Ferrara Bakery

It's absolutely one of my favorite places for lunch when I go to the VA Hospital. This bakery/cafe has existed for over 100 years and is still going strong. Last week, I tried an Italian Beef Sandwich. It was filled with delicious thin-sliced beef with juice on the side or on the sandwich. Don't forget the sweet or hot peppers.

I have been here several times and usually I order one of their pasta dishes which are usually good. This time around I decided to try one of their sandwiches. I ordered their Ferrara Special which is basically an Italian Sandwich. It was ok sandwich. Not a lot of meat...lots of lettuce on the sandwich. It kind of overwhelmed the flavor from Italian slices of meat. I also tried their Chicken Pastina soup. It was good, it had flavor and filling.

Today was my first visit to Ferrara. I tried the cannoli and the antipasto salad. Hands down one of the best cannoli's I've had. It was rich with creamy ricotta and savory pistachios. The texture of the dough was perfection. The salad was ok, they charge extra for little things like giardiniera and artichoke hearts. No green olives either.... The staff seemed rushed and not as welcoming. While I loved my cannoli and I would come back for the bakery aspect, this restaurant is just ok in terms of food and service.

Amazing local business, I always go there for coffee and some good sweets. I recommend the Napolitan or the Éclairs. They have good lunch options too.

Food is great. Sandwiches to soups to salads and daily specials are always fantastic. Bakery portion is delicious as well

Great staff. Consistent food. Favorite lunch spot. It's very easy to switch up on your usuals

I hope today was a one-off because this chicken sandwich was nothing to brag about. One half slice of tomato and one red onion piece on bread that was so heavily oiled and soaked in mayo, I couldn't pick it up.

Fantastic deli sandwiches! Lots of meat and nice variety of choices. I've only gotten the sandwiches but friends also rave about their salads.

They are great ! They are always so nice and attentive . Food bread , cakes and pastries are excellent !!

This is one of the oldest if not the oldest bakery in Chicago. I sampled some cookies and biscotti. They were all delicious. Totally has the family owned vibe which I love. Can't wait to come again and try their lunch. I bought some frozen soup and Alfredo to try at home. I'll have to update later when we try it.

Great bakery and cafe is what Ferrara is. My pa grew up not far from Ferrara on the old Westside so I've been pretty familiar with it all my life. This is still good family neighborhood even with all the gentrifying and a throwback to yesteryear. Ferrara Bakery has managed to fit right in with the ever changing neighborhood for over a hundred years. Excellent made in house bakery goods and Italian pastry specialties. Great cannoli! Everything is made in house from the pastries to soups, sandwiches, and pizza. You don't have to order a whole pie as the have a square piece they cut into four smaller slices and heat for you. It's a solid Chicago style tavern cut pizza and a great light snack. I'm a fan of their Lent pepper 'n' egg sandwiches. True Chicago style. I believe they use Turano bread but I may be wrong. On take out orders they wrap the bags very nicely with a special paper bag fold that literally locks up the bag so your purchases don't fly all over the place. Then they hand it to you the way it should be carried. It's little thoughtful things like this that make them special. They care about service and their customers. They also do a nice espresso and cappuccino here too. It's nice to eat inside a true historic landmark just as people did for decades. The small two top cafes tables tucked against the front picture window over looking Taylor Street give it that back in the day urban feel. You watch the customers park in front and swagger in like they own the joint and you just know their majority neighborhood folks who've been coming in for generations. The decor and painted walls tell a story and are reminiscent of the few old school joints left peppered around the city. I'm pretty sure the man who started it all, Nello Ferrara along with family also started Ferrara Pan Candy Co. off the Eisenhower expressway. They're famous for 'lemon heads' , red hots', 'atomic fireballs', and more. It's a great stop on your travels especially if you're doing a tour of cool old urban hot spots. 100 years plus and counting.

adorable family owned bakery, deli, and Italian pasta place in one. pastries are to die for and they offer a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, pastas, and sides. Amazingly priced too!!!! i paid less than 6$ for a latte and large pastry- you can't beat that in chicago! has a family owned vibe and I can't wait to come back here! they also do pastries and cakes to order as well as selling bulk pasta sauce, italian sausage, whole oven ready lasagnas, ravioli, and soups :)

My girlfriend brought me home food from there that she ordered hours ago, and when she got home it was still absolute delicious!!

