Betty Ann Food Shop

Omg, the jelly donuts — so warm and soft! I don’t even like jelly donuts, and I ate 2!

Fantastic jelly donuts! In the realm of donuts, nothing beats a fresh and warm one, I vowed never to buy from Dunkies again. 4 donut options, plain old-​fashioned, jelly, lemon, and sugared. Cash only and only open a few hours… don’t be overtaken by the emptiness of the store, nothing but donuts here.

Get the jelly donut, that’s all you need to know. Even if you don’t like jelly donuts, trust me, this is different. I, for one, am never the type to walk into Dunkin Donuts and get me a jelly (glazed stick ALL DAY), but at Betty Ann, the jelly donut is all you need to know. Seriously. I have the privilege of working within walking distance of this low-​key neighborhood establishment. The first time I told myself I was going to go in for a donut, I kept walking because it looked like it wasn’t open. It is, in fact, open. If you look in the window, you won’t see donuts in the pastry cases. You won’t see anything in the pastry cases. This means nothing. Betty Ann IS open and there ARE donuts. Tons of them. And you can smell them down the block. The prices are as nostalgic as the hints of spices in the donuts. Word to the wise, if you like your donuts extra fried, you’ll like the plain, otherwise, steer clear because it’s extra crispy. That jelly tho…

First time at Betty Ann’s this morning. It was oddly empty and smokey inside. The two young girls working at the register where super nice and directed me to an ATM. I should have guessed it was cash only. I got 6 donuts for a little less then $ 5. So cheap and they taste amazing!!! Defiantly worth getting out of bed early.

Hands down THE FINEST DONUTS made in the U.S.A., and served warm, at the counter. Billy is a genius. Hope he passes on the recipe and cooking process. It was torture while they were closed these past few months!!!

They are open again as of 6÷24÷14!!! Such amazing bit fat heavy balls of jelly donut perfection!

Updated 8÷18÷14 — I heard they reopened. Stopping by Saturday to verify first hand.
Closed due to owner health issues. Hoping they re-​open or we’ll have lost a great institution.

UPDATE: Still great when I went there earlier this year. Saddened they’ve been closed for three months now. Also saddened by the crack-​head one-​star reviews I’m reading on here. Seriously, what are you people smoking?

They’re temporarily closed as of 7÷8÷13 for medical reasons (says the FB page). Let’s hope they get well and open again soon.
Most unique cheap donuts in Boston. Like a beignet. Not cake-​y, but yeasty, well-​structured dough. Get them early in the morning when they’re still warm. Like the donuts at Flour, but ¹⁄₃ the price.

It’s time to … NOT make the donuts.
I wish I had read the other reviews about how undependable they were before shlepping out in there bitter cold. I called ahead of time and there was the most faint and inaudible recording on the machine I could not hear it while waiting for the T. By the time I got off the Blue Line and walked to their shop it was about 6:45am. Only another 15 minutes before they were supposed to open so I decided to wait. I called again and still could not make out the recording. I walked a block in from the main road and finally made out that it was a recording for yesterday that they would be closed. Nothing about today, but it was becoming clear that they would not open with no activity in the back room. Customers came and went at 7am. I could hear the phone ringing inside. What a disappointment and utter waste of time. Perhaps we’re better off because if they make donuts like they keep up their shop, I’d be worried about what I was eating. I went to Southie instead and picked up four dozen for my co-​workers.

I give them 1 star because they were closed along with the busy phone line which lead me to believe they were open when I called. A posting online or a voice recording would have been helpful to inform that they were closed.
I called and the phone line was busy (I am led to believe they are helping a customer). I arrived at 9:30am today, on a Sunday morning, and they were closed. After driving 30 minutes for the donuts, I was seriously disappointed to finds the establishment closed when the posted hours on verious online sites clearly say they are supposed to be open.
If I have time before heading back to CA, I’ll give the place another try because it looks historic and really good.
I ended up going to Lyndell’s instead because, like the posted hours said, they were at least open so I could get my donut fix.
Betty Ann, please be open next time. I’ll update the stars to accurately reflect the quality.

I don’t know what medicine R.V. forgot to take, but this place is the best kept secret in Boston. If you’re used to eating stale donuts covered in jimmies or plastic tasting «frosting» at 99 cents apiece, then by all means take your drunken keester to Drunken Donuts.
However, if you’re like me and you like your donuts old school — the way everybody used to make them back in the 60s — generously filled with the best red currant or lemon filling on God’s earth, then by all means go to Berry Anne’s. A ten minute wait in line is worth a dozen little warm puffs of heaven!

AMAZING
Best Raspberry hot donut you will EVER eat!

Yes. Yes. Yes.
This place is amazing. I mean, not so much the interior of the place but the donuts– definitely amazing. I started popping in here over ten years ago when I would sneak out of class in high school with a pocket full of quarters. The donuts were so good then, and they are just as good now.
This place is definitely worth a visit.

