These donuts are as good as advertised. We stumbled upon a healthy line in the mid-morning, but one that moved fast. The donuts came quicker than the coffee, but given how many people wanted coffee, I’d try the coffee.Alas, I stuck to the donuts. Each bite was as good as the last. I strongly recommend the coconut varieties. This was a solid and faster alternative to the popular bakeries nearby that catch even longer lines at peak tourist days and times. As one of those interlopers, I was glad for such a delicious alternative.
This was a great choice for doughnuts in the Portland area. Definitely unique and unlike any we’ve had before. Took their recommendations for 3 different ones. Would rank Pomegranate #1 then Apple Coder #2. Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar #3 as it was good but more of a cake like doughnut. Would recommend to family and friends.
We arrived at 11:45am on a Friday and were impressed with their gluten-free assortment. The donuts are larger and more filling than I expected. My husband and I each got two but saved our seconds for breakfast the next day.While I appreciate that they serve gf, they are very dense and cake-like. If you can eat the normal ones, I HIGHLY recommend the sweet potato ginger! 👌🏼Great iced coffee with oat milk.There’s a park across the street so we enjoyed our treats there.
Anytime I tell people I’m visiting Portland, they ALWAYS tell me to visit holy donut— and for good reason!! These donuts are so incredibly delicious and chewy; I’m so curious how they do it! It has almost the consistency of sourdough bread, light yet chewy, but with a deliciously sweet taste. And the flavors are all so fun (they rotate so there’s always something new to try)! My absolute favorites are the sweet potato donuts; look out for flavors on that donut base.This time they also had savory donuts, which were just savory fillings in a fried dough. We got the spinach and cheese savory donut, which was good, but I’d recommend sticking to their classic sweet donuts. We got the old fashioned (meh), margarita, lavender honey, coffee cake (sweet potato donut), and ginger glaze (sweet potato donut, my favorite of this round).Holy Donut is definitely a must-visit in Portland Maine!!!
MUST HAVE if you’re in Maine. Line is always out the door or around the block. I’d be up early because they sell out so quickly. My favorite was the chocolate caramel coconut. If you try nothing else, get that one. Would definitely return. Been craving their donuts ever since I returned home and thought I’d leave an honest review.
If you spend any amount of time in Maine, you have to stop at The Holy Donut. The donuts are made from potato or sweet potato and are cake-style AKA the best kind of donut style. So many flavors to choose from, but I highly recommend the chocolate sea salt! It is so dense and tasty (and also keeps well until the next day). Be careful, you can go in wanting to get a few donuts and leave with a dozen! Also, huge thanks to Holy Donut for working hard to make the experience as safe for customers and staff as possible! All staff were wearing masks and they were limiting the number of people inside at a time. Make Holy Donut your top stop when visiting (or living in) Maine!
Amazing donuts. I had never had a potato flour donut before this and man oh man.... now I am going to have to fly to Maine every time I have a craving. Out of control the flavor in these bad boys. I had the dark chocolate, Maine blueberry with lemon, and the toasted coconut. I dont think you could go wrong with whatever flavors you choose. It is worth the wait, though to avoid the line I would try to go earlier in the morning on a weekday. A must try if youre in Portland.
A great place for unique flavored donuts. Great if you like donuts with a light cakey texture. Large variety of flavors including seasonal flavors (summer 2021 blueberry!). I really liked the blueberry with blueberry glaze.They have gluten free varieties as well but I havent tried any of those flavors.I prefer my donuts dense but I didnt let that impact my review.
Was recommended this place by several people for our trip to Maine and the Holy Donut did not disappoint! They close when we they run out of stock, which can be pretty early on busy days - we stopped by around 2pm on a Friday and they were closed. Tried again around 6:30am on our way out of Portland the next morning and the line was already out the door, but well worth the wait!Got a variety of donuts including blueberry, maple bacon, chocolate sea salt (my absolute favorite!), pomegranate, and triple berry. All were amazing! Very unique style of donuts, since theyre made with potatoes. It makes the donuts very chewy, but not super heavy. Will definitely be coming back next time we visit Maine!
