Donut Journey Top 40 Donut Shops

Federal Donuts in Philadelphia, PA - 98

Gibson's Donuts in Memphis, TN - 98

District Doughnut in Washington, DC - 97

Spudnut Coffee Shop in Charlottesville, VA - 97

Duck Donuts in Multiple Locations - 97

Spudnuts in Los Angeles, CA - 97

Beiler's Bakery in Philadelphia, PA - 95

Jenny's Donuts in Redlands, CA - 95

Plaza Donuts in National City, CA - 95

Goody's in San Diego, CA - 95

Round Rock Donuts in Round Rock, TX - 95

San Diego's Finest Donuts in San Diego, CA - 94

Real Donuts (#1) in Las Vegas, CA - 94

Country Donuts in Lakeside, CA - 93

Rose Donut in San Diego, CA - 92

BB Donuts in Houston, TX - 92

Benjamin's Donuts & Deli in Amarillo, TX - 92

Krispys Donuts in Chula Vista, CA - 91

The Original Donut Shop in San Antonio, TX - 91

Golden Donut in North Park San Diego, CA - 90

Buttermilk Drop Bakery and Cafe - 90

Dixie Donuts in Richmond, VA - 89 (closed)

Rebel Donut in Albuquerque, NM - 89

Golden Donut in UTC San Diego, CA - 89

Astro Fried Chicken & Donuts in Washington DC - 88

Holey Cream in New York, NY - 88

VG Bakery in Cardiff, CA - 86

OB Donuts in San Diego, CA - 84

Best Donuts in Oklahoma City, OK -78

Big Jim's in Los Angeles, CA - 78

Donut Twin Plus in New York, NY - 78

Donut Factory in San Diego, CA - 76

Dum Dum Donutterie in London, England - 75

Shoppers in Franconia, VA - 71

Randy's Donuts in Los Angeles, CA - 69

Country Style Donuts in Richmond, VA - 66

Monroe's Donuts & Bakery in Jackson, MS - 47

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Peace, Love, & Little Donuts in Nashville, TN - Taken out of listings, but original score was 99 (this location closed)

Naughty Girls Donut Shop in Front Royal, VA - Taken out of ranking, but original score was 98 (closed)

Migues Magnificent Mini Donuts in Washington DC - Honorable Mention


I have now reviewed several donut shops and have gained more of an idea of what I'm doing.  This is very important business.  I can't go around scoring donut shops without a system in place.  I now present the "Memphis" scale for donut shop ratings.  Each shop will  be subjected to the same guidelines to ensure accuracy and fairness.

Quick Score - 10 points.  If I had to blurt out a 1 -10 impulsive score right away with no analysis.  This reflects a quick thought summary of my experience before delving into the particulars.

Donut Quality - 10 points.  How I rate the overall quality of the donut(s) sampled on my visit.

Donut Selection - 10 points.  How I rate the variety and number of donuts available.

Donut Freshness - 10 points.  How I rate the freshness of the donut(s) sampled on my visit.

Service - 10 points.  My rating of the counter service.

Extras - 10 points.  I'm not sampling other products offered at the donut shop but I will still give points for other menu items.  Things like being open 24 hours fall into this category.

Appeal - 10 points.  The overall appeal of the donut shop and its donuts.

Emotion - 10 points.  This is another component to balance the analytical and the emotional.  This is how good I felt after I patronized the donut shop.

Other's Rating - 10 points.  This is a judgement score based on how other's have reviewed the shop online or by my companions thoughts during the visit.

Price - 5 points.  A small component of the overall score because donuts are by nature cheap eats.

Donut Dunkability - 5 points.  Another small component because if you try hard enough you can dunk anything.  But availability of donut holes and wide mouth coffee cups falls into this category.

Total is 100 points.  Not an average.  It is the sum total of each category.  Will a donut shop reach the 100/100 score?!?