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This place had me hyped! I think the "made daily" donut sign might be fibbing a little... We went on a Tuesday morning at 730am, and grabbed a chocolate, mango, salted caramel and a cherry with sprinkles. Greater with a smile. Only the salted caramel tasted like it was a fresh donut. The chocolate , mango and cherry had to have been made the day before...it was dense, cold and had no life to the dough. I could be wrong....but Hole donuts are still warm and delectable when you get them. Maybe we will try again this weekend for a filled donut(only do filled donuts on the weekend)
DOUGHNUT WORRY, the line may be long but moves quickly at Vortex Doughnuts! But please be respectful and know what you want to order by the time you get to the register! They've got seasonal coffee and donuts - but I only had eyes for the iced NOLA on their regular menu - which was a sweet and creamy chicory coffee using 1000 Faces Coffee, which I had just recently discovered in Athens, GA recently. By the time we made it to the register at 11am, they were very limited on donut options. We tried the famous Holenut, the Vortex (cinnamon sugar chocolate), a classic chocolate sprinkle and cranberry donuts. Everything was delicious but I also wasn't sure it was worth standing in a line outside in the cold for. Next time, I'll be sure to arrive earlier to get their more popular donuts!!
Friend introduced us to Vortex 2 years ago as one of the local gems in Asheville. They're well-known for their yeast donuts including a different variety of cream cheese donuts. Naturally I got a cream cheese-flavored strawberry yeast donut at that time, and I've been thinking about these donuts ever since. Had the opportunity to come back last month. Happy to say they are just as good as I remembered them. They also offer a variety of coffee drinks. Their mochas are particularly decadent, and I got the La Luchador just for that hint of spice. It brought me back to sipping these regularly while in the Yucatan peninsula. Goes well with donuts. Highly recommend a visit here if you're in town.
A group of us stopped by right before closing time for a quick treat. The donuts looked delicious. Ian was working the counter and could not have been nicer. He talked about the different donuts that they had available and his favorites. We tried the Vanilla Bean, Chai Blackberry, Cream Cheese, Salted Caramel, and Mango Pepper Flake donuts. We voted that Salted Carmel and Cream Cheese donuts were our favorites.
Some of the best donuts I've ever had! The yeast-based ones were super fluffy, and the Coconut Blue Lemon Cookie donut was incredible- perfectly balanced and not overly sweet. The space is open and inviting, and I loved the convenient handwashing sink. A must-visit in Asheville!
Service was good. The vibe of this place is very cool! The donuts here aren't really anything special to me. Hole had great donuts that were unique. This donut shop didn't really offer anything unique in my eyes.
I stopped in at Vortex Doughnuts early in the morning and it wasn't busy at all. The young man at the counter was super kind when taking my order. The shop itself is very cute inside and has a fun, artistic feel to it. I really like that they have 3 types of donuts (yeast, cake, and gluten sensitive). They have a decent variety of flavors to choose from. We got a 4 pack with the cream cheese, chocolate frosted, cinnamon sugar w/dark chocolate (their signature), and an apple fritter. The yeast donuts were nice and fluffy as described, with the cake donuts being a bit heavier. The gluten sensitive donut didn't have a "gluten free" taste at all, which was nice! We liked the consistency of each one but the actual taste was kind of bland, making the overall donuts just "okay." It lacked the flavor and sweetness you would expect from a sweet treat like a donut or apple fritter. I also ordered a hot caramel cappuccino, and that tasted great. If you prefer your pastries with minimal sweetness, this might be a good spot for you -- but if you're like me and lean more towards the sweet side of things, I would recommend somewhere else. Personally, I would rate their donuts a 6.5/10 :)
I came here because it is highly recommended and it is all over the Internet for one of the must try places in Ashville. With high hope walking in, atmosphere is excellent. Good job with all the open space decorations and art works on the wall. Service from the barista and cashier is excellent. Which is what you expect from a local cafe. Problem is their donuts. Why is it chewy. Is it because it is old or is it because some abnormal ingredients they use. They are big though. Next time I just get coffee or drinks. It taste so much better in a tall glass. But their donuts, I don't know. I just stick with regular donut shops. This is kinda overrated
I had heard about this place, was really let down. For a yeast donut, this is probably one of the worst I've had. Donuts are one of my favorite breakfast splurges. These were chewy, seemingly stale, and the flavors on most of them were not very strong. Lemon poppyseed was a standout among those, you'd expect a burst of lemon flavor, sadly it left much to be desired. Seems like a lot of people are fans, not sure what I missed here. Maybe an off day, staff was nice though and ambience was cool.
