Review No. 198: BMB Bakery
812 Chestnut Street
(630) 544-8204
The Situation
He Said: We were out and about at lunchtime, and She Said told me there was a new sourdough sandwich place in town that we hadn’t reviewed yet, so I said “Let’s go there,” and so we did. They’re open Wednesday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., but sandwiches are served only from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., so you need to time your visit accordingly. The baker here, Marcin—originally from Poland, who came to Arkansas by way of Chicago—first opened a bakery in his house, but opened this brick and mortar place in 2022. He states his philosophy on the restaurant’s web page: “If it has something I cannot pronounce, I do not want to eat it. Our breads have only 3 ingredients–water, salt, and flour.”
She Said: Yes, we were coming from Pilates reformer class, I believe, so it felt like time to apply some baked goods to our faces! I’d heard about this yummy place from several people, so when our Pilates teacher mentioned it, I knew it was time.
Ambience:
He Said: It’s just a small hole-in-the wall place next to the behemoth restaurant that is Rogue Roundabout. There is a rack with a variety of European sourdough loaves, and the bakery began with these, but has now expanded to serving panini sandwiches, pastries, and a soup of the day. Beside the racks of bread there are pastries and a counter at which to order, behind which is the kitchen/bakery, and before which, along the south wall, are three or four tables. You can eat at one of these, of course, or you can sit at one and wait for your order to be prepared. Most customers seem to prefer to pick up and take the food away—back to their office or home to eat it there.
She Said: Yes, it’s a comforting, bakery-smelling dark tunnel that you enter to order, though it is very cozy and welcoming. I would feel comfortable eating here if there were a table available.
Drinks:
He Said: If you’re coming here it’s not for the drinks. Basically they’ve got a range of soft drinks including Coke products and bubbly waters. I had a Root Beer, you’ll be surprised to hear.
She Said: I chose the panini meal, so I got chips and a drink, and it looked to me like you can choose anything out of the cooler for the drink. I got a Diet Coke, but they also have Spindrift and other soda alternatives, which is nice.
Food
He Said: I ordered a pizza focaccia. Focaccia is a flat Italian bread that is used for sandwiches and, in Rome, is known as pizza bread. It was toasted with some tasty spices and filled with Parmesan cheese and a tomato sauce, and a very generous helping of pepperoni. When I got it home and bit into it, my taste buds stood up and cheered. It was that good.
For your sake, Dear Reader, I thought I’d better have one of those lovely looking pastries as well, just to ensure you got your money’s worth out of this review, so I tried a chocolate bundt. It was chocolate, all right, and iced with chocolate as well. It was fine, but not my favorite—a little dry for my taste, but I think that’s just how bundt cakes are, and it might just be perfect for yours.
I did miss the sign on the counter that advertised the soup of the day, which was a chicken tortilla soup, and regretted my oversight, because, first, our readers deserved to have me eat that as well, and second, I love chicken tortilla soup. Next time I go, I’ll not forget the soup.
She Said: I chose the prosciutto and cheese panini, and I was not disappointed either! The mix of cheese and meat was just right, and of course, the sourdough bread for the sandwich made everything taste better. It was grilled and just right. I would order this again without hesitation. I chose the pistachio and honey bundt cake, and unlike He Said, I had no issues with it and found the cake tasty with both flavors nicely showing up to work. It was quite sweet with the frosting, so I didn’t eat it all at once. In fact, I saved about a third of the whole meal and finished it at supper time, it was that filling.
Service
He Said: They take your order at the counter and you wait for it to be made fresh (the sandwich, that is, not the pastry). It’s a family business, so the woman at the counter is wife of the baker, and is quite personable. The service was friendly and professional.
She Said: As a customer new to BMB, I appreciated very much the owner helping us understand how the restaurant works and how to order, etc. She was very helpful and friendly, so I felt comfortable there getting acclimated.
What We Got and What We Paid: A pizza panini with chips and drink, a prosciutto panini with chips and drink and two bundt cakes for $40.66 (this included tip).
Elapsed Time from Our Arrival to Food Arrival: We arrived at 12:42 p.m. and received our food at 12:53 p.m.
Rating:
He Said: If you have a choice between grabbing some fast food at McDonalds or Sonic or even a taco joint, and getting a delicious fresh-made sandwich on healthy bread for a bit more money but a lot more taste, I suggest you choose the latter. If you agree, then this is a great place for you.
She Said: Delicious homemade sourdough foods with baked goods to boot! We’ll definitely be back!