I raved about Top Donuts for years. My first time back in Seattle this year, it's time to return to the place I once believed was "the library of Congress of Donuts." What happened next still haunts me. Maybe it was because I was in Bellevue? The donuts were horrid. I ordered two of my favorites. Bavarian cream and a glazed one. I can't remember the names because it doesn't matter. Bland donuts covered in a sheen of sweet. The cream was like a wad of something smooth to the tongue. Coffee was served in pump towers. The horror, the horror. read more

Nowhere near a good donut at all. The ambiance might be ok, but the donuts are lacking by any true donut connoisseur's standards. They're big and look nice, but that's about it. Very dry, dense and truthfully not a very good donut. I hate it when places are over-hyped and a complete letdown. This is one of them. read more

Went to this new Top Pot in Bellevue a few weeks ago.....very clean and nice inside, good amount of space to find a place to enjoy a coffee and doughnut. Got a latte and a apple fritter.....was impressed by the fritter and was super duper yummy. This place is in downtown Bellevue, parking may be tricky for some but I parked a block or so away and walked. Service was fine, no issues that I could see. I read the paper enjoyed my morning til I had to meet up a friend. Happy eating! read more

Top Pot's heavy and dense forged donuts, are just that, dense and delicious. You can't compare the doughnuts here to anything out there currently being offered, it's apples to oranges. I love that you can see raspberry pieces and bits in the glaze. While most of their donuts are the "hole deal", by that I mean the doughnut itself has flavor as well as the glaze/sugary coating creating a symphony of flavors that entice all my senses. Too much? They do have some run of the mill donuts, which to me can be bland depending on the doughnut, so I usually pass go and collect 200. Some of favorite go-to doughnuts? The harvest bread is a solid choice. The slice is thick cut and packed with yummy bits. The raspberry old fashioned (d'uh), the cherry blossom doughnuts are insane (seasonal), as are the pumpkin old fashioned which always remind me it's fall. I'm also a huge fan of the blueberry cake donuts, with or without glaze they are always moist and packed full of little blue treasures. The service at this location is ok. The parking can seem daunting, but is actually pretty easy now that I know about the 1-hour validated parking in the adjoining parking garage. read more

Friendly staff. She explained to us their name: they had an old sign from another restaurant, but the bulbs for the "S" blew out...hence "Top Pot" instead of "Top Spot" We tried the raspberry jelly filled doughnut. the doughnut was fluffy, and the jelly was sweet, but not too sweet. Prices range from $1-$2 or so. Flavours are that unique or extreme, but they have a good variety read more

Not a doughnut fan but I was looking for a coffee and something sweet and found this place at the Bellevue mall just coincidentally (as I am not from Seattle and don't know the new chains in place). I was attracted by the look of that metallic van, very cool, and then the guy working there was nice enough to spend some time to introduce me to the different flavors and how they are made. I ordered the original glazed one, and was fabulous in taste and texture. Soft and not excessively sugared. My only but is that they are giant, there are customers in this world that like small things, and actually think that sometimes in the smaller things there is the best flavor. Flavor did not disappoint at all, but why the need of a humongous doughnut? read more

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Plenty of doughnut flavors to choose from. We got a box of dozen doughnuts: chocolate, salted caramel, sugar glazed, and more. Blueberry doughnut was the best! Doughnuts are fresh and tasty. Soy lattes and vanilla lattes are delicious. Cute place to catch up with friends and family. Staff are cheery and willing to assist you. What a pleasant experience! read more

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Can't go wrong with Top Pot! I just took a mid-day stroll here from my work (the urge to get some sunshine and an apple fritter was real). I got mine to go, but the store is a good size and has lots of seating should you want to stay. I told myself I would just eat half of my apple fritter when i got back to the office and eat the other half later today...it's all gone. Whoops. I ate it so quickly, I didn't even get a chance to take a picture before writing this review! Would recommend and I am definitely returning! read more

