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Not the easiest place to find as it's a window in an alleyway, but the crowd outside helps to give it away. Friendly and quick service. Delicious, fresh donuts and donut holes.
These are some of my favorite donuts ever! When visiting Chicago I'm always sure to stop here. My favorites are the vanilla bean cronut and Oreo old fashioned. It's a perfect glazed donut that's soft and chewy inside without being overly fried or too soft. The Oreo is unlike any other donut I've had. The middle is so soft yet fluffy. It's a deep chocolate, more like a dark chocolate and as someone who loves dark chocolate... I can't get enough! I preorder the night before and it makes it so easy to swing by, grab your order and get back on the road. The staff is friendly and quick. The blueberry pancake is also great, maybe a little too much filling for my liking but it's hard to go wrong here.
Beacon is in a class all by itself. Each donut is artistically and thoughtfully made and there are community favorites but they do have specialty donuts that appear for the season or a short period of time.. They operate out of an alley but don't be afraid, this is Lincoln Park and it's clean and families are frequent customers. No drug deals going on here!! As everyone else has suggested, order these online and pick them up at your desired time. By doing this, you get exactly what you want as they do sell out and when they're out, that's it for the day. :) Enjoy these in the car, whilst you're parked or weaving in and out of I-94 traffic, or better yet !!- at home, with a home made latte.. My favorites were, in no particular order: 1 guava cheese danish 2 vanilla bean cronut 3 blueberry pancake 4 apple fritter 5 chocolate ganache 6 Boston cream I guess I put them in order.. FYI, personally, I would pass on the banana bread and chocolate donut. I hope to be back as soon as possible as Beacon differentiates itself from the Big Boys (DoRite, Stan's, and Firecakes), as well as the family owned/neighborhood donut shops.
I loved beacon donuts!!!! We went around 11 or 12 on a saturday and they still had a good amount of donuts left and were not out of anything we wanted to try. Beacon donuts is out of a window in an alley, so not somewhere you can sit down or go inside of. My absolute favorite was the vanilla bean cronut. It was so soft and pillowy and perfectly glazed. The blueberry pancake was also great and filled with blueberry jelly. There was a line when we got there but it moved super quick. Can't wait to go back!
Went later in the morning and they had plenty left, luckily! All were delicious and you get a lot of donut for a great price.
This was a really hard place to find! It's hidden in an alley (which I have to say is not a super appetizing place to order doughnuts from a window smell-wise). I tried the Boston cream because it was such a unique spin on that: a filled ring cake doughnut?! I thought it was a brilliant idea and the texture was great. I loved the cake doughnut itself. The cream didn't really hit for me - it's a vegan spot, so for something like custard you can tell, but if I'd had a non-custard doughnut I'm sure I wouldn't have noticed. I just thought the design was so unique that I had to know! I wish I had a second stomach to order a ton of doughnuts here but alas I'll just have to come back another time. Super fun, creative doughnuts, friendly service, just in a slightly questionable location! Curious to try their cronut too.
Lives up to the hype! Ordered online and came to pick up. Super easy to go right up and grab your order. Got the blueberry pancake cake donut. It was incredible. It is stuffed with pockets of blueberry jam. Topped with powdered sugar. The vanilla bean cronut was also spectacular. Fluffy, with a delicious glaze. Will certainly be back to try more things in the menu.
Wow! I can't believe how good these donuts were. The vanilla bean cronut was my favorite, with the chocolate glazed coming in at a close second. The layers in the cronut were amazing, soft inside, slight crunch on the outside. I absolutely loved it. The chocolate glaze tasted like a ganache.. best chocolate glazed I've had in a while! It's hard to get the chocolate right but they did it. The blueberry pancake donut was good but I didn't love the cinnamon taste to it. All of the donuts were very fresh & soft. This place is in an alley but is super easy to find. We loved turning the corner & seeing all the bright colors! Service is good, you order online the night before for pick up so it was quick-make sure you have a plan for where to eat them as there's no tables or anything there. I think there's a park nearby, it snowed the day we got them so we went to a nearby coffee shop for drinks & to eat. We will be back in the summer when we're back in town!!
I was able to have the first apple fritter I have had since becoming vegan 15 years ago. So good! I appreciate the ability to pre order as I was in from out of town and would have been disappointed if they were sold out.
