Publican Quality Bread Oak Park

When visiting France or Japan, you will find many bakeries with an abundance of incredibly delicious bread. However, I always felt that finding a truly exceptional bakery in the U.S. was a real challenge—until now. Some time ago, a family friend from Oak Park brought me some artisan bread. One bite, and I was completely blown away by how exquisite it was—I was so impressed that I made a special trip there just to buy more. Their Danish pastries and savory breads are equally delightful. The chocolate brioche, while slightly firm, becomes utterly heavenly with a quick warm-up in the oven. It's a small shop, so lines can form quickly, and you might have to wait—but trust me, it's absolutely worth it.

I love this place! I was looking for a good sourdough bakery to grab some bread from before we went back to Minnesota and this is what was recommended. I'm glad I went. The service here was amazing. The sandwiches, pizza, and pastries were amazing! Do the jambon or the pastrami sandwich. Both were delicious. My picky 6 year old loved the jambon. Also, Greg and Alexander were on top of helping us when my daughter spilled her glass of water. I also got to chat with Greg a tiny bit about sourdough and buy his book. Definitely worth your stop!

Been coming here a while now. The quality is superb but they are artists at shrinkflation which is really disappointing. The sour dough loaves and ham and cheese croissants seem to be getting smaller and smaller and smaller as time goes on. Why would you take advantage of your customers like this? Anyone sane would realize how much smaller these loaves are getting over time, all for the same price. (Actually I think a tad more expensive now.)

The pastry was lacking in execution: the flavors were not bad but they were spongy, seemed to be made of mediocre butter, and had no crisp/flake. The service was hostile: every time I asked a question I was given a sharp “the labels are in the case”. In fact, some items were not labeled but when I pointed that out I got an eye roll. Would not recommend nor will I return

i love love love this place. haven’t tried anything i didn’t like here. initially i went to the area for The Brown elephant thrift shop and this is next door. I had Publican Quality Bread pastry before at La Colombe (my favorite coffee cever), but the savory items in their bakery is really yummy. The beef stew tartines are my favorite but look like it is a winter flavor, now they have more refreshing tartines (with pesto, asparagus, etc), which are also delish and full filling but i still like the beef stew ones the most. for lunch they usually have two types of sandwiches - turkey and tofu (veggies). i’m not a big fan of turkey sandwich but here the turkey sandwich is satisfying and well balanced, they are generous with arugula!! i have yet tried the pizza and tiramisu, will have to come back again for those.

Bread good and have option to get them slice or not. Have high quality ingredients it seem. You can buy olive oil from them as well that from a good brand in a tin can, which I never had olive oil in before. Overall my experience is great in my delivery experience haven't been there in person yet.

LOVE, LIVE, LOVE….The turkey sandwich is awesome. So much arugula the best, it’s put together very nicely. A little more smiles from employees may be warranted but overall I am pleased with this petite Bakery. I live in Tinley Park and will usually come here for a good sandwich! I know that’s far but did I mention the word “Love”. Butter chocolate cookies are never in always but are the best dessert of all!

Love this place. The bread and baked goods are off-the-charts excellent. I’ve been here several times to meet friends at the cafe (outdoor seating) and picked up many different types of loaves. ALL of them are artisanal in taste and texture and an absolute treat to eat.

We are so lucky to have Publican in Oak Park. The bread is excellent - love the Spence sourdough. The pastries are delicious - interesting specials on the weekend and delicious standbys (the kouign-amann...so yum!) We are also fans of the sandwiches - they change out regularly - and coffee. And they gave my daughter her sourdough starter. Also a great place to grab dinner if you've got theater tix downtown and want a quick dinner - a slice of pizza and a nice glass of wine is perfect before you hit the 290 traffic. Thumbs up.

I really really enjoyed going to Publican. Definitely another gem in the oak park community. There are both savory and sweet options to indulge in. There are items if you're interested in a small bite as well as heartier options if you're more hungry. As someone that does not drink coffee, I enjoy their teas as well as their matcha beverages. You can't go wrong. As for the price ranges, it's affordable but expect to spend maybe $9-14 per person should you grab a bite and beverage. One additional cool thing is that they're a bakery so there's the option to grab some grocery items to take home.

Stopped in for a snack because we were waiting for Uncle Mike's Place. We ended up getting the braised beef tartine and it was delicious and really hit the spot. Wish we got their other pastries to try

Oh my oh my oh my ..... the whole team here knocked it out of the park today and I can't wait to return!!! Perfect Saturday morning date spot!! Busy and bustling inside, but still felt cozy and chill. Great music. Sunny spot with high and low seating inside plus outdoor seating. Reasonable prices. Free parking. FABULOUS staff- so welcoming and friendly!! We scored an inside table and spilt a piece of strawberry-coconut cake and the most incredible strawberry-lemon curd tarte ever created. Coffee and bottle Coca Colas. Best date I've had in months!! Loved this place so much. I'll definitely be back.

