I was eating a Boston cream donut a few minutes ago and reading through some of the food topics that have popped up recently and now here I am. Sooooooo what's y'all's favorite donut shop/variety?\
Boston cream is probably supreme for me, closely followed by a nice chocolate glazed donut. As for shops, I can't say I've had much better than Carol Lee's. Dunkin donuts gets frequented because they're on campus but they're definitely not my favorite.
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State Fair of Virginia tiny little soybean oil donuts. Also Bills Donut shop just south of Dayton Ohio, in Centerville OH.
Edit: looks like the original donut guys at the state fair closed. Now a new group uses the same equipment and cooking style to make them.
Best donut shop: Carol Lee's
/end thread
Anyone who says anything but Carol Lee is objectively wrong.
I agree with this but obviously can't get Carol Lee up here, so I make do.
I am not sophisticated. Hot and Fresh (key words, hot and fresh) Krispy Kremes chocolate covered glazed donuts are the bomb.
Krispy Kreme glazed original for me. Used to the a Krispy Kreme store in downtown Kingsport. After a long night of summer drinking we'd hit the drive thru and grab coffee and a dozen donuts. They were still warm off the line. Little slice of heaven.
I loved the one on State Street in Bristol. RIP.
I live near Winston-Salem, so am biased, but the Krispy Kreme hot and fresh creme is etherial. A dozen hot fresh in a box is a gift from God. I'll give Duncan (or whoever else wants it) rights to the best cake donut, but you lose to KK for best ever by so far its not close. I love the Boston creme filled chocolate iced from anybody, but the Krispy Kreme hot and fresh creme donut kills it. Once you've had it the cop/donut spiffs are funny for a different reason. Its not how much a dozen costs, its how many dozen you can eat! Really.
I am not sure they have them in W-S but Donut World is better, they have quite a few in Greensboro. Give them a try.
PACK OF LIES!
I have to agree KK hot and fresh are the best!! The KK HOT sign On Stratford (Winston-Salem) is kind of like the Bat-signal for doughnut lovers...LOL!
Yes to this, the original Krispy Kreme on Stratford from my youth:
The days that I could hop on my banana seat bicycle and ride from my parent's house with $1 in my hand only to return home with a glorious dozen Hot & Now glazed originals.
$1 for a dozen donuts!?
God Bless America!
KK it is, hands down, when hot and fresh. Just no equal. For my favorite cake donut, Carol Lee makes a really good chocolate chocolate frosted one. My favorite, for a cake donut. KK absolutely owns the glazed ones, though.
That chocolate stuff is awesome, but more sophisticated than me... You had me drooling behind control at the key words- (hot and fresh) - Krispy Kreme. I love eating a dozen without chewing or swallowing. You smell them, black out, and get more!
I concur.
I'm partial to KK's. When I was 10 or 11, I sold KK's door-to-door in my neighborhood in Springfield. Every Wednesday I'd come home to 50 or so boxes of KK's, often still steaming, in my garage. I'd load 'em up in my Radio Flyer wagon and off I'd go. I might have been guilty of eating most of my profits, though.
One day I realized that there is a place relatively close to my parent's place in CA where there's a drive-thru KK right next to a drive-thru In-n-Out. I'd be much chubbier today if I had realized that sooner.
I personally prefer either regular glazed or a chocolate iced cream filled Krispy Kremes. Unfortunately it's very rare for me to have the opportunity to get them hot and fresh.
I also have to admit, the Cronut is kind of amazing.
Maple Bacon donuts from Duck Donuts. Best I've ever had.
Yes! As a middle-aged and overweight donut addict. I give this 1000 legs.
Mmm...turkey leg donuts!!!
Hot and fresh chocolate-glazed with peanuts from Duck will be my last meal
When that magical sign is on at Krispy Kreme *drops mic
Astro Chicken and Donuts in DC is pretty solid, but it's still no Carol Lee.
Chicken and DONUTS????
There are two types of people in this world, those who know Carol Lee donuts are the best and those who haven't had them yet.
Carol Lee did our wedding cake. Even though I am decidedly #TeamPie, that cake was every bit as good as you imagine. They win, hands down, for everything. Too bad they stopped doing cakes, I might have converted...
Raspberry. Filled.
(repost from a thread last month)
I'm alive today because of Carol Lee. My mom used to work at the front desk in Squires in the late 70's when my dad was in school and working for WUVT. He thought she was cute and brought her donuts when he was there doing his radio show. Then they fell in love, got married, and now I'm around to knock down liquor piatas at TKP tailgates with pops.
