Downstate Donuts: Chicago's Best Potato-Based Donuts and Unique Coffee in Uptown

Downstate Donuts Introduce

Introduction / Overview: Downstate Donuts – Redefining the Donut Experience in Illinois

Downstate Donuts, located in Chicago’s vibrant Uptown neighborhood, is not just another donut shop; it is a destination for culinary innovation. This establishment has distinguished itself by embracing a unique concept: crafting delicious, high-quality donuts using a potato base. This unconventional ingredient lends the donuts a remarkable textural difference, resulting in a cakey consistency with a slight, pleasant chew, a slightly denser crumb, and a fantastic, crisper exterior crunch that traditional flour donuts simply cannot match.

The bakery operates as a combined Donut shop and Coffee shop, serving up its acclaimed potato donuts alongside a carefully curated selection of coffee and savory breakfast items. A major highlight noted by customers is that their unique flavor combinations are thoughtfully prepared to be less sweet than competitors, allowing the true namesake ingredients to shine—a welcome change for those in Illinois who find traditional donuts overly sugary. Downstate Donuts is committed to using wholesome, high-quality ingredients like in-season organic fruits, Wisconsin butter, and pure extracts, ensuring every bite is both gratifying and fresh. It is quickly becoming known as "thee donut place to go to in Chicago."

Location and Accessibility: Uptown’s Must-Visit Spot

The shop is conveniently located at 1132 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, USA, making it an easy stop for residents and visitors exploring the city's north side. The location encourages accessibility through various service options and a casual, welcoming atmosphere.

The atmosphere is described as Casual, making it a comfortable and pleasing place to enjoy a treat. While the space is small, offering Seating for about 10 people, it is comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. Parking is available in the form of Paid street parking in the vicinity. For those making a "Quick visit," the shop offers highly efficient service options. The venue is also popular for Solo dining, providing a relaxed spot for individuals to enjoy their breakfast or dessert.

Services Offered: Gourmet Donuts, Specialty Coffee, and Savory Breakfast

Downstate Donuts provides a comprehensive range of services and Offerings designed to cater to both the immediate cravings of a donut lover and the daily needs of a coffee enthusiast:

Donut Sales: Selling single donuts, Half Dozen, and Dozen Donuts, often in a seasonal assortment of their unique flavors, as well as bite-sized Potato Donut Tots.
Coffee Program: Offering a selection of Drip Coffee, Pour Overs (featuring Chicago’s Metric Coffee Roasters), and specialty French Espresso drinks, including the popular Hot and Iced Viet Cafe using Café Du Monde coffee.
Dining Flexibility: Full Service options include Takeout for grab-and-go convenience, Onsite services for those enjoying the seating area, and Delivery for bringing the unique taste right to local homes.
Savory Breakfast Items: The menu also extends beyond sweets to include satisfying Breakfast options like the Avo & Egg Sando and The Farmhouse Sando (with turkey sausage) served on their house-made potato bread.
Dining Options: Available for both Breakfast and Dessert, with comfortable Seating for patrons who wish to dine-in.

Features / Highlights: The Potato Difference and Unique Flavors

What truly sets Downstate Donuts apart from other Illinois donut shops are its innovative highlights and commitment to a superior product:

Potato-Based Doughnuts: This is the defining feature. Using potatoes creates a distinct textural difference—airy yet slightly denser with a fantastic, crispy exterior crunch—that customers find highly addictive.
Reduced Sweetness: The donuts contain 1/3 Less Sugar than traditional donuts, allowing the natural, earthy, and complex flavors of the unique glazes and ingredients to truly shine through.
Award-Winning Flavor Combinations: The menu is characterized by creative and unique flavors such as Lemon Ricotta (with fresh grated lemon zest), Sweet Potato Maple (tasting like a blend of pumpkin spice and carrot cake), Whipped Viet Coffee, and Miso Honey Butter with black sesame seeds.
Great Coffee: The coffee program is highly praised, ensuring a perfect pairing for the gourmet donuts. The specialized Viet Coffee, in particular, is noted for its authentic, rich coffee taste.
Quality Ingredients: The shop is dedicated to using wholesome, high-quality ingredients, including in-house made salted caramel, pure spices, and extracts, emphasizing flavor and quality over excessive sweetness.

Contact Information: Find Downstate Donuts

For all inquiries, to place a takeout order, or to check on the latest seasonal flavors, patrons in the Chicago area can use the following details:

Address: 1132 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, USA

The shop often opens early at 7:00 AM, though hours may vary, particularly on weekdays (Wed 7am-12 noon, Thur - Fri 7am-2pm, Sat - Sun 7am-3pm / Sold Out).

