Work of Art Cakes

I hate that our office moved locations, simply because I moved away from Work of Art Cakes. Small, family owned bakery that also produces some of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. I used to come here at least 4 times a week (the occasionally «home-​cooked» lunch to save money once a week, but typically it was 5 days a week). It’s not weird concoctions that makes the sandwiches great, it’s the combination of the simple ingredients and high quality meats and vegetables.
Their Roast Beef Sandwich is amazing; you’re not just getting thin sliced roast beef, but thick slabs that almost has me reaching for a fork and knife. The Ham Sandwich is my go-​to (adding red onions), as it’s again, thick slices of ham that you see at Thanksgiving. All sandwiches are topped with a mayo/​mustard mix that makes it tangy, sweet, and a little spicy. It really is a very clean and delicious sandwich. LOVE IT!
Everything else is really good. The lucky days I was able to come in a get a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, would result in paying a whole pans worth to share with co-​workers, because if they found out I DIDN’T get them, I would be «fired.» The soups are always homemade and fresh, salads are the same. Food is all-​around awesome.
This is obviously my favorite lunch spot, simply due to the quality of the food and that it’s a family-​owned restaurant. I love supporting these restaurants and everyone should try their awesome food. I’ll update this more with some MORE exciting news… really exciting news!

Their cakes are fantastic. Not only super yummy but unbelievable design. I first saw their work at a children’s birthday party (Handy Mandy toolbox that looked so real) and then used them for my daughter’s third birthday. They made an Olivia the Pig cake that was the star of the party. The detail was amazing. A little pricey but totally worth it for a special event cake.
Street parking is easy but you have to be looking out for the storefront or you’ll definitely miss it.

So I must have missed something, I was on a mission to find some cupcakes after leaving The Merchandise Mart. I went to Unilocal and decided to find this place based on the reviews. I did miss it as the reviews said, paid my 50 cents for parking walked in and saw NO CUPCAKES. I asked if there were any and the owner (I assumed) said «No». No explanation. Just no. So heads up Unilocalers, don’t know if you have to call ahead or if they don’t make them any more. Went to Molly’s on Clark instead.

If you blink, you’ll probably miss this little café storefront on the west side of Halsted.
While I’ve never ordered one of their cakes, I love stopping for a cup of coffee or lunch, which isn’t often enough. The owner is sweet and friendly and makes some seriously yummy eats (today’s lentil tasty and hearty). They often have a specials for lunch, although I usually go for soup or salad. Their pastries are pretty solid, and their little cookies are delicious.
I have never tried their cakes, but it seems like they’ve have a loyal following in the city. It seems like they stay pretty busy based on cake and food orders based on word of mouth rather than marketing — I don’t think they even have a website.
Unfortunately, they don’t have seating, so I usually take my order to go or back to work. Definitely worth a stop by if you are in the area and need lunch or pastries on the go.

I think this family-​run business mostly does catering but the storefront provides lunch specials, sandwiches on freshly made bread, daily soups, salads, and baked goods for the neighborhood lunch crowd. The food is always good and ingredients fresh. The cupcakes are gigantic and some of the best in the city.
The specials and soups are rarely repeated so there are always new things to try. The french pastries can be pricey but they’re the real deal. This family can cook and bake, and does it all artistically.

An amazing, family-​run business located close to the heart of the Loop! I have been going to Work of Art Cakes for several years now and am always blown away by their cakes. If possible, they taste better than they look (and they look amazing!). Hoa is a wonderful lady and I always spend more time there than I expect as we chit-​chat. Her daughter is extremely talented and creates the most incredible cookies.
I tell people all the time about my «cake lady» and everyone who has gone there has given it a thumbs up!

I really just want to agree with everything said by the positive reviews so far, but I did want to add that I’ve had two cupcakes from here, both times with caramel frosting, and they will haunt me for the rest of my life. This place is truly amazing.
A small, family-​owned place like this is just what I want, and it’s hard to go anywhere else or even to bring my own lunch after coming here. The roast beef sandwich is truly incredible — try it on ciabatta. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water, and I literally just ate there.
I can’t say enough about how nice the staff is and how much they appreciate your business. I genuinely want this place to succeed after meeting the wonderful people who work there, which is a big part of why I created a Unilocal account just to write this review. It’s really a great find, and I strongly recommend you go in and check it out for yourself.

This little gem in the city is a short walk from my work. I’ve walked and driven by it many times always thinking it was closed. From the urging of a fellow co-​worker I went in one day to check it out and now am a regular at least 3 times a week. While their mainstay is cakes, they have a walk-​in lunch service for those in the know-​meaning there is no menu board and if you’ve never been there, you’ll have to ask to figure everything out. The service is friendly, but reserved. There is usually a soup of the day, which they usually offer samples of, so feel free to ask if they don’t. The pre-​made salads look just as good as they taste, using fresh, flavorful ingredients. Do try their sandwhiches! There are around 5 different artisan breads to choose from (I love the multi-​grain!) and the meats are delicious thick cuts. They run your bread and cheese through a toaster to make it even better. And don’t forget to ask about the special of the day-​as these are always amazing! (But get there early as the special usually runs out.) I usually can never leave without grabbing one of their hefty chocolate chip cookies, or muffins. This morning I had on of their pistacio biscotti for breakfast. And their simple cupcakes are moist and flavorful. I can’t say enough about this place and the food, I could keep writing.

I am nearing the end of my internship in the same building. Although I am poor and usually bring my lunch, I have gone down to Work of Art on the recommendations of my co-​workers. The lentil soup was layered in texture and flavor. My co-​workers rave about the cupcakes, but I’m more of a muffin girl so I tried the chocolate chip muffin and it was great! It has orange peel shavings in it and I love the chocolate/​orange combination!

i work nearby so one day i walked in to grab lunch and was pleasantly surprised to see some lunch selections.
i grabbed a pre-​packed pasta salad and it was really good.
but what blew me away was that i had the best cupcake i’ve had in the city here. it was a vanilla cake with a chocolate hazelnut frosting. it was heavenly. it’s better than the more well known cupcake places in chicago.

I agree with the first review, mostly. This shop’s main business is obviously not walk-​in bakery/​lunch sales (the front of the shop looks abandoned and in «sleep» mode). At first, I wondered if they were open. A friendly (but speed challenged) lady behind the counter DOES make great lunch sandwiches (she will toast your bread unless you specifically ask her not to). They have really, really flavorful cookies, muffins and cupcakes but never seem to have more than 4 cupcakes (2 flavors) of each on display at one time. I used to work in the area and walking over for lunch (if I had the extra time) was a treat.

The friendly Vietnamese family that operates this bakery and café are a longtime favorite of those that know them. The French pastries are delicious, and the muffins and cookies are just delightful. They have created some spectacular custom cakes that are delicious but also incredibly beautiful. The offer a wide range of styles, my favorite is the very sophisticated cakes decorated with incredible floral designs for friends. You can’t go wrong here — and they are truly nice to work with and very helpful. Here’s a little known secret, they also serve lunch on a walk-​in basis. The fresh bread sandwiches are delicious! All of the meat and cheese they use is high quality and real (no processed ingredients allowed). They also have fantastic pre-​made salads and an amazing iced green tea (warning, the tea is strong) for any tea lovers out there. I cannot recommend this place enough for a quick lunch or for providing baked goods for a special occasion.