Duck Donuts

Yummy donuts… be ready to stand in line; but, it moves relatively fast. While your standing in line… you get to watch the donuts being made to your specifications and the aroma is Incredible. A very nice addition to our community.

The donuts are made to order as you wait. The donuts are all cake donuts and then you just get whatever icing and toppings you want. I thought the donuts tasted great– my favorite was the cinnamon sugar and my husband really liked the lemon. The ambiance and décor in the store was pretty lame though– a big empty room with only two small tables and two benches to wait for your order. I was interested in ordering and then sitting and having a cup of coffee while I waited for an appointment nearby, but ended up just sitting in my car instead.
Also, I went around 1245pm and the signs on the coffee where you serve yourself said they were brewed at 6am. I get why you wouldn’t want to make more if you don’t think it will sell out, but you’re a donut place!

While staying is Fairfax we visited at least once a week — donuts are delicious but there is usually a little bit of wait (10 – 15 minutes on average).
Donut Faves: Cinnamon & Sugar, Glazed, Vanilla Icing with Rainbow Sprinkles

Kids, the Unilocal reviews are true! Sarah S.‘s Unilocal review convinced me and ultimately led me here. This place is awesome. The donuts are good, soft, fresh and made to order. They are best warm out of the fryer, straight to the box. They aren’t cake donuts, but they are more special than your regular yeast donut. I had to try them because all of the cool kids were trying them or I missed the official Unilocal event… either way, a visit wasn’t to be missed as I was in the vicinity (which rarely I am.) So glad I did, the calories were worth it!
Tips/​things to note:
They have about 6 toppings. For some reason, I expected a Fro Yo experience and their plethora of toppings for my donuts, but that wasn’t the case. Ultimately, what they have is enough, I guess. I learned after my visit from Sarah S. that you could have multiple toppings on one! Maple and bacon I will try next visit.
French toast is really good… beware of the powder sugar! (Limited or seasonal flavor? You can still create it if it’s not available. vanilla, brown sugar and powdered sugar)
Also, you don’t run in and get donuts like you would for your Fro Yo yogurt. You order and wait. I made my visit on an offbeat hour, so the wait wasn’t long, just unexpected. i can see this being a problem if the place is crowded which I’m sure on a good Saturday afternoon, it can be!
Enjoy!

People know that I’ve been trying to avoid Duck Donuts, as I wanted to check out their original Duck location out in NC. But, craving for some sweets after having dinner in the area, the hubs and I stopped on by. I was pretty happy that there wasn’t a line, as I’ve head that all Duck Donuts locations seem to have crazy waits (as everything is made to-​order). Founded by Russell DiGilio, the menu is actually pretty short and sweet — when you walk in, you grab a little checklist with a golfer pencil, and mark the number of donuts you want (single, ½ dozen, dozen, or a bucket (18)), and the coating (bare, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, glazed, vanilla icing, chocolate icing, lemon icing, peanut butter icing, maple icing, and strawberry icing) plus optional toppings (such as shredded coconut, chocolate sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles, chopped peanuts, or bacon). Their ‘cake’ donut is hot hot hot, and it is actually not as dense as I usually like it to be — it is actually more light, slightly airy, smaller in size, and tastes a hint of funnel cakes. I tried: a lemon icing with shredded coconuts (the lemon wasn’t as pronounced and citrus-​y as I hoped it would be); orange (again, not as citrus-​like as I thought it would be, but slightly better than the lemon coating); strawberry with rainbow sprinkles (the hubs really enjoyed this; this had a very subtle strawberry taste to it); and, my personal favorite of them all, the maple with the bacon topping (this combo was literally one of the best maple bacon donuts I’ve had at any donut shop — it wasn’t overly sweet, but the generous amount of perfectly-​fried bacon bits (that were not greasy to begin with) paired well with their subtle maple glaze! I feel as if Duck Donuts want you to focus on the cake donut, and not have the coatings/​toppings be the focal points (which is cool). They also have daily special donut flavors and seasonal favorites. Juan, who created all these donuts to-​order, was super friendly and sweet! I’m glad that I gave in and finally tried out Duck Donuts — I’ll definitely be coming back for more of them maple bacon ones: D
+made-​to-​order donuts: D
+lighter and fluffier ‘cake’ donuts
+Maple Bacon: D
+ask for Juan: D
+seasonal and daily donut flavors

First timer to Duck donut. It was close to my workplace. They make their donut when we order them and my favorite donut is glaze donut. But I order one of each that day. They are all super good.

