4. Restaurants

Blue Star Donuts

3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, 97214
  • (503) 477-9635
  • Store is closed

Blue Star Donuts Menu

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  • P M.

    I definitely like the donuts from blue star better than voodoo. I bought 6 donuts to take home to Cali with me and I enjoyed all of them with my family! We shared blueberry bourbon basil, dulce de leche, lemon poppy, key lime custard (our favorite!!), maple bacon, and the peanut butter jelly (jalapeño). All were super tasty and unique. Definitely wish there was a blue star here!

    (5)

  • Vanessa W.

    The dougnuts here are good. I dont like super sweet things, and read many good reviews about the blueberry basil so I decided to try it! The reviews were all on point. The bbb was not super sweet at all! It was actually one of the better flavors of choice! The raspberry buttermilk was a little sweet for me. But you definitely can taste its flavors. Overall, this place is pretty decent. Pricing is about $3 for most doughnuts. So pretty average. Definitely isnt as long of line as voodoo. I would prefer this place over voodoo.. Im not a fan of super crazy stuff or sweet doughnuts so this is good. Also theres other flavors I want to try. Saving it for next time.

    (4)

  • Kristine Anne V.

    I ordered Chocolate Almond Ganache and Maple bacon donut... PLACE: Place looks clean and very warm... I walked in and got greeted by the cashier right away.. He was very friendly. MENU: They have as I call it visual menu. everything you want to know was right in front of you from the size of the donut and What it looks like... When I came I was a little disappointed because I didn't really have much of a choice I have at lease 8 different kind of donut to choose from so it was like a bLah to me.. But then again I did come around 7 so I shouldn't expect a big variety of donuts. Chocolate Almond Ganache: I love NUTS! So this was my first choice. Size was just perfect not to big or small.. The texture of the donut was perfect. Chocolate glazed was not to sweet either so the combination was just right! I give this Maple Bacon Donut Well it wasn't the best but it was good. Glazed and bacon was just right. MY OPINION I like the one from voodoo doughnuts better. PRICE Chocolate Almond Ganache: $3.00 Maple Bacon Donut: $3.75 Total: $6.75 OVERALL: I will still give this place a 3 star because of the atmosphere of the place was welcoming and have friendly employees ... I really like tHe C.A.G. But I might not comeback because a little pricey for a donut..

    (3)

  • Vincent L.

    After trying this place, I had to reevaluate my feelings on Voodoo Doughnuts. Blue Star Donuts really delivers a deliciously gourmet doughnut experience with creative flavors. Of course, this whole idea of "gourmet" does come with a price, as the price point is a bit higher than usual, but hey, quality vs. quantity right? I got the: 1) Blueberry Buttermilk 2) Blueberry Bourbon Basil 3) Passion Fruit Cacoa Nibs I'm a big fan of blueberry so the first two was a natural hit for my taste buds. The blueberry bourbon basil was my favorite. I'm not usually a fan of basil, but all those flavors together was unusually tasty, in a great way. A MUST TRY! Blue star deserves a gold star!

    (5)

  • Mark O.

    Portland, day 4, stop 1, donuts. Lemon Poppy Buttermilk - 3/5 Raspberry Buttermilk - 5/5 - Fresh out of the oven. Crispy with a delicious glaze. Dulce De Leche Hazelnut - 3/5 Hard Apple Cider Fritter - 3/5 - The outer pieces were disappointing but the four inner squares were moist and tasty. Coffee Coconut Cheesecake - 4/5 - Very rich. Chocolate Almond Ganache - 3/5 - Also very rich. Passion Fruit Cocoa Nib - 4/5 Blueberry Bourbon Basil - 5/5 - Loved the smooth taste of the glaze on this. Marionberry Pepper Jam with Peanut Butter Powder - 3/5 - Unique. Jam was noticeably spicy. Meyer Lemon and Key Lime Curd - 3/5 Overall, Raspberry Buttermilk and Blueberry Bourbon Basil donuts are "as good as it gets."

    (5)

  • Carmen C.

    Fluffiest donut. Coolest flavors! Blueberry Bourbon Basil- my favorite here! You taste the blueberry and the hint of basil but not overpowering Passionfruit Cacao Nib - sorta tangy, Not used to the sourness on my donut Lemon Poppy Old Fashioned - fried to perfection and dense. very delicious! Maple bacon- classic and yummy!

    (5)

  • Zak W.

    These are some super hipster-yuppy ass donuts. I was having major cravings for some donuts. Usually I just go to a super yummy yet hole-in-the-wall donut shop that cost like $.50 or less per donut. I decided to come here instead because of all the great reviews. The donuts did live up to the hype I have to say. I got the blueberry-basil donut and I really liked it. I also got an original donut which was good as well. My only gripe about this place is price. Holy-cow I've never paid $3 for one donut! Totally not worth the price but the food is solid so I just took one star off for that. Customer service was average. It's just a donut shop so I didn't expect them to roll out the red carpet or anything. But I came early on a weekday and was able to get in and out pretty quickly so that's always good.

    (4)

  • Shila B.

    Lemon poppy was nice and crispy on the outside. Bacon donut was soft. Small shop. The guy at the til should've made an effort to at least smile. Gareth had donut foodgasm. Good location that was moderately busy.

    (5)

  • Jessica Y.

    First Oregon review of many. Probably the best donut(s) I've ever had. It's not only about the gooey, flavorful glaze or about the unique flavors, or the delicious cakey dough texture that creates complex flavors. It's about blowing VooDoo donuts out of the water, so don't waste your time trying HYPE! Tried and Tested: Blueberry Bourbon Basil Raspberry Buttermilk Meyer Lemon with key lime filling Peanut Butter with Marionberry filling Blueberry Cake Passionfruit with Cacao nibs Everything was super delicious and mouthwatering to the last bite. Incredibly happy Blue Star is now in Los Angeles, glad I got to try it first at PDX.

    (5)

  • Ellre V.

    What happened??? I was counting down the days when I would be back in Portland to nom on some Blue Star Donuts. Came here last week on a visit with my family, and the donuts tasted nothing like my first visit. Perhaps it was the location? My first visit was the downtown shop. Or even the time of day? We came here during the afternoon. We purchased the hard apple cider fritter, the lavender, the meyer lemon, and the bacon maple. All left unfinished. In sum: Expensive ($2.75-3.00+/donut), stale, inconsistent, and underwhelming. I was disappointed.

    (2)

  • Wennie H.

    The first time I had Blue Star was years ago and I wasn't a fan. To be fair, I had them hours and hours after they were initially bought. Last week, I had a coffee date and because of my love for donuts and everyone's constant rave about Blue Star, I figured I'd give it another go. I got the buttermilk lemon poppyseed, even though I wanted to try all of them, and it was good. I noticed the constant flow of people coming in as well, this is a Portland staple. The space is nice and open and the staff are super friendly. My mom came to town and I thought I'd take her to get donuts. We got in around 845 and it was pretty empty but that just meant more time to browse the display. My mom is a little excessive (must be where I got it from) and ordered the coffee and coconut cream cheese, buttermilk lemon poppy seed, blueberry bourbon basil and a matcha green tea. I opted for the bacon and maple bourbon glazed. Mine was a little too sweet and she only tried the lemon but loved it, and it was still warm! Pro tip, don't wait to eat the donuts, get them, eat team, and let your tummy and tastebuds thank you.

    (4)

  • Belle L.

    Fluffy, decadent, mouth watering donuts right here! Visited Portland and Blue Star was on the must eat list. Boy was my tummy one happy camper!! Between the 4 of us we created our own sampler plate of the following: Blueberry Bourbon Basil - FAVORITE! Passion Fruit Cocoa Nib - Deeeelish! Real Maple & Bacon - Actually preferred Voodoos maple bacon over this one. Bacon was kinda soft...I like the crunchy pieces of bacon to provide that perfect sweet/salty combo. Just my personal preference. Cinnamon Vanilla Sugar - nothing fancy here...good basic donut Mexican Hot Chocolate - Cakey donut, not too bad Dulce de Leche & Hazelnut - Loved the combo of flavors, but be ready for a super sweet & decadent donut. The coffee I had helped balance out the sweetness. Matcha Green Tea - anpther fave of mine. Subtle matcha flavor, another cakey donut. Chocolate Crunch - Super rich in flavor. But for this chocolate lover, maybe too sweet for me. All in all I ended up bringing home some Blueberry Bourbons, Passion Fruits, & Matcha green teas for the flight back home. Too bad they were sold out of the fried chicken donut..haha this little piggy was curious how that would go. Next time Blue Star! Service was awesome, and staff super friendly. Loved the clean and modern space of the shop so you could see the donuts getting made. There are a few small tables inside if you want to enjoy your donuts right away. Yes the donuts are a bit on the pricier side, but c'mon folks..like they say - Quality over Quantity! y'know the mantra: good service + delicious donuts = thumbs up Blue Star Donuts!!!

    (5)

  • Sheena L.

    The smells as you walk in will have you in awe. Plus sides about this establishment: - Assortment of flavors that are paired well with coffee or milk. - Great music, they were playing R-Kelly, which was epic in all forms. - Good service - Great location that is accessible and easy to find. Downsides: - Long lines.. This place fills up fast so come early or during a time that is not close to lunch or dinner. - The bathroom needs a lysol or aromatic spay. Someone ahead of me took a fat dump and needed that room to be ventilated, stat! - More seating, it's a popular place so some people didn't get to sit down and eat their donuts. Overall, this place is a lot better than voodoo donuts. It is not over glamorized and has better flavor donuts.

    (4)

  • Andrew H.

    When chocolate is what you want, chocolate is what you get. I have stated before that I am not a donut person, but yet I have been to Blue Star three times now (this is the first for this location). But something always manages to drag me in here. Today it was a Mexican chocolate donut. That and a second one with chocolate ganache and little crunchies on top. I know, sad. First off, they make a quality product. Some of the best in the area, but I have little to compare it against since I rarely eat the sugary baked goods. The Mexican chocolate one, I was kind of expecting more of a cinnamon or chile taste to it, but it was basically a dense chocolate donut, so I was a little disappointed in that aspect, but it was still a solid donut. The one with chocolate ganache and crunchies? That was amazing. The ganache, the soft donut and the crunchies all created a perfect bite. Plus plenty of ganache to get off my fingers after. It was a bit messy. Look, everyone knows they make good stuff here. Ones with lemon, blueberries, maple and bacon, plus the fried chicken one at this location, are all terrific options. It's better than some of the trendy ones that people wait on long lines for, and the lines here are minimal. Enjoy.

    (4)

  • Adrienne L.

    I think I had way too high expectations, so Blue Star wasn't quite the 5 star place I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong, the doughnuts are really yummy and get high marks on appearance as well. I tried two locations, this one on Hawthorne and the one downtown. I stopped by the downtown location first in search of the Fried Chicken Donut. They said that it was exclusive to the Hawthorne location. Nooo! So I got the Matcha Cake and the Hard Apple Cider Fritter. Matcha Cake was my first taste of Blue Star and it could not have been more disappointing. Super dry, barely any matcha flavor. I threw it out. The moist Apple Fritter, while not mind-blowing good, was tasty enough to redeem things though. Whew. A wouldn't let me leave Portland without trying the Fried Chicken Doughnut, so we asked the cab to make a detour on the way to the airport. We made the driver wait for us while we waited in line. This is when you know you like sweets too much..but I digress. At the Hawthorne location we encountered devastating news. They are NOT making the Fried Chicken Donut anymore. Too much extra space and prep required. The poster was still up as of April, but with a (permanent) sold out tacked on. To drown our sorrows we got the Real Maple Bacon, Blackberry with Peanut Butter Powder, and Meyer Lemon Key Lime Curd. I couldn't pick which of the three were my favorite. They were all excellent...almost good enough to make me forgot about the Fried Chicken that never was. *tear*

    (4)

  • Jeff W.

    $3.50 for a donut. And totally worth it. Handmade goodness that melts in your mouth - which waters as soon as you walk in the store. I counted a dozen different types of donut on my last visit, from not-so-basic raised and glazed to a crunchy-choclate-ball covered custard bismark, all of which would be invited to jump in my mouth for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Ok, so some of the donuts are less than $3.50 but if you want one of the fancy ones, that's what you're in for. If you want to stuff your gullet with cheap dough and sugar, you can certainly find other donuts that fit that bill, but you're not doing yourself any favors, because they aren't made with magic and the wait is stupid. The guys behind the counter are intense about donuts and you can see them working hard to make them perfectly. With the white-on-white-on-white-on-blue decor it feels like an operating room but will probably help keep you focused on the important stuff - the donuts. Come here. Get donuts fast. Don't stand in line like a tourist downtown.

    (5)

  • aaron r.

    Everyone I spoke with said, "go to blue star over voodoo". I can only imagine voodoo has better jelly filled donuts than this. I have been counting the days until I came to Portland to try these famous donuts only to have it rain on my parade. Basically I had two jelly filled donuts with very little jelly or filling. Basically a powdered cake donut with a speck of filling. If I wanted powdered cake I would go to any grocery and pick up a pack of "hostess powdered cake" but I came here for some high quality artistic fillings and received just a squirt (see my pics). I honestly hope this was not the norm. I imagine normally you sink your teeth into a blue star jelly and have it oozing all over your face. BLUE STAR, I dare you to come to phoenix AZ, a place that is only known for Mexican food and try a jelly filled from any BOSA or RAINBOW donuts and see what a jelly filled is supposed to ooze like. (Note: both taste of donuts and service were excellent)

    (1)

  • Sherrie T.

    Fun selection of gourmet donuts. I really enjoyed the Maronberry Pepper Jam with Peanut Butter Powder $3.25 and the Orange Olive Oil Cake $2.75. I wasn't a big fan of their top sellers since it was sweeter than I expected and half the display only had one donut Display.....that was a little sad. But I highly recommend you check out these delicious bites! Great to do a taste comparison against Voodoo and Pip's.

    (4)

  • Wendy T.

    As a precursor, let me just say I will always compare any donut experience to the Krispy Kreme original glazed; that warm, melt in your mouth, just came out of the oven goodness. I tried that blueberry bourbon and bacon maple at Blue Star and it was every bit as delicious as the reviews indicated. However, it's falls short of a 5 star review for me because as pretty as their donuts look, I can't justify paying about $3-$4 on a morsel that I'll devour in less than 3 minutes and won't get me full. I came to try the novelty (and was pleased) but don't expect it'll be my regular donut joint.

    (4)

  • John L.

    Tried the new location. Same fresh ingredients. Same awesome donuts. The lines can get long here also. I came around 5pm on Saturday and they were down to 42 donuts. Only a few flavors left =( It's ok...they were still fantastic and there was NO LINE!! =)

    (5)

  • Tim G.

    It has become popular to talk about how overrated Voodoo is and how much better Blue Star is, but I think people have gone a little overboard with the Blue Star hype. The donuts were good, but nothing really blew me away. There is a limited number of donuts to choose from, and on a busy Saturday morning they ran out of a few options, further limiting the selection. I had the misfortune of ordering the last Maple Bacon they had on the plate, only to be told a few minutes later that the donut I'd paid for had already been sold, and no more Maple Bacon donuts were available. They were nice about it, and gave me two donuts to replace the one Maple Bacon. I ended up with a Blueberry Cake, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Coffee Coconut Cheesecake and a Cinnamon Vanilla. The Blueberry Cake is pretty sweet and tastes like Fruit Loops. It was my favorite of the four. The Mexican Hot Chocolate is a little dense, but has good flavor and just the right amount of spicy heat. The Cinnamon Vanilla was the lightest and fluffiest of the four and reminded me of a churro. My least favorite was the one I thought I would like the most. The Coffee Coconut Cheesecake sounds like it should be awesome, but the texture was really off and the flavor didn't work at all. I will return to Blue Star to try the Maple Bacon because it looked amazing, but I'm not as excited to return as I thought I would be.

    (3)

  • Anthony N.

    I'm not a huge doughnut fan, but the gf wanted to take me here so she could compare it to Top Pot in Seattle. We got an OG (original glaze) and a BBB (blueberry bourbon basil) doughnut. I really liked the BBB. The flavors worked really well together and it's nothing I've ever experienced. It wasn't super sweet (which I like). The OG was really soft and good (not krispy kreme soft). For not having a sweet tooth, the doughnuts were good, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to try the others.

    (4)

  • David B.

    Everyone said that when I go to Portland, I can skip Voodoo and just enjoy Blue Star. How right they were! We started at the Hawthorne location but also made our way to the downtown one. Buttermilk old fashioned - hands down the best. So good. A simple doughnut and quality doughnut making/flavor shines. Lemon poppyseed - very close behind. Love the lemony glaze. Hazelnut dulce de leche - more of a standard cake doughnut (it seemed) and not as moist or flavorful. The topping was great but the doughnut itself was so-so. Hard apple cider fritter - very disappointing. We were hoping for big pops of sweetness and apple and the whole thing was a dense, fairly bland mess. I am a huge old-fashioned fan and would go back again (and again) for theirs. I wanted to try their creme brûlée one, which I'd heard about, but they didn't have it either day. I did get a raspberry glazed and that was pretty good too.

    (4)

  • Lauren C.

    Why has it taken me this long to try Blue Star Donuts?! I usually stop at Voodoo Doughnut when in Portland, but man, I have been missing out! Blue Star offers such quality donuts and lots of yummy, fresh, and sometimes bizarre flavor combinations, like blueberry bourbon basil (my personal favorite). This location is hip, decent amount of seating, clean, and a great place to escape that Portlandia rain all while enjoying a mouth-watering donut.

    (5)

  • Daniel P.

    Great quality donuts. These are my second favorite donut in the Pacific Northwest. The toppings and frosting are definitely the best. The bread is nice too, but I love Mighty O donuts in Seattle for that. When it comes to being inventive I give Blue Star the prize. They somehow know how to create powered peanut butter...it blew my mind.

    (4)

  • Joe G.

    Came to Blue Star donuts during a visit to Portland. I really enjoy eating donuts, but these donuts were down right amazing. Ordered the passion fruit donut that was sweet and savory at the same time. He blueberry cake (vegan) was soft and flavorful. And the Orange olive oil donut tasted like delicious meal in and of itself. These were some of the best donuts I have ever tasted. I totally would come back to Portland just for these donuts. The only thing was that I came the day before at around 3pm and they were entirely sold out. This time I came to Blue Star Donuts at 8am and I had my pick of any donut. Moral of this story - go early to Blue Star Donuts.

    (5)

  • Lee H.

    I really don't get the pilgrimage tourists make to the church of Voodoo. Blue Star turns out better-tasting donuts with no line. The blackberry filled with peanut butter powder topping is a fantastic combo. The passion fruit with cocoa nibs is a close second on my list of faves. Drop the obsession with Voodoo and head over to one of the many Blue Star locations.

    (5)

  • David G.

    Geez you guys really like your Donuts in Portlandia.....and for good reason! Blue Star Donuts is like the 21 year old sophisticated scotch compared to voodoo Donuts that is the young wild 8 year old Scotch whiskey. Blue star donuts uses the utmost finest ingredients: The dough is made from a traditional southern french brioche recipe (which is made freshly everyday). Certified sustainable Shepard's grain flour, cage free organic eggs, whole milk from a local dairy, organic European butter. All fillings are freshly made and organic. All the donuts are fried in Rice oil...yeah that's right Rice oil. You can really taste the difference...the purity as it were. The donuts are expensive coming in roughly at 2-3 dollars each...but it is totally worth it. I especially liked the blueberry bourbon basil...sounds totally crazy but it was an awesome pairing...all on a classic glazed donut...yummers!!! Passion fruit cocoa nib....nice and good but not like wow....still very unique. Blood orange ginger ( who comes up with these combos???) ....just genius. Light fluffy with a combination of sweet, tart, and warm and fluffy...um um um. Coffee coconut cheesecake ...this is the one to do with a cup of coffee. Much more dense with a luxurious texture and taste. The cheesecake could have been more pronounced but still great. The last one I could remember from my sugar and fat induced coma was the hard apple cider apple fritter....this was border line life changing, toe curling, religious experience....sorry atheists. I would definetly go out of my way to taste their donuts...if you like really gourmet donuts. Just awesome!!!

    (5)

  • Karen A.

    My first visit to the famous Blue Star Donuts. I drove round and round for parking (Hawthorne). After parking a block away, took my two granddaughters in with me for a treat. Ordered four different donuts to have at home with G'Pa. Cost: $13.50. While the donuts really are fantastic, I don't know if I care to be spending our hard earned dollars here again. Blue Star gets no stars for customer service. The young man behind the counter was too busy dancing to his favorite tune to give me anything for a greeting but a sneer. He did say 'thanks' as he plunked down the receipt for me to sign and waltzed off. No receipt copy was offered to me. Again, too busy dancing with his mates by this time. Had your chance Blue Star--muffed it.

    (3)

  • Ben H.

    Blue Star's variety and taste make it one of the best donut shops in the Portland Metro area. Given how much national acclaim Voodoo Donuts gets for its eclectic pastry lineup, I am surprised Blue Star doesn't get the same attention. Their green tea donut and marionberry-peanut butter eclair are bold creations that do justice to their foundational ingredients. We also tried the raspberry cake donut, which although a bit too sweet for my taste, clearly had icing made with real raspberries and not just sugar with pink food coloring. The big downside to Blue Star is the price. Donuts average $3 apiece which might be reasonable in the designer donut/cupcake world, but let's not kid ourselves; donuts are a commodity no matter how fancy they are. But I'm not going to detract fully from the obvious quality here, which is why when my better half drags me to donuts shops, I prefer to be dragged to Blue Star.

    (4)

  • Sarah A.

    Anything can be solved with a donut. I have been hearing about these donuts for over a year now + finally sought them out. Scooped up three (sugar and spice, raspberry OF, and cider apple fritter) They were seriously some of the best donuts I have ever had. The guy behind the counter (Feb 17) tall, hat, gauges, was really cool and friendly, answered our questions with honesty and sold us on a couple of donuts we weren't even considering. I can't wait to make this a place to check out on the regular. They even have VEGAN donuts! Definitely taking all of my out of town guests here instead of that pink box voodoo place. Service, quality and ingredients are better. Thank you! -Sarah

    (5)

  • Nicole A.

    Walking along Hawthorne, my dad and I could not ignore the sweet smell lingering in the air, so we decided to check out Blue Star Donuts and I am glad we did! When we walked in, I was transfixed by the display. Blueberry bourbon basil! Mexican Hot Chocolate! Lemon poppyseed buttermilk! It was hard to only choose one from the amazing selection of freshly baked donuts that were sure to melt in my mouth. I chose the Blueberry bourbon basil on the first day and I am glad I did. The cashier said that it was one of their best-selling and definitely one of the more unique flavors. The blueberry frosting had basil mixed within it and when you bite into it, the blueberry flavor is overwhelming but afterwards, the basil slowly creeps in, giving it a nice and smooth bite. My dad got the lemon poppyseed buttermilk, which was absolutely delicious and light. After posting these donuts on Instagram, I was asked to bring some back, so I came back a second time and of course, I couldn't just not get a donut for myself. I got the Dulce de leche hazelnut, which I found to be okay but a little too sweet for my taste. Still, this place is fantastic and you need to come here. Do not bother going to that other famous travel channel donut place, the line is gigantic and their donuts are overrated. This place is it!

    (5)

  • Michael L.

    Great donut experience! Not your national franchise type of donut. Each of the varieties are individually an incredible taste treat. Collectively they are banquet of mouthwatering delight. And then paired with fresh brewed Stumptown coffee - perfection. It is very fortunate for me that Blue Star Donuts does not have a location close to where I live. Unlike another popular donut purveyor for the less informed palate, the secret is not "in the hole" but is in the whole.

    (5)

  • Kira H.

    This is one of the best donut shops I've EVER been to! The atmosphere is clean & chipper, the people behind the counter are bright & bubbly, & what a display! Their blueberry, bourbon & basil glazed was delicious- fresh & vibrant without being overwhelmingly sweet... but by far, the best I had was the orange & olive oil! The little granules of olive oil inside the donut were a fun twist, layered with this orange powder substance- subtle, yet satisfying! I also had samples of equally delicious: dulce de leche-hazelnut, meyer lemon-key lime curd, & a hard apple cider fritter. Needless to say, this is worth waiting in line for!

    (5)

  • Chewie M.

    I've heard some great things about Blue Star and how they rival Voodoo, but honestly, I wasn't super-wowed by it. My friend and I came here and split 3 doughnuts: the Blueberry Bourbon & Basil, the PB & Spicy Marionberry Jam filled, and the Orange Olive Oil Cake donuts. While we both loved the Blueberry Bourbon & Basil icing on the donut, the donut itself was very underwhelming. I don't know if it had just been sitting out too long or what, but it wasn't fluffy nor doughy as we had expected; in fact, the texture was somewhat reminiscent of a donut you would find in Vons or Ralphs. PB&J was better. I could've done with more heat in the marionberry jam, but that is understandably more of a preference thing. The peanut butter powder added a nice flavor and was nicely done. Again, the donut texture was not as great as expected. Finally, the Orange Olive Oil cake donut was our least favorite. I wonder if the "olive oil" part was more about flavor, but it definitely wasn't the kind of olive-oil-cake moist in the manner that we had set our minds to. A bit too heavy on the dry side. The powder was alright but didn't add much to the donut, and the orange was definitely present, but... eh. We had asked the staff to surprise us on this last choice because we couldn't decide between this and the Dulce de Leche & Hazelnut. In retrospect, should've gone with the latter as it definitely looked more moist. Overall, we definitely enjoyed the atmosphere of Blue Star, and the staff was really great and patient while we asked a bunch of questions in order to decide what we wanted. The flavor varieties all really peaked our interest and just sound fantastic. While we would definitely say that the flavors were nice, unique, and gourmet, the execution of the actual donuts themselves were just not to the standard that we had hope. If we could take their icings and Voodoo's texture (just had them two days ago), it would probably be pretty epic!

    (3)

  • Kara H.

    Well if you are coming to Portland and are trying to find the best donuts, skip voodoo and it's rediculously long line, and head over to blue star donuts! Truly delish!! My top 3 would be the maple bacon, blueberry basil burben, and the raspberry cake dounuts. Yes you are spending about 3$ on a donut but trust me it's worth it!!!

    (4)

  • Jason Q.

    Made a short trip to Portland and put Blue Star on the list of places to go. I do consider myself to be an old school donut-kind of guy. Always perfectly happy with a good 'ol Dunkin Donuts. Plus, we have pretty tasty donuts in Hawaii. Blue Star is probably the cleanest donut shop I've even visited. There are plenty of options as well. For a simple guy like me, the flavors are pretty fancy and extremely creative. I did enjoy the Blueberry Bourbon Basil. The Passionfruit was very tasty as well. Normally, I would not pay $35 for a dozen donuts. This was an exception and it was worth the price to try as many of the different flavors as possible. I also found that the donuts were still good to eat and just as tasty the next day. Most other donuts are in no condition to eat the next day.

    (4)

  • Derek H.

    Way better than Voodoo doughnuts! Great decor in the store, all white with molding and open kitchen to see the baking process. There's a few tables to sit an eat, but most people take it to go. The line moves pretty fast. Come early because they run out! Also they accept credit. Check out Blue Star, you won't regret it!

    (5)

  • Avery M.

    I've been here a few times, and I always find myself wanting more. Their donuts are tasty. They are certainly not worth the price however. I find myself being more delighted by the look of them, and their names, than the actual taste of the doughnut. It's a good spot for a quick doughnut. Nothing special however.

    (3)

  • Katie F.

    Just stopped in this location for a second time after really enjoying the buttermilk donuts earlier this week. It was a little more crowded than our weekday visit but still manageable for 3 in the afternoon on a Saturday. The salesgirl informed us that there were no more buttermilk donuts and that they were done for the day. We bought glazed brioche (also delicious) and were on our merry way. 5 minutes later we decided to head back to grab a cup of water and sure enough... they were glazing buttermilk donuts. Seriously? You couldn't just tell us to wait the 5 minutes? Donuts are awesome, but that seriously turned me off that she couldn't turn that opportunity into an awesome customer experience vs. get your donuts and get out of my face.

    (2)

  • Maimei F.

    Top notch! I love this place! Really I can't add enough exclamation points so I'll just use them in singles and hope that gets my point across. The staff is wonderful and the music is very pleasant. My personal favorite is the marionberry with pepper and peanut butter powder. The staff that was there was Ted and Nathan (hope I spelled those right) and we exchanged very pleasant words. They were up beat, full of energy and wonderful to talk to!!!!!! I will definitely be back and I fully support Blue Star Donuts. 100%!!!!! :D

    (5)

  • Mindy C.

    I don't get all the fuss. I've sampled their wares a couple times now and I'm mostly like meh. The blueberry bourbon is not especially pleasing to my taste buds. I get the concept behind the donuts and the space, but it feels pretentious and the flavors are trying to hard. I think a lot of people only like it because it's not Voodoo and that is not a strong selling point. The donuts are over-priced. The offered flavors are not appealing to the kid inside me that loves donuts for their beauty as well as taste. There is something aesthetically wonderful about brightly colored donuts with sprinkles that Blue Star forgets. In an effort to be on trend, it loses the fun. It's not my favorite donut shop. It's not even my second or third favorite. Honestly? I would still probably go to Voodoo before I would make a special journey here. :P

    (3)

  • Xiao Z.

