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Chicago (Blue)
Mon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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How has it taken me this long to write a review for Bari Foods?! They have the best sub sandwiches. And they are inexpensive! I love their prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich. They don't measure or weigh how much they put on the sub. They just do it! Delish!
I have also gotten lunch meat, homemade sausage and croissants with chocolate inside. This is such a good place to stop and get anything Italian. It's so close to work that I stop by every now and then to get my fix. And stop by the bakery next door!
Absolutely the best Italian deli in the City and anywhere else in this state. Great subs, great groceries, great consistency and great service.
The secret is to call in your order and then it's ready when you arrive. 3 footers are only 20$!!!!!!! Great for a Sunday afternoon football party.
REVIEW FOR SUB SANDWICHES:
Sorry Bari.
Big fresh ingredients, but I had to take away a star because the bread is SO HARD. It cracks and scratches the roof of your mouth. I'm assuming this is more of a place for italiany sandwiches, because I got regular turkey breast and it was pretty bland-o.
Best. Sandwich. Ever!
Bari Foods is probably one of the best Italian delis in the city. The deli is stocked with a wide variety of quality meats (real/authentic deli meats, ie: not Boar's Head), olives, and some cheeses. Two feet from the deli is a meat counter; the star of which would have to be a couple of in-house made Italian sausages. The rest of the store is filled with ingredients typical of Italian cuisine (00 flour, olive oil, etc).
The subs they make are really good. The bread, quality of the meat, and preparation are terrific for a traditional Italian sub. To sweeten the deal they're also very inexpensive. If you go during a lunch hour expect to wait in line.
If this place, God forbid, were to close; I don't think there would be a close substitute.
Give this place a try; it is of an increasingly rare breed.
Best friggin subs in Chicago, this is one of the last real Italian deli's left in Chicago, enjoy it now before it becomes a Bank of America or Starbucks
~~Update~~
So I remember a fantastic Italian sub that i had eaten, from years ago. Busting my brains to remember, and it was this place. Hahaha, trippy; perhaps it was cuz the sandwich was delivered that the sandwich dried out. Suppose they got skimpy with the oil. Either way, I'm sure this place will be a five. Just gotta try it again.
I feel bad giving this place a 4. I always feel something is wrong with me, when I don't fall in line with the majority.
I guess my main gripe would be the bread. It's a crusty, flaky, and kinda chewy bread. A bit too chewy, I was having trouble tearing it. I felt like some dog having to wave his face side to side...okay I'm probably exaggerating a little bit. But it was too tough for comfort. I like bread that holds strong, but has some give to it.
The ingredients tasted top notch. I had both the Italian sub and the Prosciutto and Mozzarella sub per the recommendations of my fellow Yelpers. The italian was pretty good, but not stellar. I honestly liked Fontano's better...probably because I liked their bread better.
The Prosciutto and Mozz sub though was the best I ever had, though. They pack in a fairly good amount of prosciutto, and you can actually taste the salty goodness of the meat. Since the slices are usually razor thin, I feel many times in a P and M sandwich the P gets overpowered. The mozzarella was tasted very fresh. Enjoyed it a lot.
The size is much bigger than I thought. I was expecting Jimmy John portions, but these footlongs are more filling than a Subway footlong. They are packed much tigher and are generally much, much denser than a Subway sandwich. In that respect, GREAT DEAL.
I ordered delivery, and the delivery guy was 15 mins early. Kinda felt that put me on the spot. Oh well, I forgive him. I wouldn't say this place is the best, hands down; but it's definitely one of the best.
Fantastic subs, even the veggie ones. My whole office orders from here at least once a week. Just awesome.
Yeah this was a pretty damn good Italian sandwich. Great bread, great meat, and some serious kickass homemade spicy giardinera. They also manage to put it together in a way that doesn't drip all over you while you eat it.
This would probably be an easy 5-star for me if it weren't so out of the way with absolutely nowhere to sit down and eat. I suppose it's hard to fault a deli counter in a specialty market for serving me a delicious sandwich and not giving me a table or even a park bench to eat it on, but without having a car or office nearby, I found myself carrying my sub on a 15 minute bus ride before I could enjoy it.
How fortunate am I to provide Bari Foods with their 200th Yelp review? After my trip this morning you can bet they will be seeing me 200 more times over the coming years.
THIS. PLACE. ROCKS.
It's a small deli market that provides authentic Italian food. They have sausages, cheeses, and a variety of other items which I will be back to try. The thick Chicago accents of some of the customers also put a big smile on my face. God, I love this city.
Besides the deli/meat counter, they have 3 rows of aisles containing a variety of Italian foods. High quality olive oils, tomatoes, pastas, flours, and other pantry staples can be found dispersed among the shelves. I came here for Italian tipo 00 flour and also purchased fresh mozzerella cheese and San Marzano tomatoes. My curiosity also noticed that the price tag of specialty cheeses such as Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese was drastically less than your local grocery store.
