I love donuts, so this donut shop has been on my radar for a while. I will now try to come here every time I'm in Asheville. Covid-19: I don't think there's any way to order ahead. It's possible that you could call in your order, but the flavors rotate and there's no reliable place to find the current menu (I thought I found it on Instagram, but it ended up being wrong). Luckily, we could go in to get donuts very quickly. We got 4 donuts: blueberry/mango/coconut, banana/maple/pecan, cream cheese, and salted caramel. These were all yeast donuts. They also have cake donuts, but cake donuts are far inferior so we obviously did not get them. These donuts were amazing. They were doughy and flavorful. My favorite was probably the blueberry/mango/coconut. The cream cheese and salted caramel were more classic donuts, but I loved how saucy they were (literally dripping with glazed topping). Many of their donuts are vegan too. I'm pretty sure some of the ones we got were vegan, but I don't remember which ones (you couldn't tell). These are far better than any donuts I've had in Charlotte. If you're in the area and like donuts, make sure to stop here! read more

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Vegan yeast doughnuts. I'll drop the mic right there. I don't know about you but my hometown is desperately in need of vegan, yeast doughnuts available on the regular. Right now, it's mainly a certain day of the week at a few places. When you need a doughnut, you need a doughnut. Am I right?!? Anyhoo, I was pleased as punch to find a shop in Asheville that daily makes these delights from scratch. They offer yeast and cake varieties as well as non-vegan options and items for gluten-free folks as well. Walking in on a Friday morning, I saw the amazing display of goodness on the front counter. I had so many choices, it was overwhelming. I waited my turn, there was a line of course, and decided on two - strawberry waffle cone and maple blueberry pecan. These a really large doughnuts as you can tell from my photos. Also a lot of sugar, so be forewarned. Vegan food does not always equal healthy food. Vortex is like a gourmet Krispy Kreme (another gem of North Carolina), y'all. My breakfast was about $8 as I recall, with no drink, but worth it. This is a treat not a daily thing for sure. I preferred the strawberry as the flavor was more pronounced and natural. I would've liked the maple to be more maple and less straight sugary. The toppings were gorgeous and delicious on both. Vegan, not vegan - all doughnut lovers should try Vortex. Nice people, ginormous doughnuts, and inventive flavor combinations. read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Strawberry waffle cone and maple blueberry pecan yeast donuts - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Leave it to me to find a donut place. And like most I encounter, these did not disappoint. The flavors were offered in both yeast and cake. I went with the yeast apple fritter and cream cheese cherry donut. The apple fritter wasn't my favorite. It was soft, and not as fried as you would find with a typical fritter. And the apple taste was a little weird. Almost like they were fermented. The apple chunks were big, though. The cream cheese cherry donut with a basic donut with the icing. The cream cheese icing was really flavorful and sort of messy. You can tell the icing was fresh as it didn't solidify. It could have used more cherry, but I would get this flavor again. The gentleman who helped me behind the counter was pleasant. Greeted me right away with a smile on his face. Nothing fancy about the inside. Typical coffee place. So, yeah, I would try it again. read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Cream Cheese Cherry yeast (top) & apple fritter yeast (bottom) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

After trying Vortex Doughnuts for our first time, my wife and I intend on coming back every time we visit Asheville. Donuts are our favorite treat, we have then often and of all the donuts we've had--these are some of the best. The yeast donuts are soft and doughy which we both enjoy. The glazes are thick, flavorful, and sweet. And not only that, they look pretty too. read more

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Came here again! Love love love their doughnuts and flavor! This time we tried the salted Carmel, Apple Vanilla Fritter, Mango Cherry , Expresso, Chai Chocolate! Our favorite was definitely the salted Carmel! My husband who really dislikes Carmel for the first time said damn this doughnut is amazing(and that's when I told him it was Carmel ) wasn't too big a fan off chai chocolate, lacked loads of flavor and same with the expresso. Just cause I didn't like two doughnuts I wouldn't give this place any less stars. They have a doughnut for everyone, you want something light you have yeast doughnut, you want a thicker type of doughnut you got it, you want a vegan doughnut you even have that, and lastly each doughnut had a different sweetness level, so I think it def has a special doughnut for each person. In addition to that, these have one of the most unique flavors I've seen. The first thing I do when I go to any new city, is to try out their doughnuts, and this def is in my top 10! Reminded me of Monuts in Durham which is one of my favorites read more

