Looking for Doughnuts In Michigan - Several Cities

[wintersummer]

I'll be spending some time in several Michigan cities and would like to know if there are any good doughnuts around. Not Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Donuts, but local places.

We will be in Dearborn, Saugatuck, Grand Rapids - and all places in between those locations.

Any suggestions?

[rusty77]

I'm also surprised no one mentioned Donutville in Dearborn.

[missmind]

Donutville USA! Yes. The plain "stick" donut. Simple, nutmeggy, crisp crust, sugar glaze. Before smoking was banned (used to be hazy in there), the donuts had a little extra je ne sais quoi. The jelly-filled ones suck, though.

[runapping2]

Ok: It used to be called Country Maid Donuts on Portage Road just south of Centre St. in Portage (Kalamazoo) MI South of I-94. They have a Weggie that is to die for! A wedge filled with sweet cream, and iced with either carmel or chocolate. Sometimes you have to order the day before. I agree Sweetwaters is great too. I miss Kalamazoo area!

[JHC]

I ran across this thread trying to find the bakery that made that wedgie donut! I grew up in Portage and remember going to that bakery with a friend who lived on Gourdneck Lake. I fell in love with the wedge and went back many times to get it. I'm headed back for a family wedding this summer and have now put Country Maid on my list of places to visit. Sweetwater's Donut Mill sounds intriguing as well...I may have to hit them both :)

[scrub]

If you are on the north side of Grand Rapids during the apple harvest, Robinette's is the place to go for fresh donuts. They make a pumpkin spice donut that is killer. I only like their cake donuts, but they do have other pastries. Their apple cider is fantastic (UV treated, not heat pasteurized).
http://www.robinettes.com/

[scrub]

Marge's Donut Den,on 28th St in Wyoming (west side of Grand Rapids, MI) has the best traditional donuts in the area. Their glazed donuts are killer, as are their bear claws and apple fritters. http://margesdonutden.com/

[thimbleberry]

Lev's Bakery in Tecumseh, a small town about 30 miles southwest of Ann Arbor, has been making wonderful donuts, yeast and cake, for decades. The quality is always first-rate. It's right on Chicago Boulevard in the center of town. Their fare is the simple glazed doughnuts, cinnamon buns, powdered sugar and cinnamon cake doughnuts, etc....no french pastry...but my husband and I check out bakeries wherever we travel, and we consider this bakery to be one of the main attractions of living in Tecumseh. A few years ago they were rated second in MI by AAA...not bad for a small town shop.

[JanPrimus]

OK I will bite....who was ranked first? :)

[chefbrian1]

The best doughnut in Michigan, in the Ann Arbor area is at Jenny's Market in Dexter. They make fresh pumpkin doughnut and have local cider, but the season will not last.

http://www.jennysdextermarket.com/

CB

https://lastoneeating.wordpress.com/

[jmax]

My wife's family lives in Saline which is a suburb of Ann Arbor - whenever we go back to visit they get doughnuts from Benny's Bakery in downtown Saline. They are awesome. I don't know my way around Michigan that well - so I have no idea if that is near where you are going to be.

[wintersummer]

Thanks for all these great suggestions!

I was able to try 3 places from the recommendations: Sweetwaters in Battle Creek, Zingermans Roadshow in Ann Arbor, and Robinette's in Grand Rapid. I can't rate them - they were all great! Thanks for guiding me to great Michigan doughnuts!

[FM23]

OK There's one place you MUST try. Actually you ALL MUST try. Family Donut Shop in Hamtramck on the corner of Conant & Caniff (couple min drive from I-75 exit). The BEST yeast doughnuts I've ever had. You can inhale 3 in less than a minute. It's like eating a cloud. Even their cake donuts are nice and light.

[jy2nd]

Try Robinette's Apple Barn on 4 Mile Road, just west of the East Beltline. They make wonderful cinnamon sugar doughnuts all year, and should now be making pumpkin spice ones. A bonus -- the fresh cider from their own apples.

[beachmouse]

West side of Grand Rapids- I grew up enjoying Sandy's Donuts on west Leonard Street.

[chowchowbrowncow]

It's been several years since I worked in Dearborn, but I used to like Bartz Bakery, 1532 Telegraph Rd, Dearborn [phone] - or - Dearborn Italian Bakery, 24545 Ford Rd
Dearborn [phone]‎ .

[boagman]

I'm still quite partial to Hermann's Bakery in downtown Royal Oak for doughnuts, and they have a different, albeit small variety that they offer. Very light and satisfyingly sweet.

Other than that, my other recommendation would be for the doughnuts at Yates Cider Mill up in Rochester Hills at 23 Mile and Dequindre. If you're early enough, you may be able to get the cinnamon-and-sugar dusted ones, which I find absolutely delightful, because these doughnuts are so wonderfully *hot* when you get them fresh. Couple that with the best cider in the area, and you have a total (though a bit on the pricey side) winner.

[Fritter]

Yates Cider Mill? Yates???
I do not understand what any one sees good in those little things save for the fact it saves driving another ten miles to an actual orchard. They are so over priced and there's not an apple tree in sight. Ok maybe a few on top of the landfill West of Dequindre.
Next time you are in Romeo Boagman try the doughnuts and Cider at Westview Orchards. Blakes Big Apple on North Ave South of Armada has excellent doughnuts as well.

http://www.westvieworchards.com/

http://www.blakefarms.com/halloween/

[boagman]

I love Yates, unabashedly so. I've loved it since the elementary school days. I can't speak as to the strengths or weaknesses of the Romeo or Armada places, since I haven't been there myself. That being said, I hope to make it to Yates sometime this fall season so that I can once again love the unpasteurized wonder of the cider they have at Yates, and their fantastic doughnuts. If better is available, I have as of yet to experience it, but that doesn't mean that better *doesn't* exist.

