Richard P.
Yelp
On the occasion of Long's Bakery's inclusion on Yelp's "must visit" donut shops list from each state, I suppose it's time for me to finally serve up my review of the westside donut icon.
Long's was opened in January, 1955 by Carl and Mildred Long at this location. In 1987, a second location was added on the southside. Both locations are still open and still in their original location.
Long's, in fact, is still in the Long family with Carl Long's grandchildren now running the operation. It has always been family-owned. Carl had worked in a German bakery and developed a lighter, fluffier yeast. To this day, a simple yeast donut remains their most popular item.
As has always been true, Long's is a cash-only shop. The gas station across the street has an ATM. It's not uncommon to see a line out their door. They're in a residential area and are definitely a destination donut shop. Parking tends to be along the street, not exactly great for wheelchair users, however, for the most part it works.
While I'm typically a "chocolate frosted" guy, in this case I typically stick with the traditional yeast donut.
I have many fond memories of Long's. When I was a kid enduring many medical procedures due to spina bifida, a stop at Long's would be my mother's bribery for a job well done.
It worked.
Long's serves over a half-million customers annually. 75% of their business comes from donuts.
Fun fact: Rapper Kevin Studdard once did a viral video about Long's Donuts.
The donuts are awesome. The apple fritters are pretty great. Strangely enough, I'm not a big fan of the chocolate frosted.
I will admit that part of my five-star rating is based on nostalgia and fond memories. I'm not even sure I can say Long's is my favorite shop in town, however, it's a shop I love and to this day I get cravings for the yeast donuts.
I will note that this particular block can be a bit rough. While there's not typically any issues around the bakery, it's worth being aware of your surroundings. I'm aware of a couple incidents, including one recently, and the bakery is in a residential area.
That said, Long's is an Indiana institution and definitely worth a visit.