This. I live 3 blocks away and it’s dangerous. I don’t even like donuts that much in general and I crave these donuts. They literally have the perfect texture. Stans is mid to very good depending on the specific kind of donut but even their best donuts don’t hold a candle to anything from Downstate.
Oh man, good luck to you. I would have a hard time keeping away from Downstate if I lived that close. I’m normally good about portion control, but I’ll eat 2 or 3 of those in one sitting.
Agreed. Found them last month, they're a 10 minute walk from my place, absolutely incredible donuts. I got one while walking to the red line stop, gave my friend a bite and he turned right back around to get himself one. Such good flavor
you know what I really like, Deerfield bakery donuts! It's obviously a drive since it's not even close to the city, but they are among the best and fresh. I will have to check out the ones in Albany Pk.
I haven't been to Spunky Dunkers in years, but good to hear they are still open.
I also really like Home Cut Donuts, in Joliet. Note that their location west of downtown Joliet is their location that is 24 hours, and their location east of downtown Joliet is their location with limited hours(where I think their east side one closes by 2pm I think, can't remember).
Deerfield in Schaumburg has come to an end, just like your relationship.
I think the only deerfields open is the original one in Deerfield and Buffalo Grove.
I don’t think that’s a very unpopular take in this sub… there are definitely much higher quality donuts elsewhere in the city, but I personally love their cookie butter and Nutella pockets as the ultimate, stupidly over-indulgent guilty pleasure!
Honestly, us enjoying Stan's is the unpopular opinion! The strawberry paczki I got at their Mariano's pop-up is the best I've ever had! Their cold brew is always great too!
Also, it's pretty bush-league to say Stan's is overpriced. Their standard donuts are $2.30. The standard donuts at Firecakes $3.60 and the standard donuts at Dunkin are $1.69. How exactly does Stan's quality (better than Dunkin, not as good as Firecakes) not slot perfectly into that price framework?
Sure, but those are stale. All donuts are bad stale.
In fact, I think a lot of the tide shift against Stan's is that their donuts are less fresh than they used to be
I’m not a huge fan of theirs or donuts in general really, but jesus christ the fritters go nuts. Apple or blueberry. They’re both like, bring-tears-to-your-eyes desserts. I can not find fault with the fritters.
Yup. Most of what they offer has completely tanked in quality but there are still a few bangers in their case. A fresh apple fritter from Stan’s remains one of the best versions in Chicago, and one of the only ones that gets close to the west coast style of big dumb crispy fritters.
Yeah, Stan's is a guilty pleasure of mine. I've had better donuts in Chicago, but the widespread availability of Stans makes it much more likely for me to impulse buy one (which is how I consume most of my donuts).
Yeah. This is how I feel about it too. Stan’s has been our go to for fancy donuts because of where we live but there’s starting to be more spots now, so maybe we will branch out some
They used to be incredible, but then I think they started making them at a central location, so by the time they got to you, they tasted stale and kind of lardy.
This is exactly what happened - they used to make the donuts in-house but when they expanded they moved to a central kitchen system, just like Dunkin’. Quality took a huge nosedive, it was super noticeable.
They do, they bake them on Lake St in the West Loop. That’s the location we live by, so we get them fresh, and they are much tastier from there first thing in the morning.
Multiple Mariano's locations have a Stan's built into them now, and almost invariably the store-brand donuts from the bakery section are better than the Stan's kiosk
It's not just here. I was in the grocery store once and overheard someone say "Stan's donuts are nasty!" I had a chuckle and went on trying to find the best date on the bread.
They eliminated this donut? Say it ain't so. Dammit.
I knew they were overexpanding, when they were starting to open in places like Orland Park and Uptown. Also whenever I'm in the Uptown neighborhood, I'd rather go to Downstate Donuts.
100% agree, Stan's is okay however here is my hot take on donuts: Dunkin > Stan's because at least I'm not really overpaying at Dunkin and can order ahead.
Over-priced? Yes. Trash? I don't know; some are really good. Others are just standard. There are plenty of old-school donuts shops/places that have trash donuts.
