Best Doughnut: Shipley Do-Nuts
Like the beignets at Café du Monde in New Orleans or chicken and waffles from Roscoe’s in L.A., the sugar-flaked doughnuts churned out for 85 years by Shipley Do-nuts are quintessential to the city from which they originated. Earnest food bloggers everywhere should have Shipley’s at the top of any list meant to drive foodies to the city for a “taste of Houston.” Name another local foodstuff that better fits the bill – go ahead, we’ll wait, and while we do we’ll nosh on an airy, never-greasy Shipley’s glazed. Take your time while we savor its simple but enduring brilliance.
Notable Houstonians like Lizzo and Travis Scott have sung Shipley’s praises, but it's common Joes and Josephines with a hankering for early morning sweet stuff who’ve kept the company in business since before the Second World War. Those devotees have also helped grow the company’s legacy and breadth as franchise operators, not just here in Houston, but now in Colorado, Florida and Oklahoma. The brand’s identifiable logo can be seen in the outfield at Minute Maid Park and has been honored in mural form by Houston artist Donkee Boy.
For all that Shipley’s might mean to adventurous foodies trekking here like Tony Bourdain, the shops have meant more to locals who stop by to chat with longtime franchisees or sip coffee with their neighbors. But, make no mistake, they wouldn’t convene if the product wasn’t impeccable. If you’re still not sold, answer this question – have you ever found yourself dabbing at bits of those sugar bombs that flaked off the cake while you bit into it, collecting them with fingertips to enjoy their explosive wonder? Yeah, us too.
Multiple locations
shipleydonuts.com