Blue Star Donuts

A Very Sweet Adventure at Blue Star Donuts on Division St., Portland I finally made it to one of Portland’s most talked about donut shops after a friend raved about it and let me say, it was a sugar-fueled adventure. I grabbed a dozen to sample the variety, and while many donuts hit the mark, some leaned a bit too far on the sweet side for my taste while others completely missed the mark. . That said, the craftsmanship and creativity are undeniable. Standouts: O.G.: Soft, fluffy, and chewy with a beautifully balanced glaze. The brioche dough is next-level, and as a horchata fan, this one spoke directly to my soul. Apple Fritter: A crunchy outer layer, fluffy center, and a cinnamon-apple flavor that shines. The apple cider glaze made it the best fritter I’ve ever had. Buttermilk Old-Fashioned: Classic done right. Moist, crumbly, and elevated by their signature O.G. glaze. A must try. Chocolate Bergamot Old-Fashioned: Perfectly balanced chocolate, neither too sweet nor too bitter. Easily one of the best chocolate donuts I’ve tasted. Lemon Poppy Old-Fashioned: Bright, tangy lemon flavor in a soft, moist cake. A citrus lover’s dream. Sugar & Spice: Simple, nostalgic, and absolutely perfect. Soft and doughy with just the right touch of sweetness, cinnamon, spice and everything nice. The Misses: Cointreau Crème Brûlée: Sadly, a major letdown. The donut was dry and lacked the usual brioche flavor. The sticky top and almost nonexistent crème filling left me depressingly disappointed. Maple Glaze: While the texture was spot-on, the flavor leaned more citrusy than maple to my palate. It was a bit confusing and not one I’d reorder. Blueberry Cake Crumble: Great base donut, but the almond crumble didn’t quite work for me. It had a peanut-y taste that clashed with the overall blueberry taste. After scraping off the crumble I did enjoy it a lot more. Final Thoughts: If you're a fan of very sweet donuts with bold flavors and thoughtful textures, Blue Star is definitely worth the stop. While a few flavors missed the mark for me, several were absolutely stellar. It's a place where classic and inventive flavors collide, and I'm glad I finally got to experience it for myself.

Lives up to the hype. The orange and olive oil was my favorite. It had an incredible orange flavor, perfect oiliness, perfect texture. Every time I’m in Portland try to swing by and try a new flavor. 😋

After hearing so much hype about this place I am honestly a bit disappointed. The donuts are good, really good even but not nearly as good as I had been told and not close to the best donut in Portland.

Best blue star donut experience. I’m now hooked. Often choose one and it was always not my thing. Well no more! I’m not a huge fan of their old fashioned as they have too fried of a taste but they’re my husband’s favorite. Favorites were the OG which was very light and airy and the maple which is more of the cake donut. Staff was super friendly and humored us with a fun photo too. Will for sure come back.

Im not a big fan of donuts in general. But I think it was a good one. I liked their service though

We went later in the day (close to closing) so they were sold out of quite a few donuts but still had a good selection. Staff was friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the OG and cinnamon sugar donut!

I’ve never been into old fashion donuts but I think theirs are incredible. They’re definitely a special sweet treat. Staff is always kind. The person that helped me with my order earlier really made my day!

It’s a great spot to get some fancy donut treats, but it was a real bummer when my daughter and I were met with this sign at 11:50 am. They must be awfully short staffed.

It's been quite a while where I have heard of Blue Star Donuts but didn't get an actual opportunity to go to one of their locations until recently and now I wish I went there so much sooner because what we had was just amazing! Described as donuts for adults this is referring to the slant of donuts being an enormous sugar bomb with each bite you take. But that isn't the case here as while the donuts are sweet it isn't overpowering and it let's the dough and frosting to play around with the complexity offered. Kids may not like the flavors for example I don't know a whole lot of kids that like matcha but more adults that are into it. Which leads me into the Matcha Crumble donut that I had. Man, this became my favorite donut out of the two I had. The bitterness of the matcha was certainly there but the crumbles and the dough provide an excellent balance to the flavor. This donut was a cake donut. Another very good donut I had was a raised Blueberry Bourbon Donut which was enjoyable also and the Blueberry or Bourbon wasn't too dominating. It was a pleasant experience for sure. Steve got a pear fritter that was very good also! I am so looking forward to a return trip to Blue Star so I can explore their other donut options. Hopefully in the near future that return visit will be!

