Honey Dip Donuts & Diner | Columbus, OH

Honey Dip Donuts (Facebook)
4480 Kenny Rd. (map it!)
Columbus, OH 43220
(614) 459-0812
Open everyday, 6 am – 4 pm
Accepts cash & credit/debit
Vegetarian/vegan/gluten free? Y/N/N
Kid-friendly? Y

Date of Visit: Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 12:00 pm

IMPRESSIONS: Geographically, Columbus has itself pretty well covered, donutally. Grandview has DK Diner. Campus and the south side have Buckeye Donuts. Westerville has Schneider’s. The east side has Resch’s. And if you’re headed west, you’ve got Honey Dip Donuts.

ATMOSPHERE: The look and feel of Honey Dip Donuts is so decidedly old school, it’s almost painful. The half-lit signs that list the donut flavors. The pink shelves lined with trays of goodies.

That long, low counter that’s only wide enough for munching a custard-filled and sipping a cup of angry diner coffee.

But that’s the charm: they’re a simple, small, family-run donut shop that’s been going strong for decades. With their 30-40 varieties of glazed twists, buttermilks, cream-filleds, and powdered sugareds, why would they mess with a good thing?

FOOD: As expected, the main feature is donuts, and I haven’t had a bad one there so far. I’m a big fan of buttermilk donuts, and they do plenty of those, from chocolate or vanilla, iced or not, with a variety of flavors, too. The one thing I haven’t had yet is their pumpkin donut, which gets most of the attention at Honey Dip. I guess a return visit is in order.

The selection is wide enough that you’re bound to find something you like.

Here’s the half-dozen I brought home on this particular day. The two on the left are the signature honey dip donut, very light with a thin honey glaze. If you want something sweet, but not too sweet, this is your donut. The middle two are some very good buttermilk donuts. The bottom right corner is a chocolate buttermilk with, yes, chocolate frosting. The top right is a custard-filled bite of deliciousness.

SERVICE: Everyone at Honey Dip is very nice and helpful. The customers, too, are that breed of die-hards who will interrupt the server and start telling you which donuts are best. That’s when you know, for sure, they’ve got a good thing going.

OVERALL: In lieu of another trip to Tim Horton’s or Krispy Kreme, you need to find your way to Honey Dip. Let them show you what real donuts are like. Sidle up at the counter, strike up conversation with a regular, and enjoy another Columbus institution that deserves your support.

As a quick side note: Honey Dip Donuts will close on June 4, 2011 for 4-5 weeks of renovations. When they emerge, they’ll be re-christened the Honey Dip Donuts & Diner, with full breakfast and lunch offerings. Expect a report when their breakfast hits!