Maple Bacon donuts… That is all that needs to be said… Warm, fresh, gooey, maple glaze piled hi with bacon… The chocolate and peanut butter is pretty awesome too! Sadly, I can’t say anything that has not been said… WOW… Just damn WOW!

I was really unimpressed with Duck Donuts, which is an extremely popular donut shop in the area. I was buying a bunch of donuts for a party and everyone at the party was excite about them, but they were just kinda eh, okay.
I got a mix of every donut they had. Nothing really stood out that much – I probably liked the plain ones the best by far.
I also ordered a latte which was a waste of money because they don’t know how to make them.
Generally, this place is forgettable. And had Unilocal not reminded me to make a review, I wouldn’t have. It’s slightly better than Dunkin Donuts (1-​star) but not worth going to. Go find some real food elsewhere.

This is not a place to go when in a hurry.
You can customize the fried cake donut with about 10 different icings/​powdered sugar/​cinnamon and then add about 6 different toppings (different types of sprinkles, coconut, peanuts and bacon). Even though there are a lot of choices it is not overwhelming because the choices are pretty basic. There is also a donut of the day for every day of the week and sometimes specials like the «snow ball» or chocolate mint. On Christmas Eve it took about 5 minutes in line and 15 minutes to get our donuts with a lot of other people there. I imagine even on a weekday morning it still might be a bit slow because the donuts are made to order. One and you may be hungry and two you’ll be full, for an average appetite. There are two tables, some seats outside and a ledge you can sit on.
The donuts are good and better when hot. Sugar Shack is still the best (yeast based) in my opinion in the area.

Duck Donuts… where have you been all of my life?
I have never been to the actual store. Donuts have only ever been delivered to my office, however despite being most likely a half hour plus old they always taste ah-​maze-​ing. I love a nice sweet and savory fluffy/​cakey donut with a great cup of hot coffee.
I would take a Duck Donut over any other conventional donut brand– hands down. Maple glazed donut with bacon pieces? Are you kidding me? I love savory elements in dessert, and adding savory bacon, real peanutbutter icing, on a thick, fresh donut is all I could ask for. I cannot wait to have them made to order! From what I understand when you go in person you can have whatever toppings and icing you like made to order. Sign me up please!

My boss has brought these donuts into work for the last several days and they are hands down the second best donuts I’ve ever had. (I really dig Naughty Girl Donuts in Front Royal, so I guess Duck Donuts takes first place for being in the immediate DC region.)
The flavors are simple yet delicious and the donuts are made to order. Even after the hour-​long drive to get them from Fairfax to our office, they are still warm and delectable. I didn’t think bacon would work on a donut, but it actually really, really does.

1. Select your coatings + toppings with their handy ordering sheet
2. Pay for your donuts and order some drinks (coffee, juice, milk, etc.) at the register
3. Wait
4. Devour donuts immediately
The donuts at Duck Donuts taste best moments after they come off the conveyor belt, so don’t be slow and wait until you get home! Between my parents, Will C., and I we ordered one maple bacon, a couple strawberry donuts, one glazed, and one glazed w/​coconut. All are excellent. Duck Donuts serves only cake donuts, but they are by no means too thick or dense. In fact, they are light and crispy, but still retain that lovely cake-​y quality. We had a couple leftover donuts, and I was a little worried they’d lose their first day magic, but my mom popped it in the microwave for a few seconds and they were almost as good!
If you want to become the most popular person at work or if you really just want to treat yoself, Duck Donuts is the perfect place to do it.

