Pekara Bakery & Bistro
Pekara Bakery & Bistro — photo 2
Pekara Bakery & Bistro — photo 3
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Pekara Bakery & Bistro

811 W Springfield Ave, Champaign, IL

★★★★★4.5(365 Google reviews)

Crema's Take

Pekara feels like the kind of corner café where you're equally welcome to linger for hours with your laptop or grab an expertly crafted Cuban sandwich between classes, with a genuinely warm staff that makes you feel like a regular immediately. The real draw here is their commitment to from-scratch baking and breakfast—think generous, inventive plates like vegan hash alongside traditional pastries—though the cozy, comfortable atmosphere might steal the show from the coffee itself.

What to expect

PastriesTraditional drinksSlow sitMeetingsLaptop friendlyFull breakfastLight food

Google Reviews

Sam Wilson
★★★★★2 months ago

Was just looking for somewhere to kill some time and SUPER THRILLED to have found this place! Even more excited that they offer a well-made, traditional Cuban sandwich. Staff was excellent (shoutout to Grace!) I will absolutely put this on my radar for future visits

Lexie Vross
★★★★★5 months ago

We were hesitant at first, due to minimal people parked outside. Turns out we be the rush! It was absolutely what we wanted. The breakfast was big and delicious. I had the vegan hash and my bf had a breakfast bagel. They both were huge and yummy! I would go back.

P (K)
★★★★11 months ago

A nice Cafe on the corner of the street. They have a variety of food and the quality is great. They also have a lot of options for pastries and baked goods. The atmosphere is very nice and comfy. The staff here are very friendly and helpful. The prices here are on the high side. Overall, this place is a very good place to come with friends and family.

Israel Gomez
★★★★a year ago

Pekara Bakery & Bistro has some delicious food, but pricing on certain items feels a bit high. I had the bacon, egg, and cheese bagel, which was tasty, but at $15 after tax, it didn’t feel worth the price—especially with a $2 upcharge for egg. That’s a bit excessive. On the other hand, the smoked salmon bagel was absolutely delicious and worth every penny. No complaints there. Overall, the food is great, but some items are overpriced. If the bacon, egg, and cheese bagel were a bit cheaper, this would easily be a 9 or 9.2 out of 10. As it stands, I’d rate it a solid 8.5/10—definitely worth a visit, but be mindful of the prices.

Javelis Marín Castro
★★★★a year ago

Too expensive for what it offers. The only thing I enjoyed was their matcha and the ambiance of the place. We ordered a Pekara breakfast and a bagel sandwich. The bread on both orders was unfortunately hard and not fresh, the bacon was also not fresh (it tasted like it had been sitting done), and the bagel sandwich only had 2 slices of bacon in it, which I thought was little for the bagel’s size and price. Additionally, the customer service was not friendly or welcoming at all. I expected better from a local bakery shop.

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