Daylight Donuts

I really enjoyed the donuts at Daylight. I love that their name fits their business hours. Opening as early as 5 a.m ! The donuts are made fresh. Very fresh, fluffy and delicious flavors. I visited today to order a dozen to share with a group as a token of appreciation during breakfast. This place was very busy with many ordering their treats and taking them to go. There is plenty of seating inside which is great. Customer service was fast and friendly. I decided on the Old Fashioned, Sour Cream, Chocolate Frosted, Lemon, Apple Crumb, Glazed and Cake flavors. My favorite is the Sour Cream ! So moist !!!!! So delicious. I also enjoyed the Old Fashioned as well. I was looking forward to a French Crueller but learned that they no longer make those. I can’t wait to return and try their other goodies.

Delicious muffins & donuts. Friendly staff. Ample parking. Discount for cash payments.

Listen. I don't know you and you don't know me, but I DO know that there's a donut for you (yeah, YOU personally) at Daylight Donuts. We don't need to have an intimate emotional connection in order for me to know that (not unless you want one), because the donut selection here is so huge that practically every taste is covered. We went on a busy Saturday morning, and the employees deftly handled the line even as I, blacked out in a state of decision paralysis, became an obstacle to efficient crowdflow. There are classic glazed, frosted, and old-fashioned donuts in a variety flavor profiles: Sweet! Chocolatey! Fruity! Spiced! There are donuts filled with custards and creams and jellies - for most of the filled donuts, you can choose whether the outside shell is glazed, frosted, or dusted in powdered sugar. There are donuts with fun toppings like Oreos, sprinkles, and coconut. There are donut-adjacent pastries, like fritters and turnovers. There are donuts shaped like non-donut objects. There's even a menu of muffins with rotating daily flavors! All of these things are totally nut free and safe for friends with allergies. These are yeast donuts, so the texture and sweetness are somewhere between bread and cake. They're a little denser than the airy/hollow donuts you'll find at a chain shop, which in my opinion makes for a more satisfying bite. I come from Chicago, City of Donuts, and feel qualified to say with certainty that Daylight Donuts nailed the yeast donut - flavorful but not cloyingly sweet. A donut with body, yet not too heavy. Artful. I got a chocolate-frosted donut with coconut. My companions got a powdered Bavarian cream and an apple fritter. All of them were fantastic, and there was enough cream in the Bavarian that I was able to sample it without depriving my donut buddy of his rightful share. The apple taste in the fritter was subtle, so as not to overpower the sweetness of the bread. We brought our donuts home and warmed the fritter up a bit before eating it, which I would definitely recommend doing as it brought out the warm notes of cinnamon flavor beautifully. All in all, Daylight Donuts is everything you would hope for in a donut shop. The Holey Grail, if you will. These folks know what they're doing, and I would definitely recommend dropping by to support this small business!

A favorite near me with warm service and donuts. The shop is tucked away but perfect breakfast or lil treat spot after getting gas or going to Harris Teeter nearby. I've been greeted with great service each time and loved each donut - old fashioned, marbled, chocolate with sprinkles, and more that I've bought. I love this spot and recommend it when in the Creedmoor neighborhood.

Great location, prices, and solid service. The donuts are mostly brioche style and tasty with good glazes.

i don’t like sweets, but find myself thinking about their donuts (they’re like the morning before swim practice as a kid) and the people that work there are so kind

THE BEST donut shop in the area. Not only do our customers love when we fill our truck window with these cake beauties, but Brian and his crew are fantastic to work with for large catering orders. We have used them for multiple weddings, corporate breakfasts, and charity events!

Best donuts in town with a friendly staff! They also are peanut allergy friendly!

I really enjoyed the donuts at Daylight. I love that their name fits their business hours. Opening as early as 5 a.m ! The donuts are made fresh. Very fresh, fluffy and delicious flavors. I visited today to order a dozen to share with a group as a token of appreciation during breakfast. This place was very busy with many ordering their treats and taking them to go. There is plenty of seating inside which is great. Customer service was fast and friendly. I decided on the Old Fashioned, Sour Cream, Chocolate Frosted, Lemon, Apple Crumb, Glazed and Cake flavors. My favorite is the Sour Cream ! So moist !!!!! So delicious. I also enjoyed the Old Fashioned as well. I was looking forward to a French Crueller but learned that they no longer make those. I can't wait to return and try their other goodies.

