Duck Donuts has made its way to Naperville, after the franchise has received props and kudos from not just the state level, but the national level as well, for good reason.
Created in 2007 by Russ DiGilio and his family, the colorful chain gets its name from its first shop, located along the sandy beaches of the Outer Banks in Duck, NC. Today, there are over 100 locations across the country.
Their mission is “To deliver smiles and warm, delicious and made-to-order donuts created just the way you like.”
This small restaurant has changed the way donuts are created. They make the treats fresh, the same way Krispy Kreme and local favorite Donut Den do, but they have also reinvented the ordering process.
Every donut has a typical hole in the middle, but the “filled” variety stuffs the opening with whatever goody is requested. Custom donuts can be ordered as well, with customers getting 10 choices of icing, eight choices of toppings and 11 choices of drizzle.
For patrons who want an over-the-top experience, donut sundaes are available consisting of a choice donut with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and toppings. For first timers, however, there are some “fan favorites” like glazed jelly and raspberry marble.
As a nod to their beach theme, donuts have names like “Bacon in the Sun” (maple icing, chopped bacon, salted caramel drizzle), “Coconut Island Bliss” (chocolate icing, peanuts, coconut) and “Beach Ball” (vanilla icing, sprinkles, chocolate drizzle)
Other fun donuts like “Cookies and Cream”, “Chocolate Caramel Crunch” (chocolate icing, peanuts, salted caramel drizzle and “Smores” can be ordered as well.
It’s hard to make a bad donut, but even more difficult to make a great one; Duck Donuts cements its place as a top donut spot around. The refreshing new take on a donut is not just aesthetically pleasing but also a celebration for taste buds.
The dough is different from the rest of the donut places in the vicinity, with both a softer consistency and slightly more crunch, but not in a bad way. These rings of joy were absolutely wonderful.
The chain also serves breakfast sandwiches from $4-$5 and an array of coffees from $2-$5.50.
There is just one negative, however: the price. A dozen costs $24 before taxes and tip compared to Dunkin for $15, and both Donut Bros. and Donut Den for $17.
Overall, Duck Donuts passes both the eye test and the taste test and should be added to the list of restaurants to start a morning off sweetly.
RATING: 4.5/5
ADDRESS: 3124 Illinois Route 59, Suite 124, Naperville
WEBSITE: duckdonuts.com
