FUN CHOICES AT THIS DONUT FACTORY The toppings here allow lots of variety. (And I can't believe I'm saying this) but I wish there were more crazy options--Bacon was the only standout and its shock value has already worn off. You're allowed a choice of frosting, then topping, then drizzle... just choose from the menu near the counter and watch the staff create it. GLUTEN-FREE, ALLERIC PYRA SAYS: I usually enjoy fried, air-filled, Donuts as opposed to Cakey types, but the gluten-free option only allowed the Cake variety--and they were so light and fluffy and not very thick--I loved it! But remember they also create these GF versions using dairy and Eggs. RICH TOPPINGS Our Maple frosting, Bacon Crumble, and Caramel Drizzle (both GF and regular version) tasted like a Donut version of a breakfast treat. Another Strawberry frosting, Chocolate sprinkles, and Raspberry drizzle looked like food porn in a box. Both were insanely delicious and rich in flavor. I especially liked the Raspberry drizzle providing a tart, fruity, addition.
(5)
Lisa W.
What a great find! Stopped in this morning for the first time. Shona was very friendly and helpful, as I wanted to bring a half-dozen to a friend. The donuts are made to order and delicious. I decided on a half dozen: 1 glazed with coconut 1 vanilla icing with rainbow sprinkles 1 chocolate icing with rainbow sprinkles 1 maple with bacon (recommended) 1 chocolate glazed with bacon with raspberry drizzle (recommended) 1 choc icing with raspberry (recommended) They were all hot and fantastic. We had to do a nut- free order because of allergies, but they also have nut/peanut toppings available.
(5)
T N.
Fresh hot donuts, best part is the variety and being able to choose your own glaze/coating and topping! Recommend the peanut butter icing or the cinnamon sugar. Trust me you can taste the difference in donuts made fresh to order vs other places that have been premade and sitting around. About $1 per donut and well worth it. Coffee was smooth, not too sweet, not too bitter, and great to have with the donuts.
(5)
Allison N.
There are some indisputable facts in life. The sky is blue, what comes up must come down, and that hot donuts are far, far superior than donuts at room temperature. That's where Perk's steps in. Everyone knows and loves Krispy Kreme donuts. When they are fresh, they are basically the best, melt-in-your-mouth food ever. Perk's donuts are similar to Krispy Kreme in this respect, but also way different because they are highly customizable. You can choose your frosting/glaze, choose your toppings (sprinkles, bacon, even coconut), and then even choose a drizzle to go on top of all of that. For my first Perk's experience, I ordered a donut with strawberry icing, rainbow sprinkles and raspberry drizzle. I was not disappointed whatsoever. The donuts are made right in front of you so you know you're getting a special treat just for you. The donuts themselves are perfectly fried. They aren't too doughy or too dry. They are just right. The shop also serves Tebella Tea and Buddy Brew coffee. I came in on opening day, so I'll have to keep coming back to give a full report, but this place is bound to be a hit because it is VERY good so far. I can feel it in my Yelper bones.
(4)
Jasmine R.
Holy Moley! What a local treasure I'm almost upset that nobody has told me about this place before. Typically when I want sweets I'm looking for the nearest slice of cheesecake I can find but this morning I was thinking a donut and coffee would hit the spot and this place did not disappoint. Parking is ample and you could almost miss this establishment if you aren't looking for it. Inside it's very crisp and clean...almost into sterile territory. I really like the concept of being a donut bar so you can mix and match and create something of your own. Lots of icings and toppings to choose from so I definitely was the customer standing in the middle of the room with her mouth hanging open in awe trying to decide. I settled on maple icing and bacon crumbles and it was seriously the best donut I've ever had! The donut itself was not airy like Krispy Kreme but had that home made cakey texture, the icing was not too sugary sweet, and boy do they know how to cook bacon the right way! It was the perfect balance of crispy chewy. They also brew Buddy Brew coffee so you're able to get a good cup of joe while heading into South Tampa. Bottom line this place is great and the only place I'll get donuts from for now on.
(5)
Jaimie T.
Donuts are probably my favorite thing in the whole world. So when I heard that there was a donut shop in Tampa where I could make my own donut creations, I knew that I HAD to go! The interior is a cheery shade of bright blue and DONUTS is displayed in large marquee letters on the right wall. I'm not sure how busy it gets on the weekend, but I visited on a Thursday so there was only one woman working. She was very friendly and assisted us in making our ample decision. There are ten different icing/powder choices and a few extra flavorful drizzles you can have on top of that. You can also add toppings such as nuts, sprinkles, or bacon! My favorite combinations were the signature S'mores donut and chocolate frosted with bacon crumbles. You can complete your meal with a Buddy Brew coffee or a variety of TeBella tea flavors. They even serve locally produced milks and juices! I thought the donuts had a great crunch to them and they tasted very fresh. I left dreaming of all the combinations I wished I had thought of while making a mental note to return to try them all!
(4)
Jamie O.
Delicious donuts! Only flaw was our donuts were room temp/ cold vs the hot and warm as advertised and expected l. None the less the service was great and food delicious, I can't wait to go back for more!
(4)
Sam W.
Visited Perk's for the first time today. I had the gluten free donuts, and friends had regular donuts. There is nothing like a hot donut. Everything was delicious and the establishment was clean and cute. Will definitely visit again.
(5)
Kate S.
After driving to the shop from a long distance and finding it closed, I was very disappointed. However, I was contacted by the owner of Perks who apologized and updated their hours on their website. I'm sure the donuts are fantastic, but unfortunately we won't get a chance to be in the area for some time to find out. I appreciate them reaching out and can tell they do care about their customers and their business greatly.
(4)
Lisa T.