We came to visit, and this was the one place we were told we had to stop at during our trip. The donuts are INCREDIBLE - some of the best I've ever had. I'm used to getting cake donuts, but we were told we had to try the yeast donuts. Loved the light, chewy texture. The cream cheese cherry was the big winner - perfect frosting to donut ratio with the perfect amount of sweet. Also loved the espresso donut. They make good coffee as well, and I enjoyed my chai tea latte. Staff are super pleasant, and I love the big, open vibes of the shop and how they incorporate local artists. One of the best donut shops I've ever been to.
Nice vibe inside and lots of seating outside at the picnic tables. I'm not a a GenZ person looking for donuts with feelings, vegan, gluten-free blah blah blah. I want a great tasting with all the extras (milk, gluten, Sugar) that make a real donut a real donut... not something in disguise to make me "feel" good. So obviously I got the non-vegan donuts. Pretty good, not like Hendough (off the charts amazing), but solid donuts and located near some great breweries which doesn't hurt.
Ample space for lines and a few places to sit. The big plus is the non-dairy options for my bro who's allergic. The staff was amazing! So helpful and informative. Plenty of amazing options (but not Too many to choose)
I was visiting Greenville SC, and my daughter mentioned this place for donuts. So, I said I'm game, let's go. Once we got there we were bummed . They were completely sold out. Hence I don't have a review on them But when I do try them I will let you guys know. We did get some yummy coffees. They do have milk alternatives and the donuts are Vegan . The girls making the coffee were pretty friendly and they did feel bad for us. The place is cutesy and chill ambience. They have parking across the street too. So if your in the Asheville NC area. Come get some donuts, BUT call 1st to make sure they have them
5 years ago
8 years ago
I have been to Vortex before and the experience has always been great. The Vortex doughnut is my absolute favorite. However, Vortex Doughnuts truly showed great hospitality when I called yesterday to ask if I could show up with 25 high school students. They had no problem with this. My students were on a field trip (I teach Family & Consumer Science and Culinary Arts) and I wanted to take them to some local business in asheville. The Vortex employees were kind and accommodating. They treated each kid as a valued customer. So often businesses become annoyed with teenagers and forget that they are paying customers as well. Thank yo for an amazing start to our day! read more
Stopped by around 9:30 am over the weekend while visiting Asheville. Due to COVID restrictions, there is only a limited amount of people that can be inside, thus the line was outside (understandable) but also giving the appearance of a popular spot. I'm not sure vortex was worth the hype. Good consistency for donuts, they weren't the best I've had but I'd still say they were higher than average. A little pricey, but these are specialty donuts so I get it. As for the coffee, less than impressed. Went with the seasonal pumpkin spice latte.. which tasted like a warm creamy coffee that lacked in flavor. At a $5.50 price tag, I'll stick with my sbux PSL. Staff wasn't super friendly either, they were very meh (not welcoming). Overall, not worth the wait. read more
7 years ago
I'm always looking for the best doughnuts anywhere I go and this place was recommended by many, so of course we had to try it. It was pretty good. I think most of their doughnuts were vegan as well, even though I'm not. These doughnuts definitely aren't the best I've ever had, but they were good and the flavor combinations were great ideas. We tried the espresso and the chocolate peanut butter cake doughnut, as well as the apple fritter. These are cake based doughnuts, but seemed to be much lighter than the cake doughnuts I've had before. They were fluffier, rather than dense. The two doughnuts had a crisp outside with an airy inside. The peanut butter was my favorite out of what we tried. The espresso only had a slight hint of espresso and I was hoping for more. The apple fritter was not good. It was dry and the apple chunks were large and practically raw; I didn't even finish it. The doughnuts were good, but I almost wanted to turn around and leave because two of the workers were quite rude to us as we were trying to decide what to get. They didn't seem very willing to help out more than needed and I felt like we were bothering them just by simply not knowing what we wanted immediately, keeping in mind that we were the only people in line. The atmosphere was great and I think I would go back to try some new flavors and their coffee. Although I had some dislikes about this place, I would not mark it off of my list of "where-to's" for good. I would've rated it a 4-star if the customer service was better. read more
6 years ago
Nice place! To expensive!!! 6 donuts $20! They are chewy and in my experience under proofed! They are small nothing funcy for the price! read more