Thank you for old fashioned doughnuts! Your hot chocolate is never too sweet, your doughnuts are fabulous, and I appreciate the smiles you all have under your masks right now. Thank you for coming in to work so I am able to stop by and brighten my day with the doughnut read more

I have bad luck with donut -runs. I always get them right before they pull out the fresh ones out of the oven!!! My first top pot donut was a fail due to it being stale I got a latte as well but all in all it was just not that swell... ps..please clean up the crumbs around this place! read more

Top Pot Doughnuts - Donuts Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

I finally tried this place after walking by it several times in the evening and seeing them rack up the donuts in preparation for the next day. I tried the blueberry fritter and salted caramel donuts along with an Americano coffee. The coffee was okay, but the donuts didn't live up to my expectations. The fritter, along with others I have tried elsewhere, seem more appealing to the eyes than the stomach. In the end, they amount to 1000 calories of sugar that rumbles in your stomach for the next few hours, as they seem to absorb too much oil during the cooking process. I would not recommend the salted caramel donut, as it was literally too salty for me to eat, and I can say that I heavily salt most things and have almost never had something that was too salty. I would give the place another try but probably shy away from the specialty items that seem to be rather average. read more

Top Pot Doughnuts - Blueberry fritter - Donuts Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Some Seattle-based friends of mine love Top Pot doughnuts so much that they named a table for them at their wedding. I had to go see what all the fuss was about while I was in town. The morning I stopped in at the Top Pot in Bellevue, they did not have any bars or filled doughnuts in stock. This was a bit of a bummer, since I'm not a huge fan of cake doughnuts. Didn't stop me from ordering a small sampling, however. Hey, it's research! My favorite by far was the Glazed Old Fashioned Doughnut. It's very sweet, but wonderful. These are the kind they carry at Starbucks, but they were fresher and tastier at Top Pot. Of the cake doughnuts I tried, my favorite was the chocolate raspberry because it was really moist and flavorful, not at all dry and crumby. The coffee here was good, but not really anything to write home about. Service was great. The shop is large, modern and very attractive. It has a nice coffee shop vibe. I liked Top Pot fine, but I don't know that I'll be dying to go back the next time I'm in Seattle. After reading through the other comments I now feel the urge to go to Portland for a maple bacon bar, though! That would be completely worth the clogged arteries. read more

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An awesome little shop and conveniently located by car or on foot, if you happen to live nearby. The staff is friendly and fast and I have never felt rushed when attempting to choose what I would like. Doughnuts and refreshments are on the spot. Their coffee doesn't hit the spot for everyone as there is a distinctly different flavor to it. Doughnuts are quite fresh but make sure you get there before 9AM if there's something particular that you want; or call it in the night before. Overall, love it! read more

Top Pot Doughnuts - Corner pano! - Donuts Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Not sure how this place is rated so-so. The staff is super friendly, had donut recommendations and we're pleasant to chat with while waiting for our drinks. Good coffee and good donuts. A fresh fluffy classic glazed donut? What's not to like? I'm a sweets kind of girl and will definitely be back to sample more donuts and say hello to the company. Ambience is nice. A chill spot to catch up, do some reading, or studying. A good find near the Bellevue Square for sure. read more