    In contrast to the much more "popular" Voodoo donuts, which is (in my opinion) the same as any Dunk's in the east coast, except for some more phalanx or humanoid shapes, the Blue Star donuts taste and feel like a delicacy. Let's be honest, I'm the kinda guy that'll be seen in public munching on raw carrot and celery sticks as desserts, however, trying both the orange zest doughnut and the blueberry bourbon donuts made me reconsider my eating habits. The blueberry bourbon doughnut had a seductive velvety glaze and tasted absolutely sublime without being overly sweet. The orange donut had a crunchy outer texture (lots of oil...I'm sure) but a very soft and chewy doughy inside and covered with a mouthwatering and tingling orange zest. The staff who worked there was the kindest and nicest person in the entire world and offered to bring all sorts of cutlery, plates, napkins and bags due to my silly nature not to engulf the donuts in a few bites. The prices may be three times as much as voodoo donut, but why waste money and calories on the earthly delights when you can try something heavenly? Food: 4 stars Service: 5 stars Price: 3 stars

    (5)

  • Christine C.

    Best donuts ever! I don't normally eat sweets but I couldn't stop eating these donuts :X. The quality is amazing and the donut itself isn't sweet. My favorite is the passion fruit with cocoa nibs mainly because i LOVE passion fruit. I recommend getting a bunch of donuts and trying a bit of each flavor with friends. Wish we had this place in CA! One thing: there was a bug in the water jug - quite gross when you're thirsty :X

    (4)

  • Michelle P.

    Took me a few days into my trip, but I finally made it around to Blue Star. Braved the line and finally got to order my delicious treats. And oh were they delicious. All of their flavors are rather unique, with some great combinations. We ended up getting the passionfruit, the chocolate crunch, and the spiced. All great choices. The passionfruit was extremely fruity. A nice change up from the normal glazed donut. The chocolate crunch had little round balls on top that crunched nicely as you were eating it. And the spiced was nice because it leveled out the sugar overload we'd gotten from the previous two with a nice cinnamon sugar combination. The place was really crowded, but I think it was mostly because of the layout and that the line didn't have any place to go. We got through what looked like a ridiculous line in about 5 minutes, AND ended up with a seat at the counter. Nice! So brave the wait and you'll be rewarded. Coffee's nothing to write home about, but that was okay with me as I was there for the food.

    (5)

  • Crystal L.

    Blue Star Donuts = High quality ingredients + hipster-creative flavor combinations like blueberry-bourbon + brioche style dough! Nice service too :) I like Voodoo better but that's just me.

    (4)

  • Melody L.

    Each time I come here I always have aspirations of trying a new type of donut but I am always lured into getting the same one. I am in love with their lemon poppyseed old fashioned. I pray to the Homer Simpson Donut Gods that this will be a mainstay of Blue Star. I love this shop on Hawthorne. If you like people watching its perfect. I love the white walls and the ability to see I to the bakery. Oh, and that when I pee, Totoro can keep me company.

    (5)

  • Evelyn S.

    OK... Seriously...Take a look at me...CLEARLY, I like donuts and have OBVIOUSLY eaten my fair-share of donuts in my lifetime. I love me a great (heck, I'll even eat a good one!!) donut. For the life of me, I can't understand all the hype of Blue Star Donuts. We ordered 4: 2-Meyer Lemon/Key Lime filled, 1-Original Glazed and 1-Maple Bacon. $14.50!!! There was nothing truly special about the donuts - no matter how much the prices wanted to reflect "SPECIAL" - they just didn't come across as special to me. A big YES for interesting flavors... A complete letdown on flavor, texture and price. I have had the PINK BOXED DONUTS and honestly, I prefer Voodoo over Blue Star. If I am really honest, I prefer my $0.99 donut from New Seasons. I did what I had set out to do - Try Blue Star...I doubt I will ever be back. I will just save myself $13.50 and go to New Seasons for my "regular" maple bar.

    (2)

  • Estr J.

    Had the blueberry filling one (I think) Taste is unique from other donuts. However, it doesn't top my favorite place in New York called Dough Doughnuts

    (4)

  • Ivy C.

    Finally tried their fried chicken donut. Maybe it didn't taste good to us because we just tried Screen Door's fried chicken and waffle, making Blue Star's pale in comparison. Screen Door uses high quality, juicy fried chicken breast, whereas Blue Star's fried chicken was mostly overly crunchy chicken skin and batter doused in an overly sweet sauce and placed atop an overly sweet glazed donut. The whole bottom was drenched in a mixture of grease and syrup. I would guess 75% of the fried chicken was just batter. Skip the fried chicken donut and get their blueberry crunch, Mexican chocolate, tres leches and other sweet flavors.

    (3)

  • Mikhail H.

    I think I am turning in my Portland card because I do not get it...I just don't.... I have heard about this place from several friends. I look it up and OMG...CREME BRULEE DONUT...YES...IN MY MOUTH HOLE NOW! Wandering I see the magic donut shop and say....ohhhhh....magic donut shop! I will get a creme brulee donut and finally try that! Line...ok, that's cool...where is the menu? And eww...the place is covered in garbage...food on the walls, floor...tables...nasty...I was afraid to touch anything. People in line were rude but the two guys at the counter seemed even moreso... I was confused at having no menu, there were like three donuts at the counter and apparently that was it? One was pink, one was white - everything looked overly drenched in glaze. I tried asking just how this worked because they seemed to maybe have other donuts they were making but I cannot even tell what they have available since the labels were poorly written - one mentioned mango?? I walked out. The donuts smelled good but seriously...this place is a shit show.

    (1)

  • Madeeha A.

    I came at the end of the day (6pm) and order the lemon poppy buttermilk, blueberry cake and OG donuts. They were decent, not too sweet, which I rather prefer. But i think fresher donuts are probably where most donut shops excel, and so I would like to try this place again in the morning.

    (4)

  • Michelle K.

    BLUEBERRY BOURBON BASIL DONUT. YUM. So soft. I am not a donut person because donuts usually give me bad headaches but this place was great! No headache. I thought there would be a long wait but there was no line when we walked in. My friends and I shared the blueberry bourbon basil donut there and bought a box of donuts each to bring back home. I tried a little bit of all the ones I brought home and really liked them but the blueberry bourbon basil one was my absolute favorite. Just thinking about it right now makes me want to book a flight asap to Portland so that I can go eat a bunch of donuts!! By the way, I suggest that you do not take a box of donuts with you on your flight back home because you will want to stomp on the box and throw them out at the airport. It was such a hassle and a pain in the ass carrying it around at the airport.

    (5)

  • Kyle L.

    Dude working here was such an asshole for no reason. Definitely won't be coming back.

    (1)

  • Brittany W.

    Fresh, fluffy, and light. Quality donuts without the sugar hangover feeling. The blueberry bourbon basil was good, but I did expect more with a name like that.

    (4)

  • Carolyn L.

    This place is bomb! A good number of Portlanders suggested Blue Star and said it was better than Voodoo! I only tried one donut at Voodoo so I can't really compare, but the donuts here really are exquisite! Their Old Fashioned Buttermilk is INSANE. If a place can get a simple donut like this right, you know it has to be solid. The texture and freshness and flavors were so perfect. I've never had anything like this! It was definitely my favorite out of the bunch I tried. The Sesame Salted Caramel was really good. It was such a unique combination of flavors. I would definitely recommend it! The Blueberry Bourbon Basil was way too sweet for me. I enjoyed the first bite, but after that it was just too much. Love the concept though. I was disappointed with the the Maple Bacon. I definitely like the one at Voodoo's and Union Square Donut's better. Can't really pinpoint what I didn't like, but it just didn't have that amazing balance that I've tasted elsewhere. Overall, great assortment of incredibly fresh donuts without a crazy wait. I love all the offerings and wish I could've tried everything I saw.

    (4)

  • Amy L.

    Super tasty donuts. There's no stale donuts or sugar overloaded low quality donuts in sight here. I've been here several times and tried a good variety. They even have vegan donuts available. All I can say is there's a significant difference between these donuts and your store bought ones. Sure they are worth way more but the quality is like eating a fine piece of cake versus a sheet cake. A few of my favs: Yeasted Donuts: Donuts are soft and fluffy no matter when I go early in the morning or in the afternoon, like how fresh donuts should be. Blueberry, passionfruit and valrhona are my favs. Buttermilk/apple fritter: Very tasty made crispy on the outside and soft on the inside like a proper cake donut should be. It's the best apple cider donut I've ever tasted. Peanut butter and jelly powdered donut: A match made in heaven. Who uses peanut powder that creatively. Perfect ratio of peanut butter taste vs jelly. A nice balance of flavors. Place inside is spacious and great for hanging out and grabbing a cup of coffee. Service is always excellent and courteous. I look forward to trying more of their delicious creations.

    (5)

  • Frank B.

    The one in DT was PACKED so when I came across this location the line moved quickly so I dropped in to try one of the most raved about donut spots outside of VooDoo. These donuts have the consistency of a beignet which is light and fluffy with a slightly different taste then most heavy, lardy donuts. I tried the O.G. and Passion Fruit. Both were OK. I've defiantly had better donuts but these are not bad of you life that lighter, fluffy donut taste. Passion fruit was to overwhelming in flavor but the O.G. was defiantly a good choice

    (3)

  • Eunice R.

    Had the Creme Brulee and Mexican Hot chocolate doughnuts both were delicious. The Creme Brulee has a nice toasted glaze as a Creme Brulee would and has a syrup to infuse the creamy center! They have a lot of unique flavors. Mexican Hot chocolate was my favorite

    (4)

  • SeanPatrick A.

    Fantastic donuts! I tried 3 different kinds, but the stand out to me was the glazed old fashioned. It was beyond description, all I can say is that it tasted exactly as it was supposed to taste, a perfect example of the best of that kind of donut. I will certainly be back next time I'm in Portland.

    (5)

  • MyTien P.

    Bacon bits on my donut?! YES PLEASE. I wasn't sure what to expect coming here but let's just say I was MINDBLOWN. The Bacon Maple Donut was perfect. The donut itself wasn't too sweet and it complimented the saltiness of the bacon perfectly. I should have brought a box back with me because I'm craving some right now! My friends also ordered the "Chicken & Donut" dish and it was very interesting indeed. The fried chicken was overly sweet due to all the maple syrup drenched on top and it wasn't very appetizing. One bite of this and I was done and couldn't handle the sugar overload. I would definitely pass on this next time. But besides that... MAPLE BACON DONUT IS A MUST.

    (4)

  • Donald W.

    Look out voodoo doughnuts because blue star is the new kid on the block and their coming out swinging. What a fresh and fun take on doughnuts. The stores are clean and modern. The varieties aren't new but the taste is. Huge portions and even sweeter taste. How can you say no! Blue Star is definitely a tasty place to go for sweets and should definitely be considered a place to stop at while in Portland. On of the perks of being here is the fact you don't have to stand in long lines with drunks, and loud mouth people raving about a place that honestly is way overhyped. Creme brûlée, the chicken covered doughnuts and a few of their other popular varieties. The staff was pleasant and fun to be around. Besides cracking jokes and giving us the scoop of some of the best places to go While on vacation here. There was something else I noticed about the staff at Blue Star. They really seemed to enjoy their jobs. I'm so glad I was able to indulge my sweet tooth here because it's a fresh take on the modern doughnuts. The establishment is super clean and fun to be in. I can't wait to go back and try more of their other flavors. This time I will not only split them because of the sizes but take a to-go box because it's that good.

    (4)

  • Allan C.

    Good doughnuts without the crazy lines! A must stop when you're in Portland!!! The OG Buttermilk is a good go to treat when your visual senses are on overload!

    (5)

  • Michael L.

    Can't give a one star because I should have known better... Trying a vegan doughnut. It was slightly bitter, somewhat citrus tasting. Insides were soft and it was amply sugared, but something just felt off. This is the first time I've ever spit out part of a doughnut. Disappointing. It was also pretty expensive at over $2. Shame they don't have Dunkin Donuts in this town.

    (2)

  • Christine S.

    Say the three little words, and I'm yours: fried chicken donut. Country fried chicken thighs (cut up into pieces) with spiced honey and Frank's hot sauce on top of a glazed donut. All for $4.75! What more do you need in life? The savory and sweet flavors work really well together. And the hot sauce makes it even better! (Portland really has the fried chicken thing down!) Donuts are around $2.50 each which is a little steep, but you get the quality that you pay for.

    (4)

  • Andrea V.

    The donuts are OK, I think it's cool that they have some really neat combinations and flavors that are different. The donut itself though was dry and tasted like it had been sitting out for a whole day. Not a moist yummy doughnut. Had the marionberry pepper jam and peanut butter powdered doughnut, and the blueberry bourbon basil donut.

    (3)

  • Shauna M.

    WOW! WOW! WOW! Lemon Poppy seed and Old Fashioned... AMAZING!!! Friendly service, reasonable prices for artisan doughnuts. Beautiful presentation and clean store. Free on-street parking close-by. Love these doughnuts, a MUST!

    (5)

  • Tricia T.

    Delicious donuts, quality ingredients, clean atmosphere and good customer service. After going to Voodoo (the highly recommended- but in my opinion OVERRATED), I'm SO glad someone told us about Blue Star. 10x better. Fried chicken on a donut? Yes please. Secret--- order it on the maple bacon donut and you won't be disappointed. It's perfect for 2 people to share. If you're looking for a sweet treat, this is definitely the place to go. They're open til they sell out, so just know they may be sold out of the one you want.

    (5)

  • Esther K.

    My first time here was late on a Saturday morning. Understandably, it was crowded and there was a short line to order. I'm totally OK with that. I know how popular Blue Star is, and I was prepared for a wait. What I didn't understand was that there was no menu, and only about 10 different offerings shown in a display case. Some of the doughnuts on display were sold out (Maple Bacon doughnut, i'm talking about you) and while waiting in line, some customers ahead of me ordered doughnuts that were NOT in the display. What gives?! I want a custard-filled doughnut! If I knew that was an option, I totally would have gotten one! I ordered 3 doughnuts, the cheapest of them around $2.75 and they were good, but not mind-blowing. I didn't think the flavors were very creative, and the dough is very dense. Definitely not melt-in-your-mouth, or spongey. Maybe I need to go back with a Blue Star veteran to show me the ropes of how to eat here because I just didn't get it.

    (3)

  • Ziyan C.

    Wow. Fantastic. I can't believe I was getting my donut fix on my visits to Portland at Voodoo (which, granted, is good, but not mind-blowing like Blue Star!) when I could've been having this! Especially if you like yeast vs. cake doughnuts, you GOTTA come here! This now makes the list of my go-to places in Portland. THE WAIT: None on a Sunday afternoon around 4pm. There was a steady stream of people coming in, the seats were mostly full but a table always opened up for anyone who just came in. One couple was in line before us, and the vibe here is so chill - I was taking a long time deciding between everything that looked awesome and I asked if they wanted to go ahead of us. They were just like "nah, we're just hanging out". THE SERVICE: The guy at the counter was great. He loves everything about doughnuts and all the flavors here. Of course, that makes him a great enabler, but he didn't mind me agonizing over what to order (and I ended up getting 4 flavors) and was great at explaining what was popular, what were his faves, and what goes into specific doughnuts. THE COST: $13 total for 4 doughnuts. SO worth it! MUST-HAVES: Maple Bacon, all the way! I was hesitant because this is such an overdone doughnut flavor, but this was by far the best Maple bacon I've ever had. * Maple Bacon - 5 stars cross-section: yelp.com/biz_photos/blue… By far my favorite, and surprisingly beats out all the amazing Maple Bacon doughnuts I've had at various famous doughnut spots in SF/Portland. What made it stand out so much? The quality of the bacon. On top of, of course, their fantasticly soft, airy, and moist dough. The bacon - wow! - I didn't realize what bad quality bacon toppings have been on other Maple Bacon doughnuts I've tried (those have been stale, dry, hard). This bacon was.. soft! Fresh! And just seemed like quality meat. You won't fully understand 'til you try it, so just TRY IT!! No regrets, I promise! * Valrhona Chocolate Crunch - 4.5 stars pic: yelp.com/biz_photos/blue… Great for satisfying my chocolate desire (and the chocolate not being overly sweet) and need for crunchy texture. Not as much mix in flavors - sweet topping, sweet filling, so make sure you're not too sweet-adverse before diving into this one! * Cointreau Crème Brulée - 4.5 stars pic: yelp.com/biz_photos/blue… cross-section: yelp.com/biz_photos/blue… This was fun! I thought the little plastic pipet sticking out of the doughnuts on their trays were mid-preparation, but you get to squeeze in the orange cointreau. Unfortunately, I couldn't much taste the orange or the cointreau as there was so much else going on! The extra crackle from the caramelized sugar up top was nicely done, the filling was thick but I wished could've been more creamy/smooth. Just being picky - still really liked this! * Blueberry - 4 stars pic: yelp.com/biz_photos/blue… cross-section: yelp.com/biz_photos/blue… A great unique flavor. Tasty - sweet and slightly tart. I only rate it slightly lower than the others because it doesn't have that extra something that makes it really stand out.

    (5)

  • Sudipto G.

    Best donuts I've had in PDX. period. Not much of a donut fan but this place is legit. Had three varieites, the blueberry, chocolate ganache and the dulce de leche... all very staggeringly awesome. Just go there and pick one from their rotating list of flavors you will not be disappointed!!

    (5)

  • Yurdi H.

    Get there early, arrived around noon today and there were a total of 5 donuts (literally) left to choose from, meaning if I had wanted to, I could have bought all 5 and they would be done selling donuts for the day. Waste of time.

    (2)

  • Joe L.

    As a graduate student at the UO Portland, I recently did a group project for one of my courses on the public perceptions of Blue Star vs Voodoo Donuts in town. So, as a result, I've sampled my fair share of Blue Star donuts at two of the locations. At this Hawthorne location, the service was always good, and surprisingly quick. Don't expect personal service, however, this place is busy and lines often form. First off, consider yourself lucky if you can capture the magical unicorn that is known as the chicken fried donut. I stood outside that location doing a survey over the course of a couple of weekends, and never remember it being available. I'm sure it is, but it must sell out in minutes. I have a feeling I'd need a DeLorean with a Flux Capacitor to travel back in time a few hours to reserve one before they sell out. Get to the point, you ask? Ok. Anything with the blueberry glaze is the best thing I've had there. Green tea/matcha donut is my second flavorite. Chocolate ganache rounds out the third place on my list. Worst thing I've had at Blue Star: The carrot cake donut was shockingly bland. I'm not big on overly sweet treats (I know, I'm weird), but this was so bland I had to ADD sugar to it when I brought it home to eat. My wife, who is a baker, agreed and was disappointed. If you want a donut that tastes like a crumbly dinner roll with the vague flavor of carrot, you'll enjoy it. It was far blander than any actual carrot cake I've had. Personally, I wasn't impressed enough with all the donuts I had to drive me to return to Blue Star regularly. I get that might not be the trendy answer, but it's my honest one. It's hit or miss with the flavors, which range from pleasantly sweet to bland. Recently, I've had Pip's donuts..which blow away Blue Star in quality and flavor.

    (3)

  • Tnvd C.

    Really interesting flavors that showcase local ingredients, but they're a little too far removed from being donuts to be "donuts". More like a fluffy sweet French bread thing with fancy sugary overcompensating toppings. They're good, but really expensive (five bucks after tip) and dense and I always get a stomach ache directly afterwards. I know everyone else seems to be really excited about them though. Maybe I'm just a donut purist. The donuts are very pretty to look at and the location is very shiny and sterile looking.

    (3)

  • Marie B.

    Yes, the stuffed Shoreline WA trio meandered to Blue Star Donuts after lunching at Pok Pok yesterday 4/19/15. Coincidentally, the table next to us at Pok Pok also were in line ahead of us getting takeout doughnuts. We wanted to sample what was considered Portland's epic doughnuts and supposedly even better than Voodoo Doughnuts. Again, located in another vibrant and popular PDX neighborhood along SE Hawthorne. We shared bites and totally enjoyed the Dulce de Leche with Hazelnuts, Maple Bacon, Mexican Hot Chocolate, and Buttermilk Old Fashioned. Prices ranged from $2.75-$3.75 for these particular ones. Bright, open layout and production area. Enthusiastic counter and baking staff with dub step music cranking adding to the atmosphere. Wow - they definitely are up there in doughnut supremacy with Voodoo and businesses we are familiar with further up north, Top Pot and Frost. Four Blue Star Donuts locations in Portland and one in Tokyo, Japan.

    (5)

  • Danielle B.

    They make really good chicken here. Wait huh? The fried chicken & donut. Not what I expected to be the star of the show, but it was. The Fried Chicken Donut at $4.75 a pop is a meal. Country fried chicken pieces and their original glaze donut. Toppings are a spiced honey and/or hot sauce. The chicken is cooked absolutely perfect with a nice crisp breading and juicy meat. It oddly almost reminded me of Korean fried chicken from a place like bonchon or of that caliber. And what about the other donuts? Let's start with the fact that making the decision of which donut to get was agonizing as everything looked interestingly delicious. We ordered 3 to go (~$3/donut): Hard Apple Cider fritter: The boys behind the counter helped me pick this one out. They basically said their fritters are a must try. The "hard" part of the apple cider elevated this donut over any regular apple fritter. Cointreau Creme Brulee: Why is there a pipette sticking out of that donut is probably your first thought at sight of this donut. Within the pipette is an orange liqueur that can be squeezed directly into the donut or taken as a shot separate of the donut. I didn't need the Cointreau in my creme brulee. I think my palate was a little confused and over-sugared. Blueberry basil bourbon: This one was sweeter than it needed to be. If the sweet was tamed I think the bourbon and basil flavors could have been more highlighted. Speaking of the boys behind the counter. They were very friendly, helpful, and extremely patient of our indecisiveness. So my final decision: fried chicken donut, of course. Keep in mind it did take a few minutes to put this one together so this won't be your quick stop donut choice. And how do they compare to their fancy donut arch nemesis Voodoo? Voodoo is like your eccentric auntie--everyone loves her but she definitely is cray. Blue Star is your put-together cousin who just graduated law school--much more calculated, seasoned, and experienced. Both have their pros and cons.

    (4)

  • Nio S.

    This donut shop hands down throws Voodoo back to the mixing bowl. The hype is real folks!! These donuts are very well made, the donut itself is very light not taking a death toll to the stomach when you have eaten a few tasty goodness. For first timers I suggest tasting the Fried chicken with a donut just to get the curiosity out of the way cuz its actually an experience in itself unless you have issues with mixing savory with sweet. The people that work here are friendly and funny as hell(if you enjoy dry humor and sarcasm then this is your spot to hang out!) I will definitely come back to taste the other flavors they bring out along with the specials. I strongly suggest checking out this place when or if you live in Portland...there is a reason why a line out the door is placed here at Blue Star Happy Eats Everyone!!

    (5)

  • Pete H.

    Vastly over-rated and I do not understand why this is so popular? I think it is the hype. I went in recently with a friend. We both ordered one donut. Took a bite of ours, tried the other one, and threw them both away. And the service was terrible. Rude and just incompetent. I would say it is too expensive also. But come on, it is still only a couple bucks for a donut. There are just far far better donuts out there in PDX for me to ever want to step in here again.

    (2)

  • Stephanie D.

    Not ur traditional donut and kids may not like the different flavors... But for adult it's a gourmet donut with some amazing flavors a must try for anyone that loves a great donut and coffee!!

    (5)

  • Astha M.

    I will mark the day I had Blue Star Donuts as my day of donut enlightenment. This is what I have been missing all my life! People who recommend Voodoo Donuts don't know donuts!! I had the honor of eating Mexican hot chocolate and Coconut coffee cheesecake and both were oh so delicious. There was a little crunch on the outside and they were not your typical death by sugar donuts. So, do yourself a favor and get Blue Star donuts..and remember..they sell out FAST!!

    (5)

  • Shullina E.

    Totally worth the trip to get these babies and definitely tastier than Voodoo doughnut! You won't regret coming here to try them especially their Valrhona Chocolate Crunch if you're a chocolate lover like I am.

    (4)

  • Allison M.

    We went there for a quick treat after hearing from numerous people to try this instead of VooDoo. I'm so glad we did because they were delicious and the best part, no line! We walked right in, took some time making a decision because all of them looked so good. By the time we got a table, our coffee filled and napkins, they had the doughnuts out to us. Between 3 of us we tried the lemon poppyseed, old fashioned buttermilk, blackberry with peanut butter powder, blueberry bourbon basil and apple cider fritter. The best part, besides the way they tasted, was that they were still warm! They had a great flavor and the perfect ratio of glaze/filling to dough Definitely go here when you get the chance. Less hype but totally delivers.

    (5)

  • Hly N.

    I waited in line for thirty minutes, but there weren't even THAT many people. This shop feels so disorganized that you'd think they got busy overnight. I didn't know what flavors they would have that day or that week. They're successful enough to open up multiple shops but they're not equipped to handle it yet. When you get inside, the line snakes to the counter. There's a blank slate on the wall where the flavors should be posted but nothing is written there. Instead there are random donuts in the display case. Don't have your heart set on a specific flavor until you reach the cashier, because the person in front of you might grab the last one. I'm totally for chefs creating new and interesting flavor combinations, but the ones they offered didn't seem very appetizing. I tried the lemon poppy and it was ok. The lemon had a nice bite to it but the rest of the donut was overwhelmed with a sweet sugary glaze. I also had a couple bites of the hard apple cider fritters. Not as light and fluffy as regular donuts, but I did like the apple flavor and chunks of apples. But this one was too sweet! I'm giving this place three stars because a) it's better than voodoo donuts b) the cashier was awesome and c) there's a lot of potential here. I suggest they make a schedule and try to stick to it so people know what to expect. There's a pizza place in Berkeley that is to die for. I never know what I'm going to get (they serve one kind of pizza all day) but the prices are reasonable and the quality is top notch! They can get away with it but blue star isn't nearly that good.

    (3)

  • Sandra C.

    My first impression when I first walked into Blue Star Donuts was that it looked super clean and bright. There weren't many people there when we arrived, since it was during the Superbowl, so there was no wait at all. Yes! After much deliberation, I decided to order the Original Glazed to eat immediately and the Meyer Lemon for my late night snack. Original Glazed - This donut was awesome. This was the first time someone had ever given me a warm donut with the frosting practically melting all over the place. It was just so fresh! Meyer Lemon - I ate this donut about 4 hours later, and it was still pretty darn good. Arguably better than the original glazed. The powder was great, and the lemon filling wasn't overwhelming at all. I need to learn how to eat these donuts without looking like a crazed 4-year-old child afterwards. Although they're delicious, they're probably the messiest donuts around...I end up getting frosting and powdered sugar ALL OVER MY FACE. Anyways, I would definitely visit here again when I'm in Portland. My one regret is not ordering more to bring back home to LA...

    (5)

  • Melissa Y.

    Not gluten free. But damned delicious! My belly hurt later, but that was my own fault. I couldn't say no to the donuts. Green tea was great. 3 of us bought 4 donuts to sample a bit of each. It was great. Can't wait to visit again. And after this, you can forget about voodoo.

    (5)

  • Tri H.

    I was skeptical at first when gf brought me here. There are so many good donut shops like mighty o, voodoo, etc that I wasn't interested in trying another one. But..... I have to admit they are damn tasty! We had bourbon basil blueberry which I thought would be disastrous. But..... Whoa. Unbelievable. Eat here u won't regret even though there are so many good breakfast spots here.

    (5)

  • Andrea C.

    I only had time to visit one donut shop while I was in Portland and I was told Blue Star was better than Voodoo so I had to come here. I'm not that adventurous when it comes to fancy flavors. I'm more of a glazed donut lover myself but I decided to try something new! The way they displayed the donuts was super clean and the store looked really modern. They were also playing old school Britney Spears which I thought was hilarious. BF & I shared the Blueberry Crunch donut and the Chocolate Crunch donut. Both were super sweet and super delicious! It was a little too sweet for me but I happy I was able to try both :) I wish I had time to go back and try other flavors!

    (4)

  • Hunter S T.

    Blue Star makes a killer donut. Just one killer donut though, Im not a fan of all the other kinds but this one particular donut is heaven. I cant tell you which one because quite often it sells out and I come in weekly so I hate when its all out. $2.75-4.00 is a little much for a donut, I mean its fried dough and sugar. But these donuts aren't just any donut, they're made by hip people so you have to pay the cool tax to come eat here.

    (4)

  • James M.

    From Seattle. Friend told me to go here instead of that other tourist trap donut shop. Walked in nobody here. Helped immediately. Nathan is not only the best at any donut shop, Nathan might be the best happiest most energetic employee ever. He's hoping I won't report him to his manager. I will though. I am happy to report that he is insanely good. I love blue star. I fucking love blue star. I am immediately loyal. I am immediately in love. Go here when you're tired fat skinny famished full or inebriated. This place is the cats of donut shops.

    (5)

  • Debbie L.

    Put together a little doughnut tour of Portland yesterday and Blue Star was our last stop. Nothing short of amazingly delicious, we shared the Bourbon Basil, Lime Curd and Champagne Peach. Took them to go and put them on a stone altar at Elk Creek Garden, the Bishops Close and devoured all three of them! The sounds with each bite and the faces with looks of fulfilled desires was kind of funny because not too long before this, everyone complained just how full they were from previous doughnut shop tastings. Anyway, Blue Star won and became the best stop of the day. Sending friends back to Albany and Iowa happy to have experienced this city and my doughnut shop tour yesterday!

    (5)

  • Santi T.

