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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.
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.
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!
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 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.
Unfortunately I don't remember the names of the ones we got but they were all pretty substantial in size and delicious. A good way to try out a variety and take as a gift to someone's house. They are on the pricier side and although none of them particularly stand out in memory, it's always nice to support a local business. It's nice that they're vegan too, you really can't tell much of a difference! The service was friendly, I'd recommend trying them out! read more
1 year ago
AMAZING ARTISAN VEGAN DONUTS!! Staff is friendly and awesome! They are responsive and respond via text if you have any questions about your order. This was my fiancé and I's first time ordering and we were so glad we ordered ahead! No wait for preorders! The line was long for regular orders, although it moved pretty quickly! They do sell out of flavors fast so do yourself a favor and order ahead! Worth every penny!!! Keep in mind this is not a cafe style donut shop if you're looking for a sit down type of experience. Street parking only. There are also some cool murals and boutiques in the area to explore and take pictures while you wait on your order! read more
3 years ago
Absolutely amazing quality and flavor all around. The blueberry pancake stood out to me the most followed by the raspberry blood orange brioche. When you bite into each donut, you can tell that it's made with high quality ingredients created to perfection. Walk up counter in an alley on a busy Chicago street adds a subtle feel to the shop. I ordered in advance for pick up in the morning and the donuts were still fresh when picked up. 100% will be back to try weekly flavor specials soon! read more
2 years ago
One of my favorite donut shops. You can't go wrong with the old fashioned Oreo. Very good flavor. I also like the Raspberry Grapefruit Sufganiyot. Service is always fast and friendly. I know the entrance is in an alley but the donuts are too good and I love the artwork that covers the place. read more
1 year ago
I have to admit - I didn't rush to try this spot because vegan donuts didn't sound appealing. Well... I'm an IDIOT!! Beacon Doughnuts are SO good! I got the Pumpkin and the Apple doughnuts, and they were a generous size and so very flavorful. The storefront itself is very photogenic, so it's Instagram candy. I will definitely be back when I'm strolling through Lincoln Park! read more
3 years ago
I did not know that these doughnuts are also vegan!!! Wow, amazing!! I had their grapefruit and raspberry bismark and it was SO GOOD. I even closed my eyes to savor the filling. I just wish there was more filling to even out the ratio with the rest of the doughnut. I personally think it's even better than the blackberry bismark! This is by far my favorite doughnut place in Chicago. read more
1 year ago
Beacon Doughnuts is a pretty good find. If you can find it. Kind of hidden and easy to pass up. Just a window to walk up to and get some doughnuts. The best thing about this place is they have vegan friendly ones. I picked up a few doughnuts. One of these was the Banana Creme Pie. This was my favorite one of these. It's about $3.75 for a doughnut. The craziest thing about this place is that all of these are vegan. It makes it easy for people like me to choose something. There's no need to ask about ingredients for any of these. Find it hidden in Lakeview. It's close to a few other cool places. The prices are more than regular doughnuts but for the area and quality it's not bad though. read more
Thought this was a cute in the alley doughnut window. Neat concept and was fun to find. We tried a sprinkle doughnut and lavender... I wasn't a fan of the flavors or texture but I can see how some might like it. I'll come back and try other varieties when I'm in the area again. read more
4 years ago
This is a super cute donut shop located in an alleyway, but you can't miss it because of the bright colors and beautiful murals decorating the front window. The donuts are a little more than $3 each, but you get a discount if you buy them in boxes of 6 or 12. We tried the blueberry pancake (filled with blueberry jam but surprisingly wasn't too sweet, which I liked), sea salt chocolate (chocolate cake donut was delicious but a little bit too salty for me) and the birthday cake (I really loved the cake donut and the frosting on top, but I felt that the top was too overloaded with sprinkles). Overall, I would recommend this place and would definitely come back to try more donuts! read more
