Sanabel Bakery

Sanabel is one of those places that I was surprised when I realized that it isn't a GNR. Extremely fresh pita made in house and top notch dairy, pie, and produce. It is my go to place whenever I need any Middle Eastern bread or ingredient. Although there hasn't been much talk lately, it's gotten plenty of love over the years:

GWiv: "Fueling my hummus binge, along with a desire to eat healthier, is my new found love for Sanabel Bakery. Still warm from the oven pita, including flat Lebanese style, spinach and cheese pies and lahmajun (Middle Eastern pizza) with cheese, za'atar or half/half. I'm also enamored with Sanabel's dairy and dry goods."

ett094: "Sanabel's spinach pies today were simply delicious: just out of the oven, lemony and moist on the inside, with just the perfect simple chewy dough.... Perhaps the best rendition of this kind of pie I have had anywhere here and you cannot beat the price. Pies, pita and Lebanese pita, hummus, and cucumber pickles in hand, I just had one great afternoon"

gooseberry: "Sanabel pita= fluffy little pillows of delight. The best pita I've had since NafNaf Grill pita."

RAB: "Of course, they feature Sanabel's excellent pita bread, but REB and I also walked out with a sack of excellent spinach, cheese, and meat pies. All highly recommended, especially the tangy spinach pie and spicy cheese pie."


Sanabel Bakery
4213 N Kedzie Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 539-5409

Sanabel is definitely a Great Neighborhood Resource in my book. I frequently go out of my way to get some freshly made lavash, or when I'm passing by on my way to a friends house, it's always a hit when I stop by for some snacks. GNR for sure!

Full support for the nomination here, love this place - its a bit of a trek for me now, but I make a point of stopping in whenever I can. Great selection & staff is incredibly helpful. My favorite item is the spinach & cheese pies, I special order them by the dozen to stash in my freezer along with bags of the pita & mini lahmajun.

I too love Sanabel. Every time I bring their za'atar bread to a party, I make new friends. I like the lemony zing of their spinach pies, too. The owners are friendly and welcoming and most helpful. Enthusiastic support from me!

Huge thumbs up from me. Their pita is a staple in our house, and their lahmajun and zaatar are fantastic as well.

I've been eating Sanabel's pitas for years, but this weekend I was lucky to pick up a few bags of sfiha (spinach pies) and cheese manakeesh (pizzas) before flying back to NYC. The freshly prepared breadstuffs perfumed my car, and later, my flight, with an intoxicating aroma. The spinach pies were tangy and offered a perfect ratio of filling to yeasty, chewy, slightly oily (in a good way) dough. The manakeesh were outstanding. I love the mix of tangy Nabulsi/Akkawi white cheese and mozzarella (??) that they use. My only regret is that I didn't stuff an entire suitcase with their baked goods because it is literally impossible to find anything of that quality in the NYC area.

So I wholeheartedly support the nomination, but one thing irks me: I still think Taza Bakery on Devon, with its broader selection of foods, fresh juices, and always made to order manakeesh and sfeeha is superior. But they didn't make the GNR cut when I nominated them some years ago. If I had a choice, Taza would be the GNR. But since few agree with me, I'll settle for the also excellent Sanabel.

We have been shopping at Sanabel since the start (I started the main thread). We always keep some of the spinach pies and whole wheat pitas in the freezer. The selection of packaged goods is outstanding and requires thinking about which brand and size we want to buy in a category. Sanabel is a great neighborhood resource for me and should be a GNR.

Habibi wrote:So I wholeheartedly support the nomination, but one thing irks me: I still think Taza Bakery on Devon, with its broader selection of foods, fresh juices, and always made to order manakeesh and sfeeha is superior. But they didn't make the GNR cut when I nominated them some years ago. If I had a choice, Taza would be the GNR. But since few agree with me, I'll settle for the also excellent Sanabel.

Agree with Habibi about Taza, but that does not make Sanabel less of a GNR in my book.

Sanabel Bakery, count me a fan!