Doughbot

I tried the place once before it closed.
Lots of gourmet doughnuts for the various crowd. Vegan gluten free. It was a hit for the office the one time I had brought it in.
Good dietary restricted donut selection and efficiently run service.
Bad it closed.
Five stars. Would have come back

COMPLETELY CLOSED: Aug. 3, 2014.
Too bad, so sad, reason closed — unknown.

I went here the other day to check out the fad with this popular donut joint. We got there around 8:15am and they were sold out by 8:30. I managed to get the lemon lavender donut and the dude. I really liked the lemon lavender donut but I only really tasted the lemon not really the lavender part. The white russian cream on the dude was really good, I wasn’t a fan of the coffee beans but the donut itself was delicious. I was very pleased with my order. :)

I finally made it down to Doughbot at 8:30 on a Saturday morning to grab me some donuts before they close in August. It is located in a random part of town right off Highway 50.
The inside is stark with some random robots, seats and wall décor pinned up all over. It reminded me of a college dorm room who baked really good donuts. Random.
I’ll have to say I did feel bad for: A) The two owners working frantically behind the counter to simultaneously bake and serve donuts and B) The people at the back of the line who have literally two donuts to choose from. I don’t know why when their popularity took off they didn’t hire more people, but I digress.
I went in once at 8:30 and got four donuts, and then walked right back in 2 minutes later to get a bread pudding and faced a line of 8 people deep. Wtf?
I ended up getting two Blueberry Cornmeal Donuts, a Vanilla Bean Donut, a Lemon Lavender Donut and a Bacon Maple Bread Pudding thing.
They also had a Maple Donut, Carrot Cake Donut, Dude Donut, S’mores Donut, Lime Coconut Donut and a Custard Filled Donut but were sold out of everything but the Maple. All before 9:00am.
I liked the Lemon Lavender Donut but only tasted the lemon, no lavender flavor. The Blueberry Cornmeal Donut was great too! It tasted like sweet cornbread with some icing. I didn’t really get any blueberry flavor though. The Vanilla Donut was good, I liked the strong yet simple flavor and light consistency. The Husband loved his Bacon Maple Bread Pudding which he better for $ 4.00! The other donuts were $ 1.75.
My favorite thing about the donuts was that they were nice and light and not greasy. They felt «healthier» than other donuts and didn’t give me a sugar headache afterwards. I hope after they close their retail location they still bake donuts for local coffee shops because I would like to have them again!

Just found out, they’re closing their doors soon… staying open through the 1^st weekend of August.

I was super excited to try this fancy donut shop. The pricey tag didnt bother me but the stiff carrot cake doughnut was a HUGE disappointment. The PB & J was a bit better. Think I will stick to my local donut star for doughnuts

I don’t always eat doughnuts, so when I do I want to be satisfied!
I am running a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ average at Doughbot. Their Blood Orange flavor is amazing; it was light fresh and not at all sweet or artificial tasting. I’ve had similar good experiences with their other fruit themed doughnuts.
Some of the other flavors though are WAY too heavy; I noticed a lot of them also have crème filling? Why? It’s a doughnut. The Dude & The maple Bacon Doughnut come immediately to mind.
I always get about half way through and have to stop. I agree with other reviews that mentioned their dough is very cake like, and very dense versus the light and fluffy dough at more traditional doughnut spots.
However, I really like the location and the robot theme. Every time I come in here with my guy he looks like a kid in a candy store. Pretty sure his place would resemble Doughbot if he lived alone!
I commend them on all of their unique flavors, even if I don’t care for some of them.

I heard raving reviews about this place, but it’s not my favorite; I can’t place it, but the doughnuts tasted a little funny. They were okay but I eat pretty healthy so when I want «junk food» I want it to be the best! Maybe I went in on an off day but the woman behind the counter seemed very unhappy or annoyed. I might give it another chance but, honestly, I probably won’t be back.

After a few visits, I finally remembered to post a review of this place.
They offer uniquely hearty doughnuts and flavors that I haven’t seen elsewhere. As a veghead, I shamelessly give biased props to any place that offers vegan product and Doughbot does so on a scale that makes one feel just as welcome and important as «regular» folk.
The display case is an unfortunately small size, which is why I docked a star, and once it’s empty, the doors shut for the day as nothing is restocked. Is this a poor way to run a business? Perhaps. People get fussy when supply does not meet demand. On the flip side, this creates less wasted product for the business as there are no leftovers to throw away or risk being complained about if an attempt is made to sell it the next day.
Going back to the doughnuts, my absolute favorite is the coconut with blood orange and vanilla close behind. My fiancé loves the s’mores and I think it’s great how the marshmallow is brûléed at the time of purchase to give it that last added touch of awesome. Their heavier dough and deeper flavors makes for nice indulging whereas typical airy doughnuts are eaten in two bites with little flavor beneath over-​the-​top sweetness. I heard that Dunkin Donuts is going to be opening shops around town sometime… so if you’re fond of generic, chain-​style mediocracy, you’re in luck. I’ll continue making little jaunts to Doughbot when I’m in the area.

