World's Best Donuts

The pretty good donuts at World’s Best Donuts aren’t available after mid-October, but if you’re looking for a rib-sticking breakfast to get you through a chilly morning, cozy The Pie Place on the Southern fringe of town offers hearty fare year-round (except Mondays). The menu changes weekly, but from-scratch offerings typically include buckwheat, pecan, or fruit pancakes with locally-made maple syrup ($6.50-$9) or a Continental with a sampling of muffins, scones, toast, jam — all housemade — and juice or coffee ($8). We liked the Caribou Eyes ($10), which is “egg in a hole,” huevos rancheros-style: a pair of eggs fried into the center of hollowed-out toast, then dolloped with cheese, sour cream, and salsa.

World’s Best Donuts is a Grand Marais favorite since the late 60s, and it’s easy to see why!. The Blue Water Cafe is serving up small-town diner classics like homemade pies, the “Wild Country” omelet, hash browns, and more. The Fisherman’s Daughter is a beautiful little cafe inside the Dockside Fish Market, offering wild-caught fish and chips, lobster salad, deli sandwiches, hot soups, and then some!.

Start your day with a sweet treat from World’s Best Donuts in Grand Marais, a family-run bakery that has been delighting visitors for generations. With a name like that, expectations are high, and they certainly deliver. Their classic cake donuts, as well as a variety of other baked goods, are perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack as you stroll along the harbor.

This spot has been family owned and operated since 1969 and is known for their cake donuts, which are everything you want in a cake donut…a little crisp outer layer with a moist and fluffy inside!. They also have a unique item called Skizzles, which is a sweet, yeast dough stretched out and deep fried then covered in sugar!. It’s about as big as your head!

Grand Marais has some of the most sought after eateries as well, including Sven and Ole’s Pizza, Beth’s Fudge and Gifts, My Sister’s Place (home of the peanut butter and mayo Goober Burger), Angry Trout Cafe, Hungry Hippie Tacos, Blue Water Cafe, and one of their most notable, the World’s Best Donut store, located in a tiny trailer in the middle of town.

World’s Best Donuts might not literally be the best donuts in the world, but they are delicious and worth a stop while visiting Grand Marais. They have a huge selection of donuts, as well as other treats and gluten free options too. We didn’t have to wait in line too long but I can imagine that in peak summer the line probably gets pretty long!

You can’t talk food in Grand Marais without mentioning the uber famous and boldly named “World’s Best Donuts.”. A family establishment since 1969, this place has been turning out fantastic donuts for decades. These donuts have been featured everywhere from Minnesota Monthly to The New York Times, who both agreed the donuts live up to the name.

When you name your bakery World’s Best Donuts, you better know what you’re doing. For more than 50 years, the people of Grand Marais have lined up around the block to try the donut of the day or order standards, such as the powdered sugar cake donut, glazed cake donut, and the banana cream-filled Bismarck with chocolate frosting.

Then there’s the best free activity in Grand Marais, rock skipping!. Obviously hiking’s pretty cheap unless you don’t have hiking shoes. Rock skipping is fun for all ages and it can be fun to find unique ones along the shore, plus you can enjoy the lake from close up and you can even enjoy the town while you’re at it!

World’s Best Donuts has been lovingly making fresh donuts since 1969 every summer. Originally mixed by hand in a plastic bowl by Merieta, this family-owned and operated business continues to bring donut joy to its customers. Enjoy a variety of tasty donuts from chocolate-dipped to coconut-topped with white dipping.

No trip to Grand Marais is complete without a visit to World’s Best Donuts. The longtime family-operated bakery draws visitors from across the country to its red-and-white, cottage-like exterior. Try its famed powdered sugar cake doughnut, ranked among the best doughnuts in the U.S. by Tasting Table in 2023.

World’s Best Donuts is keeping two outdoor windows hopping so the short lines moved quickly. Java Moose Coffee cleared out their interior to make a very efficient ordering system. They've got a small patio to enjoy your brew, or again, just cross the street you can sip away while watching the waves roll in.

My best friend had lured me to Grand Marais with the promise of the World’s Best Donuts, sadly they were closed already when we went for our dessert, so I will have to take her word for it until I get back!. But the reviews look awesome so you should check it out for me in the meantime!

This family-owned bakery specializes in cake donuts, but I’m partial to the frosted raised donut or the maple long john. They’ve also got a donut “kabob” on a stick – Minnesota State Fair style. This is an iconic spot, so be sure to get there early to avoid a long line!

You can’t miss this little red shop when walking through town. Not only from the distinguished red and white sign but mostly from the lines of people flocking to get their donuts. Their cake donuts are dubbed the “world’s best’ and honestly, I believe it.

World’s Best Donuts is like a rite of passage for Minnesotans. They’ve been in business for over 50 years and specialize in cake donuts. Don’t worry though if cake donuts aren’t your thing, they have more than 30 different donut recipes to choose from.

Day two in Grand Marais starts with donuts from the World’s Best Donuts and coffee from Java Moose Espresso Cafe. Both iconic eateries are located in downtown Grand Marais and are very popular (they are about two blocks apart). Expect a line at both.

Our morning run to the World’s Best Donut Shop was worth every minute of the wait. We opted for the glazed cake donut, and it tasted fabulous. This past Sunday, was their last day of being open so add this to your must-visit list for next year.

They have yummy gluten-free muffins and one of the best gluten-free trail cookies I’ve ever tasted. Plus, they make cute tail waggin’ dog treats!. I was over the top excited when I saw that Java Moose had huckleberry lemonade.

They make their donuts fresh every day, and there’s often a line out the door. Some popular flavors include the maple glazed and the chocolate frosted with sprinkles. I am a personal fan of their cinnamon sugar cake donuts.

Family owned and operated since 1969, World's Best Donuts is a staple of Minnesota's North Shore. Known for our cake donuts, skizzles and kabobs we sell long johns, raised glazed and more plus a few gift items!

Start your day (early!) with donuts from World’s Best Donuts. They often sell out early so plan to arrive earlier in the morning. Even by 8am you’ll likely be waiting in a line.

World’s Best Donuts has been family-owned and operated since 1969, and ever since, they’ve been serving freshly made donuts out of their small, red and white building.

And, oh, no need to tell me about World’s Best Donuts: we visited that house of excellence on more than one occasion. I’ll have a separate report on them next week.

This longevity, along with its awesome and amazingly fresh homemade donuts make World’s Best Donuts a staple destination on Minnesota’s North Shore.

World’s Best Donuts is famous for its tasty cake donuts and donut kabobs. Since 1969, it has been a favorite for both locals and tourists.