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A tray of bear claws and doughnuts covered in sprinkles.
Albany Park bakery Somethin’ Sweet specializes in California-style doughnuts.
Somethin’ Sweet

Delicious Doughnuts Done Right in Chicago

Fried dough takes many forms, but these are all delicious

by Samantha Nelson and Eater Staff Updated
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Albany Park bakery Somethin’ Sweet specializes in California-style doughnuts.
| Somethin’ Sweet
by Samantha Nelson and Eater Staff Updated

Is there anything better than a doughnut? In all of its manifestations — a ring, a circle, a rectangle, a stick, filled with cream, stuffed with fruit, dunked in chocolate, buried under a mound of powdered sugar — a doughnut is a perfect pick-me-up, the epitome of a cheap luxury. Here are 23 spots that offer the best doughnuts, and also fritters, beignets, churros, paczki, bismarks, bomboloni, and mochi rings in town.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Peckish Pig

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This English-style pub on the Chicago-Evanston border serves doughnuts for weekend brunch only, but they are particularly delicious specimens, served warm in a paper bag, rolled in cinnamon sugar with housemade salted caramel or chocolate ganache served on the side for dipping. They’re complimentary for diners ordering bottomless mimosas on Saturday.

623 W Howard St, Evanston, IL 60202
(847) 491-6778
(847) 491-6778

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Smack Dab Chicago

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The owners of Smack Dab try to make food that everyone can enjoy, regardless of dietary preferences, and that goes for their vegan mini-doughnuts, made fresh daily. There’s a rotating assortment of glazes and toppings, but cinnamon sugar (“cinny shug”) is always a reliable standby.

6730 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60626
(872) 241-9111
(872) 241-9111

Also featured in:

Downstate Donuts

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Potatoes make the treats at Downstate Donuts fluffy, and the shop is devoted to using local and organic ingredients whenever possible. Their original vanilla sour cream glazed doughnut and lemon mascarpone are among the gluten-free options. The shop also offers rotating seasonal flavors, often testing them at farmers markets and other events and in store on weekdays.

1132 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640

Somethin' Sweet Donuts

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Somethin’ Sweet offers custom designs and letter-shaped doughnuts for birthdays, but no special occasion is required to stop at this peanut-free Albany Park bakery. Owners Jim and Ling Chao bring their Chinese and Cambodian heritage to their California-style doughnuts, serving ube and matcha bismarks alongside apple fritters and glazed old fashioned doughnuts.

4456 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 654-3117
(773) 654-3117

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Junebug Cafe

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Naturally a New Orleans-style cafe would be obligated to serve beignets, and naturally Junebug Cafe obliges. They’re served fresh from the fryer, buried in powdered sugar, and rival anything from the Big Easy. Add on caramel bacon or strawberry basil dipping sauce or get them topped with a scoop of ice cream.

4042 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60641
(773) 930-3265
(773) 930-3265

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2d Restaurant - Mochi donut & Chicken Sandwich

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This Lakeview cafe rightly gets plenty of attention for its imaginative hand-drawn decor, but the mochi ring doughnuts are pretty impressive, too. The menu is updated weekly, but the doughnuts are always delicious and sturdy enough to stand up to a dunk in the house phin coffee or a fried chicken sandwich. A second location in the XMarket Food Hall offers vegan doughnuts and boba.

3155 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 360-8484
(773) 360-8484
A box of half a dozen doughnuts with brightly colored glazes on a white table. Kim Kovacik/Eater Chicago

TriBecca’s Sandwich Shop

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Honey Butter Fried Chicken alums Becca Grothe and Cam Waron opened TriBecca’s Sandwich Shop in 2022 serving Grothe’s comforting sandwiches alongside Waron’s Tubers Donuts, a potato doughnut concept inspired by the COVID-19 flour shortages. The rotating selection of decadent treats have included pineapple upside down cake, cinnamon glaze with cream cheese frosting and chocolate covered banana.

