Family Donut Shop

I’ve been a loyal customer of Family Donut Shop in Northgate for quite some time, and I make it a point to stop by at least once a week to grab donuts for work. Honestly, this place never disappoints, it’s a true gem for anyone who loves fresh, quality donuts. From the moment you walk in, you can tell the staff genuinely cares about their customers. The service is always friendly, kind, and welcoming. Every visit, the employees are attentive, wearing masks and gloves, which adds to the sense of safety and hygiene. The shop itself is super clean, and you can see that they take pride in maintaining a tidy, pleasant environment for everyone. Now, let’s talk about the donuts—they are absolutely out of this world. Their apple fritters are incredible: crisp on the outside, soft and flavorful inside, with just the right balance of sweetness. The bear claws are another favorite—perfectly filled with delicious, rich goodness that makes every bite satisfying. Each donut is made fresh, and you can taste the quality and care in every piece. While the prices are a little higher than some other places, it’s worth every penny for the quality, flavor, and freshness you get. One of the best parts is how efficiently they run the shop, especially during busy mornings. They open early, around 5 AM, which is perfect for grabbing a quick breakfast or bringing treats to work. And while they do sell out quickly, that’s just a testament to how amazing their donuts are. I can honestly say this has become my go-to donut shop, and I look forward to each visit. If you’re in Northgate and love donuts, Family Donut Shop is a must-visit—delicious treats, kind staff, impeccable hygiene, and a warm, welcoming vibe. You’ll leave happy and planning your next trip back!

One of the best donut shops to stick around Seattle for many years. It’s just a simple locally run shop serving classic recipes. Don’t be surprised if they sell out! Show up early 😀 My favorite is the Old Fashioned, tried and true. You can tell it’s popular based on the fact that they sell out so quick!

Old-school, family-owned shop with solid donuts all around, plus a couple unique options. My faves: • Blueberry cake donut: The glaze has a really nice, strong blueberry flavor with actual chunks of fruit. • Ham and cheese croissant: Really their only savory option. Nice and flaky. Ask for it warmed up. • Maple cruller: Crispy edges and lovely soft interior. • Croissant donut: I'm starting to see these pop up and donut shops more lately. This one is particularly good. Again, super crispy edges! • Maple bacon bar: Nice big chunks of bacon make for a perfect savory-sweet treat. • Apple fritter: Makes great use of its surface area to maximize the craggly bits (AKA the best part). Almost like a cookie in a very good way. They've also got a few cafe drinks and their prices are super reasonable!

Hands down, Family Donut was the best donut I had while in Seattle — and trust me, I tried quite a few! It’s not the fanciest spot, but don’t let that fool you. It’s definitely worth the visit if you’re a donut lover. The dough — super moist and perfectly soft. I tried both the classic glazed donut and their cronut-style donut, and both were absolute winners. The glaze was just the right amount of sweetness, and the cronut had that perfect crispy-soft texture. What really makes it stand out is the value. You get a decent-sized donut for a great price, which isn’t always the case with some other places. Plus, the staff is super friendly, which just makes the whole experience even better. If you’re in Seattle and craving a solid donut, Family Donut should definitely be on your radar!

Best donuts in the city hands down. Easy to get coming off I5 and then to hop back on. As a warning, they sell through pretty well so for the best selection, you'll want to get in before 8. Even when they're down to a smaller selection though, its all good. Often get asked where I got the donuts from when I bring them in for the office.

Solid selection, beautifully merchandised donuts cases, friendly service, and accepting credit cards (including AMEX 💳) with a smile! Nothing overly gimmicky or creative, but everything was perfect, fluffy, and delicious. Their shop is also spotless, classy, and colorful. I drove across the lake, because they’re one of Seattle’s top-rated donut shops, and after walking through the door, then eating my breakfast 🍩, it was clear as to why. I will definitely be back.

These donuts are just amazing. My family just sits around the box moaning with sugar filled joy. Ive never had such delicious melty donuts. So many fun flavors and each just as good as the last. They somehow aren't even overly sugary! Now back to my box of yummy treasures.

Good donuts and lots of choices. Can get busy and parking lot is a little tight but seems to run quickly and efficiently.

Whoever posted that this place offered vegan donuts was WRONG! I walked over after searching for vegan places in the area and this place popping up. I looked forward to hopefully a few vegan donut options! I asked and they replied, SORRY NO VEGAN! Anyway, I grabbed a dozen for my team, even though I could not have any. Colleagues said they were good (star) and they were nice (star). Tip... offer plant based options, it is 2024! Better for the body and planet!

