Some mornings students crave a sweet treat they can grab before they arrive at school. Donuts are available almost anywhere, but where’s the best place to stop and grab one or a dozen? I reviewed four donut shops around Liberty: Dunkin’ Donuts, QuikTrip, Lamar’s and Hy-Vee.

Dunkin’ Donuts – Price: $0.99  Rating: 3.5

953 West Liberty Dr

Early in the morning, you can usually see a line of cars in Dunkin’s drive-thru, but around eight in the morning on a Tuesday, there was no one but workers in sight.

When I ordered my donut, I was greeted with a smiling face and an inexpensive total. The employee was on point with his work and wished me a good day as I grabbed my donut and walked to their cafe section.

I was pleasantly surprised when I pulled the donut out of the bag. It was puffy and light, the glaze was soft and sticky, but not to where I needed a napkin right away. Taking a bite out of the donut was when the magic happened. It was fluffy and sweet, but not so much that I felt sick after one bite. The glaze was present on the whole donut and honestly, I had little complaints.

I would definitely recommend this place to a friend because it is clear that Liberty can run on Dunkin’.

QuikTrip – Price: $0.99  Rating: 2.5

655 South, Route 291

Entering the QuikTrip parking lot, it was clear that this was a popular stop. It was full of cars both in parking spots and getting gas, which worried me as I didn’t know if there would be any glazed donuts left. Lucky for me, there was.

Getting the glazed donut was simple and easy, I pulled it out of the display case, which looked to have been cleaned recently as I couldn’t see any smudges on the glass. I put it in a bag and got into the short line. The donut was inexpensive but still upheld the classic appearance that all glazed donuts have.

The first bite was slightly disappointing as it was overpacked with sugar and wasn’t especially satisfying. The donut left my fingers sticky and made me regret not grabbing a napkin.

Seeing the multiple QuikTrip bags around the school, I may have been hoping for a better donut than I got.

If you want a quick and easy donut, with little hassle and that you can grab yourself, QuikTrip may be the way to go.

Lamar’s Donuts and Coffee – Price: $1.10  Rating: 5

1183 West Kansas St

Seeing Lamar’s donut bags around the school is not an uncommon sight. This formed a good reputation for the donut shop and thankfully I wasn’t let down.

Pulling up, I expected a long line and a crowded store, but when I went in, there was no one waiting. The worker at the counter greeted me with a smile and asked how he could help.

Looking into the donut case, it was clear a mob of people had swept through as a lot of the donuts were already gone. Lucky for me, there were still plenty of glazed donuts resting in the display shelf on the wall. I ordered and paid for my donut and the bag was handed to me with a smile. Simple, easy and quick. The total was just a little over a dollar, so it was also pretty inexpensive for a single donut.

The donut itself can only be described as heaven. It was light, golden and fluffy. It was perfectly glazed and didn’t leave a mess all over my fingers. It was around the same size as the others, but the taste made it feel like I had gotten more for what I paid. The texture was perfect and the taste was exquisite. Honestly, it was one of the best donuts I have ever had and I was overly pleased with how delectable it was.

It is clear why Lamar’s is always busy. Keeping their major focus on donuts really pays off.

Hy-Vee – Price: $1.00  Rating: 2.5

109 Blue Jay Dr (store)

300 Route 291 (gas station)

When I entered the Hy-Vee gas station, I was surprised to see a good handful of people, as it was after 8:30 I thought there wouldn’t be anyone there. The number of people, though, didn’t take away from the experience.

I walked over to the donut display, grabbed my glazed donut and got in line. There were three people in front of me, but the line took little time as the people working the counter were efficient.

The price was only a dollar, which made my wallet and me very happy.

When I finally got to pull the donut out of the bag and take a bite, I was disappointed. The glaze was messy and stuck to my face and hands. The flavor was off, which is definitely an unwanted trait in a simplistic treat like a glazed donut. It had the texture of the donut but the taste was more like eating sugary bread than a glazed donut.

Overall, this wasn’t my favorite, but if I was in a time crunch and craving a donut, this is definitely a good option.