Mike L.
Yelp
Look, I love donuts. Sprinkled or iced, filled or unfilled, twisted or round, hole or no hole - they're always a tasty treat. And now that there are more and more shops sprouting up with different styles and flavors, it's safe to say I'm a pretty happy camper! As appealing as the likes of Krispy Kreme, mochi donuts, and unique flavors like creme brulee may be, though, I'll always have an affinity for classics, like a chocolate old fashion. And so, even after all of these years and regardless of the fact that they may not be the best SF has to offer, I still find myself coming to Donut World more often than anywhere else!
Every time I come here, not only do I end up leaving with a donut or two, but I get a healthy serving of nostalgia as well. For just about as long as I can remember, this place has been my go-to donut shop and I love how it hasn't changed all that much in that time. In fact, the only real difference is that they still haven't reinstated indoor dining, which probably isn't that big of a deal wince most folks, like me, just order and go. Similarly, the donuts here have been incredibly consistent in both offerings and taste. For better or worse, not much has changed in their range of offerings, save for some in different shapes and toppings, but their array of old fashion, raised, twists, jelly filled, sprinkled, and donut holes in classic flavors are just as good as the first time I ever had them!
Despite how many times I've been here over the years, I've only tried a half dozen or so things here - their CHOCOLATE OLD FASHION, MAPLE OLD FASHION, APPLE FRITTER, CINNAMON TWIST, and the GLAZED DONUT HOLES. Even then, I usually stick with the first three (the latter two aren't bad, they just don't stand out). The Chocolate Old Fashion and Maple Old Fashion are pretty much the best I've had in SF - the donut itself isn't heavy or dense and the icing is flavorful without being insanely sweet. As for the Apple Fritter, it's not as good as Bob's, but these aren't far behind. it's just as good texturally (the outside has a nice crispness while the inside is soft), but I wish the cinnamon apple flavor was stronger and not quite as sugary.
While nearly everything about Donut World is just as good as it was before, the one thing I do miss about them from long ago is how late they used to stay open. There was a time when this place was open 24 hours, but I would gladly settle for anything past their current midnight closing hour on Fridays and Saturdays. Not that I really need it to be any easier for me to stop in when those pesky cravings strike...
FOUR AND A HALF STARS rounded up for the sake of nostalgia.