2949 W Belmont Ave (Sacramento), Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 878-2717
(773) 878-2717

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Beacon Doughnuts

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Hidden in an alley in Lincoln Park, Beacon Doughnuts regularly attracts long lines with its gorgeous small-batch vegan doughnuts with flavors including cinnamon coffee cake, apple fritter and chocolate-glazed brioche. Be sure to order ahead of time as they regularly sell out and offer only a limited menu Monday through Wednesday. Find them at select farmers markets, too.

810 W Armitage Ave (The Alley), Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 698-2839
(773) 698-2839

Mindy’s Bakery

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James Beard Award-winner Mindy Segal opened Mindy’s Bakery in 2022, regularly drawing long lines with a selection of treats that rotates throughout the day from croissants to cookies. Doughnuts are only offered Friday through Sunday mornings, so arrive early to grab the square-shaped treats glazed with salted caramel or hot fudge or some powdered sugar doughnut hearts.

1623 North Milwaukee Avenue, IL 60647
(773) 489-1747
(773) 489-1747

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Liberation Kitchen

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Chicago’s first all-vegan doughnut shop, Liberation Kitchen rotates flavors each week. Options include Flapjack (maple glazed with spiced chocolate crumbs) and Balaclava (plain cake doughnut, sweet tahini glaze, pumpkin seed baklava). Half of proceeds from the Total Liberation lemon poppyseed doughnut will go to a nonprofit that rotates every two months.

2054 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 666-7838
(312) 666-7838

XOCO

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The churros at XOCO come in large oblong rings and can be ordered glazed or with a side shot of chocolate or cajeta. Either is recommended — they’re served straight from the fryer, so it’s hard to go wrong.

449 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 723-2131
(312) 723-2131

Also featured in:

Firecakes

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In addition to a classic selection of doughnuts, Firecakes offers seasonal flavors including apple cider, churro, and Irish creme. Doughnuts also serve as the base for ice cream sandwiches, which come adorned with toppings such as sprinkles, caramel, and chocolate shavings. Firecakes also has locations in Lincoln Park and suburban Oak Park and Naperville.

68 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL, 60654
(312) 329-6500
(312) 329-6500

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Doughnut Vault

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Hogsalt’s sweets spot is among the most popular in the city. Creative specials, such as dulce de leche and honey bun cake, are offered daily alongside favorites like the old fashioned. Arrive early because there’s usually a line and once everything is sold out, Doughnut Vault closes for the day.

401 1/2 N Franklin St, Chicago, IL, 60654
(312) 285-2830
(312) 285-2830

Also featured in:

Brite Donuts & Baked Goods

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This wholesale bakery serves doughnuts at Metric Coffee in the West Loop and will also be providing the bread and pastries for its upcoming all-day cafe. Their creative flavors are meant to pair perfectly with coffee, with favorites including chocolate ganache topped with cacao and braided brioche dough dipped in horchata glaze.

2021 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 772-6536
(312) 772-6536

Also featured in:

Gaijin

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Chef Paul Virant’s restaurant Gaijin is known for okonomiyaki, or savory Japanese pancakes, but the West Loop spot has also earned a following with its mochi doughnuts. Crisp on the outside, fluffy and chewy on the inside, the glazed doughnuts are made with rice flour and come in flavors such as chocolate, matcha-citrus, and pandan-coconut.

950 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 265-1348
(312) 265-1348

Also featured in:

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Do-Rite Donuts & Chicken

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Whether it’s pistachio-Meyer lemon or buttermilk old fashioneds, Do-Rite’s got it on the menu. As a bonus, the shop carries gluten-free and vegan options as well. There are six locations in the city and suburbs.

233 E Erie St (btwn N St Clair St & N Fairbanks Ct), Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 624-8878
(312) 624-8878

Also featured in:

BomboBar

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DineAmic Hospitality’s dessert window attached to Bar Siena attracts customers with Instagram-friendly treats. The bomboloni — Italian filled doughnuts — are loaded with custard and jam fillings. A popular option is adding house-made gelato to the mix to create a sandwich.

832 W Randolph Street, Chicago, IL, 60607
(312) 492-7775
(312) 492-7775

Also featured in:

Don Churro

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This Pilsen spot boasts that it serves the best churros in the Midwest. They come with a variety of fillings — strawberry, chocolate, guava, cajeta, and more — and also in vegan and mini variation. They’re also available frozen for heating up at home.

