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Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: The LoopMadison/Wabash (Orange, Brown, Purple Express, Green, Pink)
Monroe (Blue, Red)
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We had Caffe Baci delivered for lunch today at work, and I thought it was good.
I had a Cobb salad, and it was big and filling. Coworkers had boxed lunches with sandwiches, chips, fruit salad, and a cookie. I wished I had gotten one of those.
I didn't pay for the meal, so I don't know how much of a deal it was. But the food was good.
Warning: I've never stepped foot inside of a Bacci. Nor have I ever paid for a sandwich from them.
A friend gave me half of his sandwich cause he was full and thought I would really enjoy it.
I did. It was an italian sandwich on some hearty sourdough bread. Fresh slices of mozzarella, artichokes, some sort of italian ham. It was delicious.
Be fair warned, I love sandwiches. What an amazing combination of foods, wrapped into a neat little package. Every sandwich is like a present for your stomach.
It sounds like Baci is a little pricy, but you are getting a quality product for a seemingly fair price. My friend said that the sandwich was about $6. Honestly though, if I bought all of the necessary ingredients to make this sandwich, it probably would have cost me $4.
Let's put it this way, I'm never going to avoid a free sandwich, but if someone is offereing a free Baci sandwich I am willing to arm wrestle for it.
People thought this was:
Really good selection, soup, salad, sandwiches, hot bar, personal pizzas, gelato, coffee, pastries, etc....You will definitely find something to eat here, and it's pretty good.
I had a pasta and bean soup recently that was quite delicious, but so far everything else has be good.
Soup and 1/2 sandwich combo is almost $8 with tax ($7.57) which is a little steep. With a drink and you're paying $10 for a normal lunch. You can get way more for 10 bucks somewhere else.
I enjoy this place for a light lunch. I often get the trip salad. All their salads are delish and I love the Italian wafers that are packaged at the cashier.
This particular Baci is my favorite cause of the atmostphere and the layout of the restaurant. It's warm and inviting, the others I have tried, its always awkward seating. maybe its just me.
Oh and don't forget gelato on your way out!
[breakfast review]
Baci is content to be "OK". No aspirations higher than looking good.
If you've given up on finding a funky little cafe, tired of Dunkin' Donuts, and despise Charfucks, you just might end up here.
Everything I had was pretty tolerable. Pre-made fruit cup with fruit still frozen. Melon doesn't defrost well. Biscotti were good with coffee.
That's the best I can do for you Baci. You really aren't trying very hard.
People thought this was:
I always walk into this place wanting to like it. The decorum is cool and everything looks really good (including fresh squeezed orange juice, tiramisu, fruit parfaits, and pastries) but the prices are just ridiculous. It ruins the whole experience.
My standard fare is the Belgium waffle which includes fresh strawberries, bananas, blue berries, and whipped cream. The waffle is always tasty but it's rather small and 6 dollars! With a coffee (or any other beverage) it comes to 8 dollars and up. It's just not worth the money or the ambiance. You might as well go to Starbucks or even Dunkin Donuts because either way it would be cheaper and about the same food. There are plenty of better choices around the Loop.
People thought this was:
I had lunch here the other day and it was terrific. Great Monte Cristo sandwhich although it was a bit expensive. I am trying to find out if this is part of the Bacci Restaurant Group even though one is Baci and one is Bacci. I know that one means kiss and the other many kisses. I am trying to get some help from either Tony B or Guy Bacci himself----HEY GUYS HELP A GIRL OUT WOULD YA!!!!
People thought this was:
$8.20 for an egg & cheese croissant + beverage. Excuse me?
My friend informed me the other day that Cafe Baci raised the price of their salads $1.00, which is pretty big increase in price, but I wasn't prepared to break the bank for breakfast the other morning.
Aside from the fact that Cafe Baci increased their prices, I don't enjoy coming to this location anyway because the service is terrible.
Cafe Baci just lost a customer for life. I'm not worried, because there are plenty of other places to eat in the city.
People thought this was:
I love love love this cafe!! If you go to Europe, they have very similar places such as Cafe Baci.… Read more »
I found this to be a nice little loop lunch joint.
