Rustic Knead

I cannot say enough good things about this place. I work and live super nearby so I’m pretty much a regular. This is the place to go when you want fresh, delicious, gourmet food. The sandwich combinations are original. I love that they slice the meat right in front of you and if you order a sandwich with avocado they always slice open a brand new one– no brown avocado slices here! I have had the Brie sandwich, the chewheato, the salami and Gruyère, the Cobb, and the chicken and Gouda. My personal favorite is the chewheato– the spicy spread is superb!
They have amazing breakfast options too. The oatmeal so creamy and topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt– so good!
The pastries honestly deserve their own post. I have tried every pastry, except the one with strawberries due to an allergy. They are DIVINE please do not go another day without trying the dark chocolate Nutella or the white chocolate caramel pastry! A box of fresh baked goods is my go to gift when going to a party or gathering now. The metropolis coffee is strong and pairs perfectly with the sweet treats.
The service is always excellent as well. The owners take pride in what they do and it shows in the quality of the food and the ambiance of the restaurant. They are also so kind and thoughtful– they have thrown in a few free pastries several times that I’ve stopped in before closing. Overall a wonderful establishment that I hope never leaves Lemont!!!

Don’t go here if you want to get stuffed on the cheep. This is the place for top quality, nicely prepared, healthy food. The sandwiches are very interesting and the pastries are the best you’ll find. This is much better than the usual chains.

Good food but too expensive for the size of the sandwiches which I guess is the trend anymore. The turkey sandwich is good but for $ 8.25, I really shouldn’t leave hungry. The biggest downfall is if you want a drink, you have to buy a bottled juice or water.

Wow! Lemont, you just hit the mother lode getting Rustic Knead to open their first (but I’ll bet not last) café in YOUR town. Fantastic food in a slick, hip, and immaculate setting. Try it!

Metropolis coffee, free wifi, and delicious sandwiches? Yes! This place is amazing. Didn’t try the pastries but they looked too pretty to eat. Can’t wait to go back.

Beautiful café in Lemont! Tons of windows so it’s nice and bright. The tables look like reclaimed wood and have pretty flowers in vases on each one. Service was friendly and I love that there’s a window where you can see them baking the bread in the back!
I was able to grab a table by the window which was great because there was an outlet nearby so I could plug in my laptop. Wifi is free which is always a nice bonus! At 10:30 am on a Friday it wasn’t too busy — mostly just folks grabbing coffee or breakfast to go. By the time I left at about 12:30 pm, Rustic Knead was pretty packed with lunchers.
I started with an iced coffee which was good. They have a bar area where you can add your own cream, milk, sugar, etc. I’m a skim milk only kinda gal. I’m guessing the coffee was hot before they poured it over ice, because it melted super fast. I suggest that they chill some coffee for those who want it iced in order to avoid that :)
To eat I ordered a sandwich that came with fig, pears, caramelized onion, and arugula. You have the option of whole grain or white bread, so I went with whole grain. All sandwiches come with a pickle spear which is a nice touch. Super yummy bread and ingredients. Finished the whole thing!
I don’t live nearby, but I’d be willing to make the trip here. Great spot for working!
Pro tip: Breakfast menu only runs until 10:30 am during the week, then they switch to lunch.

My sister and I purchased one type of sandwich each to split, and also got a pastry (Nutella croissant) to share. Also bought a ham and cheese croissant to take home. The sandwiches were superb! The pastries were alright. Anyone that can make breakfast like that, using the finest and freshest ingredients, has my vote! I hope they are in Lemont for a long time.

I have to say, at first, I was put off by the name thinking it was a chain franchise. After speaking with the owner, this is the only location. The décor is beautiful and mostly handmade and the food is delicious. The sandwiches are artisan gourmet, that have the European flavor mixtures otherwise not seen here in the US. I had the Cobb sandwich and was delighted. I had the blueberry hibiscus iced tea and it was superb! The soup of the day was Cream of Mushroom, and it was delicious. My fiancée had a Chewheato sandwich, and the Cabbage potato and white bean soup. He was very pleased. We purchased 2 Ham and cheese croissants to go, and they gave us the last one free since they said it would be lonely. We also bought a baguette for home as well. If you are looking for an alternative to the large chain «café» give this spot a chance and you will not be disappointed.

