Plan a Donut Tour of Portland, ME
Updated: Mar 7
This sugar rush is SO worth it...
What other New England city has a donut scene quite like Portland? I submit to you, none.
Whether you’re just looking for a quick breakfast or going for the full sugary tour, you cannot go wrong with any of the excellent options in Portland!
One of my favorite things to do on a morning when friends are in to town is bring them on a donut tour of Portland. Although bakeries abound on the peninsula, there are three that are "must stops" if donuts are your thing: HiFi Donuts, Eighty 8 Donuts, and Holy Donut.
I know what you’re thinking – wow that sounds like a lot of sugar and yes it is, but hear me out. If you’re in it for the tasty data (or just the ‘gram) it’s all about pacing yourself and, possibly, sharing. And a cup of coffee in between stops never hurt either!
HiFi Donuts is located at 30 City Center on the diagonal leg that connects Congress Street to Free Street. HiFi Donuts are made from scratch & fried up sweet, dense, and fresh every day. Although they offer both traditional and festive flavors, the classic crullers have always gotten the most rave reviews on my visits. If you’re hankering for something different, try a s’mores, maple, or other seasonal flavor.
First stop – HiFi Donuts
30 City Center, Portland ME
HiFi Donuts is located at 30 City Center on the diagonal leg that connects Congress Street to Free Street. HiFi Donuts are made from scratch and fried up sweet, dense, and fresh every day. Although they offer both traditional and seasonal flavors, the classic crullers have always gotten the most rave reviews on my visits. If you’re hankering for something different, try a s’mores, maple, or other festive flavor.
The donuts are soft, greasy, and are intended to "taste like your great-grandmother's recipe." It may be tempting to go to hard here, but don't forget to take it slowly; this is only the first stop!
Second stop – Eighty 8 Donuts
225 Federal Street, Portland ME
Tucked up behind Portland House of Music (and currently in the middle of tons of construction) is the unique Eighty 8 Donuts. The tasty sensation that started as a popular food truck opened their first Portland brick and mortar store on Federal Street in 2021.
Eighty 8 Donuts sells mini, two-bite-sized donuts in 6-count, single flavor boxes right out of the fryer! It is incredibly tempting to down an entire box of these light and fluffy morsels in one sitting, and with original flavors such as cinnamon, maple, or glazed, or special flavors like Bamm Bamm (fruity pebbles), Cookies & Cream, or Boston Cream, it’s always so hard to choose just one flavor for the box! There is nothing wrong with being indecisive and “having” to purchase the Sugar Rush box of 25...so you have some to take home of course...
It may be hard to not down all these warm, delicious bite-sized donuts immediately, but there is still one stop left on our donut tour and you won’t want to skip this one.
Third Stop - Holy Donut
177 Commercial Street, Portland ME
The Holy Donut is one of Portland peninsula's most popular stops for a reason. Their donuts are creative, melt-in-your-mouth good, and made from a unique ingredient – potato flour!
Holy Donut's original storefront opened on Park Street in 2012, but when I moved to Portland in 2019, the best known location was their little shop on Exchange Street. My office at the time was directly across the street, and nearly every day you’d see a line out the door and down the sidewalk of people all waiting for their Holy Donut experience.
In 2021, Holy Donut moved their Old Port operations to a new spot on Commercial Street with much more room for operations and clientele. New spot, same delicious donuts!
In my experience, Holy Donut makes two different types of donuts, both of which I love for different reasons. The "cakey-er" variety includes flavors such as Salted Dark Chocolate (my favorite - shown above), Maine Blueberry, Maple Bacon, Sweet Potato & more. These donuts are more dense and, aside from the Maple Bacon, most have just a simple glaze on the outside. The other variety has a lighter density with flavors like Pomegranate (my favorite of this variety - shown above), Lemon, and Mixed Berry.
You seriously cannot go wrong with any flavor you choose and they do keep well if you’re planning on saving some for later!
If you've made it through the Donut Tour - congratulations! Time to sit by the waterfront and nurse that tummy ache. Worth it.
Can't get enough of the Portland donut scene? Follow along with @portlandfoodfights for more info on their annual donut foodfight challenge!
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