The 16 best doughnut shops in the Triangle: A list of crispy, pillowy goodness
Our search for the best doughnuts in the Triangle started in April 2022, with a list of 16 shops serving the tastiest fried (or sometimes baked) dough rings in the land.
The winner, as far as our voters were concerned, was Early Bird Donuts of Durham, beating out runner-up Duck Donuts.
Early Bird opened in Durham in 2017 in the Erwin Terrace development near Duke University Hospital and the school’s west campus. Founder Sowadi Chea said he built Early Bird to be the kind of place that makes regulars, where they learn names and orders and the shop feels like something that’s shared rather than owned. He can’t say he’s shocked to be named the area’s favorite doughnut shop.
“I think they’re good, they’re really good,” he said. “But there are a lot of really good doughnuts out there.”
The classics include a plain glazed as light and crispy as anything else in the doughnut world. Really.
The case includes a mix of cake and yeast doughnuts, including sour cream old fashioneds and blueberry, plus strawberry sprinkle, maple bacon and filled ones with sweet lemon curd or Bavarian cream.
Where to find Early Bird Donuts: 2816 Erwin Rd #101, Durham; 984-888-0417 or facebook.com/ebdonuts
Duck Donuts, the other famous NC donut
At the start of our search, it seemed guaranteed that a famous, North Carolina-based doughnut giant would end up in the final. That ended up happening, but it wasn’t Krispy Kreme.
Duck Donuts has grown from a quaint beach-side destination on the Outer Banks to an international doughnut empire, with more than 100 locations across North America. Brandon and Kelly Trimyer own the three Triangle Duck Donuts locations.
Duck Donuts is famous for making its doughnuts to order, starting with a freshly fried up base, then topped with icings and sprinkles and bacon bits and nuts.
Where to find Duck Donuts: Locations in Cary, Durham and Raleigh; duckdonuts.com
The 16 best donuts in the Triangle
BAKER’S DOZEN DONUTS: 6320 Capitol Blvd., Suite 123, Raleigh. 919-803-0837 or facebook.com/baker-s-dozen-donuts-2
This doughnut wonderland always keeps the flavors fresh and fries up a wide variety, including cake and yeast styles. Though it specializes in old-fashioned flavors, look for contemporary combinations as well, like maple bacon and a glazed that could rival another famous brand.
BIG DOM’S BAGEL SHOP: 203 E. Chatham St., Cary. 919-377-1143 or bigdomsbagelshop.com
Though famous for its leopard-spotted bagels baked in an old Little Caesar’s oven, don’t sleep on the B’donut at Big Dom’s. As the name suggests, these are baked doughnuts, pillowy with a crispy edge, like a cake-style doughnut, dusted with a hearty sprinkle of powdered sugar.
BRIGHT SPOT DONUTS: 1501 Sunrise Ave., Suite 180, Raleigh. brightspotdonuts.com
While only a few months old, there’s no doubt Bright Spot fries up some of the best doughnuts in Raleigh. From the owners of Boulted Bread and Benchwarmers Bagels, Bright Spot is an airy, crispy ode to the great glazed giants, but mixes it up with seasonal jam fillings and savory galettes.
BURNEY’S SWEETS & MORE: 4500 Falls of Neuse Road, Suite 100, Raleigh. 919-298-2800; 517 Outlet Center Drive, Smithfield. 919-300-1691 or burneyssweetsandmore.com
Doughnuts are just one of the sweet treats Burney’s does well. This North Carolina brand has outposts across the state, including two in the Triangle, frying up yeast and cake doughnuts.
CAROLINA GLAZED DONUTS: 5400 S. Miami Blvd., Durham. 919-474-9999 or facebook.com/carolina-glazed-donuts
One of the most popular doughnut shops in the Triangle, Durham’s Carolina Glazed showcases the sweet spectrum of the fried dough arts, with a glass counter filled with sprinkled, iced, filled, cake, yeast and sugared flavors.
DAYLIGHT DONUTS: 7550 Creedmoor Road, Suite 101, Raleigh. 919-676-7442 or daylightdonutsraleigh.com
The Raleigh location of this national doughnut brand has been a local staple for years, making one of the Triangle’s widest selections of doughnuts, including yeast, cake and filled favorites.
