Back Door Donuts
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
53 reviews for Back Door Donuts
Review Highlights
-
"Apple fritter, apple fritter, apple fritter." In 19 reviews -
"a cinnamon sugar donut at 1am is the best thing in the..." In 10 reviews -
"...Oak Bluffs is the Martha's Vineyard Gourmet Bakery and Cafe." In 5 reviews
Loading...
53 reviews in English
-
Review from Ms. K.
Wilmington, MA
5/22/2012
Absolutely amazing hidden gem. There is no reason for any negative reviews. My family has a cottage in Oak Bluffs, and I have been coming here for years without any problems or bad experiences. Granted in the summer there can be quite a hefty line out the door, but it is worth it! Service is friendly, but don't be impatient or rude. Such doughnutty perfection takes time! Get the apple fritters (usually as big as your face and melts in your mouth) or the honey dipped. Pricing is great and everything fresh. In the summer you can smell the donuts for several blocks...best place for a late night snack.
-
Review from Brian D.
Edgartown, MA
3/31/2012
Perfect after bar treat. The smell on Circuit Ave will rope you in. There might be a line, but it's worth the wait. Also, if you're a morning person the front door won't let you down.
-
Review from Nick B.
Norwell, MA
9/21/2011
I was so excited for my apple fritter. I abstained from any and all fritters for weeks, but now I am sad. I made the trek down from Edgartown at around 8:30pm. Despite the cold temperatures I was committed to waiting in line with the mass of people. I didn't even care that the line made no progress for 20 minutes. I was even OK with the Soup Nazi type treatment people received. Then it was my turn. I made it to the window and I placed my order - Two apple fritters. Seconds later two of the largest fritters were handed to me.
I was amazed at the heft of the fritter. Knowing that I could easily eat 3 Starbucks fritters, I dove in. My fritter was burnt. It tasted of acrid, burnt oil. The bag was soaked and transparent with oil. The taste was simply awful. But I was a trooper. I kept eating, thinking that soon I would taste this magical fritter goodness that people yelped about. No. Never. I didn't happen. In fact, it was awful. My wife confirmed that her fritter was also awful. We threw half of it away and left disappointed.
Fast forward to about 1:30 am where I woke up with the worst heart burn I have ever experienced. Tums, Maalox, milk, water, various other chemicals were no match for the burn. Instead I attempt to sleep it off sitting upright like an old person in a kraftmatic bed.
To summarize 1) my fritter experience was awful (maybe it was a bad batch) 2) Do not attempt to eat the whole fritter or even half of it yourself. You. will. die. -
Review from Taylor W.
Newport Beach, CA
10/4/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Hands down best apple fritters ever.
There is NOTHING like these--especially with a bottle of their whole milk!!!
I've been coming here for ten years, when they didn't open till at least ten. The lines now are a little annoying but so worth it! I'll come here forever and bring all of my friends!
**** TIP**** You must ask what is HOT! Cold apple fritters are only ehh.... Sometimes they will offer you three levels of hottness on apple fritters, other times only glazed are fresh. Order wisely!!** -
Review from Allison C.
Weymouth, MA
9/23/2011
I was so excited for this place. Srsly. I love me a fritter.
Like my companion mentioned below, I totally didn't care about the long line that barely moved for about an hour. I also forgave the rude people taking orders. I didn't care about the dirty parking lot, in fact it was part of the charm.
What I did care about what that the fritter tasted not like dough, glaze or apples. It tasted like rotten cooking oil. A huge mouthful of it. I ended up throwing it away after 2-3 bites.
I also minded waking up in the middle of the night and puking from said oil-soaked fritter. GROSS. -
Review from Lisa H.
9/8/2011 5 photos
A warm, cinnaminny, apple fritter the size of your head? I'm sold!
P.S- Pick up a bottle of milk at the market around the corner before you head over and you've got yourself a perfect after-hours snack! -
Review from Dorothy W.
Cambridge, MA
7/13/2011
Back Door Donuts had to fight for survival a few years back when a couple of people involved with the Oak Bluffs town government complained about the whole idea. Selling donuts after hours? In a parking lot? From a back door? What about the neighbors? Is it safe? Are there permit requirements?