I still think about these donuts Blue Star Donuts are bomb . The Chocolate Bergamot donut was the first one I tried. Its rich chocolate flavor balanced by the citrusy notes of bergamot was unique and it was a nice surprise. The Orange Olive Oil donut was refreshingly bright and tangy, with the olive oil adding a subtle richness. Finally, the Buttermilk Old Fashioned was a classic done to perfection--crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with a tangy sweetness of a glazed donut.

Love Blue Star! Some of my favorite donuts in Portland! Ordered a Too Good to Go bag and received four donuts for $5.99 - awesome deal!

Best blue star donut experience. I'm now hooked. Often choose one and it was always not my thing. Well no more! I'm not a huge fan of their old fashioned as they have too fried of a taste but they're my husband's favorite. Favorites were the OG which was very light and airy and the maple which is more of the cake donut. Staff was super friendly and humored us with a fun photo too. Will for sure come back.

I had a very positive experience in this Blue Star Donut shop. There was not a big crowd or line and I got to the front of the counter really quickly. I was not there for coffee, only donuts. I had a great conversation with the server behind the counter, which led me to an even tougher time deciding what to get. I REALLY debated over the OG and the blueberry bourbon for a ridiculous amount of time, in the middle of which, I sampled the the raspberry, which I liked, but not enough to get me out from between the OG rock and the hard place BB. Eventually, I went with the OG, which was a raised donut with a horchata glaze. It was pretty great and I loved every minute of it, but I did leave with some buyers remorse that I hadn't selected the blueberry bourbon. Honestly, I should have just bought both!

Blue star shining on me. Blue star filling up me. Blue star it's time to eat! I did a quick drop in on the way back from a friend's house. I took bites from the old fashioned, hot chocolate donut and the OG donut. Each donut brings with it an explosion of flavor with texture that melts the sugary goodness on the mouth! Excellent quality pound for pound; bite for bite. The old fashioned has more of a cakey base whereas the OG is fluffier. The improveables would be the price tag. It is pricey.

Everyone talks about blue star and Portland so we had to give it a shot. We visited another located on the northwest and they were sold out by 12pm, so we drove to this location the following day. Staffs were so friendly and nice, keep in mind that there is no parking even on a Monday morning at 8am, because we didn't want to get sold out again. Blueberry bourbon: 4/5 Crème brûlée: 4/5 The donuts were good! Just not something I'd go out of my way for. It's definitely different and unique.

They got me!! I'm hooked!! SUPER good donuts. Flavorful, fresh, fluffy, unique. Everything I need to cure my donut craving. These bad boys are famous for a reason ;) Please try the olive oil orange donut (the one with powder sugar) it changed my life.

Probably one of the best donuts that I have ever had. It was super flavorful. Service was great. Place was clean. Give them a try!!

Old fashioned buttermilk and apple fritter!! So yummy The fritter has a great hard crust and filled with tender perfectly spiced apples. The buttermilk has a delightful crispy crust and is moist inside and the glaze complements the buttermilk tang. They also have new merch.

Wow! Best place so far. Parking is hard to find, but well worth it to find a spot. Good selection and extremely tasty. I had the pina colada and ate it in 30 seconds haha. 2 girls behind the counter were very friendly to their customers. 5/5 from me.

A portland must!! These donuts were so good. We ordered the maple bacon, raspberry, & blueberry. I still have dreams about the raspberry donut. We got there early and the service was quick! The cashier was also kind and gave us good recommendations.

