Matt Bakes — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

I am visiting from out of town and this was one of the stalls that has something I haven’t tried before. I knew I had to get the pineapple bun sandwich with char siu egg cheese and hash brown! The meal comes with a drink and coleslaw/plantain chips. I got to try their matcha mochi with red bean filling and coconut flakes coating. The texture is not as hard as Japanese dango. If you like mugwort dango with red bean, Sakura mochi, or kashiwa mochi, this tastes better. I usually get dango or mochi refrigerated at the grocery store. The one here is soft and fresh. It wasn’t too sweet. If you love matcha and red bean, definitely should give it a try. I also got to try the thick fries. They’re so crispy and delicious. It should be on the menu. The staff are all so nice and pleasant. They put so much love and care into their food. If I live in Chicago this would be the spot I...

I had high hopes for Matt Bake after hearing all the buzz, but honestly, it didn’t quite live up to the hype. The biggest red flag was the 15% tax added on top of everything — way above the usual sales tax, especially when other food stalls in the same market don’t do this. It felt excessive and unnecessary.

As for the food, the Pineapple Bun Chicken Sandwich was a miss. The chicken was way too overpowering in both flavor and sweetness, and pairing that with an already sweet pineapple bun just made it a sugar overload. The balance was completely off.

The only standout was the Egg Sando — simple, tasty, and well-executed. If I ever return, it would probably be just for that.

In the end, Matt Bake looks cool and has some creative ideas, but it doesn’t justify the pricing or the hype. There are better spots in the area that don’t tack on hidden charges and serve...

As someone who partially grew up in Hong Kong and the US, this a great example of where my two worlds meet. Such a simple idea yet kind of brilliant to make sandwiches with our favorite Hong Kong proteins and pineapple buns with an American twist.

Great job. My only request; make the pineapple crust on the bun a little thicker to help the sweet buttery taste shine a little brighter alongside the strong savory additions of the sandwich!

Still a great sandwich and definitely worth...