The Lord of the 'Rings': The Return of the Donut King

UPDATE: Donut King closed in March 2016, but reopened two years later at a different location in East Des Moines and selling doughnuts out of Bauder's Ice Cream on Ingersoll. See Donut King returns!

A couple of weeks after Dunkin' Donuts [see blog post of later visit] opened up in West Des Moines, I wandered out there on a chilly Saturday morning, more interested in sampling breakfast sandwiches than doughnuts. Finding a fifteen minute wait inside, and drive-thru traffic backed up onto Eighth Street I angrily stormed off to revisit Donut King nearby on Grand [see blog post of previous visit].

Despite the hubbub at Dunkin' Donuts – not unlike the maddening clamor when Krispy Kreme rolled into town a few years back – business at Donut King was brisk and lively, seemingly unaffected.

If there was one ring to rule them all it would be the Peanut, available either on a plain or chocolate doughnut. Surprisingly moist. A damn fine doughnut!

The Raspberry, a jam-filled raised doughnut is light and airy, and not as sweet as I would have expected with all that powdered sugar. My doughnut exhibited uneven filling, concentrated to one side. Such idiosyncrasies should be expected from a made-by-hand product.

The Buttercrunch with a pebbly, yellow-tinged exterior is sweet and messy. A little sweet for my tooth, but the kids should like it.