Just My Luck!

I'm stating the obvious here: No one likes to stand in lines. I'm no different. When a friend told me about a doughnut place in Chicago that always has endless lines, I was curious and maybe crazy enough to stand for hours just to get my hands on one of their doughnuts. I'm totally a follower. If people love to eat somewhere, take me to there! The much hyped about place: The Doughnut Vault. 

located at: 400 N. Franklin Street, River North, Chicago, Illinois

I researched and read some really sad stories about people waiting in line for a couple hours only to trip and drop their doughnuts on the way out of the "vault." Yelp reviewers warned that even if you get there early, there'll most definitely be at least a half hour wait. Well, I was prepared. 


Why the fuss and why the super long lines? The Doughnut Vault is only opened for a small amount of time. Tuesday-Friday: 8:30am-no more doughnuts, Saturdays: 9:30am-no more doughnuts. AND the aptly named vault can only hold about five people inside. 

inside the small, narrow vault

So while spending a couple days with Sista Min downtown at her place, we planned to make our pilgrimage to the Doughnut Vault before she had to go to work on Tuesday morning. We had a hard time waking up and I was nervous we'd be too late to get through the line with enough time for her to get to work. 


However, with torrential downpours early Tuesday morning, I think this scared off the average doughnut eater. When we got to the vault, there was a tiny line out the door and we waited a max of FIVE MINUTES! (We arrived just as it opened). 

our very short line!

So the verdict: for $3 each, there are about six doughnuts available each day. First I was like, $3 for doughnuts?!? But, trust me, these are quite large (and afterwards, I'm still a lil bit like, $3 for doughnuts?!?). Sista and I ordered the same original buttermilk old-fashioned doughnut, a lightly glazed cake doughnut. I loved it. It was soft and a lil savory from the fried oil with just the right amount of sweetness without being too sugary from the glaze. 

On the other hand, Sista Min was mortified by how sweet the doughnut was. Well, I dunno who's right in this situation. At the end of the day, it's a doughnut, a pretty tasty one.