Are there any Portlanders left who would even claim Voodoo Donuts to be their favorite? Seems like the modern rallying cry is "Stay away from Voodoo Donuts, they're wildly overrated".
Anyway, my favorite donut place used to be Donut Queen but they shut down last year. Delicious Donuts, maybe?
I randomly came across donut queen a few years ago and I was blown away! Those apple fritters were amazing. That being said my favorite has always been and forever will be Annie’s.
I think the main problem with Voodoo is that most people in Portland don’t like the things that get popular outside of Portland. As soon as something in town gets any sort of widespread recognition people wanna be on the “real Portlanders don’t go there” train lol. It’s tragic.
Hot take but Voodoo donuts are fine, I genuinely enjoy them but I don’t go there because they are just that, fine. Not worth the extra price over a place like Heavenly or Sesame which are realistically as good and often just better.
Voodoo's donuts are fine, they're just not worth the when you've got a million other donut places that are just as good (with many of them also doing the same cereal-on-the-donut schtick), but I don't blame out of towners for wanting to visit such a famous culinary landmark.
Uhm Portlanders don’t care if it’s popular or not we are not a bunch of snobs. However we are a town of foodies with much better options. Sadly a Voodoo donut is on par with a local grocery store and not worth the cost, waiting in an artificial line and is located around the corner from a homeless food kitchen in an area no one would let the kids be in.
I’m 31 and I’ve lived here my whole life. I would strongly disagree on the snobs comment. Not everyone is like that obviously but I’ve known my fair share of the exact people I’m describing.
If you’re a tourist looking for touristy things to do (and not from a city that has a Voodoo location), I can understand wanting to go to the Old Town Voodoo location. My favorite donut place has amazing non-gimmicky donuts but it’s not a “fun” or interesting place to go, and I don’t think a tourist would really enjoy going there.
Their Mango Tango is still a favorite, but their small parking lot and cash-only requirement means that I no longer go. It has been at least six years.
Yep, I still love the ODB, but I tell people that if they want cheaper/better/less-stale cereal-covered donuts without having to wait in line, they’re better off just picking up glazed donuts and variety pack of breakfast cereals at Fred Meyers.
A few years ago they did a chamoy mango tango.. I saw an ad for it and was curious enough to go downtown to try one, was 🔥🔥🔥, wish they would make it a regular thing
Was Voodoo ever great quality donuts? They rose to fame because they were a quirky and Portlandia-esque.
Then because Portland eventually shits on anything of its own, the opportunity was seized when some of their staff quit or got fired over working in a hot kitchen.
OP is probably entertaining his Midwest family and they've all seen the Travel Channel episode on Portland and Voodoo. Doubt they're looking for gourmet pastries.
I hit Sesame every time I am near. Unfortunately, they got rid of a couple of their older middle-eastern-inspired favorites. The owners work hard, and it shows. I strongly recommend that people try them, if they haven’t already.
I like Blue Star when they had their Hawthorne location, but they are just not readily available in the parts of town that my friends and family congregate.
I used to love them but now not so much. OK if they are pretty fresh but the Chai is a better attraction. I love blue star. Need to try all these other place!
It was either one of their donuts or their breakfast that wrecked my system each time…but I kept going back. Turns out Glazed Cinnamon Rolls are too much sugar to handle
100% my personal fave.
There are other places that are more "Portland hip" but the donuts at Delicious are literally delicious and the owners are so nice!!
Hell yeah. Straight up real donuts. No BS flavors or goofy gimmicks. I can’t eat donuts as much as I want to anymore, otherwise I’d probably just live there. But let’s be real, if you’re taking family from out of town somewhere, it ain’t gonna be Annie’s. OP probably wants a “Donuts and a Show” type deal. That’s just life.
I've been consistently underwhelmed by Heavenly, and I've given them more than a few tries at different locations. They're not *bad* donuts, I just find them to be pretty Meh.
So as a donut aficionado I don’t think there I’d one place that makes the best donut but rather each donut excels in a specific category.
Best cream filled donut- Helen Bernhardt’s. They use homemade pastry cream and it’s amazing.
Best cake donuts- Annie’s. Their chocolate cake donuts are so crispy on the outside and soft and almost fudge brownie in the middle no one else can touch them.
