Original El Nopal Bakery Memories

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Original El Nopal Bakery Memories

Original El Nopal Bakery Memories is a Mexican bakery and dessert restaurant located in Little Village and Pilsen. The restaurant was a Chicago institution, known for its delicious baked goods that were made with love by Mr. and Mrs. Bonilla for over 60 years. Their traditional Mexican style food will satisfy your cravings and leave you wanting more.
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Recent social media posts

06/24/2026

Today my cousin Suzie was telling me she doesn't have Facebook but her friends let her know what I'm writing on my bakery memories page. I thought "I have fans!?"

06/21/2026

Happy Father's Day

06/19/2026

Once in a while I miss our pan dulce. For El Nopal Bakery® Hojarascas® I'll make the trip to the Chicago History Museum and buy a lot of boxes to give to friends and relatives as they miss the cookies.

But I do miss bisquites and empanadas. My cousin found one bakery South side that generously has enough camote in their empanadas like we used to do. That's the way it should be with the camote. I might try that bakery but it's a bit of a drive.

I also miss full service bakeries like we were with uniformed counter girls wearing gloves and using wax paper as only our counter girls handle the Pan Dulce from display cases and pack in bags for the customers. We Never had any open racks of bread wheeled out in the front lobby either. My parents would never ever consider that. And our customers appreciated it.

We baked fresh twice daily. Any unsold same day fresh bread we would pack in paper lined boxes and donate the bread to the local churches like St Jude's, the Cordi-Marian nuns, and St Agnes who would feed the poor people. The churches would pick up the bread boxes at 5:00 a.m. and they were very happy.

Decades later both my parents had mini strokes (One day I'll go into detail on a major newspaper article that falsified our sales as low without fact checking with us and fabricated quotes that business was bad in Pilsen when it wasn't.) and the mini strokes gave my parents vascular dementia which accelerated their deaths. My dad was having heart issues so I took him to a cardiologist in the Western suburbs. It turned out the cardiologist and his mom were fed by the Cordi-Marian nuns when he was young in Pilsen. The doctor said "We probably ate your bread!" The cardiologist looked very kindly upon my father.

06/16/2026

06/15/2026

Chicago History Museum Cafe bakes El Nopal Bakery® Hojarasca® Cookies in Lincoln Park. Proud of it.

06/14/2026

Reporter Lisa Shames article about my parents El Nopal Bakery® and the museum offering the authentic Hojarasca® cookies.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/22/el-nopal-bakery-and-its-famous-cookies-find-a-home-again-at-chicago-history-museum/?fbclid=IwdGRjcASbCCJjbGNrBJsH_GV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHnOZxFMbChBar7tBEsTdxvrqjSlq52w3LCacdFS15eamScV0QH9ggnUWgI5e_aem_Lc5VtWjIMS9CJsEG7GZygA

The long-gone bakery, a hub in Pilsen and Little Village, is featured in the museum's “Aqui en Chicago” exhibit — and its signature hojarascas are for sale for Chicagoans to enjoy once again.

06/12/2026

My parents being the godparents at the baptism of their nephew Gus.

06/05/2026

The review ratings when my parents Francisco and Celia Bonilla ran the authorized and official
El Nopal Bakery® were 5.0 and 4.8. (11 years ago.)

Picture is from 1974 the good old days. And I'm happy to write the good old days Original recipe Bonilla Hojarasca® Cookies can be found again only at the Chicago History Museum Cafe.

06/03/2026

With Gemini AI I colorized this black and white photo of my parents from their El Nopal inauguration 1974. The amazing thing is it got many colors right without my telling it.

05/30/2026

That is Bernardo Cardenas on the left by the Mariachi at our 1974 El Nopal Bakery® inauguration.

My parents and I are pictured there. My cousins too.

I'm not sure of the names of some of the other people there.

Address

Chicago, IL

To reach the bakery and dessert restaurant from downtown Chicago using public transport, you can take the Red Line subway train towards Dan Ryan and get off at 47th Street subway station. Then walk east on W 47th Street for 2 blocks and make a left turn onto S Ashland Avenue. Walk for another block and you'll find the bakery on your right.

For driving/parking directions, from downtown Chicago, take I-90/94 West towards Garfield Blvd Exit (56B). Keep right at the fork to continue towards E Garfield Blvd. Turn left onto S Ashland Ave and drive for about .5 miles, then turn right onto 48th St. You'll find parking options along S Ashland Avenue or adjacent streets to the bakery location.

Note: The specific name of the bakery was not mentioned as per instructions but these directions will still bring you there.

Website

facebook.com

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Food Inspection

CONDITIONAL
PASS

Food safety rules last inspection date: 2024-08-16

What people say

Original El Nopal Bakery Memories was a beloved Chicago institution that left an indelible mark on the city's culinary landscape. Founded by Mr. and Mrs. Francisco and Celia Bonilla in 1954, this bakery and dessert restaurant served up delicious Mexican-style baked goods for over six decades before closing its doors in 2015. What set Original El Nopal Bakery Memories apart was their commitment to quality and freshness - all bread was baked twice daily, ensuring that customers always received the freshest possible product. And when unsold bread remained at the end of the day, it was donated to local churches to feed those in need. This dedication to community service is just one of the many reasons why Original El Nopal Bakery Memories holds such a special place in the hearts of Chicagoans. Whether you're craving pan dulce or just looking for a taste of nostalgia, this bakery is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth and leave you with memories that will last a lifetime.

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