What is Worth Choosing: A Delicious and Health-Conscious Twist on a Classic

For any Illinois resident searching for the best donuts in Chicago, Downstate Donuts offers an experience that warrants a visit. What makes it unequivocally worth choosing is the revolutionary potato-based dough, which provides a satisfying chew and crunch unlike any other. This is coupled with a commitment to less sugar and an array of unique, gourmet flavor combinations.

Patrons can enjoy the popular Sweet Potato Maple donut, which is described as having the pleasant earthiness of a spice cake without being too sweet, or the distinct, authentic taste of the Whipped Viet Coffee donut. Furthermore, the combination of excellent donuts and Great coffee, served in a Casual setting with convenient payment options (Credit cards, Debit cards, NFC mobile payments) and service modes (Dine-in, Takeout, Delivery), makes Downstate Donuts an ideal choice for any time of day, whether for a quick breakfast or a delightful Dessert. It’s an innovative local spot that truly elevates the classic donut to a new, unforgettable level.

Downstate Donuts Details

Service options
Delivery
Onsite services
Takeout
Dine-in

Highlights
Great coffee

Popular for
Solo dining

Offerings
Coffee

Dining options
Breakfast
Dessert
Seating
Table service

Atmosphere
Casual

Planning
Quick visit

Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
NFC mobile payments
Credit cards

Parking
Paid street parking

Downstate Donuts Photos

Downstate Donuts Location

Downstate Donuts

Illinois Cook County Chicago Uptown West Wilson Avenue

1132 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, USA

Downstate Donuts Reviews

An average rating of ★4.8 from 236 user reviews.

vietnamese coffeepotato donutsmisovanillaadditionsour creamatmospheresweet potatogluten free donutshoney

★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1

Some of the best, most unique donuts I’ve had. These donuts are cakey with a slight chew to them, and I think them being made from potatoes lends them a pleasantly earthy taste. I got the Lemon Ricotta and Sweet Potato Maple. I had to stop myself from completely inhaling the Sweet Potato Maple donut it was that good. It tasted like a blend between a pumpkin spice cake and carrot cake. Best of all, it wasn’t too sweet. I will definitely be coming back and telling all my friends that this is thee donut place to go to in Chicago.
August 07 · Riley Jones
These are some amazing potato based donuts. There is a distinct textural difference from flour donuts. These are airy but has a slightly denser chew and crisper exterior. That crunch is fantastic!!!What i also like is that these unique flavor combinations are not super sweet and stays true to their namesake.Such as the viet coffee donut is coffee taste!! All these donuts were excellent!!I will need to try their savory breakfast sandwiches next time. Kudos to the friendly staff!! The place, though small (seats about 10) is pleasing to the eye and comfortable.
February 09 · Rolo
Stopped in at downstate donuts with my two boys and they absolutely loved it. The donuts were massive so 2 donuts for one grown-up and two six-year-olds. Easy to sit inside and have a doughnut and a cup of coffee while they enjoy it. decent parking out on the street. Would definitely come back if I was in the neighborhood.
June 07 · George Yedinak
It’s National Doughnut Day 2025, and I felt a deep responsibility to celebrate this especially important holiday. Downstate was the closest option with solid reviews, and I liked that they use potato and organic ingredients. I try to eat healthy, but only if healthy also happens to be the most delicious option.I showed up around 11 a.m. and quickly realized I was late to the doughnut party. They had already sold out of several flavors and, sadly, their National Doughnut Day promo which featured their signature doughnut. Boo. Always make extras on the most important food holiday of the year.I went with the Miso Honey Butter. The texture was fluffy and the glaze was sweet and delicious. I couldn’t really taste the miso, but I’m guessing that was intentional. Too much miso in a doughnut could get weird fast.The Blueberry Cake caught my eye because it was so pretty, which became my deciding factor. The blueberry flavor really came through and the nutty glaze added a nice layer of depth.They’ve got some very creative flavors, but I definitely recommend going early if you want the full selection. This was the most expensive doughnut I’ve eaten in Chicago, so if quality ingredients matter to you, this is a great choice. That said, this city is full of good doughnuts and there are others that might be cheaper and more instantly satisfying.
June 06 · D Armstrong
First ever potato donuts and they were amazing. These were the fluffiest and lightest donuts I’ve ever had. They also weren’t overly sweet which was nice. The vanilla sour cream was a regular potato base while the brown sugar waffle was a sweet potato base. The only downside was that the brown sugar wasn’t that noticeable. I can’t wait to try some of their other flavors especially anything chocolate, but at the end of the day you can’t really make donuts any better than these.
November 17 · Samir Katta