7 years ago
I visited Vortex Doughnuts on a weekend mountain trip this past weekend. I decided to order an Old Fashioned Doughnut and a drip coffee. When I saw the unglazed doughnut, I thought I had made a grave mistake. After one bite I was surprised. I had just bitten into the BEST doughnut I have ever had. It's 3 days since I visited Vortex and I am STILL thinking about that beautiful doughnut. 10/10 would definitely recommend! read more
Amazingly friendly staff and a super cool vibe. We felt welcomed as soon as we walked in and very much appreciated the guidelines they had in place for a Covid. Right now it's Togo only, mask required, and a limit on the number of people entering. They have outside picnic tables or you can take your order with you. The donuts are beautiful and well displayed in the glass class. They also have coffee. They have a selection of yeast donuts and a selection of cake donuts. We found the donuts themselves to be good, but the flavors and icings are what stood out to us. The texture of the donuts were different than we were used to having. We ordered yeast donuts: the cream cheese strawberry/blueberry, espresso, and the vortex. The flavors were wonderful if we come back we would try the cake donuts instead next time. The espresso we ordered had a fruity coffee vibe to it. Parking is available right across from the shop. It's a cute place and the staff is definitely welcoming and kind! read more
9 years ago
Never in my life have I felt compelled to use this particular word. And I live in Brooklyn, so trust me when I say that I have ample opportunity to do so. But there was just something about this place... Maybe it was the "I'm better than everyone and you're not" aura that emanated from the staff? Or that the vibe this spot exuded was the antithesis of the warm hug that radiated from Hole, which we'd visited beforehand? I don't know... All I can say is that the first word that popped into my head while remembering our experience here was 'douchey.': With that out of the way, let's talk Doughnuts. Went with a yeast-raised Espresso and rather liked the way the java flavor shined through in the glaze, which, happily, wasn't overly sweet. But the pastry component was less impressive, comparing it to my NYC gold standard of Dough, which is so pillowy, you're half-tempted to sink down on it and take a nap. Nonetheless, a solid effort and I'd eat one of these again. Then I tried the kid's cake version of the Espresso Doughnut. It was AWFUL. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it tasted off. In reading through other reviews of this spot later on, I totally get where people are coming from with comments like the cake Doughnuts "taste funky and like old grease." For the record, hubby got a yeast-raised Doughnut topped with some sort of beer-infused chocolate glaze and crushed pretzels, if I'm remembering correctly. He was pretty content with it, but I thought it lacked flavor. Just sayin.' Ultimately, I've had far better 'Gourmet Doughnuts' than what I experienced here. Though I'll concede that my yeast-raised Espresso pick most definitely beats Dunkin', this spot isn't nearly special enough for me to ever return. read more
My sweet tooth pushed me to Vortex Doughnuts on 12/27/17 and it didn't disappoint. +/- Dietary restrictions friendly- I am a vegan and they had one vegan option. I tried both variations of the Apple fritters. It was AMAZING!!! It was moist and the apples were fresh. My non-vegan husband was even impressed. Although I would love to see more vegan options. They were sold out by the time we left. + Specials- Make sure to look for their daily specials. On Wednesday the special was 1/2 off a dozen and Tuesday was B1G1 doughnuts. + Decor & Vibe- The decor was very modern and inviting. They sell apparel and coffee gadgets. Everyone was very friendly and helpful read more
I got sucked into the Vortex and I didn't want to come out of it! I could have stayed here all day and sampled all the flavors available. It was hard to pick a flavor and then I realized I needed to decide between cake and raised/yeast doughnuts too. Thankfully, most all the flavors were available in either type of doughnut so the options are endless. I've been a little obsessed with coconut lately, so I went with the chocolate coconut doughnut and the raised chocolate glazed with bacon. Top it off with a latte and my 10K post-race meal was a success. They're a little off the main path for downtown Asheville, but they're a hop skip & a jump away from the Funkatorium. Doughnuts & Beer? I'm down any time! read more
I was visiting Asheville and had heard about vortex donuts so had to check that out with my friends. The vibe is really cool and it's a very nice looking place. The service was friendly and the donuts, boy did they have a lot to choose from! Honestly the donuts were just OK, it looks better than they taste. I can't say there was anything wrong with them except they were just OK. I really don't have a lot more to say except check them out & perhaps you will like them more than I did. It's a very cool place to hang out and chat with friends while you have a snack. read more