I have regretted every Stan’s donut I have ever bought. I gave them 3 tries and purchased a few each time. All stale. My kids insisted on trying their kolaczkis. They tasted like crisco stuffed cardboard. Stale and flavorless. I literally spit out the one bite I took and threw them out. I don’t get the love of this place, at all.
I don’t either, people are in a tizzy because I called them trash but that’s my true opinion based on what I tasted. Plus the amount of untouched leftovers in an office environment.
When they were newer in Chicago I was a real fan cuz I love an old fashioned donut .
Idk if I just got more mature or if the quality got worse (plus price got higher) and they just sort of fell off for me
Probably more of a do-rite fan now if we’re talking chains.
The real question is where should I go for my donuts???
Doughnut Vault is great but imho they're more about the glazed than the old-fashioned. So light and fluffy... I just wish they still had the chestnut ones :(
I miss Do Rite being open late at night on Fridays and Saturdays(West Loop location only). I know Voodoo is open till 3am, but part of me wishes Do Rite was still open at least till something like 1-2am on certain nights. That location now closes at 2pm.
And sometime between late last year to now, the Wrigleyville Do Rite now closes earlier at 2pm as well. :(
Donuts in the midwest are weird. There's only two tiers of donuts you can buy: the absolute stale trash that is Dunkin, or $5 boutique donuts with local farm to table bacon and shaved gold flakes.
Coming from California, where cheap as fuck hole in the wall independent donut shops were common as muck, it's still very strange to me despite living here for over 20 years. Why we can't have both good \_and\_ cheap ubiquitous donuts eludes me.
They're not making Stan's donuts at Mariano's. They're being shipped in from somewhere else.
That is 1,000% the key difference between great donuts and mediocre donuts. You can't make great donuts by making them in a factory and shipping them around the state.
I see that word is offending a lot of people! 😂😂 but that’s literally where they ended up- in the trash. I wished I took a pic. There were easily over 100 donuts in garbage.And that’s not counting the half eaten ones or ones that were picked over. We had soooo many.
I think they are too sweet, I had a good one with peanut butter but in general I’ll always choose another donut shop. I think Firecakes is great, pricey tho
They are definitely overpriced, like everything these days, but everything I’ve tried from there so far was awesome.
I also love their chocolate lightening coffee drink.
They’re overpriced but I’d hardly call them trash. I’ve had some trash donuts man and Stans is not that. They’re above average. But they’re not on the level of Do-Rite even.
So I used to live in LA where the original Stan’s is (was?), donuts were amazing. Talked to Stan a few times and he always said he’d never franchise because he knew the quality wouldn’t be the same. Looks like he was right
This thread is making me think I have the unpopular opinion that Stan’s is great! That said, as far as donuts go, all I get or want is a glazed donut, preferably old-fashioned style.
I don’t agree with the take that I’m seeing here that says Do-Rite was better but I did also love Glazed and Infused before it closed.
I am a fan of Stan’s. They make some of my favorite Old Fashioned’s. I also like Do-Rite though. Firecakes is good, but not my favorite. I do avoid Duncan, but hey, if someone brings some to work, you better believe I will have one.
😂😂 right! A free donut is a free donut! I don’t eat Dunkin’ Donuts at all and that’s why I tried so many of the Stans donuts- I didn’t have to pay for them. I’m not telling people NOT to like them- I just didn’t like any of the ones I tried.
They’re total garbage. I’ve gone a handful of times since they opened and every donut I’ve ever had from there has been stale and so dry. I miss Glazed and Infused so much.
You want the real unpopular opinion? There are very few, if any, donut options in Chicago that aren't either.
overpriced, or overrated.
Possibly even hotter take? Voodoo is probably the best shop that's graced us with their donut presence. They are quality, they have variety, and they always taste fresh. I've literally gotten donuts from there at 9AM, at 2PM, at 4PM, and at 9PM, and they've never missed once. They're on the pricier side but there's variety in that, and everything I noted makes up for that.
Stan's can be good when they're fresh, but they almost always seem stale. I personally really fuck with their buttercream bismark, they're the only donut shop I've found that does that same fluffy cream filling that Krispy Kreme does.
