This is my favorite neighborhood cafe. They deliver exceptional value in both food quality and service. I've never had anything here that disappoints. The sweets are very hard to avoid... especially those damn monster cookies. Great kid friendly staff. They also have a great breakfast menu served on Sundays. read more

Having recently moved to Chicago with my partner, who is a Chicago native, he introduced me to Panes Bread Café, a Chicago staple since 1994! This place is amazing!! The place is really cute, and the food is just delicious! My partner ordered the Super Panes, which he last had about 10 years ago, and he said it was just like it was when he had it last and it brought back great memories! I selected the Spicy Philly, and it was truly delectable! The bread was very fresh, and the sandwich was made up of the best quality of ingredients, and ample sized as well! They also have a various selection of desserts, which we did not order on this visit, but all of them look so good, a must on the next visit! This will be a go to for us on many occasions, so glad I was able to experience such a great establishment! read more

I *LOVED* this place. This year I have the goal of visiting new restaurants --out of the ones I already know and love. Today I found this little gem through Yelp. What an amazing find! I had the green chilaquiles which were absolutely awesome. I'd rather have them be spicier (that's just me), but they were really good. A generous plate of chicken, scrambled eggs and tortillas with green tomatillo sauce + cream and queso fresco. Sided with breakfast red potatoes, this was a real winner. My kids had the mac & cheese which was made from scratch and really good. A highlight of this breakfast was the banana bread --which is made from scratch and baked in-house! This tasted gloriously while sipping my coffee before my chilaquiles came. Really good service, very clean and priced right. I cannot say enough good things about this place. Oh, it's cash only, so bring those crisp bills with you. I'll go back for sure and try the sandwiches and other breakfast dishes. read more

Just a note to let everyone know that Panes is changing its menu TODAY (2/22/08) to reflect new prices. With everything going up these days, it's no surprise that it's more expensive to provide quality food. They would have to up their prices SIGNIFICANTLY to keep me from coming, though. There are so few places where I'm consistently pleased with the food, which is impressive considering I've been dining here for 8 years! Panes is a staple of my life - I probably go about once a week. It's easy to get to (right off the Wellington Brown Line stop) and the food is dependably fresh and delicious! And SUCH a good price for such super food, it's hard for me to feel sorry for the yelpers who are turned off by the cash only part of it. $5 for a large FRESH sandwich on homemade bread with chips? Can't be beat. I recommend the Parisiano sandwich and most of the soups. Also, all of the salads I've had have been great - every now and then the tomatoes are lackluster, but, what do you expect in January? The pumpkin cheesecake and orange bread pudding are definitely worth the calories. And it's not that crowded at 6pm on weeknights, or before 10am on weekends. read more

I am STILL addicted to this place and now that I'm going to the Bar Method - which is right down the street - I have been frequenting WAY too much! Who can resist fresh baked bread, soups and have you ever had the monster cookie or peanut butter balls?!! YUM YUM YUM! P.S. Also noticed they are serving breakfast on Sundays ; ) read more

We absolutely love the sandwiches here!!! The menu is extensive and extremely reasonable regarding prices. We usually order the Turkey Turkey and the Todo Italiano with avocado, however always have a tough time deciding what we want while perusing through the menu. In addition, we travel 30 minutes just for one of those sandwiches! On another note, I usually enjoy ordering for pickup rather than dining in because last time it took about 30 minutes for a sandwich to be prepared for dining in. On the contrary, pickup usually takes 15 minutes and you can cut in front of those people holding up the line because they can't make a decision on what to order. My wife also feels as though they should specify what type of bread goes with each sandwich on their menu (and I agree). Only sandwiches with tomato bread are specified. She prefers wheat over white being the healthier choice. Could of been our bad for not just saying wheat instead of white. read more

I kind of love this place. I've been here twice and while I didn't love everything, I'd go back tomorrow and be quite happy. On a really nice night, the patio is beautiful. We sat outside today for a long time and it was comfortable and lovely. BLT = fabulous. The bread is great, the bacon, the lettuce/tomato...everything. I'd say in general all of the bread is good. We had the hummus, it was a bit weird but it tasted pretty fabulous on chips. I also had the garlic + butter bread, and it was pretty much just chunks of garlic on bread, which wasn't bad but some of the pieces were a tad overwhelming (and I LOVE garlic with passion). The banana bread was good. Lastly, and a bit sadly, both me and my dining companion were disappointed in the cookies. I can't explain why exactly, but they were not tasty. read more

Cute little cafe! Sandwiches are simple and fresh at a great price too! They make breads and desserts in house. I usually get the pompazo sandwich with flan or chocolate cake because I;m a creature of habit. Other popular ones are pollo loco? portabello? read more