Top Pot Doughnuts - Top Pot holiday festivities! - Donuts Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Seriously, what is all the hype? Read an article about the owners of the business, and how awesome their donuts were. So I saved the article and put it aside for my trip. But I was disappointed, at least with this location. On a Sunday, it was dead inside. Only one guy sitting at the tables to the left, on his laptop. Visually, it's a nice place to hang out -- plenty of tables, chairs by the window, and it almost seems like a bookstore. Reminds me of a college bookstore cafe. Not a lot of personality or warmth to it, but more convenience and availability. A tiny cooler section where they had sandwiches and drinks. Mostly empty, so it looked like a sad display. Understandably people aren't coming there for pre-made sandwiches, so it's not a big deal. Staff was friendly -- one young girl taking orders, and another guy making the beverages. The display case was cute, but smaller than expected considering their online menu seemed so large and extensive. Saw a ton of cake donuts with frosting and glaze, something that looked like a cinnamon roll and a super large eclair, but their regular glazed donuts were all sold out! Couldn't find a chocolate frosted one or a simple glazed one. All I was able to snag was the raspberry glazed one. While the frosting was light tasting and delicious without being overly sweet, that's where the enjoyment ends. The donut was overly large, so I felt like I was eating a huge mouthful of dough without tasting enough glaze. Also, while it was technically soft, there was a subtle dryness or stale factor when you bit into it. It didn't pull and tug with every bite, like something super fresh and pillowy. And why have a billion cake donuts on display, as well as a stack of new ones waiting on trays to restock them when no one is clearly buying them? Meanwhile, all the glazed and chocolate covered ones are all sold out and no one is making any more of them. It's not as if I came at night time, on a weeknight. It was 1:30 on a Sunday. Disappointment. No real parking here. Not sure how it is in the morning rush on weekends and weekdays, but it's curb parking in front, but can only fit around 5 cars, more or less, depending how big and how close together. Plus, there are other businesses here competing for those spaces. read more

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Fancy donuts at double the price of a local place. Yep, this here is a chain donut shop. Ordered a lemon glaze...which was a glaze donut (pretty good) with a glob of lemon goo in the middle. This goo was beyond sweet and not very good. Ordered a drip coffee and the guy thought I said cold brew. They sound nothing alike. I load more because of it because they don't know how to fix a mistake properly. Shop local read more

Rude owner, he didn't know how he should to treat customer , coffee is cold and donuts is not good

Great donuts. Was in Bellevue for quite some time for work and ended up taking donuts in to share in the office a few times. First off, their selection was fabulous. From Long Johns to old fashioned to raised to cake, they had it all. They offered fruit flavours like raspberry glazed raised, lemon old fashioned, blueberry cake donuts, and raspberry glazed chocolate cake donuts. There were more traditional items like plain glazed raised donuts, plain cake donuts, powdered cake, chocolate frosted, and more. Then there were apple fritters and filled donuts and bars, oh my. As far as the donuts themselves, their raised donuts were quite good, but not the greatest ever. Where Top Pot shined for me was in their cake and old fashioned offerings. The texture was just perfect. Neither too dry, nor too moist, the cake and old fashioned donuts, along with inventive or tasty glazes and frostings, we're wonderful. I highly recommend the raspberry and lemon old fashioned. And the Oreo donut is super tasty and isn't as sweet as it looks. read more

Walked in to Top Pot and there were 3 women working there. Didn't greet us when we walked in and when we started telling them what we wanted they just sat there and stared at us. We had to tell them three times what we wanted. I go above and beyond as a person that tips in the food industry and needless to say they didn't get any tip from me. Love the product, hated the experience of being in there. read more

Donut is good, but it feels like their donuts are getting sweeter... Also I had a pretty dry Apple Fritter one time. For the price, I think it should do better quality control read more

With Seattle being the home of Starbucks it's hard to believe that there are still coffeeshops that are still operating. Top Pot is pretty straight forward. Coffee and donuts. They have about 15 or so different types of donuts (pretty fresh) and few kind of caffeinated drinks. Americano's, Latte, Cold Brew etc. As for the quality etc, I think the coffee quality at Top Pot is more of a hype than anything else. The coffee is pretty generic and tastes ok. Nothing more, nothing less. read more

Next best thing to Krispy Kreme. I used to order Krispy Kreme for my 'donut fix' but this is sooo much better.

