Holy moly, the doughnuts here are awesome. They are light, fluffy, just the right level of sweet...and you don't feel like a hippo after downing one or two. It's easy to miss this place while driving east from midtown on Poplar...but do yourself a favor and check these doughnuts out sometime. So much better than Dunkin Donuts and, frankly, better than most of the other more well known Memphis doughnut spots.
(5)
Andrew O.
Back in Memphis again, and another donut shop! I always pass this place when I am in town, but never stopped. I thought it was time that I change that. It is everything you would expect from a donut shop. A nice display case of donuts, and other morning treats. Fresh serve yourself coffee, and a cooler with juices, sodas, and milk. The staff greeted me as soon as I walked in, and seemed really happy. It is so nice to get service like this early in the morning. The entire place was clean and bright, although basic and a little plain. But what do you want from a donut shop? I partook in a chocolate iced, and a pig in a blanket, as well as a maple glazed (that I saved for later). And a coffee that was out of a thermos, but was piping hot and fresh, so no complaints about that. The donut I ate there was still warm and flaky, and melted in my mouth. The pigs in a blanket had a nice flaky dough and a perfectly done dog inside. I will stop back here again for just one of these if nothing else. Overall this place was really good, the land I come from is littered with Dunkin Donuts everywhere, and few independent places, that do not stack up to any of the ones in Memphis. I left Memphis Donuts happy and ready to come back for more.
(4)
Karla M.
Donut adventure in Memphis continues... My 4-traveling duckies did not come along on this trip. Thankfully so... we all ate the box only leaving 3 behind for later. The upside::: a majority of the donuts tasted great. Nothing gourmet or incredible about them however I have to they were fresh tasting with basic flavors you'd find at most donut shops. The cashier was friendly. The shop was clean with a scent of burnt oil in the air. Donuts were decently priced $13.47 for a dozen assorted donuts with an apple fritter and an almond croissant. The downside::: with all positives there must be a negative even if there is only one down to all the up's I must tell it. One of my fave donuts is a french cruller. There were 3 left so I picked the chocolate covered cruller. Mind you I was quite hungry when we got there as our wait for breakfast was an hour long so we opted for a donut or two... or three beforehand. I was happily biting into the chocolate covered cruller and I was instantly transported into a nail salon. What I had in my mouth tasted like acetone or nail polish. In my mouth was the smell I smell as I'm getting a pedi/mani. I had 3 other people taste it. Ewwww!! Needless to say we all spit it out and enjoyed the rest of the donuts. I hope they rethink that recipe.
(3)
Veronica L.
These are some tasty donuts! Their glazed are a little lighter and crispier than the more famous donuts to the east, but I'd say probably just as good. They have a smaller selection but they do one of the coolest things I've ever seen at a donut shop: They fill to order. You heard right...no more "we're out of lemon-filled" or "the last custard went an hour ago". Pick glazed or frosted, let them know which of the fillings you'd like, and they fill it, lickety-split! Seriously cool. Their breakfast sandwiches are another good option. They're pre-made in house, but when warmed up are a good breakfast alternative. Or, you know, just have one of those AND a donut. You deserve it. They do have a version of a maple bacon glazed, but it's not as good in comparison to big G's.
(4)
Mark B.
Stopped in for the second time. Pigs in a blanket are FANTASTIC. Unfortunately there was something up with the chocolate frosting on the donuts we bought that made then taste super weird. No bueno.
(4)
Joan C.
Try the maple bacon donuts! I'm not usually one of those "bacon with everything" people, but these are to die for! They also have a good chocolate donut with strawberry icing. It's not just pink icing--it actually tastes like strawberry. The location is convenient also for people who commute along Poplar Avenue. I think my coworkers may be the real winners of this discovery. I plan to stop by for a dozen on the way to work whenever I can!
(4)
Dale B.
Pigs in a blanket have a lot more dough than we are used to on our kolache a but they were good. Red velvet donuts were a huge hit with the kids and the plane donuts were among the best we've had.
(4)
Wyatt I.
They have a melt in your mouth maple glazed cruller donut that can not be beat by anyone in Memphis. This place rocks. Great stop on your way east or towards downtown when heading on Poplar. They truly put quality into the process.
(5)
Amber C.
