Ocean City Donut Taste Test
I’m back again, still talking about donuts! In the midst of everything going on, I was lucky enough to go on vacation to Ocean City, NJ with my family. When I think of Ocean City, my mind immediately takes me to Browns Donuts. Leading up to our trip with these donuts in mind, I decided it was time to try more donuts on the island. While I have had other donuts like Ove’s, one of Brown’s competitors, I wanted to try something completely new to me, or at least new within the past 10 years or so. Thus, I decided I would try Dot’s Pastry Shop’s donuts and Bob’s Grill’s donuts, then compare them to Brown’s (which I get every time I’m down the shore.)
Dot's Pastry Shop - 6.3/10
The first stop on my journey was Dot’s Pastry Shop. The day I went, I was lucky enough to have Carter accompany me, which allowed for a second opinion, and a very good one to say the least. The beauty of Dot’s is that it was only about a 2 minute walk from where I was staying. I could smell it on my runs in the day’s leading up to the visit and had a hunch that the little old pastry shop would be a good one to visit.
As we entered the store, we were welcomed by the delicious smell of baked goods, as Dot’s sells more than just donuts. From first glance, Dot’s donuts reminded me of a homemade version of Dunkin’ and Krispy Kreme, making them similar to Yum Yum. From glazed to boston creme, Dot’s had a nice variety to choice from. Carter decided to go with a glazed donut, as well as a chocolate frosted donut. I got the same order, except my chocolate donut had sprinkles. We also got my mom a jelly filled and a boston creme donut.
Starting off with glaze is what Carter and I always do. We both liked our donuts, but it wasn’t until we tried our chocolate frosted donuts that we saw something special in Dot’s. The chocolate frosting had a deep chocolate flavor and a homemade feel, reminding us exactly of Yum Yum. We both rated the donuts in the low to mid 6 range, which made me come to the conclusion of a 6.3. While this may seem low, 6.3 is pretty high on our scale. If you want a quality donut that is similar to the yeast donuts at Dunkin’ and Krispy Kreme, but is even better because of that homemade touch, then go to Dot’s!
Bob's Grill - 7.2/10
On the boardwalk at 13th Street, Bob’s Grill is not hard to miss. It is a large restaurant that is the last business before the boardwalk condenses. When going to Bob’s I wasn’t really sure of what I was going to get. I couldn’t find many pictures online for their donuts, as they sell a lot more food, but when I got in line and looked through the window I was pleasantly surprised. At first glance, the cinnamon donuts reminded me of Browns, which is always a good sign.
When it came time to order I got one chocolate donut and one cinnamon (the other was my mom’s.) I started things off with the chocolate, which was nice and hot, just the way I like this cake style donut. The donut did remind me a lot of browns in terms of the flavor, but the chocolate glaze was more like Dot’s and Yum Yum’s and therefore did not melt in my mouth as much, making the rating go down.
As for the cinnamon donut, I loved how much cinnamon sugar was coated on, but the donut was room temp and therefore not as good as it could have been hot. Overall, I found Bob’s to be more dense than Browns which I personally did not like. I still found their donuts to be great, specifically a 7.2/10, but if they want to improve they need a new glaze and to be more light and airy.
Browns Donuts 8.2/10
Finally, I saved the best for last – Browns. As you can see on the sign, Browns says their donuts are almost famous, but to me they should be deemed famous because they are just SO good. I ordered my three favorite donuts, chocolate, cinnamon, and honey. All three donuts were hot and melted in my mouth and every bite deserved a loud “mmmm.”
Not only do I love the taste of Browns, but I love how well their donuts go together. Specifically, I always look forward to the extra chocolate glaze that gets thrown in the container, as it pairs amazingly well with the cinnamon donut. The glaze is also just great on its own. Everyone in my family always fights over who gets it. Overall, if you want Ocean City’s best donut you have to go to Browns. Rating a 8.2 out of 10, these beauts are top on my list and always have been.
If you want to see more food posts, please comment exactly what you’d like to see below! I love finding new restaurants, as they inspire me to create new dishes. Want to learn about more delicious donut places, check out my blog post “Happy National Doughnut Day!”
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