Duck Donuts

Duck Donuts has always held a special place in my heart. The original Duck, NC location was a favorite of mine growing up, and it’s still just as amazing as I remember. There’s nothing quite like getting a donut that’s made fresh to order—still hot, perfectly fluffy, and topped with some of the best flavor combinations out there. This location brings back so much nostalgia for me, and I love getting to share that experience with my own kids now. They absolutely love all the duckies and watching the donuts being made right in front of them—it never gets old. The only real downside is the long lines, but honestly, that just speaks to how popular and delicious these donuts are. Totally worth the wait and highly recommend! 🦆🍩

the OG! best of the best. such good donuts, fun and unique flavors, just awesome. so glad they opened up a chain in NJ where i live - but never as good as the original was on the warm sunny beaches of OBX where i first discovered it in 2018!

Local hot spot donut shop in the OBX. Freshly made donuts--wide variety. Good but not great. Only have cake style donuts--no yeast. Service was excellent and staff was very friendly.

We come once a year to Duck, NC. We always get Duck Donuts one morning. It is a highlight to my year. These donuts are delicious! The options for toppings are amazing! Warm, Delicious, and made to order! Get there early as they can sell out. This location has outdoor picnic tables. If you are near a Duck Donuts I would say you almost HAVE TO stop and get at least half a dozen:)

Super friendly staff! Mentioned it was my birthday and they gave me a donut and a keychain for free! I honestly think that French toast don’t was the best donut I’ve had in my life!

What a treat to be able to visit the Flagship Duck Donuts. The service was great and the donuts were delicious.

Duck Donuts delivers exactly as advertised freshly made-to-order donuts topped with your choice of delicious, indulgent ingredients. Each donut is prepared within minutes, offering a warm, satisfying treat that's perfect for donut enthusiasts. While not the healthiest option, the quality and customization make it a worthwhile indulgence.

Ordering is a little confusing until you figure out you order across the boardwalk and it’s so busy and crowded! We’ve heard the hype about the viral Duck Donuts and wanted to try for ourselves on the original Duck location. This was a cool experience and donuts are best ever! I wish they had a gluten free one! My husband ordered a half dozen mixed so he could try some different flavors. The Bacon in the Sun was the first one he ate and it was AMAZING. He has a sweet tooth’s and these made him so happy! They were an awesome treat while in Duck and we are now Duck Donut believers! If you don’t know the legend behind Duck Donuts- they make them fresh on the spot customized to whatever glaze, icing and toppings you want or you can order one of their signature flavors, also made fresh to order. They come out warm and delicious! They’re a MUST TRY!

Got 12 donuts and apple cider mini donuts for my fiances job. They absolutely loved them! What a hit :)

Stumbled into this location while just looking around for donuts to bring back to the family. Had no idea it was a chain and that this was the original location. Had no idea what I wanted from the choices and ended up getting 2 dozen of their preset mixes. Ordered on one side of the boardwalk, while they were made on the other side. It was fun to watch them get made to order, and the donuts were super hot. They looked great and tasted better.

Went to the location in Duck, NC in OBX. You order from a kiosk or a staff member. If you know what you want, use the kiosk. If it's your first time or have questions, order from the staff. Then you go back outside across the deck to pick up your order which they will call you by number. This is to help with the flow when they are very busy. Be ready for a sugar rush. When I got into my 3rd donut my face started to tingle. If you are visiting OBX they have several locations to choose from, you got to try it at least once. In my photos here is what I got. Starting top left to right: Coconut Island Bliss, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Raspberry Fluff Bottom left to right:Blueberry Crumble ,Bourbon Caramel Apple Pie (seasonal), Midnight Madness (my favorite)

Duck Donuts was the highlight of our beach house trip! We indulged in the "Bacon In The Sun," a glorious creation with maple icing, chopped bacon, and a salted caramel drizzle--sweet, savory, and utterly irresistible. We also enjoyed the classic Chocolate Glaze Donut, which was delicious especially when its warm. Each donut is made fresh to order, and even though we arrived around 7:30am and the place got busy, the line moved quickly. The service was top-notch, and watching the staff whip up our hot, fresh donuts was part of the fun. This charming spot serves up hands-down the best donuts we've ever had--definitely worth a visit!

While my donut was good, it wasn't something to write home about, or that I'd add to my "must have" list when visiting Outer Banks again. There wasn't anything particularly spectacular about it. So it's not like the donuts were bad, or not cooked well. Just not something I would wait several minutes in line for.