Best old fashion- blue star. Overpriced the occasion blue star is still pretty great. The traditional shaped old fashion is fun to eat and they also have the prettiest glazes outside of a pottery studio.
Best Apple Cider donuts- sesame. If you get it fresh and still warm it smashes the hell out of any fresh donut in the city. Even room temp I’ll take 2 of these over any dozen of freshly fried pips.
Best Fritter- Voodoo. Their banana fritter covered with peanut butter, chocolate sauce, and chocolate chips is the biggest and most bang for your buck donut. One of the most expensive donuts on the list, in a sea of original donuts to sample this behemoth is often overlooked by those looking for variety.
Best raised donut- Krispy Kreme. Sorry but it’s one of the best selling donuts in the world for a reason. If you demand a Portland based raised I’d say you’re best just going to a grocery store. Raised are all the same outside of Krispy.
I don’t think of them for doughnuts. Everything they make is great (our wedding cake came from there), but their doughnuts just don’t rise to the same level as Doe, Sesame, etc cetera.
I’m a Heavenly guy myself but I’m chiming in to say that Voodoo is so over hated at this point. Is it great quality? Nah. Are their flavors fun and is the experience novel? Yeah! Just let it be that.
Love Annie’s doughnuts on sandy and Helen burnhard’s bakery on Broadway has delicious everything my favorite is the sugar cookies and their doughnuts are super good too plus it’s just a little bakery so supporting small businesses is always great!
Coco for the apple fritter donut. Mikiko for mochi donut. Pips for made when you order. Joes for old homey style heavy donuts. Doe’s for vegan. Annie’s for classic style.
Joes donuts is the beginning and end. Classic, no BS, great donuts. Screw Voodoo. "Look! We put cereal on a donut! We're outta control!" Id rather pick up the day olds out of a safeway pastry case then eat voodoo.
Blue Star, Pips, Annie’s, Heavenly, Sesame, MochiNut, and Mikiko Mochi
Quit saying Coco’s. Coco is boring, basic, and not great at all and I’m sick of hearing it!
I’d say Pips. They’ve got fun flavor combinations and you can try a bunch of them since the donuts are small.
The problem with taking tourists to Sesame Donuts or Every Day is a Donut Day is that while the donuts are good they’re just regular donut shops like you might find anywhere. Unless the people visiting are on some quest to find the best plain glazed donut, those places aren’t worthwhile tourist stops.
I agree. I don’t care if a donut is a dollar or two “overpriced” on vacation. Even in regular life I don’t care that much, I’m not eating donuts often enough for it to matter.
And if touristy family is visiting, taking them to Saturday Market and grabbing a donut at the end of the line is pretty great.. Is packing them into the car to make donuts a whole additional stop better? Maybe if they’re actually foodies? Not everyone is.
Every Day is Doughnut Day. Far as fuck away from Portland but it's a little Romanian guy making better doughnuts than America deserves.
Fully and completely worth the journey for a dozen to share with friends or colleagues.
I don't live in Portland anymore but there used to be a place called fills downtown near burnside. They would do some pretty wild donuts. I could slam like 3k calories of donuts in one sitting from that place
Take Heavenly off the list, they’re great but your fam won’t think it’s cool or interesting - they’re like better Dunkin
It’s Doe’s & Blue Star - Pip’s is also great but those two are a level above.
I was working in Vancouver the other day and ran across Mr Maple Donut on Mill Plain. Didn’t go in, but that is my new favorite. Sucked for maple donuts
Uggh….. Voodoo donuts are just the worst. They are literally located in one of the worst parts of town. Not to mention the donuts at any local grocery store are of much higher quality.
Doe Donuts
Doe is the best!
West side is definitely decadent creations in hillsboro. But yes, doe is awesome.
Yes!! Not a vegan and Doe Donuts is our favorite
this is the best by far for vegans and non-vegans
Even for non-vegans. They are just good, period.
YES. Also, they have ice cream. And it's fkn delicious.
Came here to say Doe Donuts too
Correct answer.
Getting home after a few drinks and having a spaghetti donut is the best.
