Stopped here during one of my trips to chicago and was not disappointed. Not only do they have a bad ass and empowering mission, but their products are absolutely delicious. I got a croissant wrapped bagel - which is a definite recommend - along with assorted pastries and just could not pick a favorite! Will certainly be back during my next trip! read more

Lately my days have revolved around getting pastries from Hewn. Personal favorites include the olive brioche, the almond croissant, and any of the scones. In addition to baked treats, they have coffee/teas, so you can get breakfast to go and walk around the very cute street it sits on / downtown Evanston. There's some outdoor seating in the summer but otherwise limited indoor seating most of the year (i.e. There's a bench, but no tables as it's not designed for dining in.) read more

What is better than a morning bun? Two buns. I think I am going to try and just live off these yummy creations.

A few weeks ago I complained about there being no sandwiches without dairy. Today I had a VERY delicious sandwich, turkey cranberry, no cheese in it. Hit the spot after a bike ride. So I'm giving you a 5-star review, thank you for keeping us lactose intolerant folks happy! read more

Simply the best bread and pastries around, plus good coffee, kombucha and friendly and helpful staff.

So my daughter lives in Evanston and literally forced me to stop here while dropping her off last Sunday morning. I generally don't eat a ton of bred, but she wanted a brioche roll. Okay. I am also not usually super impressed with the Evanston scene in general. Some good/ some bad. We walked in (it was packed at 8:00 on a Sunday morning) She got her brioche roll, I ordered one as will and a cinnamon role for dad, and then "OH"!!!!! The fresh backed all sourdough baked breads that were still warm. Yep have to get some of that. I ordered a Parmesan garlic bread which was promptly sliced. That was going home with me. So - I have two other kids at home who "may have" seen the "fancy bread".........I was literally gone in two day. Absolutely delicious. So now, other two said kids are begging me to drive an hour each way to get them more bread. It was so good, it MAY actually happen. In addition the excellent products, the staff was ultra friendly. (Usually why I don't like the froo froo Evanston places). They were upbeat, knowledgeable and just wanted to help. Great place- will be going back for sure. read more

Delicious bread! Brought it to a friend's dinner party and it was a hit. I think the loaf was called Country Blonde and it was outstanding. Can't wait to try another variety next time I'm in the neighborhood. read more

I could not love this place more! The country is my staple, the cheddar is so rich in flavor and makes a killer grilled cheese sandwich. Just today I picked up a Gougères and will be making a return trip back tomorrow for more! I have also taken one of their evening classes and had the best time getting to know Julie and Ellen over some Sketchbook beer while learning how to make their beer bread and flatbreads. Their passion for great quality, locally sourced goods is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. read more

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This is my favorite Evanston coffee spot. By the way, the beer and cheddar breads are a must! Cinnamon buns and all tarts are addictive. Try the savory scone- yum! Service with a smile! read more

Hewn Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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After giving up on making my own sourdough starter and bread, I am so glad to have found Hewn! I heard its a women-owned business that uses super fresh, natural ingredients. Some may say the prices are high for bread but the quality and flavor make it clear that it is worth every penny. Not a sit down bakery, more of a grab and go. Excited to try new flavors! read more

Stopped in for the first time today. Discovered the business on Instagram. Cute shop in a quiet location. Drove over from Wrigleyville to buy some bread and it smells heavenly! I got a loaf of bread and a chocolate chip cookie and was shocked that I was charged 11 bucks and some change. I know the cookie was about 1.50 or so. It was soft and kid approved. No prices were listed on the bread that I could easily find so it was just a surprise and I didn't like that. Also, the gal wasn't extra friendly or anything even when I came in with a cute toddler and stuff, so a conversation starter would have been easy plus I was the only guest in line so it wasn't like there was a rush. read more

Hewn Bakery - Guessing this was about 9 bucks based on my bill of 11 bucks. Yikes, hope it's tasty. Definitely smells wonderful. - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

The staff at Hewn are absolutely wonderful! Always helpful and honest about the best items to get. Everything is delicious; definitely my go-to bakery! read more

I wrote a review years ago and stopped coming here because I had not been impressed. Now in 2021, a coworker of mine promised me that the bread no longer has air holes and that it's tasty, so I decided to give this place a second chance. The good news: no more air holes. The bad news: it's still average bread that's not worth the steep price. I bought 5 different breads, including their country and whole wheat, and they all taste exactly the same. I understand and appreciate that the grain is local and that the bread ferments slowly, but it's nowhere near as good as the bread I buy in the city or abroad in Europe. read more

