I've been back to Beacon Donuts more times than I can count, and it's become one of those places that's earned a permanent spot in my rotation whenever I'm craving a great donut. There are plenty of donut shops around Chicago, but Beacon has managed to stand out by consistently delivering fresh, high-quality donuts with friendly service every single time I've visited. That kind of consistency is what keeps me coming back. As much as I enjoy trying seasonal flavors, I always find myself ordering the glazed donut. It's a perfect reminder that when the basics are done well, they don't need to be complicated. The glaze has just the right amount of sweetness with a delicate crackle on the outside, while the donut itself is incredibly soft, light, and pillowy. It's fresh enough that it almost melts in your mouth, and it never feels greasy or overly heavy. It's one of those classic glazed donuts that makes you appreciate how good simple can be. Another thing I appreciate is that the donuts taste like they're made with care rather than mass-produced. Even after multiple visits, the quality has remained remarkably consistent, which isn't always the case with bakeries. Every glazed donut I've had has been fresh, evenly glazed, and exactly what I'm hoping for when I walk through the door. The location is convenient, and it's the kind of neighborhood business that feels like a local favorite rather than a chain. Love that it's a window in an alley too! You don't see that often. The staff deserves a shoutout as well. Everyone I've interacted with has been friendly, patient, and genuinely happy to help. Even during busy mornings, they keep things moving efficiently while still making customers feel appreciated. That level of service goes a long way and is another reason I continue choosing Beacon over other donut shops. If you're looking for an excellent neighborhood donut shop, Beacon Donuts is absolutely worth the stop. Great people, consistently fresh donuts, and one of the best glazed donuts I've had in Chicago make this a place I'll happily continue visiting for years to come. read more

Beacon Doughnuts - Glazed donut - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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

Beacon Doughnuts - Chocolate glazed brioche - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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

Beacon Doughnuts - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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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

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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

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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

Beacon Doughnuts - Boston cream - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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

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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. read more

Beacon Doughnuts - People gathering to pick up donuts. - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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

Beacon Doughnuts - Cronut - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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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

Beacon Doughnuts - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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

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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

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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

Beacon Doughnuts - Boston crème - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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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

Beacon Doughnuts - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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10/10!!!!!! This place is only a few minute walk from the L. Very worth a try! We will definitely be back! read more

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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

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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

Beacon Doughnuts - 1/2 Dozen: Glazed, Cake Batter, Oreo Old Fashioned, Raspberry Matcha, Blueberry Pancake, & Apple Fritter - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've only been here once but it was a memorable experience. Randomly strolling about and stumbled upon this spot. Let's be honest, donuts always sound good so I grabbed a couple and can confirm they're worth the hype. Need to get back here sooner rather than later. 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

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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

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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

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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

Beacon Doughnuts - Art work outside / order area - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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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

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Amazing, I think their original donut is by far the best. The cronut is good, and I tried every flavor as well, also all good lol. The coffee was good as well. Couldn't recommend this place more. Staff was friendly, but do recommend preordering. 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

Beacon Doughnuts - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Their Boston Cream is really innovative / different. Cream inside what looks like a ring, with wonderful powder on the outside. Not too sweet. Good stuff! read more

OK, let's start by saying I am about as far from a vegan as one can get. I grew up in Wisconsin, love dairy, and eat dairy on the regular. I did not try any of their filled "cream"-filled doughnuts because of this. However... those I tried (the pancake donuts, the cake donuts, all of the raised glazed) are among the best donuts I have ever had. And I have had many doughnuts! Beacon Doughnuts is in the alley, off of Armitage, in a walk-up, mural-painted (beautiful, by the way) back of a building. Their raised glaze is superior to any raised glaze I have had. They are fresh, denser, and feel like you are actually eating something rather than pillowy air. One can get. I grew up in Wisconsin, love dairy, eat dairy, etc. These are some of the best donuts I have ever had. Beacon Doughnuts is in the alley, in a mural painted (beautiful by the way) building. Their raised glaze is superior to any raised glaze I have had, is fresh and light, but substantial enough that you feel like you are actually eating something rather than pillowy air. I will be back! read more

These are the best cake donuts I've ever had and it's not close. Don't let the fact that they are vegan throw you off, they are unreal.

I'm not sure how I've never reviewed Beacon! I come here often, as they have some of the best donuts in the city. They are also vegan, and while I'm not vegan, it's nice to know. The blueberry pancake and basic chocolate glazed are my favorite. They often sell out on the weekends so definitely order ahead online if there are any donuts you are looking forward to getting. Service is always friendly. There can be a long line at times, so again, order ahead to limit your waiting. It's located in an alley off Armitage, but they have a sign so you don't miss it! read more

Easy to order ahead for pickup, and the donuts are always incredible. Don't be scared away by the back alley location! And get there early!

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

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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

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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

Beacon Doughnuts - Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Birthday Cake Sprinkle, Blueberry Pancake, Apple Cider, Vanilla Bean Cronut, and Blackberry Beignet Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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

Beacon Doughnuts - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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

Beacon Doughnuts - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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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

Beacon Doughnuts - Oreo old fashioned - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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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

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Amazing donuts! We came around 10:30am on a Saturday and there was a small wait, but they hadn't run out of anything yet. I love all the unique donut flavors and they were very fluffy donuts. Definitely recommend this place if you like donuts! read more

Yeast, cake, cronuts, all the options. I feel like I can never find a good yeast donut in this cake obsessed donut culture! But I found a few. I got the glazed, it was perfectly soft, squishy, and so sugary. I fell in love with my first bite. It had some salty tangs in there as well. My son got the birthday cake donut, it was pretty, completely covered in tasty sprinkles. My husband got a coffee cake donut. He said it had a good salt ratio and it was decadent, and with coffee it was a perfect pairing. The coffee was good, we got our donuts in seconds after ordering, and we went on a Saturday morning at 9:30, there were 2 people ahead of us, and when we left there was a line. There is also an incredible mural on the side of the building, adding to the beauty. read more

Beacon Doughnuts - Glazed donut - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Found this place out on TikTok so we came here on the weekend. You have to come in the morning to get it fresh and not a long line. You can place an order online and come pick it up to minus the hassle. We got a half dozen. The donut is vegan and very delicious. Street parking. Would recommend and come back again! read more

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