Being the doughnut lover that Mr. Joy is, we found ourselves in line for some fried dough. Even on a Monday morning at 11am, the line was pretty impressive. We waited nearly half an hour before we reached the front of the line.Being amongst other doughnut lovers, we saw many patrons standing on front of the Donut Lover mural taking pictures in front of the wall.There are lots of flavors to choose from, and we got a box of six to share with friends. We got two of the blueberry, after learning that blueberries are supposed to be great in Maine. The flavor was great, but I dont think Im a big fan of mashed potato based doughnuts, because they were a little dense to me. Perhaps I need to give it another chance.
Holy Donut, you legend you! Stopped by on the way out of town and was very impressed by their setup, offerings and friendly service. It helped that it was low season, so no line whatsoever. The potato starch used in the donuts make for a hearty, more substantial bite, akin to a funnel cake but not as greasy. Donuts tasted great even after road tripping home and nearly a week in the box. Pro tip: try their savory bfast options, we got the bacon and broccoli cheese, that were like what a hot pocket in it’s highest form. Praise HD!!!
Best donuts in Portland ?Maybe, but I think they were just above average. However, not much competition and there is a nice variety if you get there early. Very popular, lines down the block.
The Holy Donut beats Hifi Donuts any day! I made the mistake of stopping by Hifi first when arriving in Portland when I should’ve come here for a proper introduction to Maine’s famous potato donuts. ⚠️ They aren’t joking when they recommend going EARLY. They sell out fast. I went at 2PM and there were only two flavors left and 10 minutes after getting my donuts they sold their last donut and closed the shop. I made it just in the nick of time. Only critique is I wish the donuts were kept warm.
We knew they were popular so we made sure that we stopped by good and early. There were already prior rushing to & from to get their favorite choices. We got a few different kinds and they were all delicious! I got half a dozen and ate 3 within the first hour lol! If youre in Portland a stop is a MUST!!
If youre looking for a spiritual food experience you just found the right place. I usually never eat donuts but I have found myself chomping on holy donuts two times this week. You cannot go wrong with the Apple or the classic glazed
Terrible service. Came to Maine and was really looking forward to The Holy Donut. My friend and I split a dozen and we asked for two boxes. I didn’t mind that we had to pay $0.75 extra for an additional box but she didn’t communicate the prices of any of the donuts to us. Online showed that a dozen donuts was $25. However, some donuts had extra charge on it and this was NOT communicated to us. Since it was my first time here, I didn’t notice the difference until my friend mentioned it later on. We ended up paying $31.19 for our order. 25 + 0.75 for additional box + 1.42 (5.5% sales tax) is just $27.17. The cashier was not transparent about additional costs. Furthermore, the cashier sorted the donuts terribly, very unprofessional. Worst thing was she messed up my order. I had asked for pomegranate, triple berry, blueberry, blueberry lemon, fresh lemon, and margarita. She gave me chocolate instead of pomegranate even though pomegranate was the first thing I asked for. Very disappointed by their service and would not revisit
The donuts are HUGE, with gluten free options. Well be hitting this place every morning during our stay in Portland. The staff is enthusiastic, the coffee is good.
We visited the Park Ave location because we heard you have to try these donuts while in town. Ive had some if the supposed best donuts in other states and the Holy Donut is right up there. We were too late to get the Blueberry Lemon or Blueberry Glazed which I really wanted to try. But there were plenty others to try. What separates them in my opinion is the different flavors. We bought a half dozen and tried the Toasted Coconut, Sweet Potato Ginger Glazed, Triple Berry, Cinnamon Blueberry, Maple, Coffee Brandy (?). We tried halves of most of them with the Toasted Coconut and Sweet Potato Ginger Glazed being my favorite. Theres one we havent even tried yet, it went into the freezer with halves of others. Theyre very good donuts and I can see the appeal.We also had some cold brew iced coffee - decaf - and it was nice that they had decaf. It was very good iced coffee.
I love potatoes, they are a huge part of my diet, but never before like this. We got 4 different kinds - sweet potato coffee cake, blueberry, maple bacon, and a plain old-fashioned (no icing). All were amazing, and honestly, thats probably the best balance of maple bacon in terms of texture and flavor, in a dessert Ive ever had. Definitely worth a visit!
To this place I say, HOLY MOLEY! This is by far the easiest five star review Ive written. The Holy Donut is definitely the epitome of donut shops. Their donuts are extremely well balanced - not too sugary, not too doughy. And I promise you that there is no bad flavor of donut here! My personal favorite is the Holy Cannoli (Glazed donut + cannoli cream!). They also offer gluten free and vegan donuts to fit all allergy accommodations. The staff are friendly and the donuts/drinks are priced very fairly. Absolutely a must visit if you are in or near the area!
