Cancel

Open app

Search

Nicola's Donut Shop

4.4 (202 reviews)
InexpensiveDonuts
Closed • 5:00 am - 1:00 pm

Order Nicola's Donut Shop Takeout or Delivery

Nicola's Donut Shop Photos

Business Info

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Nicola's Donut Shop

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Maple bacon, maple, and peanut butter donuts
Sweet D.

Cronut!!! I always dream of their cronut donut. Our family has been going to Nicola's for years. Hands down best donuts I've had in Tampa. This is hidden gem quaint neighborhood donut shop with a mom-and-pop feel. The pastries and service are both 5 stars. On our recent visit we came in about an hour after opening and were pleasantly greeted by the happy employee and their delectable donuts. With dozens of tasty treats to choose from we went with our favorites. Cronuts, apple fritter, cake donuts, and fruity pebbles. Thinking of it now makes totally giddy. We happily paid $18 for 8 speciality donuts. Nicola's is a favorite. I totally recommend. Get there before they sell out!

McLain W.

Cute little donut spot that was recommended-- ended up with a cronut, maple iced, and a few donut holes. -- not sure if they were old but the maple iced and holes weren't as soft or tasty (only took one bite of each, kinda rare for donuts ), but the cronut was the standout -- nice big square morsel of deliciousness!!

Best place in Tampa, freshly made donuts. And they are delicious

Best place in Tampa, small donut shop with delicious flavors. And great breakfast sandwiches.

Beth E.

This was a donut shop rated the top 4 in Tampa, so we had to try it. Maybe our mistake was showing up at 11 am, because there were only a few donuts left. There was such a small selection, that I ended up not ordering one, because I didn't like the selection, but my husband ordered a glazed. He said it was a good donut. I expected much more based on what I read.

Assorted Donuts
K S.

My family and I are still huge fans of this family owned donut shop. And I love their apple fritters and specialty donuts (snickers, chocolate peanut butter, Oreo, smores, Samoa, M&Ms, etc.). They also sell donut holes, breakfast sandwiches, and beverages.

a person holding a donut
Keena H.

Nicola's has been a staple of my teens and early childhood. I love glazed donuts and occasionally frequent the confetti version of each donut shop I visit. But the original glazed sort of these soft clouds of joy will always be on the menu 1st. when I arrive. They push the donuts early (6:00 a.m. until about 1:00 p.m. or until sold out!! Tuesday-Saturday). They have a multitude of flavors: Apple Fritter Cinnamon Roll Croissant (Cronut) Fried Oreo Fruity Pebble M&M Maple Bacon Peanut Butter Cup Rocky Road Samoa Snickers, cake donuts, etc. Personally I think the Cronut which is a combination of a croissant + the original glazed- is a must try. The cost is $3.00 for the Cronut. I would purchase a dozen for myself then a separate for your office/home...because the recipe remains the same from the beginning & the taste'll hit ya like a ton of soft bricks!! The building is small and usually the owner is working. She seems happy to see customers continue to come as they've been around for a very long time. Parking is in a plaza that they share with a barbershop and a few other businesses...it can be tight. Keep in mind they are on a busy corner off of Busch Boulevard.

Greg E.

Having read reviews submitted by two Yelp Elites who raved about the shop, I was looking forward to the experience. Unfortunately, we arrived in the late morning and there was virtually nothing left. I did have a glazed donut and it was good, but no where near the quality of many other glazed donuts that I have had in the past at other donut shops.

Cronut, Guava, S'more, Glazed, Chocolate frosted
DeDe W.

The donut shop is cute and simply decorated. The cashier ( maybe shop owner) was ready to take my order as soon as I walked in. I ordered six classic and six fancy donuts. The guava filled donut was my favorite. The Cronut and apple fritter were not overly sweet but they both had a "cold grease" after taste. Overall these donuts are worth a try if you are nearby.

Ash W.

