Started in a defunct grinder shop in North Kingstown with $50 and a strong will to make donuts, Frederick Alvin “Allie” Briggs started Allie’s Donuts in 1968.  The homemade donuts famous for their extra large big donuts was one of Saveur Magazine’s 12 Best Donut Shops in the country in 2008….but if you are from Rhode Island I don’t need to tell you that.  Being that I am not from Rhode Island I really had no idea what the hype was about.  All I knew was that I was a donut fan and everyone was telling me I had to get to Allie’s.

So, on a very cold winter weekend morning I packed up the kids and drove what felt like was forever to get to a tiny hole in the wall type structure with lines stretching around the building.  My kids did not want to get out of the car.  It was cold.  It was early.  I got them out anyway and we stood in line only to hear (about twenty minutes in) that they only took cash.  What? Cash? Today? Who carries cash? Not this girl.  We left the line in search of an ATM and then headed back to the line.  My kids, I won’t lie, were not happy.  Not even with the dangling donut in front of them.

We did wait though- about 45 minutes and then crammed in to the tiny space and into yet another line.  The smell was amazing.  Warm and sweet.  The brightly colored sprinkle donuts were the prettiest things we had ever seen and truth be told we would have ordered a lot more just because of that.  With crispy outsides and chewy insides, these donuts tasted as good as they looked.  We hear that in 1984 they were selling as many as 400 dozen a day in the winter and 800 dozen a day in the summer.  That is 9,600 donuts a day! All handmade.  If you go be ready to stand in line, dress warm, bring cash and then get ready to eat all the donuts before you leave the parking lot.  Your willpower probably won’t last much longer than that.

 

Allie’s Donuts is located at 3661 Quaker Lane in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.  You can call them at 401-295-8036.  They do not use social media to communicate so reach out if you want to place an order for a birthday donut (8 weeks in advance) or something else.