Labriola Bakery & Café

Great breakfast spot! I have wanted to check this place out for a while now but am rarely in the area. Finally had the opportunity this past weekend on our way down to the city. I was really craving eggs and bacon so that is exactly what I got. Their two egg breakfast also comes with potatoes and a choice of toast or pancakes. I obviously chose the pancakes.
The eggs were scrambled and perfectly cooked. Wish the bacon had been just a bit crisper. Potatos were crispy and had peppers and onions in them which gave it a great taste. Pancakes were not as fluffy like I like them but hey, they were pancakes so I defintely ate them.
Service from the cashier and gentleman who brought us our food was very friendly! Will for sure stop in again to explore the menu once I am back in the area.

This place is awesome! Such good quality food and drinks but you’re able to be in and out quickly and very laid back. It’s like going to panera if panera brought you your food and the food was something out of a high end restaurant. Something for everyone very friendly staff. Perfect for lunch break during a day of running around.

The baked manicotti with sausage and pepper was absolutely Devine. I thought the ribeye sandwich was excellent and the fries are always great!
I’ve never had a bad meal at this place. It’s generally crowded but today it was full but not crowded. The customer service is always top notch.

Took 28 minutes to get my salad, I’m sorry but if I went to a sit down restaurant I would have gotten my salad faster. They have great food and I’m super disappointed to say I won’t be coming here again. Second time this has happened!

I definitely enjoyed my first visit at Labriola Café and will be back if I’m in the area.
I really wanted to give this place 5 stars but the service was a little off, unfortunately. When I had first entered there had been a bit of a line which was expected — it was a Friday morning. I was only ordering a large cappuccino and a chocolate cake donut in celebration of National Donut Day. I wasn’t expecting to be asked 9 questions regarding size, type of milk, what kind of mug, etc. but I suppose that was nice they cared about my preference. Sadly, when I had ordered my donut I was told they were out of chocolate cake donuts. Alright, that’s okay. Soon after the employee at the register had said «we’re actually out of donuts but we have glazed and the vanilla with sprinkles»…huh? I confusingly ordered a vanilla with sprinkles and stood there for someone to take my credit card so I could pay and take a seat. The man who took my order had just abandoned me for about 9 minutes after I ordered the donut. The line was starting to grow behind me and another employee asked if I was even being taken care of. I don’t understand what happened there.
Otherwise, Labriola was a really nice place. I had gotten my vanilla sprinkled donut, took a seat to meet Jacqueline B. and my cappuccino was brought to my table soon after. The ambience was nice. The café itself was decorated nicely, clean and the bathrooms were nicer than I expected. The cappuccino was tasty and the donut was soft and sweet — they both looked like «food porn».
I would like to come back for a lunch sometime!

Labriola would be a solid 5 stars for me if the service team could just be more on top of their game. For a restaurant so large, so clean, and offering so much, it’s a shame the customer service doesn’t match the exemplary level of everything else at this bakery & café.
I’ve been here a handful of times now because it’s an excellent meeting spot — whether it’s to grab lunch with a co-​worker, coffee with someone for a meeting, or enjoying a donut by yourself… Labriola is a win.
It’s a large restaurant with seating in the front area, outside, and the back room is also full of tables. They have a wood fired brick oven and a ton to offer on the menu. I’ve enjoyed their latte, green tea, The Astoria Waldorf salad, prosciutto and chicken sandwich, chicken noodle soup, and an apple fritter. All were delicious!
You order up at the counter and they give you a number to take to your table (which is open seating). This applies even when you’re just getting a coffee or pastry, however they do offer food to-​go. If you come at the lunch hour prepare to wait! The line is always super long.
Customer service can be quite confusing at times. Every time I’ve been here I haven’t been given much direction up at the counter. It seems as though the staff doesn’t always know what’s going on either. Last time I was in I ordered a donut and they looked at me like I had three heads! It’s a hit or miss if someone will remember to give me a number to take back to my table. Most times I just have to hang around until someone notices I need help.
Regardless, I will be back because it’s a large and lively spot for me to post up with my lap top and work! It’s not often you find a great place with free Wifi, outdoor seating, and that serves coffee, breakfast, lunch, and dessert. Pretty awesome. Now we just need the Labriola team to step it up!

