St. Roger Abbey

Stopped by to try their macaroons. I got their green tea and caramel macaroon and it was pretty darn good! Wouldn’t of expected it! It’s like downtown Chicago quality. I know where I’ll be going for my next macaroon cravings.

St. Roger’s did the desserts for my wedding last year and it was perfect! They are the best choice for macarons in the area, no matter why you need them. Just going into their mall store for a coffee and treat makes me happy! The nuns are nice and knowledgeable — maybe they will even practice your French with you!

I was very excited when I first purchased chocolates from St. Rogers Abby because their products are organic. I bought a box of assorted chocolates and while eating one i bit into something hard. There was a nail in my chocolate. A tiny sharp rusty nail. A nail. A nail. A nail. I called the nuns and was dismissed, put on hold and hung up on. I called back, they didnt respond. I email them with pictures of the evidence in detail and have not heard back from them. The fact that i bit into a sharp object is one thing. Behaving the way they are about it is another. This whole situation is completely unacceptable. Don’t be fooled by these people. I am extremely disappointed in they way they are not handling this. I have included pictures. And again, the nuns who run this place are ignoring me about this.

I’ve got a chocolate cupcake and it was very good… I did try two espressos and they were bad… They should improve that for a complete experience.

I come to this place all the time. Before I went away to France for the school year, I came here to stuff my face with traditional pastries and to attempt communicating in my broken French. Now, while the novelty of the actual food has more or less worn off, I can just go there for a conversation. All of the nuns speak French, and they are always eager to help a girl stay fluent. I would definitely recommend it to those looking for ~legit~ French patisserie :)

Impressed with the cleanliness, form and function of this bakery. Staff was attentive and friendly. Food was displayed nicely. I asked for something not on the menu and they provided it at a reasonable price. Quiet and refined. Good purpose for the business.

Every time I am in the area of Vernon Hills, I must stop into St. Roger Abbey. This is a little, French bakery and each time I have visited, it was run by French nuns. The nuns are very friendly and be prepared for the fact that they take their time in serving the customer. I absolutely love and crave the plain croissants. They are flaky, with just the right amount of pull to them. They are very rich and the butter can seem almost too strong. If you have the will power, take them home and heat them up for 3 – 5 minutes in the oven and they become absolutely divine. I also swear by the chocolate croissants, which have a bite of milk chocolate in the center. Those, especially, are best just briefly warmed in the oven. I tried some lemon cookies that had a nice buttery flavor and they were iced with a lemony icing that was not too sweet. There is quite a variety of macarons, in almost every color and flavor. The display case is a definite work of art. The proceeds go to the charitable work of the Fraternite Notre Dame from France, but they have a church mission in Chicago. They are traditional Catholic inspired, but they have named their own bishop. It’s an interesting story. Their baked goods, especially croissants are not cheap, but are worth every cent.

Loved the macarons!!! Vanilla was my favorite and coconut raspberry was very interesting.

Best Macarons, breads and canale on the Northshore. I have visited their booth at the Ravinia farmer’s market and have never been disappointed. Their ingredients are fresh and organic which makes me extremely happy. I only wish I was close enough to Vernon Hills to visit their storefront at Hawthorn more often! If you are in the area and looking for yummy French pastries make sure to give them a try :)

This place is absolutely wonderful! Soup was delicious, and I had a lavender macaron that was AMAZING! Coffee was also good. Most ingredients are organic. I can’t wait to come back and try more. And it’s lovely to know that the money you spend there goes to charity. Please! Please try this place out. They also ship macarons anywhere in the country, I will def be doing that this holiday season.

So completely random and unexpected — and a huge contrast in atmosphere to the chaos that was about to slap us in the face at Dave & Busters.
We passed by this quaint French gourmet patisserie on our way to a birthday party. Gazing in at this little off-​the-​beaten path stop, I was immediately drawn by the organic macarons that were calling out to me in all their glory, in every flavor and color (naturally colored) imaginable! Gorgeous.
Passing by here was a serious what-​the-​heck moment?
After dropping our boys off to have a most delightfully sinful time in kiddie Vegasland, we opted for our own sinful stop for macarons, served by a nun of course! I opted for a chocolate cappuccino and creamy raspberry hazelnut (hope that I that right). The outside of the macaron was light and slightly crispy with a deliciously thick and creamy middle. Though this little masterpiece is $ 1.90, there is a supreme richness packed into these small miraculous bites.
Note: I’m not a macaron expert, but I do know there is a difference between a macaroon and macaron.
The patisserie is run by the religious nuns and proceeds go to a Roman Catholic charity. They have their own brand of tea and coffee, and serve lunch and breakfast (crepes of course). If not for a bowl of soup or sweat treat, stop in for some peace and calm.
Other Side Note: Sorry for taking pictures. After reading the reviews, I guess they don’t welcome photos. I just couldn’t resist! Of course I must have been quite discreet in doing so, because no one busted me ;-)

Great sweets and i cant even remember what i ate but these little cookies are delicious. I think most of their sales go to some king of charity organizations and the staff are super frindly french sisters. Viva la france !

Totally unexpected on the second floor of Hawthorne Mall. Closest thing to an authentic French country patisserie as you will find in northern Illinois. Fantastic macarons in every imaginable flavor, melt in your mouth perfect. One might say… sinful. But more appropriate would be heavenly. Staffed by Catholic nuns, the proceeds go to charity — which should help alleviate your guilt.

