Filled old fashioned donuts. If you haven't yet experienced these, you really need to open up a whole new world for yourself. My two favorite donut varieties in general are glazed old fashioneds and filled bismarcks. The filled old fashioneds unite my two loves. So far the strawberry and raspberry fillings are tied for first place.
The texture of their regular old fashioned donuts are kind of chewy and moist and I urge you to try one. Any flavor will do, but the simplicity of the plain is a great place to start.
The apple fritters are legendary and enough to share with a small family. They sell out quickly during popular times so if you can head in during an off time you should. My last visit was on a late Thursday afternoon and they were well-stocked. Weekend mornings? LOLOLOL don't bother.
Half a dozen donuts comes in at $5.50 and they are worth every penny. Single donuts are $1, fritters $5 (but are equal to at least five donuts in size, so don't be turned off by the "high" price). The young man with blond hair working the counter on my last visit was super friendly and helpful for anyone who had questions. He was good with the kid in front of me, offering samples and joking with her. It felt very much like the neighborhood bakery that it is.
While Greenbush does live up to the hype, there are a couple of things to note:
- The cake and yeast donuts are fine, but I truly think their old fashioneds blow them out of the water and are what earn them their cult status
- The donuts served at the bakery are 20 times better than the packaged Greenbush donuts you can find around Madison's grocery stores. Freshness makes a huge difference. If you've only had a store-bought GB donut treat yourself to the bakery experience before passing final judgment. It still might not be for you, but it's truly a world of difference between one of their donuts made that day and one that's been around for a few days.