I love donuts. And I love eating at local places. Especially when they have great food, fresh coffee, and incredibly friendly employees, all in a convenient location for ridiculously low prices. Memphis Donuts is in a really convenient location for those of us who travel on Poplar, especially from Midtown to the University District. When I was there the last time I got a GIANT chocolate frosted twist donut, a chocolate frosted glazed donut, and a maple bacon donut. All of them were good (although my bacon could have been a little crispier) and the chocolate frosted twist was one of the best donuts I've eaten in my life. All of that was $3.07. A cup of coffee (Community Coffee - you pour it yourself) would have been $1.29, and they have a large cooler case with iced coffee drinks, juices, milk, and sodas. They also have frozen coffees and coffee drinks but I didn't try any (but I'll be back!). They do have a $3 minimum for credit card purchases, but it's easy to gorge yourself in order to spend that much. They also have some amazing looking non-donut pastries. There's a small sitting area inside and the store is super clean. Kind of plan, but it's breakfast - I can't be the only person too groggy to care at 7 am? Maybe most importantly the ladies who run it are the nicest people. Asked me about my day, made small talk, and were just super on top of things and nice. Definitely going back, and will definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a breakfast fix in Memphis!
(5)
David M.
Great place to get donuts. The location is great and I always like what they have. The cleanliness is always really good and the the people that run the place are all nice people.
(5)
Jessie J.
This place is SPOTLESS. They are also a 1/2 mile from our house (we live the cottages next to Chikasaw Gardens). They also make the best goddamn jelly donut I've ever had and the service is awesome. I am a Gibson's devotee usually, but find myself making the trek all the way over there less and less since this place opened up. Everything tastes fresh and even the Bavarian cream tastes "real", which means I usually end up eating two donuts. I'm a growing 34 year old woman! I need sustenance!
(5)
Viet T.
kolache wasn't the best i've ever had, i heard the donuts are supposed to be fresh tasting but... just a fancy and cleaner looking building I'll take gibsons over this any day
(3)
Robin S.
This place is a true hidden gem! As a person who is never bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning hours, I sincerely wondered if this place was ever open. However, after checking Yelp, I realized that I just never drove past it until after its closing time of 4pm. Luckily for me, I have a boyfriend who isn't against Saturday morning coffee and donut runs. Under my direction, he has stopped by Memphis donuts twice. Both times, he came back with a smile. After placing a gooey, chewy, morning delight of a glazed donut in my mouth, I too, was smiling. They are awesome. Fresh-tasting, soft, light, airy, and not overly sweet. The glazed French crueller is also phenomenal and the best I've had...anywhere. Today, he brought home a bag of glazed donut holes in addition to the usual order of 1 glazed donut and 1 French crueller. My dog swears this second bag was for her and truth be told, she will get quite a few. I'd like to keep my body looking as bikini ready as possible and as much as she begs...there is no bikini for her. Anyway, the donut holes were good but not amazing. A little "harder" than the glazed donut and had a slightly different taste. I'm not sure how that's possible as a donut hole is supposed to be the middle of a glazed donut..but eh, my taste buds don't lie. Last time, the boyfriend, who doesn't drink coffee or eat sweets, was excited to find that Memphis donuts has a breakfast delight called a kolache. What is this delicacy you ask? I had no idea either. Apparently, it's a tasty adult style pig-in-a-blanket...a croissant wrapped hot dog/sausage with a bit of gooey cheese inside the meat, that comes in a regular or spicy version. The boyfriend was beaming at his new breakfast treat, and although I found it tasty, I'll stick with the donut. The best part is that the man behind the counter, which we assume to be the owner, is super friendly, they serve Community coffee, and for $3.02 - you, your puppy, and your boyfriend can all be happy and full on a Saturday morning!
(4)
El J.