Beacon has some of the best donuts I think I have ever had. Their flavors are fun and inventive, but they also have the classics. The blueberry donut was incredible, a clear favorite. the Boston crème was a really fun take on it, and the birthday cake was perfection. It is such a cute little window in an alleyway with great service and really kind workers.
these doughnuts are still amazing and a consistent stop every time we are in chicago. i am not a fan of jelly/jam in doughnuts but the way that beacon doughnuts does it has changed my opinion. the blueberry pancake doughnut is your traditional doughnut shape with a hole but they somehow filled it with jam still. magic i think. the doughnuts are decadent, delicious, to die for. the chocolate glazed brioche is a new favorite of mine. it's an airy yeast doughnut which i prefer over cake doughnuts. the chocolate frosting is rich and the sweetness of the glaze balances out the chocolate.
Flavor!!!! These doughnuts are top tier variety. Tucked away in a alley you see a mural and a random window, (go towards the window), you find a entire bakery just working away. The service friendly and straightforward. Their menu changes so if you come late in the day or have a favorite. Be open to trying something new. Hard to go wrong here. P.S not a doughnut person, but these got me
Amazing donuts! Tried 3 different types all delicious. Blueberry pancake was my favorite. This is a walk up counter and I have heard sometimes the line is long but it wasn't when we went. Service was great, very helpful and coffee was good too. A great spot!
I've been seeing Beacon Doughnuts all over Instagram and finally decided to try it. It's tucked right in the middle of an alley, which makes it feel even more hidden, but don't let that fool you. This was one of the softest donuts I've had. The lady at the front was super nice and gave me some recommendations, and we ended up getting the Chocolate Glazed Brioche. And wow... this donut was huge. Super soft on the inside, almost pillowy, and covered in a thick layer of chocolate glaze. First bite, you get that rich chocolate flavor right away, smooth and sweet without tasting fake or overly sugary. The brioche itself had that buttery flavor to it, light but still filling. The texture was probably the best part. Soft center, slight chew from the brioche, and the glaze added just enough thickness on top to make every bite feel rich. Honestly, it was almost too much for one person, but in the best way possible. Definitely lived up to the hype for me. read more
I mean, it's the cutest! "Hidden" in an alley in Lincoln Park. I love a good cake donut and this place is perfect. Lots of flavors/specialty donuts but not overwhelming like some other places. Will definitely come again! read more
6 months ago
The cutest, quite ~literally~ hole-in-the-wall! Beacon Doughnuts is a walk-up window in a mural-coated alley. The doughnuts here are STELLAR. The employees are so nice and the doughnuts are big'n'tasty. I also think they're reasonably priced. I've been here like 10 times - just go, you won't regret it. read more
These are some of my favorite donuts ever! When visiting Chicago I'm always sure to stop here. My favorites are the vanilla bean cronut and Oreo old fashioned. It's a perfect glazed donut that's soft and chewy inside without being overly fried or too soft. The Oreo is unlike any other donut I've had. The middle is so soft yet fluffy. It's a deep chocolate, more like a dark chocolate and as someone who loves dark chocolate... I can't get enough! I preorder the night before and it makes it so easy to swing by, grab your order and get back on the road. The staff is friendly and quick. The blueberry pancake is also great, maybe a little too much filling for my liking but it's hard to go wrong here. read more
Beacon is in a class all by itself. Each donut is artistically and thoughtfully made and there are community favorites but they do have specialty donuts that appear for the season or a short period of time.. They operate out of an alley but don't be afraid, this is Lincoln Park and it's clean and families are frequent customers. No drug deals going on here!! As everyone else has suggested, order these online and pick them up at your desired time. By doing this, you get exactly what you want as they do sell out and when they're out, that's it for the day. :) Enjoy these in the car, whilst you're parked or weaving in and out of I-94 traffic, or better yet !!- at home, with a home made latte.. My favorites were, in no particular order: 1 guava cheese danish 2 vanilla bean cronut 3 blueberry pancake 4 apple fritter 5 chocolate ganache 6 Boston cream I guess I put them in order.. FYI, personally, I would pass on the banana bread and chocolate donut. I hope to be back as soon as possible as Beacon differentiates itself from the Big Boys (DoRite, Stan's, and Firecakes), as well as the family owned/neighborhood donut shops. read more
I loved beacon donuts!!!! We went around 11 or 12 on a saturday and they still had a good amount of donuts left and were not out of anything we wanted to try. Beacon donuts is out of a window in an alley, so not somewhere you can sit down or go inside of. My absolute favorite was the vanilla bean cronut. It was so soft and pillowy and perfectly glazed. The blueberry pancake was also great and filled with blueberry jelly. There was a line when we got there but it moved super quick. Can't wait to go back! read more
