Rebel Donut reminds me a lot of Voodoo Doughnut. Their display is somewhat less Technicolor and a great deal less vulgar (no “triple chocolate penetration” or “cock ‘n’ balls” here), and there’s not a line around the block, but there’s a similar sense of imagination and flair.
We bought six, and though they all looked awesome, we put first things first: the maple-bacon bar, of course! It was exquisite, with a lighter touch than the bar at Voodoo. The maple frosting at Rebel Donut is both less sweet and less thickly slathered on, allowing you to actually taste the excellent, yeasty raised doughnut base. And the generously applied bacon is fantastic.
My other favorites on that trip included the caramel apple fritter, which was exactly what it sounds like and perfectly so; and the blueberry pancake doughnut with its moist blueberries, craggily browned exterior, maple drizzle, and strong hit of nutmeg. The coconut-chocolate doughnut was also great. We didn’t attempt to eat all six donuts right away, so maybe that’s why the cereal-crusted one fell a little flat; the cereal had lost most of its crispness by the time we ate it. The red velvet was also slightly disappointing, with weak flavor and a rather dry crumb (and no cream cheese icing!) – but even the doughnuts that didn’t stand out in this company were quite good.
Of course, I had to get my sweetie to this doughnut heaven as soon as possible. We made it a few days later, and tried several more varieties. Aside from the bacon-maple bar, the strawberry one and the chocolate salted pretzel (I want to know what was in the cake doughnut base on that one, because it was killer) were the standouts this time. We also had a delicious kolache – bready pastry wrapped around sausage and cheese.
I’m ready to go back anytime. I’d have the Maple-Bacon and Caramel Apple Fritter…and then experiment! YUM!