We ordered our wedding cake and desserts from Ferrara for our June 2023 wedding, and it did not disappoint! We were interested in getting a cake from Ferrara since specialty wedding cake shops often prioritize aesthetics over taste, and we were looking for a simple cake that tasted great, plus a selection of pastries and cookies to complement it. We met with Nello in the fall to taste the cake and look over our options, and we appreciated their insistence on buttercream frosting (no fondant ever). On Nello's advice, we went with their famous specialty, a vanilla cake with the layers separated by one layer of cannoli cream and another of fresh strawberries and custard. We were impressed then by how fresh the strawberries tasted. When it came to the day of the wedding, the visually simple cake was absolutely beautiful with just some fresh flowers to decorate it. More importantly-and this is truly impressive-it tasted fresh and so delicious. Since wedding cakes have to be started several days ahead of time to allow everything to settle for creating the tiers, we truly just didn't expect it to be that good, actually even better than when we tasted it in the bakery. The other desserts were beautiful and equally delicious, providing all of our guests with a variety of lovely options, and we had no trouble with delivery on the day of the wedding.

chicken Caesar salad is the bomb!!! I love this place excellent customer service!!! great food!!! and deserts

I love this bakery. I've been going there over 40 years. Food is always good. I love their pastries

The ferrara bakery is really great to have in the area. I love that they have low price high quality coffee ($1.62 for a 12oz brew) and a huge assortment of baked goods. I love their raspberry filled butter cookie the raspberry contrasts well with the rich butter. I also got the eclair which i didn't love. It tasted fresh but it was a bit too sweet and heavy on the stomach. I 100x recommend their cannoli and tiramisu. They've got "Chicago's best cannoli" on their coffee sleeves and I definitely agree. Always fresh, sweet and tangy filling and lots of flavor!

Sheesh.. could the girls there be any ruder or less welcoming? I doubt it. At $3.00 per cannoli ? They didn't invent cannoli, there are other bakery's that are just as good and better. The owner is old and tired now maybe time to give it up. For sure the counter girls need to just quit and move on, they're not happy and it shows.

This is a casual deli with assorted selection of hot and cold sandwiches, pastas, and a seemingly limitless assortment of cookies, pastries and desserts in their dessert case. The salads and pasta are good, but the best part of the deli is the sunlit interior. They also have pasta sauces and whole tiramisu cakes for sale. Fast counter service is a plus.

I have lived in Chicago for 35 years. I'm embarrassed to say that today was my first time ever here. I was taking some out-of-town clients around and showing the properties and we were around Taylor Street and I saw the reviews on yelp and was ready to give it a shot. I had the hot chicken sandwich and my clients had the classic Ferrara. We washed it down with cappuccinos . I wish I had the space for some tiramisu or some of the other incredibly delicious looking deserts. They had stuffed pepper as a special and I saw some other people ordered that and it had my mouth watering from two tables over. When my family comes in from out of town I will be bringing them here immediately . Classic feel. It was as if I stepped back in time 50 years

Can't comment on their savory foods but i can say that their desserts are the BEST. If you're craving cannoli, this is definitely the spot for you. Stopped by in the afternoon not too long before closing and their pre-filled and wrapped cannoli we're still crunchy. They have some sort of magic going on in this place. They also have an assortment of cookies and desserts showcased in their display cases. I tried a lemony kind of cake-like cookie and their pignoli cookies which were chewy and delicious. They have a refrigerator full of soup, sauces, and meals to heat, and a menu for their savory foods. Definitely have to come back to try their pastas!

