Last Friday, I finally was able to stop in at OFD before heading to Michigan. Bought a couple fritters topped with pecans. Delicious and huge. It was really hard to stop nibbling the crunchy edges, and I loved the fact that there was a bite of apple in just about every bite. I also picked up a couple glazed, coconut topped cake donut, and a couple custard filled donuts. I didn't try those but my husband said the glazed were really good. My family ate the rest of the fritters and declared them the best they've ever had.

Apple fritter this AM had nice chunks of apples,and fried to perfection. Still $3.19

Closing for Vacation August 25-Sept 1st.

The apple fritter at OFD remains my favorite sweet fried dough product in Chicago. I got there a few minutes before 3:00 on Saturday only to discover they were sold out. But fortunately someone had called in an order an hour earlier and was waiting for his freshly cooked ones. That wasn't the fortunate part. The fortunate part was that they decided to make some extras when filling his order so my friends and I were able grab some for ourselves.

Most were taken through a window, but I thought some pictures of the cooking process were worth sharing:

I love those photos! Thanks for posting!

Saturday was my birthday, and I'm afraid I elected to skip Hot Doug's that day and I got a fritter from OFD instead. So I guess I took one of the fritters you missed out on, but it sounds like that worked out pretty well for you anyway.

It was my first time getting the kind with the nuts on top.

One of the problems with moving to the south loop has been food temptation. I can be at OFD in 15 minutes early in the morning, and at least once or twice a month I am (most recently last Saturday when we stopped for a fritter on our way to funeral - something to sweeten the sadness).

Between that, all the BBQ options, and the carnitas and tamales on offer on 18th, I really am going to eat myself to death. But I will go out with a fritter in my mouth and a smile on my lips.

By the way, I think OFD can make a claim to having some of the best doughnuts in town, too. And while they are not as wildly experimental as the newer places, the combination of solid dough and fluorescent, top quality artificially citrus flavored toppings (or caramel or maple) do the job for me. Plus I have a crush on a couple of the counter ladies, but don't tell anyone.

dicksond wrote:By the way, I think OFD can make a claim to having some of the best doughnuts in town, too. And while they are not as wildly experimental as the newer places, the combination of solid dough and fluorescent, top quality artificially citrus flavored toppings (or caramel or maple) do the job for me. Plus I have a crush on a couple of the counter ladies, but don't tell anyone.

I think a critical factor in donut quality is how fresh they are. A place like OFD that makes them all day long, so you can be sure it hasn't been sitting around for several hours, has a huge advantage.

dicksond wrote:I have a crush on a couple of the counter ladies, but don't tell anyone.

Your secret is safe here on the internet.

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:Most were taken through a window, but I thought some pictures of the cooking process were worth sharing:

So much goop.

Nothing beats the fritter at OFD, but the massive Texas donut is a fun treat every once in a while.

And it is a perfect glazed donut with yeast. I hate cake donuts.

pairs4life wrote:And it is a perfect glazed donut with yeast. I hate cake donuts.

Ah, I did leave off a key point - the donut, like all yeast glazed donuts at OFD, is fantastic. Any fears that something is lost in translation to this extra large version can be laid to rest.

pairs4life wrote:And it is a perfect glazed donut with yeast. I hate cake donuts.

That's funny! I love cake donuts, and hate raised donuts like that one. Chacun à son gout!

My wife has to work this Friday, and if I want the car then I have to drive her to work in NW Indiana... but I think I may have to reward myself w/ an Old Fashioned apple fritter on the way back into the city.

This is me bragging:


Unfortunately, I had to share my purchase with others.

There is a Stan's within easy walking distance of my house these days, so I do not actually have any excuse to drive all the way to Old Fashioned (aside from Stan's absurd prices), but I do. Last week, apple fritter and three doughnuts to share with the Bride. I believe she did get a few bites of the fritter. Still great.

My infatuation with the counter ladies is over, however. I sometimes ask them what is most fresh and they do not like that question. The default answer is that everything is fresh (add emphasis to everything and mild resentment to get the full effect) and if I push a little further by asking what might be warm they reply that they can't frost anything while it is warm.

One of these days I will figure out the right way to get a warm doughnut or fritter, fresh from the fryer. In the meantime, I will just have to settle for their generally delicious offerings.

I think Stan's fritters in Chicago taste like bricks. I always get mad at myself when I get one from there.

After 45 Years, Mr. B Still Reigns as Doughnut King

The South Side’s preeminent fried-dough artist has been drawing crowds at Old Fashioned Donuts for decades.

It appears OFD is starting to franchise with Mr B's Donuts on the west side. I was tipped off as a new restaurant in my downtown building was offering donuts supplied by Mr B's Donuts.

Mr B's Donuts
25 S Pulaski Rd
http://www.mrbsdonuts.com

The Lunchroom
70 W Madison St

surbano wrote:It appears OFD is starting to franchise with Mr B's Donuts on the west side. I was tipped off as a new restaurant in my downtown building was offering donuts supplied by Mr B's Donuts.

Mr B's Donuts
25 S Pulaski Rd
http://www.mrbsdonuts.com

The Lunchroom
70 W Madison St

That is awesome news!

Much closer to Oak Park. Often for the southside location we would only stop by when passing through while on a trip.

Wonder if they will be serving their famous fritters? Probably so.

New digs are pretty spiffy!

I can't find the hours - anyone?

Hit "Locations" at the top of the home page.

All locations open Mon – Fri, 6am – 7pm & Sat – Sun, 7am – 7pm

Nice to have someplace closer to home, but the fritter is best after some BBQ, anything good in the area?

scottsol wrote:Nice to have someplace closer to home, but the fritter is best after some BBQ, anything good in the area?

Head a little further west to Oak Park and Berwyn.

A few good BBQ places in the area.

City Barbeque
7108 W Cermak Rd, Berwyn

... is a newcomer and is doing a pretty good job.

Now isn't this some great donut news.

The big question is whether they are doing the French crueller specials on certain days of the week (Tue, Thu, Sat I believe at the original). A fresh one of those (either glazed or chocolate dipped) is my favorite non-fritter donut in the city; and I'm a bit fan of the Do-Rite old fashioned.

The online menu makes no mention of cruellers.

Out running errands today and took a swing by the Pulaski location...


Maybe it is my imagination but I seem to remember the huge fritter being as big as my head? $4.25 + Tax without an option for pecans.

We are WAY out of touch. This location has been open for 6 months. Shame.

I think they got a little smaller (like your picture) a couple years ago. Even at the mother ship. Also, I’ll have to search later, but I’m pretty sure I saw an announcement of this here when it first took place. I know I saw it somewhere.

surbano wrote:It appears OFD is starting to franchise with Mr B's Donuts on the west side. I was tipped off as a new restaurant in my downtown building was offering donuts supplied by Mr B's Donuts.

Mr B's Donuts
25 S Pulaski Rd
http://www.mrbsdonuts.com

The Lunchroom
70 W Madison St

Oh my goodness, that's two blocks from my office. We get donuts twice a month, for a long time it was Do-Rite and now it's some other one I don't like as much. I may will to request that we try Mr B's some Friday when I'm in town.

And, for posterity... I ventured down to Roseland today to try these for the first time. And was unfortunately foiled by Mr B (and family's) annual summer vacation, August 26-September 2 (based on what others have mentioned on this board, sounds like it's consistently right around Labor Day).

So I will have to try again another time.