user
Vortex Doughnuts
32 Banks Ave #106, Asheville, NC 28801, United States
Appearance
Vortex Doughnuts
Comments
Na
Review №1

Ive been on a serious donut kick lately and Vortex did not disappoint. We waited for about 45 minutes to order and it was totally worth it. If you are looking for something quick this may not be a good option for you.We ordered every flavor they had. They have two options of donuts (yeast & cake). Yeast is lighter and fluffy while cake is more dense. Another recommendation is if you can get them when they are warm it steps them up a whole other level.Our favorite were the apple fritter (large chunks of apples), and Strawberry sprinkle (Strawberry tasted like real strawberries not that fake pink stuff you get at Dunkin).Stop in and enjoy!

Th
Review №2

Overpriced and not good. Save your money and try another local shop. Doughnuts were tough and just generally didn’t taste yummy. We love trying new local donut shops on our travels and by far this was the worst. Very dissatisfied. Gave it three stars as the coffee was good. Overpriced but good.

Er
Review №3

Delicious doughnuts! The vanilla apple fritter is a favorite. We got there right when it opened (7am) so obviously there’s no wait.

Ly
Review №4

Super delicious gluten free doughnuts and fair price! (Pictured: GF berry sprinkle, GF Pumpkin). Also no wait at 8am!

Ja
Review №5

Line moved quickly. Nice atmosphere. They have a yeast donut side and a cake donut side with ample flavors. Anyone who really loves their donuts knows this is an important distinction. Wide selection of vegan donut options. I tried the peach molasses yeast donut and lemon raspberry cookie yeast donut. The peach molasses had strong molasses flavor with hints of peach-tasty! The lemon raspberry cookie was tart, but a little too sweet for me. If you like lemon shortbread and tangy flavors, youll like this one. Great prices, fun flavors. A nice place to stop at if youre in the area. Street parking with meters and paid lot available. All gender restrooms was a huge plus!

Re
Review №6

Love that the standard donut is vegan! Highly recommend their yeast donuts. Love love LOVED their banana strawberry peanut chocolate donut!! Perfect start to the day…

Ry
Review №7

Awesome donuts! Tons of vegan and gluten free options. Mouthwatering flavors. Loved the raspberry lemon pistachio and vanilla apple fritter. Friendly service.

Gi
Review №8

The donuts here were delicious!! So happy to see vegan options available while not compromising any taste. Service was great and prompt. Will be returning!!

Ti
Review №9

Best doughnuts in the South that I’ve had so far! Absolutely worth the wait. This place felt like home - we are from Portland, OR, so finding a high quality doughnut shop was right up our alley. The vibe was upbeat and inclusive, really awesome staff and delicious coffee to pair with incredible, unique doughnuts. Will always eat here when visiting Asheville.

Tr
Review №10

Vegan seems to be the default, which is pretty cool. Super tasty donuts with plenty of choices. Their classic vortex donut is the best!

Ma
Review №11

Excited that we were able to try these this time around. They were limited on what was available (we came towards closing time, so not their fault). I ended up getting two bags of donut holes and they were great! I ended up eating almost all of them. Highly recommended. Hopefully gdt there sooner next time to try more!

Ma
Review №12

Wide variety of delicious vegan donuts! Most places only other maybe one or two options but Vortex Donuts offer a whole selection of different donuts to try! I also love how thick the donuts are and how affordable it is. I highly recommend!

We
Review №13

Great find right before closing time. We arrived at 1:45 and they close at 2:00. The cake donuts were gone, but a few choices of the other still remained. I purchased a 4 pack with the vortex, expresso, vanilla maple, and raspberry almond. The vortex was our favorite and we will stop by again on our next trip to Asheville. Hopefully, we can arrive earlier so I can try a cake donut. It is a little pricey, $11 for a 4 pack.