Delicious! Go there! You have you! The baguettes are absolutely divine and they taste like they’re from Grandma’s kitchen in Poland. The pastries have crispy shells and moist fillings. Sandwiches are excellent! My favorite are the breakfast sandwiches.
I’d love to see a true «club sandwich» on the menu — turkey, bacon, avocado, tomato, aioli? Also, more salads and soups!!!
I’m glad Lemont has something like this! We need more breakfast/​brunch options!

Great place for lunch. Today was my first time even noticing the place and it’s fantastic!

Rustic Knead may sound like a lumberjack massage parlor, but it’s actually an awesome café with great food, service, and coffee. As a remote worker, I also have to say it has the perfect level of ambient noise (bonus points for no obnoxiously loud espresso-​maker noise) and music that helps me focus in the morning.

Amazing fresh local, artesian and craft style menu-​exactly what our family craves, all things considered for this quality/​style of food the prices are phenomenal! If you buy this type of food for your you know what it costs as well as how short the shelf life is for this food compared to the chemically processed/​artificially flavored versions you find at the fast food chains. This place is a perfect model of transparency, the entire kitchen is surrounded by glass so you can watch the whole beautiful process. Did I mention they have GF? For someone who has celiac’s disease, to be able to go out and eat alongside my family at a craft bakery was AMAzING!

I love Rustic Knead! Clean healthy tasty food. Staff is very pleasant. The variety of foods and atmosphere are different from what’s in the area, which is a nice change

Fresh and tasty pastries along with artisan sandwiches served on fresh, in house made bread! They also have a tasty gluten free bread option and gluten free cookies, if you prefer. You can watch fresh bread being made through the huge glass windows, that show off the bakery or relax on the comfy couches or set of chairs in the front windows. There’s also complementary WiFi, along with Android and iPhone chargers.
What an excellent addition to the area, I look forward to many return visits!

I absolutely love this place and am so happy there is finally a fresh food option in Lemont. We’ve been here numerous times, and we’ve always been very pleased. The caprese sandwich is my favorite — the pesto is delicious, the mozzarella is fresh, the tomatoes are juicy. The soups are also quite good, and the pastries are to die for. A few days ago we were there at closing and the owner gave us some free pastries to take home — I thought that was very nice of him. The staff is always very kind and patient. They have a really neat selection of dark chocolate, cookies, and interesting juices as well. It’s a very bright spot and I love the décor.

This place was wonderful. I just wish there was one closer to where I lived. They make their bread right there in the restaurant where you can watch the baker make it through glass walls. They also have all sorts of other goodies on top of their great food. The ambience was very quaint and sweet too. Next time I’m in the area I’ll definitely be stopping here again.

Great fresh food-​ordered the chicken and Gouda sandwich and the Brie sandwich… both were excellent. Felt like I was at a downtown café rather than in Lemont. The rustic bread was awesome and the place was packed. We will definitely be back!

Metropolis coffee plus ham and cheese croissant. Delicious. Five stars if the croissant were warmed vs room temperature. I’ll ask next time and adjust accordingly :-)

The food is delicious. The bread is outstanding. The choices are great, the food is healthy and the staff is very pleasant. Obviously take great pride in what they do! I come to the restaurant frequently and its a go to for lunch with folks looking for something new, fresh and good! I love the Metropolis coffee, delish! I can’t say enough good things about it. It’s now a routine for Friday lunch with bread and their amazing sweet rolls to bring home for the weekend. There are not enough stars for this place!

Great pastries in the morning and had a great sandwich at lunch. Décor was very rustic (hence the name, LOL) with vases of fresh flowers. I had the chicken and Gouda sandwich which was great. I hope this place lasts in this location, being that I don’t think Lemont is as ‘trendy’ as it should be — a better location would have been Naperville or LaGrange.