Staying in Nags Head but made the northward pilgrimage this morning to the original Duck's location. Really glad I did. Duck, NC is a bird sanctuary, no fireworks allowed, and is an incredibly charming place. You order and get your coffee/merch in one location, then walk a few steps into another building where there's nothing but the glorious production of donuts made to your specifications and served warm and fresh, right out of the fryer. The lady at the order counter was friendly and helpful, while the donut makers were less talkative, focusing diligently on their craft. I can respect that. Be sure to take a stroll on the connected boardwalk to take in the many great neighboring shops/restaurants and the gorgeous vistas of Currituck Sound.

So I'll be completely honest and tell you that this was on my bucket list irregardless of how many calories I was about to consume. But it turned out that I could literally only take one small bite from two of them and I had to put the fork down. They smell amazing, they're absolutely beautiful to look at, kinda pricey (i think it was $3 a doughnut). But honestly, even one doughnut is a lot for a person to partake. They have a smart setup where you order on one side and you collect your order across the patio in another building so as to avoid any traffic jams. I can take it off my bucket list, I've tried it.

Duck donuts always gets a 5/5. This particular location in Duck is located in the boardwalk and the set up is so cute. On one side you order all your donuts and then through their other entrance you can watch them freshly make and decorate your donuts. I ordered the blueberry lemonade and the French Toast. The blueberry lemonade was by far the winner.

Made to order custom donuts? There's not much you can do wrong from there! People working the counters are friendly and helpful and you can watch the staff in the other area make the donuts in a production line which is super entertaining for kids! Right on the boardwalk so you can get great views of the sound

Amazingly great donuts!! Great service! Friendly! Was able to customize our own donuts, but ended up making ones they already had on the menu. Haha. Worth the wait, if you have to wait!

Duck donuts has some of the best quality donuts that I've ever had. These are cake donuts, which were never my favorite before, but these donuts are so soft and fresh, and the flavors really make the donuts great. They have so many flavor combinations, including seasonal combinations. This particular location has a merchandise store with gifts like shirts. There is an outdoor seating area to eat the donuts. You order in one building and cross to the other building to pick up your order, hot off the conveyor belt. I thinks it's really neat that you can watch every step of the donut making process. Everyone who works here is so nice.

Would normally give this place 5 out of 5 stars...but the prices and parking could both use some adjusting, that being said DELICIOUS donuts. To me the donuts tasted more cake like and were much easier to eat with a fork. A little more oily then I had anticipated, but an awesome treat for sure. Set-up is great with ordering on one side and pick-up on the other leaving them middle sections between each building open with picnic tables and a walk out to the desk facing the beautiful water. Parking is horrible for the amount of people that come in and out. Prices were more than I had expected but I guess if people are willing to buy them at that price why lower them. Would recommend going to when not in a rush, wait times can be long. Overall great place!

The good news: The donuts are very good. The bad news: There is always a long line out the door to order your donuts. Then you have to wait outside at another building until they call your number to pick up your donuts. Then they charge you $2.50/donut plus tax. All the hype about it being "The Original Duck Donuts" drives all the crowds and great ratings.

I love sweets in general and always heard Duck Donuts is the place to go. Definitely loved the variety and the taste. Service is great and the place was small but clean. I would definitely go back when I'm in the outerbanks again!

This was my first time trying Duck Doughnuts and what better place than in Duck! The doughnuts are worth the hype and do taste more like a cake but still very good! The wait was a bit and a bit high per unit but a very nice special treat!

Best donuts ever! Fresh, not too sweet, soft and melts in your mouth. Staff are friendly and helpful

Fun and good .... Fresh made right in front of you. Great flavors or as simple as you might like.

This place is AMAZING! I left the OBX, NC to move here and cried for months about missing Duck Donuts!!! And just like that, Duck Donuts arrives in Bristol! Not too far either! I cried enjoying my donuts, missing home. If you know how it all started, you probably would too. Thank you for giving me a taste from home. Anytime I'm sad and homesick, I come here. Thank you for everything.

This was my first time having Duck Donuts at none other than the original one in Duck, NC! The donut shop was adorable, and clean- they are expanding at this location but that side hasn't opened yet. You order your donuts on the left side of the building and pick your donuts up on the right side. You write your order in on these little cards to keep track of what you want, as the donuts are totally customizable- and freshly made for you! They are hot and fresh upon receiving them and omg they are delicious. My favorite one was the bacon sunrise, which is a donut with maple icing, fresh bacon crumble and Carmel drizzle. Don't walk, RUN to Duck Donuts!

