Mmm … donuts: We asked for the best in South Florida — and here’s your winner!
We received hundreds of votes for the best donut spot in our latest Best of South Florida Dining series. We asked for the "hole" truth from our readers about their go-to donut maker in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, and how we have a winner.
“Mmm … donuts.”
The funny Homer Simpson catchphrase, usually uttered when a box of pink donuts is plopped down in front of him, is mighty fitting right about now. We received hundreds of votes for the best donut spot in our latest Best of South Florida Dining series — proof that you, our readers, can relate to the cartoon dad’s passion for the sweetest of treats.
During the nomination round, we asked for the “hole” truth about your favorite go-to donut makers in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. And your responses gushed about everything from traditional flavors and freshness factor to gourmet toppings and decadent fillings.
The five deep-fried finalists who emerged with the most nominations were, in alphabetical order:
- Bake Shack (Dania Beach)
- Max’d Out Donuts (North Miami Beach)
- Mojo Donuts (multiple locations)
- The Dandee Donut Factory (multiple locations)
- The Hollywood Donut Factory (Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale)
So we dusted the powdered sugar off your votes, tabulated them, and now we’re ready to announce that our readers are feeling fine … and Dandee!
Yes, The Dandee Donut Factory, which offers more than 50 flavors 24/7 at its three Broward County locations, has arisen as the freshly baked fan favorite.
“We are absolutely thrilled!” said David Zion, one of Dandee’s primary partners and operating investor. “We’ve been blessed to have an incredibly loyal team serving the best customers for generations now, and we are so grateful for their support.”
The details
Dandee has been satisfying South Florida’s donut cravings since the early 1980s when a couple of friends opened its first two locations. Soon after, Zion said, “locals and tourists from all over were lining up to get what some began to describe as ‘The World’s Best Donuts.'”
But it was just a dozen years ago (appropriately enough), when another pair of friends got a tip from an associate that Dandee’s owners might be interested in selling the business. That’s when Zion and business partner David Groom, who were visiting from Boston, stopped into Dandee for a taste.
After one bite, they said they knew it was a good investment.
Since then, they have been operating the location in Deerfield Beach and, in 2019, opened the Margate store with a drive-through window. (Back in Boston, they recently opened a Dandee on the North Shore). Dandee partner/part-owner Chris Brady manages the Pompano Beach location, while overseeing all of the Florida stores.
An old-fashioned process
“Wholesome ingredients and a lot of love,” Zion said, are the basis for every batch, made from recipes that have been perfected over 40 years.
“We mix our fresh dough on-site from scratch every day, then hand-roll and cut each donut,” he said. “We bake and finish our donuts in small batches, with very high standards, ensuring that each donut has the perfect amount of frosting and toppings.”
Dandee’s donut roster seems to have every flavor angle covered. Take a spin on the donut carousel on the Dandee Donuts website to flip through more than 50 varieties.
In the mood for something different? You’ll find creations such as Snickers, peanut butter & jelly, Mounds, maple bacon, blueberry crunch, Oreo and Smores.
Looking for something traditional to dunk? They have you covered with old-fashioned sugar, lemon, white coconut, double chocolate with sprinkles, chocolate-glazed and Boston cream, among others.
But there’s one flavor that reigns supreme: the best-selling glazed sour cream.
“It really isn’t a sour cream flavor,” Zion said. “The glazed sour cream has a light golden brown exterior with a soft, moist cake inside that tastes more like vanilla with a hint of caramel. The sweet crunchy glaze has the perfect crunch, and each bite just melts in your mouth.”
What customers say
Fort Lauderdale resident Teresa Coldwell deemed the glazed sour cream donut “perfectly balanced” in her vote.
“(It) starts with a slight crunch from the generous glaze then the piquant of the sour cream melds with the sweetness of the glaze to satisfy any donut craving,” she wrote.
Pompano Beach resident Darlene Moppert wanted us to know that it’s hard for her to resist a Dandee donut.
“Fresh-made throughout the day on-site,” she wrote in her voting form. “Even when we go to high-end restaurants for dinner, we often opt to just pick up Dandee donuts on the way home for dessert.”
Other Dandee fans mentioned the fresh selection, quality ingredients and large size of the donuts.
“Dandee Donuts are the absolute best!” wrote Diane Persten, of Deerfield Beach. “Many donut shops simply make glazed donuts and throw some topping on top to call them ‘gourmet.’ Dandee Donuts has all of the flavors INSIDE the donut batter where they belong … YUM!!!”
More than donuts
All three of Dandee’s Broward restaurants also serve a full menu of cooked-to-order, classic diner breakfast items throughout the day, including biscuits and gravy, omelets, pancakes, french toast, muffins, bagels and egg sandwiches.
“All of our Florida restaurants are open 24/7, and for decades, Dandee has been the go-to favorite for early birds and night owls,” Zion said. “College students, folks out enjoying late-night entertainment, or those working the late or early shift all know that Dandee is the place to be.”