clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
More Maps

Where to Dine With Gorgeous Views of the Chicago Skyline and Lake Michigan

The Top Spanish Restaurants in Chicago

Outstanding Spots To Sip Tea in Chicago

More in Chicago See more maps
A rectangular pastry with a pile of ham on top.
A ham danish at Michelin-starred Kasama.
Garrett Sweet/Eater Chicago

Where to Find Savory Pastries in Chicago

Try croissants and danishes filled with cheese and onions and pork and so much more

by aimee.levitt
View as Map
A ham danish at Michelin-starred Kasama.
| Garrett Sweet/Eater Chicago
by aimee.levitt

Aside from pies and breads, Americans associate pastries with sweetness. And it is true that many pastries come with sugary fillings — which is what makes them so delicious. But lately some bakers in Chicago have been taking their cue from the Asian pastry tradition, where savory ingredients commonly mix with the sweet. Here is a list of a dozen bakeries where pastry lovers can find ingredients like cheese and scallions, sausage, and smoked salmon inside their croissants, danishes, and cookies.

For updated information on coronavirus cases, please visit the city of Chicago’s COVID-19 dashboard. Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.

Read More
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Sugar Moon

Copy Link

This Logan Square upstart boasts decadent tahini chocolate chip cookies. Customers can also find croissants with interesting fillings including Italian beef, plus galettes, savory rolls, and more.

3612 W Wrightwood Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Also featured in:

Hewn

Copy Link

Hewn specializes in bread, but baker Ellen King has a sizable pastry operation as well, including cheesy gougeres and savory takes on brioche and croissants, including the Everything Croissant, sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning and filled with cheese.

1733 Central St, Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 869-4396
(847) 869-4396

Also featured in:

Au Levain Bakery

Copy Link

For those who hate sweets first thing in the morning, Angel Chavez has created savory breakfast brioches that he sells at his virtual bakery that pops up at Bistro Campagne in Lincoln Square every Sunday. Sample feta and spinach or bacon, egg, and cheese.

4518 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Also featured in:

Brite Donuts & Baked Goods

Copy Link

The seasonal doughnuts and pastries at Brite change every week, but the lineup always includes at least one savory option. Past entries include an Everything croissant filled cream cheese bacon jam, Funyun croissant, and a hot dog bouquet stuffed with pieces of Viennas and topped with poppy seeds, relish, onions, tomatoes, sport peppers, and mustard.

2021 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 772-6536
(312) 772-6536

Also featured in:

Kasama

Copy Link

Taste some of Genie Kwon’s work and you’ll understand why Kasama now has a Michelin star. The pastry chef has been experimenting with savory flavors, including a decadent black truffle croissant and beautiful and unusual flaky danishes topped with things like serrano ham and raclette, fois gras, and salmon confit and cream cheese.

1001 N Winchester Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 697-3790
(773) 697-3790

Also featured in:

Lost Larson (Andersonville)

Copy Link

Swedish bread is heavy and hearty, and some of that heartiness finds its way into Bobby Schaffer’s pastries, particularly the spelt chocolate chip cookies and seasonal danishes filled with cheese and vegetables. But also keep an eye out for tebirkes, a marzipan-flavored croissant covered with poppy seeds. There’s a second location in Wicker Park.

5318 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 944-0587
(773) 944-0587

Also featured in:

Aya Pastry

Copy Link

The team of bakers at Aya Pastry in West Town is always experimenting, and it seems like every week there’s some sort of new treat, like a corned beef and sauerkraut croissant or kimchi bacon breads, but customers can always count on the ham and cheese croissant and the cheesy scallion biscuit, which is at its best when served with a crispy fried egg.

1332 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 846-6186
(312) 846-6186

Also featured in:

Floriole Cafe & Bakery

Copy Link

Since reopening last fall after a remodel, Sandra Holl and her crew of bakers at Floriole have been experimenting with different kinds of pastry, including vegan, gluten free, and bake at home — and also savory. Though the selection varies from day to day, the team has perfected a ham and cheese croissant and a hearty buckwheat scone made with oats.

1220 W Webster Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 883-1313
(773) 883-1313

Also featured in:

Bridgeport Bakery 2.0

Copy Link

For its first 50 years, Bridgeport Bakery was a Polish bakery, and in many ways, it still is — it has one of the largest paczki selections in town — but since owner Can Lao took over in 2020, it’s added Chinese and Mexican items to its lengthy menu, including pork buns, as well as savory coffee cakes in flavors like pizza and pretzel.

2907 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60608
(773) 523-1121
(773) 523-1121

sugargoat

Copy Link

At Sugargoat Sweets, Stephanie Izard combines sweet and savory flavors in a Cheez-It crunch cake, chocolate french fry pie, and spiced pecan brown butter cookies drizzled with soy. Take it one step further by adding cheesy caramel ice cream.

820 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 667-0108
(312) 667-0108

Also featured in:

Tous Les Jours

Copy Link

This French-Asian chain with five Chicago-area locations incorporates the flavors of both traditions: savory fillings like taro and red bean and kimchi, but always surrounded by lots and lots of butter.

