Donut Drive In Takeaway. Drive up for donuts at midnight when the feeling is just right. 7.0 / 10 donuts. Better than Dunkin Donuts by a mile. The deep-fried fritter oozes with oil. The dense cinnamon swirl goes light on the cinnamon. Fluffy vanilla with sprinkles hits the spot.
I liked the vanilla frosted style more than the deeper fried variants.
They are open super late, except Monday when they are closed. The service is fun and fast. It feels like an old-fashioned mini donut bakery. Parking is in a small lot. Pre-order online the day before to skip the wait.
Donut Drive In Experience Summary
I saw a bunch of recommendations on Reddit for Donut Drive In, so I took myself there late on a Friday night. At least late for me, around 10:30 pm.
It's impossible to miss on the corner of Chippewa St and Watson with giant red letters. I've driven past it a dozen times without stopping, but tonight was the night to give it a shot.
After parking in the mini parking lot, I walked into the mini donut shop. Barely big enough to fit four adult-sized male humans, it feels like part bakery and part storeroom. You're immediately hit with a visual combination of the donut display and racks of donuts in the kitchen.
After taking a second to control my inner four-year-old, I managed to order a fritter, cinnamon swirl, and two vanilla frosting with sprinkles. According to the internet, the fritter should melt my taste buds, so that's what I dove into in the car.
While it was quite good, gushing oil with each bite, it was a little too dense for me. My immediate comparison was to the out-of-this-world, not defunct Boogeyz fritter. The Donut Dive In did not measure up to that colossal legend, but it was still delightful.
I saved the cinnamon swirl for the next morning when I surprised my kids with the vanilla sprinkle donuts. The cinnamon swirl was lighter, but the cinnamon didn't come through enough for me. The vanilla sprinkle with frosting ended up being my favorite as it had an even fluffier texture than the cinnamon swirl and a nice sweetness from the frosting.
But these are all nit-picks. These are damn good donuts.
Service was fast and helpful. I was so tired that I forgot to get a receipt. Furthermore, I tried to do the math on the pricing menu at 10:30 to see how much getting a bunch of donuts saved you. Turns out they don't get cheaper for ordering a bunch. In fact, they randomly start costing $.01 more at a certain level.
The Food At Donut Drive In
I came in expecting to love the fritter, which topped the Reddit and Yelp recs. While solid, it didn't blow my mind. My favorite ended up being the dough behind the vanilla frosted with sprinkles. That just means I have to go back and get glazed.
Here's a breakdown of everything I tasted.
Fritter
I came in with high hopes for this one. Fritters are some of my favorites, going back to when I was a kid. The Donut Drive In fritter is thinner than most but still oozes oil when you bite into it. It has a crisper fried exterior that leads into an intricate tunnel of doughy goodness.
A solid 7 / 10, it's better than Schnucks by a bit, but not as good as the now-defunct Boogeyz. $2.50 per donut.
Cinnamon Swirl
Moving down the density scale, we hit the cinnamon swirl. Similar in build to the fritter in terms of thickness, it lacks the fritter's overly fried taste and fattiness. The cinnamon didn't quite pack the punch I'd want but still added to the overall sugary flavor.
I'm critiquing it because I'm pretending to be a critic, but this thing is still delicious. Just not sure I'd drive the 17 minutes one way again.
$2.50 per donut.
Vanilla Frosted with Sprinkles
The donuts I picked for my kids ended up being my favorite. A light and fluffy donut. The frosting added just the right amount of sugar and sweetness. I could do without the sprinkles, but it does mean I will grab a glazed the next time I'm in the area because this was delicious. $1.25 per donut, it's cheaper and 1000x better than Dunkin now.
Donut Drive In Atmosphere And Miscellaneous
I walked into Donut Drive In pretty tired, not knowing what to expect at 10:30 pm on a Friday night. Immediately greeted by four teenagers in aprons and a dozen racks of donuts, I knew I had come to the right place.
They display the donuts in two glass counters at the front with the racks and racks of donuts behind them. The ordering area is maybe 15' by 5' or barely big enough to comfortably hold four adults.
My buddy told me that in the summertime or on weekend mornings, you would expect a line out the door as soon as they open.
For that reason, you can pre-order and pay online. As long as you order by 4 pm the day before, they'll give you a time to pick up the next day. On the weekend mornings, you can pick them up in the small takeout booth behind the shop between 7 and 11 am.
If you want to take your chances with a random assortment of a dozen donuts, you can pick those up on Saturdays and Sundays between 7 and 11 am.
Parking At Donut Drive In
The parking lot is attached to the building. It's relatively small, so you might end up parking on the street during the busy periods. Also, make sure not to hit any cars on the way out, as maneuvering can be a pain.
Donut Drive In Receipt