The amount of energy given to this small town debate was huge and thankfully, Back Door Donuts was allowed to remain. Why? Because it is so popular that all of its fans rose up in a giant "Save the Donut" campaign which ultimately succeeded.
If you like donuts after dark and would like to try the infamous apple fritter, you will not mind waiting in line, surrounded by parked cars, jolly young drunks and fellow sweet tooth compatriots. It's become as much a tradition as going for a ride on the carousel, seeing the sun set at Menemsha and buying a Black Dog t-shirt. It is a cash only adventure, located in the parking lot behind the post office and the mother ship, The Gourmet Bakery. A great place to go with the kids if you have been out to the movies or at the Game Room. Follow your nose and the sweet aroma of sugar, cinnamon and rich calories.
Do it. Even if you say you do not like donuts and do not know what an apple fritter is. Do it.
You can diet tomorrow. -
Review from Danielle A.
Tyngsboro, MA
7/11/2011
After a shared dinner at one of the restaurants in Oak Bluffs a couple of weeks ago, my husband and I made our way over to BDD. We had checked at the front counter earlier in the day (the store is actually called "Martha's Vineyard Gourmet Bakery") and knew 7:30 PM was the magical time that they started to serve donuts & pastries. What we didn't know was where to find them; we could smell them, but didn't know where to go to get them. The nice lady at the counter told us to follow the building and head around to the back - and that we'd know where to go from there. She wasn't kidding - when we got to the back of the building, there was quite a line already formed waiting for the deliciousness.
I will say this about standing in a line like this: there's a feeling that comes along with. A feeling of coolness, a feeling of being in the "in-club", those who KNOW things. This isn't the kind of place that you stumble on while walking through downtown Oak Bluffs; you won't see the line while strolling by shops and restaurants because the back door is nestled between the back of a small mom & pop grocer and the small strip of shops the bakery's front is in. Basically - in order to find this place you have to KNOW about it before getting to it somehow.
After about a 10-minute wait in line, we were at the window. We ordered an apple-fritter each and shared a glazed donut. After hearing me order an apple fritter, Steve pointed at a monstrosity and commented that I should have gotten the cinnamon bun... what he didn't realize that we soon discovered is that the plate-sized object he pointed at was the famed apple fritter itself. It was seriously the size of a salad plate, was warm and gooey (but not TOO gooey), and had a smattering of fresh cinnamon apples across the top. Frankly, it looked closer to a loaf of apple monkey bread than an apple fritter... and also looked delicious, which made us excited to dig in.
We got about halfway through this beast before we had to take a break; thankfully, hubby had run into the front of the bakery and got us some waters to help wash it down. It was SO good. It was warm, sticky without making you filthy and gross feeling, had what could be the perfect amount of cinnamon, wasn't greasy but yet almost melted in your mouth. What I loved about this fritter over others is that instead of that jellied apple goo, they actually put fresh chopped apples tossed in cinnamon sugar on top. It was the perfect "garnish" to this giant, delicious fried cake. Needless to say that even after sharing dinner and purposely leaving room for this puppy, we were both incredibly full.
But the question is: was it worth it? Absolutely. We made sure that others who were walking by smelling our delicious fritters knew exactly where they could get them. One couple saw us eating them, assumed we got them from the bakery, and when the wife went inside I told the husband to get her out of there and go around to the back. He ran in after her and off they went. It was awesome helping others to be "in the know", spreading the word about the amazingness that is Back Door Donuts. -
Review from Mary L.
7/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
stuff my already stuffed face with heavenly goodness!
CASH ONLY
Even though the google map may lead you astray, you MUST find your way to Back Door Donuts during your Martha's Vineyard trip. They are behind Martha's Vineyard Gourmet Bakery and Cafe in the Oak Bluff's Post Office Square. During the evening hours, the usually salty air becomes overwhelmingly (but in a good way) sweet and delightful. Just as Toucan Sam suggested - Follow Your Nose!
