Strange Donuts — Restaurant in Maplewood

I would NOT recommend this shop as their customer service is HORRIBLE!

I used Strange Donuts to cater a baby shower.  I ordered approximately 3 dozen donut holes and 3 dozen specialty donuts.  When arriving at the store at the agreed upon pick-up time, I was informed that my order was not there.  I was shocked to see an email was sent only seconds before I was due to pick up the donuts, even though they had my cell phone number from our email correspondences and could have called instead of having me make an unnecessary trip to their shop.  The shop and I had also discussed on the phone the day before that I would be picking up the donuts at 9am the next day, so I am unsure why the email, sent seconds before arrival time, stated we had never discussed a pick up time.  I was disappointed that my order was taken by another customer, at no fault of my own.  I was also appalled by the fact that this shop tried to get the customer to bring our donuts back.  That is never okay from a health standpoint, once food has been touched or left the store by anyone other than a worker.  I feel slighted by the fact that, while my order was delivered (two blocks away), it was still over two and a half hours late, with no compensation.  Luckily, I planned ahead to pick up the donuts early instead of just before the event.  Yet, I still had to rush to get the favor bags done with the donut holes and set up the donut wall, as the majority of this party was themed around donuts.  I paid for my order in advance (per invoice), as well as added a generous tip, based upon the high ratings I received that on their service.  I emailed and contacted the shop after the party and no one ever responded or acknowledged me.  I just wanted to share my opinion and frustration in an attempt to save someone else from this experience.

I will NEVER use this shop again due to their AWFUL...

Strange donuts was amazing... Once upon a time. But these days it feels like a washed up rockstar not far from retirement. Everything from the flavors to the general quality of the donuts are nothing like they used to be. It feels like all the passion came from the original bakers/owners and once they opened additional locations, all of that was lost to the hustle of trying to run a business. I remember the first time I had Strange Donuts they were large, messy, and WEIRD. The most recent time I had Strange Donuts they were small, messy, and stale. Their monthly flavors have gone from being off-the-wall, strange concoctions filled with things you'd never imagine in a donut to... Well, here are some examples...

Here are some flavors from 2016, pulled from their facebook: Rule the Shul (Donut with Lox), Cordial Cherry Chocattack (two donuts stacked with chocolate chip cookie dough, cherry icing, dark fudge, and cherries), Gioas Deli donut, Attack of the Christmas Cookie (their description: 'Brown butter vanilla Done sandwich, raw sugar cookie dough, sweet bean vanilla icing, maraschino cherry glaze with your grandma's soul and a 🍒 on top').

In 2023 we have apple cheddar fritters, blueberry cinnamon roll, a chocolate jelly donut with oreos on top, and pineapple mango tajin fritters (so a spicy pineapple mango donut?). The best flavor I think I saw scrolling through the year was a banana pudding donut. At least it was big. Creative? Eh.

And if any of those sounded good to you, well... Don't be prepared to get anything particularly fresh or made with passion in store.

It's truly just sad and feels like such a loss for...

I love donuts! I especially love unusual flavored donuts! I've been wanting to try Strange donuts since they opened, but hadn't gotten around to it. But, after it (and it's gooey butter donut) was suggested to me by a donut shop blogger I made a trip out to get some strange donuts for my Sunday morning. I arrived and read the list of donuts written on the chalkboard. Since there is NO DESCRIPTIONS in sight I selected on name - PB&J and Heath's Ledger. The male employee behind the counter first tries to force a high five on me getting in my face and shouting, "Hey dude, high five!" I declined the high five and asked for my selected donuts and several others that are all listed on the CHALKBOARD menu, but this rude female employee says they DON'T HAVE ANY OF THEM and looks at me impatiently as if I should know this already. These employees were UNFRIENDLY. Even the offered high five was ABRASIVE AND UNWELCOMING. It was as if they wanted me to be uncomfortable - Is that the STRANGE part? As for their donut's taste, I tried a jelly donut and an elvis donut (banana filling with peanut butter and chocolate glaze and chocolate sprinkles - sounds good) and they were no better in taste than a gas station donut. I was really unimpressed at $2 per donut. The banana filling in the Elvis donut tasted like box banana pudding and I wish the chocolate glaze covered more than just a small corner of the donut because the best bites were that little corner with the chocolate/pb/and banana combo. THIS PLACE IS ALL HYPE...