I don't eat donuts very often, primarily because I like real food, not over processed food-products churned out from a factory en masse. I hate Dunkin Donuts's version and the waxy coating it leaves in my mouth; I'm not kidding to say that I can taste the preservatives. The last few days, I was craving a donut, perhaps because I saw some Krispy Kremes here in Florida, and we don't have them where Iive. We had some free time today, so we went in search of a good donut. The closest place was Perk's, and it was well rated on yelp. It has a fantastic concept of taking one good, always fresh-from-the-oven cake donut and then letting you choose the toppings. It is a great idea, and they offer an excellent variety of toppings to give you tremendous creativity. Good so far. But the toppings are also where things go wrong, in my opinion, to prevent a higher star rating from me. I chose a simple strawberry icing for my donut. See, I'm not the type of person who piles things onto foods -- I just want cheese my burger, a little salt & pepper on my eggs, and I order plain hotdogs and plain pizza. Without a bunch of food "traffic" in my mouth, each component does need to be able to stand on its own merit. Frankly, I should skipped the icing at Perk's. The flavor was vaguely strawberry, much like strawberry-flavored candy rather than an sugar icing made with actual fruit. My husband's chocolate icing was much the same; more like a tootsie-roll version of chocolate than actual cocoa-infused sugar-based icing. The raspberry gel on his donut was good and fruity. The texture of the icing was the real star-killer for me. It's gummy. I suspect that they've added some preservative to the icings to keep them in this liquid-but-tacky state so that the donut can be dipped to order. The strawberry one is much like liquified Starburst candy. I guess that's good if you like Starbursts or if you like clumpy, gummy icing that sticks to your teeth when you eat a donut. In summary, excellent donut. Just skip the icing unless you like taffy on your donuts.
(3)
Daisy D.
Made to order donuts are starting to claim their stake in my donut obsession. We found Perk's thanks to Yelp and were interested to check it out. The storefront is in an unassuming strip center along Dale Mabry, however the bright blue interior offers a cheery welcome. Lay of the land: each donut is made to order. You get to pick an icing, a topping, AND a drizzle to go on your donut with a variety to select from in each category. For this visit we both went with maple icing, bacon, and caramel drizzle. The donut was still warm from the fryer and while I was hesitant on the level of true freshness it would have, it was right up there. The only thing I wish I would have done was opt for the chocolate drizzle to add another layer of flavor. The maple & caramel kind of blended together and the caramel didn't stand out too much. I'm excited to go back and try other combinations.
(4)
Maura L.
This place is awesome for donuts and its convenient to those that live in south Tampa. Make sure to go early though, they need more people making the donuts because the wait is kind of long. If they get busy you will be there for a while.
(4)
Todd W.
For many years, I've only eaten donuts from Tim Horton's. Every trip I make to Canada or Michigan involves at least a couple stops at the TH for a great sandwich, coffee or tea and a tasty donut. I've been waiting for Tim Horton's to do more than just offer hot beverages at Lightning games and I'd put up my own money to invest in a store on Dale Mabry, Kennedy or International Mall. Well, it was just after 9am and curiousity got the best of me. So, when I walked into Perk's, it was completely empty and did not know what to expect. A tremendously nice employee (Shona) recognized that I was visiting for the first time and explained to me how all their donuts are made-to-order with choices of one coating/icing, one topping and one drizzle. Ten different choices for the first option, five for the second and three different drizzles as well. So, I got a little creative with a few combinations and took some donuts to the office and received rave reviews for all of them. In particular, the donut combining peanut butter icing, bacon and chocolate was...well...what do you think it tasted like? Yes, you're right. And just $1.25 per donut ($12.95 for a dozen), which isn't bad considering you can put together pretty much whatever type of flavor combo you could imagine. Even though there was nobody else in there, the donuts were really prepared fast and there was certainly something appealing knowing they were put together when I ordered them and not sitting around in a case until I came along. While there's obviously fresh coffee and tea, that's pretty much it. Clearly, they want to keep it simple and specialize in custom donuts and the result is quite a treat. No, it isn't the TH...but waiting for them around here may take longer than another Stanley Cup.
(4)
dane h.
Good coffee, but the best part is they design the donuts to order. All the base donuts are the same -- very fresh, smaller, yellow cake donuts. Then u pick the frosting and/or toppings, such as sprinkles, cinnamon sugar, toasted coconut, bacon, etc.... U have to try the maple-bacon donut. It was one of the best! Service was polite and professional. I rarely go to the same place twice on one trip, but sure enough a few mornings later, I had to return to Perk's.
(4)
Cecille R.
I had this place bookmarked before our little weekend trip to Tampa. We had a crazy busy weekend but made a point to stop here for a quick breakfast before heading back to Orlando. It's located in a non descript shopping plaza where every storefront looks the same. You probably wouldn't notice it if you were driving by so I'm thankful for Yelp alerting users to little gems like this place. The interior was this pretty Bluebird Bake Shop blue (Orlando readers will know). And just made me so happy! The employee was sooo welcoming and was happy to explain the menu. They feature cake donuts and also have gluten free options. You are welcome to order a single donut, half dozen, full dozen or a 10 pack. You have a 3 lists of coating, topping and drizzle choices. Everything is made to order and nothing is left sitting out. They also sell Buddy Brew coffee and TeBella tea. Along with chocolate and regular milk. I ordered a glazed doughnut and chocolate doughnut drizzled with raspberry. I loved that it wasn't a crumbly doughnut (think Entemann's) and more of a firm, softer texture. I had an iced coffee to go with my doughnuts and I just wasn't a fan. I asked for it to be sweetened and even with sugar, it had a strong taste I wasn't accustomed to. Since it was a late Monday morning, it wasn't too busy when we stopped in. Only one person came in after us. I do wonder how one employee handles the morning rush when it's slammed...especially if doughnuts are made to order. Anyways they have a good thing going here. Go support them!
(4)
Michele D.