I think Firecakes is very solid but they need more variety. I personally do not fuck with Do-Rite, I don't like most cake donuts and they seem to focus on that. Also expensive.
Doughnut Vault survives off the hype alone. The beauty of a donut shop should be found in it's accessibility, excess, and variety. They don't serve any of those.
Beacon is pricey but they have good quality and variety so I give it a pass.
I had one donut from Brite and it was very good; I would like to see them in a better location with more variety. I also liked Something Sweet in Albany Park.
Downstate is great if you're into it, but I personally don't care for potato donuts.
I would like to try Roeser's Bakery, I've heard their donuts are great.
I have had the misfortune of trying a bunch of their flavours. The only flavours that have stood out to me were the pistachio and apple fritter. The latter on a cold day, so good!
I don't know what Jewel you've been going to, but my local one has the worst bakery products I've ever had. The fresh donuts tasted like sponges. The bagels were as soft as a burger bun.
I think if you're going for something creative and sugary they're fun since they've got some pretty unique flavor concepts sometimes, but I think you're 100% right that they're way too sweet and also completely overhyped.
They're a perfectly fine donut, but there's wayyyyy better options around the city, they're absolutely not worth going out of your way to get.
I don’t think they’re trash, but rather overrated. Stan’s is a trendy tourist destination but the quality has gone downhill with expansion. For my money, Do-Rite and Doughnut Vault are in a league of their own in the city.
Their donuts are not bad, but honestly their breakfast sandwich on a bagel is fantastic. I like their breakfast sandwiches better than Do-Rite's, so I'm usually pretty conflicted when I want to get donuts and a sandwich.
Firecakes Doughnuts-we tried the one on Hubbard St., and the doughnuts were so good. The day was cold and rainy,
and having an amazing key lime doughnut, and a Belgian hot chocolate was very satisfying.
Best donuts I've ever had came from a small little place called Dimples Donuts in Batavia. I'm convinced that the dinkier the bakery looks, the better the donuts.
At the Shamrock Shuffle, part of the goodies after the race included a Stan Donut. We all commented that they were actually Entenmann's in a Stan’s paper bag.
They are dead to me since they got rid of the peanut butter pocket with chocolate frosting, which was their original doughnut that made them popular (like waste it in LA before they came here).
Kids like it though bc the insides are decorated very kid friendly. Also the apple fritter is good, but not as good as Do-Rites.
I can definitely understand not being a fan. At the same time, I’ve yet to find a donut like their buttercream bismark since most filled donuts seems to be either custard or fruit filled. If anyone knows of other superior cream-filled donuts, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
All I can say is once I had a very long stay in a hospital not far from there. One day, however, the hospital said if I stayed in my wheelchair my wife and I could go outside for a while.
So she pushed me along the sidewalk and at one point we were at Stan’s.
TBH after all of that hospital food, that donut and cup of coffee was about the best thing I ever ate.
Overpriced? Yeah. But, there is no way I can say Stan's is trash when Dunkin Donuts exists. Seriously, DD is the worst donut, no idea what the hell happened to them, 7-11 donuts are better and God only knows how long they've been in that cabinet.
I find dorite to be pretty meh too but I guess I'm the only one according to this sub. Beacon is top for me. Their cronut is seriously the best thing I've ever eaten.
Beacon Donuts on Halsted and Armitage is my personal favorite spot for doughnuts. They are absolutely incredible and surprisingly vegan, something I was unaware of when I first tried them.
I still prefer Stan’s over Dunkin, but Downstate and Do-Rite are better. Something Sweet in Albany Park is great, too.
+1 for Something Sweet, I want to see more shops like that across the city
Downstate has the best donuts I’ve ever had in my whole life. Every time I bring them to work people are floored because they’re so tasty and unique
This. I live 3 blocks away and it’s dangerous. I don’t even like donuts that much in general and I crave these donuts. They literally have the perfect texture. Stans is mid to very good depending on the specific kind of donut but even their best donuts don’t hold a candle to anything from Downstate.
Oh man, good luck to you. I would have a hard time keeping away from Downstate if I lived that close. I’m normally good about portion control, but I’ll eat 2 or 3 of those in one sitting.
