Scafuri Bakery

Found this cute bakery while walking around in little Italy neighborhood in Chicago. Went in with a few friends and we all ordered different things and shared them. We all loved everything. The goodies are made to perfection, nothing was overly sweet. The person working offered me a free shot of espresso in my salted Carmel tiramisu iced coffee, which was probably the best flavored coffee I’ve ever had. Everything is so reasonably priced and we felt welcomed. Whenever I go back to Chicago. I will definitely pay a visit to this bakery.

Was on a quick trip to Chicago and this spot happened to be near my hotel. I ended up coming back for three mornings in a row! The service was good, my latte was delicious and I couldn’t stop eating the pumpkin donuts.

This Italian bakery is located in Little Italy, Taylor St. right across the Chicago Public Library. We got the Pizza Croissant and Lemon Baby Loaf and it was delicious. They are on the pricey side but you can tell the ingredients are of high quality. The staff were very friendly and accommodating - very positive vibes. The atmosphere and decor is very Italian with photos of the owner and their family.

Great place stopped by randomly and this is my new spot the staff I think her name was Carrie she was accommodating, friendly and very helpful. I had plenty of questions, and she answered them all. I had an amazing time I didn’t wanna leave. The music was great. All the pastries were amazing. I tried the chocolate croissant, caramel apple monkey bread, definitely the salted caramel cannoli drink and brought more home It was to die for OMG their lemon bars The prices are reasonable everything taste fresh. I had to buy some cookies and other pastries to take home Also a loaf. My family loved it. That’s why I had to write this review because this is our new bakery. My cappuccino was so good. That new salted caramel cannoli Cappuccino it was amazing and I have never seen that anywhere else. I will most definitely be coming back. If you don’t believe me stop by and see for yourself don’t forget to bring money because trust me you’re gonna regret it if you don’t.

The king cake and tri-color cookie were delicious! The chocolate croissant had more of a bread-like texture, nevertheless it was very satisfying and I would purchase again.

What a magical experience. The variety of Italian specialties coupled with an incredible price on everything. And the service was spectacular. Particularly the way my 2 year old was treated. Like royalty. Big shout outs to Ume. She was a ray of light and joy.

I used to buy cookies from this bakery, but recently, I've noticed that they are not fresh. They have become hard and difficult to bite, and they are also expensive. My last visit left me disappointed with the cookie quality. Please make sure that you are selling a good quality product and keep your customers happy and satisfied with your quality cookies. Thank you

Publishing this post makes me sad. I used to go to this Italian bakery all the time. I just had a heartbreaking experience here. Dirty, disorganized, and dead. If this is how they keep front-of-house, imagine how they manage their back-of-house? So sad to say that I don’t think I’ll ever be back and will no longer be recommending 😢

I was stopped at this bakery for the first and last time. I ordered a $12.99 box of cookies and I was charged $25.00 I ordered two scones and I was charged for 4. The cashier said she was sorry, but I think she is scamming people. Make sure you look at your receipt before leaving the store. Some of the cookies were too sweet for my taste. The scones, and the pumping muffins were good.

I stopped by Scafuri to try some of the cookies/pastries and it did not disappoint! I bought a pistachio biscotti, sfogliatella and a fig cookie. The pistachio biscotti did not have a strong pistachio flavor but the texture is good - crunchy but not dry. The sfogliatella was my favorite! Delicate pastry that tasted fresh and the filling was lightly sweet. Very good and tastes exactly like the ones I've had in Italy. The venue itself was nothing flashy but nice. Service was quick and there was no line but the staff were polite but not overly friendly

Purchased a variety of cookies. They were extremely sweet (which some might like, but not my preference). They were also so hard on the outside that they were crunchy. But on the inside were somewhere between soft/gummy/chewy/pastey. Not my preference either. For such a historic place to be going this long and churning out this poor quality it's disappointing. The cashier was friendly though. So at least there's that.

