6 Best Places to Find Paczki for Sale in Chicago

Looking for Pazcki for sale in Chicago? You’ve come to the right place!

One of the best things about Chicago is its multicultural roots. I assumed when I moved there that I’d have no trouble finding any type of food I wanted. Sadly that was not totally accurate.

I discovered some really amazing bakeries and restaurants during the 16 years I lived in Chicago. However, some specific things were hard or impossible to find, including high-quality paczki for sale.

Thankfully, my taste-testing is a win for you. Don’t waste time getting non-authentic paczki at Jewel or another grocery store.

I’ve tried them, too. They aren’t worth the receipt they’re printed on when you get scrumptious, delicious paczki in neighborhoods throughout Chicago.

What is a Paczki?

Pronounced “punch-kee” or “paunch-kee,” these Polish jelly donuts are only made and served on Fat Tuesday.

Historically, on the Tuesday before Lent, people in Poland used up luxury foods so they would not spoil or go to waste during the Christian fasting period.

Families used all their eggs, sugar, butter, and fruit by treating themselves one last time before Lent began. It’s a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages.

They’re so much more than a donut, though. Usually, paczki are filled with jam or some kind of sweet filling. Often, they either draw lines around the block or sell out the same day.

The basic recipe is similar to filled donuts from Italy, Hungary, or Germany. They have milk, eggs, flour, yeast, butter, and sugar in the dough. However, a traditional paczki also has a little bit of a special brand of Polish vodka called Spiritus.

In the US, Paczki are most commonly found in the midwest. I was lucky enough to grow up less than a mile from Haas Bakery, one of the best paczki bakeries in Ohio.

Where to Buy Paczki in Chicago?

In my first year living in the city, I couldn’t find paczki for sale anywhere in Chicago. Let alone a traditional paczki bakery. My dad even offered to ship me some paczki from home, but a real paczki has no preservatives.

They’re stale within a day so they have to be fresh. Finding paczki in Chicago and everywhere I’ve lived has been a tradition in my life for decades.

After a LOT of searching, I finally found not one but SIX amazing bakeshops that have authentic paczki for sale in Chicago! The secret is heading into the neighborhoods.

Like I’ve said in other posts about amazing culinary delights throughout the city, the best food is not found downtown in the Loop.

Looking for places to eat in Chicago? Check out Lou Mitchell’s and Scooter’s Frozen Custard!

1. Paczki for Sale in Wicker Park

When I moved to Wicker Park in 2007, I found a local bakery that offered pre-orders for my paczki fix. My problem with finding paczki for sale in Chicago on Fat Tuesday was solved!

Choosing flavors was my new problem because Alliance Bakery offers about ten different options. We ordered from here eight or nine times over a 12 year period. I

can safely say that every single type of paczki they make tastes amazing. So the choices got more difficult each year because they were all my favorites.

Alliance is an easy walk from the Division Blue Line stop. Just walk west a few blocks on the north side of Division street.

Always Pre-Order

Despite leaving Wicker Park in 2016, we continued to get paczki for sale there almost every year until we left the city in 2019. They were worth driving halfway across the city back to our old neighborhood.

In 2019, though, all our travel preparations were in full swing. I forgot to pre-order my paczki. I called Alliance in a panic Tuesday morning. They assured me they’d still have *some* paczki for sale by the time I could drive over there at 2:00 pm.

They were correct, but barely. Some of my favorite flavors were already gone. The strawberry topped with powdered sugar disappeared before my eyes while waiting in line to order.

Thankfully, I still managed to snag some raspberry rose, vanilla bean, salted caramel, and the last apple cinnamon.

2. Paczki for Sale in Lincoln Square

Opened in 1972 by Polish brothers, Gene’s Sausage Shop & Delicatessen has become a Chicago staple. It serves not only polish sausage but other polish delicacies, including paczki.

Since the early 2000s, the shop has grown to become a full-service European grocer. They even offer a rooftop beer and wine garden.

If you plan to eat your paczki on-site, you can enjoy it on the rooftop in good weather and paired with a specialty paczki beer!