Likes:
*Lots of options- pizza, soups, sandwiches, paninni's, hot drinks, etc. And these options are well organized.
* Space- unlike many of the lunch joints in the loop, this one has nice big tables and small tables, tables in general, versus cramped eating quarters that makes you decide on take out.
*Tasty-ness- I must say, if given the option on food, Italian comes in second last for me every time next to traditional american, nonetheless, this would be a place I would reconsider visiting again.
Room for Improvement:
*The soup my friend had looked like your average joe soup
*The sandwich my friend had looked like your average Joe sandwich, it had plastic wrap on it. I think appearance is half the battle.
**Luckily my food looked and tasted just fine (I got the Margherita Pizza).
People thought this was:
This is my standard breakfast/lunch joint when I am at school (Roosevelt University is just a block away).
For breakfast I love the yo-fruit, which is a yogurt parfait thing with either strawberries, blueberries, or bananas. The granola in it is very good, not your typical American granola. It's topped with mandarin oranges. So yummy for a quick light breakfast!
Lunch is usually one of their sandwiches or salads. The paninis take forever to come out. The turkey & brie sandwich is the fastest because it's pre-wrapped. As for salads, the cobb is delicious. They also have side salads, and I love their chicken salad. Salads come with a yummy roll... gotta carb it up. ;)
Cafe Baci is PACKED at lunch and sometimes it's hard to find a table. Nonetheless, this is my first pick for lunch over anything else in the area.
This is my first review, but I'm an avid Yelp reader. I'm writing to warn patrons to watch their purses at this restaurant and the poor customer service. My wallet was stollen out of my purse yesterday. I was bumped 2 times, first by the busboy then 10-15 min later by a customer. My purse was hanging from my chair (a mistake I will never make again) within my friend's sight. It was probably in the second bump that the wallet was taken and sent on a shopping spree ($600+ within 1/2 hr). Once I realized what happened, I told the manager who only shrugged his shoulders like "what are you going to do" and did not offer an apology or anything!! At least the cash register person was shocked! While I can't prove it, I would not be surprised if the 2 bumpers and manager were working in conjunction. These thieves were professionals! Be warned!
Up to this point I liked it...the food was decent and at a good price... =(
People thought this was:
One of those places that looks better than it is. Wide selection but nothing seems to be on point. The best thing might be the pizzas.
Ok, I've only had one thing here, but it was unreal: the JoJo sandwich. Yeah, I know. The name doesn't do much for the sandwich, but don't let that stop you from trying it. It's got prosciutto, fresh mozarella, fresh basil, marinated artichokes, EVOO, plum tomatoes, and a crusty italian roll.
I know what you're thinking, and as good as it sounds, it's 1 million times better! SO GOOD!!!
Next time, if I can go there without getting the JoJo, I want to try their baked eggplant parmigian sandwich. Let me know if you've tried it...
People thought this was:
Cafe Bacci is your standard lunch place on Michigan Avenue. I've also gotten coffee at the one in the BOA building on Jackson.
Like it's counterparts, Bacci has sandwiches, bagels, pastries, soups, salads, etc. I've eaten at this Bacci after both of my marathons just because it's the closest "restaurant" to the finish line. I can never stomach more than juice and half a bagel at that point, but my family members seem to enjoy it. Thankfully they offer fresh squeezed oj and will toast the bagel.
Pizza and Italian sandwiches look really good too if you have an appetite. Very similar to corner bakery, cosi, etc.
People thought this was:
Ugh... I don't know if I can recover from my last experience here. It was a hot day. I had been walking all over the city that day. I went out of my way to stop back by here to get their gelato. And what did I get? I really expensive, sample size milkshake. They served me soupy gelato! Even the person behind the counter had difficultly scooping it up w/o it plopping back down in the freezer.
I think there is something wrong with the temperature controls or perhaps because the freezer was facing the window w/ sunlight coming in. I'm not sure, but it was soo dissapointing to pay $2.50ish for two spoonfuls of soupy gelato. I sat and ate my "soup" while looking next door at Jamba Juice, kicking myself for not going there instead.