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN PASTRIES!!! (Better than toot ur jorts or whatever that new French place is called) Great staff and ambience, feels like ur right at home

Although they assemble the cannoli right in front of you. The shell is not fresh and the filling does not appear to be made with ricotta cheese. What ever it is does not seem to have been thoroughly mixed. Also when we went there was not any music playing. Just a sad place with what seems like a minimal effort to bring in repeat customers.

This was a disappointing experience. We stopped by for a quick cup of coffee and a pastry. From the outside, it's a cute Italian bakery! But looking at their baked good case inside, it seems presentation is not a priority here. Donuts with thick frosting hanging off the sides, happy face cookies with uneven eyes and even burnt lemon bars :( We ordered two croissants and two coffees. I thought it was a little strange an Italian bakery didn't have espresso. Would be awesome if they did one day! Unfortunately the coffees we did receive straight from the carafes were cold. Our croissants were firm; no flakey crust, no fluffy inside. It was like a doughy bread with a hard exterior. Not the light pleasant crunch you would expect from a croissant. After this experience, I wouldn't recommend coming here. I feel like this place has so much potential but really needs some help. Hopefully they can make some changes for the better!

Had food shipped it was stale Very dissatisfied Was hoping for a better outcome Not like it was years ago that's for sure

Local bakery that's been in the little Italy area for years. The desserts are made fresh every day and are delicious. I love getting too good to go bags from here for end of the day pastries. I also ordered paczkis for Fat Tuesday. The service was a bit slow, but they were delicious! My favorite was the strawberries and cream.

Even though it's in Chicago. I ordered online and they were delicious. They came in a few days safe packing and we're amazing

There's nowhere quite like Scafuri: this family owned cafe/nationally shipping bakery is one of Taylor Street's longest running businesses, and for good reason. It can be cluttered inside sometimes (as is expected from such a massive mail operation) but never dirty. The sweet treats they serve here are affordable and delicious, and the staff are always happy to see you. All in all, Scafuri is an absolute must when you're visiting vibrant Taylor Street

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

We came here for some baked goods but unfortunately they didn't have many options. The whole building was basically closed off and you had to ordered off a menu at the entrance. It makes it hard to choose what you want because you can't visually see the pastries. I came for cannolis, and their old fashioned donuts but there weren't any on the menu. Despite my disappointment in their offerings, we just walked away with a chocolate croissant and a raspberry lemon bombolini. These two were amazing. The croissant was warm and freshly baked and tasted so delicious. The bombolini was also surprisingly tasty as well. I'm not a big fan of any type of berries as a filling in donuts but these mas made jut right. I will definitely be coming back again. I'm sure once we can enter again, that I will walk away with much more than just two pastries.

Ordered a cookie delivery for Christmas cookies on December 14th. On the 20th I received notice that it was ready to be sent for delivery. Today I was notified it would arrive on December 26th. I'm very disappointed. Won't order from here again.

The deliciousness of goods varies from very traditional cookies to tasty savory breads! My son thorough enjoyed an apple muffin and brownie. The young man that serviced us was so friendly. We will definitely be back to try some of the other pastries.

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!

This place had an aura of ancientness to it. The vibe was cool and the display of desserts was awesome. As a food blogger this place was calling for a review. I decided to try their croissants. The apple had a great texture and a nice flakey crust. The drizzle of the glaze on top made it look more appealing. The inside filling was delicious. The apples were diced evenly and tenderly. Seasoned to perfection.

