Yes, doughnuts—the boon and bane of Homer Simpson and caricatured cops alike. In abundance they’re not good for you (Exhibit A: Chief Wiggum); but, of course, you still surrender to these sweetly fried indulgences. Will rationalization help? How about the fact that you don’t need utensils to eat them? That their endless shapes and sizes please the foodie aesthete in us all? That they’re the ideal pastries to buy for people who throw parties but have limited catering skills? That they will forever be the centerpiece in the break room of every faceless office setting you could possibly imagine?

For those and many other reasons, more than a few of you have gone on that elusive hunt for a great doughnut. And sure, we can’t discount the charms of the abundantly available Krispy Kremes and Dunkin’ Donuts. But they’re chains, and while I won’t go into a rant about mass chains, I will say that plenty of times I’ve had morning stomach rumbles that wouldn’t be satisfied by the same old mass-produced sugar bombs. What I need at times like that, and what we have for you, is a nonchain doughnut guide for the Valley—10 great mom ’n’ pop places. If we can take some of the guesswork out of finding that elusive Boston Creme or a cinnamon roll with just the right amount of glaze, then all those research calories will have been worth it.

Al’s Donuts

1220 East Harmon Avenue,

Price for a mixed dozen: $6

This old standby across from the university (behind a 7-Eleven) has been operating for around 30 years, and rumor has it there was an owner named Al at one point. Where he is now we don’t know, but the current owners, who’ve managed this place for over 20 years, offer fresh, hot goods—and at student-friendly prices. It has a nice variety, but it’s the heartiness of the cake doughnuts, especially the maple-walnut, that clinches it for me.  

All Star Donuts

1615 Las Vegas Blvd. S., off Oakey Blvd.

Price for a mixed dozen: $7.50

Here it is! The all-purpose doughnut/Chinese food/phone-card business we’ve all been waiting for. It’s easy to miss, but this tiny hut next door to Olympic Gardens has some awesome glazes, with the coconut being a particular standout.

Dee’s Donuts

4135 South Buffalo Drive,

All the basics are covered: the cakes, fills and my favorite—the apple fritters, which are just bursting with rich apple and butter flavor. Almost as good, Dee’s serves a fine variety of coffee drinks. So if sugar and caffeine is what you need, stop here. The best on the westside.

Donut Time

4268 East Charleston Blvd., off Lamb Blvd. (in North Las Vegas)

Price for a mixed dozen: $6.50

A hidden gem. It’s comforting to know that I can stop in here at 3 a.m. and get the good stuff (never mind what I’m doing scaring up doughnuts at this hour). I come here for the fills, with the Boston Creme—crammed with a very custardy center—the gotta-have of the bunch.  

Friendly Donut House

856 South Boulder Highway, off Palo Verde Drive (in Henderson)

Price for a mixed dozen: $7.50

A good ... no, make that a necessary stop the next time you’re on your way to Lake Mead or Hoover Dam. This little place has an uber-friendly staff that’s on hand to help you “for all your doughnut needs!” Seriously, that’s what they told me once when I stopped in for a bite. Be sure to make a grab for the divine glazes and twists.

House of Donuts

2301 East Sunset Road, Suite 6,

Price for a mixed dozen: $7

As it’s located not too far from the airport, I’ve stopped by many times when I was on my way to drop someone off at the airport and they wanted something more than just salted peanuts for the flight. This place always has a good variety stocked and fresh.  

Las Vegas Donut House

4080 Paradise Road, Suite 3,

Price for a mixed dozen: $12.50

Good place for a midnight snack run. A cast of colorful characters await at the Las Vegas Donut House, from the wandering backpacking tourist to the wizened ol’ cabbie; they all come for the first-rate goodies, and although it is tough to choose one over the rest, I usually go for the thickish bear claws, which have just the right touch of cinnamon.

Master Donuts

2300 East Desert Inn Road, Suite 11,

off Eastern Ave.

796-1790

Hours: 3:30 a.m.-noon (or whenever they sell out)

Price for a mixed dozen: $7

A fine array, with some terrific jelly doughnuts (pinch one on the side and you’ll get a streaming eyeful), but brother, you have to get to this place early, because once they’re out of stock, you have to wait until the next day.

Ronald’s Donuts

873-1032

Price for a mixed dozen: $6.95

The hipster’s favorite hanging spot. Ronald’s offers you a choice of regular and vegan doughnuts (no dairy ingredients), and people head here from all over the Valley for those. Apart from that novelty, I love the cherry and apple turnovers. They’re topped with granulated sugar that gives the texture a kick.

Real Donuts

388-9958

Price for a mixed dozen: $6.50

Because it’s located near the University Medical Center, it’s not uncommon to walk into this place and assume that scrubs are the standard dress code here. Real Donuts has a solid selection, with the cinnamon rolls just a notch above the rest.

Five tasty, totally useless facts about doughnuts

1. Washington Irving is often cited as the first to coin the term “doughnut” in his book History of New York, published in 1809. He credits early Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam (later New York) with creating the doughnut and defining it as “balls of sweetened dough, fried in hog’s fat.”

2. John Blondell was awarded the patent for the first doughnut-cutter in 1872.

3. It’s like every place has a different word for doughnuts: In Germany they’re referred to as “berliners”; in Poland, “paczkis”; and in Hawaii, “malasadas.”

4. In 1998, a Winchell’s in Pasadena, California, created the largest doughnut (an apple fritter to be exact), which weighed a staggering 5,000 pounds.

5. The variant spelling “donut” is credited to Bailey Millard, who wrote an article for the Los Angeles Times on August 10, 1929. He wasn’t writing about food, but rather, somewhat condescendingly, about the decline of spelling. He declared he “can’t swallow the ‘wel-dun donut.’” –MTT