    As my partner in crime, Daniel L. and I roamed the city on the quest for the anti-Voo Doo spell, we found the Blue Star Donuts on SE Hawthorne as an alternative donut fix. This shop is located in a busy neighborhood with a constant flow of customers trying their eccentric flavored donuts. We decided to try our own sampler by selecting three donuts (price range from $2.50-$3): raspberry buttermilk cake donut, blueberry/bourbon/basil yeast donut and the Meyer lemon curd filled donut. Since both of us have a huge sweet tooth, we were excited to try these donuts and took several bites to pay special attention to each of these flavors. In order of least to favorite, we both agreed the lemon curd filled powered sugar donut had a chewy dough texture but the curd had a very nice creamy tart flavor which did not match well. The blueberry/bourbon/basil frosting yeast donut was larger than your average donut and had a refreshing blueberry taste with a hint of the basil but didn't taste much of the bourbon. The clear winner was the raspberry buttermilk donut with a sprinkle of crushed pistachios which was Daniel's favorite. I seriously had doubts about this one but he assured me and restored my faith in cake donuts because the raspberry flavor beautifully married the buttermilk crunchy coating. The staff was plesant and gave us a few recommendations. Compared to their other location, they might not have all the flavors which could explain the lower star reviews here. If you see a flavor which sounds interesting, order it because they rotate it throughout the week. Indoor seating is available so you can try your own test. Unfortunately, Blue Star didn't hypnotize us into the food coma zone but it definitely brought us sunshine on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

    (3)

  • Daniel L.

    Santi T and I came to this donut shop after hearing so much about it from the locals. The interior was small, clean, well lit, and highlighted by a large glass counter, open displays of donuts of unique colors and flavors, and small high tables along the perimeter. Like the ongoing rain, both the line and foot traffic was intermittent. They use a brioche recipe, rice oil, and local organic products to insist on the highest quality possible. Each donut ranges from $2.25 to $3, the highest I had ever paid for these tasty treats. We started off with the Raspberry Cake Donut ($2.25) that came with shaved pistachio, and refined raspberry flavor that served as catalyst that coupled a secondary buttermilk aroma. The cake donut was easy to cut into, and each bite consisted of a noticeable crispy outer layer that ended with a soft cake-like center in the middle. This was my favorite of the three we tried. My next favorite was the Blueberry Bourbon Basil ($2.75) that came with smooth, refined blueberry bourbon basil covering a lighter, soft, and fluffy yeast donut. The blueberry flavor was not too sweet, deepened by a hint of basil in the backdrop, but the taste of bourbon was lacking for those who are intrigued. The yeast donut was not the best I've had. At this price, the donut itself has to consist a light, melt-in-you-mouth quality in order for me to highly recommend it. My least favorite was the Lemon Curd Donut ($3) that came with thick lemon custard stuffed in the middle of a powder-sugared yeast donut. The lemon flavor was very refined, not too sweet or tart, but a great balance of flavors. Unfortunately, the downside of this donut was the rubbery chewy texture that didn't meet my expectations. I don't recommend it. Service was friendly, but she didn't make any particular recommendations that were useful to us. With all strengths and limitations considered, it was still a great experience as we explored the neighborhood. Interested customers should know that this location does not carry as many variety as the one on Washington Street. I will need to try other donut shops in the Portland area before deciding to come back.

    (3)

  • Angela D.

    High quality donuts, way better than VooDoo! They do sell out so go in early to get the best selection. Flavors change daily. I tried the Passion Fruit, Dulce de Leche, Ganache, and Coffee Coconut Cheesecake. You will definitely not leave disappointed and bring back some for your friends and family if you vacationing!

    (5)

  • Rajesh K.

    This place is like a grown up version of voodoo donuts. Like if a chocolate donut from Voodoo grew up, became rich and sophisticated and decided to be a chocolate donut at Blue star (meaning it will loose all the sugar and will taste slightly bitter). Most will love it and say thats awesome but I love my donuts sweet and sugary. Hence my rating for Voodoo will be higher than Blue star. I also tried the carrot cake donut which was good but again not what I was expecting from a donut. They have several interesting donuts like the fried chicken donut which mixes the sweet and savory experience. Again I am personally not a fan of those since I would rather have the fried chicken with a biscuit than a donut. Overall a very interesting place and you would love this place if you think Voodoo is too sugary and sweet.

    (3)

  • Frank J.

    The donuts here are really good and at their prices they ought to be! $2,50 for a tiny donut! The coffee was excellent. Due to health concerns it's many years between donuts for me. Stopped here for my b'day and a small, very tasty donut was just what the Doctor ordered. But I can't see this place ever being a regular hangout unless I hit Megabucks. On the West side, people think that Krispy Kreme is a donut. And that Starbucks is coffee. If you ever have a need to treat yourself to a real donut and coffee, Blue Star is where you might think about heading.

    (4)

  • Caroline N.

    This is the only Blue Star location where you can get their fried chicken donut, and therefore that is the only thing you should get when you come here. That chicken is amazing. It's tender and spicy and the skin is crispy, and it's already cut up into bite size pieces for you to enjoy. Then they throw in some Frank's hot sauce which makes it all the more magical. AND THEN, there's the added sweet deliciousness of a glazed donut underneath it all to complement the chicken. All the other donuts at Blue Star are top notch so you can't really go wrong. But seriously, get the fried chicken donut. You won't be disappointed!

    (5)

  • Heather S.

    As you know, from every other review, they offer really incredible flavors and textures at Blue Star Donuts. My favorite was the blueberry bourbon basil, shockingly as I typically love traditional donuts. But, the flavors and texture couldn't be beat! I also liked the old fashioned one. Seating is clean, mod, and plentiful. Blue Star is quintessentially Hawthorne and Portland rolled into one fun donut shop!

    (5)

  • Diana L.

    Portland is famous for voodoo donuts, but don't be fooled! Blue star donuts is where you want to go for delicious and unique donuts. From maple bacon to apple fritters, there's something for every Donut lover. I had the dulce de leche and I still dream about it and wish I lived in portland!

    (5)

  • Kristal B.

    Great donuts that were creative, fresh and unique. I loved the favors of the donuts we choose. The only downfall was they were A bit pricey for 1 donut, $2.75-3 per donut.

    (4)

  • Brandon T.

    Blue Star is by far my favorite Portland donut shop. Just to get it out of the way, there is one flavor that you must try before all others and that is the Blueberry Bourbon Basil donut, is bright purple and you can't miss it. Two other notables are the real maple bacon, which is covered in chunks of bacon, and the creme brûlée which has a pipet full of Cointreau stuck in it. This location is quite a bit larger than the original which is is nice, mostly because there is more seating. One other thing this location has is the fried chicken and donut combo. I think the it tastes more like sweet and sour chicken than chicken and waffles so don't go into it expecting the wrong thing. To be honest, it wasn't something I liked on my first try but it is starting to grow me, I'll say that much. Once again, if you don't immediately know what you want then go for the bright purple one.

    (4)

  • Theresa D.

    Creme brûlée donut. I wanted it, and it wasn't on the menu when I came here. So sad. I would not leave empty handed. Hard apple fritters, raspberry pistachio, peanut butter jelly, and a Meyer Lemon left with me. I gotta say I was a little disappointed. I thought they were a little dry. I like a cake-y donut, or something that's fluffy, and to me, this was pretty meh. I don't know if it's just me, or if it's really part of their batter, but I swear I tasted some type of heat in each donut, cayenne or something of the like. Maybe I'm not adventurous in this, but I love a sweet donut. While I thought the flavors were creative, I think the execution could have been better.

    (3)

  • Bonny L.

    This is my sister's favorite donut spot so had to check it out when I was visiting. We went in the morning since they run out late in the afternoon. Line wasn't too long. It gave us time to ponder what we wanted to order. I had settled on the Passonfruit, but halfway through the line, it was sold out! =( We ended up getting a blueberry bourbon basil, rose rose, apple fritter, and blueberry compote with pb powder. My favorite was the blueberry bourbon. Didn't much enjoy the rose rose.

    (5)

  • Kayla G.

    These are some delicious donuts. I like this location rather than the Mississippi and downtown locations because this one is not always sold out of most of the different flavors when I go. They typically have a nice variety of unique flavors- I love the raspberry buttermilk and hard apple cider fritter, personally. I do think that they are slightly overpriced, but at the same time they are a little higher quality of a donut than you may find elsewhere.

    (5)

  • J D.

    I will never say no to any place that's jamming Britney Spears Greatest Hits at 9am! Oh and their original glaze was fluffy and delicious. A tad too sweet but would def have again. Would love to try the maple bacon next time. And apparently their fried chicken donut is all the rage. Will be back!

    (5)

  • Rachel H.

    I stopped by Blue Star after many recommendations from friends. I assumed it to be a coffee shop, with donuts. Coffee? A carafe with cream and sugar to add and self serve. Espresso is my game, none of that was served here. I ordered a blueberry bourbon basil bagel and a pumpkin spice bagel. Meh. Their flavors were intriguing, but the flavors didn't live up to the name. The employees were kind, so that's one point in their favor.

    (2)

  • Derek P.

    A couple of the donuts are the best I've ever had, some other ones not so good... My biggest bitch though is what donut shop opens at 8am! Wtf!

    (3)

  • Jimmi H.

    Being new to Portland and having a sweet tooth that never seems to be satisfied, I find it appropriate that my first review be for donuts. As I understand it, Blue Star and one other local donutery are THE places to indulge in a fine fried sugar treat. I have yet to try this other said donut shop, but I do know that the bar has been set pretty high by Blue Star. The husband and I stopped in on a Sunday morning while deciding where we wanted to go for brunch. I was immediately impressed how clean the entire establishment was. White walls and all. The line moved quickly with solid service and we were able to select a couple of flavors we thought would make us happiest. Blueberry Basil Bourbon and a Passionfruit deliciousness. Both were exquisite! I do highly recommend splitting a couple with a friend as they are full of flavor and quite sweet. I'm looking forward to going back and trying some of their simpler offering such as the Buttermilk Old Fashion as I think it will be a touch less sweet and I'm sure just as delicous!

    (4)

  • Ken W.

    Wow. Blue Star takes the cake...or, donut I should say. I didn't even know that Blue Star opened up on Hawthorne, but I was strolling down the street and got excited when i saw it. I was hesitant on ordering since I haven't had the original and according to reviews, the original does it better, but I figured what the heck I might as well. They really are something different. I went and ordered the blueberry bourbon basil after seeing them make a fresh batch. My friend went with the maple bacon donut. The donut was very soft, moist and the texture was excellent. The flavor was unique and interesting. Definitely a new experience. I'm docking a star only because I wish my donut could have had some other sort of texture to it, and I only had one. Regardless, it was delicious and am excited to try more.

    (4)

  • Brenda C.

    I've made many mistakes in this life due to my stubbornness and self-righteousness and believe me when I say this. Walking in the Portland rain and waiting in line for VooDoo instead of just going straight to Blue Star is another one added to my list. It was so damn good, I ordered the creme brûlée, ate it, pre-ordered some to take back to SF, and ordered the apple fritter to nibble on while I waited in line for brunch. YES!! It was that good!! And to save the best for last, they personally brought the boxes of donuts to my car the next morning. Talk about amazing curb side service!! Please please please open one in SF!! I'll be your number one customer !!!

    (5)

  • An T.

    Considering I only tried one donut not much of a fair comparison to voodoo. But the selection was not as vast as voodoo. Whether the ingredients are better or not the lack of selection hindered my experience. 2nd was that we had to come to this location because the main one was closed due to a power outage? I guess they aren't "rolling in dough" lol yeah i know. But i had the fried chicken donut which i misread thinking the fried chicken would be in the donut which would make sense since both are fried... but no it was fried chicken on top of a donut. The chicken was good had a sweet and savory glaze on it. The donut not what I expected was a lemon glazed donut. Chicken was better than the donut..

    (3)

  • Joseleon J.

    This place is King! I will never eat anywhere else again.... lol the staff is amazing.

    (5)

  • Leslie H.

    The buttermilk old fashioned is the bomb. The basil, bourbon blueberry didn't impress me. Donuts here ain't cheap averaging about $3 each, but they are tasty.

    (5)

  • Janet M.

    It's a $3.00 donut. Again, IT'S A $3.00 DONUT. Tastes good, nothing special, not worth $3.00. Do yourself a favor and head to Safeway to buy nine times the number of donuts you'll get here.

    (2)

  • Dan N.

    I'm not saying I was disappointed with the place but I thought it would be better. I did love their Valrhona Chocolate Crunch. The French chocolate was divine. I also liked the flavor of the Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache for the chocolate, not the hazelnut because I could hardly pick out the nutty flavor. Maple Bacon was good, the bacon bits were neither too crunchy nor soggy. I enjoyed the Blueberry Bourbon Basil glaze part, bordering sweetness overkill, I just didn't like the cake. Actually all the cakes I tried were very dense, so eat them fresh guys, day of. Don't save them for tomorrow, the texture does not get any better. But my biggest let down was the creme brulee. I was so excited to try this but the custard was very small in taste and portion. You'll need a drink to eat this, coffee or milk. You'll find yourself chewing for awhile without the added moisture. I won't take part of their dozen deal if I come back to Portland but I'd get their Valrhona one if I'm near.

    (3)

  • Diana A.

    I've never had donuts like this before. My son said, "This is the Salt & Straw of donuts," and he is right. We got an apple fritter, a coffee-coconut and a Valrhona chocolate, and they were all amazing. They take care, use quality ingredients, and are not cheap. My one gripe-- everything is really, really sweet. I know a lot of people like that, but I would enjoy a simple, unadorned cake donut. Their cake donuts seem amazing-- but always have too much overpoweringly sweet frosting or glaze poured over them. Next time I'm going to ask for a fresh, naked donut, and I bet they'll give me one. Think about your customers who aren't so much into sugar-bombs, please, Blue Star! Some weeks later: I went back and asked for a plain cake donut, fresh out of the fryer, and they gave it to me. It was amazing. Changing from 4 to 5 stars.

    (5)

  • Brooks M.

    i've already reviewed other locations... but these are my favorite donuts in the city. this location in particular is nice, small and bright. i still feel like it's a lot to pay for a donut but they are amazing... so i keep coming back :P

    (3)

  • Meg R.

    Best. Donuts. Ever. Hands down. Our friends have been telling us to go here for awhile now and we finally came across Blue Star in the SE this past week and immediately went in. We were already full from lunch, so we just ordered a Buttermilk Old Fashioned to split between three of us.... and it was AMAZING. It was incredibly light and airy with a fluffy center and crispy outside. The glaze also wasn't overly sweet, which you can often get with donuts. The donuts are also huge, so go hungry or consider splitting! I cannot wait to come back here and try more of their flavors. I wish I could say more about this place, but when donuts are that simple and delicious, it is a no brainer!

    (5)

  • Varun B.

    This place does have their share of unique doughnuts. I and the blubbery bourbon basil doughnut and my wife had the passionfruit cocoa nib one. The flavors of the doughnuts were very good, especially my bourbon basil one. I had never had that type of combination in anything prior. Their doughnut does have a brioche base though, and not like the typical yeast-risen doughnut. I personally felt that the doughnut itself was a little on the denser side though. The inside wasn't overly sweet though, which was good since the frostings add their own sweetness.

    (4)

  • Peter S.

    As long as you can avoid the lines this is the place to go for donuts. I am always bummed when my favorite donuts are not made that day since all of the others pale in comparison, so really I guess the five stars are for the peanut butter and jelly donut. :) Avoid the fried chicken donut. Eat the PB&J and Sugar & Spice.

    (5)

  • Linz E.

    These donuts are pretty damn good. The seating options, however, are lacking, but I'll let that slide. I came here on a Saturday for the fried chicken donut, and by God, I had the fried chicken donut. It takes about 10 minutes to get after you order so if you're famished I suggest getting another donut as an appetizer. Once the donut came into my possession it only lasted just long enough to snap a pic then it was annihilated. The fried chicken donut is basically a glazed donut with crumbled friend chicken on too of it served with a side of frank's red hot sauce (which is suggest using). From bite one til you're done, your taste buds will be bombarded with an array of flavors: sweet, savory, spicy. It's a real treat. I highly recommend that if you blue star, you go for the fried chicken donut. Your mouth and stomach will not be disappointed.

    (4)

  • Oz D.

    Excellent blackberry doughnut, great music, and Raymond is more than an employee, he's a fantastic host. And there's wifi. There's no way to be unhappy here. I do have one plea for the entire doughnut world: PLEASE! We need more doughnuts that don't have icing, glaze or big chunks of sugar on top. How about a nice, old-fashioned buttermilk doughnut? I picked the blackberry compote doughnut that's sprinkled on top with dehydrated peanutbutter. OUTSTANDING! It's also evidence that we don't need everything coated in an homage to the sugar gods.

    (5)

  • Allen A.

    I can write an essay about this place, but I'm not. I keep things simple. lol. This is then most amazing thing I have ever had in my life. #ScrewYourWaffles A donut, with glaze, chicken and Franks?! Your kidding me? I mean if this stuff is not in heaven then what's the point in believing in that higher power. I'm so bad, I ate what my best friend could not finish. Sucks I won't fond this in New York. Allen. NY, NY

    (5)

  • Michael R.

    Hawthorne Blue Star gets my approval. Maple bacon doughnut is the best (Sorry Voodoo). My advice, go early or plan to wait in line.

    (5)

  • Marius B.

    I really don't like leaving bad reviews.. Really. So the wife and I were super excited as we had not been vegan even a year and she's made homemade raised yeast doughnuts several times and they were truly amazing! So we found out about Blue Star through her sister who lives over there in SE. We live way south in King City (just outside of Tigard) and decide let's make the trip and bear the traffic because all the rave and hype made this place sounds really awesome! So we find the Hawthorne location and think "wow this looks really nice, well done, nice paint, really clean..." so we walk in and the first thing we notice is that we can't hear our thoughts anymore since the music is very loud and obnoxious... The guy at the counter was friendly enough but even he struggled to hear us over the music, but made no effort to turn it down even temporarily... Then we realize that there's only two vegan donut options... Cinnamon sugar and Green tea.... Ummmmm I'm sorry... But did I really just drive almost an hour through horrid traffic for cinnamon sugar and green tea donuts that are not even raised yeast donuts (this type being much easier, quicker and cheaper to produce) AND which cost $2.75 each?! So we pay our $16.50 (tip included) for the four donuts and leave. The good side to it all and the only reason I'm leaving two stars is that the doughnuts were good and the place was nice and new and clean. Though unless there will be some truly impressive vegan donuts to come, we won't be returning. Before we went vegan we frequented a place (small chain) called Sesame Donuts which blows these guys out of the water and is easy cheaper, now if only they'd make vegan doughnuts!

    (2)

  • Aaron W.

    Fried Chicken Donut. It exists. For $4.75, one glazed donut with pieces of boneless fried chicken on top. There's a spiced honey (mild for me) that reminds me of the Mike's Hot Honey from the East Coast. Served with packets of Frank's Red Hot. Extremely crunchy coat on the chicken. I'm a fan of the sweet-savory-tangy combo this one brings. Blue Star had the Fried Chicken Donut at their downtown spot for a short time, but the extra space and equipment at the Hawthorne spot make it a regular item here. Each donut will run you at least $2 to $2.50. Nice array of flavors, some unique options. Coffee is about $2 for the smallest size. Honestly, that better be some killer coffee if they have several coffee shops within walking distance. Overall, a nice spot people should try.

    (4)

  • Christine W.

    I came Memorial day after a hike and brunch at Jam on Hawthorne. I was pretty full already but nonetheless, the doughnut I tried was delicious. I ordered the Blueberry Bourbon and I could taste a bit of bourbon. What I liked about this place is that the doughnut was not too sweet, but had just the right amount. I'd recommend this to check out in Portland. The venue looks pristine and the line can get a little long. Parking is residential and I don't remember hearing music haha

    (4)

  • Richard K.

    Installed this app just to write this review. Decided to pick up some donuts on the way home from work. Got there and the staff were incredibly nice and quick to fill my order. The place has a nice atmosphere and a great location on Hawthorne. Most important of all...these donuts are really good! I got to try several, but the lemon poppy seed was my favorite. Definitely recommend 5/5!

    (5)

  • Shanna C.

    Blue Star is really yummy and most definitely better than VooDoo in my opinion. The flavors are unique and the donuts are super fresh. The only reason I drop a star is because it's a bit pricey.

    (4)

  • Monica B.

    After a light brunch across the street at The Waffle Window, I waddled over here because...well, because donuts. I love the light, airy space. The cases seem to shine while showcasing the sweet donuts in all their glory. Even after having more food than anyone should eat, I still grabbed two donuts for the road. The meyer lemon and key lime curd was sweet and tart all rolled into one! Of course, I always go for the maple bacon. The donuts were hearty and moist. I like that the donuts are sweet, but not overly sweet. My only regret was that I didn't try the fried chicken donut. That would have been too decadent after my brunch. Also, it gives me a reason to return in the near future.

    (4)

  • Robin M.

    Vegan donuts! I appreciate that Blue Star always has at least one (usually two) vegan donuts. I wish they had rotating flavors but I'm glad they have vegan donuts at all. They're a cake donut style which I like. It'd be nice is they offered raised vegan donuts but now I'm just being picky! Haven't tried their coffee. Will be back.

    (4)

  • Kristi C.

    Key Lime & Lemon Curd filled donut. YUM. I can pass by the regular donuts, but I'll stop for a good filled donut. This one was perfectly tart & sweet, it's outside dusted with powdered sugar. I like that they use wholesome ingredient and rice oil for frying. This is where you'll want to go in Portland for an extraordinary donut experience.

    (5)

  • Dichosa M.

    Different donut place. Heavy doughnuts. They have different and unusual toppings. But not worth the 4 or 5 stars that many give it, in my opinion. Maybe I am too much of a traditionalist. For a 5 star go to Donutland, not fancy just a great light flavorful doughnut.

    (2)

  • Matt F.

    So freakin good. You can taste the quality ingredients. Def a step above almost every donut shop I have been to. IDK why everyone raves about Voodoo with these guys in town.

    (5)

  • Kristen T.

    Delicious donuts that aren't too sweet! My favorites were the blueberry, lemon, and green tea. None of them were overly sweet and the flavoring was great! Service was also very friendly. This place is way better than voodoo!

    (5)

  • Robin N.

    Old fashioned donut. Hands down, the BEST donuts they have. Yes, I know they sound and look a little boring but trust me. They're the most amazing donuts I've ever had in my LIFE. They're sweet and savory and have a satisfying crunch on the bottom. YUM.

    (5)

  • Lana N.

    My friend recommended this place instead of Voodoo donuts. We stopped by this morning for a snack. The place is small and cute, their donuts were all on display so it was easy to see. I'm more of a visual person so I loved the fact that they displayed all their donuts for us to choose. We ordered the following: - Blueberry crunch - the donuts was light and sweet. It was topped with a blueberry frosting with some bits of blueberry and a crunch, looked like cereal. Definitely my favorite out of the 3. - Beignets - this was fluffy and doughy on the inside. It was topped with powdered sugar and was just right. - Mexican hot chocolate - this one was a cake donut and topped with a Mexican hot chocolate ganache. This one was a bit on the overly sweet side. -Coffee - just regular cup of joe. Nothing spectacular but still good with the donuts Parking is a little tough, especially if it's a busy weekend. We were able to find a spot so it wasn't too bad. Overall I liked the donuts and the service was good. Staff here are friendly and he even brought me the donuts to our table. Donuts are good and they look amazing as they taste!

    (4)

  • Linh F.

    we put blue star donuts on our list since we wanted to try their blueberry donut! we tried going here three times. first time was on national donut day... nope. they sold out and shut their doors by noon. second time, we couldn't get into downtown since there was a parade. thank god our final attempt was a success since we stumbled upon their location in hawthorne! tip: you get a little discount when you order a dozen. our absolute favorites: - blueberry cake / blueberry basil - raspberry cake probably my favorite donuts. ever. our least favorite: - dulce de leche too way too sweet. - widmer hefe citrus cake was meh. - apple fritter. we just weren't fans. this was extremely heavy and sweet. notable: i've had a number of maple and bacon donuts just out of curiosity. this is my favorite. it is just very well done. love bacon bits (over strips of bacon), the donut itself is just great. with that said, it is not something i order on the regs but it is a must try if you haven't had it already. FOODS: the donuts in general were awesome. glazed donuts were fluffy and melted in your mouth. the cake donuts were light. just quality donuts. SERVICE: line moves quickly. can't say any more than that since there was minimal interaction. AMBIENCE: the location in hawthorne is not as cute as the one in downtown. both locations are very bright. clean white walls with a lot of natural light. PARKING: pay and park on the street. overall: we ended up getting donuts from here twice because we had to have the blueberry and raspberry donuts again. make sure you get a cup of coffee.

    (5)

  • Hayden N.

    Hyped up? Not at all! I still prefer Blue Star over Voodoo Doughnuts--I could easily inhale an entire doughnut, it's a light raised dough and not sickeningly sweet. My favourites are the hazelnut dulce de leche and the lemon meyer curds. When there was only one location in SW Portland, it was difficult to make my way down there just for a doughnut and they typically run out before midday so I like that there is a location on the east side of town now. Having four locations makes it too easy to stop in, I hope it doesn't become like Starbucks where there's one on every street corner because that could be very dangerous.

    (4)

  • Sara N.

    Yum! Super nice and helpful service! My mom and I had trouble deciding which donuts to pick out, and the guy at the counter gave us some great recommendations. I will have to try and make another stop before leaving Portland! Can Blue Star please open on the East Cost?

    (4)

  • JP R.

    I felt like I cheated on my wife. On my routine trip to Portland, I always paid a visit to the infamous donut shop in PDX. This trip however was different. My wife had learned about Blue Star donuts after doing some pre-trip research online. We decided to try something different. This pristine donut shop is located on Hawthorne and is quite easy to find. The lineup is short and the seating area is small. Most people purchased their donuts and left to eat somehwere else, as did we. Their selection was small but did pack a punch. I found them to be a tad bit on the oily side and more cake like. For me, they were good but not great. I don't think I will return. That being said, if you would like to try something new and still want some creativity in your donut, look no further. This is your best alternative.

    (3)

  • Neil W.

    God these are some of the most beautiful donuts I have ever seen. I wanted to try one of each; my wife was not going for that. We got the chocolate almond, the Meyer Lemon curd, the PB&J, and the lemon poppy seed. The chocolate almond was great. My wife put it best; "like a QFC chocolate covered donut, only made right." It was quality ingredients put in a simple and tasty form. The poppy seed was a bit too sweet and tart and the donut itself was a bit dry. My wife got the PB&J, she thought the powdered PB was good, but was not as wowed by it as she had hoped. I would say the same for the curd filled. It was a little stale tasting. The coffee looked like it had been out for some time and did not call to us (we were getting ready for a drive and really wanted coffee too). It kinda reminded me of something sitting on the hot plate at Denny's. They have some really great flavor choices and I hope I just grabbed the wrong ones, but I kinda doubt it. These donuts may be like the really pretty person that has no personality.

    (2)

  • Joanne M.

    I never understood why people go to a kooky donut joint and order a plain donut. I've been educated by Blue Star. Their old fashion buttermilk glazed, hot damn, it was delicious. Try it, you're life will be a little bit better. And bonus points for turning off Justin Bieber and playing Backstreet boys instead.

    (4)

  • Rudrajit D.

    Went back twice within the first week. And will be coming more. Basically, this is the best donut dough I've had. And the flavored are spot on. So far my favorites are coffee coconut cheesecake, passion fruit cocoa nib and chocolate ganache. They tend to sell out of the more popular offerings quickly, so go early. They're a bit pricey, for donuts, but it's completely worth it.

    (5)

  • Ethan J.

    I never been inside the store but while walking in front of the store i saw one of the employees using his palm as a tray with a gigantic donut trying to put it on the display, for some reason that looked so wrong as he didn't use any glove or anything I understand you using your hands to mess with the dough but this was already cooked again it looked and felt wrong BTW the front door was open and it smelled so delicious ..

    (1)

  • David K.

    The donuts are pretty good, some on the sweeter side. This location is where they actually bake the donuts, so if you're lucky to get them fresh. Then they will probably taste much better! I had the passion fruit and cocoa nibs donut here. It was delicious. We also went to the other location off Mississippi but I noticed the donuts there were a bit more dry there. I do admit that these are MUCH better than those hyped donuts from Voodoo.

    (4)

  • Rachel R.

    BLUEBERRY BOURBON BASIL. Triple B in your mouf and you will be the happiest donut eater alive. Honestly, all a donut shop really needs to be successful is one JAW DROPPING DONUT, and I will keep coming back until my pants can no longer fit me. The only sad thing about my visit is that I didn't get more of this flavor. There's seating, no line when I went (lucky me), and free water (self serve). Now taking suggestions on how to move my LA apt next to this donut shop.

    (5)

  • Tiffany L.

    Bright, clean and cheery donut shop that just opened their second location in Hawthorne. Blue Star has definitely been making a name for themselves in the donut world. Locals seem to be pretty much over Voodoo and into the more gourmet, higher quality donuts like Blue Star or Pip's. Donuts are $2.50-$3.00 here, so a bit on the higher side for a smaller donut. I think they're worth it, though. The dough is brioche so it's light, airy and rich, and if you look close enough you can see that it's laced with tiny little vanilla bean speckles. Blue Star also uses high-quality ingredients like Stiebrs Farms cage-free eggs and Sunshine Dairy milk. That's where the extra money that you pay is going to. We tried 3 different kinds: Blueberry-Bourbon-Basil, Passion Fruit Cocoa Nib and their powder-sugared beignets. All of them were good. The blueberry donut had bright, intense and fresh flavors, and I always love the addition of basil in anything sweet. The passion fruit donut had a kick to it, spicy and sweet and studded with cocoa nibs. The beignets were airy and the perfect coffee companion. I'd like to go back and try more. Always call ahead to make sure they're not sold out already if it's past 3PM. They close around 7-ish but many times they're sold out long before then!

    (4)

  • Will C.

    The donuts are pricey but they're well worth it. Also want to note that there isn't a crazy line you need to start waiting in early in the morning. I tried: creme brulet key lime creme filled among many others. They were all very good and I highly recommend checking it out when you are in town!

