Calling all deli die-hards: A new café specializing in Boar’s Heads treats and meats is coming to the Loop. The Boar’s Head Café (210 W. Lake St.) is the brand’s first street-side iteration—i.e. not in an airport. Co-owners J.P. Bertakis and Jack Bozonelos plan to open September 29.
“We are Chicago boys,” says Bertakis. “This is home for us.”
The café will target commuters and uncompromising sandwich fans with a variety of tailor-made and pre-made options. Expect soups, salads, snacks, and pre-wrapped grab-and-go sandwiches on one end, and a sky’s-the-limit scratch-made sandwich counter on the other.
While this is an independent venture not franchised by Boar’s Head corporate, all of the proteins, condiments, and cheeses—plus the soups (never frozen)—come directly from the meat mothership. The café also has plans to incorporate locally sourced bread and veggies, plus hot breakfast sandwiches made with cage-free eggs. Rounding out the menu: house-made cookies (“big enough to be a meal on their own”), Junior’s Cheesecake (hard to find in Chicago), and a fully equipped coffee bar by La Colombe (lattes on tap? Yes, please).
The Café also offers an extensive catering menu, which includes mini sandwiches, bagels, wraps, soups, and salads. Order for yourself or feed your whole team from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the week, and from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturdays.