Ottawa’s Most Overrated Donut: An Honest Take

Ottawa has long had a quiet but fervent relationship with food trends. Our culinary obsessions tend to build slowly, simmering under the radar until they reach a boiling point. Donuts, once the humble companion to a Timmies double-double, have now reached that point, and then some. The capital has exploded with boutique donut shops, each promising not just a pastry, but a “donut experience.”

A Saturday stroll through the Glebe, Hintonburg, or the ByWard Market will quickly show you just how far this obsession has gone. Donuts aren’t just on menus, they’re on murals, neon signs, and Instagram feeds. They’re sold at cafes, food trucks, farmers’ markets, and even featured at high-end brunches. And people aren’t buying just one or two. They’re buying dozens, lining up before stores open, and paying nearly six dollars apiece for a decorated ring of fried dough. Ottawa has turned the donut into a cultural icon, and it happened faster than you might think.

Ten years ago, a donut in this city meant one of two things: a Tim Hortons chocolate dip, or the occasional powdered jam-filled version from a grocery store bakery. SuzyQ Doughnuts helped change that. When it opened its doors in Hintonburg in 2012, it introduced a new concept: handmade donuts in rotating, whimsical flavours with names like “Dirty Chocolate” and “London Fog.” People lost their minds.

And understandably so. SuzyQ brought something Ottawa hadn’t seen—a dessert that felt crafted, creative, and local. But a decade later, as the donut landscape has expanded, it begs the question: are we still in love with the donut itself, or just the idea of it?

The explosion of gourmet donut shops follows a trend we’ve seen before with cupcakes, macarons, and craft cupcakes, once a food becomes artisanal, it becomes aspirational. In Ottawa, donuts are now symbols of taste and social currency. But as with any trend, overexposure risks burnout. You start to ask: are these donuts worth the reverence, or are we all just playing along?

The SuzyQ Donut: hype or substance?

SuzyQ is the face of the Ottawa donut movement. For years, it was the place. Ask any food-loving Ottawan where to get a great donut, and chances are SuzyQ will roll off their tongue before you finish the question. Their brand is tight: minimalist design, kitschy-cool vibe, and a near-mythical status among Instagram foodies.

But there’s a difference between being first and being best.

SuzyQ was the first shop in Ottawa to popularize the artisanal donut concept, but that doesn’t mean it’s still the best. Its success is owed, in part, to being the early mover. It carved out a niche and did so with flair. But in recent years, its status as the donut spot has felt increasingly unearned.

Let’s start with flavour. Yes, they have some great ideas. But execution? Inconsistent at best. I’ve had donuts there that were fresh, fluffy, and well-balanced, and others that were stale by noon. Some flavours are thoughtful; others taste like someone just dumped whatever was in the pantry on top of a ring of fried dough.

And then there’s the price. We’re talking $4 to $5.50 per donut, often more for the more elaborate creations. That’s gourmet territory. At that price point, the bar is high. You expect craftsmanship. You expect freshness. What you too often get is over-sweetened novelty that relies more on visual appeal than actual taste.

There’s also the problem of repetition. Despite offering rotating flavours, many of SuzyQ’s creations feel like variations on a theme: sweet-on-sweet with sugar-coated on top. For a city that’s embracing refined palettes and global inspiration, this one-note approach feels increasingly out of place.

Look, I respect what SuzyQ has done for Ottawa’s food culture. But when a donut topped with marshmallows and cereal gets more love than a perfectly balanced lemon glaze from a lesser-known shop, you start to wonder if we’re collectively hypnotized.

Taste test: A sugar-soaked investigation

To figure out whether the hype stands up, I set out on a sugar-laced mission: a city-wide donut taste test. Over one month, I visited Ottawa’s top-rated donut spots: SuzyQ, Maverick’s Donut Company, Little Jo Berry’s, Art-Is-In Bakery, and Holey Confections. I judged each on five criteria: freshness, flavour complexity, creativity, balance of sweetness, and texture.

SuzyQ: I sampled their Maple Bacon, Blue Vanilla Fruit Loop, Raspberry Cassis, and Dirty Chocolate. Maple Bacon had chewy, oddly soft bacon that lacked crisp contrast. The Blue Vanilla was visually fun but overwhelmed by sugary cereal. Raspberry Cassis stood out—sharp and tart, with a pleasing jam. Dirty Chocolate was dense, dry, and heavy-handed. Out of four, one real winner.

Maverick’s Donuts: These donuts are smaller, cleaner, and focus more on flavour balance. The Lemon Ricotta? Bright, zesty, and moist. The Crème Brûlée? A torched sugar cap and creamy center with a hint of real vanilla bean. A Cinnamon Toast Crunch donut leaned a little sweet but was texturally impressive. Consistency was the theme, every donut felt deliberate, not gimmicky.