DUCK DONUTS: Triangle locations in Cary, Durham and Raleigh. duckdonuts.com
Born on the North Carolina coast, and now a national doughnut phenomenon, Duck Donuts created a new way to doughnut, frying up orders and then coating them in flavors. Everything comes out fresh and crispy.
DUNKIN’: Numerous locations throughout the Triangle; dunkindonuts.com
This northern doughnut giant has moved into the Triangle in a major way. Chances are, the closest doughnut to you right now is from Dunkin’, beloved for solid coffee and reliable doughnuts, plus crushable Munchkins.
EARLY BIRD: 2816 Erwin Road, Suite 101, Durham. 984-888-0417 or facebook.com/ebdonuts
Creative and local, Early Bird taps into doughnut nostalgia while showcasing flavors of its own. Its artful seasonal offerings might include peak season strawberries, but classics like chocolate glazed are mainstays.
KIM’S BAKE SHOP AT WOODEN NICKEL PUB: 111 N. Churton St., Hillsborough. 919-932-0134 or downtownpies.com
This pandemic pivot bake shop from the popular Hillsborough wing joint The Wooden Nickel makes some of the most creative doughnuts around. These old-fashioned cake-style doughnuts are made with sour cream and come in flavors like classic apple cider, plus root beer float, lemon blackberry and mango lime.
KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS: Five locations in the Triangle, including Durham, Raleigh, Wake Forest and Fuquay-Varina; krispykreme.com
Hailing from North Carolina, these glazed rings of air are famous around the world. Whether they’re Hot Now or a day later, some see Krispy Kreme as the beginning and end of the doughnut universe.
MAIN STREET GRILLE: 1318 S. Main St., Wake Forest. 919-554-1564 or facebook.com/mainstreetgrillecafe
This Wake Forest cafe does a little bit of everything, but plenty of people head to northern Wake County for their doughnuts. The apple cider cake is an everyday option, but Main Street gets creative with its yeast flavors, including, at times, options like pistachio and raspberry.
MONUTS: 1002 9th St., Durham. 919-286-2642 or monutsdonuts.com
It’s always a treat to read the daily doughnut menu at Monuts, but obviously a greater treat to taste them. This shop makes some of the most inventive and seasonal sweets around, including powerfully flavorful citrus and fruit glazes. But if you’re not looking for adventure, apple cider cake doughnuts are on the menu every day.
NC JELLY DONUTS: 126 Millstead Drive, Mebane. 919-568-0231 or ncjellydonuts.com
Situated on the western edge of the Triangle, this Mebane shop has fans across North Carolina. The shop makes a deep menu of raised, cake and filled favorites, but jelly is, as you may expect, a specialty.
RISE SOUTHERN BISCUITS & RIGHTEOUS CHICKEN: Nine locations in the Triangle; risebiscuitschicken.com
Don’t let the name fool you, doughnuts are still part of the foundation of Rise, the fast-casual breakfast brand that’s one of the most popular concepts to branch beyond the Triangle. These modern flavors include Cheerwine glaze, a maple bacon, a classic glazed and one topped with Cap’n Crunch cereal.
SOLA COFFEE CAFE: 7705 Lead Mine Road, Raleigh. 919-803-8983 or solacoffee.com
This North Raleigh coffee shop is a beloved community cafe. The bags of “hot minis,” two-bite-sized rings of fried dough, are at the heart of that love. These petite doughnuts come dusted in flavored sugars, like cinnamon, strawberry, birthday cake and espresso.
TEPUY DONUTS: 1818 Oberlin Road, Suite 103, Raleigh, in Idle Hour Coffee Shop. 984-389-6429 or tepuydonuts.com
Bursting on the sweets scene in the middle of the pandemic, Tepuy has thrived as a doughnut brand without a shop of its own, instead set up in the Raleigh cafe Idle Hour. Tepuy’s doughnuts often feature bright flavors, like a hot pink strawberry, and keep an airy lightness.
