Beloved bakery w/ amazing pastries, focaccia & sandwiches. Expect lines, but worth it for standout croissants & unique seasonal treats.
Willa Moore reviews Radio Bakery's second location in Prospect Heights, highlighting its popular pastries and suitability for picnics in nearby Prospect Park.
Radio Bakery is a highly acclaimed bakery with two locations, known for its exceptional pastries and sandwiches. Customers frequently praise their expertly crafted croissants, focaccia, and unique seasonal offerings. While the quality is consistently high, be prepared for significant wait times, especially during peak hours and on weekends.
Radio Bakery is celebrated for its expertly engineered pastries, with particular praise for their croissants and focaccia. Popular items include seasonal croissants like rhubarb and custard, morning buns (including a matcha variation), and a standout sesame scallion twist. Sandwiches, such as the smoked salmon focaccia and turkey sandwich, are also highly recommended. While most items receive positive feedback, some customers found certain pastries like the pistachio croissant or triple chocolate croissant to be less impressive or not worth the wait.
"Highly recommended dishes include the smoked salmon focaccia, various sandwiches (especially the tuna salad and tofu sandwiches), and the brown butter corn cake. Seasonal croissants and morning buns are also frequently praised."
Customers rave about the high quality and unique flavors of Radio Bakery's offerings, particularly their sandwiches and pastries. However, the popularity leads to very long wait times, which is a common point of frustration.
Important Note
Wait times can be extremely long, often exceeding an hour, especially on weekends. Some pastries may not live up to the hype for certain customers, and popular items can sell out early.
"Chooses Radio Bakery over Little Egg, also recommends Cafe Mado as a third option."
Positive"Considers Radio Bakery incredible and would choose it over Little Egg 10 times out of 10, unless table service is needed."
Positive"States that Radio Bakery is only worth waiting for if there are fewer than 15 people in line, as it's 'just bread' and can sometimes be burnt. It's described as a bakery with some focaccia flatbreads, sandwiches, and pastries."
Negative"Suggests de-prioritizing Radio Bakery due to multiple locations and recommends a sit-down brunch instead, noting it has been discussed a ton on the sub previously."
Negative"The commenter states that the tomato croissant is no longer available."
Negative"The commenter has not seen the tomato croissant in about a week, despite living near the Prospect Heights location and visiting daily. They believe the item is likely discontinued until next year, as the restaurant is not sentimental about removing seasonal items."
Negative"The commenter did not enjoy the tomato croissant and feels the original poster is not missing out on anything."
Negative"The commenter notes that the tomato croissant is a seasonal item and describes it as just okay."
Neutral"The tomato croissant may be off the menu because tomato season has ended."
Neutral"This commenter had the best Prosciutto Burrata Foccacio sandwich and almond croissant, describing the flavors as new and exciting. They also noted that wait times are about 30 minutes unless it's a weekday, which can be as short as 10 minutes."
Positive"This commenter criticized the establishment, comparing it to 'Cronut theory crowdsourced bullshit' that hypes up products, prices them high, and makes people wait in long lines, only to 'run out' of items."
Negative"This commenter expressed that these places and their products are overhyped 'bullshit' and overpriced, criticizing the long lines and the tactic of running out of popular items."
Negative"Weekends are particularly busy, with the best times to visit being random weekday mornings or during inclement weather."
Neutral"This commenter visited on a Saturday morning around 10:30 am, experienced a 40-minute wait, and was able to purchase all items available at 11 am."
Neutral"The commenter suggested visiting on a rainy weekday for a potentially less crowded experience."
Neutral"This commenter humorously mentioned realizing that even successful places may close within a year, implying a detachment from the hype around new establishments."
Neutral"This commenter also made a similar remark about planning to visit in a couple of years."
Neutral"The lunch sandwiches are available starting at 11 am."
Neutral"This commenter stated that lunch sandwiches are available starting at 11 am."
Neutral"This commenter stated that they try to arrive between 7:00 and 7:15 am to avoid long waits."
Neutral