Great restaurant in the TriTaylor/Medical District area. I love their strawberry poppyseed salad. It gets busy during lunch and there isn't much seating available inside, so plan accordingly. I wish they had longer hours.

Well, you can't say this very often: for lunch I had a beef and a slice of tasty Italian pie! Original Ferrara is old-school...and that's just the way most of the locals I saw there today like it. Prices are fair and portions are even more fair; I spent about $8 today for that beef, dipped, and a slice of the Ferrara's Original Cake. I thought the cake was only OK--lots of layers, but nothing special in terms of flavor--but the beef made me happy and that thing was dipped JUST right. Thanks to the woman behind the counter for the recommendation! Plenty of seating here, too, and there were cops everywhere when I walked inside, dining at a table near the door. Cheap, tasty, the cop seal of approval, friendly staff? Count me in.

I never realize this bakery was still open for business. My parents were married in the 40s and got their cake from the bakery delivered from Chicago to Milwaukee. They were famous for their tall tower cakes. Some were 6 feet tall including my parents, who had to stand on a ladder to cut it! They were the most special cakes I've ever seen in my life. And now I finally got there and was told they still have the same cake today. It was a very special trip and worth it

Very good as always..i always get the caprese sandwich..never fails! Very consistent, always very good!

I usually go to Ferrara for a cup of coffee (which is great), sometimes tea. Sometimes I get a pastry. Sometimes I go for a coffee there even though I don't need it, because the staff are wonderful and their kindness can get me through a tough day like a great cup of coffee would.

I'm totally in love with this establishment I've had a salad, a sub sandwich and now the rigatoni with the vodka sauce!!! I give it a 10! I recently rediscover this beautiful family restaurant. Today I ordered my favorite sandwich and I requested hot peppers on my sandwich, she didn't put the peppers on my sandwich. The last time it was my cannoli. If you can't understand what I'm saying why not ask me to repeat myself. I hate returning to my job to find that my food isn't right or I didn't get what I purchased. I'm not returning, I think he needs to replace her.

I took a looong bus ride to Ferrara to get cookies for Christmas Day! 10000% worth it. The pignoli cookies are out of this world.

I always feel nostalgia with this bakery. It has been a family tradition for generations. They have the best Italian desserts in Chicago. If you haven't tried them make a stop. This is truly a gem. The owner is always there and super courteous.

Ferrara Bakery's charming long history in Chicago adds to its authentic Italian appeal. I picked up lasagna with added meatballs, tiramisu and cannoli for lunch. Portions were individually sized, but they can also split with another person if not very hungry. The order came with a side garden salad with a fantastic creamy Italian dressing. Lasagna and meatballs probably had Asiago, Romano, or Sharp Parmesan that added a pungent cheese profile, but I can also see people having split opinions about this. It made it more distinguished from the typical frozen version. To finish off the meal, the desserts tasted fresh and indulgent - my preference is less sweetness and a lighter touch, but these were very good. The strong expresso and nutty, pistachio flavors really stood out in the tiramisu and cannoli.

Sfogliatella was bomb. This was exactly what I was craving. I also had two lemon ricotta cookies that were okay, didn't taste like too much. But the sfogliatella made up for it I'll definitely come back to try more!

Every single picture in our family album celebrating a birthday or event has a Ferrara cake in it! I am no longer a Chicago resident but make every attempt to stop in for a cannoli or this last time ... a cake!!! Enjoyed every single slice!! Absolutely delicious old fashioned birthday cake!!!

Stopped in here for lunch with 7 of my coworkers, and they really did a great job serving everything in a timely manner. We sat outside as there aren't any tables inside for parties larger than four, but it was a nice day and it's a covered area, so it worked out nicely. I had the Ferrara Special sandwich with hot peppers, and others ordered the lasagna, the meatball sub, and the gnocchi. Everyone had great things to say about the food. I really enjoyed the sub, it was a little different since it had italian dressing instead of oil and vinegar that is usually on similar subs, but it was good and juicy, which is how I like it. I wish now I would have tried some of the bakery items because they did look good! Overall a great little spot to grab some food and treats.

