The short version: family came in 1901, opened up bakery in 1904, it became one of the staples on Little Italy and the family survived the Great Depression, still giving to the community that needed help. In 2007, his daughter (Annette) who held open the business at the age of 90, decided it was time to say good bye to the Bakery. Oh but wait, great grand niece begins construction to open up tradition again in 2010 and, by 2013 (May) once again little Italy has regained it's long lost staple once again! What a pleasant shop, and the donuts, can I say it louder? THE DONUTS! Seriously well worth the few miles walk at lunchtime. I ended up getting a Sopressata Sandwich (an Italian dry salami) provolone, hot giardinera and arugula in this wonderful home made biscuit type of bread. I mean although eating could be tricky, I managed to taste it and savored every last bite! If this is what going back in time is then I need a time machine. Incredible! And the fact that I sat in a vintage living room couch and table, it added to the experience. Including not to mention their 1940's music playing ever so softly as you have conversation with a friend. Oh I know Luigi would be smiling at this, and if you look around the bakery you will notice Luigi and the rest of the family staring back as the family is in vintage photos all over. This in fact takes you to the time that little Italy was in it's beginning stages. It felt personal and you were part of the era. Use your YELP check in to get great percentages off items! Located next door to Sweet Maple! Can't miss it. And they open at 6 AM! read more

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We came here for the promise of apple donuts. They... unfortunately really were not that good. They were dry, somewhat shriveled and too sweet. I think I will stick to getting apple donuts from actual apple orchards from now on. We also had a egg breakfast sandwich which was decent enough. The staff was very welcoming and nice to us and there were places where you could sit and chillax. read more

Great pizza and lemon bars! Always fresh and friendly service. Classic cookies are also flavorful!

Such a cute little spot. Went in after we saw the apple cider donut sign and grabbed one. I also grabbed the last lemon ricotta cookie they had. The apple cider donuts was delicious. I just f'n love fall!!! After brunch next door, (Sweet Maple Cafe) we went back in so the other ladies could grab some coffee and pastries. I heard nothing but good things! Go get some pastries! read more

I ordered online over two weeks ago and nothing has arrived yet nor have I received any communication. I sent an email inquiring about the order and no one responded. The tracking link on the website says "processing". If you can't deliver orders in a timely manner, you shouldn't do business online. I will be reporting this to my credit card company as fraud. read more

Independently owned bakeries just have a way of pulling me in. This fun find is right next door to Sweet Maple Cafe. While we were waiting for brunch, we popped in for a quick look. There were a few tables and chairs and plenty of goodies in the case! The staff was welcoming and overall this was a nice spot to spend a little time with friends. They had so many traditional Italian treats like pignoli (pine nut) cookies, lemon knots, lemon ricotta cookies, filled to order cannoli with pistachios and/or chocolate chips, olive oil cakes and more! There were plenty of non-Italian baked goods as well. Lots of different cookies, cupcakes, donuts and plenty of sugary goodness to choose from. I split an Apple cider donut with a friend just to get a taste and it was a hit! Later, I enjoyed a white chocolate chip cranberry oatmeal cookie that called to me from the case and it was crisp on the edge and chewy in the center the way a good oatmeal cookie should be. If you're nearby, it's definitely worth checking out! read more

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A breath of fresh air from other places in the city! Scafuri Bakery is a cozy, quaint bakery that offers dozens of baked goods in the Taylor Street area! On the outside this place may seem like any other shop, but, walking in, I felt like I had been transported into a warm, inviting home! Everywhere I looked, family photos lined the walls. Overall, the furniture and decorations left me with a pleasant, homey vibe and a desire to relax and enjoy the pastries for a while. I ended up getting the honey lavender latte and a piece of English toffee. I was definitely satisfied with what I got. The English toffee had just the right amounts of pecans to it which gave a nice crunchy texture to the otherwise smooth dark chocolate and shortbread cookie. It was sweet, but not overly sweet that I could not enjoy the sweetness and flavor of my latte. My latte ended up being the winner of the day. While I have had honey lavender lattes before, they have always had a lack of flavor and ended up tasting more like coffee. This latte was different in the fact that I could taste the hints of honey and lavender with every sip. All together, I really enjoyed my visit here. I was able to get a lot of work done (they have free wifi that is a good speed), and I was able to enjoy their baked goods. My only regret was not trying any of the Italian cookies they offered but that only means more reason to come back! read more