If you haven't been to Bari Foods, you owe it to yourself. Life's too short to not visit a place like this. Buon appetito!
Hands down the best Italian sub in the city for only like $4.50 for a 9". The house-made sausages are great as well.
They also have an excellent selection of Italian specialty groceries -- olive oil, pastas, giardinaira. etc ..
One of the best Pepper & Egg sandwiches I've had anywhere, with some of the best giardiniera piled high on top of it. Unfortunately, you can only get P&E sandwiches from here during Lent. :(
But fear not, Bari has other subs and salads to tide you over until Lent season. I am partial towards the veggie sub with eggplant salad on it and the eggplant parm sandwich that might be as big as my forearm. (They only lose a star because I want the P&E sandwich every time I go in there. It's an addiction.) Great subs, very decent prices. One of my favorite places.
I went to Bari for the first time with my boyfriend and I am now a full-on Barihead. It's SO good! The subs come in 9" and 12" and let me tell you, I couldn't EVEN finish half of a 9!" For $4.95 you CAN'T beat that. Forget about going to Jimmy Johns or Subway, go to Bari for legit Italian subs, that actually come with amazing cheese/meat/veggie ingredients! Everyone that goes there knows this is THE sub joint in Chicago. I don't have anything negative to say about the bread, because they brought us out freshly baked bread! I would also recommend checking out their meats and imported items, WAY delicious and WAY rad. Ooh also, if you want to avoid lines, CALL AHEAD!
Just got the 12' Italian sub. It was fantastic! make sure to get 'hott'.
The prices are exceptional for the amount of food you get, I recommend this place to anyone in the area!
The staff is fast and super friendly. It's the ideal local sub shop.
AWESOME.
So we stopped in here on our way to watch the Sox Slam the Cubs and send them to Wrigley in their Floats!
Anyway...............this place is real Italian! I mean it reminds me of one of the Authentic Mexican stores, excep this one is Italian.
Italian poroducts everywhere!! Patas, sauces you name it!! While waiting in line for my order I noticed that the cooler had pre-made pasta dishes, and their own home made sauces and marinara! AWESOME!!!
They also have subs!! I ordered me a Italian 12 HOT.......and not because Im Latino heat BUt because I like it spicy baby!!
Everything about that sandwich was tasty!!!!! fresh bread, fresh meat right from the deli!!!
Shake & bake seal of approval!!!
Bari foods... let me tell you. Not just because I was starving to death, but really it's a one stop shop for a great neighborhood. I just can't believe there aren't enough of these, little neighborhood shops with deli counters that make the most amazing subs for less than $7. Now that's what I'm talking about, a good old fashion proscuitto and mozzarella sub. Not too shabby.
Not to mention they have a plethora of fresh produce and essentials for living. Now, they don't have the costco style bulk items, but when you are living/shopping/eating for one/two, it's a great little spot to pick up the rare finds that make your meal, all the better.
I highly recommend taking a stroll/bikeride and getting a classic italian sub with hot gardinaire.
just about the best sandwiches anywhere. all fresh all amazing! most of the time I get the caprese. the hot giardanera could be a little hotter but still the best and at about the same price as subway. The deli also has a dryed italian sausage which you need to pick up and take a couple links home and eat with some cheese and a great beer.
These subs are so delicious, I'm pretty sure the 30 Rock 'Sandwich Day' episode is based Bari Foods. On my most recent visit I decided to browse the freezer section while waiting patiently for my order behind several large teamsters. I settled on some of their home made frozen pumpkin ravioli. Came home tossed them in the freezer and forgot all about em.
Until tonight that is. I couldn't find any restaurants who could deliver me some yummy pasta treats and realized I had those raviolis right here in my freezer. I didn't have much to pair with them, but I knew I could scrape up some butter and sage for a decent sauce.
Holy Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown! These ravioli ROCK! I would say they stand up to the best ravioli I have ever been served at most white table cloth Italian restaurants. Delicate pasta pockets filled with a slightly sweet pumpkin filling laced with just a hint of cinnamon. A delightful dinner to finish my work week.
I love this place. It is a great Italian grocery, they do have a very good selection of quality Italian products.
But the best of it are the Italian Subs! The bread is always fresh, as well as the meats and cheeses they use.
I always get the Prosciutto and Mozarella sandwich. The only reason I give them 4 stars is because the Prosciutto, even though very tasty and authentic, has a little too much fat; so most of the times I open the sandwich and take the fatty part out! If they could only come up with a Prosciutto with less fat, I would love them forever!!!!!!
Can you say AUTHENTIC italian deli!? The lines here sometimes get intense on the weekends, when chicagoans want a truly thick meat sub stacked with "capocollo, genoa salami, mortadella, provolone and bari hot or mild."
