Pączki (pronounced poonch-key) is a Polish doughnut-like dessert, filled with custard, buttercream or assorted fruit fillings. It’s a special treat that’s been traditionally enjoyed on Fat Tuesday as a way to indulge before the beginning of Lent. And while it’s typically available for most of February, bakeries around the city see long lines for the decadent treat every year.

We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite spots for paczki in Pittsburgh, and the best ways to order ahead to guarantee you get your pączki fix this Tuesday.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY PARTY CAKE SHOP

Party Cake Shop
706 Brookline Blvd.
Brookline

One of the most popular places to pick up paczki, Party Cake Shop in Brookline sells thousands of the pastries every year in the month leading up to Fat Tuesday. This year, the bakery will be offering paczki through March 1 (and they’ll have king cakes on Fat Tuesday, too), and flavors include vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, strawberry buttercream, lemon, raspberry, apricot and custard. The best way to place an order for Tuesday pickup is by calling the shop ahead at 412-531-5322. Pączki will also be available in their shop, but they do sell out quickly.

Potomac Bakery
1419 Potomac Ave.
Dormont 

Pączki is available at Potomac Bakery in Dormont, with fillings of raspberry, chocolate, lemon, custard and buttercream. Order ahead by calling 412-531-5066.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY OAKMONT BAKERY

Oakmont Bakery
One Sweet Street
Oakmont 

Oakmont Bakery sells hundreds of pączki a day during the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday and will be “making pączki around the clock for in-store purchases” this year. Orders for pączki also can be placed online, although there is a two-day lead time for online orders and flavor combinations can’t be customized. Look for special Oakmont Bakery-only flavors including maple bacon, Pittsburgh cream, Oakmont cream (chocolate), and cookies & cream, in addition to favorites like custard, apple, peach, peanut butter cream, lemon, cherry and prune. Pączki will be available at Oakmont Bakery through Easter.

HD Dudt Bakery
11010 Perry Highway
Wexford

Pączki are available at HD Dudt Bakery in Wexford for in-store purchases, or you can call ahead at 724-935-4030 to place an order. Flavors include lemon, apricot, prune, buttercream and plain.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY BETHEL BAKERY

Bethel Bakery
multiple locations
Bethel Park and North Strabane 

Customers can place orders for pączki online or over the phone at 412-835-6658, with at least 72 hours notice (that means that orders for Fat Tuesday must be in by Friday, Feb. 25). This year, Bethel Bakery is offering a Mardi Gras Pączki Pack, which includes six flavors in one box: French buttercream, chocolate buttercream, Bavarian cream, raspberry, lemon and glazed. Pączki will also be available for those who want to shop in-store on Fat Tuesday.

PHOTO PROVIDED KRETCHMAR’S BAKERY

Kretchmar’s Bakery
664 Third St.
Beaver 

Customers of the popular Kretchmar’s Bakery in Beaver are invited to get their pączki fix by calling 724-774-2324 to place an order for Fat Tuesday pickup. This year, the bakery has apple, cherry, and a number of Bavarian cream options for pączki, including vanilla, chocolate, apricot, blueberry, lemon, raspberry, strawberry and peanut butter chocolate. Pączki is also available for walk-in orders.

S&D Polish Deli
2204 Penn Ave. 

S&D Polish Deli is offering nine flavors of pączki this year, including chocolate buttercream, vanilla buttercream, strawberry buttercream, peanut butter buttercream, apricot, raspberry, lemon, custard and rose hip, a traditional pączki flavor that you can only find in Pittsburgh in this Strip District spot. S&D is closed on Tuesdays, but will have pączki available this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Your best bet is to get to the shop early (they open at 10 a.m.) to snag some before they run out.

Giant Eagle
Multiple Locations 

Giant Eagle stores across the region will be well-stocked with pączki on Fat Tuesday this year, and will be available for in-store purchases. Guests can also call ahead to their local Giant Eagle bakery department to place an order for pickup.

This story was produced in partnership with GoodFoodPittsburgh.com.