Author and Photographer: Zachary Sarmoen

Levain Bakery was founded in 1995 as an outlet for two friends and workout buddies, Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald, who loved to bake. They established their first bakery in New York’s Upper West Side, but it mainly served bread. However, the duo soon became famous for their iconic chocolate chip cookie. Since then, the bakery, named after the French word for the natural leavening agent made of flour, water, and wild yeasts, has expanded across the country and most recently opened a location in our very own West Loop at 840 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607.

I recently visited Levain’s Chicago location, and upon arrival, I was hooked. Located in the Fulton Market area, surrounded by some of Chicago’s most iconic culinary destinations, from Au Cheval to Duck Duck Goat, Levain is situated where there is a love for good food in the air. That air not only carries over but intensifies upon entrance into Levain’s storefront—I was immediately hit with the aroma of cookies baking and coffee brewing. With Chicago’s cold winters, having a warm and comforting aroma definitely provides Levain with a welcoming atmosphere.

With brick patterned walls and many warm colors to pair with their iconic blue, Levain's interior matches the rustic design they are known for in all of their locations. The decor further contributed to the welcoming atmosphere for me, and the employees did the same. When it was my turn to order, the employee helping me was very friendly and helpful in making suggestions.

While the store and its employees were very warm and welcoming, they lacked some of the charm and love that would be expected from a local bakery (or the original Levain). This of course makes sense as Levain is not a local bakery, but I considered it noteworthy, as the atmosphere overall has many similar qualities to those of a quaint local bakery. While I felt welcomed into the store, I did not feel very invited to stay. Between the minimal seating areas and the streamlined service system with the cookies made ahead of time and ready to go, it was evident that Levain is still a chain bakery that wants to keep the line moving. There is nothing wrong with that, but when you go, do not expect to sit down and enjoy your cookies and coffee in the store. Get your goodies to go and enjoy them somewhere you can truly appreciate them.

I brought mine back home, securing a two chip chocolate chip cookie, a dark chocolate chocolate chip cookie, a dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookie, and an oatmeal raisin cookie to do a proper cookie review from what has been my favorite cookie destination for years. Each cookie cost $5, which is a steep price to pay for a treat like this every now and then. Now let’s get into what is really important…the cookies:

* I tried each cookie as it was served, heated up in the microwave, and cold after being in the refrigerator for about a day

Cookie Tasting

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Two Chip Chocolate Chip

The two-chip chocolate chip cookie had as many chocolate chips as you might expect from the name—it was loaded. From the first bite, it felt like the chocolate chips were the star of the show more so than the cookie, but with the mix of dark and semisweet chips preventing the flavor from an overwhelming sweetness, it worked really well for me. The cookie itself had a good crisp on the outside and was soft but not overly chewy on the inside. When warm, the cookie became very gooey on the inside and the chocolate chips overpowered the structure even more, melting all over the place—regardless it was still delicious, but I think this cookie only should be heated up if you are planning to pair it with ice cream. The cookie was delicious as well when cold, but I think there is something that just makes a chocolate chip cookie better when the chips are melted, so I recommend this cookie be eaten as it is served. I enjoyed the two chip chocolate chip cookie, but it is not one I would go out of my way to get again because I personally felt overwhelmed by the presence of the chocolate and would prefer a little more cookie. But, if you are a fan of a chocolate chip cookie with emphasis on the chocolate chip, this is the one for you!

Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip

Levain’s dark chocolate chocolate chip cookie is only for those who love chocolate like no other. I have met many people who consider themselves chocolate fanatics who meet their match with this cookie, so at the very least, do not try to tackle it alone. The chocolate cookie base is rich and chewy and almost tastes like it’s halfway into brownie territory despite having that outer cookie crunch and structure. The chocolate chips only add to the richness, but again, the cookie does not have an overwhelming sense of sweetness, which is something I really appreciate in an all chocolate cookie. This cookie seemed to take on three completely different forms depending on the temperature, so how you eat it will simply depend on your mood and preference. When warm, the cookie lost a lot of its chewiness and moved further towards that brownie texture, which, with the melted chocolate chips, struck me as very similar to a molten lava cake. This was delicious but required utensils to eat. Then, when cold, the cookie gained some more firmness and lost some of the chewiness, resembling more of what I would think a traditional cookie texture would be. As someone who does not like a lot of thickness in a cookie, the cold version was my favorite. The dark chocolate chocolate chip cookie is a great one to bring home when you buy a large batch, but I would be careful making it your sole cookie choice because it is rich, thick, and very chocolatey.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter

