overall best donuts

Out of the six places we visited, the title "best donut shop" was between Kane's donuts and Ohlin's donuts.

At both shops, the donuts where moist, and they had great texture and a good selection of donuts.

In addition, Union Square donuts would be a great donut shop to sit down with a computer and have a cup of coffee or a donut.

These three donut shops where great but we wish they had a pistachio flavored donut.

Union Square Donuts

 

When we saw the small, black and white sign for Union Square donuts, we didn't expect much. We thought it might be more of a café that sold donuts as an afterthought. But the donuts were good: moist and sweet. They had a wonderful pillowy texture. They were very large as well, a few inches bigger in circumference than the typical Dunkin' Donuts Donut. There were no cake donuts at Union Square Donuts, however there were many different options like Bacon Maple, Chipotle Chocolate, Vanilla Bean, Brown Butter Hazelnut Crunch, Salted Caramel Bourbon and Creamsicle. 

It had a young vibe, very 21st century and modern, and variety of seating options such as couches, chairs and stools. (Union Donuts emails rather than prints receipts)  The lighting was dim and there was music playing and free wifi.This would be a place to hang out with coffee or even visit while on a date. Union Square Donuts shares its space with a small café and there is even room for Karaoke and live music.

The donuts here are pricey-- $3.00-$3.50 per donut. But we felt they were worth it. You would only need one, and there were clearly quality ingredients in them. There was an elevated quality to these donuts.

This is not your grandfather's donut store. In fact, we thought that the Union Square regulars might be the grandchildren of Verna's regulars.

 

Our rating

 

Overall *****  



Taste/Texture *****

Atmosphere *****

Price **

Variety ***

 

Kane's Donuts

 

Kane's is on Lincoln Avenue in a busy area but with a small-town feel. The store has a homey, countryside diner vibe. There's lots of room, with seating inside and outside on the deck. During the 40 minutes we spent at Kane's, people were constantly coming in and out of the store.

The donuts are delicious! They are moist and tasty, and quite sweet. The selection is above and beyond what we expected. In addition to the classic donuts, of which the jelly, chocolate and strawberry did not disappoint, more eclectic standouts include the red velvet, butter crunch, crème brule, and M&M flavor. Further, they offer a wide selection of muffins, cupcakes, pastries and even pizza.

We were also impressed by Kane's use of non-Styrofoam plates, friendly service, and decent pricing. A dozen donuts came out to about $14.00, which is a good deal once you factor in quality and size of the donut.

Kane's had a REAL donut shop vibe.

Our rating

 

Overall *****  



Taste/Texture *****

Atmosphere *****

Price *****

Variety *****

Donuts with a Difference

 

Donuts with a Difference is in the center of Medford in a small, cramped space. The first thing we noticed was the smell. Donuts with a Difference did not have a pleasant smell. It could have benefitted from an open window. There were stools and a long counter, but there wasn't much room to sit. The place was crowded, and we ended up taking our donuts outside.

Even at 11:00, there was plenty of variety.  The raised donuts were bread-like in taste and texture, not so special. But the glazed donuts were extraordinary. The outside glaze was slightly crispy and the inside was light and airy. Delicious!

The counter help at Donuts with a Difference, was sort of mean. When we asked for cups of water and a plastic knife, she appeared put out.

There are some serious drawbacks here, but the glazed are worth a trip.

Our rating

 

Overall  



Taste/Texture

Atmosphere

Price

Variety

Demet's Donuts

Demet's Donuts are good!  The store, which is on Mystic Ave in Medford, was loud, but friendly. There were plastic booths and a great counter. It made for a comfortable place to hang out. The color scheme looks a bit like Dunkin Donuts. When we went, it was really crowded, although it was 10:20 in the morning, and the customers all seemed to be having a good time.

The donuts were good, especially the jelly donut with powdered sugar outside, which was the best of its kind that we tried. Demet's cake donuts are crunchy on the outside and dense and moist on the inside.  This made them messy to eat, but very worthwhile.

There is a good variety at Demet's, though most of the donuts were sold out when we visited.  This was the only shop that sold coconut chocolate donuts.

Our rating

 

Overall 



Taste/Texture

Atmosphere

Price

Variety

Verna's Donuts

Verna's is located in North Cambridge in a building with a nice interior. It had places to sit, though the dining area was plain, with no real decorations. There were not so many different kinds of donuts-- just the typical donuts (Jelly, glazed, plain, and "Cambridge cream") but when we went to Verna's, it was later in the day and there were many kinds that were sold out.

 

Verna's donuts were tasty, but a little bit dry. We liked the jelly, but felt there was room for improvement. The raised donuts were more dense than at other shops.

Verna's is a good bargain, with a dozen donuts costing only $7.45.  It is in a neighborhood with many small shops nearby. Coffee and hot chocolate are available. There is parking in back.

 

Our rating

 

Overall ***  



Taste/Texture ***

Atmosphere ****

Price *****

Variety ***

Ohlin's Bakery

 

 

Ohlin's Bakery is in Belmont, in a neighborhood with a lot of shops. Though it looked kind of old, the donuts were really good. There were three big pastry cases full of all sorts of goodies-- donuts, pastries, cakes and cookies.  There is nowhere to sit in Ohin's, which was disappointing. We had to take our donuts to the tiny park around the corner. 



There were a lot of different kinds of donuts at Olin's. We tried Marshmallow filled donuts, blueberry AND raspberry jelly filled, maple frosted, chocolate frosted, strawberry frosted, powdered sugar, buttercrunch, and plain. We especially liked the jelly donuts-- both blueberry and strawberry-- and the chocolate frosted which were both moist and sweet. The buttercrunch were raised rather than cake which made them messy, but also unique and delicious.



The women at the counter were kind and helpful. They recommended some of their favorites for us to try. Prices were average and self-serve coffee is available.

If you are looking for great donuts, we would recommend Ohlin's Bakery.

 

Our rating

Overall *****



Taste/Texture *****
Atmosphere ***
Price ****
Variety *****