Al
Review №14

Some of the best doughnuts Ive had🙌🍩

Ad
Review №15

A must-visit locale when you’re in Asheville! No better way to start your day than with some coffee and doughnuts. Their yeast doughnuts are the best we’ve ever had. They brew 1000 faces coffee in a variety of ways that just seem to compliment your doughnut selection. There is limited outdoor seating.

Wi
Review №16

Worse doughnuts ive ever had in my life and also the worse customer service.

Am
Review №17

Staff was snoby, I wanted a specific fritter and received the look of death, its as if they were paying me; and I still didnt receive the fritter I wanted. As for the doughnuts cake was better than yeast, peanut butter cake was redeeming and fritter was good. Other flavors were a disappointment.

Th
Review №18

Adorable coffee and donut shop. One of the coolest things is that nearly every donut is available in both cake (dense and full bodied) and yeasted (light and airy) varieties. A very neat way to get exactly the sort of breakfast experience that you desire.

mi
Review №19

There are no gluten-free/vegan together doughnuts only gluten free or vegan. But they do have some great drinks available that are a must to try. Will definitely come back for more of that

To
Review №20

So so good. They have both yeast cake-y donuts and dense donuts. I love denser crunchy donuts and these are as good as they get. Asheville has a weirdly hopping donut scene but Vortex is my jam!

Ni
Review №21

Vegan donuts were different from non-vegan, but still blanking awesome. Liked the drip coffee too. My donut-averse partner (ikr?) was even impressed.

De
Review №22

Went at 11 am and there were limited donut options. The donuts they served were obviously old. We ate one bite, threw them away and headed to the competitor 1 mile away for freshly made donuts. I will give Vortex one more try in the future before I strike them from my list of go-to spots in Asheville.

A
Review №23

Super solid and super delicious doughnuts. We only had their cake doughnuts. They were so ridiculously good. It was such a great treat after hiking.

Ra
Review №24

Some seriously delicious doughnuts! Will definitely be back!..Instagram @Neverland.panda78

Mi
Review №25

Stopped in just before closing they were very nice. They had plenty of vegan donut options and the donuts were good!

Cl
Review №26

Very nice and helpful staff. Easy to order and plenty of variety. Liked having vegan and non-vegan options. While fun flavors and pleasant overall, the type of dough and consistency was just not our personal favorite (had both styles).

Sa
Review №27

Amazing donut place with awesome vegan donuts!! The base for their yeast dough is vegan so almost all the yeast donuts are vegan except for a few that have non vegan toppings. There were like 10 vegan flavors when we went! So amazing and fluffy.Theyve also got great coffee, nice shop, and very friendly people. Highly recommend! Theyve also got daily deals which is a nice touch. Love this place!

Ka
Review №28

Insanely delicious donuts. The donuts are light and airy, and the toppings are flavorful without being overly sweet.Pair with the coffee and tea for a delicious treat!

Je
Review №29

The yeast doughnut is a full experience!!Had one. Just vanilla. Can’t stop thinking about it. Just feeeeeeeel the chew in that doughnut.Do yourself a favor and give it a go. Also the Yerba mate was good. But mmmmmm that doughnut.

Li
Review №30

So good we went twice during our 4-day visit!

Do
Review №31

As always with anything Downtown parking is a hassle. So I hardly ever go anywhere downtown but I do go there because early in the morning theres usually a spot you can park and walk a few blocks to get there. Now as for their donuts oh my oh my they are so good. And their coffee is great also, but if you dont like almond creamer because of how it clumps in your coffee you will need to bring your own soy creamer or milk. The people are so nice that work there. I am going to recommend there yeast Donuts. I dont think Ive ever had a better tasting donut then the strawberry sprinkled yeast donut that I had that day.

En
Review №32

Great donuts and specialty coffee options. Also a nice space to enjoy breakfast/reading/working.

L
Review №33

Regrettably, Vortex didnt live up to the hype. A friend visited a few years ago and told me to go if I were ever in Asheville. I was there this weekend, so I went. The service was poor and the donuts really werent that good. We bought a mixed bakers dozen. Yes, theyre big but not good. The majority are being thrown away.