3 years ago
Delicious donuts in a hidden spot. Online ordering and pick up makes this a go to spot to grab donuts. Adorable outside painting. Service is fast and friendly. Donuts we tried have been tasty. read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
This spot has some really good donuts, you just gotta know what you like so you won't be disappointed. So here's my list 1) thin mint YESSSSSS (could use a tad bit more mint) 2) blueberry pancake YESSSSSS (that compote LAWD) 3) chocolate brioche NO 4) gingerbread HELL NO (too much ginger DAMN) 5) Boston cream NO 6) salted biscotti MAYBE 7) cinnamon bun HELL YESSSSSSS (orgasmic) I don't remember the actual names nor was I about to go on their website to check. But this is definitely close enough. read more
Happened to be in the area and see a sign for donuts in alley so of course had to explore it! Needless to say we were not disappointed. Tried the blueberry pancake which was the best! The tiramisu runner up. Apple fritter was a solid choice. The beignet which would be the only one I would pass on next time. Service was quick. For being in an alley it was a cute decorated window front but no seating near by which is a bit of a downside when eager to stuff your face in the donuts. read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Such delicious donuts and they deliver on flavor everytime! My favorite was the lemon poppy and Swedish knot. Highly recommend ordering online and picking up right away since sometimes they get super busy. Great donuts for a great price overall! read more
LOVE the donuts here. You wouldn't be able to tell they were vegan. My favorite is the tiramisu. They also have some limited time flavors like lavender vanilla. Which was absolutely delicious. It is in an alley way just so you don't miss it! read more
You never would've known these were vegan until reading reviews. These are so delicious and are located in the cutest little hidden gem in an alley! I preordered only because I know this place is popular so I wanted to make sure I got all the flavors I wanted without them selling out. Per the website, they close once they sellout. They have 2 separate lines - one is the regular line and the other is the preorder line. All of these were delicious so I'll just highlight my favorites. The blueberry lavender, caramel chocolate crunch, and blueberry pancake were my top 3 favorite! My least favorite would probably be the spiced pumpkin cause I don't know... it just didn't taste like anything special to me. I don't know how you even make vegan donuts but the dough in these was just so thick and rich. Like I'm in disbelief. So delicious and worth checking out! read more
I saw this place on tiktok and had to try it. I got three donuts and they were roughly $4 each. At first, I almost walked past this place before I realized it was in the alley. The staff was super friendly. I got the lemon one, the original glazed raise, and the knot. I liked the knot and the original glazed but the lemon one was a bit too sweet for me and not enough lemon. I will definitely come again and I am excited to try the other flavors available read more
1 year ago
Every doughnut I have gotten is very good. I usually go when I have time on my way to work. I'm definitely like a chocolate kind of lover so I do love the Oreo old fashioned so much. I've tried many of them with a friend so we were able to have bite-sizes of it. It was fun. They are vegan. They taste amazing. read more
2 years ago
Wow, I almost have no words for Beacon Doughnuts. I have never been a fan of vegan donuts, that is, until today. The doughnuts were all fluffy, flavorful, and just out of this world! Apple fritter was my absolute favorite. Would also like to give honorable mentions to the cronut as well as the plain glazed donut! Blueberry pancake was also great and very fun! By far the best donut, vegan or not, that I have ever had. Extremely friendly staff too! A+ read more
