Review of Jaffa Bakery on 225 North Michigan Street in Chicago, Illinois

Located within 225 North Michigan Plaza Chicago pedway system, one will find several shops and restaurants. One of the popular restaurants I have frequented is Jaffa Bakery. This breakfast and lunch stop is one of six Jaffa Bakeries located within the Chicago area. I have visited another Jaffa Bakery retail location in the west loop adjacent to the Ogilvie Transportation Center. Both locations seem to carry the same menu and provide the same level of service.

Food

Every morning during the work week there will be a definite buzz of activity at this Jaffa Bakery as people scramble for with the generous selection of bagels and toppings. I have never visited Jaffa Bagels for a bagel, but they certainly appear tasty. The breakfast line seems to be pretty deep every weekday morning as people jockey in line for their turn at bagels, freshly squeezed juice, or a morning smoothie.

The lunch crowd is usually much longer than the morning rush. The mid day fare includes freshly roasted turkeys that are perfectly oven browned and hand carved. The fresh thick cut turkey triggers instant thoughts of Thanksgiving holiday at grandma's house. The turkey options include white, dark, or combination of for both. The turkey is served on your choice of bread or a torpedo roll.

If turkey isn't your thing, Jaffa also offers up falafel or shish kebobs. The food is always fresh and looks very appetizing. The hot table also includes such wonderful side dishes as mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. Once the sandwich is ordered and prepared, the server will pass along your sandwich to the next person that asks you for your choice of toppings which include just about anything you want. This sandwich building process is much like the Subway assembly line. The tasty extra toppings available include freshly made hummus, a cucumber tomato relish, and so much more. Should the craving result, one can even request cranberry sauce as a turkey sandwich topping.

The serving portions are decent, but watch the person serving up the turkey. The portions are not always consistent between the food servers and I will occasionally have to remind them not to hold back on the turkey. I also have to give thumbs down to the cheese they put on the sandwich. Jaffa seems content using a very weak "Swiss cheese" that looks like a pale plastic wrapped cheese single.

Service

The employees at Jaffa always seem happy and provide decent service. Despite the occasional long lines, the people get pushed through relatively quickly. The occasional hold up in these long lines is usually attributed to indecisive customers. The cashier will accept cash and only visa and master card are accepted.

Ambience

The seating here is very limited with only a few tables. Those that are lucky to find a table can also benefit from the complimentary Wi-Fi service offered up at Jaffa Bagels. I have never even considered sitting down at this location due to unavailable tables and the extreme noise from the people ordering as well as the constant chatter from people walking up and down the pedway.

Price

The popular turkey sandwich will run a hefty $6.53 with tax. The same sandwich accompanied by chips and drink will set you back an additional seventy five cent, so it may be to your advantage to go with the package deal. That ala cart sandwich price is high when comparing to high volume chain restaurants like Subway or Jimmy Johns. The high prices charged at Jaffa also equates to a better quality turkey sandwich with thicker and tastier turkey and a better selection of freshly made sandwich condiments. I recommend this sandwich as a strong buy, but I typically max my visits out to twice a month in order to keep lunch costs relatively low.