6 years ago
9:45 am on a Monday. My husband and I arrive, and theres almost no selection left. We came for the weird flavors (there were supposed to be plenty). I ordered the blueberry sprinkle and blueberry pecan lavender. He ordered the banana bacon chocolate, and vanilla apple fritter, and a latte. All of these were in "cake" forms. The girl that took our order was very friendly. The girl that gave us our latte was not. At all. (I use the term "girl" here based on their appearance and (to the employees that may read this) I'm so sorry if I'm using the wrong pronouns, send me a message if thats the case and I'll update my review.) The best out of the four donuts was the banana bacon one. The blueberry sprinkle was so-so. The blueberry lavender tasted like I was eating a bath bomb.(My roommate took a bite and ended up spitting it out, citing "the texture alone") The vanilla apple fritter was " not as good as he thought it was going to be". (pretty flaky according to husband. should be noted that even though its not as good as he thought it would be, he still ate the whole thing). All of this ran us $19. Thats definitely expensive for what you're getting. Overall, I was disappointed. I'm new to Asheville, but I won't be going back here. I think the fun flavors and appearances are the best part, but within the first two bites. you realize thats definitely the only good part. Maybe next, I'll try Duck Donuts. (Update- tried Duck donuts, and it was SO MUCH better, and much much cheaper. Earned a 5 star review from me) read more
I've heard many raves about this place and was excited to try it for the first time. I ordered the vortex doughnut which consisted of dark chocolate and cinnamon which went well together. The doughnut wasn't too sweet which is how I like my doughnuts. I also ordered the NOLA coffee which was perfect. They had friendly staff and the atmosphere was quiet and casual. Will be coming back for sure. read more
5 years ago
Truly some of the best doughnuts I've ever tasted. The apple fritters were crazy good - come in glazed and cinnamon sugar with happy little bits of fresh apple inside. The coffee was good, a bit strong but solid. I had the cold brew, husband had the latte. We came because my daughter-in-law has to eat vegan and we were super excited about all the vegan choices. And they were GOOD. She said you couldn't even tell a difference. Very little indoor seating but cool picnic table area right next to it. Would have been 5 stars if not for the snotty little hipster dude who was rude and made us feel our excited questions about the doughnuts were an inconvenience to him. Remember, Vortex management, your counter people are your first impression of representation of your brand. Make sure they are good ambassadors. read more
Vortex Donuts has a great variety of donuts. They offer yeast or cake donuts with a selection of frostings and fillings. They are all displayed nicely and labeled so you know which donut you're getting yourself into. My personal favorite are the glazed yeast donuts. The donuts are a tad pricey (2.50 for glazed; 3.50 with filling) but they're so good! You won't be able to get just one. I recommend trying a few with your friends and sharing to sample every flavor. The Espresso donut is great and I don't like coffee! read more
7 years ago
The doughnuts here are great, but the employees inside were not friendly to us. They rushed us to order, were standing behind the counter talking about how they couldn't wait to leave in an hour at closing time that Saturday, and they weren't helpful when we asked questions on our first visit. We get excited about visiting new places. This spot had been on our list of sweet treat eateries to try for a long time. The doughnuts met our expectations. The business itself missed our expectations by a mile. I dare say it will not be a regular spot for us in Asheville. I battle anxiety, and I was simply quite uncomfortable here. As for what we tried, we ate vanilla cake, espresso yeast, chocolate-pecan yeast and chocolate cake doughnuts. They were all good. The chocolate flavors were quite strong. Perhaps too strong. We also tried an iced coffee as we were in on a summer Saturday. The flavor was unplaceable and so strong we couldn't add enough cream to neutralize it. So, to summarize: Doughnuts good, coffee ehh, service bad. Good luck parking nearby on busy days, too. We've been to doughnut shops across the Carolinas. This one falls in the bottom tier, without question. read more
coming from NY I am used to chain doughnut shops, as you walk thru the doors you are greeted with this huge blackboard filled with drinks and a amazing doughnut guide. After reading other reviews I decided to try the glazed apple fritter. From the looks I thought the glaze would be a very heavy and sweet glaze, very surprised that it was light and not overwhelmingly sweet. the doughnut is light and fluffy. The filing is diced apples, and that's all. In my opinion the filling could use a little flavor, the apples were bland alone. I would come back to try other doughnuts. read more
