The Bread Company

I absolutely love The Bread Co! We always get the classic cheese fondue or the beef fondue, chef’s selection cheese plate, or the ricotta pizza. The food is creative and cooked well and you get good portions (which makes sense, since it is pricey for a college town). The ambiance is nice both inside and outside. The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is because when UIUC has any sort of «event» weekend; Moms Weekend, Dads Weekend, etc, they change the menus completely and have totally different printed ones and all my favorite stuff isn’t available. The waiter/​waitress was always rude any time we tried to order ANYTHING even a little different from the special menu.

I think this is the best place to eat sit-​down on campus. It’s great to catch up with friends, for a date, and just to grab lunch. I would definitely recommend their vegetarian sandwiches, even if you prefer meat options. I really appreciate the size of their meals, because they’re really more like two meals.

Walked in for dinner after rush hours and was never seated, even though multiple members of the staff saw us and we were the only customers standing in the restaurant. I would’ve been fine with waiting longer– it was the lack of acknowledgement that’s insulting.

We walked in, standing by the sign that said «Please wait to be seated» for the next 5 minutes, while we were completely ignored. There were like 4 – 5 workers chatting idly and laughing. And they definitely saw us, as the interior is pretty small and it wasn’t that full. Do not recommend.

The bread company is very unique! We had a great time in this cute, quaint, cozy, Swiss restaurant. Would recommend anything cheese. The pasta was a bit over cooked, so Stick with the cheese dishes, meat, and soups! Lou was an excellent waitress!!! Definitely will go back – tradition in the making!

Frankly, my experience at Bread Co. was exquisite. The ambiance of the restaurant truly brought me my own little slice of delicious calm, amidst my tragically hurried day. The music was lively, yet gentle and when coupled with the homey nature of the décor I found myself more relaxed and able to enjoy my lunch. However, there was another major facet of the Bread Co. experience that served to make my meal much more lovely than any other atmosphere could provide. A dashing young man working behind the counter guided me through ordering with such wit and charm that I was utterly entranced. He was very informed and knowledgeable about all that Bread Co. had to offer, which he kindly demonstrated as he took my order. When he handed me my food, my fingertips gently slid across his as the platter moved from his grasp to my own. In that moment, as I looked up to meet his strong, dark gaze I found myself a bumbling, blushing fool, stammering my thanks for all his help. He shushed me and laughed, gesturing for me to find a table. I sat, giggling and still flushed from our conversation, before beginning to dig in to my salad. He had guided me towards a pear salad adorned with walnuts, blue cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette, paired with freshly-​squeezed lemonade and a hunk of firm, warm baguette (I smile quietly to myself as I think of my new friend, also firm, warm, and a hunk). As I ate, I continued to chance looks over the counter, hoping to find the same connection that I had felt before. Yet, as I shyly glanced with thirsting eyes in the direction of the kitchen, I heard his soft, velvety voice behind me asking if I was enjoying my meal. I turned, embarrassed, hand flying to my breast as color flooded my cheeks. Caught. He smiled warmly down at me, expectant. «What should I call you?», I blurted out. (Dammit Gwen! Pull yourself together!) Kindly, he overlooked my clumsiness and informed me in his deep voice that his name was Sam Washington. «Sam Washington?», I asked, «but– what do your friends call you?». He grinned his crooked grin at my weak attempt at flirtation. «They call me Sam.»
For a moment, there was silence. Though it didn’t feel awkward, as it should when talking to someone you just met. No. This was effortless. His eyes stole me away to a place I could barely bring myself to leave. His strong voice broke the quiet, reminding me that I hadn’t answered his question. Once again, I couldn’t halt the blush that swept across my face. I suddenly realized that I was the last remaining customer in the restaurant, had we really been gazing into each other for that long? «I’m sorry, I must go…» I said while bashfully staring at the floor, desperate for him to stop me. When I looked up, he was gone.
Food was good. Four stars.

