The bread recipe at this little bakery is more than 150 years old. It crossed an ocean from a small town in Italy and still rises in an oven built in the early 1900s.
That oven once ran on coal. Today it runs on gas, but it still turns out loaves the old way, one batch at a time.
Then comes the pizza. Thick, airy slices show up on big trays shortly after opening, and a line can form before the first tray even lands. I love that a morning in Illinois can start with pizza and nobody blinks.
I believe the best family bakeries feel like a kitchen table you were lucky enough to find. This one has kept that feeling for five generations. With bread that good and fresh pizza coming out of the oven, I can see why people don’t mind getting there early.
The Morning Pizza Rush Starts Before the Trays Do
Pizza at ten in the morning sounds bold until you see the line. At Scudiero’s Italian Bakery & Deli, hungry customers sometimes arrive just minutes after opening.
Fresh trays of bakery-style pizza are a big attraction. Getting there early gives you a chance to grab a slice before the lunchtime crowd arrives.
These aren’t your typical thin, floppy slices. The bakery uses a thick, homemade crust that gives every piece a satisfying bite.
Cheese, pepperoni, and sausage are familiar favorites. Then there’s the old-school tomato pizza, topped with tomato sauce and Romano cheese rather than fresh tomato slices.
That tomato version deserves attention. Its simple ingredients let the bread and sauce shine without piling on unnecessary toppings.
Morning visits have their own charm. There’s something fun about enjoying warm pizza while everyone else is still thinking about breakfast.
Consider grabbing extra slices to take home. Leftover pizza makes tomorrow’s lunch an easy decision.
I love that this bakery makes morning pizza feel perfectly normal. When fresh bread and pizza share a counter, choosing becomes difficult.
A Bread Recipe Older Than Most Family Trees
More than 150 years. That’s how old the family bread recipe is, and it still gets used every single day.
The bread is made fresh daily, which is the heart of this whole place. Everything else grew out of these loaves.
You can pick from Italian white bread, Italian square white bread, or Italian white buns. Wheat fans get matching choices, including whole wheat bread, square wheat bread, and wheat buns.
Why square bread? It’s built for sandwiches, with even slices that stack neatly at home.
The buns are great for weeknight dinners. Think meatballs, sausage, or whatever leftovers need a promotion.
Here’s a fun detail. Alex Scudiero is a fifth-generation baker who uses the same family recipe his ancestors did.
That kind of steady hand is rare. Plenty of bakeries change recipes to keep up with trends, but this one never needed to.
A loaf makes a smart souvenir from Illinois too. It’s cheaper than a keychain and much tastier.
Just plan to buy two. The first one has a habit of disappearing on the drive home.
Five Generations Came Before Your Sandwich
Umbaldo Datoli was a third-generation baker from Serino, Italy. After World War II, he moved to America and brought his family bread recipe along.
In 1954, he opened a shop on Lake Street in Melrose Park. Back then it was called Melrose Park Italian Bakery, and it worked as an Italian grocery focused on bread.
After Umbaldo passed in 1969, his daughter Lena took over. Locals came to know her as Mama Lena.
Her husband, Joe Scudiero, joined in 1976 and helped grow the business. Two years later, the name became Scudiero’s Italian Bakery.
Joe had a soft spot for Chicago Bears fans. He kept the bakery open on Sundays during games so tailgaters could stock up.
Joe passed in 2007, and Mama Lena passed in 2021. Their six sons now run the place and keep the family going strong.
That’s a lot of history for one storefront. It also explains why the bakery feels personal instead of corporate.
You’re not just buying lunch here. You’re joining a story that started in a small Italian town.
The Oven That Refuses to Retire
Most kitchen gadgets last a few years. The main oven at Scudiero’s Italian Bakery & Deli was built in the early 1900s and is still working hard.
It’s a gigantic Middleby-Marshall oven. That brand name means a lot to people who love old commercial baking equipment.
Originally, the oven burned coal. Joe Scudiero later converted it to gas, which kept it useful without replacing the whole beast.
That choice says a lot about this family. They fix what works instead of tossing it for something shiny.
Old ovens like this hold heat in a steady way. Bakers who know them well can coax out loaves with great crust and color.
Think about everything that oven has outlasted. Trends, cars, phones, and probably a few dozen delivery trucks.
It also links today’s bread to the past. The same recipe and the same heavy oven make each loaf feel like a family handshake.
You probably won’t get a tour of the back. Still, it’s fun knowing your bread came from a machine older than your grandparents.
Subs Get Built Fresh, Never Ahead of Time
No sad, pre-wrapped sandwiches wait in a cooler here. Every sub and sandwich gets made fresh to order.