You will find your way to a parking lot filled with a line of hungry people. Granted, none of these people should be hungry, since we all stuffed ourselves silly with seafood and other filling dinners at the local restaurants, but something about fried donuts sends a memo to your stomach to make room.
$1.00 donuts, unless they are filled, like the notorious Boston Creme, which will be $1.25. $4.00 for an apple fritter, a must have for any foodie! *seriously, this thing could feed four people, and is AMAZING!*
My favorite doughnut, aside from the apple fritter, is the old fashioned cin & sugar cake. My young friend prefers the Boston Creme.
The doughnuts are fresh, hot, and the smell gets stronger as you get closer to the door. You see the staff making them in the back, and everyone is always in a very happy mood.
This establishment is one of the reasons I stand by my number one rule: always save room for dessert! -
Review from Lisa B.
Seattle, WA
9/25/2011
My new favorite dessert place on the island. How have I never been here before? (probably because I never made it past Ben & Bill's.)
My full review:
http://sweettoothinsea... -
Review from David M.
9/22/2011
Out-friggin-rageous donut shop , and one of the coolest places to eat on Martha's Vineyard. If the Pres missed getting the Backdoor experience (so to speak), he missed one of the neatest things MV has to offer. At Backdoor you stand in line in an alley in the late night hours, visiting with the locals and other sugar and fat craving tourists, waiting for the incredibly mouthwatering donuts to emerge directly from the frying pan. Nothing is better or more over-the-top than their apple fritters and their Bavarian cremes put Bavaria to shame.
-
Review from Claire J.
Carmel, NY
7/24/2011 1 photo
5 stars just for the FRITTERS alone!
We had 4 fritters in 6 days and are honestly...detoxing. We miss the fritters so bad!!!! Make sure to get there a few minutes before they open or you WILL wait in line. But it is soooo worth it. Fresh, apple filled, sweet and HUGE. I also tried a jelly donut (yum). If you're in Oak Bluffs make this one of your stops and be hungry. -
Review from Lisa K.
Mansfield Center, CT
7/13/2011
You must go there...NOW!! Do not eat dessert...leave room for donuts at 10 pm. It's the best time to eat them. Follow the smell...wait in line.. Do not be intimidated- the line moves really fast. A
Dollar a donut is steep but oh so worth it!! -
Review from Amy L.
9/16/2010
Funny signage gets me every time! One of them warns you, "Back Door Donuts is not on the approved list for Weight Watchers, Atkins, or any other diet plan!"
Open from an arbitrary time in the afternoon until whenever at night (10 pm? 12 am?), this is a great way to treat yourself! Donuts are $1-$1.25/ea, and are fairly traditional: Raised Dough (Honey Dipped, Boston Cream, Raspberry or Lemon Jelly, Chocolate frosting), Cake (Plain Old Fashioned, Cinnamon & Sugar, Buttermilk, Butternut Crunch, Coconut, Powdered), and Chocolate Cake (Plain, Glazed, Chocolate Icing).
They also offer Cinnamon Rolls ($3.50), Fried Dough ($3.50), a variety of Croissants ($2.75-5), beverages and t-shirts ($15).
But you really came here for the mammoth-size, doughy, deliciously glazed Apple Fritters. At a whopping $3.75, you're probably wondering why they cost so much. They're huge. They feed four, easily. Unless you're a professional eater (or have a tapeworm), you won't finish one yourself. Bring a friend. Or a date. Heck, bring both: you'll probably need them in order to finish this gigantic fried bit of heaven! And two days later? Still delicious. Amazing.
There could be a line here, which we saw the first time we passed it. But by the time we finished dinner and came back, there was only one other person in front of us. Perfect.
Grab your goods, walk around to the front of the bakery, and sit out on a bench under the stars. Divine.Listed in: Martha's Vineyard's Best!!!!
-
Review from Amy C.
Marshfield, MA
9/15/2010
I heard all of the rumors. I did my pre-Martha's Vineyard Yelp research, and Back Door Donuts was on my "Must Consume" list. (Many, MANY thanks to all of you donut-loving Yelpers!) I figured the donuts and fritters had to be good, but I had no idea just how amazing they would be.