These donuts are AMAZING! Had the glazed mochi donut (it didn't make it to picture time) and it was so much better than those chain mochi donut places. Oh! The family that runs the donut shop are really great too!

This place is either really bad, or really good. Showed up about 90 minutes before close and they were just about sold out. They only had maple bars with bacon and that is not my donut. Picture show an amazing selection, but this is a small store with limited space. The woman was kind, but said they had a busy morning, so unfortunately, I drove out of my way for nothing.

I love absolutely love donuts, so Family Donut Shop has been on my to try list for some time now. While doing an early morning trip to downtown Seattle on a Saturday morning, I thought it would be a great idea to swing up to Northgate to get some early morning treats for waking up so early. I went to the shop around 7AM and there were a couple of other customers in also getting their early morning sugar fix. As other reviewers have mentioned, Family Donut Shop located in the same plaza as Gyro Sababa, Teriyaki Plus, and several other locally run businesses. Parking is shared among all the vendors (likely 10-15 spots), and I could see this place filling up during later hours in the day. Though at 7AM, there are plenty of parking spots to pick from. Inside the store, the donuts are all in clear display cases that you can easily view and select from. You pick your donuts, and you check out at the cash register at the back of the store. I got a good assortment of donuts, and they were indulgent and delicious! Each donut had a pleasing and airy texture. I think the most unique donut that I tried from this shop was the croissant donut - this donut has the slight crispiness that you would get from your usual croissant, and then combined with the decadence of frosting and cake-like texture of a donut! The donuts are also filled to the brim with the fillings of your choice as you can see from the lemon filled donut picture I have included. The filling itself is also not too sweet and has a good balance of the filling flavor, the texture is nice and smooth. Similar to most donut places, you'll probably be spending about $2-3 per donut here. I would say quality-wise, Family Donut Shop fit the personal profit of what I consider a good and tasty donut with their texture, size, and fillings. If I am ever in the Northgate area in the morning again, I would definitely like to revisit to try the numerous other options that this donut shop has to offer!

Have driven by Family Donut Shop many times but finally stopped in to grab some donuts. It's run by a sweet Vietnamese couple. They're in a plaza that houses Gyro Sababa and Teriyaki Plus. We dropped in on a Monday morning (10:30am) and were greeted with donut hole samples. Donuts are in the $1.99 (regular/filled) to $2.99 USD (fancy) price range. They also had ham & cheese croissants ($6.15 USD) that are popular. - 7x Donuts - tried two mochi (cinnamon sugar and chocolate), apple fritter, vanilla French crueller, cronut, caramel old fashion and a blueberry cake donut. Mochis were plain, texture was okay. Cronut didn't have that flaky croissant consistency but was light. Everything else was great. My favourite was the apple fritter. Will be back for more FDS donuts next trip.

When your two-year old wakes up at 5am the first day of your vacation in Seattle, it's good to know there's a donut shop down the street that opens at the same time! I'm a sucker for a good donut - actually literally any donut... BUT I do know a good donut when I meet one! The Family Donut offers great donuts! When we walked into the shop, our 2-year-old in my arms, the man behind the counter smiled and immediately offered a donut hole in a stick to her. Very kind and big smiles were had! She loved her "donut pop." We picked out a few donuts along with more donut holes to take with us for the morning. All were very well cooked, just the right golden brown and the glaze was light, not seeping into the middle of the donut like some places. That's the sign of a good fry on the donut! I would definitely come back here next time in the city!

Nothing sets this donut place apart from all the others. Donuts are dense, there's more dough than icing, and the toppings are light. I had to try it to indulge in a new joint, but it wasn't worth it. Cinnamon sugar and glazed twists were very much more bread than a good combo of both Icing and glaze/sugar ratio. Bummer, but happy I tried this place.

Just perfect in every way. Family owned, friendly service. Traditional, classic donuts that even taste good the next day. Get there early before they sell out!

Quite possibly some of the best donuts I've ever had. They sell out quickly so I recommend arriving early. The staff that work here are very nice. Small mom and pop shop vibes.

Saw this place listed on "Yelps Top 100" donuts list. Turns out is was literally right next to our hotel! Had to check it out right? The name actually fits pretty well, seemed like a mom and pop donut shop. Opens early, closes at 2pm or when the donuts are gone! My wife and I each got 2 donuts so I tried four. My favorite was the cake type donut. It was super moist and tasty. The other 3 were very good, but having a "top 100" rating I expected them All to blown me away.... I would say everything was good, but I don't know what makes this a Yelp rated Top 100. So yes, enjoy some great donuts here, But now I question Yelps "Top" lists going forward!