    (5)

  • Mandarin Y.

    By far the best doughnuts in Portland. I liked how their doughnuts were not overly sweet and the flavor combinations were really tasty. I tried their beignets which were light and fluffy. I also tried the matcha green tea doughnuts, not too sweet and you can really taste the green tea. Their bacon maple doughnut was also very tasty.

    (5)

  • Christina C.

    I shared the lemon poppyseed buttermilk donut, creme brûlée donut, and fried chicken donut. All three were delicious. The buttermilk donut had a nice dark brown exterior and the interior was moist and crumbly. The crunchy top of the creme brûlée donut provided a nice, slightly bitter note that balanced the rest of the sweet pastry. The fried chicken donut was coated in a ample amount of sticky maple and honey syrup and then topped with perfectly crispy fried chicken pieces. The hot sauce takes the donut to the next level.

    (5)

  • Lisa T.

    Not sure if the donuts are worth an avg of $3.5 but they make me happy each time I eat it! I like to try a new kind of donut each time I go but I still always get my favorite (blueberry basil) with it!! I wanted to try their creme brûlée donut for 21. The guy said they usually don't make it until 9:30am (it depends on the day) but they're usually gone by 11 or 1130am!! Such a small time frame!

    (5)

  • Priya C.

    Great location, bright space with friendly employees, but the donuts were definitely overhyped. We got the blueberry bourbon basil, and while the flavors were great, it was definitely too sweet, and the layer of glaze on the donut was way, way too thick. The yeast donut itself was also dry and old tasting, but I presume it was recently made? Also tried the lemon poppy seed cake donut, which was much better, but still on the dry side. I appreciate all the creative flavors, but I think it's the core donut that needs to be good first, in order for the other flavors to shine through.

    (3)

  • Zach R.

    Absolutely love this place. By far my favorite doughnut in town! You won't find any stale cereal here, but you will find carefully crafted killer doughnuts. Try any, they are all great! Enjoy.

    (5)

  • Paulette L.

    move over voodoo. you just got de-throned. Big difference is the actual donut itself. They. Are. Bomb. I'll give voodoo some credit - they get creative with their toppings. But the donuts are pretty much the same. Here, the donuts are really flippin good. And the toppings are more.... refined? Fancy? Not dunked in sugar? I just don't feel like I'm taking a bit of diabetes when I eat one (or 2). I would drive around for blocks looking for parking just to taste you again, Blue Star. I love you.

    (5)

  • Bonnie P.

    Large donuts for $3. Fresh and a little greasy but they were good. I liked the old-fashioned buttermilk, the lemon poppy seed and the maple bacon. One would fill you up. I wish I'd had some milk to wash down the sugar. Yummy.

    (4)

  • Meghan L.

    Perfection. Pure joy. Buttermilk old fashioned. The best I have ever ever ever had and I eat a lot of donuts.

    (5)

  • Renette Y.

    The doughnuts are not cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for. They are a truly gourmet doughnut, with a variety of flavors to choose from. My favorite are the blueberry bourbon basil and the old fashioned buttermilk, but other good ones are the hard cider fritter, and pretty much anything else! The customer service is very friendly and calm, but efficient even when the store is crowded with customers waiting in line. This store is much more convenient for me than the other two locations, and easier to find parking.

    (5)

  • Joyce W.

    had high expectations for this place ... but its just alright ... I mean yes the creme brulee donut was good but i thought the orange liquor was a lil bit too much ... other donuts were just alright .. i had gotten the bacon one but did not get to try it .. it just seemed alright .

    (3)

  • Emily D.

    I was told when I got to Portland, "if you're looking for the touristy weird donut experience go to voodoo donuts. If you're looking for quality gourmet donuts, you want to go to blue star." They were correct. The selections are interesting the donut of the day had a creme brûlée with a little plastic beaker of syrup to squirt inside. Delicious! All the donuts were light, did not have a strong oil taste, the concocted flavors really shone through. My favorite was the Rose rose (rhymes with hey and best pronounced with some spunk) a seasonal option celebrating the Portland Rose festival. It is a cute pink donut with a clear sweet glaze. It has some kind of rose or st Germaine essence or something with candy orange bits and pistachios on top. Yum! We also had a raspberry one that was very good but that Rose' rose' was a must if they have it

    (5)

  • Dionne J.

    Love Blue Star donuts. Definitely more tasty than Voo Doo. This time had matcha green tea one and it was delicious. Also had enjoyed the chocolate granache and peanut butter one from before. All great!

    (5)

  • Jim L.

    Got a dozen so we could try them all. My favorites were the key lime, raspberry, any of the chocolates, and the apple fritter. These things are expensive though. Figure $3.00-$3.50 each. They use all organic ingredients and brioche batter so very high quality. They are fried in peanut oil so much lighter eating than a regular donut.

    (4)

  • Russel C.

    Meh is right, I wanted to love Blue Star but after 3 visits and trying multiple flavors I was left disappointed each time. They have some creative flavors, but the "yum" dies at the texture of the raised donuts. I don't know what it is, its sorta like a "bagel" in this town...it isn't necessarily horrible, but its not great.

    (2)

  • Angik S.

    One of the best donuts I have ever tasted. We had: Coffee coconut cheesecake donut-awesome. Would return for it. Dulce de leche hazelnut: too good Blueberry crunch: good Mexican hot chocolate: okay. Their dough is so soft.

    (5)

  • Andrew A.

    One person helping the long line at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday in breakfast crazed Portland. Great job on the scheduling. yummy donuts as everyone knows. Prices are in line with Voodoo and more than at Krispy Kreme; not too outrageous. I wish they served espresso.

    (3)

  • Marc F.

    Blue Star He waits in a house kimono, Blue Star Thousands of bikes, thousands of puddles She's forgotten him for the spectrum around her Donut galaxy; donut galaxy Blue Star What goes fruit-spirit-spice brioche Blue Star Oh loudflavor signatures save the boulevard She comes home later just to give him Donut galaxy; donut galaxy Blue Star pd X

    (4)

  • William H.

    I have been to the original Blue Star many times, and only half of the time I get to have a one (three, four, and maybe five) of their delicious doughnuts. Coming to this new location, it seems that limited supply has vanquished as I see 2 people pounding out batches at 2pm. Seems the doughnut factory is churning and the lines are non existant--probably because people have not figure out they opened this location. I tried three doughnuts: Bacon with REAL Maple: Good, but I actually like Voodoo's version better (that's the only doughnut I like at voodoo) Dulce de Leche with Hazelnuts - honestly I didn't really taste that much hazelnut, and the glaze was a bit pasty and bland Old Fashioned - all the doughnut dough is to soft and fluffy and this doughnut showcases it so well. Probably the best old fashioned I've had. I tried another two at the original location: Peanut Powdered doughnut filled with blackberry compote - yum, one of my favorites Creme Brulee with Cointreau - the Cointreau Syrup came in a plastic pipet. the crack of the caramelized sugar was definitely perfection.

    (4)

  • Artorius R.

    I had heard lots and lots of positive buzz about Blue Star Donuts, so when doing some last minute shopping on Hawthorne, and stumbling across this location, I thought it'd be a nice treat for a pre-Christmas Monday morning. We bought one each of six different varieties (Carrot cake, Lemon Poppy-seed, Chocolate peppermint, chocolate almond, Valrhona chocolate, and one other that escapes recollection). Their attempt at creating interesting flavors should be applauded, but their execution was poor. All flavors failed to punch and come through cleanly and clearly. The raised donuts were dense and bread-like. The cake donuts were a bit dry and lacking any crunch whatsoever. The interior of the place was antiseptic and not at all welcoming. Maybe offering samples of the donuts would have kept me from wasting $19 on six donuts that could easily have been outdone by the normal ones at Sesame Donuts out west. I'm sorry, but like Voodoo donuts, this place is best avoided if you're looking for a donut to remember and want to purchase again.

    (2)

  • Joshua S.

    The donuts I've had at the downtown location were really good, and I was excited to be close to this one since I just moved into the neighborhood. However, my wife and I had a bad experience. We entered and we were the ONLY ones in the store. The girl behind the counter was stocking it, and didn't say hi or acknowledge us. I was ready right away, but waited on her. Next, a family came in behind us. She asked them what they wanted, and they said they needed to think. She went back to stocking for a couple more minutes, then asked them again. I don't think I've ever been ignored in a business before, so I just left. I look at it positively, since I love their donuts so much, I would probably have spent a lot of money and gained lots of pounds if I didn't have a reason to avoid it. I don't want to experience their bad customer service ever again.

    (2)

  • Vash B.

    Lives up to the hype. Not a place to go grab a dozen for the office. This is a Saturday morning stroll in and see whats fresh kind of place. This is a treat. This is special. My recommendation? Key Lime Cream Filled powdered doughnut. fresh, tangy, sweet, delicate and delicious. It is springtime on your tongue.

    (4)

  • Charae G.

    Delicious donuts and wonderful service! I'm pretty traditional when it comes to donuts, but I branched out tonight and had my first ever passion fruit donut. It was delicious - not too sweet and just the right amount of passion. ;-) Lots of room to sit, and we enjoyed talking to the guy working there tonight. Thanks Blue Star!

    (5)

  • Jen B.

    3.5* Great menu options that all sounded YUMMY, really great staff, but the actual taste of the donut wasn't as amazing as I had hoped. I wanted to love the donut more than I did, but I've been lucky to try some of the world's best and these are not it. Very good!!!

    (3)

  • karen s.

    I love donuts. Let's just get that out there right away. I've tried donuts all over the Portland area. Voodoo donut, of course. And lots of other local joints. Blue Star? Meh. It gets a 3 star because the guy behind the counter was so helpful and nice. We got 6 different donuts. Meyer Lemon, Glazed Old Fashioned, Vahlrona Chocolate, Original Glazed, Sugar and Spice (I think that is what it is called), and Blueberry Crunch. The donuts were ok. The cake was not too dense and the glazes were tasty. The fillings were thin & kind of watery. They just didn't live up to my standard. There's a donut shop in Tigard (Tigard Donut) that blows all other Portland area donut shops out of the water. I am afraid I've been spoiled for all other donuts.

    (3)

  • Jonathan R.

    Blue Star Donuts - Is the Tiffany's of donuts. Their Donuts case shines their fried, glazed trinkets all lined up looking so incredible. Wait until you taste them! Fried Chicken Donut- Amazing! Almost life changing.....Crispy fried chicken thighs drizzled with spiced honey accompanied by Frank's original hot sauce, so you got this whole Buffalo fried chicken wing thing going on which is amazing. I thought this place blew the doors off of Voodoo Donuts- Voodoo is fun, but Blue Star takes it to a whole new level.

    (4)

  • Donna K.

    I would give this more 3.5 because I'm just seeing this as another donut shop tying to do different things. I will say that I'd much rather stand in a line at Blue Star Donuts than voodoo. Blue star is really trying to be innovative. Of all the donuts I've tried, my favorite is the passion fruit coco nibs. I'm really not a fan of the popular bourbon one. The creme brûlée one has some promise to it and the original one reminds me of crispy creme. Maybe I'm just not a fan of donuts and I'm being bias. I will come back and try the different ones, because I like variety in my life! Life is a box of chocolates, not donuts! Bonus: chicken fried donut?!? That sounds intriguing I will try this one day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    (3)

  • kenyarda w.

    So I was visiting Portland for the weekend and on my way to the airport I decided to get a donut. My Airbnb host told me to skip Voodoo and to try this place. Best glazed donut ever! And no crazy ass lines. Walked right in and out.

    (5)

  • Mindy P.

    Fried. Chicken. Donut. Need I say more? I went just to experience this donut. It's a huge meal in itself. I had it around 11am, then proceeded to walk around the city all day, and was not hungry until close to dinner time. A regular donut is freshly fried and glazed. Then it is topped with chopped up freshly fried chicken tenders. It is served with packets of hot sauce. Sweet. Savory. Spicy. There's a lot going on. I would go try it just to say you've done it. You will enjoy it. But please, if you move/live here, don't eat this more than once a month, or you will be fat--really really fat. Besides, Portland has too many places to eat to spend all your calories here. However, I will say I prefer this place to Voodoo. OH SNAP. Also, they serve Stumptown coffee. Shyeaaaa. That's always a win. MmmmmmMMmmmmMMmmmmm....coffee.

    (4)

  • Sarah W.

    WONDERFUL! Some of the best donuts I've had. I ordered eight different donuts and loved each of them. (I tried the lemon poppyseed old-fashioned, raspberry old-fashioned, blueberry bourbon basil, maple bacon, beignets, hard Apple cider fritter, OG [original glazed], and something chocolate cream.) I would order any of these again! The old-fashioned donuts have the perfect bit of crunch. The glaze on each of the donuts was perfect without being too sugary. Each donut was around $3- not something that I would do everyday, but a yummy treat!

    (5)

  • Deanna N.

    The donuts are quite good thoroughly enjoyed the blueberry basil one over the more plain dulce de leche hazlenut. Stumptown coffee no specialty drinks the star is the donut. Seating is rather limited. Prices range from 2.25 to 2.75, definitely not A place you treat the office to a dozen.

    (4)

  • ryan j.

    I had the lemon poppyseed donut. It was soft, fluffy, fresh, slightly tangy. Simply, it was perfect.

    (5)

  • Wahkeena S.

    it's completely messed up how ridiculously delicious the Blue Star donuts are. ordinarily, i'm not much of a donut fan - and i consider these a special indulgence that i would only dabble in a few times a year. but dear lord! these things are like total crack. i feel sorry for everybody else in the rest of the country who does not have access to Blue Star - they are arguably among the very best donuts in the country.

    (5)

  • Hey U.

    Popped in Sunday morning for a donut surprise for the extended family at the house - at 8:10am I was the only guy in there (they had just opened) but by the time I left there were 3-4 families behind me. Service, nice enough but a tad slow. 6 people working the back and one guy who needed coffee working the front. But nice enough. The donuts - we had quite a tasting at the house. 1. Glazed (the standard) - perfect light donut with a heavy glaze on it. Well liked but everyone. An absolute great donut. Light, fluffy and delicious. 2. Old fashioned buttermilk glazed - fantastic. A thick crust I've never experienced before and absolutely loved, cake like inside and their very good glaze. We loved these too. 3. Blueberry Bourbon Basil - ok. The same light donut as the glazed but no hint of basil or bourbon; just overly sweet frosting (kind of blue berry). It was fine, but no one went wild for this one. Should have tried the blueberry cake one... 4. Dolce de leche and hazel nut - was fine. Not spectacular but was enjoyed. 5. Coffee coconut chocolate - not good. Both the coffee lover and coconut lover really disliked this donut. The one we bough went 1/2 into the compost. Skip this one. 6. Mexican hot chocolate - looks like a great kid donut but they all walked away from it after 2 bites; adults loved. Lots of flavor and a little spice. Great donut just not for the little ones. 7. Carrot cake - a miss. We didn't really like this one either, 1/2 went into the compost. Just didn't taste at all like a carrot cake...the donut or frosting. Was weird. 8. Hard apple cider fritter - excellent. Love it and I am a fritter fan - one of the best I have ever had. From great outside crunch (like the old fashioned) to the inside...really a great donut. 9. Maple & bacon - good. The one person who swooped this up did enjoy it quite a bit. 10. Chocolate almond ganache - good as well. Both were gobbled up quickly. I like their experimentation, you aren't always going to hit a home run but it is always fun to try. We are always up for trying new flavors and after coming here we have a new favorite donut shop in town.

    (4)

  • Peggy P.

    Blueberry bourbon basil, key lime lemon curd just two of the AMAZING flavors made with French brioche.

    (5)

  • Allie S.

    Delicious doughnuts. You get a 10% discount if you get a dozen, so of course we did. The favorite was lemon/key lime curd and lemon poppy seed. The doughnuts are $2.50 to $3.

    (5)

  • Sam F.

    Called in and still had a selection @ 6 pm on a super rainy wed- got seven (2 of the bourbon basil blueberry) and they were all stellar. Biffed on the cake option- next time! The pb&j was nutty delicious craziness!

    (4)

  • Andrea M.

    If you can put an emotion on a doughnut it would be joy and happiness. My daughter had the passion fruit doughnut. One bite and flavor of sweet fruit explodes in your mouth. The aftertaste even lingers around. I wish I could describe how light and delicious this particular doughnut was. Just go there and put it in your mouth. You won't regret it.

    (5)

  • Megan L.

    This is a great space and addition to the neighborhood! My fav was the blueberry burbon basil. But the raspberry buttermilk was tasty too. Staff super friendly!!

    (5)

  • Ron S.

    It's alright . Second time here and it's still not like omg I have to have it . And I feel like they need to make more donuts ahead of time because they just run out sometimes which is lame . Had the green tea and the Creme brûlée both good . You can already tell what the texture is like for the donuts when you look at them. Still nothing crazy special or anything that blows my taste buds .

    (4)

  • James H.

    Best doughnuts in the world. Right here. I've never been a fan of any other doughnut. I mean. It's just all too sweet and gross. And unhealthy. But blue star put class into the doughnut. You can be classy eating a blue star doughnut. Imagine that! But really. They are gourmet. But not in a weird way. It's not homemade. It's chef made. So good. So good. So freaking good. I recommend this place 100% percent. And I won't recommend any single doughnut. Everyone likes different ones. So just try some. Or ask the Cashier which are most popular. Really clean store. Nice colors. Nice people. They will often throw in a couple extra on orders that are larger than 5. (If ur nice too) They serve stumptown coffee as well! Just make sure to come as early as possible! They make the doughnuts fresh everyday. And close when they sell out. They will usually still have doughnuts all the way till the closing time(8:00pm) but the best or most popular will be long gone by then. Most likely.

    (5)

  • Brandi W.

    Fried chicken doughnut...need I say more? It has truly ruined me for anything else. Sorry Voodoo and Krispy Kreme but we need to breakup. We can still be friends but this girl has traded up.

    (5)

  • Yan L.

    I can't say the donuts here are the type I like, though they do have a lot of interesting flavors like creme brulee and green tea. We got those two and also the classic buttermilk one. My preference is for donuts which are chewy and doughy. Here, the donuts have the crumbly texture of a cake, which I guess is fine if you like that type of donut. They're also rather expensive. They have a really nice brightly-lit space, with an open kitchen prep area where you can see them making the donuts. The staff here are very nice people.

    (2)

  • McKenzie M.

    Everyone and their mother knows that Voodoo Donuts is the ultimate Portland experience. The truth is their donuts are good, but not great. If you want a top-quality donut, Blue Star has what you're looking for. The blueberry bourbon basil really is fantastic. It's a citrus-herb punch, with the bourbon adding that little extra something and not overpowered by sugar. I cannot explain why this donut is so good, but I don't think this odd trifecta would work without all three. And that, dear friends, is everything a funky flavor combination should be. I haven't been quite as impressed with the others I've tried, but I feel this is more personal preference than anything else. Not just the flavors need to be commented on, but the texture of the donuts themselves. These donuts do not deflate as soon as you take the first bite, and stay just a little bit chewy. I like that it makes me feel like I"m eating something more substantial. It's satisfying, and that's a good thing at about $3 a donut. You don't need more than one, although you'll want to try them all. What Voodoo has on this place is atmosphere. I'm not fond of the stark, cold look of their establishments with white tile floors and splashes of blue. It's no wonder you hardly ever see anyone linger in the shop. It's not a good place to hang out, but do they ever know how to do donuts.

    (4)

  • Sherlock H.

    Very overpriced donuts. Seriously, $3-$4 for a donut. The music was terribly loud...so loud that the guy couldn't hear what I ordered and gave me the wrong donut. Very limited selection which I assume is supposed to make them more hip. The quality is fine, but Tonali's on Alberta is way better, cheaper, quiet and they have a huge selection.

    (2)

  • Kellie S.

    People waiting patiently as we walk by and then we see just how many people are working in the donut shop, we had to stop and see what they had. We just had breakfast at the waffle window, so we were all stuffed but I would have loved to try the fried chicken donut. We all split a bunch of donuts and they were great. Not too sweet, very fresh, super delicious flavors and they are all overly friendly in the shop and will answer any questions you have as they are frosting and making donuts. A couple days later we tried Voodoo and I would definitely come back here before ever going to the other. Don't make the same mistake and only try Blue Star. Each donut will cost you about $2 and the same for coffee, but well worth it for a special treat.

    (5)

  • Jason K.

    Not a huge selection, but what they have is interesting and inventive. They're also tasty...I guess I should have mentioned that first, since that's the important part. More expensive, but definitely better than what I've had at "that other place" that everyone goes to and is willing to stand in a huge-long line for what amounts to a cheap gimmick.

    (4)

  • Robinton H.

    I've had a donut from blue start. It was a 6 star donut. Fuck Blue Star Donuts. Every year for my wife's birthday she eats a Boston Cream Donut. The Valrhona might be the best variant of that type of donut. So I stop here at 8am on my way to work to buy her one. They haven't made any yet, but say they are going to later. I ask her to save me one and if they will be there at 6pm. She says "yeah, I'll make extra". 5:55 I roll up to see "SOLD OUT" in big fuck-you-letters on some box and the door is locked. So, thanks for ruining that for me. So, right back at you blue star, fuck your pretentious philosophy and shitty fucking service. If what I was asking for was so fucking hard to do, say so. I would have bought a dozen if i had to meet some minimum, I would have drove an hour to pick these up on lunch. I'm sure your patrons rarely care this much about a donut. So, go-ahead and continue being stuck up about your donuts and I'll wait for the next donut shop to come around.

    (1)

  • M E.

    Blue Star or Voodoo, that is the question. Which is the better donut? After extensive taste testing, I've concluded it is like choosing between a ballpark hot dog and crepes suzette. They each have their appropriate and different time and place. Star donuts are delicious, varied and always sophisticated. Voodoo are outrageous concoctions that are funny and fun and a long walt in queue is an essential part of the experience. You can't miss with either one - try them both on suitable occasions.

    (5)

  • Robert G.

    I was told to try Blue Star Donuts and so I did. This is easier to do with numbers and then average them: a) 5 stars - the donut was a high quality recipe and creation b) 4 stars - a nice clean store and what looks to be a quality operation c) 3 stars - the service was merely "there" and it wasn't even crowded ... at all d) 2 stars - that donut cost $3. Granted, it was a good donut but, at $1.95, I'd rather go with Voodoo's "Old Dirty Bastard" for its great combination of ingredients and taste e) 1 star - squeezing into cramped parking on the side streets north of Hawthorne in between one Subaru wagon after another, all with rooftop coffins and the SAME bumper stickers, which says groupthink to me more so than diversity. There's more REAL diversity on SE 82nd, and even south of the Clackamas County line. Imagine that. At an average of 3 stars, Blue Star on Hawthorne is a-ok but, at their unit prices, I could take it or leave it.

    (3)

  • Emese D.

    The coffee cheesecake donut is so soft and better than anything at voodoo donuts. The staff gave me excellent service. I went in depressed and in pain from my disability. Thanks for the box of donu t s guys!

    (5)

  • Mark R.

    Excellent donut. If you have only one donut spot that you can visit while in Portland, this is the one. I had to go back for a second time during my weekend here. If you have the appetite for it, the Fried Chicken & Donut is life changing. All of their donuts were pretty much amazing but the buttermilk was my favorite. I'll be sure to come back next time I'm back in Portland.

    (5)

  • Chuck N.

    Good donuts and a hilarious floor show. Not counting the very pleasant and efficient woman working the front register...this is the biggest collection of glue-sniffiers we have seen in a retail establishment. Soooo slow moving, so disorganized, so turtle-esque. There is obviously no one of any consequence from management watching this circus, i guess because they are so successful at moving product despite the workers. It's so funny to sit there and watch the crew shuffle around and take fifteen minutes to sprinkle a little sugar on a single tray. We ordered two glazed donuts (they had about 2000 sitting out) and it took us ten minutes to get them. Nutty!!!

    (3)

  • Gary L.

    Expensive ..... but worth every penny , I had the champagne peach and real maple bacon .... probably the best 2 donuts i ever ate ..... never was impressed with vodoo .... this place is excellent

    (5)

  • H B.

    One of the best donuts I've ever tasted in PDX and much better than VooDoo by far! I don't usually go for cakey donuts because I'm a big fan of raised and chewy kind. I went there with my son and we both ordered green tea and cayenne chocolate. They were chewy enough to satisfy my craving for raised donuts. I could actually taste good quality matcha (green tea) and cayenne chocolate had just a hint of spiciness and good quality chocolate glaze. They were not overly sweet like Voodoo or KrispyKream. They also offer Stumptown coffee which is my favorite! My son was not so impressed (I guess it wasn't sweet enough for him?) but for me everything was delicious! They are definitely carefully crafted donuts for grownups. It was a bit pricey paying $16 for 4 donuts and 2 small coffee, but it was all worth it and highly recommended!

    (4)

  • Paulina A.

    Delicious, tasty, and quality doughnuts made from fresh and organic ingredients. Champagne peach is super yummy along with the apple fritter and raspberry pistachio. Can't wait to try the blueberry bourbon basil, hazlenut, glazed, poppy seed, and more. Staff were warm, friendly, and quick to assist us. I appreciated the perfect location of this place in the heart of Portland's Hawthorne shopping district. The hype is definitely real!

    (5)

  • Jessica H.

    Don't get me wrong, these donuts are great. But for $3.00 a piece I'll hardly be finding myself here. Everyone should at least try this place once.

    (4)

  • R H.

    This was my first time here and based on my one and only experience. The cashier was not that friendly. Maybe I went late, but they were out of a lot of the donuts I wanted. The guy even gave me one that was on display. Who knows how long that has been there. He could have at least ASKED if I'm ok with getting one from the display. Nope, just pop that sucker right in that box. What I liked was the dough. I did not find the different flavors to be that amusing. It was pretty expensive, but maybe that is justifiable.

    (2)

  • Jacob H.

    Oy vey ist mir, do I love this place! The dough is brioche and they use rice-oil, so your mouth doesn't have a gummy film leftover after you sink into self-recrimination for eating so many delicious doughnuts. The Mexi-Chocolate is my personal favorite, which had chocolate and hot pepper liberally applied about its person--until I ate that whole sumbitch. Go here instead of Voodoo. Voodoo is for tourists and philistines.

    (5)

  • maixy j.

    This place is located in a fun area with bookstores and toy stores nearby. The donuts come in varying original flavors. The lemon poppy buttermilk is amazing! All of the donuts are fresh and so delicious.

    (4)

  • Drew B.

    I expected what most would expect from a donut place: saturated in sugar, slightly firm, potential stomach turbulence donuts. What I got was what I would expect from a competitor on Iron Chef or The Next Food Network Star: a fragile, tender dough base that I isn't overly sweetened, topped with the perfect amount of frosting, dripping with unique flavor, a brilliant color, and a moderate burst of sweetness(the blueberry basil bourbon donut in this case). This was the best donut I've ever had. I will be back, soon.

    (5)

  • Esther U.

    I am obsessed with donuts and tried my fair share of the delectable baked goodies everywhere I go. I was disappointed! I decided to forgo voodoo donuts to try blue star. The location on Washington sold out of donuts (at this point Im thinking these d's must be amazing) so decided to drive over to Hawthorne. They looked a bit dry so just bought the passion fruit brioche donut for $2.75, no tax. I won't be going back. Perhaps if they're fresh out of the oven it may be different, but they sure as heck were NOT! I give 2 stars because the guy working there was so kind.

    (2)

  • Danielle G.

    So So Good! I had the maple bacon donut with a cup of coffee (they serve Stumptown). I'm contemplating another trip to Portland just to have a donut.

    (5)

  • Laura Y.

    I went by Blue Star after getting recommendations to check it out, and like yelp says, "Meh." Maybe it was because of the heavy rain that day (although come on, it's Portland) all the donut's frostings were goopy and messy. To top it off the donuts were a bit greasy and the flavors were overly sweet and not very memorable. The only donut that was good was the passionfruit one, mostly because the tartness of the fruit worked well with all the sweetness. Honestly though, I would rather go to voodoo.

    (2)

  • Jadyn N.

    I'm not a big donut fan, but I got to say the Blue Star Donuts are very good and not so sweet like those at Voodoo donuts. The dough they use is different. All the donuts are yummy. I haven't tried the donut and chicken one yet they were sold out. :( did however try there cheesecake donut and chocolate one and those were awesome. It a very different décor very simple white and blue theme and minimal. Nice services

    (4)

  • Corby G.

    The good; the donuts were great and unique.the atmosphere, experience ans pricing was a bit much for a donut shop. It's sterile, like, doctor's office sterile. There were about five people waiting when I got there and plates in the display case with about six varieties. All of us ordered and paid at the cash register then stoid to the side wondering why we weren't being handed or donuts. The guy who took or order was just standing there waiting for the next customer to arrive. About five minutes later a girl comes out from the back and starts boxing up our orders. Not sure why it happened that way, super confusing and inefficient. Three very good donuts- fritter, dulce de leche and lemon poppy seed were $10 total. Interesting experience, but not a regular stop for me.

    (3)

  • Felicia M.

    There donuts are amazing,they where really tasty and Sweet.they are totally professional.

    (5)

  • Oladoa R.

    I have been to Blue Star many times and have tried many flavors. When it comes to the dough, it's always perfectly light and fluffy, but I actually prefer the denser vegan donuts. The staff is always awesome and helpful. My absolute favorites: Dulce de leche Carrot cake Passion fruit Cherry (vegan) - thought it would taste like cough syrup, but it was surprisingly good Pretty good, worth a try: Blueberry bourbon basil - their signature donut, the glaze is very fruity, but I don't taste the basil and bourbon Mexican chocolate - The chocolate is very dark and creamy with a kick of cayenne, very interesting Hard apple cider fritter - I was really excited for this one, but it ended up being too sweet Don't get these: Matcha green tea - Tasted nothing like green tea, was not sweet at all, tasted strangely fishy.... Coffee coconut cheesecake - not sweet at all, so it just tasted bitter, no coconut flavor

    (4)

  • Doug L.

