Caffè Baci

Chicago, United States

3.4

Open now

22 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 312-251-0135
Website:
www.caffebaci.com
Address:
225 W Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL, 60606
b/t Post Pl & Adams St
The Loop
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
730 ftLa Salle & Wacker
910 ftMerchandise Mart
0.2 mi321 North LaSalle
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
Yes
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Bitcoin
No
Good For
Lunch
Parking
Garage, Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Dogs Allowed
No
Waiter Service
No
Caters
Yes

Today

Today 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Chicago) 11:41 AM Friday, November 29, 2024

Business hours

Monday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Friday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

What sets us aside from other fast casual restaurants is our ability to provide high quality gourmet food at maximum speed. Our Executive Chef, Gimi Hamili (formerly head chef at La Spiagga in Rome), and his team of highly trained sous chefs take great effort in developing and preparing our special recipes.

Step into any one of our six locations for breakfast, lunch, a quick coffee or snack, or place a delivery order and you will see why Caffè Baci has been the choice of Chicagoans since 1992.

History

Established in 1992.

The Caffè Baci story begins with a sandwich. Funny, but true…

Caffè Baci’s proprietor, Joe «Jojo» DiCarlo, loves a perfectly crafted Italian sandwich. Jojo knew that Chicagoans would as well. So, almost 20 years ago, Jojo drew upon his experiences at his family’s restaurant and his many trips home to Italy and created what is now regarded as Caffè Baci’s signature sandwich, the «Jojo» — a combination of imported prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, marinated artichoke hearts, sweet basil and plum tomatoes, all of which are served on an Italian filone and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

From this sandwich, the concept of Caffè Baci grew. With an expanded menu offering both authentic recipes and modern interpretations of Italian gourmet food, the choices abound.

Since Caffè Baci’s doors first opened on April 15, 1992, we have sought to build a legacy and reputation for excellence. All of us at Caffè Baci pride ourselves on exceeding our guests’ expectations time and time again.