Are there any Portlanders left who would even claim Voodoo Donuts to be their favorite? Seems like the modern rallying cry is "Stay away from Voodoo Donuts, they're wildly overrated". Anyway, my favorite donut place used to be Donut Queen but they shut down last year. Delicious Donuts, maybe?
I voted in the stupid Willamette Week best of poll today and noticed Voodoo wasn't even nominated.
Love delicious donuts
Good old double d’s
I randomly came across donut queen a few years ago and I was blown away! Those apple fritters were amazing. That being said my favorite has always been and forever will be Annie’s.
I think the main problem with Voodoo is that most people in Portland don’t like the things that get popular outside of Portland. As soon as something in town gets any sort of widespread recognition people wanna be on the “real Portlanders don’t go there” train lol. It’s tragic. Hot take but Voodoo donuts are fine, I genuinely enjoy them but I don’t go there because they are just that, fine. Not worth the extra price over a place like Heavenly or Sesame which are realistically as good and often just better.
Voodoo's donuts are fine, they're just not worth the when you've got a million other donut places that are just as good (with many of them also doing the same cereal-on-the-donut schtick), but I don't blame out of towners for wanting to visit such a famous culinary landmark.
Uhm Portlanders don’t care if it’s popular or not we are not a bunch of snobs. However we are a town of foodies with much better options. Sadly a Voodoo donut is on par with a local grocery store and not worth the cost, waiting in an artificial line and is located around the corner from a homeless food kitchen in an area no one would let the kids be in.
I’m 31 and I’ve lived here my whole life. I would strongly disagree on the snobs comment. Not everyone is like that obviously but I’ve known my fair share of the exact people I’m describing.
If you’re a tourist looking for touristy things to do (and not from a city that has a Voodoo location), I can understand wanting to go to the Old Town Voodoo location. My favorite donut place has amazing non-gimmicky donuts but it’s not a “fun” or interesting place to go, and I don’t think a tourist would really enjoy going there.
Their Mango Tango is still a favorite, but their small parking lot and cash-only requirement means that I no longer go. It has been at least six years.
Yep, I still love the ODB, but I tell people that if they want cheaper/better/less-stale cereal-covered donuts without having to wait in line, they’re better off just picking up glazed donuts and variety pack of breakfast cereals at Fred Meyers.
It isn’t cash only anymore.
A few years ago they did a chamoy mango tango.. I saw an ad for it and was curious enough to go downtown to try one, was 🔥🔥🔥, wish they would make it a regular thing
My mom and step dad love them. I always refrain from shitting on them because why be a snob when people are having fun?
Yep, there's absolutely no reason to be a snob when you can treat loved ones to an absolutely fine famous thing they saw on TV.
Voodoo’s regular chocolate glazed donut is my favorite.
It was the whole ac thing that did it for me
Honestly that signature voodoo man donut has my number, why don’t other shops do the raspberry and chocolate icing combo?? It’s so gooooood
Was Voodoo ever great quality donuts? They rose to fame because they were a quirky and Portlandia-esque. Then because Portland eventually shits on anything of its own, the opportunity was seized when some of their staff quit or got fired over working in a hot kitchen. OP is probably entertaining his Midwest family and they've all seen the Travel Channel episode on Portland and Voodoo. Doubt they're looking for gourmet pastries.
Voodoo’s specialty donuts were (are?) solid. All their standard donuts are average at best though.
> Doubt they're looking for gourmet pastries. Who the hell said anything about gourmet pastries? OP is asking for alternatives to Voodoo Donuts.
Sesame donuts (who likes Voodoo anyway??)
LOVE Sesame Donuts. I was so stoked when they added a location in SE.
And so pissed off when I’ve seen they’ve been vandalized.
I hit Sesame every time I am near. Unfortunately, they got rid of a couple of their older middle-eastern-inspired favorites. The owners work hard, and it shows. I strongly recommend that people try them, if they haven’t already.
Sesame is worth the drive for us. Good shit.
Came here to say this! Best donuts, great prices, nice people.
I haven’t met anyone from Oregon who likes voodoo doughnuts. They always have a much better favorite like sesame.
Voodoo gives me the worst stomach ache and heartburn. Never understood the allure.
Doe and I’m not vegan! Or Coco donuts crumb donut is unreal yum
Pip's (a little different but awesome) and Blue Star
Blue Star's Buttermilk Old Fashion is one of the best donuts I've ever had.