1 month ago
Went later in the morning and they had plenty left, luckily! All were delicious and you get a lot of donut for a great price. read more
This was a really hard place to find! It's hidden in an alley (which I have to say is not a super appetizing place to order doughnuts from a window smell-wise). I tried the Boston cream because it was such a unique spin on that: a filled ring cake doughnut?! I thought it was a brilliant idea and the texture was great. I loved the cake doughnut itself. The cream didn't really hit for me - it's a vegan spot, so for something like custard you can tell, but if I'd had a non-custard doughnut I'm sure I wouldn't have noticed. I just thought the design was so unique that I had to know! I wish I had a second stomach to order a ton of doughnuts here but alas I'll just have to come back another time. Super fun, creative doughnuts, friendly service, just in a slightly questionable location! Curious to try their cronut too. read more
Lives up to the hype! Ordered online and came to pick up. Super easy to go right up and grab your order. Got the blueberry pancake cake donut. It was incredible. It is stuffed with pockets of blueberry jam. Topped with powdered sugar. The vanilla bean cronut was also spectacular. Fluffy, with a delicious glaze. Will certainly be back to try more things in the menu. read more
Wow! I can't believe how good these donuts were. The vanilla bean cronut was my favorite, with the chocolate glazed coming in at a close second. The layers in the cronut were amazing, soft inside, slight crunch on the outside. I absolutely loved it. The chocolate glaze tasted like a ganache.. best chocolate glazed I've had in a while! It's hard to get the chocolate right but they did it. The blueberry pancake donut was good but I didn't love the cinnamon taste to it. All of the donuts were very fresh & soft. This place is in an alley but is super easy to find. We loved turning the corner & seeing all the bright colors! Service is good, you order online the night before for pick up so it was quick-make sure you have a plan for where to eat them as there's no tables or anything there. I think there's a park nearby, it snowed the day we got them so we went to a nearby coffee shop for drinks & to eat. We will be back in the summer when we're back in town!! read more
7 months ago
Beacon has some of the best donuts I think I have ever had. Their flavors are fun and inventive, but they also have the classics. The blueberry donut was incredible, a clear favorite. the Boston crème was a really fun take on it, and the birthday cake was perfection. It is such a cute little window in an alleyway with great service and really kind workers. read more
7 months ago
these doughnuts are still amazing and a consistent stop every time we are in chicago. i am not a fan of jelly/jam in doughnuts but the way that beacon doughnuts does it has changed my opinion. the blueberry pancake doughnut is your traditional doughnut shape with a hole but they somehow filled it with jam still. magic i think. the doughnuts are decadent, delicious, to die for. the chocolate glazed brioche is a new favorite of mine. it's an airy yeast doughnut which i prefer over cake doughnuts. the chocolate frosting is rich and the sweetness of the glaze balances out the chocolate. read more
1 year ago
Flavor!!!! These doughnuts are top tier variety. Tucked away in a alley you see a mural and a random window, (go towards the window), you find a entire bakery just working away. The service friendly and straightforward. Their menu changes so if you come late in the day or have a favorite. Be open to trying something new. Hard to go wrong here. P.S not a doughnut person, but these got me read more
Amazing donuts! Tried 3 different types all delicious. Blueberry pancake was my favorite. This is a walk up counter and I have heard sometimes the line is long but it wasn't when we went. Service was great, very helpful and coffee was good too. A great spot! read more
1 month ago
8 months ago
I should try them one more time to be sure, but these may be my favorite donuts in the city! We stopped in their alley location and got 4 donuts to go with our coffees from La Colombe. Every one we tried was delicious. I have tried their donuts at other coffeeshops before. Love that they're all vegan as well! You can pre-order, but we chose to wait in line - there were several people waiting, but the line moved pretty quickly since they're just serving up donuts. read more
Cozy Donut Shop with inventive flavors! The window can be easy to miss, so keep your eyes peeled for the large mural. They have interesting flavors and the ones that work are darn good. We really enjoyed their blueberry pancake, glazed and cake batter donuts. Very flavorful & moist. Their glazed donut is the textbook definition of a perfect glazed. I didn't particularly enjoy the oreo old fashioned or raspberry matcha donuts though. Both were a bit dry and the taste was off. Otherwise, solid spot for a sweet treat. read more
These are the most delectable donuts ever and they are vegan too! The apple cider donut was probably the best donut I've ever had, the apple cinnamon cake part was light and soft and the APPLE CIDER GLAZE was perfection. Also tried the vanilla vean cronut which was exciting because I've never seen vegan cronuts before, and it was also delicious. Wish I lived nearby so I could come try all the flavors. They do a weekend special flavor that changes weekly and is only available on weekends. Super cool literal hole in the wall in an alley, all staff were wonderful. read more
