Nothing hits the spot in the morning quite like a donut and hot cup of coffee. In the United States, there are over 25,000 donut shops serving over ten billion donuts each year. This of course raises the question of where is the best place in Saint Louis to get donuts.

Many people will insist that Dunkin Donuts is clearly the best and there is one located on Page in Olivette. The convenience of this makes it very desirable and they’re donuts are good.

Others would argue that nothing can rival Krispy Kreme. While they are delicious, the closest one is 15 miles away. 

And then there is the question of local joints.

In Saint Louis, there are dozens of places to choose, from international chains to decade-old family owned shops. There are classic shops for the purists, and ones with wild variety such as maple bacon. 

Old Town Donuts is a premier  choice for many people. Founded in 1968, the family owned shop has been located in Old Town Florissant since it’s conception. Open  7 days a week, 24 hours a day, Old Town provides a selection of classic donuts.

The shop isn’t anything particularly special. It has a handful of tables (that are not available due to COVID), a front counter, and a display of all of the donuts. These donuts consist of all of the classics: plain cake, glazed, sprinkled, Boston cream, long johns, and more. While there aren’t any particularly unique or wild donuts, there is an option for just about everyone and they do the classics right.

My go-to donut is the old-fashioned. They have pretty much perfected the formula in the years that it has been in existence. The dough is cooked right every time. It is never too dry or overly moist. The outside has the slight crispness that makes old-fashioned my favorite donut, and while it certainly has loads of sugar, it doesn’t feel over done. For anyone that enjoys a plain treat to go with coffee or any other beverage, the old fashioned from Old Town Donuts is perfect.

Even though Old Town Donut is 15 miles away from school, it is worth the drive. A dozen donuts from Old Town Donuts is $9.95 and $6.00 on Monday nights. 

While Old Town is perfect for just donuts and coffee, sometimes I want something more than just that. Thankfully, Tony’s Donuts offers even more, and it is only 4 miles from school on McKelvey Road.

Located in Maryland Heights and Hazelwood with a third location on Dorsett Road opening this year, Tony’s Donuts and Cafe opened its first location in 1995. On their website, they say “We refer to our business as more of a Café”. 

This is because there is more to get at Tony’s than donuts. Their menu offers a wide range of sandwiches and bagels, smoothies and other pastries such as Cannoli and cakes. 

A dozen donuts at Tony’s costs $11.99. There is a wide variety of donuts, from normal cake donuts to cream cheese filled and cinnamon twist. 

I tried the M&M covered chocolate cake donut. As far as cake donuts go, it wasn’t particularly remarkable. It was nowhere near bad, but it wasn’t great either. However, the Donut was dense and moist and the M&Ms were a good touch. Being so close to school and having other options available makes this a good place to go.

Sometimes a normal donut doesn’t feel like enough, and you want something a little bit more. Vincent Van Doughnut’s motto is “where doughnut making is an art”, and it certainly applies. 

Located in The Grove on Manchester about 16 miles from school, the shop is a great place to sit and eat while reading or relaxing. 

The first thing I noticed the first time I visited is the size of the donuts. These doughnuts were huge, and many weren’t traditionally shaped. There are square and rectangular donuts, and all of them were decorated with layers of icing and other toppings. 

My personal favorite is the cheesecake cookie crumble. It has cheesecake glaze with graham streusel crumble and caramel that is made in-house. 

Just like the ingredient list, the doughnut is a mouthful. It is no small snack, and can definitely be too much for anyone without a large appetite. You may even want to share with someone else

That being said, it is one of the most unique and delicious donuts I have ever had. The flavors are great, and the dough is very well cooked. If you want to step away from a traditional style donut and don’t mind a drive, Vincent Van Doughnut is a great choice with donuts and pastries ranging from $1.85 – 3.75. 

No matter what you’re looking for in Saint Louis, there is a donut shop for you.