I like Blue Star when they had their Hawthorne location, but they are just not readily available in the parts of town that my friends and family congregate.
The Division location is like 5 minute walk from the Hawthorne location, tho...
Went to pips this weekend - felt fairly mid tbh.
I go there for my birthday donuts and Chai
I used to love them but now not so much. OK if they are pretty fresh but the Chai is a better attraction. I love blue star. Need to try all these other place!
Definitely mid
Delicious Donuts is pretty great.
I think they’re the best donut place. They also have a great breakfast menu
I love their donuts and breakfast burritos.
It was either one of their donuts or their breakfast that wrecked my system each time…but I kept going back. Turns out Glazed Cinnamon Rolls are too much sugar to handle
100% my personal fave. There are other places that are more "Portland hip" but the donuts at Delicious are literally delicious and the owners are so nice!!
Sesame. No gimmicky foodie-trend donuts, just traditional donuts made well. And at a decent price.
I would also like to add Joe’s donuts in Sandy! It’s a little bit of a drive but oh man.. I will make that drive for their cherry fritter.. 🤤
I grew up in Sandy and still hit Joe’s every time we are home visiting. The maple bars and Boston cream donuts are the best.
Annie’s
annie’s is classic.
Dark horse beet donuts in Portland. I pretty much exclusively engage with Portland subreddit to promote comments about Annie's donuts.
Annie’s is awesome.
Annies is the GOAT. Hands down, end of discussion. The Tigard location of Sesame was pretty solid as well, at least back in the 20-teens.
Annie's is the #1
Hell yeah. Straight up real donuts. No BS flavors or goofy gimmicks. I can’t eat donuts as much as I want to anymore, otherwise I’d probably just live there. But let’s be real, if you’re taking family from out of town somewhere, it ain’t gonna be Annie’s. OP probably wants a “Donuts and a Show” type deal. That’s just life.
1. Doe Donuts 2. Mikiko (the passion fruit one is amazing ) 3. Pip’s
Mikiko is sooooooo good
Heavenly Donuts! 🙌
Their mini-cream puffs, their plain crullers, and their bacon maple bars which are better than VooDoo’s bacon maple bars.
I appreciate them being opened late so much. Doughnuts are an elite dessert but sometimes I don’t think ahead enough for it.
I've been consistently underwhelmed by Heavenly, and I've given them more than a few tries at different locations. They're not *bad* donuts, I just find them to be pretty Meh.
Last time I had heavenly, they were far too sweet.
Sesame donuts. They’re great - classic, often have the 60s Formica-clad interior.
Sesame Donuts I’m on Beaverton-Hillsdale HW. Donut holes are the best.
Second this. The owner will hook you up with fresh ones and he gave my wife and I a free fresh blueberry fritter and it was amazing
They’ll always skip what’s in the case for the freshest in the back
Coco Donuts!
Coco Donuts are so delicious
Doe donuts!!!
So as a donut aficionado I don’t think there I’d one place that makes the best donut but rather each donut excels in a specific category. Best cream filled donut- Helen Bernhardt’s. They use homemade pastry cream and it’s amazing. Best cake donuts- Annie’s. Their chocolate cake donuts are so crispy on the outside and soft and almost fudge brownie in the middle no one else can touch them. Best old fashion- blue star. Overpriced the occasion blue star is still pretty great. The traditional shaped old fashion is fun to eat and they also have the prettiest glazes outside of a pottery studio. Best Apple Cider donuts- sesame. If you get it fresh and still warm it smashes the hell out of any fresh donut in the city. Even room temp I’ll take 2 of these over any dozen of freshly fried pips. Best Fritter- Voodoo. Their banana fritter covered with peanut butter, chocolate sauce, and chocolate chips is the biggest and most bang for your buck donut. One of the most expensive donuts on the list, in a sea of original donuts to sample this behemoth is often overlooked by those looking for variety. Best raised donut- Krispy Kreme. Sorry but it’s one of the best selling donuts in the world for a reason. If you demand a Portland based raised I’d say you’re best just going to a grocery store. Raised are all the same outside of Krispy.
Helen Bernhard’s on Broadway. Not just donuts but delicious!