Gene’s also offers paczki for sale as a preorder in sets of one dozen. They don’t offer as many flavors as some of the other bakeries.

Typically only rose, bavarian custard, and a few fruit flavors are available. However, the quality is excellent and authentic since the founding brothers brought the recipe with them from Poland.

Gene’s is located just north of the Western Brown Line stop on Lincoln Ave. From the Brown Line, go east on Leland and then north on Lincoln. Gene’s is on the west side of the street.

3. Paczki For Sale in Roscoe Village

We discovered Dinkel’s Bakery when my good friend and fellow blogger moved to the neighborhood. I spent a lot of time with her trying all the new-to-her restaurants in the area.

We actually found both Dinkel’s and Gene’s exploring new neighborhoods with friends.

Dinkel’s is a fourth-generation family-owned bakery that has been operating in Roscoe Village since 1922. Any bakery that’s been operating for one hundred years is certainly worth trying!

If you don’t live in Chicago or anywhere that has a paczki bakery, Dinkel’s actually ships worldwide from their website. If you splurge on overnight shipping, you can enjoy these tasty pastries before they get stale.

Dinkel’s is a straight walk south from the Paulina Brown Line stop on Lincoln Avenue.

4. Paczki for Sale in Bridgeport

The original Bridgeport Bakery closed in November 2019 after the original owner wanted to retire.

Shortly afterward, another Bridgeport resident bought it from him and reopened it at the same spot in 2020. He renamed it Bridgeport Bakery 2.0 and uses the same paczki recipe as the original owner.

This bakery takes their paczki so seriously that they open at midnight on Fat Tuesday. In addition, they offer over 20 flavors of paczki. Some are really creative, like oreo and cannoli flavors.

However, they still have basic custard and fruit jelly favorites as well. With prices ranging from $1.40 to $2.19 each, this is the most affordable paczki place on the list. Other spots sell them for $2-$3 each so the cost spread isn’t astronomical.

Bridgeport Bakery 2.0 sits on the corner of Loomis St and Archer Ave. It is a half-mile walk from the Ashland Orange Line stop. Just walk south on Ashland to Archer, then turn left. The bakery is on the south side of Archer Ave.

5. Paczki for Sale in Humboldt Park

Roeser’s Bakery celebrated its 110th anniversary in November 2021. They are famous throughout the city of Chicago. On Fat Tuesday, and a few days before and after, they offer the largest variety of paczki flavors in the city.

From traditional ones, like custard and rose, to modern flavors, like Nutella and guava, there is something for everyone. The line here will consistently stretch down the block on North Avenue, though.

We made an exception to our Alliance Bakery tradition in 2018 and ordered our paczki from here instead. They certainly did not disappoint! Especially the Nutella paczki.

I’d never had one before since I typically lean toward traditional flavors. But I absolutely love hazelnut, and in a paczki that’s just perfection!

6. Paczki for Sale in Jefferson Park

Delightful Pastries is one of the only bakeshops that sell paczki year-round. It has three locations in Chicago, including a restaurant in the French Market attached to Union Station in the loop.

However, their location in Jefferson Park is the only one guaranteed to have paczki on any given day.

Unlike many other bakeries on this list, Delightful Pastries has only been in Chicago for a little more than 20 years. That doesn’t mean they aren’t worth trying though.

Especially if you’re visiting from out of town when it’s not paczki season, this can be a great way to see what all the paczki fuss is about.

Delightful Pastries’ Jefferson Park location is a one-mile walk from the Jefferson Blue Line Stop.

Conclusion: Paczki for Sale in Chicago

So what is THE best place to get paczki in Chicago? There isn’t just one. I, or several friends, have personally tried paczki at all of the places on this list.

I can safely say that any bakery on this list is a solid choice for getting packzi for sale in Chicago on Fat Tuesday.

Regardless of where you go, make sure you place a pre-order. Don’t be like me at Alliance in 2019.

Don’t miss out on your favorite flavors because you lose track of days. Trust me on this one. It’s worth taking the extra time out of your day to pre-order.