Daniel B.
Yelp
Solid classic donuts freshly prepared and it takes me back in time. And so freaking affordable!
Although I support the trend these days to make doughnuts fancy with a 100 layers or topped with ooo-la-la toppings, My first love is the basic, humble, classic chocolate iced doughnut.
Sure, I like going to Five Daughters (aka Five Dollars due to price) and have one near my house but I drive 30 minutes each way to this location of Shipley Doughnuts.
Of the many doughnuts offered here, I've had the chocolate iced which is not overly sweet. The doughnut is simply topped with a perfectly textured chocolate icing. The actual doughnut is not covered in a sugary glaze before being iced which is perfect for me. I love it. It's also super nostalgic for me taking me back to my childhood when going to the donut shop was a rare treat.
I've also had another nostalgic donut, the old fashioned...chocolate iced and plain. I've also had the cake doughnuts...blueberry and strawberry. All of these were perfectly cooked texture and being moist
I've shared all of the other donuts with my friends and neighbors and they love the knots, fruit filled, cream filled, cinnamon swirls, and apple fritters. I've like all those as they are well made and classic.
The Kolaches are solid. They are the best ones that I've had in Nashville. Yes, even better than the ones made in East Nashville or should I say Yeast Nashville? One, the dough is seriously fluffy and light in texture but perfectly buttery sweet like a decadent brioche bun. The sausage is juicy without making the bread soggy. The smokiness is the sausage is prominent without being overpowering. Because I associate the Kolach with my travels around Texas, I've only ordered the Jalapeño Cheese puffy bundle of goodness. The dough and sausage are joined with just the right amount of American Cheese, mild and creamy without any gumminess. The jalapeño distinction is given due to their is a slice or two of pickled jalapeño hiding in kolach. It's not until you get close to biting it or very close to it that the heat is the pepper manifests. The tartness of the pickling brine is a treat as it cuts through the buttery love that is the kolache.
The customer service counter reminds me of the old time classic donut shops that's a bit harried because the people are multitasking. First of all, the entire counter is where you order. More modern quick-serve methods of one line, one order taker makes for a simple way to order but it takes longer. The full counter method requires the customer to pay attention to which order taker is saying, "I'll take the next person" from the group of customers spread out looking at the donuts. This old school method is quick and doesn't get bogged down by people still deciding versus ordering in a first come first served manner. It's a great ordering system but makes the those conditioned by a single corral method a bit confused. LOL. Pro Tip, when an employee says, "I'll take the next person" they may also be restocking paper bags, boxes, and not make eye contact. Just start calling out your order. They may take 3 seconds to finish some other task but then start filling your box or bag...without eye contact. I think it's just a nuance of a different cultural background from mine, but now that I've cracked the code it's great.
The kitchen team is hard at work in the open kitchen. Watching them hustle and pushing out fresh donuts is awesome. And just like back in the day, you may have to wait on your favorite item because someone else got the last one. It's called fresh food and be patient. I've noticed other reviewers complaining about this to which I say "chill out" and if you want it when you want it then stop at Mapco and get a Little Debbie. Besides, it's obvious the staff here is hustling to make FRESH offerings all morning long and that is actually putting customers first.
Our current society's obsession with instant gratification and entitled attitude sucks. And, frankly, some of the disappointment by having to occasionally wait for fresh food is also fueled by possible micro issues of some feeling superior over others.
I'm so glad this clean store is producing solid classic doughnuts, I just wish it was closer to me!