It seems like a popular foodie checklist item is to come to Memphis and sample a bunch of BBQ joints over a weekend. I love some BBQ, but I've considered the feasibility of another idea: a Memphis doughnut shop crawl. Really, would it be THAT much more unhealthy? Since I'm not a morning person and few night persons are running doughnut shops, I guess it's a long shot for me. The point is this: I think about doughnuts. One of the local papers tipped me off to this new shop across from East High School, and a rendezvous became a priority. It's called Memphis Donuts. Possibly the best thing about Memphis Donuts is the location. There's not a shop for miles. It's a well publicized travesty that Binghamton is a doughnut desert.* Theoretically, I guess you could get some powdered Donettes with your Rap Chips at the Citgo @ Tillman/Walnut Grove. But alas, Hostess went the way of Oldsmobile. Even the University district, a doughnut demographic if there ever was one, is underserved until the Pink Palace can get those doughnut fryers from their craft fair a permanent tent on site. MD's is to be applauded for stepping into the vacuum. MD's is no Voodoo Doughnuts; the samplings are pretty pedestrian. (It's also visibly clean!, unlike Voodoo.) Glazed doughnuts, various cake doughnuts, some sprinkles or coconut or flavored icing to mix them up... cinnamon rolls, apple fritters... that's about the whole inventory. So I went with my normal go-to sampler for most doughnut shops: regular glazed doughnut and blueberry cake doughnut. If a shop butchers those two, they're beyond help. My sampler revealed no glaring flaws, but I didn't discover new favorites either. The blueberry cake was less moist than my favorite shops, more in line with Dunkin Ds' blueberry. The glazed was doughier/chewier than most in town. They're not going to melt in your mouth like cotton candy or Krispy Kremes, but it was quite good. Certainly better than Dunkin's glazed. But whose isn't? If I lived in the neighborhood, I'd support this shop shamelessly. * (While lesser known, so is Chickasaw Gardens. La Baguette will have to suffice. Rich people's problems...)
(3)
Laura R.
The french cruller alone is worth a drive across town. These donuts are some of the best! Breakfast sandwiches are great too. The spicy pig in a blanket is as delicious as it sounds. Get two. This place is a secret gem in Memphis.
(5)
Jason Y.
ALWAYS clean! Entire staff is super friendly. We love the apple fritters, especially when they are super fresh. The cake donuts always have a nice crusty exterior and a moist fluffy inside. I pick these up a few times a week for my co-workers and my family as treats.
(5)
Robin Z.
if you are in the area it is a good place to stop...nice....clean...good selection
(4)
Shuman M.
They have a good selection of Donuts and some breakfast sandwiches, clean environment, fast and friendly service. Very well priced (cheap)...only thing that bothers me are the business hours...not open on Sunday
Matthew T.
Holy moly, the doughnuts here are awesome. They are light, fluffy, just the right level of sweet...and you don't feel like a hippo after downing one or two. It's easy to miss this place while driving east from midtown on Poplar...but do yourself a favor and check these doughnuts out sometime. So much better than Dunkin Donuts and, frankly, better than most of the other more well known Memphis doughnut spots.
(5)Andrew O.
Back in Memphis again, and another donut shop! I always pass this place when I am in town, but never stopped. I thought it was time that I change that. It is everything you would expect from a donut shop. A nice display case of donuts, and other morning treats. Fresh serve yourself coffee, and a cooler with juices, sodas, and milk. The staff greeted me as soon as I walked in, and seemed really happy. It is so nice to get service like this early in the morning. The entire place was clean and bright, although basic and a little plain. But what do you want from a donut shop? I partook in a chocolate iced, and a pig in a blanket, as well as a maple glazed (that I saved for later). And a coffee that was out of a thermos, but was piping hot and fresh, so no complaints about that. The donut I ate there was still warm and flaky, and melted in my mouth. The pigs in a blanket had a nice flaky dough and a perfectly done dog inside. I will stop back here again for just one of these if nothing else. Overall this place was really good, the land I come from is littered with Dunkin Donuts everywhere, and few independent places, that do not stack up to any of the ones in Memphis. I left Memphis Donuts happy and ready to come back for more.
(4)Karla M.
Donut adventure in Memphis continues... My 4-traveling duckies did not come along on this trip. Thankfully so... we all ate the box only leaving 3 behind for later. The upside::: a majority of the donuts tasted great. Nothing gourmet or incredible about them however I have to they were fresh tasting with basic flavors you'd find at most donut shops. The cashier was friendly. The shop was clean with a scent of burnt oil in the air. Donuts were decently priced $13.47 for a dozen assorted donuts with an apple fritter and an almond croissant. The downside::: with all positives there must be a negative even if there is only one down to all the up's I must tell it. One of my fave donuts is a french cruller. There were 3 left so I picked the chocolate covered cruller. Mind you I was quite hungry when we got there as our wait for breakfast was an hour long so we opted for a donut or two... or three beforehand. I was happily biting into the chocolate covered cruller and I was instantly transported into a nail salon. What I had in my mouth tasted like acetone or nail polish. In my mouth was the smell I smell as I'm getting a pedi/mani. I had 3 other people taste it. Ewwww!! Needless to say we all spit it out and enjoyed the rest of the donuts. I hope they rethink that recipe.
