Loaf Lounge

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Sensational Sandwiches in Avondale

Today’s stop is one of many great bakeries that have opened up shop in Chicago over the last five years or so. It’s also a cafe open for breakfast and lunch. Loaf Lounge can be found on a busy stretch of Milwaukee in Avondale just past Logan Square. It’s the project of two local restaurant vets who started popping up with pastries during the pandemic. They went brick and mortar near the end of 2022 and it’s pretty much been busy ever since they opened. In part due to lots of local media love.

Recently Opened in Avondale

Loaf Lounge is the type of spot that shoots to the top of my hit list upon opening. You can tell they’re doing good things just from looking at pictures and descriptions from others. It was included in a recent list of the ten best new restaurants in town at Chicago Magazine and deservedly so. I already know I’ll be including their sausage, egg, cheese breakfast sandwich as one of the years best bites as it might be the best breakfast sandwich in town right now. It starts out with what they describe as a garlic and maple sausage patty. I asked and they make it there. The rest of the components are pretty straight forward with a fried egg and American Cheese wedged in-between a homemade English muffin that’s slathered with an “herby mayo”. This might not be the best sandwich to eat if you have a ton of things to do or if you’re trying to eat in your car as it’s a glorious mess of runny egg, melted cheese and mayo that along with a sausage patty makes for a pretty slippery sandwich but damn is it delicious. People (including my wife) really seem to like their veggie offering too. It has Braised Kale, Mushroom, Egg, American Cheese and Herby Mayo on the same made in-house English muffins. 

Sausage, Egg, Cheese at Loaf Lounge 

With the breakfast sandwiches being great you kind of figure the lunch options will also be good and you would be correct in your assumptions. While there’s only a few choices they’re all made with top quality ingredients including their house baked breads. I recently tried the “Stanley” and damn did that slap. It starts with house roasted turkey from 016 Restaurant and Sandwich Shop which is up north on Lincoln. It’s then dressed with a Ramp Pesto, Sweet Red Onion, Arugula, and Herb and served on a Cheese Focaccia that has a crisp cheese skirt. It all works in perfect harmony and I would highly recommend one for lunch before ramp season comes to a close here in the Midwest.

The Stanley at Loaf Lounge 

On top of their wonderful (but not cheap) bread selection, Loaf Lounge also makes pastries. I haven’t tried them all because I can’t stop getting the oatmeal cream pies which are the best I’ve ever had, not that I eat a ton of them but Little Debbie ain’t got shit on these which I like to microwave for no more than five seconds so that they get nice and warm. Any longer and the cream in between the cookies will melt and ooze out. Loaf Lounge is a great overall addition to the city’s cafe collection.

Oatmeal Cream Pie

Loaf Lounge
2934 N Milwaukee Ave Suite E
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 904-7852
Website