Love the doughnuts, hate the attitude.
If you want to support a business that charges a lot for doughnuts and treats you like an idiot, this place is for you!
I’ve gone to this place a few times because of the doughnuts; however, the workers and owner act completely irritated that I am there. I feel like I have to apologize to give them my business.
Today was the last day I’ll go: they were supposed to be open from 7−2pm. I got there at 10am and tried to open the door, but it was locked. The owner was inside and started yelling at me through the locked door. I couldn’t hear what he was saying but he clearly didn’t want my business. Maybe he was out of doughnuts??? If you’re out of doughnuts, that’s fine. You still have drinks to sell, and your customers deserve more than a yell through the door. How about allowing them to come in during your BUSINESS HOURS and giving them options?
«Hey, thanks for coming in. We’re out of doughnuts right now, but we’ll have more in an hour,» or «Thanks for coming in. We’re out of doughnuts right now and won’t have more until tomorrow. Why don’t we give you a coupon for a discount the next time you visit?» This is how you treat customers. But I guess the owner is too busy to talk with customers during business hours.
Hey, apparently I’m in the minority. They must be selling out if they lock their doors three hours after being open. It might be worthwhile to make more doughnuts if you’re staying open until 2pm. It doesn’t really matter to me anymore; I won’t be going back.

These are rich little gut busters, in the best possible way. It’s nice to know Sacramento has someplace where the art of the doughnut is taken beyond basic plains, chocolates and maples and into the deep-​fried stratosphere. That place is, unquestionable, Doughbot.
My favs, you ask? The Dude, Bacon Maple and Meyer Lemon. Basically anything that combines sweet and savory is alright with me. Visit their unassuming little store, buy a half dozen and then walk over and eat them in the sunshine while sitting on a bench in Southside Park. It’s a great way to start a Sunday morning. The donuts aren’t quite as sweet as you’d find elsewhere, but they have a density and overall quality of ingredients that beats out a lot of more traditional shops.
My only criticism (and the reason they get 4 stars instead of 5) is the availability. On some days I’ve walked in at 9:30 in the morning to find they are already out of half the choices. On others, I’ve walked in at 11 am to a packed case. These are all busy weekend days, mind you. If the availability of their selection were a little more reliable, I’d be happy to bring friends down to share my favorites.

Located across the street from Osaka-​ya, these are some substantial donuts. What do you mean, you ask? Well, I bought four for a road trip down to LA with a friend. We consumed all four and weren’t hungry for the rest of the trip. Filling, I tell you. So no, these aren’t your lightweight, can-​roll-​up-​into-​a-​ball type of donuts.
For instance, my all time favorite one is the s’mores donut. Made with graham flour, topped with chocolate and homemade marshmallow, they toast it with a torch right in front of you to give it that authentic s’mores taste. I mean, c’mon! Who else will torch your personal donut?
Other flavors that I love include the white russian, blood orange, maple bacon, vanilla bean. Heck I haven’t found one that I don’t like.
My only pet peeve is that there isn’t a restroom here. Not that donuts and restrooms go together, but if they had one, it would be so convenient. I would stay and drink coffee without having to monitor myself, for lack of a better phrase.
Also, perhaps it’s just my bad timing, but whenever I want one of these donuts, half of the time they are either a) closed or b) sold out. I’m actually glad if they sell out because this means that business is going well. Don’t go away Doughbot!

I would have to agree with all of the reviewers that found the dough
«bread-​y» not pastry-​like whatsoever. I prefer donuts that are melt in your mouth sweet and delicious, not bread with sweet or even unique toppings. I bought a dozen for the football game today (we were invited to a get together) and none of the donuts were finished. People took a bite or two and the box was full of ¹⁄₃ eaten donuts. When I went to pay I was $ 1 short on a $ 24 order and the OWNER let me walk 2 blocks to my car with my 2 kids for the other dollar. I won’t be returning.

These donuts are pretty good I have to admit. They taste and feel like mini cakes more than like donuts. it looks like they were trying to sell leftover donuts because I came here in the morning and there was hardly any out.
I got three different flavors that didn’t seem to be overly glazed. And they don’t really stand out taste wise but it is good that is vegan

I was skeptical about how I would feel about these doughnuts. I heard they were more on the cake side of doughnut, while I am more of a fan of the yeast doughnut. A childhood favorite for me was a glazed doughnut. I usually don’t even bother eating cake doughnuts.
But when I saw the bacon on the bacon maple doughnut I was sold. The bacon looked thick and of decent quality. It was definitely more of a cake like doughnut but there is bacon in the batter. So yummy. The sweet mixed with the salt.
The only other doughnut I tried was the pb&j, it was good, but it kind of tasted like I was eating a fried pb&j sandwich, good but not quite worth the ridiculous number of calories it was.