I came here for the very first time and this place totally made my day. I ordered the Chocolate Rainbow donut and got to chatting with Kenny, the friendly guy behind the counter and he gave me the donut for free! I couldn't believe it! That's incredible customer service right there. The donut itself was incredible, and the first time welcome with a free donut has made Top Pot my new go-to spacious cafe in the downtown Bellevue area. They have a library of old books that line one side of the store and it's incredibly clean inside and they have a 12th man flag, which seals the deal. Thanks Kenny! Love this place! read more

WOW. I just had to say WOW! I didn't think a doughnut would be THAT good! These hand-forged doughnuts are made from their classic 1920's recipe! Top Pot Doughnuts was noted by Yahoo as one of the "Top 10 Doughnuts in the U.S. - 2012". And I just might have to agree with that! Top Pot makes other doughnut chains look like wanna-bees! I've never really been a big fan of doughnuts, but I must say that this place takes the cake! Top pot offers everything from cake doughnuts, old-fashioned, rings, bars, filled and the classic glazed! My cousin, the local Seattleite, vouched that "ALL of their doughnuts were pretty good and you can't go wrong with any one of them!" RASPBERRY BISMARK (raspberry filled doughnut): the raspberry filling was not too over-poweringly sweet! Just the right amount of sugar to coat your taste buds was amazing. But what was more amazing was the dough itself - the texture was so fluffy, soft and great with your morning cup of coffee! For touristy people, Top Pot offers mugs, coffee cups, and shirts available for purchase. For those of you who are frequent flyers, they have a punch card available for each doughnut you purchase. Parking is in the underground structure, and Top Pot validates so your parking is pretty much free. Ever since I've moved to Portland, I've visited Seattle 1-2x/year, and I don't know why I finally got to visit Top Pot!!! I'm definitely making a pit-stop here when I'm in the area! read more

This, the newest branch of the local fried heart attack chain, is much sleeker and modern than the Belltown or Capitol Hill Top Pots, designed to fit in with the fake urban chic that is pervading downtown Bellevue. In its expanse, it feels a bit cold and empty, but one armed with skinny jeans and a Macbook Pro would still seem appropriate and the copious trans-fat free varieties of donuts, bars, fritters and crullers are the same. To truly gauge their eponymous offering, it would be an unfair comparison to use Dunkin Donuts (do they even serve donuts anymore?) or Krispy Kreme. Instead, I must compare with equal independent pedigree, and so I did after a trip to PDX. I am now releasing the findings from my arduous, singularly focused research: Hypothesis: Two donut purveyors enter, one donut purveyor leaves. Apparatus: A basic chocolate cake with peanuts specimen from each. Methodology: A taste test conducted over the span of twenty four hours. Conclusion: In order of sweet, textured greatness: 3) Voodoo Doughnuts 2) Top Pot Doughnuts 1) Actual Voodoo Magic Future Work: Heart bypass surgery. Luscious doughnuts are still best loved sparingly. Sean C. 11/3/2008 This report is in no way affiliated. No baked goods were unduly harmed. read more

I'm happy I chose to go to this cafe to get some work done.. friendly staff and you will defiantly come back if you're treated that way.

My boss requested I pick up some croissant for a store meeting this morning, so I decided to try Top Pot since it was on my way to work. I parked underground as they offer validation. The lady who helped me said they do not carry croissant or any other baked goods except donuts. I said "Oh, okay" and asked if she could stamp my parking ticket. No, she could not do that without a purchase. I asked for the manager and she said she was the manager. I asked her again to please stamp my ticket and again she said no we have to pay for that. Okay I'll have a small coffee, now will you stamp my ticket? No response. She billed me ran my debit card and grudgingly stamped my parking ticket.. I didn't stick around for the coffee nor did she ask me about waiting for it. Terrible service and a bad attitude. The doughnuts are good, but I won't be returning after this experience. read more

