10 Best Donut Shops in Chicago (2026)
Chicago's donut scene ranges from sellout-in-an-hour artisan shops to South Side legends serving $1.50 glazed perfection. Here are the 10 best.
Chicago does donuts differently. While other cities chase trends, the Windy City maintains a healthy respect for both artisan innovation and old-school tradition. You can drop $7 on a champagne old fashioned at a River North boutique, or $1.50 on a glazed yeast donut the size of your head on the South Side. Both experiences are quintessentially Chicago.
Here are the 10 best donut shops in the city, from the establishments that sell out within an hour to the neighborhood staples that have been frying since before most of us were born.
1. Doughnut Vault — River North
Address: 401 N Franklin St
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-3pm, Sat-Sun 9am-3pm (or sell out)
Price: $5-7 per donut
The Vault is legendary for a reason — and for selling out fast, sometimes within an hour of opening. This tiny River North storefront from Hogsalt Hospitality (the group behind Au Cheval and Green Street Smoked Meats) serves a curated selection of donuts that are widely considered among the best in America.
What to order: The buttermilk old fashioned is perfection in its simplest form. Weekly specials like the chestnut glazed and champagne old fashioned are worth planning around. The apple butter filled donut is exceptional when available.
Why it's special: The Vault operates on scarcity by design — they make a limited quantity and close when they sell out. This is not a marketing gimmick; it is a commitment to freshness. Every donut you eat here was made that morning in small batches. Online ordering has made them slightly more accessible, but checking the website for weekly specials is still recommended.
2. Old Fashioned Donuts — Roseland
Address: 11248 S Michigan Ave
Hours: Tue-Sun 5am-3pm (or sell out)
Price: $2-4 per donut
Named the best donut shop in all of Illinois by Yelp in 2024, Old Fashioned Donuts in Roseland has earned its status as a South Side treasure. Owner Burritt Bullock has been perfecting his craft for decades, and the results speak for themselves.
What to order: The apple fritters are as big as dinner plates — cinnamon-spiked peaks and gooey apple chunks in every bite. The chocolate cake donuts have a cult following. The glazed yeast donuts are textbook perfect.
Why it's special: The bare-bones aesthetic is part of the charm. No Instagram-ready interiors, no artisanal branding — just incredible donuts at fair prices from a master baker. Opens at 5 AM and sells out regularly, so early arrivals are rewarded.
3. Dat Donut — Chatham
Address: 8251 S Cottage Grove Ave
Hours: Mon-Sat 6am-10pm, Sun 6am-6pm
Price: $1.50-3 per donut
Dat Donut is a Chatham institution and South Side legend. The pillowy glazed yeast donuts practically melt in your mouth. But the real showstopper is the Big Dat Donut — literally larger than your head and a genuine Chicago food challenge.
What to order: The original glazed yeast donut is the benchmark. The Big Dat Donut if you are feeling ambitious. Chocolate-slathered cake donuts and apple fritters are excellent.
Why it's special: Unlike most premium donut shops, Dat Donut keeps prices incredibly low — a single donut runs about $1.50. And they stay open until 10 PM on weekdays, offering hours that most donut shops cannot match. This is a neighborhood staple in the truest sense.
4. Do-Rite Donuts & Chicken — Multiple Locations (The Loop, Streeterville, Gold Coast)
Flagship: 50 W Randolph St, The Loop
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm, Sat-Sun 8am-5pm
Price: $4-6 per donut
Chicago's go-to for pillowy yeast-raised donuts across multiple convenient downtown locations. Do-Rite is one of the few premium donut shops that genuinely serves excellent vegan and gluten-free options every single day — not as an afterthought, but as a core part of the menu.
What to order: The vanilla bean glazed is the benchmark — sweet but not cloying, perfectly flaky and large. The pistachio-Meyer lemon is creative and bright. The donut fried chicken sandwich is an indulgent must-try.
Why it's special: Accessibility. With three locations in high-traffic areas and genuine dietary inclusivity (daily vegan and gluten-free specials), Do-Rite makes premium donuts available to everyone. Order ahead to guarantee your favorite flavors.
5. Firecakes Donuts — River North, Lincoln Park, Oak Park
Flagship: 68 W Hubbard St, River North
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm, Sat-Sun 8am-5pm
Price: $4-5 per donut
Jonathan Fox's Firecakes has become a Chicago institution since 2013, known for adorable vintage presentation with boxes wrapped in baker's twine. The donuts inside are as charming as the packaging.
