Tony's Donuts and Cafe - What Dunkin Donuts Used To Be

4.14/5 stars Review Philosophy
Featured Image Apple Fritter Bite Apple Fritter Bathroom Box Selfie Donut Display 1 Donut Display 2 Front Hours Locations Menu Parking Pastries Receipt Seating Selfie Signage Weight

Tony's Donuts Takeaway. Tony's Donuts delivers a truly traditional donut. My search for the best St. Louis donuts leads me everywhere, and this spot earns a solid 7.4/10 for delivering on the fundamentals. This reminds me of what Dunkin' Donuts used to be, which is a compliment. ~$1.33/donut for ~$2.69 for a fritter.

This isn't the kind of place you'd drive 30 minutes for to impress out-of-town guests. But if it's your neighborhood joint and you want a reliable, fresh donut on a Saturday morning, Tony's more than fits the bill.

With several locations now, there's probably one near you. This spot felt a bit corporate, but parking was super easy, and they even have a drive-thru. It's built for convenience, and it does the job.

Tonys Donuts box selfie

Table Of Contents: Experience | Food | Atmosphere | Receipt


Tony's Donuts & Cafe Details

Tony's Donuts & Cafe
11525 Dorsett Rd, Maryland Heights, MO 63043
Google 4.5 - 188 reviews
Yelp 4.4 - 174 reviews
TripAdvisor 4.5 - 33 reviews

Hours

Day Hours
Monday5 AM–9 PM
Tuesday5 AM–9 PM
Wednesday5 AM–9 PM
Thursday5 AM–9 PM
Friday5 AM–9 PM
Saturday5 AM–9 PM
Sunday5 AM–6 PM

Tony's Donuts Experience Summary

I stopped by Tony's Donuts on the way out to Innsbrook for a weekend away with friends. This was a "pick up several dozen" kind of situation, and I was happy to do it.

Walking in, I got a specific feeling. Tony's is what Dunkin' Donuts used to be like, back when I was a kid in New Jersey. They actually make fresh donuts right there. It's not some place that just reheats par-baked grossness.

You know that whatever you get will be fresh.

This brings me to my personal quest. My whole goal is to find the best food in St. Louis, but I have a very specific, and increasingly difficult, sub-quest: finding a great apple fritter.

I've been having issues with Apple Fritters all around St. Louis.

There was a time, back around COVID, when Boogyz Donuts made, in my opinion, one of the best apple fritters of all time. That thing, for like six bucks, could feed six people. It was giant and just absolutely delicious.


Boogzy Apple Fritter

Boogyz boogyz apple fritter


Ever since then, nothing has lived up. I've been getting apple fritters all around town, and they just don't hit that Boogyz legacy. Places like Schnucks make totally flavorful fritters; they are just small. Other spots, like Bellos, will have all the right ingredients, but the flavor just isn't there.

I was starting to think maybe Boogy'z was an aberration, or I had just lost my taste for apple fritters.

But then I went back to New Jersey and visited Ferrara's on Long Beach Island. Turns out, there are amazingly awesome apple fritters out there. They need to be big, and they need to be flavorful. So, I hadn't lost my taste in donuts. I just haven't been having good donuts in St. Louis.

So where does Tony's fit in?

In my opinion, it's good. It's at, or maybe even exceeding, the Schnucks level, but it's not touching the Boogyz tradition.

This place is solid. It's not a "mom and pop" shop like Baker's Dozen; it feels more corporate, right down to the drive-thru. 7.4 /10 will play.

But with locations all over St. Louis, it's a convenient, high-quality option for when you just need a good donut.

And sometimes, that's exactly what you need.

The Food At Tony's Donuts

Since I was buying for a crowd (and myself), I got a whole selection. This was a box for young kids and adults, so I got jelly-filled, glazed, frosted, and bow ties. And, of course, I got my own favorite apple fritter.

Let's start there.

Tonys Donuts apple fritter

The apple fritter was nicely fried with big chunks of apple in it and good cinnamon. It was definitely on the smaller side for a fritter, but it had the crunchy exterior I'm looking for.

Love me some good apple chunks.

Tonys Donuts apple fritter bite

But.

It still didn't have that overwhelming apple-and-cinnamon flavor I've come to know and love. Still, not bad at all.

My other comparison donut is always the classic glazed. The glaze here is great. You get a nice, pillowy inside with a warm glaze on the outside, and a sweet finish. Can't beat it.

Tonys Donuts donut display 1 Tonys Donuts donut display 2

I also had a jelly donut over the weekend, and I really enjoyed it.

The big thing with jelly donuts is you don't want the jelly to be too much. You don't want it to fall out on each bite, because you're just going to get it all over yourself, and that's not pleasant. But the jelly is kind of the star of the show.

Tony's found that balance. The jelly was the star, but it stayed put.

Tonys Donuts pastries

Tony's Donuts Atmosphere And Miscellaneous

As I mentioned, this location feels more corporate than a typical mom-and-pop place. It's clean, bright, and has the menu on big screens.

Tonys Donuts front Tonys Donuts seating Tonys Donuts menu Tonys Donuts hours

They have several locations now all around St. Louis, so odds are there's one close to you. This one even has a drive-thru, which is a nice option if you're on the road or just want to get them on the run.

Tonys Donuts locations Tonys Donuts signage

I had no issues with service. We were here in the afternoon on a random day, and I still got some fresh donuts. Well, all of them had obviously been sitting in the case for a bit, but that's to be expected. They still tasted good.

Tonys Donuts bathroom

Parking At Tony's Donuts

Parking at this location was super easy. It's got its own lot right out front.

Tonys Donuts parking

Tony's Donuts Receipt

Tonys Donuts receipt Tonys Donuts weight Tonys Donuts selfie

Tony's Donuts & Cafe User Reviews

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