2144 S Archer Ave unit a, Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 225-8488
(312) 225-8488

Also featured in:

Chiu Quon Bakery & Dim Sum

Copy Link

One of Chicago’s most beloved Chinese bakeries sells buns and pastries in dozens of flavors, including barbecue pork and ham and green onion, plus classics like pork sung buns — where a thin layer of mayonnaise adhers pork to the top — and sesame pork cookies. There’s a second location on Argyle Street in Uptown.

2253 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 225-6608
(312) 225-6608

Also featured in:

More in Maps

© 2023 Vox Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Link copied to the clipboard.

Sugar Moon

3612 W Wrightwood Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

This Logan Square upstart boasts decadent tahini chocolate chip cookies. Customers can also find croissants with interesting fillings including Italian beef, plus galettes, savory rolls, and more.

3612 W Wrightwood Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Hewn

1733 Central St, Evanston, IL 60201

Hewn specializes in bread, but baker Ellen King has a sizable pastry operation as well, including cheesy gougeres and savory takes on brioche and croissants, including the Everything Croissant, sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning and filled with cheese.

1733 Central St, Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 869-4396
(847) 869-4396

Au Levain Bakery

4518 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

For those who hate sweets first thing in the morning, Angel Chavez has created savory breakfast brioches that he sells at his virtual bakery that pops up at Bistro Campagne in Lincoln Square every Sunday. Sample feta and spinach or bacon, egg, and cheese.

4518 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Brite Donuts & Baked Goods

2021 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60612

The seasonal doughnuts and pastries at Brite change every week, but the lineup always includes at least one savory option. Past entries include an Everything croissant filled cream cheese bacon jam, Funyun croissant, and a hot dog bouquet stuffed with pieces of Viennas and topped with poppy seeds, relish, onions, tomatoes, sport peppers, and mustard.

2021 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 772-6536
(312) 772-6536

Kasama

1001 N Winchester Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Taste some of Genie Kwon’s work and you’ll understand why Kasama now has a Michelin star. The pastry chef has been experimenting with savory flavors, including a decadent black truffle croissant and beautiful and unusual flaky danishes topped with things like serrano ham and raclette, fois gras, and salmon confit and cream cheese.

1001 N Winchester Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 697-3790
(773) 697-3790

Lost Larson (Andersonville)

5318 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640

Swedish bread is heavy and hearty, and some of that heartiness finds its way into Bobby Schaffer’s pastries, particularly the spelt chocolate chip cookies and seasonal danishes filled with cheese and vegetables. But also keep an eye out for tebirkes, a marzipan-flavored croissant covered with poppy seeds. There’s a second location in Wicker Park.

5318 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 944-0587
(773) 944-0587

Aya Pastry

1332 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60642

The team of bakers at Aya Pastry in West Town is always experimenting, and it seems like every week there’s some sort of new treat, like a corned beef and sauerkraut croissant or kimchi bacon breads, but customers can always count on the ham and cheese croissant and the cheesy scallion biscuit, which is at its best when served with a crispy fried egg.

1332 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 846-6186
(312) 846-6186

Floriole Cafe & Bakery

1220 W Webster Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

Since reopening last fall after a remodel, Sandra Holl and her crew of bakers at Floriole have been experimenting with different kinds of pastry, including vegan, gluten free, and bake at home — and also savory. Though the selection varies from day to day, the team has perfected a ham and cheese croissant and a hearty buckwheat scone made with oats.

1220 W Webster Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 883-1313
(773) 883-1313

Bridgeport Bakery 2.0

2907 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60608

For its first 50 years, Bridgeport Bakery was a Polish bakery, and in many ways, it still is — it has one of the largest paczki selections in town — but since owner Can Lao took over in 2020, it’s added Chinese and Mexican items to its lengthy menu, including pork buns, as well as savory coffee cakes in flavors like pizza and pretzel.

2907 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60608
(773) 523-1121
(773) 523-1121

sugargoat

820 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607

At Sugargoat Sweets, Stephanie Izard combines sweet and savory flavors in a Cheez-It crunch cake, chocolate french fry pie, and spiced pecan brown butter cookies drizzled with soy. Take it one step further by adding cheesy caramel ice cream.

820 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 667-0108
(312) 667-0108

Tous Les Jours

2144 S Archer Ave unit a, Chicago, IL 60616

This French-Asian chain with five Chicago-area locations incorporates the flavors of both traditions: savory fillings like taro and red bean and kimchi, but always surrounded by lots and lots of butter.

2144 S Archer Ave unit a, Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 225-8488
(312) 225-8488

Chiu Quon Bakery & Dim Sum

2253 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago, IL 60616

One of Chicago’s most beloved Chinese bakeries sells buns and pastries in dozens of flavors, including barbecue pork and ham and green onion, plus classics like pork sung buns — where a thin layer of mayonnaise adhers pork to the top — and sesame pork cookies. There’s a second location on Argyle Street in Uptown.

2253 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 225-6608
(312) 225-6608

Related Maps