Clifton Donut Shop

Bussman's is open? It looks abandoned every time I drive by.

I've been following the buzz on LHB about Clifton's Donuts for several months and finally had the chance to visit on Memorial day. I kept having crazy dreams and woke up for the 6th time at 5:50 a.m. and gave them a call to see if they would be open for the holiday..."yes" was the answer and I drove the 15 minutes and was probably the first customer.

I decided to be nice and get a 2nd dozen for my 3 neighbors on our court. Not knowing what to get, I ordered 2 identical boxes of:

- 6 glazed
- 3 chocolate covered (vanilla creme; bavarian creme; and creme cheese)
- 3 jelly filled (strawberry; blueberry; and rasberry)

I had to get an apple fritter for the ride home (would have never made it w/o dipping into the boxes). The nice lady threw in 3 donut holes and a glazed cake donut...my 2 boxers loved the donut holes!

Like everyone on here has mentioned, the owners were super nice.

These donuts were good (give them a 6 out of 10) but not the best in town for my taste buds. The glaze on the glazed donuts, after an hour or so, soaked into the yeasty cake portion and just did not have the correct look, feel, or texture after that. It was also my opinion that the jelly and creme filled donuts were a little shy on filling (another 20% of filling would have been better).

I am going to Bussman's this week (will be another first for me) and will give my thoughts after that trip.

My top two in town to this point are still:

1. warm Krispy Kreme
2. crack sticks from Nords

1. warm Krispy Kreme

Hot Krispy Kremes are in a category of their own, 11 on a 10 point scale. All other donuts then are ranked below them.

1. warm Krispy Kreme

Hot Krispy Kremes are in a category of their own, 11 on a 10 point scale. All other donuts then are ranked below them.

+100, or should I say +11? They are certainly in their own category and nothing I've ever had surpasses them just a plain glazed donut! Now there are other categories of donuts that Krispy Kreme doesn't even tackle that are wonderful in their own right and even better depending on what you're looking for.

I did make it over to Bussman's last week. Very small place, but again the staff was friendly.

I ordered 2 glazed, 1 chocolate covered with a large dollup of creme on top (counter lady's favorite), and a glazed "stick" that turned out to be "cake" based. I am not a fan of cake donuts, so after one bite this one was shared by my boxers.

I liked these better than Clifton's...much more creme...let's see I gave Clifton's a "6" so Bussman's gets a "7".

But as I said before a warm KK is still #1, followed by Nord's "french fries" (aka "crack sticks")! I liked that "11" that Mark R gave to the warm KK so my ratings are:

11 - warm KK
9.5 - Nord's crack sticks
7 - Bussman's
6 - Clifton's

I used to "hear" about a place in Lexington with the "worlds best", but I've got a limit of 25 miles for a good donut.

[Robin Garr]

Jerry, I'd be interested to know where you fit Plehn's donuts into your hierarchy. If you ever get out that way, I hope you'll add it to the thread!

I'll go to Plehn's this week and post my thoughts.

Robin, have you been to Nord's or Bussman's? Would like to hear your comparison with Clifton's.

I love Phlens.. and I also second the Krispy Kreme love. Nothing comes close.

[Robin Garr]

I'll go to Plehn's this week and post my thoughts.

Robin, have you been to Nord's or Bussman's? Would like to hear your comparison with Clifton's.

Jerry, I really don't eat very many donuts. Can't afford to, and still keep my boyish figure. We get Plehn's every now and then, and I think they're pretty good. I really have been impressed with Clifton because of their light and tender nature within that nicely fried edge. I've been to Nord's way back, when they served lunch there, and got some of the famous donuts, and yeah, they're good. For some reason I just don't get into Bussman's even though we live in the Frankfort Avenue strip. Silly of me, but in a way it doesn't look inviting on the outside. As someone said above, it looks like they're out of business even if they're not.

I'll get past that prejudice and try them out soon, though!

When I arrived at my barber this morning he had gone to a doctor's appointment, and I thought "perfect time to go to Plehn's". Thanks to Robin for urging me. For whatever reasons, having lived in Louisville for nearly 60 years, and the east side for 38 years, I had never been to this "institution" of bakeries.

Am I ever glad I went!!

I lost that "boyish figure" years ago, so what the heck...had to get some of my favorites...one glazed; one jelly filled; and one apple fritter. The glazed at Plehn's knocked Nord's crack stick down to #3. The jelly filled had plenty of filling and was also outstanding.

I saved discussing the apple fritter for last, to gather my thoughts, too see if I could come up with appropriate words to describe this gem. The fritter was, without doubt, the richest most sinful feeling piece of dough to ever have crossed these lips. WOW!

My boxers gobbled up each bite the same as Clifton's and Bussman's, and promptly gave each bakery a "10".

New ranking:

11 - warm KK
10 - Plehn's (two reasons - taste & unbelievable selection)
9 - crack sticks at Nord's
7 - Bussman's
6 - Clifton's Donuts

I must stay away from the bakeries for a few weeks...currently on sugar overload...but I can't quit thinking about that apple fritter at Plehn's. WOW!