(3)Veronica L.
These are some tasty donuts! Their glazed are a little lighter and crispier than the more famous donuts to the east, but I'd say probably just as good. They have a smaller selection but they do one of the coolest things I've ever seen at a donut shop: They fill to order. You heard right...no more "we're out of lemon-filled" or "the last custard went an hour ago". Pick glazed or frosted, let them know which of the fillings you'd like, and they fill it, lickety-split! Seriously cool. Their breakfast sandwiches are another good option. They're pre-made in house, but when warmed up are a good breakfast alternative. Or, you know, just have one of those AND a donut. You deserve it. They do have a version of a maple bacon glazed, but it's not as good in comparison to big G's.
(4)Mark B.
Stopped in for the second time. Pigs in a blanket are FANTASTIC. Unfortunately there was something up with the chocolate frosting on the donuts we bought that made then taste super weird. No bueno.
(4)Joan C.
Try the maple bacon donuts! I'm not usually one of those "bacon with everything" people, but these are to die for! They also have a good chocolate donut with strawberry icing. It's not just pink icing--it actually tastes like strawberry. The location is convenient also for people who commute along Poplar Avenue. I think my coworkers may be the real winners of this discovery. I plan to stop by for a dozen on the way to work whenever I can!
(4)Dale B.
Pigs in a blanket have a lot more dough than we are used to on our kolache a but they were good. Red velvet donuts were a huge hit with the kids and the plane donuts were among the best we've had.
(4)Wyatt I.
They have a melt in your mouth maple glazed cruller donut that can not be beat by anyone in Memphis. This place rocks. Great stop on your way east or towards downtown when heading on Poplar. They truly put quality into the process.
(5)Amber C.
I love donuts. And I love eating at local places. Especially when they have great food, fresh coffee, and incredibly friendly employees, all in a convenient location for ridiculously low prices. Memphis Donuts is in a really convenient location for those of us who travel on Poplar, especially from Midtown to the University District. When I was there the last time I got a GIANT chocolate frosted twist donut, a chocolate frosted glazed donut, and a maple bacon donut. All of them were good (although my bacon could have been a little crispier) and the chocolate frosted twist was one of the best donuts I've eaten in my life. All of that was $3.07. A cup of coffee (Community Coffee - you pour it yourself) would have been $1.29, and they have a large cooler case with iced coffee drinks, juices, milk, and sodas. They also have frozen coffees and coffee drinks but I didn't try any (but I'll be back!). They do have a $3 minimum for credit card purchases, but it's easy to gorge yourself in order to spend that much. They also have some amazing looking non-donut pastries. There's a small sitting area inside and the store is super clean. Kind of plan, but it's breakfast - I can't be the only person too groggy to care at 7 am? Maybe most importantly the ladies who run it are the nicest people. Asked me about my day, made small talk, and were just super on top of things and nice. Definitely going back, and will definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a breakfast fix in Memphis!
(5)David M.
Great place to get donuts. The location is great and I always like what they have. The cleanliness is always really good and the the people that run the place are all nice people.
(5)Jessie J.
This place is SPOTLESS. They are also a 1/2 mile from our house (we live the cottages next to Chikasaw Gardens). They also make the best goddamn jelly donut I've ever had and the service is awesome. I am a Gibson's devotee usually, but find myself making the trek all the way over there less and less since this place opened up. Everything tastes fresh and even the Bavarian cream tastes "real", which means I usually end up eating two donuts. I'm a growing 34 year old woman! I need sustenance!
(5)Viet T.
kolache wasn't the best i've ever had, i heard the donuts are supposed to be fresh tasting but... just a fancy and cleaner looking building I'll take gibsons over this any day
(3)Robin S.