The donuts were okay (not bad but not amazing). I was expecting it to be on par with Los Angeles's Sidecar Donuts (the best I've had and apparently best in California based on some food articles), but this wasn't it. Sidecar makes their donuts in small batches so what you get is pretty fresh. Bluestar here doesn't seem to be the case. I went ~2pm the first time during my trip in Portland, then I went ~11am for a second try in hopes of more fresh tasting donuts, but both times were on the dry side. I recommend Bluestar to make donuts in smaller batches to ensure freshness. I wouldn't come back but glad I tried it.I would come very early in the morning if you want the best Bluestar donuts

What's up: My friend told me Blue Star Donuts is THE donut place that I gotta try while up here. So we mapped it out and put Blue Star Donuts on our list. Parking: Street parking. We found a spot not too far away and walked over. Environment: As we walked up to the place, we saw a display sign that listed their seasonal menu. The donuts and their flavors are shown in a display case up front at the order counter. There's indoor and outdoor seating available. A restroom is located towards the back, on the right and is clearly marked. Napkin dispensers are located on top of the tables. Utensils can be found up front on the counter. Staff members were friendly. What was ordered: - The OG (classic glaze, yum) - Buttermilk Old Fashioned (crunchy and delicious) - Blueberry Bourbon Basil (fruity and tasty) - Pear Lavender Brûlée (whoooo...Strong brandy flavor) Yay/Nay/Meh: Yay. The donuts were definitely good! The flavors were unique and the texture of the donut were fluffy and crispy. After this, we're gonna see what all the hype is for Voodoo. Credit cards are accepted.

We went before 9 am and the line was short and the donuts weren't sold out. They have a nice selection including vegan donuts. We got a mix of vegan and non-vegan donuts. The vegan ones were amazing and had great texture. We loved the flavor of the Cointreau creme brulee, but weren't super excited about the single use plastic dropper. The creme brulee top was crispy and super enjoyable. The raised glazed was fluffy, not too sweet and the perfect texture. Get there early for the best selection and expect to wait. These are a gourmet donut. The donut holes were great for my kids who weren't thrilled for the donut flavors. Service was quick, but not super efficient. The shop itself is small with a few tables, but it does get louder when there is a line. We walked around the area and ate our donuts; the areas around is very walkable and cute.

I wanted every donut they had! Instead, I got 4 of them...for one person. They offer 4 base doughs. With each of those, they make a variety of options. Some have alcohol, some don't. I got one of each base - olive oil orange, bergamot chocolate, Creme Brule, and potato fritter. Of those, the fritter was the most unusual (potato, bacon, black pepper with a sweet glaze). It recommend this one! I ate two the first day, one the morning after, and one the evening of the second day. While best eaten fresh, still yummy a bit later. Worth a visit, even at about $5 a donut.

Portland is home to many donut shops, but this one is definitely the best! Since you can't find a Blue Star in Seattle, we make it a point to visit whenever we're in Portland. It is far better than Voodoo, which is most definitely a tourist trap. Blue Star has lots of variety, from brioche, cake, and old fashioned donuts. They have unique flavors, but still keep the classics around. I've gotten the Chocolate Almond Ganache and the Chocolate Buttermilk Bergamot. I personally like the first one more, since it's brioche. My boyfriend, however, loves the latter and has been converted to an old-fashioned donut lover! I'd definitely recommend checking this place out if you're craving donuts. I know I'll be looking forward to my next visit here so I can try some other flavors :-)

Definitely overrated. The Choco-Nana tasted like a regular donut, was not impressed. And the mango crème brûlée was pretty good with the crunchy/sweet outside and the sweet mango cream filling inside. Pretty pricey per donut, but service is always welcoming there.

A popular chain in Portland, if you're looking for donuts, Blue Star Donuts is the spot! I was able to find residential street parking near this location and made a short walk across the street to the store. They have some unique donut flavors to choose from and I ended up choosing the Loganberry Cider with Hot Honey. I'm a fan of fruit flavored donuts, so this was a delicious treat for me! It was also quite filling for a snack or dessert. Price wise, it's expensive for one donut ($4), but well worth it if you're in town.

I like donuts and I am good with paying $5 for a good one. We tried 3 flavors including their most popular one and none hit the mark, 2 out of 3 were dry. Nobody else was in the shop and I understand why.