This is my favorite donut place of all time. You don't get the frills of "gourmet" donuts, but you get all the classics (and a few non-traditional) that are made right. The donuts are always fresh, soft, and moist. They make the best chocolate glazed around, and you can't beat that all-time classic when it's done right. My family also loves the cinnamon pine cone, the sour cream, and the Dutch crumble. The muffins, scones, and crumb cake look really good, too, but I can never make it past the donuts. There are several other donut places nearby that have popped up, and some of them make fancy-flavored donuts that taste more like a gimmick to me than a really good treat. Daylight donuts does it right without the hype. I think it's technically a chain, but it definitely has a local feel, the owner is the often the one serving the donuts in the mornings, and the other staff has been the same for years.

The service was pleasant and I enjoyed the doughnuts I purchased there. Ordered 1/2 dozen various doughnuts. Personally I enjoyed the angle crème but I'm a sugar fan. The old fashioned and chump were my next two faves.

Great place for delicious doughnuts and muffins People here are super friendly, everything is fresh. I used to come all the time for the cherry muffins now they add chocolate or vanilla chips to almost everything-- yes even to the cherry one. I personally don't like white chocolate but if you do you are going to love these muffins.

I am so glad to be in a time line the same as daylight donuts. they are the best donut restaurant. the smell in there is so good. such an amazing shop. i hope they last forever.

Small donut shop. We got there at 9:45 and the selection was limited. The staff was super nice. The donut holes were fantastic plus the a.k.a. tiger twist :-) I would definitely recommend this location but you need to come early!

Daylight donuts are the best donuts in the city. Now there are those who won't eat any other donuts, but Krispy Kreme, and I will admit Krispy Kreme is very good. I'm just saying that once you've had a daylight donut, there's no going back! Lots of filling in their jelly or any filled doughnut. Their pricing is good no higher than others and they're well worth it! I just get so mad when you get a fill donut and there's like a teaspoon of filling in them... What's that all about? Daylight donuts knows how to fill their donuts. It's right down the street from duck donuts, but duck donuts they're good because they're warm but then the topping just drips right off. I'm not a big fan of duck donuts. I'm just telling you you got a try daylight because there's no going back.

Always fresh, add new donuts , muffins to menu. Service is always welcoming and happy to see customers ! For a nice change they have enough employees to handle the customer request .

I had a fantastic experience with Daylight Donuts. I was searching and searching for a local donut shop to make some gender reveal donuts for my husband and I. I wasn't able to find any local shop to help (how difficult is it to color some icing and pump it in?!), until I asked Daylight. They were more than happy to help, and explained their whole process. I love a good yeast donut, which they have, but the day I went in to place the order for the 18 gender reveal donuts, they gave me a FREE cake donut. It was incredible! Fresh as could be, soft, and completely melted in my mouth. It's my new favorite donut spot. The owner, Brian, is extremely kind and generous, and the staff there is so helpful. They all had masks on and took care to label the floor for where patrons can stand to maintain a safe distance from one another. For the overall experience, especially the quality you get for the low price, I highly suggest Daylight Donuts to anyone looking for a quaint, local donut shop that knows how to take care of their customers! P.S. They are the only donut shop in the Triangle that doesn't use nuts, so if you have a nut allergy, this is your spot!

I was so pumped to try this place - a donut shop near my house?! I'd seen good reviews and couldn't wait to check it out. Unfortunately, the experience wasn't as good as I was hoping for. I ended up getting to try the regular glazed, the maple frosted, and the mini cinnamon roll. The "mini" cinnamon roll is actually the size of a regular donut - not mini at all, which is great! They have another, larger cinnamon roll. Hence the distinction. Flavor: The smell and taste of the donuts were good. I enjoyed the ratio of glaze to donut (not too sweet), and the flavor of the maple frosting was delicious. Texture: This is the area that left me disappointed. The donuts were more "bread-y" than I expected. I love a chewy, tender, and solid-sized donut, like you'd get at a SoCal donut shop. However, the donuts I had here were closer on the glutinous spectrum to a bread roll. Not that the texture WAS like a bread roll, but more in that direction. All in all, it was OK but not my fav. Service: The person working the counter seemed unhappy to be there which was too bad. Overall, this place is solidly OK. The donuts didn't blow me away, but it's a fine donut shop if you're in N Raleigh.

