All this week we are tasting and judging the yummiest treats in Baton Rouge to find you the best of the best—mom (and kid) approved! For each place we tested, we considered flavor, texture/quality, kid-friendly atmosphere, service, and our overall experience. It wasn’t easy (since each place is awesome), but somebody had to do it. 🙂
If you’ve lived in Baton Rouge for a while, you’ve probably heard, at least once, about the Mary Lee’s vs. Krispy Kreme debate. Apparently, it can get pretty ugly. Mary Lee’s has been a staple in Baton Rouge for decades, and I’m sure most of us have eaten a Mary Lee’s donut at some point in our lives. And they are quite good. However, for this post, we decided to taste some of the other donut options in the area: Tiger Deaux-nuts, Thee Heavenly Donut, Mr. Ronnie’s Famous Hot Donuts, Central Donut Shop, and Mike’s Donuts. Read through to see how each one scored and who had our favorite! Here’s the scale we used from lowest to highest: 🙁 😕 😐 🙂 😀
Thee Heavenly Donut
Thee Heavenly Donut, formerly Meche’s Donut King, has three locations in the area. We ordered a plain glazed donut and a filled jelly donut. They were delicious and still a bit warm. Plus, the glazed was not overly sweet (for a donut, that is). The jelly donut was super sweet and gooey and wonderful. Personally, I loved the texture of these donuts. They were light and airy, and the glaze flakes off of the donut while you’re eating it.
Thee Heavenly Donut is small inside, so it is not the best option if you want to dine in with your whole family. However, in addition to their one table, there is a kid’s table. Sam sat at the little table and it was adorable to watch him try his donut. Service was excellent, and the staff were friendly. It was an enjoyable experience. We loved Thee Heavenly Donut donuts. If you want plain glazed donuts, then these were the best!
Flavor 🙂
Texture/quality 😀
Kid friendly atmosphere 😐
Service 😀
Overall experience 🙂
Mr. Ronnie’s Famous Hot Donuts
Mr. Ronnie’s is located on Lee Drive and is based out of Houma, LA. They boast an impressive selection of donuts and have pretty much anything you’re looking for. For all the pregnant moms out there, they are open 24 hours if you get hit with a donut craving. We ordered plain glazed donuts and a Bavarian creme donut. These were good donuts, but a bit sweet for my tastes. They do put hot glaze on top when you order, which is definitely a plus. These donuts were on the denser side and very rich. And, Mr. Ronnie’s donuts are huge. By far the biggest donuts we tasted.
Mr. Ronnie’s has a old diner feel to it and also has a good amount of seating. It was also the only place that had highchairs, which we were excited about. The atmosphere would be one that the kids would like, for sure. If you don’t want to unload the kids, they have a drive-thru. Service was very good, and when we were finished one of the staff volunteered to clean up after us and put the highchair away. Mr. Ronnie’s had a fun atmosphere and good donuts. They weren’t my favorite, but I would definitely go back for more.
Flavor 😐
Texture/quality 😐
Kid friendly atmosphere 😀
Service 🙂
Overall experience 🙂
Tiger Deaux-nuts
Tiger Deaux-nuts, which used to be located in the Jones Creek area, recently reopened its doors in Mid City. Now, if you want a simple glazed donut, this is not the place for you. Their menu offers various donuts depending on the day of the week, which may include flavors like cookies and cream, cookie butter, and strawberry cream cheese. We tasted the maple bacon donut and the jalapeno vanilla donut. Can I tell you that the jalapeno vanilla donut may have been the best donut I have ever eaten. It sounds pretty crazy, but it worked! Our donuts were a perfect balance of airiness and density. They weren’t glazed, but more like frosted.
We visited Tiger Deaux-nuts just days after their opening. When you walk in, the atmosphere is bare bones and nothing fancy. However, there is plenty of room to sit down and eat. Sam was able to wander around, and I can see how it would be easy to dine in as a whole family as seating is abundant. We were served by the owner who went back and prepared the donuts himself. He was very friendly and clearly excited/relieved to finally reopen his doors.
Flavor 😀
Texture/quality 🙂
Kid friendly atmosphere 🙂
Service 😀
Overall experience 😀
Central Donut Shop
If you’re in the Central area, you should stop by the Central Donut Shop. It is a little place with a small town feel. We ordered plain glazed donuts and some donut holes with chocolate and sprinkles. I love these donuts. But, they are best hot. Ours weren’t hot, but they were still great. These donuts are the light, airy kind with the glaze that flakes and crumbles. They are similar to Thee Heavenly Donut, but we didn’t like them quite as much.
There are just a few tables in the Central Donut shop, so there isn’t a whole lot of room. But, we sat comfortably for a quick bite. They also have a drive through, which is very convenient. Service was good. No complaints! We enjoyed our experience at Central Donuts, and as we live close by, we will be going through the drive through in the near future!
Flavor 🙂
Texture/quality 🙂
Kid friendly atmosphere 😐
Service 🙂
Overall experience 🙂
Mike’s Donuts
Mike’s is located on Old Jefferson near Siegen Lane. In addition to donuts and pastries, they have pretty good pigs in a blanket. We ordered chocolate glazed donuts. And, honestly, they were average. Not bad. Not great. These donuts are on the denser side and did not taste super fresh.
This is another small donut shop. There were one or two tables and some couches. The decor was bright and lively, but a bit small for a family to sit down and eat. It was also very hot inside. Service was good. We were the only customers at the time, and I believe the staff adjusted the air conditioning when I said it was hot. Mike’s was good, but there are better donut places.
Flavor 😐
Texture/quality 😐
Kid friendly atmosphere 😐
Service 😐
Overall experience 😐
The Winner
For the best glazed donut, we stand by our choice of Thee Heavenly Donut. However, we loved our Tiger Deaux-nuts experience so much and think it is the best overall! While the atmosphere is nothing to write home about, there is plenty of room to bring the whole family and dine in! And the quality of donuts and the interesting flavor options make it an unforgettable experience! So, look no further for that perfect and one-of-a-kind donut…congrats Tiger Deaux-nuts!
The Mary Lee donut shops have different owners and once you get beyond the “hot glazed” they vary significantly. I’ve been to most of them and by far the Best Donut Shop in Baton Rouge is the Mary Lee on Coursey Blvd. Paul and Hanna are the best. Their attention to quality control and customer experience is the key. They even make Cronuts! Growing up my family was in the bakery supply business so I speak from experience.