King Cake Order-- Due to the pandemic, we celebrated Fat Tuesday at home in the Midwest. While I didn't anticipate it at the time the order was placed, Mardi Gras fell on the snowiest day ever and weather was abnormal all over including, LA and TX - some say hell really did freeze over! Meaning any shipment would've been delayed. So we lucked out. King Cake orders required prepayment and designated pick up time. In placing an order for three, I opted to pick up during my lunch hour. The bakery had arrows and signs pointing in various directions for pick up of king cakes or packzis. I followed a king cake sign with an arrow (Mot to mention I was the ONLY person/customer in the store my entire time there) and once I reached the table which had a list of names, the associate who was the only person working in front, pointed and told me to step over four steps to the right of the 6 -8 ft table. As I did so, he said, the sign for pick up is over there. I replied, the sign and arrow directed me to where I was standing. From there, it was unnecessary silliness on the associate's part, but you're over a barrel after prepaying and driving there. Far too many minutes were spent locating my name on an alphabetized list and after my name was found, I had to wait for cakes to be located and boxed despite arriving at my designated time. Each cake was stacked in the very place where I initially stood so I had to step back over to retrieve them. I bought the traditional and pecan flavored king cakes, both of which differed from any variation of the traditional cakes eg, Dong Phoung or Randazzo's, though I actually enjoyed the lighter dough and less icing. Value for the money, I'd give it at 3/5, especially if you can order from one mentioned above. Taste is a solid 4/5, Service at 2/5, because (1) the cakes were not "ready" when I arrived at my agreed upon pick up time, (2) there was a separate list for each king cake flavor so it required several steps to confirm I actually paid for three cakes, and (3) the move there over when it was empty only to be beckoned right back there by the same person was a waste of energy and effort. Would I order king cakes again if unable to snag one from my favs? Without question but never more than one at the current price tag.

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.

Cannoli to die for. Along with everything else. Sadly, this glorious bakery is miles and miles and miles away from me, so I get to visit on only rare occasions. Like the annual Little Italy Fest on Taylor Street. Grabbed a cannola from their street booth and went home with a few more from the shop. They were wonderful. Unfortunately, cannoli do not keep well, so my purchase had to be limited. Staff at both booth and store were very, very friendly. So if you are lucky to live near there (that includes YOU, the UIC people), this bakery is a MUST-go.

Founded by Luigi Scafuri in 1904 the Bakery bearing his family name has a long and storied history in Chicago's Near West Side, its location at 1337 West Taylor Street now owned and operated by Great-great-nieces Michelle and Kelly since 2013. Native to Calabria, and no stranger to difficult times including Scafuri Bakery's six-year closure beginning in 2007, guests in the era of COVID-19 will find the narrow space currently open for take-out from 8:00am to 1:00pm Friday through Sunday, a male employee the only person present and not especially pleasant around 9:00am as a steady-rain fell outside. Currently offering a limited menu of largely non-Italian items, Croissants, Donuts and Scones replacing Tricolor Cookies, Sfogliatelle or Baba, it is from a menu lacking prices that choices are made, $2.25 for a Yeast Donut no better than Dunkin simply egregious while $3.00 for a Chocolate Frosted Bombolini would have seemed a better value if the Butterscotch center didn't taste like store-bought Pudding. Heartened by a Cheese Danish, good lamination and a modestly-sweetened center comparing favorably to others tasted across America, those seeking something savory were left to choose between Turkey Parmesan Croissants or Scafuri's Fig + Prosciutto Scone, the latter a bit dry but otherwise enjoyable while a "Pastry Case Favorite" Cherry Brownie ate fudgey and Cake-like plenty of Fruit within.

Earlier this morning I went there, got a half pound of assorted cookies. Then I realized I actually wanted more so I went back and the guy gave me two biscotti. Spent maybe $16 there for a good amount of cookies. I just ate one and wow, I think I fell in love

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.

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.

Im a traditional italian. That means I love the old food my grandmother used to make and that meant italian cookies. With the holidays around the corner, the time friends drop by, there is nothing better than a dish of homemade italian anise cookies or maybe some pignoli cookies. Sure I could have bought them here in florida BUT I believe the altitude difference and the water up north make these cookies just like my granny used to make each year. The freshness is beyond real. Soft and delicious these cookies melt in your mouth. The anise christmas cookies are EXACTLY like the knots glazed and sprinkles on top that i remember from my childhood!!! I had to order them and have them delivered for this years holidays. I put them in the freezer until friends come by so I can introduce them to Scafuris delicious cookies! Thank you for making my holidays the way i remember them.