Ka
Review №34

If I were only rating the donuts and drinks, Id give them three stars. Factoring in extra-friendly service and great environment, bumped my overall review to four stars. Three apple fritter was unique, with insanely large chunks of apple. The cake donuts were too large - flavors werent proportional and the donut itself was bland. My latte was ok, but again, flavors were out of proportion for me.

Mi
Review №35

Had the cream cheese doughnut. Best doughnut I’ve ever eaten and it’s not even close. One of the best food items I’ve ever had. Wish I could give it 10 stars.

Ja
Review №36

Definitely a great place. I did think the donuts were a bit thick, I think they would be better with a bit less dough. But still, excellent donuts and good coffee, looking forward to going back.

Ke
Review №37

Great atmosphere and selection but our yeast donuts were tough. I couldnt tell if it was because of how theyre prepared or if they had just been sitting out for a long time but we went in the morning so I cant imagine they were too old. The Dirty Chai donut had a great strong flavor and the Chocolate was dark, similar to a ganache. Overall they had good flavor and were very pretty but were difficult to bite and chew. We also ordered a Cortado and it was prepared incorrectly.

Za
Review №38

I’ve been here a number of times and I’ve really only been disappointed once. The doughnuts are always good but the selection rotates somewhat so your preferred flavor may not be present each time you go. The staff are very nice and knowledgeable. Seating can be scarce sometimes but you can always get your stuff to go.

Jo
Review №39

Awesome Doughnuts 🍩.Do yourself a favor and visit this establishment!They have many varieties to choose from and an equal amount of beverages too choose from.I will definitely make it back here more often!

Gi
Review №40

They were good, but Ive had better. Still, worthwhile to check them out - - especially on 2 for Tuesday when you can get 2 for the price of 1. The signature Vortex donut seemed like a plain donut with a slight dusting of cinnamon sugar and chocolate drizzle. It was fine, put if I visited again, Id pick another one of the more creative flavors instead.

Ry
Review №41

Best donuts in the area easily. Lots of selection without feeling overwhelmed. I suggest the blueberry cream cheese donut. The vegan classic glazed is really good too. They have good espresso and you can tell they put a lot of craft into their drinks.

Ch
Review №42

Doughnuts were perfect. They were very light and airy but still with a good amount of chew. Had a mocha, vortex, and one with chocolate chips and marshmallows. All were delicious and the same consistency.

MA
Review №43

Friendly Staff and Yummy Donuts. Offering Both Yeast & Cake Donut types with tasty frostings. Within a few breweries. Plenty of outdoor seating. Nice atmosphere

De
Review №44

Really rude staff! My wife goes there at 7 when they open nothing is ready nothing is out which is fine. I guess not really a big deal! Then the guys gives her attitude and the guy in front of her attitude who has never been there before and had questions bc there was nothing ready and they wanted to decide what they wanted! So I will go in there at 7 some time soon and I hope he treats me the same way! He will regret it very quickly!! Be careful how you treat people bc you don’t no who your talking to! I know this sounds like a rant but it’s not if you charge top dollar for average donuts at least be kind to people! If there not ready ok that’s fine don’t make it my problem you opened your business and you were not ready!

La
Review №45

Cool place with a good donut selection. Very trendy with some murals around as well. The Cubano was delicious and the avocado smash was huge and tasty.

Ch
Review №46

They have so many delicious flavors with a separate case for gluten-sensitive options.

Wa
Review №47

Yes yes yes!!! Some of the very best vegan doughnuts weve ever had! Love that they offer yeast and cake doughnuts. Amazing selection!!!

Br
Review №48

The donuts were incredible. The yeast donuts were super soft, pillowly cushions for real toppings like salted caramel and cream cheese.

Al
Review №49

Fantastic coffee and solid donuts. Plus, the pesto toast was a great breakfast.