    Yes, oh yes! Go here, leave happy... With donuts, of course. Beats out all other donuts shops in town. My favorite since visiting Orange County, California's "Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee" Kudos to the Blue Star team -very unique and creative flavor and toppings. Tres chic!

    (5)

  • Chris B.

    Oh my, oh my, oh my! Voodoo may be better than average, but this place raises the humble doughnut to the level of a fine dessert. The flavors are unique, even if the presentation is more mundane. My only complaint is that they can run out before you get a chance to get in. I am not a massive fan of doughnuts, they are an occasional thing for me. If this place were at least 800 miles closer to my home, I would be a regular. Best. Doughnuts. Ever. Hell, it is embarrassing to call them doughnuts, they are so much better.

    (5)

  • Lisa G.

    Holy cow these are amazing! Blueberry cake and Meyer lemon and key lime curd to die for. Price is right, clean ingredients even our boy with food allergies could partake! Awesome staff, clean and casual. Coming back for sure!

    (5)

  • Betsy S.

    Really wanted to love this place. I'm a huge fan of donuts, but my go-to has always been Annie's and I was excited to have a donut shop within walking distance of my house. We tried the old fashioned, the maple bacon, lemon curd, valrhona crunch, and chocolate ganache. Firstly, 5 donuts cost a little over $15. You probably won't be picking up a box for the office at that price (unless you're really generous). Second - these are not your traditional donuts. The texture of some is like cake, while others closer to a yeast donut, but thicker, more chewy, and heavy. The maple bacon was pretty good. I would get this again. The lemon curd was really good. The other three were just ok. I would probably stop by here again if I was in the neighborhood, but I probably won't walk a mile just for the donuts.

    (3)

  • Ella Q.

    This place sucks. 5 hipster guys working that care more about what they look like than customer service. So incredibly over priced and not to mention poorly laid out. Just....no.

    (1)

  • Robert O.

    The Luigi to Voodoo's Mario. Give 'em some love.

    (4)

  • Ben B.

    definitely a top donut spot in town, they keep it original with their flavors and the quality is usually top notch. at a friends request i tried the fried chicken donut... i think i had a religious experience once i topped it with franks red. DAMN GINA!!!

    (4)

  • Nunya B.

    Great donuts, and awesome service at the one on Mississippi. Younger guy working made me a creme brulee donut on the spot since they were out. Their donuts have ruined me for all other donuts.

    (5)

  • Roy L.

    I heard this is one of the places to check out in Portland for donuts so we headed over. We had the Blueberry Bourbon Basil donut. It looked delicious and tasted...ok. Nothing mind blowing which the price would seem to suggest. A nice shop though - clean and open with well designed, aesthetically pleasing donuts on display. But maybe I am just ghetto and should stick to the standard glazed or chocolate iced.

    (3)

  • Anthony M.

    This was doughnut was heavenly! I ordered the lemon filled powered and it was like having a slice of lemon meringue pie!! Wow it was so fresh and I am not surprised that they run out on s daily basis!

    (4)

  • Char B.

    Best donuts I've ever had!!! we had Blue Star donuts every day during our last visit to PDX! It's hard to say which is my favorite. Loved the fried chicken thigh with the glazed donut!! It's a must try! And the buttermilk cake donut is to die for...the raspberry cake is also amazing...and my hubby loved the apple fritter...the last day of our trip I tried the myer lemon filled donut...and it certainly lived up to my expectation. These are not "gimmicky" donuts! These are donuts for grown ups with discerning pallets...can't wait to return to PDX and to Blue Star!!

    (5)

  • jade a.

    Waited in line for at least 20 minutes downtown the other day, service was fine, carrot cake donut was too tasty. Maybe a once every 6 months kind of indulgence. But this is for the newer Hawthorne spot. Went there this morning. First, I want to comment on how beautiful the interior is and note that the flow seems a lot better than the SW Washington location. Second, service was amazing. Register person worked with a smile *and* a sense of urgency-- so important. The donut server(?) handed us the yummies and I noticed he'd grabbed a lemon poppyseed instead of lemon curd. I may have been ordering too quietly at the register. Either way, this person had the PERFECT customer service/salesperson/kind human response (this is coming from someone who has worked in the service industry for almost a decade. Decent 3rd wave coffee shops don't mess around on this point). He gave us the poppyseed because "it's so good I want you guys to try it" (or something similar). Anyway, sorry for long review. Give this guy a raise. Seriously.

    (5)

  • Todd R.

    Peanut butter and blackberry jam donuts are the bomb, save room for a lemon poppyseed buttermilk donut too!

    (5)

  • Simon T.

    Blue star is definitely the kind of place I'd recommend for other people but it isn't exactly for me. It's just a bit too sweet - each time I've had their donuts, I've felt a compulsory need to eat something salty, like a sausages or something, just to balance out the intense rush of sugar. That being said, I've had a number of their treats: the blueberry bourbon basil, passionfruit with cocoa nibs, the sugar and spice, their apple fritter, the lemon poppy seed, and the original glazed. There's no doubt that across the board, it's a quality donut. The texture is incredible, the flavors well developed and complex. It's a pretty decent serving for a single donut as well (as it should since they're about $2.50-$3 each). But they are intensely sweet - you have to order a coffee just to balance it out. As long as you keep that in mind and don't have more than one at a time, you'll be fine. If you order anything with a glaze, be sure to grab some extra napkins. The sauce on top is quite thick and very sticky! If you want something a little more light and slightly less sugary, go for anything with a powdered coating (they're all good).

    (4)

  • Jillian K.

    DONOT miss this spot. This place is the HOLE package. The PB&J is killer, but the fried chicken donut is to FRY did. The vibe is fun, the people are friendlier. 10/10.

    (5)

  • Ellis B.

    Made a special trip to sample this location and was sadly disappointed. The donut itself was over priced and bland compared to voodoo. But still glad i went.

    (3)

  • Brian B.

    Food is pretty good but the service is very Portland. Been there 3 times as the only person in line and three people behind the counter I just stood there waiting. Waiting for just an acknowledgment. The 4th time I just walked out. No need to ever go back.

    (2)

  • Bex G.

    These donuts are worth every dollar and the flavors are specific and mouth watering.

    (4)

  • Nikki N.

    Went in on a Sunday morning around 10am and was surprised to find no line or customer in site. This was nice since I wasn't looking forward to waiting in the cold and rain. We stepped inside to the delicious site of multi colored donuts cleanly displayed in a glass case at the front of the store. I proceeded to request about 10 dounuts all with enticing flavor profiles. Burbon blueberry, green tea, Mexican hot chocolate..etc. They placed them neatly in a box. I paid my 25 bucks and was on my way. I got home with the excitement of enjoying these delectables with My cup of coffee. I grabed the Mexican hot chocolate donut and bit in. The topping tasted great a hint of spice with a great chocolate base but all that was over run by a GREASY SOGGY CAKE DONUT.The donut itself tasted as if it was cooked in an old fryer with week old grease, you couldn't get past the terrible soggy mess that was the donut itself. I cut into the next and hoped it too be better, but I was sadly Disappointed. The 10 donuts I had purchased were all the same. I had heard such amazing things about this place and was so disappointed. Maybe a bad day I thought,maybe a fluke so I quickly emailed them with my complaint and also Facebook messaged them. Just to inform them that they had served less than quality product on this date and that I had just pretty much THROWN $25 IN THE TRASH, but I got no response . Not a sorry please try us again...nothing. I then commented on a Facebook post but again, no response. I understand restaurants have off days, I'll I asked is that they prove themselves in customer service and they failed at that as well. Guess I need to find a new spot.

    (2)

  • Alvin B.

    I was told this place was better than voodoo doughnuts and I (hands down) agree. Ordered the Fried Chicken doughnut and it was delicious. Tasted even better with the Franks Red Hotsauce. They took the Krispy Kreme doughnut cheeseburger from the Boondocks and took it to a whole other level. The Basil Bourbon doughnut was very rich and full of flavor.

    (5)

  • Simon G.

    My new favorite donut shop Great quality donut base and very intriguing and well executed flavors. Today we tried a lemon poppyseed iced which had a good natural lemon favor without being too sweet, and a Cointreau creme filled complete with a little popper of liquor for you to inject -- a fun presentation and ensured that the flavor was there without the donut becoming soggy (but make sure not to push the "syringe" too far throuh lest it blow out the other side of your pastry :-) Service was quick and friendly and the prices were reasonable -- I can't wait to check out the other Blue Star locations

    (5)

  • An D.

    Great donuts. The raised donuts have a wonderful chewy consistency. The chocolate they use is great. Their fillings are light and fluffy without the terrible overly-sugared, high fructose corn syrup offers most other places offer. I've got a cake donut for tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it. Light years better than the grocery store-quality donuts you get at Voodoo.

    (4)

  • CJ J.

    So this is the pretentious and trendy donut place that drove the longstanding family-owned restaurant that used to occupy this spot out of business. Mmmm...mmmmmm. I bet there's a delicous taste of affected hipster in every basil-bourbon bite. So good. So so good. And so worth it. Other people's misfortune just makes it so much better.

    (1)

  • Aeric E.

    Interesting off the wall recipes in a crisp environment without the oddity of Voodoo donuts. I tried out the friend chicken donut. Tasty indeed. Check this place out if you like donuts.

    (4)

  • Adrian M.

    Donuts are great, but each time I go the customer service is either excellent or they have a crappy attitude. No hello or thank you, and sometimes a pathetic attempt of a smile. It's the only thing that keeps me from coming more frequently.

    (2)

  • Nathan P.

    Feeling blessed that the famously crowded Blue Star on SW 13th chose a low-key Hawthorne spot right a quick walk from my house for its second location. I've been a in a few times and they usually have they same donuts. I stopped in near closing time the other day and got a two for one donut deal and almost had to skip dinner. Thanks friendly donut man.

    (4)

  • Tyler K.

    The donuts were tasty--what I remember was walking in to the wonderful man behind the counter lip-synching and dancing, and upon discovering I had not been to Bluestar before, sneakily slipped me two extra donuts. Made my whole day.

    (5)

  • Doug V.

    You could deal w/ all the things that fame has brought Voodoo (such as lines, crowd, etc) or you can go here and get the donuts without the drama. Amazing variety, very fresh. See it happen in the kitchen as you order. I wanted the spicy fried chicken/pepper honey thing, but really only needed a breakfast chew, so will have to return for that one. Fun place, unpretentious, friendly & quick service.

    (5)

  • A J.

    Love the old-fashioned buttermilk and the original glaze but love even more that they fry in rice bran oil, instead of GMO-laden vegetable oil like most places, and use some organic ingredients. The specialty flavors are a little over the top for me but the variety is good and I'm sure I'll find one that hits the spot someday. For now, those two standbys are good enough and keep me coming back. Also, Stumptown coffee (the best) and always friendly staff!

    (4)

  • A E.

    While the donuts are good, they are no better than any other donut I've had but they're priced as if they are made of gold. Way too expensive! $15.00 for 2 donuts and 2 cups of coffee? And that's before a tip. Ridiculous. I won't be back.

    (2)

  • Nina L.

    Amazing! I had the old fashioned and it was by far one of the best I have ever had. It had a crispy outer layer and the inside was soft and delicious. They are a bit expensive compared to other donut shops but there is a reason! I would get a donut here more for a treat for myself rather than buying for a group of people or something. (It would be expensive buying a dozen!) The place is clean and the staff is friendly. The guy at the register made a little reference of the movie Seven by David Fincher and we played along. So that was fun! Hah. Also, voodoo donuts is lame. They don't even have that good of donuts! Just a tourist attraction. So yea... Go blue star!

    (5)

  • Bula W.

    I'm all for supporting local business and when I saw the cute little logo on hawthorne- I was excited. I've heard of Blue Star but why would I ever cross the river just for donuts? So wait I did for the hawthorne location to open. Hubby and I stopped two saturdays ago and the line was out the door. First thing I notice is the health department sticker on the door stating not compliant. Awesome. Hell, we were in line already might as well keep waiting. We were excited to see a fried chicken donut. Sounds ah-mazing! But then a guy who purchased a box full of donuts maybe 5 minutes earlier came back and spoke to the cashier. It turns out there was hair on top of two of the donuts in the box. HAIR!!!!!! Ew. They replaced the hairy (yes, HAIRY) donuts (shoot I would have asked for a full refund and given the donuts back) and it was our turn to be attended to. I really was not into ordering after that incident but hubby said we might as well. Tried ordering the fried chicken donut- nope, all out of chicken. Maybe scratch that off the board? That would have been helpful. Or, here's an idea, be more prepared and buy enough chicken OR make sure you're making enough donuts. Decided on a buttermilk donut which turned out to be pretty tasty after I inspected every bite for hair. We did go back yesterday and once again, no luck on any of the donuts we wanted. Plus, the food helping us was less than enthusiastic. Folks, if your employees are not happy being at their job, get rid of them. Especially when they are in a service industry. I refuse to go back.

    (1)

  • Alisha A.

    I don't even like donuts, but these are AMAZING. Today we went crazy and got a mixed dozen. Every thing we had was delicious. Favorites include the lemon curd, bacon, fritters, and blueberry basil. I would go back tomorrow in a heartbeat.

    (5)

  • Paul W.

    Hands down the best donuts in Portland, miles ahead of Voodoo. It all begins with a pastry chef and awesome local ingredients. After discovering Blue Star we made it a Sunday tradition before tball. Our kids call the dozen donut box, "the jackpot." I think this summs it up well.

    (5)

  • Sonia B.

    I tried the key lime and lemon curd, the maple bacon and the old fashioned donut. I kind of wanted to roll my eyes at the guy behind the counter when he said the old fashioned was his favorite. I mean, really? (Borrring!) Sweet baby Jesus was I wrong. Who would have though that the old fashioned would have blown the other flavors out of the water? Next time I go this is the only flavor I'll be ordering.

    (5)

  • L.A. M.

    They're doing a nice job of customer service, they have nice packaging, and I like the creativity of the filling and icing flavors, but the donuts themselves don't live up to the price point or the hype level.

    (2)

  • Kayla L.

    Great vegan donuts! Voodoo's are too sweet and dense, but Blue Star is just right! You have to ask which are vegan which I think is cool-it means more people will probably try the vegan ones and realize how awesome they are!

    (5)

  • Modestly I.

    I came here with a group of friends after having a yummy low carb vegan breakfast just up the street. It's not that I was still hungry, I just couldn't turn down a donut especially when there wasn't a line out the door. Blue Star Donuts are delicious. As with most things, you get what you pay for. Blue Star is a little more expensive than, say, Dunkin' Donuts and even Voodoo, but they use local suppliers (names are credited on their menu), and the extra money you spend is absolutely worth it. As an aside, is $2.50 for a donut really going to break the bank? The offerings here are a but more refined than at other donut stores, so they're not laden with bit of candy or slathered with mountains of frosting. It's extremely clean, the flavors rotate often and it's probably best to get there early before some of the flavors sell out, though they do make more throughout the day. We ordered a raspberry cake donut (a slightly denser donut which was exploding with the summery flavor of raspberry), the Widmer Hefe Citrus cake (made with Widmer Hefe Weisen) and a fritter that I gobbled down too fast to remember its name.

    (5)

  • Jane I.

    So when I first moved to Portland all I kept hearing was to skip Voodoo and go to Blue Star because they have the best Donuts in town. I'm a big donut lover; there are so many mind blowing and cheap donut shops back in San Diego, and a couple of really amazing gourmet donut places too. So, y'know I was roused by all the hype. I had the chocolate almond ganache donut, and the lemon poppy seed donut, and then I found myself disenchanted. The texture was too light, and the frosting/toppings just weren't that special. It wasn't a busy day, and there were still plenty of donuts left, but the workers seamed to have attitudes with each other. Maybe it was a bad day for them and they made mediocre donuts because of it? But, for the price of those donuts, I expected delish do-nomnoms, but instead I paid for high priced Safeway donuts. yep, it was meh. whutevs. Not impressed.

    (2)

  • Heidi K.

    Usually frequent the downtown location but we were in the neighborhood and decided to stop in... Great tasting donuts as always but what's with the different packing from the locations? Downtown puts your donuts in a roomy white bakery box yet here they packed the donuts into a brown, small, food cart box which we couldn't even close (we ordered 4 donuts). Not sure if they just ran out or if this is actually how they package them here.

    (3)

  • Yen N.

    I tried their donuts 3 weeks ago at their downtown location...it sure was love at first bite! I wanted to try everything but had to settle with only 6. When this Hawthorne location opened, I was first in line! I tried 3 additional flavors. I was disappointed with each and every bite, perhaps I'm not a PB&J, apple fritter & dulce De leche type of girl. I stopped by again today to try what was my original favorite, passion fruit. Nope, the love is gone! I'm so over their hyped up, ridiculously expensive donuts!

    (2)

  • Faye F.

    i love blue star, i do! i hadn't been to this location so when i took my friends, i was surprised at the different flavors of donuts they had. my faves were the matcha donut and the mexican hot chocolate. i'm not sure if their fried chicken donut was just available at this location, but i didn't see it out that day, so i guess i have to return to try it.

    (4)

  • Kristen Martha B.

    If you choose any other fancy donut store over Blue Star, I'm sad for you. Truly delicious and unusual but not just for the sake of being unusual. Quality ingredients. Staff is genuinely friendly and nice.

    (5)

  • C H.

    My family and I are big fans of Blue Star doughnuts. Tomorrow I am leaving to visit my daughter in Hawaii and she asked me to bring some of your amazing doughnuts over with me. I called the Hawthorne location to place an order to pick up. The gentleman I spoke with was very rude, even telling me at one point in our conversation, "I already told you" (when I had asked him to repeat a couple of the flavors because I was having a hard time hearing him.) Unfortunately the poor customer service didn't end there. When I arrived at the store a little after 6pm to pick up my order I was left standing by myself in an empty store with no one to help me until eventually another patron joined me. This man actually yelled for someone to help us but nobody came. I think they couldn't hear us because the music was so loud. Five minutes later, a gentleman finally came to the register to help me but I had to repeat myself a couple times and shout for him to hear me over the loud music, ( I was standing right in front of him). At this time I added a couple more doughnuts to my order, (but later when I checked the box they were wrong.) Today, March 17th 2015 was a disappointing one for Blue Star customer service. I have never had an experience like this here before. Just wanted to make you aware.

    (3)

  • Winnie K.

    I loved the flavors they have and that they're not as sweet as Voodoo's. (I could actually finish a whole donut here!) The Meyer lemon w/ lime curd was great. I wish the blueberry Bourbon basil was bit stronger in flavor. No more fried chicken donut by the time I'm there at 2pm. Maybe next trip!

    (3)

  • Wil C.

    Just saw this place on Dirty Dining and they failed their health inspection!!!!

    (1)

  • Brian P.

    The donuts was pretty good. But the customer service was a little off, only 1 worker helping like 20 people at the same tine is a no no

    (4)

  • Nicole B.

    Their vegan donuts are SO good. Plus the crew here today was extra nice and generous;)

    (5)

  • Lefood S.

    I'm obsessed with their cake donuts and the old fashioned buttermilk. You have to get there early or your preferred donut could be gone. I was ecstatic when they opened up a location on the East side. Their coffee is solid and they even serve doggy donuts which I always get for my pups.

    (5)

  • Andy F.

    I walked into this place to check out the amazing smells ... And could not resist the fried chicken donut. It was the bomb ... Perfectly cooked chicken on am amazing donuts. Great flavor and texture - must give it a try.

    (5)

  • Chris C.

    Quality control please. I'm a HUGE Bluestar fan. I was one of the few when the first location popped up downtown a few years back that was singing their praises and recommending to all that would listen. However, this location (visited 3 times now) has been nothing but a poor copy of the original. The names of the doughnuts are the same and the look of the doughnuts is reminiscent of their siblings at the downtown branch.....but that's where the similarities end. The doughnuts here have often been overcooked and soaked in grease and are often overiced. You can hardly see the old fashioned doughnut through the fondant like look of lemon poppyseed icing the last two times I've been here. I'll also add that the Hawthorne location gets less than 1/10th of the business the downtown location gets and I'm guessing the quality of the doughnut has something to do with it. I'm guaranteeing we'll see our first Bluestar closure in 2015 if things aren't turned around in a hurry.

    (2)

  • Sophia T.

    the vegan donuts are good. i had two in a week. make more varieties people :)

    (3)

  • Adam W.

    Better than voodoo doughnuts because you don't have to wait an eternity to get in. No tourists! All in all it was really good but they need to let someone else DJ cause the music sucked. Who listens to Smashmouth circa 1999 on a early Saturday morning?!

    (4)

  • Emily L.

    This place has delicious donuts. the buttermilk old fashioned is great as is the sugar a spice. they also have funky flavored like blueberry bourbon basil and a fried chicken donut. Nice, clean storefront but it is obvious they are just getting into the swing if things. Recommended

    (4)

  • Cyrus L.

    A donut for the sophisticated glutton.

    (4)

  • Sasha W.

    I was super excited to try this place as I had heard nothing but great things. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with my quite expensive doughnuts. I got the blueberry cake doughnut and the real bacon maple doughnut. Both of the doughnuts were very bland and didn't have much flavor at all. I expected the blueberry doughnut to at least have some sort of flavor, but it really didn't taste like anything. The bacon maple one was also really greasy. The maple was barely noticeable and the bacon tasted like bacon bits from a can. My sister had an apple fritter and said it was also really greasy and bland. The doughnuts at Blue Star all look so beautiful and delicious, I just wish they had tasted that way also. Maybe I got the wrong kinds of doughnut, but I'm not sure. I might give this place another try, but for the price, I would rather go to VooDoo and get two blueberry cake doughnuts for the price of one from Blue Star.

    (2)

  • Elise S.

    Went into the Hawthorne location for the first time today. The staff was pleasant, the restaurant was clean. My roommate and I bought three doughnuts; the original glazed, the passion fruit cocoa nib and a hard apple cider fritter. The first two were wonderful, per usual, fresh, sweet and tasty. The fritter on the other hand, might be the worst doughnut I have ever purchased. In fact, I can say with all sincerity, it was the worst baked good I have ever purchased, anywhere. It was honestly probably five days old; so hard and stale I couldn't even bite into it. The bottom looked and tasted like burnt pizza crust. It tasted like whoever made it, definitely screwed it up somehow. It was like an old, flavorless crust of bread. No sweetness, no apple, no flavor and hard as a rock. I called to let the staff know because I figured it was an unfortunate fluke mistake. After very politely explaining what happened, the clerk apologized. Then promptly hung up on me. I wasn't rude or unpleasant or even upset in any way. I just figured they would want to know because they shouldn't be selling it. I also know that this location just opened recently and thought maybe the baker made a mistake, no big deal. But after being dismissed in that way, I will never return. I love Blue Star doughnuts. It's a quality artisan product that is a really special treat...but customer service goes a really long way. With a small businesses like that charging a premium for their product, fostering a good customer experience will determine their success or failure. Like I said, will not be returning.

    (2)

  • Gisselle G.

    Tried Blue Star Donuts as a recommendation during my first time in Portland last week. These donuts were YUMMMMY! I ordered the lemon poppyseed, original, raspberry cake, blueberry basil, and chocolate ganache. My favorite was the original. They were made perfectly, not too sweat, just the right amount of everything. Ill def be back!

    (4)

  • Amanda S.

    I admit I have not tried any other doughnut shops in Portland, but these were fabulous. We had the the bourbon basil and the maple bacon would definitely recommend both. Can't wait to go back to try more.

    (5)

  • lesley c.

    rhubarb berry fritter....yesssssss! sells out quickly, so you have to act fast.

    (4)

  • P M.

    I definitely like the donuts from blue star better than voodoo. I bought 6 donuts to take home to Cali with me and I enjoyed all of them with my family! We shared blueberry bourbon basil, dulce de leche, lemon poppy, key lime custard (our favorite!!), maple bacon, and the peanut butter jelly (jalapeño). All were super tasty and unique. Definitely wish there was a blue star here!

    (5)

  • Vanessa W.

    The dougnuts here are good. I dont like super sweet things, and read many good reviews about the blueberry basil so I decided to try it! The reviews were all on point. The bbb was not super sweet at all! It was actually one of the better flavors of choice! The raspberry buttermilk was a little sweet for me. But you definitely can taste its flavors. Overall, this place is pretty decent. Pricing is about $3 for most doughnuts. So pretty average. Definitely isnt as long of line as voodoo. I would prefer this place over voodoo.. Im not a fan of super crazy stuff or sweet doughnuts so this is good. Also theres other flavors I want to try. Saving it for next time.

    (4)

  • Kristine Anne V.

    I ordered Chocolate Almond Ganache and Maple bacon donut... PLACE: Place looks clean and very warm... I walked in and got greeted by the cashier right away.. He was very friendly. MENU: They have as I call it visual menu. everything you want to know was right in front of you from the size of the donut and What it looks like... When I came I was a little disappointed because I didn't really have much of a choice I have at lease 8 different kind of donut to choose from so it was like a bLah to me.. But then again I did come around 7 so I shouldn't expect a big variety of donuts. Chocolate Almond Ganache: I love NUTS! So this was my first choice. Size was just perfect not to big or small.. The texture of the donut was perfect. Chocolate glazed was not to sweet either so the combination was just right! I give this Maple Bacon Donut Well it wasn't the best but it was good. Glazed and bacon was just right. MY OPINION I like the one from voodoo doughnuts better. PRICE Chocolate Almond Ganache: $3.00 Maple Bacon Donut: $3.75 Total: $6.75 OVERALL: I will still give this place a 3 star because of the atmosphere of the place was welcoming and have friendly employees ... I really like tHe C.A.G. But I might not comeback because a little pricey for a donut..

    (3)

  • Vincent L.

    After trying this place, I had to reevaluate my feelings on Voodoo Doughnuts. Blue Star Donuts really delivers a deliciously gourmet doughnut experience with creative flavors. Of course, this whole idea of "gourmet" does come with a price, as the price point is a bit higher than usual, but hey, quality vs. quantity right? I got the: 1) Blueberry Buttermilk 2) Blueberry Bourbon Basil 3) Passion Fruit Cacoa Nibs I'm a big fan of blueberry so the first two was a natural hit for my taste buds. The blueberry bourbon basil was my favorite. I'm not usually a fan of basil, but all those flavors together was unusually tasty, in a great way. A MUST TRY! Blue star deserves a gold star!

    (5)

  • Mark O.

    Portland, day 4, stop 1, donuts. Lemon Poppy Buttermilk - 3/5 Raspberry Buttermilk - 5/5 - Fresh out of the oven. Crispy with a delicious glaze. Dulce De Leche Hazelnut - 3/5 Hard Apple Cider Fritter - 3/5 - The outer pieces were disappointing but the four inner squares were moist and tasty. Coffee Coconut Cheesecake - 4/5 - Very rich. Chocolate Almond Ganache - 3/5 - Also very rich. Passion Fruit Cocoa Nib - 4/5 Blueberry Bourbon Basil - 5/5 - Loved the smooth taste of the glaze on this. Marionberry Pepper Jam with Peanut Butter Powder - 3/5 - Unique. Jam was noticeably spicy. Meyer Lemon and Key Lime Curd - 3/5 Overall, Raspberry Buttermilk and Blueberry Bourbon Basil donuts are "as good as it gets."

    (5)

  • Carmen C.

    Fluffiest donut. Coolest flavors! Blueberry Bourbon Basil- my favorite here! You taste the blueberry and the hint of basil but not overpowering Passionfruit Cacao Nib - sorta tangy, Not used to the sourness on my donut Lemon Poppy Old Fashioned - fried to perfection and dense. very delicious! Maple bacon- classic and yummy!

    (5)

  • Zak W.

    These are some super hipster-yuppy ass donuts. I was having major cravings for some donuts. Usually I just go to a super yummy yet hole-in-the-wall donut shop that cost like $.50 or less per donut. I decided to come here instead because of all the great reviews. The donuts did live up to the hype I have to say. I got the blueberry-basil donut and I really liked it. I also got an original donut which was good as well. My only gripe about this place is price. Holy-cow I've never paid $3 for one donut! Totally not worth the price but the food is solid so I just took one star off for that. Customer service was average. It's just a donut shop so I didn't expect them to roll out the red carpet or anything. But I came early on a weekday and was able to get in and out pretty quickly so that's always good.

    (4)

  • Shila B.

    Lemon poppy was nice and crispy on the outside. Bacon donut was soft. Small shop. The guy at the til should've made an effort to at least smile. Gareth had donut foodgasm. Good location that was moderately busy.

    (5)

  • Jessica Y.

    First Oregon review of many. Probably the best donut(s) I've ever had. It's not only about the gooey, flavorful glaze or about the unique flavors, or the delicious cakey dough texture that creates complex flavors. It's about blowing VooDoo donuts out of the water, so don't waste your time trying HYPE! Tried and Tested: Blueberry Bourbon Basil Raspberry Buttermilk Meyer Lemon with key lime filling Peanut Butter with Marionberry filling Blueberry Cake Passionfruit with Cacao nibs Everything was super delicious and mouthwatering to the last bite. Incredibly happy Blue Star is now in Los Angeles, glad I got to try it first at PDX.

    (5)

  • Ellre V.

    What happened??? I was counting down the days when I would be back in Portland to nom on some Blue Star Donuts. Came here last week on a visit with my family, and the donuts tasted nothing like my first visit. Perhaps it was the location? My first visit was the downtown shop. Or even the time of day? We came here during the afternoon. We purchased the hard apple cider fritter, the lavender, the meyer lemon, and the bacon maple. All left unfinished. In sum: Expensive ($2.75-3.00+/donut), stale, inconsistent, and underwhelming. I was disappointed.

