Rough Donut Day in Jackson @ Monroe's - 47/100

The day got off to a rough start when one Jackson donut shop was inexplicably closed.  I went to Plan B and things got worse.  Monroe's felt promising, a local bakery in a small town, some great reviews online, and the thought destiny was pushing me there.

First off, that sign is freaky enough with the donut character who is one of the weirdest things I've ever witnessed.  This bizarre donut-faced cartoon holding a plate of donuts and giving a #1 finger should have warned me to stay away.

The selection was brutal.  It was a Monday and I can understand if they're laying low on producing everything every day of the week.  Everything they did have was very similar. Everything was pretty much glazed and there was no chocolate or alternate icing or frosting flavors.  The glazed donuts were sloppy with the size and shape and glaze distribution.  It wasn't a situation where I'd enjoy the fact they weren't cookie cutter donuts.  It was sloppy to the point of losing the charm any individuality donuts would give.

The glazed donut holes were sweet beyond help and the apple fritter was too sweet on the outside, too bland on the inside, and lacking appropriate apple filling.  After the best apple fritter of my life a couple days before in Houston, this was a huge letdown.

Another thing is they have a little cheap coffee maker from a household kitchen making the coffee, it really makes you feel like you're drinking the least special coffee in the world.  

Quick Score - 4 - Few redeeming qualities after my first impression.

Donut Quality - 4 - Sloppy is the word I use to describe these.
Donut Selection - 5 - Poor selection but I give a little benefit of the doubt that it was a Monday.
Donut Freshness - 8 - This is probably the least I had to worry about.
Service - 5 - Not that helpful.
Extras - 0 - Non-existent.
Appeal - 0 - The freakish donut cartoon killed the appeal from the start.
Emotion - 2 - Huge disappointment all around
Other's Rating - 9 - 4.5/5 average rating on Yelp.  How, I don't know but it's only 3 reviews.
Price - 5 - Low prices
Donut Dunkability - 5 - There are donut holes but not so good.
Total - 47

Day 12

I made it!

Graceland was closed so posing in front of the gates was one of the few things you could do

Chupy and Mom with The King

Chupy ready to hit Beale Street

In front of the Elvis statue near Beale

Wonderful Buttermilk Drops in New Orleans @ Buttermilk Drop Bakery - 90/100

I made a great detour on my donut journey on my New Orleans stop over at The Buttermilk Drop Bakery in the Seventh Ward.  It was just earlier in the week I saw the news stories about the baker, Dwight Henry, and his acting role in Beasts of the Southern Wild.  

This place has a really cool vibe and a great stacked donut case.  They don't have the most diverse selection available.  There are mainly regular glazed donut varieties, a few alternate flavors mixed in.  The buttermilk drop itself is a great alternative to the traditional donut hole.  It's a large ball of buttermilk with the glaze, dropped down on top of it, running down the sides, and coating the ball.  They're large and several bites larger than a donut hole but a great item.  The buttermilk has a brown outer fried coat with a soft white center.  I saw a little inconsistency between one drop to another.  They were good but I saw the dough as a little sloppy in a couple and the glaze distribution lacking on some.

There is also lots of soul food dishes available along with breakfast sandwiches and platters.  It really is a full service place.  Coffee was being sold at a separate table on the side.  Like they have another neighbor come in and sell the fresh coffee along with coffee and tea beans to go.  It was a pretty cool little setup.

Buttermilk Drop Bakery and Cafe
1781 North Dorgenois Street
New Orleans, Louisiana

Quick Score - 8 - Sweet vibe and great donuts.

Donut Quality - 6 - The famed buttermilk drop was a little inconsistent, the regular glazed donut was just okay.
Donut Selection - 8 - Not a huge donut selection but huge quantities present.
Donut Freshness - 10 - Daily goodness
Service - 8 - Good counter help, busy place
Extras - 10 - Soul food kitchen too
Appeal - 11 - Extra point b/c of the great design murals on the ceiling inside the shop and on the roof outside, and the famous local baker/actor.
Emotion - 10 - Big emotional boost from being able to be at this place, it was remarkable.
Other's Rating - 9 - 4.5/5 average rating on Yelp 
Price - 5 - Low prices
Donut Dunkability - 5 - Buttermilk drops add another dimension to dunkability.
Total - 90

Day 10 - 11

In the French Quarter

Hattiesburg, MS

Battlefield Park in Jackson, MS

Sun Studios w/Johnny Cash, Elvis, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis

Mom and Chupy outside Sun Studios

Best Apple Fritter Of My Life @ BB Donuts - 92/100

Nice, one day after my vow to not taint my palette with non-donut items, I had a croissant breakfast sandwich at BB Donuts, my Houston stop.  I couldn't help it, I eat tacos all the time in San Diego but I can't actually remember the last time I ate a croissant.  BB's won awards for its croissants so it seemed the way to go.  The croissant was good.  Flaky and buttery I could imagine it would be great for a hamburger (which they serve, also fried rice) but for the breakfast sandwhich the ham, egg, and cheese were only lukewarm and pretty forgettable.

