Best Donut Variety Award: The Donut Factory
Recommended by: In our quest to find the best doughnut in Seattle, we came here after our neighbors told us about The Donut Factory replacing a long standing donut shop that closed down. We had also just recently visited Half N Half Doughnut and wanted to compare.
Description on the Donut Factory’s website: Don’t Worry, Be Happy. We exist to help everyone achieve delightful experiences. We believe in quality, especially when it comes to a donut, taste is the key ingredient to happiness.
Neighborhood/Type: University District
Address: 4336 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
What we ate/drank: See various pics below
Comments: We consider ourselves doughnut connoisseurs. It’s one of the few foods we feel we can call ourselves, “experts”. You can see our review on the two Seattle doughnut empires, Top Pot and Mighty-O, the trendy, General Porpoise Doughnuts and the secret doughnut spot that nobody seems to talk about, Tempesta Coffee (RIP) We also just tried new Half N Half Doughnut Company and Raised Doughnuts. We’re also fans of Family Donut Shop.
When we heard Ly’s Doughnuts suddenly closed down, we had a moment of silence. Ly’s was really good at basic doughnuts and most importantly was open 24 hours, so we could do a doughnut run late at night or early in the morning. This was especially convenient when our kids were infants and waking us up at all times of the day. So when we heard that another doughnut spot would open in it’s place, we were intrigued.
The Donut Factory opened up in the little strip mall where Ly’s used to be. They had a store out in Lynnwood and were expanding to Seattle. You can see from this Seattle Magazine article that Donut Factory won their social media poll for Best Doughnut in Seattle.
So to say that we were giddy with anticipation was an understatement. The Donut Factory in the University District opened in May of 2019 and almost instantly their one-of-a-kind doughnuts started popping up on Instagram. Similar to when Cinnaholic opened, we waited awhile for the buzz to die down before we made our way to The Donut Factory.
First thing you’ll notice is the huge variety they have. I never thought I’d say it, but there are more choices than Top Pot. From what I can tell the doughnuts on the right are your standard singles like your old fashioned, raised glazed, sprinkle, etc and the doughnuts on the left are your fancy doughnuts. If you happen to have a Husky Card, Orca Card or Military Card you get a 10% discount, which is a great feature.
- Single – $2, Half dozen $11, Dozen $21
- Fancy – $3, Half dozen $15, Dozen $31
- Extra fancy -$4
They also have some combo deals:
- Wake & Cake which is premium coffee(latte, mocha, etc) + 1 donut -$6.25
- Perfect Combo is 16 oz drip + 2 donuts – $5.75
I’m typically a fan of cake doughnuts so I normally get old fashioned glazed or a an apple fritter. You can see from the pictures below our daughter consistently picks the blueberry sprinkle and mom, the mango filled.
Unlike Ly’s, Donut Factory is not open 24 hours, but it is open a respectable 5am to 10pm.
The service has been great. They’ve been patient when you have so many choices, offer suggestions and on a few occasions have given us an extra donut. They’ve asked, “Was there one that barely missed the cut?” And when I’ve mentioned it, they’ve given it for free. Also, I don’t think it hurts to have a cute toddler with you. They asked her to pick an extra one for herself.
One other service that we will likely utilize in the future is their customs made to order doughnuts that can be shaped into letters. The custom made doughnut can be any flavor or filling and they are huge. They ask for 48 hours notice.
Pretty much all the Seattle doughnut shops are on the higher end price wise. We’d say The Donut Factory is in the Mighty-O price range and definitely more bang for the buck than General Porpoise or Top Pot. The variety of doughnuts can’t be beat and their unique and creative doughnuts are one of a kind that out of town visitors have never seen before. Their discounts for UW, Orca and military is a nice touch as well as the service of custom made letter doughnuts that we can’t wait to order for our daughters’ birthdays.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.00
Service: 5.00
Food/Drinks: 4.50
Bang for the Buck: 4.25
Overall: 4.35
Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.
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- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!
Servers recommendations to visit in the future: A reader tipped us off to another doughnut(actually a mochi doughnut) place that opened in the International District called, Dochi.
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