4 March 2026
Chicago 12, Melborne City, USA

Where To Get Paczki In Chicago For Fat Tuesday 2026

CHICAGO — Have you made plans for Paczki Day, aka Fat Tuesday?

Passing around the beloved Polish doughnuts at home or in the office is a Chicago tradition. Paczki Day this year falls on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and as usual, bakeries in the city and suburbs are firing up their fryers and taking preorders to meet demand.

Paczki, pronounced “pownch-key,” were devised as a way to use up decadent ingredients before Lent. They’re made from a rich yeasted dough that’s fried, filled with jam, custard or fruit, and covered with powdered sugar.

The list of traditional flavors is long and includes apricot, custard, prune and rose, but many bakeries take liberties with the classics by offering trendier fillings like ube, horchata and Dubai chocolate. 

Heritage Restaurant Partners is taking a leap into savory paczki at their West Town pop-up at The Beetle, 2532 W. Chicago Ave. in Ukrainian Village, with flavors like pimento cheese with Cool Ranch dust, plus a sweet raspberry doughnut coated with hibiscus sugar that is dairy- and gluten-free.

Ed Marszewski, the owner of Bridgeport’s Marz Community Brewing, 3630 S. Iron St., never lets Paczki Day go uncelebrated. Marszewski, who is of Polish and Korean descent, will host Paczki Fest Sunday at the Bridgeport mothership, featuring traditional Polish dancing and paczki sandos, plus the annual release of Marz’s Packzi Double Milk Stout.

Bitter Pops, 3357 N. Lincoln Ave., is offering its own take on a liquid version of the treat with its raspberry paczki latte being served up at its Roscoe Village coffee bar. 

Block Club has compiled a list of Chicago-area bakeries, cafes and restaurants that plan to sell paczki on or before Fat Tuesday. While some bakeries on this list sell paczki for several weeks or even year-round, most of these are a one-day-only affair. 

Reserve ahead by phone or online if you can, as paczki sell out quickly and you may be able to bypass the lines if you’ve preordered.

Chicago

Customers wait in line for paczkis at Delightful Pastries on March 4, 2025. Credit: Alex V. Hernandez/Block Club Chicago

Suburbs

Is your paczki spot missing from our list? Do you know of other bakeries that sell paczki? Let us know at [email protected].


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