This place is awesome. It is a family run joint that makes good honest food. Their prices are a steal when you consider the quality of the place; I love it for it's value. The Popular is probably my favorite sandwich thus far but I have a lot more to try! Where is their web page? I had to knock them a star for not having one or at least not making it easy to find. read more

I'm not sure how many times I've passed by this place without ever having eaten there. It never really grabbed my attentionGranted, I'm certain a good number of those times involved me stumbling down the street but still. Anyway, my girlfriend and I met up there one night after work and as I bit into my sandwich it suddenly occurred to me why she loved this place so much. That thing was f-ing delicious and she was right about the bread being outstanding. I devoured the turkey sandwich I had with no regrets. The prices are excellent but it did irk me that it was cash only but that's only because Meghan paid (she knew and didn't tell me.. clever girl) (she knows I like paying) (I've since learned to start carrying more cash). I can't wait to go back and explore the rest of the menu at Panes. read more

I came here with my five year old because she had a couple of appointments in Illinois Masonic across the street. It's a small counter service place, but they bring your food to you. We sat outside which is a little close to the street just because it's a pretty narrow sidewalk. My daughter had the "Jamon Con Alcachofas" pizza which had smoked ham, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers crumbled goatcheese and spicy tomato sauce. I had the Tortilla salad which was a typical salad named such. We shared each others and were both happy. The prices are great and if I'm in that neck of the woods again I'd go back. read more

Must try lunch spot. Always consistent and fantastic food, the polo diablo is a must try. Reasonable prices but bring cash! Homemade bread used for the sandwiches is very tasty...love the bread with a hint of rosemary. read more

One word, I'm OBSESSED with this place (ok it's 5 words, but who's counting). I lived around the corner from Panes for 3 years and ate there at least once a week but more often 2-3 times a week. The only limiting factor was if I had cash, but I gladly walked to the ATM to enjoy Panes. I've had just about everythign on the menu, all of their breads, soups. My favorites are the Turkey Turkey or the Sloppy Pollo (which is sloppy but worth every extra napkin). I'm a soup fanatic and their tomato bisque is one of the best I've ever tried. Love their Sunday brunch, I would always get the chicken chilaquiles, which personally beats some that I've had at authentic Mexican restaurants. This is a great neighborhood spot, stellar food, great staff. I miss living around the corner from there and every time I come back to Chicago I have to make a stop at my favorite sandwich place. read more

Went here for lunch today and got the Todo Italiano. It was very good, worth the price, and both the bread on my sandwich and the banana bread in the basket of free samples were soft, chewy, and delicious. Everything homemade bakery bread should be! The sandwich was yummilicious, but i had to dock a star for the wait. It took a good 30 minutes for me to get my order of one sandwich that by the time it came I had to ask for it to go. When i did, they replaced the homemade chips for a bag of Lays. Not cool! Don't punish the to-go people with crappy chips instead of fresh, homemade ones. I may be back, but if I do it will be when I have time to sit and wait and enjoy real chips with my sandwich. read more

I wasn't very hungry when I came here, which made me pretty sad, because everything on the menu sounds delicious. I got the Tortilla Salad (good choice), and the portions are pretty big. The fresh-baked bread is SO affordable and delicious--I've been snacking on the tomato bread, and also picked up a garlic & oregano loaf. If you want dessert, this is a great stop! I tried the brownie (baked with a York peppermint patty in the bottom), and it's SO rich that I couldn't even finish it (very odd, considering my limitless chocolate stomach). The cream puff was also good, according to my friend. I'd definitely come back!! read more

DESSERT REVIEW ONLY: Needed a late-night dessert place, and found Panes online. Perfect spot! Buyckeye ball (peanut butter covered in chocolate), coca-cola cake, nutella pie, and blueberry lemon pudding... all amazing. The Blueberry lemon pudding was *incredible*. Can't wait to come back for the food based on all of the positive reviews. As always, be prepared for cash only. read more

I'm giving Panes five stars based on one menu item. There BLT sandwich is the best in the city and to-date the best I have tasted anywhere. You must order it with cheese, after that just savor every bite. The bacon is cooked perfectly (no soggy bacon here), fresh tomatoes and lettuce, mix that with their home cooked bread :-) There is a reason this place gets great reviews, fair prices + great food = happy people. PS: for desert try the white chocolate rice pudding, Yum! read more

Very tasty sandwiches. The best part is the bread; they probably have the best sandwich bread in the city. My only complaint is the Pollo Diablo is not spicy at all. Also, spicy mayo is basically an oxymoron. read more

