Dat Donut

Oh my god. Oh my god. I took my parents and my girlfriend here recently on a self-curated tour of South Side Chicago food (other stops included Uncle John's, Soul Veg, and Calumet Fisheries) and this was, by far, one of the most interesting places I have ever visited or eaten from in Chicago.

Sweet (but not too sweet) and simple, yeasty, doughy fried doughnuts served hot and fresh. From chocolate cake classic to long johns to raspberry jelly filled to the infamous gigantic 'Dat Donut' signature, there is a wide variety of tastes available here. They're reasonably priced, to boot. And they have the coolest neon signs I've ever seen.

Myself, my girlfriend, and my Mom totally lost it over this place. The best was the simple glazed of course, and a close second was watching Lester, the doughnut man, hand cutting puffy doughnuts by the dozen through the shop window. Such an experience, but so glad I don't live closer to this place. I don't know if I could stop myself.

The 8:00am set at Dat Donut is all construction workers and police officers. They arrive in droves, always a good sign at a bakery.

The elephant in the room is the "Big Dat," a pastry that could work as a baby's hoola-hoop, and everyone was staring at it in the display case.  Apparently, no one had the gumption, no one wanted to be that guy, the one who indulges in the doughy equivalent of The Big Gulp. Expressions of the people in line varied from tempted to disgusted and I was in the camp of the former, so yeah, I got it. Like a withdrawal from the donut vault, I handed my $3 through the bullet proof glass case and they squeezed the thing through the teller window. I imagine I was wide-eyed at the time.

It was a good donut, nothing too special about it besides the size [go ahead and insert your own innuendo here]. The other offerings were typical of a donut shop. I also got the sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich, which was a bit bland. This place is more about the ambiance: hard scrabble and hummin' with appetites.

Dat Donut Didn't Do-it for me.  I only tried/purchased a .97 glazed and it was a tad tOO dOughy and sweet for my liking.  I'm not ruling out eating another though, if I happened to be in the area, I might stop by to get a Dat....but, I wouldn't go out of my way to get w/Dat, nope.  I'm sticking w/Dunk (not Dunkin).

You can watch the donut maker man make the Dat donuts, if you'd like....