OH, M, GLEE! What can be said that hasn't already been praised by the enormous reviewers before me??? Well, for starters, Blue Star is so delicious and fresh that they are almost solely a reason for visiting Portland! They are sooooo good. One negative is that they sell out of flavors, QUICKLY. I would definitely get there upon opening the next time I go. We ordered.... 1 blueberry bourbon Basil 1 Mexican hot chocolate 1 Meyer lemon 1 Cointreau creme brulee The flavors and fillings are so delicious that it really only takes 1-2 to get a delightfully FULL feeling. I've noticed that they have a couple locations in L.A. But I wish they would open one in Northern, CA. Or maybe not? My only self-control is that they are NOT local.....so maybe it's a good thing ;- ) Either way, add this to your list of donuts to try!!!!!

I'm not kidding when I say come here early!! This place isn't open everyday (so check beforehand) and they sell out of flavors early as well. Street parking available and usually not terribly hard to find. This was my FAVORITE donut spot in Portland and everyone is super friendly. Pretty unique flavors. Some standouts are the lemon poppyseed, the orxata glaze, and chocolate old-fashioned. Great prices as well and super fresh. Not overly sweet, prominent flavors and not super heavy as well.

If I had friends visiting Portland, this is a place I would take them to! The dedication to the presentation and taste of their pastries is amazing! Even the way they showcase their products in-store has a very clean and professional look. While inside, the line moved quickly and the staff was very kind and patient as everyone choose what they wanted. In my opinion, the price makes Blue Star Donuts a "high-end", but it comes with the quality of ingredients and freshness it delivers. Definitely worth coming to try out once. They have multiple locations! 4.5/5

I gave this spot a second try because the hype continues. There was one other person in line before me. This is the first time I've ever seen more than one person there so I'm honestly surprised this place stays in business. Service-5/5: Staff person was friendly and answered questions. Donuts: 3/5: They sounds like they'd be amazing, but they're pretty middle of the road. They always seem like they're not all that fresh. Prices:1/5: I know there's been inflation, but this is ridiculous. Three donuts and a coffee got me close to $20. There's a pastry shop next door. I expect those kinds of prices for an excellent pastry, but not for a middle of the road donut. Price display: 1/5: I heard they were expensive, but didn't know how much. Prices weren't displayed anywhere. I think this falls under "If you have to ask then you shouldn't be here." I'm still not understanding the hype. The donuts are average, but highly overpriced. Is it just that Voodoo is "out" so the anti-Voodoo is in? They do have vegan options so that's nice for any vegans wanting their donut fix, but besides that I'd go elsewhere for pastries or donuts.

This might be controversial, so please don't hate me. I have been hearing that Blue Star is a must try for years and years. I was so excited to finally try it for myself. Boyfriend pre-ordered several different options and when we walked in the box was ready and we were the only people in the store. This was super surprising for a Sunday morning! At the last minute I purchased 2 additional, a carrot za'atar and a key lime lemon stuffed donut. A bit pricey, even by Los Angeles standards. I tore into the box with wild abandon while we drove excited to steal a bite of each one. I'm sorry to say I was disappointed. Of all the donuts the one that I did not like whatsoever was the passion fruit glazed cake donut. It was WAY to strong and overpowered the entire pastry. Also, the chocolate almond ganache I found to be super bitter and almost too sticky to handle. My favorites of the bunch were the carrot za'atar fritter. The flavor was fantastic and the texture had the right snap. The other that I really enjoyed was the buttermilk old fashioned. The lemons poppy seed was ok...but nothing else made me understand what all the hype was about. Again, this may be controversial, but I wasn't impressed. The staff was lovely and the location was great, but I'm not super impressed by these donuts.

Over $13 for 3 donuts? I mean I guess they're big. Not fresh but good flavor. Favorite was the OG & Lemon poppyseed old fashioned.

Unique flavors. I prefer blue star over voodoo. The donuts are lighter and less dense.