A neighborhood institution with soul-satisfying goodness... decadent, buttery croissants and moist, generous scones... sweet or savory, whatever you're craving. -- chocolate croissant: not overly sweet, perfect balance of chocolate and buttery croissant -- turkey red pesto croissant: savory, plump, flavorful with a generous portion of turkey -- prosciutto sundried tomato scone: a cross between a scone and flaky biscuit, savory and herbaceous -- apple cider donut: good apple cinnamon notes, but too greasy and a mild taste of stale frying oil... likely over-fried in old oil

If you find yourself in little Italy, looking for breakfast or any kind of baked good, look no further. There a few tables if you'd like enjoy your food there, and all around it's just a nice neighborhood Italian bakery. They have gelato, pizza, cakes, pies, cookies, and pretty much anything else you can hope a bakery might have. They also do coffee and breakfast sandwiches. I have had their breakfast sandwiches many times, I've had several different types of cookies and bought loaves of bread. Everything else looks amazing and I plan to try it all eventually.

I got my wedding cake from here and had a great experience! The tasting itself was amazing-- so many choices, they were so friendly and attentive and even gave us free pastries for the road. The wedding cake was delicious-- we went with white chocolate frosting, yellow cake, chocolate ganache, raspberry preserves. Even though we ordered a smaller cake, they still said they would give us a new top tier free on our anniversary! I do wish the inner fillings went a little closer to the edge/the cake was a little dryer than the tasting, but I get that there is a difference between cake right out of oven and cake that has needed to be worked with and made to look like a wedding cake. They also did a good job decorating the cake, it was the exact look I wanted. We ordered artificial flowers on Amazon (Ling's brand) and an Etsy cake topper and dropped them off a week before event. Also this is their current pandemic layout: they are open Thurs-Sun until 1 pm with a limited menu (does include cold brew) and allow one person at a time into the store (so we felt very safe). There was a bit of a line outside so don't go if in a rush, but it was well worth the wait! I do wish their menu (it's taped to the door when you walked in) had prices, but it seemed reasonable when we bought two (large!) pastries and two coffees.

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.

The bakery has a very homely, warm feel with friendly staff and great music (not too loud, I could work comfortably!). They also have free WiFi and a great lunch menu. Cannot believe I haven't been here already! My favorite: Mini lemon cake, freshly filled canoli dipped in choco chips. It was delicious.

This is my favorite bakery in the neighborhood! I have been there quite a lot and always try to get something new! My favorite right now are the lemon ricotta's baby cakes. The cake is moist and full of flavor. I also enjoy their cannolis, lemon bars, daily quiche, and mini donuts. It's all delicious and very affordable. The atmosphere is causal and the establishment is clean.

Cute little Italian bakery in Little Italy with nice employees. Ordered a coffee, pumpkin croissant, hot chocolate, and cookie. The cookie and pumpkin croissant were either odd or just tasteless. Way too crunchy and not flaky like a croissant should be. Even after being warmed up. The coffee and hot chocolate were just ok. Luckily the coffee was free since I used a check-in.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

The donuts. Get them. Thank me later. Nice ambiance and very friendly staff who recommended some great choices like the French Toast Donut. There is a $5 credit card minimum so make sure you stock pile on donuts and some cookies too. The only reason I'd give it only 4 stars is because I heated up the donut at home and it was awesome! Definitely on par with doughnut vault and it would increase the experience if it was warmed upon purchase. But still, in a city of a great donut variety, this is up there!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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

I have to change my last review. Yes, it was a long and stressful wait, and next year I will order earlier and pick them up, but these cookies are the real thing and so delicious!! The lemon ricotta cake is also amazing! The flavors are authentic and everything is quality. Don't miss these real Italian treats!