This was my second stop on the Triangle donut tour in an effort to find the best donuts the Triangle has to offer. I am DEDICATED to my craft and working diligently at providing the necessary answers to life's most pivotal questions. I will not back down to no man nor donut. It was a beautiful weekend day, smooth 70ish degrees with birds chirping and the leaves majestically flowing through the wind. Work was a disappointment (as usual) and I figured what a better day than to pull up on my local donut shop Daylight Donuts. Conveniently located just 5 mins from the crib. Walked in and there's a beautiful display of mouth-watering savory donuts just waiting for the taken. They also sell muffins and scones here too, but that's not what I was here for. I have to admit it was difficult to select my half dozen as I was going to be the only one eating all of them. Judge if you may. Anyway, I selected my 6 and was out the door. One thing I learned about this place is that some of their donuts and regular yeast based and some are cake based. I personally have learned I prefer regular yeast based donuts out of all my detailed donut history taking. So if you like a certain type then make sure to ask for which is which. Regardless, you still really can't go wrong with your donut selection, just pick to your flavor convenience. I think I ate 4-5 out of my 6 donuts that same day. So that goes to show you THEY ARE GOOD. Will be back again!

Classic Donut shop. Well baked with great flavor: not overly coated with sugar. Great selection.

Donuts awesome the couple that started it were so nice it was a pleasure to support them, the younger family members especially the guy are cold and always act like you have cheated them by not buying enough , it has caused me to cut down visits by 75% just dont want to give money to someone who seems to hate owning it

You can't really go wrong when you start your morning off with donuts. We stopped by Sunday morning around 10AM and they still had a great variety of donuts to try. We got a couple of the filled donuts and a couple of apple fritters. I wasn't particularly wowed by the apple fritter since it wasn't as fluffy as I typically like. But I really did like their filled donuts. I tried the lemon filled and the strawberry crumb. Both had a generous amount of filling and they were tasty! Nothing is more disappointing than a barely filled donut and Daylight Donuts definitely didn't skimp on the filling. The prices weren't too bad and I liked that it was a more quiet and less chaotic atmosphere. There were plenty of places to sit and it was very clean. We'll definitely be back when we are craving filled donuts.

Sitting on the white sand of Laguna Beach watching blue waves break perfectly under the empty sky- it was still just another day filled with existential dread. Heavy are the limitless possibilities free will has afflicted me with. Too much freedom breeds idleness- I need to be a slave to something. And heavy are the restrictions fate has afflicted me with. I was born a slave and remain a slave. It's difficult trying to remember what motivation feels like and what it's for after reminding myself that human existence is a blink of an eye in an eternal lifetime. We assume advancement as humans is colonizing Mars or searching for meaning beyond the stars. True evolvement, however, is simply being able to justify our existence. And no one ever has come close. No scientific discoveries, philosophy, or logic will ever reveal an exit to the maze my nihilism has trapped me in. Every attempt, like quicksand, instead reveals the depth has no end. Our consciousness is cruel and I often consider that each of us are currently occupying a spot in hell. We all can use our preoccupation with the distractions we look for as a measurement for our inherent depression. My most intellectually stimulating distraction from the fear that we may never be able to assign any objective worth to life is introspection. I'm diseased with what I don't share- that is the source of my loneliness. Therefore, I am a slave to my artistic talents. Manifesting them in a physical form not only brings me a feeling of tremendous personal satisfaction, but it also achieves articulating, with extreme vagueness, what I'm too insecure to through words. But introspection plagues me too. I must trudge through thick trenches of self-hatred and series of buried griefs only to return with inadequate discoveries about myself. Perspective on both the outside and inside perpetuates paralyzing anxiety in me. Being alive gives me no choice but to oscillate endlessly between two opposite and equal dooms.