Came to check out the new local donut bar. Simple, cute and the staff was great. This doughnut shop only has cake doughnuts. So if your a yeast doughnut lover like myself you will be a bit disappointed to find they won't have any. But I'm not one to turn around and not at least try one. The doughnuts are good but I wouldn't be able to give an outstanding review since they don't have a large selection of doughnut heaven to choose from. The Cruller, Cream filled, jelly filled, the long John, fritters, Boston cream, dutchie, cider doughnut, cinnamon rolls, old fashioned... Just to name a few....All of these Items are MISSING from this doughnut shop. :( You do get to customize your doughnut with various toppings. Such as , chocolate drizzle, vanilla, sprinkles bacon, coconut, jellies and nuts. But they are missing the selective bases named above. This shop could still be working on building a variety doughnut list and recipes. But until that time I need more to choose from.
(3)
Darlene W.
I hesitated between 3 and 4 stars bc I don't want to become too fond of the place! But it's a great, unique idea. Fresh, Delicious cake doughnuts, fluffy and light and you choose the coating and 1 topping. Mine was chocolate iced with raspberry topping; tasted like a Black Forest cake! My sons had Carmel topping and peanuts, like a snickers. Apparently my son is more up on donut places because he has been to one in the Sarasota area and said these were definitely better and more filling. Sorry for no pics but just imagine how delicious!
(4)
Kate E.
Donuts ! What's not to love about donuts! They also have buddy brew which is delicious. I had a peanut butter and bacon donut which was great. But! The donuts are just basic cake donuts with toppings. So don't expect a chocolate or blueberry cake donut! Service was excellent and no one was there at noon on a Saturday when I went in!
(4)
Jeannine K.
Very, very good. I had a lemon coconut and vanilla sprinkle donut and my sister had a maple bacon and raspberry chocolate donut and a cold brew coffee. We loved everything. I think the owner was visiting and she seemed genuinely concerned with our happiness. The donuts were small but inexpensive, if you are truly hungry you might need 2-3. One downfall to this place, which may be a matter of timing, is all donuts are dipped and decorated on spot. Don't get me wrong, this is fantastic, but when multiple people are ordering dozens and there is only one person working the wait can get a little long. Again, we were there during an off hour so it might not always be this way, or maybe someone was taking a break. It's delicious and worth it regardless.
(5)
Tracy G.
South Tampa has been in need of a great donut shop and we finally have one with Perk's. I popped in one day to check them out and was blown away by their adorable shop and downright delicious donuts. My absolute favorite is Maple Bacon. You can't go wrong with any of their donuts, as they are all truly scrumptious. They also serve TeBella which is my favorite local tea.
(5)
Teresa L.
Cool place with fresh cooked donuts that they dip in your choice of toppings while you wait. They weren't too bad on the second day either. All in the office appreciated this offering in place of the other chain stores.
(4)
Kristen L.
Amazing ! :) My friends and I went for a quick breakfast and we were not disappointed! The donuts are fresh and you can pick whatever topping you want! I had gotten a Oreo blast donut (the special of the day) and i had to get another! I highly recommend Perk's to any donut lover!
(5)
Maggie H.
LOVE this cute little donut shop. All donuts are plain cake and then you choose icing flavor and toppings. The possibilities are endless and they have a special donut flavor once a week (one time I went it was Girl Scout Samoan another time Oreo). My favorite is the maple frosting with real bacon bits on top. I have everyone try it and even if they think it sounds gross, they end up liking it. My husband, a tea drinker, appreciated the quality and prep for the hot tea. Be careful not to miss it, I always drive by the first time. SO much better than chain donut places.
(5)
Debra P.
If you like freshly made custom glazed/topped, you'll like Perk's as much as I did. They have plenty of regular selections for their one cake doughnut and I think different seasonal toppings. I tried a half dozen of different variations and all were great. Hubby raved about the powdered sugar but I'm still thinking about the maple glazed with bacon. I've had this doughnut all over the US and this one was the best I've had. I don't drink coffee but I know people like they serve Buddy Brew here. Whenever I'm in the area, I'll be stopping at Perk's.
(5)
Julie V.
Their doughnuts are to die for. Some of the best I've ever had, and definitely the best I've had in Florida. I suggest just plain cinnamon sugar, glazed, or the peanut butter and chocolate frosted. They are best eaten while they're hot and fresh, but last up to two days if you zap them for a few seconds in the microwave. The only drawback I would say is the service is iffy. I've visited Perk's three times: the first time we had wonderful service, but the second time the service was not great and the third time the service was pretty bad and they had to remake part of our order back they made the wrong doughnuts. They also threw away the "mess up" doughnut instead of just adding the correct one to our order, which I found strange.
(4)
EJ P.
YOU MUST GO, BUT READ THIS BEFORE YOU GO. 1. At peak times the service is WAY TOO SLOW. Waiting 30 minutes for a box of donuts is NOT going to cut it. This is what happened to us on a Sunday morning. You have been warned. If you don't want to deal with waits go at off-peak times (9:30 am on a Thursday). 2. The texture of the donuts changes day to day. Sometimes they are lighter than other times. Sometimes they are more yeasty, other times more cakey. Sometimes they are really small, sometimes they are large. Sometimes the toppings are spread on thick, other times the toppings are thin and barely there. These are the kinds of things that turn people off. If I notice, others are too. They also rotate the toppings, not good. So you may have a maply donut today but they won't have it tomorrow. Not good. 3. Overall the donuts are very tasty b/c they are made fresh and not overly greasy. If you have never had a fresh-made donut, THIS is what a donut is supposed to taste like. These donuts make every other donut in the Tampa area taste like utter crap. After you eat this donut, you will think every other donut tastes like dog food. Yes I am talking about you Krispy Kreme. Just because the donut is hot and soft doesn't mean it tastes good. Krispy Kreme donuts taste like artificial crap. 4. The toppings are also fresh and well-made; chocolate icing is VERY good, the bacon is top-notch. Someone here knows what she/he is doing with the ingredients. High-quality. 5. The parking here at peak times is not going to be sufficient. 6. The signage for this place, both outside the shop and the menu inside, are too small, hard to see, etc. I really hope this place makes it, because it has A LOT of potential and the product overall is very high quality. Tampa Bay in general and South Tampa in particular NEED more artisanal food shops like Perk's. However, there's a lot of kinks to be worked out for it to be a hit.