Whooooo man these are the best doughnuts hands down to exist. I don't think you could make a bad choice with the specialty options or the endless custom combinations you can create yourself. We went to the spot in Duck and ordering here was confusing at first. It's in a shopping center on the water. You order on one side then walk out and pick up on the other. These doughnuts are made to order so it does take some time, but you won't be disappointed once they are done. Still warm which you don't get anywhere else. It's truly and experience when you try one! No inside seating is strictly or to go. However there is some benches and picnic tables in the middle of the shopping center. They do offer hot and cold brew coffee but I did not try it, it seemed to be popular though. It's a little bit of a drive to duck from kill devil hills but worth the trip!

A few teens in our large group went and did the wait for donuts. A warm, fresh donut from Duck Donuts is sooo good! Don't miss out!

If you're serving food you should really have a bathroom for patrons. I thought that was a law in North Carolina. Closest bathroom is far away, 500 yards, at a park. Extremely inconvenient and inaccessible for disabled people wanting to enjoy their donuts.

Probably some of the BEST donuts I've ever had. I'm gonna dream about these donuts for a while. I highly recommend sitting down and indulging in your donuts as soon as you pick them up! My favorite was the Oreo donut from the barista box but no one complained about a single donut that was eaten and every one was consumed! Definitely recommend if you're visiting this area, they have locations all up and down the island!

10/10 delicious donuts. Fresh hot and made to order . First time here won't be the last

Not that Duck Donuts needs another amazing review, but my wife and I went here a couple times while on vacation and loved it! One of her friends suggested it and we weren't disappointed! The donuts came out to us super fast and we're so delicious still warm. It hit the spot for breakfast a couple different mornings.

Worst hours, best donuts! I stopped by here one morning with about 5 groups of people in front of me and had a donut in my hand within 15! I love how they're freshly made but I wish they were open past 2PM'!

OMG. Hot fresh donuts of any possible flavor with virtually no wait time. Just doesn't get better.

We have vacationed in the OBX north of Duck NC for the past 23 years. Every day of our vacation, I get up early and arrive at the Duck Donut store located in Duck 10 minutes or so before they open. The selection of donuts which they offer is outstanding. I buy a dozen and a half every day we are there. Needless to say they don't last long.

Best damn doughnuts you can buy. They are made hot and fresh while you wait. Friendly staff that is very helpful.

Dang! These donuts are good. The cake style and mix of flavors is pretty incredible. The wait tends to be long, but the donuts are definitely worth it, I'd %100 recommend to anyone looking for a great treat. Just one more thing to make this a great vacation.

I waited until our last day to stop here! Yeah we have one where I live but nothing is better than having Duck Donuts in Duck! The line was long but moved quickly. Word of advice park somewhere else and walk! I got a blueberry lemonade donut that was custom with coconut topping!

As an avid Duck Donuts fan, I was super pumped to try the ORIGINAL Duck Donuts in Duck, NC (near OBX)! We got a huge order, and Duck Donuts Duck did not fail to satisfy! All the donuts are freshly fried and made in their kitchen in a separate building. The shop is part of a strip of stores built right on the banks of the ocean creating and nice outdoor ambiance. As always you have the option of ordering their classics, specials, or creating your own flavor combination. You get to choose a base, drizzle, and topping. We ordered A BUNCH of options during our trip and loved every single one of them. The staff was also super nice and accommodating with such a large order. When they accidentally forgot a donut and made two of another flavor, they gave us four extra donuts for free! I 100% recommend a visit to the historic donut shop!

Donuts are great. Service proficient. Parking is abysmal. Seriously. We came on a Friday at 8:00 am. Lot packed and line out the door! I guess the best thing in life are worth waiting for. I suggest parking next door at Super Wings, and walking over.

Don't act like you don't see that line! Yeah, it's that good. Hot, fresh, and amazing. I am SO down with this whole made-to-order operating model that it's not even funny. That said, this particular store's operations are confusing (pick your donuts up somewhere other than where you ordered them) but the payoff is well worth it. Id say, of all the places we went to in OBX this is the one you really shouldn't miss.