Read about this place online. A bit overrated if you ask me. I love donuts but was not overly impressed. Topping and icing was flavorful, however the donut was chewy and dry(maybe it’s the potato??) Atmosphere and staff was pleasant and friendly, but I certainly wouldn’t wait in line for one.
These are the best potato donuts Ive ever had! They have a denser texture but still remain fluffy. My favorite flavor was probably the sweet potato pumpkin spice, which was a seasonal fall flavor. There was a line and the takeout app wasnt working at the time, but the line moved relatively quickly. Prices werent bad for a specialty donut shop. If Im in the area again, Ill definitely stop by.
My boyfriend brought home gluten free donuts for me. I have celiac and missed a good cider or cinnamon sugar donut during fall. My expectations were blown away. These donuts are absolutely delicious, and I loved every flavor I tried.
I stopped by here while visiting Portland to try out a potato donut and after hearing such great things about the place. We got a chocolate sea salt and lavender honey donut and were happy with our choices! When you bite into the doughnuts for the first time there is definitely a bit of a potatoey flavor, but its good and fun! The donuts were not greasy at all and not too dense, which is what I was expecting. They are a bit expensive for a single donut, but just keep in mind the quality ingredients! Id recommend a stop in!
You cant really understand the hype until you taste one. Unlike any other donut Ive ever had. Its light and melts in your mouth but still has a fulfilling consistency that you can chew and enjoy. The donut itself is not too sweet but just sweet enough - perfect with a cup of coffee. There are so many flavors to choose from and they are (almost) all good. The Samoa one (coconut and chocolate drizzle - like the girl scout cookie) was not my cup of tea but my husband loved it. The kids tasted a few different kinds but always came back to the maple one. Now, during this COVID era, you can just pick up - there is also the option of ordering ahead of time (night before) and picking up in the morning. Our fist time we got there late morning and there were only a few flavors left. Really get there early as they do close when they run out. They were so good we picked up a box to take home.
My husband and I were traveling to Portland with our two small children. They wanted to get doughnuts, but they had just closed before we got there. The people working there saw the disappointment on the children’s faces outside the door and gave us a huge box of the leftovers from the end of the day for free! Not only were the doughnuts delicious, but the kindness of the woman working there inspired me to write a review. I highly recommend the doughnuts and the people are the kind that you want to be around. Will definitely revisit the next time we are in town.
Arrived to find 30 people standing in line in the rain. I have had these donuts many times and they are worth every minute of the wait in pretty much any weather condition! Best donut you will ever eat. This place knows what they are doing moving the line along quickly with each customer being served with a smile.
A fresh donut from here is absolutely heaven. Best to eat them when theyre hot and fresh! They have lots of whimsical and delicious flavors- I particularly love the salted caramel one. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside- I love them.
Who does not enjoy a good donut? The Holy Donut has an assortment of great flavors including maple. I enjoyed my potato based donut, which is a heavier style donut. The coffee was rich as well.While everyone is figuring out service during Covid, the Holy Donut was inefficient allowing you to order online for all but the coffee, but then requiring you stand in a long line again to order coffee and that is just not so much fun even if you had a sugar high from the donut.
Had to go 3x to get there when they had any donuts—sold out by 10 am? Come on! Too precious. That said—I am not a donut lover and went for my family-these are really special. Cakey and substantial —interesting flavors —although many of them taste similar—so choose one flavor and enjoy. $3.50 FOR A DONUT? Ok that is the norm these days —be sure you enjoy. Worth a try. Wondering how the coffee is? Try it next time
I’m not typically a donut person, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to try potato donuts! I had never heard of it, and figured it would be healthier than the usual donuts. We selected an assortment to try and definitely enjoyed them! If you’re visiting Portland, you’ll have to stop by and try these donuts!
Holy Moly! The donuts were fantastic. We ordered a dozen variety. The coconut, caramel dark chocolate, blueberry and sweet potato were to die for. Made out trip back much more enjoyable. They are very satisfying. It’s a must stop when you are in the area or passing through!
Awesome donuts with great flavor and ingredients. They tend to be a bit more dense due to the potatoes but are excellent if you like that kind of donut. Staff is super friendly and they offer a great selection including numerous vegan flavors. This is a great local business and one Im happy to support and stop by anytime Im in town.
