Chasing the best donuts in the DMV brought me to this budget-friendly Severna Park shop on Ritchie Highway, where the classics like Boston cream and honey dipped share the case with rotating weekly specialties and Ceremony Coffee. It’s an easy weekend stop for families and donut fiends, and my favorite this round was the chocolate cream.
My hunt for delish donuts in the DMV just keeps going, lol, and Donut Shack’s been on my list for a WHILE. So I was pumped to finally roll through this Severna Park spot and see what all the fuss was about. I dragged Deke along (for research purposes, obviously), and we grabbed a whole spread so I could report back to you guys properly. Spoiler, I left with a new favorite and a couple of things I already want to go back for.
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What Donut Shack Is Known For
Donut Shack’s a neighborhood donut shop on Ritchie Highway that does the classics really well, plus a rotating lineup of specialty donuts that changes week to week. Beyond the donuts, they’ve got various pastries in the case too, and they pour Ceremony Coffee, which is a nice touch for a quick morning stop. If you’re a donut fiend like me, it’s worth folding into your rotation, and it actually earned a spot on my roundup of the best donuts in Maryland alongside a bunch of other spots I love.
If you’re already in the area and need a dinner spot, Thai Paradise Severna Park is a Thai carryout on the same side of town with spicy noodles and curries worth checking out.
The specialty flavors are the fun part. When I went, they had a key lime pie donut on the board, and they’re always rotating in something new, so it’s worth following their IG so you know what’s dropping that week. Half the fun’s seeing what shows up in the case, and it gives you a reason to keep coming back instead of ordering the same thing on repeat.
What to Order at Donut Shack
Here’s everything I got this time, with an honest verdict on each. Fair warning, I leaned a little heavy on the specialty donuts because I wanted to try as much as possible, lol.
- Chocolate Cream: This was my favorite donut of the whole box. I really enjoyed their chocolate cream, it’s rich without tipping into too-sweet, and if I could only pick one, this’d be it. Get it.
- Boston Cream: A really nice Boston cream, and one of the more yummy versions I’ve had. It’s a classic done right, and I’m a total sucker for that custard-and-chocolate combo, so this one made me really happy.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter (specialty): This one was Deke’s favorite by a mile. He LOVES Reese’s, so I already knew he’d be all over it, and it was stuffed with a TON of peanut butter. If you’re a PB person, this is your donut.
- Apple Crumb: Really nice filling on this one, and I loved the streusel on top. It tasted like apple pie in the best way, so if you lean toward a fruit-forward donut over a cream-filled one, it’s a solid pick.
- Honey Dipped: Apparently one of their most popular options, and I get it, the glaze is great. That said, I’m more of a stuffed donut person, so this just wasn’t my personal go-to. Still a well-made glazed donut if that’s your thing.
- Tuxedo (specialty): Solid, but not my favorite of the bunch. Nothing wrong with it, it just didn’t wow me the way the cream-filled ones did, so I’d probably reach for the chocolate cream again first.
Next time I’m definitely eyeing their Chop Suey donut and the pop-tart, both of which I keep hearing about. If any of you Nomsters have tried those, LMK what you thought, because they’re going straight in my next order.
How Much Are Donuts at Donut Shack?
Pricing’s budget-friendly and easy to follow: it’s $17 for a dozen, $9.50 for a half dozen, and $13 for a donut hole box. Specialty donuts run an extra 50 cents each, so my box came out a touch higher since I loaded up on the fun stuff, but it wasn’t a big upcharge at all. For freshly made donuts you’re picking out one by one, I thought it was really fair, and it’s the kind of price that makes a donut run an easy yes.
What Time Should You Go to Donut Shack?
Go earlier in the day, and I mean it. I rolled in a bit too late in the afternoon and so much was already sold out, which is honestly a great sign for the donuts but a bummer if you had your heart set on something specific. I still got to try a great spread and left happy, but morning-you is going to have way more options than afternoon-you. If there’s a specialty flavor you really want, treat it like a fresh-baked good and get there early.
Good to Know
- 📍 497 Ritchie Hwy Ste 2E, Severna Park, MD 21146
- Open daily, roughly 5am to 5pm (go early, the case thins out by afternoon).
- Budget-friendly pricing: $17 dozen, $9.50 half dozen, $13 donut hole box, specialty donuts an extra 50 cents each.
- Rotating specialty flavors weekly (a key lime pie donut when I went), so check their IG before you go.
- Phone: 410-544-0278. Website: theshackisback.com.
If you’re anywhere near Severna Park and you love a good donut, Donut Shack’s an easy rec, the chocolate cream and Boston cream alone are worth the trip for me, and the prices make it a spot you can absolutely hit on repeat. Severna Park’s quietly become one of my favorite little food pockets, too (Garten is another spot of mine there if you want a proper dinner after your donuts). Just do future-you a favor and get there early. Have you guys been to Donut Shack yet? Let me know what you’d order in the comments, Nomsters.
If you want to start the morning before your donuts, The Coffee Trailer is right on the B&A Trail in Severna Park and serves specialty lattes and cold brew from Magothy Roasting, the kind of low-key outdoor coffee stop that fits the whole neighborhood’s vibe perfectly.