    (2)

  • Wennie H.

    The first time I had Blue Star was years ago and I wasn't a fan. To be fair, I had them hours and hours after they were initially bought. Last week, I had a coffee date and because of my love for donuts and everyone's constant rave about Blue Star, I figured I'd give it another go. I got the buttermilk lemon poppyseed, even though I wanted to try all of them, and it was good. I noticed the constant flow of people coming in as well, this is a Portland staple. The space is nice and open and the staff are super friendly. My mom came to town and I thought I'd take her to get donuts. We got in around 845 and it was pretty empty but that just meant more time to browse the display. My mom is a little excessive (must be where I got it from) and ordered the coffee and coconut cream cheese, buttermilk lemon poppy seed, blueberry bourbon basil and a matcha green tea. I opted for the bacon and maple bourbon glazed. Mine was a little too sweet and she only tried the lemon but loved it, and it was still warm! Pro tip, don't wait to eat the donuts, get them, eat team, and let your tummy and tastebuds thank you.

    (4)

  • Belle L.

    Fluffy, decadent, mouth watering donuts right here! Visited Portland and Blue Star was on the must eat list. Boy was my tummy one happy camper!! Between the 4 of us we created our own sampler plate of the following: Blueberry Bourbon Basil - FAVORITE! Passion Fruit Cocoa Nib - Deeeelish! Real Maple & Bacon - Actually preferred Voodoos maple bacon over this one. Bacon was kinda soft...I like the crunchy pieces of bacon to provide that perfect sweet/salty combo. Just my personal preference. Cinnamon Vanilla Sugar - nothing fancy here...good basic donut Mexican Hot Chocolate - Cakey donut, not too bad Dulce de Leche & Hazelnut - Loved the combo of flavors, but be ready for a super sweet & decadent donut. The coffee I had helped balance out the sweetness. Matcha Green Tea - anpther fave of mine. Subtle matcha flavor, another cakey donut. Chocolate Crunch - Super rich in flavor. But for this chocolate lover, maybe too sweet for me. All in all I ended up bringing home some Blueberry Bourbons, Passion Fruits, & Matcha green teas for the flight back home. Too bad they were sold out of the fried chicken donut..haha this little piggy was curious how that would go. Next time Blue Star! Service was awesome, and staff super friendly. Loved the clean and modern space of the shop so you could see the donuts getting made. There are a few small tables inside if you want to enjoy your donuts right away. Yes the donuts are a bit on the pricier side, but c'mon folks..like they say - Quality over Quantity! y'know the mantra: good service + delicious donuts = thumbs up Blue Star Donuts!!!

    (5)

  • Sheena L.

    The smells as you walk in will have you in awe. Plus sides about this establishment: - Assortment of flavors that are paired well with coffee or milk. - Great music, they were playing R-Kelly, which was epic in all forms. - Good service - Great location that is accessible and easy to find. Downsides: - Long lines.. This place fills up fast so come early or during a time that is not close to lunch or dinner. - The bathroom needs a lysol or aromatic spay. Someone ahead of me took a fat dump and needed that room to be ventilated, stat! - More seating, it's a popular place so some people didn't get to sit down and eat their donuts. Overall, this place is a lot better than voodoo donuts. It is not over glamorized and has better flavor donuts.

    (4)

  • Andrew H.

    When chocolate is what you want, chocolate is what you get. I have stated before that I am not a donut person, but yet I have been to Blue Star three times now (this is the first for this location). But something always manages to drag me in here. Today it was a Mexican chocolate donut. That and a second one with chocolate ganache and little crunchies on top. I know, sad. First off, they make a quality product. Some of the best in the area, but I have little to compare it against since I rarely eat the sugary baked goods. The Mexican chocolate one, I was kind of expecting more of a cinnamon or chile taste to it, but it was basically a dense chocolate donut, so I was a little disappointed in that aspect, but it was still a solid donut. The one with chocolate ganache and crunchies? That was amazing. The ganache, the soft donut and the crunchies all created a perfect bite. Plus plenty of ganache to get off my fingers after. It was a bit messy. Look, everyone knows they make good stuff here. Ones with lemon, blueberries, maple and bacon, plus the fried chicken one at this location, are all terrific options. It's better than some of the trendy ones that people wait on long lines for, and the lines here are minimal. Enjoy.

    (4)

  • Adrienne L.

    I think I had way too high expectations, so Blue Star wasn't quite the 5 star place I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong, the doughnuts are really yummy and get high marks on appearance as well. I tried two locations, this one on Hawthorne and the one downtown. I stopped by the downtown location first in search of the Fried Chicken Donut. They said that it was exclusive to the Hawthorne location. Nooo! So I got the Matcha Cake and the Hard Apple Cider Fritter. Matcha Cake was my first taste of Blue Star and it could not have been more disappointing. Super dry, barely any matcha flavor. I threw it out. The moist Apple Fritter, while not mind-blowing good, was tasty enough to redeem things though. Whew. A wouldn't let me leave Portland without trying the Fried Chicken Doughnut, so we asked the cab to make a detour on the way to the airport. We made the driver wait for us while we waited in line. This is when you know you like sweets too much..but I digress. At the Hawthorne location we encountered devastating news. They are NOT making the Fried Chicken Donut anymore. Too much extra space and prep required. The poster was still up as of April, but with a (permanent) sold out tacked on. To drown our sorrows we got the Real Maple Bacon, Blackberry with Peanut Butter Powder, and Meyer Lemon Key Lime Curd. I couldn't pick which of the three were my favorite. They were all excellent...almost good enough to make me forgot about the Fried Chicken that never was. *tear*

    (4)

  • Jeff W.

    $3.50 for a donut. And totally worth it. Handmade goodness that melts in your mouth - which waters as soon as you walk in the store. I counted a dozen different types of donut on my last visit, from not-so-basic raised and glazed to a crunchy-choclate-ball covered custard bismark, all of which would be invited to jump in my mouth for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Ok, so some of the donuts are less than $3.50 but if you want one of the fancy ones, that's what you're in for. If you want to stuff your gullet with cheap dough and sugar, you can certainly find other donuts that fit that bill, but you're not doing yourself any favors, because they aren't made with magic and the wait is stupid. The guys behind the counter are intense about donuts and you can see them working hard to make them perfectly. With the white-on-white-on-white-on-blue decor it feels like an operating room but will probably help keep you focused on the important stuff - the donuts. Come here. Get donuts fast. Don't stand in line like a tourist downtown.

    (5)

  • aaron r.

    Everyone I spoke with said, "go to blue star over voodoo". I can only imagine voodoo has better jelly filled donuts than this. I have been counting the days until I came to Portland to try these famous donuts only to have it rain on my parade. Basically I had two jelly filled donuts with very little jelly or filling. Basically a powdered cake donut with a speck of filling. If I wanted powdered cake I would go to any grocery and pick up a pack of "hostess powdered cake" but I came here for some high quality artistic fillings and received just a squirt (see my pics). I honestly hope this was not the norm. I imagine normally you sink your teeth into a blue star jelly and have it oozing all over your face. BLUE STAR, I dare you to come to phoenix AZ, a place that is only known for Mexican food and try a jelly filled from any BOSA or RAINBOW donuts and see what a jelly filled is supposed to ooze like. (Note: both taste of donuts and service were excellent)

    (1)

  • Sherrie T.

    Fun selection of gourmet donuts. I really enjoyed the Maronberry Pepper Jam with Peanut Butter Powder $3.25 and the Orange Olive Oil Cake $2.75. I wasn't a big fan of their top sellers since it was sweeter than I expected and half the display only had one donut Display.....that was a little sad. But I highly recommend you check out these delicious bites! Great to do a taste comparison against Voodoo and Pip's.

    (4)

  • Wendy T.

    As a precursor, let me just say I will always compare any donut experience to the Krispy Kreme original glazed; that warm, melt in your mouth, just came out of the oven goodness. I tried that blueberry bourbon and bacon maple at Blue Star and it was every bit as delicious as the reviews indicated. However, it's falls short of a 5 star review for me because as pretty as their donuts look, I can't justify paying about $3-$4 on a morsel that I'll devour in less than 3 minutes and won't get me full. I came to try the novelty (and was pleased) but don't expect it'll be my regular donut joint.

    (4)

  • John L.

    Tried the new location. Same fresh ingredients. Same awesome donuts. The lines can get long here also. I came around 5pm on Saturday and they were down to 42 donuts. Only a few flavors left =( It's ok...they were still fantastic and there was NO LINE!! =)

    (5)

  • Tim G.

    It has become popular to talk about how overrated Voodoo is and how much better Blue Star is, but I think people have gone a little overboard with the Blue Star hype. The donuts were good, but nothing really blew me away. There is a limited number of donuts to choose from, and on a busy Saturday morning they ran out of a few options, further limiting the selection. I had the misfortune of ordering the last Maple Bacon they had on the plate, only to be told a few minutes later that the donut I'd paid for had already been sold, and no more Maple Bacon donuts were available. They were nice about it, and gave me two donuts to replace the one Maple Bacon. I ended up with a Blueberry Cake, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Coffee Coconut Cheesecake and a Cinnamon Vanilla. The Blueberry Cake is pretty sweet and tastes like Fruit Loops. It was my favorite of the four. The Mexican Hot Chocolate is a little dense, but has good flavor and just the right amount of spicy heat. The Cinnamon Vanilla was the lightest and fluffiest of the four and reminded me of a churro. My least favorite was the one I thought I would like the most. The Coffee Coconut Cheesecake sounds like it should be awesome, but the texture was really off and the flavor didn't work at all. I will return to Blue Star to try the Maple Bacon because it looked amazing, but I'm not as excited to return as I thought I would be.

    (3)

  • Anthony N.

    I'm not a huge doughnut fan, but the gf wanted to take me here so she could compare it to Top Pot in Seattle. We got an OG (original glaze) and a BBB (blueberry bourbon basil) doughnut. I really liked the BBB. The flavors worked really well together and it's nothing I've ever experienced. It wasn't super sweet (which I like). The OG was really soft and good (not krispy kreme soft). For not having a sweet tooth, the doughnuts were good, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to try the others.

    (4)

  • David B.

    Everyone said that when I go to Portland, I can skip Voodoo and just enjoy Blue Star. How right they were! We started at the Hawthorne location but also made our way to the downtown one. Buttermilk old fashioned - hands down the best. So good. A simple doughnut and quality doughnut making/flavor shines. Lemon poppyseed - very close behind. Love the lemony glaze. Hazelnut dulce de leche - more of a standard cake doughnut (it seemed) and not as moist or flavorful. The topping was great but the doughnut itself was so-so. Hard apple cider fritter - very disappointing. We were hoping for big pops of sweetness and apple and the whole thing was a dense, fairly bland mess. I am a huge old-fashioned fan and would go back again (and again) for theirs. I wanted to try their creme brûlée one, which I'd heard about, but they didn't have it either day. I did get a raspberry glazed and that was pretty good too.

    (4)

  • Lauren C.

    Why has it taken me this long to try Blue Star Donuts?! I usually stop at Voodoo Doughnut when in Portland, but man, I have been missing out! Blue Star offers such quality donuts and lots of yummy, fresh, and sometimes bizarre flavor combinations, like blueberry bourbon basil (my personal favorite). This location is hip, decent amount of seating, clean, and a great place to escape that Portlandia rain all while enjoying a mouth-watering donut.

    (5)

  • Daniel P.

    Great quality donuts. These are my second favorite donut in the Pacific Northwest. The toppings and frosting are definitely the best. The bread is nice too, but I love Mighty O donuts in Seattle for that. When it comes to being inventive I give Blue Star the prize. They somehow know how to create powered peanut butter...it blew my mind.

    (4)

  • Joe G.

    Came to Blue Star donuts during a visit to Portland. I really enjoy eating donuts, but these donuts were down right amazing. Ordered the passion fruit donut that was sweet and savory at the same time. He blueberry cake (vegan) was soft and flavorful. And the Orange olive oil donut tasted like delicious meal in and of itself. These were some of the best donuts I have ever tasted. I totally would come back to Portland just for these donuts. The only thing was that I came the day before at around 3pm and they were entirely sold out. This time I came to Blue Star Donuts at 8am and I had my pick of any donut. Moral of this story - go early to Blue Star Donuts.

    (5)

  • Lee H.

    I really don't get the pilgrimage tourists make to the church of Voodoo. Blue Star turns out better-tasting donuts with no line. The blackberry filled with peanut butter powder topping is a fantastic combo. The passion fruit with cocoa nibs is a close second on my list of faves. Drop the obsession with Voodoo and head over to one of the many Blue Star locations.

    (5)

  • David G.

    Geez you guys really like your Donuts in Portlandia.....and for good reason! Blue Star Donuts is like the 21 year old sophisticated scotch compared to voodoo Donuts that is the young wild 8 year old Scotch whiskey. Blue star donuts uses the utmost finest ingredients: The dough is made from a traditional southern french brioche recipe (which is made freshly everyday). Certified sustainable Shepard's grain flour, cage free organic eggs, whole milk from a local dairy, organic European butter. All fillings are freshly made and organic. All the donuts are fried in Rice oil...yeah that's right Rice oil. You can really taste the difference...the purity as it were. The donuts are expensive coming in roughly at 2-3 dollars each...but it is totally worth it. I especially liked the blueberry bourbon basil...sounds totally crazy but it was an awesome pairing...all on a classic glazed donut...yummers!!! Passion fruit cocoa nib....nice and good but not like wow....still very unique. Blood orange ginger ( who comes up with these combos???) ....just genius. Light fluffy with a combination of sweet, tart, and warm and fluffy...um um um. Coffee coconut cheesecake ...this is the one to do with a cup of coffee. Much more dense with a luxurious texture and taste. The cheesecake could have been more pronounced but still great. The last one I could remember from my sugar and fat induced coma was the hard apple cider apple fritter....this was border line life changing, toe curling, religious experience....sorry atheists. I would definetly go out of my way to taste their donuts...if you like really gourmet donuts. Just awesome!!!

    (5)

  • Karen A.

    My first visit to the famous Blue Star Donuts. I drove round and round for parking (Hawthorne). After parking a block away, took my two granddaughters in with me for a treat. Ordered four different donuts to have at home with G'Pa. Cost: $13.50. While the donuts really are fantastic, I don't know if I care to be spending our hard earned dollars here again. Blue Star gets no stars for customer service. The young man behind the counter was too busy dancing to his favorite tune to give me anything for a greeting but a sneer. He did say 'thanks' as he plunked down the receipt for me to sign and waltzed off. No receipt copy was offered to me. Again, too busy dancing with his mates by this time. Had your chance Blue Star--muffed it.

    (3)

  • Ben H.

    Blue Star's variety and taste make it one of the best donut shops in the Portland Metro area. Given how much national acclaim Voodoo Donuts gets for its eclectic pastry lineup, I am surprised Blue Star doesn't get the same attention. Their green tea donut and marionberry-peanut butter eclair are bold creations that do justice to their foundational ingredients. We also tried the raspberry cake donut, which although a bit too sweet for my taste, clearly had icing made with real raspberries and not just sugar with pink food coloring. The big downside to Blue Star is the price. Donuts average $3 apiece which might be reasonable in the designer donut/cupcake world, but let's not kid ourselves; donuts are a commodity no matter how fancy they are. But I'm not going to detract fully from the obvious quality here, which is why when my better half drags me to donuts shops, I prefer to be dragged to Blue Star.

    (4)

  • Sarah A.

    Anything can be solved with a donut. I have been hearing about these donuts for over a year now + finally sought them out. Scooped up three (sugar and spice, raspberry OF, and cider apple fritter) They were seriously some of the best donuts I have ever had. The guy behind the counter (Feb 17) tall, hat, gauges, was really cool and friendly, answered our questions with honesty and sold us on a couple of donuts we weren't even considering. I can't wait to make this a place to check out on the regular. They even have VEGAN donuts! Definitely taking all of my out of town guests here instead of that pink box voodoo place. Service, quality and ingredients are better. Thank you! -Sarah

    (5)

  • Nicole A.

    Walking along Hawthorne, my dad and I could not ignore the sweet smell lingering in the air, so we decided to check out Blue Star Donuts and I am glad we did! When we walked in, I was transfixed by the display. Blueberry bourbon basil! Mexican Hot Chocolate! Lemon poppyseed buttermilk! It was hard to only choose one from the amazing selection of freshly baked donuts that were sure to melt in my mouth. I chose the Blueberry bourbon basil on the first day and I am glad I did. The cashier said that it was one of their best-selling and definitely one of the more unique flavors. The blueberry frosting had basil mixed within it and when you bite into it, the blueberry flavor is overwhelming but afterwards, the basil slowly creeps in, giving it a nice and smooth bite. My dad got the lemon poppyseed buttermilk, which was absolutely delicious and light. After posting these donuts on Instagram, I was asked to bring some back, so I came back a second time and of course, I couldn't just not get a donut for myself. I got the Dulce de leche hazelnut, which I found to be okay but a little too sweet for my taste. Still, this place is fantastic and you need to come here. Do not bother going to that other famous travel channel donut place, the line is gigantic and their donuts are overrated. This place is it!

    (5)

  • Michael L.

    Great donut experience! Not your national franchise type of donut. Each of the varieties are individually an incredible taste treat. Collectively they are banquet of mouthwatering delight. And then paired with fresh brewed Stumptown coffee - perfection. It is very fortunate for me that Blue Star Donuts does not have a location close to where I live. Unlike another popular donut purveyor for the less informed palate, the secret is not "in the hole" but is in the whole.

    (5)

  • Kira H.

    This is one of the best donut shops I've EVER been to! The atmosphere is clean & chipper, the people behind the counter are bright & bubbly, & what a display! Their blueberry, bourbon & basil glazed was delicious- fresh & vibrant without being overwhelmingly sweet... but by far, the best I had was the orange & olive oil! The little granules of olive oil inside the donut were a fun twist, layered with this orange powder substance- subtle, yet satisfying! I also had samples of equally delicious: dulce de leche-hazelnut, meyer lemon-key lime curd, & a hard apple cider fritter. Needless to say, this is worth waiting in line for!

    (5)

  • Chewie M.

    I've heard some great things about Blue Star and how they rival Voodoo, but honestly, I wasn't super-wowed by it. My friend and I came here and split 3 doughnuts: the Blueberry Bourbon & Basil, the PB & Spicy Marionberry Jam filled, and the Orange Olive Oil Cake donuts. While we both loved the Blueberry Bourbon & Basil icing on the donut, the donut itself was very underwhelming. I don't know if it had just been sitting out too long or what, but it wasn't fluffy nor doughy as we had expected; in fact, the texture was somewhat reminiscent of a donut you would find in Vons or Ralphs. PB&J was better. I could've done with more heat in the marionberry jam, but that is understandably more of a preference thing. The peanut butter powder added a nice flavor and was nicely done. Again, the donut texture was not as great as expected. Finally, the Orange Olive Oil cake donut was our least favorite. I wonder if the "olive oil" part was more about flavor, but it definitely wasn't the kind of olive-oil-cake moist in the manner that we had set our minds to. A bit too heavy on the dry side. The powder was alright but didn't add much to the donut, and the orange was definitely present, but... eh. We had asked the staff to surprise us on this last choice because we couldn't decide between this and the Dulce de Leche & Hazelnut. In retrospect, should've gone with the latter as it definitely looked more moist. Overall, we definitely enjoyed the atmosphere of Blue Star, and the staff was really great and patient while we asked a bunch of questions in order to decide what we wanted. The flavor varieties all really peaked our interest and just sound fantastic. While we would definitely say that the flavors were nice, unique, and gourmet, the execution of the actual donuts themselves were just not to the standard that we had hope. If we could take their icings and Voodoo's texture (just had them two days ago), it would probably be pretty epic!

    (3)

  • Kara H.

    Well if you are coming to Portland and are trying to find the best donuts, skip voodoo and it's rediculously long line, and head over to blue star donuts! Truly delish!! My top 3 would be the maple bacon, blueberry basil burben, and the raspberry cake dounuts. Yes you are spending about 3$ on a donut but trust me it's worth it!!!

    (4)

  • Jason Q.

    Made a short trip to Portland and put Blue Star on the list of places to go. I do consider myself to be an old school donut-kind of guy. Always perfectly happy with a good 'ol Dunkin Donuts. Plus, we have pretty tasty donuts in Hawaii. Blue Star is probably the cleanest donut shop I've even visited. There are plenty of options as well. For a simple guy like me, the flavors are pretty fancy and extremely creative. I did enjoy the Blueberry Bourbon Basil. The Passionfruit was very tasty as well. Normally, I would not pay $35 for a dozen donuts. This was an exception and it was worth the price to try as many of the different flavors as possible. I also found that the donuts were still good to eat and just as tasty the next day. Most other donuts are in no condition to eat the next day.

    (4)

  • Derek H.

    Way better than Voodoo doughnuts! Great decor in the store, all white with molding and open kitchen to see the baking process. There's a few tables to sit an eat, but most people take it to go. The line moves pretty fast. Come early because they run out! Also they accept credit. Check out Blue Star, you won't regret it!

    (5)

  • Avery M.

    I've been here a few times, and I always find myself wanting more. Their donuts are tasty. They are certainly not worth the price however. I find myself being more delighted by the look of them, and their names, than the actual taste of the doughnut. It's a good spot for a quick doughnut. Nothing special however.

    (3)

  • Katie F.

    Just stopped in this location for a second time after really enjoying the buttermilk donuts earlier this week. It was a little more crowded than our weekday visit but still manageable for 3 in the afternoon on a Saturday. The salesgirl informed us that there were no more buttermilk donuts and that they were done for the day. We bought glazed brioche (also delicious) and were on our merry way. 5 minutes later we decided to head back to grab a cup of water and sure enough... they were glazing buttermilk donuts. Seriously? You couldn't just tell us to wait the 5 minutes? Donuts are awesome, but that seriously turned me off that she couldn't turn that opportunity into an awesome customer experience vs. get your donuts and get out of my face.

    (2)

  • Maimei F.

    Top notch! I love this place! Really I can't add enough exclamation points so I'll just use them in singles and hope that gets my point across. The staff is wonderful and the music is very pleasant. My personal favorite is the marionberry with pepper and peanut butter powder. The staff that was there was Ted and Nathan (hope I spelled those right) and we exchanged very pleasant words. They were up beat, full of energy and wonderful to talk to!!!!!! I will definitely be back and I fully support Blue Star Donuts. 100%!!!!! :D

    (5)

  • Mindy C.

    I don't get all the fuss. I've sampled their wares a couple times now and I'm mostly like meh. The blueberry bourbon is not especially pleasing to my taste buds. I get the concept behind the donuts and the space, but it feels pretentious and the flavors are trying to hard. I think a lot of people only like it because it's not Voodoo and that is not a strong selling point. The donuts are over-priced. The offered flavors are not appealing to the kid inside me that loves donuts for their beauty as well as taste. There is something aesthetically wonderful about brightly colored donuts with sprinkles that Blue Star forgets. In an effort to be on trend, it loses the fun. It's not my favorite donut shop. It's not even my second or third favorite. Honestly? I would still probably go to Voodoo before I would make a special journey here. :P

    (3)

  • Xiao Z.

    In contrast to the much more "popular" Voodoo donuts, which is (in my opinion) the same as any Dunk's in the east coast, except for some more phalanx or humanoid shapes, the Blue Star donuts taste and feel like a delicacy. Let's be honest, I'm the kinda guy that'll be seen in public munching on raw carrot and celery sticks as desserts, however, trying both the orange zest doughnut and the blueberry bourbon donuts made me reconsider my eating habits. The blueberry bourbon doughnut had a seductive velvety glaze and tasted absolutely sublime without being overly sweet. The orange donut had a crunchy outer texture (lots of oil...I'm sure) but a very soft and chewy doughy inside and covered with a mouthwatering and tingling orange zest. The staff who worked there was the kindest and nicest person in the entire world and offered to bring all sorts of cutlery, plates, napkins and bags due to my silly nature not to engulf the donuts in a few bites. The prices may be three times as much as voodoo donut, but why waste money and calories on the earthly delights when you can try something heavenly? Food: 4 stars Service: 5 stars Price: 3 stars

    (5)

  • Christine C.

    Best donuts ever! I don't normally eat sweets but I couldn't stop eating these donuts :X. The quality is amazing and the donut itself isn't sweet. My favorite is the passion fruit with cocoa nibs mainly because i LOVE passion fruit. I recommend getting a bunch of donuts and trying a bit of each flavor with friends. Wish we had this place in CA! One thing: there was a bug in the water jug - quite gross when you're thirsty :X

    (4)

  • Michelle P.

    Took me a few days into my trip, but I finally made it around to Blue Star. Braved the line and finally got to order my delicious treats. And oh were they delicious. All of their flavors are rather unique, with some great combinations. We ended up getting the passionfruit, the chocolate crunch, and the spiced. All great choices. The passionfruit was extremely fruity. A nice change up from the normal glazed donut. The chocolate crunch had little round balls on top that crunched nicely as you were eating it. And the spiced was nice because it leveled out the sugar overload we'd gotten from the previous two with a nice cinnamon sugar combination. The place was really crowded, but I think it was mostly because of the layout and that the line didn't have any place to go. We got through what looked like a ridiculous line in about 5 minutes, AND ended up with a seat at the counter. Nice! So brave the wait and you'll be rewarded. Coffee's nothing to write home about, but that was okay with me as I was there for the food.

    (5)

  • Crystal L.

    Blue Star Donuts = High quality ingredients + hipster-creative flavor combinations like blueberry-bourbon + brioche style dough! Nice service too :) I like Voodoo better but that's just me.

    (4)

  • Melody L.

    Each time I come here I always have aspirations of trying a new type of donut but I am always lured into getting the same one. I am in love with their lemon poppyseed old fashioned. I pray to the Homer Simpson Donut Gods that this will be a mainstay of Blue Star. I love this shop on Hawthorne. If you like people watching its perfect. I love the white walls and the ability to see I to the bakery. Oh, and that when I pee, Totoro can keep me company.

    (5)

  • Evelyn S.

    OK... Seriously...Take a look at me...CLEARLY, I like donuts and have OBVIOUSLY eaten my fair-share of donuts in my lifetime. I love me a great (heck, I'll even eat a good one!!) donut. For the life of me, I can't understand all the hype of Blue Star Donuts. We ordered 4: 2-Meyer Lemon/Key Lime filled, 1-Original Glazed and 1-Maple Bacon. $14.50!!! There was nothing truly special about the donuts - no matter how much the prices wanted to reflect "SPECIAL" - they just didn't come across as special to me. A big YES for interesting flavors... A complete letdown on flavor, texture and price. I have had the PINK BOXED DONUTS and honestly, I prefer Voodoo over Blue Star. If I am really honest, I prefer my $0.99 donut from New Seasons. I did what I had set out to do - Try Blue Star...I doubt I will ever be back. I will just save myself $13.50 and go to New Seasons for my "regular" maple bar.

    (2)

  • Estr J.

    Had the blueberry filling one (I think) Taste is unique from other donuts. However, it doesn't top my favorite place in New York called Dough Doughnuts

    (4)

  • Ivy C.

    Finally tried their fried chicken donut. Maybe it didn't taste good to us because we just tried Screen Door's fried chicken and waffle, making Blue Star's pale in comparison. Screen Door uses high quality, juicy fried chicken breast, whereas Blue Star's fried chicken was mostly overly crunchy chicken skin and batter doused in an overly sweet sauce and placed atop an overly sweet glazed donut. The whole bottom was drenched in a mixture of grease and syrup. I would guess 75% of the fried chicken was just batter. Skip the fried chicken donut and get their blueberry crunch, Mexican chocolate, tres leches and other sweet flavors.

    (3)

  • Mikhail H.

    I think I am turning in my Portland card because I do not get it...I just don't.... I have heard about this place from several friends. I look it up and OMG...CREME BRULEE DONUT...YES...IN MY MOUTH HOLE NOW! Wandering I see the magic donut shop and say....ohhhhh....magic donut shop! I will get a creme brulee donut and finally try that! Line...ok, that's cool...where is the menu? And eww...the place is covered in garbage...food on the walls, floor...tables...nasty...I was afraid to touch anything. People in line were rude but the two guys at the counter seemed even moreso... I was confused at having no menu, there were like three donuts at the counter and apparently that was it? One was pink, one was white - everything looked overly drenched in glaze. I tried asking just how this worked because they seemed to maybe have other donuts they were making but I cannot even tell what they have available since the labels were poorly written - one mentioned mango?? I walked out. The donuts smelled good but seriously...this place is a shit show.

    (1)

  • Madeeha A.

    I came at the end of the day (6pm) and order the lemon poppy buttermilk, blueberry cake and OG donuts. They were decent, not too sweet, which I rather prefer. But i think fresher donuts are probably where most donut shops excel, and so I would like to try this place again in the morning.

    (4)

  • Michelle K.

    BLUEBERRY BOURBON BASIL DONUT. YUM. So soft. I am not a donut person because donuts usually give me bad headaches but this place was great! No headache. I thought there would be a long wait but there was no line when we walked in. My friends and I shared the blueberry bourbon basil donut there and bought a box of donuts each to bring back home. I tried a little bit of all the ones I brought home and really liked them but the blueberry bourbon basil one was my absolute favorite. Just thinking about it right now makes me want to book a flight asap to Portland so that I can go eat a bunch of donuts!! By the way, I suggest that you do not take a box of donuts with you on your flight back home because you will want to stomp on the box and throw them out at the airport. It was such a hassle and a pain in the ass carrying it around at the airport.

    (5)

  • Kyle L.

