I'm so happy that a place like Parlor DOUGHnuts is nearby.
Located off the I10 highway in the Boardwalk Shopping Center, this cute, NOLA/French-inspired doughnut bistro is not only good for people in the area but also great for folks traveling through our fair city.
When we walked in and Victoria warmly greeted us. I had to stop and take in the beauty and aesthetic of the place before I could even get to the doughnuts. Whomever designed this place had a vision that was beautifully executed. There was a shocking amount of seating for a place that appears so cozy from the outside. Off to the right of the entrance is a merch shop with tees, mugs, and even coffee served in-house.
There's a generous amount of flavors of doughnuts to choose from once you get beyond the beauty of the shop. Their doughnuts are mostly sans holes but filled with gooey treats. The choice is almost overwhelming, but I chose to go with tried and true with a healthy balance of exploration. Maple Bacon, Bourbon Caramel, and Raspberry Pistachio were the flavors I selected in our box of a dozen. The other flavors we selected were Chocolate Chocolate, Dreamsicle Lemon Bar, Turtle, Smores, and Coconut Cream Filled. Oh! I also got a patch for my jean jacket. We paid $42 for a dozen. There is a local doughnut that is more expensive, but that's because the proceeds go to a local charitable organization. They also give a military discount. We took our doughnuts to go, but again, plenty of room to eat there. They also serve sandwiches and a variety of coffee drinks.
Victoria was so engaging, polite, and helpful throughout our visit. Another employee cleared and cleaned a table as soon as other patrons vacated it. The employees are really doing the work to retain customers. Victoria couldn't answer whether the doughnuts were made with a brioche dough. It's important to be able to give customers info on what makes your doughnuts so special, so that may be something to improve upon.
I actually walked out saying "God, I hope these doughnuts are amazing because I really love this place." The doughnuts were good. To me, they were comparable to Duck Donuts in creativity. The dough's texture, which I think is brioche, was slightly tough, but I can imagine how much nicer they'd feel freshly made. The coconut cream filled lacked salt, and the whipped topping did nothing for the doughnut. I would either decrease the amount or do away with it in favor of coconut glaze. The turtle was gooey and flavorful and the lemon dreamsicle was exceptionally tart. My biggest gripe (and the reason for the imperfect score) is the consistency in the doughnut's size. We had two of the same doughnuts side-by-side, and it's easy to see that we're not getting the same product. There needs to be a system in place to ensure your customers are getting the same product if they're paying the same price. More than one of my doughnuts should've been cheaper than their counterparts.
I wholly recommend Parlor Doughnuts. If they respond to constructive criticism, they'll be the best doughnut shop in the city. read more