I feel this place can be a gem in the far nw suburb of vernon hills, il. It is one of the few places that have european food. If you ever had the opportunity to live out in europe, you will know the difference between american and european food. Otherwise, I know many places out in lincoln sq in chicago like the German kuhns and the austrian deli at the oak mill mall closed or moved out.
It is a french bakery-​deli café operated by a French Roman Catholic monastery as a non for profit organization. The business funds their mission works to many places like africa or haiti. They provide videos at the café explaining their missions such as housing, medical care and other virtuious actions.
They dont like people taking pictures or videotaping their store because they see it as a non for profit business than a commercial outlet. Thats my viewpoint.
So dont get offended if they wont let you take a picture or video.
They provide catering and they also deliver items at your doorstep. They have Tiramusu, fondants, croissants and brochettes.
You will discover delicious macaroon cookies. The macaroon cookies have a soft crunchy texture with a tasty crème center. Awesome!
They also make different types of tartlets, crepes, and quiche.
They make their own french style pizza. You will encounter a very friendly and hospitable french nun at the counter and she will show all of the sweet treats.
I wish starbucks can be good like them.
The nun had told me they will move their operations closer to the entrance of the mall closer to the food area. I wish they had a presence at old orchard.
Somebody had written they are not quite on par with places from chicago downtown places. I find it a joke because downtown places order macaroon cookies from them. Lol…

Not impressed. Sure it has francophone nuns an all, but I am not a fan of the food.
Granted I’m vegan, and as everything but the baguettes has butter in it all I can review about this bakery is the bread. It was dry and hard, almost all the way through. No crusty outside and chewy center, just tooth-​breaking hardness and mostly air in the middle.
If this is how they bake basic bread, I can’t imagine how more compliated pastries would turn out.

A new bakery in town? Don’t mind if I check it out.
I knew it was in the mall but actually had a hard time locating it. It’s just outside of Sears on the second floor. Why it isn’t near the food court I’m not sure. I do know that this is operated by the Catholic Church and the nuns do the day-​to-​day operations.
I wanted to take a picture to add to Unilocal; however, the nun exclaimed that I wasn’t allowed to take any pictures without the Bishop’s consent. Really?
So I got some bread to go. The yummy sweets everyone is writing about on Unilocal were sold out :-/​The bread was delicious. But after my experience and the items being sold out, I won’t go out of my way to visit.

Twice a year my husband and I venture out to Pheasant Run for the Coin-​Op Show. We love it, but a big part is the booth the «French Nuns» have there with lots of their wares. This trip we got crepes and cookies and tarts. In the past we have also gotten quiches and pies. Their baked items are so good and not unreasonable considering the quality and the worthy cause that benefits from their hard work.
If I ever get out to Vernon Hills, we will make a point to stop at the mall and shop for more goodies. Their baked goods are «heavenly».

What a shame this amazing bakery is tucked away in a low-​traffic part of the mall and not in the food court or near a major entrance. After a few visits to this mall, I finally discovered St. Roger Abbey.
My favorite is the chocolate croissant, but the macarons are excellent, too. There are cookies, cakes, tarts, and other treats ready to buy pre-​baked or for custom order. There are also various candies for sale, seasonal fare like Easter baskets, and a selection of beverages including sparkling lemonade for those who wish to enjoy their goodies on the spot. If you’re with a child, you can use their high chairs, too.
This bakery is staffed by nuns, and the proceeds go to fund charitable work. Videos of the charitable work play on TVs in the eating area. On my visit, they featured rebuilding efforts in Haiti. You know exactly where your money is going.
Another nice touch: most items are made with organic flour and other organic ingredients.

First of all, the saying that French women don’t get fat is a dirty lie.
So, I was able to spend two weeks in France as part of a foreign exchange program when I was 15. I stayed with a French family in a small town near Dijon for two weeks and then I got to spend a week in Paris.
I ate pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants) every single day of my stay there. I may even upped it to two a day as the trip went on. I got super hooked on them and associate them with my awesome trip to France and eating the pain au chocolat from St. Roger Abbey brings back old memories.
The bakery is really cute, old school and serves authentic French pastries. The menu is large and they even offer breakfast and lunch. All the pastries looked so good, but the pain au chocolat caught my eye.
I loved the sweetness of the dough mixed with the rich dark chocolate. I shared it with my boyfriend, but wished I had bought two so I could have had one all to myself.
The nun working that morning was really friendly and nice. She said that they baked cakes and sold them at farmer’s markets in the west side of Chicago. They previously had a location in Algonquin, which closed. They have been in the mall for about seven months.
If you have a craving for some great French pastries, check this place out!
Side Note: You have to spend $ 10 minimum to use a credit card!

I was at the mall actually looking for some soup, and my eyes instantly caught this place like a fish on a hook! It has such wonderful warm homey energy, and the most friendly French nun greeted me there with a big smile.
I tried their homemade Mushroom Soup, Quiche, and Raspberry Bavarois for my late lunch, and boy was I extremely satisfied! The soup comes in a Large Cup, soo filling, I actually didn’t need to eat anything else. Their Quiche is the real thing, OMG. With every savory bite, I can tell they really care for humanity and make their food with extreme sincerity and love.
I spoke with the nun, she explained that all proceeds go towards their charitable works here in Chicago and in other countries. I love this place and I hope they stay open for years to come.