The whole family was pretty exhausted from a day of shopping, sun, and seashore. (Mostly shopping.) We were just relaxing in the hotel room, when the donuts began calling to me. "Amy... we know you waaaaaaant us. Come find us NOW!!" I accepted their fatty, greasy and delicious challenge.
I wandered down Circuit Avenue... my nose (and stomach) led the way. Literally all of a sudden, the most heavenly, divine, intoxicating aroma consumed my nasal passages. Remember in those old cartoons, when the animated critter would get a whiff of something delicious, and he'd get carried away by the scent? That's EXACTLY what happened to me.
I found myself in a line about two dozen people deep. Everyone, from families with little tikes, to teenagers, to a pair of twenty-somethings (all over each other... I guess donuts make you HAWT), to older couples, were happily anticipating deliciousness, discussing what to order, and eying "The Rules" posted on the door. Then it was my turn.
At this point, I was so excited about the prospect of hot, homemade, raved about donuts and fritters that I completely and utterly over-ordered. I was the definition of gluttony. I think I ordered one of (almost) everything. And MOST of my order made it back to the hotel. (It's not just hype about those apple fritters. I took a couple of bites on my walk back, and really, those things should be banned, they are THAT good. The donuts were probably the best I've ever eaten in my life. Donut heaven.)
I only went once during my last trip to the Vineyard, because it's just too dangerous of a stop for me. (What do they put in those things?? I'm drooling thinking about it now!) But I WILL be back. (A note... the family ate all of the donuts and fritters the next morning, and they were just as fresh and delightful as they were the previous night.) -
Review from Sara L.
Worcester, MA
9/13/2011
We've been vacationing on the vineyard for several years and somehow never heard of this place until i was reading reviews on yelp. We made a special trip to Oak Bluffs and decided that although the fritter sounded fantastic, we really wanted to try the fresh donuts. We found the bakery and a like-minded first timer out front who asked "are you looking for the back?" before we all headed around to the other side. A line was already formed 5 deep at 7:30.
Though they seemed to be off to a slow start, the donuts were worth the wait, and the extra time spent waiting made us realize that we should really each try more than one. He ordered the old fashioned and cinnamon sugar, which were pulled from a tray of freshly made donuts and put into a bag. Grease stains started to form on the warm bag as i placed my order. Coconut and Boston Cream. The man a the window yelled back to another worker to see if he had any. Then disappeared for a minute. He came back with a the boston cream in hand, its chocolate frosting dripping into the paper liner that surrounded it. He handed the donut over to me carefully, saying "From the Fryer to You Hand", took our money (cash only) and moved on to the next customer behind us. We left feeling like part of the "secret" club and we now knew its motto.
We walked back to the front of the bakery and found a comfy bench to sit on to taste our treats. Fresh hot donuts from a real bakery are fantastic. I've vowed never to have a boston cream again until we get to go back to the island. Once you have a warm gooey and perfectly fried boston cream, you'll never go back to those hockey pucks they serve at the chain donut shops. The other donuts were also delicious. Our only regret was not having milk to wash it all down. -
Review from Joanne B.
Woodbury, NJ
10/2/2011
sweet evening treat! literally go to the back door....duh!!!!
cheap, delicious, and fresh! lines tend to get long so come early. we tried about 3 and couldn't get enough, but had to limit ourselves.
def don't miss out on this island treat! -
Review from Michael A.
Boston, MA
8/1/2011
Decadent! order anything and don't forget to add a milk. Bordering on illegal and incredibly tasty.
-
Review from Jeremy H.
Waltham, MA
8/10/2009
Saturday night I died and went to Fat Kid Heaven on the back of a hot apple fritter!
So the premise is simple:
1. is it after 7:30 PM
2. Can you get to Oak Bluffs on The vineyard
3. Can you stand in the center of town and follow your nose?
4. Bring cash
5. Get a fresh and hot apple fritter (1 per person so there is no fighting. They are big but you each need your own)
6. sit down and eat (you will get weak in the knees upon tasting this so sit down)
OK the have great donuts, but the Apple fritters are the single best thing I have ever had. I am drooling on my keyboard writing this. The experience is beyond words....like an orgasm. Get in \your car, get to the nearest ferry to the Vineyard, and get a fritter. waiting on line for 30 minutes at the back door of a bakery may seem like it is not worth it, but once you get this you will realize that 30 minutes is worth it, 300 minutes would be worth it. Go. Go now. -
Review from Aretha B.