Delicious pastries and coffee! The staff was helpful in their favorites and picking out a nice spread of different flavors. The street parking wasn't too bad nearby their shop in the Arts District - there was a little of a line but not too bad. They have WiFi available as well if you're looking for a spot to sit and wait too!

Very happy to have this bakery option close to my work. And they open early at 7a, so you can stop by before work! I've tried many of their breakfast pastries and my favorite is the ham & cheese croissant. I'm a fan of their bread as well and if you come first thing in the morning, you can score day-old bread for like 1/2 off! I have not had the chance to try any of their lunch, dinner or special weekend options since I can only stop by on my way in to work. I highly recommend this bakery for your pastry and bread needs!

We went later in the day, and they were out of pretty much everything except their flattop pizzas. Although it was almost closing time, the staff was very friendly and helpful. There are a few seating options inside the place. I ended up getting a matcha latte and thought it was overpriced. Not my cup of tea, but seems to be a local favorite.

Opened February 25th 2024 Open Daily 7am-8pm Oak Park Menu https://www.publicanqualitybread.com/oak-park-menu PQB is Superb. We're looking forward to trying the pizza... Served from 4pm to 8pm, the menu shifts to center around five core pizzas. The pizzas will be served "al taglio" (sliced and sold by weight) at the counter. Whole pies will be available for pickup and delivery. ...per site Congratulations... We wish everyone the best and continued success.

There is inside and outside seating both are comfortable. It is nice to see the baking and food prep while waiting. The ordering process is easy and quick the food came was ready before we paid. The marinated tofu sandwich was full of flavor and stuffed with delicious veggies. The side salads were in to go containers and easy to take what is left over. Everything was fresh and nice flavors throughout.

Great for delivery. Really fast and fresh. All three people were happy with their choices. Glad they opened a place in Oak Park

Had to stop by on opening day! They were out of bread but I enjoyed an oat milk chai latte! Absolutely delicious! After I'm assuming a very busy day, the staff were extremely friendly and kind! There was a large line even with no bread! Oak park is very excited to welcome this new business to town! Wonderful vibe inside with nice decor! I will be back!

This is how bread should taste. Hopefully, it's truly free from all the crap that has been normalized in everyday foodstuff.

The food is really good but a bit pricy. The Jambon is my favorite. Service is hit or miss, sometimes they're nice and friendly other times they aren't too friendly if you don't know what you want to order right away. The service downtown is just lovely-staff are super friendly and knowledgeable so I'm not sure where the disconnect is between the two locations.

I ordered few items from Publican including the big Italian, the croissant and the chocolate brioche. I was expecting this to be a great brunch but unfortunately it was not. The sandwich didn't deliver on the flavor. It had a good mix of ingredients but I couldn't really taste something specific so it kinda fell flat for me. The croissant was better but also lacked the authentic croissant flavor. It was more crunchy than flaky and when it wasn't sweet or salty so again fell flat. The chocolate brioche was the star of the show as it was great in flavor and sweetness and it is the reason I bumped this into three stars and not two. Given the prices and the reputation of this bakery I was hoping for something better than was provided.

I was so excited when I saw Publican Bread opening in the Harrison street Arts District. The bread is wonderful, but the experience was awful. It is a rip off! Went in to buy a loaf of bread. $11.00 expensive, but ok for quality bread. This is where the scam begins. I pulled out a $20 bill. "We don't take cash." Ok credit card! Screen "Tip 10% 20% etc. I punched no tip! Got the receipt and low and behold there is a $2,42 tip and a $.36 "Hospitality Supplement". Do I need to pay for the business' hospitality????? Disputed the tip charge. "I will need to go and find someone to take care of that." My time is valuable! I also am concerned about the amount of sales tax charged. If I go to the grocery store it's 1%. They are charging 10%? Solution: I will NEVER go there again. How to kill your new business in 5 easy steps.

LOVE, LIVE, LOVE....The turkey sandwich is awesome. So much arugula the best, it's put together very nicely. A little more smiles from employees may be warranted but overall I am pleased with this petite Bakery. I live in Tinley Park and will usually come here for a good sandwich! I know that's far but did I mention the word "Love". Butter chocolate cookies are never in always but are the best dessert of all!

I come in here for bread typically, and it's fantastic. But the interactions with staff have been really odd. And my most recent trip had me trying to read a menu screen than flashes off over and over. I was told to read the case placards by the half asleep employee, but they were also half wiped off and hard to read. So instead I just bought my bread and left. Well I bought the bread after sleepy head walked away for more than a pause and I could finally pay and leave. Not sure about this place at all.

Great to have you in the neighborhood. Love lots of your pastries! Some of the sweets could dial down on the sugar content, especially the icing on the macaroons and cinnamon rolls. Skip the icing on the macaroons and add butter to the icing on the cinnamon rolls to cut the sugar.