(4)
Elizabeth S.
Delicious! For those out of towners and for people from the north, this place is similar to Duck Donuts but is authentic to Tampa area ingredients! I personally thought it was better than Duck Donuts. The donuts are made to order for you, and are warm cake donuts with your choices of toppings! Cute inside as well. They also serve Teabella and buddy brew coffee. I only got an iced coffee and donut which were both amazing. I will be back!
(5)
Colette L.
Yummy! Hot and Delicious! I'm glad there was not to much to select from, I would of been there forever. Great concept and friendly staff. I can't wait to go back!!!
(5)
Kim B.
Cool concept - donuts made to order. You can pick your type of icings and toppings. It's a cake donut which is not my favorite but it was really good. Very sweet. One was plenty for me! I'm a donut purist so I just got regular glaze no toppings. And they have buddy brew coffee! But no sugar free sweeteners and no stevia. They do have soy.
I tried Perk's after seeing the positive reviews on Yelp. The menu is large and you can essentially create your own donut by choosing icing and toppings. There are fruit-flavored like strawberry, chocolate, maple, vanilla, etc. Then on top you can ask for sprinkles or a drizzle of chocolate. I liked the chocolate iced with peanuts. It was very tasty while hot. The maple-iced was good, too. My question, after I had left and eaten two donuts, was in what oil were they frying? I had a taste of non-vegetable oil. I hope this isn't the case. However, the flavor of the oil overpowered the flavor of the donut about 20 minutes after I finished the second donut. I checked the Perk's website, and they say they use soy-based oil. However, I would like to know if it is 100% vegetable oil, as one large hamburger chain got caught using a vegetable and lard-based oil for the french fries. If Perk's is using some sort of oil blend, I hope they will consider switching to 100% vegetable oil and noting this prominently on the store menu. Regardless, I think I prefer Krispy-Kreme, which never has this after taste. The coffee at Perk's was very good and they provide honey and cinnamon to sweeten and flavor the coffee.
(2)
Jade Y.
I just want to say first: This review will be long. For Yelpers that don't feel like reading here's the skinny: It's great and perfectly delicious. Go there now. Go often. A lot of this review I'm writing to Perks directly with insight from growing up in the industry- Tampa is a tough market. Maybe you guys at Perks know, but I have a feeling this is your first food concept. Ah Perks. You've filled a void in Tampa- a great donut. I'm (what seems to be) a rarity in that I prefer cake donuts to yeast donuts. So, since almost all I've been exposed to growing up in Tampa is Krispy Kreme yeast donuts and their odd leave-my-mouth-fuzzy-feeling cake donuts, for the most part- I just have never been the biggest donut fan. That changed recently on a trip to West Palm where I had the pleasure of stumbling upon a restaurant that offered made-to-order donuts (Relish). Possibly the best donuts of my life, it brought back memories of those little bag donuts that they have at every fair and used to have at target back in the day- nostalgic, fresh, hot, and delicious. So when I learned of Perk's I was hoping it would be the same concept. From Instagram, it seemed promising. So that was my first little disappointment, the donuts are not actually fried in batches to order (at least not the two times I was there). However, the donuts were still hot and still delicious- so not a huge deal, but they don't have the perfect texture that a donut that was JUST made for you has. Between the two times I went I tried: Salted Caramel (it was a weekly flavor), Cinnamon Sugar, and Maple Glazed. Maple Glazed was incredible. However, as a person who doesn't really like putting a lot of toppings or mixtures on top, I actually found their menu just a little bit limiting and uninspiring. Also found it odd that they are lacking certain classic and trendy flavor profiles on their main menu but seem to offer them as weekly specials (salted caramel, cookies and cream) while their main menu falls a bit.. Flat. Tampa food industry is TOUGH, and the Tampa dessert world is the toughest. There just weren't a lot of crowd pleasers or new ideas or experimentation- but (if my hunch is right) that comes from no prior history in the food industry. Sure, a product can be superbly delicious on it's own- but if the deal is make your own flavor combos and the flavor combos perhaps don't inspire a wide range of customers to want to eat them... Well. That could be a problem. There are two suggestions I could make that have every possibility of making or breaking your future in Tampa: Pay close attention to your branding and social media presence. Rework the main menu. Make it inspired! But in the meantime, I'll be back for the maple glazed, because those were exceptional on their own. Mmmmmmm.
(4)
Allison L.
Seriously this is the best donut I have EVER put in my mouth. Caramel with bacon is life changing.
(5)
Natali W.
I came here because I can't resist a hot donut. They make the donuts fresh daily and the staff is super friendly and helpful. I found the donut dough to be good but not mind blowing good. The concept of make your own donut is amazing. They do have a gluten free donut but it was not that good, in my opinion. The place is definitely worth a try. I will go back and do a simpler donut to see if I just put too much stuff on it. I got the gluten free with chocolate glaze and sprinkles, my daughter had a regular one with chocolate and sprinkles and I got my husband one with peanut butter glaze and chocolate drizzle. The coffee was great.
Pyra-Danny V.
FUN CHOICES AT THIS DONUT FACTORY The toppings here allow lots of variety. (And I can't believe I'm saying this) but I wish there were more crazy options--Bacon was the only standout and its shock value has already worn off. You're allowed a choice of frosting, then topping, then drizzle... just choose from the menu near the counter and watch the staff create it. GLUTEN-FREE, ALLERIC PYRA SAYS: I usually enjoy fried, air-filled, Donuts as opposed to Cakey types, but the gluten-free option only allowed the Cake variety--and they were so light and fluffy and not very thick--I loved it! But remember they also create these GF versions using dairy and Eggs. RICH TOPPINGS Our Maple frosting, Bacon Crumble, and Caramel Drizzle (both GF and regular version) tasted like a Donut version of a breakfast treat. Another Strawberry frosting, Chocolate sprinkles, and Raspberry drizzle looked like food porn in a box. Both were insanely delicious and rich in flavor. I especially liked the Raspberry drizzle providing a tart, fruity, addition.