I have an odd but very positive review that I felt I must share. And I hope very much, it is seen by the man that made my day 1000% better.  (I posted this on Google as well.) I say this review is odd because technically, I was not a customer and positive because I experienced what a wonderful place Nicola's was despite having never heard of it before and having never stepped foot inside. My story is a little long-winded but truly made my day, so I think it's worth sharing.  My situation started out as frustrating as a day could be. I was heading to Alabama from St. Petersburg, Florida, after my Aunt's memorial. Of course, with all of the distractions a memorial brings with emotions and relatives one hasn't seen in a decade, I forgot to stop at a restroom before getting on the road. (A mistake I almost never make.) We planned to stop at the first rest area to change, so it seemed like no big deal.  Naturally, this is the part where it felt like everyone in Tampa was suddenly on the road with us. Traffic was barely moving, and the need for the restroom grew with every mile that crept by.  When I could wait no longer, we stopped at a gas station at a very dingy exit. Where, of course, it was "out of order." He directed me to the liquor store next door where they "didn't have one" and then to the Coffee Shop that wasn't open.... I was not loving the lack of personability, but forged on. We drove in the other direction to find anywhere at all to stop. We expected maybe one fast food place or pharmacy, but no, nothing. We passed a high school and still... nothing! FINALLY, we see the word RESTAURANT in a little strip mall with a little donut shop beside it. Which was great, I needed a restroom, and my husband absolutely loves donuts, but we rarely get any. I jumped from the car to run into the shop where I encountered a very nice man, locking the door. He said he was very sorry, but they were done for the day (which was completely legitimate). He directed me to what turned out to be a non-English speaking Honduran restaurant that only lets customers use the restroom. (Which, by the end, we were, that's its own adventure!) However, for no reason other than maybe seeing the pure defeatedness/exasperated look on my face, that polite man had gone back inside and brought us two glazed donuts. I know there is no way that he knows this, and I truly hope he sees it...  That kind gesture took my day from sad and frustrating to happy and appreciative. Now, here is the actual donut review part. My husband loves donuts but has pretty high expectations for them, I personally, normally hate them. We got back on the long road home and decided to go ahead and give them a try and Oh My Gosh! they were AMAZING!! I can't stress enough how beautiful, fluffy, and not overly sweet they were! Even though we don't frequent the area, we have already made plans to make sure the timing of our next trip allows us the opportunity to visit again, while they are open and bring back these wonderful little treats!

Vanilla Iced & strawberry iced
Amanda H.

My son wanted donuts for his birthday in his classroom. These are is favorite. We got them last year and he requested them again this year. I grabbed 4 additional donuts for birthday breakfast. I had the apple fritter and the photo doesn't do justice to how large it is. Birthday boy got the fruity pebbles and he was so excited and said it was his favorite donut ever. My younger son got the chocolate frosted and was very happy there was no sprinkles (he's on an anti sprinkle kick... I don't know, he's 6). The boys split the cinnamon bun and were upset I didn't get one for each of them, so that tells you how good it was The woman at pickup was super helpful and offered to help me carry them to my car since my hands were full. The shop itself is small but clean. Definitely stop by if you're looking for good donuts in Tampa.

Chocolate Hazelnut
Charlie G.

Great donuts! Super friendly staff! I have been meaning to stop here forever and a day... and finally did! Got one glazed, one chocolate iced, and one Chocolate Hazelnut! I think I have a new favorite!

Cronuts, cinnamon roll, and apple fritters
James B.

Best cronuts, cinnamon rolls, and apple fritters in Florida, maybe the world? Call ahead or show up early because they sell out.

Christine M.

I wasn't as impressed as the ratings made this place out to be. We got a mix of old fashion, yeast donuts, and a fritter. If I could I would give them 3.5 stars but Yelp won't let me. I'll start with the good. The Apple fritter was really good. There were real pieces of apple and it was fried well. We also really enjoyed the yeast donuts for their light fluffy texture. The frosting was a bit overwhelming and took away from the flavor of the donut. The blueberry old fashion donut was pretty good but tasted a bit artificial however they were dense and moist. Now let's move on to the bad, the raspberry filled donut. Now hear me out, I'm not saying you won't like it. What I am saying is I would never get this donut again. The filling in this donut tasted like a raspberry candy melted down and piped into the donut. They were overwhelming artificial and unfortunately we got two of them and finished neither. Overall, they have some great options and some that simply weren't for me.

Apple Fritters, Cronuts, Rocky Roads, Chocolate Iced Bavarian Custard, Fried Oreo, Guava Filled Donut, Strawberry Sprinkled Glaze...

