Del Sur Bakery
Bakery · Ravenswood
4639 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
Highlights
Filipino American pastries like turon danishes and croissants
4639 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60625 Get directions
Filipino American pastries like turon danishes and croissants
4639 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60625 Get directions
"The longanisa croissant at this takeout-only bakery is a cross-cultural marvel of Filipino flavors and French pastry. Like nearly everything else we tried at Del Sur in Lincoln Square (we did, in fact, order one of everything), each bite warranted a few mandatory seconds of reverent silence. Their ube oatmeal cream pie or hamonada hand pie with chili jam have an impressive not-too-sweet, not-too-salty balance. And all of the croissants, with unique flavors like toasted rice or pumpkin seed, could have their honeycomb structure and flaky shell featured in Lamination Magazine. Just know that a visit requires dedication—show up way before their 8am opening, or expect a long wait in line." - adrian kane, john ringor, nick allen, adrian kane, nick allen, nick allen, john ringor, john ringor, nick allen, john ringor, nick allen, nick allen, nick allen, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor, adrian kane, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor
"Opened in March, the Ravenswood bakery's Filipino baked goods "have skyrocketed in popularity," drawing lines where customers "can routinely expect to wait up to two hours." Early controversies included profanity-laced online remarks from customers who couldn’t secure a sought-after pastry, rumors that the bakery was paying people to wait in line or paying content creators for posts, and incidents like a customer berating an employee over a one-of-each-pastry limit put in place to help ensure more people can enjoy them. "You can tell if they’ve never worked in a service job before," says Lerias. Lerias notes "There are repercussions of being too popular" and — "for the record" — he "doesn’t think folks should wait two hours for a pastry, either." He addressed long waits in an Instagram post on April 12 that read: "This space is meant for everyone—both customers and employees—to feel safe and valued. We will always welcome feedback and concerns, but ask that they be shared with kindness and respect." The bakery posts updates throughout the day on available pastries, has signage detailing the one-of-each-pastry policy and asks customers to check with employees before taking videos or photos, and Lerias is blunt about boundaries: "We can’t keep letting customers get away with shitty behavior," and "This whole narrative of 'the customer is always right,' I don’t subscribe to it." - Lisa Shames
"The longanisa croissant and turon danish at this takeout-only Filipino bakery in Lincoln Square deserve an Art Institute exhibition. They’re pastry marvels with immaculate honeycomb structures and ASMR-ready flaky layers. But Del Sur’s pastry prowess doesn’t stop at lamination—other creations like ube oatmeal cream pies and bay-leaf-infused adobo brownies are equally delicious. Just know that a visit requires showing up way before their 8am opening, or expecting a long line." - veda kilaru, john ringor
"Spring could be called queuing season in Chicago, with locals eager to stretch their legs after braving freezing conditions in January and February. Del Sur Bakery, from a veteran baker who has worked at big-name Chicago spots like Lost Larson and Big Jones. He’s brought an eclectic selection of pastries — many with Filipino flavors — like a turon danish with banana jam, and unique coffee drinks to the neighborhood. The space opens at 8 a.m. Be prepared to wait, and if you don’t get there early, perhaps have a Plan B for eats in mind." - Ashok Selvam
"Verdict: Start figuring out how you’re going to get in line by 7:30am. These Filipino pastries are worth it. We know this Filipino bakery in Lincoln Square is not a restaurant. But the hype is so overwhelming, it needs to be addressed. By the time Del Sur opens, there’s already a line down the block of pastry-hungry early risers waiting to get in. It’s been like this since opening day, where some people wait nearly two hours to get their hands on longanisa croissants from this pop-up-turned-brick-and-mortar. But we’ll gladly join the mob (we’ve lined up multiple times already) if it means leaving with a citrusy calamansi chamomile bun or anything involving Del Sur’s expert lamination skills." - adrian kane, veda kilaru, john ringor, nick allen
