Golden Rise Bakery

They’re still operational at local farmer’s markets. But after many taste tests, I’m pretty sure decided that they really don’t know what baking is all about. It ain’t a matter of throwing a bunch of organic flour together and hoping that doe eyed greensters aren’t going to know the difference between a real buttery croissant or a subtly sweet danish or a divine hearth baked loaf of french bread, or anything else that human innovation and European artistry has given birth to over the last 1000 years or so in this department AND the feeble offerings the deign to peddle at my local farmer’s market.

Woo hoo! I talked to the owner at the Logan Square Farmers Market this morning, and he tells me they’ll be reopening the storefront once the farmers market season is over. Automatic 1 star increase.
They will be reopening as a restaurant and bakery, so will have more hot food options. I’m really looking forward to visiting once it gets colder.

OMG! I was looking forward to checking this place out! Now they posted the following on their website, as other Unilocalers have mentioned:
«Store Front Closing:
Due to high demands for Golden Rise Bakery products at Chicago Area Farmers Markets and the success of our new catering division, we have closed our retail storefront and café effective immediately. It has been a pleasure meeting so many of you from the surrounding neighborhood, and we look forward to seeing you at one of our current Farmer’s Markets:
* Logan Square Farmers Market (map)
— Sundays from 10am until 3pm (through October 26)
* Federal Plaza Farmers Market (map)
— Tuesdays from 7am until 3pm (through October 28)
* Lincoln Park Farmers Market (map)
— Saturdays from 7am until 2pm (through October 25)
* Deerfield Farmers Market (map)
— Saturdays from 7am until 12:30pm (through October 11)»
What a shame!

Editing to add:
They’re closed «indefinitely,» but the breads and pastries are still available at Farmer’s Markets, and they still do catering orders.
Apparently, while they were really busy on the weekends, during the week no one was coming in, so they’re closing the storefront. Pity — I liked the storefront! But the number is still good if you want to order cakes, pastries, and breads.

As of 6÷10÷2008: CLOSED «indefinitely» according to sign on the door.
A big loss for our underserved little ‘hood.

For the Fact that i live right on top of this bakery… maybe that’s too much info but i smell the bread being made at like 3 am! just imagine your mouth all watery when you wake up. not because your drooling but because you can just taste the greatness of these pastries!!! I’m vegan and they have this deli sh veggie sandwich. FreshFreshFresh. a little pricey but you pay for what you get and they are worth it! I just learned too that most of their cookies and goodies are vegan friendly! cant wait to try it!

I love this addition to my block. Like a few others, I 1^st encountered Golden Rise at the Logan Square Farmer’s Market. I bought a loaf of the jalapeño cheese bread and a loaf of wheat. That jalapeño cheese bread was so damn good, I think I had like 6 slices in succession. And I don’t think I even bothered chewing.
Since then, my bf and I have tried numerous items on the menu. My faves being the Farmer’s Basket Grilled Cheese (on wheat. yum!) and the chicken/​portabello quesadilla. The quesadilla can get a little gree-​zee, but it’s been better the past few times I got it.
The sides they have are insanely good. I’m not a side person. If I see cole slaw, I pass it by. But somehow they do something miraculous with this coleslaw. More often than not, they’ve got a side of macaroni (the short, squat kind) with chickpeas and feta and wow, is it tasty!
I haven’t tried too many of the desserts, but an unexpected favorite came to be their oversized chocolate chip cookies. They don’t taste as much like traditional chocolate chip cookies as a sugar cookie with some chocolate chips thrown on top. 1^st time I had it, I wasn’t feeling the love, but now I adore them.
I would love to give more stars, but the wait times can be quite long (even if I call ahead) and the atmosphere is a tiny bit lacking. All in all, I do love the place and am quite happy it’s on my block!
6÷18÷2008: Just saw the CLOSED sign on the door. Man, I’m BUMMED. Just when we’re getting into «ice cream season»…I forgot to mention the awesome ice cream… So sad.

I’ve tried a few baked goods from Golden Rise and they were quite tasty.
Mostly I stop here for a soy latte every once in a while and I have to say the coffee service leaves a lot to be desired. They are very slow, I often have to repeat my order, and they insist on using very cheap to-​go cups that do nothing to insulate. I’ve either sat down until my cup cools or passed it from one hand to the other while I walk.
I’m not sure what brand of espresso they use, but it’s not that great either (I like Intelligensia and Starbucks).
So in short, great pastries, get your coffee somewhere else.

