Nicola's Donut Shop Tampa

Located near Busch Gardens and a staple of Tampa Bay since 1982, there is a good chance that many on Florida’s East Coast have experienced Nicola’s Donuts by way of local convenience stores throughout the course of decades, but opting to go straight to the source for a Mother’s Day selection the thirty minute drive proved entirely worth the effort from the charming customer service to the delicious fried dough.

Family owned and operated, open seven days a week from 5:30 till noon (or “sold out” per the door,) Nicola’s Donuts occupies a small space in a shabby Strip Mall and manned by just the baker, a middle aged woman and a young teen the selection is substantial with more than two-dozen options ranging from textbook Old Fashioned Rings and Fritters to Candy Bar toppings and Croissant-style versions.

Offering Check-In Discounts, the prices variable by style with Cheaper-by-the-Dozen values described by the young man, it was with a Half-Dozen plus one free that an order was compiled and opting to indulge as a steady flow of traffic trickled through the doors it was not long before teeth were sunk into a still-warm Blueberry Cake selection, the base no doubt straight from a box though the texture was nonetheless perfect beneath a lightly sweet glaze.

Moving onward to Fritters, unfortunately a mixed bag as the Apple item was mostly just Cinnamon while the same base was far better with the crunchy exterior juxtaposing juicy bites of Pineapple, the aforementioned Sour Cream Old Fashioned was a textbook piece of breakfast pastry, as too was the cocoa-rich Red Velvet – both an equally great deal at less than a dollar.

Generally fancying cake to Yeasted, Raised or Leavened it still seemed pertinent to taste Nicola’s Holiday themed Vanilla Glazed Donut and with a surprisingly light frosting overlying wispy dough both the flavor and texture were far better than average, the same to be said of a hoop simply labeled as “Reese’s,” the base every bit as pillow-soft while the combination of Peanut Butter, Chocolate Shell and partially melted morsels was decidedly more decadent.