So if you didn't have Carol Lee donuts, you wouldn't have me. So that makes them the best donuts ever.
I recall Carol Lee from back in the day....excellent.
Here in hooville, the local close-to-equivalent is Spudnuts, so I'd have to go with them for the time being. But word is we just got a Duck Donuts, so a we may have to have a blind taste test. Never had anything from Duck Donuts, so it should be fun!
Definitely give Duck Donuts a try. They are made to order while you watch. It doesn't get any fresher than that.
When did we get a Duck's??? There's also Donut Connection (which I don't really like) and Carpe Donut (with their signature bourbon doughnut).
It's in Stonefield shopping center. Not sure where exactly, just saw an article in the Daily Regress this past week.
Daily Regress, classic
That's the paper that has been helping my wife and I save on tp.
I forgot one! This is a seasonal thing, though. In the fall, if you're near the hooville area, you HAVE to go to Carter Mountain Orchard (it's up on the mountain just south of town, on Rt 53, just before you get to Monticello). They make Apple Cider Donuts that are incredible. Plus, you have a pretty good view that includes Lane Stadium North.
I figure that most people are going to mention Carol Lee, Krispy Kreme, etc. - so permit me add a few that are not on the list:
Voodoo Doughnuts - Portland & Eugene, OR
Bacon Maple Bar
Ol Dirty Bastard
They also created a specialty doughnut in order to raise money to save a historic stadium. A stadium where my GF grew up going to baseball games - so I really appreciated that gesture.
Glazed & Infused - Chicago, IL
I remember the bacon maple, red velvet, dreamsicle, raspberry...something.
Naughty Girl Donut Shop - Front Royal, VA
Stopped here on our way down to Blacksburg for the UVA game. They had fried chicken sandwiches with donuts as buns!
Some of the best photos ever posted on this site right here
Hate to say it but I was extremely disappointed in Voodoo donuts. I really wanted to like them and I actually got the two donuts you listed, but I don't think I even finished the bacon maple bar. Also they teamed with Rogue Brewing Co. to make beers inspired by their donuts and while the only one I had was the bacon maple ale, it was not something I'd want to drink again.
I could understand not finishing the ODB, but the bacon maple bar? How do you not finish that one?
But yeah...I intentionally left off the Rogue/Voodoo collaboration. That's just....no.
I ate the ODB first and by the time I got to the bacon maple bar it wasn't doing it for me. I think freshness is really critical for donuts and on that occasion Voodoo didn't excel in that area.
Yeah - trying to eat more than one of any of their donuts is a pretty big task. They are so rich, you need coffee or milk to cut through it. Actually, the first time I went there, the combination of an ODB + coffee made me jittery for the rest of the day.
It's not for everyone and the hype is much greater than the actual quality of the donuts. It's basically Portland's version of Georgetown Cupcakes.
The Voodoo Donut beer is among the worst things I've ever ingested. Tasted like rancid chemicals with a faint sweetness.
I didn't like it either. Had it on tap at the Green Dragon in Portland.
Wife loved it and got the T-Shirt.
Leg for mentioning the Green Dragon. I love that place.
I'll be back there in 2 weeks.
Looking forward to it.
The Maple Bacon at Sugar Shack (Richmond/Alexandria) is far better than the Voodoo Donuts version. The best way I can describe it is that the Sugar Shack version still tastes like a donut, enhanced with maple icing and bacon pieces, while the Voodoo version has just an overwhelming amount of maple flavor that drowns out the donut itself and even the bacon.
So ya. Sugar Shack's maple bacon, or their samoa style donut. Or the stout/porter of the moment chocolate glazed. (they've used Port City Porter & Guiness)
http://www.sugarshackdonuts.com/
Their Maple Bacon is delicious, but I actually like the plain maple even more, that glaze is just perfect.
Clearly, we need to conduct a scientific taste test.
The best thing about this test is that no matter what, we all win.
On your advice, I made the trek over to the Fulton Market District to give Glazed and Infused a shot. First thing first, the coffee is very good and also a proprietary blend produced in conjunction with Sparrow Coffee in Chicago.
The maple bacon was great. A lot of maple donuts taste artifical, but this one had a great flavor of pure maple syrup, complemented by a ridiculously perfect size strip of candied bacon. Also grabbed a key lime and an please fritter that I'm saving for later. Thanks for the tip.
