Take one part airy bakery with huge windows and glossy tiles, one part sriracha peanut butter frosting, a healthy wallop of bacon and booze-flavored offerings, and maybe even a burger or two, and you have an idea what the 18 entries on Eater's Doughnut Heatmap are up to these days. Eater.com posted its newest list of hot donut concepts, including previous favorites such as Union Square Doughnuts in Somerville, MA, GBD in Washington, D.C. and Donut Bar in San Diego.
New entries include Missoula, Montana's Treasure State Donuts, District Donuts Sliders Brew in New Orleans, and River Oaks Donut Shop in Houston.
Here is the Eater Doughnut Heatmap, the 18 hottest doughnut shops to have opened across the US in the past year or so. Entries are in alphabetical order.
Blue Star Donuts
A bright and airy bakery in Portland's West End, Blue Star opened last December with a range of creative flavors that stop short of over-the-top. Look for Blueberry Basil Bourbon, Pistachio Cheesecake with Raspberry, Hard Cider Apple Fritters, Meyer Lemon Curd and more.
Coco Donuts
Las Vegas's Coco Donuts (not to be confused with Portland's Coco Donuts) has only been open for two months, but they already have doughnuts for everyone. Plain cake doughnuts for the old school crowd, crullers and bear claws for classicists, a variety of frosting and sprinkles-encrusted options for the kids, and, yes, their own take on the Dominique Ansel's Cronut, which they make in nine flavors.
District Donuts Sliders Brew
This brand-spankin' new New Orleans cafe is a multi-tasker: they serve doughnuts and coffee, but also sliders and beer. Flavors veer towards the wild side, including a sriracha/maple/thyme and, since this is Who Dat country, a Black & Gold doughnut with Lazy Magnolia Stout glaze, chocolate covered chips & bacon.
Donut Bar
San Diego's Donut Bar was on the last iteration of this map, but they're still killing it. Word is even Brad Pitt's a fan; they renamed the apple fritter he ordered recently the "Brad Fritt-er."
Firecakes
It's a tough job taking on the doughnut-crazed Chicago market, but someone's got to do it. Firecakes' doughnuts skew more traditional than others on this list, but their chocolate hazelnut long johns and honey glazed takes make the heatmap for the second time this year.
GBD (Golden Brown Delicious)
Fried chicken and doughnuts are a match made in heaven — or, you know, Washington, DC — where GBD is selling between 2,200 and 2,400 doughnuts per week. The numbers don't lie.
Glam Doll Donuts
Glam Doll opened in Minneapolis in February offering "whimsical" doughnuts like peanut butter sriracha. Also check out their newly launched chicken pot pie doughnut, which is basically exactly what it sounds like.
Glazed Donut Works
Long lines, check. Doughnut bacon grilled cheese, check. But Eater Dallas editor Whitney Filloon says Glazed Donut Works in Dallas is becoming known for boozy treats like the "Irish Car Bomb donut: a chocolate-Guinness yeast donut with whipped Bailey's filling and Jameson-chocolate ganache. It's why some people in the neighborhood have begun calling it “Drunkin' Donuts.”
Gourdough's Public House
On a list packed with doughnut shops, is Gourdough's the only doughnut restaurant? Born of a food truck, Gourdough's Public House in Austin, TX, offers entrees like doughnut burgers, chicken and doughnut dumplings, doughnut po' boys, and, um, doughnut salads
Johnny Doughnuts
Johnny Doughnuts is both a bake shop in San Rafael and a mobile truck that occasionally ventures as far as San Francisco. Look out for peach berry bismarcks, wild blueberry, morning buns, classic glazed options, and the elusive "Sprinkly Big Guys."
Kettle Glazed Doughnuts
Kettle Glazed in Los Angeles is another place you can get "croissant-style" doughnuts (aka Cronut knockoffs), but they come in a multitude of flavors: pistachio, dark chocolate orange, pumpkin spice and more. They also sell something called a cruffin. Could they be West Coast king of the hybrid pastries?
Mojo Donuts
Mojo in Pembroke Pines, FL, goes for the pretty in their doughnut styling, with tons of sprinkled options and candy-topped confections. If you're looking for seasonally decorative doughnuts, Mojo's your place.
Monuts Donuts
Durham, NC's Monuts developed out of a farmers' market stand that grew insanely popular. Look for flavors like chocolate earl grey and farmers' market fruit frosted, as well as house-made bagels.
River Oaks Donut Shop
A lot of the bakeries on this list make doughnuts. So does Houston’s River Oaks, in addition to a selection of kolaches. But they also sell gigantic birthday cake-sized doughnuts. This is Texas, after all
Strange Donuts
Strange Donuts in St. Louis offers six classic and six "creative" selections each day (inspired by "new tastes and wild styles coming from places like Portland, Austin and L.A.," according to their website). They've also paired with Quincy Street Bistro to offer the Strange Hog Burger: "Yeast donut stuffed with hog burger, topped with maple glaze, caramelized onions and pimento cheese whiz!!"
Treasure State Donuts
Missoula, MT's Treasure State offers flavors that strike a refreshing balance between super traditional and all-out crazy creative. Look for flavors like citrus sage, nutella and lingonberry, and cider doughnuts from local apples
Undrgrnd Donuts
Super fresh doughnuts from a food truck? Yes, please. Philadelphia’s Undrgrnd offers the terrifying Red Hots-laden "Cinnamon Challenge" and something called a "Captain Cranky," with strawberry frosting and Captain Crunch cereal.
Union Square Donuts
Another holdover from the last doughnut heatmap, farmers' market favorite turned brick-and-mortar Union Square Donuts in Somerville, MA, continues to be hugely popular. They're currently offering kits for making doughnut bread pudding and — gulp — doughnut stuffing for the holidays, so place your orders.