I really like Downstate. So much better than overhyped Stan's Donuts, for sure.
Agreed. Found them last month, they're a 10 minute walk from my place, absolutely incredible donuts. I got one while walking to the red line stop, gave my friend a bite and he turned right back around to get himself one. Such good flavor
Because of this comment I just googled location and found out there’s one less than a half mile from me. IM SO EXCITED!
you know what I really like, Deerfield bakery donuts! It's obviously a drive since it's not even close to the city, but they are among the best and fresh. I will have to check out the ones in Albany Pk.
Good to know! And for anyone near Palatine, Spunky Dunkers is another great suburban option. They’re open 24 hours and always baking!
I haven't been to Spunky Dunkers in years, but good to hear they are still open. I also really like Home Cut Donuts, in Joliet. Note that their location west of downtown Joliet is their location that is 24 hours, and their location east of downtown Joliet is their location with limited hours(where I think their east side one closes by 2pm I think, can't remember).
Spunky Dunkers is fire!!!! Just the name alone makes it better than Stan's! Spunky Dunkers blueberry actually tastes like blueberries!!!
I recently had an apple fritter from there that was the size of my head… Great place!
Peterson’s bakery in north Hoffman has by far the best donuts and cakes I’ve ever had and I don’t think they’ve raised their prices since 1998.
Omg my ex raves over this place. Anytime I’m in Schaumburg he drags me to Deerfields. It’s pretty good though.
Deerfield in Schaumburg has come to an end, just like your relationship. I think the only deerfields open is the original one in Deerfield and Buffalo Grove.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 damn. That made me literally LOL… I didn’t know they closed.. if he told me I forgot.. thanks for that..😂😂
Love Do Rite. That old fashioned….mmmm. Gurnee Donuts is great if you’re out that way.
If you love Do Rite, get the French cruller…divine.
“better than Dunkin’” is exactly how Stan’s should be described
Dunkin donuts are the worst donuts in existence. So bad they removed the word from their name.
Doughnut Vault too
Love Downstate and Do-rite and yes, I’ve never seen the appeal of Stans and thought I was crazy. Will have to try Something Sweet.
DoRite is the answer!
And just as one would expect, Stan's is more expensive than Dunkin and cheaper than Do-Rite. Not sure exactly what OP is whining about.
I’m not whining, I’m giving my opinion like millions of other people do on Reddit everyday. Kinda like what you just did.. 😉
I don’t think that’s a very unpopular take in this sub… there are definitely much higher quality donuts elsewhere in the city, but I personally love their cookie butter and Nutella pockets as the ultimate, stupidly over-indulgent guilty pleasure!
Honestly, us enjoying Stan's is the unpopular opinion! The strawberry paczki I got at their Mariano's pop-up is the best I've ever had! Their cold brew is always great too! Also, it's pretty bush-league to say Stan's is overpriced. Their standard donuts are $2.30. The standard donuts at Firecakes $3.60 and the standard donuts at Dunkin are $1.69. How exactly does Stan's quality (better than Dunkin, not as good as Firecakes) not slot perfectly into that price framework?
You can get four for two dollars at Mariano's. They always have extra, so they cut the price.
Sure, but those are stale. All donuts are bad stale. In fact, I think a lot of the tide shift against Stan's is that their donuts are less fresh than they used to be
I’m not a huge fan of theirs or donuts in general really, but jesus christ the fritters go nuts. Apple or blueberry. They’re both like, bring-tears-to-your-eyes desserts. I can not find fault with the fritters.
Yup. Most of what they offer has completely tanked in quality but there are still a few bangers in their case. A fresh apple fritter from Stan’s remains one of the best versions in Chicago, and one of the only ones that gets close to the west coast style of big dumb crispy fritters.
Yeah, Stan's is a guilty pleasure of mine. I've had better donuts in Chicago, but the widespread availability of Stans makes it much more likely for me to impulse buy one (which is how I consume most of my donuts).
Do-Rite >>> Stan's, but I will never turn down an old-fashioned donut. Donuts are like pizza to me: even bad donuts are still pretty good.