Check out my original review of the other Cafe Baci for the good news about Cafe Baci. I thought the bad gelato here was worth a warning to others.
Seems like this is a business lunch in the loop kind of gig, but it's cute enough that it makes for an excellent weekend lunch place as well - lots of windows and a small outdoor seating area will do that.
Walked in here one day from Millenium Park and it was busy and a little chaotic. There were tons of choices in an upscale cafeteria kind of way. There were entrees, specials of the day, egg combinations, paninis, grilled paninis, deli style,soup, salads, bagels, ice cream. It's a nice place and pretty reasonably priced. And the portabello panini was excellent.
People thought this was:
I've only been once, but I'll certainly be back.
It's a cafeteria-style restaurant, that gets a little cramped around lunchtime, but everything on their menu looks and sounds fantastic. The salad I had (the Tre Insalate) WAS fantastic, and I'm legitimately excited to go back and try more things there - especially their breakfast options.
People thought this was:
I've gone here a few times for lunch, but it was always because nowhere else could be decided on. It's not one of my favorite places, but it's alright to have a quick meal at. However, there are a million places in the Loop to get a fast bite. You can get all your basic food here: sandwiches, little pizzas, salads, etc. They also have coffee and a variety of teas.
There is something that drives me nuts about this place though. It always seems like mass chaos in there. The layout is basically cafeteria style, so you go and order your food and then bring it to the cashier to pay. Seems simple enough, right? Well, maybe it's simple for you and me, but it is not simple for the majority of people that go in there. Everyone is confused on where to go or how to get out of the way while waiting. If you go during peak lunch hours, the place is insanely crowded. Plus, in the summer the crowd is mostly tourists that REALLY have no clue what is going on. I'm usually relieved by the time I finally make it to a table, if I can even get one.
It's nice to eat here every once and a while, but I certainly would never get into the habit of going here regularly.
Prior to Dalai Lama-ing it up, I stopped in to Cafe Bacci to grab some grub because I was a-starvin' and needed something to picnic with.
So many choices! Loved the stations, it made it easy to order. I had the chicken salad and the fruit salad, which were both fresh and tasty.
It did take two girls to work the cash register, but even their ineptitude couldn't make this a negative experience!
People thought this was:
I've been here a couple times for lunch meetings, and it's pretty good. The salads are tasty, although the couscous salad was kind of dry the first time I had it (curried couscous salad is better). Sandwiches are good too, and the service is quick. Lots of seating, which is nice. The first time I was here, they didn't have iced tea, so they brewed hot tea and then iced it for me, which was really nice. The second time, I ordered iced chai and they accidentally made hot chai, and when I told them they could just pour it over ice, they insisted upon making a whole new drink instead, also very nice.
A nice spot for lunch, but nothing to RAVE about.
I am basing this review on my one experience there, which was just a take out order. I was going to the movies in the park and needed to grab something quick to eat. I ordered a chicken wrap with avocados. It was the tiniest thing I had ever seen. (Think: even smaller than a potbelly skinny sandwich) and the filling inside wasn't even that great. It was almost $7 for it! Seriously, I was shocked that something that small was that expensive. I would definitely choose something like corner bakery or cosi over cafe baci. It is around the same price and you way more for your money.
Stopped in for breakfast this a.m. & food was good, as usual. They always use loads of fresh ingredients and lots of veggies, which is great for a fast-food place. The atmosphere is nice except for the NICKELBACK blaring over the loudspeakers - ugh!! What a horrendous choice of music for such an, airy, open, stylish space. Anything other than guitar & drum heavy rock would have worked, but...ugh. I'm still shuddering. Breakfast with Chad Kroger = serious loss of appetite.
People thought this was:
I go here often when I forget to bring a lunch.It's fast and somewhat better than most fast food options around here. I LOVE the Butternut squash soup(available every other Thursday)! It is hands down my favorite thing here! Service is okay,if the place is not overrun with tourists-if there is something going on at Millennium Park,you are screwed.I also like the Apple Walnut salad.Yum!