But when it came to donuts they made an amazing apple fritter.  This thing was fried crispy on the outside, slightly greasy on the inside, super portions of apple inside the soft and doughy center.  I mix in apple fritters into my donut rotation pretty often and I truly believe this was the greatest apple fritter I've ever had.  It was still warm inside but even when I ate the other half in the car ride to New Orleans and it wasn't hot anymore, it was still just as delicious.  Only in a different way since the grease had merged back into the dough making it great on another level.

I had the glazed too since everyone's donut shop has been recommending that and it was too sweet.  I am beginning to wonder if my hypothesis is true that donuts are sweeter in the East than the West and I'm starting to see the transformation as I travel East.   They didn't have the hugest selection of donuts but there would be plenty other options for me if I ever found myself in Houston again.  

BB Donuts
515 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX

Quick Score - 8 - This is a really cool and fun place.

Donut Quality - 9 - The apple fritter was unbelievable but the glazed donut didn't do it for me.
Donut Selection - 8 - Not a huge selection but the standards covered and a little of everything.
Donut Freshness - 10 - Good surety of fresh donuts
Service - 10 - Excellent service!
Extras - 10 - 10 with the award winning croissants, sandwiches, burgers, fried rice, etc.
Appeal - 8 - In a strip shopping center but still great seating, people, etc.
Emotion - 10 - Big emotional boost from the amazing apple fritter.
Other's Rating - 9 - 4.5/5 average rating on Yelp 
Price - 5 - Very low prices that make everything really affordable.
Donut Dunkability - 5 - Glazed donut holes available.
Total - 92

Day 9

At George Bush Park in Houston

Back in Waffle House Country

Tacos & Donuts! @ The Original Donut Shop - 91/100

Yeah, you heard me, Taqueria/Donut Shop was the San Antonio stop on the donut journey.  Look at this awesome double drive thru!  Each lane had its own callbox, one lane for tacos, one for donuts.  Then the two lanes merge into one pickup window.  It is the most unique setup I've ever witnessed.

I appreciated the "No Guns" sign on the front door!  

Inside, the donuts and Mexican food are also separated on two sides with two lines.  And listen to this, I didn't even try a taco!  Couldn't have it tamper with the palette, oh how I miss the days when I could order whatever I want free and easy.  Now I am involved in serious business in which I can't even veer off course!   The donut side has a really cool semi-circle counter for sitting and eating at, there's a huge dining room, and a huge dining patio.  

I got the glazed as the counter server recommended and a couple powdered donut holes.  I topped off the feast with a vanilla iced cake donut.  The glazed was almost as good as Round Rock yesterday.  Definitely sweeter and this felt a little overboard for my taste.  Also, the vanilla iced was very sweet, to the point of hard to handle.  It's rare, I can be taken down by oversweetness.

The Original Donut Shop
3307 Fredericksburg Road
San Antonio, TX

Quick Score - 8 - This is a really cool and fun place.

Donut Quality - 7 - A little too sweet in my opinion.
Donut Selection - 8 - Not a huge selection but very sufficient.
Donut Freshness - 10 - Everything felt super fresh. 
Service - 10 - Good service all around
Extras - 10 - That's a big 10 b/c of the Mexican food.  
Appeal - 10 - Such a big place, cool layout, sweet coffee machine.
Emotion - 9 - Slight disappointment in the donuts but overall very happy.
Other's Rating - 9 - 4.5/5 average rating on Yelp 
Price - 5 - Affordable donuts and tacos!
Donut Dunkability - 5 - Powdered donut holes in addition to regular glazed ones.
Total - 91

Day 8

Chupy at a random high school football field in South Texas

Had to see The Alamo.  Looks like a Donutjourney press conference!

Amazing Glazed Donuts @ Round Rock Donuts - 95/100

Just a quick jaunt from Austin is the town of Round Rock and a donut shop I had to be sure to hit on the journey.  Round Rock Donuts are famous for their glazed and 'Texas' donuts, a donut shop start date of 1926, and lots of media attention, including Man vs Food.  I was instantly befuddled by the yellow nature of the glazed donuts and donut holes.  After a little research I see that is just the fact the dough recipe is a little heavier on the egg yolk side.  Definitely a great tasting, fluffy, and enjoyable treat. 

