Doughnut Vault Canal

Absolutely love this place! We live over an hour away but whenever we’re in downtown, we always make a point to pick up the best doughnuts!!!

Update: If you want to grab some donuts here, then you gotta come in the morning before they run out! I came here around 9am and they had plenty of donuts ready to be sold. I’ve already tried the pistachio and lemon poppyseed before, so I got the coconut cream and pistachio again. Coconut cream is probably my top favorite right now. Unlike the pistachio, it’s not too sweet. It’s in the right level of sweetness for me. If you’re not a fan of super sweet sweets like me, then I recommend the coconut cream! Pistachio was a little too sweet for me. I had to drink a lot of water to wash the sweetness away.

After an initial confusion on trying to find this place (thanks Google!), made it here to celebrate Doughnut Day early Friday morning. Huge line that moved pretty fast, yet enough time to go through the flavor options.
Was surprised to find there was no deal for Doughnut Day. Regardless, ordered the Buttermilk and Lemon Poppy donuts with an iced coffee ($ 9ish total). Donuts have a rich cake texture and flavored exactly like their respective names suggest. Coffee was good enough to keep me awake most of the day.
Feel like these doughnuts are better than the ones at Do-​Rite — unless you’re big on icing.

Never disappointed whenever I come here for a chai latte and a doughnut. Run don’t walk if you’re going before work during the week because the line gets pretty long.

I never thought I was a fan of old fashioned donuts, until I came here.
I got a half dozen, including 2 buttermilk, a lemon poppyseed, a toasted almond, a pistachio, and a triple chocolate. I tried slivers of all of them, and I think toasted almond was my favorite, but the tangy glaze on the lemon one was also delicious. The chocolate one only faintly tasted of chocolate (if you had asked me to guess what flavor it was blindfolded, I probably would have said plain), and the pistachio met the same fate.
All in all, still great donuts. I’d be happy with any of these any morning. They brew Metropolis Coffee too here which is an added plus

This is the place if your favorite type of donuts are old fashioned glazed… other wise you might be disappointed. Love the crunchy exterior and the cakey inside but not very flavorful. I tried the pistachio donut but the sweetness of the glaze over powered the subtle pistachio flavor. Love the concept and story but not the actual product. Gave it two tries but didn’t win me over.

While the location is a bit strange, the doughnut vault’s hideaway makes it feel like a wonderful secret. The lemon poppyseed doughnut is absolutely incredible with a lightness that makes it difficult not to eat every day. The staff is approachable, relaxed (but not lazy) and everything about this place will make it a new favorite place for morning treats!

Small shop conveniently located for people working on building but no so much for the general public. Shop is very nicely decorated. Donut selection is small and product quality is good but not worth 5 stars. If you happen to be in the area give it a try!

I literally had to walk around to avoid this place, otherwise I would be tempted to eat a donut over and over again.
Lemon poppy seeds donut and freshly made cortado, what a splendid way to start a day!
And honestly I do not like or eat donuts, never any nowhere, except this one.

Sorry. What a shame. 1500 miles from CA stood in line and this is all you can serve? All the donuts (except the chocolate) are the same old fashion buttermilk At first i thought, WOW LOOK!!! But $ 2.50 for an old fashion buttermilk I pay .75 for at home is too much to ask. But I paid I bought TWO. I thought this must be very good. The best. Oh no, just plain olé old fashions. When my husband took the first bite and proclaimed it’s just a donut I thought, WHAT? They aren’t different flavor donuts they are just glazed differently. They all had the same base. What a shame. I wanted it to be more but you gotta call it what it is. Save your money. Sorry.

Pistachio, old fashioned chocolate, almond — ah! My favorite, almond. Just moist and delicious and decadent and loaded with almonds and more almond flavor. These are really great and it’s no wonder the word «vault» is used in the name of this doughnut shop. These are something special. Good coffee, too! The one and only reason I’m not granting them the full 5 stars is for the inclusion of just a bit too much of a motivated density & grease ratio. Got to only have these for a once in a great while treat.

The guy behind the counter sold me two doughnuts when I asked for one only, and a cup of coffee. He gave me one pistachio and an almond one. I stood in line again to discuss the situation. He offered a full refund. I didn’t accept (too extreme), so I swapped out the almond donut for another pistachio (as I thought I was getting two pistachio doughnuts after he misheard my order) and kept the almond since it couldn’t be sold (I’ll give it to a hungry ghost). Not happy about the lack of smoothness of the transaction or the fact that it makes me out to look like the bad guy (especially the look the guy gave me as if I were trying to rip him off). I just wanted a treat after donating blood at Willis Tower.
Probably not coming back here again. Doughnut Vault, 111 N. Canal St. They need a second person to run the joint.

Out of the plethora of new doughnut shops that have opened up in Chicago, this is my favorite. The lemon poppyseed had a strong lemony flavor, heaven. The old fashioned chocolate wasn’t just sweet but chocolatey with a hint of coco powder.
The two guys helping me were nice and I can’t wait to go back. I walked around the Loop with my half dozen and they were fresh and delicious when I got home. They were good the next day too!