This may sound absurd applied to a joint that looks and feels like the abandoned boy’s room at an all-​you-​can eat Chinese buffet, but I’m pretty sure Betty Ann’s coasting by on their ambience. It’s got to be the old-​school-​gotta-​wait-​in-​line-​while-​17-​octegenaria­n-​regulars-​chat-​up-​the-​sassy-​blue-​hair-​behind-​the-​counter vibe that’s winning folks over, because it sure as shootin’ ain’t the donuts.
This place was founded in like 1913, or some other ancient date that I didn’t just make up, and it’s clear they’ve ignored every single advancement in donut technology ever since. Frosting? Who needs it! Sprinkles? Leave those for the filthy hippies! Any flavor other than aging grease? Sacrilege!
It’s kind of awesome as a time capsule to what our prehistoric donut-​starved ancestors settled for, but in the end the three different donuts themselves aren’t any different than what I make at home, only they’re served with an extra helping of surliness and alienation.

The exterior and interior of this place is very… unkempt. Paint chipping, cloudy glass windows, lots of empty unused space. But despite all of this, the donuts here are quite good. At the time I went, they didn’t have any of the plain sugar coated ones (the woman said it’d be another 40 minutes) so I got the plain and the lemon donuts.
The plain donut was quite cakey on the inside, but the outside was just slightly crispy, which made for a good contrast to the inside. The dough was subtly flavored and was still warm when she handed me the donut in a brown paper bag.
The lemon donut was a lot different than the plain. The dough was light and fluffy and the outside was coated in sugar. The inside lemon seemed to be that traditional weird lemon jelly that comes in a can or bottle or whatever, but the doughhhh! The dough is what makes it. I imagine the plain sugar coated donuts to be like the lemon one, but without that artificial lemon goo.
At 60 cents a donut, I’d come back again.

Where do I begin about my one star!
This place is gross inside. The woman behind the counter was so rude. Then a young lady came out to assist her and she was rude as well. I wasnt impressed by the pecan it was so dry & I wasnt impressed by the donuts.
Also, you have to check the donuts cause its obvious they can not count.

I am not a donut fan. But somehow everyone in my life is — from my parents to my husband. I read some reviews of Betty Ann’s before trying it out, which seems obvious since how on earth could you stumble upon this place by walking down the street? It really looks like it’s closed — the windows are empty and the displays barren.
But what’s that smell? Donuts! And oh my have I become a donut lover. Certainly makes sense to me now that I wasn’t a donut fun– I was getting ripped off on the quality (dunkin donuts taste like cardboard, especially compared to these gems).
I’ve tried the Jelly, which is their signature donut. These are my husband’s favorite but I’m not a fruity jelly kinda gal so while they’re tasty, I must say I prefer the lemon filled. My goodness are these delicious. Even the raised are delicious as they’re the same donut minus the fillings. The plain are surprisingly yummy too even though they aren’t coated in sugar.
Important details — Donuts are 50 cents each. If the donut you want isn’t available, wait for it (jelly, lemon, cruellers — all worth a wait)! The cakes, pies, brownies, cupcakes, etc are all amazing as well. It’s like $ 7 for a 9″ cake. Killer cheap and delicious. They also have baked beans a couple times a week (on weekends I think, not positive though). I was in line one day and this 80 year old (at least) woman told me that I HAD to buy the beans because they were just like her grandma used to make. I figured I had to try anything tasting like a turn of the century recipe. They were excellent. And cheap as well.
Oh, and they’re closed Mondays.

There are only two things that will get me out of bed early on the weekend.
1. fire alarm
2. Betty Ann Food Shop
This place is totally lacking in atmosphere and kindly faces. I really want some warm grandma-​type to open her arms to me and say hello as soon as I walk through the door, but instead I’m often greeted by awkward teens that don’t know how to sell a business. I will kindly look past that, because the donuts here are amazing. There’s only four flavors plain cake, sugar coated raised, lemon filled and jelly filled. I don’t even like jelly donuts and almost every weekend I start my Sunday morning off with a trip down to this place to grab a greasy bag full of ‘em. It closes by 10am, but the lack of sleep is worth it.

Sooo… I’ve had an account with Unilocal for at least 7 months now with the full intention of writing reviews on a multitude of restaurants that I’ve visited.
And in these 7 months, I have not made good on writing any reviews.
Until now.
These donuts are soo good that I have been prompted into action to sign onto Unilocal IMMEDIATELY to submit a review.
1. If you are not native to East Boston, you will need really good directions (or a GPS)
2. Shop is open from 7:30am-10:30am. (Not sure if they are open Sundays)
3.As many of the other reviews have stated: The donuts are amazing.
The sugar raised are yeasty, fluffy, touched with lemon with crisp golden crusts. The sugar dusting the donuts is very fragrant and I suspect that they add rose essence to the sugar.
Altogether the perfect donut.
4. The jelly filled is basically a sugar raised, but injected with warm bright red raspberry jelly. (Still delicious after sitting around for 4 hours)
5. They also offer a cake cruller and an old fashioned plain. Both are moist and dense on the inside and wonderfully crisp on the out.
6. Their donut prices are amazing to boot! 50 cents a donut!
7. Ambiance and condition of the store was NOT a factor in the rating of the donuts. But I found it quaint and slightly mystical. Many of their glass cases were empty and it seems that at first glance this was merely a front for something else… as my friend had put it –«It should be renamed as Betty Ann Curiosity Shop!»
Quite frankly I’m surprised by the lack of reviews about Betty-Ann’s on Unilocal,but I hope that more people will visit.
Definitely worth making the voyage to visit this donut mecca.