Scafuri Bakery - English toffee and honey lavender latte - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered a two tiered custom cake. Top tier a red velvet and second tier a yellow cake with raspberry filling. Cake was tilted upon arrival to event. Fondant was cracked and the level of the stripes were uneven. The cake also was dry. Very disappointed. read more

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Such a great local bakery and coffee shop. Always friendly service. There is a reason it's been in business for over 100 years! Do yourself a favor and visit this amazing family owned business! read more

Although I'm walking distance I wish I lived closer. They have such great choices I want to try them all!! Will definitely be coming back for more as much as I can! They are open currently Thursday-Sunday 8am-1pm I think. I would always double check with their social media accounts they post sneak peaks of their baked goods for the day read more

Scafuri Bakery - Caramel banana scone - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered a cake for my friend on Monday and was able to get it Wednesday which was nice. We all loved the cake. It was exactly the design I wanted and tasted delicious. I got a vanilla cake with raspberry filling and salted caramel icing. The icing didn't really taste like salted caramel but it was nice and not too sweet. You were able to eat a slice without it being sickly sweet like some cakes can be. Will definitely be back here for my baked goods needs. read more

Scafuri Bakery - 6 inch vanilla cake with raspberry filling and salted caramel icing. Delicious! - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I happened to be in a building were someone was using pastries from this bakery as a raffle for free apartment cleaning so I helped myself to some treats. I do not care too much for sweets but everything I tasted was so good that I could not stop eating. I later discovered that the person raffling tickets is friends with the owner of the shop which is located in Little Italy. Will certainly check it out again. read more

Scafuri Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Walked to Scafuri on several Saturday mornings hoping to pick up a fresh loaf of bread. Completely empty bread shelves on both occasions. Clueless UIC student working the counter: "sorry we didn't make any bread". This is a bakery on a Saturday morning right? "Hidden gem" my butt - this place is a dump. read more

I can tell you that they care about customer service here! I came back to try a couple new things. The double chocolate cake donut was a sweet treat and very appealing to the eye. I also left with a mushroom arugula scone, which I had for breakfast the next day. It was a little on the salty side, but I appreciated the creativity in the flavor combo. read more

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! Sasha was very rude on the phone. I had called because my order still was not shipped out after 1 week of being placed. She told me that she didn't have time to look up my order and give me an update. I needed my order for a Christmas party and 14 days later, it's still not here. I am now traveling out of state without my order. I will have to dispute my VISA charge now...NEVER AGAIN will I deal with this company and recommend that no one else does either. read more

Adorable family bakery. I was in the area and decided to stop in and was so pleasantly surprised. They have a delicious assortment of all baked goods and some breads as well. I very much enjoyed the croissant and the chocolate donut. Support local! read more

ThIs is based on my online order experience. I made an online order 8 days ago and have yet to receive an update on when my order will be shipped. I am expecting this by Christmas Eve. At this point, it will not arrive in time. I have emailed them with no response. I tried calling and the phone goes directly to voicemail. I left a message with no response. I chose this bakery for a mail order based on yelp and google reviews and I'm very disappointed. I didn't have time to bake my own cookies this year and now I have nothing to offer my guests for Christmas Eve dinner. I hate leaving a poor review but with unresponsivness and not fulfilling my order, I have no choice. Update, I received a package from Scafuri bakery with somebody else's order. The cookies in that box are all dried up and broken. Not only can they not handle online ordering and processing but the quality of their cookies is unacceptable. I will never order from them again and I recommend if you're making an online order you reconsider. read more

Such a cute little bakery! We stopped by on a sleepy Sunday morning to grab donuts and coffee (the ultimate healthy breakfast). It was such a delightful surprise to encounter a cozy environment with quiet music, free wifi, and the best apple cider donuts I've found in Chicago so far! Soft, fluffy and coated in cinnamon sugar... yum. Coffee was decent too, nice and hot. We also got turnovers to go. I'm excited to eat them in the morning. read more