Nice little place, decent bread and food. Friendly staff. Parking is usually easy on the street. Not really a dine in place, more than just a bread shop, more like a coffee shop vibe. I buy stuff from here at the farmer’s market in the summer. The Foccia is crazy good.

I love Golden rise. I went the first week it opened and have tried to go as often as I could. The farmer’s basket is the best. Grilled cheese with three cheeses, bacon, and apples. Ugh! So good. Good coffee too.
Love,
Nick

I’ve been going to Golden Rise Bakery since it opened last spring, and I love it. Great food, great coffee, great veggie options.
And… may I make a suggestion? Try the Farmer’s Basket sandwich with a fried egg instead of the bacon. Mmmm. Seriously.
They also have excellent ice cream during warmer months.
I just moved out of walking distance from Golden Rise and am secretly a little depressed about it. It’s a small, fun, family-​owned-​and-​operated gem. One of my favorite spots.

Great neighborhood café. Great bakery also. I buy a loaf of their sourdough bread at least twice a week. They also have great sandwiches (turkey club, and steak to name a few). And, last but not least, great espresso.
This is a perfect spot to grab a cup of coffe or sandwich, hang out with your laptop (free wifi), take the gf, or pick up a loaf of bread. The staff (family owned?) makes every visit extra friendly.

My first exposure to Golden Rise was when they attended the Farmer’s Market in Logan Square. They quickly (i.e. by the next Sunday) became a must have for our kitchen. However, very dumb on our part, my wife and I never bothered to learn the name/​location of this bakery, so when the Market ended our withdraw began. Fortunately I found it while walking the dog so I quickly rushed back the next morning.
What a treat! The location is brightly lit, and it seems to me that the location used to be a former soda fountain. Now I’m not old enough to remember what those were actually like, but that’s the vibe. I quickly bought 3 loaves of bread (1 apple cinnamon and 2 cranberry), 2 apple tart (1 for me to eat there, 1 to take home to the wife), and a coffee to eat before walking home. The tart was great and the coffee delicious. I have had their bread before, so I’m sure it will be just as good as I remember.
I also had the opportunity to talk with I believe it was the owner/​baker (he was the same guy who worked most weekends at the market). I told him where I learned of his bakery and he seemed pleased. However he asked me what does he have to do to get the people who went to the market to travel north of Logan Blvd. I had to admit I had no idea. If a locally owned and operated, non chain, organic, free wi-​fi supplying bakery and café can’t attract the same sort of people who line up forever to eat at Lula’s (thanks Ira!), then I’m at a lost.

Golden Rise is a great addition to the neighborhood and I hope that they continue to get better. I’ll support this indie family-​run business any day over mega-​giant Starbucks. Not all the items are phenomenal, but be sure to try the multi-​grain bread, super-​moist blueberry muffins, and flaky plain croissants. They use natural organic ingredients, which is a plus.
Beyond the baked goodies, ice cream, and coffee, this bakery’s single greatest asset is the owner/​master baker, David. He goes out of his way for customer satisfaction. I walked in one morning and complained that the muffins I had bought during my last visit tasted dry and old. Where most owners would just shrug their shoulders, he immediately handed me a fresh muffin to taste and offered to bake up a new batch if that one wasn’t good enough. Talk about service!
I would give five stars if only the staff was more consistent and if the space was more cozy. The staff is very friendly; Many who work there are members of David’s family. They could, however, be more consistent in the pricing of the products (they promised to add little labels to the pastries) and show more knowledge in operating the cash register and slicer. It’s not exactly the cozy coffee shop atmosphere where you can chill in a corner with a hot cup of cocoa and a good book, however, the space is clean, well lit, and Wi-​Fi enabled. Yay for Golden Rise

