Bennison's Bakery

It’s an okay bakery. The food is decent but not something that makes me want to keep coming back. The service is weird - most of the employees don’t seem to want to work here, and so I never experienced a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. The store itself is charming and nicely decorated. Overall this is mostly somewhere I stop by for a quick grab-and-go pastry, nothing more, and not really a place I would recommend to friends and family compared to other bakeries.

A true Evanston staple. Bennison’s has been around for almost a century and has stayed true to its family-owned practices. The interior is small, but the bakery items are not. You’ll be treated to the fresh scent of bread, butter, coffee, and rich caramelization as soon as you walk through the doors marked by their bright neon sign. It’ll be hard to hold yourself back from choosing an item on every shelf. They have everything from croissants to cookies, macarons, donuts, Danishes, and more. You can also order online to pick up your order, but even when it’s busy, their ordering process is quick and efficient. Everything is freshly baked with love and attention. You can’t go wrong with their donuts and Danishes, but I still have so many other pastries to try. If you’re around for Fat Thursday season, you’ll be lucky enough to taste their famous pączkis. I tried a raspberry one, which was stuffed with an insane amount of raspberry jelly and so delicious. Another one of my favorites is their massive apple fritter; it’s apples and dough deep fried and covered in crispy glaze. What more could you ask for? Their chocolate croissant was good as well, with soft layers lined with rich chocolate throughout. I doubt you can find anything you won’t like at Bennison’s. I am positive it will continue to impress for generations of Evanstonians!

I needed something really fast, and this bakery did not disappoint! Service was friendly and they had a wide variety of pastries that all looked delicious!

I live in the area and go here quite often - it’s such a lovely place! Warm inside with a variety of wonderful baked goods. I’m actually surprised to see people complain about the price, I think they’re quite fair overall. They’re a local bakery serving treats daily since the 30’s. To me their pastries measure up! I haven’t had anything I didn’t like here: the custard morning buns are delicious, I’d highly recommend the caprese sandwich and my friends LOVED the petit fours and macaroons I brought for my birthday! And now it’s paczkis season! Can’t wait to head back in for more treats. ☺️

Went on a Saturday morning. Place was packed and there was nowhere to sit. Staff trying to herd people through. Stated to set an understanding of the vibe. If you don't like pressure or a little stress ordering, go somewhere with table service. We had Paczkis and Croissants. The apricot and jalapeno+everything were stunningly good both as concepts and as end results. Well worth the experience of trying to find a warm place to eat them.