These are the best doughnuts in town! They did doughnuts for my daughters wedding and they were such a hit. Highly recommend.

If I could 0 stars I would. Aside from the fact the donuts are decent, I just experienced the worst attitude and customer service ever. Had my twin daughters with me and we got two star sprinkle donuts, then I proceeded to order two dozen donuts for my sons 9 birthday ( didn't decide to do this for him until we were at shop) one of the employees (the bald one) decided to react as if it was the end of the world I was paying for and purchasing most of the glaze. I then decided to give him a talking to, "is it really the end of the world I just bought that many donuts for your business?" He then decided to backpedal his sour behavior and complaining as he was merely trying to educate me that I need to call ahead...like I said, it was a last minute decision. What he needs is an education on customer service! Remember you have an early morning business establishment, people start their days there. Remember that!! Not going to let this goon ruin a positive day and my sons birthday, If you want just an ok donut go for it. If you want to avoid nasty business and customer service don't go here. What a disappointment the owners are...we definitely will be getting our donuts elsewhere!

donuts are awesome but the old guy behind the counter has a bad attitude most every time I've been there.

Long overdue review. I'm ashamed! I've been buying donuts for my family and friends for years from Daylight. There are plenty of donut options in the area. I've tried several. I just don't like any other donut places like I love Daylight. Donuts are fresh with a bit of a chew. Pinecones and other special donuts are beautiful and taste great. If I'm going to have a treat or buy donuts for work/social, I'm definitely ordering from Daylight. Big fan. Oh, look. Now I want some Daylight Donuts! ;-)

Friendly staff and great doughnuts! Personal faves are the glazed knot and French cruellers.

I had a solid first visit to Daylight Donuts today. I arrived at 11:30, right when the store was about to close. There were not a lot of donuts left to choose from! I settled on 3 donuts and a dozen donut holes. Everything was good. I also added 2 coffees. I was hoping for iced coffees, but they do not make iced drinks there. Everything was great. My only regret was not getting a plain donut. I feel like getting a plain donut is a great way to judge a donut place, and I missed out. The texture of the donuts and donut holes were great, and so was the flavor. I would say, at 11:30, you could tell they weren't fresh out of the oven but that was my bad. I can't wait to try again, hopefully earlier in the morning next time!

This morning after my fiance went to the Stonehenge shopping center for our first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season we skipped the overpriced pastry at Starbucks and took our coffee over to Daylight Donuts. I am so glad that we did! Individual donuts are only $.99 and they are fresh! The Daylight Donuts shop is tiny. Behind the counter there is a double rack of donuts with labels. There is also a full pastry counter with eclairs, crawlers, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and more. They sell regular coffee and drinks from a refrigerated case. There is a seating area in a hallway, and even though it is small, it was comfortable to sit in to enjoy our donuts. I can't wait to go back and try different donuts!

Some of the best donuts in the Raleigh area! They did curbside pick up very quickly and effectively even though they were busy inside. I will be back!

Pros: open really early; cheap; stuffy Cons: stuffy( too stuffed with flour for me to eat) , service attitude is ... So I just finished my apple fritter made from this store - surprisingly disgruntle with the product. It tastes like a glazed pita. And it looks like a glazed pita. For god sake....

Beat doughnuts in Raleigh!! They work so hard all the time and super friendly!!! Please go support them during this time. They have great prices!

This is our go to donut shop in Raleigh. The donuts and muffins are terrific. It is a locally owned and operated small business. They are nice folks taking care of other nice folks with delicious treats. Give them a try but not on Monday as they are closed then.

My favorite place for glazed donuts. While the majority of folks want their Krispy Kremes, I prefer my glazed not to be that sugar-coated. I prefer a coat that allows me to taste more donut with a hint of sugary glaze. The donuts themselves are soft and doughy, that have the texture and flavor I enjoy most.