    Dude working here was such an asshole for no reason. Definitely won't be coming back.

    (1)

  • Brittany W.

    Fresh, fluffy, and light. Quality donuts without the sugar hangover feeling. The blueberry bourbon basil was good, but I did expect more with a name like that.

    (4)

  • Carolyn L.

    This place is bomb! A good number of Portlanders suggested Blue Star and said it was better than Voodoo! I only tried one donut at Voodoo so I can't really compare, but the donuts here really are exquisite! Their Old Fashioned Buttermilk is INSANE. If a place can get a simple donut like this right, you know it has to be solid. The texture and freshness and flavors were so perfect. I've never had anything like this! It was definitely my favorite out of the bunch I tried. The Sesame Salted Caramel was really good. It was such a unique combination of flavors. I would definitely recommend it! The Blueberry Bourbon Basil was way too sweet for me. I enjoyed the first bite, but after that it was just too much. Love the concept though. I was disappointed with the the Maple Bacon. I definitely like the one at Voodoo's and Union Square Donut's better. Can't really pinpoint what I didn't like, but it just didn't have that amazing balance that I've tasted elsewhere. Overall, great assortment of incredibly fresh donuts without a crazy wait. I love all the offerings and wish I could've tried everything I saw.

    (4)

  • Amy L.

    Super tasty donuts. There's no stale donuts or sugar overloaded low quality donuts in sight here. I've been here several times and tried a good variety. They even have vegan donuts available. All I can say is there's a significant difference between these donuts and your store bought ones. Sure they are worth way more but the quality is like eating a fine piece of cake versus a sheet cake. A few of my favs: Yeasted Donuts: Donuts are soft and fluffy no matter when I go early in the morning or in the afternoon, like how fresh donuts should be. Blueberry, passionfruit and valrhona are my favs. Buttermilk/apple fritter: Very tasty made crispy on the outside and soft on the inside like a proper cake donut should be. It's the best apple cider donut I've ever tasted. Peanut butter and jelly powdered donut: A match made in heaven. Who uses peanut powder that creatively. Perfect ratio of peanut butter taste vs jelly. A nice balance of flavors. Place inside is spacious and great for hanging out and grabbing a cup of coffee. Service is always excellent and courteous. I look forward to trying more of their delicious creations.

    (5)

  • Frank B.

    The one in DT was PACKED so when I came across this location the line moved quickly so I dropped in to try one of the most raved about donut spots outside of VooDoo. These donuts have the consistency of a beignet which is light and fluffy with a slightly different taste then most heavy, lardy donuts. I tried the O.G. and Passion Fruit. Both were OK. I've defiantly had better donuts but these are not bad of you life that lighter, fluffy donut taste. Passion fruit was to overwhelming in flavor but the O.G. was defiantly a good choice

    (3)

  • Eunice R.

    Had the Creme Brulee and Mexican Hot chocolate doughnuts both were delicious. The Creme Brulee has a nice toasted glaze as a Creme Brulee would and has a syrup to infuse the creamy center! They have a lot of unique flavors. Mexican Hot chocolate was my favorite

    (4)

  • SeanPatrick A.

    Fantastic donuts! I tried 3 different kinds, but the stand out to me was the glazed old fashioned. It was beyond description, all I can say is that it tasted exactly as it was supposed to taste, a perfect example of the best of that kind of donut. I will certainly be back next time I'm in Portland.

    (5)

  • MyTien P.

    Bacon bits on my donut?! YES PLEASE. I wasn't sure what to expect coming here but let's just say I was MINDBLOWN. The Bacon Maple Donut was perfect. The donut itself wasn't too sweet and it complimented the saltiness of the bacon perfectly. I should have brought a box back with me because I'm craving some right now! My friends also ordered the "Chicken & Donut" dish and it was very interesting indeed. The fried chicken was overly sweet due to all the maple syrup drenched on top and it wasn't very appetizing. One bite of this and I was done and couldn't handle the sugar overload. I would definitely pass on this next time. But besides that... MAPLE BACON DONUT IS A MUST.

    (4)

  • Donald W.

    Look out voodoo doughnuts because blue star is the new kid on the block and their coming out swinging. What a fresh and fun take on doughnuts. The stores are clean and modern. The varieties aren't new but the taste is. Huge portions and even sweeter taste. How can you say no! Blue Star is definitely a tasty place to go for sweets and should definitely be considered a place to stop at while in Portland. On of the perks of being here is the fact you don't have to stand in long lines with drunks, and loud mouth people raving about a place that honestly is way overhyped. Creme brûlée, the chicken covered doughnuts and a few of their other popular varieties. The staff was pleasant and fun to be around. Besides cracking jokes and giving us the scoop of some of the best places to go While on vacation here. There was something else I noticed about the staff at Blue Star. They really seemed to enjoy their jobs. I'm so glad I was able to indulge my sweet tooth here because it's a fresh take on the modern doughnuts. The establishment is super clean and fun to be in. I can't wait to go back and try more of their other flavors. This time I will not only split them because of the sizes but take a to-go box because it's that good.

    (4)

  • Allan C.

    Good doughnuts without the crazy lines! A must stop when you're in Portland!!! The OG Buttermilk is a good go to treat when your visual senses are on overload!

    (5)

  • Michael L.

    Can't give a one star because I should have known better... Trying a vegan doughnut. It was slightly bitter, somewhat citrus tasting. Insides were soft and it was amply sugared, but something just felt off. This is the first time I've ever spit out part of a doughnut. Disappointing. It was also pretty expensive at over $2. Shame they don't have Dunkin Donuts in this town.

    (2)

  • Christine S.

    Say the three little words, and I'm yours: fried chicken donut. Country fried chicken thighs (cut up into pieces) with spiced honey and Frank's hot sauce on top of a glazed donut. All for $4.75! What more do you need in life? The savory and sweet flavors work really well together. And the hot sauce makes it even better! (Portland really has the fried chicken thing down!) Donuts are around $2.50 each which is a little steep, but you get the quality that you pay for.

    (4)

  • Andrea V.

    The donuts are OK, I think it's cool that they have some really neat combinations and flavors that are different. The donut itself though was dry and tasted like it had been sitting out for a whole day. Not a moist yummy doughnut. Had the marionberry pepper jam and peanut butter powdered doughnut, and the blueberry bourbon basil donut.

    (3)

  • Shauna M.

    WOW! WOW! WOW! Lemon Poppy seed and Old Fashioned... AMAZING!!! Friendly service, reasonable prices for artisan doughnuts. Beautiful presentation and clean store. Free on-street parking close-by. Love these doughnuts, a MUST!

    (5)

  • Tricia T.

    Delicious donuts, quality ingredients, clean atmosphere and good customer service. After going to Voodoo (the highly recommended- but in my opinion OVERRATED), I'm SO glad someone told us about Blue Star. 10x better. Fried chicken on a donut? Yes please. Secret--- order it on the maple bacon donut and you won't be disappointed. It's perfect for 2 people to share. If you're looking for a sweet treat, this is definitely the place to go. They're open til they sell out, so just know they may be sold out of the one you want.

    (5)

  • Esther K.

    My first time here was late on a Saturday morning. Understandably, it was crowded and there was a short line to order. I'm totally OK with that. I know how popular Blue Star is, and I was prepared for a wait. What I didn't understand was that there was no menu, and only about 10 different offerings shown in a display case. Some of the doughnuts on display were sold out (Maple Bacon doughnut, i'm talking about you) and while waiting in line, some customers ahead of me ordered doughnuts that were NOT in the display. What gives?! I want a custard-filled doughnut! If I knew that was an option, I totally would have gotten one! I ordered 3 doughnuts, the cheapest of them around $2.75 and they were good, but not mind-blowing. I didn't think the flavors were very creative, and the dough is very dense. Definitely not melt-in-your-mouth, or spongey. Maybe I need to go back with a Blue Star veteran to show me the ropes of how to eat here because I just didn't get it.

    (3)

  • Ziyan C.

    Wow. Fantastic. I can't believe I was getting my donut fix on my visits to Portland at Voodoo (which, granted, is good, but not mind-blowing like Blue Star!) when I could've been having this! Especially if you like yeast vs. cake doughnuts, you GOTTA come here! This now makes the list of my go-to places in Portland. THE WAIT: None on a Sunday afternoon around 4pm. There was a steady stream of people coming in, the seats were mostly full but a table always opened up for anyone who just came in. One couple was in line before us, and the vibe here is so chill - I was taking a long time deciding between everything that looked awesome and I asked if they wanted to go ahead of us. They were just like "nah, we're just hanging out". THE SERVICE: The guy at the counter was great. He loves everything about doughnuts and all the flavors here. Of course, that makes him a great enabler, but he didn't mind me agonizing over what to order (and I ended up getting 4 flavors) and was great at explaining what was popular, what were his faves, and what goes into specific doughnuts. THE COST: $13 total for 4 doughnuts. SO worth it! MUST-HAVES: Maple Bacon, all the way! I was hesitant because this is such an overdone doughnut flavor, but this was by far the best Maple bacon I've ever had. * Maple Bacon - 5 stars cross-section: yelp.com/biz_photos/blue… By far my favorite, and surprisingly beats out all the amazing Maple Bacon doughnuts I've had at various famous doughnut spots in SF/Portland. What made it stand out so much? The quality of the bacon. On top of, of course, their fantasticly soft, airy, and moist dough. The bacon - wow! - I didn't realize what bad quality bacon toppings have been on other Maple Bacon doughnuts I've tried (those have been stale, dry, hard). This bacon was.. soft! Fresh! And just seemed like quality meat. You won't fully understand 'til you try it, so just TRY IT!! No regrets, I promise! * Valrhona Chocolate Crunch - 4.5 stars pic: yelp.com/biz_photos/blue… Great for satisfying my chocolate desire (and the chocolate not being overly sweet) and need for crunchy texture. Not as much mix in flavors - sweet topping, sweet filling, so make sure you're not too sweet-adverse before diving into this one! * Cointreau Crème Brulée - 4.5 stars pic: yelp.com/biz_photos/blue… cross-section: yelp.com/biz_photos/blue… This was fun! I thought the little plastic pipet sticking out of the doughnuts on their trays were mid-preparation, but you get to squeeze in the orange cointreau. Unfortunately, I couldn't much taste the orange or the cointreau as there was so much else going on! The extra crackle from the caramelized sugar up top was nicely done, the filling was thick but I wished could've been more creamy/smooth. Just being picky - still really liked this! * Blueberry - 4 stars pic: yelp.com/biz_photos/blue… cross-section: yelp.com/biz_photos/blue… A great unique flavor. Tasty - sweet and slightly tart. I only rate it slightly lower than the others because it doesn't have that extra something that makes it really stand out.

    (5)

  • Sudipto G.

    Best donuts I've had in PDX. period. Not much of a donut fan but this place is legit. Had three varieites, the blueberry, chocolate ganache and the dulce de leche... all very staggeringly awesome. Just go there and pick one from their rotating list of flavors you will not be disappointed!!

    (5)

  • Yurdi H.

    Get there early, arrived around noon today and there were a total of 5 donuts (literally) left to choose from, meaning if I had wanted to, I could have bought all 5 and they would be done selling donuts for the day. Waste of time.

    (2)

  • Joe L.

    As a graduate student at the UO Portland, I recently did a group project for one of my courses on the public perceptions of Blue Star vs Voodoo Donuts in town. So, as a result, I've sampled my fair share of Blue Star donuts at two of the locations. At this Hawthorne location, the service was always good, and surprisingly quick. Don't expect personal service, however, this place is busy and lines often form. First off, consider yourself lucky if you can capture the magical unicorn that is known as the chicken fried donut. I stood outside that location doing a survey over the course of a couple of weekends, and never remember it being available. I'm sure it is, but it must sell out in minutes. I have a feeling I'd need a DeLorean with a Flux Capacitor to travel back in time a few hours to reserve one before they sell out. Get to the point, you ask? Ok. Anything with the blueberry glaze is the best thing I've had there. Green tea/matcha donut is my second flavorite. Chocolate ganache rounds out the third place on my list. Worst thing I've had at Blue Star: The carrot cake donut was shockingly bland. I'm not big on overly sweet treats (I know, I'm weird), but this was so bland I had to ADD sugar to it when I brought it home to eat. My wife, who is a baker, agreed and was disappointed. If you want a donut that tastes like a crumbly dinner roll with the vague flavor of carrot, you'll enjoy it. It was far blander than any actual carrot cake I've had. Personally, I wasn't impressed enough with all the donuts I had to drive me to return to Blue Star regularly. I get that might not be the trendy answer, but it's my honest one. It's hit or miss with the flavors, which range from pleasantly sweet to bland. Recently, I've had Pip's donuts..which blow away Blue Star in quality and flavor.

    (3)

  • Tnvd C.

    Really interesting flavors that showcase local ingredients, but they're a little too far removed from being donuts to be "donuts". More like a fluffy sweet French bread thing with fancy sugary overcompensating toppings. They're good, but really expensive (five bucks after tip) and dense and I always get a stomach ache directly afterwards. I know everyone else seems to be really excited about them though. Maybe I'm just a donut purist. The donuts are very pretty to look at and the location is very shiny and sterile looking.

    (3)

  • Marie B.

    Yes, the stuffed Shoreline WA trio meandered to Blue Star Donuts after lunching at Pok Pok yesterday 4/19/15. Coincidentally, the table next to us at Pok Pok also were in line ahead of us getting takeout doughnuts. We wanted to sample what was considered Portland's epic doughnuts and supposedly even better than Voodoo Doughnuts. Again, located in another vibrant and popular PDX neighborhood along SE Hawthorne. We shared bites and totally enjoyed the Dulce de Leche with Hazelnuts, Maple Bacon, Mexican Hot Chocolate, and Buttermilk Old Fashioned. Prices ranged from $2.75-$3.75 for these particular ones. Bright, open layout and production area. Enthusiastic counter and baking staff with dub step music cranking adding to the atmosphere. Wow - they definitely are up there in doughnut supremacy with Voodoo and businesses we are familiar with further up north, Top Pot and Frost. Four Blue Star Donuts locations in Portland and one in Tokyo, Japan.

    (5)

  • Danielle B.

    They make really good chicken here. Wait huh? The fried chicken & donut. Not what I expected to be the star of the show, but it was. The Fried Chicken Donut at $4.75 a pop is a meal. Country fried chicken pieces and their original glaze donut. Toppings are a spiced honey and/or hot sauce. The chicken is cooked absolutely perfect with a nice crisp breading and juicy meat. It oddly almost reminded me of Korean fried chicken from a place like bonchon or of that caliber. And what about the other donuts? Let's start with the fact that making the decision of which donut to get was agonizing as everything looked interestingly delicious. We ordered 3 to go (~$3/donut): Hard Apple Cider fritter: The boys behind the counter helped me pick this one out. They basically said their fritters are a must try. The "hard" part of the apple cider elevated this donut over any regular apple fritter. Cointreau Creme Brulee: Why is there a pipette sticking out of that donut is probably your first thought at sight of this donut. Within the pipette is an orange liqueur that can be squeezed directly into the donut or taken as a shot separate of the donut. I didn't need the Cointreau in my creme brulee. I think my palate was a little confused and over-sugared. Blueberry basil bourbon: This one was sweeter than it needed to be. If the sweet was tamed I think the bourbon and basil flavors could have been more highlighted. Speaking of the boys behind the counter. They were very friendly, helpful, and extremely patient of our indecisiveness. So my final decision: fried chicken donut, of course. Keep in mind it did take a few minutes to put this one together so this won't be your quick stop donut choice. And how do they compare to their fancy donut arch nemesis Voodoo? Voodoo is like your eccentric auntie--everyone loves her but she definitely is cray. Blue Star is your put-together cousin who just graduated law school--much more calculated, seasoned, and experienced. Both have their pros and cons.

    (4)

  • Nio S.

    This donut shop hands down throws Voodoo back to the mixing bowl. The hype is real folks!! These donuts are very well made, the donut itself is very light not taking a death toll to the stomach when you have eaten a few tasty goodness. For first timers I suggest tasting the Fried chicken with a donut just to get the curiosity out of the way cuz its actually an experience in itself unless you have issues with mixing savory with sweet. The people that work here are friendly and funny as hell(if you enjoy dry humor and sarcasm then this is your spot to hang out!) I will definitely come back to taste the other flavors they bring out along with the specials. I strongly suggest checking out this place when or if you live in Portland...there is a reason why a line out the door is placed here at Blue Star Happy Eats Everyone!!

    (5)

  • Pete H.

    Vastly over-rated and I do not understand why this is so popular? I think it is the hype. I went in recently with a friend. We both ordered one donut. Took a bite of ours, tried the other one, and threw them both away. And the service was terrible. Rude and just incompetent. I would say it is too expensive also. But come on, it is still only a couple bucks for a donut. There are just far far better donuts out there in PDX for me to ever want to step in here again.

    (2)

  • Stephanie D.

    Not ur traditional donut and kids may not like the different flavors... But for adult it's a gourmet donut with some amazing flavors a must try for anyone that loves a great donut and coffee!!

    (5)

  • Astha M.

    I will mark the day I had Blue Star Donuts as my day of donut enlightenment. This is what I have been missing all my life! People who recommend Voodoo Donuts don't know donuts!! I had the honor of eating Mexican hot chocolate and Coconut coffee cheesecake and both were oh so delicious. There was a little crunch on the outside and they were not your typical death by sugar donuts. So, do yourself a favor and get Blue Star donuts..and remember..they sell out FAST!!

    (5)

  • Kristi C.

    Key Lime & Lemon Curd filled donut. YUM. I can pass by the regular donuts, but I'll stop for a good filled donut. This one was perfectly tart & sweet, it's outside dusted with powdered sugar. I like that they use wholesome ingredient and rice oil for frying. This is where you'll want to go in Portland for an extraordinary donut experience.

    (5)

  • Dichosa M.

    Different donut place. Heavy doughnuts. They have different and unusual toppings. But not worth the 4 or 5 stars that many give it, in my opinion. Maybe I am too much of a traditionalist. For a 5 star go to Donutland, not fancy just a great light flavorful doughnut.

    (2)

  • Matt F.

    So freakin good. You can taste the quality ingredients. Def a step above almost every donut shop I have been to. IDK why everyone raves about Voodoo with these guys in town.

    (5)

  • Kristen T.

    Delicious donuts that aren't too sweet! My favorites were the blueberry, lemon, and green tea. None of them were overly sweet and the flavoring was great! Service was also very friendly. This place is way better than voodoo!

    (5)

  • Robin N.

    Old fashioned donut. Hands down, the BEST donuts they have. Yes, I know they sound and look a little boring but trust me. They're the most amazing donuts I've ever had in my LIFE. They're sweet and savory and have a satisfying crunch on the bottom. YUM.

    (5)

  • Sara N.

    Yum! Super nice and helpful service! My mom and I had trouble deciding which donuts to pick out, and the guy at the counter gave us some great recommendations. I will have to try and make another stop before leaving Portland! Can Blue Star please open on the East Cost?

    (4)

  • Lana N.

    My friend recommended this place instead of Voodoo donuts. We stopped by this morning for a snack. The place is small and cute, their donuts were all on display so it was easy to see. I'm more of a visual person so I loved the fact that they displayed all their donuts for us to choose. We ordered the following: - Blueberry crunch - the donuts was light and sweet. It was topped with a blueberry frosting with some bits of blueberry and a crunch, looked like cereal. Definitely my favorite out of the 3. - Beignets - this was fluffy and doughy on the inside. It was topped with powdered sugar and was just right. - Mexican hot chocolate - this one was a cake donut and topped with a Mexican hot chocolate ganache. This one was a bit on the overly sweet side. -Coffee - just regular cup of joe. Nothing spectacular but still good with the donuts Parking is a little tough, especially if it's a busy weekend. We were able to find a spot so it wasn't too bad. Overall I liked the donuts and the service was good. Staff here are friendly and he even brought me the donuts to our table. Donuts are good and they look amazing as they taste!

    (4)

  • Linh F.

    we put blue star donuts on our list since we wanted to try their blueberry donut! we tried going here three times. first time was on national donut day... nope. they sold out and shut their doors by noon. second time, we couldn't get into downtown since there was a parade. thank god our final attempt was a success since we stumbled upon their location in hawthorne! tip: you get a little discount when you order a dozen. our absolute favorites: - blueberry cake / blueberry basil - raspberry cake probably my favorite donuts. ever. our least favorite: - dulce de leche too way too sweet. - widmer hefe citrus cake was meh. - apple fritter. we just weren't fans. this was extremely heavy and sweet. notable: i've had a number of maple and bacon donuts just out of curiosity. this is my favorite. it is just very well done. love bacon bits (over strips of bacon), the donut itself is just great. with that said, it is not something i order on the regs but it is a must try if you haven't had it already. FOODS: the donuts in general were awesome. glazed donuts were fluffy and melted in your mouth. the cake donuts were light. just quality donuts. SERVICE: line moves quickly. can't say any more than that since there was minimal interaction. AMBIENCE: the location in hawthorne is not as cute as the one in downtown. both locations are very bright. clean white walls with a lot of natural light. PARKING: pay and park on the street. overall: we ended up getting donuts from here twice because we had to have the blueberry and raspberry donuts again. make sure you get a cup of coffee.

    (5)

  • Hayden N.

    Hyped up? Not at all! I still prefer Blue Star over Voodoo Doughnuts--I could easily inhale an entire doughnut, it's a light raised dough and not sickeningly sweet. My favourites are the hazelnut dulce de leche and the lemon meyer curds. When there was only one location in SW Portland, it was difficult to make my way down there just for a doughnut and they typically run out before midday so I like that there is a location on the east side of town now. Having four locations makes it too easy to stop in, I hope it doesn't become like Starbucks where there's one on every street corner because that could be very dangerous.

    (4)

  • JP R.

    I felt like I cheated on my wife. On my routine trip to Portland, I always paid a visit to the infamous donut shop in PDX. This trip however was different. My wife had learned about Blue Star donuts after doing some pre-trip research online. We decided to try something different. This pristine donut shop is located on Hawthorne and is quite easy to find. The lineup is short and the seating area is small. Most people purchased their donuts and left to eat somehwere else, as did we. Their selection was small but did pack a punch. I found them to be a tad bit on the oily side and more cake like. For me, they were good but not great. I don't think I will return. That being said, if you would like to try something new and still want some creativity in your donut, look no further. This is your best alternative.

    (3)

  • Neil W.

    God these are some of the most beautiful donuts I have ever seen. I wanted to try one of each; my wife was not going for that. We got the chocolate almond, the Meyer Lemon curd, the PB&J, and the lemon poppy seed. The chocolate almond was great. My wife put it best; "like a QFC chocolate covered donut, only made right." It was quality ingredients put in a simple and tasty form. The poppy seed was a bit too sweet and tart and the donut itself was a bit dry. My wife got the PB&J, she thought the powdered PB was good, but was not as wowed by it as she had hoped. I would say the same for the curd filled. It was a little stale tasting. The coffee looked like it had been out for some time and did not call to us (we were getting ready for a drive and really wanted coffee too). It kinda reminded me of something sitting on the hot plate at Denny's. They have some really great flavor choices and I hope I just grabbed the wrong ones, but I kinda doubt it. These donuts may be like the really pretty person that has no personality.

    (2)

  • Joanne M.

    I never understood why people go to a kooky donut joint and order a plain donut. I've been educated by Blue Star. Their old fashion buttermilk glazed, hot damn, it was delicious. Try it, you're life will be a little bit better. And bonus points for turning off Justin Bieber and playing Backstreet boys instead.

    (4)

  • Rudrajit D.

    Went back twice within the first week. And will be coming more. Basically, this is the best donut dough I've had. And the flavored are spot on. So far my favorites are coffee coconut cheesecake, passion fruit cocoa nib and chocolate ganache. They tend to sell out of the more popular offerings quickly, so go early. They're a bit pricey, for donuts, but it's completely worth it.

    (5)

  • Ethan J.

    I never been inside the store but while walking in front of the store i saw one of the employees using his palm as a tray with a gigantic donut trying to put it on the display, for some reason that looked so wrong as he didn't use any glove or anything I understand you using your hands to mess with the dough but this was already cooked again it looked and felt wrong BTW the front door was open and it smelled so delicious ..

    (1)

  • David K.

    The donuts are pretty good, some on the sweeter side. This location is where they actually bake the donuts, so if you're lucky to get them fresh. Then they will probably taste much better! I had the passion fruit and cocoa nibs donut here. It was delicious. We also went to the other location off Mississippi but I noticed the donuts there were a bit more dry there. I do admit that these are MUCH better than those hyped donuts from Voodoo.

    (4)

  • Rachel R.

    BLUEBERRY BOURBON BASIL. Triple B in your mouf and you will be the happiest donut eater alive. Honestly, all a donut shop really needs to be successful is one JAW DROPPING DONUT, and I will keep coming back until my pants can no longer fit me. The only sad thing about my visit is that I didn't get more of this flavor. There's seating, no line when I went (lucky me), and free water (self serve). Now taking suggestions on how to move my LA apt next to this donut shop.

    (5)

  • Tiffany L.

    Bright, clean and cheery donut shop that just opened their second location in Hawthorne. Blue Star has definitely been making a name for themselves in the donut world. Locals seem to be pretty much over Voodoo and into the more gourmet, higher quality donuts like Blue Star or Pip's. Donuts are $2.50-$3.00 here, so a bit on the higher side for a smaller donut. I think they're worth it, though. The dough is brioche so it's light, airy and rich, and if you look close enough you can see that it's laced with tiny little vanilla bean speckles. Blue Star also uses high-quality ingredients like Stiebrs Farms cage-free eggs and Sunshine Dairy milk. That's where the extra money that you pay is going to. We tried 3 different kinds: Blueberry-Bourbon-Basil, Passion Fruit Cocoa Nib and their powder-sugared beignets. All of them were good. The blueberry donut had bright, intense and fresh flavors, and I always love the addition of basil in anything sweet. The passion fruit donut had a kick to it, spicy and sweet and studded with cocoa nibs. The beignets were airy and the perfect coffee companion. I'd like to go back and try more. Always call ahead to make sure they're not sold out already if it's past 3PM. They close around 7-ish but many times they're sold out long before then!

    (4)

  • Will C.

    The donuts are pricey but they're well worth it. Also want to note that there isn't a crazy line you need to start waiting in early in the morning. I tried: creme brulet key lime creme filled among many others. They were all very good and I highly recommend checking it out when you are in town!

    (5)

  • Mandarin Y.

    By far the best doughnuts in Portland. I liked how their doughnuts were not overly sweet and the flavor combinations were really tasty. I tried their beignets which were light and fluffy. I also tried the matcha green tea doughnuts, not too sweet and you can really taste the green tea. Their bacon maple doughnut was also very tasty.

    (5)

  • Christina C.

    I shared the lemon poppyseed buttermilk donut, creme brûlée donut, and fried chicken donut. All three were delicious. The buttermilk donut had a nice dark brown exterior and the interior was moist and crumbly. The crunchy top of the creme brûlée donut provided a nice, slightly bitter note that balanced the rest of the sweet pastry. The fried chicken donut was coated in a ample amount of sticky maple and honey syrup and then topped with perfectly crispy fried chicken pieces. The hot sauce takes the donut to the next level.

    (5)

  • Lisa T.

    Not sure if the donuts are worth an avg of $3.5 but they make me happy each time I eat it! I like to try a new kind of donut each time I go but I still always get my favorite (blueberry basil) with it!! I wanted to try their creme brûlée donut for 21. The guy said they usually don't make it until 9:30am (it depends on the day) but they're usually gone by 11 or 1130am!! Such a small time frame!

    (5)

  • Priya C.

    Great location, bright space with friendly employees, but the donuts were definitely overhyped. We got the blueberry bourbon basil, and while the flavors were great, it was definitely too sweet, and the layer of glaze on the donut was way, way too thick. The yeast donut itself was also dry and old tasting, but I presume it was recently made? Also tried the lemon poppy seed cake donut, which was much better, but still on the dry side. I appreciate all the creative flavors, but I think it's the core donut that needs to be good first, in order for the other flavors to shine through.

    (3)

  • Zach R.

    Absolutely love this place. By far my favorite doughnut in town! You won't find any stale cereal here, but you will find carefully crafted killer doughnuts. Try any, they are all great! Enjoy.

    (5)

  • Paulette L.

    move over voodoo. you just got de-throned. Big difference is the actual donut itself. They. Are. Bomb. I'll give voodoo some credit - they get creative with their toppings. But the donuts are pretty much the same. Here, the donuts are really flippin good. And the toppings are more.... refined? Fancy? Not dunked in sugar? I just don't feel like I'm taking a bit of diabetes when I eat one (or 2). I would drive around for blocks looking for parking just to taste you again, Blue Star. I love you.

    (5)

  • Bonnie P.

    Large donuts for $3. Fresh and a little greasy but they were good. I liked the old-fashioned buttermilk, the lemon poppy seed and the maple bacon. One would fill you up. I wish I'd had some milk to wash down the sugar. Yummy.

    (4)

  • Meghan L.

    Perfection. Pure joy. Buttermilk old fashioned. The best I have ever ever ever had and I eat a lot of donuts.

    (5)

  • Renette Y.

    The doughnuts are not cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for. They are a truly gourmet doughnut, with a variety of flavors to choose from. My favorite are the blueberry bourbon basil and the old fashioned buttermilk, but other good ones are the hard cider fritter, and pretty much anything else! The customer service is very friendly and calm, but efficient even when the store is crowded with customers waiting in line. This store is much more convenient for me than the other two locations, and easier to find parking.

    (5)

  • Joyce W.

    had high expectations for this place ... but its just alright ... I mean yes the creme brulee donut was good but i thought the orange liquor was a lil bit too much ... other donuts were just alright .. i had gotten the bacon one but did not get to try it .. it just seemed alright .