(5)Lisa W.
What a great find! Stopped in this morning for the first time. Shona was very friendly and helpful, as I wanted to bring a half-dozen to a friend. The donuts are made to order and delicious. I decided on a half dozen: 1 glazed with coconut 1 vanilla icing with rainbow sprinkles 1 chocolate icing with rainbow sprinkles 1 maple with bacon (recommended) 1 chocolate glazed with bacon with raspberry drizzle (recommended) 1 choc icing with raspberry (recommended) They were all hot and fantastic. We had to do a nut- free order because of allergies, but they also have nut/peanut toppings available.
(5)T N.
Fresh hot donuts, best part is the variety and being able to choose your own glaze/coating and topping! Recommend the peanut butter icing or the cinnamon sugar. Trust me you can taste the difference in donuts made fresh to order vs other places that have been premade and sitting around. About $1 per donut and well worth it. Coffee was smooth, not too sweet, not too bitter, and great to have with the donuts.
(5)Allison N.
There are some indisputable facts in life. The sky is blue, what comes up must come down, and that hot donuts are far, far superior than donuts at room temperature. That's where Perk's steps in. Everyone knows and loves Krispy Kreme donuts. When they are fresh, they are basically the best, melt-in-your-mouth food ever. Perk's donuts are similar to Krispy Kreme in this respect, but also way different because they are highly customizable. You can choose your frosting/glaze, choose your toppings (sprinkles, bacon, even coconut), and then even choose a drizzle to go on top of all of that. For my first Perk's experience, I ordered a donut with strawberry icing, rainbow sprinkles and raspberry drizzle. I was not disappointed whatsoever. The donuts are made right in front of you so you know you're getting a special treat just for you. The donuts themselves are perfectly fried. They aren't too doughy or too dry. They are just right. The shop also serves Tebella Tea and Buddy Brew coffee. I came in on opening day, so I'll have to keep coming back to give a full report, but this place is bound to be a hit because it is VERY good so far. I can feel it in my Yelper bones.
(4)Jasmine R.
Holy Moley! What a local treasure I'm almost upset that nobody has told me about this place before. Typically when I want sweets I'm looking for the nearest slice of cheesecake I can find but this morning I was thinking a donut and coffee would hit the spot and this place did not disappoint. Parking is ample and you could almost miss this establishment if you aren't looking for it. Inside it's very crisp and clean...almost into sterile territory. I really like the concept of being a donut bar so you can mix and match and create something of your own. Lots of icings and toppings to choose from so I definitely was the customer standing in the middle of the room with her mouth hanging open in awe trying to decide. I settled on maple icing and bacon crumbles and it was seriously the best donut I've ever had! The donut itself was not airy like Krispy Kreme but had that home made cakey texture, the icing was not too sugary sweet, and boy do they know how to cook bacon the right way! It was the perfect balance of crispy chewy. They also brew Buddy Brew coffee so you're able to get a good cup of joe while heading into South Tampa. Bottom line this place is great and the only place I'll get donuts from for now on.
(5)Jaimie T.
Donuts are probably my favorite thing in the whole world. So when I heard that there was a donut shop in Tampa where I could make my own donut creations, I knew that I HAD to go! The interior is a cheery shade of bright blue and DONUTS is displayed in large marquee letters on the right wall. I'm not sure how busy it gets on the weekend, but I visited on a Thursday so there was only one woman working. She was very friendly and assisted us in making our ample decision. There are ten different icing/powder choices and a few extra flavorful drizzles you can have on top of that. You can also add toppings such as nuts, sprinkles, or bacon! My favorite combinations were the signature S'mores donut and chocolate frosted with bacon crumbles. You can complete your meal with a Buddy Brew coffee or a variety of TeBella tea flavors. They even serve locally produced milks and juices! I thought the donuts had a great crunch to them and they tasted very fresh. I left dreaming of all the combinations I wished I had thought of while making a mental note to return to try them all!
(4)Jamie O.
Delicious donuts! Only flaw was our donuts were room temp/ cold vs the hot and warm as advertised and expected l. None the less the service was great and food delicious, I can't wait to go back for more!
(4)Sam W.
Visited Perk's for the first time today. I had the gluten free donuts, and friends had regular donuts. There is nothing like a hot donut. Everything was delicious and the establishment was clean and cute. Will definitely visit again.
(5)Kate S.
After driving to the shop from a long distance and finding it closed, I was very disappointed. However, I was contacted by the owner of Perks who apologized and updated their hours on their website. I'm sure the donuts are fantastic, but unfortunately we won't get a chance to be in the area for some time to find out. I appreciate them reaching out and can tell they do care about their customers and their business greatly.
(4)Lisa T.
I don't eat donuts very often, primarily because I like real food, not over processed food-products churned out from a factory en masse. I hate Dunkin Donuts's version and the waxy coating it leaves in my mouth; I'm not kidding to say that I can taste the preservatives. The last few days, I was craving a donut, perhaps because I saw some Krispy Kremes here in Florida, and we don't have them where Iive. We had some free time today, so we went in search of a good donut. The closest place was Perk's, and it was well rated on yelp. It has a fantastic concept of taking one good, always fresh-from-the-oven cake donut and then letting you choose the toppings. It is a great idea, and they offer an excellent variety of toppings to give you tremendous creativity. Good so far. But the toppings are also where things go wrong, in my opinion, to prevent a higher star rating from me. I chose a simple strawberry icing for my donut. See, I'm not the type of person who piles things onto foods -- I just want cheese my burger, a little salt & pepper on my eggs, and I order plain hotdogs and plain pizza. Without a bunch of food "traffic" in my mouth, each component does need to be able to stand on its own merit. Frankly, I should skipped the icing at Perk's. The flavor was vaguely strawberry, much like strawberry-flavored candy rather than an sugar icing made with actual fruit. My husband's chocolate icing was much the same; more like a tootsie-roll version of chocolate than actual cocoa-infused sugar-based icing. The raspberry gel on his donut was good and fruity. The texture of the icing was the real star-killer for me. It's gummy. I suspect that they've added some preservative to the icings to keep them in this liquid-but-tacky state so that the donut can be dipped to order. The strawberry one is much like liquified Starburst candy. I guess that's good if you like Starbursts or if you like clumpy, gummy icing that sticks to your teeth when you eat a donut. In summary, excellent donut. Just skip the icing unless you like taffy on your donuts.
