Corner Bakery Cafe

Sad to see this location closing… good staff and a great manager, Monique Moore — who has been on and off at this location for a number of years. As a regular in the neighborhood, this is one of my daily stops for a quick breakfast to go. Throughout the years, Mo-​Mo has been a friendly and extremely competent presence in the restaurant. Every time she is working, i know my catering orders will be done exactly right. Sad to see ya go, Monique !

Staff could not be nicer! Such a friendly greeting. Very generous egg dishes for the very reasonable cost. Twice this week we were almost first there @ 7 am so found it strange that eggs were piping hot and bacon cold! One day charged 50 cents for butter on bagel another day no charge and butter available at station. Still these are minor issues. Baked goods delicious, service speedy.

Where is the parmesean crusted chicken? We stopped for a quick lunch because of that entrée. It wasn’t on their menu! So bummed.

Breakfast was good, coffee was good, and the morning old school disco mix was great. I was unfortunately really disappointed that the only jelly available was strawberry jam; no grape jelly. I hope this a reflection of an employee’s laziness of only opening and stocking one type of jelly, and not a statement on the lack of jelly diversity at Corner Bakery. I’d give one star for this but the morning disco holds my rating at 4 stars. Please stock grape jelly!

I don’t often review big chain places, but I wanted to make sure to give the management and staff some props about this location.
During a recent Chicago visit, I had to find a place to hunker down for a few hours to work. I wandered the area for a bit and stumbled upon CBC. I was enthusiastic welcomed when I entered and the chatted me up while taking the order. Very friendly and helpful.
The food was good and coffee (iced and hot) were tasty.
There were plenty of tables for working, though not all of the power strips worked.
I will def head back there the next time I am in the area and need an «office» for a few hours.
Good job!

I come here way too much, as it is really close to my work.
At 7 am the doors open and the muffins are literally hot out of the oven. I have tried the banana muffin, the blueberry and the chocolate. They are all to die for! Seriously so good, of course eating them fresh and hot helps.
As far as lunch foods, I love the combos and they have a great soup/​sandwich combo. I love the panini, namely the club panini. The Chicken Pomodori panini is also fantastic.
This is not a fancy place but it gives me what I want. Now, if they just had the sour dough bread bowls like at Panera they would be perfect!
I have never had a service issue here and the employees are always friendly.