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This hidden gem provided the best coconut Macaroon I've ever had! We ended up here on the recommendation of a friend, and it was totally worth the long L ride and little walk from the touristy downtown area. We all enjoyed the pastries and ended up buying a box of cookies for the trip home. The walk through the neighborhood from the train station was really nice. read more

No cash lol!!! They would not take my money!! They had no one inside, which is very sad! So thank you Scafury for the good sweets that'll always buy from Artopolis from now on!! read more

Excellent Italian bakery with clean and cozy cafe area. Canoli prepared when ordered. Delicious bakery items and classic cookies. read more

Scafuri Bakery - Bakery cafe on Taylor across from new Little Italy library. - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm kind of obsessed with this place. I first stopped there to get some cannoli for an Italian dinner party and when the guests wouldn't stop raving that it was the best thing they'd ever had (and I had to agree), I knew I was hooked. It's true though. Everything there is TO DIE FOR. Then, added bonus - the people who work there are wonderful and sweet. It's always such a pleasure to chat with them. read more

What a disappointment! Poor selection including no bread. What I did purchase was so disgusting I took a bite and discarded the rest. Go any place but here. read more

I needed to order Paczkis and King Cake for our office Mardi Gras celebration. Googled places in Chicago and even contemplated ordering some from NOLA to be shipped. I decided to check out Yelp and found that Scafuri was rated #1 for King Cakes in Chicago. Figured I'd give them a shot. The online pre-order was easy and convenient. I scheduled a messenger to have the goods picked up and delivered. The boxes were still warm and the smell of freshly baked bread spread through the office like wild fire. I was so impressed that with the volume of order (I'm sure they received a lot) that everything was so fresh. I placed the Paczkis and King Cakes out and people swarmed around to admire the beauty and devour them. I had the custard Paczki and it was AHHHMAZZING! The bread was light and fluffy, almost like a croissant, and the filling was also light and so creamy. I was most impressed by the specs of vanilla bean spread throughout the custard. I've had Paczkis before, and never really liked them because they pretty much tasted like jelly doughnuts, but this....this Paczki was life-changing. I expected the King Cake to be pretty plain and well just bread. It was surprisingly light and delicious. I ordered the pecan cream cheese and also ordered the cinnamon. Both were a hit and exceeded many expectations. With all that said, I'll definitely only order Paczkis and King Cake from Scafuri in the future. So sad they don't have Paczkis year round. read more

Scafuri Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had a work potluck and I was scrambling to find a place where I could buy some homemade goodness. I googled bakeries nearby and came across Scafuri Bakery and that it was open at 7 am (I start work from 8) so I thought, yas, yas, yas!!! It's oh Taylor street and conveniently walking distance from the Illinois Medical District. It's a quaint and cute bakery, really makes you feel like you're at home. I picked out a few goodies, a lemon loaf, chocolate brownies and a box of cookies for a total of $34. I really didn't get my money's worth at all. The lemon loaf or lemon bread whatever you want to call it was not fresh and it was not moist. In fact, it was rather bland. The espresso s'mores brownies looked much better than they tasted. If it wasn't for the frosting, it would have no taste because it was dry and flavorless. There was no chocolate goodness about it- no extra umpf that sets it apart from a regular chocolate cake. The cookies were good and tasted fresh. For the amount I paid, I don't think I got my money worth. I think I would have been better off going to jewel. Update: I went back here to try the Lemon ricotta again because I love, love, love anything made with lemon. I once again ordered the lemon ricotta and I have to say, it was much better this time. It was tender, moist and chewy. It tasted fresh and it most certainly had that umpf it previously lacked. This lemon riccota is made according to European standards and it is a true example of a customary European dessert. If you're in the mood for a little slice of Europe, this is the bakery to check out. I love to have a little extra lemon glaze in my lemon pound cake or ricotta so my only suggestion would be to put a little extra glaze because it would only compliment the tenderness of the lemon ricotta. As always, this is truly a very welcoming atmosphere and you certainly feel at home! read more

Scafuri Bakery - Lemon Riccota - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