EDIT: The apple fritter and key lime donut are both exceptional, and I am deliciously miserable.
Definitely #teamKK here for best, but the most overrated donuts I've ever had are the ones at the top of Pike's Peak. Went there in high school for a vacation and all everyone talked about were how amazing the donuts were in the gift shop at the top. I'll take a dozen of glazed Krispy Kremes 10 mins from my house opposed to ones at the top of a mountain across the country.
I will forever run on Dunkin Donuts. Let's just say that I can't function during my day without DD. I might be biased having grown up 50 minutes outside NYC but dammit if I could love that place anymore I would. Moving to Alabama has defiantly put a cramp in my daily fixation. They're supposed to be putting one in half a mile away from my apartment complex but that damn 'Coming Soon!' Sign has been up for months on end.
I do want to give a special shout out though to Federal Donuts in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia. Made it there a few times while I lived there. It was quite delicious.
The first location was actually in South Philly near the river in Pennsport. There are now four locations in Philly, in NoLibs and West Philly too. I was there the first day they opened and fell in love. For our upcoming wedding, my fiance and I are getting a Federal Donuts wedding cake. Sorry don't think I can embed at work but it looks like this:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=federal+donuts+wedding+cake&FORM=HDR...
That being said, now that we live in Roanoke, I may a point to visit Carol Lees...eh...Tech about once a month. Love a good fresh, yeasty donut. Oh, and def Sugar Shack when we're home in Richmond.
Yeah I actually went on their website the other night and saw that they had more locations. I had only been to the CC one. If I decided to take the long way back from class I could loop around and hit it up on my way home. Chicken and donuts is just a marvelous combination.
Coconut Curry, Buttermilk Ranch, Zatar...<3 their Korean Fried Chix
Dutch Monkey Doughnuts in Cumming, GA. The Aztec is my favorite but everything they make is delicious.
RISE in Durham, NC. end of story, not even close.
1-5. Carol Lee
6. Fresh krispy kreme
7. Dunkin Donuts
Favorite style is powdered jelly filled
Best donuts I've had were from the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, VA. My parents go there every year for an AGC conference and they always bring a box of them back. They're just simple cake donuts covered in cinnamon-sugar and what I suspect must be crack.
Sugar Shack in RVA has the best donuts I've found in central VA.
Orange Blossom Bakery, Buxton, NC:
oh Horse!! I love love LOVE this place!! Hope to be there
later this year.
I'll note a couple Richmond area places I haven't seen:
Country Style Donuts on Williamsburg Rd. near the Richmond/Henrico line. Sooooooooooooo Goooooooooood!
Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen: it's a food truck that cooks their doughnuts fresh on site. Their huge, the glaze is a hot mess, and they're HUUUUUGGGGGEEEEE!!!!!!!! The most reliable place to find them is the South of the James Farmer's Market on Saturdays.
Logged in just to upvote and comment on this. I've had Sugar Shack, Krispy Kreme, Duck Donuts, Goin Bananas.. you name it. Nothing i've ever had compares to Mrs. Yoder's glazed donuts off her food truck. They are huge like you said and are absolutely fantastic.
http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/richmond.com/content/tncms/a...
There is something really special about those Yoder glazed donuts. They're chewier than other donuts, and that makes all the difference.
No one from the Richmond area has mentioned Country Style doughnuts??
Trust me, I love Carol Lee and had them pretty much every Sunday...but hands down the best doughnuts I've ever had were from Country Style doughnuts near the Richmond airport. Whenever I fly back home, it's a must stop for me.
Well I did, but you have pics so you win!
haha not fair, but you did beat me by a couple min. Leg for you.
Carol Lee
eeL loraC
The best doughnuts forwards and backwards. Inside and out too but that's harder to express in typing
Overall. Allie's Donuts in North Kingstown, RI.
In the New River Valley, the Wades in Christiansburg blows away Carol Lee and their overrated donuts.
Bite your tongue!
Here lies HokieAlum6144. RIP.
Wade's are really good but I have never had Carol Lee's so I can't compare.
I will not downvote for opinions on donuts
I will not downvote for opinions on donuts
I will not downvote for opinions on donuts
I will not downvote for opinions on donuts
I will not downvote for opinions on donuts
Now now, everyone... let's not be hasty here. I think we need a nice big sample size from both stores in order to make an informed decision.
I volunteer to conduct the study.
