Clarke’s Bakery & Deli

My family and I have been coming to Clarke’s for years. We love the pastries and often leave with extra cinnamon rolls. More recently we come for lunch. This is a great family establishment. Everything is delicious and the owner/​operator Matthew is a fantastic human being. Make sure to spend some time getting to know him and his Irish charm.

Great turkey and corned beef sandwiches. Great bread. Made it daily.
You have a choice of potato salad, coleslaw or fruit salad. And a cookie.
Great place for fresh fast sandwich.

I come here all the time. Every time i walk out i have a smile. Amaizing bread and even better service. Best in town.

Clarkes bakery is one of my favorite places for any baked goods! Not to mention they have excellent lunch and amazing service a real personal touch and friendly environment!

I love this place! I haven’t tried their pastries yet but the breakfast sandwich and the biscuits n gravy are AMAZING!!! We need more little deli’s like this and less fast food establishments. I’ll definitely be back to Clarke’s!

Stopped in for lunch, after being away for several years.
I used to work in Barrington, and live 15 minutes away, so this was a regular stop for lunch. I now live and work about 30 minutes away, so rarely come into the area during the week any more. Given this, and the great memories of service with a smile from Matthew, and his two daughters which were in HS at the time, I had to stop in when I was nearby.
Not disappointed! I ordered a freshly made Roast Beef sandwich, made with fresh ingredients and freshly baked sourdough bread. It came with a pickle spear, side of cole slaw (choice of that, fruit and potato salad), and a cookie! Great value for the meal at about $ 8.
Matthew and I talked a bit, and he remembered me though I’ve not been in since 2008. We talked about good Irish music, pubs, and of course tips on visiting Ireland. Some of the other customers were also regulars, and had nice conversations during my lunch.
Their cookies are excellent, and pies refreshing. Not too sweet, and just enough fresh fruit flavor to satisfy after a meal.
I recommend Clarke’s for lunch, but also if you have a taste for fresh breads. The desserts are right up my alley — fresh baked and naturally sweet. If you like super sweet items, maybe not the place. There’s a DD down the street. ;)

Great folks, great, fresh sandwiches & crazy delicious deserts. Always stop in for lunch when in the area & always pleased.
They are a full flagged bakery & can make & decorate amazing creations.
Fun Irish theme.
Highly recommend this bakery/​sandwich shop. Plenty of indoor seating.

Shamrock cookies in march are what I LIIIVVE for!!! Super friendly service everyone who I give shamrock cookies too LOVE them!

Stop by here occasionally for some of their pastries. Clarke’s has been a staple here in an ever changing plaza. Staff is always friendly here. They have good doughnuts and cookies. I have yet to try their regular deli menu, but I always enjoy their pastries

We just left Clarke’s — first time patrons. We choose this place for breakfast after reading reviews on Unilocal since we are not from the Barrington area. So glad we did! We met the charming Matthew who is the proprietor. So sweet. The young man who took our order was so polite and accommodating, too. The breakfast was yummy, as were the pastries we had. The ambiance is basic deli or restaurant but the food, service and charming owner are the draw. I will make the trip back in the fall to try their famous apple cider donuts… plus I love supporting smaller family-​owned establishments. Oh, their bakery items are awesome!

Friday night Fish & Chips, doused with the obligatory salt & vinegar, are fabulous! The assortment of cookies, cakes, pastries, meat pies, sausage rolls, etc. are phenomenal. Friendly service and top quality.

While all the hot items on the menu were quite tempting, I came here to try the donuts and that’s what I got: one cake donut with chocolate frosting and one of the signature apple cider donuts kept in a large bin on the counter. I took my donuts and coffee and sat at one of the tables with a green tablecloth surrounded by Irish memorabilia.
The first donut, the cake with chocolate frosting, was good but not great. It was a bit dry and not particularly sweet but definitely a cut above chain donuts. The apple cider donut, on the other hand, was perfect: crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and striking that delicate balance of salty, sugary and greasy. It was out of season, but I would get that wonderful pastry every time I came back (if only I lived in the Barrington area!).
I couldn’t help myself and got one of the fantastic peanut butter brownie slice on the way out as well. Next time I’m in the area, though, I’ll have to try the hot Irish breakfast — with a side of apple cider donut.