Early bird advantages!Very lovely place, be aware you will wait, but it is all worth it. Drink orders are taken while in line so less wait inside for that; delicious smells upon entry; kind staff; delectable and creative donuts. So many choices, and a handful of flavors for gluten free as well.
Best Donuts in Maine. Most of their best flavors are vegan and they constantly are making new flavors. My favorites from this trip were the lemon and the margarita. When is someone going to start selling potato donuts in Toronto?
At our third attempt we were able to get donuts! Make sure you arrive before noon! The selection we got unfortunately, was limited, given we arrived at noon on a Saturday no less but they are so organized indoors that don’t be dissuaded by the line outdoors! It moves pretty quickly :)
Delicious! I definitely recommend the maple bacon and the chocolate sea salt. A little pricey at $18.95 for a half-dozen but our trip to Maine is probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience so we plan to splurge when it comes to the food. 😋
Those potato donuts are just exquisite. I have never tasted anything like this, and the flavors they have in them are just phenomenal.I would recommend you try it. I tried three flavors: ginger, maple, and dark chocolate. And I wasnt disappointed in any of them.
I got our donuts from the exchange st location but it says permanently closed so Im leaving the review here since these donuts were so good! The 30min wait was worth it. We bought a half a dozen box with two maples, maple bacon, toasted coconut, salted caramel and gluten free vanilla. It is a lil pricy but for the quality it is very fresh and good. Also had their apple cider it went so well with the maple donut! My favorite was the maple one hands down, highly recommend!
The donuts are made from potatoes. The donuts are made the day before and only the frosting is fresh prior to selling them. Theyre good, but could be much better served warm and fresh.
I am a doughnut fanatic, and this place sure did hit the mark for fun and creative. Their seasonal doughnuts are out of this world! The potato versions provide such a unique and wonderful texture that I look forward to having again. Thank you Holy Donut for showing this southerner how New England does it right!
So delicious! Definitely eat here.
Potato based donuts are the best, and The Holy Donut does them the best!Vacationing during covid does mean strategizing for social distancing, but sometimes there are benefits. One morning we went out, and brought back a stash from The Holy Donut . We then were able to enjoy them in the Courtyard at the Portland Harbor Hotel, outside and socially distanced.And obviously the natural light and back drops made for excellent photo ops.Five StarsTaste of MassachusettsHelping Program Your GPS for New England--------------------------------------------Web TasteofMass.comFB-IG-LI-NEWSLETTER------------------------------------------
Highly recommend coming as soon as they open to avoid the crowds that will form to get the amazing donuts at The Holy Donut! I went in around 7am and had no problems, but by 9am the line was out the door and down the sidewalk! So glad that they have vegan options so that I could try out a classic Maine potato donut. The service was speedy and everyone was kind and welcoming. The Holy Donut is a must for anyone visiting Portland.
These donuts are simultaneously delicious but deceptively filling (probably to do with their potato filling). I ordered three donuts - triple berry, coconut chocolate and the stuffed broccoli cheddar and as well as a hash brown (a sleeper hit) that lasted me for both breakfast and lunch. Will definitely be back when I’m back in town.
Nice cozy donut shop. Got a dozen donuts encompassing various varieties. I thought the blueberry glazed, dark chocolate sea salt, and honey lavender flavors were all fantastic. The rest were great as well. This is a really great place to get donuts.
Donuts are dense, heavy and we kept looking for the flavor. Ordered a Maine Blueberry & a Lemon flavor and basically only tasted sweet with a faint hint of lemon or blueberry.The morning we went in, they were out of espresso, chai and most milks. A donut & coffee shop out of coffee and milks? Yikes.
The experience was basic but ... we arrived at 2:30pm on a Sunday. There was a line outside. It took about 10 minutes to get in. Everything was very well organized. But there was only a small variety of donuts left. We got 1/2 dozen of the plain, the coconut, some kind of blueberry and the some kind of cinnamon crunch. I suspected the donuts were made earlier but in the event they were not warm or soft. The taste wasnt bad but given the price ($17 for 6 + coffee), certainly not something I would drive out of my way to get. But I suspect going early in the morning when donuts are freshly made and there is more variety is probably a completely different experience.