I’m just NOT A FAN of the dough. It’s what makes or breaks the donut — at least for me.
I guess there are two types of donut lovers. For example, I’m the type that loves soft, flaky, melt in your mouth donuts. The other donut lover likes the cakey almost bread consistency type of donut — which this place is!
The dough was definitely substantial and hearty. It tasted more like a soft oily bread with toppings and fillings. I had: The Dude, PB&J, and the Bacon Maple. Didn’t even finish any of them. Just picked on the soft bits and then threw em out. 3 donuts for almost $ 7 was kinda of on the expensive side and I walked 6 blocks just to try this place out.

How did I not realize how close this place was? It’s super close to 50 on 10^th and W. We came on a Saturday morning at 9:45am to check out this gourmet doughnut idea, and found nearly a whole row of doughnuts had sold out already! Guess the early bird gets the best doughnut selection.
We split the lemon lavender, maple bacon, chocolate salted pistachio, and lime-​coconut malasada, each $ 2. The donuts were very rich, quirky and unique. The lemon was tangy, the maple bacon had that combination of sweet and salty that you hate yourself for not being able to resist. The chocolate salted pistachio was rich yet salty, and the lime-​coconut was a «kick in the mouth» as my husband put it.
You can eat your doughnuts there — there’s a couch but no bathroom. The vibe of the place struck me as very Portland. An interesting place to check out!

I’m a grown up. I can — and usually do — eat anything. Not a picky eater.
My three year old, however, seems to have a palate more refined than the most snobby of elite cooking show judges.
She actively asks for Doughbot donuts. Seriously.
We live a five minute walk from a traditional donut place — which is good, don’t get me wrong: sometimes you –want– sprinkles and raspberry jam filling. But if that’s what you’re looking for, hit up Safeway or something.
I don’t know what the official term is, gourmet or artisan or whatever, but these little breakfast pastries are really, really good. We’ve gone a few times, and I remember that…
* The maple on the maple bacon isn’t your standard super-​sweet flavor, and offsets the salty bacon perfectly.
*The rosemary lemon poppy was a bit more bread-​texture than donut… and with this flavor, that’s a good thing
* The lemon lavender is amazing. A-​FREAKIN-​MAY-​ZING. This is the one the aforementioned three year old likes. A bonus on it is that you can get it in traditional donut shape, or in a little pull-​apart flower: seriously! It’s made of what I –think– are the donut holes, stuck together in the shape of a flower and fried up. Way cute.
Parking’s easy, coffee’s good, you can watch them prep ingredients while you eat. A really good thing to do is grab a donut or two and a cup of coffee before you head to the under-​freeway farmer’s market.

What’s the first thing to cheer me up after a not very pleasant doctor’s visit? A dose of salty and sweet in the form of a bacon donut. So it was Doughbot AHOY!
Just a warning: their edibles are a bit more expensive than your average donut shop. A dozen set me back about $ 24. But I was prepared for it and ready to pay, because I was paying for some severely artisan baked goods. Art is worth paying for!
Of course the much Unilocaled-​about bacon donuts are just amazing, both the Chocolate and Maple versions (though I liked the maple just a bit more). My close second favorite was the PB&J, which is a grape jelly-​filled puff topped with peanut butter and peanuts… SO good. Other notable donuts were the Vanilla Bean, the Meyer Lemon (with lemon filling and topping), and The Picard (Early Grey flavored). How can you not love a donutery that names a donut after a prominent Star Trek captain?
I command you to keep up the good work, Doughbot. Make it so!

I wanted to love this place. I love donuts like a fat Homer loves a iced pink sprinkled donut from Lard Lad. But alas, it was not to be. I came in on a weekday morning and got a half dozen in order to sample their flavors. I will say that their flavors are pretty good and they have a good variety, but as some Unilocalers have said, the dough itself was heavy and virtually tasteless. After awhile, I just ate the toppings and threw the rest of the donut away.
I sampled: vanilla bean, dulce de leche, the dude, chocolate bacon, and vegan coconut malasadas. I got two of the coconut malasadas (I get those every time we visit Hawaii), but I didn’t enjoy these, and didn’t even eat the second one. Also, I didn’t mind the high (er) price for the small donuts if the flavors and texture were spot on, but again, it wasn’t to be.
My favorite donut spot in the Sacramento area continues to be Donut King in Citrus Heights.