If you live in the Philly area and have yet to sample the glorious donuts of Beiler’s Bakery, you have been living your life the wrong way. Beiler's, with its unique blend of authentic Amish baking, multitude of awesome flavors, and affordable price, is an experience you won't want to miss. These are the best donuts in Philadelphia.
1. Options, Options, Options
Beiler's large menu not only caters to even the pickiest of eaters, but also has unique options for adventurous tasters. While still catering to traditional tastes with favorites like Chocolate Iced, Glazed, and Cinnamon Sugar, they also offer bolder options such as the Elvis Delight or Maple Bacon. Another exotic choice, the colorful Vanilla Fruity Pebbles, not only blends two typical breakfast foods, but also provides some great Instagram pics. After that first satisfying bite, you won't be disappointed: it tastes as good as it looks.
2. Every Doughnut is Fried to Perfection
Beiler’s fries their donuts every morning, thus guaranteeing that every donut is fresh upon purchase. Plus, the constant influx of people ensures that they have to constantly churn out more. No matter the flavor, the donut itself is always mouthwateringly soft and flavorful. As a bakery that specializes in doughnuts, you can say goodbye to the blandness of convenience store donuts and the crusty hardness of the more conventional places.
3. Four Convenient Locations
There are only four places where you can snag these mouthwatering morsels: The Reading Terminal Market and University City locations in Philadelphia, a new shop that just opened March 11 in Maryland, and one in their hometown of Lancaster County, also referred to as Amish Country. I have sampled from three of the four, (excited to try the MD location yet!) and can attest that so far, all locations provide the same high quality product.
However, you might want to avoid the Reading Terminal location: it is by far the most popular. The line can get ridiculously long, wrapping around multiple corners to the point where desperate customers will wait over an hour for their dozen.
But, before you decide to skip the location with the longest wait, there is a bonus: while you salivate in line, you get the chance to watch the employees bake the donuts or fill them! Or, you can pass the time staring longingly at the different vats of cream.
4. Did You Say Donut-Ice-Cream-Sandwich?
The combination you never knew you needed. This sugar rush is the perfect snack to pep up on before a long night of studying, or provide a reward after a particularly long week. It is the perfect union: your choice of any Beiler's donut paired with a scoop of renowned Bassets ice cream. This is a must-try. You can find this gem at the Lancaster and University City locations.
The Best Choice (In My Humble Opinion)
Everyone has their favorite, but I swear that the glazed creme filled is the best donut offered. When you visit, you must get at least one of these beauties, because they are heaven. The outside of the donut is the same great quality as all Beiler’s donuts, however, it is the incomparable, fluffy and flavorful cream that makes it the best, all topped by a thin, sugary sweet glaze. The smooth, tasty, melt-in-your-mouth cream overflowing out of the donut is truly the best part.
Beiler’s Bakery is not a place to pass up. With handmade, freshly fried donuts that come in a variety of types and flavors, there’s no reason not to stop, or even make one of these havens a destination on your trip.