Delicious. Some of the best donuts we've ever had. There's usually a line, so try to order online if you can. Makes a perfect morning with a cup of coffee!

Fast service, just need to know which donuts you want! I love how they have 2 shops- one to order and one to watch them make the donuts/pick up! The staff was very friendly!

The donuts were phenomenal. The service was quick and so polite! Great ambience and very clean place. The lines were long, but it went by quick. we DEF recommend this place.

We love duck donuts so it was super fun to go to the original location. Because they are so popular you order from one side and pick up from the other. There is lots of seating and it is also on the Duck boardwalk so you can walk around and check out the area. The donuts were delicious as usual and I enjoyed my coffee as well.

Oh my lawd am I glad we finally got to try Duck Donuts - and at their OG location at that! Duck Donuts has several locations now, some even closer to home and as far away as Puerto Rico...but on our trip to OBX, all anyone could talk about is getting Duck Donuts on our way home. We arrived around 9am on a Saturday and there was a bit of a line. They have separate sections for ordering and picking up but the line went quicker than expected. The donuts came out even faster and were piping hot, as promised! They were just as amazing as people said. And devoured within seconds. We've have other hot & custom donuts before, but these may be some of the best. The flavor of the donut base was incredible, and that's what made it special. It wasn't all about the toppings, it was a great donut too! Now to see if we can open up one of these back home...

A beach trip in Duck, NC would not be complete without some Duck Donuts! I absolutely love that we can customize our donut from the coating all the way to the drizzle! This allows me to go crazy and create my own concoctions which is always more exciting than getting what's pre-made! Next time I'll have to go over the top and do a peanut butter coating with a bacon topping and hot fudge drizzled over! Yum! Already getting excited for my next NC trip! Luckily, NJ has a Duck Donut also which I haven't visited yet but I'll have to check that out to fulfill my Duck Donuts craving for the time being! *Pre-Covid Times: One could go inside and view how the donuts were being made! It was super fascinating!*

These donuts are quite seriously the best I have ever had, particularly the cookies and cream donut. Your taste buds are missing out. My only problem is that Duck Donuts isn't open late, so sorry if you're an evening donut person. Despite their early hours, I heavily recommend Duck Donuts.

They open at 7 am-- plan to get here at least fifteen minutes BEFORE they open if you want to reduce your wait time. Though their process of moving the line along is as efficient as it can be to meet the demand. Apparently this is a regional chain that started in Duck but as I'm not from the area this was my first experience with the deliciousness that is Duck Donuts. Some folks have a hard preference for the crispy, fried donuts (ala-Krispy Kreme) over the cake-like donuts of places like Dunkin. Duck Donuts is the latter, but I challenge any of those cake-donut-naysayers to try these as your mind will be changed in a second. These are almost all yellow-cake style donuts only differentiated by their toppings...but the toppings make all the difference in the world (and that base-cake is about as tasty as it can be by itself anyway). My favorite was probably the "Bacon of the Day", a maple iced donut with fresh, crispy bacon bits. The fudgey chocolate-sauced ones were great as well. If you want a donut straight out of "The Simpsons", there are a variety (like the "Beach Ball") that are coated in sprinkles and bright.

Duck donuts are for when my favorite (Krispy Kremes) just are too light. Maple Bacon are the bomb, but the sheer number of toppings is fabulous. Oddly, out last trips to the outer banks were when the Duck Donuts there were all closed for renovations, so we had to get them in Pennsylvania instead.

The Original Duck Deliciousness The one and only original Duck Donuts, you get exactly what you will expect you've been to a Duck Donuts anywhere else. The donuts are fantastically made and the variety is extensive. Do note that these donuts are more like cake than breakfast. Be careful with how many you eat because they are addictive and can give you a bellyache!

Absolutely delicious donuts made fresh to order. Large selection of flavors causal outdoor seating with a view of the water.

Visiting from Dallas, we'd been told the best restaurants to try while in the Outer Banks, but this was by far the best recommendation we got! These donuts are absolutely incredible. They're hot, soft, and made to order. Fantastic and not to be missed!

This is always a must-stop when we are in Duck! I love that you can customize your own donut as well, but I'm pretty trusting of their menu and just customize one for fun. This place gets busy so be expected to wait... but it is worth it!

Quick service and yummy doughnuts. Maple bacon will always be my go to. Pleasant staff who were super efficient.

The original. Awesome made-to-order cake donuts with great topping choices. Yummy! We visit every trip.