The Popular sandwich is pretty good. The monster cookie is great if you want something sweet! The food is solidly good, not great. I've never left disappointed but also never blown away. Just a sandwich. The prices are ok. My big complaint is CASH ONLY. I live just down the street and would probably go there much more often if they took cards but I never cary cash. Especially now that City Dough is across the street. CD is not as good but I've gotten lunch from there a couple times now just because I didn't have cash, even though I would have preferred Panes. read more

The sandwiches are decent and are their USP The breads however are overrated and very dry.. Tried them multiple times to give them the benefit of doubt. Was a fail every time read more

This is a great family run little shop. Fresh breads, cookies, excellent sandwiches. All freshly made and awesome. Been going here for many many years. We need to support places like this. I highly recommend trying it. The only complaint is that it is cash only. I totally understand this practice but it is just sooo annoying. There have been a few times that this has deterred me from going. read more

Love this place. The fresh bread is amazing and the Turkey, Turkey is my absolute favorite sandwich.

The sandwiches are incredible (and easily worth 4+ stars), but CASH ONLY is just shocking and a disservice to their customers. If Panes updates their poor business practice, this review will be updated to reflect that. It's understood that credit card processing incurs fees, which would come out of Panes' profits. But is a 30% fee really fair for customers that don't carry cash? Although there's an ATM onsite, it charges a $3 fee. Most banks (not Charles Schwab) charge an additional fee for using a non-bank ATM, so many customers will end up paying $6+ just to pull out that $20 to pay Panes in cash. So that $20 meal could end up costing an additional 30% because Panes doesn't want to incur a fee for credit cards... and I bet that ATM provider is paying Panes part of that $3 fee for the ability to have the ATM in their cafe... If Panes is really concerned about processing fees eating into their profits, then charge customers a convenience fee for credit cards. This also serves as an incentive to use cash. Square's rates range from 2.75% to 3.5% (+$0.15/transaction), so pass that fee onto your customers. Who wouldn't rather pay $0.55 - 0.85 instead of $3.00 - $6.00 additional for a $20 meal? Do your customers a favor and add a service to accept credit cards. It's totally possible without Panes incurring additional fees. Not only is it a bad business practice not to accept convenient options, but you're actively cheating your customers in the current model. read more

I live really close to panes and have tried many items on their menu. The omelettes are really well portioned for 7-8$, but aren't very flavorful. The sandwiches always have something missing, I don't know what it is. They are just good, not amazing. I always expect more from their bread based on the name of the place - I've had their tomato bread which is pretty good but the bread that comes with salad and soups is super average. Tastes like regular white bread to me. So overall - Pros: relatively quick, cheap, fresh hot food, big portions Cons: taste is average, cash only read more

Panes is so delicious and hits the spot every time! I pretty much always get my usual Turkey Turkey on the tasty tomato bread. The prices are not bad at all, keep in mind it's all cash only. All of the homemade breads and cookies are to die for. Definitely recommend if you're in the area. read more

Excellent fresh bread and sandwiches, small and cozy dining room, reasonably priced. Their tomato focaccia is perfect -- take a couple home with you for dinner, or get your sandwich on one. They also have a specials board to the right of the counter, which is easy to miss. read more

Panes Bread Cafe - Panes' sidewalk seating has flowers! - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

CHEAP & YUMMY!! You won't find a better sandwich for the price. Great specials daily & tasty breakfast on the weekends. Good selection of drinks (non-alcoholic) & not overpriced. If you need a fresh loaf of bread, look no further. Many other great items on the menu, but I primarily get sandwiches here. BEST COOKIE EVER...The "Monster Cookie" (only $1.00 & Huge)!! * Look at the menu, walk to the register to place your order, grab a table & wait about 5 minutes for your food to come out to you (they give you card with a number on it so they can find you). It helps if you bring your basket & trash up to the corner left of the register since they don't have a dedicated wait staff (helps keep the menu so cheap I'm sure). ENJOY!!! You'll come back I'm sure & don't forget the Monster Cookie!!!!! read more

Holy CRAP! Where have you been all my life? My friend took me here for lunch the other day and it was the best decision he ever made for me. The crabcake sandwich was the special and it was. Everyone ordered something bizarre and yet appealing to the inner gourmet and everyone was happy. Incredibly happy. Honeymoon happy. (Sick, isn't it?). The outdoor seating was a huge plus, particularly on the gorgeous day we went. read more

The sandwiches are large and in terms of taste and quality, they're way above average. This ain't no Jimmy John's. I wouldn't go there if you're in a rush. When they take your order, you're given a number and your food comes out after you sit down. Tables with different numbers may experience different delivery times. If you sit outside you might begin to worry they forgot you. read more