I was so excited for this place to open, I live a block away. Unfortunately, the customer service from the counter people here is so bad, I feel bad giving this place any money. The Service Over the past 6 months or so, I've gone in probably 15 times, almost every time I feel like I've done something wrong by just ordering. This place is the epitome of bad service. I've tried all different types of approaches with the staff, each time I get a stone faced "I'm better than you and I hate my job" look. I thought it was me, but now I see a lot of other people are having the same experience. I'm probably going to stop going because of this reason, and something the owners should really consider fixing. The Food The bakery items are usually really good, to fantastic. There was a Cruffin with lemon that I still think about. The loaves of bread are really good, but sometimes overbaked imo. I like a good crust, but I don't want to cut my mouth on the bread because the crust is so overdone. This also holds true with the pizza about half the time, or more. I've gotten all the different pizza types and they are usually dried out, overbaked crust with burnt edges. I'm ok with charring, but not when it dries everything else out. They also seem underseasoned, muted flavors. The sandwiches are ok, but very overpriced for the amount you get. I know this isn't a "value" option for breakfast/lunch, but it's on the high end for food that isn't always the best. As others have said, there's other better/cheaper options out there. The Ambiance Cool to see the bakers working through the glass. Small interior, can be long lines during peak times, but not a big deal for me. Overall, I understand the place has an award winning owner etc., but this type of commitment needs to be carried through to all the staff in front. It only takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch...or the bakery.

It's hard to choose between the sweet and the savory in the morning. On the sweet side, the chocolate morning brioche bun is not to be missed. On the savory side, their quiche is so light and fluffy. I'm also a fan of their puff pastry with goat cheese and tomato jam. The tartines are a solid option for lunch. I'm excited to try their new summer seasonal offerings!

I loved the panettone but the Spence Farms sour dough is my regular go to, when I don't make my own. Greg does a great job with his breads. If you go, ask him where his challenge coin is.

Walked by during opening day and there was a line down the block. What a great problem to have! Welcome to the neighborhood. We will be back to order when we do not have an inpatient toddler with us :) excited to update this soon!

A nice array of baked goods, from pastries to breads. The jam scone tasted fresh and had an interesting blend of flavors while being on the softer side. The sandwiches are large. The oat milk draft latte is a tasty change-of-pace for me as a regular no-frills coffee drinker. Lines vary depending on what time you go, so be prepared to wait if you go during a peak time (morning, lunch). Employees are friendly and fast. Space is small and seating can be difficult to find, so plan to take your order to go and sit on one of the nice benches or nearby parks in the Arts District. No dogs allowed inside, which is understandable due to the size of the space.

Great coffee and insane pastries. This place definitely gave Harrison Arts District a much-needed infusion! Lines are long and seating is limited, but I think that'll die down when it's been opened for awhile. Get the pecan snail or the chocolate orange brioche!

Soooo good. Best bread around especially 1979 multigrain and delicious cookies. Pizza four cheese my favorite!

Absolutely insane, next level baked goods and bread. You will not get anything that will Not blow you away! So the food is as good as it gets. But it is way too small as space and you will have to wait in a very awkward, snaking line and the weight staff moves very slowly, because there aren't enough of them and as of this writing they are way too new. So you have to be ready to roll your eyes and deal with some annoyances and very little standing room for some incredible bakery fair that is well worth the price! If it's gonna be expensive, it should be the very best. It is the very best. If you can get the pecan snail, that will change your life.

"Public" should not be the prefix here. More like Elitist Bread. The inequities of a cash free business has no place in a village dedicated to inclusion. I have a bunch of allergies, first the front counter staff had an issue confirming ingredients. Then they had an issue checking with the kitchen. Lastly, when I select an item they can't sell it to me, because they don't take money, only credit. There's nothing special about this corporate elitist bakery, in a neighborhood with multiple independent bakeries actually dedicated to the community, Publican was a huge disappointment. My friend recommended this bakery because they appear to have a wide selection of interesting baked goods and beverages, but why make 'potato pizza' out of wheat? There's no variety at this bakery. There's only one hot beverage selection not chocked full of acids, and if I want chamomile I can drink it at Denny's. If you want wheat and rye bread, that's only available to ppl with a line of credit, in an 'industrial chic' ambience, this place is for you! But if you want something baked with love go across the street to Happy Apple, or around the corner for good coffee.

Oak Parker's aren't stupid enough to spend $16 on loaf of bread TWICE. Products don't warrant high cost. Cardamom? monkey 'cupcake' way too sweet (cloying), and had NO taste of cardamom! Sour dough baked fresh, but again, definitely not rave worthy. WF has slightly better fare for less money. If you want to $pend too much on baked goods, go for it. But don't expect to get excited. Won't be returning. (Tip: reassemble boxes ahead of time to move the line along at less than snail's (aka escargo's) pace.)

Give it a few weeks....the $7 almond croissant was very soggy as was the financier and ricotta cake. Suspect this will improve as the kitchen gets settled in. Love the drink menu - tea choices really nice to see. Glad to see Publican on Harrison in Oak Park.