See all

5 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 3
Oh no 0

13 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 days ago

Fantastic and original def worth checking out! Great place for sure. The man behind the counter was so friendly and happy to be there!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Sweet D.
0
24
113

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of McLain W.
0
87
267

2 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Better than Krispy Kreme. Huge donuts and the most yummiest. Always purchase do my students

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Best donuts ever! They sell out, so get there early. Try their cronut, light and fluffy and so very delicious.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1
Photo of K S.
8
551
448

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 2

7 months ago

I have found that Nicola's to have the most delicious and freshest donuts around. They make my favorite doughnut. The Cronut. Mmmm

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of DeDe W.
0
37
24

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Ash W.
0
15
50

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 5
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Visited this spot yesterday while in the area. Very friendly staff. Donuts are amazing! Ambiance is all things donuts which was super cute!

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 14
Thanks 0
Love this 13
Oh no 0
Photo of Darin K.
6
149
83

1 year ago

Great fresh donuts highly recommend! We tried the Bavarian Creme, glazed and the filled guava.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Olydia M.
25
21
24

5 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 9
Thanks 0
Love this 8
Oh no 0
Photo of AJ S.
0
142
272

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Easy G.
42
197
22

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 6

Ask the Community - Nicola's Donut Shop

I've heard that this spot has moved from Busch....true?

No. It's still on Busch

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Donuts 1,662 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Hole In One Donut - Strawberry frosted donut with fruity pebbles on too

Hole In One Donut

4.7(384 reviews)
3.1 mi
•$

I hate that I didn't get any pictures because this is exactly the kind of local spot that deserves…read morethe attention. I stopped by later in the day, and they were basically sold out of almost everything which, honestly, is usually a great sign for a donut shop. There were only a few apple fritters left, along with some Boston cream donuts, so I grabbed a box to bring to the office during my clinical rotations and made sure to save one of each for myself. The apple fritter was absolutely delicious. fresh, flavorful, and packed with that perfect balance of sweetness and texture. The Boston cream was just as good, with a light, fluffy donut and a rich filling that wasn't overly sweet. The biggest compliment I can give is that the entire office loved them, and they disappeared quickly. The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the whole place had that classic mom-and-pop shop feel that's getting harder to find these days. You can tell they focus on making quality products rather than trying to be a trendy chain. Next time I'll definitely make it there earlier before everything sells out. If a shop is running low by the afternoon, they're clearly doing something right. Hole In One Donut is a hidden gem, and I'd absolutely recommend stopping by if you're in the area. I'll definitely be back.

Great three for one deal. I got a double breakfast everything bagel with cream cheese, double egg…read moreand sausage, a sausage kolache and an apple fritter. Great deal and a great place to get fast service. Ambiance of the place was like a hole in the wall doughnut shop, very clean with very fast and efficient service. They have a lot of doughnut choices and seasonal choices so if doughnuts are your thing this should be a go to. The parking lot is very small and limited in mobility so use caution when parking.

Photos
Hole In One Donut
Hole In One Donut - Woke up to Mixed Dozen

Woke up to Mixed Dozen

Hole In One Donut - Store hours

See all

Store hours

Fray's Donut House - Ham, Egg, and Cheese

Fray's Donut House

4.5(207 reviews)
19.5 mi
•$$

This is probably my favorite donut stop in the entire St Pete area. It's a 30 minute drive for me…read moreand I happily make it because it's just that good. The specialty items like the cinnamon twist and the bear claw are some of my favorites. They also have some items that you won't find just anywhere, like the red velvet donut and the kolache - they have a regular and a jalapeño kolache and I highly recommend trying both, they're so delicious. I've dined in and I've done the drive thru - dining in is hit or miss to find seating, they have the booths that remind me of an old school diner type vibe. If it's a weekday you can probably snag a seat inside without too much hassle, but the weekends get pretty busy from what I've experienced. They do a good job of keeping the drive thru moving while not making you feel rushed while you're at the window. This is a great spot and I always recommend it to anyone looking for a good donut.

Pretty mid in my opinion. I didn't dislike it but I didn't love it enough to ever make the drive…read moreagain to St Pete for this place. Of course it is a step up above from the Dunkin or Krispy Kreme, not including the KK original glazed, that one is too good, but it's just okay. There are so many donut shops in every city that are doing the same exact thing as this place. Even down to the same boxes. There's nothing unique about them or they aren't doing anything different so I just put them on par with all the other spots. I will admit, having a drive-through was a plus and great location, clean building, so very inviting.

Photos
Fray's Donut House
Fray's Donut House - Donuts

Donuts

Fray's Donut House

See all

Nicola's Donut Shop - donuts - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...