The bread options are a big deal. You can go with homemade French bread or the famous sandwich bread in white, wheat, or marble rye.
The Classic Italian Sub is the obvious first choice for newcomers. It stacks quality lunch meats and cheeses with fresh produce.
Mama Lena’s Meatball Sub carries the name of the woman who ran this place for decades. Ordering it feels a little like a tribute, which makes it taste even better.
Other picks include the Baked Turkey Sub, Corned Beef Sub, and Hot Sub. There’s something for picky eaters and spice lovers alike.
Since each sandwich is made on the spot, lunch can take a few extra minutes. That’s the trade-off for food that hasn’t been sitting around.
Calling ahead or ordering online during busy hours can help. Your stomach will thank you for the planning.
Hungry for something grilled instead? Keep reading the menu, because the paninis have their own fan club.
Paninis, Wraps, and Salads for the Not-Pizza Days
Even pizza fans need a break sometimes. Lucky for them, the menu runs much deeper than slices.
Grilled paninis include the Primo Panini and Tuscano Panini. Both are pressed hot, which makes them perfect for chilly Illinois afternoons.
Wraps bring a lighter option to the counter. The Spicy Fire Wrap is for heat seekers, while the Turkey Basil Wrap keeps things fresh and mellow.
Salads get real attention too. The Friselle Salad stands out, along with the Garden Salad and Italiano Salad.
Side salads make easy add-ons for any meal. Choose from Italian mixed olives, marinated artichoke hearts, Greek pasta, or bow tie pasta.
Those sides are smart for parties as well. Grab a few containers, add a loaf of bread, and dinner is basically handled.
Savory baked snacks round things out. Pepperoni Rolls and Sausage and Spinach Panzarotti are easy to eat on the go.
Wood-stone fired pizzas also appear, including Margherita and Veggie. So yes, even the not-pizza day can quietly turn into a pizza day.
Save Room, Because the Cannoli Are Filled on the Spot
Soggy cannoli are a real tragedy. That’s why filling them fresh to order makes such a difference.
Here, each cannoli starts with a crisp pastry shell. The filling follows a Sicilian recipe with ricotta cheese, whole eggs, and chocolate chips.
Because the shell gets filled right before you take it, the crunch stays intact. It’s a small detail with a big payoff.
Cookie lovers have plenty to explore too. Homemade Italian cookies are sold by the pound.
Lemon Knots bring a bright, cheerful flavor. Almond Crescents lean nutty and classic, the kind you’d expect on a holiday tray.
Buying by the pound makes it easy to mix and match. It’s also a sneaky way to become the office hero on Monday.
Planning a family gathering? A box of these cookies looks like you put in way more effort than you did.
Just remember to save one cannoli for the car. Waiting until you get home is a test very few people pass.
Grab a Seat at the Family Kitchen Table
A glass bakery case greets you first. It’s packed with Italian specialties, pizza slices, and baked goods that make choosing tough.
The dining area is bright and friendly. The family’s goal is to make guests feel like they’re eating at the Scudiero kitchen table.
Seating is limited to a few tables. Many people grab their food to go, so a spot usually opens up.
The space got a total remodel in 1998. The bakery closed for two months, added more seating, and refreshed the whole feel.
Before that, Joe Scudiero had a famous habit. He snapped photos of customers holding their bread bags and hung them around the shop.
Even Frank Sinatra posed with a bag. Those photos were taken down and stored during the remodel.
That’s a pretty great piece of trivia to bring up over a meatball sub. Ol’ Blue Eyes, bread bag in hand, is hard to beat.
Catering is available too. So the kitchen-table feeling can travel to your own party.
A Few Smart Moves Before You Head to Lake Street
Getting there is easy from Chicago. Melrose Park sits just west of the city, roughly 20 to 30 minutes from the Loop by car.
You’ll find Scudiero’s Italian Bakery & Deli at 2113 W Lake St, Melrose Park, IL 60160. It’s a quick stop for anyone exploring the western suburbs of Illinois.
Street parking is available along Lake Street, although finding a convenient space can take a little patience during busy hours. Check posted signs for any time restrictions.
Credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments are accepted, so you don’t need to bring cash just to grab lunch.
The bakery opens at 10 in the morning and stays closed on Sundays. Closing times can shift, so check before a late-day trip.
The family sometimes closes for holidays or family events. A quick look at their social pages can save you a wasted drive.
Seasonal treats pop up too, like Melrose stuffed peppers. Easter pies also draw attention, so ordering ahead is wise.
Arrive early, grab a slice, and pick up a loaf on the way out. That’s a pretty perfect Illinois morning.
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