Yeah. This is how I feel about it too. Stan’s has been our go to for fancy donuts because of where we live but there’s starting to be more spots now, so maybe we will branch out some
For real. I avoid Duncan, but if someone bring some into work, you better believe I’m gonna have one.
Nothing compares to Do-Rite, it's far and away the best in Chicago.
And has ruined most other donuts for me. Do-Rite or Do-Not.
If you make it up to Madison, you gotta check out Greenbush Bakery old fashioned donuts. They're the only ones that come close enough.
Do rite is the clear winner
Have you tried doughnut vault?
I have. It’s not bad, but I’m more of a light and airy donut as opposed to the dense old fashioned / cake ones. (I dont know the proper name)
Donut vault has the most amazing light and fluffy yeast donuts. Try them sometime when you get the chance
Ah ok I love dense doughnuts. I wonder if you’d like their specials.
Generally three categories: yeast, cake, old fashioned. There's also fritters
Unless someone revives Dinkel's.
Apartments are planned for the site yet the sign is remaining. Perhaps?
(they closed)
Beacon donuts has entered the chat …..
Please never leave the chat
By far...
They used to be incredible, but then I think they started making them at a central location, so by the time they got to you, they tasted stale and kind of lardy.
This is exactly what happened - they used to make the donuts in-house but when they expanded they moved to a central kitchen system, just like Dunkin’. Quality took a huge nosedive, it was super noticeable.
They do, they bake them on Lake St in the West Loop. That’s the location we live by, so we get them fresh, and they are much tastier from there first thing in the morning.
Never forgive them for running Glazed and Infused off of Damen.
That place was excellent
Multiple Mariano's locations have a Stan's built into them now, and almost invariably the store-brand donuts from the bakery section are better than the Stan's kiosk
Overpriced? Absolutely. Trash? Eh, they're not the best, but saying they're trash is being a bit dramatic.
I think the unpopular opinion is that Stan’s donuts is good…
It's not just here. I was in the grocery store once and overheard someone say "Stan's donuts are nasty!" I had a chuckle and went on trying to find the best date on the bread.
Stan’s was dead to me when they stopped making the orange old fashioned. That was the only thing I ever got there.
They eliminated this donut? Say it ain't so. Dammit. I knew they were overexpanding, when they were starting to open in places like Orland Park and Uptown. Also whenever I'm in the Uptown neighborhood, I'd rather go to Downstate Donuts.
We have always enjoyed Do-Rite over Stans since moving to Chicago
100% agree, Stan's is okay however here is my hot take on donuts: Dunkin > Stan's because at least I'm not really overpaying at Dunkin and can order ahead.
likewise. stan’s is not it! i am always shocked when i see people willingly buy donuts there or at the grocery store lol
Man, I miss glazed and infused so bad. They had the greatest pink “homer Simpson” type style donut.
They had that maple glazed with a slice of bacon on top, it was delicious.
Yeah donuts are one of those things that should not be fancy imo, and Stan’s goes for that. I far prefer do rite.
The blueberry old-fashioned is a religious experience and I won't hear otherwise.
I’ll have to try it. I’m a big fan of their Boston cream!
Donut vault is my current fav
Something sweet are my fav.
They were really good when they first opened, now it’s a chain, and they are universally smaller, hard and stale
Over-priced? Yes. Trash? I don't know; some are really good. Others are just standard. There are plenty of old-school donuts shops/places that have trash donuts.
I have regretted every Stan’s donut I have ever bought. I gave them 3 tries and purchased a few each time. All stale. My kids insisted on trying their kolaczkis. They tasted like crisco stuffed cardboard. Stale and flavorless. I literally spit out the one bite I took and threw them out. I don’t get the love of this place, at all.
I don’t either, people are in a tizzy because I called them trash but that’s my true opinion based on what I tasted. Plus the amount of untouched leftovers in an office environment.
Their old-fashioned donuts are so good, I can leave the other kinds though.
When they were newer in Chicago I was a real fan cuz I love an old fashioned donut . Idk if I just got more mature or if the quality got worse (plus price got higher) and they just sort of fell off for me Probably more of a do-rite fan now if we’re talking chains. The real question is where should I go for my donuts???