Believe the hype. I sojourned over here to the 111. Canal location for a donut and it was worth the trip. It’s located inside a nondescript building but their shop is lovely — decorated with exposed brick wall, marble tables and old fashioned chairs. I’m happily munching on the buttermilk donut — which is old fashioned and not too sweet and very soft and almost creamy. Paired with an 8 ounce latte I’m in heaven.

An interestingly odd location in a building, but the giant chandelier and vintage look is rather welcoming. Solid coffee and doughnuts, but… this is too stupidly hip for me.
–If I order multiple donuts, offer or provide a box. Individually bagged donuts are a little ridiculous.
–Unsure if the attitudes of the workers behind the counter are best described as «bratty hipster» or «condescending hipster.» I suppose either will do.
–I prefer Do-​Rite donuts (in price and quality) to Doughnut Vault. These are bit too dense for my liking.

Amazing service, by far the nicest workers you will ever meet.
Their donuts are great, and they have a wide variety of Old Fashioned donuts with a rotating «Special of the Day.»
I really enjoy the atmosphere, the people and the coffee here. Super cool, «hipstery» local joint.
Glad they opened a second location for anyone located in the West Loop!

Love Doughnut Vault! The location is right near my office and apartment.
It’s the perfect place for delicious coffee and a hipster donut! Their coffee is made to order and the donuts do not disappoint.
If you’re in the West Loop, you’ve gotta try them out!

Worth the stop to pick up a doughnut and/​or coffee!
I joined my husband on his way to work and stumbled upon the doughnut vault. I sort of felt like a tourist but I had to stop. I have read great reviews and wanted to see what everyone was taking about. This place is everything it’s supposed to be. I ordered an almond doughnut-​amazing! It is a good thing I don’t live too close to this cute little doughnut truck.
Make sure you stop and pickup a doughnut next time you see the truck. You will not be disappointed. Friendly smile & delicious doughnut– perfect way to start the day!

I love my Old Fashioneds. Give me a jigger of bourbon or rye, add a little zest (OK, the whole thickness of a piece of an orange peel, you literal-​minded foodies) and a spoonful of sugar to make the Angostura bitters go down. A good way to start the evening.
Ah, but I’ve found a new bar at which to belly up for a completely different take on the Old Fashioned, substituting powdered grains for liquid, yeast for the bitters, a sugar-​forward flavor, fried and not stirred. The mixologists here are impeccable.
I’ve been here a couple times, and plopped down dough for a doughnut – they’re not cheap, but they’re an affordable luxury to be chased by a well-​roasted espresso. Both times I’ve come have been mid-​afternoon, which has left me with only two choices from the selection: most recently I had a delicious toasted almond. It was good, though to try the pistachio is my aspiration.
It’s a very cozy place, with tables and easy chairs, in the middle of the quiet first floor of an office building, away from the helter skelter of Canal Street. I’m sure it’s a good respite for people in the building, who are probably penned into the cubes of a human factory farm. If you need to be connected, check the data connection on your phone: my T-​Mobile was denying me internet, which includes texts.
I would probably stick with 4 stars for the great doughnuts and atmosphere; they’re not amazing enough to be a regular treat for me. But the counter woman alone gets a gold star on her forehead. She seemed to be a just-​the-​facts, no-​nonsense person when I came in, but I foolishly opened my computer lid without looking, proceeding to spill, all over the coffee table, the large ice water that she had provided. I didn’t cry, because it wasn’t spilled milk, though I did feel like the six-​year-​old who just watched, in slow motion, his ice cream scoop fall off his sugar cone to the sidewalk. I got up to ask her for a rag, and she would have none of it. She came out and wiped it up herself.
Enjoy the peace and quiet while you’re there, but don’t get too blissful, because you may have to cross the helter skelter of Canal Street afterward, and you need an alert brain to make sure you don’t turn into a deer in the headlights of a cabbie who is probably more hyped-​up on caffeine and sugar than you are. Maybe they need to install a black and yellow «blissful-​doughnut-​eater xing» sign there.

I have to give it to them! They are my favorite donuts in town. The only issue with this area it is hard to find ha. It is insane a building across the street from the French market. Another interesting thing is that they do not carry any of their yeast donuts. So sad. Because their yeast donuts are the best donuts in town. Especially their chestnut.
Anyway their donuts are great. We got the pistachio (my favorite cake donut), coconut, lemon poppy seed, and salted caramel. I reallyyyyy enjoyed pistachio as usually. Also, the coconut was surprisingly delicious with black coffee. I heard coconut and coffe go well together. I would have never believe it until now. Wow. So good. The salted caramel was a bit heavy for me and too salty. The lemon poppy seed wasn’t that great. We didn’t seem to like that one at all. But the others were good.
The great thing about this location is that they are open late. So I assume they always have enough donuts to last them the entire day. Which is nice because the original shop closes as soon as they sell out. Which can be like 3 hours after 8 am. Anyways check it out. They also have free wifi.