Best Quality Bread and Bakery in Evanston. I can walk there. small concerns: little costly for the bread; ... it works for me by not eating it fresh but keeping the bread in a paper and plastic bag in the refrigerator . This way it tasted different but last pretty long and can be sliced very thin. Hours of operations: they are closed usually on my walk back from downtown Evanston and I don't want to carry things around with me all day. Consistency of the Colette/Tartine two years ago: ...to die for and well worth the almost $4 one day and just ok at other days not worth the price. Bread with Rasins : no plain Bread options...just me I don't like stuff in my bread, like don't use salted butter (I put salt on unsalted butter) read more

Loved everything about this place. The crew was so friendly and helpful about making suggestions. I loved the savory pastry stick they recommended as well as all the other savory pasties they sold Me. I didn't get a coffee but it smelled divine. I also love the whole concept of how they came about and what they do. Very rustic. I didn't try anything sweet. But I will be back. read more

It's hard to over-praise this wonderful bakery, which is surely one of the best in Chicago and deserving of national attention. It manages to be three things at once -- a boulangerie, patisserie and cafe -- and it does all three very well. It's easy to praise its pastries, especially its seasonal galettes, but the heart and soul of Hewn is its bread, which is truly artisanal and memorably delicious. We love the baguettes, ciabatta (and ciabatta rolls) and country loaves. We used to drive across the city occasionally to go here, and now that we live nearby, we go at least once a week and sometimes more frequently. I am hopeful that fall will bring the reappearance of Hewn's mouth-watering apple turnovers. Count us as Hewnaholics! read more

Here's the thing about Hewn, they are making good bread in a metropolitan area where it's incredibly difficult to find good bread. They know it and they charge you like they know it. After 2 months of sampling a variety of items off their menu, I still haven't decided if it's worth it for me. The country loaf (in any of its permutations) is Hewn's main attraction, everything else is just a distraction. If I were to only consider their country loaves, I would say that Hewn would be a 5-star establishment. I love the contrast of the crust with the chewy, airy interior. And if you don't finish the loaf before it goes stale, don't toss away your $7, it makes great croutons. The "traditional" baguette is incredibly disappointing and non-Parisian; it's all crust and it tastes like they use the same starter as their country loaves, because it's yeasty and tangy. The pastries are good, but there's nothing unforgettable here. I thought the texture of the scones were more like biscuits, but it's good, so I'm just picking nits here. I've only had the sweet brioches and they are nice to have for breakfast. I am perpetually disappointed with the croissants I've had in Chicagoland and Hewn's does nothing to change that (I was really hoping it would). You may think I'm being a little harsh, but I was ridiculously spoiled in a previous life and if I ever find a good croissant around here, I would blindly and eagerly open my wallet. Hewn is not my be-all and end-all bakery, it's just my country loaf supplier. read more

I really want to like this place but unfortunately my first visit was disappointing. I stopped in late morning on Saturday to pick up some salads and a loaf of bread for some out-of-town guests who were coming over for lunch. Before I left the house, I checked Hewn's website to make sure they indeed had salads. Their website indicated they are "served daily," so off I went. When I arrived, I learned that they only have salads during the week. OK...but why not state that on the website? When I looked at the menu board and stated I'd take a loaf of country bread, my request was met with confusion and a frazzled discussion between the staff about whether or not to hold items for customers. It was at that point I noticed there was virtually no inventory on the shelves. Once the confusion subsided, I was handed a beautifully wrapped loaf and I paid my $6. (Unfortunately the loaf I received was not what I ordered. Still good, but not what I was expecting.) I really want this place to make it. I like what they're trying to do -- the store is simple but beautiful, the product is superior, and I couldn't be happier to see the Dempster area being reinvigorated. My experience on Saturday was a bit of a let down but realizing that Hewn just opened and is working out the kinks, I will give them another chance. read more

This Bakery offers very good bread, pastries and 7/10 coffee. The customer service is good. They do not have bathrooms for their customers. Parking is easy to find. I am visiting Evanston for family weekend and I have been going to Hewn every day. I am planning on taking some of these pastries back home. read more

Bread is absolutely delicious. However the staff is rude, unfriendly and just down right mean. Good thing their product can stand on its own because if you are looking for customer service this is not the place to go. read more

It is just like being in Paris. The bread is as good as any I have ever tasted, moist on the inside surrounded by a crust of great character. Even the paper wrapper, so old world, is tied with a perfect knot and perfect string. The food is as delicious as the baked goods. A bread and some of Madame's eggplant, the best food in Evanston. The service is equally gracious. Nonpareil. Note: A distinguishing characteristic at Hewn; towards the end of their day, they sell out. Not baking more than they usually sell, they do not waste food. VERY European. So if you go late the selection might not be complete. More purveyors of perishables need to adopt this model. read more