Another user used the word underwhelmed in describing the breads, I’m underwhelmed by the whole place. I do find it to be a nice addition to the neighborhood, it is also the only place I can walk to for coffee that doesn’t also pump gas. However.
The atmosphere seems to have been an after thought for the owners of the shop, which is too bad really because first impressions count. It’s fairly bright and clean looking, but uncomfortable to hang out in and not at all cozy.
The prices are pretty high for what you get. The chocolate croissant is delicious, but everything else I’ve had there (ham n’ cheese crepes, brownie, pecan tart, 9 grain bread) is bordering on bland and unimaginative. Another reviewer wrote about the size of their pastries being a bit much and I agree. If they aimed for higher quality rather than larger quantity the prices would feel more appropriate.
Finally, while I have found the staff to be friendly, they seem not to know what their doing or have much in the way of customer service. Mostly, I get blank looks or confessions of not knowing how to use the coffee grinder. The staff not knowing how to use the coffee grinder is surprisingly troubling for me, as they sell whole bean coffee and I do not own a grinder. Plus, they’re charging $ 13 for a pound of coffee that costs about $ 9.50 in every other retail outlet I’ve seen.
Sure, I’ll keep going there.
The hot coffee IS good and the chocolate croissant IS kind of addictive.
However.
I feel that if they want to last at this less-​than-​ideal intersection (until it gentrifies and becomes «cool», that is) they’re going to have to step it up a few notches.

Thanks for coming to my neighborhood Golden Rise! Every loaf of bread I’ve gotten here has been awesome, from the Tomato Basil to the Apple Cinnamon to the Cranberry. They’ve got the best quesadillas with mushrooms and this tomato paste you can spread on. Yum.

Damn, I was just going to go pick up some sandwiches for an impromtu picnic, and wha??? IT is CLOSEd?! Crap.
YUM! The chicken salad sandwich on fluffy sourdough… or wait, maybe I want the 3 cheese sandwich with bacon and apples! Or maybe…
Anyway, great lunch spot (sandwiches come with chips and a side), or to pick up tasty desserts. I too wish it was a place I wanted to hang out, but the space itself is not very comfy cozy.
But they have Superman ice cream!

I am so glad that Golden Rise moved to my neighborhood! They have a wide assortment of fresh baked goods and even have ice cream now too, which is an awesome summer treat. My favorites from their menu are the grilled cheese with apples (sans bacon) and mini cherry pies (warmed up). I have been buying my bread exclusively from them since they opened — the Russian Dill Rye is definitely my favorite, toasted and eaten with soup.
Everyone who works there is very friendly and personable. At my request, they even baked up a batch of cupcakes this past weekend (which were awesome, by the way)… although I can’t guarantee that they’ll do that for everyone. And I can’t wait for someone to have a birthday so I can buy one of their gorgeous cakes.
And I’m grateful that they took a chance on the location (north Logan Square at Diversey & Sacramento) and hope that they continue to pull in new business. Try them out — you won’t be disappointed!

Really tasty breads, both savory and sweet, from this place. I’ve had the Jalapeño cheese, the Russian Dill, and the Pumpkin, and they are all fabulous, and very fresh. The guys that work here are also really personable as well. I look forward to trying some of their soups, sandwiches, and salads in the future, not to mention their sweets.
Update: Just had one of their Blueberry Muffins this morning. WOW! I never thought I’d rave about a muffin but this was one of the best I’ve ever had. They’re whole wheat so they have an ever-​so-​slight earthy heartiness while remaining light and moist with big, juicy berries.
Hey guys, think about getting a bike rack out front though!
UPDATE: Had a kick-​ass steak and fried egg sandwich there. I think their egg sandwiches are better than Dunlay’s down the street – melting the cheese helps! Also like the lightly grilled bread, Ham and cheese crêpe wasn’t half bad either.

Formerly located in Oak Park, this bakery just opened its doors in Logan Square. They are serving up some tasty goodies, such as organic breads in many flavors including jalapeño cheese, pumpkin, cranberry, and sun dried tomatoes. There is a lovely variety of cakes, pastries, cookies, smoothies and milkshakes. They also have food items, such as salads, soups, portabella mushrooms and chicken. I had a delightful bowl of tomato bisque soup. It was so good that I went back for another one the next day. My boyfriend go a huge piece of chocolate cake and the word on the street is that they make a mean éclair.
They will be getting WI-​FI and are open from Tuesday-​Sunday 7am-​7pm and closed on Mondays.