Good décor. Menu looks the part. However, they served us over cooked filet sliders and spinach salad without dressing. Anyone of these separately would’ve been ok but was quite a disappointment when 2 of the 3 orders were messed up. The lady at the dessert/​bakery section can be a little more helpful.
Overall, I can see this place getting better reviews if they pay extra attention to their service.

Excellent-​really, this is the best Sunday morning café breakfast I’ve had in a LONG, LONG time. Service is great-​helpful, and not intrusive. Food was GREAT! Even the coffee was really great! We shopped at the bakery after breakfast-​Macaroons were pricey, but worth it!
I am so glad our son got us to try Labriola! Great IDEA!!!

I really want to like this place and I have given them two opportunities to impress me. I like their bread and often buy their pretzel rolls at my local store, but I have to say the restaurant is truly underwhelming.
The first time I went I had their steak sliders and the steak was tender enough and the bread was soft, but it had no flavor, there was no hint of garlic or onion or even a good beef flavor. It was just bland.
On the second visit we ordered a pasta dish that included chicken (pasta with broccoli and sundried tomato and chicken) there were chicken bones in the dish. I appreciate the fact that they use rotisserie chicken and pick it fresh, but they have to make sure they get the bones out. When we told the manager that we found bones in our first bit of the food, he said he would tell the kitchen and started to walk away, When I called him back and said that we would like to order something else rather than digging for bones, He seemed surprised but said OK. We then ordered something that could be prepared quickly that actually cost less than the original order. No offer of refund, no offer for a free desert or coupon asking us to return for a better experience, not even any type of verbal apology. in fact he was more looking for praise because he was able to deliver the second order so quickly.
This wasn’t like we ate half the dish and then asked for more, This was our first bite, We returned a full plate of food, just asking for something that wouldn’t have any bones.
The restaurant was dirty. It was around 4:30PM and the place was not very busy. As I walked around looking for a table, there were several that were empty but not cleaned off yet. There were crumbs and scraps on the floor.
We didn’t ask for any money back, heck it was only a dollar, but it would have been nice if they had offered or at least apologized for a potential bad situation. If I had swallowed my first bite I could have ended up choking.

You can always get a good meal at Labriola, and can trust the food quality.
I like that you order at the counter and take a seat. Using a number system the servers bring your food to your table.

The people sitting next to our table when we were here were flipping out because the staff served their salad with bread. «This has happened the last 8 times we’ve been here and we’re sick of it!» they yelled.
So sure, the staff may have made some pretty simple mistakes, but the fact that their tirade included them coming back time and time again tells the story that Labriola has to be pretty awesome, right? Well, it is pretty awesome.
I had a really sizable salad that satisfied my midday hunger without making me feel too full and bloated. The veggies were fresh, the chicken was tender, and the bacon incredibly flavorful. Topped with house dressing that tied the whole cobb together quite nicely and served at a modest price.
I’ll can definitely see why that furious gluten free person just couldn’t walk away.

***See Update at bottom***
First I time visited I ordered a club on a croissant with a salad. I was a few bites into it and find some strange critter crawling through it.
They refund my meal, offer to replace it, and gave me a $ 25.00 gift card to come back and try again. I thanked them for offering to replace my meal but opt to take the gift card and leave since I no longer had an appetite.
I returned a few weeks later with my wife, 11÷21÷15, and I order Eggs Benedict and she ordered Strawberry French Toast with Vanilla. My wife raves over the fresh squeezed orange juice and we are pleased with the aroma and experience.
After only ten minutes or so, our food arrives. Nearly the same time an employee puts up a 10 – 12 foot ladder directly behind me and right in front of who seemed to be the manager.
A few seconds later glass cleaner is being sprayed overhead and this is only the day after her LASIK surgery in the same building. The atomized spray is landing all over us and I’m extremely upset, let the manager know and her response is that she does not understand why he was doing that then. My wife and I find this disturbing as she was present the entire time and had to notice we were extremely uncomfortable when the ladder was first going up.
The restaurant was fairly empty so the smart thing would have been to ask us to move if this was a necessity to clean the bowl at that instant.
In any case, she gave us a new gift card and needless to say, it’ll be going in the trash as I’ll never visit this establishment again.
I’m sure emotion has the better of me right now but I’m disgusted with my experiences.
***Update***
After vowing to never return, we decided to give this place another opportunity and we are certainly we did.
Everything went as it should this time and the food was delicious. Sadly it took many opportunities to get it right, but it was certainly worth sticking with.
I am going to leave my initial experience but add this to denote that inadvertent and unpleasant experiences may happen, however, they do not have to dictate what the future or past represent overall.
This business has more than once tried to earn our business and I respect that. They have taken our concerns and addressed them without haste. I am very impressed with those I have spoken with and the quality of the establishment overall.