Meet Me At The Corner!
I used to frequent Corner Bakery back in the day before it was discovered that refined carbs were the root evil of modern day society & I jumped onboard & went on an extended bread/​simple carb hiatus. But after going through a personal, traumatic event last summer, I decided life’s too short not to eat the occasional cookie, muffin, cake or other refined carb o’choice. Moderation not abstinence is the key to a gem life-​style! In fact, I’m a tad less cranky after some simple carbs before the inevitable carb-​crash lol! There used to be a CB in Orland Park, a SW burb o’Chicago that I used to eat at but it went outta biz a long time ago.
So as I was walking in downtown Chicago, CB caught my eye & I decided to give it a re-​try to break my fast. This CB is in fact on a corner, a very busy, golden corner located on 1121 N State Street between Rush & Cedar in the Gold Coast in Chicago, IL. This CB is the same set-​up as the CBs I used to frequent: you stand in line & place your order, get a number to display on your table, pick your table or booth & someone brings you your food order. There is a self-​serve drink machine & coffee is also from self-​serve pumps. There are like 3 different variety of coffees. I went with a cup of Café Europa, CB’s dark roast. It was nice & bold & surprisingly pipin’ hot for pump coffee!
I used to mainly eat at CB for lunch or as an afternoon snack when I worked across the street from the CB by the Daley Center in the Loop but this visit was breakfast time, so I went with a scrambler. I don’t remember if these guys were on the menu the last time I went to CB cuz I would just get bakery items, the soup, salad and/​or sammie combos & the occasional heaven help me, bread bowl!
I picked the Farmer’s Scrambler and asked for a sub o’egg whites (no charge, yay!) which was scrambied with mushrooms & diced, red peppers & held the onions & cheese. It was a decent-​sized portion scrambler & tasted fine but the egg-​whites were flat & dense, not soft & fluffy like I prefer. However, kudos to CB for even offering & not charging extra for egg whites at a fast-​casual restaurant!
FYI: The scrambler entrees at CB are served with toast & your choice of oven-​roasted breakfast potatoes or fresh fruit. Normally, I would make the obvious, healthy choice & pick the fresh fruit but I’m at Corner «Bakery» people & it’s been awhile & I was feelin’ bad & carby! So when asked which side I wanted between potatoes or fruit, me being the pain I am, said, «um is there anyway I could get one of those delicious-​looking, sugar cookies in place of both of my sides» & CB cashier was like «you don’t want the toast or potatoes?!» So I got my egg white scrambler sans half the listed ingredients & sugar cookie too, no charge! Bada-​bing, thanks lady! That cookie was big, soft, & sweet as you, the sweet part that is! And the egg whites balance out the cookie, right?!
Anyway, the breakfast menu at CB is pretty extensive for a fast-​casual place. There are a variety of breakfast paninis, other scramblers, steel-​cut oatmeal, and of course all the standard bakery items you can grab on-​the-​go such as bagels, muffins, cookies, pastries, etc. This CB is popular & busier than a lotta the other CBs in Chicago given its location in the Gold Coast, but the staff does a good job at getting the lines through fairly fast & getting the food orders out in a reasonable time. This CB is large with lotsa tables but at peak breakfast hour, every table was full with people just waitin’ to snatch up your seat.
I would recommend makin’ CB a stop in your breakfast or lunch rotation if you’re near this location or any CB if you wanna nice, fast-​casual meal with a variety o’options but don’t have time for a full-​blown, full-​service 4 or 5 gem meal. (If you’re unfamiliar with CB, it’s very similar to Panera Bread. PBs aren’t in the City though. PBs have taken over the burbs, boo! There are 3 PB locations in Orland Park & personally I miss CB. I think CB is a lil nicer & has a better variety & quality of food over PB).
For fast-​casual, I’d say Corner Bakery is 4 gems for offering gemmy breakfast & lunch options; supa, hot coffee; egg whites (albeit flat), nonetheless no charge & accommodating, quick service. So give in to your carb cravin’ & go to the Corner & treat yourself to somethin’ yummy from the Bakery!

The worst corner bakery I have been to. Very poor customer service. Whoever Edna and Lisa are-​do not care whatsoever about the customers. Called to let them know that they made a mistake on the order-​not a big deal. Just wanted to know how to get my credit for next time. While on the phone-​one of the two mentioned above got angry that I wasn’t agreeing with her right away in the midst she gave me extreme attitude and hung up the phone hastily. That’s no way to treat a customer. Terrible employees.

no corner bakery manager it is not enough to fail me over and over and then say ey contact us… wtf coudl you possibly do for me? and whatver it is you think you can do just start doign it for everytone lol. no so sorry its over b/​t you and me! consider this a divorce! lol

The food is so warm and toasty~. In the winter days, this place is a nice place to sit in and warm up. I like the soups and sandwiches. If you want to enjoy a book or do some work with a cup of coffee or light meal this is the place to go! It’s also nice to come here with a friend to catch up. I love the booths and stay as long as you want feel. Like everyone else is saying, it is like a panera but a bit more intimate. More cozy than a panera I think.

The food is awesome and the staff is EXTREMELY friendly. Doesn’t get much better than that. Very fun and upbeat environment. I love Corner Bakery on State!!!

This location is by far better servicewise and tastewise than many of the other Corner Bakery’s I’ve been to in the Chicagoland area. On National Smile Day, breakfast was quick, fresh and delicious. The eggs and roasted potatoes here tasted as good as a full service restaurant, and perhaps even better than some. So excited to have a smile mug for $.25 coffees for a full year!

