The Seattle-based chain Top Pot Doughnuts is now open on the corner of Hillcrest and Northwest Highway in the spot that previously housed Elevation Burger, which shuttered last August. This is the first Top Pot location outside of the Seattle area.
According to the Top Pot’s website, each location is meant to be “an oasis, where patrons could slow down and savor the nostalgia and taste of a secret 1920s doughnut recipe,” rather than “a fluorescent-lit fast food aesthetic.”
I popped by on opening day to see if that’s the case. Top Pot is indeed open and airy, just begging you to hang around awhile and linger. There was plenty of room (inside and outside) to accommodate both the mother with a group of small kids and the young professional making use of the free Wi-Fi that I spied on my visit.
Unlike its popular West Coast neighbor, Voodoo Doughnut, Top Pot’s doughnuts tend toward the traditional: you can choose from their popular hand-forged old-fashioned doughnuts or try apple fritters and glazed ring doughnuts. The cake doughnut options are a little more extensive. There’s maple, coconut covered, jelly-filled and of course, the kid-friendly sprinkle variety.
The manager, who’s been sent from Seattle to launch the Dallas shop, alluded a bit to Voodoo when she gestured towards the display case and told me, “There aren’t any Fruit Loops on these.”
The coffee drink menu sticks with the old-fashioned too with Ovaltine latte/hot chocolate offerings. Pickier coffee connoisseurs will appreciate that the coffee is roasted by Top Pot themselves in Seattle. You can even buy a bag of those coffee beans in-store — or a bunch of Top Pot merchandise (including some pretty stinkin’ cute baby onesies.)
Click here for hours and additional location information.