Seconded. In fact, why don't we procur sample sizes for every shop listed on here to give a truly thorough investimagation study.
Ah yes, good idea. Happiness and diabeetus for all!
Carol Lee, or the Amish doughnuts that are sold off exit 7 in Bristol. They set up a trailer and make them when you order. They're pretty awesome. They only set up periodically. Drove 45 min one way last weekend to get them
Wait what? I've never seen these Amish Donuts and I go to Exit 7 almost every weekend for one thing or another. Are they outside that Amish store that is across the street from the new Cook Out?
Yep. Right there in that parking lot across from Cook Out. They were there last Saturday. Started at 9am and were still there when I went around 2pm.
I'm eating some dunkin donuts right now and they're roughly the worst donuts I've had (full disclosure, I will be eating more).
.
Since Carol Lee's has been done to death, and both Country Style and Mrs. Yoders have gotten love from Richmond, I'm surprised no one's mentioned Sugar Shack. They started a couple of years ago in RVA but are in Charlottesville and NOVA now. Really interesting flavor combinations, everything is super fresh, and all the toppings are made with actual ingredients (ie. the fruit glaze is obviously crushed blueberries/blackberries, the bacon is some damn good bacon). Just their plain yeast style donut is excellent, not too sweet, good consistency, delicious
+1 for full disclosure. No shame.
Just opened a Sugar Shack in Alexandria VA and they are fantastic. In fact, I may go there for an after lunch snack.
+1000
I lived on North Main my last two years in Blacksburg. Carol Lee's Donuts was a short 5 minute walk away from our apartment. Incredibly delicious and oh so affordable for a college kid.
Now that I'm in Lynchburg, I'll have to give a shout-out to a couple guys who run a donut shop from their truck downtown: "Mama Crockett's Apple Cider Donuts". They are made fresh while you watch and sprinkled with just the right amount of sugar. Look them up online; they are extraordinarily tasty.
I lived in Clover Valley for 2 years, which was located behind Carol Lee, through the woods. There was a clear path cut through the woods from my neighborhood to Carol Lee (also to access Food Lion...).
I used to wake up on Saturdays, cut through the woods, buy a dozen donuts, sit on the couch and watch Game Day and college football all day while eating donuts. During away weeks, of course.
I hate to break this to you, but your life will never be that good again.
That's where I live now, actually, and I've totally done this as my growing waistline will attest.
Anybody else around here remember when they were downtown? Right there by the Lyric, it was fun to sit at their window seats, eat donuts and watch the college world go by. Those were the days, my friend!
They're not there now? That was the location when I was in school.
No, they moved out to North Main many years ago. They became essentially a take out place with a couple of picnic tables outside. Edge of town, pretty much.
Anybody in the tidewater area heard of Odoodle Doos? That place is pretty fantastic.
They make a blueberry maple bacon donut that is out of this world.
If you're in DC, Astro Donuts and Fried Chicken (owned by former Capitals forward Jeff Halpern) is pretty kickass. Their DC store is on G St in between 13th and 14th (near Metro Center) and they're opening another location in Idylwood Plaza in Falls Church soon.
Not my photo, but their Creme Brulee donut is phenomenal.
Shipley, both donuts and Kolaches
Where is this place? Do they make rolled kolach or the flat danish like ones?
its a chain...i got 'em years ago in Houston
http://www.myshipleydonuts.com/whats-cooking/kolaches/
There's a donut shop in Salem called 'Veggies to Go' that's pretty awesome.
Is that what that is?
I actually thought somebody opened a to go veggie shop, which is why I haven't been in.
It use to be the Salem Donut shop until just a few yrs ago. They are good but
run out pretty quickly on busy mornings.
Down here in Atlanta Sublime Donuts off 10th St behind Ga Tech is a great stop. They make a dulce de Leche/caramel that this amazing. His other flavors are great too.
While no longer available my grandmother's yeast donuts cooked in crisco and lard were pretty special.
I think this explains quite a bit.
Since we have similar tastes in in-town Atlanta foods: have you tried Revolution Donuts, on the border of Atlanta/Decatur?
The salted caramel and bacon is their calling card, but the raspberry sprinkle (the homer simpson donut!), the fresh fruit sliders, and the "mister crunchy" (a breakfast sandwich on donut halves) are unreal. In the evenings you can add handmade ice cream to any donut. Their, uh, donut chef (?) won the donut showdown on FoodTV.
