Donuts. What a beautiful creation they are. It's like dessert for breakfast.
They come in dozens of variations, are beautiful enough to post pictures of, and of course, they taste amazing. Almost every Texan has been to Shipleys, but there are dozens of exquisite specialty shops in and around Houston. Many of these shops have their own unique flair, so you will have to decide what matters most to you. We’ve put together a small list to help you get started on the quest for your new favorite donut.
Pena’s Donut Heaven & Grill
One of the more veteran donut contenders in Houston is Pena's Donut Heaven & Grill, a shop boasting more than 20 years in the donut business. Raymond Pena worked in his mother’s donut shop as a child long before he and his wife opened the Donut Heaven & Grill. Two locations are now open in Pearland, which offer favorites like Oreo and maple bacon. Pena’s also offers an extensive grill menu.
Le Donut
Like lots of good donut spots, Le Donut is an unassuming little shop in the Med Center that serves up tasty, glazy goodness. Known in particular for their "cronut," a donut made with croissant dough, the shop has raving Yelp fans that can't get enough of their melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
Hugs & Donuts
What used to be the food truck “Htown strEATS” now operates as the brick and mortar shop in the Heights called “Hugs & Donuts.” Want a fresh donut delivered to your door? Hugs & Donuts uses Doordash and Ubereats for delivery seven days a week, and they’re open until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Also on weekends, Hugs & Donuts offers savory donut sandwiches and vegan donut options.
Doughmaker Doughnuts
Doughmaker doughnuts is a food truck that makes small batches of unique and classy flavors like vanilla cardamom, orange pistachio, and horchata. They use local ingredients when possible, and hand makes all donuts. The truck also sells coffee and cold-pressed local milks.
River Oaks Donuts
River Oaks Donuts provides an opportunity to taste more flavors on the same trip. Alongside enticing classic style donuts and kolaches, River Oaks Donuts provides a long selection of tasty donut holes in flavors like blueberry, Nutella-filled, cappuccino-filled, red velvet, and lemon-filled.
The Grove Do-Nutz & Deli
Next up we have the Grove Do-Nutz & Deli, which specializes in gourmet donuts as well as cronuts (croissant donuts). All are made in-house from scratch, using the highest quality ingredients. Recently, The Grove added a food truck, which serves cronuts and Asian fusion foods, like the Korean spicy pork Banh mi sandwich.
Glazed, the doughnut cafe
If you’re reading this list late at night and think you may not make it to morning, we have good news. Glazed is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Open since 2014, this establishment made quite a name for itself very quickly by creating such masterpieces as the macon donut, strawberry cheesecake donut, and breakfast sandwich. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, try flavors like peach sour cream cake, creme brûlée, or sangria. Happy midnight snacking!
VooDoo Doughnut
Houston foodies meet Portland foodies at this Pacific Northwest staple, VooDoo Doughnut. Serving up unique and sometimes odd-sounding donuts, VooDoo will blow your mind with the flavor combinations. Take, for instance, the Memphis Mafia which is fried dough with banana chunks and cinnamon covered in glaze, drizzled in chocolate and peanut butter with peanuts and chocolate chips on top. Can you even? Or, if you're up for a real adventure try the Ring of Fire, a chocolate cake doughnut dusted in cinnamon sugar, cayenne pepper and topped with dried red chili pepper. Of course, there are plenty of more traditional donuts to choose from too, for you less adventurous folks.