I just love it here!... But please expect to be sold out or less flavor options if you get there by 10am! The place is clean! Nice service! Just love it!

I adventured to Family Donut Shop in the Haller Lake/Northgate area this morning, Wednesday 3 May 2023, to try a couple of their donuts. The parking lot is shared and I got the last spot on the end nearest the donut shop. As I walked up to the door one customer left and a duo joined me on entering the store. The line was short and the workers quick and friendly. I went with a mochi ring donut and an apple fritter. The total came to just under six dollars. It was my first time having a mochi donut and I found the texture to be a little chewier than a plain yeast raised donut. The glaze and chocolate drizzle/crumbles I could taste and paired well with the donut flavor. The apple fritter was a flatter fritter and was slightly crispy. A texturally unique apple fritter in my experience. Thoroughly enjoyed both donuts and my shopping/eating experience.

I'm going to start by stating blasphemy: I don't like donuts. They're usually caked in sugar or some sort of thick glaze that makes me feel so lethargic and heavy for the rest of the day. With that out of the way, Family Donut Shop serves up some pretty great donuts, even with my donut-avoidant standards. The donuts glisten that looks so tantalizing; yet, they're light and delicious, and they're not very sweet in the best way possible. On top of that, this mom-and-pop donut establishment has great service all around. I'm always greeted with a smile despite the sleepy and grumpy morning hours. I would suggest going early, as this place runs out of donuts fast (and rightfully and understandably so). You can't go wrong with any selection here. Let the wafts of fresh donuts drive your decision on what to get. And no matter what you choose, you won't be disappointed, and it'll be a great start to your day.

The owners are so nice and I've never had a bad donut here. They have a wide variety to choose from, even flavors like ube and matcha. Mighty O's and Top Pot are nothing special imo, and sometimes you want a REAL donut instead of a vegan one. This place has it! Its a tiny shop tucked in a strip mall on a busy street.

I know this is going to come off as hyperbole, but I'm completely serious. I just had the greatest cake doughnut I've ever eaten at this place. By the looks of it, others are fans as well, and it's well deserved.

This is such a cute little donut shop. They are definitely a popular establishment and have many types of donuts. The donuts are a perfect mix of crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and the frostings complement the donuts well. The workers are also super friendly. The apple fritter was definitely our favorite.

A classic donut shop experience elevated. They got all the classic fixings in addition to mochi donuts and even the square croissant-like ones you'd find at the permanently closed Nola Donuts in Portland. The selection here is bangarang and while I dont think the donuts compete with artisanal craft shops that are milling their own flours and selling $6 donuts, that's really a different type of shop than this that is more affordable (however more than your normal shop) and classic. Lady running the place was a total sweetheart too. Highly recommend if you're looking for a reliably great classic donut shop experience.

Only place I have had a cronut (it was yummy). They also open early for those work breakfast orders. Great service, can order ahead of time.

This little hole-in-the-wall donut shop is located in a small strip mall not far from the highway. The donuts here are heavenly. They're fresh and they have a wide selection. The classic glazed donut is dense, soft and flakey. The shop itself is tiny with no seating. Service is excellent. The shop-keepers are kind and helpful. They always offer kids a donut hole while they wait in line. Family Donut Shop is of the last few "classic" donut shops in Seattle. The city has plenty of hipster bakeries with eclectic, $7.00 donuts on the menu..that's not what you'll find here. This is a small business - bring cash if you can!

How I heard of this place: While we happened to pass by the shop often, giggling at the name, it took a review in the local paper to get us to stop inside the shop back on 23 December of 2018. It was touted for having the best plain chocolate cake donut in the entire city. Challenge accepted. Type of cuisine: Donuts and coffee. Ambiance: A small spot in a strip mall off of Northgate Way, at a busy intersection, one can pull off to get a smattering of donuts in the small, but adequate shop. That is, until they sell out! Get there early to enjoy the glass displays of daily baked donuts, then dine in at one of a couple of tables with chairs at the front of the store, or take your order to go. What I ordered: We ordered a dozen mixed donuts ($12.99), and chose a few but asked that the employee fill the rest of the box with the cake, filled and old fashioned varieties. What I loved: Each of the donuts were perfectly fried and glazed, but I'm always partial to the old fashioned, the apple fritters and the cream-filled ones. Why I loved it: A small and cozy family owned establishment that aims to please, serves a great donut and is enjoyed throughout the city. Cost: Low ($12.99 per dozen)

Family owned and operated but some of the best donuts I've had. I decided to pick up a dozen donuts for my husbands birthday and got up early to do this here at Family Donut. These donuts were delicious! The staff working were so friendly and they even gave us some free donut holes for his birthday. They have so many flavors and options available and also have vegan donuts available. Cannot recommend this place enough. They're located right off the exit and in a small strip mall but there is parking out front which is convenient.