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Came here to grab breakfast for the road as we made our way down to Pigeon Forge. Got the Green Monster, maple sea salt, espresso and the peach cobbler. They were rather dry which is odd considering we got them in the morning so I'd think they were fresh. While the espresso lived up to it's name, the peach cobbler did not. If we had to pick a favorite it'd be the green monster which had an eclectic mix of flavors that went well together. The shop was cute but expect to wait, and pay up as these are on the pricier side. read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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A coffee and doughnut shop. The doughnut flavors are always well organized by yeast, gluten free and cake sections. The yeast doughnuts are my go to! They are so moist and thick. One doughnut alone is pretty filling since they are big. I've tried a bunch of different flavors and seasonal flavors. All of which I've liked and would order again if offered. There's plenty of vegan options and non vegan options. Some are cream filled as well. I look forward to visiting vortex doughnuts every time I go to Asheville. Give this place a try if you're in town! Your tummy will thank you later. read more

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Delicious - good cappuccino and excellent yeast donuts fresh from the oven. The raspberry was super flavorful and our favorite. read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Yummy donuts and an apple fritter. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I first learned about Vortex Doughnuts when they were features in an issue of food network magazine, and I knew I wanted to visit when I was in the area. I first tried them in 2016 and was back in Asheville for the first time since then to enjoy a weekend away with my husband. We got multiple donuts, and they also advised us which we could get for our son with an egg allergy. The place is clean and the service is friendly. Overall, you can't go wrong with Vortex Doughnuts. read more

I got one cake doughnut and one yeast doughnut, both vegan. The cake doughnut was delicious, 8/10, but the yeast doughnut was out of this world, 11/10!! AMAZING flavor and texture. I will be dreaming of these doughnuts !! Also staff were really nice. read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Non vegan red velvet, vegan apple fritter, vegan strawberry chocolate, vegan raspberry cream. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Pumpkin spiced doughnut to kick off fall? Yes please! Great pumpkin flavor on a light airy yeast doughnut was heaven. They have quite the selection in both yeast and cake variety which you don't often find. Their lattes are also solid because you can't have doughnuts without coffee. read more

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Delicious!!! What a treat. We visited on Valentine's Day and they were having a 2 for 1 donut special. They also had special donuts in the shape of L O V E . Very cute for the holiday! Donuts were very yummy. Light and airy and not too heavy. Icing was sweet and sprinkles were an added touch! We had the cinnamon sugar and the valentine vanilla "E" donut. Lots of seating and they also had coffee and other beverages. We will definitely be back when in town again! read more

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We were very excited to try this place l as it is highly praised. When we got there, there was still quite a selection but not as many cake donuts left. Works for me, as I normally don't like cake donuts and only yeast. My partner got a cake one to try though as he likes cake doughnuts. When we tried them all, they were definitely good, don't get me wrong, but they didn't live up to the hype for me. The yeast doughnuts were a bit too chewy for my liking but I tried a bite of the cake doughnuts and it was quite good. I would say they are better at doing cake doughnuts than they are yeast in my opinion. My favorite doughnuts are Bakers Dozen in Cary, NC and it's hard to beat. Give this place a try though! read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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If you're in Asheville, you must stop by. The quality of donuts, care by employees, and unique flavor combo will make you want to go more than once. I believe we ordered one of each donuts, most of their latte as we had our wedding party there and everything was delicious and perfect. My favorite were chai donut and lemon blueberry. read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

My first trip to Asheville found me unable to visit Vortex because they were closed by the time I arrived on the block. On my second trip, I made sure I stopped for donuts. And by golly, they had them. While we have a couple of craft donut/doughnut spots in South Florida, Vortex is one of those you hear about and want to become with because of unicorns and shit. I was very impressed with their spacious layout and groovy chalkboard menu behind the counter that spoke to me in a way that said, "I'm part of this community. I'm here for you." It was particularly glorious because we had begun making the rounds of the local breweries, and to keep going, I required strong coffee as well. With ordering an iced cold brew and too yeast-based doughnuts -- one with chocolate frosting and the other with salted caramel, I sat with my lady as I enjoy both... savoring each with precision and care like cruising around in a '57 Chevy Bel Air. The cold brew helped me stay in check against the hazy onslaught of IPAs and stouty thickness. I felt alert and strong. Strong and alert, having checked off my need for dessert. If I lived in Asheville, I would come here, but I would also try the cake-based doughnuts as well because why not? Something worth doing is worth doing right before someone gets the last bite. read more