Bakery items tend to be dry. Service isn’t especially friendly.

I went in to Clarke’s this morning with my daughter because the reviews here were great. We weren’t having breakfast — we wanted to pick up some baked items to go. We got apple cider donuts and an apple crumb pie.
The apple cider donuts were good. I’ve had better. They were a bit on the dry side for fresh donuts.
Tonight we cut into the apple crumb pie. I can’t believe I’m saying this — it was the most tasteless pie I’ve ever eaten. The crust was good, and the crumb topping was good, but the apples literally had zero taste. For a $ 14 pie, I expected better.

This is a Great Place! The Owner is a super nice guy.
They have a great Breakfast that opens at 6am. Ask for their Brown bread toasted with Irish jam! Also, the Irish Bacon, good stuff.
Lunch is amazing; we love the Traditional Rubin and also the New York Rubin.
Every Friday, year round they have a Fish fry. They make the best coleslaw. And you can get a nice cold Harp or Guinness and American beer as well.

Matthew, his family, and staff are absolutely the most gracious, sweet people you could do yourself a favor of acquainting.
This morning marked my 2^nd visit to the store and he remembered everything we talked about on my 1^st brief stop.
The potato and leek soup, apple squares, pecan rolls, kaiser rolls, overeasy eggs are a few of the items I had tried and they are done to perfection. Just bought us a loaf of bread. Can’t wait to sink my teeth in them and return to try his homemade soups and oh yes, all-​you-​can-​eat Irish fish & chips (cod, mind ya) on Fridays for $ 8.99!
Oh, a note. When I was there for breakfast, Matthew received a last-​minute phone call for a cake, and he rushed it for the customer.

Have bought stale food from this place too many times. Its too expensive and not worth bringing things back. Bad attitude!

I became a regular at Clarke’s when I would stop in for coffee every morning at 6:15 am. Matthew and I chatted it up so much we became friends! Occasionally I would eat breakfast and it wasn’t long before I was invited to join «the boys», another group of regulars. I no longer stop in every day because I work from home now, but since I gained some good friends, I do try to get over there once a week.
What do I love at Clarke’s? What I love is that I can find a few healthy items at a place that specializes in sugar: incredible Irish Oatmeal, delicious whole wheat and 6 grain breads, Irish brown bread, poached eggs for breakfast and really good deli sandwiches and salads. We also enjoy the authentic Irish Shepherd’s Pie and Pasties.
Once a year I indulge and bring the family in for authentic corned beef and cabbage and a beer. We’ve gotten cakes for birthday parties also — full of flavor. The Nascar cake was a real treat for my son. The cookies are a great gift at the holidays, too. We usually stop in to see Santa when he visits.
Matthew’s coffee is always fresh and hot. The Bakery opens at 6am. You can get a full breakfast, a danish and coffee, or even request a breakfast sandwich to go. Matthew accommodates special requests. I enjoy milk in my coffee, one piece of toast instead of two and a half-​sized breakfast sandwich.
Clarke’s is a local place that has Irish charm. Don’t miss it!

I can’t believe I am the first to review! Clarke’s is a fabulous family run bakery and deli hidden in a strip mall off of 14. The owner/​father, Matthew, is first generation Irish man, friendly as can be, with his wife and daughters providing exceptional and personalized counter service. The deli offers a variety of foods and sweets that you can enjoy dine in or take out. The list of items is endless. All sorts of yummy bakery needs from brownies to cookies and cakes, traditional irish soda breads to homemade crackers. They also make sandwiches to order and offer homemade soups. Did I mention they have beer? On Friday nights you can sit down for all you can eat fish fry. They also sell an interesting selection of European packaged products difficult to find in the states. In March you can enjoy a traditional Irish breakfast. They also provide great catering to local residents and businesses. Hopefully this review has enticed you enough to check it our for yourself– it is worth it!