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    Doughnut Vault

    4.3 (1.2k reviews)
    ModerateDonuts
    Open 7:30 am - 1:00 pm

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    Box
    Mary K.

    TL; DR: Preorder ahead if you want to make sure you get the donuts you want I visited at 7:40 a.m. on a Wednesday and there were already about five people in line. The shop is very small, so on a cold day, it's worth planning ahead for the wait. The donuts are solid overall. The old-fashioned is especially good--crispy on the outside and nicely sweet. The apple fritter is on the doughier side but generously sized. The donut holes are a highlight too: perfect for a quick two-bite treat.

    Caili C.

    Every time I come to Chicago I have to grab a donut from Doughnut Vault and luckily when we came around 10am on a Sunday, we were able to avoid a line and grab a donut after our run along the lakeshore and riverwalk. I got an almond old fashioned as a post-run treat and this 100% was worth the trip I love the texture of their old fashioned donut, it's cakey with crusty edges that have a bit of crunch. The almond flavor really comes through and while the icing is always a tad sweet for me, it's a great treat or dessert post-dinner!

    Pistachio old fashioned
    Zarifa A.

    I'm a huge fan of donuts and Doughnut Vault was on the way to my destination, so I had to stop by and give it a try! Doughnut Vault is known for their old fashioned donuts. Everything is made fresh daily and they tend to sell out quickly. My husband and I got there right around the time they opened and were able to snag the pistachio and original old fashioned donuts. After having them, I can understand why this place is popular--the donuts were both delicious! The store itself is small but charming, and service here is very friendly. Overall, I really liked this place and would highly recommend it!

    Buttermilk old-fashioned
    Jessica M.

    This is one of my favorite donut shops. I have yet to visit on a weekend but I've heard of the craze so I would continue to only stop by during the week. I have tried the chocolate Bavarian cream, chocolate old-fashioned, and buttermilk old-fashioned. I have not tried a variety because I keep going back to my favorite which is the buttermilk old-fashioned. It has the perfect density and cakey interior with a crisp, craggy, and cracked exterior. Street parking during the week is relatively easy. Or what I would do to offset the guilty pleasure is to power walk to and from the shop so I can burn off some of the calories before and after consumption.

    Pumpkin cake donut.
    Maggie X.

    I've had sooo many donuts this last month. When I visited Chicago, Doughnut Vault came highly recommended and I stopped in at least three times and sampled a variety of classic and seasonal offerings. I like the ever-changing weekly menu. I like Doughnut Vault's origin story. I like the quirky "am I sure I'm in the right place" ordering window. Some of the donuts (I'm looking at you, pumpkin cake) reallyyyy hit, and some of them I couldn't make past the first bite. Maple cake (special): Uniformly fluffy but still with a bit of chew I expect from a donut, this had really great texture and was the first cake donut I can remember enjoying. It teetered my conviction that cake donuts are just not donuts; they're cake! Pumpkin cake (special): Oooof, this donut made me a cake donut believer. I could have used half the overly sweet icing on top, but the pumpkin flavor came through amazingly with that cozy scent of fall. Not too sweet, still fluffy with the perfect amount of chew. Definitely the best pumpkin donut I've ever sampled. Chocolate old fashioned (classic): Very dense, very dry in some areas, very thick coating of chocolate on top. It's possible I just chanced upon a dud, but I was really disappointed in this overbaked and overglazed donut. Chocolate glazed (classic): This yeast risen donut was a touch too risen for me. I liked the height and look of the donut, but the dough ended up being on the dryer side that wasn't remedied by the chocolate glaze. Strawberry glazed (classic): Similarly to the chocolate glazed, this strawberry glazed was also a touch too risen, which leads me to think that's just the standard proofing for these donuts. I'm somewhat impressed by the fact they maintain their structure and height, but the slight dryness and less tender crumble makes me prefer an alternative recipe. Cake donuts -- yes please! I'll pass on the yeast variety.

    Inside menu
    Tina L.