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22 reviews of Caffè Baci

No registration required
Place rating: 4
Lisle, IL
I’ve been working in this building for a year and haven’t gotten sick of it. Great daily specials, quality of the food is amazing, staff is very friendly.
The only downside is that it is a bit pricy for a lunch spot.
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
when you need a little «fancy» for lunch…
but want to stay at lunch prices (for downtown at least) and don’t have time for a sitdown meal.
baci has always been consistent — unlike your sopraffinas or the like. my favorite is the display case offering salads — pick 3 for a set price. everything i’ve had has been fresh and not overdressed — veggies and fruit remain crunchy and salads are not drowning in oils.
i can’t speak to the pastas/​sandwiches/​pizzas but i have noticed that they are prepared very fast. they also seem to offer more specialty ingredients than their competition.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
Megan from Café Baci is the most amazing professional in the catering industry and Café Baci had an awesome spread! (and I have a ton of experience in the field) Her consistent attention to detail made my party run unbelievably smoothly — I was so relaxed about the details that I was able to enjoy my rockin’ birthday party. Her generosity of spirit was second to none. I am so crazy about her and the food from Bacci that I was dying to contract both her and Bacci to cater my wedding! Go Megan & Café Baci!
Place rating: 2
Chicago, IL
It’s a sandwich place, with a few different types of salads. Not a whole lot of variety. The worst part is the sandwich is already made so you don’t even get to customize it and the bread traded a little stale. For the price there are MUCH better places to go. Don’t waste your time here.
Also most of their tables only seat 2 people. Not great for groups of people because even if you wanted to pull a few tables together and eat, you couldn’t because the other ones are taken.
Place rating: 4
Near North Side, Chicago, IL
I really only order catering meals for my office currently. They have great sandwiches and offer a nicer presentation than other restaurants do in the area. Eco with the display of their sandwich basket (cardboard holder, tissue paper, & saran wrap). Not so environmental with other delivery containers. All of their BYO salad items come in a non compostable plastic bowl.
They are able to accomodate large groups, once ordered a hot special (chicken and fish with sides) and it tasted great! Lots of good reviews from the attendee (100 people event)
All in all, good food though. Pricing varies depending on what you order.
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
This is the café in my office building, and while the food is generally pretty decent, the prices are rather high. Today for lunch I got the tres salad which is choose three different salad bar salads over a bed of lettuce. I chose caprese, chicken salad and roasted vegetables. It came out to 9.93 which is about 15% higher than Id be willing to pay. But I didn’t want to leave the building. It’s a captured audience so I get why they do well.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
Impressed by the quality of the food and restaurant. Definitely a little pricey, but I’ll be back to try more of the meny
Place rating: 1
Elgin, IL
I got pizza there and it was awful. Incredibly undercooked and the cheese turned clear. It was such a mess I essentially had pizza soup on my plate. I took a real good look around because I’ll never be back…
Place rating: 1
Vernon Hills, IL
First and last time I’m going here. Ordered a personal pizza which was worse than a frozen pizza that I can buy at the store. It took forever to get my order which was a sloppy mess, since it was under cooked. The ingredients sucked and had very little flavor if any at all. The two prison guards working the registers could lighten up a bit as well, they are getting paid to be there not me. The space is nice but I would advise you to bring your own food.
Place rating: 2
Chicago, IL
Quite mediocre for the price. $ 8 for a turkey and bacon «panini wrap» that was cold, small and bland. I was hungry an hour later. I should have wondered what a panini wrap is — it’s a wrap, with nothing resembing a panini at all.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
Once you find your way inside (this location of Caffe Baci is housed in a Hines building, one of the largest real estate management companies in the world), you’ll discover one of the most efficient, elegant gourmet places to eat in The Loop.
If you’re new or choosy on what to get, try their trio salad; you get to pick 3 and a piece of their fresh artisan bread.
There’s also a coffee bar and plenty of indoor seating. Most of the people who came during lunch when I went seemed to be regulars, businesspeople having lunch, etc. It’s very casual, speedy, and quality service!
Place rating: 2
Chicago, IL
Its a very ok place to have lunch. Very busy during lunch hours and I find their pizzas and sandwiches not that good for the price they charge. Its also not very clean inside.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
This might — just might — be my favorite place to get drinks after work.
I came here for the first time recently with a group of 10 or so co-​workers. It had rained that afternoon, but since Baci’s patio area is covered, the tables were dry and we were able to sit outside. It was really nice to relax and watch all of the hustle and bustle of people rushing home from work while I was sitting there sipping on a cocktail. It was very chill.
A word to the wise: they pour the drinks strong here, so get ready.
Although we were seated outside, I did come inside to use the restroom (very nice and clean, by the way). The restaurant is very modern and upscale looking with a nice bar area. I liked the Roy Lichtenstein/​pop art paintings on the walls.
I’ve heard Caffe Baci has great food, too, so I’d love to come back and try this place for lunch.
Highly recommend!
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