This place is a true hidden gem! As a person who is never bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning hours, I sincerely wondered if this place was ever open. However, after checking Yelp, I realized that I just never drove past it until after its closing time of 4pm. Luckily for me, I have a boyfriend who isn't against Saturday morning coffee and donut runs. Under my direction, he has stopped by Memphis donuts twice. Both times, he came back with a smile. After placing a gooey, chewy, morning delight of a glazed donut in my mouth, I too, was smiling. They are awesome. Fresh-tasting, soft, light, airy, and not overly sweet. The glazed French crueller is also phenomenal and the best I've had...anywhere. Today, he brought home a bag of glazed donut holes in addition to the usual order of 1 glazed donut and 1 French crueller. My dog swears this second bag was for her and truth be told, she will get quite a few. I'd like to keep my body looking as bikini ready as possible and as much as she begs...there is no bikini for her. Anyway, the donut holes were good but not amazing. A little "harder" than the glazed donut and had a slightly different taste. I'm not sure how that's possible as a donut hole is supposed to be the middle of a glazed donut..but eh, my taste buds don't lie. Last time, the boyfriend, who doesn't drink coffee or eat sweets, was excited to find that Memphis donuts has a breakfast delight called a kolache. What is this delicacy you ask? I had no idea either. Apparently, it's a tasty adult style pig-in-a-blanket...a croissant wrapped hot dog/sausage with a bit of gooey cheese inside the meat, that comes in a regular or spicy version. The boyfriend was beaming at his new breakfast treat, and although I found it tasty, I'll stick with the donut. The best part is that the man behind the counter, which we assume to be the owner, is super friendly, they serve Community coffee, and for $3.02 - you, your puppy, and your boyfriend can all be happy and full on a Saturday morning!
(4)El J.
It seems like a popular foodie checklist item is to come to Memphis and sample a bunch of BBQ joints over a weekend. I love some BBQ, but I've considered the feasibility of another idea: a Memphis doughnut shop crawl. Really, would it be THAT much more unhealthy? Since I'm not a morning person and few night persons are running doughnut shops, I guess it's a long shot for me. The point is this: I think about doughnuts. One of the local papers tipped me off to this new shop across from East High School, and a rendezvous became a priority. It's called Memphis Donuts. Possibly the best thing about Memphis Donuts is the location. There's not a shop for miles. It's a well publicized travesty that Binghamton is a doughnut desert.* Theoretically, I guess you could get some powdered Donettes with your Rap Chips at the Citgo @ Tillman/Walnut Grove. But alas, Hostess went the way of Oldsmobile. Even the University district, a doughnut demographic if there ever was one, is underserved until the Pink Palace can get those doughnut fryers from their craft fair a permanent tent on site. MD's is to be applauded for stepping into the vacuum. MD's is no Voodoo Doughnuts; the samplings are pretty pedestrian. (It's also visibly clean!, unlike Voodoo.) Glazed doughnuts, various cake doughnuts, some sprinkles or coconut or flavored icing to mix them up... cinnamon rolls, apple fritters... that's about the whole inventory. So I went with my normal go-to sampler for most doughnut shops: regular glazed doughnut and blueberry cake doughnut. If a shop butchers those two, they're beyond help. My sampler revealed no glaring flaws, but I didn't discover new favorites either. The blueberry cake was less moist than my favorite shops, more in line with Dunkin Ds' blueberry. The glazed was doughier/chewier than most in town. They're not going to melt in your mouth like cotton candy or Krispy Kremes, but it was quite good. Certainly better than Dunkin's glazed. But whose isn't? If I lived in the neighborhood, I'd support this shop shamelessly. * (While lesser known, so is Chickasaw Gardens. La Baguette will have to suffice. Rich people's problems...)
(3)Laura R.
The french cruller alone is worth a drive across town. These donuts are some of the best! Breakfast sandwiches are great too. The spicy pig in a blanket is as delicious as it sounds. Get two. This place is a secret gem in Memphis.
(5)Jason Y.
ALWAYS clean! Entire staff is super friendly. We love the apple fritters, especially when they are super fresh. The cake donuts always have a nice crusty exterior and a moist fluffy inside. I pick these up a few times a week for my co-workers and my family as treats.
(5)Robin Z.
if you are in the area it is a good place to stop...nice....clean...good selection
(4)Shuman M.
They have a good selection of Donuts and some breakfast sandwiches, clean environment, fast and friendly service. Very well priced (cheap)...only thing that bothers me are the business hours...not open on Sunday
(4)