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Go there ready to kill a minimum of 2 donuts. The donuts are fresh, made same day. They have seasonal donuts and when they sell out they don't make anymore (definitely get one of those). I got two specialty donuts and then two backups just incase we didn't like the special ones. Some advice-- go all in. They separate the donuts by cakey or doughy-- I happen to like both so I got both types. They have almost the same flavors for each type of donut. Then they have their seasonal donuts. The apple fritter donut was a pleasant surprise. It was the first thing I bit into and the last thing I wanted to savor. Even the ice coffee was delicious. They have local art hanging on the back wall for sale via Venmo which I thought was pretty cool. I probably gained some lbs but it was definitely worth it! read more

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The yeast donuts were amazing!!! We tried the cream cheese donut, salted caramel, chocolate frosted, glazed, espresso and the vortex donut. The espresso had to be our favorite! read more

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The doughnuts were amazing. That espresso dusted doughnut? Probably one of the best I've ever had!! Very hip vibes, and the folks were nice. Definitely recommend I'd you're in the area! read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Before coming down to Asheville, I did a little research to find some hot spots to spend my calories. Vortex Doughnuts instantly caught my eye because of the amazing pictures and, you know, doughnuts. After lunch I decided to do some exploring and check Vortex out. Located on the outskirts of downtown next to a few breweries, Vortex totally fits in by having that raw, rustic aesthetic in a large open space. Like most of the surrounding businesses, the space looks like it used to be a warehouse or something with an oversized standing area and a few tables. They have a decent selection of doughnuts, not too many which was good because I always feel too many flavors can be too overwhelming. I thought it was also a nice touch that they included vegan variations of some of the flavors. We decided on three doughnuts to share: the vanilla sour cream, salted caramel, and Vortex. The doughnuts were quite good - the Vortex was coated in granulated sugar and drizzled in chocolate and had a nice chewy consistency. The salted caramel resembled a classic glazed with good caramel flavor. The sour cream was my favorite - it was a cake doughnut that had awesome flavor and textures Service was friendly, and overall I really enjoyed what Vortex. The doughnuts were really tasty and it's definitely worth a stop in if you're in the area. read more

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Delicious!!!! I would recommend getting a few and sharing. The staff was very friendly and very helpful! It was in a very cool part of town. I loved the vanilla, coconut, blueberry cream cheese, and apple fritter. I don't think you can go wrong here! read more

If you love doughnuts, Vortex is a must visit when in Asheville! Absolutely delicious! read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Came in about 9 on a Sunday morning and after waiting in a pretty lengthy line felt quite disappointed. There weren't a ton of options and they were already out of several donuts. They were also completely out of espresso which was a huge bummer. I ended up getting a cake Vortex donut and my husband got a cake espresso donut. They were alright but kind of hard and rough, just not really blown away! read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Vortex donut - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Yeast donuts are always may favorite. These were hot and flakey. The caramel almost had too much caramel, I had to eat with a fork and then scrape up the excess caramel. They do have both yeast and cake donuts so everyone can get the type they like. Personally, I think we should get rid of the cake side so there is more room for the flakey yeast donuts, but who am I to judge! read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Salted Caramel - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Customer service was excellent! Atmosphere was clean and welcoming. However, the donuts were no good. We tried six different ones and both my friend and I agreed that we would not go back. Specifically, their take on the vegan apple fritter was obviously not in vain but definitely tasted that way. After conversing with my friend about what exactly we did not alike about these donuts, we came to the conclusion that it was about the dough. The dough was rather thick and there was just too much of it. And this seems like a common theme with various versions of their donuts. If you are one of those types that really loves eating dough, then this is your spot. But if you prefer more of a even balance between the other components of a donut and the dough itself, then this probably isn't your spot. read more