                            

The glazed donut is served hot.  You go ahead and order and instead of giving you one sitting in the case, a hot one is brought out from the back.  This is an important part of the greatness, donuts are instantly better still warm.  Any place could do this instead of making you come in right at 5 AM when they're just made, but no one else has!  Round Rock Donuts does this. It is also a little crispy on the outside with very soft insides.  There are lots of places you don't really get the "fried" effect.  Here you truly feel it in your donut.  Which is what you want when you eating fried sugar for breakfast!  I also had an apricot filled donut that was nothing special.  But the donut holes and glazed were really good.

The "Texas"donuts are suitably huge and the major difference between this and others I've seen is that it doesn't have such a gigantic hole in the middle.  Note how thick the actual donut is, it's not just made in a large, skinny circle.   It truly is a "Texas" donut!

It's a great building but pretty small in the customer area so the only seating is right out front.  It was so windy I could not get a good picture, things were flying all over the place!  The drive thru is pretty cool too, you can tell it's built to handle a lot of traffic they're sure to get all day.  

Round Rock Donuts

106 W Liberty

Round Rock, TX

Quick Score - 10 - Famous donut that lived up to the hype.

Donut Quality - 9 - Very fluffy and tasty.
Donut Selection - 8 - This is really the only item this place is lacking, they do just a few kinds of donuts and they do them very well.  So, no matter how good the glazed is, I couldn't eat them everyday without more variety, so I'd need a little better selection.
Donut Freshness - 10 - All tasted very fresh.
Service - 11 - Wonderful service and extra point for the drive-thru lady opening the window just to call over to me to say what I gorgeous dog I had.
Extras - 9 - Cakes, cupcakes, kolaches, cookies, pies, assorted baked sweets.
Appeal - 10 - This town actually has charm going for it and the place itself shares that.
Emotion - 9 - I felt really super after the whole experience.
Other's Rating - 9 - 4.5/5 average rating on Yelp 
Price - 5 - Standard donut pricing.
Donut Dunkability - 5 - Great standard donut holes.
Total - 95

Day 7

State Capitol in Austin

North River Walk in San Antonio

The Pearl Brewery in San Antonio

A Journey To The "Best" @ Best Donuts - 78/100

Oklahoma City, here I am!  After a morning snow shower, a donut was just what the doctor ordered.  I liked the owl on the roof of the building and it appeared to be a converted fast food building with use of the drive thru.  Nadine and I set out to sample the goods and grab Pat a cake donut since he was off to work and we were going to be the experts on this locale.

The only major issue was there was a very small selection compared to what I'm used to.  I can understand if things get going earlier here since they close early.  It still seemed like a shallow selection.  One thing that increases the variation is the ability to get different flavor cream fillings injected into many of the donuts.  I missed taking a picture of it but right behind the counter was a station with multiple nozzles attached to the creams so they could be pumped right in.  This is a great idea to mix things up.  Why do donuts usually have to be finished behind the curtain?  Only Holey Cream has dressed donuts up in front of me.  At least this place has that option. 

The injector really comes in handy with the donut holes because they have different jelly flavors inside them.  There's raspberry and grape and the potential is limitless.  I could really go for a rhubarb-strawberry donut hole.  I had a chocolate bar with great light dough but I didn't really go for the chocolate flavor.  For me, it felt a little on the bland side, maybe a little too light on the chocolate side for me.   

Nadine with the Blueberry Buttermilk

 Nadine made a better choice with the blueberry buttermilk. I spotted that one out right away since I had a great one yesterday at Benjamin's.  This one also had a great blueberry flavor, maybe not as perfect a glaze as I had yesterday but it was still a great, close second.

Me and the chocolate bar with coffee

 Best Donuts
 2320 NW 23rd Street
Oklahoma City, OK

Quick Score - 6 - Light selection with so-so donuts for me, saving points were donut holes and fillings.

Donut Quality - 7 - Decent quality, no "wow" factor on actual overall donuts, just the parts like the jelly.
Donut Selection - 5 - It didn't feel like the donut case could hold many donuts even if it was first thing in the morning, a smaller selection than I've seen usually.
Donut Freshness - 9 - I believe these were of very fresh variety.
Service - 9 - Great help with questions and info, service was very good.
Extras - 7 - Energy drinks!  A few other extras here and there.
Appeal - 6 - Lost some appeal for the old fast food locale.
Emotion - 9 - This was great b/c I had a big spread to sample.
Other's Rating - 9 - 4.5/5 average rating on Yelp and Nadine made a great pick with the blueberry!
Price - 5 - Great traditional affordable donut pricing.
Donut Dunkability - 6 - Extra point b/c of the jelly filled donut holes.
Total - 78

Day 6 and 7

Caddy Ranch in Amarillo

That sky looked awesome!