Three stars for the exquisite taste of the pastries. They are amazing! The lack of two stars, however, is for the lack of friendliness and gaiety. I have stopped in about 20 times for a croissant, a scone, or a cookie. I work in the neighborhood and I never get anything more than, '"What may I get you?"' My smiles are always met with stern looks. It confuses me! I wish that the workers would make customers feel genuinely welcome. I feel like all they are thinking of is the "next" customer, and that I am just a number waiting to be moved through the register. read more

I've visited Hewn several times, I haven't bought any bread except for the challah which was delish, and the garlic knots OMG SO GOOD. The sweet pastries have been hit or miss. Croissant great, almond croissant- meh, it lacked the filling that I'm used to. Seasonal fruit gallate was great, kouign-amann was disappointing. the service is always good, so I'll keep going back and trying new things. read more

This place is so cute! The store gives you a rustic feeling. The people who work here are really nice and I'm glad that they have a range of espresso drinks selection. I got the chocolate croissant here and it's flakey. Solid. Wish they put more chocolate in though coz some bites lack chocolate. read more

Sometimes I go in there and close my eyes and breathe in all the smells until they kick me out. Get a fresh baguette and put butter on it.

I caught up with the other three breads that I wanted to try. The whole wheat gruyere is disappointing, in that it is a very good bread with a barely detectable trace of cheese. However, the caramelized onion rye is outstanding and very versatile, and the polenta rosemary is wonderful. Genius in round loaf form. This bread makes a turkey sandwich suitable for Louis XIV. read more

If you're going to be a responsible user of tools like Yelp you're gonna have occasions when you've just gotta stand up and walk back something that you said. Hewn ain't a 3.5 star bakery. It certainly ain't a 3 star bakery. Those numbers in my previous review were sour grapes. While I stand behind the issues I raised (at the time), those issues couldn't possibly bring down the score of what is a truly exceptional, in the strictest sense, bakery. There can't be more than 20 places in the entire US where you can find bread as good as Hewn's. Zero hyperbole. And even though their pastries aren't always exactly to my taste, they are still very good, and one has to recognize the supreme craftsmanship in their making. Also, Hewn is a supremely well run business. Everything they offer is carefully curated for the highest quality. Every issue I have found with their business, however minor, has been corrected. They are constantly refining and improving -- down to minutiae. Even their customer service is now excellent. read more

Now, where to begin? After having lived in France from 1993-2000, it has taken me until 2013 to find convenient access to petits pains au chocolat, baguette and brioche that rival anything I tasted on the other side of the Atlantic. I may well have been customer Number 1 on Tuesday, June 4th when I showed up at 7:00 AM for Ellen King's tasty treats. The moment I walked through the door, the breads and viennoiseries were just coming out of the oven. I ordered 4 chocolate croissants (not all 4 for myself, mind you - though I could have worked through all of them in a flash), a double espresso and a large latte to go. Everything was mouth-wateringly fresh - the chocolate croissant had just the right crisp on the outside and perfectly partially melted chocolate on the inside. The coffee was robust without being overpowering. Just the right roast and pull. I am thrilled that Hewn has opened adding distinct flavor and character to the Dempster shopping district here in Evanston! We needed it! Congrats Team Hewn! read more

Tasty and high-quality baked goods. Croissants are fantastic. As is the morning glory muffin.

If anything, my sole complain would be they never seem to ever not run out of what I would want. I've never been disappointed with any of the bread loaves I've gotten here. I love how they are trying to bring back other grain varietals into their bread that makes for interesting choices each time. I do wish I could always get a sour dough here always but it's not always been so. Their other pastry is so delightful that it's always a personal challenge not to buy more than one or have it last for breakfast tomorrow. I also recently spy some outdoor seating so you can definitely come here to get bread and coffee and relax. Sunshine not included. read more

The first time I walked into this store, their oven was broken, and they had only a handful of pastries available for purchase. The second time I walked into this store, I paid a little over $7 for a loaf of wheat bread. Patrons take note: the chalk broad which shows the names of all their baked goods lists ALL of the things they COULD make, but does not reflect what they ACTUALLY have for sale that day. Items available for sale that day have check marks by their names. The loaf I had tasted fine; there was nothing particularly good or bad about it. I was not a fan of the very hard crust, which made my jaw sore from chewing it. That said, this crust probably helped preserve the bread better over the few days it sat on my counter. I'm glad their website had detailed instructions on how to keep their breads. Was this loaf worth $7? Nope. If I'm going to pay that much, I'd rather go buy something at Great Harvest Bread on Central St. read more

