There are two types of people who live in Providence, Rhode Island: those who prefer PVDonuts and those who prefer Knead Doughnuts. Each are the best for certain donuts and I, The Donut Queen, am here to break it down for you. I will lend you my donut knowledge and tell you where to get the very best donuts depending on the kind.
WARNING: You're going to want to eat a do(ugh)nut after this!
For the best brioche donuts...
go to PVDonuts!
Brioche donuts are best described as a fancier kind of yeast dough. It resembles a cronut in that it is airy, flakey, and buttery. PVDonuts makes this dough perfectly as it rises high and has layers to it.
Topping this heavenly dough is their unique flavors that range from their famous Dunkaroo Donut and Coffee Milk Donut to monthly themed flavors, like Honey Goat Cheese and Cookie Butter Cheesecake.
Check out their menu this month here. I highly recommend the Dunkaroo and Oreo Cream Donut Holes!
Donut Queen Pro Tip: Order online (no minimum or maximum) at least 24 hours ahead to skip the line and not worry about donuts selling out!
For the best old-fashioned and cake doughnuts...
go to KNEAD Doughnuts!
On the dough spectrum, yeast/brioche is the lightest, old-fashioned is the heaviest, and cake is in the middle. Knead nails the texture of both of these doughnuts. Their old-fashions are dense, misshapen, and crisp
while their cake are moist, circular, and chewy:
Often, when doughnut shops make different flavors of old-fashioned and cake, they all end up tasting the same. Knead succeeds at making each flavor strong and distinct.
Check out their current menu here (and sign my petition to bring back the Lemon Poppy Cake and Espresso Chip Old-Fashioned).
The verdict is in...
PVDonuts crushes Knead Doughnuts when it comes to brioche donuts, but Knead Doughnuts wins against PVDonuts when it comes to old-fashioned and cake doughnuts.
But wait...
...there's more! Most Providencers don't venture past these two donut shops, so here are more places that are worth the calories:
For the best gluten-free donuts...
go to Sans Gluten Artisan Bakery!
I would never choose a gluten free donut over a not gluten free donut, but this is the place to get them if you are gluten free. The donuts are very cake-like, dense but chewy.
Sans will even heat the donut up for you!
For the best vegan donuts...
check out All of PVDonuts' Vegan Donuts This March, Ranked.
For the best yeast donuts...
go to Glaze'n Daze Donuts! Their yeast base is spongey and fresh. Their donuts are also able to outlast the rest as they don't go stale overnight.
These are your classic donuts gone wild and they come in all different shapes, sizes, and flavors. Some of my favorites include their Chicken and Waffles Donut, Ore-O-Crumbles, and Batter Up.
For the best classic donuts...
go to Allie's Donuts Inc! Their soft and buoyant yeast dough compliments the crunch of the sprinkles so well.
Native Rhode Islanders swear by Allie's. This bakery has been running since 1968, so they've had plenty of time to perfect the simple classics for you.
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Want to eat even more doughnuts? Trick question, of course you do! Check out this map for an entire list of doughnut shops in the Providence area!