I have never been someone who goes gaga for donuts, but this place has the potential to do that to me. Brands like Krispy Kreme and Dunkin tend to overkill their donuts with artificial junk, baking them to within an inch of their poor donut lives so they feel greasy or oily to the touch.
This place is like stumbling upon the shroud of Turin. The variety and convenience of custom ordering from the menu is unique and provides a less diabetes-​infused route if you favor something like coconut on a less ornate donut. I mean come on, you can’t go for donuts if you are looking for a healthy treat, but all the same, there is still something for everyone. I wish there was a little more wiggle room on the selection, but still, amazing noms.
The service was pleasant and quick, and I can’t rave enough about the more delicate taste and texture of the donuts compared to other chain restaurants. If you are in the area, come get your sugar rush here. You won’t regret it.

Duck Donuts is interesting in that they make an effort with every single donut. You custom order every single donut from the choices on their menu. All donuts cost the same whether you have a plain, or one with a glaze and a topping.
It starts off with making the decision to have a cheat day/​week/​life, and have a donut or two. Then you pick from a multitude of glazes. I have eaten the regular glaze, chocolate, maple, and the cinnamon sugar. All are good, although I particularly liked the maple. It’s a little different, with a nice scent and a hint of maple. Chocolate is very thick and tasty too. Then you pick toppings. Sprinkles are good, and the bacon is legit fried bacon that has been chopped into small pieces.
I really like watching them dip the donuts in the warm glazes with incredible dexterity. Interestingly they have to-​go boxes for as few as two donuts. Apparently they predicted that ordering a single donut was unlikely with the choices at hand.
Donut itself is pillowy inside with a slightly firm/​crispy exterior. Not quite as soft inside as fresh Krispy Kreme, but it’s pretty close.
Overall this is about as good as it gets with the exception of fresh off the conveyer Krispy Kreme glazed donuts. They will always be my number one.

An Unlikely Morning Hero! I’ve been curious about Duck Donuts ever since a boss of mine presented me with a Duck Donuts rubber duck he got from the Duck Donuts in aptly named Duck, NC. So when I heard that Duck Donuts was opening not one but two locations in Northern Virginia, I was duckstatic! I collect rubber duck paraphernalia and I’m affectionately known as a «Rubber Duck Lady,» so you can say that Duck Donuts is up my alley.
Each donut is fresh and made to order right in front of your eyes. Sure, it takes some time for this magic to happen but I would rather wait around 5 – 10 minutes for fresh, hot donuts than grab some off the rack at a convenience store. You can watch the entire process unfold like a choreographed dance. The assembly line works efficiently, moving bare donuts to their icing and toppings with ease.
Coating choices include bare, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, glazed, vanilla icing, chocolate icing, lemon icing, peanut butter icing, maple icing, and strawberry icing. You can add toppings such as shredded coconut, chocolate sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles, chopped peanuts, and bacon. Donuts are sold by the singles, half dozen, dozen, or bucket of 18.
I got half a dozen. My choices? Bare, glazed, chocolate icing, maple icing, strawberry with vanilla drizzle, and a seasonal pumpkin pie. So far, I’ve had the strawberry with vanilla drizzle, chocolate, and maple donuts and they’ve all been delicious, even a day after purchasing. Not too heavy, good flavors, fresh, made to order. Just microwave for 8 – 10 seconds and it’s (almost) as good as if they’ve been picked off the conveyor belt.
They also sell OJ, coffee, milk, and other beverages to go along with your donuts. There is also a rack in the store that sells T-​shirts, mugs, and rubber ducks.

First time ever trying bacon donut and it happened to be here. Honestly, what is the hype about these bacon donuts. It didn’t taste that great to me. Is it just me or did I try it at the wrong place.
I ordered 3 different type of donuts and I didn’t think much of it. it was just okay.
would I go back? hmm. if I have cravings and that’s the only spot I see I would order 1 but not 3.
but don’t judge my opinion on this… this place seems to get a lot of customers so I am sure they’re doing pretty damn well.

