Paczki Day 2022: Where To Find Them In The Chicago Area

© Mark Konkol/Patch Where are you getting your paczki (pictured above at Racine Bakery in Chicago) this year?

ILLINOIS — It's that time of year again: Time for the Polish treat that signifies the beginning of Lent and one last chance to live it up. In Illinois, it's also a sign that spring is not far off — even though Woodstock Willie's prediction of an early spring might have been a bit optimistic.

Tuesday, March 1, is Paczki Day, coinciding with Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, the day before Lent officially starts on Ash Wednesday. But you don't have to be Catholic — or Polish — to enjoy the pastry treat.

Paczki — pronounced "puhnch-kee" — are traditional Polish deep-fried doughnuts and are a once-a-year delicacy, traditionally made by bakers trying to use up all their eggs and lard before Lent begins.

Get Your Paczki Order In Or Prepare For A Not-So-Fat Tuesday

From chocolate to custard to fruit filled, area bakeries offer many varieties of paczki, but time is running out to get 'em.

While many bakeries are no longer taking pre-orders, you may still be able to get them by stopping by in person. A word of advice: Lines may be long, so it's always a good idea to call the bakery before heading out to make sure paczki are still in stock.

Here's a roundup of some places offering paczki through Tuesday and beyond:

• Bennison's Bakery, 100 Davis. St. in Evanston. Bennison's offers 11 different types of paczki, including fruit, chocolate and cream cheese fillings. Pre-orders have ended, but store hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
• Bridgeport Bakery 2.0, 2907 S. Archer Ave., Chicago. Opens at midnight Tuesday; open 5 a.m. to noon Monday.
• DeEtta's Bakery, 428 W. 5th Ave., Naperville. Open 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Flavors include apricot, cheese, custard with chocolate frosting and strawberry with whipped cream.
• Donut Den, 3043 Theodore St., Joliet - no longer accepting pre-orders, but will have plenty in store on Tuesday. Open 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Flavors include strawberry, cherry, apple, blueberry, lemon, apricot, custard, cheese, French silk and fresh strawberry.
• Fleckenstein's Bakery, 199255 S. LaGrange Rd., Mokena. Closed Monday; open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday. Pre-ordering has ended, but customers are encouraged to stop in. Only king cakes and paczki available on Tuesday.
• Home Cut Donuts, 815 W. Jefferson St. and 1317 E. Washington St. (outlet store) in Joliet. Jefferson Street location open 24 hours. Washington Street open 5 a.m. to noon.
• Kirsten's Danish Bakery, 94 Burr Ridge Parkway in Burr Ridge. Open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday. Flavors include apricot, blueberry, butter cream, cheese, chocolate butter cream, custard, lemon, raspberry, strawberry, apple, cherry, area and cream, and fresh strawberry.
• Milano Bakery, 433 S. Chicago St., Joliet. Open 5:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Orland Park Bakery, 14850 S. LaGrange Rd., Orland Park. Pre-orders ended Sunday, but they will be available in store and will be sold through Easter. Flavors include strawberry, fudge, custard, strawberry cream cheese, strawberry custard, butter cream, apple, raspberry, cherry, cream cheese, blueberry, cannoli, lemon, apricot, peach, poppy seed, pineapple, prune, cookies & cream and plain (no filling). Store hours are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Racine Bakery, 6216 S. Archer Ave. in Chicago. Flavors include raspberry, blueberry, apricot, prune, strawberry jelly, rosehip, cheese, poppy seed, cherry, custard and fresh strawberry. Open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
• Stan's Donuts, 12 locations in the Chicago area including Chicago, Orland Park, Schaumburg, Oakbrook Terrace. Choose from cherry, chocolate, vanilla and cannoli paczki flavors that can be pre-ordered, picked up in-store or delivered nationwide. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Sylvia's Bakery, 8117 Cass Ave., Darien. Paczki are available through March 5. Flavors include custard with chocolate icing, raspberry, apricot, apple, cherry, butter creme and more. Open 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• The Sweet Spot Bakery, 6470 College Road, Lisle. Pre-orders have ended, but you can still get paczki in store. Open 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday. "Early bird gets the first worm on Tuesday," the shop said. Flavors include fresh strawberry, apricot, Bavarian cream, chocolate Bavarian cream, pastry cheese, lemon curd and raspberry jam (with or without ganache).
• West Town Bakery is offering paczki at three of its four locations: West Town (1916 W. Chicago Ave.), Wrigleyville (3626 N. Clark St.), and the Financial District (190 S. LaSalle St.). Open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

What's your favorite place to get paczki? Tell us in the comments.