Hole Doughnuts occupies a shotgun-style shop along Haywood Road, between the French Broad River and the heart of Historic West Asheville, marked by a small blue truck parked out front. The doughnuts are yeasted, hand-shaped, and made to order, fried and glazed on the spot rather than stacked and held. Coffee comes from neighboring roaster PennyCup Coffee, and the kitchen is open, so the rolling, frying, and glazing happen in view of anyone waiting at the counter.
The molasses-bourbon doughnut has drawn particular attention, earning a Best Dessert nod from Bon Appétit in 2016, and National Geographic has singled out the shop's hand-cut, intentionally irregular doughnuts as characteristic of Asheville's unpretentious food culture. The shop has changed hands over the years but has kept its scratch-made, small-batch approach to a short, rotating list of flavors.
The molasses-bourbon doughnut has drawn particular attention, earning a Best Dessert nod from Bon Appétit in 2016, and National Geographic has singled out the shop's hand-cut, intentionally irregular doughnuts as characteristic of Asheville's unpretentious food culture. The shop has changed hands over the years but has kept its scratch-made, small-batch approach to a short, rotating list of flavors.