(3)Daisy D.
Made to order donuts are starting to claim their stake in my donut obsession. We found Perk's thanks to Yelp and were interested to check it out. The storefront is in an unassuming strip center along Dale Mabry, however the bright blue interior offers a cheery welcome. Lay of the land: each donut is made to order. You get to pick an icing, a topping, AND a drizzle to go on your donut with a variety to select from in each category. For this visit we both went with maple icing, bacon, and caramel drizzle. The donut was still warm from the fryer and while I was hesitant on the level of true freshness it would have, it was right up there. The only thing I wish I would have done was opt for the chocolate drizzle to add another layer of flavor. The maple & caramel kind of blended together and the caramel didn't stand out too much. I'm excited to go back and try other combinations.
(4)Maura L.
This place is awesome for donuts and its convenient to those that live in south Tampa. Make sure to go early though, they need more people making the donuts because the wait is kind of long. If they get busy you will be there for a while.
(4)Todd W.
For many years, I've only eaten donuts from Tim Horton's. Every trip I make to Canada or Michigan involves at least a couple stops at the TH for a great sandwich, coffee or tea and a tasty donut. I've been waiting for Tim Horton's to do more than just offer hot beverages at Lightning games and I'd put up my own money to invest in a store on Dale Mabry, Kennedy or International Mall. Well, it was just after 9am and curiousity got the best of me. So, when I walked into Perk's, it was completely empty and did not know what to expect. A tremendously nice employee (Shona) recognized that I was visiting for the first time and explained to me how all their donuts are made-to-order with choices of one coating/icing, one topping and one drizzle. Ten different choices for the first option, five for the second and three different drizzles as well. So, I got a little creative with a few combinations and took some donuts to the office and received rave reviews for all of them. In particular, the donut combining peanut butter icing, bacon and chocolate was...well...what do you think it tasted like? Yes, you're right. And just $1.25 per donut ($12.95 for a dozen), which isn't bad considering you can put together pretty much whatever type of flavor combo you could imagine. Even though there was nobody else in there, the donuts were really prepared fast and there was certainly something appealing knowing they were put together when I ordered them and not sitting around in a case until I came along. While there's obviously fresh coffee and tea, that's pretty much it. Clearly, they want to keep it simple and specialize in custom donuts and the result is quite a treat. No, it isn't the TH...but waiting for them around here may take longer than another Stanley Cup.
(4)dane h.
Good coffee, but the best part is they design the donuts to order. All the base donuts are the same -- very fresh, smaller, yellow cake donuts. Then u pick the frosting and/or toppings, such as sprinkles, cinnamon sugar, toasted coconut, bacon, etc.... U have to try the maple-bacon donut. It was one of the best! Service was polite and professional. I rarely go to the same place twice on one trip, but sure enough a few mornings later, I had to return to Perk's.
(4)Cecille R.
I had this place bookmarked before our little weekend trip to Tampa. We had a crazy busy weekend but made a point to stop here for a quick breakfast before heading back to Orlando. It's located in a non descript shopping plaza where every storefront looks the same. You probably wouldn't notice it if you were driving by so I'm thankful for Yelp alerting users to little gems like this place. The interior was this pretty Bluebird Bake Shop blue (Orlando readers will know). And just made me so happy! The employee was sooo welcoming and was happy to explain the menu. They feature cake donuts and also have gluten free options. You are welcome to order a single donut, half dozen, full dozen or a 10 pack. You have a 3 lists of coating, topping and drizzle choices. Everything is made to order and nothing is left sitting out. They also sell Buddy Brew coffee and TeBella tea. Along with chocolate and regular milk. I ordered a glazed doughnut and chocolate doughnut drizzled with raspberry. I loved that it wasn't a crumbly doughnut (think Entemann's) and more of a firm, softer texture. I had an iced coffee to go with my doughnuts and I just wasn't a fan. I asked for it to be sweetened and even with sugar, it had a strong taste I wasn't accustomed to. Since it was a late Monday morning, it wasn't too busy when we stopped in. Only one person came in after us. I do wonder how one employee handles the morning rush when it's slammed...especially if doughnuts are made to order. Anyways they have a good thing going here. Go support them!
(4)Michele D.
Came to check out the new local donut bar. Simple, cute and the staff was great. This doughnut shop only has cake doughnuts. So if your a yeast doughnut lover like myself you will be a bit disappointed to find they won't have any. But I'm not one to turn around and not at least try one. The doughnuts are good but I wouldn't be able to give an outstanding review since they don't have a large selection of doughnut heaven to choose from. The Cruller, Cream filled, jelly filled, the long John, fritters, Boston cream, dutchie, cider doughnut, cinnamon rolls, old fashioned... Just to name a few....All of these Items are MISSING from this doughnut shop. :( You do get to customize your doughnut with various toppings. Such as , chocolate drizzle, vanilla, sprinkles bacon, coconut, jellies and nuts. But they are missing the selective bases named above. This shop could still be working on building a variety doughnut list and recipes. But until that time I need more to choose from.
(3)Darlene W.