1626 S Blue Island Ave, Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 733-3173
(312) 733-3173

Roux

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This Hyde Park all day breakfast spot serves some of the best beignets in town. They’re served warm so they have crisp exteriors and soft pillowy insides that melt in the mouth. But even after they’ve had a chance to cool, they’re still excellent.

1055 E 55th St, Chicago, IL 60615
(773) 770-4785
(773) 770-4785

Also featured in:

Racine Bakery

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A South Side staple since 1984, this old-school bakery focuses on Lithuanian and Polish goods. The shop’s cases are lined with dozens of breads, cakes, and other Eastern European delicacies including paczki. These traditional Polish doughnuts are available with fillings that range from raspberry and custard to rose jam.

6216 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60638
(773) 581-8500
(773) 581-8500

Also featured in:

Dat Donut

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South Side spot Dat Donut is stocked with the standard assortment of glazed, chocolate, buttermilk, and cake doughnuts that are “too good to dunk.” The signature “Big Dat” doughnuts are behemoths that can feed multiple people.

8251 S Cottage Grove Ave (at E. 83rd St.), Chicago, IL 60619
(773) 723-1002
(773) 723-1002

Also featured in:

D&D's Place

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D&D’s Place owners Devell and Lolita Brittmon honed their dough-frying skills under the tutelage of Buritt Bulloch, the founder of beloved South Side spot Old Fashioned Donuts. That influence is apparent when looking at the lineup, which includes Texas-sized glazed and chocolate doughnuts, and golden-brown old-fashioned cake doughnuts. The giant apple fritters are a must-try as well, loaded with chunks of fruit and pecans.

8324 S Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60652
(773) 778-7007
(773) 778-7007

Old Fashioned Donuts

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Go big or go home at the legendary Old Fashioned Donuts. The Texas doughnuts are large enough to fit around an arm while the fruit-studded apple fritters are just as hearty, so bring an appetite or several companions. Owner Buritt Bulloch, now in his 80s, opened the shop with his late wife Mamie in 1972, and he still makes the doughnuts every day in the store’s front window.

11248 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60628
(773) 995-7420
(773) 995-7420

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Peckish Pig

623 W Howard St, Evanston, IL 60202

This English-style pub on the Chicago-Evanston border serves doughnuts for weekend brunch only, but they are particularly delicious specimens, served warm in a paper bag, rolled in cinnamon sugar with housemade salted caramel or chocolate ganache served on the side for dipping. They’re complimentary for diners ordering bottomless mimosas on Saturday.

623 W Howard St, Evanston, IL 60202
(847) 491-6778
(847) 491-6778

Smack Dab Chicago

6730 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60626

The owners of Smack Dab try to make food that everyone can enjoy, regardless of dietary preferences, and that goes for their vegan mini-doughnuts, made fresh daily. There’s a rotating assortment of glazes and toppings, but cinnamon sugar (“cinny shug”) is always a reliable standby.

6730 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60626
(872) 241-9111
(872) 241-9111

Downstate Donuts

1132 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640

Potatoes make the treats at Downstate Donuts fluffy, and the shop is devoted to using local and organic ingredients whenever possible. Their original vanilla sour cream glazed doughnut and lemon mascarpone are among the gluten-free options. The shop also offers rotating seasonal flavors, often testing them at farmers markets and other events and in store on weekdays.

1132 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640

Somethin' Sweet Donuts

4456 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Somethin’ Sweet offers custom designs and letter-shaped doughnuts for birthdays, but no special occasion is required to stop at this peanut-free Albany Park bakery. Owners Jim and Ling Chao bring their Chinese and Cambodian heritage to their California-style doughnuts, serving ube and matcha bismarks alongside apple fritters and glazed old fashioned doughnuts.

4456 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 654-3117
(773) 654-3117

Junebug Cafe

4042 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60641

Naturally a New Orleans-style cafe would be obligated to serve beignets, and naturally Junebug Cafe obliges. They’re served fresh from the fryer, buried in powdered sugar, and rival anything from the Big Easy. Add on caramel bacon or strawberry basil dipping sauce or get them topped with a scoop of ice cream.