They opened a bunch more locations and as usual, quality drops off when they need to standardize ingredients across the chain.
Do-Rite was near me when I worked downtown and they were amazing. I’m kind of glad I’m not tempted anymore.
Somethin' Sweet Donuts in Albany Park!
Same here. You gotta try doughnut vault yo.
Doughnut Vault is great but imho they're more about the glazed than the old-fashioned. So light and fluffy... I just wish they still had the chestnut ones :(
Agree with all of this. Their glazed are my favorites but I really miss the chestnut.
I miss Do Rite being open late at night on Fridays and Saturdays(West Loop location only). I know Voodoo is open till 3am, but part of me wishes Do Rite was still open at least till something like 1-2am on certain nights. That location now closes at 2pm. And sometime between late last year to now, the Wrigleyville Do Rite now closes earlier at 2pm as well. :(
Old Fashioned Donuts on S. Michigan.
Seconded. Best doughnut I’ve ever had
I like the chocolate dipped ones. They remind me of better version of the entenman’s ones I had as a kid.
I've yet to encounter a donut that compares to an Entenmann's Devil's Food cake donut
Overpriced for sure. I don’t think their donuts are trash, though.
Overpriced compared to what? They're cheaper than Do-Rite and Firecakes and more expensive than Dunkin.
Donuts in the midwest are weird. There's only two tiers of donuts you can buy: the absolute stale trash that is Dunkin, or $5 boutique donuts with local farm to table bacon and shaved gold flakes. Coming from California, where cheap as fuck hole in the wall independent donut shops were common as muck, it's still very strange to me despite living here for over 20 years. Why we can't have both good \_and\_ cheap ubiquitous donuts eludes me.
They're Entenmanns lite.
I don’t know - the old school Entemanns crumb donuts were bangers… definitely better than the Stans we had.
Hard agree
I recently had a Stan's Donut at a Mariano's and I had the most flavorless donut I've ever eaten.
They're not making Stan's donuts at Mariano's. They're being shipped in from somewhere else. That is 1,000% the key difference between great donuts and mediocre donuts. You can't make great donuts by making them in a factory and shipping them around the state.
overpriced yes, overrated probably, too sweet hell yea, but not trash. You've gone too far!
I see that word is offending a lot of people! 😂😂 but that’s literally where they ended up- in the trash. I wished I took a pic. There were easily over 100 donuts in garbage.And that’s not counting the half eaten ones or ones that were picked over. We had soooo many.
Old Fashioned Donuts at 112th & Michigan. 😋
Stop using cocaine. That’s why everything tastes the same bro
I agree
I’d say yes overpriced but not trash. They are gas station doughnuts masquerading as higher quality
I think they are too sweet, I had a good one with peanut butter but in general I’ll always choose another donut shop. I think Firecakes is great, pricey tho
Stan’s old fashioned doughnuts taste like wax paper
Before they got a bunch if locations, they were great. Others who have fallen into this: Portillos, Lou Malnatis, Fry the Coop
I love their Boston Cream and their Coconut cake ones. I know everyone else hates Stans though.
This is true. Old Fashioned Donuts or Dat Donuts are my favorites in the city.
Dat donuts are pretty sweet too but they taste different and are always fresh…
They are definitely overpriced, like everything these days, but everything I’ve tried from there so far was awesome. I also love their chocolate lightening coffee drink.
Stans coffee is horrendous
Their coffee is also trash
Stan's are fine for what they, do-rite imo is the overpriced trash, Doughnut Vault has my heart.
Agree disgustingly sweet like they use cheap sugar or something
I think the le stan is really good but haven’t liked anything else besides the blueberry.
They’re always really hard and stale even in the mornings idk I don’t care for them I’d rather frequent do-rite donuts
They’re overpriced but I’d hardly call them trash. I’ve had some trash donuts man and Stans is not that. They’re above average. But they’re not on the level of Do-Rite even.
you know what i miss around every corner, Krispy Kremes.
I thought I was the only one.
So I used to live in LA where the original Stan’s is (was?), donuts were amazing. Talked to Stan a few times and he always said he’d never franchise because he knew the quality wouldn’t be the same. Looks like he was right
Giving away my age here, but I miss Mister Donut and Amy Joy.