Want to find a place worth getting fat for? Stop into Hewn. Oh-my-delicious-sakes do they have outstanding pastries. I was first drawn in a Saturday morning by the smell of fresh baked goods and walked out with a new found addiction to the point where I have to actively avoid it in order to stay within a "calorie budget" right now. Where to begin? Ah yes, the pastries. Did I mention the pastries? Yeah. It all started with the morning bun which is an amazing flaky and crunchy yet soft croissant like phyllo dough that has a fabulous crème brulee bottom (surprise!). I literally stopped on my way home and sat on someone's stoop so that I could savor every bite. A side note about coffee: they don't have any drip. But don't let that deter you because they pull a mean Americano and they don't limit the number of shots you want in your drink. I've had up to 3 without anyone telling me I needed to pay for extras. They use a regional roaster too. I think out of Minneapolis. Buying local, nice! Two weeks later I was back with the excuse of trying the bread. I left with more pastries, this time a scone. Not a bad scone, just rather big in my opinion and a bit heavy. This is probably because of my being spoiled by another coffee shop in Evanston that carries the best scone I've ever had (see my reviews ;-). But I digress as I did pick up a country loaf and found it to be the way bread once was when I was a kid. Try toasting it with a little European butter and jam... you'll see what I'm talking about. About four weeks after initially going in there, I returned with my mother, a wad of cash and I embarrassingly bought nearly every type of pastry in the case. Croissants, morning buns, cinnamon rolls, etc. Sure, I wanted her to try them, but I knew the ulterior motive of getting another fix was in the back of my head. This time around, I was intrigued by the brioche accented with a few seasonal berries. It had just the tiniest little hint of sugar and I could appreciate that it left most of the focus on the bread. If you're not a sweet tooth fan, then you'll certainly want to opt for this breakfast item. A word about pricing. Expensive? Sure, if you're accustomed to shelling out minimal cash for garbage. This place is worth every penny. It's a high quality bakery with hand forged items that are not mass produced, and in fact, I was immediately impressed that they frequently ran out of goods before the end of each day because it means they're doing it right. With that said, I haven't been back to Hewn in about two months. Not at all because of this glorious find, oh no. I'm just not willing to kick out a one hour zumba class in exchange for their fabulous tasty treats. On second thought, maybe I am... read more

Review for their fruit scone and kuoin aman: Both are dry. Scone is dense and lacks flavor. Order something else! read more

So glad I discovered this place while exploring Evanston. Absolutely the most delicious bread. The garlic Parmesan is a big hit in our home. Thank you Hewn! read more

Hewn Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

If you want the very best bakery goods in the Chicagoland area....as the saying goes ...run don't walk to HEWN.. My husband and I make the 1.5 hour trip from Grayslake at least once a week or as often as we can. Breads, blueberry muffins, croissants, & Monkey Bread.... We haven't tried every item YET....but each is on our list for 2020!!!! All are made with organically sourced ingredients & the quality and taste is unbelievable. You will never return to a store bought bakery item!!! WE Hewn. Only wish we lived closer read more

Fantastic artisan breads. May be the best in all of Chicago. Everything in the monrings is coming out of the ovens, and is still warm. We tried their savery scones, as well as their sweeter treats, and everything was fantastic. They also have great breads! My family can't stop referring people to them. read more

The first time I ever had Hewn's bread was at Quince during restaurant week, and after that I made it a goal to visit the bakery and eat more of the delicious things they have here. Everything I've had (and I've had quite a few pastries and loaves of bread) has been fantastic. The breakfast pastries are to die for, the Kouign Amanns revolutionized my world, and the bread is superb. If you're in the neighborhood--or even if you're not--, stop by and pick something up early before it's gone! read more

Heaven. The best baguette I've had, with the walk over from campus. The pastries slap. Best bakery around.

Very good chocolate croissant. Love the ambiance. My one yr old loves the bread here coffee is ok too.

The best bakery in Chicago is in Evanston!! Hewn is sooo good! The croissants, muffins and scones are delicious/top notch! Their bread is also so good. Don't forget to try their sandwiches, the caprese and veggie are my fave. I have tried their brownie, cookies and banana bread and all those were just not good/not worth getting. The other products are so good that is why Hewn gets 5 stars! read more