comments at me. He went out of his way to ask me not to return this location, due to the color of my skin. The intense and offensive interaction was uncalled for and very heartbreaking. I told Dave that I would pray for him as he is obviously in pain if he feels the need to bully his non-white patrons. read more

Avoid this place. The washroom is not clean, and has a dried out P-Trap under the floor drain which cause sewer gas to emit from it that smells so much you can smell it when you walk in the front door. The sink in the washroom has a two handle faucet and if a kid uses it and only turns on the hot side, they can be seriously burned because the temperature is set way above 130°F. At the front counter by the register there are trays of food for sale with sneeze guards, but only for some items. Other items are left unguarded by sneeze guards and the counter is low enough for kids to cough and sneeze on the food for sale. $9.31 for a small kids sandwich with a little meat and a piece of lettuce and a tiny bag of chips an no drink. It didn't taste like $9.31 |;~( read more

I'm a delivery partner with Grubhub and I came in to just ask when the order would be ready and when they thought I walked away, they started swearing and using foul language towards me. I can't believe I live in a day and age where this stuff still happens. It doesn't matter how good someone's food is, customer service comes first and you definitely don't bad mouth people who are making your business money. I would ask everybody on here who believes that all people should be treated with respect and kindness to not give these people your business. read more

This place is actually sort of funny in a good way. We stopped in after a trip to The Spice House because Dawn wanted to see if they had any apple scrapple (they did) and I needed a loaf of bread because the ones in my fridge were so old that even at low temps they were going moldy. There was a line, and people kept on coming in, but oddly we never really waited for attention. The guys behind the counter were fast and efficient in spite of the fact that they had a running schtick about how they knew we wanted to order more than we had. However with a chocolate babka, an apple scrapple, some monkey bread and a couple of loaves of bread, we figured we had more than enough bakery goods for the week. Prices were excellent, too! So far we've tried the monkey bread and the babka, and both were excellent, but honestly the babka and scrapple are so large that I'm going to have to cut them up and freeze them in pieces (I was assured by one of the counter guys that everything freezes very well.) Oh and the guy with the eyelashes? Seriously cute. read more

Had some focaccia and a scone from these guys earlier this year. Both were huge and delicious. No problems with service. Couldn't get through more than a bite of their blueberry muffin though. read more

Love the place love the food but really the owner is the only thing I never want to go inside ..so rude and bad costumer service

Two of my favorite things whenever I come here is the smell of freshly baked bread and the samples. Just grab a piece of bread, spread on some butter, drizzle with some honey, and you'll soon be in flavor country. Yeehaw! This corner open kitchen style bakery serves up so awesome bread. My favorite is their Honey Whole Wheat, but they also carry a variety of other freshly baked goods. A loaf of bread is pricier then you're typical grocery store bread, but it's well worth the price. Only quality ingredients are used and you can definitely taste the difference. read more

Have been coming to this great harvest for the past 15 years. This location is a settled establishment in the evanston neighborhood and will always be my go to place for fresh baked goods/ treats. The best time to pick fresh loaves of bread would be roughly around 11am. As many other people have already recommended, I would also recommend the apple scrapple and the cinnamon swirl. Your life will never be the same after you have tried these two. read more

Great Harvest Bread - It's great to see that Great harvest has brought back their cinnamon swirl - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Excellent bread and scones! A throwback place where the goods are fresh and you can get to know the owner.

Corner store staple on Central Street in Evanston. Love the huge variety of breads and other freshly baked goodies. Everything is SO tasty, and typically made from simple ingredients (in a good way). Favorite among their regular items is the cinnamon chip bread. It makes phenomenal French toast, and is pretty awesome just toasted as well. Also unmatched are the huge oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. When those things are still a little warm they may just be the best testing cookie I've had (and they stay high on the list even a few days out of the oven). Dave, the owner, is a really nice guy and fun to chat it up with when grabbing a loaf. He's a local product, bringing some fresh baked joy to the neighborhood. Support local! read more

It's been over 20 years since I first walked through the door of GHB and gladly accepted a sample slice. Sadly, I moved across the country a few years back, and they are no longer a short drive away. Now, I am relegated to visiting when I am in town, or talking friends into picking up a loaf when they visit. It is still the standard to which I judge all bakers, they are that good. What I once thought was just a bunch of earthy people passing their time making munchies I now understand to be the way it should be: People who truly enjoy baking and putting that enjoyment into each loaf. Heck, I'd mail order it if I could! Don't miss: Apple Scrapple, Cinnamon Swirl, Cinnamon Raisin Walnut. Sourdough and Honey Whole Wheat are yummy staples that your belly will love you for. Yes, prices are more than what you'll pay at Jewel or Dominick's, but it's hand made locally - what do you expect? read more

What a treat. They now make sandwiches which were great. Would have been nice to have it toasted and will ask next time. Just discovered a new favorite which is the Mocha Scone. Biscotti's are nice and big and they have at least 4 different kinds to choose from. All of the breads are fresh and hardy and with no preservatives. Lots of varieties to choose from. read more

Just had their Chipotle Turkey Panini sandwich. Awesome, and probably the best I've ever had! And considering the day before I was just at Panera and had their version....... If you are in the "hood", do yourself a favor get a delicious sandwich and enjoy a sample or two. I also went home with a loaf of their delicious Sourdough bread. This is a little gem..... Well worth it! ! ! :) Brad ps; Dave is great too...... read more

If you need bakery items, bread, or a great lunch and go anywhere other than here then you must be brain-dead. OK, I'll be fair, most people don't realize that Great Harvest makes great sandwiches and fresh soups every day. This is so much better than the chain breadstores, (you know the one I'm talking about,) that it's ridiculous. Patronize a locally owned business and get a great lunch for a reasonable price at the same time. Can't recommend this restaurant/bakery enough. read more

Aside from the nitwit guy that works the counter and is a major liability to their business IMO.........decent stuff but overpriced, and I was quite turned off when I saw flies landing on the scones on the counter and the overall place itself looks quite unsanitary for a food establishment. read more

Talk about grand! This bakery has some amazing quality bread that tastes fresh even after being microwaved (obviously I still need to upgrade from the college lifestyle). Everything caught my attention, the breads, the bread pizzas (if that's what they are called), and the GIANT scones. Obviously I went for the scones. I got the wildcat scone- a frosted blueberry and orange scone that was delicious; you can literally share it with four different people. On Saturdays, you can find them at the Farmer's Market in Evanston near E2 apartments and short walk from Northwestern University. read more

The monkey bread is out of this world amazing!! Love going there and picking up treats in the morning.

There are several choices for bread and baked goods in Chicago but I came away thoroughly impressed with the samples I tried and with what I purchased. Contrary to what others have said, the owner could not have been friendlier or more welcoming. They mill their own flour and bake everything in house. As a baker myself, I can appreciate the time and energy it takes to put out such a good and consistent product. They even have free Collectivo coffee with any purchase which was a nice extra bonus. Love it here, we'll be back on a regular basis! read more