Fantastic Thanksgiving Turkey and sides.. We took a chance and glad we did.. Everything was prepared Little oven time and it was perfect. I'd definitely recommend this place fir your Thanksgiving feast.

My friend catered for book club and everything was delish! The chicken pizza slices were disappointing Abit salty to taste. I look forward to catering from here in the future.

The Ferrara Signature Sandwich is everything I want in an Italian cold cut sub. The bread use is crusty and chewy. The meat and seasonings along with fresh tomatoes, onions and lettuce make for a tasty sandwich. I haven't tried the desserts yet but my kids weren't crazy about the chocolate cake, but think the cannoli was good. I look forward to trying the sweets. UPDATE: We got cookies for the road and sadly we didn't like them. They had an I'd flavor like they have been stored too long. We bought two boxes. It's disappointing when we were looking forward to them on the ride. So I'm down grading to three stars. The savory was great but the baked goods not so much. Bummer.

Decent Italian bakery with sandwiches, pastas and salads for lunch. They are very quick and efficient when it comes to ordering, paying, and serving the food. Though, that's all I can really give them. The food for my taste is just okay at best. Nothing too wowing unfortunately. Thin crust pizza slices were $5.44 plus tax so that seemed like a deal. Sandwiches can range from $6-$8. I got the grilled chicken giardiniera sandwich which was just okay. I hear they are great for salads though but I'm not one for salads.

We came today for a quick breakfast while waiting for the bus. My bf ordered Tuscan Chicken and I specially requested her for an Iced (hot) Chocolate. She stated it was first time she made that drink order, but YES, I LOVE IT. I was just expected hot chocolate pour over ice, but noooooo, she made it perfectly GOOD. She decorated my drink with chocolate sauce and whip cream too. And my bf also likes his sandwich. We will definitely be back. Great service and convenience too since it's close to the bus stop.

Delicious pastries in a comfortable setting. The variety is overwhelming! I chose a few Sunday goodies for my family including a lemon tart which had buttery, flakey crust and perfect tangy sweet filling, a pasticciotto filled with limoncello ricotta that was rich and luscious, tiramisu which was delicate and layered with fluffy lady fingers soaked in espresso, a classic eclair, and a beautiful cream filled clam shell pastry I could not for the life of me spell or pronounce! Also picked up a small container of mixed cookies, buttery shortbread and frosted crumbly delights that disappeared fast especially with the house espresso to dip in. Looking forward to trying the lunch here.

I love this place. They are great for a quick and easy lunch--particularly love their meatball and chicken parm hot sandwiches. It's a no-frills kind of place where you seat yourself and clean up after yourself, but the food is SO GOOD. It does get busy around lunch, but there's plenty of seating and they have a good system for working efficiently. I've never spent more than 10-15 minutes waiting for food, even at their busiest times. Their baked items are fantastic as well. I love picking up 1/4 pound of biscotti for the weekend (anise almond is my favorite). And their tiramisu is the best I've ever had, hands down. I wasn't super impressed with their cannolis to be honest, but they're good if you're craving a cannoli. I can't wait to try more of their Italian pastries and cookies when I stop by again. I can't recommend this place enough.

Okay here I am, back at where it all started. I haven't been here in almost a year, although I work less than a block away, I just stopped cold turkey due to eating so much of the same. But its been almost a year since I had come here and I just decided to see what has changed. To my surprise NOT MUCH! Which to me is just perfect since their food has always been good. Now today I decided to see if they had the Tuscany Chili, and although it didn't state the name, I KNEW THIS CHILI. Oh good lord with the nice taste of Italy and just a hint of heat, this is what its all about. I tasted their chili for weeks on end and than one day they stopped making it I guess due to clients not requesting it so much, well that's what I was told. But its back and for that, I am happy. Ferrara's is still family owned and I expect it will always be, I hope they always stay true to form with their taste and that all these various flavors will always be passed down from generation to generation.

