Two Wisconsin Donut Shops Among Top 50 In US

What makes a good donut? It needs to be fresh, light, and fluffy. They should be firm enough to hold, but soft in the middle, so when you bite through, it's like a piece of cake in your mouth.

The feature of the donut should be the donut itself, not a piling of toppings that can mask a mediocre donut. The icing and toppings should complement the donut, not overpower it. Donut lovers take their donuts very seriously.

Yelp has compiled a list of the best donut shops in the United States based on their Yelp Elites. They selected 50, and this time, the list is not state-specific. Some states like Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Iowa, and others don't even have a single donut shop in the list.

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Wisconsin, however, has two donut shops that make the top 50. Yelp created an all-time list, using data based on volumes and ratings of reviews given by their Yelp Elite reviewers.

#47 Cranky Al's

Cranky Al's is located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, which is west of Milwaukee. They started their donut shop in 2006, and eventually expanded into making pizzas. They have won tons of awards and have had a lot of press about them. Cranky Al's was in Alton Brown's "My Favorite Doughnuts In The USA blog.

Is your mouth watering yet? Some of their customers' favorite donuts are the Maple Bacon, the Crueller, Vanilla Long Johns, among others. Really, everything looks pretty delicious.

#24 Greenbush Bakery

Greenbush Bakery is in Madison, Wisconsin. Yelp says they are a "late-night favorite." They suggest you try the old-fashioned and jelly-filled classics. Greenbush Bakery is also Kosher certified.

Greenbush Bakery got its start in 1996 from Madison residents Marv "Donut Man" and Barb Miller bought a struggling donut business. They turned it around, using only the finest ingredients. They partnered with the Jewish community and became the only Kosher Certified dairy kitchen between Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Chicago.

They opened up a second location in Madison in 2017.

Read More: Wisconsin BBQ Restaurant Top 50 In US

Sadly, Marv, "The Donut Man" Miller, passed away last year. The business is now run by his grandson, Taylor, who learned the trade from his grandpa.

Greenbush Bakery was also named by Yelp as the best donut shop in Wisconsin in 2024.