Donuts
Old-fashioned cake donuts, brioche yeast rings and pączki season favorites.
Do-Rite Donuts & Chicken (Streeterville)
A homegrown Chicago donut shop doing a small batch of flavors really well. Its Streeterville counter is a go-to near the med campus and the Mag Mile.
Stan's Donuts & Coffee
A Chicago chain with a huge case of creative donuts.
Old Fashioned Donuts
A decades-old Roseland shop. Many locals say it's the best donut in the city.
Beacon Doughnuts
All-vegan donuts that nobody can tell are vegan.
Dat Donut
A South Side landmark with donuts the size of a dinner plate.
Doughnut Vault
A tiny storefront that sells until it runs out. A Chicago ritual.
Firecakes Donuts
Downtown's go-to for polished, fluffy yeast donuts.
Do-Rite Donuts & Chicken
Among the city's best old fashioneds, right by Wrigley.
Chicago donuts
The city's donut scene runs from decades-old South Side bakeries with huge glazed yeast donuts to downtown shops that sell out of small batches every morning.
What to try:
- Glazed yeast donuts: light, airy and best when fresh
- Old fashioneds: buttermilk cake donuts with cracks that hold the glaze
- Pączki: filled Polish donuts. Chicago goes all in on them every year on Fat Tuesday.
Good to know: the best donut shops often sell out, so earlier is better.
Pair your donut with more morning picks from pastries and croissants or bagels.