These KC-area doughnuts were ranked some of the best in US. We tried them out
Two of the best doughnut shops in the United States are located in the Kansas City area, according to a new restaurant ranking.
Crowdsource review website Yelp unveiled its 2025 list for the “top 50 donut shops” in the country, and while Kansas City doesn’t claim the No. 1 spot, it is represented on both sides of the state line by Mr. D’s Donuts and Fresh Donuts.
Mr. D’s Donuts was ranked No. 39 with a rating of 4.7 stars from 200 reviews, and Fresh Donuts was ranked No. 50 with a rating of 4.8 stars from 135 reviews.
Yelp’s methodology in ranking the top doughnut shops in the country started with the website identifying businesses in the doughnuts category. They then ranked those spots based on the volume and ratings of reviews given by Yelp Elite Squad members.
The elite squad, who frequently give recommendations and reviews on Yelp, said these two doughnut shops were the best in the area. Are their taste buds correct?
Let’s find out.
The first-ever mochi doughnuts in Kansas City
On a hot Friday in Kansas City, I traveled to Mr. D’s Donuts, found at 11222 W. 75th St. in Shawnee. The shop has been open since 1975 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in August.
It’s now owned by Johnny and Bonnie Chen, who took over the shop from Johnny Chen’s godparents in 2018. The Taiwanese-born Johnny Chen and Mongolian-born Bonnie Chen are both graduates from the University of Kansas and are active in the community.
They were often found handing out doughnuts to essential workers in 2020 and 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve been found hanging out with Jason Sudeikis at Thundergong and Heidi Gardner at Donut Con.
Johnny Chen said their signature is the mochi doughnut, made from rice flour and wheat. He said they’re the first shop in the Kansas City metro to introduce a mochi doughnut, and said he did this to reflect his family’s Asian background.
A cashier inside the store on Friday, June 20, recommended the chocolate-covered mochi doughnut, along with the lemon-glazed standard doughnut (total price was $3.29 for the two).
The mochi doughnut is a little harder than your typical doughnut, but it’s easy to bite through, and the texture is fluffy enough that munchers wouldn’t even be able to tell that it’s not a yeasted doughnut. The chocolate frosting adds even more flavor that bursts on each bite.
Johnny Chen said they make the lemon glaze in-house, and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. The lemon is sweet and it makes for a sticky situation, but it’s worth it.
“We’re just a local mom and pop shop that really focuses on the community,” Johnny Chen said.
A new storefront for fresh doughnuts
Fresh Donuts is found in the Northland and Kansas City, Kansas, but it just opened up a new storefront at 7069 Elizabeth St. in Parkville on Monday, June 16.
I traveled to the Northland location, 5557 NW Barry Road, since it’s the closest. and they’re also going to look much different in the future. Workers inside the building said they’re constructing a dining area for customers, and the area where people pick their doughnuts will turn into a larger bakery.
The owner of Fresh Donuts was busy in Parkville for its opening week, but one of the cashiers inside the store recommended a strawberry doughnut, and I opted to buy a regular glazed doughnut since they were out of their “cro-nuts,” a croissant-doughnut hybrid that was recommended to me by Chen.
You can never go wrong with the classics, and that’s what Fresh Donuts’ glazed doughnut does correctly. The doughnut melts in your mouth, and since it also isn’t sticky like most glazed doughnuts I’ve had, you’re tempted to eat the whole thing in an instant.
Strawberry isn’t my favorite flavor, but this doughnut passes the test. It’s just as fluffy as their glazed doughnut and it doesn’t leave you looking like a madman in public licking your fingers to taste any remaining flavors.
It took a second to get used to the strawberry aftertaste, however.
The mochi doughnut from Mr. D’s Donuts may be my new favorite doughnut in Kansas City, and the glazed doughnut from Fresh Donuts isn’t too far behind on the list.
Are there any other doughnut shops we should try in Kansas City? Or what about other foods and beverages? Let us know at kcq@kcstar.com
This story was originally published June 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
