Jupiter Donut Factory

Don’t Miss Out

The last time I had an incredible donut was about 12 years ago. There was a donut shop in my old neighborhood that baked the very best jelly donuts. Every year during Hanukkah, I would order them to take to my childrens’ school. The only downside of this shop was that the owners were chain smokers and I would leave there feeling as though I had just smoked a carton of cigarettes.

Willing to withstand the risk to my lungs, I would continue to go there and buy donuts. That is, until one day I went and they were gone. Ever since then, I have not found another donut shop that was worthy of the time and effort it took to get up and drive.

Until last week when I went on a Road Trips For Food (RTFF) to Jupiter Donut Factory in Jupiter, Florida. To say that those of us who trekked up there really wanted to be there would be an understatement.

I had heard that Jupiter Donut Factory opens at 6:00 a.m. and stays open until 2:00 p.m. or until the donuts are gone, the latter being the norm. So, I decided to be very clever and schedule this RTFF for 7:00 a.m., a time that normally would be a most unacceptable option. The key to this RTFF was to include our kids, who would have to head out to school shortly after finishing the donuts.

Great planning on my part, if I say so myself. Nancy and Bill Hebrank and their daughter, Carey, own Jupiter Donut Factory. Walking in, immediately, took me back to a time that I had thought long gone. There is something special about being greeted by one of the owners, in this case Carey, and chatting about all the choices.

I had done a little bit of investigating before heading there, so I knew that the Bacon Maple Syrup Donut was a must. My friend Tracey was the second person from our group to arrive, so her two daughters and Samuel had the ‘job’ of calling out the dozen donuts we were going to order, in addition to the two Bacon Maple Syrup Donuts.

All the kids waited patiently while we cut each donut into small pieces, instructing them that they may take just one piece of however many kinds they wanted to try. Amazingly, this system actually worked.

The kids’ tables became a bit quieter (relatively speaking) and the adult table was very busy saying and mumbling through stuffed mouths, “OH-MY-GOD ” as we decided which donuts we loved the most.

Unquestionably, the Bacon Maple Syrup Donut was the number one favorite. It is an oblong donut that is topped with a nice thick layer of maple syrup glaze and pieces of perfectly cooked bacon over the glaze.

The Raspberry Jelly Donut was also a big hit and I was thrilled that it reminded me of the donut shop from years ago, possibly even better. The Banana Coconut Donut was not one I had intended to try, but Carey raved about it. I can’t say that we were surprised that it, too, turned out to be delicious.

Other donuts we tried were S’mores, M&M’s, Chocolate Coconut, Old Fashioned Glazed, Chocolate Glazed, Strawberry Glazed, Red Velvet, Chocolate Glazed with sprinkles, Cake Donut and Vanilla Glazed with sprinkles. There were a few bites left by the time we left, but it was only because we were completely stuffed.

Well, stuffed or not, I learned from Tracey that the Apple Fritters were simply, “a must have.” They were not available to us when we first arrived, because the Apple Fritters don’t come out of the oven until 7:30 p.m. I did what any sane person. who just eaten the equivalent of several donuts, would do…I bought two to go.

Bottom line, the Apple Fritters are a must. I strongly recommend that when you go to Jupiter Donut Factory, go early enough to see the full selection of donuts before they are gone. Just not too early that you miss out on ALL the options.