Apple Fritter
01$2.99 · the one The Infatuation wrote about
Northgate, Seattle Est. 1993
Fresh at five. Gone by lunch.
Pete Thav and family have been frying donuts in this Northgate strip plaza since 1993. Real blueberry in the glaze, apple fritters crisp at the edges, and a case that is full at five in the morning and empty before most people have had lunch.
Doors open at
5:00 a.m.
Scroll to open the shop
Painted by hand, still accurate
Espresso. Donuts.
Closed Tuesday.
The board out front has said the same four things for years, and all four are still true. Coffee is next to the case. The fryers run six mornings a week. Tuesday we are dark, and Wednesday at five the case is full again.
Thirty-three years, one family
We are not a chain. We are not opening a second location. We open at five, we fry everything the day you eat it, and we turn the lights out when the case is empty.
Same storefront off North Northgate Way. Same fryers. Same recipes. Same little donut hole on a stick handed to you on the way out. "Fresh and real donuts" is the whole brief, and it has not changed since 1993.
A Saturday at Family Donut
5:00 AM
16 left in the box
Weekends sell out by ten. Weekdays hold on a little longer. There is no back stock, no second batch, and nothing frozen. When it is gone, that is the day.
Call before ten
Sold out
by ten
by ten
The lineup
Six reasons people drive across the county.
The Case at Six
02Fritters and cinnamon rolls, trays still warm
The Assortment
03Old fashioned, fritter, maple bar, orange glaze
Coffee and Two
04Latte, a mochi, a blueberry cake
The Dozen
05Mixed case, holes included
What Made It Home
06Come early, this is what is left
The rest is in the case.
See the full menuThe one they wrote about
Apple Fritter
Flat, dense, crisp at the edges, packed with cinnamon. The Infatuation calls it the best in town. We tend to agree.
$2.99
Each
Best
In town, The Infatuation
Keep scrolling to tear it open.
Torn open on the left, still whole on the right. Same fritter.
1993
The year the fryers went on
4.6
Yelp rating
369
People who wrote it down
5AM
Six mornings a week
This Northgate donut shop churns out exemplary, inexpensive donuts that also happen to be the best in town. Instead of fake fruit essence, the donuts are coated with a glaze that contains actual bits of blueberry, orange zest, or raspberry puree.
Aimee Rizzo Senior Staff Writer, Seattle The Infatuation, August 2023
What people say
Three hundred and sixty-nine people, one opinion.
Oh the colors, the colors! The wide and ever-changing variety of donut here makes it a kids dream come true and a huge family favorite. Jewels of sugar on every shelf.
I'm not usually a donut fan, but their donuts changed my life. Everyone there is super patient and friendly. The shop is small but it's homey and comfortable. Every time I'm in Seattle I stop and get some donuts from here.
Go early! Some of the best donuts I've ever tried. So fluffy and delicious. The man helping me for my first visit was so nice and gave me a sample too! The store is take out with coffee and donuts available. Store is bright with a beautiful large donut display case.
Come see us
Come at
sunrise.
Take-out only, credit cards and Apple Pay, free lot out front with plenty of spots at sunrise. Weekends sell out by ten. We are closed Tuesdays.
2100 N Northgate Way, Suite FSeattle, WA 98133
| Monday | 5:00 AM — 2:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 5:00 AM — 2:00 PM |
| Thursday | 5:00 AM — 2:00 PM |
| Friday | 5:00 AM — 2:00 PM |
| Saturday | 5:00 AM — 2:00 PM |
| Sunday | 5:00 AM — 2:00 PM |
Order style
Take-out only. Grab and go.
Coffee
Yes, alongside the case.
Parking
Free lot shared with the strip plaza, plenty of spots at sunrise.
Payment
Credit cards and Apple Pay.