You need to try the hot, fresh cake doughnuts at Duck Donuts

New to Buckhead, the franchise’s made-to-order cake treats are wonderful
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An assortment of “classics” at Duck Donuts

Photograph by Jennifer Zyman.

With what feels like a new shop opening every other month, Atlanta’s doughnut craze shows no sign of slowing down. One of the newest to open is national franchise Duck Donuts. The brand was founded in North Carolina’s Outer Banks (in the town of Duck, hence the name) by Russ DiGilio in 2006. In the past decade, the company has grown to include 100 stores along the East Coast, the most recent being in Buckhead’s Tuxedo Festival shopping center. (Another store is set to open soon in Toco Hills.) But don’t let the fact that it’s a chain deter you, especially if you love hot cake doughnuts right out of the fryer.

The process at Duck’s is fairly simple. You can either craft your own doughnut or choose from the predesigned “classics.” All of the creations begin with a foundation of a freshly fried cake doughnut, which they cook to order. The base flavor reminds me of those silver-dollar-sized, sugar-encrusted fried doughnuts you often find at carnivals and fairs. Any kid will love making up their own crazy creation—you can add anything from peanut butter frosting to rainbow sprinkles to bacon to Oreos. But I’m partial to the offbeat “Shore to Please” assortment, which features flavors such as the “Sand Dollar,” a hot cake doughnut topped with a thin layer of vanilla icing, shredded coconut, and powdered sugar. It’s a grown-up version of Little Debbie-style white powdered doughnuts. The “Blueberry Pancake,” with blueberry icing, maple drizzle, and powdered sugar, tastes exactly like its namesake and makes for a perfect breakfast when paired with a hot cup of coffee. Open every day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. 3655 Roswell Road Northeast, 404-600-5699

An assortment from Duck Donuts

Photograph by Jennifer Zyman.

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