I come from Portland which claims to have good donuts. However the cronut here is something of legend. I got the cinnamon one. Walked out the door. Took a bite. Immediately walked back to get more. Crispy chewy and flaky all in One. Now the only challenge is how do I end up in this part of town again?

Best donuts in Seattle! Those place is run by exceptionally nice people who clearly take a lot of pride in making great food. I'm always so happy after going to Family Donut!!

Stopped by to grab the fam donuts, came around 9:30 and some of the donuts were gone and lime out the door. Went quickly and the donuts were great!

The doughnuts are quite good. These taste good, aren't oily, and are generally very well made. I feel weird bringing these points up, but I really do enjoy these ones and I do think they might be the best ones in Seattle. I normally get there pretty late in the day and they are always about to run out.

I've been coming to this shop for 20+ years since I lived behind it with my folks when it used to have a couple tables you could sit on! This place has remained in the same family, and everyone is sweet here. The Apple Fritters they serve are the best I've ever had, slight crisp outside and super balanced cinnamon, filling and dough content all the way through. The French Crullers are also fantastic, more of a light, eggy dough that melts in your mouth, a donut you can't get everywhere. Hands down best shop in WA and on yelps top 100 for the US. Well deserved. Thank you Family Donut.

I swear this is the best place for donuts in Seattle. Think fluffy and not overly complicated. Bring cash!! Also, get here early because they sometimes sell out. My favorite is honestly the plain glazed but they do a good bear claw, Apple fritter, filled, etc. definitely somewhere I would make time for a trip to. A small shop, but very friendly service !

These are the best donuts in Seattle. They may be a bit pricey, but they are worth it.

Maple glazed bar! Outstanding! $1.99. Not overly sweet, and has a nice "bite" to it.... the doughnut its self has a slight tang which pairs nicely with the maple glaze. One doughnut is quite filling... these doughnuts are not "air"! Next time I think I will try the apple fritter. Friendly customer service, good price, filling and delicious. I will be back!

Fantastic service and the best donuts I've had in the PNW. Highly recommend. We will be back.

Excellent donut! Not greasy at all! The shop was spotless and customer service was superb! Thank you for a wonderful sweet treat

Phenomenal family donut shop. We are big fans have been going here for years and years. Definitely recommend!

These are the closest thing to "California" donuts we have found in Seattle. It's a real thing, I promise. The history behind donuts in CA stems back to migration from Cambodia and it's quite interesting. Anyway, the donuts were pretty good fresh - nice and tender, high-risen glazed donuts and maple bars. No pretentiousness like Mighty-O (sorry) and better than Top Pot, though Top Pot has pretty good cake donuts. If you like the light and airy yeast-risen donuts, try them from here.

As the name suggests, it's a classic family-owned local-vibe donut shop. They have all the standard goodies. I usually get two dozen mixed for work and it's always devoured immediately. Sometimes I get the donut holes and eating them just reminds me of my childhood. The owners are always super nice too!

I've been here twice and this place is solid. On my most recent visit, I picked up 4 things for a total of $9.40 1. Maple cronut--Lovely texture reminiscent of a croissant 2. Bacon maple--Loads of bacon but I like my yeasted donuts to have a bit more chew to them 3. French crueller--Light, airy texture. 4. Buttermilk--More dense and cake-like I remember not liking a few of the things on my first visit such as the strawberry glaze and the cinnamon roll so that's why I removed 1 star. I will definitely be back to try more though.

We were in the area and decided to finally try this place. I was excited as they were recognize as one of the best donuts in Seattle. Also, my co-worker brought donut here to work and I tried the apple fritter and it was really delicious. Firstly, the people here are so nice and you can tell that they work really hard to make these delicious donuts. Old fashioned/Cake donuts: the texture of the donuts are amazing, they have such a nice crunch. The glaze on these are also super flavorful, not the generic vanilla/chocolate with food coloring. Maple bacon bar: this has Soo much bacon! So much that you actually get a savory donut. Crueller: one of the best crueller, they were soft and airy and very flavorful. Cronut: another one of better cronut I had. It has the flakiness, and the flavor was good. Bear claw: these were interesting as it was filled with apple compote. Huge! I think I would have like the apple turnover here as the compote here was pretty good, not sure I care for it in the bear claw Overall, this place doesn't have a lot of unique donuts, but what they have are delicious simple donuts. And the people here are just so nice. They gave us a free donut in celebration of the cherry blossom at uw!

