Mike L.
Yelp
Ever since my ex-coworker brought me a donut from Twisted Donuts, I'd been so excited to come here. Don't get it twisted, though (pun intended) - I actually first added this place to my list of bookmarks not long after they opened. It's just that, with my usual go-to donut shop somewhat close by, I always default to to heading there instead whenever the mood for a donut strikes. Plus, it's one thing to get excited based off the things you see and hear about a place, it's another when you've actually gotten a chance to sample their goods. And let me tell you - the goods are good!
On the surface, it seems like it would be easy for Twisted Donuts to slip under the radar. In middle of the block right off 19th Ave, it's easy for people to zip right by and, unlike so many other donut shops, they don't have a prominent, corner location. However, what they do have is an impressive, and lengthy, roster of donuts to choose from! Along with your classic sort of donuts, like old fashioned, raised, cake, twists, bars, filled, or donut holes, they've also got an interesting mix of more unique offerings, whether it be style (croissant donuts, mochi) and/or flavor, including Thai Tea, Ube, Matcha, Black Sesame, and so many more.
-- BACON MAPLE RAISED GLAZED
One of the must tries that I came here for and it wasn't too shabby. There was a fair amount of bacon yet this didn't taste very oily/greasy. I also liked that the bacon was super crispy, though, a couple of pieces were close to burnt.
-- CHOCOLATE OLD FASHIONED
Not as good as my favorite one out there, but pretty solid. Although it felt a bit dense on the inside, the frosting was pretty chocolatey, and the outside of the donut itself had a nice bit of crispiness.
-- CHOCOLATE BAR
Ehh...not sure if it's because there was a lot of frosting on this, but this tasted sweeter than the others I've tried. If that's the case, it might also be why this seemed to sag/look deflated, especially compared to the Raised Glazed.
-- RAISED GLAZED
Pretty standard, but in a positive way (it's exactly as you'd expect). The donut had a nice rise to it, the icing wasn't super sugary, and the inside was so soft!
-- STRAWBERRY LEMON CAKE
This was fine for the most part, but I liked the Berry Lemon one better. The strawberry flavor in this was on the subtle side, unless you happened to get a bite with a lot of strawberry bits in it, but I thought the lemon icing was great!
-- LEMON BERRY CAKE
This one was great! The taste of the blueberries was a lot stronger and was well complemented by the lemon icing. Yet, perhaps most impressively, the taste of this wasn't overly sweet.
-- BLACK SESAME MOCHI DONUT
This was terrific! I loved how the black sesame added a nutty flavor, which was a nice way to balance out nay sweetness from the donut. As for the texture, the mochi donuts all had a very nice chewiness to them!
-- THAI TEA MOCHI DONUT
I liked how pronounced the taste of the Thai tea was, but it didn't have much of the creaminess that I enjoy with Thai tea drinks. Although I did like this one, I thought the Matcha one was better.
-- MATCHA MOCHI DONUT
Easy to see why the color of this was so green - they sure didn't skimp on the matcha! At the same time, I could see why some folks might not like this, as the taste of the tea is rather assertive (I didn't mind it).
-- GUAVA MOCHI DONUT
It fell short of my admittedly high hopes, but this was still pretty decent. The taste of the guava was tart, but didn't feel distinctly "guava". That said, the other donuts might have messed with my taste buds (I tried the Thai tea right before this one).
Along with their awesome selection of donuts, the other thing that I really like about Twisted Donuts is the staff. Each time I've been, the two guys (owners?) behind the counter have been super welcoming and friendly. My first trip here, they even threw in the raised glaze for free! Really, the only thing I wish was different about this place were the hours, as they close rather early (2PM) compared to most other donut shops. Still, that just means I have to make it a point to come earlier! Donut World will always be my spot for a late night treat, but it looks like Twisted Donuts and their unique offerings just might be my new daytime spot!
FOUR AND A HALF STARS rounded down for now.