My expectations exceeded reality. I went for dinner, maybe it’s better for breakfast. The desserts certainly look delicious which I didn’t have either.
Anyways, I thought the dine in area would have been better. It kind of looked a little too family friendly with sticky tables and floors which was a turn off. That was my biggest disappointment. I was expecting more of a café feel.
Anyways, the food was great which is the important part. Expensive for a café… spent around $ 40 on food (no service)! Was a little shocked when the lady rang us up. I mean I got a prime rib sandwich for about $ 15 I think which isn’t bad… I really got a full slab of steak, but I don’t know where all the other expenses went to? My bf got a calzone and 2 drinks??? $ 40??? Btw, the calzone is huggge (see my pic). Plus I wasn’t sure if we were supposed to tip the bus boys so an extra few bucks on top of that.
Overall, the food is good but I was disappointed with the dining area and cost. Maybe I’ll come back for breakfast or dessert because the desserts look really good.

I’ve visited this place several times now over the years and haven’t had a single thing that wasn’t delicious. Their many breakfast options, salads, sandwiches and their amazing bakery do not disappoint. Some bakery items are still pricier when compared to say, Mariano’s, that has a really nice bakery as well.
The only reason I hold back on 5 stars is because getting a refill on coffee can be a hassle. They are more than willing to refill your cup but employees aren’t just wandering around to do so and you either have to snag one as they happen to walk by and ask politely for a refill or go up to the counter and get it refilled. I wish they had big coffee pots like Panera has so you can get your refills yourself right when you want it.

I had the tilapia with risotto for dinner along with the bread pudding. It was enjoyable but didnt much care for the risotto. Close to the office, will be back

I had the steak sandwich and affogato for dessert.
This place is a pretty basic but quality luncheon café. Service could do a little bit of improving as well as design of the seating but we’ve never had a bad sandwich here, with your option of french or american breads.

Great pizza and deserts, but it is always busy with long wait time. Salads are fresh and healthy but
They include some ingredients that I told them not to include.
Ice cream is great but do not take after a meal.
I recommend going for ice cream only.
They use lots of bread on the salad and if you have soup with bread plus pizza, you will end up with lots of carbs. Almond cluster is great.
Prices are moderate.
I like the food more when in café than take away.

Ok, nothing spectacular. The seating was sufficient, restaurant clean, and staff was pleasant.

I really like this place. You are greeted by the smell of wood smoke which is as welcoming to me as anything.
Lots of variety on the menu with their fresh baked bread the feature. Everyone liked their food very much. Salads, and sandwiches were fresh and tasty.
By the way, their fries are near the top of my official French fries meter!
One downside is cost. Not cheap! I will be back. Try it, you won’t be disappointed.

Disclaimer — This review is only for breakfast, and does not cover lunch or dinner.
With that said, I can’t recommend this place enough for breakfast. First, it is one of the few places that has a really good toad-​in-​the-​hole (rospo in foro). Actually, everything they make with bread or pretzel is outstanding, probably because LaBriola is a bakery first, then restaurant second. Their breads are just awesome.
Another item they have is the Breakfast Richie sandwich, that is a delicious scrambled egg, sausage and cheese sandwich that, until recently, was served on an out-​of-​this-​world delicious pretzel croissant — so flaky, buttery and chewy. Holy cow was this good.
Since the beginning of this year, though, it seems that they have fazed out the pretzel croissant in favor of a regular croissant, Let me just say to my friends in the menu department at LaBriola — bring back the pretzel croissant for the Breakfast Richie sandwich, please!
Anyway, on top of the delicious breakfast items, including a really good children’s menu, they have fresh donuts and other breakfast pastries, which just put it over the top for a delicious breakfast. The seating is plentiful, including large tables for big parties, and the service is really good, even though it is an order at a counter type set-​up. Oh, and as if there isn’t enough, you have to walk past the pastry counter on your way out, and the gelato bar makes you want to skip breakfast before you even order. Try this place for breakfast — really.