I was a bit disappointed with The Bread Company. I ordered for pickup and even though I was absolutely starving (which normally makes the food better) I was still unimpressed. I usually expect homemade pizza to have a thicker crust, which I can’t fault the restaurant for, but the pizza itself was kind of bland. I ordered the margarita pizza, which by looking at it you’d have no idea, and there wasn’t much there. Instead of the ingredients being somewhat separate but still working together, they were all a blend so you can’t experience the each of the flavored. I also ordered the asparagus fettuccine which was supposed to be topped with Parmesan but it a soft cheese, more like feta. This made the whole dish sour and unappetizing, especially because it wasn’t in the description.
I would come back to try the fondue because it’s the only place around here, but I don’t know if I’d try anything else.

Love their bread especially the rye and Swiss. Their sandwiches are one of the best in town. Now they also have crepes which are really good. During lunch hours you do not have to wait long for your order.

If you get anything besides the fondue you’re making a mistake. If you’re planning on making a stop do 3 courses of fondue. Your wallet won’t be happy, but your taste buds can thank you later.
The good: fondue, bread, location, atmosphere
The bad: anything besides the fondue is very hit or miss (hence 3 stars), I wish they’d expand on their Swiss heritage

I’ve been here a few times for dinner and have always loved my meal. Great appetizers, fondue, salads, pizza, etc. It is a little pricey but well worth it. I love coming here with my friends or parents for a nice dinner while still being on campus. They also have brunch on Sunday which has a limited menu but still great delicious options.

The bread company is perfect for lunch. The prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is great, and the food is delicious. I haven’t tried it for dinner but I heard good things. Definitely go!

Every time I stop in, whether it is for brunch, lunch, dinner, or buying bread, I always have a positive experience.
The ambiance of the restaurant is very cute, cozy, and romantic.
I’ve been trying something new whenever I go in and I haven’t been disappointed since.
Definitely a hidden gem in Urbana.

I like this place but sometimes it can be a little too hectic and chaotic in there. The food is good but doesn’t really have much soul to it usually and I tend to find it a bit bland. The service, depending on when you go can either be really great or absolutely terrible.
As an upscale place to bring visitors– this is great! As a place for great coffee– definitely not a bad choice! As a place to go regularly? Not so much.

Came here for brunch with my mom and brother… As big water drinkers, we were really appreciative of how on it our waitress was about making sure we had a full pitcher on the table at all times.
We ordered 2 omelettes and crepes. The cheese in the crepes wasn’t completed melted in a small part that didn’t seem to have gotten enough heat. However, the food was still really good and well priced for what it was. The hollandaise sauce was thick and had the tiniest bit of spice in it. So yummy!
I would definitely recommend this place if you’re looking for a good on campus brunch. I’ll for sure be back!

One of my earliest experiences in Cham-​bana, the very second night I spent with my boyfriend, now husband, he actually walked across the street from his dorm and brought me a ham and swiss on rye. Now, I wasn’t a huge fan of ham, and I truly hated swiss, and about all he knew was that I liked mustard (so he included it), but… being that we were so new together, I ate that sandwich like it was a long lost favorite.
And shocking… instead of having to choke it down… I loved the thing!
Later in life, when I explained to him how much I hated ham and swiss sandwiches, I told him how amazed I was at how much I loved the one he’d been getting me from The Bread Company! Their ingredients, I mean! Talk about fresh (I hate to sound like a commercial, but! When it’s true, it’s true!!) The sprouts were genius, and the swiss was like none I’d ever had. Ever! Emmentaler. I mean, this place was no joke SMART about how it crafted food! And there was no denying that rye! The crown jewel of the whole thing! Crunchy exterior, soft in all the right places, with a kick-​yer-​butt mustard… just out of this world spectacular.
The whole thing became our ritual. I’d come into town from Bloomy and we’d head over to Bread Company. He’d get a loaf, hot out of the oven, of Challa, and I’d get my ham and cheese sandwich and we’d head back to his dorm. Such bitter sweet memories. And all over a sandwich!
Trust me, this place makes some of the best fresh bread (I mean… HOT FROM THE OVEN GOOD), and some of the greatest food on campus. They do more than sandwiches… OMG, go one night for the fondu! It’s an amazing experience! Whatever it is, find something you love and make it a memory to share.