Kr
Review №50

I live in Durham and there is no where anywhere in the Triangle that even comes close to the amazing quality of these donuts. This was an amazing stop while in Asheville for the weekend. Quick and friendly service with a cool atmosphere! Had the salted caramel cake donut and the vortex yeast donut. Salted Caramel with my cup of 1000% coffee was the perfect combo. I’ll be dreaming about these donuts forever.

Jo
Review №51

I had a blackberry granola doughnut and a Laluchador latte. The doughnut was the perfect combo of sweet and sour and filled me up more than I expected. The latte, which I ordered iced and spicy (it comes with Cayenne), is honestly one of the best coffee drinks Ive ever had.In the past Ive always passed vortex by because as a local I dont want to get caught up in the tourist trap....but this was worth every second I spent in line. I cant wait to go back and keep supporting this business.

Me
Review №52

These donuts were delicious. Love that they default to vegan! So cool.

T
Review №53

The donuts were ok. I had two cake donuts, one would have been just fine as they are very heavy and filling. The taste was good and obviously fresh. I realize covid is a huge thing down there, but they could keep some of their inside dining options available for people to sit and eat. They only option is outside picnic tables

Ju
Review №54

In a word AWESOME! Super yummy donuts with creative toppings and flavors...theyre just pretty to look at, let alone eat! Funky building and lots of outdoor seating too!

Jo
Review №55

Really tasty Doughnuts!! Vanilla and pumpkin cream filled are my favorites.

K
Review №56

Great yeast and cake doughnut selection! . . .and coffee too! Doughnuts are huge and the pour-over coffee is excellent!

ta
Review №57

Delicious.. must try the apple fritters. Best one Ive ever had.

ma
Review №58

I drove all the way from south Florida because my best friend told me this was the best donut place ever. She was totally right folks. I would sell my nephew for their cinnamon sugar donut. Amazing. Fluffy. 10/10.

Ma
Review №59

Absolutely love this place! Delicious vegan donuts and always love their variety of flavors. A bit pricey, but always worth the treat! Been there several times and never experienced anything the 1 star reviews are complaining of.

It
Review №60

If I could only go to one place to get.🍩donuts🍩 for the rest of my life, Id be ecstatic if it were V🍩RTEX D🍩NUTS !! The donuts here are SO GOOD that theyre addictive!! They make them fresher than fresh every single day& I can personally vouch for how light & fluffy the yeast donuts are(these are what we usually get @other donut joints).. If it were possible to eat a cloud, I SWEAR theyd taste like V🍩RTEX YEAST D🍩NUTS !! Their cake donuts are just as good, only in a different, somewhat denser, heavier, belly filling way.. I promise, you CANNOT GO WRONG, NO MATTER WHAT TYPE OR FLAVOR D🍩NUT YOU CHOOSE!! V🍩RTEX D🍩NUTS ARE BY FAR SOME OF THE BEST D🍩NUTS IVE 🌟EVER🌟 EATEN!! I would recommend these beauties to everyone who loves donuts!😋

Na
Review №61

Great place to relax and get a doughnut, the atmosphere is large and inviting. Located on the south slope of AVL, parking and WiFi are free. Vegan/Gluten free options are available as well as soy alternatives for some drinks, prices are low and the staff is helpful and friendly.

Br
Review №62

Good golly - the doughnuts are amazing! I honestly dont know any other way to describe it other than that. Go there. Immediately. And enjoy a doughnut with some coffee for an amazing way to start your morning. I only wish we lived closer so that I would have an excuse to eat there all of the time! We also enjoyed seeing the artwork on the walls and appreciated the relaxed atmosphere.

Sa
Review №63

If you haven’t heard of this place, then idk what to tell you! But try them out and you won’t regret.

ry
Review №64

Cream Cheese Raspberry donut was a subtle flavor on a classic cake donut. Good variety of donut flavors and 1000 Faces Coffee.

Ho
Review №65

Its an artisan doughnut. They dont have your typical doughnut texture. The flavor was overall good. Nothing really special.

Li
Review №66

These donuts are legit so good. The vanilla donut was so amazing.