4042 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60641
(773) 930-3265
(773) 930-3265

2d Restaurant - Mochi donut & Chicken Sandwich

3155 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60657

This Lakeview cafe rightly gets plenty of attention for its imaginative hand-drawn decor, but the mochi ring doughnuts are pretty impressive, too. The menu is updated weekly, but the doughnuts are always delicious and sturdy enough to stand up to a dunk in the house phin coffee or a fried chicken sandwich. A second location in the XMarket Food Hall offers vegan doughnuts and boba.

3155 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 360-8484
(773) 360-8484
A box of half a dozen doughnuts with brightly colored glazes on a white table. Kim Kovacik/Eater Chicago

TriBecca’s Sandwich Shop

2949 W Belmont Ave (Sacramento), Chicago, IL 60618

Honey Butter Fried Chicken alums Becca Grothe and Cam Waron opened TriBecca’s Sandwich Shop in 2022 serving Grothe’s comforting sandwiches alongside Waron’s Tubers Donuts, a potato doughnut concept inspired by the COVID-19 flour shortages. The rotating selection of decadent treats have included pineapple upside down cake, cinnamon glaze with cream cheese frosting and chocolate covered banana.

2949 W Belmont Ave (Sacramento), Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 878-2717
(773) 878-2717

Beacon Doughnuts

810 W Armitage Ave (The Alley), Chicago, IL 60614

Hidden in an alley in Lincoln Park, Beacon Doughnuts regularly attracts long lines with its gorgeous small-batch vegan doughnuts with flavors including cinnamon coffee cake, apple fritter and chocolate-glazed brioche. Be sure to order ahead of time as they regularly sell out and offer only a limited menu Monday through Wednesday. Find them at select farmers markets, too.

810 W Armitage Ave (The Alley), Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 698-2839
(773) 698-2839

Mindy’s Bakery

1623 North Milwaukee Avenue, IL 60647

James Beard Award-winner Mindy Segal opened Mindy’s Bakery in 2022, regularly drawing long lines with a selection of treats that rotates throughout the day from croissants to cookies. Doughnuts are only offered Friday through Sunday mornings, so arrive early to grab the square-shaped treats glazed with salted caramel or hot fudge or some powdered sugar doughnut hearts.

1623 North Milwaukee Avenue, IL 60647
(773) 489-1747
(773) 489-1747

Liberation Kitchen

2054 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60612

Chicago’s first all-vegan doughnut shop, Liberation Kitchen rotates flavors each week. Options include Flapjack (maple glazed with spiced chocolate crumbs) and Balaclava (plain cake doughnut, sweet tahini glaze, pumpkin seed baklava). Half of proceeds from the Total Liberation lemon poppyseed doughnut will go to a nonprofit that rotates every two months.

2054 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 666-7838
(312) 666-7838

XOCO

449 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

The churros at XOCO come in large oblong rings and can be ordered glazed or with a side shot of chocolate or cajeta. Either is recommended — they’re served straight from the fryer, so it’s hard to go wrong.

449 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 723-2131
(312) 723-2131

Firecakes

68 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL, 60654

In addition to a classic selection of doughnuts, Firecakes offers seasonal flavors including apple cider, churro, and Irish creme. Doughnuts also serve as the base for ice cream sandwiches, which come adorned with toppings such as sprinkles, caramel, and chocolate shavings. Firecakes also has locations in Lincoln Park and suburban Oak Park and Naperville.

68 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL, 60654
(312) 329-6500
(312) 329-6500

Doughnut Vault

401 1/2 N Franklin St, Chicago, IL, 60654

Hogsalt’s sweets spot is among the most popular in the city. Creative specials, such as dulce de leche and honey bun cake, are offered daily alongside favorites like the old fashioned. Arrive early because there’s usually a line and once everything is sold out, Doughnut Vault closes for the day.

401 1/2 N Franklin St, Chicago, IL, 60654
(312) 285-2830
(312) 285-2830

Brite Donuts & Baked Goods

2021 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60612

This wholesale bakery serves doughnuts at Metric Coffee in the West Loop and will also be providing the bread and pastries for its upcoming all-day cafe. Their creative flavors are meant to pair perfectly with coffee, with favorites including chocolate ganache topped with cacao and braided brioche dough dipped in horchata glaze.