The donuts here are amazing for the exception of that they're pricey. The employees there were very helpful and readily willing to help us with our order. Just like any donut shop it's very quaint.

My favorite donut place in all the land! I used to live in Portland and this was a go-to spot for a super unique donut. I'd describe them as the "Salt & Straw" of donut makers. I was THRILLED to find out they now deliver anywhere in the U.S.! Colleagues at work surprised me with a 4-box for my workiversary and it was an amazing delight! I then sent donuts to my dad across the country for Father's Day and he really enjoyed them, too. Their customer service was excellent and they send the boxes with great care and handwritten notes. Only wish they were closer to me in the Bay Area but will use the shipping option often, too!

A classic spot for some donuts in Portland -- the line was pretty long on a Sunday morning so definitely be prepared to wait or come by super early (since they ran out of some of the flavors by ~10:30 AM)! Blue Star has a fun assortment of cake donuts and I liked all the flavors that we had the opportunity to try! Personal favorites were the Buttermilk Old-Fashioned, Blueberry Basil, and Olive Oil. The Buttermilk was a pretty no-frills, classic flavor done right. The Blueberry is one of the most popular and for good reason -- it's super unique and managed to nail both the blueberry and basil flavors without being overwhelming. The Olive Oil is a pleasant surprise, and has a fun citrusy twist. If you're in Portland and looking for some fun donuts, this is the spot to be!

Excellent quality donuts with unique flavors! The donuts are quite heavy, so I have to pace myself to try all the flavors. They aren't your typical fluffy, airy donuts. Some of them are textured like cake actually. Overall, they are a delight to eat and a treat for myself when I am craving something sweet and unique.

I not usually a donut person but blue star has changed my mind. I was recommended this place and man the donuts here... amazing. The service was great and the ambiance was modern/clean looking. I loved how they had unique and simple flavors. I got the passion fruit/coconut fruit donut and my cousin got the lemon/lime curd donut. Both were delicious and are seasonal items. I was going to go back to try more flavors but this place closes on Tuesdays :( but yea I'll be back here next time!!

Absolutely delicious donuts. I did not pre-order and chose to be a walk-in. At 11am, they already had a few donuts that were sold out. I ordered the blueberry bourbon basil and the OG donut. Both were really flavorful. These donuts are better than Voodo in my opinion. Prices: blueberry bourbon basil ($3.50), the OG ($3.25).

One of my must tried while visiting Portland. I can't say enough about how friendly and welcoming the staff was! My favorite was the lemon poppyseed old fashioned. Very tart!

Ordered take out but love the customer service! Really friendly staff and I definitely recommend the donuts! It's really good but could be too sweet for other people. Over all great experience, I also was able to take home some for my staff all the way back in the Bay area and it lasted pretty well.

This place was recommended by one of my Hawaii preceptor who really loved the donuts here. My friends and I went to the location on SE Division St, next to Salt & Straw ice cream. There's only street parking, and it can be difficult to find a nearby one especially near lunch and dinner times. My friends aren't big fans of donuts, so I ended up being the only one getting a flavor. I got the strawberry sakura one which came with a big strawberry (THAT WAS DROPPED RIP) and was beautifully coated with with a layer of strawberry/sakura. Such a beautiful donut! The donut actually had a cake consistency which I LOVED. It was soooo soft and fluffy and also wasn't too sweet. The only downside is that the donuts here are actually pricier than other well known places. The donut here is pretty good if you like cake texture. Their flavors aren't outrageous like other donut places but in a sense, simple.

Good donuts but too Expensive. I'm just not on board with the gourmet donut craze, I guess.

Everytime I visit Portland I need to hit up this place for my donuts. Old fashion style and not to sweet like Krispey Kreme just how I like it. See picture for reference. Its nicely soft with a hint of firmness. Sweet just enough and custom flavors :)

We came early, scarred from our 45min long wait at Pip's, and were met with...NO LINE! Hallelujah. Love the variety of flavors here, some more out there than others. My favorite was the OG glazed. Least favorite was the Za'atar Carrot Cake. I just wish the flavors were more prominent!

