I visited Donut Star in Auburn, WA as part of The Great Jelly Donut Hunt.
Here is the scale:
The Jelly Donut Review
Donut Star’s Jelly Donut
TOTAL SCORE
The Donut Star jelly donut is, overall, only okay.
Detailed Review
Ambiance/Vibe & Cleanliness
Although I have stopped including the ambiance and vibe of the store as part of the donut score, I do think it is important to at least comment on it.
Donut Star is pretty clean but is slightly falling apart at the edges. The lettering on the main “Donut Star” sign is peeling away. Some of the tiles in the dining area are broken off. It just overall looks like it could use some TLC.
Overall, though, if I were rating Donut Star’s ambiance, I would give it a 3.5 — between “okay” and “good.”
Presentation
My initial impression of Donut Star’s jelly donut was that it didn’t look all that great. The glaze looked like it had somewhat evaporated on the top. It was also a little flat and very light.
The glaze
I like the glaze to either have a nice flaky crispiness or to be soft and gooey. This was neither of those. It was barely present. The edges had some noticeable glaze to it, but overall the glaze was between “okay” and “disappointing.”
The Dough
The dough had a good taste but it was too thin and too airy.
The Jelly
The jelly was just average. I can’t even think of anything interesting to say about it other than it was okay. I would describe the texture as a liquidy gel. The taste was fine, but nothing to write home about (or to blog about).
Jelly-to-Dough Ratio
The ratio was, like most of the donut, okay. I could have used a more even spread — most of the jelly was off to one side. But the amount of jelly worked well with the amount of dough.
The value
Unfortunately, I forgot to note the cost of the donut. I know it wasn’t particularly expensive or cheap, so I’m giving it a 3.
Conclusion on Donut Star’s Jelly Donut
This probably comes as no surprise, but Donut Star’s jelly donut is only okay. I wouldn’t be excited about getting another jelly donut from this place. But if someone gave me one, I would happily eat it.