Coffee - The drip: bland. The mocha: worse. Donuts - Nothing like the ones from its Seattle location. We were there in the late morning on a weekend. There's no excuse for serving stale donuts during those hours. Service - 3 younger people trying to act like they're in Belltown, and probably partied too hard the night before to move any faster than snails. By their attitude, you'd think they don't need your stinkin' business. 1 employee blew his nose in plain view, for what seemed like forever. He then reached for his personal water bottle, took a long drink and put it back on the shelf. Without washing his hands. All while there was a line at the counter. read more

Sigh. Having been to the Capitol Hill Top Pot, I was very excited when one opened up in Bellevue not too far from my work. Unfortunately, the excitement was not warranted. The doughnuts are still good, which is why they receive 3 stars. Everything else is meh. Coffee: if you read the other review, you'll know I have a high opinion of the coffee. But not here. The mocha is weak and generally flavorless. I've tried several, in case the machine/barista/universe was having an off day but every time it's been pretty pitiful. Ambiance: It's pretty big, with that sort of industrialize style that seems pretty popular these days. Big has a few advantages, but I like my coffee shops cozy. Parking: Always parked in the attached garage and never had a problem getting a spot. If you try to park on the street, good luck. Service: The baristas/cashiers have generally been professional, if not exactly friendly, but I always get the feeling they are just waiting for everyone to hurry up and go away. Which I might be able to do if it didn't take 5 minutes to make my flavorless mocha. If you like Top Pot's doughnuts, then stopping in here is fine. After anything else, and you're likely to be disappointed. read more

I went over to Top Pot today for my first time, It was pretty busy and the line was long, but the guy at the counter said it was usual for a Friday. I ordered the lemon glazed old fashion and a latte. When I took a bite out of the doughnut while waiting for my coffee in front of the espresso machine I started to gag. That was the worst doughnut I have EVER eaten. It tasted like artificial flavor mixed with pure sugar but gone wrong. Anyway the short, short haired gal (kind of looks like a man) making my drink asked if I was ok. I told her about the doughnut and she said that was a new doughnut and she has not had any other complaints. She went on to say that several people actually love it. Then she went on, by talking with another worker about going on there break. I thought that was rude. I don't care what other people like the doughnut was not good for me!!! Anyway she handed me my latte and I took a sip to get the nasty fake lemon taste out of my mouth and the coffee tasted burnt. It was not a good latte!! Maybe she was so pre occupied with having someone go on break she screwed up my drink!! If you are going to make coffee you should know what you are doing. If anyone has had bitter, burnt tasting coffee you would know what I mean. Anyhow I will not be back sorry you lost my business and I wont spread a good word either!!!! To the manager: you should hire more friendly people and people who know how to make coffee cause the girl who helped me was not friendly nor knew what she was doing because my drink was screwed up. read more

The only thing better than having Top Pot Doughnuts in Seattle is having a branch open on the Eastside! We've been wanting this for so long (and are now dreading that the temptation is oh-so-near). The new location is right off NE 8th and I-405 in B'vue. Yes they bake on premises, yes the doughnuts are just as good as other locations (ours were exceptionally fresh) and... they have wi-fi!! One tiny thing I hope is just an opening-jitters thing - the jelly doughnut I got had waaayyyyy too much of the red stuff in proportion to the outside. It was all good, but too much of a good thing.... Any way, Top Pot, thank you for making our dreams come true. read more

Like you need a review of Top Pot - Eastside or Downtown. Here are my top tips though: Park in the underground parking and bring your ticket in for a one hour validation (somehow I always end up paying $2.13 for parking even after validation, I geuss that I'm a slow eater). TP has free Wi-Fi, just look for SSID "TPBell" and connect. No sign-in required. The music is great and appropriately loud so don't expect to do too many conference calls from here. Big plus: it seems like La Roux always ends up getting played while I'm here and where, outside of my car, are you going to hear La Roux on a regular basis? Lattes here are really good (and I'm a coffee snob). The staff is great, please tip them, they deserve it for the great espresso they pull. Let me throw in something critical about Top Pot (oh, the heresy I'm about to commit): the doughnuts aren't always great. Get them fresh out of the back and they are as good as any deep fried, sugar coated piece of dough but TP leaves their 'nuts sitting around for a while getting cold and dull. Bottom line: don't just ask for that chocolate glazed ring you spotted on the way in, ask for what's fresh. Last tip: best table is the cozy corner wrap around booth in the back corner. It's my table but I'll share it with you. read more