Reliably great. Not "fancy," but never disappoints. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by!

Great donuts, friendly service. Not too greasy, price was reasonable, i like to support local own small biz.

Yummy espresso (Mocha), friendly service, and amazing donuts! Tiny hole in the wall, I will definitely be back,

Don't be put off by the line out the door. There is a good reason for it, and it moves quickly! This is one of our favorite stops for doughtnuts, and even though it is out of the way, we keep coming back because the service and the doughnuts themselves are out of this world. The folks behind the counter (the owners maybe?) are always super sweet and friendly, and they give great recommendations. The doughnuts are on point. They are soft and flavorful, not too sweet and just perfect with a cup of coffee. As others have said, the apple fritter is delicious. My go-to is the old fashioned and it does not disappoint. Consider a ham and cheese croissant if you are looking for something more savory. Worth the trip and the wait any day!

Not much selection at 11am on a Thursday so get here early if you want them since this is my second time stopping there. The first time they were sold out for the day and closed at 11:30am. 4/5 on the Apple Fritter. Excellent crispness and texture the way I like my fritters, the kind that will actually get better throughout the day! Good flavor combo but a little lacking on the apple being noticeable. Very friendly service! Will definitely stop in again!

I'm from Southern California and have been searching for a classic donut shop in Seattle ever since I moved here. Top Pot, Mighty-O, and all them are good but sometimes you just want a classic donut. Can't recommend this place highly enough - family business, all of donuts you expect at a great quality.

Deliciousness. Best donuts in town! Get there early. Such nice people who own this place, and personally make the donuts at 2:00 AM, so that we may eat them at 5:00 AM.

This place has the best donuts hands down! Most are classic but they have a few unique ones. They aren't over the top and the flavors really pull through delicately. The cronut is my new favorite! To my surprise the espresso is some of my favorite as well and I'm definitely picky. A true family business, thank you for your kindness every time I come in.

Just moved to the Northgate area and my boyfriend brought some donuts from here and ever since this place has been a staple of ours! Screw CC or other big chains, this little shop is SO good! We love the orange donuts, the cronuts, maple glazed anything, and the fritter! Excellent service as well, both of the owners(?) are incredibly sweet and kind. Please check this place out and support your local small businesses!

The apple fritter was the highlight here. Would definitely be a staple of mine if I lived in the area, but probably a bit spoiled by some other great donut places near me. However, Family Donut's apple fritter is probably among the best I've ever had. And the price for value is amazing. I've had better with the old fashioned, custard filled, buttermilk hunks. But the fritter is worth driving over for. Uniquely shaped like a flat disc, there's a fresh burst of moist, tender apples with just the right touch of cinnamon and sugar. Incredibly fresh and vibrant, with a freshly fried, lightly crispy exterior that has that perfect oily nuttiness you get from a freshly friend donut, which yields to a soft interior of the perfect thickness and contrast to just the right balance of glaze, fruit, and dough. I also appreciate that they have non-glazed versions of classic donuts - for those days when you don't want to go all-out on dessert for breakfast. Moist, tender apples.

Had a yummy ham and cheese croissant that was like biting into a baby (soft and squishy!) and the kind woman owner gave me a free apple cruller that was just the right sweet, crispy, and doughy.

Excellent donuts, just the right consistency. Try the mini donuts are delicious and don't forget about the croissants Staff is amazing, super welcoming.

I decided to stop by here on National Donut Day to pick up some donuts for my fiance. I got here at around 5:15 AM, just 15 minutes after they're opened. Although it was early, they're was a steady stream of customers in and out. I decided on just getting a dozen. I do wish they had signs to tell us which donuts were which, some were easy to tell, others I asked which flavors they were. The guy helping me was very very friendly and patient. He didn't try to rush me at all. All of the donuts looked very good. I tried one of their regular donuts with a chocolate frosting on top (couldn't resist on National Donut Day), and it was very tasty. My fiance also very much enjoyed them. They're the closet donut shop by us, that it makes it easy to come over here to pick some up next time!