Woke up to snow in OKC!

Last look at the snow

Doggie Donut

Chupy's 1st ever Doggie Donut!

My Alternate Namesake Experience @ Benjamin's - 92/100

I had a serious decision to make about which donut shop to choose to visit in Amarillo and when I saw one called Benjamin's Donuts & Deli, I was totally there!  Great corner location in a shopping center with a large seating area, I had my first donut shop kolache/pig in a blanket!  So I had a hotdog and cheese added into my donut mix.  It was a little bit of a changeup and worked out great.

The blueberry buttermilk donut I had was sublime.  Not just a tease of blueberry like many other donuts of this flavor I've had.  This one was fully of blueberry goodness and really top notch.  I also tried the pina colada donut and donut holes with orange and lime icing.  They do frosted donut holes in several flavors and it's a recipe for success, another great variation on the traditional donut hole.  They really get original with some creations on the weekends so they have that talent to pull off both traditional and unique.

Benjamin's has 2 locations in Amarillo and closes after lunchtime so like many donut shops outside Southern California, it's not open all day or 24 hours so you really have to be on your game to get some.  They have sandwiches and even a salad bar so there are bonuses but the place shines on donuts alone.  

I could have ended the donut journey early and stayed in Amarillo making donuts at Benjamin's!

Quick Score - 8 - Great donuts and venue to serve them.

Donut Quality - 8 - Pina colada was nothing special but blueberry was awesome.
Donut Selection - 8 - I'm sure it's huge on the weekends and smaller during the week, still pretty good while I was there.
Donut Freshness - 10 - Fresh baked goodness!
Service - 10 - Excellent.
Extras - 8 - The sandwiches and kolaches contribute to the other offerings.
Appeal - 10 - High appeal factor at the location on the 34th street location I visited.
Emotion - 9 - Felt really good after my breakfast spread!
Other's Rating - 9 - 4.5/5 average rating on Yelp.
Price - 5 - Great traditional affordable donut pricing.
Donut Dunkability - 6 - Extra point b/c of the multiple frosted donut hole options!
Total - 92

New Donut Wonders @ Rebel Donut - 89/100

Albuquerque has some major creativity on the donut front, today I was introduced to some of the creations happening over at Rebel Donut.  There were many interesting combinations on display for my visit here, Red Velvet flavor, Fruity Pebbles used as a topping, and some very good looking Lemon iced donuts.  

I ended up going for the “Breaking Bad Blue Sky” which was a creation for Aaron Paul and the show and has little blue candy "meth" pieces on top.  A really cool idea and a great starter.  I also had the "Red Chile Chocolate Bacon" so I got to do the whole chocolate/chile combination that can be so great.  I felt the dough was a little lacking, these were cake donuts and the toppings are the big draw, but I was feeling a lot of dryness.  I should have mixed it up with a raised donut variety to sample that dough outcome as well.  The bacon pieces weren't too flavorful, but maybe I'm just crazy about my expectations for pig cured meat!

There is lots of seating in here and local artist's paintings on the wall adding to the great decor.  Better coffee that most places!  I had the "Pinon" flavor which is the New Mexico nut that is used in this special coffee.  My big excitement was over the "Doggie Donut".  Yes, Chupy had her first donut and I'm thankful to Rebel for being here on my journey to sell it to me!

There is also mention on their website of soon serving donuts made with alcohol for 21+ guests!!!

Rebel Donut

2435 Wyoming Blvd NE

Albuquerque, NM 87112

Quick Score - 9 - Artists at work on donuts here!

Donut Quality - 7 - Some major dryness on the cake dough front but toppings were exciting.
Donut Selection - 10 - Very impressed with the selection of toppings.
Donut Freshness - 9 - Maybe the dough didn't feel the freshest but I'm not sure that was the issue.
Service - 10 - Perfect!
Extras - 10 - Between the donut flavors, the coffee flavors, the great vibe, the kolaches, and the doggie donuts, this is great.
Appeal - 10 - High appeal factor b/c of the great storefront, location, and donuts.
Emotion - 8 - I was highly entertained with this donut experience.
Other's Rating - 8 - 4/5 average rating on Yelp.
Price - 4 - High compared to other donut places, but it is unique.
Donut Dunkability - 4 - No donut holes available while I was there.
Total - 89