Doughnuts are a relatively odd dessert. They are fried like chicken, iced like cake and even have two different spellings. Whether doughnut or donut is preferred, all of these unique characteristics come together to make a delicious item that can be enjoyed with every meal.

St. Louis has many different doughnut shops and cafes. I had the pleasure of visiting Strange Donuts, World’s Fair Doughnuts and Vincent Van Doughnut. All three of these shops had their pros and cons but essentially produced delicious doughnuts for my eating pleasure.

The first place I ate at was Strange Donuts, located on Olive Boulevard. When I walked in, I immediately noticed the blue and white metallic color scheme. Everything in the store, from the chairs to the walls, used those colors. I also noticed how empty it was. The limited seating at tables and barstools had no customers and the salesperson looked kind of bored. I ordered a chocolate coffee doughnut, which was one of their six available options. It was relatively small but was only one dollar. The doughnut itself was extremely doughy, really emphasizing the dough in the name. The icing made it sweet, but it wasn’t overpowering and the sweet chocolate and bitter coffee flavors were well balanced. Overall, I enjoyed the taste of the doughnut itself but the atmosphere of the shop could have been a little more inviting. ★★★☆☆                                         

The second place I went to was World’s Fair Doughnuts, located in a questionable area of downtown St. Louis. This shop was kind of grimy with chipped paint, dirty floors and an old white exterior. Despite not having any seating, there were quite a few customers entering and leaving the store. I ordered a cake doughnut, and my two companions ordered a glazed doughnut and a chocolate long john. I paid $1.99 for all three doughnuts so they were extremely cheap. The cake doughnut was very heavy, had lots of glaze and was a lot sweeter than strange doughnuts. The glazed doughnut was very fluffy and light, with a thin layer of hard glaze on top of it. It was sweeter than the cake doughnut and it definitely toed the line of overpowering. The chocolate long john was the worst of the three. The chocolate on top melted off in seconds, and the doughnut itself was very dry and it tasted like it had been sitting there for a while. Overall, the atmosphere of the shop could be cleaner, and the quality of doughnuts could be slightly improved. ★★☆☆☆

The final place I visited was Vincent Van Doughnut, located in downtown Clayton. The shop was very aesthetically pleasing with a brown wood theme throughout. There was enough seating to accommodate at least 15 people and everything was very clean and organized. Music was playing in the background, and the staff was extremely friendly and willing to hold a pleasant conversation. I ordered a cookies and cream doughnut, and my companion ordered a New York cheesecake doughnut. Both of these doughnuts were $7.00 which is more expensive than the other two places, but they were very large. Both of these doughnuts were exceptional. They were doughy and sweet and had a perfect balance of flavors between the doughnut itself, the toppings, and the fillings. The cream and cherries in the cheesecake doughnut were very creamy and these doughnuts were addictive in a really good way. One of the only bad things about this place is that it closes at 2 PM. For me and other full-time high school students, it is really hard to find time during the day to get a doughnut here. Other than that, I really liked this shop for the artsy atmosphere and incredible doughnuts. ★★★★☆

Overall, all three of these places had their ups and downs, but Vincent Van Doughnut was by far my favorite. I highly recommend visiting these shops and seeing for yourself the variety of doughnuts that the St. Louis area brings to the table.