Popular Donuts is located on Union Ave just off Clearwater in Kennewick. We have visited Popular Donuts 4-5 times over the course of the last two years.
Food
The donuts here are, in all honesty, the best we have been able to come by in the Tri-Cities. I know that Spudnuts is the local favorite and everybody goes there for all of their donuts, and yes, we love them too. However, Spudnuts does not sell traditional donuts and we've found that there's really only one type of donut that we love from that store. Popular is a very traditional donut shop carrying plain old wheat-flour donuts. My husband's family owned a donut shop in Iowa for years and he tends to be a connoisseur of donuts. All of the other donuts in the Tri-Cities (with the exception of Spudnuts) are made the evening or afternoon before they are sold, resulting in that greasy film that sticks in your mouth when you eat them. Here at Popular, donuts are obviously made overnight leading up to the morning of sale. They have a light, fluffy texture and the glazes are lightly sweet rather than the heavy, greasy, super-sugary frosting that seems to be the norm around here. I am not typically a donut lover because I can't stand the feeling of having a grease-covered brick in my stomach. These donuts leave me feeling like a human being! They have great taste and texture and they don't give me a massive stomachache
Service
Prompt, friendly, never a problem here.
Cleanliness/Atmosphere
This is a very clean donut shop. I'd actually say it's far cleaner than most of the donut shops I've visited. Atmosphere is where we have a small hang-up and, we're guessing, the reason they don't have as much business as their donuts merit. While the booths are nice and clean and the store looks great, it is run by a family who speaks English as their second language. This, in and of itself is all fine and well, but the family tends to gather in the donut shop and talk the whole time you're there with the TV blaring. While these things aren't a huge deal to us, we're pretty sure it's the reason they don't have more business. If you don't mind having the family chattering in the background and the tv on while you eat your donuts, the atmosphere is fantastic - for a donut shop anyway. If you think those things will bother you, stop by and pick up a dozen to go. I promise, it's well worth your time.
Overall Rating
Since I generally don't go to a donut shop for the wonderful atmosphere, I feel safe giving this place five stars. Prices are a little high ($.89-$.99 a donut) but well worth it, and I believe they'll come down if business improves.