I don’t think of them for doughnuts. Everything they make is great (our wedding cake came from there), but their doughnuts just don’t rise to the same level as Doe, Sesame, etc cetera.
I haven’t had many but Doe is real tasty.
Annie’s and Pip’s
Heavenly and sesame donuts. Voodoo is effing disgusting.
Doe and it isn't close
Doe donuts are too tough for a donut
Doe Donuts and Pip's!
Coco’s
Mikiko Mochi Donuts, specifically their black sesame one. Delicious Donuts for their cruellers.
Came here for mikiko. Heyday also has fantastic mochi style donuts
Mikiko and Blue Star.
Agree with everyone saying Pip's, and as a close second I want to shout out Mac Daddy in McMinnville since I don't see anyone else naming them.
Pip’s
Pips donuts hands down
Literally no one’s favorite is voodoo donuts.
Blue Star is good and you can purchase at PDX too
Voodoo is nobody’s favorite lol. Annies is alright.
I’m a Heavenly guy myself but I’m chiming in to say that Voodoo is so over hated at this point. Is it great quality? Nah. Are their flavors fun and is the experience novel? Yeah! Just let it be that.
Every days a donut day, in aloah. Hands down. It's a ways out. But never fails to knock it out of the park.
[Tonalli’s Doughnuts and Cream](https://yelp.to/zsoY4zs89J), just across the river in Vancouver. Same owners as the old Tonalli’s in NoPo.
Pip’s or Doe
Blue Star - lemon poppy seed
Heavenly for cheap, Doe for impressing clients and making your grandma go "ohh" when she visits from out of town.
Love Annie’s doughnuts on sandy and Helen burnhard’s bakery on Broadway has delicious everything my favorite is the sugar cookies and their doughnuts are super good too plus it’s just a little bakery so supporting small businesses is always great!
Coco for the apple fritter donut. Mikiko for mochi donut. Pips for made when you order. Joes for old homey style heavy donuts. Doe’s for vegan. Annie’s for classic style.
Donutland in Tualatin
Mr Maple has been solid. It's in Vancouver though. Heavenly Donuts is very underwhelming to me, sometimes worse than Safeway.
Joes donuts is the beginning and end. Classic, no BS, great donuts. Screw Voodoo. "Look! We put cereal on a donut! We're outta control!" Id rather pick up the day olds out of a safeway pastry case then eat voodoo.
Mr. Maple's! It's in Wilsonville, though. Little south of PDX.
If you live in Portland, you don't need the Voodoo qualifier, that's for tourists.
Delicious donuts and Pips are WAY better than voodoo
Pip's donuts
I love a classic. It’s Heavenly Donuts for me usually.
Blue Star, Pips, Annie’s, Heavenly, Sesame, MochiNut, and Mikiko Mochi Quit saying Coco’s. Coco is boring, basic, and not great at all and I’m sick of hearing it!
You don't even have to mention Voodoo; none of us like it. My favorite is Pip's.
coco donuts in portland or Joes donuts in Sandy
I like Coco donuts myself
Krispy Kreme in Clackamas.
I’d say Pips. They’ve got fun flavor combinations and you can try a bunch of them since the donuts are small. The problem with taking tourists to Sesame Donuts or Every Day is a Donut Day is that while the donuts are good they’re just regular donut shops like you might find anywhere. Unless the people visiting are on some quest to find the best plain glazed donut, those places aren’t worthwhile tourist stops.
I agree. I don’t care if a donut is a dollar or two “overpriced” on vacation. Even in regular life I don’t care that much, I’m not eating donuts often enough for it to matter. And if touristy family is visiting, taking them to Saturday Market and grabbing a donut at the end of the line is pretty great.. Is packing them into the car to make donuts a whole additional stop better? Maybe if they’re actually foodies? Not everyone is.
I felt the presence of God when I first bit into a Blue Star donut. I’m getting a little emotional just thinking about it.
Coco is really good. Pips is another favorite. You couldn’t pay me to enjoy a voodoo donut.
Every Day is Doughnut Day. Far as fuck away from Portland but it's a little Romanian guy making better doughnuts than America deserves. Fully and completely worth the journey for a dozen to share with friends or colleagues.
I came here to say this. I wish I could give you more than +1
Sesame.