    Holy molyyyy the hype is real! I think I can safely say these are the best doughnuts I've ever had. I'd never been a huge cake or old fashioned doughnut person, but DV has def converted me! I got their birthday cake and almond old fashioned doughnuts - both were crisp on the outside & perfectly soft on the inside. The sweetness level is just right as well. The almond old fashioned has salted almonds on top which adds a nice contrast and texture. Their special filled doughnut of the day, banana cream pie, BLEW my mind though. This doughnut is MASSIVE! The filling was absolutely divine. It tasted like a crossover of banana pudding & vanilla custard. There was 0 artificial banana taste and real chunks of banana. I will be dreaming of this doughnut for the rest of my life. This place is a million times better than Stan's and Firecakes (and Dunkin + Krispy Kreme, but this goes without saying).

    pistachio and almond old-fashioned donuts.
    Janice K.

    This donut shop was just around the corner from the hotel. I was staying at in downtown Chicago. I read reviews talking about how they run out early so I made sure to be there around 8 AM. I think they open at 7:30. I was excited to try the pistachio donut, but also chose the almond based on all the good reviews. I have to agree; the almond old-fashioned donut was superior. The old-fashioned donuts are all plain, but then have a glaze and/or toppings for the different flavors. Two donuts was just over eight dollars after tax. Pretty reasonable for the size of the donut and the location in downtown. They only sell donuts and drip coffee. Tip: order ahead through their website. There's a walk up window to pick up preorders so you don't have to stand in line.

    Menu options (10/31/25)
    Dave A.

    DEELISH DONUT OPTION IN CHICAGO! So what kind donut scene does Chicago have? Seems like Dunkin' Donuts is at almost every corner we turn, which is a HARD PASS for me, but there are local vendors here, worth hitting, based on yelp reviews. Donut Vault seemed like a good option to explore, so off I went, footin' it with an assist from The "EL". From Brown Line, exit at the Merchandise Mart stop, then find a way to get to ground level (I wandered a bit because there is no obvious "DOWN" option here, until I found a stairwell to ground level lol). WiFi function was a bit slow 'round this area, so Go to Wells Street, then head to Kinzie St and turn left, right on Franklin St, and it's right next to Bavette's Gilt Bar. Found it! Their location totally gives off the "Harry Potter under the staircase room vibe," which I dig! Small line to get in. Interestingly, the people ahead of me are getting boxes of donuts, that's a good sign I'm in for a treat! Ok, let's eat! CLASSIC OLD FASHIONED: This has gotta be their specialty because this option had the most variety. I got PISTACHIO, PEANUT BUTTER, and TRIPLE CHOCOLATE. WOW! Solid donuts! Perfect old fashioned donut consistency. Crisp outer shell, yet soft and oh so flavorful inside. Flavors are exceptionally spot on! I was not expecting Pistachio to have an actual nutty taste to it, BUT IT DID! Peanut Butter did this PB Snob proud... YUM! Triple Chocolate was chocolate heaven! BOSTON CRÈME: I had the Halloween Special and it was huge! BIG dollop of "creme" inside was colored orange and actually a custard. Every bite allowed for a sample of the custard, too, so nice ratio of donut to filling. Custard wasn't too sweet and the creaminess was delightful! Nom! APPLE FRITTER: Uniquely crafted, not the typical style seen in most California shops, but the components were still there! Crisp shell, iced yet not too sweet a shell, lots of apple bits, soft & fluffy inner core... Tasty! PUMPKIN CAKE DONUT: It's Halloween, HAD to pick up a Pumpkin one! Glad I did because it was the best pumpkin donut version I've tasted. And that cream cheese glaze?!?! Badass! VERY EASY RECOMMENDATION! Nom Nom on full alert! I see why peeps be walkin' out with boxes! Definitely worth a visit!

    Buttermilk Old Fashioned, Triple Chocolate Old Fashioned, Daily Special- Raspberry Old Fashioned, Doughnut Holes
    Clarizza A.

    Best old fashioned donuts ever!!! Visiting Chicago and I'm truly upset to leave this place. This place converted me to an old fashioned donut lover. The place is very small but that's their charm. Service was great and friendly. Their buttermilk (5/5) and triple chocolate (5/5) old fashioned donuts are amazing. You HAVE to get them. I personally didn't care for the almond old fashioned (3.5/5) and prefer the buttermilk instead. Their regular donuts are HUGE but still very very good. Those seem to sell out quickly so I recommend placing an order online to guarantee that you get them. The regular glazed donut (5/5) was amazing, the chocolate glazed (4/5) was good but I prefer the chocolate old fashioned more. Everyone has to try this place!!