I'm not a big donut eater, but if I do eat one, I usually head to Krispie Kreme. I had never heard of Daylight Donuts before as it didn't exist in my old town. Well, when I moved to the Triangle area, all my coworkers were on a campaign to change my mind. And boy, have they. I've tried DD a couple times at work before actually venturing to their store myself. Their donuts are heartier and denser than KK's but are just as delicious. My favorite is the classic glazed, but their barvarian creme is very good as well. DD is always a hit at my office. The store itself is small and only opens until noon (except on Monday, which it is closed). I came on a Saturday around 11am (it was snowing, so I got there later than I wanted to) and they only had half their selection left. I hear they run out FAST, so if you're hoping to get a lot of donuts, go early! They take phone orders, so that you can just pop in and pick it up if you're in a rush. If you want a melt-in-your-mouth warm donut, I'd still go for KK, but if you want something more donut-y and hearty, DD is definitely a must. Either way, it won't hurt to just stop on by and try it out, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

I have been going to this donut location since I moved down the road 3 years ago. From day one, donuts are yummy. Customer service...basically sucks. On multiple occassions I have been made to feel like I'm putting the employees out by asking them for donuts. I've found the owner & family employees are only friendly to people they personally know or customers that have been coming in for a long time. This morning took the cake. I asked the owner for 3 large donuts. I told him which ones I wanted and asked if he could put cream in the maple bar. He proceeded to sigh, give me a dirty look and tried as hard as he could to refrain from rolling his eyes. Seriously?!?! Sorry for putting you out. They can keep their donuts, I won't be going back.

The donuts are alright, Di Stefanos are better, but donut still equals delicious. Just to point out though, the previous reviewers are mis-informed when they said that this place was independent. This is part of a chain, just the same as Krispy Kreme or Dunkin. Here is the corporate web site http://www.daylightdonuts.com/index.asp

I've been in and out of Raleigh for the past 9 years and during the periods where I haven't lived here I've still been coming back. For about 4 years I would stay at a friend's house near this donut spot. Once I discovered it, it was my favorite place to go get breakfast treats at on Saturday mornings. I got so excited about it. Their weekend morning hours zoom by though. I wonder whether they close when they run out. They're always busy and it's always good. I've always had the impression that it was a Mom & Pop type place since it's so tiny and the hours are so odd until Kirby noted the website link. Wow! What a surprise! They websites says, "In 1954, Tommy and Lucille Day set out to create a new kind of donut mix -- one with a distinctively light texture and flavor. The Day's light donut recipe became Daylight Donuts. And over the years, their Tulsa-based enterprise grew into a worldwide network of independently owned retail outlets numbering 900 strong... and growing." What a neat little story! There's a great variety of donuts, pastries, and dessert treats. They're not outrageously good, but they're good. This morning my office shared a whole bunch and tried different kinds, which rekindled my excitement for this not-so-local chain after all. Good selection of juices, coffees, and other beverages as well. The store is nothing special at all, but there's a reasonable amount of parking and the staff is always very smiley and sweet. Check 'em out!

When you're in the mood for doughnuts, but don't want to get that's stuff from all the chain stores like Dunkin and Krispie Kreme, then daylight Donuts is a refreshing alternative. They have all your typical doughnut fare, but created on a much smaller scale. There's something nice about knowing your doughnuts didn't arrive on a truck in some pre-packaged way. All of the donuts here are amazingly fresh, and you can call ahead and place huge orders for things like school and church groups.

Stopped in this morning because I was looking for something a little quieter than Sola Coffee. First of all, I love their maple frosted doughnuts and long johns. And today I was totally surprised with their 2 doughnuts and a med. cup of coffee for $3 (3.23 w/tax). It was a perfect morning to get some writing done and have a tasty doughnut (or two).

The best FRENCH CRUELERS. They are hot, lightly crisp on the outside, and melt in your mouth delicious. Don't miss these marvels.

Old-fashioned donut shop! I went on a Sunday morning and they were already getting a line. This place reminds me of the donut shops from up-north where I grew up. Definitely better than your typical Dunkin-Donuts. I had sour cream (delicious!), double chocolate, cinnamon, French-toast, toasted coconut, and a cheese Danish.

Decent donuts. A bit doughy but good. We bought a half dozen donuts of different variety and a dozen donut holes. The kids really enjoyed the holes! Overall, it's a good priced place with nice staff and good selection.

