The Holy Donut

Category:	Donut Shop
Address:	7 Exchange St, Portland, ME 04101, USA
Phone:	+1 207-775-7776
Site:	theholydonut.com
Rating:	4.7
Working:	7:30AM–4PM 7:30AM–4PM 7:30AM–4PM 7:30AM–4PM 7:30AM–4PM 8AM–5PM 8AM–5PM

Location

Photos 1

Reviews 13

Monica Swanson

All the donuts taste like the same flavor, which is dense, flavorless starch. My kids and husband agreed. The schtick of this place is people want to taste something unique and Maine-specific, the potato donut, but if you research a little, you will find that potato donuts have been around for nearly 100 years. They didnt catch on en masse, for a reason, because they arent good. Add to the fact that this place on a Sunday morning had a long line, average staff, and was not a comfortable place to sit and enjoy coffee and the paper, but a place where they sell out of many flavors, charge extra for certain flavors on top of an already hefty base price, and you will have to slurp down your coffee standing elbow to elbow before trekking back to your car which was hard to park, and you will feel like a total chump. Just Holy Dont.

Ally Bishop

By far, one of my favorite restaurants in Portland--gluten free donuts are a rare find, and I am always thrilled with The Holy Donut. 1. The donuts arent super sweet. The dough is lightly sweetened, and the icing adds the sweetness, but its not over the top. 2. The ingredients are surprisingly awesome--real mashed potatoes, no trans fats, no aritificial dyes. 3. The environment is usually fun and inviting. If theres a complaint, its the lack of seating, but otherwise, its a great spot for breakfast. What really put me over the moon was when they offered to make me a custom donut that wasnt available that day. I could have cried. (I have celiac disease...this is about as awesome as this disease gets!) Highly recommend.

Patrick Helmes

A trip to Portland would not be complete without a visit to Holy Donut. While weekend travelers may be off-put by the perpetual line out the door you would be remiss to not grab a spot in the queue to sample the sweet and savory treats they have inside (plus, the line moves pretty fast). On this last trip, I tried one of their seasonal donuts (Maine blueberry) along with a couple of their classics (Maple Bacon & Dark Chocolate Sea Salt). Per usual, the donuts were perfectly moist with a great balance of flavor and sweetness. One star deducted due to the wait to get in (they are a victim of their own success). Service and quality of food are otherwise impeccable.

Joe Nastri

OMG. Very good creative and healthier donuts in Portland ME made from scratch (still hand-cut every donut) and continue to use wholesome ingredients (these donuts are made with fresh Maine potatoes and highest quality dark cocoa powder / 60% dark chocolate chips in all chocolate donuts and glazes, and glaze colors are only fruit juices or vegetable dyes, no fake color). Prices are not cheap however, can be a bit of sticker shock for some (hey healthy has its costs). Pleasant staff and quick service. The Exchange St location is tiny, really is meant for order and out (enjoy them outside!). Ill be back to try more flavors on my next visit.

Rachel Martinich

BEST. DONUTS. EVER. I am a huge donut fan. Im talking MULTIPLE donut t-shirts, tank tops, backpacks, jewelry, etc. This place has got to have the best donuts Ive ever ate! The potato they use to keep the donuts moist brings them to a whole new level. The flavors they offer dont take away from the actual donut. Some donut shops load their donuts with toppings and fillings, making them a little over the top and overwhelming. Not Holy Donut. They dont need to mask the taste of the actual donut. They close shop when theyve sold out of donuts for the day. We went at 10ish and there was a long line so we went back at 2ish and had no line.

Ehren Cheung

Seeing as I was visiting Maine, I had to make a stop at the Holy Donut after hearing about it through the grapevine. My friend and I picked up a bacon and cheddar savoury donut which was astoundingly good -- and then grabbed an half dozen to go. We tried the dark chocolate sea salt, chocolate coconut, mojito, triple berry, pomegranate, and cinnamon. I have to say triple berry was my favourite but I could eat any of them. A slight twist on donuts that is worth trying out at least once but Id go back again as I am guilty of having a super sweet tooth.

Ched White

My husband made a mistake and ordered a couple of gluten free donuts instead of getting vegan donuts. We called the store, told them we made a mistake with our order, and we asked if the gluten free donuts had any dairy in it, (allergic to dairy). They said yes, the gluten free has dairy in it. They told us we could keep the donuts we already bought, and if we want to, we could come in and get the vegan donuts for no additional charge. Incredible customer service. Cant speak highly enough of this place. Thanks Holy Donut.

Keith White

Not sure what all the hype is about personally. While they are beautiful and have great options for flavors and toppings, the donuts themselves are very weird in texture and taste due to the potato mixture. They are extraordinarily dense and the bits left behind in your mouth have a mashed potato like texture to them. Not a fan personally. To each their own. I will say that the glazes and toppings themselves were very good and you could tell the other ingredients were high quality. Just... The potato.... It doesnt work.

Christian Overton

Ever had a potato donut? You may shy away from the idea but youd only be doing yourself a favor because if youve ever had one from Holy Donut youd be addicted. They are dense and really exaggerate every flavor. You cant go wrong with a classic sea salt chocolate but dont be afraid to try some of their other amazing flavors like Maine Blueberry, Lemon, Dark Chocolate Cinnamon. even Key Lime pie! If your in Portland you need to stop by this one of a kind donut shop!

Eric

From not just the name, but also the Fodors page outside listing this place as one if the nations top 10 donut places, I must agree wholeheartedly! They use some kind of potatoes in their dough and it makes for an AMAZING donut - Regardless of the flavor, you cant go wrong! One of their specials was the bacon cheddar stuffed which was unreal, get as many of them as you can! Also, this place seems to continue selling until they run out, so keep that in mind!

Kerem Güngör

Wanna try potato donuts? This is the right place for you. If you are a big chocolate fan such as myself, try dark chocolate-sea salt donut. It has its distinct flavor, not too sweet like the run-of-the-mill donuts. They made the best use of the sea salt. PS: I also noticed that they have TWC free WIFI service if you have TWC home and you are an internet addict. This service can help: Yummy donuts as you use WIFI.

Vincent Yip

Their donuts are made of mashed potatoes, which are special. I had the one with Bacon and Cheddar. And it was very delicious! So the taste wise is worth 5 stars. They also have lots of options too! Knocking 1 star off because for some reason I was told by the cashier that they only accept orders of 1, 6 or 12? Thats kind of weird if just want 3 or something I wouldnt be able to order?

daniel washburn

Interesting is best way of describing the doughnut. They are dense more like a cake style. Had the blueberry lemonade and a maple. Apparently they make them in morning and when they sell out they are gone. Personally I prefer a warm doughnut, so I imagine youd need to be here first thing to secure a warm one. Worth trying wouldnt say is go out of my way for it.