Very limited menu fur breakfast but food is tasty and was served quickly after ordering. Coffee is v excellent.

The French Toast was heavenly. It is a must when visiting the Gold Coast. Make sure your sausage patties are thoroughly cooked. Mine were cold.

mmmmm Mac & Cheese :)
this place is amazing, right downstairs from my condo so I don’t feel so weird eating alone. But I come in here every week and every time I get outstanding service,

I came here for a quick breakfast this weekend while staying at my friend’s around the corner. I was impressed by the quantity and quality of my Anaheim Scrambler for $ 7. It’s like a cross between fast food and full service (one step above Panera’s pick your own tray up set-​up). That allowed me to order my food quick, found myself a table and get my silverwares ready for the chow down, and the server brought out the food without too much of a delay.
The roasted potato was delicious. I very much liked the bacon bites in the scrambler. Good amount of avocado on top. And excellent butter (gold foil land o’lakes butter) for the toast.
There is an outdoor patio, which on a nice day like Saturday would be ideal to sit and chill. This is a great cheap breakfast option. I was hoping to eat local and not chain, but I was happy with my decision. Now, if I can have one in my hometown.

Typical corner bakery. Exceptionally friendly staff.
For those who aren’t familiar with corner bakery, it is similar to a café, halfway between a sit down restaurant and a fast food chain. A full meal will cost you around or less than $ 10. You order at the counter, get a number, and stick it on your table. The staff will bring your food and bus your tables.
The bathrooms are downstairs and you need a token to enter. The stairs can be a little slippery so be careful!
The only reason I give four stats instead of five? The elevator could be cleaner.

Pretty much like a Panera minus people calling out your name for your food to be picked up — they deliver your food to the table.
I got the tomato basil soup which was yummy paired with the chicken pomodoro panini which was equally yummy yet a little too greasy… I had to soak up the grease on the bread with some napkins — kinda grossed me out. My combo was served with kettle chips and a big cookie — lots of food for $ 8.00.
This is a perfect location in the heart of it all… clean restaurant. Fast and friendly service.
Great for lunch or breakfast especially if you want some alone time. Casual atmosphere… solid food. I think I’d pick this over a Panera.

I loved this place in the mornings to grab a quick bit of breakfast. They have pretty much most things you’d want to start your day including fruits, eggs, juices, coffees and breads. I had probably the best french toast of my life here so far so if you make it by you should absolutely give that a try… The seating can be a little quirky in the mornings though. Even thought they have plenty of seats it seems like a lot of solo customers come in to enjoy their breakfast and eat up all the good tables/​seats.

When you walk into Corner Bakery, it sort of reminds you of what Panera used to be back in their heyday, but at a more personal level. It doesn’t feel as assembly line-​like, but it has a cozy touch where you can sit back on your laptop and relax. You do have the Pancake House just around the corner, but when you don’t want to deal with the lines and you’re looking for a quasi-​fast food, no-​hassle meal, this is the place to go.
After you put your order up at the counter, you are given a number, where you can then grab your drink and then find a seat. A waiter will bring your meal out when it’s ready, similar to when you order a personal sized pizza at Panera.
We came here for breakfast, and I wound up ordering the Anaheim Panini ($ 4.49) which consists of eggs, bacon, tomato, onions, avocado, and cheddar on sourdough bread. The presentation of the sandwich is bare and minimal, simply a sandwich on a plate. It was light but actually quite delicious. It is fairly priced, but if you’re looking for something a bit more substantial, I’d choose something larger. Otherwise, this sandwich is an excellent choice to get your day started.
The Commuter Croissant ($ 4.79) is another excellent choice to start the day. It is served with scrambled eggs, smoked bacon, tomatoes, and cheddar. It’s another good sandwich with just the right amount of saltiness from the bacon, and tartness from the tomatoes, making for a balanced meal.
If your time is short in Chicago and you’re looking for something a little more unique, I’d venture elsewhere, but if you’re looking for a nice spot to relax, the Corner Bakery is a perfect spot to kick back.