Uppercrust Bakery

I go to Uppercrust (usually with coworkers) almost everyday because it is so close to our job and it is THE BEST option for the area. They have really delicious soups everyday and their house-made yogurt is SUPER good.
The freshly baked bread elevates all of their sandwiches! Generally the breakfast sandwiches and other hot sandwiches are awesome and the tuna sandwich is KILLER if you're a tuna admirer.
On the flip side, I'm not a huge fan of their confectionery section; their desserts and dessert breads are usually dense and overly sweet. I do bake a lot and admire a lighter pastry. (Try Vanille Patisserie on Clybourn for some over-the-top badass desserts btw.)

Mediocre desserts are a totally negligible aspect of their business since there are enough good options here to keep it varied and fresh every time you go in. I've read that their drink service is slow but I haven't experienced that.

As for the one star reviewer... That's a pretty hilarious review actually!! I think the "just-rolled-out-of-bed" woman described is (possibly one of) the owner(s). I've seen her around a lot and though it doesn't seem like customer service is her strength (aka lookin' like a crab just pinched her ass), every other barista / server is really cool and friendly and you don't see her much at all. And if she's baking all the delicious bread and making the yogurt.... By all means stay in the back lady!!!

Long story short:
5 stars for awesome food served at a decent pace and really polite service.
Recommend:
Tuna sandwich, hot sandwiches, yogurt, soups.

AFTER THE CRUMBS SETTLED!

Many people do not know of the Great Sandwich War of 2012 but I do. It is a sad story that pitted neighbor against neighbor and it was all about bread. It was happening right before our eyes but most of us kept our heads in our subs and ignored the signs.  But I couldn't...I was dragged in deeper then I ever wanted to be.

One good thing came out of this sandwich war.  I found a nice bakery that does not have attitude. That place is Uppercrust.  I found Uppercrust thanks to Bari who after decades of using bread from the store next door to them was not able to keep the supply lines open. You see that long time good neighbor wanted a piece of the sandwich market that Bari created so long ago. So they made it hard on them to get there bread, bread crust pun intended. Bari had to seek a new supplier and Uppercrust is that new bakery.  I am also able to buy Uppercrust bread at Bari too. The best part is I can use my credit card (cash only next door) and it is cheaper then next door.  Two big bonuses!

I decided to check out Uppercrust because the bread is fantastic.  I love the location and the employees.  They were super friendly here. There is also a parking lot, unlike the other bakery down the street.  They also serve sandwiches here too. Bari has paved the way for some many sandwich places in this neighborhood.  They do deserve some respect.

A fun story.  On the first day I tried Uppercrust, I walked in to order 2 loaves of French bread only to find out that Bari had just cleaned them out 10 minutes before I arrived. It was 1pm on a Friday and they took there last 150 loaves. Luckily I was able to go to Bari and the owners sold me 2 loaves.  I didn't have to go to the evil mean neighbor.  When will this bread war end?

I also learned that Bari uses the bread crumbs from Uppercrust for there famous meatball sandwich, which was selected in the top 50 sandwiches in Chicago.

I like Uppercrust and thank you Bari for introducing them to me.  That is how neighbor businesses are suppose to treat each other with professional respect.

I am a huge fan of Uppercrust. And hopefully 2013 we will see more sandwich love and less bread wars!!!  Stay crusty my friends!!!

This is a really nice neighborhood shop.  We were in town to see a play and do dinner, so wanted a place where we could park quickly, conveniently, and cheaply, and have a light lunch before heading downtown.

There was steady stream of walk-in traffic purchasing coffee, sandwiches and some terrific-looking bakery items.   The artisan breads were beautiful!

My tasty lunch - tomato bisque and a hunk of bread (the sandwiches looked really good too), the relaxed atmosphere,  and the off-street parking combine to make the Upper Crust a great place to stop for a quick bite.