Restaurant review
After 1 year of living in Champaign, I finally had a chance to come to this restaurant recommended my a previous coworker. The reviews on Unilocal are quite mix and it appears that lunch is good, but dinner is so so. Since I have not found another restaurant that has chocolate fondue here in Central IL, we decided to come here for dinner. I will say that I really wanted to like this restaurant, but overall value is a 2 star, the option for fondue brings it up to a 2.5. It is located right on campus and I never even knew about this restaurant when I lived nearby. The ambiance is very eclectic, lots of wall decorations and a European café feel. The multiple non-​matching chairs throughout the dining room maybe a «modern» design, but I felt it was very «chintzy». I thought about going with the filet or fish entrée, but the other reviews made me a little concern so I went with a safe dish (Shrimp fettuccine) with a light tomato basil cream sauce. It took a bit of time for the dish to come out. Meanwhile, we were given complimentary french bread. Given the name of the restaurant I was a bit disappointed that the bread was not a soft piping hot bread from the oven. Well I digress, back to the entrée, it really wasn’t anything special. My wife’s quote on her salmon salad and the pasta was, «It taste like food you can make at home». The portions sizes were also smaller than expected when you order pasta at a restaurant. I was hoping that the chocolate fondue would be the redeeming value of the meal. Unfortunately this was not the case. Typically you would expect strawberries and maybe even a rice crispy treat to dip in the chocolate. Don’t get me wrong the dark chocolate was amazing, but they gave a plate of pears, green and red apples, and some sort of cake that crumbled when you poked at it too hard with the fondue fork. Service is hit or miss, our server came by a few times and made sure our cups of water were filled. This maybe a great place for date night on campus or maybe for sandwiches at lunch, but my dinner experience was so so.
Pros: Cheese and chocolate fondue, I have yet to find another place that has this option. Great for date night with wine, cheese, bread etc.
Cons: Expensive based on what you get, small portion size, no hot fresh bread from the bread company for dinner, where are the strawberries, marshmallow, or rice krispy treats with the chocolate fondue? I think if they tried they could make this a stellar restaurant here in CU.
Hidden deals: Daily drink and food specials on the chalk board
Health code rating: A.

They have a nice selection of hot and iced teas to choose from. Sandwiches come with a small side salad that is superb. Out of everything I’ve tried, the paninis are the way to go. I’ve yet to be disappointed.

The Bread Company is a MUST whenever I visit Chambana. I discovered this place by accident while attending classes at UIUC and I’ve been in love with it ever since. For five bucks you get yourself a delicious breakfast sandwich along with a cup of coffee (free refills). Their zopf rolls are also amazing and under a $ 1. Speaking of the interior, no two chairs are the same, some are comfortable, others not so much, yet that’s exactly what I like about this place… It’s got character. The fire place is a nice addition in the winter.

At first i thought this place was a little pricey but when my food came out, it was totally worth it. The pizza i got was delicious and the whole restaurant is so cute and comfortable! It has a great vibe to it and the employees were very nice. I ordered a margarita pizza, i was expected a cheese pizza with tomatoes and basil but it was just a cheese pizza… lol but it was still really good!

Bread Company has been around for 15+ years, it is the kind of local place that visitors to town are likely to miss, but it’s worth checking out especially for those who like to avoid chain restaurants.
I recently stopped by for Sunday brunch – something I almost skipped because their website didn’t list a brunch menu (I thought I knew most of the brunches in town and didn’t know Bread Company was an option until today).
The service was friendly, but like a lot of local restaurants, the timing was not-​so-​great and generally felt inexperienced.
The waiter offered slow-​drip pour-​over coffee, but called the coffee «blends» when they were actually single varietals (sorry, coffee nerd here). The Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, though, was aromatic and worth the extra charge (though it’s reasonable to expect that the menu had listed the price or the waiter had known it after I asked: no luck on either).
I waited much too long to place my order after sitting (and it was not busy). But the prosciutto and gruyère omelet (which I added spinach to with no problem) that arrived vastly exceeded expectations: it was flavorful, chock full of good ingredients and not overcooked. The pan-​fried potatoes were spiced but not overly salty (though I sent them back when they arrived with a huge dollop of unmentioned sour-​cream – ew).
The baked bread was sourdough and crusty and a perfect accompaniment.
Nice job, Bread Company. Great food. Lacking final star only because my waiter could have used some some further training on the menu and service timing.