came here twice. first time got the chocolate morning brioche and the second time got the carda sugar monkey bread. both visits I paired it with col brew coffee. The coffee is really good so I'd def return for that. I liked both pastries but I'd have to give the win to the brioche. it was really good. read more

Publican Quality Bread - Cardamom sugar monkey bread - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Saw they were baking a brownie inside a croissant so naturally I had to try it. Turns out I wasn't the only one with this idea as I had to wait about 30 minutes in line. The inside is very small but with open windows it is pretty cool to see the bakers in action. The brownie was pretty good with a soft texture and the croissant contrasted that softness with its flakiness. Along with the croissant I ended up getting a hummingbird cake. It was moist but lacked pineapple as I only got one small piece. Basically a banana bread with cream cheese frosting. These were two unique pastries but nothing special. read more

Publican Quality Bread - Croissant brownie - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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First time here today, surprised I haven't stopped by in all these years of living in the neighborhood. Bread was amazing and reasonably priced. Will keep coming back! read more

Great quality breads and bakery items. This location clearly bakes for and supplies numerous restaurants and other retail purveyors but offers a unique selection of their offerings for sale to walk-in customers. Small inside space but outdoor seating is an option in good weather. Street parking in this area can be a challenge depending on time of day but it's worth the effort. read more

Very limited selection even at 9:30am on a Monday. Be careful when you come as items come out sequentially throughout the morning (see menu photo). We tried the kougn aman and it was good but not the best we've ever had. I wish the ham and cheese wasn't sold out, would've tried that too. The pre made sandwiches were chicken but not sure they warranted the $13 price tag they weren't very large or noteworthy. Will come back to try the big sandwiches and tartines. read more

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Today April 22nd 2025 I was on my way to work via the 290. I got on Austin blvd going eastbound when I encountered a driver in a Publican Quality Bread truck with plate #349753 or #349743 entering the ramp at Austin at the same time I did he was trying to merge into traffic but illegally and when he couldn't merge he took his anger out on my car by throwing a can of red beverage at my car and the beverage exploded all on my passenger side . Why would he risk his job or someone's life throwing a can of beverage at my car that caused me to swerve outta traffic due to him startling me when the beverage hit my car that could've caused a major accident read more

Best fresh bread in chicago! If you are looking for fresh bread and pastries look no further.

After reading the reviews, I was fully prepared for the pastries to be sold out by the time I went at 12:30pm on a Sunday. I was so happy that they had a decent selection of pastries, sandwiches and bread. I found a parking spot right in front on Grand, but can see parking being an issue sometimes. There were about 5 people in the store when I walked in. It was busy, but quick service. The staff was nice and happy to answer questions about what each of the items were. I purchased The Big sandwich (pizza bianca, smoked turkey, chipotle kumquat, arugula, pickled green tomatoes, roasted squash, cotija, oregano, mayo)--WOW. It was delicious and I was left wanting more! I forgot to take a photo. I believe their Big Sandwiches rotate weekly, but hope this one makes a reappearance. I also got a pistachio/amarena cherry maritozzi and a chocolate eclair filled with raspberry cream. The maritozzi was divine and the filling was the lightest/fluffiest cream. The eclair wasn't that great and it became very soggy from the filling. The filling was good, but I didn't like the pastry itself, due to the texture and bitterness from the chocolate pastry. read more

Publican Quality Bread - Pistachio/amarena cherry maritozzi & chocolate eclair with raspberry cream filling - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Spectacular pastries. Great bread. Just can't go wrong. My only problem was not buying everything.

Best sourdough in the city!!! Just tried their pastries & coffee for the first time (croissant was absolutely massive!!!) but the sourdough is the star for sure! Great service and cute cafe area as well read more

Came here for the big sandwich and was not disappointed. If I had been in town longer, I would have likely bought *all the bread* read more

Publican Quality Bread - 1/2 pound of the big sandwich: roast beef edition. - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My favorite items here are the croissants. They are tender and flaky. I haven't tried all of their items, but I will be back!

The BEST ham cheese and butter sandwich I've ever had. Wow. Even left half to eat later and was divine warmed up a little.