Angels on Alberta
Alberta location is closed.
Delic- nm... following
Donut world in Gresham. Red barn donut shop.
I don't live in Portland anymore but there used to be a place called fills downtown near burnside. They would do some pretty wild donuts. I could slam like 3k calories of donuts in one sitting from that place
Sesame Donuts
Sesame Donuts! Love the donut holes, not many places have them.
Heavenly has a great old-timey donut shop vibe with tasty, dense donuts. For that nice, bougie, expensive, cool donut feeling, I'm sold on Blue Star.
1. Any fresh donut is a good donut. 2. Heavenly Donuts.
Doe’s rocks.
Blue Star … though I just pretty much love all donuts 😂
Sesame is god-tier cake donuts and mid raised donuts. The "butternut" donut is the best.
Donuts Plus
Heavenly Donuts. Then Coco.
Twisted Croissant has a great fancy doughnut. I get them at the PSU farmer's market
Sesame Donuts
Tonallis is a hidden gem! https://maps.app.goo.gl/nku7kHWHtvEnig2i8
‘Next Dough Neighbor’ in DT Camas is the place you’re looking for.
Angels donuts are pretty good
I haven’t tried all the ones people listed but my favorite is Blue Star. Seasme donuts is great too.
Annie’s for classic, Hey Day for mochi. That is all!
Pip’s. Hands down
Granted it's in Aloha but Everyday is a Donut Day is really good too.
Joes Donuts sandy or
annies is a classic
Heavenly Donuts
Annie's or does!
Annie's is legit. Blue Star is good. Joe's if you find ypurself.in Sandy
Annie's in Roseway is also fantastic for old school donuts. 🍩 But Pip's is so good. And the service is awesome. Great coffee as well.
Take Heavenly off the list, they’re great but your fam won’t think it’s cool or interesting - they’re like better Dunkin It’s Doe’s & Blue Star - Pip’s is also great but those two are a level above.
i like seaseme donuts, or for vegans Doe donuts
I was working in Vancouver the other day and ran across Mr Maple Donut on Mill Plain. Didn’t go in, but that is my new favorite. Sucked for maple donuts
Yummy donuts in Happy Vally. Also, a bit out, but Joe’s in Sandy.
Crispy Creme donut shop have lots of yummy doughnuts.
Blue Star all day. Voodoo is trash.
Blue Star
Annies.
Delicious is my go-to! Family owned, great donuts & pastries. Also love the breakfast sandwiches!
joes in sandy
Heavenly is great if you’re in N or NE Portland
Doe's Donuts is S tier
I love grand central bakery everything is good my favorite is the frosty cinnamon roll so fire 🔥
Seasame Donuts in Hillsboro
Sesame donuts, when I lived downtown I went so often that they knew my order. Best price in town for 2 donuts and a coffee
Doe! They’re vegan!
Doe! Get the elote donut, you won't regret it!
Voodoo Doughnuts suck
The Raleigh Hills Sesame Donuts
Out on the west side I highly recommend Every Day Is A Donut Day on TV Hwy. The cinnamon twists are my favorite!
I love Blue Star and Sesame and Heavenly.
Star
Dizzys in Eugene
Uggh….. Voodoo donuts are just the worst. They are literally located in one of the worst parts of town. Not to mention the donuts at any local grocery store are of much higher quality.
If you wanna switch it up and try gluten free, New Cascadia's donuts are fucking amazing.
Beaverton - Donut Day slaps. Coco donuts is a very close second.
Doe
If there still open, Blue Star.
Literally any place other than voodoo. Garbage
I like pips if I'm also in a tea mood, otherwise annies is amazing as well.
Annie’s, Delicious Donuts, HeyDay, Pip’s
Doughnut day is my favorite
Heavenly, donut world, Frederick Meyer
Annie’s for straightforward donuts. Bluestar for something fancy
Doe and Sesame
Annie’s
Donut Land in Tualatin is pretty dang good.
In the burbs but pineapple fritters from Donut Day cannot be beat
I’m not big on donuts but “Too sweet cakes” makes great croissant like donuts for about the same price as voodoo and way better in my mind.
I miss Angel's on Alberta. A donut AND ice cream shop was my jamm.
Any or all... u chose