I hesitated between 3 and 4 stars bc I don't want to become too fond of the place! But it's a great, unique idea. Fresh, Delicious cake doughnuts, fluffy and light and you choose the coating and 1 topping. Mine was chocolate iced with raspberry topping; tasted like a Black Forest cake! My sons had Carmel topping and peanuts, like a snickers. Apparently my son is more up on donut places because he has been to one in the Sarasota area and said these were definitely better and more filling. Sorry for no pics but just imagine how delicious!
(4)Kate E.
Donuts ! What's not to love about donuts! They also have buddy brew which is delicious. I had a peanut butter and bacon donut which was great. But! The donuts are just basic cake donuts with toppings. So don't expect a chocolate or blueberry cake donut! Service was excellent and no one was there at noon on a Saturday when I went in!
(4)Jeannine K.
Very, very good. I had a lemon coconut and vanilla sprinkle donut and my sister had a maple bacon and raspberry chocolate donut and a cold brew coffee. We loved everything. I think the owner was visiting and she seemed genuinely concerned with our happiness. The donuts were small but inexpensive, if you are truly hungry you might need 2-3. One downfall to this place, which may be a matter of timing, is all donuts are dipped and decorated on spot. Don't get me wrong, this is fantastic, but when multiple people are ordering dozens and there is only one person working the wait can get a little long. Again, we were there during an off hour so it might not always be this way, or maybe someone was taking a break. It's delicious and worth it regardless.
(5)Tracy G.
South Tampa has been in need of a great donut shop and we finally have one with Perk's. I popped in one day to check them out and was blown away by their adorable shop and downright delicious donuts. My absolute favorite is Maple Bacon. You can't go wrong with any of their donuts, as they are all truly scrumptious. They also serve TeBella which is my favorite local tea.
(5)Teresa L.
Cool place with fresh cooked donuts that they dip in your choice of toppings while you wait. They weren't too bad on the second day either. All in the office appreciated this offering in place of the other chain stores.
(4)Kristen L.
Amazing ! :) My friends and I went for a quick breakfast and we were not disappointed! The donuts are fresh and you can pick whatever topping you want! I had gotten a Oreo blast donut (the special of the day) and i had to get another! I highly recommend Perk's to any donut lover!
(5)Maggie H.
LOVE this cute little donut shop. All donuts are plain cake and then you choose icing flavor and toppings. The possibilities are endless and they have a special donut flavor once a week (one time I went it was Girl Scout Samoan another time Oreo). My favorite is the maple frosting with real bacon bits on top. I have everyone try it and even if they think it sounds gross, they end up liking it. My husband, a tea drinker, appreciated the quality and prep for the hot tea. Be careful not to miss it, I always drive by the first time. SO much better than chain donut places.
(5)Debra P.
If you like freshly made custom glazed/topped, you'll like Perk's as much as I did. They have plenty of regular selections for their one cake doughnut and I think different seasonal toppings. I tried a half dozen of different variations and all were great. Hubby raved about the powdered sugar but I'm still thinking about the maple glazed with bacon. I've had this doughnut all over the US and this one was the best I've had. I don't drink coffee but I know people like they serve Buddy Brew here. Whenever I'm in the area, I'll be stopping at Perk's.
(5)Julie V.
Their doughnuts are to die for. Some of the best I've ever had, and definitely the best I've had in Florida. I suggest just plain cinnamon sugar, glazed, or the peanut butter and chocolate frosted. They are best eaten while they're hot and fresh, but last up to two days if you zap them for a few seconds in the microwave. The only drawback I would say is the service is iffy. I've visited Perk's three times: the first time we had wonderful service, but the second time the service was not great and the third time the service was pretty bad and they had to remake part of our order back they made the wrong doughnuts. They also threw away the "mess up" doughnut instead of just adding the correct one to our order, which I found strange.
(4)EJ P.
YOU MUST GO, BUT READ THIS BEFORE YOU GO. 1. At peak times the service is WAY TOO SLOW. Waiting 30 minutes for a box of donuts is NOT going to cut it. This is what happened to us on a Sunday morning. You have been warned. If you don't want to deal with waits go at off-peak times (9:30 am on a Thursday). 2. The texture of the donuts changes day to day. Sometimes they are lighter than other times. Sometimes they are more yeasty, other times more cakey. Sometimes they are really small, sometimes they are large. Sometimes the toppings are spread on thick, other times the toppings are thin and barely there. These are the kinds of things that turn people off. If I notice, others are too. They also rotate the toppings, not good. So you may have a maply donut today but they won't have it tomorrow. Not good. 3. Overall the donuts are very tasty b/c they are made fresh and not overly greasy. If you have never had a fresh-made donut, THIS is what a donut is supposed to taste like. These donuts make every other donut in the Tampa area taste like utter crap. After you eat this donut, you will think every other donut tastes like dog food. Yes I am talking about you Krispy Kreme. Just because the donut is hot and soft doesn't mean it tastes good. Krispy Kreme donuts taste like artificial crap. 4. The toppings are also fresh and well-made; chocolate icing is VERY good, the bacon is top-notch. Someone here knows what she/he is doing with the ingredients. High-quality. 5. The parking here at peak times is not going to be sufficient. 6. The signage for this place, both outside the shop and the menu inside, are too small, hard to see, etc. I really hope this place makes it, because it has A LOT of potential and the product overall is very high quality. Tampa Bay in general and South Tampa in particular NEED more artisanal food shops like Perk's. However, there's a lot of kinks to be worked out for it to be a hit.
(4)Elizabeth S.
Delicious! For those out of towners and for people from the north, this place is similar to Duck Donuts but is authentic to Tampa area ingredients! I personally thought it was better than Duck Donuts. The donuts are made to order for you, and are warm cake donuts with your choices of toppings! Cute inside as well. They also serve Teabella and buddy brew coffee. I only got an iced coffee and donut which were both amazing. I will be back!
(5)Colette L.