Bl
Review №67

Not much to say that hasn’t already been said. These donuts are NOT overrated.

Da
Review №68

Fantastic donut shop, creative and unique donuts. I had the raspberry cheesecake and it was to die for!! The coffee is great too and makes for an excellent sweet tooth breakfast! Get Vortex in the AM and Greenman in the PM!

Ai
Review №69

These donuts were crazy good and their coffee was high quality. A match made in heaven.

Ji
Review №70

The two difference style of doughnuts was an interesting twist. We especially enjoyed the vanilla apple fritter.

Tr
Review №71

The most delicious cake and yeast doughnuts I’ve ever had.

Su
Review №72

Okay imagine the most delicious, melt-in-your-mouth donut ever... that’s Vortex Donuts. So good you could shovel a dozen down your gullet in 3 minutes. Did I mention vegan options? Bonus; the vegan ones taste EXACTLY the same as the traditional ones. Best donuts I’ve ever eaten in my life.

Th
Review №73

The line, although long & inconvenient, turned into a pleasant misfortune... the shaded picnic tables are ideal for a chance to slow down and appreciate the beauty of the surrounding murals and urban aesthetic. 5☆s!

Jo
Review №74

Best doughnuts on the planet, this is a must try if you haven’t!

Do
Review №75

A good mix of cake and yeast donuts. The coffee is good and the space itself is nice and inviting. The donuts are good, but not knock your socks off amazing.

Pa
Review №76

Best doughnuts in Asheville. I really appreciate the large selection of yeast and cake style. Creative flavors and friendly staff makes it a local favorite for a reason. But be careful with the parking situation, dont park in the wrong lot!

Bi
Review №77

Amazing vegan donuts! And I can say best cup of hot cocoa I had in years

Av
Review №78

Their vegan donuts are so good, I especially love when they have anything peanut butter related, they’re incredible! Also I had the best cappuccino (with oat milk) I’ve ever had, high quality espresso and perfect ratio of delicious foamy oat milk, perfection.

Di
Review №79

Wpw...coffee and lattes simply divine..rich flavor no aftertastw...delicious and decadwnt donuts..so fresh and moisy with a perfect texturw. We had the filled apple fritter and the espresso donut...yum!

La
Review №80

Cool breakfast spot on my way out of town. Bright, airy interiors and an array of different flavour doughnuts. I had the pumpkin lemon one and also the Vortex, both were delicious. Super light and fluffy! Would recommend checking out when I’m Asheville.

Ra
Review №81

Really good. Really sweet. I’m still trying to finish my third doughnut from yesterday. They’re expensive but they’re big, fluffy, and delicious.

Vy
Review №82

Donuts were good but not over the top special. Nitro coffee was pretty bitter.

Ge
Review №83

So good! If you go before close the donuts are half off! Every single one I tried was so fresh and delicious!

Mi
Review №84

Honestly; 5 stars for the presentation and flavor assortment alone (yes, that’s blueberry lavender on the left)I really panicked when I was in here - I wish I had gotten the yeast instead of cake donuts. Next time!

Ma
Review №85

So many choices of delicious donuts and me with only one stomach.

Ab
Review №86

The first time I visited Asheville, my host took me here. I always look for a good local doughnut place, but Vortex was far from your typical experience. The doughnuts are perfectly crafted and the flavors are delicious but unique, the coffee is amazing as well. I always make sure to go to Vortex when im visiting all the way from southern IL.

Ra
Review №87

Best vegan donuts around. The staff is always so friendly and kind and I love both their yeast and cake donuts! Highly recommend.

An
Review №88

Delicious doughnuts, coffee, and tea. Nice casual atmosphere, clean and well-decorated. We will definitely be back!

Te
Review №89

Best spot in AVille..

