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| Photo Credit: Jon Wiley |
What good are road trips without spontaneous stops at quirky places? Sometimes it seems as if road trips were invented for this reason. A reason such as to explore places like the Donut Dip, a fantastic fourth generation Western Massachusetts family operation in business since 1957.
A few weeks ago My brother and I were on a drive from the Berkshires to Hartford, CT. At his urging, a stop at the West Springfield location of this doughnut shop turned out to be a trip back in time. The place and the doughnuts made my day.
My brother, an expert on and lover of all things mid century modern, insisted we make this short destination detour. As usual, he was right on the money.
Once I stepped in the door I was in love with the place. The decor, the signage, the friendly staff and we hadn’t even gotten to the doughnuts yet, which my brother swore were out of this world.
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| Photo Credit: Jon Wiley |
Most everything in the place was a throwback. the floor is original as well as several of the accessories. The pink and gray color scheme, considered to be the height of fashion at the time is still full on.
The counters and the signage are fabulous. When the place was built, it was featured in an architectural magazine and was lauded as state of the art.
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| Photo Credit: Jon Wiley |
I spoke briefly with the owner. He said they just recently replaced the cash register. It was pink! They reluctantly needed to update it.
Here’s a peek at the kitchen where all the doughnut magic happens.
OK so now onto the doughnuts. There is a stunning amount of different flavors on offer. We bought a bunch to sample and to take home to share with our mother.
Hands down, these are some of the best doughnuts I have ever had. Fresh and flavorful, from the simplicity of the sour cream doughnut to the elegance of the Bismark, all are delicious and beautifully made.
The prices are also incredibly reasonable, especially compared to the sticker shock of New York City artisanal doughnut shops.
Good thing they were out out their bellybuster doughnut which comes in 2 sizes (regular and X-L). My brother said it is enormous but of course I would have bought one.
Here is our doughnut haul….
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| From left to right: Old Fashioned Sour Cream, Toasted Coconut, Blueberry Filled Powdered |
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| Chocolate Glazed and Butterfly (cinnamon roll) |
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| Pumpkin Cake, Butternut, Apple & Spice |
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| The Bismark |
What I loved most about this place was the lack of hype and absence of effort to loudly proclaim how precious, authentic or historical the place is. It’s just a great doughnut shop with a local and family vibe. The decor and doughnuts speak for themselves. No hip grandstanding needed.
The Donut Dip also serves breakfast and locally produced coffee. If you are in the West Springfield, MA area, don’t miss stopping in to sample the wares and take some home. They also have a second location in Long Meadow.
The Donut Dip
Website
West Springfield:
Monday-Saturday: 3 AM – 11:45 PM Sunday: 3AM – 10:45 PM
1305 Riverdale Street
West Springfield, MA 01089
413-733-9604
Monday-Sunday: 5:30 AM- 10:45 PM
648 North Main Street
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
413-736-2224