This little bakery in Little Italy is charming. We had the lasagne plate and antipasto salad and a chicken parm sandwich. The lasagne was lovely and came with a little salad and crusty bread. Huge portions and we took it home. Loved it. Come hungry and don't forget the cannoli ! And this little bakery has been around for over a hundred years. Fun fact: the original owner Salvatore Ferrara was a lawyer who gave up law to start the bakery and subsequently invented the candy Lemonheads.cant beat that.

This is my favorite place for lunch when I'm in the Medical District. the food is great and the deserts are even better. I bring cookies and deserts from there to close friends.

What a fantastic find!! This place has been in existence since the last 110 years - yes its been that long. Its like walking into a historic place. We wanted to pick up some tiramisu for dessert. There were so many pastry/cake choices - it was difficult to choose. There was a family picking up a cake and I started chatting with an elderly gentleman. He had catered his wedding cake from this bakery 50 years ago, and he was here to pick up a cake for his 50th anniversary. How can you not like this place after hearing that story? We ordered the cannolis, tiramisu and the strawberry shortcake - all of the desserts were fabulous. I would love to come and try more desserts from here.

I ordered a 10" chocolate sponge cake with cannoli filling for $48 for a dear friend's last day at work. No sponge cake, just regular cake that was really cold and wet and almost soggy. The whipped cream and cannoli filling was not cold, just the cake. I suspect the cake layers were frozen and defrosted, so that the melted ice crystals then made cake wet, not moist like a good cake should taste. Besides being really cold, the cake was tasteless. And what about the sponge cake that I ordered? I also bought 2 lbs of Italian style cookies, which had very poor taste, like baking powder. I am really disappointed. I think this bakery is mass producing its cakes and cookies and has lost any focus on quality.

One delicious bakery. Simply put: there's something for everyone and prices are very reasonable. Customer service is great, too.

Ferrara bakery was my favorite place to go for salads. Being a popular establishment you will think the staff would wash all vegetables and greens before preparing people meals. Well that doesn't seems to be the case. Today, I found live bug in my salad. well the bug found me. This is the most disgusting and disappointing thing ever!

New to Chicago from NYC, I discovered this place a month ago while searching for a good cannoli spot. Boy did they deliver! Great cannolis! But also, their soups are in credible. Love the Minestrone and pasta fagioli. Mom says the chicken pastina is better than homemade. Love the caprese sandwich, too. Gnocchi with vodka sauce--so decadent. But thus far, my favorite item is the cheese pizza with giardiniera! Oh my goodness. It's life changing. The crust! The sauce! The giardiniera! GET IN THERE!

I absolutely love this place. What a gem! Came in this late afternoon for a sugar fix and came out with way more than I can chew! The staff is amazing, every one of my visits is always such a great experience. Today my boyfriend and I came in for gummy worms and ended up getting chocolate chip cookies,pizza slices, and cannolis! This particular visit, we were greeted immediately by a very nice (handsome) man who ended up giving me 2 free slices of the spinach pizza with the 2 slices I already picked up!!! That just goes to show how amazing the staff is, real personable too, totally adds to the bakery's at home atmosphere. Can't get any better than that! The baked goods / desserts are nothing short of perfection! The candy display always makes me feel like a kid. I love the selection and always leave wishing I ordered more!!! They have a full menu equipped to fill your hearts Italian desire! Oh and I have to mention that my very first cannoli was from this bakery and I'm totally hooked for life! This is a local neighborhood business that my Boyfriend and I will continue to support. The kindness of the store doesn't go unnoticed. Thanks!

This anti pasti salad was everything. I didn't fully read the menu so I didn't realize it was fresh mozzarella till I tasted it and it was heaven. I also got a Tuscan chicken sandwich that was overflowing with chicken and even though I hate pesto I loved that tuscan chicken sandwich. I can't wait to come back here for some of their thin crust pizzas and desserts