All About the Donuts: Local Donut Shop Review – Factory Donuts – Kirkland, WA

Factory Donuts

Kirkland, WA

12505 NE 144th St, Kirkland, WA 98034

(425) 821-6140

 

Review criteria:

Most popular donut at the shop: Maple Bar
Signature shop donut: Croissant Sandwich/Large Glazed Ring
Most popular US donut: glazed
2nd most popular US donut: Boston crème
Donut Hole: Yes

What I tried:

cruller, glazed knot, old fashioned, maple, Boston, Donut Holes

$14.50/mixed dozen

I’ve been to this donut shop before – during NaNo, but went back for a dozen for this review!

What to expect:

Maple – sweet but one of the best subtle maple flavors, a clean and fresh glazed, dry cruller, the plain cake donut – oily exterior and classic interior. This shop has almost every classic donut you could want and a few more variations. Everything I’ve had was fresh and delicious.

 

My favorite:

Anything glazed! Even their maple ‘glaze’ is not too bad.

All About the Donuts: Local Donut Shop Review – Donut Factory – Lynnwood, WA

Donut Factory

lynnwood, WA

20160529Factory (3) 20160529Factory (4)

20815 67th Ave W, Lynnwood, WA 98036

(425) 361-7923

20160529Factory (1)20160529Factory (2)

Review criteria:

Most popular donut at the shop: Crobar
Signature shop donut: Crobar
Most popular US donut: glazed
2nd most popular US donut: Boston crème
Donut Hole: Not available

 

What I tried:

Glazed, Cake Donut, Boston Creme, Crobar

$6.20 total

 

What to expect:

I almost thought I was walking into a Krispy Kreme! This place is modern and very clean and open. The counter with all the donuts was so large that it was quite a bit taller than my head and I had to stand on tiptoe to see the donut employee behind the display case. Donut Factory has so many different choices! I had high expectations for the crobar, their most popular and shop specialty, but thought the glaze overpowered the croissant dough. I couldn’t taste anything under that powerfully sweet glaze. I would not order the crobar again. Donut Factory celebrated their 2-year anniversay May 7th, 2016.

 

My favorite:

Out of the three donut shops in Lynnwood, I thought Donut Factory had the best glazed donut! The glaze was not a milky crystallized glaze, but a sticky, dewy, sugary sheen that tasted phenomenal. The dough itself was slightly sweeter than normal and complemented the glaze on top.

Nano November: Day of Donuts Halfway Hustle – 10,321 new words!

Here are my spoils left at the end of the day:

20151115_174901

 

Daddy’s Donuts – open 8am – 7pm Sunday November 15th

Address: 7018 NE Bothell Way, Kenmore Wa 98028

Writing Time: 8:20AM – 9:10AM

Words written: 1,762

 20151115_081706

Daddy’s is a small little place with a plethora of donut signs indicating the little house actually sells donuts. They specialize in mini donuts that rival Pike’s Place mini donut vendor. They are fresh and not bogged down in oil. Unlike Pike’s, I could eat a dozen of these babies without feeling sick. They are like cake and I loved every bite of them. Prices are decent, but don’t come if you want a donut as big as your fist. They are mini, they are lovely, and the employees are bright and helpful.

 20151115_081918

Sampled/Money spent: $9.32 for the straw-bella and the plain and $1.64 for a 8 oz. hot chocolate

 

CountrySide Donut House – open 5:30am – 3pm Sunday November 15th

Address: 10032 Main St, Bothell, WA 98011

Writing Time: 9:30AM – 10:45AM

Words written: 2,547

 20151115_092525

It’s cold in here, the double doors let out any heat that comes from the back, if there is any. The donuts are displayed prominently, proudly in a large display that you see as soon as you step inside. The most popular is the maple bar, hands down but I was more intrigued by the cinnamon roll. They only take cash and checks (who still takes checks? Who would write a check for donuts?) The worker was short and snappy behind the counter, making sure he moved the customers along and that no line developed. There’s almost no standing room.

 20151115_092502

 Sampled/Money Spent: $2.20 for a french cruller (one of my favorites) and a cinnamon roll donut.

 

Factory Donuts – open 5AM-2PM Sunday November 15th

Address: 12505 NE 144th St., Kirkland, WA 98034

Writing Time: 11AM – 12:15PM

Words written: 1672

 20151115_105701

 Why are donut houses so cold? I’ve been here before. You can’t go wrong with a croissant and as much as I like odnuts I was glad for the change. It was very delicious and I ate it up! The lady behind the counter is hilarious with a great sense of humor.

 20151115_105719

Sampled/Money spent: Apple fritter and ham & Cheese croissant $4.11

 

 

Sunrise Donuts & Espresso – open 6AM – 2PM Sunday November 15th

Address: 7299 West Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE, Redmond, WA 98052

Writing Time: 12:30 – 1:45PM planned, showed up at 12:15PM to see the closed sign

Words written:

 20151115_121634

Better get here early because by noon ish they were closed for lack of inventory.

Money Spent/Sampled: none

 

Westernco – Bellevue – open 4AM – 5:30PM Sunday November 15th

Address: 1412 156th Ave NE., Bellevue, WA 98007

Writing Time: x, got my donuts and left because I was tired of being cold

Words written: 0

 20151115_123547

Sampled/Money spent: $2.00 on a jelly donut and a custard donut.

I Decided I wanted a warmer writing place and hopped North to join my new favorite bookstore’s write in at Neverending Bookstore in Bothell.

 

Words written at the Neverending Bookstore with my apples: 2181

20151115_131317

 

Top Pot – Bellevue – open 7AM – 5:30PM Sunday November 15th

Address: 10600 NE 9th Place, Bellevue, WA 98004

Writing Time: 3:30PM – 4:30PM

Words written: 2160

 20151115_152829

Money spent/Sampled: $2.18+3.82 for a regular old fashioned and a raspberry old fashioned.

20151115_152847

Decidedly the most open/most space/most expensive/least exciting donuts of the bunch. It’s hard to go wrong in Bellevue though and I was glad Sheri joined me!

Total donuts consumed: 13 mini donuts at Daddy’s, 1/2 French Cruller at CountrySide Donut House, 1 croissant ham n cheese sandwich at Factory Donuts, 3/4 Old Fashioned at Top Pot. Total words: 10,321. Total time: 7:30AM – 5:30PM from leaving my house to getting back to my house.