Each visit to Beacon is bound to impress! We tried 3 new flavors this trip and loved them all Flavor notes: Danish-bursting with fruit and creamy cheese in the middle. Donut surrounding it all was incredible and had a nice glaze Caramel mocha-Bursting with coffee flavor! Chocolate balances it all out nicely. Top 2 flavor this trip Oreo old fashioned-star of the show. I thought this would be a basic chocolate donut but the combo truly does mimic an Oreo! The glaze provides a nice crunch before hitting the melt in your mouth donut read more
This place definitely lives up to the hype. I've had donuts from here a handful of times and they have slapped every single time. I get excited anytime someone brings them up and even more excited when I have the chance to try them. My goal is to try one of each on the menu. So far, my favorite has been the basic glazed croissant donut. It's so simply yet so delicious. If you've never had Beacon Donuts, I highly recommend, you're missing out. Plus, they are nice people and I love the artwork. Such a good concept overall. Thank you Beacon Donuts, I'll see you soon. Personal Review: 8.6/10 read more
This was top 2 donuts I have ever had. The original and chocolate glaze were by far my favorites out of our six pack we pre ordered the night before. The service is amazing. Our train was delayed and they told us our pick up time can be before they close. The vibe of walking in a back alley to get service is incredible. I will be back when in town! read more
5 months ago
10/10!!!!!! This place is only a few minute walk from the L. Very worth a try! We will definitely be back! read more
Super cute & unique donut shop located in an alleyway! I got the Boston cream, vanilla bean cronut, and the apple fritter. I decided to go against the blueberry pancake donut because I'm personally not a huge fan of jam-filled donuts, but if that's your jam (pun intended), I'm sure it tastes great! The jam + maple glaze combo just sounded like a sugar bomb to me. This place automatically gets 5 stars for its Boston cream. If you like Boston cream, you HAVE to try this donut. It's honestly the best Boston cream I've ever had. The cream filling is evenly filled throughout the entire donut, the texture of the cake (yes, cake) donut is perfection, and the cocoa powder adds a subtle bitterness that compliments the donut well & keeps it from being overly sweet. I'd give my left arm for this donut. The other 2 donuts were also good but not as spectacular. The cronut was delish, but honestly, it didn't taste very different from a regular glazed imo. The layers are fun, but they didn't wow me. The apple fritter had a great flavor & a good amount of apple chunks, however, it lacked the crispiness of a proper apple fritter. Nonetheless, you still get 5 stars from me Beacon (the Boston cream = life changing), especially considering y'all are vegan & your donuts don't taste vegan at all! read more
Stumbled onto this doughnut shop while taking a walk. Loved the outside painting on wall. I ordered a coffee and a raised glazed doughnut and might I Say it was so nice and fluffy. This place is clearly known for their pastries, because I didn't care for my coffee, but THAT doughnut was the TRUTH!!! The cashier was super friendly too. Side-note, I think it's pretty cool it's on the side through an ALLEY!!! read more
3 months ago
The best donuts in Chicago! The donuts are so fresh, unique, & somehow vegan? They never miss the mark. read more
3 months ago
2 years ago
In the area to look at glasses. We hadn't eaten breakfast so we stopped in at noon for a donut. By the time we got to the location there were limited donuts. Plenty of signage to direct you to storefront. We walked down the alley and promptly put in our order. We got the traditional raised glazed donut and chocolate brioche raised donut. Both were super soft and sweetened just right. Overall we were satisfied with our selection but thought the price was high for traditional donut. read more
1 year ago
Beacon Doughnuts is one of my favorite little finds in the city. The location itself is unique and has its own charm--today when I stopped by, someone was even having a mini birthday celebration out front, which just added to the good vibes. I went with a cold brew, a glazed donut, and a chocolate glazed donut. The cold brew is strong (the kind that still holds up even after a 45-minute drive), and the doughnuts are always fresh and delicious. Service is consistently fast and friendly, which makes it easy to stop in whether you're grabbing a quick treat or hanging around for a bit. Definitely a spot worth visiting if you're anywhere nearby. read more
2 years ago
I love donuts, but I'm not a huge fan of cake donuts, so I wasn't sure how much I'd like these. They do have a few other options, but they're mostly cake donuts. My cousin, her fiancee, my husband, and I shared: - Cinnamon Coffee Cake - Birthday Cake Sprinkle - Blueberry Pancake - Apple Cider - Vanilla Bean Cronut - Blackberry Beignet These are probably the best cake donuts I've ever had. The Blueberry Pancake was my favorite. It's not common to have a cake ring donut that's filled and this was incredible. My second pick would be the Cronut, but you really can't go wrong with any of them. They're all vegan which is awesome. I'm not vegan, but I'm always happy to find vegan food that's better than non-vegan food. read more
