Located near Busch Gardens and a staple of Tampa Bay since 1982, there is a good chance that many on Florida’s East Coast have experienced Nicola’s Donuts by way of local convenience stores throughout the course of decades, but opting to go straight to the source for a Mother’s Day selection the thirty minute drive proved entirely worth the effort from the charming customer service to the delicious fried dough.
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Located near Busch Gardens and a staple of Tampa Bay since 1982, there is a good chance that many on Florida’s East Coast have experienced Nicola’s Donuts by way of local convenience stores throughout the course of decades, but opting to go straight to the source for a Mother’s Day selection the thirty minute drive proved entirely worth the effort from the charming customer service to the delicious fried dough.
Family owned and operated, open seven days a week from 5:30 till noon (or “sold out” per the door,) Nicola’s Donuts occupies a small space in a shabby Strip Mall and manned by just the baker, a middle aged woman and a young teen the selection is substantial with more than two-dozen options ranging from textbook Old Fashioned Rings and Fritters to Candy Bar toppings and Croissant-style versions.
Offering Check-In Discounts, the prices variable by style with Cheaper-by-the-Dozen values described by the young man, it was with a Half-Dozen plus one free that an order was compiled and opting to indulge as a steady flow of traffic trickled through the doors it was not long before teeth were sunk into a still-warm Blueberry Cake selection, the base no doubt straight from a box though the texture was nonetheless perfect beneath a lightly sweet glaze.
Moving onward to Fritters, unfortunately a mixed bag as the Apple item was mostly just Cinnamon while the same base was far better with the crunchy exterior juxtaposing juicy bites of Pineapple, the aforementioned Sour Cream Old Fashioned was a textbook piece of breakfast pastry, as too was the cocoa-rich Red Velvet – both an equally great deal at less than a dollar.
Generally fancying cake to Yeasted, Raised or Leavened it still seemed pertinent to taste Nicola’s Holiday themed Vanilla Glazed Donut and with a surprisingly light frosting overlying wispy dough both the flavor and texture were far better than average, the same to be said of a hoop simply labeled as “Reese’s,” the base every bit as pillow-soft while the combination of Peanut Butter, Chocolate Shell and partially melted morsels was decidedly more decadent.
Great homemade style donuts. Get there ealry folks but get there. Nicely done non chain homemade bakery donuts with all that vintage charm and taste from yesteryear when Granddad took you to the donut shop early Saturday morning for coffee milk and more than a few sweet treats.
They have all the staples and some others that are not quite as normal and do also focus on seasonal and holiday ones for some extra execitement.
Small shop, be prepared to wait while those in front of you slowly pick their doz.
"You have five donuts left", "Thanks Donut Lady, that is very helpful".
Wish there were a couple more around.
I Enjoyed These. Today, my manager brought Nicola's donuts to work for a breakfast cook-in. I absolutely loved these donuts. You could tell they were made from scratch, and the donut had a very fluffy texture. My first experience trying these delicious treats makes me want to drive to Tampa for more. I might just have to visit the next time I'm in the area.
So tasty!. Nicola's doughnut's started serving at the Yogurt spot as well! I work in the same plaza and they brought some courtesy doughnut's by-our staff is hooked! The chocolate sprinkle's were crowd pleasing, we will be coming by for more. The frosting was fresh, the dough was tasty & moist. Everything was super fresh & had that just baked fresh taste.
Fantastic!
Unbelievably good go for a coffee roll
Honey Badger Don't Care
+4.5
Donuts fine. Staff rude. Very rude.
Jonathan C. Mitchell
+4.5
Best Donuts! Get there early!. Peter Pan donuts in NY were my favorite until I ate here. Favorites are the Red Velvet, Blueberry, Oreo (special), and pumpkin (seasonal). I could keep naming more but the donuts are fresh, moist, and perfectly balanced with cake and icing unlike other places that make theirs taste like pure sugar. This location sells out super early.
One visit to Nicola's Donut Shop and You'll Never go to Dunkin Donuts Again!. Simply the best donuts you can get in town. Homemade & always delicious..... Do yourself a favor and try Nicola's Donut Shop!
Great fresh tasting donuts. My favorite is the cinnamon sugar cake donut! My mouth waters just thinking about it.
It was my first time here and I stopped by this morning to grab five dozen donuts and asked for a variety of their greatest hits.
Nichola's donuts are fantastic and HUGE! Everyone RAVED about how great they were! These aren't just donuts, they are outrageously good.
The "fancy" donuts are OVER THE TOP. People kept stopping by my office asking where I got these.
Great job!
Cute little storefront where you can run in, or call in an order. All the donuts are handmade!!! They're delicious & fresh. The cold brew is good & cheap too! But the most outstanding part is the service. The man there was so kind & helpful, customer service with a smile is so hard to find nowadays and he really made us feel welcome. I will definitely be returning.
Nicola's Donuts is a hidden gem! Their donuts are always fresh and incredibly delicious. The variety of flavors is impressive, and the service is top-notch. I highly recommend stopping by for a sweet treat!" 🍩👌 #NicolasDonuts #DeliciousTreats
Absolutely amazing. Fresh, soft, fluffy! These donuts did not disappoint. Staff was so friendly and kind. I look forward to using them in the future!
Genuinely, some of the best donuts I've had in quite some time. The beauty is in the yeast/cake dough and the $1.50 - $3.00 price point for the quality you receive is a bargain. I highly recommend going before 8AM on any given day if you hope to have all of the options available to you.
The ladies work hard, yet still provide excellent service, recommendations and ways to stay connected with the company. My favorites (so far) are the blueberry cake, glazed and strawberry with sprinkles. The specialty donuts are great too, but they are so rich I can't eat them in one sitting. In reality, that's a great problem to have. More donuts for later! Highly recommend.
Look I have been waiting to try these donuts for years. They are a local donut shop and I must say they are worth waking up early for. All the donuts I have tried thus are a amazing. The coconut one is really rich and flavorful. The croissant glazed square is so good and flakey. The jelly filled one is tasty and generously filled. You can tell the dough is made in house and fried there because it's crisp while also being soft. I got a HUGE Cinnamon roll for like 2.75 and a dozen for 15. Totally worth it. I hope everyone gets to try these donuts.
Tonja “C-124 Globemaster” Anderson
+5
I now live in NC and this is a MUST stop on my way in and out of town. My cinnamon roll never made it out of Florida. THANKS!!!
The donuts here are the best we’ve had in the Tampa area. You can tell these are homemade in house. The taste is incredible. Not to mention Nicola is so sweet and generous— she is involved in the local community and donates towards needs and gives of her time. Even more reason to support her and what she does. Please do yourself a favor and try her donuts out!!
My family and I made our first visit today and it definitely won't be the last. Both women behind the counter were very nice And easy to talk to. The donuts were delicious even for being later in the day. My husband is a chef and he loved the jelly donut! Thank you ladies for all your hard work and tasty treats
This place is amazing!! It's a little hole in the wall place that I never noticed my entire 4yrs living in Florida. Better late than never!! If you're looking for those "crazy donuts" you see online, this is the place to get them, at amazing prices too. We got 8 of their fancy/crazy donuts at $2 a donut, walked out paying $16 for amazing donuts you can't get anywhere. Staff is friendly, store is clean and the donuts taste amazing. 10/10 will be coming back again to try their other products.
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