The cozy and slightly sweet aroma of fresh donuts and pastries swirls past the customers queued in line. Families and couples debate over which donuts to purchase, examining the large selection neatly organized behind the display case. After receiving their pink box, customers leave the shop with their donuts, beaming. Located on Almonte Blvd. in Mill Valley is the third Bob’s Donuts shop, a popular family-run business with its roots in San Francisco. However, this new location is particularly special, as the owner’s family grew up in the neighborhood directly behind it and even attended Redwood. The store opened on Oct. 29 and is now providing Marin locals with handmade donuts, pastries and coffee every day of the week. As an avid donut enthusiast, I set out to review some of Bob’s donuts based on their flavor, presentation, texture and overall cohesiveness.

Chocolate sprinkle: 8/10

Decorated with rainbow sprinkles, this donut is dipped in chocolate icing adding some color to the display. It is the perfect serving size and the soft, cakey dough complements the slight crunch of the sprinkles. The chocolate icing is silky, but the flavor of chocolate was not as strong or as sweet as I would have liked. 

Raised glazed: 9/10 

A donut review could not be complete without an evaluation of the classic glazed! This simple donut is hard to get wrong. Its fluffy dough is soft and light, and the golden treat melts in your mouth with one bite. Covered with a glistening glaze, the mild sweetness pairs perfectly with the fried dough to create a flawless ratio. This basic donut is “a-glaze-ing.”

Cinnamon roll: 6/10

This treat is eye-catching, to say the least. These pastries are almost perfectly coiled and larger in size than other treats at Bob’s. The cinnamon roll’s soft texture balances nicely with the crisp edges of its spiral. In regards to flavor, the cinnamon itself is deficient, but the sweetness of the glaze coating makes up for it. Eating through the layers of the roll, the treat is dry and not as gooey as I anticipated. 

Cake crumb: 10/10

Coated with crumbs and a glazed drizzle is the cake crumb donut, one of the most popular options at Bob’s. The dense, cakey dough is a bronze color, and the inside is moist and delectable. The sugary crumb layer is crispy and adds just the right amount of sweetness. This option is especially ideal for those who are not a fan of icing. Although it is a bit messy, you must “crumb” to Bob’s to taste this.

Raised sugar: 9/10

Sparkling, this raised donut is quite literally, entirely blanketed with sugar. The airy dough is extremely puffy but is missing a craved crispiness. However, the sugarcoat does give the texture a bit of a crunch. Biting into the donut, the white sugar latches onto your lips and hands; an excuse to lick your fingers. The taste of this donut is phenomenal, you’ll like it a “hole” lot!

Chocolate bar: 4/10

A rectangular donut? The irregular shape is what makes this treat unique. However, the odd bumps on top of the donut and its flat appearance were not pleasing to the eye. While the glossy icing looks remarkable, its weak chocolate flavor tastes a bit artificial. Inside, I found the donut hollow and the dough seemed stale which added to my dissatisfaction with the chocolate bar.

Croissant donut: 10/10

A perfect hybrid between a donut and a croissant is exactly this. Denser than most donuts, this treat has various thin layers of croissant dough and is coated with glaze. Its flaky inside is delightfully sweet and buttery, compelling customers to finish it in a matter of seconds. The square shape of this treat is also a-dough-rable! It may not be the first donut that comes to mind, but the croissant donut sure is delicious. 

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Originally opened in San Francisco, Bob's Donuts first two stores are located on Polk Street and Baker Street.