I went in expecting more of a bakery and was surprised that a "bread cafe" would have so little bread and other baked goods. Despite the change in plans, the sandwiches were decent. Just decent and worth the long wait-time and the scowling cashier. I'll go back to try other sandwiches and deserts, but I know not to expect anything epic. read more

Amazing, in one word. I had their veggie sandwich with yellow squash, spinach, and mushrooms and a ton of goat cheese. It was exactly what i wanted and so delicious! I also tried their truffles and bullseyes; i could seriously eat a dozen of the bulleyes they were so good! read more

This is my favorite lunch spot in Chicago. Pure heaven. They bake the bread fresh here and have marvelous sandwiches. Go for the tomato focaccia bread. It is soft and packed with flavor. The best sandwich on the menu is called "The Popular". Sandwich is loaded with chicken, spinach and crmelized onions on the tomato focaccia bread. Yum! Also a winner is their pulled pork sandwich. Just a standard sandwich but they do it oh so well. Also worth noting are the monster cookies. They are basically the best cookie ever. They are huge and packed with just about everything. On rare occasion, they have an oatmeal cranberry cookie that is alos delish. Overall the price is super affordable. You can get a sandwich (they come with chips in the sandwich basket), a cookie, and a drink for $8 or $9 and this place is gourmet for lunch in my opinion. FYi, it is cash only. read more

Panes is one of my all-time favorite Chicago stops. It is located off the Wellington Brown Line and is outstanding. I always get the Pollo Diablo. It is very spicy and very good. Add extra cheese for more kick. The desserts are great too. The only reason it is not 5 stars is they still only take cash, which stinks but at least they deliver now and have for the past couple years. read more

Amazing sandwich & bread shop! I'm a huge fan of the El Parisino sandwich. Everything here is extremely fresh and good. Highly recommend the Tortilla soup! Recommend going early if you are looking to bring a loaf of bread home. read more

Delicious i mean, DELICIOUS bread! The sweet french baguettes are my favorite ever! There are soups, salads, and great sandwiches. They also have truffles and desserts ... the chocolates are unique and ... delicious... bc everything is pretty much delicious. They have seating indoor and outside, so its really nice to be able to eat out and bring your dog in the summer. Panes is CA$H ONLY ... so don't forget bc if you are like me and sometimes do... it can be annoying. read more

This place is unreal. I've eaten here with a co-worker twice for lunch. It was been unreal both times. The bread is fantastic and the sandwiches are fresh and hot (for hot ones, obviously). I love that they give simple potato chips with the sandwiches. I had the chicken club and if I hadn't heard about everything else being so good I would get it every time. It was really, really good. I also had the Super Panes next time. That was also very good, just not as good as the chicken club. But still very good. The food is definitely affordable. Great lunch prices and atmosphere. Love the simple environment. I also tried their buckeyes. They are peanut butter balls covered in chocolate. I'm not that into chocolate but love peanut butter and they were very good. If you are in the area, you have to try this place. I can't wait to go back. read more

My boyfriend and I love this joint! Their sandwiches are amazing! It was our second time here and we will for sure be back for a third. Their tomato bread is divine! The popular and the polla diablo are excellent. I don't eat bacon, though my boyfriend had the chicken club which he loved! Their Sandwiches are huge so I usually eat half and bring the rest home! We haven't had the desserts yet, but their banana bread and cookies look awesome! Bring cash! Yum! They also have a great patio for the days in the summer when it is not blazing out! I recommend trying this place! read more

Panes surprises you with their unique and fresh ingredient mexican- italian menu. Ranging from Quesadillas to Cavatapi youll definitely find something delicious and rich in flavor to captivate your senses. This cafe is cute and a very cozy place. It is the perfect relaxed atmosphere and with its artistic Mexican decor it'll make you feel right at home. Dont leave this place without picking up one of their homemade breads and sweet treats. read more

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Delightful lunch spot! Hearty soups, homemade bread galore, and filling sandwiches! I went with 3 friends, we each spent less than $10 and left stuffed! Our fav was the Pollo Diablo Sandwich. Enjoy! read more

I love this place the food is awesome! they have great soups and I've heard the pizzas are good but I have not tried them yet. I always get the turkey turkey sandwich which is amazing!!! They take some time making a couple sandwiches but when you get them it will be so worth it! They also have a cute pet friendly patio which I love to visit with my puppy :) Yeah yeah they don't take credit cards but their prices are quite reasonable and it is very good :D Too bad for my wallet I live a block away because it contributes to me being a regular :P you cant go wrong with this place! You can also buy loaves of bread to take home for breakfast or whatever !! I think they bake it there thats why its so good!! read more