Bende’s Specialty Foods Direct is located on the north side of Roosevelt Road in Glen Ellyn (between Lambert and Main St). This tiny specialty foods grocery store packs a lot of punch for its size. The store has a familiar grocery store layout, but is only a 1/4 of the size of your standard grocery store. It feels like a comfy corner grocery from the days-of-old.
From the Bende website:
The Bende family has been in the food trade since 1935 when a young Miklos Sr. opened his first grocery store in Hungary. He ran several grocery stores in Budapest and Miskolc before immigrating with his wife and young son in 1956. Soon after arriving in the United States, the family returned to its meat cutting and grocery roots, opening the first Bende store in Chicago’s Burnside neighborhood. Several stores followed, as did a reputation for preparing outstanding smoked meats.
Inside, it is extremely clean and well organized. You will find aisles of specialty food items from around the world. There is a section dedicated to imported Italian foods like pasta, San Marzano tomatoes, and premium olive oils. Another aisle has a wide variety of Eastern European food specialties. My favorite aisle has tasty treats, candies, and chocolates from all over the world.
Many of the packaged food items can be found at other specialty food stores, but the thing that sets Bende’s above and beyond all the other area specialty foods shops is their meat market / deli. The wide variety of imported sausage, salami, and other smoked meats is amazing. You will have a tough time finding many of these items anywhere in the area. There are some very unique deli finds here, all of which are premium quality.
If you are on the lookout for new wines to try, Bende’s in Glen Ellyn, also carries a unique selection of wine to chose from. Many of the wines are from regions of the world not readily recognized as wine-producing nations. These wines offer-up something new for the well-traveled wine palate.
The next time you are traveling through Glen Ellyn, check Bende’s out, it’s definitely worth the stop.
Bendes Specialty Foods Direct
444 Roosevelt Road, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Phone: (630) 469-6525
Hours:
Tuesday – Friday, 9:30AM – 7:00PM
Saturday, 9:30AM – 6:30PM
Sunday, 10:00AM – 3:00PM
Monday, Closed