Yummy! Hot and Delicious! I'm glad there was not to much to select from, I would of been there forever. Great concept and friendly staff. I can't wait to go back!!!
(5)Kim B.
Cool concept - donuts made to order. You can pick your type of icings and toppings. It's a cake donut which is not my favorite but it was really good. Very sweet. One was plenty for me! I'm a donut purist so I just got regular glaze no toppings. And they have buddy brew coffee! But no sugar free sweeteners and no stevia. They do have soy.
(3)Beth S.
I am a huge fan of donuts so color me more than excited when I heard about a new donut bar soon to open in Tampa. I read the website and really liked the idea of custom donuts. I went for a donut this afternoon as a post lunch dessert. I almost passed the shop as it's in a random strip mall across from Plant High School. It's not much by way of décor but it smelled like heaven when I walked in. The staff greeted me and as I was the only person in there, I took my time perusing the options. I must say, I was overwhelmed. I think I may prefer my donuts in a line up. Ha ha. When I finally decided, I stuck with the donut standard, glazed. As the man behind the counter got to work, I took a peak at the toppings area and got sad I didn't order anything more exciting, but I reminded myself I could do that next time. The glazed donut is the staple and a good one can make a rainy day disappear. My glazed donut came out warm and in it's very own to-go container. The donut itself was more like a cake donut than the airy ones I'm used to from Krispy Kreme. The glaze didn't cover the entire donut but was generously poured on top. The glaze itself had a different flavor that was enjoyable but I just can't put my finger on what I was tasting. Perhaps more vanilla? I will be sure to go back and get more adventurous now that I know the texture of their donuts, I feel like I have a better understanding of what works well with them. I may even get it plain on a day I need it for a black coffee accoutrement. I'm not sure how this place will do in the morning if it gets busy because customizing a dozen at a time could be time consuming.
(4)Laura W.
I tried Perk's after seeing the positive reviews on Yelp. The menu is large and you can essentially create your own donut by choosing icing and toppings. There are fruit-flavored like strawberry, chocolate, maple, vanilla, etc. Then on top you can ask for sprinkles or a drizzle of chocolate. I liked the chocolate iced with peanuts. It was very tasty while hot. The maple-iced was good, too. My question, after I had left and eaten two donuts, was in what oil were they frying? I had a taste of non-vegetable oil. I hope this isn't the case. However, the flavor of the oil overpowered the flavor of the donut about 20 minutes after I finished the second donut. I checked the Perk's website, and they say they use soy-based oil. However, I would like to know if it is 100% vegetable oil, as one large hamburger chain got caught using a vegetable and lard-based oil for the french fries. If Perk's is using some sort of oil blend, I hope they will consider switching to 100% vegetable oil and noting this prominently on the store menu. Regardless, I think I prefer Krispy-Kreme, which never has this after taste. The coffee at Perk's was very good and they provide honey and cinnamon to sweeten and flavor the coffee.
(2)Jade Y.
I just want to say first: This review will be long. For Yelpers that don't feel like reading here's the skinny: It's great and perfectly delicious. Go there now. Go often. A lot of this review I'm writing to Perks directly with insight from growing up in the industry- Tampa is a tough market. Maybe you guys at Perks know, but I have a feeling this is your first food concept. Ah Perks. You've filled a void in Tampa- a great donut. I'm (what seems to be) a rarity in that I prefer cake donuts to yeast donuts. So, since almost all I've been exposed to growing up in Tampa is Krispy Kreme yeast donuts and their odd leave-my-mouth-fuzzy-feeling cake donuts, for the most part- I just have never been the biggest donut fan. That changed recently on a trip to West Palm where I had the pleasure of stumbling upon a restaurant that offered made-to-order donuts (Relish). Possibly the best donuts of my life, it brought back memories of those little bag donuts that they have at every fair and used to have at target back in the day- nostalgic, fresh, hot, and delicious. So when I learned of Perk's I was hoping it would be the same concept. From Instagram, it seemed promising. So that was my first little disappointment, the donuts are not actually fried in batches to order (at least not the two times I was there). However, the donuts were still hot and still delicious- so not a huge deal, but they don't have the perfect texture that a donut that was JUST made for you has. Between the two times I went I tried: Salted Caramel (it was a weekly flavor), Cinnamon Sugar, and Maple Glazed. Maple Glazed was incredible. However, as a person who doesn't really like putting a lot of toppings or mixtures on top, I actually found their menu just a little bit limiting and uninspiring. Also found it odd that they are lacking certain classic and trendy flavor profiles on their main menu but seem to offer them as weekly specials (salted caramel, cookies and cream) while their main menu falls a bit.. Flat. Tampa food industry is TOUGH, and the Tampa dessert world is the toughest. There just weren't a lot of crowd pleasers or new ideas or experimentation- but (if my hunch is right) that comes from no prior history in the food industry. Sure, a product can be superbly delicious on it's own- but if the deal is make your own flavor combos and the flavor combos perhaps don't inspire a wide range of customers to want to eat them... Well. That could be a problem. There are two suggestions I could make that have every possibility of making or breaking your future in Tampa: Pay close attention to your branding and social media presence. Rework the main menu. Make it inspired! But in the meantime, I'll be back for the maple glazed, because those were exceptional on their own. Mmmmmmm.
(4)Allison L.
Seriously this is the best donut I have EVER put in my mouth. Caramel with bacon is life changing.
(5)Natali W.
I came here because I can't resist a hot donut. They make the donuts fresh daily and the staff is super friendly and helpful. I found the donut dough to be good but not mind blowing good. The concept of make your own donut is amazing. They do have a gluten free donut but it was not that good, in my opinion. The place is definitely worth a try. I will go back and do a simpler donut to see if I just put too much stuff on it. I got the gluten free with chocolate glaze and sprinkles, my daughter had a regular one with chocolate and sprinkles and I got my husband one with peanut butter glaze and chocolate drizzle. The coffee was great.
(3)