Vegan donuts? Is there a difference between vegan and non-vegan donuts. Yes, a thousand times yes! I had the espresso vegan donut and a few days later I am still thinking about the thick frosting and chewy goodness. Yes the donut is chewy, it's like a bagel and a donut had a delicious baby (eating babies is wrong, but eating baby donuts is ok). One donut and a coffee was enough to fill me up and get me going through the afternoon of exploring Asheville. This was a cool place to just hang out and people watch. The staff is uber hip too. Stop on by. read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Greta donut spot in Asheville. Probably some of the bets donuts of my life. Showed up at 10 am and there was no line and the donuts were still fresh ( even after they opened at 7 am!) Good with allergies too, all non vegan donuts are marked - everything else is vegan. I would say about 7/10 donuts were vegan. They have each flavor in cake and yeast as well so good variety. read more

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I rarely eat donuts, so if I'm going to have a huge one, it better be one of the best...and the donuts here truly are. Only tried the yeast type, and they were light, flavorful, and a worthy sugar buzz. Inviting space, friendly service. read more

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I have been visiting Vortex for years, but their quality is less awesome each time. The filled doughnuts were expensive and terrible. They were gooey, raw, and undercooked inside, as if they were a day old. I think I will seek doughnuts elsewhere in AVL in the future. My to-go doughnuts were thrown in the trash. read more

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I didn't even realize these donuts were vegan! They were freshly made the morning my friends and I came in, so we got a half dozen to split and a slew of coffees to enjoy at their outdoor seating area. For any lactose intolerant folks, they do have non dairy milk options for your coffee! We were looking for something quick before heading to a morning wedding ceremony and this hit the spot. Our donut haul included the waffle cone, cinnamon sugar, and various berry donuts. Their menu changes often so I won't recommend a specific donut, but I will say anything in their display case will be a good choice! read more

Stopped by as I hadn't had a vegan donut in MONTHS and was thrilled to see not just one or two options--instead, "ALL items are vegan unless otherwise stated." !!! I want more menus to be like this. Also, they were delicious. I only wanted 2 donuts but my husband ordered the two of us a half dozen--we devoured them all by lunch. read more

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Wonderful, fluffy, light, flavorful yeast donuts. We got the vortex, cinnamon sugar mango, strawberry chocolate, and our favorite cream cheese mango. Coffee was great too. Line moves quick while you debate what to get and room to eat in or take out. read more

The doughnuts are DANK. By the name of the place I'm sure you could have guessed that but they truly were good. Order a blueberry doughnut and got a cold brew coffee. Very good, probably cheaper prices out there but this was good quality read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I came in about an hr before closing so I was super excited to take advantage of their end of day "BOGO" deal. There was not a lot to choose from as one might expect at the end of the day (there were still quite a few vegan option doughnuts tho). I got the Espresso & Vegan Sugar w/chocolate drizzle doughnuts. Both were yeast (there were quite a few cake doughnut options, but I am not a fan of the texture of cake doughnuts overall). I also go their Espresso Savio batch brew drip coffee. The price was right for the two BOGO doughnuts and a 12oz coffee at just under $6. I will say I wasn't blown away by either doughnut (tho oddly enough I liked the vegan one more and I am very much not a vegan). The texture was good, but the flavor was lacking, especially for the Espresso doughnut. It was like the flavor was on low battery mode...it was kinda there, but not at its max potential. The coffee was just OK too. It was a little too bitter/acidic for my liking and I'm not sure if that was do to the style or if it was just end of day. In any case, I'd probably come back if I'm in the are, but earlier in the day to see if the issues were just due to end of day or that's just the product here. I did absolutely enjoy the vibe and the atmo in the space! read more