I dont get the meat sub, but I love weaving through the aisles looking at different giardinieras (I'm a big fan of the HOT variety) and pickled vegetables.
The prices are decent, and the scene here is very unique. It's a true artisan deli. And right next door, you can pick up some fresh baguettes or loaves of hot bread.
Best Meatball Sub in the city. I go crazy when I go to other sandwich shops and hear people getting meatball sandwiches. It's agonizing. Here they are thinking they are getting a decent sandwich, when all they have to do is head down to Grand Ave. and find out exactly what they've been missing. Talk about a wake up call for your taste buds!!
The combination of bread from D'Amato bakery and the meat from Bari is superb.
Other notable sandwiches: The Italian and the Italian Sausage.
The sandwiches here are very good, but I wouldn't gush about them as life-changing or anything. Additionally, I don't know why people are going on about them being so blooming big. I found the two sandwiches that I tried, nine inch jobbies both, to be very ordinary in size.
Still. F*cking. Delicious.
I blame my winter weight gain on Bari sandwiches. Period.
F Yeah! These sandwiches are amazing.
My boss swore by this place and bought our department lunch…
Read more »
The Italian Sub is a must and put hot peppers on it.
The freshly baked bread that they get from their neighbor just compliments the fresh meats and cheeses for a taste of perfection.
It's more of a crispy, flakey type of French Bread that I believe makes this sandwich extra special, along with the fresh ingredients. 9" will probably do you good but if you got a mean appetite go with the 12" sub and you won't be disappointed.
I ordered an "Italian Veggie."
Menu says: marinated eggplant and provolone cheese.
What I got: provolone, onions and oil. tons and tons of oil.
Not good. It gave me near-instantaneous gastrointestinal distress.
My co-workers liked their sandwiches (which were of the meaty variety). So I guess this is just not the spot for veg-eaters. Bummer.
Something like $6 for a 12" sandwich on french bread. I'm not a fan of provolone, but the only time I might eat it (depends on if it's too prominent on the first bite) is on their Italian sub. I think it's the Italian? I'm usually too busy walking around the tiny store, I just know my sandwich is "hot", and it's oddly enough the only place that makes a sandwich hot enough to make me almost regret it. That's definitely something, because I practically drench everything I eat in Tapatio, a HOT salsa verde and a HOT regular salsa and STILL find it's not hot enough.
This place is always packed. Seriously, when looking for parking outside just double park with your flashers and I guarantee someone will come out of Bari's or D'amato's and free up a space!
I've been on a Subway kick lately, but when I decide that I'm done with oven roasted chicken breasts....I'll be back to Bari's. Actually, I forgot about the case of meats. The Bari sausage is pretty damn good.
another place my company orders lunch from all the time. This place is CRAZY cheap and delivers fast. A 9" sub there is about $4.50. I usually split w/a friend, altho I'm a small eater. I dont eat meat, but everyone else I work w/does, and they're all very happy, and they give plenty of it. The bread is a bit crunchy, but homemade and yummy.
If you order the veggie sub, know that the eggplant is pickled. I usually sub roasted red peppers instead.
This place is like a little Italian deli that you would find in heaven. It's a tiny place, but it's got so much to offer. First and foremost, their subs are amazing. Even as a semi-vegetarian, I can appreciate what they have to offer. I had the 9 inch "Italian Veggie" sub, which is egg[lant and provolone topped with your choice of three kinds of mustard, Hellman's mayo, Miracle Whip, or Italian oil and vinegar, plus lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles if you want them. They also have a whole list of extra toppings like giardinera, fresh mozzarella, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers for a extra charge. The sub also seemed much longer than 9 inches, but then it was dudes making them, and you know how they are with measurements.
Anyway, I'm glad I finally got a chance to try this place. It's been on my list forever. I also got two tubs of olives--my favorite green cerignolas and some oil cured Moroccan olives. Business was brisk while I was there at lunchtime, but the wait was not long. On the counter there was a huge bowl of chocolate covered toffees from the place across the street that was free for sampling. The fridge was also stocked with soups and sauces, not to mention pasta. And the cashier and bagger were super-sweet. This is the kind of place that make you want to live in this neighborhood. Sadly, I don't.
Bari is an excellent place to go for Italian sandwiches and foodstuffs.
This storefront grocery is tiny, and at lunchtime, it's packed. But, if you come during off hours and peruse the aisles, you'll find many a delicious Italian treasure. Homemade giardiniera, pickled eggplant, fig syrup, and San Marzano tomatoes? Yes, please.
Bari makes a mean Italian sub, packed with many kinds of meat, toppings, and giardiniera. My favorite, though, is the Italian veggie. Fear not vegetarians, this is not a lame afterthought of a sandwich. The Italian veggie has the house made pickled eggplant, which is tangy and has a nice toothsome bite to it, as well as lettuce, tomatoes, provolone cheese, and vinegar and oil. Served on fresh baked D'Amato's bread, this is the veggie sandwich of kings. The tangy eggplant, the rich olive oil and the creamy cheese come together to make this one of my favorite sandwiches in Chicago.