Just like the rest of the reviews, these are great, top notch, warm, ooey-​gooey doughnuts made to order that melt right in your mouth. With all the toppings to choose from, I just politely asked for a random sample of whatever they chose because I did not want buyers remorse for not trying a certain combination, so I left it on them! I heard the lines get bad early, so upon waking early on a Saturday morning, I thought «what better way to stick to my diet and cure this hangover than a couple of doughnuts!» A six pack later and I was on my way back to sleep, mission accomplished. In addition to the great doughnuts with yummy toppings (fresh bacon chopped up), they also have your typical breakfast sides: muffins, yoghurt, fruit, coffee… but honestly, who comes here just for that, we all know who the real star is here.
The place is in a shopping center across the street from Paul VI high school (represent!) with Panera, Party City, and Petsmart and although I heard lines can get busy, my Saturday morning 9am experience had none of that. Duck Doughnuts, I foresee a future with you and I.

Halfway into what would turn out to be a three-​hour meeting with a business coach in Fairfax I knew I wanted a reward. (Ok, I knew Duck Donuts was close before the meeting started and the idea of visiting was already on my radar, but the meeting’s longevity certainly helped to solidify the certainty of the deal.)
I had been wanting to visit this location again. I wanted to be certain my previous wonderful experience was not just some fantasy. Well this place is for real. I ordered four donuts and spent just a little over five dollars. And these donuts are SO good, especially if they are still warm when you munch them. Because hubby and I were coming from a business meeting I dragged him in with me. Much like his first experience with &pizza his was skeptical and moaning about the line. And, much like with &pizza, I told him the line would move fast, it was worth it, and he would understand after he tried it. Guess who was right; I was (shocking I know…;-).
We got a Reese, maple with bacon & coconut, strawberry with color sprinkles, & vanilla with color sprinkles. We took them out to the car, opened them up, and enjoyed ourselves for a moment, or two. These donuts are good, really good, but they are even better when they are warm. The middle was soft and the toppings were great mixed with the warm donut. What is particularly nice about these donuts is that although they are cake they are not overly heavy or dense. Although I really like the toppings the donuts themselves are really good. I am looking forward to trying the cinnamon sugar as the weather gets colder, perhaps with some warm tea.
Great customer service, good system, and tasty results (plus fun duck items). Bottom line, worth a visit, especially if you have a sweet tooth (or like ducks).

So for a hater (yep, that’s me, I don’t typically like doughnuts) these doughnuts are pretty darned delicious. Duck doughnuts are fresh and cake-​like. Much fluffier than a traditional doughnut and definitely less greasy. The best part is that these are «custom» doughnuts meaning the customer gets to select the frosting flavors that range from «normal» e.g., glaze, vanilla, chocolate, etc. to more exotic like peanut butter and maple. Customers can also choose toppings like rainbox sprinkles, peanuts, coconut (ummm… coconut) and others. The doughnuts are fresh fresh fresh. They make them as you order so you are receiving only the freshest and the best.
Duck Doughnuts ROCK!!!

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE???
These Donuts are AMAZING and I honestly don’t know why it took me soooo long to try them out! I LOVE the plain donut. It’s so nice and warm and delicious when it comes straight out of the fryer. You have to eat them warm, either as soon as you get them or definitely heat them up when you get home or to the office. I will always get at least 1 plain that I can eat as soon as I get to the car.
I have not tried all of their flavors but they all look very good.
When you first walk into the shop, there are note pads and pencils for you to mark exactly what you want. They always have a donut of the day that’s posted and I was lucky enough to walk in on their Recess Peanut Butter day!
I would highly recommend this place to any and everyone. It’s completely different from any other donut shop that you’ve tried in the past and they have cute rubber ducks and other goodies that you can purchase.
While you’re in the shop, take a moment and look at their posters, they’re actually very cute.
You MUST try them out!