Amazing. I would definitely go back again. I ate both of them without hesitation, right after the other. No regrets.

Blue star donut never fails to deliver an awesome donut experience. Definitely order your donuts the night before for pickup so its ready when you arrive. Personally my favorite has always been the orange olive oil donuts since theyre not too sweet but packed full of flavor.

We wanted to try a couple of donut places during our Portland visit. While Portland has awesome food, we were not a fan of their donuts. We tried Blue Star Donuts and ordered plain glazed and lemon poppy seed. The glazed donut didn't seem fresh and warm the way we prefer. The lemon poppy seed had decent flavor, but was super average at best. They reminded me of grocery store donuts. Parking was easy and they had great costumer service that offered recommendations.

Wow, love the flavors we chose. We tried the Cointreau Crème Brûlée with the shot of Cointreau.I believe most of the alcohol came out on the paper under it. The donut itself was yummy. The Chocolate Almond Ganache was epic and full of flavor. The Passion Fruit Cocoa Nib, WOW the flavor is full on passion fruit. So you really have to like the flavor to eat this one because it's full of it. So yummy. The nice thing about these donuts is you can buy them the day before and they don't go stale like others. The service was nice and friendly. The Ambiance is fun, love the motto, Donuts for Grownups. We will definitely be back to try other flavors.

I love these donuts anytime I'm in Oregon. I hit them up.. there's also location in Los Angeles. Get them there all my favorite. try every flavor.

I absolutely love Blue Star Donuts, and this was just as tasty as I remembered from my last trip to Portland 5 years ago. I typically prefer savory over sweet for breakfast, but I had Blue Star for two of my three breakfast meals here (and the other breakfast I had was Pip's donuts). Every donut is so good, you really can't go wrong. I loved the chocolate almond ganache, Mexican hot chocolate, blueberry bourbon, and passion fruit. The original was a little sweet for me though. I even bought a box to bring home as well, and they were still tasty the next day!

I've never actually been to this shop as I live an hour away from Portland, but we were fostering a dog and the guy who adopted the dog brought us Blue Star donuts as a thank you (so nice). We also aren't really sweets people and my husband has celiac so we never have this stuff around the house. Dog adopter guy brought us 6 donuts and it would have been rude to let them go to waste, so I pulled up my bootstraps and accepted the challenge. OH MY LANTA. I have now consumed 6 of the best donuts I've ever had in my life. I had no idea such gourmet donuts even existed. There was a chocolate one (amazing), a cream filled powered sugar one (delectable) and a pistachio something that was my favorite and made me feel ways that food should not make me feel. I am shocked (and frankly impressed) at the dough consistency and flavor profile. Truly a work of art and culinary masterpiece. I will for sure be going to Blue Star the next time I am in Portland. 10/10 would devour again.

Blue Star Donuts offers some of the best donuts in town. The blueberry bourbon basil is my absolute fav with valhorna chocolate coming really close. I've tried a bunch of other flavors, but nothing really stuck like the other two. Will come here again whenever I venture back to the Portland area. Coffee isn't too bad either!

Unfortunately, we showed up later than expected, so the choices were minimal , but we are so happy we were able to taste the tropical special because it was out of this world (esp. for a coconut lover like me!). The service was great, quick. The place was clean and I loved the clean streamlined look of the interior (nothing over the top). The bakers all had masks on and made us feel comfortable. Would highly recommend!!!

This is that place that you take your out of town friends to , to show off how great Portland is . I mean yes there is the natural beauty , and the amazing people and great views and not to forget Mt. Hood , but lets be honest here nothing makes a dreary traveler happier than a bite of a warm decadent donut. These are gourmet donuts and yes they are a little pricy , but so is your mental peace and you wont have any of that if you decide to not try these donuts . Blue Star is already pretty popular in the city and outside as well and there is nothing much that I need to write that has not already been told in other reviews. If you are in doubt about which flavors to try - I would highly recommend not stressing out much and getting one of each , trust me it would be a good decision in retrospect , once you take your first bite .