Doin' that stuff that you do, messin' me up with your voodoo.
Written: Jul 20 '06 (Updated Jul 21 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Yummy, creative doughnuts.
Cons: Some doughnuts are not safe for work.
The Bottom Line: This Old Town doughnut shop is big on personality and taste. A must-see place in Portland.
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| HaplessChild's Full Review: Voodoo Doughnut |
Voodoo Doughnut is Portland's un-best kept secret, having now appeared on the Travel Channel, The Tonight Show, and Good Morning America. High on creativity, absurdity, and uniqueness, this Portland staple is a must-visit to travelers of Portland. Anyone living here who has not made it into the shop cannot call themselves a true Portlander.
Nestled in a small space fitted with a red door, Voodoo Doughnuts makes it home between two popular Portland music haunts on West Burnside. Closed only for a few hours in the middle of the day Monday through Friday, and then between 4 and 6 am on Saturday, Voodoo is a popular spot for late night snackers, graveyard workers, vampires, and clubbers.
Now you can worship Satan and cure your sugar craving at the same time!
Voodoo prides itself as a shop that stands miles away from any doughnut place you have ever been to previously. They have a glass case full of a revolving assortment of doughnuts that range from the mythical Triple Chocolate Penetration to the flagship item, The Voodoo Doughnut, which is a filled, Voodoo-doll shaped and decorated doughnut that comes with a pretzel that you may use to stab your doughnut until you feel you have amply cursed someone (or until the pretzel breaks). My favorite is an all chocolate doughnut iced with a nice white pentagram and some chocolate chips on top. You can point yours in what ever direction makes you feel better.
Everything I have had the pleasure of trying is sweet, moist, and altogether yummy. They do chocolate fabulously. A lot of their creations involve dipping the doughnut in a coating such as cereal or cookie crumbs. Because this is Portland, they also have vegan doughnuts. If you don’t care for vegan, and you feel like being a cannibal in a naughty kind of way, you might try the Cock and Balls, which even comes in its own box! The C&B is one of the highest priced doughnuts, topping $4.95. Most of what I have seen there is under four dollars. While that is a bit higher priced than Krispy Kreme, you are paying for a fresh, handmade doughnut like none you have ever tasted, and most of the selection is sized a bit larger than anything you will find at a chain. Please keep in mind that they only take cash, so be sure to hit an ATM before you go.
Can ya dig it?
With your doughnut comes a few napkins, you can choose from a small assortment of beverages, and you are all set. Stay and eat, or take your doughnut out the door with you. Pick up a dozen or a single doughnut; no pressure here. The shop is small and can smell like an overload of sugar, but there is a booth area to sit and the walls are adorned with so much kitsch that it would take a while to look over it all. They will deliver to local places, but I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want to go to the place in person, because Voodoo has also made a name for itself with the events they host. There is a live act every Tuesday and Wednesday for only a dollar! They host Swahili Lessons! They have an annual event to see how many doughnuts men can fit around their penis! And of course there are doughnut eating contests the first Friday of every month. What else do you need from a doughnut shop?
To get married?
Because if that still isn’t enough, they also perform weddings. Real, actual, legal weddings performed in store under a velvet Isaac Hayes portrait. For a small fee you can have a wedding and doughnuts and coffee for ten people.
You drive me crazy with that boogie boogie boogie.
Voodoo Doughnuts is locally owned and a true Portland experience. You don’t have to wait to be seated, the guy behind the counter is polite and helpful, and the owners have packed as much personality as they possibly could into their Old Town location. They have resisted the temptation to make the store “family appropriate,” stale, or gentrified despite their new found fame. You aren’t going to find many places that make doughnuts from scratch and dish them up in such different ways, and I don’t think there are many doughnut places offering Swahili lessons.
For a small business, they have done a wonderful job keeping information up to date and informative on their website. I encourage everyone to check it out before visiting to read more about the Voodoo Doughnut story and see some of the creations they might want to try! www.voodoodoughnut.com
Recommended:
Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations The Voodoo Doughnut of course!
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
HaplessChild
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Member: Natalie
Location: Portland, OR
Reviews written: 87
Trusted by: 72 members
About Me:
Sleep well, weep well, go to the deep well.
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