Ever since I started dating my anti-donut donut-eater of a bf, I've been slacking in my mission to find the best donutery in town. Well today, I finally got a chance to swing by this cutie patootie of a donut shop located in an alley just steps from the Armitage and Halsted intersection. (Hint: look for the sandwich board sign on Armitage.) I ordered the Double Chocolate & Sea Salt for myself and the Choco-Caramel Shortbread for my unpastriotic boo. The sea salt really adds to the chocolate cake donut but I felt like there wasn't much else going on. Having said that, I'm not the biggest fan of cake donuts that aren't an Old Fashioneds so don't let my words dissuade you from getting one for yourself. The Choco-Caramel Shortbread on the other hand was lite and fluffy, and much more flavorful. The raised donut was well-balanced and didn't feel greasy or taste too yeasty or sweet. I definitely enjoyed it a lot more than my bf, that's for sure. I wasn't blown away by the Double Chocolate donut but I'll definitely be back to try their Raised Glazed and Carrot Cake donuts :) read more
2 years ago
I've gone here so many times and I keep coming back! One of the few things I'm fully willing to walk a mile in the snow and ice for...and I'll keep doing it! I highly, highly recommend ordering your doughnuts ahead of time for pickup via Toasttab because they run out of the good stuff, fast! I love all of their doughnuts to be quite honest...especially the seasonal ones. Their newest seasonal addition, the chocolate chip cookie dough, is glorious but heavy. Whoever thought to fill the inside of a doughnut with cookie dough was a genius. All their doughnuts are vegan but I think they have the best doughnuts in Chicago, vegan or not! Whenever I have people visiting me from out of town, I make sure to grab them doughnuts from Beacon! Getting here is easy. They are in an alleyway but it's surprisingly not sketchy, and they have clean signage off of Armitage, so it's easy to find. They are just a pickup window, so there's no inside seating or anything like that. If you're on the fence about going...do yourself a favor and grab a doughnut!!! read more
3 years ago
An entire place of just vegan doughnuts! There's no parking or seating so my husband drove to pick them up for us. We tried five and were quite impressed with all of them. Tiramisu was fun but a bit sweet for us. Good quality cake though. Beignet was my husband's fav but I found a bit dry. Swedish knot was simple but I liked it although too sweet for my husband. We both loved the blackberry Bismarck. My favorite was the blueberry pancake. read more
Amazing donuts with unique textures + flavors! I recommend ordering online for pickup just so you avoid any lines / don't get there only for the donuts to be sold out. We tried a bunch of different flavors: tiramisu, Boston cream, lemon poppyseed, Oreo old fashioned, traditional beignet, and blueberry pancake. The standouts were the Oreo old fashioned, traditional beignet, tiramisu, and blueberry pancake. The lemon was a bit too sharp in the lemon poppyseed. These donuts are more cake-y than airy, but I personally loved these textures. read more
This is my absolute favorite donut spot in Chicago. The flavors are incredible, staff is awesome, and a bonus is that everything is Vegan! I think it's super fun that it's hidden in an alley - a literal hidden gem. My favorite donut they make is the Double Chocolate + Sea Salt... it is decadent and INCREDIBLE. Otherwise I love trying their temporary/seasonal flavors - this place really knows how to put a fun twist on donuts! read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
4 years ago
I visited the Beacon Doughnuts stand at the Wicker Park Farmers Market, much closer to me than their actual location in Lincoln Park. I was instantly drawn by the label "Oreo," but when I saw all the donuts were vegan, I became a little skeptical and stood outside the stand debating. However, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to go for it. I'm glad I did! This donut was delicious. Very moist, although a bit sweet and rich. It's hard to eat it all in one go, so I recommend portioning it over the course of a day. I want to come back here to try the chocolate sea salt! read more
2 years ago
We got a half dozen - boston cream, strawberry churro, orange poppy, oreo old fashioned, cinnamon coffee cake, birthday cake. Boston cream is filled inside and it was amazing! We also got apple fritters and they were perfect, lots of small pieces of apples and full of warm spices. Every donut we tried was incredible. Can't wait to go back again and try more flavors! read more