The donuts from daylight donuts are good. Not great, certainly not terrible, but good. My biggest issue with the place is their unique take on some conventional donut names. Here's a quick translation guide: Daylight name == Real Name Cream Eclair == Cream Long John Custard Eclair == Custard Long John Boston Angel Cream == Cream-filled donut Boston Custard == Boston Creme I hope that that helps get rid of some of the confusion.

Really good product. Great break from the normal chains out there. Apple filled was my favorite.

Great pastries, muffins and donuts. Prefer this place over all other. Customer service is always A+. Use them for personal and corporate events. Personally, I love their pastry options

So overrated. I will always go for Duck Donuts or Krispy Kreme over this place. They have a lot of yeast doughnuts if that's your thing but I prefer KK.

These donuts are amazing!! They have the BEST apple fritters around and their chocolate glazed old fashioned donut is AMAZING! Every time I've gone there, the service is great and the donuts are fresh and delicious. I've tried some of the newer "gourmet" donut shops that have opened recently - one I do not like at all, the other is good, but I only get crazy cravings for Daylight Donuts. Get a dozen mixed and eat them all with a big glass of milk. You can't go wrong with any of the flavors. The angelcake donut is creme is sweet and yummy. The Oreo cake donuts, the bear claws, the pine cones, all delicious!! GO EAT DONUTS HERE!! ***This next part has no bearing on the above review: This store graciously donated 2 dozen donuts to my Walk MS team. They are a caring and generous company!! I would go there even if they hadn't donated anything!!***

The donuts are good. They are bit more cakey than other places, but I guess that also makes them more filling. There's definitely some room for improvement in the customer service area. I don't expect super friendly service, but a good attitude would be nice. We keep going back because the location is convenient and the donuts are decent. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here though.

I try to avoid donuts most of the time, but I do fall into temptation from time to time. Eating Daylight Donuts makes me feel a little less guilty. There's definitely a crowd gathered on weekend mornings for those delicious fried doughy balls. They have lots of seating and you can get a dozen donuts for about six bucks--a good deal since a half dozen cost about five bucks with tax. They have a nice variety, and there is definitely something to be said about not getting a donut from a chain, like Emily P. said.

i'm almost always working during Daylight Donuts business hours, so today was my first time in. my coworkers had brought some in before, so i already knew that this place was where it was at. i haven't had donuts this good since i left San Diego. i finally managed to pop in thirty minutes before they closed, an even though it was late, Del was cheerful and happy to help me out. he took the time to let me take in the varieties, explain the flavours, etc... i bought two dozen and a bag of donut holes for a very reasonable price. moment of truth- i just got them home and bit into my favourite flavour, and i was shocked and relieved at the quality of the dough. this is the place i've been looking for. my only regret is that i didn't buy more while i could. these are truly special donuts, with an above and beyond atmosphere and customer service. thanks, Del! you took my experience to the next level. i'll absolutely be back just as soon and as frequently as my schedule allows.

This is hands down my favorite donut place in the triangle area. So classic and the employees are insanely nice. Such a great neighborhood joint!!

Just a great little donut shop! A good variety of donuts and pastries and their coffee is good without breaking the bank. I've got the option of a new Dunkin right down the street but I'll opt for this quiet, friendly shop.

Best donuts in Raleigh. A great, family-owned establishment. Unfortunately not open on Mondays. Also their coffee is horrible.

While it's technically a chain, Daylight Donut's locations are few and far between and the atmosphere inside feels more like a small town place than a chain. As for the donuts, the sour cream or the old fashioned are probably my favorites in general after a hot Krispy Kreme (but those are kind of in a league of their own). The also have a really good apple fritter. I don't get their donuts often, but am always excited when I get a chance to have some.

Bought a dozen donuts. Really liked the French crueler...crispy and soft. Enjoyed the lemon crisp as well. Would have been my favorite if more filling had been added to the donut. (Everyone who had a filled donut had same complaint-just a small dollop inside.) Would have ranked this higher, but felt that customer service was lacking. Don't expect a warm and friendly family-run business. The gentleman helping me was definitely annoyed with my questions, he never smiled, and coolly handed over my box of donuts. I could understand the annoyance if they were busy, but we were the only ones at the time. Worth a try for something different, but not a regular hangout for me.