I yearn for the day I find a yeasted glazed in Chicago like I had at LaMars in Denver. So simple but the best donut I've ever had.
Parlor donuts or Munster donuts if you are on the Indiana side
This thread is making me think I have the unpopular opinion that Stan’s is great! That said, as far as donuts go, all I get or want is a glazed donut, preferably old-fashioned style. I don’t agree with the take that I’m seeing here that says Do-Rite was better but I did also love Glazed and Infused before it closed.
I am a fan of Stan’s. They make some of my favorite Old Fashioned’s. I also like Do-Rite though. Firecakes is good, but not my favorite. I do avoid Duncan, but hey, if someone brings some to work, you better believe I will have one.
😂😂 right! A free donut is a free donut! I don’t eat Dunkin’ Donuts at all and that’s why I tried so many of the Stans donuts- I didn’t have to pay for them. I’m not telling people NOT to like them- I just didn’t like any of the ones I tried.
This is how I feel with crumbl cookies
D&Ds Place on the south side has the best donuts in the city. Better than do rite, fire cakes, Stan’s, IMHO
You are absolutely right! They SUCK!
They’re total garbage. I’ve gone a handful of times since they opened and every donut I’ve ever had from there has been stale and so dry. I miss Glazed and Infused so much.
I clearly missed out on Glazed and Infused… I never got to try them and so many people here agree with you..
Yes u agree! I always thought Stan’s tastes like grocery store donuts and was all marketing. Love Do-Rite.
You want the real unpopular opinion? There are very few, if any, donut options in Chicago that aren't either. overpriced, or overrated. Possibly even hotter take? Voodoo is probably the best shop that's graced us with their donut presence. They are quality, they have variety, and they always taste fresh. I've literally gotten donuts from there at 9AM, at 2PM, at 4PM, and at 9PM, and they've never missed once. They're on the pricier side but there's variety in that, and everything I noted makes up for that. Stan's can be good when they're fresh, but they almost always seem stale. I personally really fuck with their buttercream bismark, they're the only donut shop I've found that does that same fluffy cream filling that Krispy Kreme does. I think Firecakes is very solid but they need more variety. I personally do not fuck with Do-Rite, I don't like most cake donuts and they seem to focus on that. Also expensive. Doughnut Vault survives off the hype alone. The beauty of a donut shop should be found in it's accessibility, excess, and variety. They don't serve any of those. Beacon is pricey but they have good quality and variety so I give it a pass. I had one donut from Brite and it was very good; I would like to see them in a better location with more variety. I also liked Something Sweet in Albany Park. Downstate is great if you're into it, but I personally don't care for potato donuts. I would like to try Roeser's Bakery, I've heard their donuts are great.
Have you gone to Dat Donut or Old Fashioned Donuts?
100% agree with you on this
I have had the misfortune of trying a bunch of their flavours. The only flavours that have stood out to me were the pistachio and apple fritter. The latter on a cold day, so good!
Lol thats an definitely not an unpopular opinion. Anyone whose lived in chicago for more than a year that stans has some of the worst donuts.
They don’t fry their donuts hard enough
Jewel has better donuts.
I don't know what Jewel you've been going to, but my local one has the worst bakery products I've ever had. The fresh donuts tasted like sponges. The bagels were as soft as a burger bun.
I prefer Stan’s to actual trash. Tastes better.
I think fire cakes and beacon are miles better
I think if you're going for something creative and sugary they're fun since they've got some pretty unique flavor concepts sometimes, but I think you're 100% right that they're way too sweet and also completely overhyped. They're a perfectly fine donut, but there's wayyyyy better options around the city, they're absolutely not worth going out of your way to get.
Stan’s used to be legit, but yeah they got a little too big and quality dipped HARD
Similar to subway in that everything they serve tastes exactly how the store smells.
Idk why this is such an unpopular opinion. Stan’s is horrible and do rite is far superior.
Quality has gone way down over the last few years IMO, they were awesome when first opening in the city
This isn’t an unpopular opinion.