Let me start by saying ... I'm kinda a donut snob, I goto many donut festivals and follow who's hot and who's not... I have heard a lot of good feedback on beacon and wanted to try out a little blend of their donuts. I ordered ahead online. The process was very smooth just would be nice to see pictures of the donuts but was able to bounce around to the website and get an idea what they looked like. Not a big deal really just pointing it out. The pickup process was amazingly smooth and was a bit of a fast pass process honestly since I was able to walk right up to the counter, give me name and goodness was in hand and was on my way. So now the important part- the opening to peak in and see first - And what a sight! Presentation was very nice and each donut was looking better than the other. Now the donuts - holy cow each donut I had was equally good. I think the best one was the lavender vanilla. Second was the carrot cake- you either love it or hate these but I'm a huge fan, the apple was freaking amazing as well but I'll put it third. Of the dozen I got each was excellent... the s'mores was I the top of the pack along with blueberry filled. This is a must try donut shop... and honestly maybe one of the Best ( yes I said it) in Chicago. read more
4 years ago
Donut shop of the year Sometimes it's not about fancy, it's just recipe and customer service I'm order to knock it out the box. Don't get me wrong this place was great, it's was very neat with the COLORFUL walk up window but the most impressive part was the doughnuts. Everything was under $4 AND yes they sell coffee. Simplicity still works for me when I love what I pay for. Great place open 7am to noon most days Street paid parking available too GET THERE :) read more
The best donuts I have ever had in my life. No, seriously, I'm not just saying this to leave a positive review or standalone commentary-- in both the dairy world and the vegan world, Beacon Doughnuts has the best tasting doughnuts I have ever had. From the classic cake donut to the ever-complicated blueberry muffin donut, I am just in awe by how amazing these taste. How do they even make the texture so fluffy, light, perfect, let alone without animal products of any kind? I've tried quite a few of these now... they have a stand at the wicker park farmers market during the summer months, and a main location that conveniently opens at 7AM for those early morning cravings. Anyways, now for the donut review! Apple fritter 10/10 - Okay, so technically this isn't a donut, but nevertheless, this thing is PHENOMENAL. Like. Wow. Amazing texture, crisp edges, perfect hint of apple. If you're an apple fritter guy or gal this one is for you! Blueberry muffin 100/10 - I want to preface by saying this donut does not look pretty. But don't be led astray. I remember the first bite I took of this one was life changing. Ooey, gooey blueberry goodness in the center... warm, delicious, mmm like a warm hug on a cold morning. Like this donut single-handedly filled every hole in my soul. If you have not experienced Beacon's blueberry muffin donut you are not really living. Cinnamon coffee cake 7/10 - apparently this one is really popular. I wasn't too impressed honestly! I'm not really a fan of cake donuts because they're really dense. But yup, Cinnamon Coffee cake donut is just a cake donut with a little pizazz. While this one isn't rated as high as it's counterparts, I just want to say that in comparison to any non vegan cake donuts, Beacon's version is 1000% better. If I was a cake doughnut person i'd be all over this. Beignet 10/10 - If you're not a sweet person, Beignet is for you. Never seen a vegan beignet before, but this one has all of the funky spices to add some sparkle to your morning! Boston Creme 10/10 - Self explanatory. Tastes juuust like a boston crème doughnut. Has all that crème and everything. Well. I know all of my ratings are high, but that's just because the donuts here are really that good. Definitely make a stop here-- non vegans and vegans alike-- if you seek donut masters who have perfected their craft. Cheers! read more
4 years ago
On a recent visit to Chicago, I picked up some donuts first thing in the morning and took them to a nearby park to enjoy. These vegan donuts were so delicious that when we finished them, we turned right back around to get more. My first time at Beacon, I ordered the orange rosemary beignet. It was by far the best beignet I've ever had--so pillowy, with unique flavor and flecks of fresh rosemary inside. On my second time there, about 20 minutes later, I ordered the birthday cake donut, and I got a second beignet to bring back to my honey in CO. I carried that donut like a delicate flower on my multiple leg flight just to share its perfection with him. No regrets. Needless to say, my dear friend in Chicago keeps sending me pictures of Beacon donuts knowing that it's one of the top things that will bring me back to visit. read more
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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