While doughnuts can be found pretty much everywhere, some places’ creations stack up better than others, according to a group of Yelp reviewers. Ahead of National Doughnut Day on Friday, June 7, Yelp set out to find the top local donut spot in each U.S. state — relying on reviews of its Elite Squad.
In Illinois, a longtime staple on Chicago’s Far South Side took the cake.
Old Fashioned Donuts, a half-century old establishment in Roseland, prides itself on serving “the best doughnuts money can buy.” At the helm all these years – and to this day – is owner Buritt Bulloch, who celebrated his 85th birthday late last year, according to the bakery’s Facebook page.
“His beloved ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ confections are cut, fried, and glazed by hand, and ‘still fresh and delicious the next day, if you have any left,'” the description on the Yelp entry read, referring to multiple reviews.
While some spots may have unusual concoctions, the revered South Side bakery focuses on the classics. It offers multiple varieties of Bismarks, French donuts, cake donuts – plus around nine types of yeast donuts.
The options include pineapple, strawberry, orange, white frosted, chocolate, flake coconut and caramel. That doesn’t even cover the specialty items like apple fritters, cinnamon rolls and bowties.
This is far from the first time Old Fashioned Donuts has received an accolade. The business ranked 16th on Yelp’s list of Top 100 U.S. Donut Shops in 2023.
Old Fashioned Donuts, 11248 S. Michigan Ave., is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and closed on Sundays.
If you’ll be heading on a road trip soon – and suddenly develop a doughnut craving – here’s a list to keep in handy. These are the number one donut spots in other Midwest states:
- Indiana – Long’s Bakery in Indianapolis
- Iowa – Ambrosia Donuts in Ankeny
- Kansas – Hana’s Donuts in Kansas City
- Kentucky – Nord’s Bakery in Louisville
- Michigan – Avon Donuts Inc. in Pontiac
- Minnesota – Heights Bakery in Columbia Heights
- Missouri – Fresh Donuts in Kansas City
- Nebraska – Olsen Bake Shop in Omaha
- Ohio – Donna’s Delicious Dozen in Columbus
To compile the list, Yelp identified businesses in the donuts category on its site, with a large concentration of 5-star Elite reviews. All of the businesses were marked open as of March 28, 2024.