When the old Scafuri closed, and the reborn Scafuri reopened thanks to the family's appreciation for what their immigrant grandparents created, we were so pleased to see how they remodeled and brought it into the next new century. Beside their great selection from the counter of your not-so-typical Italian cookies and pastries, they make great special occasion cakes. Trying to make a selection isn't easy because they all sound so good, but we REALLY enjoyed the lemon-vanilla cake with raspberry jam filling. The cake itself is a medium density, and the jam's natural "liquor" soaks into the cake - creating Mmmmms from everyone eating it. That's the ultimate compliment! Another tasty one is the chocolate cake with cannoli filling. I think what we appreciate is that the cakes and frostings are not overly sweet. You can really taste all of the ingredients when your not overwhelmed with sugar! Enjoy something different for your next party. read more

Scafuri Bakery - Lemon-vanilla cake w/raspberry jam filling and whipped cream frosting! Man...so good! - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very disappointing the manner in which Scafuri Bakery handled my online order. It has taken over 10 days from the order to be processed, and after almost 20 days my order is nowhere to be found. Also, the manner in which they accept orders, very well knowing in advance they can not faithfully make and transport the order borders on deception. I do not recommended them at all unless you live near them. I was charged money and never received my order to this date. I asked for refund and was denied. Not customer focused at all. read more

I just recently moved to Chicago and was looking for a bakery for my husband's surprise birthday party. I wanted a 'MAD MEN' themed party so after contacting a couple of bakeries, I picked Scafuri and I am so glad I did. Kelly contacted me right away and we patiently went over my order via email (which was a big help for me). I sent her a picture of the cake I wanted and she was happy /excited to help me with it. Scafuri also helped me with my party favors, which were 4 different kinds of specialized cookies and all I had to do is tell them my ideas. They were PERFECT! The prices were very reasonable and my guests totally loved the cake and cookies.   I would recommend this bakery to anyone who wants to stick to a budget and yet have a classy birthday party with absolutely delicious goodies. P.S the staff at the bakery who helped me were super sweet. I loved my whole experience with Scafuri. Thank you guys for making my party successful. Falak. read more

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Well it's only their soft opening today but their lights are on, no credit cards yet (but soon), and you can get some butter cookies, scones, donuts, and pizza bread. I picked up some chocolate spice cookies along with I believe ricotta pound cake flowers. Kelly's leading this era of Scafuri. Stop by and say hi. It was already 2 p.m. so supplies were already running short, but it's their soft launch. I'll give them five stars benefit of the doubt and review update later. read more

I've been here a few times, the most recent time to try their paczkis which were all gone by the time I got there [sad face]. If you want some of their more popular baked goods (donuts and such) it seems you have to go in the morning. I was able to get a few cookies on my most recent trip here, which were pretty good, but not the best Italian cookies I've had, not sure they're worth the price. Their soft baked goods like the donuts are better. I was able to try the paczkis that a classmate had gotten earlier in the day and those were delicious. The place itself is small, I've seen people studying or meeting here, but there's only a handful of tables, so no guarantees you'll definitely find a place to sit and study. But the place is cute, and the staff is friendly. Free wifi (code is at the checkout)! I'd stop by if I was in the neighborhood, but not a place I'm really going out of my way for. read more

I decided to try Scafuri's after seeing this bakery for some time now. Very cozy with antiquish photos on the wall cool music playing in the background. They have a small selection of pastry items for sale( the waitress said they sold out early) but what was there looked good. The olive oil zucchini cake and lemon ricotta cake caught my eye. After much back n forth I chose the lemon cake. They even sell them in a regular loaf size and the baby cake size. The lemon cake was very dense, had a nice chew with flecks of vanilla beans sprinkled throughout the cake. The lemon icing was very good also. When you check in on FB, you get 3 free Italian cookies too. I will return for coffee and the zuchini cake soon. read more

Scafuri Bakery - Lemon Ricotta Baby Cake - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good morning Something good about Chicago !! They have lots of bakery stores everywhere and the bread is fresh and delicious!! read more

