Savoy Donuts, Escondido

Warm and welcoming!

Go to almost any donut shop during the busy morning hours, and you can expect to be greeted by impatient workers who flip their tongs over and over, urging you to hurry up with your selections so that they can get you out of the way and move on to the next customer. That was not the case at Savoy Donuts in Escondido, where MM and I were welcomed by Dan, the friendly manager of the establishment. Great name, great donuts, great place to hang out. What more could one want from a donut shop on a drizzly morning?

Savoy Donuts is located just off Auto Park Way, so any time you are in need of a little boost before shopping for a vehicle, I would recommend that you stop by this place to kick back, enjoy a donut or two, and plan your negotiating strategy before hitting the dealers’ lots. Savvy Dan will even give you an extra kick by refilling your coffee cup at no charge.

So many varieties, I felt deprived.

The selection at Savoy was better than most, with a good selection of cakes, raiseds, bars, and old-fashioneds, although the elusive cruller was missing from the racks. I spotted a vanilla buttermilk bar, and just had to give it a whirl, along with a maple bar and an innovative red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. The buttermilk bar was still warm when I pulled it apart. Talk about freshness! Even the cinnamon butterfly that MM selected was still steaming a bit, fresh from the kitchen. We also tried out a raised donut with crème filling and toasted coconut topping, which proved to have a nice balance, neither too sweet nor too dry.

The butterfly

The maple bar, however, was an absolute beast! As soon as I hefted it off the plate, I knew that I had made a mistake in my selection. The bar turned out to contain a crème filling—on the rack below was one without the filling, which was the one I wanted. Still, that’s my bad for not asking Dan which was which. The maple bar with crème was overly sweet, and—believe it or not—was left unfinished on the plate.

Regarding the cinnamon butterfly, MM said, “Mm.” Regarding the buttermilk bar, she said, “Mm.” Regarding the others, she said, “Mm, I’m full,” so it was left to me to finish off the rest, with the exception of the aforementioned maple bar.

Next time...

Savoy Donuts scored 85.5 on the D-Meter, good for the #3 spot on our list. Extra points were scored for the establishment’s friendly, inviting atmosphere, but what put it over the top of most other local donut shops was the fact that its donuts were spankin’ fresh and delish. I only wish I could have tried out a regular raised donut instead of the maple bar. As we were about to leave, I spotted a beastly bear claw with vanilla icing and cinnamon crumbles on the rack; it was still under construction in the kitchen when we placed our order. I took a picture of it, telling Dan, “I gotta get a shot of this, so I know what to get next time!” Because, my friends, there will be another trip to Savoy Donuts.

Top Ten Donut Meter Scores:

1. Peterson’s Donut Corner, Escondido — 94.0

2. Sunny Donuts, Kearny Mesa — 87.0

3. Savoy Donuts, Escondido — 85.5

4. RB Donuts, Rancho Bernardo — 83.0

5. Donut Haven, Hillcrest — 82.7

6. Super Donuts, Carlsbad — 82.0

7. Danny’s Donuts, Vista — 81.0

8. Christy’s Donuts, Kearny Mesa — 80.0

8. Honey Donuts, Santee — 80.0

10. Golden Donut, University City — 79.3