What to order: The old fashioned buttermilk is one of the most modest yet perfect donuts in town. The triple chocolate tastes like birthday cake. Seasonal apple cider and churro flavors keep the lineup fresh. In summer, the ice cream donut sandwiches are a revelation.
Why it's special: Firecakes nails the balance between artisan quality and approachability. Nothing feels pretentious or overwrought. Three locations (River North, Lincoln Park, and suburban Oak Park) make it accessible across the metro area.
6. Beacon Doughnuts — Lincoln Park
Address: 810 W Armitage Ave
Hours: Daily 8am-2pm (or sell out)
Price: $5-6 per donut
Hidden in a Lincoln Park alley and served through a walk-up window, Beacon went viral on TikTok and became one of Chicago's most sought-after donut destinations. The remarkable secret: all of their gorgeous small-batch doughnuts are 100% vegan.
What to order: The cinnamon coffee cake is outstanding. The chocolate-glazed brioche is rich and satisfying. Lavender vanilla and double chocolate sea salt are creative standouts.
Why it's special: The 24-hour brioche dough batches are so rich and light it is hard to believe they contain no dairy or eggs. Available only through a walk-up window in an alley, Beacon proves that the best things in life are worth searching for. Online pre-ordering is available — use it.
7. D&D's Place — Chatham
Address: 8100 S Anthony Ave
Hours: Tue-Sun 5:30am-3pm (or sell out)
Price: $2-4 per donut
Winner of both the Judge's Choice AND Crowd Favorite at the Chicago Donut Fest 2020, D&D's Place carries on the proud South Side tradition of incredible, affordable donuts. The owner trained under Burritt Bullock at Old Fashioned Donuts — this is a donut lineage you can taste.
What to order: Everything. Seriously — the entire menu reflects the training and tradition behind the shop. The classic glazed and apple fritters carry the torch from Old Fashioned Donuts while adding their own signature touch.
Why it's special: Sweeping both the judge's and crowd favorite awards at a donut festival is rare. Opening at 5:30 AM demonstrates the same dedication to the early-morning craft that defines great donut shops.
8. Stan's Donuts & Coffee — Multiple Locations
Flagship: 1560 N Damen Ave, Wicker Park
Hours: Daily 7am-8pm
Price: $4-5 per donut
Chicago's most prolific donut purveyor, with over a dozen locations across the city and suburbs. Originally a Los Angeles brand brought to the Midwest, Stan's has become a Chicago staple. Massive pastry cases overflow with variety.
What to order: The Biscoff pocket is addictive — Biscoff cookie butter inside a fried donut. The buttercream Bismark is classic and generous. The old fashioned is reliable.
Why it's special: Open until 8 PM. In a city where most donut shops close by early afternoon, Stan's is the rare option for evening donut cravings. Over a dozen locations means there is probably one near you.
9. Roeser's Bakery — Humboldt Park
A family bakery that has been serving the Humboldt Park neighborhood since 1911. Over 110 years of baking tradition make this one of the oldest continuously operating bakeries in Chicago. Their donuts are part of a broader baking excellence that includes legendary cakes and pastries.
What to order: Classic cake donuts and old fashioneds. The bakery's overall quality elevates everything it produces.
Why it's special: Over a century of continuous operation in the same neighborhood. This is living Chicago history you can eat.
10. Huck Finn Donuts — Multiple Locations
A beloved Chicago-area chain with locations in the neighborhoods and suburbs. They open early, keep prices reasonable, and serve consistently solid classic donuts. Not flashy, not artisan — just good, honest donuts made fresh daily.
What to order: Classic glazed, chocolate frosted, and the apple fritters. Nothing fancy, nothing disappointing.
Why it's special: Sometimes you do not need the best donut in the city — you need a good donut that is available, affordable, and reliable. Huck Finn fills that role for thousands of Chicagoans daily.
The Chicago Donut Map
Chicago's donut geography tells a story. The South Side is home to legendary affordable shops (Old Fashioned, Dat Donut, D&D's) that have been feeding neighborhoods for decades. River North and Lincoln Park host the artisan wave (Doughnut Vault, Firecakes, Beacon). Wicker Park and the Loop provide convenient all-day options (Stan's, Do-Rite).
For the ultimate Chicago donut tour, start downtown at Doughnut Vault (arrive by 8 AM), hit Do-Rite for a chicken donut sandwich lunch, then head south to Old Fashioned Donuts or Dat Donut for an afternoon classic. Browse all Chicago-area shops on NearbyDonuts.com to plan your route.