$ 12 ham samwiches here. Tasty ham samwiches but not worthy of $ 12. Order at the counter, seat yourself. They will then toast some bread top it with ham, cheese, and mustard and charge you $ 12. Someone will walk it over to your table and remove the number from the metal stand on your table, and before you know it your eating an okay ham samwich. If they handed you $ 3 when you left if would be a really awesome ham samwich. There’s my ham samwich math for Labriola…

Labriola has become one of my local fav cafes throughout the years. I moved out to the west coast and each time I visit my family, I make sure to stop by at least a couple time, if not more. Perfect place to meet up with family /​friends & catch up over lunch/​dinner, especially a cup of Cappuccino & their amazing array of baked items /​desserts, & not to forget their gelato (a summer time fav). Great service, ambiance, & food, can’t get better than this for a local café. Labriola you definitely have won my heart!

Labriola is a legend of the suburbs. Everyone has been here at some time or another and many have long traditions of going here once a week/​month/​year/​etc. The pastries are unparalleled in almost any other bakery (I highly recommend the Napoleon). The coffee is pretty darn good too, and stopping in for a coffee and pastry is a favorite of mine to clear the mind on a frustrating work day.
However, the food is overpriced for what you get. I’ve had at least 5 different sandwiches, a couple salads and a couple pizzas. All have been good, but about $ 3-​$ 5 more than I could really justify paying for something of that quality/​size. Regardless, it’s a classic and a solid lunch option if you’re willing to overpay. You are in Oak Brook.. .

Their cheesecake was better (and cheaper) than The Cheesecake Factory!
Hot choc was good, but warm.
Counter guy was least interested in taking my order, instead took someone else’s b4 me.
Posh stuck up crowd mostly.

Panera Bread with lots of makeup on.
The service is friendly and prompt. Seating areas are pleasant and relaxing. Menu is broad.
Based on what I had, there is not enough value gap over a Panera or Corner Bakery. But, it is certainly not a bad experience and I only had one menu choice to go on.

I came here with family on a Sunday morning for brunch and found it to be a very average restaurant for brunch. At this restaurant, you order at a counter and then your food is delivered to the table. There are waiters walking around to refill drinks and to clear plates, but you do not order through them. It’s definitely a casual environment with a few TVs playing football games.
When we came for brunch at 11 am, a lot of their brunch items were out or no longer serving, which was discouraging. I ordered The Breakfast Richie on The Pretzel Croissant, but since they were out of the Pretzel croissant I had to settle for a normal croissant. It was actually really tasty with eggs, sausage patty, spinach and cheddar cheese! I thoroughly enjoyed it and would order it again! My boyfriend got a steak sandwich which he thought was «ok». I didn’t try it, so I can’t give you my impression.
All in all, it was tasty but nothing I would go out of my way to seek again!

This is one of those places that I have been to a bunch of times, it is always delicious. I’ve never had a bad meal here. Yes, it is a little expensive but you get what you pay for. Good food and always fill you up.
Here is a list of some of the items I would recommend:
Filet sliders
Steak sandwich on a baguette
Richie burger
Classic Italian
Strawberry kale salad
Baked rigatoni
I never actually had any of the pizzas but people who I have been with ordered them and like them. They have soda fountain but they usually make 2 different kinds of ice t which are usually good as well.
For those that are interested they do have a coffee and dessert section on the other side of the restaurant. They have it where you can order slices or full cakes to take home with you. I have only had a few desserts here and I did enjoy them. I don’t remember what I had, I am guessing based on my past taste it would have been a slick of cheesecake.
Staff is great. For an order then sit place the food is really good. I would recommend this place, it is a little bit of a drive from the mall but worth it.