People thought this was:
Great place for breakfast! I thought it was much better than Cosi, Corner Bakery, and other similar spots. The food is freshly prepared but still manages to be pretty quick. I had the egg white omlette with spinach, tomatoes, and lowfat cheese. It came with fruit and two slices of multigrain toast - quite a bargain for $4.99! The latte was good too. My colleagues all had the oatmeal and said it was good. Just a warning, though - it's pre-made with milk so don't order it if you don't like milky oatmeal or are lactose intolerant. The place itself doesn't have much atmosphere but there are floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over Millenium Park.
People thought this was:
I go here way more than I should, but it's very close to work! There's a lot of variety here, pasta, sandwiches, soup, salad, paninis, pizza, desserts, coffee...all good quality, if a little expensive for the semi-cafeteria service set up. My favorites are the JoJo sandwich, the turkey and brie sandwich, the butternut squash soup, and the lemon bars...mmm....lemon bars. They also have a nice selection of deli salads/antipasti(pasta salad, roasted veggies, caprese,etc..) from which you can choose three to make up a combo. The pizza and pastas of the day are often quite good as well. They also have real gelato. It is not much on atmosphere, but the food is consistently yummy and the staff is very friendly and courteous.
People thought this was:
Great goat cheese and portabello sandwich and the only place you can stop and get a scoop of gelato after a walk in Mil. Park. Stop for lunch-- very inexpensive.
People thought this was:
Cafe Bacci has an upscale cafe feel to it and is a good spot for lunch on the go or for a quick bite. They have sandwiches and salads, pizza and pasta, and plenty of items like fruit, yogurt, drinks, etc. It has pretty much everything you would want for lunch but I must say that it does get a bit confusing when you look at the menu because they have pre-made items but you have no idea if they are pre-made or if you have to order them. So it's a bit confusing but overall not bad.
People thought this was:
My company loves to order in lunches from Cafe Bacci and everything I've ever tried has been great. I usually stick to the tomato-mozzerella sandwich, and the other day we had a veggie lasagna that was completely cheesy and delicious. Great downtown lunch or coffee spot.
People thought this was:
Went there when it first opened and was really crowded. I do really like the concept of the place and the whole atmosphere of the place. I thought the food was really good, but yet to try the pizza which my friend raves about. It is a great to sit outside and have a conversation and people watch I think. The place can get pretty crowded at lunch, but I think they are much better at handling the crowds now.
People thought this was:
This is my new favorite breakfast and/or lunch spot in the loop. The soup and 1/2 sandwich special is great - it's only $5.50 and always offers something very yummy. The most magnificent thing about Caffe Baci, though, is their Yogurt Parfait. Being a connoisseur of yogurt parfaits (yes, there is such a thing) this is the best one I've found. It has several layers of cream, yogurt, granola and fruit. I'm constantly craving them.
People thought this was:
Impressed by what we ate and will definitely go back to try more of their offerings. On the first nice spring Saturday, we were walking around Millennium Park and stopped here for a drink. Pizza looked so tasty we decided to spllt one as a "snack." The pepperoni pizza was crispy and flavorful, if a little greasy (usually a problem with pepperoni). The salads and sandwiches all looked yummy - it would be a great place to pick up food to enjoy in the park!
I love this place for lunch! It's good if you leave a bit early for lunch to beat the crowd. The prices are reasonable and I like that you can see/smell the pastas already made and choose from there. I usually wind up with a daily special and haven't been disappointed yet.
What looks like an upscale cafe is not that pricey. Right across the street from the Art Institute and obviously tons to do for the tourist and non-tourist alike. The food here was fresh, and tasty. When I went there was only a few people in the whole place.
People thought this was:
Food is excellent- the lemon chicken panini I had was truly outstanding. The baci tuna was pretty good too, though a little dry. The service is "meh" because the place is a little disorganized. In the summer when the Millenium Park crowd is nearby things are a little out of hand (you'll likely be hurdling strollers). However, there's plenty of fresh, healthy food. An excellent business day lunch stop.
People thought this was:
This is a decent place to go for a quick bite to eat. They have pre-made salads and they have deli style sandwiches and meals. It's ok, nothing too special but they have a good selection of fruits and snacks to choose from.
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