Little Jo Berry’s: Vegan, yes, but don’t assume compromise. Their chai-glazed donut was a showstopper: warm, spiced, not overly sweet, and with a tender crumb. Their seasonal cranberry-orange donut was tart and nuanced. If you’re used to heavy-handed flavouring, these will surprise you with their restraint.

Art-Is-In Bakery: Their cronuts and cruffins live on the donut spectrum, and arguably outclass traditional options. The Apple Cardamom cronut I tried had layers that melted in the mouth with a flaky crunch. A salted caramel version was rich but not excessive. It felt like eating something that belonged in a Parisian patisserie, not a Canadian capital.

Holey Confections: This spot takes layering to obsessive levels. Their 140-layer croissant-donut hybrid is a marvel of technique. A vanilla bean glaze added delicate sweetness, and the texture? A dream: crispy edges, buttery layers, and no greasy aftertaste.

The verdict? While SuzyQ has a few high points, it was the least consistent. Donuts should be indulgent, yes. But they should also be thoughtful. The others brought balance and complexity. SuzyQ, more often than not, brought volume and sugar.

The alternatives: Ottawa’s underrated donut stars

It’s not all bad news. If you’re feeling let down by the overrated darlings of Ottawa’s donut scene, there’s good news: the city is teeming with alternatives that deserve more attention.

Maverick’s Donuts has quietly built a donut empire with none of the bluster. They’re not just good, they’re consistent. Their subscription box lets you try seasonal flavours without lining up, and their smaller size means you can try more without feeling overwhelmed.

Little Jo Berry’s, while mostly known as a vegan cafe, deserves major props for their donuts. They’re creative without being performative, and they’re inclusive, a rare combo. The chai donut alone is worth a trip.

Art-Is-In Bakery is an institution for a reason. If you’ve only been there for bread and brunch, try their cronuts. They’re refined, elegant, and rich in all the right ways. Their seasonal flavours reflect a level of thoughtfulness often missing in the mainstream donut space.

Holey Confections operates slightly under the radar but is making some of the most technically impressive donuts in the city. Their croissant-donut hybrid is an engineering marvel. It’s not just different, it’s better.

The Corner Peach Store, though not primarily a donut shop, serves up occasional specials that are anything but ordinary. Their dedication to local ingredients and experimental flavours results in baked goods with soul. When donuts do appear, they tend to sell out fast, and for good reason.

Strawberry Blonde Bakery, Ottawa’s go-to for vegan and allergy-friendly treats, is another dark horse in the donut game. Their donuts are gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free without sacrificing texture or taste. Moist, dense, and perfectly sweet, they’re a top-tier choice for those who need alternatives, or just want something genuinely delicious.

And then there are seasonal pop-ups, farmer’s markets, and micro-bakeries. Ottawa’s food scene is dynamic. Pay attention to who’s baking quietly in the corners. Sometimes the best food isn’t made for Instagram. It’s made by someone perfecting their recipe in a basement kitchen in Old Ottawa South or Orleans.

Want to eat smarter in Ottawa? Skip the line and follow your nose, not the algorithm.

Donuts and dollars: Do they earn their price?

A donut costing $5+ isn’t just a dessert. It’s a statement. It says, “This is premium.” But what defines premium? Is it the ingredients? The aesthetics? The name on the box?

To break it down: the cost of ingredients for most yeast-based donuts is relatively low. Even with high-end toppings, we’re talking cents per unit. What we’re paying for is brand perception, rent in trendy neighbourhoods, Instagram-worthiness, and the myth of scarcity. SuzyQ’s donuts, while sometimes delicious, don’t consistently deliver on the promise their price implies.

Compare that to a Maverick’s donut, priced slightly lower, with more consistent quality and thoughtful flavour combinations. Or a Little Jo Berry’s creation, which uses carefully sourced spices and offers dietary inclusivity. The price tag starts to make more sense when it matches the experience.

At its worst, overpriced donuts make you feel like you paid for a costume party. Style over substance. At its best, a pricey donut can feel like a crafted dessert. SuzyQ is starting to lean toward the former.

Here’s a quick pricing snapshot for context:

SuzyQ: $4.75–$5.50
Maverick’s: $3.50–$4.25
Little Jo Berry’s: $4–$4.75 (vegan)
Art-Is-In: $4–$6 (for cronuts)
Holey Confections: $5.50+ (but justified by the process)

If you’re spending $20+ on half a dozen donuts, shouldn’t each one feel like it earned its price?

The verdict: a culture of overhype

There’s nothing wrong with loving a brand, especially one that helped shape our city’s food culture. But love without critique leads to stagnation. SuzyQ may have opened the door, but other bakeries have walked through it and outshined them.

If Ottawa wants to keep evolving as a food city, and it should, we need to stop treating first as best. We need to support local businesses not because they’re trendy, but because they’re good. That means branching out, taking risks, and tasting widely.

SuzyQ can still be part of that picture, but let’s not pretend they’re the pinnacle. They were a leader once. Now, they’re just another player.

Let’s eat like it.