Italian sub with aged provolone...OMFG.
Just had a Bari Italian for the first time. I will be coming back soon! Bread was great, but it is very crusty...think I cut the roof of my mouth a bit- always hate that! But, this sub was well worth it.
Even better, the store has a nice, small selection of fresh produce, a nice italian staples isle, a rather large freezer of frozen Italian pastas, raviolis, ect.... Top it off with a couple of isles of standard grocery/convenience items. Sure beats dealing w/ the chaos of Jewel when only a couple of items are needed for dinner.
Wow. I just saw that my friend who I didn't even know was on Yelp just wrote pretty much everything I had to say. Thanks Jill!
So yeah... Bari. Go in here, walk to the back, and order a sub. Any sub. The tuna? Homeade and like no tuna salad ever. The Italian? It's like the archetype of what all Italian subs want to be. But my favorite? The meatball sub with red sauce and mozz with peppers. To goddamned die for! I have never, ever had a meatball this well cooked and seasoned before, or since. And the clincher is the phefuckinominal bread they use for their subs, which comes directly from D'Amato's bakery next door every day. So f-f-fresh.
Also, if you are buying your cooking oils, gourmet olives and such, and giardanera from anywhere else, you are a complete idiot. Except not really.
Sorry about that idiot comment.
I walked six blocks from my work in sub-zero conditions to procure a whole bag of these babies for my co-workers and myself. TOTALLY worth it. I enjoy Bari's sandwiches for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being their awesome value. Nine inches for $4.50? SERIOUSLY?! The ingredients are QUALITY, too.
The store itself makes me a bit claustrophobic... you have to fight your way down very narrow aisles to the back in order to retrieve your sandwiches. It's important to realize, though, that the place wouldn't be so crowded if it wasn't so damn good!
The people who work here are generally very nice -- one even left his station to carry my large quantity of subs to the front for me, because I had coffee in one of my hands and couldn't help but look obviously overwhelmed when I realized that the sandwiches weren't in a bag (you get the bag after you pay at the cashier, up front).
On a sidenote, I really wish Bari delivered later in the day... my disorganized and overly busy coworkers and I can hardly ever get it together to order our "lunch" at a normal hour.
In terms of specifics, I think I need to branch out from the caprese in order to find my true love. Something is a bit off about the caprese, and I just can't put my finger on it, though I think it's a ratio issue. Never fear, though, Bari... I'll be back for more.
Maybe I'm just used to the best, but I just had their Italian sub and was not impressed. I did try the meatball sub which was much better. However, if you'd like to try the ultimate Italian Sub, go to Alpine in Elmwood Park. Now that's a sub to rave about!
this place is so good I almost decided to give it a bad review on here just so it doesn't get too busy. Hands down the best italian in chicago. I'm gonna eat there right now. yeeeaaaaahhhhh.
Bari secret: hidden away, all icy and unassuming in Bari's freezers, is their frozen ravioli.
It looks like nothing special, but... my god, when you cook this stuff, it is INCREDIBLE. Best ravioli I've ever had, at home or at a restaurant. This stuff is soft and full of flavor, it melts in your mouth.
My particular favorites are the eggplant and the pumpkin ravioli varieties, but there are all different fillings.
With this place nearby, i like to pretend that I'm really in New York and that Bari is just your… Read more »
Dear Yelp,
Please increase your rating system to 6 stars: 5 normal stars and one Bari Star, reserved entirely for Bari Foods. Only in this way can justice truly prevail. Thank you.
Signed,
Dan
Seriously, though, I can't say anything more than has been said already, so allow me to describe my love for Bari subs:
I would take a bullet for a Bari sub.
I would vandalize Wikipedia for a Bari sub.
I would let a Bari sub father my children.
If instead of serving a whopping 12" sub, Bari charged $5 just to let people lick the fingers of the workers, I would still gladly pay it.
That is all.
Oh, and Bari/D'Amato 2012.
Great deli. I love the Italian sub, which is my most ordered one. The eggplant sub is amazingly good. The best I've had. The sausage is also very good. They also have a nice selection of Italian grocery items. This is for take out and delivery, not an eat-in restaurant.
Excellent subs. They're huge, too. I chomped through every last crumb.
Literally.
I licked every last crumb off the paper wrap it was so good...
Great f'in sandwhich. Hands down one of the best, if not the best spot in the city for a great lunch.
Add some black olves to the fresh mozarella and prosciutto - its a nice touch.
Neighborhood: Near Southside
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: West Loop
Category: Bakeries
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Neighborhood: West Loop
Category: Delis
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