Went with a friend on a Friday night to Art in Focus, Baci’s monthly event showcasing local artists. We sat outside first, where we ordered our drinks. They had a problem with the fountain drinks, and when my friend ordered a Sprite, all she got was unflavored carbonated water, but when we brought up the problem with the server, she was nice about it, and she brought a new drink out. As for me, I kept ordering different beers, but the server had to keep coming back to let me know that they were sold out. After my fourth failed attempt at ordering a beer, the bar manager came out and politely waited for me to pick a beer that they had in-​stock. Minus a few points for the drink snafus, then plus a few points back for the excellent service.
When it got a little chillier, we moved inside. Baci’s interior is both chic and cozy. The puffy booths are clean, classy, and roomy. The only thing that takes you outside the stylish atmosphere is the weird arcade game (there’s a random deer shooting game? I find it difficult to believe that anyone actually plays it).
They close their regular menu and start serving bar food at 4pm, but on Fridays, they’re open as late as 1am, depending on how busy it is. I’ve had lunch at other Baci locations, and while I do love their Portofino mushroom sandwich and their walnut apple salad (insert Homer Simpson drool gargle here), the bar makes this Baci the place to go.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
I absolutely love coming to Caffi Baci for lunch. The interior at this location is really lovely and not too crowded, which is more than I can say for almost anyplace else I go for lunch. In the summer, you can always get outdoor seating. The relaxing ambiance here is the best in the area for someplace where you don’t have wait service.
The big draw here is the Tres Insalte, where you get a bed of lettuce and can choose 3 different salads to put on top– I like the caprese, Tuscan bean, tuna, farfalle, pesto tortellini, and grilled vegetables. You also get a roll. It’ll put you back about $ 10. My favorite thing is definitely the Palermo– a tasty eggplant sandwich.
I’ve also had the sliders at Happy Hour– so good!
Place rating: 2
Chicago, IL
OVERPRICED FAST FOOD!!!
Had I written this review this summer, it would have been more like 4 stars, however today I came back hugely disappointed. I ordered my usual sald trio (Baci is famous for the salad bar) just to get billed $ 9.20 for some lettuce, tomatoes, and cous cous. Looking back at my receipt the cost of this «CON-TRAP“tion is $ 8.29. Seriously guys? Salad at Gibson’s costs that much and Baci is HARDLY comparable to Gibson’s. Needless to say, after 12 years of weekly visits to Baci I will not longer be dining there until their price better matches the quality and serving sizes of their food. Switching to Corner Bakery, Roti and McKelly’s (all within a 3 block radius).
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
Grabbed a casual business breakfast here the other day. I’ve been here a few times before too; probably twice for breakfast and a couple times for cocktails. In either case, there always seems to be plenty of room to grab a table — never seen it crowded.
This last time I had a breakfast wrap, swiched the sausage for bacon… good. Very filling, comes with potatos and side salsa. Very nice staff too.
Place rating: 4
Sunnyvale, CA
Before we moved offices, I used to work right next door to Baci, and this would be a lunch staple. I love the options they provide with the cafeteria-​style setting, though it can be a bit overwhelming. The trio of salads was always my go-​to pick for lunch (definitely try the quinoa salad). The soup and half-​sandwich is a good deal, and the paninis are solid.
They do well at moving the lunchtime crowd through at a quick pace, and there is ample amount of seating available if you don’t want to eat within the confines of your office/​cubicle.
The little known greatness of this location is the ability to have a post-​work drink here, especially in the summer months. The outdoor area is great to kick back. While it’s not a «bar» atmosphere, its an option I’ve forgotten about since we moved down a few buildings. Hm… less stressful than Primebar – probably should go back and check it out again…
Place rating: 3
Denver, CO
Pretty good lunch spot with a wide variety of food to choose from. Anything from sandwiches to soups, pizzas, pastas, etc. Had a mushroom panini there for lunch yesterday (don’t remember the name), it was delicious, would return for lunch here again.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
I like this location more than other Baci’s because… of the bar. I have never had a drink at the bar, but when it gets warmer… I think I might.
This location doesn’t get as crowded as the other ones, I’m not sure why.
The half sandwich of the day and soup is a great deal. They actually give you a huge bowl of soup (I thought the server misheard me because I was so stunned it wasn’t a tiny cup).
They have a great quinoa salad and I really enjoy their tuna and chicken salad, too.
Sometimes it can get a bit pricey, depending on what you get, but it’s a little less than Sopraffino.
Place rating: 2
Chicago, IL
«Meh.» This pretty much sums it up. Husband and I have only done lunch in the city twice (on a work day). He felt somewhat venturesome from his normal Subway or Potbelly. Yes, the stakes are set high. Ha!
We ventured into this busy little establishment. I am an indecisive character — so a menu above head is not my favorite thing. I absolutely hate someone staring at me waiting to take my order … the pressure, the pressure — too much pressure! I choked.
I ended up ordering a Pannini. I knew walking into the door I wanted a hot sandwich. I thought that is what I had ordered. Much to my surprise … it was nothing near warm. Cold chicken, cold peppers and cold cheese. For an $ 8⁄9 sandwich I guess I just expected more. Back to $ 5 foot longs for me.
Place rating: 3
Holland, MI
I am not too keen on Caffe Baci. They have a very nice dining area inside, it’s very posh. It reminds me of a restaurant I went to in L.A. I had the salad trio and they do have a large variety of side salads. I had the Baci pasta salad, curried couscous and chicken salad. They serve the trio over a bed of romaine lettuce, nice touch! You also get a roll with your salad. Way too much food! I left very full and satisfied. I wasn’t happy with the price, almost $ 11.00 for my salad trio and a Diet Snapple.
I will probably go back because I met a dear friend of mine for lunch. I will try out their specials next time, for a smaller price. Caffe Baci has a nice outdoor patio area that is on Wacker Drive. They also have several locations around the loop. They also have happy hour and that seems to be popular with the office peeps.