The donuts are very good, obviously, but the staff was also very nice and the merch they sell is a surprisingly high quality.Donut info:They had sold out of a bunch by the time we got there at 11, but still had vanilla, chocolate sea salt glaze, sweet potato ginger, sweet potato coffee cake, maple, maple bacon, and a few gluten free varieties including coconut/caramel/chocolate and lemon.They also sell coffee, tea, soda, etc.
Unbelievable donuts. Worth the 2 mile walk from our Airbnb! So many options and innovative flavors. We went early on a weekday and didnt have a line. These lived up to the hype!
I feel really bad writing this but I have to say, these were some of the worst donuts we have ever had. Maybe we had a bad batch? We all got a bunch of flavors and no one liked any of them. Either we caught them on a bad day, were not hipster enough to appreciate this type of donut, or theyre just not all they are cracked up to be...could really be any of the three.
My daughter and I visited Portland in late September and visited The Holy Donut on our first day. Great place, delicious donuts, coffee and friendly employees! If you are in Portland, Maine you need to pay them a visit.
Not worth the wait, or the calories for that matter. Two stars for decent iced coffee. Three dollars for a donut is ridiculous. We ordered 4 donuts. We got 4 donuts. Problem is they werent the ones we ordered. Ha. Each donut had a different topping, same dough. We got the maple bacon, awful. The dark chocolate was decent. The coconut was good. The coffee brandy had no hint of coffee brandy flavor. Four of us tried it and came up with that conclusion. The toppings are on one side. 21.00 for 2 iced coffees (small and medium), and 4 donuts and we threw them in the trash.
I think Im gonna get a lot of flak for not giving this well known donut shop 5 stars given how popular it is but Ive decided potato donuts just arent my jam. I was tempted to give five stars because the service is always great and as far as potato donuts go theyre certainly the best Ive had (special shout-out to the sea salt dark chocolate) but in the end theyre just too dense and cakey compared to normal yeast donuts for my taste. That being said, you can never go wrong bringing a dozen of these to a group of people you want to make happy or impress.
Love these. Although I do prefer yeast doughnuts... these are almost in a league of their own. Theyre light, not overly sweet with good flavor. Loved all the great flavor options.**The vegan pomegranate should be included as a regular donut. Noone would know its vegan, its equally as delicious as the others.
I was super excited to try this place for the great reviews. If you’re just looking for a good regular donut I didn’t find these the best.. a little dry. But if you are gluten free or vegan this is a great option as they have many options
If your looking for a GF or vegan donut then I can see why this may be highly recommended, however, if your looking for the typical yeast based donut, then you will be disappointed. We went on a Monday morning around 9:30 thinking the rush would be over, not so lucky, the line was to the back parking lot. Overall wait, in and out was ~25 minutes,; line moves quick. We ordered about 8 different flavors, all are very dense, cake like, and taste the same, the icing is the only thing that sets them apart. i wanted to like them, even the maple bacon, but just couldnt....how do you mess something up with maple and bacon? If you want to check it off your list you should go, if you want to save some time and get a better donut go to the Cookie Jar across the bay.
Not a donut. Tried three (apple cider, chocolate sea salt and chai). If you are expecting a donut, very disappointing. The flavors were ok but texture is more like a cake than a traditional donut.
I have a crazy sweet tooth. As a result, Ive had my fair share of donuts. I can easily say that these are the best donuts Ive ever had in my entire life. So much flavor. Good size. Very unique in taste. We had the chocolate and sea salt, blueberry with blueberry glaze, blueberry with lemon glaze, and the maple bacon. All were extraordinary. You simply cannot visit Portland ME and not get coffee and donuts here.
This is just a tourist trap, where you can wait in line for overpriced flavored potato donuts. They use unusual flavors to make it cool but definitely not healthy. The sidewalk in front is Always crowded during tourist season obnoxiously crowded, with covid they care about inside but not the outside. The coffee is mediocre. There are many other coffee shops around Portland that have much better coffee and pastries.
The best potato donuts I ever had with yummy flavors. I ordered 4 for just me bc I couldnt choose and my grandparents like the Old Fashioned to limit the sugar. Fast and easy service, too :) I appreciate they offer gluten-free and vegan options. Although, the maple bacon is my favorite - along with the Maine blueberry donut!
These doughnuts are amazing! Staff was very friendly and we got served quickly. It’ll be a staple place we visit whenever we’re in the area.