But as I said in my post: we're sympatico on Yates being expensive. Sometimes, however, things cost a little more because they're *worth* it.

[Fritter]

Boagman if you plan on getting out this way in the fall give the places in Romeo or Armada a try. If you have been doing Yates since elementary school I can indeed understand why you like them. Some times food memories are a part of the experience. Not having grown up here I don't have that same affection for Yates but then I say the same for Frankenmuth chicken.
Westview is expensive as well. However there is something fundamentally wrong (IMO) about a cider mill with no orchard.
Cider apples come from the ground a fair amount of the time. The deer like to be under the trees. The result in has been some serious food-borne illness (eColi) from unpasteurized cider. Over the last few years the state has really cracked down on places making unpasteurized cider.
Yates now flash pasteurizes their cider. All of the local places press their own cider but Yates does it with water power which is indeed kind of cool but the parking can be a challenge.

[firestalker]

I would have to agree with Fritter on this one. Yates is an experience but everything is trucked to them and the traffic will make you throw your hands up. The Orchards in Romeo can be almost as busy although the economy has thinned the crowds this year. A little hidden gem is Hy's Orchard which is on 37 Mile about a mile west of Van Dyke great cider and donuts with almost never a crowd.

Fire

[grouper]

Fritter, please help me with this one. I normally buy my cider at Porters Orchard in Goodrich, yesterday, to save time I went to Yates. Son was coming home from college and he loves cider. Anyway, the cider at Yates was clear, not cloudy like we're used to, and really looked like apple juice. Is this due to their pasteurization process? I bought it since I didn't have time for anything else, but wasn't sure about it. Family says it tastes fine...just curious. If you have the time could you explain. Thanks, Grouper.

[archfan]

Based on your description, and the photos on their website, it looks like they filter aggressively, along with the pasteurization. Both, in my opinion, detract from the taste. Plus, cider should be a little, um, chewy?

Erwin Orchards in South Lyon does minimally filtered, unpasteurized cider from their own trees - very good!

[coney with everything]

also Spicers right off US23 north of M59 has non pasteurized cider.

[Jim M]

In western Washtenaw, Alber Cider Mill is another place with the plain unpasteurized cider, with tours of the press and activities for kids. Nice drive out some very pretty dirt roads, beautiful old farm and orchard.

http://www.alberorchard.com/

If I do buy the pasteurized cider at the supermarket, I often go for Hy's--has some bite in the flavor.

[JanPrimus]

This has been my favorite cider for years. I am heading out to Plymouth Orchards today for a kid B-day party. Praying for the chunky cider and fresh donuts.

[grouper]

Wow, we used to live not far from Spicer's and haven't been there in years. I'm planning on heading out that way in the next few weeks and might just make a stop in there for some cider.

[coney with everything]

If you haven't been in years, be prepared. We went yesterday (Sunday) and it was insane! They've gone very agritainment for the kiddies in particular. Apple picking wasn't crowded but the line for cider & donuts was long and people were parked a half mile down the road.

A weekday would be much calmer, I'm sure.

[grouper]

Thanks for that heads up!

[coney with everything]

and I should add that the first bite of fresh, hot, crunchy on the outside gooey on the inside cinnamon donut with a sip of ice cold cider made the craziness COMPLETELY worth it!

[grouper]

I'm happy it was worth the craziness and would have to agree there's nothing like a hot doughnut and fresh cider. For that we're lucky to live in Michigan!!

[Foog]

Their doughnuts are goodness too. Had both cider and doughnuts from them this year.

[rusty77]

Hello! Verellen is the place for produce, cider, and HOT fresh doughnuts so good you don't need powder sugar.

[Foog]

Herman's custard, made themselves of course is my favorite. I work in RO and get a custard lunch stick every Friday as a reward for showing up to work =)

Aaron

[Jim M]

Washtenaw Dairy in Ann Arbor is a classic lard-fried cake, much loved by locals. A lot cheaper than that Dunkin' guy, too.

[annex]

Also, (closer to I-94 in Ann Arbor if you are just driving by) Zingerman's Roadhouse's "Roadshow" drive-through has their award-winning doughnuts.

[wintersummer]

I've looked at Zingerman's Roadhouse webiste and can't find donuts. Are you sure they have them at this location?

[annex]

Try the brunch menus, or go to their "Roadshow" link which is for their drive-thru offerings at: http://www.zingermansroadhouse.com/co...

[dingey]

Sweetwater's Donut Mill in Kalamazoo is great. They have such devoted fans that people drive from out of state to pick up a dozen. There's one location on sprinkle Road just off the I-94 business loop, and another on Stadium Drive.

There's even a documentary about Sweetwaters, but I'm too lazy to find the link right now. ;)

[tokyo]

Dingey: How does Crane's measure up (for Saugatuck area)? We didn't make it there on our recent visit to the area, but I thought I heard something about cider donuts there.

[dingey]

I've only had donuts from Crane's one time, but I can tell you that the container of donut holes barely made it from the orchard to the cottage 10 miles away...oink! They were DELICIOUS!

[garryd451]

Here's the link: to Sweetwater's & yes it is AWESOME!

[JanPrimus]

You forgot the link :P

[vtombrown]

Jim M called the lard-fried cake (yum). Given that one of the stops was Dearborn, how come nobody called Shatila dessert bakery (12710 W. Warren Avenue) ??? They have plenty of awesome, sweetened, deep fried doughs (i.e., doughnuts) ! Wintersummer already is long gone, back to Florida or somewhere. Guess we'll catch that person next time around...