Aquinnah, MA
10/21/2007
YES!
When you've hit circut ave hard for a few hours and the bars get out - this is literally the only place on the island you can get something to soak up the booze. This bakery is busy churning out baked goods for to supply a few of the island's bakeries for their next day.
Lucky booze hound, all you have to do is walk behind the post office, follow the scent of cinnamon and sugar in the air... and you'll literally be at the back door of the bakery, hence "back door donuts" (and who doesn't love to say that?).
Now anything you get is good... but my strongest recommendation goes to the apple fritter: a big, hot wad of fried dough that has cinnamon and apple chunks kneeded into it, and tossed into a huge bowl of icing. Eat it right out of the frier with a bottle of milk.
Mmmmmmm.... -
Review from Lizzie R.
Brooklyn, NY
10/7/2011
Got a donut last from back door then went back and got 3 more
-
Review from Peachy L.
Portsmouth, NH
2/26/2010
The new owners of this place ruined it. Flat out. It use to be sorta a vineyard secret that you could run to a back door of a donut shop and get a gooey warm one. Not now.
You will STAND in a line in a parking lot. They are not the warm, fresh donuts for the morning anymore. And they're not how they use to be.
This place was amazing before the new owners got hold of it, i don't know how long ago that was.
I bragged to my BF about how amazing the apple fritters were. Ours had no apple... and was cold.... we ended up throwing more then half away. TERRIBLE.
Its now just another place trying to make as much as a profit as they can, not a well kept secret about the more fresh donuts you could ever have. -
Review from Cheryl M.
Sadorus, IL
1/29/2011
Yummy, sweet. yeasty, apple-y goodness...that's all I can say. Well, not all...
If you have never experienced Back Door Donuts, have a late dinner, drink for awhile then head over when they open and getcha some. Apple fritters, glazed, cinnamon & sugar...doesn't matter...they are all good. I had the apple fritter and yes, I did finish all of it. It was heavenly! Going back this summer and might just have to go every night to "stock up" until the next time I visit. -
Review from Holly W.
Manhattan, NY
6/29/2009
Maaaaaaaaannnn... I can remember when back door donuts wasn't even a "thing". it was just an open door in the back of a bakery where drunk kids used to line up because there was no where else to go that late at night. eventually they started charging for the deep fried goodness and the town threatened to shut them down. everyone signed a petition and now you have today - Back Door Donuts. wooo
that being said... a cinnamon sugar donut at 1am is the best thing in the WORLD. i swear to you. you will never taste anything better. except maybe an apple fritter the next morning that you bought but were too drunk to remember but are happily surprised with in the morning. yay -
Review from Nick H.
Methuen, MA
8/9/2011
BEST. DONUTS. EVER. And an awesome, uniquely Oak Bluffs experience. The smell, the line, the cinnamon sugar all over your hands, car, clothes for the rest of the trip, the next day beach donuts, all part of the joy of Back Door Donuts.
-
Review from Jackie S.
Los Angeles, CA
8/25/2010
This place is probably one of the greatest things to ever happen to me.
Fifteen minutes before opening there was already a line trailing behind that screen door that leads straight into the kitchen and by the time I bit into my apple fritter (the size of my face) and my cinnamon sugar donut
(the size of a mid-sized gorilla's face), right out of the deep fryer, I understood why. This food was quite possibly the best fried delicacy I have ever stuffed into my wee stomach. -
Review from Megan R.
8/25/2009
APPLE FRITTERS!!! I was wondering how many I could smuggle in my luggage. They are as big as you head and filled with greasy sugary goodness. Make sure you are not picking up too many there is a six fritter limit without pre-ordering.
The doughnuts are good, but opt for the fritters -
Review from T G.
Bradenton, FL
-
Review from Rachel N.