So
Review №90

First visit to Asheville, NC and food scene is amazing here. Of course my sweet tooth led me to try this local donut shop. Modern, cool industrial building with hipster interior decor. I was lucky that I stopped by during their BOGO free hour, so I couldnt hesitate to pick up as many flavors as I could eat (no not at one sitting) or save for later in the day. Moderately priced for gourmet quality and service was good. I also picked up a cup of their local brew (Nicaraguan coffee) which was delicious paired with my fave flavor - the Raspberry. Id recommend visiting this shop for those donut connoisseurs or those looking for a local sweet treat. No visible parking lot but there are several parking meters around.

Ol
Review №91

Doughnuts not best. Coffee medium good. Long Wooden seats very unfortunate.

Ma
Review №92

Doughnuts are so good! The only down side its that they dont have a lot of decaf selection. Also, it was hard to understand some of the menu, their letters font is not my fav

Co
Review №93

I heard a lot of hype about vortex donuts. They did not live up the all the hype I have heard unfortunately. They still had good donuts, just not 5 star worthy in my opinion.

Jo
Review №94

Very delicious donuts. This would be a regular stop for me if I lived here. Cold brew and americano coffee was up to par. The apple fritter was done well with a nice glaze and firm exterior while remaining soft and chewy on the inside with nice chunks of apple. The regular donuts were excellent as well. Chocolate and the blueberry cheesecake donuts were very well done. Knowledgeable staff as well.

An
Review №95

Honestly I loved these donuts. Vegan options! I would categories these donuts as soft and chewy. Rather than cakey. Lots of awesome and unique flavors. I recommend them. Great coffee too, but make sure you read the ingredients or youll be surprised by the spicy surprise.

Aa
Review №96

This place is very cool. The donuts are some of the best I have ever ate. This is one of those must eats if you visit Asheville

Ca
Review №97

Amazing flavors and well-baked donuts. Lots of coffee options.

Aa
Review №98

Good doughnuts, friendly staff, good coffee.

Ty
Review №99

I try to hit doughnut shops whenever Im in a city where there is a place that is worthy of hitting. And Vortex is up there with the best of them! I got a couple different kinds of doughnuts (their glazed and a cinnamon flavor) and they were exceptional. In terms of flavor, texture, and freshness they were perfectly done. The staff was very quick and helpful. Im a huge coffee fan and they did a job well done with my pour over. Vortexs atmosphere should be the standard on how coffeehouses or doughnut shops should be. Love this place! 5 stars all day!

Br
Review №100

First of all, home girl barista made THE BEST LATTE with honey I’ve ever had. Doughnuts I had chocolate & peanut butter + an old fashioned. Both amazing. Doughnut girl was kind and explained the difference between cake and yeast and wasn’t wrong.This is my second time to Asheville and everyone always talks about this other doughnut shop, and they aren’t bad but this one in my opinion is hands down the best one. I’m from Florida on vacation and honestly this was such a pleasant surprise. I wish COVID wasn’t going on so I would have ate in store and I could have said this in person. Y’all are awesome.

Information
100 Photos
100 Comments
4.5 Rating
  • Address:32 Banks Ave #106, Asheville, NC 28801, United States
  • Phone:+1 828-552-3010
Categories
  • Donut shop
Working hours
  • Monday:7AM–2PM
  • Tuesday:7AM–2PM
  • Wednesday:7AM–2PM
  • Thursday:7AM–2PM
  • Friday:7AM–2PM
  • Saturday:7AM–2PM
  • Sunday:7AM–2PM
Service options
  • In-store pickup:Yes
  • In-store shopping:Yes
  • Takeout:Yes
  • Delivery:No
Health & safety
  • Mask required:Yes
  • Staff required to disinfect surfaces between visits:Yes
Highlights
  • Great coffee:Yes
Popular for
  • Solo dining:Yes
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair accessible entrance:Yes
Offerings
  • Coffee:Yes
Dining options
  • Dessert:Yes
Atmosphere
  • Casual:Yes
Planning
  • Quick visit:Yes
Payments
  • NFC mobile payments:Yes
Similar organizations
  • Krispy Kreme960 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28806, United States
  • Duck Donuts182 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28801, United States
  • Hole Doughnuts168 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806, United States