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Visited Vortex during a trip to Asheville with friends because we'd heard so much about it. We had to wait in line outside for a bit, but that wasn't too bad - service was speedy and there's plenty spots to sit inside as most people carry out their donuts. Between the three of us, we shared 4 flavors - Maple, Espresso, Chocolate Banana, and Earl Gray. Our favorite was probably the Espresso or Earl Gray, just for the uniqueness of the flavor. The Chocolate Banana and Maple were not intense enough to deliver on the namesake flavors, but were pretty good donuts otherwise. We were not super impressed given how much hype we had heard about Vortex, unfortunately - the donuts were good but not very memorable and we wished the flavors had been much stronger / more pronounced. Maybe if we had gotten the stuffed ones - but because Vortex is constantly making fresh donuts, the flavors / varieties you want may have run out by the time you order, with a 5-20 minute wait for the next batch. Overall, Vortex was good but not amazing - try Hole in Asheville instead for something different! read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Earl Gray, Maple, Espresso, and Chocolate Banana donuts - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

This is such a good local coffee/doughnut shop. And best of all they have Gluten Free options! Even though the GF donuts look a bit sad since they are smaller and not as fluffy as the other pastries they are still delicious. Both the vortex and sprinkles I would recommend. The coffee is also pretty good. It will taste like coffee and not like syrup which is awesome in my eyes. read more

I typically do not like doughnuts. But if you tell me that you have cake doughnuts...game changer. There's plenty of street parking around the shop. Off to the side of the building, they have an area where it's covered, like in a tent with benches and non covered area. Now the doughnuts...so first, what I appreciate the most is that they have the same flavors in both yeast and cake doughnuts. Sometimes, some places only have a few flavors in either or. So then it puts less pressure on what flavors to choose from etc. the most popular are the salted caramel, vortex, and death by chocolate. We got vortex as cake, and the other two as yeast doughnuts. The salted caramel was super interesting. Normally the taste in salted caramel, the salt is super subtle. But in this flavor, you can taste the salt pretty strongly. But what can subtle the saltiness is amazing if you pair it with coffee. It's def worth getting coffee to drink with your doughnut. Although, I hands down have to say the vortex cake doughnut stole my heart. It reminded me of chocolate churros...which is gold. I could eat a whole dozen of those, it's dangerous. The coffee that I got was the sweet Bombay. It was sweet but also not too sweet. I think the pistachio flavoring made the sweetness less. But it was a cappuccino with pistachio. It was nice and nutty and paired very well with the doughnuts! This place is a place that I musttttt come back to. read more

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This place is amazing! Best donut I have ever had. So fresh and the flavors are great. Service is great too. Kind and patient workers. We'd never been there before and they were very helpful. read more

Doughnuts were just okay. I give credit for the yeasty airy chew which was pleasant. Got the apple fritter and hot honey. The fritter was not frittering, it lacked the hearty heft I expect from fritters, also the apple bits seemed washed of their flavor or too tart, all over the place?? What bothered me the most was the service. I walked in, obvious eye contact, no greeting. no welcoming feeling. I thought it was just me. A friend comes in, the same thing, barista with glasses was devoid of any welcoming quality. Observed another customer come in, she too was ignored as she stood around wondering what/how?...as 2 employees behind the counter was busy talking, even glanced at her, but proceeded to finish their convo before finally saying something. I've worked at a cafe during university. The customers coming in are the main priority no if/ands/buts. To top it off, my friends and I wondered why his drink was taking forever. He finally goes up to the counter and it was just sitting there??? read more

Both types of donuts were excellent! They were huge and a nice variety of flavors that anyone would like. Also ordered a blueberry lavender latte which was delicious. Super friendly service and atmosphere was artsy and comfortable. No seating indoors due to covid but plenty of picnic tables in front and on the side of the building. Excellent experience! read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Vanilla, cream cheese frosted, glazed, espresso, chocolate coconut and cinnamon sugar with chocolate drizzle. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

My review is strictly about the donuts -- we visited during the pandemic, so dine-in was restricted, and I chose not to order a drink. First off, I absolutely love the vibe of the cafe; it was clean, chill, and nicely decorated. If I lived nearby, I could imagine this being a popular work/study spot. Ordering was simple -- there was nothing extravagant or lacking about the service we received. As for the donuts, I was able to try several of their flavors by sharing with my friends. However, I was most disappointed by the oily-residue/taste. Upon biting into the donut, I felt oil ooze from the dough, which really ruined my desire to eat more. For almost $3 per donut, there are several other artisanal donut shops that are equally as good (and cheaper)! However, looking at other reviews, I would love to come back and try a different flavor for a better experience. read more