Who knew? As a carnivore, who knew that vegan doughnuts could be so out-of-this-world delicious? Who knew that these divine creations would be found in an alley of all places? Finally, who knew that a literal hole-in-the-wall would not only have terrific donuts, but some of the best coffee I've had in a hot minute? Not me, that's for sure, thankfully someone on social media did. Of course, I did save the post because that's the only way I would remember to Google "Chicago Alley Donuts," because my brain just works funny like that. Now, as donuts and coffee are not as time or money intensive as a restaurant, so I went within a few days. I went for the tried-and-tasted favorite of a glazed donut and a coffee with cream & sugar. First and foremost, the donut was large! I kid you not, when I got this thing in hand, I said out loud "now that's what I call a donut!" However, it wasn't just size where this thing excelled - it was also light, airy, and fresh! The glaze was delightful and in light of the whole thing, the sweetness was not overboard. Then there was the coffee. Some of the strongest and most flavorful gold I've had in a place that wasn't a bougie cafe (blue bottle, or something). Cream and sugar wasn't overdone either, with just enough sweetness to be pleasant, but not so much as to impose a feeling of guilt after having devoured a large donut. Finally, there was the service. While the line was not around the block, it was friendly and prompt. This is when I will tell you a place has the potential to be dangerous. It is a good thing I do not live around the corner, or I can see myself here multiple times a week. Red to brown/purple, and then a couple blocks away is the right distance for Beacon Donuts to be a weekend treat, and not a daily haunt! Now, BRB, it is Sunday and I am craving a donut. read more
Staying with some friends who happen to be vegan, I asked them to bring me to their favorite spots. So for breakfast one morning, we stopped at Beacon Doughnuts to grab a half-dozen doughnuts and wow, were they delicious! We pulled in and parked along the street very close to the shop a little after 8:30am on a Saturday. Walking down the alley, I was stunned by the awesome artwork all around Beacon Doughnut's window to order and pick-up their treats. There is no spot to sit so this is a pick-up and leave situation but that was fine, we planned on eating our doughnuts elsewhere anyways. The line was somewhat long but was moving fairly regularly, we were there maybe about 10-20 minutes total. The women working behind the counter were incredibly friendly and courteous! We placed our order and it was ready in little to no time and we were on our way. For my two, I went with Beacon's Vanilla Bean Cronut and Cinnamon Coffee Cake doughnut. Both were incredible! The taste, texture, and size were excellent. The Vanilla Bean Cronut was tall and had the texture of a doughnut with the light, fluffy inside of a croissant; I am in love! haha The Cinnamon Coffee Cake doughnut was just as delicious and had the right amount of coffee cake-like topping on top without all of it falling off after each bite. I did my best to savor every bite and was plenty full after. Beacon Doughnuts is an awesome breakfast spot with friendly staff and a smaller, but focused, menu. I definitely want to come back and try more! read more
4 months ago
Beyond impressive that all these donuts are vegan. I honestly didn't even know that before ordering & thought only one I got was vegan. Got a half dozen. 2 Glazed brioche, raspberry beignet, Oreo old fashioned, birthday cake & apple cider. The glazed brioche was delicious but so tall it's a bit awkward to eat. The apple cider was surprisingly the favorite. The only one we didn't dig was the Oreo old fashioned, very sweet and a bit oily tasting. The donuts were cold (being in a Chicago alley obviously doesn't help). They taste better if you take them home and heat them up for a couple seconds. Girl who took my order was so friendly and helpful. Clearly no frills ambiance as it's a pickup window in an alley but these vegan donuts make up for that. read more
1 year ago
A true hidden gem - literally in an alley. But truly some of the best doughnuts I've had!! We tried the blueberry pancake, Oreo old fashioned, vanilla bean cronut, and caramel mocha. They were all a hit and so fresh!! I will definitely be coming back time and time again to try all of the flavors and new ones too! read more
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More info about Beacon Doughnuts
810 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
Lincoln Park, Sheffield Neighbors, DePaul
Directions
(773) 698-2839
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http://www.beacondoughnuts.com
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Ask the Community - Beacon Doughnuts
Does anyone know if all the doughnuts are vegan? I have a daughter with an egg and dairy allergy and was curious if they were an allergy friendly establishment? It's hard to find a definitive answer on their website and social media pages.
They are all vegan and incredible!!