4 years ago
This place is so exciting and fun. I can't wait to go back. The doughnuts are really top notch. They have a good variety to choose from if you get there early. I would suggest trying some different ones, or taking some to go, so you can experience some different flavors. The shop is fairly small, but they do have seating throughout. They also offer coffee, which is particularly strong and delicious. I usually have plain espresso and chocolate sauce. They make their own chocolate and it is a very bittersweet dark chocolate, which is different, but in a good way..(if you like that kind of flavor). I would for sure come back here next visit. The parking lot across the street is easy to park in, or you can opt for street parking. read more
6 years ago
Holy moly their vegan donuts are AMAZING! I dont feel guilty at all for smashing a half dozen with my girlfriend. If I would of know good great they are I would of gotten a bakers dozen. Deeeelish! read more
7 years ago
The coffee didn't need any creamer or sugar--it was smooth as is. The donuts always rock and the service is always friendly and quick! read more
6 years ago
Vortex was absolutely amazing! They have a variety of donuts, breakfast treats, and coffee! We got 6 donuts (for the long drive home) and coffee. They also had regular milk, almond milk, or oat milk. They were friendly, fast and so clean! We will definitely be back! read more
4 years ago
Wow, this place is yummy!! I loved the variety of flavors & the chocolate icing was perfection! read more
4 years ago
6 years ago
What can I say? Yum yum yum! I was on the way to grab an early BBQ lunch with my husband on my way out of town, when we stumbled upon this place. The ambience is so fun. Staff was friendly. And the donuts and drinks were delicious! read more
6 years ago
These donuts were so light & airy, I ate 4 . The raspberry didnt taste artificial, it was lemony & sweet but not too sweet. The salted caramel was delicious & the sugar were probably my favorite! I only gave them 4 stars because they're pricey. The outside sitting area was great with the benches & artsy walls. read more
I'm so glad I got to try Vortex during our short trip to Asheville! The doughnuts here are amazingggg!! They have yeast and cake donut options and both were great. My favorite was the vortex donut (yeast) which is a cinnamon sugar with chocolate swirl (see picture). Definitely recommend to check this place out when you're in the area!!! read more
We were right next-door to this place at the brewery so we figured we should pop in to grab a little treat before going to the next one. I had the turtle donut and my husband got the Apple fritter. The turtle donut was very good, the chocolate frosting is dark chocolate so if you're not a fan of that I would avoid it. For me, it was perfect! It was really quite good and filling. I also had a caramel latte which was excellent. I would come back here every day if I lived here just for the espresso. Apple fritter had a vanilla glaze on it that was quite sweet, but it was still good. read more
5 years ago
6 years ago
This is a fantastic spot to try with a multitude of interesting donuts! Make sure to try a yeast and a cake donut, they're very different and both great in their own way. read more
So fresh and so good! Ordered the cinnamon and chocolate yeast doughnut with an iced chai tea latte. Appreciated that the chai tea was described as more spiced than sweet which is always best in my opinion. The doughnut was fresh and light and fluffy. Seems like a perfect place to hang and get some work done too! read more
Wish I could give Vortex 10 stars!! The donuts are beautifully displayed and it's pretty much impossible to pick out just one -- so don't! Pick multiple. You won't regret it. The coffee was good. I ordered the regular cup of coffee but slightly disappointed in the cream offerings. I prefer heavy cream and they only had almond milk, half & half or whole milk. Hubby got the latte and it was not only gorgeous but scrumptious!! You might need multiple trips here to get the full experience. Oh yeah, and the art on the walls is too much fun!! Sit back and enjoy some time here! read more
4 years ago
More info about Vortex Doughnuts
32 Banks Ave
Ste 106
Asheville, NC 28801
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(828) 552-3010
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http://vortexdoughnuts.com/
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Ask the Community - Vortex Doughnuts
Do they carry any gluten-free donuts?
The barista told me today that they do NOT (nor have they ever have had) gluten-free donuts. 😭
How many vegan options do they usually carry?
Hi. Vortex usually has about 4-6 different vegan donuts - and they're great. I work with a vegan food company, and we always order from Vortex for company meetings. They do sometimes get low on the inventory though, so best to go earlier in the…
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