Similar to Panera but much nicer. Italian café ambiance, some table service but you still order at a counter. One major advantage is they do serve full breakfasts that include things like omelettes, French toast, and eggs Benedict. Also have simpler Togo options like egg sandwiches and pastries.
One of my favorite lunches is the hearty tomato bisque and grilled cheese on old school Italian bread. Perfect for cold days!
They get super busy at lunch with people from the local businesses in Oak Brook and DG. But mid-​mornings and early afternoon are perfect times if you need a bite and some free wifi without roaring conversations and lines of people waiting on your table

The wife and I visited Labriola in Oak Brook trying to de-​stress from the Saturday afternoon craze that was Oak Brook Mall parking and road traffic. We visited Labriola’s Chicago, Mag mile location for lunch a in the summer and enjoyed our meal. We visited at 2pm and the place was packed! They have tons of seating but our mission was just to get a sugary baked good for evening dessert. Sadly we didn’t find their baked good selection that appealing and ended up empty handed. Definitely try their fresh baked bread but aside from some standard cakes, cookies, we personally weren’t wowed by the choices. We would give Labriola another try.

Awesome café! It’s in a cute little location surrounded by shops and restaurants, and it looks especially nice this time of year with all of the lights and Christmas/​holiday directions; perfect for a date night.
There’s a large dessert/​bakery section when you walk in, filled with homemade treats. I would have loved to just plop down in front and spend a solid hour eating everything, but I stood strong and moved on.
Now bare with me when I say my order. Just keep in mind that I am inhuman when it comes to consuming food… I was originally just going to order a pizza for myself, which is large, but not outlandish in normal terms of eating. So I go the margherita pizza, but I also noticed on the menu that they were known for their blue cheese burger. And well, I ain’t no punk, so I got the blue cheese burger as well, with fries :) (the look on the servers’ faces when they realized this was all for me was priceless)
The conclusion for these food items was very simple for me. The burger was really really good, and the pizza was okay but there are better nearby, namely Antico Posto in Oak Brook, and Pazzi di Pizza in Elmhurst. But the burger was great. The bun was a pretzel bun, probably one of the bigger ones I’ve seen. The blue cheese was more of a cream than it was crumbs but it went really well with the caramelized onions. The fries were kind of soggy but had good flavor. In the end, the burger shined bright this night and everything else was pretty dim.
In short, there are better pizza places in the area, but the burger was great, and the dessert/​bakery section looked legitimate enough to assume they would be good as well. I’ll review again once I get a chance to try them out.

This place is a little deceiving from the name. It also can’t quite figure out what it is.
To me it’s like corner bakery that presents itself as a little more upscale. White table clothes, real silverware, bread to your table. But then it’s seat yourself after you order and get a number.
Anyways, I tried their BBQ burger and thought it was very good. The fries were great, fresh cut. My wife had the special salad and it was good with some type of bacon dressing.
We didn’t get to try the gelato but it looked good and seemed to popular.
Outside of their confusion of what they appear to be vs what they actual are, is some good food that’s a bit on the pricey side.

Labriola is by far my favorite place in oakbrook to get a coffee and pastry. You can taste the quality ingredients in anything you order. I’ve tried most of the things on the menu. and you can’t go wrong. My favorite pastries are chocolate croissants and donuts. The cookies are also good. (especially the kitchen sink)
Atmosphere: relaxed and fun. you’ll feel at home in the dining area.
Service: excellent, when you order in. It usually doesn’t take long to get your food. And all the servers are attentive.
Food: AMAZING. I have tried entrees from breakfast lunch and dinner. I recommend the French toast for breakfast. Lunch– any of the of the pizzas or pastas are delicious. Dinner– the salads are to die for!!! I always order the spinach salad with salmon. The sliders are also delish
Overall this is one of my favorite places to dine. If you haven’t been, you definitely need to make your way over there. You won’t regret it.

Picked up a chopped chicken salad and a coke for lunch. it was $ 16. I realize the costs of food items has risen but this is just too much for lunch when I can get an equally high quality salad from a place like Pinched or the Protein Bar for less.
I don’t think I will return for lunch ever again just based on price. The food IS delicious but my chicken this time wasn’t the best quality. Further – we went for an office lunch at Pizza Barra today and our cost per person with tip was $ 16 —i would rather spend my dollars there where I am seated and waited on!

Dessert Rating: ⁵⁄₅
Food: ⁴⁄₅
Staff: 4.5÷5
Desserts and bread, labriola never disappoints me. Ive been here multiple times now and this place has always met expectations.
This review is a mixture of multiple visits. Ive tried like all of their desserts mostly. My person fav so far is their chocolate risotto cake.
Talking about food, I liked their pizza. My friend ordered an eggplant sandwich which she did not like, but the bread they used for that sandwich was delicious. Another friend ordered a burger and liked it.
The ambience is nice and so is the staff.
So if you are craving a dessert/​bakery item, labriola is definitely worth a shot.