Scafuri Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I asked for recommendations specifically of their Italian desserts and she pointed me towards the danishes which was really odd. My first visit I came for a taste test before buying for a party. I found the lemon baby cake to be excellent but when I returned they neither had the lemon baby cake or the sfogliatella which I came for, having been told they would have them on weekends (wouldn't be ready until 1030am which seems quite late for a bakery). I got the lemon loaf instead along with the chocolate loaf and they were both disappointing and pretty dry. read more

Great selection- makes super delicious pastries and it's well priced, like even more so seeing as it is a bakery in an amazing location in Chicago! They have so many different options for events and their pricing for those are also so reasonable. I ordered a desert bar from them (5 dozen) and they were a hit at my event. read more

I called prior to ordering asking if they offered king cakes and was told that they did. I paid over the phone and went the next day to pick it up. When I arrived and saw the "king cake" it resembled nothing like a traditional King cake. It had no icing besides a few drizzles of purple and green. I expressed that I was unhappy with what was presented and the clerk told me she'd ask the chef to fix it. No one called me after leaving to confirm that the corrections had been made. I sent an email and never received a response. Mind you I had already paid and this is absolutely the most horrible customer service I have experienced with a bakery. I want a refund TODAY! Still until this day (now 2 months later) I still haven't received a refund and this company has ignored me. Here's a photo of what a proper King Cake should look like: read more

Scafuri Bakery - A King Cake from Joe Gambinos. Order from them instead of this horrible establishment! - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Delicious King's day cake, with cream cheese filling. Employees at the bakery were very pleasant. Also took some cookies to go that were so tasty. read more

Scafuri Bakery - King's day cake/cream cheese flavored - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow - now that's service! Thanks for offering house-made chips. They are a perfect accompaniment to the delicious sandwiches! Oh, and I think I need to join Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake Anonymous - I am addicted to this pound cake!!!! :) read more

We ordered a birthday cake in working with Kelly at Scarfuri. Everything turned out really great. She was VERY patient in sitting down with us and talking through the options and so forth. We selected the cake flavors, icing options, filling options, etc. Ordering part went great. The pick-up and all was also good. I think there must have been a mis-communication on the price, because they seemed to have up-charged us quite a bit for the chocolate mousse filling. There hadn't been any mention of up-charges when we were selecting through the options. At the register, we were given a price that was about $30 more than what we were quoted while ordering a week ago. That was disappointing, and unfortunately Kelly was not available to follow-up. We didn't seem to have a choice, so we paid and left. The good news is the cake itself was a hit at the party. Everyone enjoyed it - all ages. People asked about where we bought it, so I expect they'll get a lot of new business as there were like 25 families at the party. If I had to describe the cake, it's like a denser version of normal cake. So instead of fluffy/soft, it's like thick and rich. I think that's the best I can describe it. Overall great flavor and all. I would just say, I wish we hadn't had that issue on the price, because other than that it was a great experience. Would've made it a 5-star experience, instead of the 4 that it is. read more

We loved our wedding cake from Scafuri at our wedding last June. I really don't think the quality or price can be beat. I went to a few other tastings at more expensive bakeries before settling on Scafuri, and I'm so glad I did. Our guests raved about the flavors (1st tier chocolate cake with strawberries and balsamic caramel and 2nd tier with carrot cake, salted caramel, and cream cheese frosting). Simply put, they were really easy to work with and coordinated directly with our florist to make sure timing was right for adding the decorative flowers. read more

Scafuri Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Super cute italian bakery on Taylor Street in lil italy. The workers are super friendly and fun to talk to; ask for recommendations and you won't go wrong. I love anything lemon flavored so their $3.20 strawberry-blueberry lemon bar was perfect for me. If you check in on yelp right now they give you a free small coffee! Also, they were giving out samples of their delicious lemon butter cookies. Everything I ended up trying was so colorful & cute. They had these $1.50 pizza breads that looked good for a lunch visit. Also, I've tried their lemon riccotta pound cake at the Italian food festival last summer. It's very dense & sweet; so be warned it's quite the decedent dessert. But again, I love everything lemon flavored. read more

Scafuri Bakery - Blueberry-strawberry lemon bar, free lemon butter cookies & coffee! - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois