Even though four new Dunkin' Donuts locations are set to come to the Houston area this summer, some of us can't wait for those locations to open. Two billionaires, Mindy and Jeff Hildebrand, decided to open River Oaks Donuts on Westheimer in the River Oaks neighborhood because there wasn't a donut and kolache shop close to their home. If only we all could do something like that.
This cute, quaint shop sits adjacent to the River Oaks Coffee House. The brightly colored decor and joyful atmosphere of River Oaks Donuts will definitely brighten your morning if the sweet donuts and donut holes don't. If you're in a hurry, though, no need to run inside and grab a box of donuts; use the drive-through instead.
The Hildebrands offer several different flavors of donut holes, donuts, cake donuts and kolaches, including a healthy whole wheat spinach and feta kolache. From brightly colored icings to simple glazed donut holes, this donut and kolache shop brings some competition to the likes of Shipley and Dunkin' Donuts.
Although the shop is located in River Oaks, the prices are not what one would assume they would be. In fact, they're quite comparable to chain donut shops. A dozen glazed donuts costs $7.99 and one costs 79 cents, which is what you'll pay at Dunkin' Donuts. For the specialty donuts -- the ones with a chocolate glaze, filled with jelly or cream, or iced with a bright colored icing -- you'll pay a dollar extra for a dozen and ten cents more for one.
Each glazed donut hole costs 20 cents, a filled donut hole is 25 cents and a cake donut hole is 30 cents. You can get a dozen cake donut holes for $2.99. Sounds like a deal to me.
The donut shop claims to have donuts that are a royal treat; the slogan is proudly printed on each bag and box. Yes, they're fancy in the sense that the shop sells uncommon flavors, like cappuccino cream filled or chocolate cream donut holes, but some of the cream fillings are a bit too sweet for my taste in the morning. They almost seem more like a dessert than a breakfast item. However, if you're choosing to have jelly-filled or cream-filled donuts in the morning, you're going to have something sweet anyway.
River Oaks Donuts also serves several specialty treats, like an Apple Fritter, Long John, cinnamon roll, and several kolaches with sausage, cheese, jalapeno and a combination of all three.
You can even make an advance order for a glazed giant birthday donut for $8.99, a decorated giant birthday donut for $9.99, or order tear away pastries for $10.99 to bring to the office.
For me, though, a classic cake donut with a cup of coffee is the way to go, and River Oaks Donuts definitely delivered with the old-fashioned cake donut; the density was just right, and the glaze covered the donut with the perfect amount, so it wasn't too sweet. The glazed donut holes were also a nice treat. They were a tad bigger than normal donut holes, but who is going to complain about that?
River Oaks Donuts is open every day from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m.