Forest Hills, NY
7/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Apple fritter, apple fritter, apple fritter! I'm not normally an apple fritter kind of girl and yet I ate a BDD apple fritter two out of the three nights I was in Oak Bluffs. It was the most incredible reaction to a food I think I've ever had: Before I bit in, I was all, "Let me have a bite, and then I'll let you taste it," and after I bit into it, my only instinct was to cram the entire thing in my mouth as quickly as possible just to eat it all. It was THAT good. Seriously: Get the apple fritter.
-
Review from Stacy M.
Severna Park, MD
9/16/2011
My wife is in sugar-induced coma(joking).Apple fritter was all it could be-hot,sweet,sugary--yum yum yum.Will get fried dough & some donuts next time.
-
Review from BJ M.
Brooklyn, NY
9/2/2011
We went for breakfast and for a late-night snack; their back door doughnuts are freshly made, melt-in-your mouth, warm, unlike their daytime options. You have to get their apple fritter. It's huge, so you can share if you choose to (or not)!
-
Review from Hungry Native ..
Edgartown, MA
5/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Out of this world fresh! A good old plain donut is pretty much the best thing ever.
-
Review from Kim G.
Falls Church, VA
7/25/2010 1 photo
We were lucky and didn't have to wait in line. The first donut I got wasn't so fresh but after some chatting with the employees, they grew a liking to us and replaced it with a warm delicious one. I think the morning pastries could be better, but I like the idea of donuts as an after dinner treat in Oak Bluffs.
-
Review from Emily A.
Oakland, CA
8/3/2010
Best donuts on the Island-- try the bear claw, but expect to share it with about 5 other or you'll have a stomachache (its hugee!!). Lots of different tasty donuts and muffins.
-
Review from Molly W.
Draper, UT
11/17/2010
Cake donuts are my favorite and all they had that night were glazed. I got the apple fritter instead which was as big as my head and so warm and delicious with chunks of apple. Yum!! That fritter was the best ive had. Probably would have given 5 stars if they had other non-glazed donuts.
-
Review from Kate Noel T.
Taunton, MA
9/8/2011
Amazing and delicious, they're always busy because it tastes so great. We travel to the Vineyard for a week once a year, and we probably spend at least $200 a year (there's at least 5 of us at any given time) here because it's so awesome. Don't miss the apple fritter, the strawberry / cream cheese pastry, linguica rolls, or the chai tea and coffee. At night they open up and sell donuts out of the back door, hence the name.
-
Review from G J J.
San Francisco, CA
8/24/2010
No was one human can consume a whole apple fritter here and keep it down. It's so awesome. Maybe the best donut I ever had.
-
Review from David B.
Milford, MA
3/30/2010 2 photos
Oh my goodness. This place is great. They are open late baking but you need to be served at the rear door until 12:30am.
-
Review from Dorothy N.
Chicago, IL
8/28/2009
Nestled just off the main drag in Oak Bluffs is the Martha's Vineyard Gourmet Bakery and Cafe. When the clock rolls around to 7:30 PM, head around to their back door for some fresh donuts, just out of the oven. They are heavenly! They have a huge selection of cinnamon rolls, honey glazed, chocolate frosted, raspberry and lemon jelly donuts (and more! Yum!). Each donut runs about $1-$1.25. The cinnamon rolls are larger and cost just over $3. I have never had a donut that I thought was worth $3.50--until now. Their apple fritters are AMAZING!!! They are HUGE-- and wonderfully delicious fresh and hot from the oven. You can only buy 6, because they are popular with the locals and the tourists! Definitely stop by if you're in Oak Bluffs one night; these donuts are truly worth it! I believe Back Door Donuts is usually open and serving between 7:30/8:30 PM-12:30 AM.
-
Review from Caroline D.
Dudley, MA
10/20/2010
I'm not a huge donut person but I look forward to the start of summer when the bakery awakens from its winter hibernation. I'll go at least once every other week or used to (living in Boston now) but had to limit myself. If I didn't give myself a limit I would have been there everyday for my all time favorite Apple Fritter! It's true it's huge and you definitely need a friend to help you polish it off...unless you want to gain an extra five pounds!