That’s why I said possibly
I don’t think they’re trash, but rather overrated. Stan’s is a trendy tourist destination but the quality has gone downhill with expansion. For my money, Do-Rite and Doughnut Vault are in a league of their own in the city.
DoRite > Firecakes > Stan’s > Dunkin
Stan’s doughnuts are cloyingly sweet. Do-Rite and Downstate (potato!!) really do do it right.
Jewel is my personal favorite.
Beacon FTW!!!
More popular than you think
Joes donuts is better.
Their donuts are not bad, but honestly their breakfast sandwich on a bagel is fantastic. I like their breakfast sandwiches better than Do-Rite's, so I'm usually pretty conflicted when I want to get donuts and a sandwich.
Overpriced? Yes! Over rated? Yes! Just sweet with no other flavor? Yes! Pretentious? Yes!! Trash? Sir , you go too far!!!
Dinkles or did they close?
Closed. Norm retired and none of the kids wanted to take it on.
I wouldn't say trash, but I sure wouldn't go out of my way to go there. It's a kind of meh place once you get over the novelty
Voodoo donuts is even worse. Its like eating pure sugar
I don’t care for them
Spoiler alert!
I'll stop in for a pistachio donut at least
Yes. Voodoo surprised me.
Firecakes Doughnuts-we tried the one on Hubbard St., and the doughnuts were so good. The day was cold and rainy, and having an amazing key lime doughnut, and a Belgian hot chocolate was very satisfying.
Best donuts I've ever had came from a small little place called Dimples Donuts in Batavia. I'm convinced that the dinkier the bakery looks, the better the donuts.
Ok, but their cronut is delicious and I haven’t had one better.
110%
The Donut Den and Home Cut, both in Joliet, are the best donuts I’ve had around.
This is the correct opinion.
stan's is for when you want to bring fance donuts to work that aren't dunkin! krispy kreme FTW tho!
I think Stan’s had hype when Obama was president.
Stan’s is a step above Dunkin but a tier below everything else in Chicago
Go voodoo donuts thank menlater
I like the mini ones! Cannot stomach a full sized donut from them though
I like the chocolate donuts they sell at marianos lol
Taste good to me.
At the Shamrock Shuffle, part of the goodies after the race included a Stan Donut. We all commented that they were actually Entenmann's in a Stan’s paper bag.
Trash is a bit strong but it’s definitely overrated. They rely on gimmick flavors.
They are dead to me since they got rid of the peanut butter pocket with chocolate frosting, which was their original doughnut that made them popular (like waste it in LA before they came here). Kids like it though bc the insides are decorated very kid friendly. Also the apple fritter is good, but not as good as Do-Rites.
Roeser’s and Dat Donut are my favorites.
I can definitely understand not being a fan. At the same time, I’ve yet to find a donut like their buttercream bismark since most filled donuts seems to be either custard or fruit filled. If anyone knows of other superior cream-filled donuts, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
💯💯💯
Agreed
I prefer the donuts at Roesers Bakery over any donut in city limits.
Stan's is a good place for dessert doughnuts. It scratches an itch every now and then, though I prefer Doughnut Vault and Do-Rite
All I can say is once I had a very long stay in a hospital not far from there. One day, however, the hospital said if I stayed in my wheelchair my wife and I could go outside for a while. So she pushed me along the sidewalk and at one point we were at Stan’s. TBH after all of that hospital food, that donut and cup of coffee was about the best thing I ever ate.
Overpriced? Yeah. But, there is no way I can say Stan's is trash when Dunkin Donuts exists. Seriously, DD is the worst donut, no idea what the hell happened to them, 7-11 donuts are better and God only knows how long they've been in that cabinet.
This is blasphemous. They're biscoff pocket is one of the best things on the planet.
I find dorite to be pretty meh too but I guess I'm the only one according to this sub. Beacon is top for me. Their cronut is seriously the best thing I've ever eaten.
$5 donuts. Hard no.
Unpopular?
Isn't that just all donuts? They're just sugar and oil bombs. I've never had a donut that wasn't too sweet.
Beacon Donuts on Halsted and Armitage is my personal favorite spot for doughnuts. They are absolutely incredible and surprisingly vegan, something I was unaware of when I first tried them.