Already loved Top Pot when I discovered that they also offer Rice Milk alternative. I'm not a huge Soy fan and Rice Milk makes a great dairy free latte or mocha. Thanks for including this option, Top Pot. read more

A friend of mine who works in a building in Bellevue near Top Pot always Tweets when he is there getting a coffee or doughnut. On a trip to Seattle recently I decided on my early ride back to the airport I'd stop in. Now listen, doughnuts are not great for you...I know that. WOW the one I had was great. Bavarian creme filled (aka 'bismark'). It was fluffy and tasty...and probably way too many calories for me -- but c'mon -- you don't walk in to get a doughnut and expect to have steamed broccoli now do you!?!?! I'm not a coffee drinker (this shocked the staff there that I didn't order a drink) but it looked like a good place and the atmosphere was very welcoming. I will definitely be back (after I lose some weight :-)). Thanks to my friend John for nudging reminders on Twitter about Top Pot! read more

Trying to be healthy the last 5 years I don't think I touched a Top Pot Doughnut. I sure missed a lot in that time. Last weekend we went with my brother in law from California. We needed to hit up this Seattle institution. I was amazed how much the selection had expanded. We went for the Sandcastle, Raspberry Chocolate, Original Glazed and Maple Bar. The first 3 selections were all amazing since the cake doughnuts are the best here. The Sandcastle was a delicious surprise! The maple bar just tasted like an average run of the mill maple bar. Parking is validated for 1 hour in the garage, so that makes it easy if you want a quick visit. read more

Like Ryan P, I've seen these for sale before at Starbucks down in LA, but didn't think they were all that special. The old-fashioned was too dense, too stale. The doughnuts at the actual Top Pot are a different animal entirely. Still not quite the best doughnuts, but def one of the best doughnut shops. Fantastic coffee and a relaxed coffeehouse vibe. And anything with the raspberry glaze is positively decadent. A great place to hang out. read more

I felt the need to put my two cents in because perhaps some of the reviews let the anti-bellevue vibe slip in there. I find the location to be convenient and dangerous, just one block from my office. The doughnuts are OK - nothing to write home about and not "smack me in the face" fresh. I ordered a small coffee and was handed a specimen cup. Definitely order a large. The coffee was a more mild brew - a great alternative to starbucks. You can't go wrong here with free Wifi and a quiet atmosphere. I'll be back, though my belly says I shouldn't read more

Meh. There's no other way of describing my experience here. Dropped in one morning and ordered a salted caramel donut (cake) and an iced mocha. The donut was okay but was a wee bit on the dry side. However the drink was horrendous, it was basically chocolate milk. There was little to no coffee in it. After stomaching a few sips, I tossed it out. Heck even a Dunkin Donuts regular coffee is stronger than that. Skip this place and just go to Starbucks. read more

I didn't know the donuts were going to be so good. I don't feel guilty eating Top Pot doughnuts at all. I checked out this location recently and loved the atmosphere. This beats going into Seattle to go get a donut. Its right down the street from my house. I also enjoy the fact that they have free wi-fi for those that like to work from local cafes, etc. One thing is that its not at all noisy so you can actually get work done by chowing down on a glazed donut. One thing though, the donuts are a bit pricey but they are worth the treat. read more

I'm a big fan of old fashioned donuts, and for some reason Top Pot's version had a subtle difference to what I'm used to that made it better. Definitely the right amount of fluffiness and sweetness, so I guess the mystery ingredient must be... love. The coffee is not bad either. Nice place to chill out in the morning before work or on weekends. read more