    (3)

  • Emily D.

    I was told when I got to Portland, "if you're looking for the touristy weird donut experience go to voodoo donuts. If you're looking for quality gourmet donuts, you want to go to blue star." They were correct. The selections are interesting the donut of the day had a creme brûlée with a little plastic beaker of syrup to squirt inside. Delicious! All the donuts were light, did not have a strong oil taste, the concocted flavors really shone through. My favorite was the Rose rose (rhymes with hey and best pronounced with some spunk) a seasonal option celebrating the Portland Rose festival. It is a cute pink donut with a clear sweet glaze. It has some kind of rose or st Germaine essence or something with candy orange bits and pistachios on top. Yum! We also had a raspberry one that was very good but that Rose' rose' was a must if they have it

    (5)

  • Dionne J.

    Love Blue Star donuts. Definitely more tasty than Voo Doo. This time had matcha green tea one and it was delicious. Also had enjoyed the chocolate granache and peanut butter one from before. All great!

    (5)

  • Jim L.

    Got a dozen so we could try them all. My favorites were the key lime, raspberry, any of the chocolates, and the apple fritter. These things are expensive though. Figure $3.00-$3.50 each. They use all organic ingredients and brioche batter so very high quality. They are fried in peanut oil so much lighter eating than a regular donut.

    (4)

  • Russel C.

    Meh is right, I wanted to love Blue Star but after 3 visits and trying multiple flavors I was left disappointed each time. They have some creative flavors, but the "yum" dies at the texture of the raised donuts. I don't know what it is, its sorta like a "bagel" in this town...it isn't necessarily horrible, but its not great.

    (2)

  • Angik S.

    One of the best donuts I have ever tasted. We had: Coffee coconut cheesecake donut-awesome. Would return for it. Dulce de leche hazelnut: too good Blueberry crunch: good Mexican hot chocolate: okay. Their dough is so soft.

    (5)

  • Andrew A.

    One person helping the long line at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday in breakfast crazed Portland. Great job on the scheduling. yummy donuts as everyone knows. Prices are in line with Voodoo and more than at Krispy Kreme; not too outrageous. I wish they served espresso.

    (3)

  • Marc F.

    Blue Star He waits in a house kimono, Blue Star Thousands of bikes, thousands of puddles She's forgotten him for the spectrum around her Donut galaxy; donut galaxy Blue Star What goes fruit-spirit-spice brioche Blue Star Oh loudflavor signatures save the boulevard She comes home later just to give him Donut galaxy; donut galaxy Blue Star pd X

    (4)

  • William H.

    I have been to the original Blue Star many times, and only half of the time I get to have a one (three, four, and maybe five) of their delicious doughnuts. Coming to this new location, it seems that limited supply has vanquished as I see 2 people pounding out batches at 2pm. Seems the doughnut factory is churning and the lines are non existant--probably because people have not figure out they opened this location. I tried three doughnuts: Bacon with REAL Maple: Good, but I actually like Voodoo's version better (that's the only doughnut I like at voodoo) Dulce de Leche with Hazelnuts - honestly I didn't really taste that much hazelnut, and the glaze was a bit pasty and bland Old Fashioned - all the doughnut dough is to soft and fluffy and this doughnut showcases it so well. Probably the best old fashioned I've had. I tried another two at the original location: Peanut Powdered doughnut filled with blackberry compote - yum, one of my favorites Creme Brulee with Cointreau - the Cointreau Syrup came in a plastic pipet. the crack of the caramelized sugar was definitely perfection.

    (4)

  • Artorius R.

    I had heard lots and lots of positive buzz about Blue Star Donuts, so when doing some last minute shopping on Hawthorne, and stumbling across this location, I thought it'd be a nice treat for a pre-Christmas Monday morning. We bought one each of six different varieties (Carrot cake, Lemon Poppy-seed, Chocolate peppermint, chocolate almond, Valrhona chocolate, and one other that escapes recollection). Their attempt at creating interesting flavors should be applauded, but their execution was poor. All flavors failed to punch and come through cleanly and clearly. The raised donuts were dense and bread-like. The cake donuts were a bit dry and lacking any crunch whatsoever. The interior of the place was antiseptic and not at all welcoming. Maybe offering samples of the donuts would have kept me from wasting $19 on six donuts that could easily have been outdone by the normal ones at Sesame Donuts out west. I'm sorry, but like Voodoo donuts, this place is best avoided if you're looking for a donut to remember and want to purchase again.

    (2)

  • Joshua S.

    The donuts I've had at the downtown location were really good, and I was excited to be close to this one since I just moved into the neighborhood. However, my wife and I had a bad experience. We entered and we were the ONLY ones in the store. The girl behind the counter was stocking it, and didn't say hi or acknowledge us. I was ready right away, but waited on her. Next, a family came in behind us. She asked them what they wanted, and they said they needed to think. She went back to stocking for a couple more minutes, then asked them again. I don't think I've ever been ignored in a business before, so I just left. I look at it positively, since I love their donuts so much, I would probably have spent a lot of money and gained lots of pounds if I didn't have a reason to avoid it. I don't want to experience their bad customer service ever again.

    (2)

  • Vash B.

    Lives up to the hype. Not a place to go grab a dozen for the office. This is a Saturday morning stroll in and see whats fresh kind of place. This is a treat. This is special. My recommendation? Key Lime Cream Filled powdered doughnut. fresh, tangy, sweet, delicate and delicious. It is springtime on your tongue.

    (4)

  • Charae G.

    Delicious donuts and wonderful service! I'm pretty traditional when it comes to donuts, but I branched out tonight and had my first ever passion fruit donut. It was delicious - not too sweet and just the right amount of passion. ;-) Lots of room to sit, and we enjoyed talking to the guy working there tonight. Thanks Blue Star!

    (5)

  • Jen B.

    3.5* Great menu options that all sounded YUMMY, really great staff, but the actual taste of the donut wasn't as amazing as I had hoped. I wanted to love the donut more than I did, but I've been lucky to try some of the world's best and these are not it. Very good!!!

    (3)

  • karen s.

    I love donuts. Let's just get that out there right away. I've tried donuts all over the Portland area. Voodoo donut, of course. And lots of other local joints. Blue Star? Meh. It gets a 3 star because the guy behind the counter was so helpful and nice. We got 6 different donuts. Meyer Lemon, Glazed Old Fashioned, Vahlrona Chocolate, Original Glazed, Sugar and Spice (I think that is what it is called), and Blueberry Crunch. The donuts were ok. The cake was not too dense and the glazes were tasty. The fillings were thin & kind of watery. They just didn't live up to my standard. There's a donut shop in Tigard (Tigard Donut) that blows all other Portland area donut shops out of the water. I am afraid I've been spoiled for all other donuts.

    (3)

  • Jonathan R.

    Blue Star Donuts - Is the Tiffany's of donuts. Their Donuts case shines their fried, glazed trinkets all lined up looking so incredible. Wait until you taste them! Fried Chicken Donut- Amazing! Almost life changing.....Crispy fried chicken thighs drizzled with spiced honey accompanied by Frank's original hot sauce, so you got this whole Buffalo fried chicken wing thing going on which is amazing. I thought this place blew the doors off of Voodoo Donuts- Voodoo is fun, but Blue Star takes it to a whole new level.

    (4)

  • Donna K.

    I would give this more 3.5 because I'm just seeing this as another donut shop tying to do different things. I will say that I'd much rather stand in a line at Blue Star Donuts than voodoo. Blue star is really trying to be innovative. Of all the donuts I've tried, my favorite is the passion fruit coco nibs. I'm really not a fan of the popular bourbon one. The creme brûlée one has some promise to it and the original one reminds me of crispy creme. Maybe I'm just not a fan of donuts and I'm being bias. I will come back and try the different ones, because I like variety in my life! Life is a box of chocolates, not donuts! Bonus: chicken fried donut?!? That sounds intriguing I will try this one day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    (3)

  • kenyarda w.

    So I was visiting Portland for the weekend and on my way to the airport I decided to get a donut. My Airbnb host told me to skip Voodoo and to try this place. Best glazed donut ever! And no crazy ass lines. Walked right in and out.

    (5)

  • Mindy P.

    Fried. Chicken. Donut. Need I say more? I went just to experience this donut. It's a huge meal in itself. I had it around 11am, then proceeded to walk around the city all day, and was not hungry until close to dinner time. A regular donut is freshly fried and glazed. Then it is topped with chopped up freshly fried chicken tenders. It is served with packets of hot sauce. Sweet. Savory. Spicy. There's a lot going on. I would go try it just to say you've done it. You will enjoy it. But please, if you move/live here, don't eat this more than once a month, or you will be fat--really really fat. Besides, Portland has too many places to eat to spend all your calories here. However, I will say I prefer this place to Voodoo. OH SNAP. Also, they serve Stumptown coffee. Shyeaaaa. That's always a win. MmmmmmMMmmmmMMmmmmm....coffee.

    (4)

  • Sarah W.

    WONDERFUL! Some of the best donuts I've had. I ordered eight different donuts and loved each of them. (I tried the lemon poppyseed old-fashioned, raspberry old-fashioned, blueberry bourbon basil, maple bacon, beignets, hard Apple cider fritter, OG [original glazed], and something chocolate cream.) I would order any of these again! The old-fashioned donuts have the perfect bit of crunch. The glaze on each of the donuts was perfect without being too sugary. Each donut was around $3- not something that I would do everyday, but a yummy treat!

    (5)

  • Deanna N.

    The donuts are quite good thoroughly enjoyed the blueberry basil one over the more plain dulce de leche hazlenut. Stumptown coffee no specialty drinks the star is the donut. Seating is rather limited. Prices range from 2.25 to 2.75, definitely not A place you treat the office to a dozen.

    (4)

  • ryan j.

    I had the lemon poppyseed donut. It was soft, fluffy, fresh, slightly tangy. Simply, it was perfect.

    (5)

  • Wahkeena S.

    it's completely messed up how ridiculously delicious the Blue Star donuts are. ordinarily, i'm not much of a donut fan - and i consider these a special indulgence that i would only dabble in a few times a year. but dear lord! these things are like total crack. i feel sorry for everybody else in the rest of the country who does not have access to Blue Star - they are arguably among the very best donuts in the country.

    (5)

  • Hey U.

    Popped in Sunday morning for a donut surprise for the extended family at the house - at 8:10am I was the only guy in there (they had just opened) but by the time I left there were 3-4 families behind me. Service, nice enough but a tad slow. 6 people working the back and one guy who needed coffee working the front. But nice enough. The donuts - we had quite a tasting at the house. 1. Glazed (the standard) - perfect light donut with a heavy glaze on it. Well liked but everyone. An absolute great donut. Light, fluffy and delicious. 2. Old fashioned buttermilk glazed - fantastic. A thick crust I've never experienced before and absolutely loved, cake like inside and their very good glaze. We loved these too. 3. Blueberry Bourbon Basil - ok. The same light donut as the glazed but no hint of basil or bourbon; just overly sweet frosting (kind of blue berry). It was fine, but no one went wild for this one. Should have tried the blueberry cake one... 4. Dolce de leche and hazel nut - was fine. Not spectacular but was enjoyed. 5. Coffee coconut chocolate - not good. Both the coffee lover and coconut lover really disliked this donut. The one we bough went 1/2 into the compost. Skip this one. 6. Mexican hot chocolate - looks like a great kid donut but they all walked away from it after 2 bites; adults loved. Lots of flavor and a little spice. Great donut just not for the little ones. 7. Carrot cake - a miss. We didn't really like this one either, 1/2 went into the compost. Just didn't taste at all like a carrot cake...the donut or frosting. Was weird. 8. Hard apple cider fritter - excellent. Love it and I am a fritter fan - one of the best I have ever had. From great outside crunch (like the old fashioned) to the inside...really a great donut. 9. Maple & bacon - good. The one person who swooped this up did enjoy it quite a bit. 10. Chocolate almond ganache - good as well. Both were gobbled up quickly. I like their experimentation, you aren't always going to hit a home run but it is always fun to try. We are always up for trying new flavors and after coming here we have a new favorite donut shop in town.

    (4)

  • Peggy P.

    Blueberry bourbon basil, key lime lemon curd just two of the AMAZING flavors made with French brioche.

    (5)

  • Allie S.

    Delicious doughnuts. You get a 10% discount if you get a dozen, so of course we did. The favorite was lemon/key lime curd and lemon poppy seed. The doughnuts are $2.50 to $3.

    (5)

  • Sam F.

    Called in and still had a selection @ 6 pm on a super rainy wed- got seven (2 of the bourbon basil blueberry) and they were all stellar. Biffed on the cake option- next time! The pb&j was nutty delicious craziness!

    (4)

  • Andrea M.

    If you can put an emotion on a doughnut it would be joy and happiness. My daughter had the passion fruit doughnut. One bite and flavor of sweet fruit explodes in your mouth. The aftertaste even lingers around. I wish I could describe how light and delicious this particular doughnut was. Just go there and put it in your mouth. You won't regret it.

    (5)

  • Megan L.

    This is a great space and addition to the neighborhood! My fav was the blueberry burbon basil. But the raspberry buttermilk was tasty too. Staff super friendly!!

    (5)

  • Ron S.

    It's alright . Second time here and it's still not like omg I have to have it . And I feel like they need to make more donuts ahead of time because they just run out sometimes which is lame . Had the green tea and the Creme brûlée both good . You can already tell what the texture is like for the donuts when you look at them. Still nothing crazy special or anything that blows my taste buds .

    (4)

  • James H.

    Best doughnuts in the world. Right here. I've never been a fan of any other doughnut. I mean. It's just all too sweet and gross. And unhealthy. But blue star put class into the doughnut. You can be classy eating a blue star doughnut. Imagine that! But really. They are gourmet. But not in a weird way. It's not homemade. It's chef made. So good. So good. So freaking good. I recommend this place 100% percent. And I won't recommend any single doughnut. Everyone likes different ones. So just try some. Or ask the Cashier which are most popular. Really clean store. Nice colors. Nice people. They will often throw in a couple extra on orders that are larger than 5. (If ur nice too) They serve stumptown coffee as well! Just make sure to come as early as possible! They make the doughnuts fresh everyday. And close when they sell out. They will usually still have doughnuts all the way till the closing time(8:00pm) but the best or most popular will be long gone by then. Most likely.

    (5)

  • Brandi W.

    Fried chicken doughnut...need I say more? It has truly ruined me for anything else. Sorry Voodoo and Krispy Kreme but we need to breakup. We can still be friends but this girl has traded up.

    (5)

  • Yan L.

    I can't say the donuts here are the type I like, though they do have a lot of interesting flavors like creme brulee and green tea. We got those two and also the classic buttermilk one. My preference is for donuts which are chewy and doughy. Here, the donuts have the crumbly texture of a cake, which I guess is fine if you like that type of donut. They're also rather expensive. They have a really nice brightly-lit space, with an open kitchen prep area where you can see them making the donuts. The staff here are very nice people.

    (2)

  • McKenzie M.

    Everyone and their mother knows that Voodoo Donuts is the ultimate Portland experience. The truth is their donuts are good, but not great. If you want a top-quality donut, Blue Star has what you're looking for. The blueberry bourbon basil really is fantastic. It's a citrus-herb punch, with the bourbon adding that little extra something and not overpowered by sugar. I cannot explain why this donut is so good, but I don't think this odd trifecta would work without all three. And that, dear friends, is everything a funky flavor combination should be. I haven't been quite as impressed with the others I've tried, but I feel this is more personal preference than anything else. Not just the flavors need to be commented on, but the texture of the donuts themselves. These donuts do not deflate as soon as you take the first bite, and stay just a little bit chewy. I like that it makes me feel like I"m eating something more substantial. It's satisfying, and that's a good thing at about $3 a donut. You don't need more than one, although you'll want to try them all. What Voodoo has on this place is atmosphere. I'm not fond of the stark, cold look of their establishments with white tile floors and splashes of blue. It's no wonder you hardly ever see anyone linger in the shop. It's not a good place to hang out, but do they ever know how to do donuts.

    (4)

  • Sherlock H.

    Very overpriced donuts. Seriously, $3-$4 for a donut. The music was terribly loud...so loud that the guy couldn't hear what I ordered and gave me the wrong donut. Very limited selection which I assume is supposed to make them more hip. The quality is fine, but Tonali's on Alberta is way better, cheaper, quiet and they have a huge selection.

    (2)

  • Kellie S.

    People waiting patiently as we walk by and then we see just how many people are working in the donut shop, we had to stop and see what they had. We just had breakfast at the waffle window, so we were all stuffed but I would have loved to try the fried chicken donut. We all split a bunch of donuts and they were great. Not too sweet, very fresh, super delicious flavors and they are all overly friendly in the shop and will answer any questions you have as they are frosting and making donuts. A couple days later we tried Voodoo and I would definitely come back here before ever going to the other. Don't make the same mistake and only try Blue Star. Each donut will cost you about $2 and the same for coffee, but well worth it for a special treat.

    (5)

  • Jason K.

    Not a huge selection, but what they have is interesting and inventive. They're also tasty...I guess I should have mentioned that first, since that's the important part. More expensive, but definitely better than what I've had at "that other place" that everyone goes to and is willing to stand in a huge-long line for what amounts to a cheap gimmick.

    (4)

  • Robinton H.

    I've had a donut from blue start. It was a 6 star donut. Fuck Blue Star Donuts. Every year for my wife's birthday she eats a Boston Cream Donut. The Valrhona might be the best variant of that type of donut. So I stop here at 8am on my way to work to buy her one. They haven't made any yet, but say they are going to later. I ask her to save me one and if they will be there at 6pm. She says "yeah, I'll make extra". 5:55 I roll up to see "SOLD OUT" in big fuck-you-letters on some box and the door is locked. So, thanks for ruining that for me. So, right back at you blue star, fuck your pretentious philosophy and shitty fucking service. If what I was asking for was so fucking hard to do, say so. I would have bought a dozen if i had to meet some minimum, I would have drove an hour to pick these up on lunch. I'm sure your patrons rarely care this much about a donut. So, go-ahead and continue being stuck up about your donuts and I'll wait for the next donut shop to come around.

    (1)

  • M E.

    Blue Star or Voodoo, that is the question. Which is the better donut? After extensive taste testing, I've concluded it is like choosing between a ballpark hot dog and crepes suzette. They each have their appropriate and different time and place. Star donuts are delicious, varied and always sophisticated. Voodoo are outrageous concoctions that are funny and fun and a long walt in queue is an essential part of the experience. You can't miss with either one - try them both on suitable occasions.

    (5)

  • Robert G.

    I was told to try Blue Star Donuts and so I did. This is easier to do with numbers and then average them: a) 5 stars - the donut was a high quality recipe and creation b) 4 stars - a nice clean store and what looks to be a quality operation c) 3 stars - the service was merely "there" and it wasn't even crowded ... at all d) 2 stars - that donut cost $3. Granted, it was a good donut but, at $1.95, I'd rather go with Voodoo's "Old Dirty Bastard" for its great combination of ingredients and taste e) 1 star - squeezing into cramped parking on the side streets north of Hawthorne in between one Subaru wagon after another, all with rooftop coffins and the SAME bumper stickers, which says groupthink to me more so than diversity. There's more REAL diversity on SE 82nd, and even south of the Clackamas County line. Imagine that. At an average of 3 stars, Blue Star on Hawthorne is a-ok but, at their unit prices, I could take it or leave it.

    (3)

  • Emese D.

    The coffee cheesecake donut is so soft and better than anything at voodoo donuts. The staff gave me excellent service. I went in depressed and in pain from my disability. Thanks for the box of donu t s guys!

    (5)

  • Mark R.

    Excellent donut. If you have only one donut spot that you can visit while in Portland, this is the one. I had to go back for a second time during my weekend here. If you have the appetite for it, the Fried Chicken & Donut is life changing. All of their donuts were pretty much amazing but the buttermilk was my favorite. I'll be sure to come back next time I'm back in Portland.

    (5)

  • Chuck N.

    Good donuts and a hilarious floor show. Not counting the very pleasant and efficient woman working the front register...this is the biggest collection of glue-sniffiers we have seen in a retail establishment. Soooo slow moving, so disorganized, so turtle-esque. There is obviously no one of any consequence from management watching this circus, i guess because they are so successful at moving product despite the workers. It's so funny to sit there and watch the crew shuffle around and take fifteen minutes to sprinkle a little sugar on a single tray. We ordered two glazed donuts (they had about 2000 sitting out) and it took us ten minutes to get them. Nutty!!!

    (3)

  • Gary L.

    Expensive ..... but worth every penny , I had the champagne peach and real maple bacon .... probably the best 2 donuts i ever ate ..... never was impressed with vodoo .... this place is excellent

    (5)

  • H B.

    One of the best donuts I've ever tasted in PDX and much better than VooDoo by far! I don't usually go for cakey donuts because I'm a big fan of raised and chewy kind. I went there with my son and we both ordered green tea and cayenne chocolate. They were chewy enough to satisfy my craving for raised donuts. I could actually taste good quality matcha (green tea) and cayenne chocolate had just a hint of spiciness and good quality chocolate glaze. They were not overly sweet like Voodoo or KrispyKream. They also offer Stumptown coffee which is my favorite! My son was not so impressed (I guess it wasn't sweet enough for him?) but for me everything was delicious! They are definitely carefully crafted donuts for grownups. It was a bit pricey paying $16 for 4 donuts and 2 small coffee, but it was all worth it and highly recommended!

    (4)

  • Paulina A.

    Delicious, tasty, and quality doughnuts made from fresh and organic ingredients. Champagne peach is super yummy along with the apple fritter and raspberry pistachio. Can't wait to try the blueberry bourbon basil, hazlenut, glazed, poppy seed, and more. Staff were warm, friendly, and quick to assist us. I appreciated the perfect location of this place in the heart of Portland's Hawthorne shopping district. The hype is definitely real!

    (5)

  • Jessica H.

    Don't get me wrong, these donuts are great. But for $3.00 a piece I'll hardly be finding myself here. Everyone should at least try this place once.

    (4)

  • R H.

    This was my first time here and based on my one and only experience. The cashier was not that friendly. Maybe I went late, but they were out of a lot of the donuts I wanted. The guy even gave me one that was on display. Who knows how long that has been there. He could have at least ASKED if I'm ok with getting one from the display. Nope, just pop that sucker right in that box. What I liked was the dough. I did not find the different flavors to be that amusing. It was pretty expensive, but maybe that is justifiable.

    (2)

  • Jacob H.

    Oy vey ist mir, do I love this place! The dough is brioche and they use rice-oil, so your mouth doesn't have a gummy film leftover after you sink into self-recrimination for eating so many delicious doughnuts. The Mexi-Chocolate is my personal favorite, which had chocolate and hot pepper liberally applied about its person--until I ate that whole sumbitch. Go here instead of Voodoo. Voodoo is for tourists and philistines.

    (5)

  • maixy j.

    This place is located in a fun area with bookstores and toy stores nearby. The donuts come in varying original flavors. The lemon poppy buttermilk is amazing! All of the donuts are fresh and so delicious.

    (4)

  • Drew B.

    I expected what most would expect from a donut place: saturated in sugar, slightly firm, potential stomach turbulence donuts. What I got was what I would expect from a competitor on Iron Chef or The Next Food Network Star: a fragile, tender dough base that I isn't overly sweetened, topped with the perfect amount of frosting, dripping with unique flavor, a brilliant color, and a moderate burst of sweetness(the blueberry basil bourbon donut in this case). This was the best donut I've ever had. I will be back, soon.

    (5)

  • Esther U.

    I am obsessed with donuts and tried my fair share of the delectable baked goodies everywhere I go. I was disappointed! I decided to forgo voodoo donuts to try blue star. The location on Washington sold out of donuts (at this point Im thinking these d's must be amazing) so decided to drive over to Hawthorne. They looked a bit dry so just bought the passion fruit brioche donut for $2.75, no tax. I won't be going back. Perhaps if they're fresh out of the oven it may be different, but they sure as heck were NOT! I give 2 stars because the guy working there was so kind.

    (2)

  • Danielle G.

    So So Good! I had the maple bacon donut with a cup of coffee (they serve Stumptown). I'm contemplating another trip to Portland just to have a donut.

    (5)

  • Laura Y.

    I went by Blue Star after getting recommendations to check it out, and like yelp says, "Meh." Maybe it was because of the heavy rain that day (although come on, it's Portland) all the donut's frostings were goopy and messy. To top it off the donuts were a bit greasy and the flavors were overly sweet and not very memorable. The only donut that was good was the passionfruit one, mostly because the tartness of the fruit worked well with all the sweetness. Honestly though, I would rather go to voodoo.

    (2)

  • Jadyn N.

    I'm not a big donut fan, but I got to say the Blue Star Donuts are very good and not so sweet like those at Voodoo donuts. The dough they use is different. All the donuts are yummy. I haven't tried the donut and chicken one yet they were sold out. :( did however try there cheesecake donut and chocolate one and those were awesome. It a very different décor very simple white and blue theme and minimal. Nice services

    (4)

  • Corby G.

    The good; the donuts were great and unique.the atmosphere, experience ans pricing was a bit much for a donut shop. It's sterile, like, doctor's office sterile. There were about five people waiting when I got there and plates in the display case with about six varieties. All of us ordered and paid at the cash register then stoid to the side wondering why we weren't being handed or donuts. The guy who took or order was just standing there waiting for the next customer to arrive. About five minutes later a girl comes out from the back and starts boxing up our orders. Not sure why it happened that way, super confusing and inefficient. Three very good donuts- fritter, dulce de leche and lemon poppy seed were $10 total. Interesting experience, but not a regular stop for me.

    (3)

  • Felicia M.

    There donuts are amazing,they where really tasty and Sweet.they are totally professional.

    (5)

  • Oladoa R.

    I have been to Blue Star many times and have tried many flavors. When it comes to the dough, it's always perfectly light and fluffy, but I actually prefer the denser vegan donuts. The staff is always awesome and helpful. My absolute favorites: Dulce de leche Carrot cake Passion fruit Cherry (vegan) - thought it would taste like cough syrup, but it was surprisingly good Pretty good, worth a try: Blueberry bourbon basil - their signature donut, the glaze is very fruity, but I don't taste the basil and bourbon Mexican chocolate - The chocolate is very dark and creamy with a kick of cayenne, very interesting Hard apple cider fritter - I was really excited for this one, but it ended up being too sweet Don't get these: Matcha green tea - Tasted nothing like green tea, was not sweet at all, tasted strangely fishy.... Coffee coconut cheesecake - not sweet at all, so it just tasted bitter, no coconut flavor

    (4)

  • Doug L.

    Yes, oh yes! Go here, leave happy... With donuts, of course. Beats out all other donuts shops in town. My favorite since visiting Orange County, California's "Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee" Kudos to the Blue Star team -very unique and creative flavor and toppings. Tres chic!

    (5)

  • Chris B.

    Oh my, oh my, oh my! Voodoo may be better than average, but this place raises the humble doughnut to the level of a fine dessert. The flavors are unique, even if the presentation is more mundane. My only complaint is that they can run out before you get a chance to get in. I am not a massive fan of doughnuts, they are an occasional thing for me. If this place were at least 800 miles closer to my home, I would be a regular. Best. Doughnuts. Ever. Hell, it is embarrassing to call them doughnuts, they are so much better.

    (5)

  • Lisa G.

    Holy cow these are amazing! Blueberry cake and Meyer lemon and key lime curd to die for. Price is right, clean ingredients even our boy with food allergies could partake! Awesome staff, clean and casual. Coming back for sure!

    (5)

  • Betsy S.

    Really wanted to love this place. I'm a huge fan of donuts, but my go-to has always been Annie's and I was excited to have a donut shop within walking distance of my house. We tried the old fashioned, the maple bacon, lemon curd, valrhona crunch, and chocolate ganache. Firstly, 5 donuts cost a little over $15. You probably won't be picking up a box for the office at that price (unless you're really generous). Second - these are not your traditional donuts. The texture of some is like cake, while others closer to a yeast donut, but thicker, more chewy, and heavy. The maple bacon was pretty good. I would get this again. The lemon curd was really good. The other three were just ok. I would probably stop by here again if I was in the neighborhood, but I probably won't walk a mile just for the donuts.

    (3)

  • Ella Q.

    This place sucks. 5 hipster guys working that care more about what they look like than customer service. So incredibly over priced and not to mention poorly laid out. Just....no.

    (1)

  • Robert O.

    The Luigi to Voodoo's Mario. Give 'em some love.

    (4)

  • Ben B.

    definitely a top donut spot in town, they keep it original with their flavors and the quality is usually top notch. at a friends request i tried the fried chicken donut... i think i had a religious experience once i topped it with franks red. DAMN GINA!!!

    (4)

  • Nunya B.

    Great donuts, and awesome service at the one on Mississippi. Younger guy working made me a creme brulee donut on the spot since they were out. Their donuts have ruined me for all other donuts.

    (5)

  • Roy L.

    I heard this is one of the places to check out in Portland for donuts so we headed over. We had the Blueberry Bourbon Basil donut. It looked delicious and tasted...ok. Nothing mind blowing which the price would seem to suggest. A nice shop though - clean and open with well designed, aesthetically pleasing donuts on display. But maybe I am just ghetto and should stick to the standard glazed or chocolate iced.

    (3)

  • Anthony M.

    This was doughnut was heavenly! I ordered the lemon filled powered and it was like having a slice of lemon meringue pie!! Wow it was so fresh and I am not surprised that they run out on s daily basis!

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :8:00 am - 8:00pm
  • Mon : 8:00 am - 8:00pm

Specialities

  • Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Good for Working : No

Blue Star Donuts

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