I am there way too often. Like tomorrow.
http://www.revolutiondoughnuts.com
Thanks for the tip I'll check it out when the weather breaks and I can bike over they really need a donut shop in Krog st I wonder if I can get a Carol Lee franxhise?
Strite's donuts is all the rage in my neck of the woods (Staunton, Waynesboro). They started as a food truck and now a few gas stations sell them on top of that. They're ridiculous. Dude at work brought some in and I grab my go to Boston Creme. I'm sitting there in a meeting and take a bite and that thing just squirts creme all over my leg. I just picked it up and ate it with my fingers. Zero regrets. I don't even think anyone else noticed.
Strites are awesome! They've got the truck in Stuarts Draft, as well as being stocked at Eavers BP.
They aren't really donuts but I had some of these the morning of the Sugar Bowl at Cafe Du Monde and it was delicious.
NOLA staple. Hopefully we get to a few more sugar bowls and everyone can experience this.
Yeah the Sugar bowl has gotta be one of the best bowls to go to as a fan. You get to spend NYE in the french quarter and eat amazing food the whole time you're there.
Every neutral site sporting event should be played in New Orleans. It's fantastic; you can walk from the bars to the stadium WITH A BEER. AND THE FOOD IS BEST.
Oh yeah I forgot, EVERY BEER COMES IN A TO-GO CUP!!!
Growing up in Blacksburg I have to reinforce that Carol Lee's is the best (although I think they were a bit better when they were downtown). Those things made sitting thru church service bearable when I was a kid, and its on the top of my kids list to go there every time we go home to visit family.
Living in charlottesville the past 15 years, I will have to say that Spudnuts is really quite good. They don't have the variety of CL's and they are only open like four days a week for two hours. If you search the history, its pretty cool, they were a franchise chain back in 50's (the wiki on them actually shows a pic of the cville shop).
Of course when your not able to get to those places, the ole "fancy people" Entenmanns donuts in your local grocery don't suck either.
I just posted a couple of minutes ago about Carol Lee being downtown. I was going to say that I thought they were better when they were downtown, but forgot to mention it. I'll give a leg for agreeing with that opinion.
I love Carol Lee's as much as anyone, but the best donuts I've ever had have been from a pastry shop in France. Say what you will about the French, but they make incredible donuts.
I believe some other people above have already posted about donuts shops in Charlottesville.
Honolulu's answer to Carol Lee is called Leonard's Bakery. They serve made-to-order malasadas, which are essentially Portuguese doughnuts. A fresh malasada with Li Hing Mui sugar coating and macadamia filling is the best doughnut I've ever had.
For anybody living in Richmond, they just opened a Country Style donuts on Broad Street. For years there was just one on Williamsburg Road. Personally my favorite donuts.
Duck Donuts in the Outer Banks and Virginia Beach. It's a small bite of heaven. Also, thank you to whomever decided that donuts were an acceptable form of breakfast food. I love you.
Every now and then my coworker will bring in Duck donuts for everyone on a Friday morning. They're sooooo good
Windmill Bakery in South Boston / Halifax County, VA.
I will do the obligatory shout out to Carol Lee Donuts which I love, but man the Windmill Bakery glazed donuts are something special. The bakery is run by a Mennonite family and is closed on Sundays and Mondays, but if you are ever traveling in Central Virginia and find yourself near South Boston, you need to do yourself a favor and stop. Grab a glazed donut and then make sure to order one of their awesome deli sandwiches. Definitely a treat!
I was going to link to their website or Facebook, but I couldn't find an official one so here's the county's website where the mention Windmill: http://www.gohalifaxva.com/index.php?option=com_sobipro&sid=292:windmill...
Resurrecting this thread because Duck Donuts is coming to Fairfax & Herndon!
https://duckdonuts.com/locations-hours/herndon-va-bbt-center
https://duckdonuts.com/locations-hours/fairfax-va-boulevard-shopping
Duck Donuts was alright when you get them fresh. Once they cool, I have very little interest in them.
Was in Austin over the weekend and feel compelled to add Round Rock donuts to the discussion. They're good.
Country Style Donuts in Richmond (Williamsburg Rd and now West Tower off Broad) is the best donut I have ever had by far. They are dense yeast donuts which are the best. Cake donuts are pretty meh IMO. They are open 24 hours to boot!
As far as variety, Boston Creme all day every day.
I've never had Carol Lee's, so I don't know who they compare, but Shoppers Food Warehouse has some great donuts