LaCascia’s Bakery & Deli
For 100 years, one family name has set the standard and never let it slip.
“There’s a lot of honor in it. Knowing that your name is on that sign and you have to live up to that family tradition and keeping the level of product at a height that people have come to know for 100 years. Like that’s really important.”
And you can find a century of pride baked into every bite at LaCascia’s.
Set in this busy spot in Burlington, LaCascia’s Bakery and Deli has been a beloved institution where longtime fans flock to get everything from a simple lunch, to elaborate cakes and everything in between. Brothers Dave and Anthony LaCascia are the third generation of the family, carrying on the delicious legacy their grandfather started a century ago.
“My grandfather Peter opened the first location in East Boston in 1926. And then shortly after that location moved to Medford. And then in 1980, my father opened the Burlington location, which we're in now.”
To maintain that century of success, the brothers decided to divide and conquer, where David handles the deli, while Anthony runs the bakery. And that sweet versus savory sibling rivalry is felt the second those smells hit your nose.
“You walk in the door and it's like you're getting pulled in either direction. Which way do I want to go first? Sometimes you get the steak tips firing up on the grill or sometimes it's something coming out of the oven that's like, you know, apple cinnamon. It’s tough. Your mouth starts to water as you walk in the door.”
One look at the bakery case, and you may want to have dessert first. With classics like fresh eclairs piped full of pastry cream and iconic black and white cookies To creative twists like their Boston Cream Whoopie Pie. But no treat is more beloved at LaCascia’s than their Lobster Tails, a true labor of love. We shot this process
“That's one of the recipes that goes back 40, 50 years. And we still make them Roll the dough. Laminate it Roll it into a log, bake them fill them with yellow cream, whipped cream and ricotta filling. You get the crispy outside and the soft middle. So you get that the shatter on the outside and the explosion of cream on the inside. So it's a couple textures going on. It's a fan favorite.”
At the deli, David and his team are cranking out sandwiches, Italian specialties and more. But the true standouts are their steak tips.tender, flavorful, and absolutely unforgettable.
“We've been pretty famous for our steak tips for a long time.You can get a steak tip sub, a steak tip salad. You can get steak tips raw to grill at home.You can even come in and buy the steak just by the pound. The marinade is a little sweet. It's kind of like an Asian spare rib glazed marinade. People tend to love it.”
And while they’re great on their own, they’re even better on a roll- especially if you order the Steak Tip a la Fred topped with those tips, pepper jack cheese, caramelized onions and pepperoni.
“The steak tip a la Fred was actually created by one of my closest friends growing up. *Getting pic of Fred People love it.You get that savory spiciness from the pepperoni and the cheese and then the caramelized onions give it like a little bit of sweetness. So it all comes together like really nice.”
Another sub fave is the Bravo Italiano packed with prosciutto, sopressata, salami, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and roasted red peppers.
“You get that freshness from the mozzarella and the tomatoes and the roasted red peppers. Salty from the prosciutto and then the fresh cut basil it's like a nice bright flavor in your mouth. It’s like a nice lighter twist on a regular Italian.”
Another handheld you’re sure to love is the Tuscan Chicken Grilled Panini with grilled chicken, sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil mayo served on house made focaccia.
“You're gonna get the crunchy top and bottom from the focaccia that was in the panini machine. And then the fresh hot chicken on the inside with the mayo and basil. Just kind of all comes together into, like, a really nice bite.”
There are Italian street foods like golden fried Arancini and LaCascia’s take on Stromboli stuffed with steak and cheese.
“It is crunchy on the outside. Soft and melty cheese on the inside definitely one of those, like, savory, hearty meals that will fill you up for sure.”
And if you just don’t feel like making dinner, you can let the LaCascia’s do it for you with everything from hearty portions of chicken parm, to lasagna and meatballs, all made with love.
“If they got a family of four or a six or whatever come in here and then just look around and you can find a handful of things to put on the table last minute, on any given night, at any given time.”
Pizza is where the two brothers meet in the middle, with Sicilian slices offered at the bakery And NY style pizza coming from the deli.
“We have a little rivalry. Sicilian has been around since over 40 years ago. And it's the same recipe. And we do, ..the dough with the sauce. And we use a whole milk, shredded mozzarella and some Romano cheese and then a little olive oil. I think it's fantastic.”
“The New York style pizza is like a traditional thin crust pizza dough. We sell them by the slice. You can get a small pizza. You can get a large pizza. You got to come in and try out a slice.”
And from slices, and sweets to steak tips, after 100 years, it's clear, it's not what's in the cases, but who's behind them at LaCascia’s.
“It's kind of surreal.yeah, 100 years, but then you think back to your grandparents starting the business and a hundred years later, you're carrying on the tradition. It's when you think about it's pretty special. I mean, hoping to go for another 100 years, God willing.”