    Donut holes
    Quin B.

    Went on a doughnut tour downtown Chicago on a lovely Friday. We started at the doughnut vault and here are my thoughts: 1. This place is very small on the outside, but makes huge donuts. 2. People seem to love their chocolate donuts even though I'm partial to the chocolate treats. 3. Donuts are pricey between $3.75-$4.45

    Coconut cake donut; Buttermilk Old Fashioned; lemon lemon old fashioned

    I've been here a few times but always forgot to post a review. I have clearly gone back because these have to be the best donuts! Recommend them to anyone!

    Donut
    Tyler C.

    Fun space on the side of The Guilt bar and restaurant. They have what they have. And it's good. Old fashioned donuts are fluffy and full of flavor. I loved the almond donut. Raspberry Jelly was a jelly sandwich on a fluffy base that stayed clean for the whole donut. Kudos to the vault. Coffee was good but nothing special and only regular-no large. Worth a visit even though there are no tables. It's one street behind the merchandise mart.

    Inna Y.

    As a tourist who frequently vacations in Chicago, I have tried a lot of the popular donut places except for Doughnut Vault so I was stoked to have been able to finally try it out on a Sunday morning. We went at around 7:30 because like most, we heard that they run out of donuts quickly. There was no line when we arrived but they definitely had a steady stream of customers from 7:30 to 8 am. Staff were really accommodating. The guy at the counter was kind enough to tell us their specials. We got 4 donuts which you will see in the photos (as I've forgotten their flavors already). They were all good but I cannot say that they are especially better than other donut places. I also got the cold brew with oat milk with the milk available for free. They have al fresco dining which contributed to an overall pleasant experience. The place does look like a vault which was amazing. We would definitely go back to try other flavors.

    Chocolate chip donut and chocolate croissant donut

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    9 months ago

    Tiny little hole in the wall that serves a limited number of doughnut types. Cake, jelly and fritters were all good. Staff is nice.

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    4 months ago

    Really great small batch donuts in a cool location. Quick and friendly service, and everything is beautiful and delicious.

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    Ask the Community - Doughnut Vault

    Are there dairy free options?

    No, all doughnuts contain dairy, eggs or both.

    Do they have vegan donuts?

    No, all doughnuts contain either dairy, eggs or both.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Walked in and immediately greeted with the smell of donuts, yum!…read more We asked for donut recs and got one of each of their most famous flavors: vanilla bean glazed and old fashioned. Both were delish! The glazed donut was fluffy, sweet and my fave. My husband loved his old fashioned donut! He said it was crunchy yet moist. We also both got the Hot N' Spicy chicken sandwich which was so good!! Flavorful and spicy, with toppings that helped add some freshness to it. Pair it with a soft brioche bun, and this sandwich was heavenly! Def check this spot out for breakfast! One of the best places we tried while in Chicago!

    I had the egg and cheese sandwich. Hot, fresh, tasty... though flavor-wise it was giving…read more"Midwestern safe choice." I stared at the spicy jalapeño version for a solid minute before deciding I enjoy my digestive system too much. Then came the gluten-free cinnamon donut covered in chocolate. Made with potato flour and apparently forged in the depths of pure butter and chaos. Heavy as hell. Delicious as hell. Roughly all the calories I'm allowed for the month. My husband inhaled his like a man seeing civilization after weeks at sea. I also had the old-fashioned buttermilk donut dipped in what I think was vanilla glaze, and honestly? That donut knew exactly what it was doing. Service was ridiculously fast, friendly, and funny. They have this little pickup window where your sandwich appears from the void, handed to you by an adorable cheerful human like some kind of magical egg sandwich fairy-poof-it appears! Go, have fun with the choices, don't even think about the calories. One lady told me people come at the holiday and get boxes and boxes! What a great idea! Now just build one in Florida! Cuz, there are enough hot air politicians to help bake these bad boys! Cannot wait to come back ;)

    Photos
    Inside on a Saturday noon 1/4/2025
    Inside on a Saturday noon 1/4/2025
    Breakfast Sandwich - Vera Cruz
    Breakfast Sandwich - Vera Cruz
    Front Counter at Do-Rite

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    Front Counter at Do-Rite

    Doughnut Vault - donuts - Updated June 2026

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