Can we officially change the saying «Ladies Who Lunch» to «Ladies Who Brunch»?
Labriola kind of wowed me today. My friend, Carrie, told me this is her one of her favorite brunch places. But I was sure when we arrived, at 11am, that we’d be waiting in an hour long line. It is Sunday after all. When we got there, there was a line, but it was moving quickly. I was so confused as to why until I realized you order first and then seat yourself. They give you a number and the staff brings you your food. And the menu is full of classic breakfast favorites (I.e. Toad in a Hole, Belgian Waffles ect.) but not super long and overwhelming. However, there’s plenty of choices including items from their TWO bakery counters.
I went with the Eggs Benedict. Aaaaaaand a chocolate covered donut that was the size of a new born and extra tasty. When the waiter brought my Eggs Benedict, I was already in a food coma from just half of the giant chocolate donut. It defeated me, I’m not ashamed to say. Somehow, though, I managed to finish most of perfectly runny eggs. Their Hollandaise sauce seems to be a little less acidic and a little more creamy than most. Fantastic.
As for the atmosphere, rustic brick, dark wood, fireplaces and lots of comfortable seating make this spot extra cozy.
The bakery didn’t disappoint either. I went home with 6 macaroons, all different flavors. Unfortunately, my 4 and 5yr old «angels» found them and ate about $ 13 worth of macaroons in less than 2 minutes. My daughter says the «cookies» were great. Just lovely.

I stumbled across Labriola as a catering option for a work event. I became hooked on their salads and desserts, so was eager to try out their actual restaurant location, located right in the heart of downtown Oak Brook, between Oak Brook Mall and Yorktown Mall.
The location is spacious and does have outside patio seating as well. As you enter, you can go to the left if you only want bakery items, or to the right to order meals (to go or dine in). I’ve been here quite a few times since my first discovery and have been pleased with all visits. Depending upon what time you go, it gets quite busy. Weekday lunch crowds usually leave very few open tables or open parking spots (the lot is shared with many other popular lunchtime options). However, even with the crowds, you generally never wait more than 10 minutes for your meal, typically less. But if you’re looking for a quiet zen lunch break, this is not the place for you!
I feel like I’ve tried a decent selection at Labriola — I’ve ordered their burger and fries, various salads, and various pasta dishes. The burgers seem to get good reviews by others, but I’ll be honest — not my favorite. I found it rather greasy and not terrifically flavorful. I’d honestly prefer a Fuddrucker’s or a BWW burger to these. The pasta is very good, and in particular I am a fan of their red sauce. I’ve had gnocchi, ravioli (on special) and lasagna. All were fantastic. However, my favorite dishes here are the salads. I love the apple cider vinaigrette — sweet but not overly so. The Orchard Salad is why I keep coming back!
Be sure to check out their gelatto bar and their dessert counter on our way out — they have so much to choose from! I’ve tried the macaroons (loved the chocolate, found the raspberry a little dry), the brownies and cookies (both great). And they have homemade ho ho’s that I definitely plan to get next time I visit. Yum!

Not bad.
Stopped in for a late breakfast and ordered coffees and food on a Saturday morning. My omelet had cheese and spinach and some kind of topping that was good. BF had a breakfast sandwich that was decent. Both items were pretty unmemorable though. But our lattes were good and the food came out quickly, so nothing to gripe too much about, but not a stand out place overall.

When I fancy a yummy cup of mint mocha coffee or nutella hot chocolate drink, I would stop by Labriola. Their cups of coffee are around the same price as any regular coffee shop but this place consists of gelato bar, restaurant, and bakery.
I ordered a risotto cake here once for a friend’s birthday and it was delicious! The design of the cake was simple yet very classy looking. The risotto had about 3 – 4 different layers of cake — chocolate, coconut, hazelnut, and something else that I couldn’t put my tastebuds on. I got a 10″ cake and it was more than enough to feed ten people, FYI. The risotto cake cost $ 5 more than a regular 10″ cake so the total came close to $ 54. It is a bit steep but if it’s for that someone special, it’s worth it!
On the bakery side, they sometimes display samples of macarons so don’t be shy to grab one or two or more pieces to try!