Uneasy lies the head that wears the Donut King crown.

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!

Donut King at 220 Grand Ave. in West Des Moines has a loyal customer base who return time and time again for their pre-Krispy Kreme-era cake and raised doughnuts. They're also known on some online reviews for having poor customer service, if not downright surly…

• "Full of angry old people." – Janet on Urbanspoon
• "I don't care if his donuts are made by angels. Giving this jerk one penny would be one too many." – JSF on Urbanspoon
• "If fake smiles, smarmy help, and 'the customer is always right' are your thing, best stay away." – A Google User

I rather appreciate that last remark since it appears to be the most telling. They also started their review with this sentence, "Best donuts in town, hands down."

Intrigued and curious how their doughnuts would rate against the gourmet offerings served at Topped Doughnuts [see blog review], I visited Donut King a few weeks ago on a lazy Saturday morning. Well, lazy for me. As for the folks at Donut King, they were selling doughnuts and other assorted sweet baked goods nonstop during my stay.

The Red Velvet, enrobed in a scant glaze, is moist and flavorful. Not as dense as Topped Doughnuts' version nor heaped upon with cream cheese icing, but still a great doughnut. Certainly a less-guilty pleasure.

The Honeydew is as simple as a lightly glazed donut can get, but just as moist and delicious.

The German Chocolate was a fun nosh: A standard chocolate-flavored doughnut, glazed and rolled in toasted coconut. Sweeter than the other two varieties tasted, but not cloying. Perfect with a cup of black coffee.