2021 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 772-6536
(312) 772-6536

Gaijin

950 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607

Chef Paul Virant’s restaurant Gaijin is known for okonomiyaki, or savory Japanese pancakes, but the West Loop spot has also earned a following with its mochi doughnuts. Crisp on the outside, fluffy and chewy on the inside, the glazed doughnuts are made with rice flour and come in flavors such as chocolate, matcha-citrus, and pandan-coconut.

950 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 265-1348
(312) 265-1348

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Do-Rite Donuts & Chicken

233 E Erie St (btwn N St Clair St & N Fairbanks Ct), Chicago, IL 60611

Whether it’s pistachio-Meyer lemon or buttermilk old fashioneds, Do-Rite’s got it on the menu. As a bonus, the shop carries gluten-free and vegan options as well. There are six locations in the city and suburbs.

233 E Erie St (btwn N St Clair St & N Fairbanks Ct), Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 624-8878
(312) 624-8878

BomboBar

832 W Randolph Street, Chicago, IL, 60607

DineAmic Hospitality’s dessert window attached to Bar Siena attracts customers with Instagram-friendly treats. The bomboloni — Italian filled doughnuts — are loaded with custard and jam fillings. A popular option is adding house-made gelato to the mix to create a sandwich.

832 W Randolph Street, Chicago, IL, 60607
(312) 492-7775
(312) 492-7775

Don Churro

1626 S Blue Island Ave, Chicago, IL 60608

This Pilsen spot boasts that it serves the best churros in the Midwest. They come with a variety of fillings — strawberry, chocolate, guava, cajeta, and more — and also in vegan and mini variation. They’re also available frozen for heating up at home.

1626 S Blue Island Ave, Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 733-3173
(312) 733-3173

Roux

1055 E 55th St, Chicago, IL 60615

This Hyde Park all day breakfast spot serves some of the best beignets in town. They’re served warm so they have crisp exteriors and soft pillowy insides that melt in the mouth. But even after they’ve had a chance to cool, they’re still excellent.

1055 E 55th St, Chicago, IL 60615
(773) 770-4785
(773) 770-4785

Racine Bakery

6216 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60638

A South Side staple since 1984, this old-school bakery focuses on Lithuanian and Polish goods. The shop’s cases are lined with dozens of breads, cakes, and other Eastern European delicacies including paczki. These traditional Polish doughnuts are available with fillings that range from raspberry and custard to rose jam.

6216 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60638
(773) 581-8500
(773) 581-8500

Dat Donut

8251 S Cottage Grove Ave (at E. 83rd St.), Chicago, IL 60619

South Side spot Dat Donut is stocked with the standard assortment of glazed, chocolate, buttermilk, and cake doughnuts that are “too good to dunk.” The signature “Big Dat” doughnuts are behemoths that can feed multiple people.

8251 S Cottage Grove Ave (at E. 83rd St.), Chicago, IL 60619
(773) 723-1002
(773) 723-1002

D&D's Place

8324 S Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60652

D&D’s Place owners Devell and Lolita Brittmon honed their dough-frying skills under the tutelage of Buritt Bulloch, the founder of beloved South Side spot Old Fashioned Donuts. That influence is apparent when looking at the lineup, which includes Texas-sized glazed and chocolate doughnuts, and golden-brown old-fashioned cake doughnuts. The giant apple fritters are a must-try as well, loaded with chunks of fruit and pecans.

8324 S Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60652
(773) 778-7007
(773) 778-7007

Old Fashioned Donuts

11248 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60628

Go big or go home at the legendary Old Fashioned Donuts. The Texas doughnuts are large enough to fit around an arm while the fruit-studded apple fritters are just as hearty, so bring an appetite or several companions. Owner Buritt Bulloch, now in his 80s, opened the shop with his late wife Mamie in 1972, and he still makes the doughnuts every day in the store’s front window.

11248 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60628
(773) 995-7420
(773) 995-7420

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