Personally, my second favorite is the dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookie. The cookie takes on the same rich, thick, and warm qualities of the dark chocolate chocolate chip cookie, but the peanut butter chips provide the perfect complement to prevent it from being overwhelming. The cookie itself felt less chewy and thick than the dark chocolate chocolate chip cookie, and I found the ratio of chips to cookie to be exactly what was needed to prevent either flavor from overwhelming the cookie. Melted peanut butter chips and a gooey cookie, in my opinion, only serve to make this cookie richer than it should be, and peanut butter in dessert is better firm than as a sauce, so I prefer this cookie either as served or cold. Warming this cookie, on the other hand, did not do it any favors in my opinion. Overall, the dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookie takes an iconic pairing and does it justice. I recommend this to anyone who loves peanut butter or wants a chocolate base cookie without being overwhelmed.

Oatmeal Raisin

This may be considered a hot take, but Levain’s oatmeal raisin cookie is not just my favorite Levain cookie but my favorite cookie that I have ever had. I will admit that on average, chocolate chip cookies tend to come out on top, but I have never had a cookie that tops this one. While I love chocolate, I personally am not a huge fan of super rich or sweet desserts. While none of Levain’s cookies are overly sweet, many of the chocolate options are too rich for my liking, so the oatmeal raisin is my perfect choice. The cookie itself has a great crunch on the outside, but on the inside it is different from the other cookies. Made with a different oatmeal base, the cookie has a much more buttery interior that is really well complemented by the mild sweetness of the raisins. This cookie has a distinct flavor that sets it apart from the others, and while noticeably buttery, it does not strike me as overly rich. I understand that many people do not traditionally like oatmeal raisin cookies, but to those people, I ask you to give this cookie a chance. It does not have that overpowering molasses taste or uncomfortable bite of oat like most oatmeal raisin cookies, and the cookie itself is good. If you do not like raisins, I would still implore you to buy this cookie and just eat around them. I would eat this cookie as served or cold to maintain the benefits of the buttery taste and texture—warm raisins and a gooey cookie take away from what makes this cookie so good. The oatmeal raisin cookie may not be the answer for a chocolate lover, but it is my answer for Levain’s best cookie, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Official Cookie Ratings

Each cookie is scored holistically out of 5 🍪 based on taste, texture, and more

* These are the personal opinions of the author

Oatmeal Raisin (5 🍪)
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip (4.9 🍪)
Two Chip Chocolate Chip (4.4 🍪)
Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip (4.2 🍪)

Conclusions

With my reviews and suggestions in mind, feel free to order whichever cookie(s) you are most excited about when you visit Levain Bakery. But if you are unsure how you should order, here’s my advice: if you are looking for a little treat just for the time being, order one cookie. Due to their massive size, you likely will not even finish it unless you are sharing with someone or are like me and just really love cookies, but if you are looking to have one all to yourself, you might want to opt for a less rich and dense option. If you want to try every flavor but are worried about wasting food, bring the cookies home and store them in your refrigerator! My family and I do this with Levain's cookies all the time, and they have always kept well for nibbling on over the course of a week or so. Levain offers boxes to send your cookies home with you, making it easy to get a bit of everything.

Overall, Levain is a bakery worth going out of your way to try. For me, it has been a bakery worth going out of my way to return to many times. I usually visit the original New York location, so I was intrigued to try Levain’s new Chicago location. It did not disappoint. Although it lacks some of the charm and ambiance in my opinion, the product is the same and is, as always, worth a try. Due to their size and price, Levain’s cookies are not something you can eat every single day, but they make for a wonderful treat, and I would definitely recommend to anyone that they at least try Levain once in their life (especially the oatmeal raisin cookie).