I'm gently obsessed with crusty sourdough bread, coming from a crusty sourdough bread country, and having even more appreciation for it since I tried it myself, in the spring of 2020 and onwards, as so many did. Yesterday, I brought home a loaf of Publican's Seeded Rye, cut off a slice, buttered it, and enjoyed the best piece of bread I've ever had. It's an adult flavor, the crust's color pushed to its edge. The sourdough's tartness is wonderfully mellow, but what I love most is the might of the nigella: on the nose, in each bite. It's perfect, and boy will I be back. read more

I have to be honest, I feel like this is the best bakery in Chicago. I literally crave this place! I don't know how I haven't reviewed it yet. Between the various tartine options and the pistachio cream puff I'm drooling right now. The bread is insane here they make it with crack flour or something I do not know. Everything is so fresh. They even make good coffee/lattes. See you next week! Or maybe this weekend. Happy Holidays read more

Publican Quality Bread - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Ok, got my preordered Panettone and here's my review. It was much bigger than I expected which was a pleasant surprise. It was packaged as if it was being delivered to royalty. The flavors...here we go! The crust was crunchy and inviting, for sure. Light speckles of dark chocolate with nuances of candied orange. This was absolutely spectacular! Nice job, Greg! The girls couldn't find the poker chip though... read more

I have been DYING to try the big sandwich at lunch, but made it in for pastries first: snagged a cardamom monkey bread and a blueberry danish as I couldn't decide. The monkey bread was divine! Moist center with a crunchy top, cinnamon sugar and some honey inside...wonderful, unique flavor. Danish was OK. The center could have had more filling in my opinion, but a great flavor all around. This is a take away spot, and parking is not super easy. Clean establishment, friendly staff and La Colombe coffee!!! read more

Publican Quality Bread - Left - cardamom monkey bread Right - blueberry danish - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing food!!! My favorite is the danske which was a sesame roll with cheese and butter. The big sandwhich was made with high quality ingredients and was so fresh and tasty. When we went back like ten minutes later for a focaccia they were already sold out of the danske and making more. Staff there are super friendly and knowledgable. read more

One of the best bread makers in Chicago. Period. Besides bread they also have a lot of other goodies.

Ordered almost everything from Publican. Wish I had pictures to show but everything was so good very low key bread shop. While I was there I saw someone purchase 7 loaves of bread. read more

The best quality bread. This is coming from a person who is always looking for artisan, carefully crafted breads, in every city I visit. This place is the BEST I've found in Chicago. Especially when you catch their just baked breads out of the oven. At 1pm they make the jambon buerre sandwich served in a baguette with cheese and whole grain mustard. The others in my party loved it. Everyone in line was ordering one to two. I had a piece of the baguette and I immediately dashed back in to order two whole baguettes. They were hot and crispy, fresh out of the oven. The savory flavor of the bread...amazing! The inside sourdough bubbly texture...outstanding! The exterior crisp and chew...perfection! read more

Unorganized and poorly stocked. Really wanted to love this bakery because I love the quality of their breads. Made a special trip all the way here to get the specialty pastries that are so heavily advertised on Instagram. Their Insta page is filled with pictures of cruffins, maritozzi, danishes, etc. The pastry case was mostly empty save for a few cookies, a couple of tomato danishes and morning buns. I was lucky enough to get the last chocolate croissant, which was excellent; however, I would have liked to have purchased several. Where are all the pastries that you advertise? It was a Friday at 11:30 am. Surely, you must be prepared for more weekend volume. From what other reviewers say, coming in at 7 or 8 am, nothing is ready. Aside from the chocolate croissant, I also purchased a 1979 multigrain bread. It was absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked with a crunchy exterior and full of grains and nuts. The quality is definitely there. It was just a huge disappointment that we were not able to try most of the products that they sell. Great concept and product, but very unorganized. Not worth the trip unless they can keep their products fully stocked. read more

I've had Publican's bread before through the local store, and one day when I had some free time,I decided to go and find the store I'd heard they opened.it was a fairly long walk from Fulton Market, but it was a nice day so I went for it. When I got there,the queue was going right along the wall so I joined and it moved fairly quickly. The store has some great theatre as you can see the bread being prepared while you wait your turn,and it's always nice to get a fresh loaf at the source. Great selection of pastry too,I picked up a maritozzi. The products are great,the staff helpful too,One thing to note is that while there is a little outdoor seating there is no indoor seating so you'd need to take your food home. But it's excellently crafted and a great little place to know. read more

Publican Quality Bread - Honey oat porridge bread - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place gets five stars because they have the best pastries in the morning. Not only are they fresh but very, very good. I often stopped here on my way to work and get myself a nice hot, cuppa coffee with a nice muffin. read more

We love Publican Quality bread! From their bread, their pastries, to their sandwiches, pizza, etc - every bite is delicious!! This is a favorite neighborhood spot of ours that we frequent for breakfast or bread. We recently used them to cater a party of ours and it was amazing. They were easy to work with and their catering meal was just as good as in-store. We would definitely work with them again in the future, and will continue to stop in regularly to see what's on their ever-changing pastry menu! read more

I come here for the tartines (toasts), which are delicious and intricate, unlike the plain and bland avocado toasts you'll find at most cafes. Definitely 5/5. It's important to note that they don't start serving these delectable tartines until 10am. Pastry wise, I'd rate it 3/5. Nothing in particular calls out to me. I ordered the pistachio maritozzi with maraschino cherries. There was only one cherry, which is sad because the combination of pistachio cream with the cherries is incredible. The danishes are always a safe choice. The tomato danish needs salt. It's just so bland. Overall, 4/5 stars. read more

Basically, all take out orders but really freaking good baked items. All fresh and delicious. Can't wait to try the rest!

So all these reviews complaining about items sold out or not ready in the morning - I'm not sure how much clearer the signage on IG or photos posted on SM about how the bakery produces. I'm a foodie and know if I wanna try the goods I need to get there early. My Nia it was great. But I also biked so parking wasn't an issue. Some pastries were out when they opened and in the 15 mins another customer and I were viewing the tasties more came out. It's called a rolling start. Needless to say everything they had was available at 7am. I chose the brioche with lemon curd and blueberry. The brioche was flaky and dense and lemon curd not too sweet with just enough sour. I sat outside to enjoy and during the 45 mins I was there on this Saturday morning there was no "rush". I went back in to thank them and found more pastries including croissants - ham and cheese, plain and chocolate came out. The croissant is high and flaky if not missing a butter flavor. All the pastries were still served warm at that point. I don't know if there were many trays of each or a couple of pans of each. I also bought a day toasted sesame sourdough ($4) which they offered to slice for me. It's delicious wonderful deep sour dough smell w a great crust. I recommend it dipped in EVOO and tamari. Or slathered with your fav. As others have mentioned the bakery posts the daily schedule of what comes out of the ovens when. Plan accordingly. The gentlemen was definitely a morning person. Chatty, explained items, let us know what was coming out. I'd say the two women not so much liking the morning gig. Go, go early, or whenever you want and enjoy what's available. If you need want some bread - you can order ahead, I saw people coming in to pickup orders waiting - it was bread not pastries. We're lucky to have this artisan bakery in Chicago. Enjoy it. read more

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It was surprising how unappetizing everything was. Especially given all the reviews. Both the sandwich and what meager pastries were available. Hard brittle and either tasteless or way too sugary. I rarely waste food but threw out all the pastries after two halfhearted bites -- tells you everything you need to know. Not to mention the staff act like they're doing you a favor taking your money. Maybe you have to go when it opens at 7am to stand in line for an hour to get it fresh? But not sure why anyone would waste time for this. (2 stars bc 1 star is for those with sanitary issues) read more

Bread is amazing. Cute store tables outside but it was raining when I went. Had a special latte which was very good

My sister took me to PQB as a birthday treat. I have to say that the ladies behind the counter are not friendly. My sister asked for milk and was told they didn't have a way of putting that charge in the system, so she didn't get her milk. The pastries were good. The cardamom monkey bread needs more cardamom. Needless to say, we will not be going back. read more

I know I'm late to the party but if you haven't been for pizza Thursdays, put it on your calendar. Love the pastries and coffee, too. Cheers to the chef and the friendly folks in the front. read more

Items: Kouign-amann, maritozzi, oat milk latte The kouign-amann was so buttery good. And the crystalline sweetness it had on top added a nice crunch to the overall pastry. As for the maritozzi, I could not get enough of the sweetness of the bread and the contrasting savory flavor of the cream. I wish I had gotten a second or third. The latte as-is was...meh? But in combination with the pastries I got, I think it worked. Will definitely come back for more. read more

Wow, I had an amazing experience there. The people were lovely and the croissants and bread were of high quality!

The best sourdough in the city. I've tried several places in Chicago (as well as Milwaukee) and I keep coming back to Publican. Excellent pastries as well. read more

We have been there several times. The bread is usually good though expensive with lots of extra charges on the receipt. Last week the cashier was actually abusive and criticized my companion and me. We are both senior women and I was so shocked at her comments that I was almost in tears. I will not be returning. read more

While their bread is really good I think paying more than $5 for one pastry is a bit much. This is definitely a place to visit when you wanna treat yourselves for good high quality pastry items and bread. read more

Wow , this place is a MESS! Front of the house sucks big time!!!!! Sunday morning at 7:30 AM I was told the wait for a cruffin was 20 min. 30 min later......upps, there was a misunderstanding and there's going to be another 20 min wait!!! Every week-end I bought from them, the kitchen was always running behind. What's the point of opening at 7 AM if you don't have most of your pastries out? Why isn't there a phone where people could call and ask what is available? Pastries are good,but not worth the waste of energy... read more

Happened to pass Publican quality bread on my lunch break at work. Stopped in and got some pastries. The chocolate croissant was delicious and so was the coffee. Everything is made fresh in store. The wait time was not long at all and the staff were supper friendly. If you are only getting pastries and coffee it is affordable. If you end up getting sandwiches or salads or their homemade bread it becomes more expensive. read more

It's expensive, but it's good. Sandwiches sell out early so try not to go too late in the day or your selection will be limited.