Bakeries to visit for your Pączki Day fix in the Chicago area
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Paçzki from Delightful Pastries. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
It's double Pączki Day again in Chicago, when we'll indulge in pre-Lenten doughnut-eating on the Thursday before Fat Tuesday (Feb. 8) and then again on Mardi Gras (Feb. 13).
Why it matters: You'll need to act fast. Bakeries could sell out, so get your pre-orders in now.
State of play: Over the years, we've shared our favorite versions of these traditional filled doughnuts and asked for yours to assemble a great list of solid pączki purveyors.
Be smart: If you want to impress (or annoy) your friends, remind them that the word pączki is plural and pronounced POANCH-kee.
- The singular is pączek — pronounced POAN-chek.
- But as the joke goes, no one uses pączek because you can't eat just one!
Where to order pączki in Chicago:
Delightful Pastries
This Jefferson Park bakery's light, delicious pączki — courtesy of baker Dobra Bielinski — are made with a mildly sweet dough, flavored with fruit, custard and even boozy fillings. ($5.39).
- Our all-time favorite, though, is the strawberries and cream — a perfect dessert any time of year.
Bridgeport Bakery 2.0
Head to Bridgeport for all of the tasty pączki flavors you could dream of: strawberry, pineapple, lemon, buttercream, chocolate, and, of course, cherry ($2.50).
- You may celebrate Fat Tuesday, but we celebrate Fat Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Fat Weekend.
Bennison's
This longtime Evanston bakery has some of the best pączki in town, according to reader Tom H.
Jarosch Bakery
The Elk Grove Village bakery is reader Matt M.'s go-to for Pączki Day.
Country Donuts
Rebecca H. called the Crystal Lake business "iconic"!
Continental Bakery
This Mount Prospect bakery is "the best place for pączki" if you're in the north or northwest suburbs, says Lindsay C.
Weber's Bakery
"For paçzki, I used to love the departed Dinkel's on the North Side and Weber's Bakery on the South Side," says Andrea D.
Forest View Bakery
"This Milwaukee Avenue bakery has authentic pastries that taste like the ones I get in Poland," says Phillip W.